How to dive into Singapore’s hawker culture
Professor Lily Kong, author of Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food, gives us a head start
The quickest way to learn about Singapore’s hawker culture is to go to a hawker centre and eat all that amazing food.
The second quickest is to talk to people about it.
The third is to get the second edition of Professor Lily Kong’s book – Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food – today.
The first edition came out in 2007, so a lot has happened since then. Expect to read about the following in the second, which has just been released this 26th December 2023:
• The development of hawker culture over the years
• Why it’s a Singaporean icon
• Its 2020 inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
• How it transformed and survived the pandemic
• Personal stories from hawkers
• And more.
We also see it through Professor Kong’s memories as she compares her work on the two books.
“There’s a lot more diversity to cover in the second edition, be it in terms of food, business models, business operations, or profiles of hawkers,” says the professor, who’s also the president of Singapore Management University.
“There are also more diverse opinions about what hawker food should be like, so writing the second edition entailed a fair bit more interviews and understanding myriad differences.
“However, one thing has remained constant between the two editions: the passion with which Singaporeans talk about hawker culture,” she continues.
“Field work was also enabled by the fact that, as soon as I mention the book I am working on, everyone has a story to tell or a hawker to introduce.”
It’s second to none
What other questions does the second edition of Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food, and what themes does it address, that Professor Kong loves and believes we would be amazed to know?
“The themes covered include the historical evolution of hawkers, the physical infrastructure and architectural style of hawker centres, the people who enable and enliven hawker centres, the growing array of foods, the changing business models, and the question of the future of hawker culture. I love all of them!
“Together, they tell the story of the multifaceted nature of hawker culture – social, cultural, historical, economic and architectural/infrastructural,” she explains.
“This is why ‘hawker culture’ is more apt than ‘hawker centre’.”
Quick round
Going back to the quick and quickest ways to learn about hawker culture, we ask Professor Kong for ways to appreciate and explore hawker culture better. Her insights will also help us enjoy the second edition of Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food.
What “hawker culture” means to her personally
“The mélange of people, places and food that make up a particular cultural experience – hence the subtitle of the book.”
The last hawker centre she visited, and the last hawker meal she had
“Clementi 448 Food Centre (this is at Clementi Central); pork ribs, tau huey (soya beancurd) and goreng pisang (banana fritters)!”
Her best hawker experiences
• The 30-cent soya bean drink still selling today: “He (Goh Kai Suah) still works as a hawker not because he needs the income, but for the love of his customers.” Head to Sun Kee Drinks at Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre for a taste.
• DIY hum cheem peng (Chinese donut): “Customers do their own frying; it’s a way to get around the shortage of labour.”
• “No hawking please”: “A sign spotted in a hawker centre. Love the irony!”
Her favourite things about hawker centres and hawker culture
“The sheer variety of food, and the architectural distinctiveness of some of the hawker centres, e.g. Minangkabau style in Bedok, art deco in Tiong Bahru, and seaside ambiance in East Coast.”
What she thinks will help Singaporeans and visitors uphold hawker centres and hawker culture even more
“The threat of loss! Otherwise, there can settle a certain taken-for-grantedness.”
The hawker dishes she always finds herself recommending to people who ask for her advice on what to eat
“Ghim Moh’s appam, idli and thosai. Tiong Bahru’s pau. Ayer Rajah’s satay and mee rebus.”
The proper etiquette for eating at hawker centres and observing hawker culture
“No airs. Sharing tables. Queueing for food. Casual dressing. Returning trays. And ‘choping’ seats (leaving personal items to reserve seats)!”
Find Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food, $39.90 (inclusive of GST), at leading bookstores and museums island-wide, and at STbooks.sg.
A few more notes
If a visitor asked me for recommendations, I’d probably say look for the hawker stall with the longest queues. This is proof that the food is likely to be good, and the locals will probably swear by it.
You can do this, but this won’t necessarily work if:
a) You’re already extremely hungry.
b) You don’t have time to wait.
c) You don’t like queueing up, and you don’t like being surrounded by people in a line.
d) The food isn’t really to your liking at the moment; you’re craving for something else, or something different.
e) The price may not be within your budget. (For some, a dollar more than the usual is enough to make a difference, and enough for them to change their minds or save it as a choice for later.)
You can also look up popular hawker centres, stalls and food online, and use that as a guide or a starting point.
Why not go to a hawker centre and observe first? Walk around and use your senses to decide. Experiment. Talk to the hawkers, if you can. Ask those who are in line what they’re getting, and if it’s good. I guarantee you’ll get a lot of suggestions.
It’s not just about the food (although it’s the star). Professor Kong is right; it’s about the whole experience. Who knows? You might learn something no one else knows and find a hidden gem.
Cover photo by Nauris Pūķis on Unsplash