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In a climate of rising prices, Sun Kee Drinks, a hawker stall in Kovan that sells soy bean drinks at S$0.30 a pop, is a truly refreshing gem.

In Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre

But wait, that's not all.

The stall at Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre also offers other thirst quenchers, such as grass jelly and bird's nest, as well as soy beancurd on their menu.

And guess what, all of these offerings are also going at S$0.30 for a small individual serving.

For those who would like larger portions to share, the drinks also come in medium and large size, at S$0.50 and S$1, while a large beancurd will cost you S$0.60.

Prices unchanged since late 1980s

What's perhaps even more remarkable is that prices at Sun Kee Drinks have remained unchanged since the late 1980s, according to Goh Kai Suah and Chua Choon Huay, the friendly husband-and-wife duo who owns the stall.

While they may be in their late fifties, Goh and Chua are nimble and agile, interacting with a constant stream of customers and preparing their orders like a well-oiled machine.

As a result, the line in front of the stall is constantly moving, and customers do not have to wait long for their orders as seen by Mothership when we visited the stall on a weekday morning.

Mostly word of mouth or loyal clientele

Situated at the back corner of the food centre, the stall is easy to miss by those who are not paying close attention.

In fact, Chua revealed that most of the stall's footfall is driven by either word of mouth or from its loyal clientele.

This is evident in the cups of drinks and containers of soy beancurd hiding in the stall's fridge, orders that the couple have safe kept for their regular customers who placed an advanced order, lest they run out of stock for the day.

Stall makes enough to get by

Goh and Chua, who get their stuff from a supplier daily, close shop as soon as they are sold out for the day, which according to Chua, tends to be around 1:30pm each day, 1.5 hours before their 3pm closing time.

When asked how she and her husband managed to turn a profit whilst maintaining their remarkably low prices, Chua chuckled.

Without going into the specifics, she commented that the stall makes just enough to get by, giving the impression that she must have been asked this question several times.

Chua briefly added that she and her husband are also not in the hawker business to make a fortune, before moving on to attend to her customers.

If it's any answer at all, Goh and Chua have managed to do this for the past 30 or so years.

Let's hope the legacy continues for another 30 more.

About Sun Kee Drinks

Address: Blk 209 Hougang Street 21, Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre, #01-65

Operating hours: 6:30 am to 3pm (or until sold out) daily, except Mondays

Top and all images by Fiona Tan