visit mei ling hawker centre to see how good is upgrading

[leetahbar]

What do you expect at night? The Ah Peks and Ah Sohs need to sleep early you know. The cool evening breeze blowing from the swimming pool and stadium makes that part of Mei Ling a nice place to live in. When the old Margaret Drive is redeveloped, the younger crowd will sure to flock there - leaving that part of Mei Ling Street a nice place for retirement homes.

As for the courteous "fat girl", she is the daughter of the Ah Kong who works quietly behind. She is very patient and polite in spite of the long queue and speaks quite good English. Must try her curry mee next time. As for the carrot cake - it's quite ordinary. Cheap but not tasty - compared with the chicken feet noodle where you feel like emptying every little kueh tiao or strand of noodle and gravy left on the plate.

there's another chai tow kuey which is also a pioner hawker there manned by mother n son. they ve a secret fish sauce that makes their carrot cake special. this one is always a sell-out. it comes with 2 version: white or dark fried carrot cake. usually, more would order the white becos of the special fish sauce that goes with it.

price : $2.50 which is slightly smaller serving compared with the old price of $1.50/$2.

 

[leetahbar]

Agree PRC stalls appear to sell cheaper than Sporean stalls - with no loss in quality or taste.

I remember first time eating "red wine chicken mee sua" (Hong Zao Mian Xian?) from a PRC-managed stall. Best I 've ever eaten; unfortunately she had to vacate the stall because S'porean stall holder increase the rental.

u can find this red mee sua at chinatown hawker centre. yes, it's run by PRC gege not mei mei this time. another stall selling xiao long bao is very good at $5 per basket of 10pcs. usually there's a queue and the dumplings are freshly made on the spot with order.

 

[Agoraphobic]

many of the kopitiams are quite dead.

You are absolutely right in this.

Some time ago I said that the word "kopitiam" should not have been given to a food court operator because it isn't a kopitiam. A kopitiam as I know it is a place where neighbourhood cronies hangout over kopi (or beer) and while away the hours. The kopitiam today is a place where blokes go for an economical meal and then fuck off after that. It has lost its flavour. Also, self-serve doesn't lend to the flavour of a kopitiam - a kopikia or kopi ah nia provides orders taking and yells across the room the orders made. Whoever came up with this modern kopitiam concept is fuckhead, and the authorities for giving the licence to operate is also a fuckhead.

Cheers!

 

[Agoraphobic]

You are an idiot. In a REAL kopitiam, kopi is the most important thing - not the fucking food.

Kopi, snakcs like siew mai, lor mai kai, chee cheong fun are the mainstays. Night time, beer and stout. Take your chicken feet to a dim sum restautant for crying out loud. You have supported killers of long time culture and norm in Peesai.

Are you seeing a different Mei Ling Food Centre? Before upgrading the place almost looked deserted with many food stall empty. Now there is a fresh look to the place - more spacious, more stalls and lights. My favourite chicken feet noodles stall always got long queue - but tolerable because the auntie and Ah Kong dishing out the noodles with chicken feet are nice and polite. It's the best chicken feet noodle in the west - though some may not like the strong herbal taste. Always sold out by noon on Sundays. Customers come all the way from the Queens Condo a stone throw away.

Other days of course lah, most people go to work, the Food Centre not as busy - only Ah Peks loitering there nursing their kopi O and chitchatting away their life.

The wet market perhaps a bit scanty serving only neighbourhoods. Most with own transport would go to supermarkets instead.

Upgrading Mei Ling Food Centre is the next best things for the ageing Estate. The PAP Town Council is most mindful and caring of the residents' need and did not tear down the centre and replaced it with another condo block. Who is in charge of the Queenstown? None other than the distinguished former PM and Senior Minister of course!

 

[sta1100]

If you gave notice, jalan besar hawker centre before upgrade was pack and now after upgrade in seem dead.

 

[leetahbar]

another deadtown is LAU PA SAT. when it first opened, it was 24 hr. now it's still 24hrs except many of the stalls already closed b4 that or bankrupted and vacant.

the ridiculous rentals after upgrading makes one surprise how to run a decent good food stall there which is reasonably priced.

 

[myo539]

You are an idiot. In a REAL kopitiam, kopi is the most important thing - not the fucking food.

Kopi, snakcs like siew mai, lor mai kai, chee cheong fun are the mainstays. Night time, beer and stout. Take your chicken feet to a dim sum restautant for crying out loud. You have supported killers of long time culture and norm in Peesai.

You are the real idiot peeing on the lamppost instead of the tree!

I am referring to the Mei Ling Food Centre or popularly called "Hawker Centre" - not kopitiam. Food Centres are much bigger and sell a variety of food - usually Chinese, Malay and Indian. The next time you will be howling about Coffee House.

