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The idea actually kicked off with the late, great Anthony Bourdain. Back in 2013, the culinary genius met entrepreneur KF Seetoh and, according to the New York Times, the two "began discussing the possibility of a Singapore-style hawker market selling street foods from various countries in New York."
Fast-forward almost a decade later and their dream has become a reality—albeit without Bourdain here to see it.
Seetoh enlisted the help of Urbanspace to open Urban Hawker at 135 West 50th Street by Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan this week. The first venue of its kind in the United States, the destination seeks to emulate the UNESCO-protected hawker centers that pepper Singapore.
The space is occupied by 17 different vendors selected by Seetoh himself, 11 of which are actually from Singapore.
Standout stalls include family-run concept Daisy's Dream for laksa and curry; Wok & Staple for chili crab and Kyoto pork ribs; modern Singapore coffee shop Kopifells (make sure to order the kaya toast to go along with your java); Yum Yubu for rice-stuffed fried bean curd pockets; modern Filipino destination Tradysion; and Prawnaholic Collections for inventive prawn noodles dishes. New York-based Lady Wong will also be serving its iconic cakes at their second ever New York address.
You can check out the full list of vendors right here.
"I came across Singaporeans who had been living in the United States in New York for like 20, 30, 35 years and they still miss Singapore food," Seetoh said to Reuters. "Street food in Singapore is not something you burn or deep fry. It's fairly complex. They take six hours just to prepare a meal to get it ready at 10am or 11am"
Although specific stall hours vary, Urban Hawker is generally open daily from 8am to 11pm.