The hawker stalls of Singapore got a big boost in publicity recently when two of the city’s street food vendors earned a Michelin star – an honour typically reserved for the highest of the high-end. But even though the two stalls in question are the ones now enjoying mile-long lines, Singapore’s hawkers have long formed the backbone of the city’s food scene and they’re a part of daily life for Singaporeans.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Fred and Nick Laliberte got a four-year jump on what will no doubt erupt as a major food trend: They opened their Singaporean street-eats spot, Hawker Bar, on Ossington in 2012, and have been dishing out curry-coconut laksa soup and son-in-law eggs ever since. If you haven’t had the chance to dine the way they do in Singapore, now’s your chance: They’ll be holding a one-night-only dinner, entitled Singapore Sling, on September 21.
Held in conjunction with the folks at U-Feast, the event will feature a slate of hawker stall-inspired eats: Chili crab with a steamed fried bun, noodles and grilled shrimp swimming in laksa broth, “beggar’s chicken” wrapped in a lotus leaf and baked, and shaved ice with red bean paste and condensed milk for dessert. Tickets for the dinner sit at $65 and include drinks and tip – and, if it’s like any of the other U-Feast dinners we’ve attended, expect a few extra surprises along the way.
164 Ossington, at Foxley, 647-343-4698, hawkerbar.ca.
nataliam@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
