I had thought the crowds, like a pack of hungry and deprived spirits released from London’s food hell (that’s another story) onto the 24 hawkers at the Singapore London Day would, due to logic by fear mongering, give the Indian rojak chappie a miss. But, as it turned out, no fear could thwart the sincerest love of it all…love for food. Abdul Salam’s fresh fried fritters with an enticingly pinkish and nutty sweet potato sauce, was among the first hawker there to clear all their 3000 portions after about three hours. Each participant had about four varieties including the much feared (at least for now) prawn fritters.

But I feared not as the organizers had arranged for English standard food hygiene officers to advise and check up on each pot and wok from preparation day. Their job, was to ensure that each item was well handled and prepared – hygienically, then blast freeze them to below -18 degrees and then chill them at 2 degrees. Bacteria and germs was given the death knell by the freeze and boil tango. How could I not have that peace of mind. The hawkers were like doctors on call 24/7 to their makan, inserting thermometers every hour to check if they are sick, with surgical gloves, mask and caps or bonnets gear on with clip charts handy. Even when the chillers went wonky, stuff had to be redone. Entering the kitchen was like going to a hospital during the SARS epidemic. The stomach was given a clean bill, so was the intestine and skin, and the kway chap chap was good to go so as long as the stewing pot was at least 85 degrees- it was closer to 100 at operation time. It was almost like regulating and instituting the most respected food safety and handling standards the world has on kitchens - the much vaunted Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or HACCP, on the hawker operations. Very impressive, but didn’t they walk on or even notice that army training ground type dirt track just ten feet behind the open hawker stalls brown dusting up the Hampton Court Palace field (where the event was held) overrun by forklifts and trucks frantically rushing about to meet deadlines. It was a construction site. I was looking forward to learn how they were going to HACCP open air hawker centers, but they were still sticking thermometers into Casuarina’s roti prata the last time I checked.

But came event day on 25th of April, a little shower in the morning cleared and moistened the air and the trucks and the forklifts stopped work. By late morning, the sun came out and was cheered by a blue sky and the palace grounds was enveloped with crisp clear air. By 10.30am, the first few thousand trooped in and was duly made to walk under a mock ERP gantry, complete with beeps (in this event organized by the Overseas Singaporean Unit, which reports to the Prime Minister’s Office. Wah, they got humour leh), and the 24 hawkers had just under 50,000 meals on fresh get-set mode, ready to fulfill the desires of the 12,000 hungry and deprived food and homesick folks in London. When they were a little satisfied, Adrian Pang and Michelle Chong boomed with a warm “Helloooooooo Singapore” which signaled a start of a line up of hilarious and fun entertainment by household stage names like Jack Neo, Mark Lee and Henry Thia and the appropriate Dim Sum Dollies, replete with silly SPG, Hokkien and Singlish observations. And surprise, surprise, even the chastised Mr Brown, who mocked the politically incorrect “mee siam mai hum” ditty on the web, had his debut moment on stage with his take on army humour and his ironic government jokes. By 2pm, the crowds, many with families in tow, lapped it all up and were comfortably stretched out on the grassy grounds in a perfect 20 degree spring afternoon with the bright sun above lighting up their entertainment on stage.

When the last onde onde was served by Michael at sgkueh.com at about 5pm, all the hawkers, tired and very happy over the camaraderie and success of the event, gathered for a group photo and it promoted Hawker Legend award recipient Mr Ng of Hill Street Cha Kway Teow, who initially feared the 12 hour flight to London and her infamously cold weather to say, “I want to thank the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) for this fantastic opportunity. I am so happy that everyone is so happy. I will gladly do this again anywhere. When and where ah?”