Hawkers Asian Street Fare Expands Into Charlotte

HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FARE, has opened its first restaurant outside of their Florida home at the recently revamped Design Center of the Carolinas, 1930 Camden Rd, in Charlotte’s ever-expanding South End. Opening coincided with Chinese New Year, Year of the Pig or as tradition states, “a joyous celebration” year.

The restaurant’s name is inspired by street food vendors that the four co-founders, Kaleb Harrell, Allen Lo, Wayne Yung and Kin Ho, encountered while in Asia. These vendors are famous for hollering at passersby to hawk their small plates traditionally cooked using locally grown ingredients. Hawkers Asian Street Fare is a from-scratch only kitchen that serves small plates as they are ready-matched with a craft cocktail, local beer, wine and sake list.

“We are on a mission to disrupt the restaurant industry in a creative and fun way, while essentially redefining what it means to ‘eat Asian’ in America,” said Kaleb Harrell, Co-founder & CEO of Hawkers Asian Street Fare. “Everything we do is focused on the guest experience – authentic cuisine, a specially curated beverage program, a high-energy atmosphere and top-notch service. We want to take guests on a culinary adventure that makes them feel like their palate has just taken a trip through Asia.”

Dishes are seasonal with a few mainstays such as Roti Canai (Row-Tee Can-Eye), a flaky Asian flatbread paired with Hawkers’ signature curry sauce, an award-winning Pad Thai, and other popular pleasers such as Yi Yi’s Chicken Dumplings and Miso Pork Belly Ramen. Signature favorites include Lettuce Wraps, Canton Cod, and Po Po Lo’s Curry (a vegetable and protein curry dish) that uses a family recipe passed down from Chef/Owner Allen Lo.

Additional notables include; Sichuan Wontons, Street Skewers, Crispy Tofu Bites, Kimchi Fried Rice, and Steamed Baos. The menu caters to various palates with vegetarian-friendly dishes, gluten-free, and a variety of pescatarian offerings.

Inside the doors, Charlotte is Hawkers’ largest venue to date at 5,145 square feet. The Hawkers interior design team, led by d3 Studio, installed some first-time features for the group such as a cozy lounge area featuring custom-painted, antique bird-cages and an authentic vintage Asian bamboo bicycle alongside the large, 44-seat bar. Both the lounge and bar have open access walls, so guests can enjoy the fresh Charlotte air and order from outside on the 25-seat patio.

Another first, a 17-foot tall, poster wall crafted with more than 1,000, hand-designed posters that are hung vertically climbing up the wall from smallest to largest as done in Asian cities. The posters feature a mix of traditional and contemporary, Asian-style art and advertising. Take a close look and you will find several nods to the Queen City and the four co-founders.

Overall, the strong, material elements were drawn from authentic hawker stalls including raw, industrial materials such as metal, wood, and concrete. The dining tables are a combination of high-tops in the bar area and communal as well as individual, each inlaid with Asian newspapers to resemble the way street food is often served, wrapped in newspaper.