Hawkers Asian Street Food is open in Deep Ellum

A little over 30 years ago, Vanilla Ice filmed his music video for “Ice Ice Baby” on Main Street in Deep Ellum. This building just reopened as the new Dallas restaurant, Hawkers Asian Street Food, on November 3, 2021.

Hawkers sells Asian street foods like (from bottom left) Bulgogi Beef Street Skewer, Pork Belly Bao, and Pad Thai. Also pictured is a sakeberry cocktail.(Ben Torres / special article)

Is it coincidence That a hip-hop song about Florida was filmed in Dallas and then some Floridians opened a restaurant right there in Dallas? Yes, it is absolutely coincidental. But just for fun, Hawkers CEO and co-founder Kaleb Harrell paid tribute to the Dallas hip-hop artist in one of the bathrooms.

The room was transformed into an energetic restaurant with neon lights and loud wallpaper.

The name Hawkers refers to a word used to describe street vendors selling groceries. The menu at Hawkers presents the four co-founders’ favorite dishes from their trips to Asia. Two families of the co-founders still live there, in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Dinner should start with roti canai or Malaysian flatbread with curry sauce. The plain dish is one of the most popular orders from diners at Hawkers’ 11 other restaurants. And it’s delicious.

Hawkers Asian Street Food sells two types of bao (steamed buns): pork belly (pictured here) and hot chicken.(Ben Torres / special article)

I enjoyed the cozy curry Laksa Ramen, a coconut curry soup with noodles and fried tofu. It’s one of Harrell’s favorite dishes, alongside the chicken dumplings made from Aunt Yi-Yi’s recipe.

Diners Madeline Haddad (center) and Alex Kalberer sit with Chris Dalton (right) and Elizabeth Eorgan (far right) for dinner in the new Deep Ellum restaurant Hawkers Asian Street Food. The restaurant opened on November 3, 2021.(Ben Torres / special article)

Other interesting products include Pork Belly Bao, Sichuan Wantons, Korean Double Fried Wings with Garlic Gochujang, Green Papaya Salad, and Kimchi Fried Rice. Harrell says the company is committed to authenticity, but given the restaurant’s vast geographic reach, a dish can’t represent every country that makes it.

“I would say street food in Asia is very similar to barbecue in the States. Different regions represent it a little differently, “he said in an interview in May 2021.” People are very passionate about representing the dish in their region. “

The restaurant opens onto a lawned courtyard that is partially walled and offers diners a view of the busy streets of Deep Ellum. It looks like a great vantage point to sip a cocktail, maybe the margari thai or the Malaysian mule. I can vouch for That’s My Bag, Baby. It comes in a bag with a straw, like a grown-up Capri sun, but it’s not crazy cute as you might think. That’s My Bag has rum, lemongrass syrup, lime, mint and lemonade, and it’s totally my bag.

Hawkers Asian Street Food is located at 2800 Main St., Dallas. It opened on November 3, 2021. For now only dinner; Brunch comes later. Closed on sunday and monday.

For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter @sblaskovich.

The Hawker’s outdoor deck offers views of Deep Ellum.(Ben Torres / special article)

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