Singapore’s hawker centres are great for many things: cheap meals, convenient access, even cultural cachet. It did, after all, earn Singapore its first inscription on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. But first dates? Not so much, according to a survey published by online dating application Bumble earlier in 2024.
It found that only around 16 per cent of Singaporeans went to a hawker centre on a first date, while just 30 per cent have been there at all with a partner. “Hawker centres are undoubtedly one of Singapore’s most iconic and popular dining locations, so I had expected more Singaporeans to have dates there more often,” says Ms Chen Meihui, 30, Bumble’s Asia-Pacific communications lead. She adds that this lower-than-expected figure could be attributed to how couples might view eating at hawker centres as an act of convenience, instead of a date.
In fact, 23 per cent of Gen Z respondents – aged 18 to 26 – feel that such eateries are “unacceptable” as a first-date spot, with 20 per cent of younger millennials – those aged 27 to 34 – and 18 per cent of older millennials – aged 35 to 47 – sharing that view. According to Bumble, this could signal that Gen Zers place more emphasis on the importance of first impressions. Why Indian parents will always be right about marriage Ms Vivien Cheong, 54, an administrative and operations executive, who is mother to a 25-year-old, agrees.
She met her husband Thomas Ong, a 55-year-old business devel.