Singapore is a little quieter in the wee hours of the morning.
But in Singapore's hawker centres, some hawkers have already stared busying themselves, preparing for their day ahead.
A YouTuber couple from Chengdu, China, decided to document what 4am life looks like at Bedok South Market & Food Centre, which is the nearest hawker centre to where they live.
The couple, better known as SG Chengdu family, said that they are often awake at 4am in the morning.
But the "first time that (they were) curious about Singapore at 4 in the morning" started from this very hawker centre.
In Nov. 2020, they had gone to the hawker centre for breakfast with some neighbours, piquing their interest in breakfast food there.
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
A youtiao stall & a coffee stall
In their video, they featured two hawker stalls: one selling youtiao (fried dough sticks) and another selling coffee and toast.
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
They also spoke to the hawkers running the stalls, and found out more about their preparation process.
Currently run by second-generation owners, the boss of Yong Hua You Tiao said that the business has been around for 40 years.
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
"It'll be about 1:30pm by the time I finish working... When I get home in the afternoon, I'll take a nap after lunch. I'll wake up in the evening for dinner, and go to bed again. Then get up to work.
On my off days, the alarm clock in my body (still keeps running). I would still wake up at around 12am or 2am as usual."
The woman running the coffee stall said that she was previously at Ang Mo Kio before moving to Bedok.
SG Chengdu Family/YouTube
(What time do you come to the stall every day?) 4:45am. Mainly to wash the area, flush the water... As soon as the bread arrives, (we) cut off the skin of the bread. The bread will harden if you cut it the night before."
(Does tea making take a long time to practise?) If you want to pull it further it probably takes about two to three months.
You can watch the full video here:
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Top photo via SG Chengdu Family/YouTube.