Granny downs 10 bowls of curry mee in 45 minutes at food court before return of P2HA dine-in ban

With the reinstatement of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) since July 22, Singapore residents have not been able to dine in at all restaurants and eateries island-wide, until August 18.

Upset that she would not be able to enjoy her favourite chicken curry noodles in air-conditioned comfort for a month, one grandmother decided to grab the chance to have her fill while she still could.

After the announcement of tightened Covid-19 rules on Tuesday (July 20), the 67-year-old pre-ordered 10 bowls of curry noodles from a foodcourt stall for consumption the next day, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

In an interview with the Chinese evening daily, the woman, surnamed Jiang, said that she would patronise the Koufu foodcourt located at Blk 478, Tampines Street 44 every three or four days. In particular, she loved the curry noodles sold there and was a loyal customer.

The 43-year-old stall owner told Wanbao that he was initially in disbelief when he received her order.

"Young people can usually eat three or four bowls; even with my size, I'm only able to eat five or six bowls. When she told me she could eat 10 bowls, I couldn't believe it," said the owner.

He confidently told Jiang that if she could finish 10 bowls of noodles, she could have them for free.

Jiang took him up on the challenge, arriving at the stall the next day. The bowls that she ordered were the smallest size, which cost $3 each. Besides noodles and curry, each bowl contained chicken meat, potatoes, tau pok and slices of fishcake.

When Wanbao reporters arrived at the stall at about 3pm, Jiang had already eaten five bowls of noodles.

To the owner's amazement, Jiang not only managed to devour 10 bowls in one sitting, but she emptied the bowls within 45 minutes.

"With her age and size, I didn't think she could eat so much. This is the first time in more than 10 years that I've seen an ah ma who's such a big eater."

After her feat, Jiang proclaimed that she was "very full". However, when asked if she will be having dinner, Jiang nodded her head, stating that she intended to buy chicken curry home for dinner, and would have it with bread.

Jiang's husband noted that his wife had always had a very healthy appetite that did not wane with age.

“She gets hungry very often, even before mealtimes,” said the husband, adding that Jiang is able to finish a whole loaf of bread in one day. 

candicecai@asiaone.com