I Eat Asian Street Food: Hawkers (St. Pete)
Ok, so it's not technically SRQ, but it's close enough. And if you're in the mood for GOOD Asian fusion, it's definitely worth the trip! Set in the Central Arts District, Hawkers has an Eastern Third World meets Western Industrial feel to it. The food carries very traditional flavors found in Asian street fare, but in this case, traditional is very exciting.
I was joined by friends Nate (Asian), Brian (also Asian and a chef), Lindsey (loves food), and Megan (always down to hang) for this foodventure, and we went HAM on the menu. Everyone ordered several small plates and entrees, and we shared everything but the Vietnamese coffee. (You never share Vietnamese coffee. You hoard it for yourself down to the last drop.)
Our foodie friend's feast included:
1. Roti Canai: (8.5/10) Malaysian flat bread w/ curry sauce
2. Korean Twice Fried Wings: (9.5/10) covered in garlic Gochujang sauce, peanuts, sesame, & cilantro
3. Steamed Bao: (8.9/10) pork Belly & roast duck
4. Chicka-Rones: (8.5/10) Filipino-style crispy chicken skins tossed in jerk seasoning
5. Singapore 'Chilli' Crab: (8/10) soft-shelled crab in house made chili garlic sauce, served w/ a fried bao
6. Curry Laksa: (9.5/10) coconut curry stew w/ shrimp, chicken, fried tofu, wheat noodles, bean sprouts, yow choy, fried shallots, & hard boiled egg
7. Mee Goreng: (9/10) egg noodles, tofu, shrimp, eggs, spring onions, napa, bean sprouts, onions, carrots, potatoes, roasted peanuts, lime
8. Yaki Udon: (8/10) udon noodles, chicken, eggs, onions, bean sprouts, spring onions, carrots
9. Pad Thai: (8/10) rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, eggs, bean sprouts, carrots, spring onions, red chili pepper, roasted peanuts, lime
10: Beef Haw Fun: (9.5/10) wide rice noodles, sliced steak, spring onions, bean sprouts, onions, soy sauce
11. Chee Cheng's Char Kway Teow: (8.3/10) rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, eggs, spring onions, bean sprouts
12. Curry Duck Noodles: (8.9/10) egg noodles, onions, spring onions, carrots, bean sprouts, signature curry
I will not bore you with all the details of absolutely everything we ate, but I will describe the items I rated 8.5 or higher. There was nothing we had that was not good, but these items in particular I highly recommend ordering.
AWE-INSPIRING APPETIZERS:
The Roti Canai was that perfect combination of soft, yet crisp, and the curry dipping sauce was a crowd favorite. A delightful alternative to bread and butter. Be sure to get multiple orders of it.
The Chicka-Rones were an Asian take on Chicharrones (obviously), so if you like fried rinds and you like chicken, you will love these. They were served with a spicy green dipping sauce for a little kick.
The Steamed Bao were not anything new tasting, but both still delicious. The roast duck ones seemed to be a bit more popular with the table.
Finally, the piece de resistance of the appetizers was the Korean Twice Fried Wings. These may be some of the best wings you'll ever have. EVER. I have always been a fan of Korean double-fried chicken, but I've never had them coated in a sauce as good as this one. GET IT. GET IT. GET IT!!
NOTEWORTHY NOODLES:
Savory, curry-y, coconutty, tangy, lemongrassy, the Malaysian Curry Laksa was the perfect comfort food if you're in the mood for soup to warm the tummy and tickle the tastebuds. It was a treasure trove of amazing ingredients you will not find in any American soups.
The Mee Goreng was a sweet AND savory AND tangy stir fried noodle, also chock full of fresh ingredients, and finished with that beautiful wok burn flavor. Another Malaysian dish.
It was almost a 9/10 for the Curry Duck Noodles because the flavors were so on point. I would have liked a little more saltiness to get that extra .1 that would have taken it there. Maybe I'm being nit-picky, but the point of the story is that they are good. And you should order them.
