It was 6:15pm when I walked into Hawker Chan's Smith Street outlet, which was quiet with few tables occupied. With few tourists during the COVID-19 period, Chinatown was unusually quiet after sundown, so were most of the shops here. But, it was the best time to be dining at Hawker Chan — before travel restrictions lifted and the queues return.
I had dined several times at Hawker Chan's main stall on the second floor of Chinatown Complex (just opposite the Smith Street outlet) and this was the first time I visited one of its branches. The experience was different too — I will not delve into the differences between a shop and a stall and their prices.
Hawker Chan's main stall would usually close by 3pm or after it sold out, so the Smith Street outlet was the next best alternative to try the famous soya sauce chicken. It was also a good place to turn to if there was long queue at the main stall.
The outlet served a wide varieties of roasted delights and other delicacies. I ordered their signature soya sauce chicken rice and added on a dish of beansprouts. I would usually order the soya sauce chicken noodle at Hawker Chan's main stall but decided to try the rice version this time.
Apart from soya sauce chicken, there were slices of cucumber, half an egg and soya beans. It was rather unique to see soya beans on a plate of chicken rice. The chicken looked really tasty and gave off a nice aroma.
The succulent chicken was nice and not salty. It was no doubt the same taste as the soya sauce chicken at the main stall. The sauce on the rice had a slight herbal taste too. I had always preferred the noodle version due to more textures and flavour but the rice version was a great alternative too.
Address:
78 Smith St, Singapore 058972
Operating Hours:
10:30am - 8pm | Daily
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