Geoff B.

Really great find on Chapel Street this evening. The food was amazing, the atmosphere very trendy and the service was spot on. But as with everywhere I eat it is the company tonight that made this place a hit. It was their favorite place and I can see why. The only less than perfect moment was the fried apple pie, since I lived in a apple growing region this dessert just didn't match up to what I am accustomed to.

Two S.

4.5. Twosheds has been anticipating a visit to Hawker Hall, as it came highly recommended by close friends. Expectations were high as we had dined at sister restaurant, Chin Chin, on a number of previous occasions. The high expectations were warranted. The vibe here is fantastic. Seriously expensive industrial chic fitout and great low key, old school house and pop music pumps out to a 25-32 something crowd. Make no mistake, this placed is packed every night for dinner (if you want no queue, come for lunch). The food arrives quickly. And service is fast, attentive, friendly and efficient. We dined on dumplings to start, which are fusion Asian, as is the case across menu. All the Malaysian, Chinese and pan Asian classics are brought to the fore here. The pork and chive wonton with chilli and black bean were a serious highlight, with the astringent black bean setting off the delicate fat in the pork meat. Spring rolls are delicately filled and fried with the best ingredients. The throughput of the kitchen, and quality emanating from it, is astounding given the size of the place. Small details are apparent though such as green chilli in the lovely soy. The char Kway Teow is faithful to its Malaysian roots, but has a special freshness through use of more sprouts which was quite enticing. As the food arrived, the music from the DJ spinning discs got better and better (more 80s). Next to arrive were the Malaysian-style chicken skewers. The peanut sauce is more peanut than sauce here: super stuff. I'll refrain from later dishes but suffice to say, they were as good as the earlier ones. The Twosheds gang ordered from the "wine off the tap" menu here for drinks, which is great value. We drank a Riesling/Grigio blend and a Pinot, which arrived in carafes. The wines on the drinks list proper are a bit pricey. You must give this place a try. 4.5

Jack D.

I wanted to like it. Nay. I wanted to LOVE it, but my heart just won't do it. We strolled in to Hawker Hall on a Tuesday at around 6pm and asked if we could nab a table for the more reasonable dinner hour of 7pm - the host was incredibly kind and agreeable. Wow. Considering the never-ending lines I had heard I was surprised of the ease to get in. When we were seated we immediately ordered cocktails - a Sea Breeze for me and a Pisco Sour for my other half. The Sea Breeze was a bit lacklustre (but perhaps I just need more punch to my cocktails) but the Pisco Sour, despite the curious addition of pineapple juice, was rather delicious. The very-awesome waiter who looked after us for the evening recommended we share four to five dishes. Because of the endless mentions in other Yelp reviews, we ordered: + Popcorn chicken + Char Siu Steam Bun + Grilled beef short rib and Chicken Tikka Masala (on the waiter's suggestion.) The popcorn chicken and grilled beef short rib were both terrific. The chicken was super tangy and a great snack to go with drinks while the beef short rib was cooked to perfection, breaking apart when we stuck a fork in. Unfortunately the other two dishes were a bit dull. Neither of them had flavour and, dare I say it, felt a bit like they had been reheated from the morning. They just didn't have that usual flavour explosion that you expect from sister venues Kong or Chin Chin. Look, you have to go because soon enough you'll be the only one left in Melbourne who hasn't. But if you're looking for very, very awesome Asian-fusion food, I'd suggest sticking with the classics (Cookie, Chin Chin and my personal favourite Colonel Tans.)

Briony C.

I was pretty impressed with this very new addition to Chapel St - it's a very cool space, the staff are pretty damn sweet and the food was tasty. But not mind blowing, I have to say. I can't remember how I'd heard about Hawker Hall (probably Yelp) and so when we were in the area, we decided to head here for some mid-afternoon light bites and drinks. We got a table for 3 easily on a Monday afternoon (thank god) and I've got to say, the place is really nice inside. High roof, cool signage on the walls (except for "Forever Independent" which I thought was a bit too much). The menu is pretty massive but is split into sections so it's easy to navigate. The waitress talked us through it but as we were just in for light bites we didn't really need that - we just stuck to the smaller dishes. The waitress took my menu away to mark dairy allergy items which was super helpful actually - I was more concerned with the drinks menu as there was a drink with MILO (!!!) in it which she got made for me without milk and it was awesome. (I've been living away from Melbourne for too long, obviously). We ordered: popcorn chicken, prawn & ginger dumplings, braised oxtail dumplings, roti canai with eggplant sambal. Everything arrives at its own pace and overall, the food was good. Personally I didn't like the braised oxtail dumplings but the prawn & ginger were the absolute highlight. Roti canai was pretty standard and I didn't get a chance to try the chicken as I was too stuffed from the Milo drink. Our bill came to about $70 for three of us with some beers. While I definitely wasn't disappointed about the food, I just wasn't as impressed as I was hoping to be. Maybe if we were in for a proper meal I'd change my mind.

