{"id":15720,"date":"2026-01-16T17:30:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/?p=15720"},"modified":"2026-01-16T17:30:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:30:56","slug":"the-work-behind-the-wok-the-cost-of-keeping-hawker-culture-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/the-work-behind-the-wok-the-cost-of-keeping-hawker-culture-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"The Work Behind the Wok: The Cost Of Keeping Hawker Culture Alive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color_gradient_type=”circular” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”top left” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,255,255,0.89) 30%|rgba(255,255,255,0) 80%” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(255,255,255,0.89)” background_color_gradient_start_position=”30%” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_color_gradient_end_position=”80%” background_image=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-16-at-5.21.22-PM.png” background_size=”custom” background_image_width=”75%” background_image_height=”0%” width=”100%” min_height=”100px” custom_margin=”-12px||194px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-50px||194px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”8vw|1px|0|0px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 5.21.22\u202fPM” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.49)” transform_translate_linked=”off” min_height=”192px” custom_margin=”160px|auto|150px|auto|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”61px|48px|61px|48px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ admin_label=”Column” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Ogg|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”44px” text_line_height=”1.2em” header_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_font_size=”80px” header_2_font_size=”28px” header_5_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_5_text_color=”#000000″ header_5_font_size=”20px” header_5_letter_spacing=”0.5em” header_5_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”-30px||-2px|0px|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-25px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|90px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|0px|||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” animation_style=”zoom” animation_intensity_zoom=”5%” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”27px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_line_height_tablet=”” text_line_height_phone=”1.2em” text_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”48px” header_font_size_phone=”28px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_5_font_size_tablet=”14px” header_5_font_size_phone=”12px” header_5_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ inline_fonts=”Montserrat” global_colors_info=”{}”]

The Work Behind the Wok: The Cost Of Keeping Hawker Culture Alive <\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”off” custom_margin=”-194px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ min_height=”84px” custom_margin=”-80px|auto||auto|false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-145px|auto|-100px|auto|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” min_height=”112.8px” custom_margin=”5px||-48px||false|false” custom_padding=”31px||0px||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”About Us” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”off” min_height=”1396px” custom_margin=”-136px||-433px|||” custom_padding=”107px||44px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”-55px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-35px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”2px|0|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px||true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_line_height=”1.5em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”50px” header_2_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_5_text_color=”#b3b3b3″ header_5_font_size=”14px” header_5_line_height=”0.5em” header_6_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_6_font_size=”16px” header_6_letter_spacing=”5px” header_6_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”659px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|79px|104px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-40px|79px|0px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|0px||||” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”35px” header_2_font_size_phone=”25px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

 <\/p>\n

BY
WAFEEQA SULAIMAN<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Deputy Editor<\/b><\/p>\n

Hype Issue #83<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Published on:<\/h5>\n

Jan 16<\/strong><\/p>\n

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2026<\/h5>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_line_height=”1.5em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”50px” header_2_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_5_text_color=”#b3b3b3″ header_5_font_size=”14px” header_5_line_height=”0.5em” header_6_font=”Raleway|700||on|||||” header_6_font_size=”16px” header_6_letter_spacing=”5px” header_6_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”659px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|79px|104px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-40px|79px|0px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|0px||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”15px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”35px” header_2_font_size_phone=”25px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]

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WAFEEQA SULAIMAN <\/i><\/b>uncovers the daily realities hawkers face and how the Mee & You initiative is bringing these stories to light.<\/span><\/p>\n

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On 2 January 2026, a <\/span>fire broke out<\/span><\/a> at a hawker stall located in Hong Lim Complex. Five days later, its shutters were still down. The owner of the stall, <\/span>Teo Koon Guan, 80, had been running his hawker stall for more than two decades but is now left at his wits\u2019 end. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Most of us probably saw the news, felt a pang of sympathy\u2026 and scrolled on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another headline. Another incident. Another sad story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But for Teo, this wasn\u2019t just another headline. It was a real-life struggle, one that countless hawkers face every day. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>More Than Just Food on a Tray<\/b>
<\/span><\/p>\n

