Cheapest food go where? All informers lip lai (fall in)

Singapore April 20th, 2008

I think I ripped the header off some forum somewhere - not intentionally, but I’d figured that someone would have done something like this before. Well, you see, Straits Times is trying something like this - searching and listing out all the cheap $2 per bowl food. I’m not sure if the quality is good, but here’s a list of all the cheap and good food. Please add on in the comments if you know of any place with good food and reasonably cheap prices.

Last week, the Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed that 65 per cent of hawkers are holding their prices steady - down from 75 per cent two months ago - amid rising food bills. Samantha Eng and Aw Cheng Wei scoured hawker centres and coffee shops across the island in search of really cheap hawker fare.

They found 27 which have kept prices at $2 and below, two that sell Western-style food for $3 and $2.90, and one selling Japanese-style dishes at $3.

Some areas like Bedok have a rash of such stalls, no doubt because of competition. At other areas like Hougang and Thomson, they are hard to come by.

 

EAST

Guan Hiang Nasi Lemak

Temporarily at #01-195, Block 46, Bedok South Road due to renovations at Block 58, Upper Changi Road

Nasi lemak at $1.60. With fish, egg and ikan bilis.

‘We keep prices low to maintain business.’

Owner Khoo Cheng Guan, 46

Bao Xiang Vegetarian

Block 69, Bedok South Avenue 3

Vegetarian bee hoon from $1.50. With cabbage, mock char siew and mock duck.

‘My business caters to the old people in the neighbourhood.’

Owner Toh Peck Hwa, 43

Wong Porridge

#01-245, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Western fried rice at $3. With egg and chicken chop or fish fillet.

‘We make less profit with each plate but we sell more.’

Owner Wee Jee Kin, 42

Ji Shen Cooked Food

Block 16, Bedok South Road

Nasi lemak at $1. With fish, egg and ikan bilis.

‘We own this stall so there’s no need to pay rent.’

Owner Lee Siew Lan, 49

Warong Jawa

Block 16, Bedok South Road

Mee rebus, mee soto, gado-gado and mee siam at $1.70.

‘Most of my customers are housewives who are very mindful of price.’

Owner Mohammed Said, 68

Yong Tau Foo Stall

#01-145, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Yong tau foo at 15 cents per piece. Minimum order: $1.50.

‘Our food is cheap and healthy.’

Employee Oh Beng Gek, 57

Bedok South Niu Ji Prawn Noodles

#01-199, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Prawn noodles (soup) at $2.

‘We cater to older customers who prefer cheaper food.’

Owner Wee Chew Huat, 50

Ban Seng Choon Cooked Food

#01-203, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Xin zhou bee hoon, Hong Kong mee and fried kway teow at $1.20.

‘I have not changed prices for 30 years.’

Owner Tan Choon, 55

Vegetarian Food

#01-139, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Vegetarian bee hoon at $1.70. With cabbage, mock char siew and mock duck.

‘If your prices are too high, customers won’t buy from you.’

Owner, Mr Sim, 45

Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

Block 216, Bedok North Street 1

Mee siam, laksa, mee rebus at $2.

‘My food is good and cheap.’

Owner, Mr Cheng

Yong Kee

Block 216, Bedok North Street 1

Carrot cake from $1.50, with egg.

‘I’m part of the first batch of hawkers, so my rent here is cheap.’

Owner Tay Yong Joo, 49

Lee Huat Curry Vegetable Rice

#01-26, Block 216, Bedok North , Street 1

Rice with a meat dish and vegetable for $1.80.

‘We don’t want to raise prices and make customers unhappy.’

Owner Lily Soh, 45

You Yi Pork Organ Soup

#01-08, Block 216, Bedok North, Street 1

Pork organ soup for $2.

‘This way, my customers will keep coming back.’

Owner Lee Kia Juan, 44

Xian Jin Mixed Vegetable Rice

#01-02, Block 216, Bedok North, Street 1

Any three dishes with rice for $2. Can choose all meat dishes.

‘The prices keep customers happy.’

Owner, Mr Shi

Xin Zhai Stall

Bedok Interchange hawker centre

Any three dishes with rice for $2. Can choose all meat dishes.

‘By not increasing prices, we can increase our customer base.’

Partner Low Kiah Keong, 27

You Ji Jia Chuan Ya Fan

Bedok Interchange hawker centre

Chicken rice, char siew rice and roasted meat rice at $2.

‘We’ve been selling at this price for a very long time.’

Employee Ng Shea Keong, 53

820 Hainanese Chicken Rice

Block 823A, Tampines Street 81

Chicken rice, char siew rice and roasted meat rice at $1.30.

‘By selling at a lower price, I sell more.’

Owner Tan Hwa Joon, 43

Yummy Talk

Block 820, Tampines Street 81

Western fried rice with chicken wings at $2.90.