 

[I_Hate_Pappies]

Agree PRC stalls appear to sell cheaper than Sporean stalls - with no loss in quality or taste.

I remember first time eating "red wine chicken mee sua" (Hong Zao Mian Xian?) from a PRC-managed stall. Best I 've ever eaten; unfortunately she had to vacate the stall because S'porean stall holder increase the rental.

Of cos nice for you. The 2 main ingredients for the soup base are used tampons and used pads. Kan ni na bu phua chee bye you!:oIo:

 

[I_Hate_Pappies]

You are the real idiot peeing on the lamppost instead of the tree!

I am referring to the Mei Ling Food Centre or popularly called "Hawker Centre" - not kopitiam. Food Centres are much bigger and sell a variety of food - usually Chinese, Malay and Indian. The next time you will be howling about Coffee House.

Ya, only kan ni na bu phua chee bye kia like you pee at the tree! :oIo:

 

[leetahbar]

what is the crux of hawker centre's upgrading then?

does it really improve overall business? many upgraded hcs are experiencing the reversal. the gov is just too embarrassed to leeport it or admit their folly for that matter.

the only benefit appears to be for the gov in the greatly increased rentals and conservancy charges. does upgraded hc serve patrons better? many wholesome economical honest-to-goodness hawkers were deliberately forced out of business.

it proves gov only wants money. they do not bother whether good things shall be missed by citizens or not. they are just avaricious and want more money :(

 

[myo539]

what is the crux of hawker centre's upgrading then?

Weird logic! Government improves your flat by upgrading, add extra lift to every floor, add lift to MSCP, add extra space to your flat, improve the space around your block - and you are selling your flat at the old rate before upgrading?

May be you are a philanthropist - expecting the stall holders to operate their stalls for charity. May be we need more such people in Singapore.

 

[myo539]

Of cos nice for you. The 2 main ingredients for the soup base are used tampons and used pads. Kan ni na bu phua chee bye you!:oIo:

I ordered mee sua, but you orderd tampons and used pads. Enjoy your meal!
By the way, your mother wasn't born with a chee bye?

 

[geylangchickenloyangduck]

Aiyah, you fail to provide the whole picture. Not fair. Wrong perception.

Before the third-world looking old market, there was no Tiong Bahru Plaza. The constituency has now got the gleaming Tiong Bahru Plaza with an MRT Station within, and it's bustling late into the night. Of course people young and old especially from residents in the expensive condos from accross the road and nearby boutique hotel prefer to go there instead of the dilapidated old market - san air-con and sufficient parking lots. They have no emotional or sentiment attachment to the place, unfortunately.

Tiong Bahru district is now vibrant, ideally located within less than 2 km from CBD, Orchard Road and Great World City. More newer 30+ tall flats and condos are being built there as more people want to live there. It has all sorts of food - from coffee shop fares to fast-food and classy joints. Had the Town Council not upgraded the old market, it would have died a natural death long, long ago. It was literally given a lifeline. So what they did to the old market was appropriate before it became a museum piece.

And of course you know Tiong Bahru division is in a well-known GRC which has never faced a general election contest since it was formed.

nah beh...i do admit after upgrading TB mkt is quieter at night - think because the hawker centre now elevated to 2nd floor - people don't get attracted by the "lights"not like last time, hawker centre ground floor, easier access.

besides, last time, the stalls are outside - near the main road, the wet market is inside (looking from Tiong bahru rd) - so one can see "crowd' easily from the main road.

personally i find it more nostalgic, you can smell the food emmating from far.

Today, the pig organ soup not like last time although still one of the better ones.

The old 3-4 storey walkup flats surrounding the estate also quite charming...walk around n you find many good food.

Lele steamboat, the porridge shop, the bak kut teh ....

walk further you have 40men cafe - ok cater more to ang mohs...

n a nice bookshop...

i believe with the new flats being built...more life will be injected...

 

[leetahbar]

Weird logic! Government improves your flat by upgrading, add extra lift to every floor, add lift to MSCP, add extra space to your flat, improve the space around your block - and you are selling your flat at the old rate before upgrading?