For many, hawker centres are the go-to when they don\u2019t know what to eat or need a cheap and convenient meal. But behind every plate is a hawker calculating more than just ingredients. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Like Mr Teo, today’s hawkers<\/span> face an unstable mix of rising rental and utilities bills, fluctuating ingredient prices, manpower shortages, and increasing pressure to digitalise their processes. Yet even as costs rise and manpower shortages stretch hawkers thin, their food prices are still expected to stay low. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost every day, we encounter customers complaining about prices,\u201d said Mr Melvin Chew, a second-generation hawker and the founder of <\/span>Hawkers United SG.<\/span><\/a>
<\/span>
<\/span> Hawkers largely rely on themselves or family members to keep their operations running. But despite long hours, physically demanding work, and slim profit margins, they continue to show up at their stalls each day, driven by respect for their craft and a commitment to serving familiar, well-loved meals to their customers.<\/span>
<\/span>. <\/span>
<\/span>Speaking Up When Others Can\u2019t<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span> At the height of Covid-19, Mr Chew started Hawkers United to support elderly hawkers who were struggling to adapt to rapid changes. Many were unfamiliar with technology and delivery platforms, leaving them especially vulnerable when dining-in was not an option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0By pooling help from younger hawkers, Mr Chew built a community that helped hawker stalls hop on delivery platforms, posted content about their stalls on social media, and ensured they were not left alone during a time of crisis. The Hawkers United Facebook page has since grown to a community of more than 300,000 followers, continuing to shed light on hawker stalls around Singapore. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Mr Chew, who has been running <\/span>Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap<\/span> since 2014, grew up in hawker centres, helping out at his parents\u2019 stall from the age of 17.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen how hard my parents worked. Many elderly hawkers work their whole lives. But, when they reach retirement age, they don\u2019t get to enjoy it. They\u2019re full of illnesses like leg pain and joint pain but they still have to keep going,\u201d he shared. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Since starting Hawkers United, Mr Chew has also worked with local Members of Parliament (MPs), raised concerns directly to them, and advocated for changes to better support hawkers. He believes that change will not happen overnight, but with consistent effort, Mr Chew aims to alleviate some burdens that hawkers face today while continuing to cherish Singapore\u2019s vibrant hawker scene.<\/span>
<\/b>
<\/span>When \u201cMee & You\u201d Step In<\/b>
<\/b>
<\/b> Inspired by a similar belief, <\/span>Mee & You<\/span><\/a>, a Final Year Project by Ngee Ann Polytechnic Community Development students, chose to focus on hawkers, not just as symbols of heritage, but as hardworking individuals too. The students aim to foster empathy for the daily realities hawkers face, encourage appreciation for them and inspire \u201c(you)ths\u201d to show more support to hawker businesses. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/b> Lim Ke Ying, a Year 3 Community Development student and representative from Mee & You, shared with us how this topic struck close to home, both for herself and her teammates. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> \u201cSome of us have loved ones who are hawkers. Others are frequent diners at hawker stalls. This propelled us to want to let people know about the hidden struggles and hard work that goes into being a hawker,\u201d she shared.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Through months of interviews and ground research, the team uncovered recurring challenges: such as long working hours in hot environments, repetitive physical labour that leads to injuries, declining footfall as diners turn to trendier options, and the pressure for hawkers to adapt quickly to digital systems. <\/span>
<\/b>
<\/span>Turning Empathy Into Experience<\/b>
<\/b>
<\/b> Going beyond simply raising awareness<\/span>, Mee & You designed programmes that allowed youths to experience first-hand the struggles hawkers face on a daily basis. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> At their Hawker Appreciation Day on 23 November 2025, youth volunteers interacted directly with hawkers to show their gratitude by distributing essentials like first aid kits and grocery vouchers. The event drew attention from community leaders, including Mr Chew of Hawkers United and Minister Desmond Lee, helping to amplify hawkers\u2019 voices.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-16-at-5.25.51-PM.png” alt=”Pet Sitter” title_text=”Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 5.25.51\u202fPM” force_fullwidth=”on” src_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”220.2px” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” src__hover_enabled=”off|desktop” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Mee & You team with Melvin Chew of Hawkers United and Minister Desmond Lee at Hawker Appreciation Day (Photo Credits: Mee & You)<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

