The hunt for Singapore’s favourite hawker food and stall is back again. After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, City Energy today launched its popular City Hawker Food Hunt, the 13th year it is running the campaign to crown the people’s top hawker picks.
At today’s launch event at Maxwell Food Centre, City Energy said members of the public can visit www.cityhawkerfoodhunt.com from 4 July to 15 September 2023 to vote for their favourite hawker food, selected from a list of eight popular dishes, namely laksa, chicken rice, nasi lemak, Hokkien mee, Indian rojak, char kway teow, biryani and mee rebus; and their favourite hawker stall selling these eight dishes. Multiple votes and submissions are allowed for this contest.
Organised by City Energy with Shin Min Daily News as the official media platform, City Hawker Food Hunt is Singapore’s longest-running hawker food contest and aims to showcase the culinary talents and flavours that embody Singapore’s cherished hawker fare. The food hunt also helps preserve and promote this quintessentially Singapore cultural heritage.
City Energy, the sole supplier of piped town gas in Singapore and energy provider to over half of Singapore’s hawker centres, will award eight winning hawkers with a $500 cash prize, along with a trophy and certificate they can display at their stalls. (See Appendix)
The hawker food that receives the most votes will be crowned Singapore’s Favourite Hawker Food. Those who voted will be entered into a bi-weekly lucky draw to stand a chance to win $60 worth of NETS FlashPay cards each that can be used for groceries, transport, and of course – hawker food.
Additionally, should their chosen hawker stalls win, voters will automatically be entered into a lucky draw to win a Küche smart gas hob worth $888 from Life by City Energy, the 162-year-old company’s retail concept store at Plaza Singapura.
As part of the campaign to preserve hawker heritage, members of the public are also encouraged to suggest hawker food that used to be commonly found at hawker centres but are now becoming less available. These may include kueh tutu, oyster cake, roti jala and wah kueh. Popular hawker stalls selling disappearing hawker food will receive a certificate and trophy.
To promote budding entrepreneurs who have started their businesses within the last five years, outstanding “hawkerpreneurs” will receive monthly gas rebates from City Energy to encourage them to continue striving in their trade.
Mr Perry Ong, Chief Executive Officer of City Energy, said, “Singapore’s hawker food is more than just delicious cuisine; it holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans, transcending race, language, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds. It is a cultural icon that brings us together, reminding us of our shared heritage.
“City Energy supports our hawker community, and we want to shine a spotlight on them and preserve this important heritage. We are proud of our hawkers and the way they toil each day to keep us nourished and happy. This Food Hunt is yet another way for all of us at City Energy to show appreciation for our hawkers and to help raise standards.”
In September 2021, City Energy gave more than $1 million worth of gas rebates to hawkers islandwide to help them tide over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Ong noted that City Energy’s hawker campaign will resonate with Singaporeans, going by a recent survey by research organisation RySense. The survey conducted earlier this year found that nine in 10 respondents feel it is important or very important to preserve the Republic’s hawker culture.
He also expressed his appreciation for the fact that many hawkers use piped town gas, the preferred choice for Asian cooking because of wok hei, the smoky flavour of food cooked using gas rather than electricity. Town gas is also a greener alternative to support Singapore’s sustainability efforts.
City Energy, which rebranded from City Gas in December 2021, is transitioning to become a leading green energy solutions provider in Singapore. In addition to Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled kitchen and home solutions, electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, and solar leasing solutions, the subsidiary of Keppel Infrastructure Trust is exploring the import and use of green hydrogen in town gas production.