Hawker Chan (Chinatown Complex)

I’ve only ever had @liaofanhawkerchan at one of their restaurant outlets before, and while I thought the soya sauce chicken was decent enough, it sure as hell didn’t deserve a Michelin star. This time, while wandering through Chinatown Complex, I noticed that the OG, original stall had a queue of three as opposed to the usual queue of fifty three. Well, it was a no brainer then, it was time to inspect how and why Liao Fan earned that coveted Michelin star.⠀
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At six dollars & fifty cents flat for this plate of soya sauce chicken drumstick with an additional soya sauce wing, it certainly is an economical meal in a Singapore suffering from eight percent GST (not success). Not only is it an economical meal, it’s an excellent meal too. Compared to the more upscale outlets islandwide, the original Liao Fan’s chicken was superior in every way. ⠀
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The skin was noticeably smoother and a darker shade of brown, and it could qualify as a work of art. The meat was markedly moister and softer, with even the breast part of the wing being suitably slippery. And the flavours, oh boy. The meat & skin were supremely savoury and sweet from the honey glaze brushed onto the skin post simmering, and were far more alluring with unmistakable aromas of hua tiao chiew (Shaoxing rice wine). All the flavours that the chicken from the outlet had were multiplied by a factor of five at the original stall, and topped off with that stupendously sapid soy sauce poured over the chicken? Yes, oh yes, this is one of the best birds this side of Chinatown.⠀
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So, did Liao Fan ever deserve their Michelin star? Based solely off the chicken alone, I’m gonna be generous and say that yeah, Liao Fan/Hawker Chan deserved that Michelin star before they decided to chase the bag.

Chicken was tender, noodles tangy and the sauce and chilli was nice too!

With just SGD2.80 in your wallet, you can simply enjoy a plate🍽 of Soya Sauce Chicken Rice at @liaofanhawkerchan’s Michelin-Awarded stall in Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre. Brace💪 yourself for a 45mins - 1hour long queue, even during weekday lunch hours. Even though there is an air-conditioned (franchised) outlet just across👣 Smith Street with no visible queue, I will still recommend going to the original hawker stall instead😉.
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👉Soya Sauce Chicken (Half) - SGD8
👉Char Siew & Roasted Pork Platter - SGD7
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To avoid any disappointment😌, make sure you order either their half or full Soya Sauce Chicken to share. Meaning if possible, try not to order individual portions as the chopped up chicken meat might become dry due to being left exposed to open-air.
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P.S. I was eating this even before they got their Michelin Star in 2016 liao lor...
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the place where you can have the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred meal. Up to this day, it continues to attract long queues at its original stall although it’s now commercialised.

Prices start from $2.80 and it’s served with either rice or noodles. I had the soy sauce chicken, roasted pork and char siew noodle ($6.80). The soy sauce chicken was tender (possibly cause I had the drumstick) but it’s certainly not the best I tried. Char siew here is prepared Hong Kong-style which was a balance of fat and meat with the edges nicely caramelised. As for the roasted pork, the skin is crispy and the meat is tender which was not bad. Noodles are springy and is served in a mix of lard and sambal belachan.

In my opinion, I feel the char siew and roasted pork are better than the soy sauce chicken. For all the hype and accolades, there are better stalls out there who are more deserving of them.

Honestly, the branches severely disappointed me, but an opportune short queue allowed me to try the OG; the branches do no justice to the brand name — it's way better here.
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The soy chicken noodles ($3.30) had a decent bounciness, well complemented by the sauce and chili. The chicken was tender, though a tad too tough, and carried a good amount of flavour and fragrance. Good but not amazing or Michelin star good.
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Is it worth the queue? Opt for Maria Virgin Chicken instead, it's in the same compound — better and has no queue.
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📍 335 #02-126 Smith St, Complex Market & Food Centre, Singapore 050335
⏱️ (Mon-Sat) 10.30am-8.30pm; closed on Sundays

The cheapest Michelin star dish in Singapore and purportedly, the world, is a humble plate of Cantonese-style soya sauce chicken from “Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle”.
It is served with either rice or noodles and most people seem to opt for the latter but I prefer the former. Even though it comes splashed with the same dark sauce used to cook the chicken, I find rice more ideal as it’s a less intrusive sidekick to the juicy, tender flesh of the fragrant and very flavourful chicken.
If you want a more authentic dining experience, I recommend checking out the original hawker stall located inside Chinatown Smith Street Market and Food Centre located at 335 Smith Street #02-126. Be prepared to queue though.