Inspired by Anthony Bourdain, ‘Guru of Grub’ KF Seetoh launches Singapore-style food hawker centre in New York

Idea for the food hall was born when ‘Guru of Grub’, KF Seetoh, met late US celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in 2013 in Singapore at a street food event

Urban Hawker, in midtown Manhattan, features 17 vendors hand-picked by Seetoh, with 11 coming directly from hawker centres in Singapore

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People queue at Urban Hawker, a Singapore-style hawker market, as it opens in Midtown Manhattan, in New York on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:45am, 29 Sep 2022Updated: 10:19am, 29 Sep 2022

A Singapore-style hawker centre has opened in New York for the first time, bringing flavours from the Southeast Asian island’s mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other cultures to an American food court.

Urban Hawker, in midtown Manhattan, features 17 vendors hand-picked by the food hall’s curator, KF Seetoh, with 11 coming directly from hawker centres in Singapore. Each stall specialises in a well-known dish such as chilli crab, oyster omelettes, Hainanese chicken rice or nasi lemak, a fragrant rice dish.

“I came across Singaporeans who had been living in the United States in New York for like 20, 30, 35 years, and they still miss Singapore food,” said Seetoh.

Food is displayed at Urban Hawker, a Singapore-style hawker market, as it opens in Midtown Manhattan in New York on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

“Street food in Singapore is not something you burn or deep-fry. It’s fairly complex. They take six hours just to prepare a meal to get it ready at 10am or 11am.”

The idea for the food hall was born when Seetoh met late US celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in 2013 in Singapore at a street food event. Bourdain was enthusiastic about the idea of a New York hawker market.

Seetoh, who has been dubbed the “Guru of Grub” by CNN, later approached Eldon Scott, president of Urbanspace, a property manager who curates immersive public markets, who quickly agreed.

“The amazing thing about him saying yes was that he’s never been to Singapore,” Seetoh said.