‘We don’t make much for this dish but we use it as a crowd-puller.’

Partner Thomas Heng, 32

SOUTH

101 Wanton Noodle

Golden Mile Food Centre

Wanton noodles from $2.

‘We’ve not raised prices for 20 years.’

Owner Hong Jim Bin, 55

Nan He Wanton Noodle

Golden Mile Food Centre

Wanton noodles, laksa and pork porridge at $2.

‘I don’t make a lot but it’s better than selling at $2.50 and having no business.’

Owner Ke Xiu Luan, 60

Boon Siu Kee

#01-31, Amoy Street Food Centre

Wanton noodles at $2

‘It’s okay that we charge less because there are quite a lot of customers.’

Owner Loh Kah Fai, 55

Konomi Zen

#01-38, Amoy Street Food Centre

Teriyaki chicken set meal at $3.

‘Having prices this low is very attractive for customers.’

Owner Lim Fong Heng, 47

WEST

Hup Lee

#01-27, Redhill Market

Nasi lemak at $1.90.

‘As long as I don’t suffer losses, I will keep to this price.’

Owner Tan Li Mee, 47

Heng Guan

#01-09, Alexandra Village Food Centre

Nasi lemak at $1.90.

‘We hope to build a regular customer base.’

Owner Tan Keng Leng, 47

42

#01-42, ABC Brickworks Food Centre

Nasi lemak at a minimum of $1.60.

‘There are more customers if we sell at this price. ‘

Partner Sng Kok Hwa, 52

Cheng Mei Shi Hao Wei Dao

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 14

Fried carrot cake at $1.50.

‘You cannot raise prices because customers have supported you for a very long time.’

Partner Soon Hock Seng, 50

Wei Yi Laksa

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 21

Laksa for $2.

‘If we can sell food cheaper than others, China workers will buy from us.’

Owner Ang Kee Fong, 42

Fu Yuan Vegetarian

#01-114, ABC Brickworks Food Centre

Vegetarian bee hoon at $1.50.

‘This area has a lot of old folk.’

Owner Kwek Chin Mei, 62

Mei Jia Fried Beehoon

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 18

Fried rice set with chicken wing at $2.

‘If the food is cheap, we get more customers.’

Owner Soh Tiong Ann, 35

NORTH

Shi Mei Chicken Rice

Block 110, Yishun Ring Road

Chicken rice at $1.80.

‘A lot of students come here for lunch.’

Owner Loh Chee Heng, 57

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 20th April 2008

Shucks! I am having an Internet affair!

Singapore April 20th, 2008

The Sunday Times ran the juicy headline screaming out "Are you having an Internet affair?". It’s a set of 6 questions that readers can answer to determine if they are (having a high propensity of) having an affair. Being an avid blogger, I took the questions and realised that I am indeed having an Internet affair! In fact, it seemed like I am having an affair with everyone else!

So, let’s look at the questions together:

1 In the past week, have you spent more than three hours talking to an online friend?

Yes. In fact I spend more than 3 hours talking to any online friend

2 Do you look forward to your next communication?

Yes. To any of them.

3 Do you feel that your online friend understands you more than your partner?

I don’t have a partner yet, but it’s beginning to look as if any of them at any one time understands me pretty well.

4 Do you exit the screen if someone walks into the room while you are chatting?

Yes! This is an absolute Yes! In fact, I use the shortcut Start-D or Start-M to hide all things ultra fast!

5 Do you tell your online friend more about your thoughts, feelings, achievements and disappointments than your own partner?

Yes! Oh yes, at any one time, they are the only ones I tell.

6 you think about sending your online friend photos, talking on the phone or meeting for coffee?

Yes!!!!! We meet for coffee almost every other day!

Shucks! And who are these people that I am talking about? RidzDKTianhongAliceNicoleEdmund… and the list goes on!

*faintz*

Are *you* having an Internet affair?!

Are you having an Internet affair?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, you are having an Internet affair.

1 In the past week, have you spent more than three hours talking to an online friend?

2 Do you look forward to your next communication?

3 Do you feel that your online friend understands you more than your partner?

4 Do you exit the screen if someone walks into the room while you are chatting?

5 Do you tell your online friend more about your thoughts, feelings, achievements and disappointments than your own partner?

6 you think about sending your online friend photos, talking on the phone or meeting for coffee?

WHERE TO SEEK HELP

Touch Cyberwellness Centre: 6273-5568

Institute of Mental Health: 6732-6837 (6-R-E-C-O-V-E-R) or visit www.imh.com.sg and go to ‘community addictions management programme’.

Online: Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in the United States at www.netaddiction.com

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 20th April 2008

My friend said that this picture will help people lose weight…

Blogosphere April 20th, 2008

… but do you think so? I’m not hungry yet, so I am not hungry anyway. =)

Click when you are ready.

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