third world economy...
How much does it take to power a third world economy? I was honestly quite surprised that there is a community within Singapore that actually does earn enough in a day to power a third world economy for 5 years: Newton Circus. Not that i'm exaggerating here, but the amount of profit Newton Circus generated by all the hawkers there could actually power a third world economy. The prices there are RIDICULOUS. Take my own order for example. I ordered a mutton chop and the hawker told me it would cost $6. I thought to myself that for that price i'ld be getting a whole goat, or at least half a goat, then garnished with caviar and abalone and sharks fin and maybe some escargot. What ended up on the disposable plate in front of me was the meat off the knuckles of the goat, garnished with one lump of mashed tomato and about 20 french fries. The plate was so small an ant would fall off if it tried to stand on the plate. Amazing... i didnt know Singaporeans would rip off other fellow Singaporeans so blatantly.
Another example of their mind boggling ability to overcharge; Baby's coach ordered a bowl of iced jelly. Allow me to break down the cost of a bowl of ice jelly for the purpose of discussion here.
the main component, ice : 2 cents
2nd ingredient, almond jelly : 20 cents (thats already giving ALOT extra)
3rd ingredient, longans: 5 cents
4th ingredient, sugar solution: 2 cents
disposable bowl: 1 cent
total cost price (not including cash they save on economies of scale) : 30 cents
price of 1 bowl of iced jelly at newton circus : $2.50!!!!
holy SHIT! that's almost a 1000% profit! And its not as if the dessert was very aesthetically pleasing either. For $2.50 you'ld expect your ice to come shaped like the eiffel tower, balanced on delicately cut pieces of almond jelly with a longan at the peak right? but.. This bowl of almond jelly looked exactly like any other bowl of almond jelly. RIP OFF...
And for the exorbitant prices they charge, the least they could do was to balance out the extra hole in the customers wallet by selling food that was actually tasty. The soup of the prawn mee baby had vaguely reminded me of the puke i was served at this Japanese restaurant in Clementi. The chicken wings i cook myself at barbecues have more meat and flavour then the chopsticks posing as chicken wings in newton.
BUT... i must say that there ARE actually SOME stalls in Newton that actually do serve quality products. Like the Orh Lua (oyster omellete), or the seafood (that i couldnt afford), or the higly recommended popiah (that i didnt get to try cos it was closed by the time i got there). The true Newtonians (i'm not talking aboutSir Isaac Newton's theories here) take the effort to lay quality food before their customers hungry mouths.
Tubby's advice: If ever you decide to go to Newton Circus, CHOOSE YOUR FOOD CAREFULLY. 90% of the stalls there are just riding on the success of the other stalls, and thrive on the customers belief that he/she would get quality food from Newton Circus. Do NOT fall for this. do your research, get the recommendations, then go there, enjoy the food, then spit at the other stalls for trying to rip you off before you leave.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
FARTED @ 3:01 AM
