Tuk Tuk Snack Shop
Restaurant · Lexington
124 Malabu Dr Ste 110, Lexington, KY 40503
Highlights
Sri Lankan & Southern fusion from acclaimed Chef Sam Fore
Sri Lankan & Southern fusion from acclaimed Chef Sam Fore
"A new counter-service restaurant from Lexington chef Sam Fore is building a dessert program around make-ahead items that can be held in the walk-in, such as butter cake and chocolate biscuit pudding, with final touches added to order (for example, whipped cream and shaved chocolate on the pudding). Dessert and bread tasks are distributed across all kitchen staff, with morning prep scheduled to 'sandbag' for inevitable dessert rushes. Although it opened without a designated pastry chef, the operation leans on a culinary director with significant pastry experience to standardize workflow, identify efficiencies, and maximize limited space while keeping the final product special." - Bettina Makalintal
"The long-awaited brick-and-mortar from a chef known as the “Sri Lankan snack queen” translates her pop-up’s melding of Sri Lankan and Southern flavors into a counter-style, nostalgia-driven menu. Signature items include curried deviled eggs, spiced shrimp with coconut milk–simmered grits, okra curry, vadai corndogs coated in fried lentil batter, milk tea ice cream, butter cake, and sandwiches such as fried chicken dusted in the chef’s Fried Chicken Spice, barbecue-style jackfruit, and grilled cheese with tamarind caramelized onions." - ByKate Kassin
"A Sri Lankan–Southern pop-up in Lexington, Kentucky, owned by chef Sam Fore was scrutinized after an anonymous tip flagged past social-media posts as evidence of “targeted harassment” and “bullying,” prompting private-investigator interviews. Fore says many of the posts in question were part of anti–domestic-violence campaigns and that investigators offered little concrete context or opportunity to fully defend her, leaving her finalist status unresolved; she purchased tickets to the gala and plans to attend while publicly criticizing the vetting process as flawed and insufficiently transparent." - ByLi Goldstein
"A Lexington pop-up run by chef Sam Fore that emphasizes pandan (known in Sri Lanka as rampe) as a core savory ingredient: leaves are often toasted and tempered with curry leaves in hot oil to form a foundational, herbaceous note in curries. The pop-up showcases pandan’s bright, grassy aroma as a building block of Sri Lankan dishes and follows practical techniques—quick cooking to retain brightness and discarding fibrous leaves before serving—to highlight the herb without overpowering a dish." - Giao Chau
"A Sri Lankan pop-up in central Kentucky presenting fried chicken inspired by devilled chicken and traditional Sri Lankan aromatics: mustard seeds, hot pepper, dried curry leaf, and ginger. The chef treats the dish as a marriage of Sri Lankan curry flavors and American fried-chicken technique—brining in buttermilk and using those regional spices—to reflect both homeland traditions and the diaspora’s relationship with fried-chicken chains." - Jaya Saxena
