The $2.50 Shop: Family-run hawker stall with $2.50 nasi rawon, lontong & $0.80 handmade kueh, opens at 4.30am

The .50 Shop: Family-run hawker stall with .50 nasi rawon, lontong & alt=

Located at Kukoh 21 Food Centre, The $2.50 Shop is a Muslim-owned stall that features over 14 dishes, with everything on the menu going for just S$2.50 each.

The 2.50 Shop - stall front — The 2.50 Shop – stall front

The 2.50 Shop - Owners — The 2.50 Shop – Owners

Run by 40-year-old Hani Isnin-Racine and her parents, both in their 70s, the trio has been operating this brand for slightly over 2 years. Prior to this, they operated another stall at the same location, offering similar dishes at higher prices.

The 2.50 Shop - action shots 2 — The 2.50 Shop – action shots 2

“We started the S$2.50 meals initiative to help lessen the burden of the vulnerable community (single parents and senior folks who aren’t working due to chronic illness or disability),” Hani shared.

The 2.50 Shop - action shots — The 2.50 Shop – action shots

To be ready for their 4.30am (i’m in dreamland at this hour) opening, they arrive at 2am to begin preparations. When asked why they open so early, Hani explained, “We cater to older folks with different sleep patterns due to medication, or those needing to visit the kidney dialysis centre to ‘chope‘ good seats for their session.”

What I tried at The $2.50 Shop

The 2.50 Shop - Nasi Rawon — The 2.50 Shop – Nasi Rawon

With so many choices, I needed a good 5 minutes to decide what to get. After much deliberation, I got the ball rolling with the Nasi Rawon (S$2.50), with an option to have it either with Cuttlefish or Paru (beef lung).

I chose the latter, and the mound of rice was topped with a generous serving of serundeng, accompanied by sambal goreng, half a bergedil, a bowl of beef stock, and sambal belacan. For its price point, the ingredients were definitely generous.

The 2.50 Shop - beef stock on rice — The 2.50 Shop – beef stock on rice

The beef stock was rich and complex, filled with a few beef chunks. Each spoonful of gravy over the rice was a burst of flavours; a rave party in my mouth.

Hani shared that her mum prepares the sambal belacan fresh daily, using small kampung chilli padi that’s thoroughly washed and deseeded. It delivered a powerful spice kick that jolted my taste buds, waking me up even before my morning coffee— hot but shiok!

The 2.50 Shop - paru — The 2.50 Shop – paru

I’ve tried paru at several other stalls, and it has always been the same— dry and slightly tough. Thankfully, the version here was soft and moist.

The 2.50 Shop - lontong — The 2.50 Shop – lontong

Next, we tried the Lontong (S$2.50). The rice cake pieces were doused in a thick creamy gravy with a mixture of braised cabbage, long beans and carrots, served with spiced grated coconut and a dollop of nasi lemak sambal.

The 2.50 Shop - lontong closeup — The 2.50 Shop – lontong closeup

The pieces of lontong were pillowy, melting in my mouth with ease, and the veggies were braised to a perfect softness.

The 2.50 Shop - lontong gravy closeup — The 2.50 Shop – lontong gravy closeup

The gravy had mellow, sweet notes and was prepared with seniors in mind, using a 50/50 blend of pure coconut milk and low-fat milk to keep it low in cholesterol. It was lighter and didn’t feel too jelak, even after many spoonfuls.

The 2.50 Shop - egg closeup — The 2.50 Shop – egg closeup

The sambal egg was a nice touch. According to Hani’s mum, Mdm Mai, the sambal is cooked for at least 6 hours, with constant skimming of the chilli oil that’s accumulated at the top.

The 2.50 Shop - mee goreng — The 2.50 Shop – mee goreng

We still had room and gave the Mee Goreng (S$2.50) a try. The stir-fried yellow noods had bits of crab stick, cubes of tau kwa, tau geh, a piece of onion omelette, sambal, then garnished with ku chye, fried shallots and half a calamansi.

The 2.50 Shop - squeezing of calamansi — The 2.50 Shop – squeezing of calamansi

To add some brightness, I squeezed in some calamansi juice— hello burst of citrusy goodness!

The 2.50 Shop - sambal closeup — The 2.50 Shop – sambal closeup

The 2.50 Shop - tossed noodles — The 2.50 Shop – tossed noodles

After mixing the noodles with the sambal, each bite started with a fiery kick that lingered briefly before it faded, leaving only a gentle numbness on your tongue.

The 2.50 Shop - onion omelette — The 2.50 Shop – onion omelette

There was also a large slab of onion omelette in it— just look at the size! How can this plate cost only S$2.50?!

The 2.50 Shop - kueh banana — The 2.50 Shop – kueh banana

The stall also has a variety of handmade Kueh–Kueh (S$0.80 for 1, S$2 for 4). There’s goreng pisang and epok epok, too. The Kueh Kodok Pisang was a moist and fragrant banana ball of deliciousness. My only gripe? Certain parts were slightly dark, resulting in a mild bitterness.

The 2.50 Shop - ondeh ondeh — The 2.50 Shop – ondeh ondeh

The 2.50 Shop - kueh variety — The 2.50 Shop – kueh variety

I also tried the Ondeh Ondeh, Kueh Kosui and Kueh Sago. All of them were decent, coated with shredded coconut.

Final thoughts

The 2.50 Shop - overview — The 2.50 Shop – overview

By the time you’ve reached this paragraph, you’re probably wondering, “Do they actually make a profit?”

Hani was very honest and added, “No, we don’t. There are many monthly bills to settle besides rent and utilities. But despite these sacrifices, it’s worth it when we can help ease the daily lives of the elderly.”

If you’re thinking of swinging by The $2.50 Shop, be sure to check their Facebook page. Hani’s mum’s health has deteriorated since she suffered a minor fracture at work last October— wishing you a speedy recovery!

Let’s support these 3 beautiful, kind-hearted souls. I have the utmost respect for them and am honoured to have made their acquaintance.

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