Anthony Bourdain's New Food Hall Will Be Part Hawker Center, Part Farmers' Market

Little by little, the plans for what is sure to be one of Anthony Bourdain's most impressive food projects, his upcoming international food hall in New York, are being revealed. At the recent World Street Food Congress in Singapore, Bourdain's business partner, Stephen Werther, spoke about the floor plan designs of the giant food center. The Bourdain Market, set to open later this year, will feature authentic street food and casual cuisine from around the globe.

According to Today Online, a Singaporean publication printed in English, Werther presented a "crazy-looking" floor plan, which divides the food hall into two sections: a farmers' market and an authentic hawker center. Hawker centers are not common in America, but in Singapore they are a way of life: semi-enclosed buildings house dozens of stalls with prepared-to-order foods, where proprietors hawk their wares.

Bourdain is also big on authenticity at this market, says Werther. "If someone comes into the Bourdain Market and has chicken rice, and they're from Singapore, they better say: 'That's as good as any chicken rice I've had at home.' That is the very high standard by which Tony, myself, and KF Seetoh [an expert on Singaporean cuisine and a partner in the project] will attempt to execute."

Although no vendors have been revealed as of yet, the atmosphere will be crowded, chaotic, and, yes, there will be quite a bit of waiting in line. Other features of the food hall will include a 1,500 square-foot oyster bar, specialized butchers, a bakery, a tapas bar, a pastry shop, and a tea shop, according to Today Online.