10 shits about hawker centres that make some of us just avoid them altogether

Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:54 pm

We, Singaporeans, are proud of our hawker centres. In fact, they’re a novel and unique part of our culture which has helped to bring attention to us from the rest of the world. There are some pretty famous ones too, such as the Tekka Centre, Tiong Bahru Market, and Lau Pa Sat. Almost all tourists will visit one or the other to experience the Singaporean way of eating out.

However, there are some things which make hawker centres unappealing, and some of us just avoid them altogether. Here are 10 shits about hawker centres we cannot stand.

Hot like an oven
In general, hawker centres are not air-conditioned so the heat does get to you. When you sit in a badly-ventilated hawker centre, it feels like you are eating in an oven. The hot air plus the hot food can induce excessive perspiration in anyone.

Noisy
Hawker centres are always noisy. The noise generated in any hawker centre is enough to create an orchestra, albeit an unpleasant one! Nobody will date his/her partner in a hawker centre mainly because you cannot remain lovey-dovey with each other due to the noise around you. It can be made worse during peak hours where the noise can reach levels that make talking almost impossible.

Dirty environment
Some hawker centres, especially those not under the tourist radar, can be really dirty. Unwashed floors, dirty tables and chairs are just some of the examples. There could also be birds picking at food from unfinished meals left on the table. These presence of these birds increase the risk of food poisoning as well.

Partially washed utensils
Ever seen a stall owner dipping used utensils into a pail of dark soapy water, rub them a little and return them to the “clean tray” for new customers? This is one big turn off for some people as they can just imagine eating someone else’s saliva with every mouthful of food. That or they imagine eating dirty, soapy water. Ew.

Smelly toilet
Generally, we do not expect clean and nice-smelling toilets at the hawker centres. However, there are some hawker centres which have amazingly dirty toilets. They are wet, smelly and dirty. The toilet bowls will be wet or worse, choke full with unpleasant remains.

Long waiting time for a table during peak hours
During lunch and dinner peaks, hawker centres are filled to the brim with people. It will take a long time for you to find a table before you can order food. Some inconsiderate people may even sit at the table and chit chat after they have finished their food while you are standing there, waiting for their table. Have you ever experienced a group of people who, after seeing you waiting for their table, start to eat even slower? Maddening is probably an understatement.

Tissue Paper System
Singaporeans have an unspoken rule–in the hawker centres, we use packets of tissue paper to “chope” our seats. Sometimes, it is common to see a hawker centre filled with empty tables, but of which you can sit at? None. Some people are even worse, lying to you that there is someone sitting at the table by putting a pack of tissue paper at the empty seat when in fact, the person is eating alone.

Long queues for good food
Singaporeans are foodies, so it is hardly surprising that there will be long queues when there are good food to be had. To buy the food there, you will need to patiently wait up to 30 minutes for the food to be served.

Food has high content of oil
Hawker centres tend to serve food with unhealthy portions of oil as they are “nicer” this way. The good food in hawker centres are usually cook with lots of oil and it is evident when your food is serve with an oily texture. Sometimes, you will see puddles of oil on the plate after you have finished the food.

Rude stall owners
Some stall owners in the hawker centres can be extremely rude. They will not smile and greet you when you order food from them. Growling at you can be considered an acknowledgement that they got your orders. You can consider yourself lucky if they’ve not snapped at you once.

There you have it, the 10 points that some people might avoid hawker centres altogether. Do you have more to share?

Top Image: Katharina13 / Shutterstock.com