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One thing that many Singaporeans living abroad miss dearly is the hawker food here.

Recently, a Singaporean, who has been living abroad for almost 20 years, shared how a specific hawker food holds a special place in his heart.

A taste of home

In a Facebook post shared on "Can Eat! Hawker Food" page on Jan. 20, Yap Chee Gee wrote that he will make it a point to visit Hai Kee Teochew Char Kway Teow at Block 11 Telok Blangah Crescent on the day of arrival whenever he returns to Singapore.

If the stall at Telok Blangah Crescent Market & Food Centre is closed on that day, he will visit the day after to satisfy his craving.

The char kway teow served by a 74-year-old hawker clearly means more than just a fleeting craving to Yap, as he wrote:

"His char kway teow will constantly remind me that I am a Singaporean and forever will be!"

Hai Kee Teo Chew Char Kway Teow may not have won many awards or accolades, but it has surely won Yap's heart with its "strong wok hei taste", "crackling pork lard" and "savoury soft cockles".

His addiction is a proof of his "Singaporean-ness" despite living overseas for many years, Yap wrote.

Speaking to Mothership, Yap shared that he left Singapore in 2004 to work overseas.

He eventually settled down in Shanghai, China, and worked as a teacher in the city.

He plans to return more often and eventually retire in Singapore once his children are no longer dependent on him, he added.

Reactions

What Yap shared in the Facebook post was well-received by many group members, and it evoked a sense of nostalgia among fellow Singaporeans.

You can read some of the comments here:

Top photo via Google Maps and Facebook/Yap Chee Gee