As a follow-up, the team also created a roleplay game booth on campus, where students got to experience juggling orders, managing time constraints, and fulfilling customer demands, simulating the intensity of running a hawker stall.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Hype SG joined Mee & You as participants at their most recent initiative, the Hawker Guided Trail. The trail took place in Clementi, bringing volunteers directly to hawker stalls to hear their stories firsthand, humanising an occupation often taken for granted. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Using Mee & You\u2019s specially curated trail booklets, we set off to different points on the trail, for activities such as Hear \u201cMee\u201d Out, where volunteers played a game to guess which stall a specific voice recording came from. The distinct sounds of knives against chopping boards and stir-frying in a wok served as a reminder of the repetitive motions hawkers carry out daily, often under intense heat and physical strain.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-16-at-5.28.27-PM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 5.28.27\u202fPM” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Mee & You volunteers playing the Hear \u201cMee\u201d Out activity (Photo Credits: Wafeeqa Sulaiman)<\/span><\/p>\n


.<\/span><\/i><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”0px||2px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

\u00a0Other pit stops on the trail included the Sinar Bahru Muslim Stall run by Mdm Rosmalia, where we explored what her daily routine looked like. We learnt that she wakes up as early as 3 am every day, just to prepare the food sold at her stall. Despite this, it was heartwarming to see how she was all smiles and kept up a cheerful demeanour as she was cooking up dishes to serve to her customers. <\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/hypesingapore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-16-at-5.29.30-PM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 5.29.30\u202fPM” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ transform_scale_tablet=”” transform_scale_phone=”” transform_scale_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate=”0px|-22px” transform_translate_tablet=”” transform_translate_phone=”” transform_translate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_translate_linked=”off” transform_rotate_tablet=”” transform_rotate_phone=”” transform_rotate_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_skew_tablet=”” transform_skew_phone=”” transform_skew_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_origin_tablet=”” transform_origin_phone=”” transform_origin_last_edited=”on|desktop” transform_styles_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”31px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” transform_styles_tablet=”” transform_styles_phone=”” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Mdm Rosmalia (right), receiving tokens of appreciation from Mee & You (Photo Credits: Wafeeqa Sulaiman)<\/span><\/p>\n


.<\/span><\/i><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Montreal Medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”0px||2px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” inline_fonts=”Montreal Medium” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Our guided trail ended at Clementi Library, where we came across a community wall set up by Mee & You in collaboration with the National Heritage Board\u2019s Heritage Activation Node (HAN) initiative and the National Library Board (NLB). The showcase, which will be on display for three months, invites visitors to engage with the stories behind hawker stalls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through a series of flip books created by the team, we read personal accounts of hawkers, which included their routines, sacrifices, and resilience. We were also encouraged to pen handwritten notes of appreciation, turning the wall into a living<\/span> celebration of hawkers in Singapore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saving What We Have<\/b>
<\/b>
<\/b> Choosing hawker food when possible, being patient, understanding price increases, and supporting initiatives that uplift hawkers are all simple ways youths can play their part in supporting hawkers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“We are not asking the next generation of youths to go and be hawkers themselves, but when we recognise the hard work and labour behind the food hawkers make, appreciation for them starts to turn into action,\u201d Ke Ying shared. <\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> Hawker culture is often celebrated as heritage and as uniquely Singaporean. But, at its heart are individuals who have chosen to dedicate their lives to a demanding craft.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> \u201cThere are some traditional foods made by masters that cannot be replicated,\u201d Melvin said. \u201cIf we don\u2019t support them, we end up losing them.\u201d<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span> The story of the fire that broke out at Hong Lim Food Centre may have faded from headlines, but the people behind these very hawker stalls will keep waking up before dawn, standing to serve customers for hours, and carrying on as long as they can.<\/span><\/p>\n

Showing our appreciation to hawkers does not require grand gestures. It begins with noticing the labour behind each plate, valuing consistency over convenience, and choosing to support the stalls that have quietly fed generations. When we do so, keeping hawker culture alive becomes a point of national pride, a shared responsibility, and not a burden carried by hawkers alone. <\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Work Behind the Wok: The Cost Of Keeping Hawker Culture Alive   BYWAFEEQA SULAIMAN Deputy Editor Hype Issue #83 Published on: Jan 16 2026  WAFEEQA SULAIMAN uncovers the daily realities hawkers face and how the Mee & You initiative is bringing these stories to light.  On 2 January 2026, a fire broke out at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[211,1159,47,120],"class_list":["post-15720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-happenings","tag-hype","tag-hype-singapore","tag-singapore","tag-youths"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Work Behind the Wok: The Cost Of Keeping Hawker Culture Alive - 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