If Michelin stars light up your life, ticking off an acclaimed meal can be done from the comfort of your very own city.

Known as the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred eatery, Singaporean food stall Hawker Chan opened in Melbourne in December, giving us a taste of the barbecue dishes – namely its signature soy chicken and rice – that impressed the critics.

It’s the first Aussie spin-off of the original, which opened in 2009 and earned chef Chan Hong Meng that first coveted star in 2016. This 92-seater has been built for function not fashion, with plastic plants breaking up the neutral decor, no table service and a line that often snakes out the door.

Should you come? Do. That chicken and rice is a budget-busting $6.80, and it’s decent. The locally sourced chook is chopped to order, crisp skinned and succulent having been basted in a ‘secret’ sweet soy marinade that’s made by Chan in a blacked-out room in Singapore and dispatched to his outposts in Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and now Oz.

Even better was the roast pork and char siu (Cantonese barbecue pork), which comes with either rice or noodles. The protein was quality meat and tender; the roast shielded by a satisfying layer of crisp crackle.

Side dishes of wonton soup, bean sprouts, vegies and Thai-style tofu – the latter gloriously deep fried, drenched in sweet chilli sauce and topped with peanuts and matchsticks of apple – round out the offering.

You’ll order, watch a screen for your number as if you’re playing bingo, collect your tray and find a seat.

With 1000-plus diners through the doors each day, it can get loud and bustling, but service is swift, and while portions aren’t huge, nor are the prices, so order up. This is no-frills thrills, and you’d be hard pressed to find a cheaper brag than eating here.