Hawker Culture: Adaptation or Accentuation

Hawker centres, or food centres, are commonly seen as a food hub, with dozens of small stalls under a large zinc roof. The many different cooked food by each stall owner brings the familiar blend of aromatic smells under the humid environment where people dine in, having a quick meal with colleagues before going back to work, or for those who have the luxury of time, to chat with friends over a cup of coffee. To many, hawker centres have become places beyond just a place to get their daily food, instead transformed into social spaces for people can meet and mingle. It is not uncommon to see customers and stall owners asking each other about their lives as they wait for their food, showing a bond that goes beyond the transactional.

With the future sustainability of hawker threatened, there has been a revamp of existing hawker centres to suit more modern taste and facilities, as well as building new ones to attract young hawkers to keep the trade alive. Thus, the hypothesis for this essay is that Hawker Centres are adapting and sustaining the trade by heightening local culture and heritage.