Pink Fish releases limited-edition Nordic Shrimp Mentaiko burger

Fast food is often associated with unhealthy eating and for good reason. Most fast food chains often offer food high in saturated fats and pumped full of preservatives. However, some fast food chains such as Pink Fish have started focusing on healthy eating instead.

First opened in Norway by award-winning chef Geir Skeie, Pink Fish made its first splash into the Asian market in 2019 with the opening of its only outlet at Jewel. Wanting to share his love of salmon, Geir decided to adopt a fast food concept to make it more affordable for everyone.

Although they consider themselves a fast food chain, they also pride themselves heavily on the freshness of their seafood, having most of them imported from the icy waters of Norway.

So when I was invited down to try their new Christmas specials, I eagerly headed down with high expectations and an empty stomach. 

Priced at $10.90, the Nordic Shrimp Mentaiko burger is surprisingly affordable. Decently sized and containing mainly Nordic sweet shrimp, mentaiko and roe, one would think that the burger would come at a much steeper price point.

Nestled between two lightly toasted brioche buns, a heap of sweet shrimp covered in roe and mentaiko sit atop a bed of crispy lettuce and onion. One thing I really liked about this burger was how generous they were with the shrimp.

Oftentimes, shrimp burgers often turn out to be four or five tiny pieces of shrimp hidden within a patty, but in this case, I had a good serving of easily more than 15 shrimps. 

The sweet shrimps were plump, juicy and didn’t have an overpowering taste. Perhaps it’s because the rich and creamy mentaiko sauce complements it so well by providing a nice contrast between the sweetness and saltiness.

One of my pet peeves when eating burgers is when I accidentally finish the ingredients and I’m left with a sad combo of bread and vegetables. Luckily, the roe serves as occasional bombs of umami as you work your way through the burger, ensuring you’re never left alone with just bread. 

I also got to try their avocado shake and Nordic stew that came with the burger. While the slightly sour stew was alright for me, the avocado shake left me slightly disappointed, as it felt slightly too thick and lacked a distinct flavour.

Pink Fish’s location in Jewel means they receive their fair share of foreign customers. As such, they have created their Singapore burger as a way to introduce foreigners to classic Singaporean flavours. 

Priced at $9.90, it’s hard to get more Singaporean than sambal and salted egg fish skin.

I’m sure we all remember the trend where Singaporeans started adding salted egg to everything. Salted egg chips? Check. Salted egg fish skin? Check. Salted egg bubble tea? Unfortunately, check.

This burger pays homage to the trend by sprinkling chunks of salted egg fish skin over a lightly crusted salmon patty before being coated in sambal. Maybe it’s just me, but the choice of onions and cucumbers reminded me of a certain nasi lemak burger.

When I first bit into the patty, I was expecting half a mouthful of breading, as is common in most fish-based patties. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that most of the patty was made of actual salmon instead.

Flavour-wise, the sambal was not as spicy as I had expected. While the distinct taste of sambal was definitely present, the spice itself was negated by the sweetness of the tomato and sauce, possibly to cater to a foreign palate. This did allow the fresh salmon taste to shine through better, but the Singaporean in me prefered a spicier sambal flavour.

What’s a fast food joint without nuggets? With crispy batter on the outside and juicy cod on the inside, cod nuggets are a welcome change from the usual chicken variety. 

By itself, the nuggets aren’t overly seasoned, allowing the natural flavour of the cod to stand out. While springy, the meat isn’t overdone and provides the shiok feeling of a substantial bite. 

As for the salted egg fish skin, they feel light, crispy and overall easy to eat. Dangerously addictive, I could see myself accidentally downing an entire plate much like Bak Kwa during Chinese New Year visits.

Overall, I was stunned by the quality and affordability of the dishes at Pink Fish. When I took my first glimpse of the menu after tasting the dishes, I was genuinely surprised by the prices. For a mere $9.90, you could purchase a high quality salmon meal that was both healthy and tasty. 

Needless to say, I definitely got my Omega-3 fix for the day.