Stick Together Lok Lok, Marine Parade: A free-spirited, artistic & creative approach to Lok Lok
I believe I echo the sentiments of many, when I say that lok lok is best enjoyed in the convivial buzz of a humble coffeeshop, while chomping on meat skewers paired with beer. I mean, how can this street food experience be completed in the confines of our homes? So I’m more than thankful that we’re now allowed to dine in, as life revives in our kopitiams. And of course, I finally head down for a try at Stick Together Lok Lok, especially when I’ve heard paeans for its unique skewers. Did someone say abalone with ebiko? More for later.
Located in a coffee shop just a short walk from East Coast Park, Stick Together Lok Lok is great for get-togethers after an afternoon of beach fun, or a casual dinner before a romantic date—doing the couples a solid. And that’s exactly what compelled the owners, Sam and Pearlyn, to choose their location.
Virtually any kind of food goes onto their skewers, making the lok lok experience here a break from the OG one in JB. It’s ‘food on a stick’, as Sam says. But they’ve harnessed this trait, creatively experimenting with skewer combinations and sauces inspired by various cultures. A fresh spin to lok lok? Yes, please.
What I tried
Their sticks are colour-coded for price, with uncoloured (S$1 per stick), green (S$1.50 per stick), and red (S$2 per stick) ones. A visual menu of all the sticks they have makes it clear for your selection, though the sticks available then were a tad limited. But their interesting sauce combinations immediately made up for my slight disappointment.
They offer two complimentary sauces—Thai sweet chilli and Thai seafood chilli sauce. With every S$10 spent, you’ll get a free crafted premium sauce, of either Laoganmayo, Tom Yumayo, or Wasabee. No prizes for guessing the ingredients in each portmanteau.
I basically painted my blank canvas of a Mantou (S$1) with all four sauces, and shortlisted my favourite two. The Laoganmayo sauce, essentially Lao Gan Ma and mayonnaise, is riveting, presenting the spice and numbness you get in mala, but also a tart creaminess from its mayo counterpart. It’s a heavy one, a perfect complement to the light sweetness of the golden-brown mantou, which, by the way, is fried to a T with a fluffy interior. For an even creamier and more savoury taste of your mantou though, the Tom Yumayo is a better choice.
I love hulking pieces of meat, so I went straight for the Karaage (S$1.50) and Japanese Premium Sausage (S$2). The former a soft and juicy chicken piece encased in a crispy batter, while the latter a juicy and savoury cut. But the smattering of their mala and spiced seasoning on top of the meat takes the cake, elevating them with small fiery kicks. Such standard meat options make for versatile tastes, as they pair well with any sauce.
Next, let’s talk about the wrapped skewers—they’re fascinating because I anticipate magical tastes in that specific combination. The ones I’ve chosen are safe options with comforting flavours, but sans the enthrallment.
Despite some textural variance presented with the Wanton with Quail Egg (S$2), it tastes exactly like what you would expect—quail egg in salted crispy wanton skin. It’s not much to write home about, though I appreciate their effort to bring textural fun with this one. If there’s got to be a winner in this category, the Bacon with Enoki Mushroom (S$2) bags the trophy. It’s toothsome, with their in-house mala and spiced seasoning, together with a smudge of Thai seafood chilli sauce for just that extra fiery and seafood-y oomph.
Now, for the star of the show, the belle of the ball. The Abalone with Ebiko (S$3.80) is simplicity and regality on a stick. You’d have to give points to the architectural creativity alone in it.
I mean, a small abalone resting at the top of the stick, with a smudge of mayonnaise and an ebiko dollop sitting atop. The encasement, though, deserves bonus points—this piece is wrapped in mock goose skin. I’d never expect it.
The mayonnaise takes precedence over the seafood sweetness in the abalone, without overpowering it. At the same time, bright bursts of umami in the ebiko wastes no time in pronouncing itself. Finally, the goose skin wraps up this crustacean bite with a crispy and savoury finish. Honestly, you don’t need any sauce for this.
And finally, we’re down to the Bak Kwa (S$2), one I never saw coming in a lok lok stall. Again, their speciality seasoning adds a fiery touch to the sweet, smokey flavour of the Bak Kwa skewer. For a richer taste, I paired this with the Tomyamayo, for a tinge of creaminess that changed my bak kwa eating experience forever. I need this sauce every Chinese New Year now.
Final thoughts
Stick Together Lok Lok surprises me with their creativity and sincerity in skewers and philosophy. It’s not your average lok lok, another iteration that deepens our missing for JB. But rather, a free-spirited approach: where ingredients are canvases and their sauces are paint mixtures. Paint them however you’d like.
They’ve experimented with flavours, making your eating experience a versatile one. It’s now for you to do the same, to paint your own picture of lok lok while you’re there. And trust me, it’ll be a beautifully delicious one.
Expected damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax
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