The secret supper club has now become a restaurant.
Dubai has become synonymous with supper clubs, whether it’s the bombastic burgers at Tano’s at 8 or the Nicaraguan charms of Girl & the Goose. Yet it was the runaway success of Kinoya, a supper club that successfully transitioned to a restaurant with locations in Dubai and London’s Harrods, that really got tongues wagging.
Now it’s the turn of the eponymous Hawkerboi, the secret chef known for their South East Asian cuisine. The new Hawkeboi restaurant can be found in The Park JLT above the all-day café Splendour Fields, where you’ll find plenty of parking out front. The restaurant boasts a modern aesthetic reminiscent of a hawker-style food hall in Singapore, and bathed in red neon lighting, Hawkerboi makes quite the impression. The venue features large windows providing views over the park and a terrace perfect for socialising during Dubai’s cooler months. The open kitchen is the beating heart of this restaurant, where staff wear bucket hats and masks to retain the secret identity of the mysterious Hawkerboi.
The one-page menu offers a range of Souther East Asian dishes, from the spicy Cereal Fried Chicken Wings slathered with a crumbly cereal coating to the flavoursome Duck Gyoza and delightful Chicken and Truffle Dim Sum. For a dish that delivers a punch to the palate, try the Thai Beef Salad, which offers an authentic Thai speciality complete with the expected heat.
Hawkerboi’s main courses include the fantastic Charcoal Short Ribs. A dish so tender that the meat slides off the bone at the mere touch of a fork. Expect plenty of flavour from the ribs served with grilled paratha and spiced tamarind. The Peking Duck proves to be a popular choice amongst our fellow diners. Ideal for sharing, the duck (available in half or whole portions) is sliced into thick chunks and works well when accompanied with Hawkerboi’s Egg Fried Rice.
We’d recommend the Hawkerboi Mango Sticky Rice, served alongside fried paratha for dessert. While the BBQ Pineapple, Lemongrass, Lime and Mango Sorbet offer a refreshing palate cleanser to complete the night.
Throughout our meal at Hawkeboi, we found the staff knowledgeable and attentive. The venue may still be awaiting its alcohol license, but for now, the mocktails more than suffice.
For a dining experience that dares to be different, Hawkerboi ticks many boxes. Those who never made it to one of the chefs’ secret supper clubs can enjoy the special supper club menu that is offered for tables of eight guests and more.
DSCVR: Hawkerboi, The Park, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai. @hawker.boi
