Michelin guide recognises Singapore hawkers

[SINGAPORE] Culinary bible Michelin on Thursday awarded one star each to two street food hawkers in Singapore, the first in the guide's history.

Launching the inaugural restaurant and hotel guide to the Southeast Asian city-state, Michelin inspectors gave one star each to Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle.

"For the first time, you would be able to have a Michelin-starred meal for under S$5," said Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin guides.

"Singapore was the natural choice for expansion because of the breadth and depth of the culinary scene, where you not only have a wide variety, but also very good cooking. And there is a strong culture of eating out, whether at a hawker stall or in a fine dining restaurant," he told AFP.

In a country where people take their food seriously - Singaporeans consider eating a national past time - 36 different cuisines were featured in the guide, ranging from Chinese to Australian.

Only one restaurant - French chef Joel Robuchon's eponymous outlet - won the coveted three-star rating, cementing his position as the highest rated chef in the world.

The starred restaurants included several with local food, including Peranakan restaurant Candlenut.

Featured for the first time in the guide, Peranakan, or Straits Chinese food, is unique to Singapore and Malaysia, featuring a blend of Chinese and Malay styles of cooking.

AFP