Page 122 - Our Hawker Stories

Last weekend, I had a special adventure. My grandmother
took me to Bedok Hawker Centre instead of our usual
hawker centre at Our Tampines Hub. I was excited
because I had never been there in my life! It felt like
going on a short adventure!

When we reached Bedok Hawker Centre, there were
many people, and it sounded like a wet market! There
were a lot of stalls selling Singaporean food. I could smell
nasi lemak, chicken rice, prata, and scrumptious grilled
satay.

My grandparents said we had to try the memorable
and viral char kway teow. While waiting for our food, I
decided to interview the hawker who was cooking the
dish. The hawker’s name was Uncle Muthu. He looked
swamped but smiled when I asked if I could interview
him. He said he had been cooking char kway teow for
over 20 years!
“Uncle Muthu’s char kway teow wasn’t just
He started helping his father when he was a teenager. He delicious — it was a taste of family, tradition,
told me that just cooking the noodles takes practice and and the dedication that keeps our hawker
speed because everything must be completed quickly in spirit alive.”
a hot wok. I asked him if he enjoyed his job. He nodded
and said he liked seeing people happy when they ate his
food. He also noted that despite hard work, he is proud Narnia Amani Binte Muhammad Naharfazlie
to continue his family’s business. After the interview, I P5.2
ate the char kway teow. It was delicious and the aroma North Spring Primary School
was irresistibly inviting, and the spiciness was perfectly
balanced. I now truly understand why so many people
love it.

I learned a lot from this adventure. It showed me how
much effort hawkers like Uncle Muthu put into their
food. I also felt proud that Singapore has such special
food places. Bedok Hawker Centre is not just a place to
eat, but also full of hardworking people.

118 Our Hawker Stories