Hawkers should not have to charge rock-bottom prices all the time

Prices are rising across the board, but hawkers still offer some of the best value for money meals out there.

Karen Tee

Updated

The Great Budget Meal Hunt in Singapore is well under way.

Launched officially on Jan 16, the initiative encourages people to crowdsource for hawker meals that cost $3.50 or less, with their recommendations listed on the BudgetMealGoWhere website.

This is without doubt a well-meaning initiative, and timely too, with the rising cost of living affecting many. But the move has also raised more than a few eyebrows. After all, with rapidly rising food prices and the hike in the goods and services tax from January, it seems unfair to expect hawkers to continue charging rock-bottom prices.

As a netizen on Facebook noted in response to the Great Budget Meal Hunt news: “Utilities like water, gas, and electricity charges are going up as well as the cost of ingredients, but we expect our hawkers to bite the bullet to sell cooked food cheaply to us at $3.50 or less?”

Indeed, as anyone who has gone grocery shopping will attest, it is a tall order to cook at home a reasonably nutritious meal at such a low cost.

So instead of this race to the bottom by singling out the hawkers offering the cheapest food, perhaps it might be time to acknowledge that many of them have been undercharging customers for way too long.

Like it or not, hawker prices are going up

Realistically, there is no escaping the inevitable increase in cooked food prices. It used to be common to find hawkers charging $3 to $4 for a plate of food, but over the past two years prices are estimated to have risen over 12 per cent, according to a Bloomberg report in September 2023.

During a recent lunch break at the Bukit Merah Central Food Centre, I noticed that many hawker stalls had stickers on their signboards indicating that prices had gone up, with a plate of cooked food now ranging from about $4.50 to $6.

I would be lying if I said I did not feel the pinch, more so since I am accustomed to ordering extra ingredients or upsizing my meal.

But I consider myself lucky because it is still affordable. That extra dollar is a small price to pay for my fix of comfort food. And, judging by the long queues during lunchtime at the various stalls, it appears that many others are also not put off by the price increases either, perhaps confirming that the price hikes have been a long time coming.

Budget options still needed

That said, it is necessary to be mindful of a significant sector of society, including retirees and low-income households, for whom every cent counts. For them, low-price hawker food is essential to get by. After all, this is the very ethos of hawker culture – food accessible to all.

Rent is one big factor in business cost. Unlike other businesses in the food and beverage sector, hawkers have been given some breathing space by the Government, which has moderated rents for hawkers. For instance, from 2018 to 2023, 97 per cent of the 374 coffee shops let out by the HDB have not had their rents increased.

So it makes sense that there are still some affordable options in kopitiams for those in need. Furthermore, since May 2023, the Government has made it mandatory for all HDB rental coffee shops to offer budget meal options upon renewal of their tenancy. By 2026, all HDB rental coffee shops will have to do likewise.

But one must understand that at the end of the day, the law of economics must come into play even for hawkers who have to take into account the rising cost of doing business.

This means customers must be prepared for smaller portions or less premium ingredients to keep prices in check. For instance, at Bukit Merah Food Centre, I spotted a chicken rice stall offering a plate for $3.50 and ordered it out of curiosity. While the meal – from the fragrant rice to the tasty broth, piquant chilli and perfectly roasted meat – was tasty, there was a catch. The chicken was sliced very thinly.

I am considering submitting this dish to the Great Budget Meal Hunt, but honestly, the next time I would rather order the $5 chicken drumstick meal at the hawker centre.

Increased prices are still not unreasonable

One cannot deny that, despite the price hikes, hawker food still remains the most affordable dining option in Singapore. (In comparison, an order of coffee at Starbucks will set you back by about $8.) So it would seem penny-pinching for those who can afford it to begrudge hawkers who have little choice but to charge a little more amid an environment of rising costs for all.

This is especially true if we are serious about preserving our prized Unesco-recognised hawker culture. With Singapore’s rapidly ageing population, there is already concern about fewer young people willing to come forward to take over what notoriously is a back-breaking job, more so when high-paying and comfortable office jobs abound.

But if customers are willing to pay more, perhaps more young, passionate and enterprising food aficionados will find it worthwhile to join the hawker ranks, innovating and modernising to keep the trade alive.

Incidentally, one of my favourite stalls run by young hawkers also happens to be in Bukit Merah. No. 25 Minced Meat Noodle recently reopened following a six-week renovation at the coffee shop where the stall is located.

I know the stall owner went through multiple rounds of research and development to perfect his take on its signature noodles. His soup is a rich tonkotsu ramen-inspired pork bone broth enhanced with chicken feet and other collagen-rich ingredients. He also prepares all the ingredients from scratch, down to the crispy slices of premium tee poh sole fish used as a garnish.

The No. 25 Minced Meat Noodle dish from one of the writer’s favourite stalls run by young hawkers. PHOTO: KAREN TEE

His dish comprises dry noodles and a separate bowl of what is to me the best bak chor mee soup I have ever tasted. The price for a bowl of noodles and soup is $9, a dollar more than before.

Though that is a little steep, even by today’s standards for a hawker meal, I still don’t mind paying the premium and have continued to patronise his stall.

After all, for me, the bowl of “fancy” bak chor mee is as worthy as any meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Now that is a budget meal I can get behind.