SINGAPORE: Ng Khai Choon pays a very small rental fee for his food stall in Chinatown, operates it only for two hours on Saturdays and Sundays, and, most importantly, loves what he is doing.
Mr Ng won the tender in September 2023 last year and has been running the stall since January early this year.
Mr Ng’s story, carried on Monday (Dec 9) by AsiaOne and The New Paper, is indeed an unusual one for a hawker in Singapore, many of whom are struggling with high rental rates, increased food prices, manpower challenges, and other issues.
Serving up some of the most delicious food in the world at reasonable prices, which Singaporeans have come to expect, is something that many in the trade are having to grapple with, which food guru and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh often highlights.
Additionally, Mr Ng is not your run-of-the-mill hawker, as he has another stall at Hong Lim Food Centre that operates more frequently and pays a higher rental rate.
Nevertheless, at a time when hawker stall bids have reached almost $7,000 at Dunman Food Centre and $10,000 at Marine Parade, it is no wonder that the $1 Mr Ng pays at Kook@Chinatown has had people cheering.
It is not only the rental rate and operating hours that the hawker has pared down. The stall has only four entrées: aloo gobi chapati, lentil soup, mixed salad, and mutton ribs soup.
The reviews of the dishes at Kook@Chinatown have been nothing short of stellar, with diners especially praising the mutton ribs soup as “amazing” with “meat falling off the bones” and “packed with flavour.”
One also applauded how clean the kitchen is, and others pointed out how Mr Ng was so “friendly” and “funny.” On Instagram, a netizen wrote:
“Again, I am back at kook.chinatown for the best Indian styled Soup Kambing in Singapore, and I will say again that a former RI boy cooks it! Fall off the bone tender, and the soup flows with perfect flavours! I also like that the spice level can be increased on request! Buuurp!”
Mr Ng told AsiaOne that if he had help operating his stall, he would keep it open for more hours.
Despite putting up a “Help Wanted” sign for 10 months, he could not find a Singaporean or a permanent resident, the only ones who could work for him at his stall.
But he appears to have no regrets, telling AsiaOne, “Most importantly, I enjoy the job.”
Many netizens commenting on the story congratulated Mr Ng for making his unusual situation work for him. “He’s showing us how to make a Fortune!!” one wrote, adding, “He’s done all the calculations … Still turns a tidy profit!” /TISG
Read also: Dunman Food Centre hawker stall bid reaches almost $7,000