Jod B.

Great atmosphere, live music and good food. What more could you ask for? We got the "feed me" option and made it through 3 starters, two mains and two deserts. The only thing I didn't love was the date pudding it was very sweet but dates just aren't my thing.

Matt L.

Late night bustling hawker markets in Malaysia and Singapore form the inspiration behind the latest addition from the team behind Chin Chin and Kong. Hawker Hall's very name describes it well; classic hawker market-style dishes in a large open warehouse, hall if you will, venue. The space is amass with seating, with exception to the kitchen in the rear corner and the bar running along part of one side, there is little floor space that isn't taken up by small tables or booths. Keeping with the market hall vibe, the interior design is simple with white painted brick walls, exposed timber beams and hanging light bulbs. A group of lighted shop signs hanging from one wall build on the night market atmosphere. Those that are familiar with sister venue Chin Chin, and many other Asian Fusion restaurants, will not be surprised at the mammoth food menu. The menu is divided into over a dozen groups of dishes, such as dumplings and buns, satay BBQ, noodle, rice, curries and stir fries. There is a "Feed Me" option for the indecisive which consists of a selection of random dishes from the menu, and was naturally opted for on this visit. Highlights include curried potato cakes, prawn and ginger dumplings, Northern Indian goat curry, satay pork kebabs and the "Many Treasure" layered-jelly dessert. It is hard to describe, but although the dishes were of a high quality with well-balanced flavours, it felt like there was something missing. The drinks menu is equally gigantic with an extensive cocktail, wine and beer selection. A feature point of the bar is the long row of no less than 25 beer taps. Service was excellent especially during the busy Saturday night peak with waitstaff making time to explain the components of each dish as they came out. The loud, pumping dance music from a live DJ may not be for everyone and at times can be difficult to have a conversation, this visit was on a Saturday night and week nights may be quieter. Overall, Hawker Hall is off and running to a great start to bringing that renowned Chin Chin charm to the south.

Steven V.

I absolutely loved this place. We live nearby and had been to Chin Chin before and loved it, but always hated the journey/long wait etc. A friend was visiting and insisting to try here, so we went (despite my long-hesitation due to the menu seeming quite unfamiliar). On a weeknight, we got a table at 8pm in about 15min wait. The place feels just like Chin Chin but with a more southside, rustic/hipster feel. We opted for the Feed Me ($66pp) option with sharing plates of: Curried Potato Cakes, Prawn Ginger Dumplings, Chicken w/ Peanut Sauce, Malay Shredded Chicken Salad, Chicken Tikka w Rice, Baked Salmon w Rice, Special Fried Rice, Malay Coconut Beef, Beef/Bean Stiry Fry, Green Beans, and Ice Cream. Matched with a bottle of white wine, everything was superb. We had a fantastic meal, experience, service and overall time. I would make this my go-to rather than dream about Chin Chin. Same deal for me, and right next door!

Michelle W.

I have been reading about Hawker Hall before it even opened and I have been dying to come here, needless to say I am from South East Asia so I was very excited about the dishes they will be offering here and of course being a fan of Chin chin and Kong, this is my next expedition. As you walked in, it felt like a huge hall as the name implies, music is blasting (sometimes it feels the music is a tad loud to have a proper quiet conversation but we got over that. There are so much dishes from back home that I wanted to try but since there were only 2 of us, there is only a limited dishes we can order. We were seated at the bar where we watch the bar tender makes drinks, the pink sangria looks delicious but we didn't order that as it came in a jug. We settle on the nasi goreng (fried rice), morning glory with belachan, popcorn chicken and the chilli calamari. Food wise, my thoughts were: - Nasi goreng. my question is, why is there frozen veggies here? And pea, my pet hate is peas and we dot put peas in our fried rice. The rice overall is a little too soggy. - Morning glory with belachan. This is supposed to be a bit spicy, a bit salty, but the dish overall was too sweet, but this is still my favourite vegetables in the whole world. - Popcorn chicken chicken bits, nothing special and its good. - Chilli calamari - my fav of the day. This is spicy enough, tender enough and it's very moreish. Overall, this isn't really authentic Asian food and servings aren't very big, but I have to say I really love the ambience here. Its hip but not pretentious. And there are moscato from innocent bystander (my favourite) on tap. I will definitely give this place another go! And this tim maybe have a glass or two of moscato or even the sangria. I want to give this place 4 stars!

Naish R.

