Hawker Chan (formerly Liao Fan Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles and Rice Shop) was founded by chef Chan Hong Meng and became world-famous for its soy sauce chicken noodles at a very cheap price - only 2.5 USD (about more than 50,000 VND).
However, since 2016, after accidentally appearing on the list of 1-star Michelin restaurants, the restaurant has suddenly received a lot of attention. It can be said that the Michelin star has changed the restaurant's career. From a humble stall in Chinatown, Hawker Chan has become a successful symbol of street food culture in this area. To the point that the Hawker Chan brand has been franchised in many places around the world such as Thailand, the Philippines, etc. However, in the Michelin Guide Singapore list posted on September 1, the name of Hawker Chan restaurant is no longer there.
The reason for Hawker Chan losing its Michelin star is still unclear. Insider commented that the reason may be related to the restaurant's menu no longer meeting Michelin's five evaluation criteria: quality of ingredients, taste and cooking skills, chef's personality, value for money when buying food and consistency after each visit. Many also agreed with Michelin's decision because they thought the quality of the restaurant's dishes had decreased after many new Hawker Chan locations appeared.
Michelin's rating of restaurants is carried out by a team of "inspectors" from the culinary industry, who eat two meals a day, five days a week. They must remain anonymous and pay for their own meals and travel, in order to increase the secrecy of the Michelin star system.
"I think Michelin is standing firm to protect the prestige of its stars," said Singaporean food expert KF Seetoh, adding that the future of Singaporean cuisine does not depend on just one restaurant or one chef.
A representative of Hawker Chan responded: "Chef Chan Hon Meng has created his own recipe for the special chicken rice and noodles since 2009 and has not changed it since then. He always believes in making his dishes fresh every day. We understand that everyone has their own opinion when it comes to food. We will continue to serve delicious food at affordable prices because that is our vision and mission. We sincerely thank our customers who have supported us for the past 12 years and will try our best to win back that star next year."
Hawker Chan is not the first restaurant to have its Michelin star stripped. French chef Marc Veyrat sued Michelin in 2019 for downgrading his restaurant from three stars to two. Veyrat asked Michelin to be more transparent about its rating criteria and to reveal its inspection team.
More information
Michelin stars in the culinary world are likened to the Oscars of cinema or the Grammys of music. Accordingly, Michelin stars are classified on a scale of 1-3:
- 1 Michelin star: very good restaurant compared to the average.
- 2 Michelin stars: restaurant with excellent cooking quality.
- 3 Michelin stars: restaurant with special culinary style, reaching the pinnacle of cuisine.
