Urban Hawker, Kf Seetoh’s passion project that brought Singapore’s hawker cuisine to New York, has been in the news lately not just for its good reviews and long queues, but because some have been shocked at the prices of the food offered at the Times Square eatery.
Netizens have expressed surprise that chicken rice at Hainan Jones costs over US$16 (S$23), while in Singapore it can cost as little as S$4 or even less.
Mr Kf Seetoh, the founder of Makansutra, said in a Monday (Oct 17) Facebook post that the latter price is what people should be talking about, not the former.
“The news is not that nasi lemak, chicken rice or cha hae mee is U$D16 to 18, in Mid Town New York. The frontpage news is that it’s $4 in Singapore, one of the richest, most developed and most expensive city in the world..(think million dollar 99yr HDB public leasehold flats and 110k COE).”
“Hawker food business in Sg is not sustainable, don’t kid yurself,” the food guru, a longtime proponent of the hawker trade, added.
Mr Kf Seetoh also took aim at those who compared prices between Manhattan and Bukit Merah “as if it’s a Jupiter landing by Elon Musk,” saying they should “have that thought checked.”
Kf Seetoh also said that we “should be proud and happy” for the Urban Hawker hawkers who uprooted themselves and braved a completely new market with its laws, regulations, licenses and culture “half a planet away,” while “carrying our food flag and seeking greener pastures to do business.”
“You are merely jealous of them,” he wrote, adding, “Just because your salary had been stuck for too long doesn’t mean the hawkers, who dug deep into their pockets, work their bottoms off, took the risk and offered our fare to Manhattan at fair Manhattan prices (a salad with grilled chicken next to them goes for U$D17), doesn’t mean they have to be in a rut like you.”
Kf Seetoh also had more choice for critics who have been “well paid to pen those musings,” saying that they “should be ashamed of yourselves” for failing to support their countrymen or “small business folks looking for better opportunities around the world,” perhaps in reference to the Filipino, Indonesian, and Malaysian stalls also featured at Urban Hawker.
“Just wait till you achieve some form of hard work success….then meet haters like yourselves on and offline.
Best you go enjoy your $4 meals in Singapore before the industry realizes something is wrong and eveyone shuns the trade,” the food guru added. /TISG
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