May be you are a philanthropist - expecting the stall holders to operate their stalls for charity. May be we need more such people in Singapore.

extra space u need to pay. it isn't free. at the old price of $13.5k for a 80 sq ft is NOT cheap and definitely NOT SUBSIDIZED like what they generously claimed.

why doesn't the gov upgrade opp wards like hougang and potong pasir should give everyone the idea what is the real motive behind upgrading. it's artificial just like how hdb pigeonholes prices are being aggravated to.

back to hc upgrading, who really benefits? nobody. hawkers find it hard to maintain food prices. patrons find it too expensive to eat there. slowly and surely, upgraded hcs begin to degenerate to deadtown. bugis, lau pa sat, geylang serai and more are just examples of the casualties of upgraded hcs.

i remember there was a very cheap, good and many varieties of mun chiam kuey - the traditional pancakes with tau sar, crushed peanuts, kaya n etc fillings at old airport rd hc. it was selling for only 50c a piece. the pair of middle-aged couple manning the stall was always busy non-stop churning out different fillings of mun chiam kueys. there was queue but the speed they made those kueys was very efficient as they had a line of those special pancake pans.

usually when i was around the area, i would order $10 takeaway for 20 pcs assorted fillings mck.

after upgrading of old airport hc, the couple gave up their trade. really, couldn't believe it! their business was ever so good n yet they gave up. one of the reason could be the high rental.

the famous lor mee there used to sell at only $2.50 a bowl. now, it's $4! the queue is still there. why must the same food be priced at such increase value after upgrading? who benefit? definitely not the hawkers. go ask them and they shall tell u that it's difficult for them to continue business if they do not increase prices.

the gov suppose to help citizens but in upgrading, the primary motive isn't really to help us but only to help themselves.

 

[leetahbar]

nah beh...i do admit after upgrading TB mkt is quieter at night - think because the hawker centre now elevated to 2nd floor - people don't get attracted by the "lights"not like last time, hawker centre ground floor, easier access.

besides, last time, the stalls are outside - near the main road, the wet market is inside (looking from Tiong bahru rd) - so one can see "crowd' easily from the main road.

personally i find it more nostalgic, you can smell the food emmating from far.

Today, the pig organ soup not like last time although still one of the better ones.

The old 3-4 storey walkup flats surrounding the estate also quite charming...walk around n you find many good food.

Lele steamboat, the porridge shop, the bak kut teh ....

walk further you have 40men cafe - ok cater more to ang mohs...

n a nice bookshop...

i believe with the new flats being built...more life will be injected...

t b hc/market b4 upgrading was doing a very roaring and bustling business at night. after upgrading, the place is quite dead at nite. the nostalgic and charged ambience is no more there. just like the present bugis, the gov has brutally killed the kind of "hawkering" spirit which is endearing to so many.

those million $ lembus only eat in high-class places. they shall never know the simple joy of eating in a messy haphazard hawker centre can delight many heartlanders.

 

[leetahbar]

dead or almost deadtown such as this upgraded hc is now very common. most upgraded hcs are now grossly under utilised and lost much of the past hustle and bustle.

 

[myo539]

t b hc/market b4 upgrading was doing a very roaring and bustling business at night. after upgrading, the place is quite dead at nite. the nostalgic and charged ambience is no more there. just like the present bugis, the gov has brutally killed the kind of "hawkering" spirit which is endearing to so many......

why doesn't the gov upgrade opp wards like hougang and potong pasir .......

My final comments on this thread and I will move on :

Potong Pasir an "opp wards"? I didn't know Potong Pasir is under the opposition party! You haven't upgraded your information yet!

Luckily you are not born in the era where the real hawkers walked or cycled from kampong to kampong selling their food. Otherwise you will be pining for "the nostalgic and charged ambience" which our present generation kids can't even associated or imagined. Probably you will also miss the "nostalgic" sound of the "kok kok" mee, and squatting along five-foot way to enjoy your bowl of laksa. Probably your kids don't prefer going to a clean air-con food court, a MacDonald or StarBucks joint?

Finally, you expect the elderly stall-holders to sweat in their cubicle and continue selling their food at 1970's prices late into the night while around them prices and costs have gone up - taxi and bus fare, gases, labour, imported raw materials and ingredients etc - including your salary. That's very unfair isn't it?

They too like to work in clean surroundings with air-condition or better ventilation - like you. They too like to upgrade, live and work in a modern Singapore - and I think the pragmatic government by upgrading Mei Ling Food Centre is doing the right thing to meet their aspirations and upgrade their lives.

 

[leetahbar]

that pic looks more like a kopitiam and not a hawker centre.

 

[breaknews]

My mom used to saw it!

Before the renovation, there used to be one stall, the auntie used the same water to wash the ingredient after washing the table cloth or the table cloth drip water into the pail of ingredient!! I dunno if that store returns. But hygiene is really poor. Don't be happy if you pay cheap cheap!

 

[I_Hate_Pappies]

I ordered mee sua, but you orderd tampons and used pads. Enjoy your meal!
By the way, your mother wasn't born with a chee bye?

Yes, my mother was born with a cheebye. Your mother was born with a PHUA CHEE BYE! See the difference? :oIo: