The Singapore Food Festival (SFF) 2004 takes a walk down memory lane with the staging of the hawker stalls at the Orchard Road Carpark.

From 1 to 31 July, more than ten food and drink stalls selling perennial local dinner and supper favourites, will operate from 6pm to 6am at the car park next to Specialist's Shopping Centre, directly opposite Centrepoint Shopping Centre.

Popularly known then as "Gluttons Square", the carpark was well known for the street hawkers who used to gather there and the great variety of good local food.

However, by 1979 all stalls ceased operations there, under the Government's policy to re-site hawkers into hawker centres for health and environmental reasons.

This vibrant and nostalgic scene will be specially brought back during the month of July by the Singapore Tourism Board. The Board has worked with local food experts from Makansutra, to offer some of the distinctive and tasty Singaporean dishes, so that locals and visitors alike can enjoy Singapore's must-try dishes in an authentic and truly unique way.

The ten food stalls have all been rated by Makansutra and chosen for their high quality and consistency of food. The revival will also see the come-back of the original fried oyster omelette ('Or Luak'), fried kway teow and fried hokkien prawn noodles hawkers who used to sell their food at the carpark in the 1970s.

The hawkers will also be operating from custom-built food carts, which conform to the National Environment Agency's regulations. Modern sanitation and washing facilities have also been implemented at the site to ensure that the food served is clean and hygienic so that diners will have a truly enjoyable dining experience.

More..... stalls

Source: Singapore Tourism Board Press Release 1 Jul 2004

Subsequent Notes:

Factsheet: Orchard Road Carpark Hawkers Event

Held in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival 2004

The Singapore Food Festival (SFF) 2004 takes a walk down memory lane with the staging of the hawker stalls at the Orchard Road Carpark. From 2 July, more than ten hawkers stalls selling perennial local favourites, have been operating from 6pm to 6am at the carpark next to Specialists Shopping Centre, directly opposite Centrepoint Shopping Centre.

Popularly known then as "Gluttons Square", the vibrant and nostalgic carpark hawkers event was officially opened this evening by A/Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development & Ministry of Defence and Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC.

The Orchard Road Carpark Hawkers Event at a glance-

Glutton facts
From 2-8 July 2004
Source: Event Manager, Makansutra

• Estimated number of visitors: 12,000 per night
  
  

• Number of tables and chairs on site: 130 tables and 1,000 chairs
  
  

• Number of cleaners at the carpark: total of 240 manhours per night
  
  

• Sticks of Satay sold: 4,000 per night
  
  

• Roti Pratas tossed: 800 per night
  
  

• Otahs served with Nasi Lemak: 400 per night
  
  

• Plates of Char Kway Teow fried: Nearly 700 per night
  
  

• Chicken wings barbequed: 1,400 per night
  
  

• Eggs used to fry up oyster omelettes: 1,300 per night
  
  

• Kilos of noodles and beehoon used for Bak Chor Mee: 30 kg of noodles, 12 big packets of beehoon
  
  

• Kilos of fish used for fish porridge: 20 kg per night
  
  

• Chickens served with Chicken rice: 50 chickens per night
  
  

• Kilos of pork ribs boiled for Bak Kut Teh: 200 kg per night
  

Source: Singapore Tourism Board Press Release 10 Jul 2004