Hawker Chan
G/F Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
(SPOT.ph) It’s no secret that Filipinos love chicken, whether it’s fried to a beautiful golden brown, or glazed with barbecue sauce and grilled. Not as common here is soya sauce chicken, a dish that looks simple but packs lots of
Hawker Chan came from humble beginnings, with Chef Chan Hong Meng opening his first hawker stall at Singapore’s Chinatown Complex in 2009. It's a no-fuss-no-muss eatery, but people flocked to then-called Hong Kong Sauce Soya Chicken for, what else, the chicken—freshly roasted and served by Chef Chan and his wife. With the snaking long lines at their compact place, especially after receiving a Michelin star in 2016, Chef Chan knew he had to open a bigger, sit-down restaurant. And Liao Fan Hawker Chan was born.
Since then, Chef Chan and his tasty chicken meals have slowly but surely made their way throughout Asia and beyond. Besides the Philippines, Hawker Chan has branches in Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia. Wherever he opens an outpost, Chef Chan sees to it that each branch uses his tried-and-tested signature soya sauce chicken recipe, which he developed along with a Hong Kong chef.
The Manila branch retains Hawker Chan's casual vibe—orders are done through the counter, and your meal can be picked up after your ticket number flashes on the screen.
While dish prices aren't fixed yet, one thing's for sure: Their Soya Sauce Chicken With Rice (P128) could be one of the tastiest budget-friendly meals you'll ever have, clocking in at less than P200. The chicken itself is amazingly soft in your mouth—almost cloud-like but with a little
While rice might end up being your go-to, the Soya Sauce Chicken With Noodles is not to be ignored—the egg noodles are firm with a hint of saltiness that makes chowing on them with your chicken a bit more exciting.
You can also get Char Siu with your soya sauce chicken. The pork barbecue chunks are more intensely flavored than what you might expect: Sweet, smoky, and
Asked why he wanted to open a branch in Manila, Chef Chan simply says in an interview with SPOT.ph, “I know Filipinos love chicken.” With Hawker Chan’s soya sauce chicken now easily accessible and much more affordable even without a plane ticket to Singapore, this love for chicken is just sure to grow even more.
Photos by Majoy Siason
*Hawker Chan opens on Thursday, July 26. Prices to follow.
