Hawker Chan: 1-Michelin Star Restaurant now in Philippines
Following the foot steps of Tim Ho Wan, Hawker Chan is another 1-Michelin Star Restaurant that joined the growing food scene here in the Philippines. With humble beginning as a small food stall in Singapore, Hawker Chan now became a world-renowned 'brand'. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing our experience about how we all fell in love with Hawker Chan.
Curiosity that lasted for months
I’ve been curious since I first saw the restaurant several months back. However, I didn’t have the time to endure the long queue, so I kept shelving the idea.
Coincidentally, when we were supposed to dine in Basil, we unintentionally caught a glimpse of a rather “less crowded” queue of Hawker Chan. Thus, we ditched the plan and decided to check out the place instead. Now, I’m not sure whether we just got lucky (or maybe it was already off hours at 8:30 PM on a Sunday), but we were immediately entertained upon entering the restaurant.
The way it works here is that you’ll pay as you order, and you’ll be issued a number. Once that number is called, you’ll need to pick up your orders from the counter. Yeah, it’s basically self-service (which is good in a way because they don’t have service charge, thus keeping the dishes fairly priced perhaps even affordable).
For the night, each of us ordered a personal dish and we shared with 2 appetizers, starting off with the Seasonal Vegetable.
The Seasonal Vegetable (P99) was a dish that caught us by surprise with its delectable flavors. I wasn’t expecting much, since this is basically just Kangkong, but it completely swayed us with its light soy-based sweetness and crispness.
The Thai Style Tofu (P160) was another side dish that was as good as a main. The sauce breathed life to the fried soft tofu and graced it with a tangy push and pull of sweet-sour goodness! There was also crushed peanut that gave it more texture. Undoubtedly and excellent dish.
My mom wanted something like for the night, which is why she had the Wonton Soup (P150) as main. Unlike all the other dishes we had during the night, this didn't possess anything "unique" or "excellent". Don't get me wrong, it was far from being bad. In fact, the Wonton was very tender yet meaty. However, if you are seeking for something that will wow you, feel free to skip this dish.
The Soya Sauce Chicken (P128) was a classic! The soya sauce richly seeped into the skin as well as the meat. The taste was generally mellow, but this mellowness is something that will appeal to many. Still, personally, I would go for the char siew more.
The Char Siew Rice (P148) won me with just one bite as the pork burst with sinful yet succulent flavors. It somehow reminded me of my mom's homemade tocino, but with more juiciness and flavor from the fat. We also mixed some of the chili sauce from the condiments section which made the Char Siew's flavor even more defined. The way how the gingery-tang of the chili sauce mixed with the sweetness of the pork created a momentous spark in my buds.
The Char Siew Vegetable Noodles (P198) was an instant victor. It had the dreamy goodness of the Char Siew, but made even more thrilling with the noodles. I loved how firm the noodles were, and how the garlic paste on top balanced out with the sweetness of the meat. If you are a noodle lover, you definitely need to get this!
Hawker Chan - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★
Taste ★★★★★
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★★
Budget: at least P128 each for a personal meal
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 1 || Date of last visit - October 6, 2018
Hawker Chan's hype is not just a mere "hype". There is extreme substance to it that will make queuing up worth it. With how affordable each dish is, you will definitely get more than what you will pay for. Expect rich flavors here in Hawker Chan, just don't expect golden treatment when you arrive here. Ambiance is definitely their selling point (still relatively comfy), but the food justly compensates for that.
Top recommended dish: Steamed Vegetables, Thai-Style Tofu, Char Siew with Rice and Char Siew with Vegetable Noodles
Hawker Chan
Location: G/F, Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City (near Friday's)
Service Charge: NONE
