Thursday, February 17, 2011

Smoked meats in Singapore: Enter the Smoke Shack

I have been passing this little deli tucked at the ground floor of the Market Street car park for a while. It advertises smoked meats...and this brings me right back to the cold (very cold, often dipping below -15C before windchill) days in Montreal. A Hebrew establishment at St-Laurent Boulevard is an institution in Montreal. Long lines form outside, even in the bitter cold for a taste of their famous smoked meats. Promising, methot. Even though the Smoke Shack is perhaps more American than Canadian, I went in for lunch.

The Smoke Shack

Nice deli...real deli style establishment...small, cramped...but hey, in a deli, we are here for the food...and it promises to be interesting. The smell coming from the kitchen counter certainly is nice. The meats are cut on order behind the counter.

I ordered a Montrealer.

smoked meat sandwich The Montrealer at Smoke Shack

Packed with smoked meat, on rye bread with a generous spread of mustard and pickles. The meat looks like ham, but this is quality meat, I was told smoked inhouse right in the premises. The meat was delicious. Very tender, very tasty...a tad on the salty side, but nice highlight. The mustard was rich, and creamy with a very light punch. The pickes were nice and sour. The whole combination is what a smoked meat sandwich is supposed to be...sinfully rich, but at the same time balanced in taste with a touch of salt, a kick of mustard, and a tweak of sourness from the pickles.

I also sampled the Montevideo (Chivitos)

smoked meat sandwich The Montevideo Chivitos at Smoke Shack

This was excellent. The nicely balance of thinly sliced steak, with ham and bacon and propped up by freshtomato, lettuce and fortified with olives, pickles and roasted peppers and a generous piece of mozzarella. The mix of tastes which assults the palate is tangible and immediate. I think it is one of the best sandwiches I have eaten in a while. The steak slices were very nice and tender. As were the ham, and bacon. Good!

I enjoyed the food here. Service was attentive and polite, but this is a deli, not a fine dining establishment, and right in the middle of CBD, a long stream of expats soon formed at the ordering counter. Price wise, about similar to Quiznos and Subway, but I think quality is superior to either, and taste is much better too. Recommended. Shiok!


Smoke Shack
146 Market Street #01-33
Singapore 048945
Tel: 6841 1221

4 comments:

gary said...

hi peter,

nice meeting you today at orchard.

this ny style deli is one of the best places for authentic new york deli in sg i think. i like it too.

gary

Robin said...

OMG thank you for posting this! This is awesome. You have made the day of a real Montrealer who has made Singapore home...

Scenes in Singapore life said...

Hi Robin, I am sure yo know Schwartz's which I was referring to.

Scenes in Singapore life said...

Hi Gary, yes, it was good to meet you. Cheers.