Luke’s Lobster S’pore Preview: Eat Lobster Rolls Near Chanel’s Beauty Counter

At 610 square feet, this self-service seafood “shack” in the, er, cosmetics department of Isetan Scotts is relatively tiny. You'd think it'd be weird eating in the beauty hall of a department store, but it's not, really. It helps that Danish confectionary Leckerbaer is right beside it. But we’d imagine the closest cosmetics counter to it — Chanel’s — would be assaulted by the scent of melted butter and seafood all day. Lucky them? Hur hur.

The restaurant was built to seat 23, but no thanks to social distancing imperatives, can now only accommodate up to 17 diners. The space is anchored by a wood-laminated shack behind which kitchen staff dole out the food. Diners sit on pale wood dining tables framed by black-accented wooden chairs and benches. You can’t see it if you enter from inside the department store, but there’s a wall facing the street decorated with brightly coloured lobster buoys.

To start, only the basic rolls are on the menu: lobster rolls, crab rolls and shrimp rolls stuffed with 4oz (113g – there’s just one size here, in the US they offer a 6 oz one too) of seafood. There’s also a clam chowder, lobster bisque and packets of Tyrell’s potato chips. Towards the end of the year, they will release grilled cheese sandwiches filled with lobster or crab meat.

The lobster rolls here cost $25.50 each, which makes them just a little more expensive than in the United States where they cost US$17 (about S$23). Similarly, the crab rolls here cost $23.50 compared to US$13 (about S$17) in the States. Based on our preview tasting today, we’re happy to report that the quality of the food is right on par with its US outlets’.

The seafood here comes straight from the Northeast Coast of America, where the company works with trusted fishermen who haul their traps and nets by hand from the open seas with strict adherence to sustainable fishing practices. The seafood is quickly steamed after they are caught, picked, flash-frozen with nitrogen, and then sent straight to Singapore.

The fluffy white buns are made to specification by a (secret) supplier here. They are buttered on these nifty butter-rolling machines that allow staff to efficiently swipe the bread across the rollers to get a lovely even layer.

They are then toasted up to a golden crisp before getting a slick of mayo on their bases, stuffed with the thawed seafood and drizzled with lemon butter using a specially made syringe. Each roll is finished with a dusting of Luke’s “secret seasoning”, comprising spices like celery seed powder, sea salt and garlic powder.

By American lobster roll standards, this one is Spartan, with little else but good-sized chunks of sweet, juicy lobster meat seasoned judiciously with melted lemon butter. The mayo is only discernible when you bite into the base of the bun (we’d prefer a tiny bit more mayo), which incidentally, is fluffy and milky in equal measure… like a soft egg-less brioche. We love how it toasts up with a clean, buttery, almost nutty flavour.

If you’re the sort that prefers crabmeat to lobster, this roll should sufficiently satisfy. The toasty rolls are filled with sweet Jonah crabmeat from Rhode Island, which has more thread-like flesh compared to their Asian mud crab or flower crab cousins. The same lemony butter and secret seasoning are employed to yield fragrant, toasty goodness.

Juicy little shrimps from Eastern Canada are piled generously onto the buttered rolls. They burst in sweet, briny pops with each bite, which make them quite a joy to eat, though if you ask us, there’s no reason to skip the lobster for these.

If you can’t decide which roll to try, you can get a trio of cute half-sized rolls. For sides, a small packet of Tyrell’s Chips will set you back $2.50, while drinks like Luke’s Homemade Lemonade costs $6.50 each.

There’s an endless-summer vibe to this creamy yet light bisque swimming with chunks of lobster flesh. Its velvety texture comes not from cream but a melange of pureed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions and celery, which also give it a complex sweetness. Roasted lobster shells and a hit of paprika, thyme, garlic and butter make it a rich and satisfying bowl.

If you like your clam chowder extra hearty, this is the one for you. It’s practically 90 percent potatoes and clams, and 10 percent broth. The petit cubes of potatoes and wild sea clams sit in a cream-enriched vegetable stock spiked with onion powder and bay leaves. If you’re hungry, this super tasty and deceptively little bowl will fill you up quickly.

Later in the year, when the kitchen has had a chance to settle in, these yummy grilled cheese sandwiches will find their way on the menu. The same fluffy white bread is toasted with good old American cheese slices (think Kraft slices) and a choice of lobster or crab meat.

The restaurant expects to be slammed when it opens on 23 September, so it is delaying its delivery option to concentrate on getting food out with quality and efficiency. Diners can, however, order online at www.lukeslobster.sg and collect their food at the restaurant. Pre-orders start on 17 September for pick-up on 23 September. Pick-up slots are scheduled every half hour from 10.30am to 9pm daily, with only five orders (maximum $100 spend) for each slot.

The quality of the food here is on par with Luke’s New York branches’, at least based on our preview tasting. And we think it’s pretty good value at $25.50 for a decent-sized lobster that tastes almost as delish as the pricier live variety (it’s steamed and flash-frozen vs the more expensive live offerings at Burger & Lobster or Pince & Pint’s). If Luke’s Lobster’s openings in Japan are anything to go by, you’d best get ready to queue or keep your fingers poised to get your online orders in. We hope the staff at the Singapore outlet will be able to cope with the inevitable crowds and upkeep the standard of the rolls when its doors open to the public.

Luke’s Lobster opens 23 Sept at #01-K4, Shaw House, Isetan Scotts, 350 Orchard Rd. S238868. Tel: 6592-7642. Daily 10am – 9pm, last orders at 8.30pm. www.lukeslobster.sg​​​​​​​

Photos: Alvin Teo

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