Street food succession worries
6,000 stalls in the country provide multiethnic meals that cost as little as $2
Singapore’s beloved hawker industry faces an uncertain future with a wave of chef retirements imminent, raising questions about who will cook the city state’s signature street-food delights.
There are more than 100 hawker centers and 6,000 stalls in Singapore, run mainly by aging chefs, with people from all sections of society attracted to the tasty multiethnic meals that cost as little as $2.
But the tough working conditions in the small, basic kitchens and low profits have led many new chefs to look to larger, modern restaurants for bigger revenues.
Some experienced street food sellers in Singapore believe the younger generation don’t have what it takes to succeed in the trade.
Alex See, 66, runs a Fried Hokkien Mee (fried noodles) stall in East Coast with his 33-year-old daughter.
“Young people come and go, they are not serious about learning,” he said.
“When I was helping my father at the age of 16, I asked him so many questions everyday to learn so that I can one day beat him at it. I do not think I have beaten my old man yet, it’s a tie.”
Sumosundram Moghan, 50, makes roti prata, a fried pancake, at his stall but his staff, despite extensive training, still struggle to replicate his standards.
“The boss must do it — everyone can make the same dough but the way I flip my prata gives it the crispy standard,” he said.
“My assistant has been learning for eight years, but still not doing the way I want it.”
Lim Swee Heng, 56, has spent many years trying to perfect his spicy laksa noodle soup at his East Coast stall, Roxy Laksa.
“It takes years to get the right balance to the broth, to make it thick just add coconut, to make it watery just add water, but to go in-between, to get the right balance — that’s the hard work of my dish.”
Last month, two Singapore hawkers became the first street food sellers in the world to be awarded a prestigious Michelin star. For one of them at least, success does not mean raising prices.
Chan Hong Meng, 51, was awarded a Michelin star for his soya sauce chicken at Chinatown food center stall.
“The Michelin star came to me as a surprise, I never expected that hawker food would win such an award,” he said.
“But with the Michelin star comes added responsibility, to maintain the standard of the dish and to keep the star ... but I will not raise prices, at the end, it's the customer that matters.”
Some young hawkers are emerging, though. Keen to keep family traditions alive.
Stan Lim, 43, runs Balestier Road Hoover Rojak. Rojak is a traditional Malay mixed fruit and vegetable salad.
Lim gave up a sales job to take over the stall from his father and does his best to repeat the methods learned.
“Many of hawkers here at this food center told me to find something better outside and not be a hawker because its very hard work, long hours and very little rest,” he said.
“But I took over from my father three years ago because he was getting old. I do everything exactly the way he did, including how I arrange my utensils.”