Hawker Chan owner moved to a condo in Tiong Bahru after winning Michelin star

Not many hawkers can boast that they have a Michelin star. In 2016, Chan Hon Meng was one of the two street food sellers in Singapore who was awarded one coveted star in the guide's inaugural local edition.

While his Chinatown stall Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle had robust business, it was still relatively obscure compared to the other hawker winner, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle.

At the gala for award recipients, a hunched and painfully shy Chan looked overwhelmed as he was swamped by reporters, including 8days.sg.

But seven years after his win, he is a different man. The 58-year-old carries himself with more confidence, and also looks extra prosperous with glowing skin and more weight on his diminutive frame. He speaks in a more polished manner.

Capitalising on his Michelin win, he had partnered homegrown F&B company Hersing Culinary to expand his stall into a chain called Hawker Chan. It now has 36 outlets in Singapore and overseas like China, Dubai and even Kazakhstan.

“I went to Kazakhstan thrice. I have never tried management before, but I followed the company and learnt,” said Chan, who now divides his time between his Singapore outlets (there is no central kitchen; the food at each outlet are all prepared on-site) while his hardworking wife helms their main stall.

Very earnestly, Chan told 8days.sg: “Winning the Michelin star changed my life. Now people from around the world know my name, when they didn’t know me before. Back then I just had a small stall, and I was working every day chopping chickens. I never dreamt of opening an outlet.”

LOST HIS MICHELIN STAR IN 2021

But in a shock loss in 2021, Hawker Chan was stripped of its one Michelin star. The awarded eateries are reassessed yearly by anonymous Michelin inspectors. “Nobody knows how they operate. When the guide was first launched in Singapore, I thought it was only for high-class restaurants,” said Chan.

He recalled: “I was very excited to win because I have been working since I was 15 and it’s every chef’s dream to have that kind of global recognition. It means my food has standard.”

He admitted that he was “a little saddened” by the loss. “I was disappointed. But nobody can assume that they get to keep their star forever," he opined. "It’s a huge blow to some restaurants when they lose a star ’cos it hits their reputation. I just take it that my work wasn't in vain. Anything else I get is a bonus. Because of the star, I had the chance to work with a company, so I’m grateful.”

WHY HE LOST HIS STAR

When we asked Chan if he had any idea as to why he lost his star, he replied: “I’m also not entirely sure. Maybe it was because we were assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic period [when F&B operations were severely disrupted]. But even if we fall short of standards, I hope people won’t think we are not working hard. Although it's my dream to win a Michelin star, I still have to work hard regardless of whether I have it."

According to him, Hersing Culinary “never blamed” him for the loss. “When we partnered, we had already discussed the possibility that we may one day lose the star. I made it clear that we will do our best, and the company knew it was beyond our control,” he said.

THERE ARE STILL LONG QUEUES AT HIS STALL

Despite being starless for three years (though Hawker Chan’s restaurant outlet at Smith Street is still on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, which lauds value-for-money eateries since 2017), Chan’s stall still has very long queues, especially during peak lunchtime. During our visit, we saw a customer actually quivering with excitement when it was his turn to order.

While he hopes to get his star back, Chan pointed out that maintaining a star also comes with a lot of pressure. He explained: “There are many moving parts in running a kitchen, and there is no satisfying everyone. I realised that people around the world have different views on what Michelin-standard food is. If you want to know whether our food is nice, you can ask the customers too.”

LIVES IN A CONDO NOW

We also ask Chan if his life had changed materially since becoming the towkay of an international F&B chain. He doesn’t have a driving licence, nor is he into designer goods. The luxury he allowed himself was upgrading his home.

Chan had been living in a three-room HDB flat in Chinatown with his wife and their 17-year-old daughter, but has since moved into a three-room condominium in Tiong Bahru. “I like the view there. I enjoy looking at it after work,” he said with a smile (his HDB flat is currently rented out.)

The condo is a financial arrangement between Hersing Culinary and Chan for their expansion partnership. He shared: “My family and I don’t have much material wants. I only spend on what I feel is value for money. The condo is a better investment because that’s for my wife and daughter, too.”

The Chans still get their meals “from kopitiams”, though Chan treats himself to a Michelin-starred restaurant once a year, having made friends with some of his fellow star winners.

“I would admire how pretty their plating is, and observe how people do things and why they won their Michelin stars,” he said. “But whatever I have now is thanks to my customers and company. Don’t forget your roots. I will always remember how I was just a normal hawker who happened to achieve something.”

THE OTHER SIDE OF GOOD FORTUNE

As we chatted with Chan at his Chinatown hawker centre for this story, an elderly man ambled to our table selling packets of tissues. Chan decisively fished S$2 out of his pocket and handed it to the man.

Now that he has “better income”, Chan also has friends asking to borrow money ranging from “a few thousand dollars to S$10,000” from him. He obliged, though his friends never repaid those loans.

He shared: “I won’t fight with them over it, though I know that’s how far our friendship can go. They must be really struggling to approach me for help. Maybe it’s because I’m Buddhist, but I feel it’s a blessing for both me and my friends that I can lend them money, and for them to be able to borrow from me.”

Hawker Chan’s original stall is at 335 Smith Street, #02-126, Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, Singapore 050335. Open Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 3.30pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.