A Glimpse Into the Future of Hawker Centers
As we all know, hawker centers are part of our culture. Every time you walk into a hawker center, you are greeted with the amazing aroma of the different dishes that have been around for the longest time ever. These dishes have cemented Singapore’s taste in the culinary world.
Proprietors are Getting Old
The problem with hawker centers is that the people behind the pot are usually getting older and sadly, the next generation has not yet found the interested to put up and run new hawker stalls. For the younger generation, it just doesn’t seem all that appealing. This has been a struggle for quite a while now and Singapore itself is trying to find ways to make sure that the hawker industry stays alive. One idea was to set up certain “schools” where people could learn how to cook and master the different hawker meals we all know and love.
Sinn Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice
Although “training” young people to be lead the new hawker centers is a great idea, it hasn’t found a big following yet.. Luckily for us, there are people like 25-year-old Derwin Chan who has just set up his own hawker stand called Sinn Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice located at Thompson Road (open from 11AM to 9:30PM). There are only a few young people who have put their heart and soul into the hawker business just like Derwin. The thing about hawkers is the struggle for authenticity despite the innovations that make everything easier.
Old Dishes, New Ways of Cooking
Derwin has an unorthodox method of cooking his chicken, he uses a metal pipe that is inserted from the bottom of the chicken and can be hooked from the top of the chicken. Now this is something truly amazing because not only does it make it easier for the chicken to cook, the heat from the metal pipe allows it to be evenly cooked on the inside! Derwin also experiments with the rice itself as he tries to add no MSG which although makes the rice less fragrant, it makes the rice healthier!
Keeping Hawker Centers Alive
Derwin is just one of the young hawker entrepreneurs we would look out for as there are still dozens of other things we can learn from our young ones. The future of the hawker industry relies entirely on people like Derwin and if there aren’t any more passionate young people like Derwin, the hawker industry could die out in a couple of decades. Let’s hope for more youth to be interested in starting their own hawker center. Not only will this be a great way to provide them with financial stability, it is also a great way to preserve Singapore’s culture.
