Southeast Asian cuisine is known for its fiery spice, explosive tastes, and vibrant flavors. Slake shows that it can also be contemporary and creative when it opened its doors in 2014 in the sleepy Opera Estate neighborhood. Its inventive interpretations of Singaporean and regional flavors alongside friendly service and warm experience quickly grew it a cult following, leading to it to win various awards including NOC Food King 3 Stars two years running (2020 and 2021) and the Singapore Tourism Awards, Best Casual Dining Experience Award in 2021.
The brainchild of serial restauranteur and self-professed food enthusiast Jeremy Cheok, Slake’s culinary team uses modern techniques, quality ingredients, and a healthy dose of creativity to reinterpret the favorite dishes Singaporeans have grown up eating.
Cheok himself laid his culinary foundations as a child through a family with deep Peranakan roots, learning the finer points from his grandaunts. After traveling the world extensively, eating, drinking, and of course, cooking across Europe, Indochina, East Asia, Australia, and America, Cheok conceived Slake as his way of sharing his culinary alchemy with others.
“My approach to crafting food is Peranakan in nature, taking the best parts of what’s on hand and marrying the flavors together. Some call this fusion but I call it being practical. This is what one can expect with every experience at Slake,” says Cheok.
The brand name originated from Slake’s first location at Opera Estate – Swan Lake Avenue. Jeremy combined “Swan” and “Lake” into the brand name – Slake. Adopting the swan logo was the logical way to go.
ON THE MENU
Slake focuses on contemporary Southeast Asian cuisine, grounded by Cheok’s rich Peranakan heritage, for an extensive range of delicacies with creative, original, unique local twists. These original signature dishes include Pulut Hitam Risotto Stuffed Squid, Chye Poh Fries, and Sticky Date Huat Kueh, which are all-time favorites amongst its loyal patrons. Today, Slake is the go-to choice for many across the island when celebrations and gatherings are at hand, thanks to the early adoption of island-wide delivery options.
SNACKS
Cold Rendang Custard ($9)
Perfect as a cold, flavourful starter, cold prawn rendang gets a creamy bolster on a bed of charcoal egg custard to further draw out its sweetness. A topping of tobiko lends more umaminess with a veil of brine.
Chye Poh Fries ($12)
Everyone’s favorite crispy French fries come topped with aged black vinegar mayo. Mixed into the butteriness are bits of deep-fried chye poh for extra taste and texture that will leave you wanting more.
Battered Pig Ears ($14)
The classic braised dish of pig’s ears gets a crunchy update by first being sous vides to cook it to the texture of calamari before being deep-fried for a crispy outer skin. A dusting of mala powder brings a spicy punch to a crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside delight of a snack.
Slake Crabcakes ($19)
Taste crab cakes like you’ve never had with whole nuggets of fresh crab meat and vegetables, pressed into a compact case that’s then deep-fried to a golden brown. An accompanying dip of shiok sour and zesty Singaporean Nyonya Tartar sauce prepared with Cheok’s rempah recipe will have you licking up the last crumb.
Spicy Glazed Mid Wings / Lime Leaf Soy Glazed Mid Wings ($14 each)
Crispy mid-wings are deep-fried to a crunchy indulgence and coated with two options of sauce for all levels of spice tolerance: opt for the sweet and spicy sauce if you love a kick or the lime leaf soy glaze for something comforting yet equally as addictive.
GREENS
Charred Gula Melaka Brussel Sprouts ($12)
Brussel sprouts are given a localized caramelization with a light char and Gula Melaka glaze in this sweet and savory dish. First, Brussel sprouts are seared with high heat to cook while keeping them crunchy before being tossed in a sweet Gula Melaka and Assam glaze. The Assam lends a tartness to balance out the sweetness, while fragrant fried shallots bring things up a notch on the savory front.
Slake Caesar Salad ($14)
A true Caesar salad, it comes with the complete eight layers of Romain lettuce, charred corn, cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon, soft-boiled egg, Grana Padano, mantou croutons, and Asian Caesar dressing.
Charcoal Grilled Vegetable Platter (half/full $18/$28)
When in doubt, have them all with this vegetable platter that comes with butternut squash with charred skin, lightly fragranced with nori, accompanied by a smorgasbord of portobello, broccoli, baby corn, sweet corn, tomatoes, and asparagus. Each of the vegetables is first dehydrated in the oven to retain their flavors before being grilled then dressed in orange juice and fish sauce for a unique sweet and savory Asian dressing.
