Famous for winning the Michelin star earlier this year, this famous hawker stall in Chinatown has just opened a Quick Service restaurant on Smith Street
Bagging a Michelin star sure does wonders for your career! From humble hawker to food icon, Chef Chan Hon Meng’s world was shaken after he won one Michelin star for his no-frills, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stall in Chinatown Food Complex. With this coveted award, it wasn’t just Chef Chan’s reputation that sky-rocketed; the Michelin Guide too received praise for being adventurous enough to dish out the accolade to a hawker stall – as opposed to an extravagant fine dining restaurant – for the first time.
So what has happened next for Chef Chan and his famous Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle? He’s expanded his franchise! Opening on Smith Street, Hawker Chan a new Quick Service Restaurant that’s just across the road from the premises of his original stall, that continues to sell soya sauce chicken noodles at just $2. Air-conditioned with a spruced up façade, this extension of Chef Chan’s (now) world-famous brand will roll out the usual signatures, yet keeping them at affordable prices that’ll dispel any “sell-out” complaints.
At just $3.80 for soya sauce chicken rice, $4.50 for noodles, $12 for half a chicken, and $10 for a combination platter of chicken, char siew and siew yoke (roasted pork belly), dining here would hardly leave a dent in your wallet. In line with the restaurant’s Quick Service concept, you place your order via machine and wait ’til your buzzer’s called – quick and easy, except we’re certain that it’ll be anything but for the next few weeks as we predict monstrous queues. With food this scrumptious and affordable, it’s not hard to see why.
The chicken here is definitely the highlight – tender, not too fatty, and juicy thanks to the addictive sweet and salty soya sauce that it absorbs. Order half a chicken with noodles – the yellow noodles are evenly cooked, and springy with a satisfying bite – and you’ll get a balanced mix of breast (for the meat-munchers) and thigh (for the bone-suckers) meat that’s perfect for a group of two. The mildly-salted siew yoke is crispy and crackly at the top, while firm (and not too queasily fatty) at the bottom; and the char siew is lightly charred, fatty, and packs a sweetness as punchy (and addictive) as candy, without being too cloying.
Hawker Chan certainly cashes in on the Michelin buzz without busting your bank, and it’s a convenient alternative if you prefer to dine in air-conditioned comfort and more polished surroundings. And if the queues here are too long, you might just have better luck at Chef Chan’s hawker stall just across the road… or not.
Hawker Chan, 78 Smith Street, Singapore 059872.