[ Food Week: Hawker Food ] Just because a hawker is renowned doesn't make it impervious to the adverse impacts of Phase 2. When you are next at your favourite hawker, take a moment to survey their stall. Do you see more leftovers than usual? Or maybe the variety of dishes has shrunk? Or perhaps the operating hours are much more restrained than before?

Whichever the case, even hawkers who traditionally sell out before the sun reaches its zenith have been seeing enough irregular demand to warrant concern. If we wish to support their longevity, the best way to do it is to buy a meal yourself. Who knows how many others are relying on the same fallacy of “someone else will buy” — if you don’t take action, and neither do they, who else is there left?

Today’s feature, Tiong Bahru’s Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice, needs little introduction. Helmed by Mr. Loo, the son of the original recipe’s creator, the establishment has endured for over seven decades. Rain or shine — sans Thursdays on every fortnight — Mr. Loo continues to serve his family’s legacy to locals and tourists.

During more normal times, look across the crowded coffeeshop and it feels like a microcosm of Singapore: Multi-generational families hunched over small tables; white-collared workers rushing against the clock; partially intimidated tourists ogling at the clockwise chaos; foremen braving the sun to cart back multi-packs; affluent matriarchs perched in their rides awaiting their helpers’ return.

I digress — but what I’m trying to say is that places like Loo’s don’t just exist as pit stops for great food; they’ve evolved their own gravities, creating atmospheres and environments that are solely unique to their existence. If these places disappear, not only do we lose a link in our already precarious hawker culture — we risk weakening the integrity of our already patchwork social fabric.

For those who do want to try Loo’s legacy, the choice is simple: Try his Hainanese pork chop. Both the original ketchup or the curry versions are worth a taste. To pair, their chap chye acts as a wonderful contrasting complement; if not, go for their pork belly or other curries to amp it up even further.