I ate the world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal, a $2.25 street food dish in Singapore. I've never gotten better value for my money.

Katie WarrenMar 4, 2021, 13:04 IST

Katie Warren/Insider

Last week, I ate the world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal: a chicken-and-rice street food dish in Singapore.
It cost 3 Singapore dollars, or about $2.25, and it was served on a plastic plate at an open-air hawker center.
The laid-back yet mouthwateringly delicious meal was the perfect Singapore experience.

A Michelin-starred restaurant probably brings to mind white tablecloths and exorbitant prices.

But in Singapore, a Michelin star can also mean a casual $3 meal served on a plastic plate.

Hawker Chan, a street food vendor in Singapore, sells the world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal: a chicken and rice dish - usually simply called "chicken rice" - that costs 3 Singapore dollars, or about $2.25. The founder and chef, Chan Hon Meng, was first awarded a Michelin star in Singapore's inaugural guide in 2016 and has received a star every year since with the exception of 2020, when Singapore's Michelin guide was cancelled due to the pandemic. Chan has opened two more locations in Singapore and franchises in six other countries.

In the three months since I moved to Singapore for work, I've eaten chicken rice several times. It's a ubiquitous meal that can be found at every hawker center (the city's famous open-air food stalls), and it's even one of the city-state's official national dishes.

But I knew I had to try what is purported to be the best chicken rice on the entire island. On a recent weekday, I headed to the famous hawker stall in Singapore's Chinatown to see what the hype was all about.

The world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal can be found at a humble hawker stall in Singapore.

Chan's hawker stall in 2016, the year it was first awarded one Michelin star. Kyle Malinda-White/picture alliance via Getty Images

Chan wakes up early in the morning to prepare his marinade for the chicken.

Chan Hon Meng, founder of Hawker Chan. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Singapore's hawker centers, essentially open-air street food centers, are an integral part of the city-state's culture.

People eat at the Maxwell hawker center in Singapore on December 17, 2021. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images

The original Hawker Chan stall can be found in a beloved hawker center in Chinatown, a neighborhood in central Singapore.

Katie Warren/Insider

The Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre is the biggest hawker center in Singapore, with more than 220 food stalls.

Katie Warren/Insider

When I stepped inside around 1 p.m. on a Tuesday, it was bustling with Singaporeans grabbing a quick, affordable lunch.

Katie Warren/Insider

Finally, I found Hawker Chan, an assuming hawker stall like any of the hundreds of other stalls in the food center.

Katie Warren/Insider

It was, however, located on a corner, which allowed its side wall to display accolades like its Michelin status and news articles.

Katie Warren/Insider

There were about 10 people waiting in a socially distanced queue.

Katie Warren/Insider

But Hawker Chan clearly has its operation down to a science, so the line moved quickly. Chan himself was cooking and plating the meals, while another staffer took orders and payments. Yet another staffer boxed up takeaway orders in the back.

Katie Warren/Insider

But Hawker Chan clearly has its operation down to a science, so the line moved quickly. Chan himself was cooking and plating the meals, while another staffer took orders and payments. Yet another staffer boxed up takeaway orders in the back.

Soon, it was my turn. The woman who took my order and money was friendly but brusquely efficient. Chan was intently focused on his cooking.

Katie Warren/Insider

Tray in hand, I found a spot to sit at one of the hawker center's many communal tables. The laid-back seating arrangement couldn't be more of a contrast from most Michelin-starred eateries.

Katie Warren/Insider

Tray in hand, I found a spot to sit at one of the hawker center's many communal tables. The laid-back seating arrangement couldn't be more of a contrast from most Michelin-starred eateries.

At Hawker Chan, the chicken is marinated and braised with soy sauce and 10 types of herbs, and then served with sautéed soy beans.

Katie Warren/Insider

I am a mere chicken rice novice, but for my tastes, the meal was simple yet mouthwateringly delicious.

Katie Warren/Insider

While I can't say I'll never again splurge on a Michelin-starred meal in a fancy restaurant, I'm absolutely certain that I've never gotten better value for my money than at Hawker Chan.

Katie Warren/Insider

While I can't say I'll never again splurge on a Michelin-starred meal in a fancy restaurant, I'm absolutely certain that I've never gotten better value for my money than at Hawker Chan.

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I ate the world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal, a $2.25 street food dish in Singapore. I've never gotten better value for my money.

The world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal can be found at a humble hawker stall in Singapore.

Chan wakes up early in the morning to prepare his marinade for the chicken.

Singapore's hawker centers, essentially open-air street food centers, are an integral part of the city-state's culture.

The original Hawker Chan stall can be found in a beloved hawker center in Chinatown, a neighborhood in central Singapore.

The Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre is the biggest hawker center in Singapore, with more than 220 food stalls.

When I stepped inside around 1 p.m. on a Tuesday, it was bustling with Singaporeans grabbing a quick, affordable lunch.

Finally, I found Hawker Chan, an assuming hawker stall like any of the hundreds of other stalls in the food center.

It was, however, located on a corner, which allowed its side wall to display accolades like its Michelin status and news articles.

There were about 10 people waiting in a socially distanced queue.

But Hawker Chan clearly has its operation down to a science, so the line moved quickly. Chan himself was cooking and plating the meals, while another staffer took orders and payments. Yet another staffer boxed up takeaway orders in the back.

Soon, it was my turn. The woman who took my order and money was friendly but brusquely efficient. Chan was intently focused on his cooking.

Tray in hand, I found a spot to sit at one of the hawker center's many communal tables. The laid-back seating arrangement couldn't be more of a contrast from most Michelin-starred eateries.

At Hawker Chan, the chicken is marinated and braised with soy sauce and 10 types of herbs, and then served with sautéed soy beans.

I am a mere chicken rice novice, but for my tastes, the meal was simple yet mouthwateringly delicious.

While I can't say I'll never again splurge on a Michelin-starred meal in a fancy restaurant, I'm absolutely certain that I've never gotten better value for my money than at Hawker Chan.