Hawkers who hone their craft over decades are a dying breed.
In fact, I think too many prized recipes die with them, as the next generation shuns the trade.
So it is heartening to know that at least one of the three sons of the satay beehoon seller at Chomp Chomp Food Centre is carrying on the half-century-old family business.
Mr Quek Meng Lee's grandfather began peddling the dish as an itinerant hawker in the 1950s.
In 1973, the Queks moved into the food centre at Serangoon Gardens and have been there ever since.
The beauty of its satay beehoon, or vermicelli drenched in spicy peanut sauce, is in the gravy.
It is crunchy, redolent of peanuts, and has an agreeable consistency - not too thick nor too watery. Some people may prefer a more spicy sauce, but not me.
That is why I have patronised this stall for the last 15 years. Not much has changed all these years, except the price!
In the early 1990s, a plate of the vermicelli packed with prawns, pork slices, kang kong, cuttlefish, cockles and tau pok was yours for just $1.50. Today, the cheapest plate is double that price at $3.
Oh wait, there is something else. Mr Quek, 36, who took over the running of the stall from his father this year, has also hopped onto the health bandwagon.
Now, the third-generation satay beehoon hawker prepares his satay sauce with less oil and salt, says Health Promotion Board nutritionist Janet Loo.
Most hawkers buy their satay sauce from suppliers, but not Mr Quek and his family, who whip theirs up from scratch.
Also, he uses lean pork and fibre-enriched vermicelli, which contains 50 per cent more fibre than regular vermicelli, Ms Loo adds.
If you prefer something less robust, Mr Hui Sau Hung, 62, has been selling fish congee at the Commonwealth Crescent Market for about 40 years.
His fish congee charms with its honest-to-goodness simplicity and fresh fish.
It is simple as the congee is cooked with just top-grade rice, water and some salt, Mr Hui said.
The fish is so fresh that one can still taste the sea in each slice.
Mr Hui's congee is thinner and grainier than the usual thick and smooth Hong Kong style.
He lovingly stirs his congee by hand with the help of a metre-long wooden ladle to break up the rice bits into a soup-like consistency.
The China-born hawker said: 'You must constantly stir the rice and watch the fire so it doesn't burn.'
Not an easy task, considering that the stirring takes about an hour each time a huge pot of congee is prepared. Mr Hui says he does not take note of the number of bowls sold in a day.
He uses less salt than what most other congee hawkers would use, says Ms Loo.
The sad thing is: Mr Hui's two adult sons are not interested in taking over the business.
He said in Mandarin: 'They don't want to be hawkers. They say being a hawker is being stuck to the stall working long hours.'
Mr Hui's stall, Hong Ji Congee, is open daily from 6.30am to 8pm. It is located at 31, Commonwealth Crescent.
Chomp Chomp Satay Beehoon is at Chomp Chomp Food Centre at 20, Kensington Park Road. It is open daily, except Mondays, from 4pm to 11pm.
Both stalls are on the Health Promotion Board's list of hawker stalls which offer Healthier Choice dishes. For the full list, go to www.hpb.gov.sg
