Casual dining in Singapore is truly defined by the Hawker Stall. These Singapore equivalent of a food court in the mall are found throughout the city. You can get everything from grilled meats, noodle dishes, seafood and more. Singapore is also home to two Michelin Starred Hawker Stalls.
These stalls offer the cheapest Michelin starred meals on the planet. Generally, Singapore is a pretty expensive city, but you can easily eat some amazing food for less than $5USD each meal.
Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
We visited both Michelin Starred Hawker Stalls on my 68 hours on the ground. The first was immediately after the great bike tour. I swung by Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, in Chinatown. These guys are known for the ubiquitous dish of Chicken and Rice. You are probably thinking how can a simple chicken and rice dish be 1) the national dish of Singapore and 2) earn a Michelin Star. Well, it isn’t because of the service or the ambiance, that’s for sure.
Exterior of Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
Menu at Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
Interior of Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
This place looked like a fast food joint in a mall. I arrived around 13h45 after the lunch rush and still waited in line for 30 minutes. I ordered the Chicken and Rice and a beer. The beer blew the budget as I spent S$10 on this meal. The dish was perfectly fine. Nicely cooked and mildly seasoned. I was lost as to how this was so highly rated. Then I saw the condiments. Simple sauces and peppers. Adding these to the meal was phenomenal. Loads of flavor, a little spice really kicked up the dish. I loved it.
Chicken and Rice from Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
The second Michelin Starred Restaurant we visited was Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. It was right near the bike tour shop too. Arriving around 14h00, we didn’t miss the line today. We waited for nearly an hour in the very hot Hawker area. Most of the fans were not working either.
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle – Single Star Michelin Restaurant
Most of the neighboring stalls were quiet.
Pork noodle was the famous dish here, so of course that was our selection. We grabbed a beer while we waited in line and another once we had our food. We loaded the dish with all the recommended condiments and paid S$7 per person.
The tables were pretty full, but we lucked out and snagged a four-top the second we had our food in hand.
Full tables – everyone enjoying Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
The kitchen hard at work Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
The pork noodle was just the perfect dish. Spicy, salty and savory flavors made me want to order a second dish, but I couldn’t handle the line.
Our pork noodle and soup was totally worth the wait.
Noodle Close Up – It was delicious!
So, we managed to knock a couple of things off our Singapore must-do list. Enjoying street food and hitting Michelin Rated Restaurant. Have you visited either of these Michelin Starred Hawker Stalls? Did you think the food was worth the wait? What other places would you recommend who want great food, but can’t handle the 30-60+ minute wait for it?
I’ve been to food stalls like this back in Toronto, but it’s interesting that it’s called Hawker stalls in Singapore and Hong Kong. Food looked delicious and I like the short video clip of the cooking!
Thank you! I’m actually off to Toronto on Tuesday – do you have any recommendation for a Canadian equivalent for me to try?
Wow! Very impressed that you waded into the hardcore local experience!
With such an great reward at the end, I just HAD to!