Bake and Shark is Trinidad's Favourite Fast Food
Richard's Eatery Serves Tasty West Indian Sandwiches at Maracas Bay
Jul 6, 2009
As rhythmic waves crash onto the soft, sandy shore, palm trees sway and emerald mountains hover beneath a peacock-blue sky. Maracas Bay seems like the perfect retreat from the heat and bustle of Port of Spain. But most of the cars braving the drive along narrow, twisty roads seem destined not for the beach, but for the food across from the beach.
Richard's Bake & Shark
While other restaurants selling this traditional Trinidadian specialty look deserted, lines form beneath the umbrellas at Richard's Bake & Shark all day long. On weekends the queue snakes into the parking lot.
Patrons who line up at the counter to order this best-selling sandwich usually meet Gary, whose mother started Richard's over 15 years ago. In the background, a hard-working team of three operates like an assembly line in the open-air kitchen.
Under a large blue tarp, one man dips the shark meat in in a light coating of flour and spices and then cooks it in a cauldron of vegetable oil. One woman makes dough balls, and another fries them in a different pot to produce the bake. The resulting puffy and airy bread, or bake, is sliced open and the shark is nestled inside.
Secrets to Richard's Delicious Bake and Shark Sandwich
Gary believes the secret to Richard's success is the dazzling array of condiments on offer. In the centre of the outdoor restaurant, deep metal pans brim with popular garnishes such as tamarind, mango chutney, scotch bonnet hot sauce, pureed garlic, shadon benny (a cilantro-like herb widely used in the Caribbean), mustard, cucumber and tomatoes.
How to Garnish the Bake and Shark
After collecting their order, patrons circulate around the smorgasbord of toppings, adding each to their liking. First-time visitors are often treated to an earnest discussion about the merits of one condiment or combination over another. Piled high on the sandwich, the end result is hot, messy, addictive and surprisingly light.
On a busy Saturday, Gary says he serves "thousands" of the sandwiches at $20.00 Trinidad and Tobago (TT) dollars, or about $3.25 Canadian dollars. Bake and king fish is $25.00 TT and potato pie with shark, in which the dough is stuffed with potato before frying, is $18.00 TT.
Future Plans for Maracas Bay
Rumours abound that a fast food chain is planning to open an outlet at Maracas Bay. But it will be difficult to surpass Richard's traditional bake and shark sandwich, especially when when it is washed down with a cold local beer like Carib or Stag.
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