The Beef Haw Fun was a taste of home, but elevated. This is one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes, except she doesn't use the amazingly marinated and tender beef that Hawkers uses. For a restaurant to make something taste even better than mom's homemade is no small feat. And as with all their other stir fried noodle dishes, the wok burn was utter perfection.
So is there anything I didn't like about this place? The table was too small to hold our dozen dishes or so. It was a constant juggling act of new dishes and empty dishes. Our server was great. He was really on top of our ever growing demands and constant need for water. (And he was a ginger, which I love, so major bonus for me.)
We ate a ton, but really only touched the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more things to try. I will definitely be back. Maybe you'll come with me.
 |
| Curry Laksa, Mee Goreng, & Char Kway Teow |
 |
| Singapore 'Chilli' Crab |
1. Roti Canai: (8.5/10) Malaysian flat bread w/ curry sauce
2. Korean Twice Fried Wings: (9.5/10) covered in garlic Gochujang sauce, peanuts, sesame, & cilantro
3. Steamed Bao: (8.9/10) pork Belly & roast duck
4. Chicka-Rones: (8.5/10) Filipino-style crispy chicken skins tossed in jerk seasoning
5. Singapore 'Chilli' Crab: (8/10) soft-shelled crab in house made chili garlic sauce, served w/ a fried bao
6. Curry Laksa: (9.5/10) coconut curry stew w/ shrimp, chicken, fried tofu, wheat noodles, bean sprouts, yow choy, fried shallots, & hard boiled egg
7. Mee Goreng: (9/10) egg noodles, tofu, shrimp, eggs, spring onions, napa, bean sprouts, onions, carrots, potatoes, roasted peanuts, lime
8. Yaki Udon: (8/10) udon noodles, chicken, eggs, onions, bean sprouts, spring onions, carrots
9. Pad Thai: (8/10) rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, eggs, bean sprouts, carrots, spring onions, red chili pepper, roasted peanuts, lime
10: Beef Haw Fun: (9.5/10) wide rice noodles, sliced steak, spring onions, bean sprouts, onions, soy sauce
11. Chee Cheng's Char Kway Teow: (8.3/10) rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, eggs, spring onions, bean sprouts
12. Curry Duck Noodles: (8.9/10) egg noodles, onions, spring onions, carrots, bean sprouts, signature curry
I will not bore you with all the details of absolutely everything we ate, but I will describe the items I rated 8.5 or higher. There was nothing we had that was not good, but these items in particular I highly recommend ordering.
AWE-INSPIRING APPETIZERS:
The Roti Canai was that perfect combination of soft, yet crisp, and the curry dipping sauce was a crowd favorite. A delightful alternative to bread and butter. Be sure to get multiple orders of it.
The Chicka-Rones were an Asian take on Chicharrones (obviously), so if you like fried rinds and you like chicken, you will love these. They were served with a spicy green dipping sauce for a little kick.
The Steamed Bao were not anything new tasting, but both still delicious. The roast duck ones seemed to be a bit more popular with the table.
 |
| Chicka-Rones & Steamed Bao |
NOTEWORTHY NOODLES:
Savory, curry-y, coconutty, tangy, lemongrassy, the Malaysian Curry Laksa was the perfect comfort food if you're in the mood for soup to warm the tummy and tickle the tastebuds. It was a treasure trove of amazing ingredients you will not find in any American soups.
The Mee Goreng was a sweet AND savory AND tangy stir fried noodle, also chock full of fresh ingredients, and finished with that beautiful wok burn flavor. Another Malaysian dish.
It was almost a 9/10 for the Curry Duck Noodles because the flavors were so on point. I would have liked a little more saltiness to get that extra .1 that would have taken it there. Maybe I'm being nit-picky, but the point of the story is that they are good. And you should order them.
The Beef Haw Fun was a taste of home, but elevated. This is one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes, except she doesn't use the amazingly marinated and tender beef that Hawkers uses. For a restaurant to make something taste even better than mom's homemade is no small feat. And as with all their other stir fried noodle dishes, the wok burn was utter perfection.
 |
| Beef Haw Fun & Vietnamese Coffee |
We ate a ton, but really only touched the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more things to try. I will definitely be back. Maybe you'll come with me.
Comments
Post a Comment