Ultimate Hawker Fest (UHF) [终极街头美食节] will return for the third year with a unique focus on celebrating Singapore’s Hawker Heritage, as part of Singapore’s Jubilee (SG50) celebrations. The iconic one-day event will take place at Suntec Convention Centre Halls 401 and 402 on 22 November 2014, from 11am to 5pm. Previous editions of the event drew crowds of more than 3,000 in 2012 and 2013.
UHF 2014 will feature celebrity food bloggers Maureen Ow (www.MissTamChiak.com), Derrick Tan (www.SgFoodOnFoot.com) and Ian Low (TheSilverChef.blogspot.sg), who will combine their gourmet expertise to bring together more than 20 chefs to create the Ultimate menu. Covering a floor area of 6,110sqm, the best of Singapore’s hawker culture will be showcased in three food zones namely Ultimate Original Recipe [食代相传], Ultimate Pursuit of Happiness [食膳为心] and Ultimate Ingredients [食材科举].
The Ultimate Original Recipe zone honors the heritage of pioneer generation hawkers through stalls helmed by chefs from the second, third and fourth generations of pioneers. The Ultimate Pursuit of Happiness zone features budding chefs and hawkers who have been driven by their passion for food to leave jobs in other sectors to join the culinary industry. Last but not least, the Ultimate Ingredients zone, a mainstay of previous editions of UHF, will once again showcase traditional fare made with the finest ingredients to create ‘ultimate’ versions of the original dish.
Apart from culinary veterans, UHF 2014 will also feature a new generation of young budding chefs like Douglas Ng of Fishball Story, and Gerald and Julyn of Penang Kia, who have committed much to honing their passion and craft.
Armed with his grandmother’s recipe, Douglas Ng of Fishball Story arrives at his stall at 4am every morning to make all his fishballs from scratch using only pure yellowtail fish meat and no flour. At only 23, Douglas has a passion in preserving the hawker heritage and serving food with heart. “It’s the feel of the wobbly fish paste, how I need to adjust to the supply each day as the fishes are not all the same every day and the way I need to beat and slap the paste, season and soak it before I can boil them – all very satisfying, I cannot explain why,” says Douglas.
The public can purchase food coupons on the Ultimate Hawker Fest website at www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg. Coupons purchased online can be collected atTOUCH Community Services main office (Blk 162 Bukit Merah Central, #05-3545, Singapore 150162) or on the event day at Suntec Convention Centre Halls 401-402. Food coupons are sold while stocks last and patrons are advised to purchase their coupons early to avoid disappointment. Admission to UHF 2014 is free and proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the services and programs of TOUCH in meeting the needs of the disadvantaged.