13-08-2018
Hawker Chan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodlein Singapore, one Michelin star. You’ll hardly spend over 10 euros
Back from Singapore, where we attended the 25th edition of the local Food Festival, only a few days ago, I have plenty of notes of which I’ll gradually write. The most interesting story is perhaps that of Chan Hong Meng, a tiny man born in 1965, who’s originally from Ipoh, in Malaysia, which comes as no surprise given that Singapore is a melting pot of different ethnicities. The Chinese dominates (73%) followed by Malaysian (13%), Indian (9%) and so on, including quite a few Europeans and the peranakancommunity, that is to say "of Chinese descent", referring to the rich Chinese merchants who settled in Malacca and the Straits separating it from Indonesia between the 16th and 17th century. They married local Malaysian women and kept their traditions, mixing within the same group until our days, so that they have preserved the original culture, even in terms of gastronomy.
Chan Hong Meng
Touched, he also spoke on the stage. He said: «Whether you’re a chef or a street vendor, you must work hard at every moment, as if you always had a Michelin inspector there, eating your food». He also stressed that you should treat each client as if he was the dearest person in your life; he continued comparing chefs and doctors, when they both have the goal of providing wellbeing and health to guests.
The second location of the Hawker Chan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle. It’s more comfortable, with air conditioning
The house specialty is soya sauce chicken, delicious, served with rice or noodles, lovely. The price? Two Singaporean dollars for the rice version, and 2.5 for the one with noodles: respectively 1.25 and 1.57 euros. He marinates the chicken for at least 5 hours in a secret mix of herbs and spices which the chef prepares each morning; there are limited quantities, 180 portions. The restaurant is open from 10 am to 8 pm but you often won’t find this dish by late afternoon.
Soya sauce chicken with rice
Excellent noodles
Chinese cabbage marinated in soya sauce
This is how it works: you patiently wait in line – avoid peak hours if you don’t want to wait very long – and keep at a little distance from the kiosk, so as not to interfere with the work of the nearby stalls. After all, we are in a Hawker Centre. When your turn arrives, you order from the counter, wait for the food and then take your tray to one of the tables scattered around. There’s an issue: Singapore has a hot and humid climate throughout most of the year, plus the Chinatown Food Complex – a covered place with rather low ceilings – has a series of food stalls from which thick cooking fumes arrives, so that the fans scattered here and there won’t be enough to freshen up the air.
We also tasted the wonton soup
The "comfortable" Hawker Chan location, a few steps from the historic one
The combo dish with three pork recipes
Chan Hong Meng at the Michelin Singapore award giving ceremony in 2016, when he got the Michelin star
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief