What springs to mind when you think about fine dining? The chances are it isn’t burger and chips. Though that could be about to change, because Ikoyi co-founder and head chef Jeremy Chan is teaming up with Shake Shack on a hyper-limited collaboration, launching on 13 October in aid of London food redistribution charity, City Harvest.
Available from 12pm at Shake Shack’s Covent Garden spot, only 300 each of Chan’s takes on Shake Shack’s classic cheeseburger and fries will be available. Based on Ikoyi stalwarts, the burger is set to be topped with deep-fried buffalo sweetbreads, fermented Scotch bonnet relish, Efo spice emulsion and grilled mustard greens on a toasted potato bun brushed with pumpkin-seed miso butter. The Dark Beer Fondue Fries will be Shake Shack’s signature crinkle-cut seasoned with Ikoyi’s peppercorn blend and topped with a fondue infused with lemon thyme, garlic and Penja peppercorns.
For Chan, it’s been a long time coming. ‘This collaboration is one I have dreamed of for years. I’ve been a long-time fan of Shake Shack, visiting the original location in Madison Square Park back in the day, as well as the location next to the original Ikoyi site in St James’s.’ Chan believes the two businesses are kindred spirits. ‘Our restaurant is all about layering intense flavours, textures, spice and beautiful ingredients, and I think that’s why I’ve always been impressed with the way Shake Shack builds their burgers, which seem to be conceived in the mind of a chef whose passion for quality and consistency comes through.’
Camp out in Covent Garden? We’ll bring the wine.
