A venue's atmosphere sets the tone. So the kind of atmosphere generated by a spacious interior, booming sound system, bright neon signage and the energy of 100-plus diners is powerful. That's what you get at Hawker Hall, one from restaurateur Chris Lucas' (Chin Chin, Kisumé, Society and more) shining portfolio of venues. It's a bustling, scaled-up establishment that pays homage to the intimate and grounded experiences of hawker-style Malaysian and Singaporean street food.

The menu is extensive, starting with shared bites such as salt and pepper squid with lemon-pepper dressing, sesame prawn toast with hot honey, spiced corn ribs with tomato sambal, and crispy pork belly with sticky chilli glaze. An array of fresh salads includes chargrilled beef with coconut slaw, seared tuna with green mango and cashew cream, and crispy chicken with young coconut. The Hawker Feed Me banquets are an easy way to sample the best of the menu, priced from $55 to $88 per person.

A series of beloved noodle dishes, such as Char Kway Teow with prawns and pork sausage and Combination Noodles with cabbage and chilli lime sambal, sit alongside stir fries featuring crisp veg and tasty proteins, as well as curries and barbecue dishes like grilled Barramundi with lemongrass and ginger curry, or barbecue beef cheek with black pepper.

Chris Lucas Chin Chin

Hawker Hall has a truly excellent selection of beers on tap, as well as a zesty line-up of fresh cocktails such as a rhubarb spritz, a pandan coconut sling, a salted lychee martini and a yuzu sour. Every Friday to Sunday, you can indulge in Hawker's Boozy Feast, a bottomless lunch with a lineup of dim-sum-inspired plates and free-flowing beverages for 90 minutes.

Hawker Hall has introduced a weekly line-up of unmissable specials, making it a little easier to enjoy the good things in life even in this economy. Make Mondays memorable with $2 dumplings, take Tuesdays to tastier places with $15 noodles, and get spicy on Wednesdays with $15 Spice Night.

The Hawker Feed Me banquets are an easy way to sample the best of the menu, priced from $55 to $88 per person.

Where this fits

Dining rooms change slowly and then all at once: a new chef, a refurbishment, a shift in the neighbourhood, and suddenly the place has a different identity.

The short version

  • The menu is extensive, starting with shared bites such as salt and pepper squid with lemon-pepper dressing, sesame prawn toast with hot honey, spiced corn ribs with tomato sambal
  • Hawker Hall has a truly excellent selection of beers on tap, as well as a zesty line-up of fresh cocktails such as a rhubarb spritz, a pandan coconut sling, a salted lychee martini and a yuzu sour
  • Hawker Hall has introduced a weekly line-up of unmissable specials, making it a little easier to enjoy the good things in life even in this economy

Figures worth noting

  • The Hawker Feed Me banquets are an easy way to sample the best of the menu, priced from $55 to $88 per person
  • Every Friday to Sunday, you can indulge in Hawker's Boozy Feast, a bottomless lunch with a lineup of dim-sum-inspired plates and free-flowing beverages for 90 minutes
  • Make Mondays memorable with $2 dumplings, take Tuesdays to tastier places with $15 noodles, and get spicy on Wednesdays with $15 Spice Night

All told

Whether this marks the start of something larger or simply reflects the moment, it is a fair indication of the direction things are heading.