Ipoh-born Chan Hon Meng, owner of the Michelin-starred Hawker Chan in Singapore (All photos: Superfood Ventures)
Suggest chicken rice for dinner to a group of friends and everyone will have an opinion about which place serves the best chicken, rice and chilli sauce. Now that Hawker Chan has opened in Kuala Lumpur serving its Michelin-starred chicken rice and noodle dishes, there is no disputing which is the most famous.
Here, you can tuck into its signature soya sauce-glazed chicken, a recipe that takes five hours to prepare. Those who love meat can add char siew, a caramelised delight, or roasted pork, with its crispy skin and tantalizing lean and fat layers, to their plate. The menu also has vegetables, pork rib soup and tau fu.
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The Hawker Chan restaurant in Petaling Street, round the corner from new tourist attraction Kwai Chai Hong, is the first in KL. It was set up by Superfood Ventures Sdn Bhd, which took a franchise from Liao Fan Hawker Can (Global) Pte Ltd, under Hersing Culinary.
“We plan to make Hawker Chan’s chicken rice a staple for everybody. It’s affordable and you can eat it every day,” says Superfood Ventures director Victor Teo, who plans to set up a couple more outlets in shopping centres in the city next year, catering to local tastes.
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Teo adds that the secret ingredient in chicken rice is the marinade sauce, with which Ipoh-born brand founder Chan Hon Meng braises his chicken and char siew. The rice and chilli sauce are also key to drawing crowds to the chef’s speciality, as has happened since it won one star from the Michelin Guide Singapore in 2016.
The outlet in Petaling street is the second outpost in Malaysia – the first was opened in Jalan Theatre in Chan's hometown, Ipoh.
Hawker Chan, Petaling Street is open from 10.30am to 8.30pm.
