HWKR: Pop-up Street Food | Asian Inspirations

The Melbourne CBD is packed with places specializing in different Asian cuisines. There are a bunch of sushi shops catering to the office lunch crowd, a multitude of restaurants in Chinatown, and Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese eats around every corner. HWKR – located off A’Beckett Street and only a hop, skip and a jump from Queen Vic Market – is a modern addition to Melbourne’s rich and diverse culinary scene.

The idea behind HWKR is simple—every three months, a new group of tenants move in and bring a whole new batch of flavours to be sampled.

The initial round includes two Masterchef alumni. 2017 winner Diana Chan is dishing up Malaysian street food at Chanteen, while 2015 contestant Reynold Poernomo is bringing his Sydney based dessert bar KOI down south.

The only permanent purveyor meets you at the front door. Manymore—café by day, bar by night – is run by HWKR’s main backer, ICD property, and will be donating profits to various charities.

HWKR’s interior – designed by Craig Tan architects and BrandWorks – gives the place a stark and modern feel. Neon lights and lanterns illuminate the space, adding a contrast to the white fluorescent light pouring out of the kitchens, while the wood panelling provides some warmth to the food hall.

HWKR’s rotating cast of cuisine creators makes it a place to check out when you’re jonesing for some fast Asian.