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Singapore’s Michelin Star Chicken Noodles Loses Its Star

Singapore’s Michelin Star Chicken Noodles Loses Its Star

Michelin-starred restaurants are reviewed every 18 months or so.

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A humble stall selling soya sauce chicken noodles shook our corner of the world in 2016 when it earned a Michelin Star. At that time, Chan Hon Meng’s hawker stall at Chinatown Complex, formerly known as Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles was selling his signature dish at just $2.50 (a little under RM8– still cheaper than most hawker places today)!

Sadly, when the Michelin Guide Singapore restaurant selection was announced for 2021, the soya sauce chicken noodles didn’t make the cut.

5 years of d*mn good soy sauce chicken noodles

Chan Hon Meng enjoyed his Michelin Star for 5 years. Of course, he upgraded from a hawker stall to start his own brand called Hawker Chan, teaming up with Hersing Culinary to rebrand and expand.

He then expanded his menu to also include favouritse such as chicken rice, roast pork, charsiew, and pork ribs.

In just a few years, Hawker Chan sprouted five outlets in Singapore, and fourteen other franchises in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Consistency is key

The criteria for the Michelin stars include: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits.

Actually, Michelin stars are awarded to the restaurants, not the chefs, because the restaurant dining-in experience is provided by the whole kitchen team and not only the head chef– although in many cases, the head chef is the one who gains the most recognition.

All Michelin-starred restaurants are reviewed every 18 months or so to ensure consistent quality too, which means that the restaurant must always perform at their best, because Michelin food judges are completely anonymous and the decisions are always made by a panel.

We’re sad to see Hawker Chan lose his star, but we’re sure his food is still delicious!


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