Extreme makeover, hawker edition: People's Park Food Centre reopens with new look to delight of diners

Those who've previously visited People's Park Food Centre before probably didn't have very good memories of it. 

While it's known to house several popular stalls like Zhen Zhu Fang Roasted Delights and Ri Ri Hong Ma La Xiang Guo, the hawker centre drew plenty of flak for its poor hygiene standards. 

But things have changed. 

The space has finally completed a much-needed revamp after being closed from April 1 to June 30 for renovation works. 

And the place looks almost unrecognisable now. 

In a Facebook post dated July 1, netizen Ng Chun Kiat shares pictures of the hawker centre's new look. 

One of the biggest differences is the improved lighting with the once dimly-lit space now looking brighter and even larger in size. 

Besides lighting, the new wall and floor tiles also help brighten up the place, considering that they are now a lighter shade than before.

In a place with so much cooking going on, proper ventilation is important too. 

With new fans in place, the place is much airier and Chun Kiat even added that it felt "much cooler now". 

He did note that the area around the "Mala Xiang Guo section" of the food centre is still smoky as there is plenty of stir-frying going on. However, the other sections of the hawker centre have "almost no smoke". 

Previously, pests and birds were also a huge problem and this has been solved by the giant bird netting that was erected over the hawker centre's sky wells. 

"Overall, a welcome upgrade and revamp. About 80 per cent of the stalls have resumed operations today. Special thanks to National Environment Agency (NEA) for the timely revamp!" said Chun Kiat. 

Apart from the bird nets, wires were also placed on exhaust pipes and beams to deter mice and pigeons from resting there, reported Lianhe Zaobao. 

In the comments of the Facebook post, netizens celebrated the hawker centre's new look and many were especially pleased with how bright and clean the space looks. 

Some also pointed out that patrons and vendors alike should stay diligent to maintain the cleanliness of the hawker centre. 

Patrons and hawkers who were interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao also sang praises about the renovations. 

"After the renovation of the hawker centre, the biggest change is that it became more hygienic, clean and bright. If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't know that the open-air area has anti-bird nets and today, I didn't see any birds there," a 50-year-old diner surnamed Chen told the Chinese daily. 

A stall owner surnamed Liu, 48, also said she hasn't seen any birds or pests yet. 

"The environment has improved, diners can eat comfortably and at ease, and we [hawkers] can work better," she remarked. 

A reputation for being dirty 

When it was announced that People's Park Food Centre was going to undergo renovations, many people heaved sighs of relief. 

Over the years, several hawkers and customers expressed concern about the level of hygiene at the popular hawker centre. 

Some diners even had the unpleasant experience of dealing with unwelcome guests previously, from rats scurrying on the floor to crows and pigeons pecking away at plates of leftover food.

ALSO READ: Diners at Sengkang hawker centre disgusted by garbage collection as people eat nearby

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