'Cookhouse food': Netizens slam bento meals purportedly offered at Hwa Chong Institution

The newly started hybrid canteen model at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) has stirred controversy online, after a netizen likened the offered pre-packed meals to "cookhouse food" served in the military.

Reddit user Taenyfan95 shared two bento lunch options on Saturday (Jan 3), claiming that it was what secondary school students at HCI received.

The meals pictured consist of rice as well as sides of vegetables and/or meat, plated in turquoise-coloured divided trays.

"I hope this doesn't become a trend," wrote the user.

[embed]https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/1q2kyws/we_are_feeding_sg_kids_cookhouse_food_from/[/embed]

The school said last October that it has partnered with caterer Sats to manage its canteens beginning 2026. Food prepared at Sats' central kitchen is available alongside offerings from some on-site stalls, the Straits Times reported.

A HCI teacher, Charles Low, told the publication then that canteen operators had found it challenging to maintain affordable pricing. The bento meals can be pre-ordered through an app, with menus rotated monthly.

The Reddit post had garnered more than 2,500 upvotes and over 600 comments, mostly from netizens who similarly turned up their noses at the presentation of the meal.

Many agreed that the food appeared akin to cookhouse meals, with a few comments taking it a step further by comparing it to prison food. Some also called the food "depressing".

One Redditor remarked: "I get healthy eating but imagine eating this every recess for the rest of your life at school until you graduate."

A user surmised that the food seemed like "a mishmash of 'nutritious' ingredients".

"If the food is what we're used to eating outside such as nasi lemak, mee rebus etc, just that it's from a central kitchen, then maybe it would be somewhat more bearable" they added.

However, another netizen questioned the nutrition value of the bentos.

"It's not even nutritious, missing key proteins, fats and calcium necessary for growing teenaged kids," they alleged.

Another netizen pointed out the portion of rice served: "It's like 65 per cent of the actual meal."

'We hate it'

Several commentors claiming to be students at HCI also slammed the pre-made food.

"Hi HCI person here, I'm just gonna say on behalf of everyone that we hate it," a Redditor declared.

Replying to comments, the user said the meal "actually didn't taste as bad as I thought it would be", and that the options are priced at between $3+ and $4+.

Another netizen who identified as a HCI student said "no one wanted" the new meals.

"My class had six people who willingly paid for the food while the rest all went for the live stalls... Thank goodness there's still the 4 (I think) live stalls and vending machines," they wrote.

The original poster, user Taenyfan95, elaborated in a separate comment that a friend's child studying in HCI purportedly said the queue for the on-site stalls stretch for up to 45 minutes.

HCI previously shared in a Facebook post in November that the hybrid canteen model will offer "greater variety with international cuisine, festive delights and shorter queues".

The ban mian, Japanese cuisine and minced meat noodle stall will continue their tenancy, the school added.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com