Customers Still Flock to Chinatown Stall Despite It Losing Michelin Star Rating

The circuit breaker was bad, and so was our split with Malaysia, but Wednesday (1 Sep) was perhaps the darkest day in Singapore’s short history as an independent nation.

That was the day the 2021 edition of the Michelin Guide was published with one notable omission: Hawker Chan. 

Known for its Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle, Hawker Chan has brought joy to the mouths and stomachs of residents and tourists alike in Singapore for years.

In 2016, it was included in Michelin’s first guide to Singapore, garnering one star.

But despite the loss, Hawker Chan is still as popular as ever.

Customers Still Flock to Chinatown Stall Despite It Losing Michelin Star Rating

As evident in a Facebook post by netizen Gavin Tan, residents here still love Hawker Chan’s food, and are willing to wait for it.

For his lunch yesterday, Tan decided to head to the famous Chinatown stall. But he soon discovered that many others had the same idea.

Tan had to stand in line, behind a long queue full of patrons waiting for their turn to get a taste of Hawker Chan’s food.

The queue was so long that it stretched all the way to the opposite side and beyond, with Tan unable to even get a view of the stall from where he stood.

In the end, however, after what must have been a torturous wait, Tan finally got what he wanted: a plate of Hawker Chan’s succulent chicken and char siew. 

One commenter noted that the stall had lost its Michelin star, but another pointed out despite that, it still had a long queue.

What Does it Take to Get a Michelin Star?

For those who don’t know, Michelin is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in France. For some reason, this tyre company publishes guides to restaurants, and for some reason, people take it very seriously.

To get a star on their guide is a very prestigious thing indeed. An eatery can earn a maximum of three stars on the guide.

So, with Hawker Chan losing its place on the list of acclaimed restaurants, many have asked: what does it take to get a Michelin star?

Well, here are a few things, straight from the horse’s mouth:

• the quality of their products
• their mastery of flavour and cooking techniques
• the personality of the chef in the cuisine (okay this one is weird)
• value for money
• consistency of food
• how bright their shoes are

Yes, I made the last one up, but you probably didn’t know, did you?

At the end of the day, if a stall sells tasty food, people will continue to patronise it, regardless of what some people far, far away say.

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Featured Image: Facebook (Gavin Tan)