A Singapore street-food chef who was this year awarded a Michelin star yesterday announced a partnership with a multinational culinary company to offer customers across Asia a taste of his prize-winning braised chicken dish.
Chan Hon Meng (陳翰銘) announced in a joint news conference with Singapore-based Hersing Culinary Pte Ltd (和興餐飲), which holds the Asia franchise for the popular Tim Ho Wan (添好運) dim sum chain, that they would collaborate on a new Singaporean restaurant before expanding across the region.
“I’m very happy to find the right partner,” Chan told reporters. “It’s important that they are very enthusiastic about the food and beverage industry and they put their customers first.”
Photo: AFP
Their first venture is to be a restaurant called Hawker Chan, which is to offer the signature chicken dishes Chan currently serves at his stall in Singapore’s Chinatown.
Malaysian-born Chan is one of two “hawkers” — so-called because many started out as street peddlers — awarded one star by the culinary bible when it launched its inaugural Singapore guide in July.
The 80-seater Hawker Chan, which is about a three-minute walk from the current stall, is to feature air-conditioning and sit-down dining at higher prices.
Chan is to receive a 50 percent stake in the restaurant, whose start-up costs are estimated at S$1 million (US$717,090).
Chan’s stall, which serves up his award-winning dish for just S$2.50, has been called the cheapest Michelin-starred food establishment in the world.
Chan’s wife and other family members are to continue to run the stall while he oversees operations at both venues.
Hersing chairman Harry Chua (蔡和興) declined to provide a timeline for international expansion, with financial terms for future outlets to be negotiated between the two parties.
Hersing holds the Asia-Pacific franchise rights to Tim Ho Wan, a Hong Kong dim sum chain that has also been awarded one Michelin star.
It has 38 Tim Ho Wan restaurants in nine nations, including Taiwan, Australia and the Philippines.
In interviews, Chan had indicated his desire to “be like Tim Ho Wan.”
The diminutive cook saw his fortunes change after he was awarded a Michelin star, with diners lining up for hours just to order a plate of his chicken and rice.
“I’m very happy that I can bring something small that belongs to Singapore to go across the world,” he said yesterday. “If you work hard, you can be recognized and your day will come.”
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