American healthcare worker Mauricio Mariscal was partial to White Restaurant’s original white bee hoon, which was his top choice among the many items he shared with his dining partner. “As someone who’s not very familiar with Singaporean food, I wasn’t sure what to choose, but (the white bee hoon) was absolutely delicious.”
He also lauded the variety of dishes available at Urban Hawker, saying that “every dish is more surprising than the last”. Seet also praised the white bee hoon, saying that the portions were “generous, with American-sized prawns”.
“I’LL TRY IT ONCE THE HYPE DIES DOWN”
This isn’t to say that Urban Hawker doesn’t have its fair share of sceptics. While visitors to the venue were full of praise, there were some who hesitated to make the trip down, such as Amanda Lim and Deborah Yan, Singaporeans who have lived for more than a decade in the US.
“We’ve tried many other so-called Singaporean and Malaysian food places here in the city before, but none taste really authentic. Every new place that’s supposed to ‘taste really similar to real Singaporean food’ has been a letdown, so I haven’t let myself get too excited about this,” said Lim.
“Plus, US$17 for a bowl of noodles is too big of a risk in case it isn’t good. Again. Maybe I’ll try it once the hype and wait time dies down and if other SG friends here in NYC can vouch for it.”