A little piece of home on Main Street?

Tired of run of the mill and overpriced Singaporean chain restaurants around Vancouver, Mum and I returned to Main Street to try a little Singaporean joint we discovered a few weeks back, Hawker's Delight. Non air-conditioned and resembling smaller hawker centres back home, we were excited for a taste of authentic Singaporean and Malaysian fare. Adopting an open concept, passerbys can peer over the counter that separates the seating area from the side street as aromas of the kitchen waft onto the street and into their noses-- instant and effective marketing. An air of nostalgia, unprecedented by other Singaporean restaurants, struck me immediately as I walked in. This, coupled with a number of awards and gleaming reviews, set my stomach and hopes up for a hearty Singaporean lunch. Reasonably priced at about $4-$6 per dish and tax free-- a rarity in Vancouver-- our excitement was fueled, to say the least.

The menu was pretty extensive. Mum settled for the laksa as it is both one of Mum's favourite dishes and a hit with regular patrons. I, on the other hand, was torn between my noodle favourite, Mee Goreng or Mee Pok which I've never seen anywhere else in Vancouver. I settled for the latter upon recomendation by the "Auntie" at the counter. We also shared a side of Tahu Goreng (I love peanut sauce!!). Total damage: $16, decent by Vancouver standards.

Now onto the food.

Mee Pok




It was a solid attempt at recreating Singapore's Bak Chor Mee. The main differences were that char siew was used instead of the usual pork slices and that prawns were included. The usual suspects like minced pork and mushrooms were present with the exception of the fried lard pieces-- Canadians would probably find this gross! So the end product resembled a cross between Wan Tan Mee and Bak Chor Mee but I appreciated the extra colours which made the dish look really appetizing. Taste-wise, the "tomato-ketchup based" version of Bak Chor Mee was adopted, making it less Singaporean. Not surprising though, as they probably wanted to cater to Western tastebuds. However, my main grouse was that the Mee Pok lacked the "oomph" that Hawkers in Singapore brought to the dish. I cannot put my finger on what key ingredient was lacking but it just tasted more bland. Overall, I was satisfied with the dish but it was probably because I have been "Bak Chor Mee- deprived" for so long. Mum, who had just flown into Vancouver two months back, was unimpressed at the standard. Hearty-portion.
Verdict: 3/5

Laksa

Now this was more "shiok" than the Mee Pok. Looking less fiery than the typical Katong Laksa, there was still some punch surprisingly. I was happy that a whole blob of sambal chilli was "plonked" into the broth :D (see above!!) Ingredients included hardboiled egg, prawns, chicken pieces, fish-cake, tau pok-- pretty much like the Katong Laksa I am used to. However, cockles were absent-- a smart move since cockles are pretty unhealthy. Mum was overall satisfied with the dish but felt it still fell short of the average laksa standard in Singapore.
Verdict: 3.5/5

Tahu Goreng



Once again, this dish lacked the "oomph" like the Mee Pok so it tasted pretty bland. It consisted however of the usual fried tofu, beansprouts and cucumber. It was the peanut sauce that sorely missed the spot. Big portion.
Verdict: 3/5

To conclude, our trip to "Hawker's Delight" was satisfactory, but we left a little disappointed. I would return on the account of affordability and curiousity about the other dishes (MEE GORENG!!) For those unfamiliar with Singaporean cuisine, this would be an exotic experience, taking into account the ambience as well. However, I wouldn't really recommend this place to Singaporeans as I know you guys would have tasted better!

Alrighty folks, that's it for today's post. Sara, over and out!

Hawker's Delight

4127 Main St ( Main and King Edward)
$4-$6/ dish