Liao Fan Hawker Chan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles had successfully made the locals as well as the tourists queuing for the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred meal after being awarded a star in the 2016’s Michelin Guide. Even with the long queue for just a plate of chicken rice with some braised peanut, it didn’t stop us from visiting for a second time. The reason was simple. This is indeed the cheapest Michelin-starred meal with prices almost similar (just slightly higher) to the food that you get at a hawker center. So, why not?
Compared to our first visit in December 2016, the queue was actually much shorter. There are a few outlets but we went to the one located at Smith Street, Chinatown for both visits. The original outlet is actually located in Chinatown Food Complex just opposite this outlet at Smith Street. It is strongly advisable to make your visit during the off-peak hours as it can get really crowded during lunchtime. Why did we choose to dine at the branch at Smith Street not once but twice instead of the original outlet? This outlet that we visited has a comfortable dining environment with air-conditioning.
In this visit, we decided to try both the noodles and rice instead of 2 plates of chicken rice (which we ordered during our first visit). With little waiting time, we picked up our Soya Sauce Chicken Rice (SGD3.80) and Char Siew Noodle (SGD5.00) at the counter.
You must definitely order this plate of chicken rice during your maiden visit because this is the dish that gained Hawker Chan a Michelin Star. From its appearance, it is still the same as per our first visit but the braised peanuts are a little hard and tasteless when it is supposed to be soft and well-absorbed with its gravy. The main “character” namely the chicken, is still good as it is juicy and tender with some light soya sauce fragrance. In terms of the pricing, we noticed that additional fee of SGD0.50 is charged for the request of specific chicken parts such as breast, thigh, etc.
Being our first time trying the noodles, it certainly exceeded our expectation. The texture of the noodles is springy and not too hard suggesting a perfect cooking time. The noodles come with a very light brownish sauce which tastes just nice and not too sweet instead of the typical super dark-colored sauce. The “char siew” (barbecued pork) is pretty good with a small amount of fats making it juicy yet soft to chew. Too bad that it isn’t the melt in your mouth kind of char siew.
For your information (in case you want to know), we ordered the chicken rice with additional toppings (char siew and pork ribs) during our first visit.
We decided to try their pork ribs because we found it to be quite unique since this is not something you would usually find at a chicken rice stall. Sadly, it wasn’t to our liking and its taste isn’t something special.
Of course, you are not limited to chicken rice only as there are also other choices such as char siew, roasted pork, Chinese sausage, pork ribs and more. You can even order half a chicken or a whole chicken instead of individual plates.
With just SGD3.80, we got to enjoy a masterpiece of one Michelin-starred Soya Sauce Chicken Rice. It is definitely worth the 4-hours drive to Singapore. Needless to say, we weren’t that crazy to purposely drive that far for a plate of chicken rice but there is certainly no harm in dropping by this restaurant while we were in Singapore.
Liao Fan Hawker Chan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle @ Smith Street, Singapore
Address: 78, Smith Street, Singapore.
Operating Hours: 10.00am – 8.00pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Note: If you wish to experience the hawker center experience, feel free to dine at their first outlet in Chinatown Food Complex where Hawker Chan achieved his Michelin star.
Post a Comment