THE 50 CENTS FEST 2019 GOES HOKKIEN:
IN THE BELLY OF SINGAPORE’S LARGEST DIALECT GROUP
The annual festival takes a deep dive into the roots of the Hokkien Chinese, promising visitors only the most authentic Hokkien flavours and experiences!
Date: 27 to 28 July 2019
Time: 11am – 11pm
Venue: Chinatown Food Street, Chinatown, Singapore
The 50 Cents Fest (五毛钱美食荟萃) is bringing the hustle and bustle back to the Chinatown Food Street once again with its 4th edition, happening on 27 and 28 July 2019.
Jointly organised by Select Group Pte Ltd and Chinatown Food Street as a part of the annual Singapore Food Festival, which is in its 26th year running, this year’s festival spotlights Hokkien heritage, taking visitors through a multi-sensory, gastronomical experience of all that the largest dialect group in Singapore has to offer.
More than 88,000 people visited last year’s 1930s-themed edition, and The 50 Cents Fest is kicking it up a notch this year with plans to feature over 40 stalls and mobile vendors peddling an assortment of more than 50 different savouries and sweets.
Everything at this award-winning festival is priced from a humble S$0.50 to no more than S$3.00, and visitors will get to taste traditional Hokkien dishes – some of which are rare finds these days – ranging from Hokkien-style rice, noodles and nourishing soups, to snacks, small pastries, and ice-cold desserts and drinks.
“The 50 Cents Fest has become a platform for diners to take a trip back to the good old days, and for the younger generation to learn more about Singapore’s colourful heritage and experience a day in their elders’ shoes through food. Hokkiens form about 40 per cent of the Chinese population in Singapore, and this year we want to showcase the best Hokkien dishes and eateries, and bring both locals and tourists the most authentic experience with curated Hokkien-centric entertainment and activities,” says Ms Rae Ng, Senior Head of Marketing for Select Group.
The 50 Cents Fest 2019 is bringing on board heritage restaurants such as Beng Hiang, an established Hokkien restaurant founded in 1978 well-known for its melt-in-the-mouth kong bak pau (braised pork belly bun). More heritage restaurants that have also been serving up authentic Hokkien fare are in the pipeline for this year’s edition.
An exclusive pop-up restaurant inspired by the Malaysia Hokkien Tai Pai Tong (大排档) concepts will be hidden somewhere along Chinatown Food Street serving ‘Buddha Jumps Over The Wall’ – a nutritious soup made with a medley of premium ingredients like conpoy, fish maw, abalone and ginseng – hei zho (prawn rolls) and fried black Hokkien noodles. The location will be revealed on a directory at the event so come join the hunt!
Other ‘Must-Try’ Hokkien food items at The 50 Cents Fest 2019 also include:
Ang Ku Kueh 紅龜粿 $1.00
An iconic Hokkien snack, Ang Ku Kueh is a small round or oval shaped Chinese pastry, with soft sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre. It is molded to resemble a tortoise shell and is presented resting on a square of banana leaf.
Cha Gay Ah 番薯粉糕 $1.00 Hokkien Tapioca Noodles
The springy “noodle” of this dish is made by kneading tapioca flour into a dough. This kueh dough is then fried with dried shrimps, dark soy sauce and vegetables, creating a mouth-watering savoury dish.
Ngoh Hiang 炸五香 $0.50 Fried Five Spiced Pork Roll
Jee Ba Wan 炸肉圆 $0.50 Fried Meatballs
Originally a South Chinese Teochew dish, the Hokkiens here created their own version over 50 years ago. Try these dishes following 74-year-old Madam Tan’s recipes which had been passed down many generations.
To hype up the crowd during the two-day festival, The Fifty Cents Fest will also be hosting interactive and exciting activities, such as an arcade zone with old-school games like whack-a-frog, bishi bashi, toy catcher machines and more, and a Hokkien wedding-themed photobooth. Other festivities that add to the fun, buzzing atmosphere include getai and opera performances, and a Mixed Goods Store (zha huo dian) retail lane with Hokkien-inspired merchandise from local brands Wetteeshirt, Saywhat?, Tea Pasar and Sibey Nostalgic.
Customers can go cashless at The Fifty Cents Fest with OCBC Pay Anyone! Users can enjoy the convenience of QR Code payments as they scan to pay with OCBC Pay Anyone. What’s more, first 10,000 OCBC Pay Anyone users can redeem $1 off coupons at the event. OCBC Pay Anyone provides an easy, secure and seamless cash-free solution for purchases and transfers. The OCBC Pay Anyone app enables customers to make QR code payments to merchants, and peer-to-peer e-payments leveraging QR codes, social media or a recipient’s mobile number and PayNow directly from customer’s bank account.
Also, pre-purchase exclusive vouchers with the code
Don’t forget to “chope” some priority seats to savour these Hokkien delights via Chope’s reservation platform! What are you waiting for? Gather everyone at The Fifty Cents Fest 2019 to experience true blue Hokkien food and fun! Hok kian lang ti toh loh (where are my Hokkien friends)? Li jiak ba buay (have you eaten)?
For more information, visit here.
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