My first taste of Luke’s Lobster was three years ago, in Japan. My sister had stumbled upon a post on Instagram and decided that would be our snack when we went to Tokyo. We let Google Map guide us through the streets of Harajuku and after a 15-minute walk, joined the snaking queue. No regrets. Obviously, we went back for another taste during our subsequent trips.
So when I heard Luke’s Lobster would be arriving on Singapore’s shores, I was ecstatic, but wondered how it would match up against the Japanese version, which left me impressed each time I went.
FYI, Luke’s Lobster originated from the US, not Japan. They’re best known for their lobster rolls, but also serve up prawn and crab rolls, and soups.
In Singapore, they will be adding grilled cheese sandwiches to the menu soon.
The space would sit 23 people under normal circumstances, but in the new normal, due to social distancing, it fits 17 people. Counter seats facing the kitchen where food is prepared are not available at the moment due to safe-distancing measures.
Here’s my review.
The size is bigger than what I had in Tokyo—the size in Japan is about 2/3 of this. It’s packed with lobster chunks, nestled in between bread that’s washed and fried with egg.
The bread is a bit salty, which pairs nicely with the lobster chunk. The butter sauce also makes for a great complement without overpowering the taste of lobster.
I wouldn’t recommend leaving the lobster chunks aside and eating them without the bread because after a while, you might get sick of the taste. At least I did.
The Crab Roll costs $23.50, while the Shrimp Roll costs $21.50.
The store will also be launching “JP size”, i.e. Japanese size, which is smaller, soon.
I suggest getting this only if you’re really hungry or have a big appetite because the serving is quite big. You’re essentially getting about half of each roll, which means you’re eating 1.5 rolls in total.
The shrimp roll was better than I thought it would be. The boiled shrimps lack colour, so I thought they would be tasteless, but I was surprised by how flavourful they were when I took my first bite.
The crab roll was not bad too, as the meat was moist and juicy, but even as a fan of crabs, I’d go for the lobster roll over this.
Caution: All three are messy to eat. Despite them served in smaller servings, Luke’s Lobster is not stingy with the meat filling, so you can expect fallout every time you take a bite. Which is why I would advise eating over the basket to prevent any messes and also avoid wastage.
If you’re someone like me who likes her soup a bit bland, then you might find this a tad salty. The soup comes in a small paper bowl and includes about three to four small chunks of lobster. It can be quite filling if you’re a small eater, but it won’t make the average person full. But honestly, would you come to Luke’s Lobster to try only the soup?
I didn’t have a chance to try the clam chowder (because there’s only so much this sis can eat) but it looked delish.
Unless you dislike cheese, you really can’t go wrong with grilled cheese sandwiches. The Grilled Cheese comes in two versions: lobster and crab. So, you know the drill by now, they’re served with lobster/crab chunks. The chunks are concentrated in the middle of the sandwich, so it’s less messy to eat compared to the roll. But if you’re here for lobster/crab meat, go for the rolls.
The saltiness of the cheese makes this easy to wolf down since it doesn’t taste cloying. One serving is equivalent to two slices of bread, cut in half, so you can share this with a friend if you just want a taste. My personal opinion is that the lobster goes better with grilled cheese.
This is obviously not on the menu but there’s a cool handwashing area in the corner of the store to ensure you practise good hand hygiene. All you have to do is put your hand under the tap and it does all the work for you: dispense soap, dispense water, and then dispense paper towel. Try it when you’re there (not only because it’s Covid-19 period but also because it’s really cool).
Luke’s Lobster is at 01-K4 Isetan Scotts, Shaw House, 350 Orchard Road.
It opens on September 23, 1pm, and from 10am to 9pm daily, from Sept 24 onwards.
You can start placing pre-order for takeaway from September 17, noon, on its website.