S’pore’s Michelin-starred Hawker Chan opens outlet in his hometown of Ipoh

Hawker Chan founder, Chan Hon Meng, is opening its newest outlet in his birthplace, Ipoh, Malaysia on March 16, 2019.

Malaysians are also looking forward to enjoying the Michelin chef’s fare as he returns to his roots.

He now has three outlets in Singapore besides the original stall, with a global presence in Melbourne, Perth, the Philippines, Jakarta, Taipei, Bangkok, and Kazakhstan.

Chan’s culinary expertise and commitment to his craft was acknowledged in 2016 when his Liao Fan Hawker Chan Soy Sauce Chicken was awarded one Michelin star out of the blue for the signature no-frills soya sauce chicken rice that cost a mere S$2 a plate.

Glimpse of the past

What was once a humble hawker stall from Singapore, Hawker Chan, has become a fast-growing Michelin-star restaurant across the globe. Originally called Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle, the name Hawker Chan was adapted for its dine-in restaurants following its global expansion.

The Chef-owner Chan Hong Meng first opened in Singapore’s Chinatown in 2009. Eight years later, he earned his first Michelin Star for the signature Soya Chicken Rice. Foodee Global Concepts, the group responsible for bringing Tim Ho Wan, Llaollao and Kam’s Roast to the Philippines, now adds Hawker Chan to their roster of international franchises.

In 2017, the chef-owner partnered with Hersing Culinary to open Liao Fan Hawker Chan, a casual dine-in offshoot located meters away from his Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre-based stall in Singapore.

Meng created this quick-service restaurant to harness the sudden worldwide fame and, consequently, customer demand following his stall’s groundbreaking induction into Singapore’s inaugural Michelin Guide in July 2016.

“I didn’t know anything about the Michelin Guide, but I knew it was for a very ‘high’ type of food,” admits the Malaysian-born chef, who initially dismissed news of Michelin’s interest in his stall as a joke.