Page 100 - Our Hawker Stories

How does food unite so many people of different walks
of life? How does an array of stalls fit under one roof? It
is just fascinating! Let’s dive in to learn more about these
amazing hawker centres!

Hawker centres dot our nation. Truth be told, hawker
centres are the heartbeat of any neighbourhood. They
are my go-to places any day, any time.

It is just amazing that hawkers have such a photographic
memory! I recall one of my experiences after I ordered
my meal at Kovan Hawker Centre. I went back to my seat
without a buzzer. The hawker came straight up to me
and served me my dinner. I was pleasantly surprised as I
chose a seat right in the corner, furthest away from the
stall I ordered from. rushed over. The longest queue in the hawker centre is
undoubtedly a sign of delicious, popular, and good food.
For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ve got yourself
covered for all three meals at Hawker Centres! Hawker culture in Singapore has been awarded UNESCO
Cultural Heritage. The hawkers are surely doing their
Hawker must be on their feet, especially around best to win it again.
lunchtime, to be efficient.
The way to the heart is through the stomach. I
Singaporeans love their food. They will never understand this phrase now. The reason is that if you
compromise on their food. Hawker culture is definitely want to become friends with someone, first treat them
part and parcel of our daily lives! to a meal at the hawker centre, and you will definitely
become good friends with them afterwards.
The hawkers have such a generous hand. I remember
once I told the hawker from Fernvale Hawker Centre to
remove one topping from my order, and she ended up “Whether it’s a mountain of nasi lemak or
piling the plate with all the other toppings. It was like a a simple smile from a hawker, every meal
tall mountain of Nasi Lemak sitting in front of me.
shared at a hawker centre brings hearts —
Those delicious recipes get passed down from and people — closer together.”
one generation to the next. Hawkers are really the
torchbearers of their tradition and cooking style. Tan Ying Xi, Melerie
P6.2
Every time I head to Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, North Spring Primary School
I get lost in the variety of food. However, I looked
around and saw the longest queue, and I immediately

96 Our Hawker Stories