My fourth visit to Hawker Hall and the best experience of the lot. The portions seemed to have got larger and Rice was included with our curries which was an added bonus. We ordered the Beef Randang which was flavourful and rich, enjoyable. We also got the Spicy Portuguese chicken curry which is spicy! Also enjoyed this though my favorite curry out of the two was the beef Randang. The Nasi Goreng was authentic and packed full of flavour. A great selection of beer on menu, I was very pleased to see a favourite of mine: Quiet Deeds Lamington Ale, so good! 4 dishes including 3 rounds of drinks came to $120, decent value and good food. Recommended to tame those South East Asian cravings.

JA S.

Love the authenticity Hawker Hall delivers with it's Singaporean-take on food in a beer hall. The first time I visited I had the Portuguese Devil Chicken Curry (very hot!) but oh so delicious. So on my visit last night I went for a mix of a few things. The dumplings here are so so good! I especially like the prawn & ginger dumplings w/ soy & black vinegar caramel - YUM! I also really enjoyed the nyonya style fried popcorn chicken with its dipping sauce, satay BBQ beef and the super fresh stir fry! Drinks here are great too! I'd recommend coming with a group of people so you can all order a couple of things and share :)

Phil K.

The newest addition to the Lucas's empire is Hawker Hall. Situated in the trendy Windsor end of Chapel Street, a hawker style eatery inspired by the streets of Singapore and Malaysia. Hawker Hall is a huge space, and the fit-out is pretty spectacular, with exceptionally high ceilings, a great looking bar along the left hand wall and Asian artefacts strategically placed throughout the room to give it that authentic look. Walked in and after a few minutes greeted by a staff member and taken to our table. We opted to sit on the counter top in front of the show kitchen, which gave us a perfect opportunity to watch the chefs work their magic. I was excited to see the menu, and it didn't disappoint. Well balanced and every dish sounded awesome. We ordered the curried potato cakes with lemon and five spice mayonnaise, Nyonya style fried pop corn chicken, Pork and Chive wontons and the Coconut Malay Beef Rendang. First to arrive was the popcorn chicken. I have mix feelings about this dish. The flavour are there and had a great dipping sauce, but the chicken was a little inconsistent. Some dry, others cooked perfectly. It felt like the chicken had been cooked then reheated. By no means was it a bad dish, just a little disappointed. Our second dish to arrive was the Curried Potato Cakes. Wow I loved these. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and full of flavour. The lemon and five spiced mayonnaise - awesome and really complemented the potato cakes. The Pork and Chive wontons arrived next. Now I've had my share of dumplings, both locally and throughout Asia, and I must say these are up there with the best. The skins, delicate and silky and the pork filling moist and full of flavour - sensational. Our final dish was the Malay Coconut Rendang. WOW WOW WOW this dish was amazing. Hands down the best Rendang I have ever eaten. The beef so tender and just packed full of flavours. It was simply perfect. The service was great, and our waiter was always on hand to help us through the menu. She made sure that each dish was to our liking and all dishes delivered in a timely manner. This is a good solid restaurant. Great food, great service and a really cool atmosphere. I can't wait to return and sample the rest of the menu.

Chantee F.

Hawker Hall will be compared to its sister restaurant, Chin Chin, and it should. The similarities are steep and that is a very good thing. Clean, open spaces and lots of dining tables with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as bar seating. I liked the use of space and decor was modern, with just the right hint of hawker style. The menu is equally as impressive as Chin Chin, a long list of entrees and mains, sides and desserts. Check out the drink list, where you are guaranteed to find something - cocktails, beer or wine. Stand out dishes were the CKT noodles (similar to Pad Thai) and the pork and chive wonton with chilli (not spicy just flavourful). The curries come with rice but the portion is a bit small for a main. However, if you are sharing all dishes and satisfied with a sampling of each, you will be fine. What could have taken this to 5 stars would be the service. While our server was friendly, she seemed too busy to recognise simple queues like when empty glasses needed to be taken and thus replaced with more drinks, or when we were done with the meal and uncertain where to pay. (Note: Unlike Chin Chin, they will take payment at the table.) If they can make their service more efficient it might save on the wait time, although we got lucky before 7pm on a week night with no queue.

Andrew T.

This is a lovely place to eat the food here was delicious we have the "feed me" banquet and the plates of food never stopped coming there was a great variety and we hinted on a couple of dishes that we wanted to try and weren't disappointed. This is a nice big place and there's lots of room. The staff were very friendly and attentive and kept us well satisfied. There was not a huge amount of hot spicy food that we got but there was some on the menu if you want a bit of kick. There is a huge amount of tap beer to try and keep u happy. Hawker hall is run by the same people that run Chin Chin and you can so the resemblance in the quality of the food. A little hard to find a park but a good walk after a big feed is always good. Would return here in a heart beat. Yummy food go and dig in and try it you won't regret it.