Looking for the world’s first, cheapest hawker stall to be awarded one Michelin Star? Look no further, this is the world-famous, original hawker stall on the second level of Chinatown Complex, founded by Chef Chan Hon Meng in 2009.
Formerly known as Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle (了凡香港油鸡饭.面), the business has been rebranded as “Liao Fan Hawker Chan”. The hawker stall in Chinatown Complex remains the main outlet and several branches (mostly restaurants), known simply as “Hawker Chan”, have sprung up in other areas of Singapore and also overseas in Southeast Asia, Australia and wider Asia.
Liao Fan Hawker Chan’s main stall continues to serve its signature soya sauce chicken with rice or noodle. There are other roasted delights, such as char siew (barbecue pork), roasted pork and roasted pork ribs to pair with rice / noodle / hor fun (slim rice noodle) too. Additional meat can also be added-on to any dishes or go for 2- or 3-combo platter. Vegetable dishes, such as bean sprouts and seasonal vegetable, are available as side dishes.
The signature Soya Sauce Chicken Rice (油鸡饭) — opted for a chicken drumstick — is served with soya sauce chicken meat on soft, fluffy rice and dribbled with sweet-savoury braised sauce including braised soy beans. The chicken drumstick gives off a nice aroma and is very smooth and tender with tantalising soy sauce flavour — it is so unforgettable.
Other than rice, pairing the soya sauce chicken with dry-tossed, thin egg noodle, and some greens, is another great way to try the dish. The springy noodle with its sauce offers additional taste and texture and the soya sauce chicken is smooth and tender as always. I prefer Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle (油鸡面) with more textures and flavours.
Always expect a queue at the main stall — if you see no queue, the stall has either sold-out or you are standing in front of the queue. To avoid obstructing others, the start of the queue is about 3 metres from the stall.
Smith Street Branch
As mentioned, Liao Fan Hawker Chan has several branches in Singapore and one of its branches is located along Smith Street, right opposite Chinatown Complex.
Unlike the hawker centre environment of Chinatown Complex, the setup at Smith Street offers air-conditioning and dedicated space as a restaurant — I will not delve too much into the differences between a restaurant and a hawker stall and the food prices. The outlet offers similar dishes as the original stall and with additional dishes.
The signature Soya Sauce Chicken Rice (招牌油鸡饭) is served with soya sauce chicken on white rice dribbled with braised sauce and soya beans — like the main stall. There are additional cucumber slices and half a braised egg. The texture and flavour of the dish is the same as the main stall.
I also added a dish of Soya Bean Sprouts (特色豆芽), where bean sprouts are blanched and dribbled with soy sauce and garnished with fried shallots. The bean sprouts are crunchy, savoury and a great dish to pair with meat and rice.
Hawker Chan’s original stall at Chinatown Complex will usually close by 3:30pm or after it is sold-out for the day, and the Smith Street outlet (less than 50 metres away) is the nearest alternative to go for the famous soya sauce chicken rice / noodle. It is also a great place to turn to if the queue at the main stall is overly long.
Social Media:
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Original Outlet:
Chinatown Complex, #02-126
335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335
Opening Hours:
10:30am to 3:30pm | Closed on Sunday
* If the stall is closed, visit its nearest branch @ Smith Street
Chinatown Branch:
78 Smith Street, Singapore 058972
Operating Hours:
10:30am to 7:30pm | Daily
Nearby:
More Eats @ Chinatown Complex:
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