By Elysa Chen

HAWKERS, too, eat at hawker centres. And hawkers, too, have their horror hawker stories.

They, perhaps more than most, know the dirty shortcuts of the trade and the tell-tale signs.

Forget about National Environment Agency (NEA) cleanliness ratings, said one hawker. Check out the stall-holder or worker, instead. His appearance speaks volumes of his hygiene standards.

Don't only look at the food or the stall, said another hawker. Look up, because rats - and droppings - can fall from above.

Look for clutter and check the washing area, advised another hawker. Messiness is a cover for cockroaches.

Mr Cher Hang Wah, 57, owner of Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre, admitted that he is never fazed by cockroaches - even when he finds them in the food he's eating.

There is little that he's not seen, boasts the man who has been in the food business since he was eight.

'In those days, when we manned push-cart stalls, rats and cockroaches were a common sight,' he said.

So he never used to cringe when he saw hawkers handling food without wearing aprons and gloves.

But now, he is more wary because of the two deaths and a miscarriage from contaminated food at a rojak stall in Geylang Serai.

It is possibly the worst food poisoning case in Singapore - 154 people fell victim to contaminated food of which 48 were hospitalised.

Once, said Mr Cher, he saw a hawker put on his socks and, without washing his hands, started to prepare his order.

Mr Cher said: 'But I still ate my food because I had already ordered it before I saw what he did.'

But if he is so blase about eating possibly dirty food, what does it say about how careful he is about hygiene at his own stall?

He insists that he would not dare to be negligent about hygiene standards at his own stall, which has won accolades from food guide Makansutra and been featured on several television shows.

'Our customers are always watching us preparing their food. Even if they are not seated right in front of the stall, there are other people who are watching.

'I'm too scared to even cough while I'm cooking,' said Mr Cher. He said he would run to the side of his stall, away from the food preparation area, to cough.

Another hawker, who sells fried carrot cake at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, said that it has become a habit for him to check out the roof of the food centre.

This is because he once saw a rat fall on the head of a tourist eating at Newton Food Centre.

Said the hawker, who wanted to be known only as Mr Koh: 'Instead of looking down at your food, look up. You never know what pests there are on the roof.'

Eight out of 10 hawkers who spoke to The New Paper on Sunday said they would order food from a stall only if it is clean.

They said that instead of relying on the cleanliness rating given to the stall, they would keep their eyes peeled for signs of dirty habits before ordering.

Mr Tan Chee Hoe, 60, who runs a fried hokkien prawn noodle stall at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, said that before he buys from a stall, he always asks himself the following questions:

Is the area where food is prepared kept clean? Where do they wash their dishes? Is their stall cluttered with boxes?

If a stall is messy, said the owner of Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake, who gave her name as Madam Hoon, 'pests such as cockroaches and insects may flock to the stall'.

Fresh food

Mr Chew Hock Seng, 38, a stall assistant at Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese boneless chicken rice at Maxwell market, would not even think of buying food from a stall that looks dirty.

He said: 'Cleanliness is a must. If the area where food is prepared is dirty, with gravy spilled all over the place, or if there are flies in the stall, I'd be too scared to eat there.

'Whenever my stall gets a little dirty, I'd feel uncomfortable.'

Hawkers we spoke to also said they would scrutinise the stallholder's personal hygiene.

A stall assistant at King of Kings Fish Soup at Maxwell market, who gave her name as Miss Susan, said that she would look at the hands and fingernails of the hawkers.

Miss Susan said: 'If the hawkers have messy hair, dirty hands and fingernails and seem as though they haven't had a bath for days, I will lose my appetite, no matter how enticing the food seems.'

Others said that they would check if the hawker is wearing an apron or gloves while they prepare the food.

For Madam Yong Oi Khan, 59, who runs Yon Yi Fish Porridge at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, where the food is stored and whether it is prepared only when the customer orders it is most important.

She said: 'If the food looks like it has been left overnight, or if it is not fresh, I will not eat it. It is also important for seafood to be stored in the fridge instead of being displayed outside.'

She is so particular about this, she said, that even when customers who rate taste above hygiene ask her to leave the fish slightly uncooked, she will insist on doing so.

Madam Yong, who has an A rating for her stall, said: 'Even if this means less business, I must always boil the fish until it is fully cooked.'

Some hawkers, like Mr Lim Kwee, 56, who runs Ah Fatt Fishball Noodle at Hong Lim Food Complex, rely on awards and accolades.

He said: 'If the stall has won at least one award before, the stall should be very popular, and the food there should be safe enough to eat.'

Familiarity

When it comes to food, familiarity does not breed contempt.

The boss of Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, Mr Edmund Lee, 49, said that he and his family prefer to eat at stalls that they often patronise, as they know the food is safe.

He and his wife often visit the S-11 near Ang Mo Kio hub and the coffee shop at Yishun Block 848, as they have found these to be the cleanest in their area.

Once, when they ventured to a coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, they were shocked to find rats running around.

Mrs Kelly Lee, 48, said: 'The rats didn't seem scared of people. One of them even ran next to me.'

Still they ate there - and got diarrhoea, with bouts of vomiting. They have not visited the coffee shop since, said Mrs Lee.

Mr Teo See Meng, 52, who has run his Teochew traditional braised duck kway teow stall for the last 40 years, also said he prefers eating only at a few favourite stalls.

'If I am a regular, I would know how the food tastes. So if there is something wrong with the food, I would know immediately.

'I don't want to wait until I feel the churning in my stomach to realise that something was wrong with the food I ate.'

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This article was first published in The New Paper.