WHITES
Crispy Silkie ($26)
Originally made with quail, Slake tries a rendition with free-range black chicken to keep things cost-effective, as well as to push the boundaries of flavors when it comes to the humble bird. Roasted black chicken is bathed in a reduction of chicken jus for the comforting taste of chicken essence while a dash of fish sauce ties flavors together. Served alongside it are carrots, sous vide then oven-roasted, and a refreshing Thai som tam slaw of carrots, purple cabbage, and dried shrimp.
Charcoal Grilled Seafood Platter ($88)
Seafood lovers will revel in this platter of charcoal-grilled treasures of the sea, served with a choice of Boston lobster or mud crab. Shellfish like clams and mussels are lightly grilled for an enticing char while sweet corn cob and broccoli are charcoal roasted in the oven for smoky crispness before being tossed in a choice of three sauces (Chilli Crab/Black Pepper/Nyonya Sauce). They are then double grilled again for thorough flavor. Those who love a lot of sauce to go with their spread can also opt for extra servings of it on the side.
Sauces:
• Chilli Crab Sauce; sweet, tangy, and spicy Chilli Crab Sauce made from a myriad of Southeast Asian spices such as chili, turmeric, lemongrass, and candlenuts.
• Black Pepper Sauce; fragrantly piquant black pepper blend, home-made by stir-frying butter with an ambrosial premium pepper mixture that was specially selected and roasted.
• Nonya Sauce; a mildly spicy Nonya sauce that is at once sweet and tangy, indulgent and refreshing, made from sugar and milk for a taste that is unique to the Singapore Peranakan Heritage.
REDS
Charcoal Grilled Pork Collar ($24)
A generous slab of pork collar makes up this dish, charcoal grilled to perfect medium doneness and served with a laksa leaf beurre blanc sauce that’s at once rich and bright.
Orange Glazed Pork Brisket Ribs ($28)
Fork-tender on the inside, deliciously charred and glazed with a zesty orange sauce on the outside, dig into the most tender pork brisket you’ll come to taste, thanks to the choice of brisket bones instead of the typical baby back ribs. The soft bones allow for whole consumption of the riblets, made extra fragrant with the orange sauce glaze and topping of orange zest, pomelo pulp, and sesame seeds.
Charcoal Grilled US Rib Eye ($48)
A hearty US rib-eye steak is given an Asian spin with a side serving of pickled jambu, gula Melaka mustard, and spicy shiok rice.
STAPLES
Seafood Laksa Linguine ($22)
Al dente linguini pasta comes embellished with sweet seafood including prawns, mussels, and clams but is given a Singaporean spin with additions of taupok and onsen egg. Bathing pasta and seafood is a very pronounced laksa sauce made with generous rempah.
Slake Nasi Kerabu (Brown Rice Salad) ($19)
Slake’s signature shiok rice is turned into a warm kerabu after frying with oil rendered from prized cut beef trimmings and added with Ricola, corn, cherry tomatoes, poached chicken breast. A tossing with orange juice and fish sauce vinaigrette and a topping of Asian coriander and laksa leaf complete this hearty rice dish.
Charcoal Grilled Squid Stuffed w/ Pulut Hitam Risotto ($24)
An inside-out squid risotto, pulut hitam risotto rice is stuffed into a whole squid for a neat serving of sticky rice and seafood that’s just as tantalizing.
SIGNATURE COCKTAIL
Chilli Crabby Mary ($19)
Slake’s signature cocktail, the Chilli Crabby Mary is its version of the Bloody Mary, made with a choice of bourbon for smokiness, gold rum for a sweeter rendition, or vodka to pull out the classic taste of tomato. Shaken with JUMBO Seafood’s award-winning chili crab sauce, it comes with a pairing of deep-fried mantou and whole crab claw that you can dip into your cocktail for the full Singaporean chili crab experience. On the side, there is also a chili you can bite into for extra spice, a stick of sugarcane for stirring or biting into should things get too hot to handle and a slice of lime or lemon that you can squeeze into the drink for more zest.
DESSERTS
Sticky Date Huat Kueh ($12)
The best of sticky date pudding and traditional huat kueh come together in this dessert served with almond crumble for crunch, Haagen Dazs ice cream for a nice contradiction of hold and cold, and a drizzle of caramel sauce for some sweetness. Ice cream flavor choices include Belgium Chocolate, Peanut Butter Crunch (highly recommended for best pairing), and Vanilla.
Kopi Gao $12
Eat your coffee with Slake’s house blend of coffee made into jelly, served with milk and chocolate soil bits. Pairing perfectly for taste, texture, and temperature is Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean Chocolate ice cream.
Sour Fruit Slump $12
Tart, refreshing and crisp all at once, dig into a bowl of fresh rhubarb, raspberry and hawthorn, covered with almond biscuit topping, held together by Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean ice cream.
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