PUBLISHED ONJanuary 15, 2026 12:30 PMBYEsther LamHwa Chong Institution (HCI) is working with Sats to refine bento meals, recipes and food presentation, and exploring establishing an on-site kitchen, said principal Lee Peck Ping on Thursday (Jan 15).
On Thursday (Jan 15), members of the media were invited to tour the new hybrid canteen and sample the bento boxes served by Sats.
Lee, 47, said: "We have been engaging students and parents since 2024 as part of our plans to roll out this new canteen model. This is to really address the sustainability of the existing school canteen as well as to address the queue times."
The bento set options sparked online attention recently after a netizen likened the offered pre-packed meals to "cookhouse food" served in the military.
On Jan 3, Reddit user Taenyfan95 shared photos of two bento lunch options, claiming it was what Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) students were offered. The two meals shown consisted of rice with a side of vegetables and protein, plated in turquoise-coloured trays.
The school launched its new hybrid canteen model on Jan 2 where students can pre-order bento meals from Sats, with eight options that are rotated daily, including vegetarian choices. The bento sets are halal-certified and students have to order them at least two days in advance.
Aside from the bento sets, the canteen continues to have four live food stalls — food and drinks, Western grill, Yong Tau Foo and noodles — which operate daily.
Teacher Chan Hwee Sing, 45, said: "Before the start of this hybrid canteen, due to the lack of vendors coming opening stalls, I really didn't have much of a choice for my meals so, for me, these are very good options."
Yang Kai Lun Kelen, 42, who runs the noodles stall with his mother and grandmother, said: "The students hope that we can stay around."
Yang runs one of the two remaining stalls that are not operated by Sats. His mother had been running the stall for around 13 years and he joined her a few years ago.
The school is forming a canteen review committee comprising staff, students, parents and Sats representatives to support continuous improvement, said HCI.
It added that it is working with Sats to introduce pre-ordering options at live food stalls from semester two this year to further reduce queues.
The school is also exploring the establishment of an on-site kitchen, where bento meals will be prepared on campus to shorten the time from cooking to service, enhance food standards and improve quality control.
Some of the five Secondary 4 students, whose interviews with the media were arranged by the school, said that the bento meals have seen improvements since the initiative was rolled out.
One student said that during the initial sampling session the food was a little stale. However, he was pleasantly surprised on Thursday and described the food as more fresh and "actually quite decent".
Following the controversy, there were claims on social media that students were allegedly being punished for speaking to the media.
HCI refuted the claims in a statement on Jan 9 saying that no students were penalised, issued demerit points or reprimanded for voicing their opinions on the issue, reported The Straits Times.
In a press release on Thursday, the school denied the online allegations again.
"This is not true, as the Discipline Module was taken down in October 2025, prior to recent discussions about our canteen," said HCI, adding that the temporary takedown was part of an ongoing review of the school's demerit system.
Speaking on the issue, one student said: "I feel like it's been both positive and just unlucky ... it shows that we care."
"At the very beginning, it (definitely) was not where we wanted it to be as students and I'm just glad that it has been improving so far," he added.
"If the food is bad but people don't say anything and they just queue for the live stalls, ... that shows that there's not enough love and passion for the school and for people to speak up, as much as it may sound negative, at some point it is also positive feedback."
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