MORE THAN JUST A STORE

Mamak shops were once a staple of HDB estates, and served as community hubs and cultural icons. Now, only a small number survives as lifestyles change, and supermarkets and online shopping take over

- Amrita Kaur

Once a familiar sight at the void decks of Housing Board flats, mama shops - or mamak shops, as they are also called - are becoming harder to find.

While their numbers have dwindled, some continue to keep familiar daily rituals alive.

Every morning at 7am, Mr Ong Thian Kim, 68, unlocks the shutters of his mamak shop in Shunfu Road, a routine he has kept up for years.

Step inside Hoe Peng Kiosk and you will find shelves stocked with everyday essentials, alongside old-school snacks that evoke memories of simpler times.

Most traditional Chinese mamak shops come with a signboard. The Chinese characters on Hoe Peng’s translate to “peace”. It was chosen by the owner’s father in 1985 and has been there since.

At the shopfront, glass-door fridges are a common sight, packed with chilled Milo, 100Plus and bottled teas, ready for a grab-and-go.

Nonfood items such as batteries, torches and shavers often hang overhead, their assortment changing according to the shopkeeper’s whims.

Fresh items such as eggs are often displayed at the front of mamak shops, available by the carton or apiece. Shoppers often stop by to pick up small essentials they have forgotten or run out of at home.

In traditional mamak shops, you might also find large biscuit tins filled with old-school snacks like iced gem biscuits and cream crackers. In the past, these were sold by weight and well loved by children and adults alike.

A small corner of the shop is dedicated to sweets, which draw in kids and students. The most popular treats — from colourful lollipops to chewy candies — are placed right up front to entice.

Mr Ong also sells toys like trading cards and bubble solutions, popular with the elderly buying gifts for their grandkids.

There is no particular order to their arrangement, but he knows exactly where everything is. He is the one who placed them there.