Hawker Hall, Windsor

Big fans of Chin Chin, we of course had to try out Chef Benjamin Cooper’s latest creation, Hawker Hall. The night before, we had arrived at 6:00 p.m. only to be told that we would have to wait for 90 minutes! So this time, we arrived an hour earlier and (barely) managed to get a table.

The atmosphere is electric. It’s a huge space adorned with lights and neon signs. The DJs keep the volume loud and your eardrums ringing. True to its name, Hawker Hall feels like a pimped-up version of the hawker centres in Singapore.

Our waitress (don’t know her name, she's in the blue shirt at the bottom of the first photo above) was really friendly and attentive in a natural way. However, service in general was slow at times. I guess this is a consequence of the place always being so insanely busy.

I had a Sugar Cane Juice with Mint & … ($7.50). Interesting, but a bit too sour to be refreshing.

Sugar Cane Juice

To start off, we had the Cucumber, Mint & Shallot Salad with Cumin & Coconut Yoghurt Dressing ($9.00). In short, this was a huge disappointment. When I read ‘Cucumber, Mint & Shallot Salad’, I envisioned slices or julienned strips of cucumber and shallot mixed with mint and yoghurt to make a crunchy and refreshing salad. What we got, however, were a few haphazardly-cut chunks of cucumber dumped on a plate. Strangely enough, this was one of the ‘recommended dishes’. I strongly advise that you don’t order this.

Cucumber, Mint & Shallot Salad with Cumin and Coconut Yoghurt Dressing

But things thankfully took a turn for the better after that and stayed that way. The Malay Vegetable Spring Rolls with Green Chilli Soy (4pc, $12.00) were hot and super crunchy. I think they should offer non-vegetarian fillings like prawn and pork too as these have the potential to become one of their signature dishes.

Malay Vegetable Spring Rolls with Green Chilli Soy

Next was the Combination Satay Plate ($18.00) – 2 skewers each of Beef, Chicken and Pork with Peanut Sauce and 4 Squid skewers with Sambal Belachan. When this came out, the table next to us, who were still looking through the menu, gasped and said ‘We are definitely ordering that.’ And it certainly tasted as good as it looked. Every meat was tender and succulent; for me though, the stand-out was the squid. Highly recommend.

Combination Satay Plate - Beef, Chicken, Pork & Squid

Then came the Chicken Tikka with Coconut Yoghurt, Chilli & Lemon ($16.00). The chicken was well-cooked and moist. The flavours were nice but way too subtle. Needed a lot more spice.

Chicken Tikka with Coconut Yoghurt, Chilli & Lemon

The highlight of the night was without a doubt the Malay Coconut Beef Rendang ($15.50). The beef melted in your mouth and the curry was rich and fragrant. Every mouthful brought a smile to my face. How is this not one of their ‘recommended dishes’? You simply must try it for yourself!

Malay Coconut Beef Rendang

As you can see the Beef Rendang came with rice but since we were sharing we ordered an extra bowl of Jasmine Rice ($3.50).

Jasmine Rice

Finally, the Roti Canai with Curry Sauce & Eggplant Sambal ($8.50). At first, when we asked the waitress whether they made their own roti and she told us that it was made off-site then cooked in their kitchen, I was a little doubtful. But my doubts disappeared as soon as my teeth sank into the crisp and buttery roti. Some people say it’s not flaky enough, but I actually like my roti to be more substantial like this one. Tip: order it without the sauces, as it’s $3.00 cheaper, and dip it in the curry instead.

Roti Canai with Curry Sauce & Eggplant Sambal

On the way to the bathroom, J saw Benjamin Cooper himself mopping up the floor. Not something you’d expect to see at all. Respect!

Verdict: Don’t be put off by everyone’s comparisons to Chin Chin, Hawker Hall is the real deal - it’s just a matter of choosing the right things to order.

Food: 8

Service: 9

Atmosphere: 10

Value: 8

Would I come back? Yes.