Evolution of Hawker Western Cuisine
Western food stalls in hawker centres are a good example of what our hawker culture is all about. They provide a platform for hawkers to take dishes that are typically served in restaurants and make them accessible to everyday diners at a more affordable price.
Over the two decades that I have been writing ieatishootipost, I have seen the hawker western food scene evolve as consumer tastes have become more sophisticated. Today, you can expect much more than just a grilled piece of meat served with crinkle-cut fries, baked beans, coleslaw and a bun. Some stalls have even gone as far as offering premium steaks cooked in specialised ovens more commonly found in upscale restaurants.
Yet despite these changes, the good old Hainanese-style Western food still holds an important place in our hawker centres. Especially so for those of us who grew up eating it. While it should continue to evolve with the times, it remains such an integral part of our hawker culture that it would be a tragedy if it failed to retain the essence of its identity.
Skirt and Dirt – modern but still in character
I think Skirt & Dirt has done a commendable job of bringing hawker Western food to the next level while still preserving its essential character.
What makes our hawker Western food unique is how past generations of Hainanese Ah Gors forged its identity by taking Western cuisine and adapting it to suit the local palate. They often incorporate ingredients like soy sauce and oyster sauce. In essence, it is a form of fusion cuisine that reflects our local heritage.
Chef-owner Fabian builds on this tradition by incorporating culinary techniques such as brining, together with the use of soy sauce and oyster sauce. This ensures that the meat remains tender and juicy after cooking.
His Granny Chicken Cutlet is a good example of this approach. The dish is named after the version his own grandmother used to cook for him when he was a child. Using ingredients commonly found in a Chinese kitchen, she created her own version of fried chicken to coax the fussy young Fabian to eat.
Fabian’s reimagined chicken cutlet is juicy on the inside, with a thin, crisp crust that sets it apart from the versions usually found at hawker Western food stalls. 4.25/5
I would have given it top marks if not for the sides, which I felt could still be improved. They already offer a selection of fresh garden salad, vegetables, mac and cheese, and potato salad. This is an upgrade from the usual coleslaw, baked beans, and fries. With a little more attention, however, these sides could easily be elevated to do justice to the quality of the meats.
Pork Chop & Chicken Chop
The sentinel dish at any hawker Western food stall is the pork chop.
While it is relatively easy to produce a decent plate of fish and chips or chicken chop, the Pork Chop is much trickier. It can easily turn dry and tough if not handled properly.
What Fabian has done is to marinate the meat in a special brine. This helps to tenderise the pork and prevent it from drying out during cooking.
He also uses a cut of pork chop that includes not just the lean loin, but also the surrounding muscles, connective tissue, fat, and the bone. All of which contribute extra flavour to the meal.
The result is a pork chop that is tender, juicy and deeply flavourful. So far, it is the best hawker-style pork chop I have come across. 4.25/5
Cheese Skirt Burger
The stall is named Skirt and Dirt because Fabian first started the business selling the Skirt Burger with Dirt Fries.
The “skirt” refers to the crisp, lacy ring of cheese that spreads beyond the edge of the patty when grated cheese is melted directly on the griddle and allowed to fry until golden and crunchy.
This idea traces its roots to the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, where the cheese skirt burger was first popularised in the 1970s. For many years it remained a local cult favourite until it gained national attention in 2007, when the Squeeze Inn was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Fabian adopted this idea and made it the centrepiece of his stall. His Skirt Burger is paired with his signature Dirt Fries. These are crispy fries topped with savoury crumbles, cheese and sauce, giving them a messy, “dirty” look that is packed with flavour.
The burger itself is good. I like that they have upgraded the bun from the usual sesame seed bun to a brioche bun, which adds a rich, buttery note to the burger.
The cheese skirt is a real highlight. After all, who doesn’t like crispy, caramelised cheese? The patties are made from beef rump, which Fabian specially asks the butcher to prepare for him. It has a nice, beefy flavour. Because the meat is salted beforehand, the texture becomes tighter.
It is more like a sausage rather than the loose, juicy texture you get with gourmet burgers where the salt is added later. It’s not quite my preferred style of burger patty, but for a sub-$10 burger, it is still a pretty decent offering.
Conclusion
I came to Skirt & Dirt in search of the best hawker-style pork chop and found not only what I was looking for, but also a crispy Granny Chicken that I would gladly return for. If only the sides were a little better, the stall would have made it into my “MUST TRY” list!
