The afternoon crowd at Hui Sing Open Air Hawker Centre knows exactly where to go when that craving for something crispy and savoury hits.
Stall No.5 is Chin Khoon, and the star of the show is popcorn chicken — bite-sized, seasoned to perfection, and served with a pile of local purple rice and crunchy potato chips.
Behind the stall are Augustin Then, 58, and his wife Yeo Siok Kheng. Their family's story in Kuching's hawker scene goes back further than most people realise. Between the 1970s and 1990s, they operated at the now-defunct Palm Road Hawker Centre, starting with beverages and later switching to satay as the area grew busier.
In 1993, the family relocated to Hui Sing. Then took over from his parents and initially ran a fast-food operation catering to nearby college students. But rising ingredient costs and the demanding pace of fast food led him to make a bold move: he simplified the menu and focused entirely on popcorn chicken.
"After my parents retired, we found fast food too labour-intensive. So we started selling popcorn chicken, and have been doing it ever since," Then explains.
The pivot defined the stall. The popcorn chicken — crispy on the outside, juicy within — is served with local purple rice and potato chips, a combination that regulars have stuck with for years. The menu stays intentionally short: two additional chicken rice options and a four-hour window from 3pm to 7pm daily, or until the chicken runs out.
"Our hawker community here is very close-knit and supportive. Since 1993, our bonds have only grown stronger, and we also guide younger hawkers," Then shares.
How to visit
Chin Khoon is at Stall No.5, Hui Sing Open Air Hawker Centre, Kuching. Open in Google Maps. Open daily 3pm–7pm, closed Saturdays. Come early — the popcorn chicken often sells out before closing. The hawker centre has plenty of other stalls worth trying too, including satay and tomato noodles.
