Standing in line for Hock Lam Teochew Beef Noodle with a plate of Hill Street Char Kway Teow and 2 rolls of Kway Guan Huat’s Popiah balancing precariously on her left arm, this writer was at the HungryGoWhere.com Big Eat Out! on Nov 22, where 9 of Singapore’s most-beloved heritage hawkers came together to cook for charity.

The vacant lot next to the Peranakan Museum was transformed into a 5-hour-long festive bazaar, with more than 30 shops selling mostly vintage clothing, and more importantly – food, glorious food.

For $5, event goers get 5 Hungry Coupons and a complimentary ticket to the Peranakan Museum. Early birds also get to tour the museum with popular MediaCorp TV comedian-host-actor Mark Lee.

Despite the hype surrounding the HungryGoWhere.com Big Eat Out!, the turnout was slightly disappointing. The snaking queues the heritage hawkers are used to, were reduced to orderly lines of less than a dozen people per stall – much to the delight of event attendees.

“You usually have to wait about half an hour for some of Kwong’s Satay, but down here, you don’t even have to queue!” Allison Wee exclaimed before she sank her teeth into the scrumptious Asian kebab.

However, the same cannot be said for clear favourite, Kway Guan Huat’s Popiah. The stall boasted a 20-minute wait, in spite of the poor attendance.

Behind the counter, store assistants slaved away for hours on end, assembling and wrapping the Hokkien-style non-fried spring roll. While their deft fingers moved swiftly, they were never quite quick enough to satisfy the ravenous crowd.

All food served at the event was prepared on location.

Mr Ng Chang Sing, the man behind Hill Street Char Kway Teow was even on hand to personally  demonstrate his masterful culinary skills.

With nearly 5 decades of experience behind him, Mr Ng is a true legend in the local hawker food scene. He was 1 of the 8 hawkers featured on the Singapore edition of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. The uniqueness of his fried noodles lies in its taste and texture. Mr Ng uses a special sweet black sauce and a secret ingredient that gives the kway teow (broad rice noodles) a distinct crunch.

Good food is a given at a HungryGoWhere.com event. The only complaint was the sweltering heat, but it was secondary, as far as people were concerned.

“I’m sweating bullets, but if that’s the price I have to pay for good local food, I’ll do it twice over,” said Wes Henly, a tourist who chanced upon the event on the Explore Singapore! website.

Other heritage hawkers that participated in the charity cookout include PeraMakan, Sajis Indian Food, Old Chang Kee, Thye Hong Hokkien Mee and Nasi Padang Sabar Menanti II. Proceeds from coupon sales went to Andrew and Grace Home, Operation Smile and Jamiyah Darul Ma’wa.

The HungryGoWhere.com Big Eat Out! is held in conjunction with Explore Singapore, the National Heritage Board’s annual campaign to create a museum-going culture.