Trinidad: Richard's Bake and Shark
There's nothing better than eating outdoors (I think) - bits of dirt and grime add just that lil' som-som to your meal. And there's definitely nothing better than eating on a sandy beach after a salty dip in the ocean.
Richard's Bake and Shark is the best kind of beach meal, too. And at TT$25 (or US$4) there's simply nothing better.
Richard. I tink.
On Trinidad's Maracas Beach there's really only one thing to eat. A Bake and Shark burger. The 'bake' means fry-bake and it looks like a deep fried bun slivered in half and the 'shark' is exactly that, battered and deep fried.
What makes Richard's stand out from the rest of the beach's 'bake and shark' is the type of toppings you are invited to drown your burger with.
Under Richard's bright red canopy lie several metal dishes containing a variety of toppings with your standard lettuce, tomatoes, onions, ketchup and mustard but then ingenious others like tamarind sauce, cilantro/coriander (Chadon Bene perhaps?) sauce, garlic sauce, spiced pineapples, cabbage, mango chutney, a thousand island type of sauce and.....the mother of all hot sauces.
(On a side note: What I learned is, if you want to try the hot sauce in Trini, you may as well eat it IN the bathroom...'cause that would save a lot of time, really).
Er...aaaanyway...if you're still reading this and weren't repulsed by my toilet banter.... basically you come away (after it's wrapped and placed into a cardboard box for you by the gentleman at the head of the condiment table) with your bake and shark looking like this:
And it is simply the. best. thing. ever.
It's worth the trip to Trinidad.
8 Comments | Share Article | tagged Bake and Shark burger, Chadonmother of all hot sauces, Richard's Bake and Shark, Trinidad, Trinidad Richard's, Trinidad shark n bake, Trinidad's Maracas Beach, Trinidad: Richard's Bake and Shark, a thousand island type of sauce, bake n shark, cabbage, cilantro/coriander (Chadon Bene perhaps?) sauce | in Road-side, Travel, Trinidad | Friday, May 30, 2008 at 8:07PM
Reader Comments (8)
Oh yeah? You're in Trinidad, my homeland.
I hate you back!
(not really my homeland)
[...] Trinidad: Richard’s Bake and SharkOn Trinidad’s Maracas Beach there’s really only one thing to eat. A Bake and Shark burger. The ‘bake’ means fry-bake and it looks like a deep fried bun slivered in half and the ’shark’ is exactly that, battered and deep fried. … [...]
ooooh. Yum!!! Your photos as soooo yummy I could almost taste the Bake & Shark!
great pics... i missed the mark, but had 3 of those sandwiches... one of the best i've ever had!
re. Bake and Shark.
Please check out the excellent documentary Sharkwater. It will change your mind (as it did mine) about buying another shark-related item. Please spread the word about the slaughter of sharks and the danger sharkmeat poses to children and pregnant women (as it is extremely high in mercury). Even if you don't care about the animal, you owe it to yourself and future generations to protect the sharks. When they get wiped out (and they are being killed at a dangerously high rate), our oxygen supply (and obviously, health) will be messed up, as well. There are plenty of other things for us to eat without threatening our environment and future.
[...] I mean how much of a grudge can you carry for someone wanting to catch a little blow with his burger on the beach? I’m telling you, it gets more difficult to have fun every [...]
[...] I mean how much of a grudge can you carry for someone wanting to catch a little blow with his burger on the beach? I’m telling you, it gets more difficult to have fun every [...]
It's now $30.00 tt, had one today 10/09/2001, it still taste great,!