In an exclusive interaction with BW Hotelier, Hawker Chan elaborated upon his collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board.

THE AWARDEE of ‘The World’s First Hawker Michelin-starred Meal’, Liao Fan Hawker Chan's culinary journey was based on the belief that good food should be made simple and affordable. During his apprenticeship under a Hong Kong chef, he learned and developed the soya sauce chicken recipe, which received the title of 'The Cheapest Michelin-starred Meal in the world.' In a recent collaboration of Singapore Tourism Board with Zomaland Season two, Hawker Chan served his renowned dishes to the guests at the 'Singapore Experience Zone.' In an exclusive interaction with BW Hotelier, Hawker Chan elaborated upon his collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board. 

Brief us about your collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board.

The Singapore Tourism Board has been doing some interesting collaborations in the India market and I am glad that this time, I am a part of such an activation where the foodies in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad will get to experience authentic Singapore food and taste my popular Soya Sauce Chicken Rice. Through Zomaland, we hope to give Foodies in India a sneak peek of Singaporean dishes, and to entice them to visit Singapore to experience the diverse culinary offerings Singapore has to offer.

Tell us about your journey in this industry so far.

My culinary journey began during my daily preparation for the family’s meals. The early exposure to cooking developed my passion for cooking. The foundation of my culinary passion was based strongly on the belief that good food should be made simple and affordable. At a tender age of 15, I left school and my hometown to Singapore in search of work. During these early years of my apprenticeship under a Hong Kong chef, I learned and developed the soya sauce chicken recipe. In 2009, I started Liao Fan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle in Chinatown Complex Food Centre.

Singapore as a place has a very diverse food scene with hawker food being quite a favourite not just with the locals but also the tourists. This has certainly motivated me to work harder and better.

The award of one Michelin Star from Michelin Guide Singapore in July 2016 gave me great pride. It was beyond my imagination that my humble soya sauce recipe would be recognized by the most prestigious Michelin Guide and awarded the titles “The World First Hawker Michelin-starred meal” and “The Cheapest Michelin-starred Meal in The Word”.

The soya sauce chicken dish was growing in popularity. I saw a need for a partnership to accommodate the increased demand as well as business expansion to ensure everyone gets a taste of the dish. And that is when I decided to partner with Hersing Culinary to transform my original hawker food stall into a quick-service concept restaurant and for expanding my brand locally and overseas.

Tell us about your favourite cuisines and signature dishes.

My favourite cuisine is Chinese and my signature dishes are the Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and BBQ Char Siew Pork.

What is your perception of India and Indian cuisine?

As this is my first visit and technically the first day, therefore, it’s still a very unfamiliar place to me but I am looking forward to having a great time here and maybe after few more days here, I will be able to tell you.

The cuisine of India is one of the world's most diverse cuisines, characterised by its sophisticated and subtle use of the many spices, vegetables and grains grown across the country. The varied cultures across the country have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine.

Indian cuisine has also influenced cuisines across the world, especially those of South East Asia. I have always been intrigued by the variety of flavours that the country offers and I am excited as I will get a chance to taste some of it this time.