This essay is based on a conversation with Alvin Tan, a 29-year-old who bravely traded his air-conditioned software engineering job for a hot and steamy life behind the wok. Spoiler alert: he’s now a hawker serving prawn noodles in Singapore. This tale has been edited for length and clarity—not to mention the distraction of any existential crises.
Picture this: seven-year-old Alvin, watching his dad drive a cab until the wee hours of the morning. The highlight? Those midnight trips out for Hokkien Mee at a hawker stall, where the culinary chaos of frying noodles danced before his eyes like a bad musical. The smoke, the drama—it was almost as good as a Marvel movie.
Aditi Bharade
Becoming a hawker was not Alvin’s “Plan A.” His past jobs included being a software engineer in an AI company—because who doesn’t want to help machines become smarter? He even launched a startup involving smart vending machines. Spoiler: it crashed harder than an outdated laptop.
In a plot twist worthy of daytime TV, Alvin started dabbling in Hokkien Mee during the pandemic. That’s right, when working from home got old, he went culinary. He expertly sold around 20 plates on a weekend—your classic side hustle, but with more grease and smoke, and less glitter.
Going All In on Hawker Life
Aditi Bharade
Fast forward to earlier this year when Alvin was plucked from obscurity into the bright lights of the Gastrobeats mentorship program. His first gig? Cooking out of a tent next to the Marina Bay Sands hotel—because nothing says “culinary mastery” like slaving away under a glorified sauna for a week.
After sweating buckets and slinging prawn broth that could fill a swimming pool, he opened his big fancy stall named Umami Bomb in July. The irony? It’s probably the only bomb that won’t explode on impact. His parents, bless their skeptical hearts, doubted his ability to endure the heat. They half-expected him to quit faster than a contestant on a bad reality show.
Working 17-Hour Days Behind the Wok
Aditi Bharade
Now three months in, Alvin has established a grueling routine. He enters the stall earlier than the crack of dawn to whip up broth, then lingers like an overcooked noodle until late at night, battling the sweltering temperatures and a side of grease burns. Who needs a spa day when you can lose calories while frying noodles?
After sacrificing his social life and upgrading to “barely-there” lifestyle savings, he dreams of a holiday—but alas, that would mean sacrificing revenue. Who knew the dream life of a hawker could be so solitary? It’s like watching a sitcom about a chef with no friends.
The Silver Lining
Aditi Bharade
But hold onto your chopsticks—business is picking up! From 20 plates to 50 is quite the upgrade. Alvin dreams of reaching the holy grail of 100 plates a day. Perhaps he’ll even earn a “Hawker of the Year” trophy, if those exist. Spoiler: they probably don’t.
With a year to prove he’s not just a glorified noodle chef, he’s determined. If all else fails, there’s always the corporate world waiting like a neglected shoebox from college, ready to swallow him whole.
