Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
In Singapore’s busy society, having a meal purely to fill your stomach seems to be the norm these days. What happened to the good old days of enjoying every bite of your meal? Singapore’s ubiquitous hawker food with similarly widely available Coke® seems to strike the perfect balance, bringing both convenience and instant gratification with each delicious plate.
Here’s 3 reasons why we think Singapore’s hawker food is instantly gratifying.
1. It’s Available Almost Everywhere
Hungry? You can just head downstairs from your HDB block, or if not, there would usually be a kopitiam or hawker centre 10 – 15 minutes away from your work place. Don’t we all love accessible places? Sure we go the extra mile for cafes, but I easily get tired of trying to find my way to all their ulu locations, hidden in the different nooks and crannies of Singapore.
The only downside of this is that when I’m overseas for long periods of time I get really homesick – for the food, that is! Where else but in Singapore do you get your char kway teow or carrot cake fix? Nope, those Chinese takeaways I‘ve always seen on American television shows just won’t cut it for me. Give me some good ol’ Singaporean food please!
2. It’s What We Grew Up With
Even the rich and wealthy flock to the hawker centres and kopitiams every now and then for a taste of their childhood. Hawker food is one of the defining components of Singapore, showcasing our love for eating, and also our multiracial aspects. Chicken rice, Nasi Lemak, Hokkien Mee, Prata – we’ve all had it. Not to mention all those late night suppers at prata shops we’ve had while schooling.
More than just dishes we eat every day, they’ve also become a form of comfort, something familiar but always tasty and good. I remember having a lot of chicken rice and mee pok when I was growing up, and till now, they remain my favourite things to eat. They bring back some fond memories only hawker food can
3. It’s An Affordable Indulgence
It’s definitely more economical to crave for a plate of chicken rice or a bowl of laksa than say, a couple hundred grams of steak or foie gras. You’d only need four to five dollars for a decent meal, and can even spend a little more on some ice cold desserts like ice kacang or chendol after, without putting a hole in your pocket.
And you can feel just as happy, if not more, because you get to both save money and eat what you want. No need to crack your head over the dilemma of indulging yourself or saving money. Who says good comfort food has to be expensive?
Similar to hawker food, I find Coca-Cola® to be just as instantly satisfying, not to mention easily available; pair your favourite local foods with some Coca-Cola! I love me an ice-cold cup of Coke after sweating buckets in our country’s heat, especially right after I finish a bowl of spicy laksa, curry or nasi lemak,
Because let’s face it – this unforgiving weather is just another part of our lifestyle and cold soft drinks is a quick escape from the heat. I guess even with perks like awesome food and culture we have our downsides too, right?
Thankfully, these shortcomings are bearable. So the next time you have your local dish, grab a can of Coca-Cola as well for some instant and simple pleasures.
This article is brought to you in partnership with Coca-Cola.
