Singapore by Way of Midtown

A guide to the city’s brand-new hawker center.

TRY Chicken Rice AT Hainan Jones

In the 1970s, a chef named Joon Toh Kiang helped put traditional chicken rice on the menu of Singapore’s posh Mandarin Hotel, catapulting the humble poached-poultry preparation to international five-star fame. Now his son Raymond will run this stall, which is—for the time being—the only place in the U.S. to find the legendary Kiang-family recipe.

try Laksa at Daisy’s Dream TRY Nasi Biryani AT Mamak’s Corner

This Indian Singaporean stall—run by Shukor Tahir and his business partner, Rajan Belani— was conceived specifically for New York. The duo will cook up classic flaky roti prata (a late-night favorite) and richly spiced nasi biryani with lamb or chicken.

TRY Sambal Chili Crab AT Wok & Staple by Dragon Phoenix

Chef Kok Wai Hooi opened Dragon Phoenix in Singapore in 1963 and is widely considered to be a founding chef of Chinese Singaporean cuisine. He is also credited with creating the modern version of chili crab, adding sambal and tomato paste, among other things, to the original recipe. His son Chris is bringing Dragon Phoenix here with chili crab and an array of classic stir-fries.

TRY Nasi Ambeng AT Padi D’NYC

Back home, this restaurant serves the comforting

Indonesian chicken soup soto ayam as well as satay, but its most popular item is nasi ambeng, a communal platter of rice surrounded by a variety of spicy, saucy accompaniments like beef rendang and sambal squid—all of which will be available at Urban Hawker, too.

TRY White Bee Hoon AT White Restaurant

The noodle dish white bee hoon is a Singaporean invention created by King Huak Tay in 1999. At Urban Hawker, the Tay family’s stall will serve its original recipe of wok-fried rice noodles simmered with an eight-hour chicken stock and topped, if you like, with shrimp and squid.

TRY Hainan Western Cooking AT Smokin’ Joe

This is one of the so-called western hawker stalls, a unique hybrid of East-meets-West cuisine born from British clubs and Hainanese Chinese chefs during Singapore’s colonial era. Chef Joseph Yeo offers a menu of grilled meats—colloquially referred to as “chops”— with fries on the side.

TRY Nanyang Coffee AT Kopifellas

The Nanyang coffee here is made from freshly ground robusta beans and blended with both condensed and evaporated milks for a smooth but strong finish. Owner Terry Neo will also serve toast slathered with butter and kaya—the coconut-and-pandan jam—for the morning rush.

TRY Prawn Ramen AT Prawnaholic Collections

True to the stall’s name, the signature dish is prawn noodles served like Japanese-style ramen with sweet and savory glazed pork belly and an onsen egg. “It’s not traditional, but you don’t lose the essence,” says founder Alan Choong, who will also offer classic versions of Hokkien mee and an oyster omelet. “I wanted people to experience a Singaporean fusion dish and a traditional dish.”

TRY Burgers AT Ashes Burnnit

Lee Syafiq, who owns this halal burger stall with four locations in Singapore, received an Outstanding Hawker honor at the World Gourmet Awards in May. In addition to the smashed burgers, Syafiq is planning an otak-otak-inspired spicy fish-cake sandwich for Urban Hawker.

TRY Egg Fried Rice With XO AT Mr. Fried Rice

Chong You Chan runs more than a dozen food businesses and counting. His first outside Singapore is this stall, which takes its cues from the fried-rice trend currently hitting hawker centers.

➽ UNTIL THIS MONTH, New Yorkers looking to experience Singaporean hawker centers—the high-energy, open-air bazaars that are packed with tiny storefronts selling some of the world’s best street food—had to first spend about 19 hours on a plane. Now, they need only walk half a block west of Radio City Music Hall. Eleven of the island nation’s vendors have set up stalls at the new Urban Hawker (135 W. 50th St., nr. Seventh Ave.), a food hall of sorts and a collaboration between New York’s Urbanspace and K.F. Seetoh, Singapore’s foremost street-food evangelist. Inside, local favorites such as Lady Wong and Tradisyon will set up beside some of Singapore’s most celebrated hawkers, many running businesses that have been in their families for generations.