My Hawker, my Heartlander.

Was having lunch at the neighborhood coffeeshop when I realized some thing. Most of the hawkers left are the old folks, aunties and uncles who are in late fifties. Where have all the young blood gone to?

After coming back from Australia, I realized one thing that was missing from the Melbournian life was the existence of hawkers. The localized "Ah Huat's Ice Kacang", "Feifei's Wanton Mee" and the Katong Laksa. All these local heritage of Singapore are fading fast, more are getting replaced by the enterprise version of them, such as Food Republic, The Kopitiam. Sure you see younger cooks there, but what about the quality?

Do they cook with a prized effort at their dishes, or are they just cooking for the sake of earning some money for themselves? Truth to be told, I really missed the stuff such as Butterfly Kueh, You Tiao, where one is able to buy them from the old uncle showing how they are made early in the wee morning. At the enterprise version of laksa, do they taste as good as the home cooked ones from the various shophouses along the older streets, or do they taste right due to the added ingredients from the enhanced flavor noodles bought from commercial manufacturers...?

Remembered a kid, how I relished going to the bakery to buy my favourite pastry, priced at 80 cents. Compared to now, where I would have to fork out $2 for a reheated frozen piece. The cost of inflation or something else?

Some see the task of cooking as a chore to earn a living, However, I find that amid the task of cooking, one has forgotten the art of making a dish taste nice via natural means.