Businesses in Hainanese Curry Rice Increased by 20% After PM Wong’s NDR Speech About It

PM Lawrence Wong wears many hats — the PM of Singapore, a guitar enthusiast, and now, a food influencer as well.

After PM Wong mentioned the Hainanese curry rice dish during his mandarin National Day Rally (NDR) speech last weekend, Hainanese curry rice stalls have reported up to a 20% increase in business.

Wah. PM Wong truly is Singapore’s top food influencer.

PM Wong Likens Singapore’s Multiculturalism to Hainanese Curry Rice

On Sunday (18 August), Singaporeans who tuned in to PM Wong’s mandarin NDR speech would remember that the PM had likened Singapore’s multiculturalism to a plate of Hainanese curry rice.

It’s a little different from the traditional multiculturalism analogies we always hear of, but a good analogy nonetheless. PM Wong shared that Hainanese curry rice combines Western pork chops, Peranakan curry chicken, Indian curry spices, and Chinese sauces all in one dish — only in a diverse and inclusive society like Singapore can you have a dish as unique as this.

Assembling a plate of Hainanese curry rice is a little like assembling the Avengers sia. But that’s exactly what Singapore’s multicultural landscape is — a combination of many different cultures, all in one nation.

Hainanese Curry Rice Stalls See Up to 20% Increase in Business After PM Wong’s Maiden NDR Speech

PM Wong’s analogy is a lovely one — but what’s even lovelier is actually digging into a delicious plate of Hainanese curry rice.

You were probably craving for Hainanese curry rice after hearing PM Wong mention it in his NDR speech. And from the surge in customers at Hainanese curry rice stalls islandwide the day after PM Wong’s NDR speech, it appears that you’re not the only one.

Even now as I’m writing about this, I’m craving Hainanese curry rice… 

According to Lianhe Zaobao, on Monday (19 August), a Hainanese curry rice stall at Tiong Bahru Market, more commonly known among Tiong Bahru residents as “Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice”, reported seeing up to a 20% increase in business — this is just one day after PM Wong’s NDR speech.

But this food gem nestled in Tiong Bahru isn’t the only Hainanese curry rice stall that saw increased business after PM Wong’s NDR speech.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, one day after PM Wong’s NDR speech, the famous Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice located at Jalan Besar also saw more business during the lunch hour, attracting both regulars and tourists.

So, if you’re headed to a Hainanese curry rice stall this week, you should prepare yourself for slightly longer queues than usual lah. 

Providing more insight into the origins of Hainanese curry rice and how the dish ties into PM Wong’s analogy, the third-generation owner of Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice shared that Hainanese curry rice was traditionally eaten with braised meat. However, as more Singaporeans of other races began trying out Hainanese curry rice, the dish evolved to have Western-style pork chops as a meat option instead. Others may also opt to order the curry rice without pork.

I guess you could say that Hainanese curry rice has something for everyone, regardless of race, language, or religion lah — truly the perfect embodiment of Singapore’s unique cultural landscape.

You can find out more about what else our new favourite food influencer, PM Wong, covered during his maiden NDR speech here.