The famous Hawker Chan was in London from the 14th of March till the 16th of March. On the pop-up street food market, Kerb, on Granary Square he managed to have his own street food stand. The world’s first street food Michelin star on a place he normally wouldn’t be and a limited supply of only 200 soya sauce chicken lunches for £6,- per portion is a result of madness on the square.
Madness it was during those three days. Every day when I go to the office, I will cycle over this square. During those days every day there were already people queuing at 9 o’clock in the morning. Imagine that they only start to serve the food at noon. That means 3 hours wait for your lunch while normal people are still eating there breakfast.
You would expect that if people are queuing for this that early that it should be an amazing soya sauce chicken. Only one way to figure out if this Michelin-starred soya sauce chicken is worth all the buzz is to try and get it by myself. And for only £6,- even a Dutch guy can’t ignore this lunch.
Wednesday
It is time to head to Granary square and try to get some amazing soya sauce chicken. Unfortunately I was a bit stuck in a meeting so I left the office at 11:15. Half 12 and I enter the square. Madness has begun. The queue is endless, it crosses the whole square and a quick look on the queue tells me that there are at least already more than 200 people in the queue. No chance for me today unfortunately.
Still I have to check-out the end of the queue which already reaches the canal. A staff member tells me that I will have 0 chance today. If I will start queuing there will be at least 350 people in front of me while there are only 200 portions available.
So time for a new a plan. Time to head in front of the queue and see the madness going on at the stall. I discover some blogger in the queue, a lot of happy faces of people who are enjoying their soya sauce chicken and Hawker Chan himself. Hawker Chan was cutting all those good smelling chickens into some good pieces.
However it is clear that today will not be a success. Tomorrow I have a meeting till 12 so that will not work either, so my last chance will be on Friday.
Friday
My second and only chance to get a taste of Hawker Chan’s chicken. The staff told me on Wednesday to make sure you will have some chicken arrive at 10:30. So at 10:00 it is time to leave the office.
While I almost enter the square I realized that this morning the queue at 08:50 was already longer as normal. On the square I already see a huge queue and there is only one option at this time, start queuing.
While I am waiting I start counting the people in front of me, while the queue behind me starts growing. 1, 2, 33, 57… According to my rough estimation, I should be fine but still at least more than 130 people in front of me so who knows maybe I will be unlucky.
And then there is the moment. A staff member is passing by and gives me a golden (it is yellow but feels golden to me) and number 150. So yes I will have a Michelin starred soya sauce chicken from Hawker Chan today!
After another 2 hours wait it is time to try the chicken. And let me answer your questions on is it worth the waiting time? Is it worth to buy it? Yes, and yes!!! This was I think the best chicken I had ever in my life. The chicken is extremely soft, but not dry at all and the soya sauce it is prepared in has an extremely aromatic and rich taste.
Unfortunately the only message I can give you is that you have to go to Singapore to one of his 3 restaurants to try this amazing dish. But if you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth it! Here some more nice posts on Instagram of this unique moment in London.
