SINGAPORE: After saying that Urban Hawker, the Singapore-style food court he opened in New York with 11 of the best hawkers, is doing very well, food guru KF Seetoh invited people who are interested in setting up a similar venture to come and see for themselves.
“We are looking at more opportunities in the US and even beyond, so come here and talk to us and all of the hawkers. They have found some level of success in the United States. Then, decide if you want to take America or the world. Be proud of your craft, who you are. Show the world what you’re made of. You have the chops, believe us,” said Mr Seetoh in a video in September, when Urban Hawker marked its first anniversary.
“If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!” the Makansutra founder said, quoting the famous Frank Sinatra song, New York, New York, over social media posts on Tuesday (Nov 14). He went on to say that Makansutra will be conducting a talk about “the opportunities and what it takes,” the “how, what, when, where, why.”
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“Find out what it takes and if you would like to set up shop there yourself,” he added, announcing that Mr Alex Gaudelet, the CEO of Urban Hawker, will also be at the Nov 30 talk. People who are interested may email Mr Seetoh and his team at contact@makansutra.com or message him directly on his Facebook or Instagram pages.
The talk, in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore, “is all about exporting the best of Singapore to the rest of the world.”
Read also: KF Seetoh: First Anniversary of Urban Hawker in New York
Urban Hawker was a project nine years in the making, from when Mr Seetoh helped the late legendary Anthony Bourdain in 2013 at the World Street Food Congress to 2018 when he suggested at a government-led focus group that UNESCO recognize Singapore’s hawker food culture. In 2020, the same year that the recognition was granted on his birthday (Dec 16), Mr Seetoh met Mr Eldon Scott, the founder of Urban Space food halls throughout the United States.
The Singapore hawkers at Urban Hawker are Halal burger joint Ashes Burnnit, Sembawang’s White Beehoon chain and coffee stall Kopifellas, Peranakan restaurant Daisy’s Dream, Chicken Nice from Maxwell Food Centre, Dragon Phoenix (known for its chilli crab and for inventing the yam ring), Prawnaholic (serving Hokkien-style prawn noodle soup), Hainanese Western stall Smokin’ Joe, Malay and Indonesian cafe Padi@Bussorah, Indian stall Mamak’s Corner, and Mr Fried Rice. /TISG