To help the needy, hawker sells Malay food for $2.50

These days, a plate of nasi lemak for $2.50 might seem a rarity. 

But not at “The $2.50 Shop” at Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, where almost every dish – from lontong to chicken rice – is priced as advertised.

Recognising the struggles of needy families and the elderly, Madam Hani Isnin-Racine decided to make her meals at the Malay-Muslim stall pocket-friendly.

The 40-year-old decided to slash the prices soon after helping her mother, Madam Munah, at the stall in July 2021.

Madam Hani told TNP she was moved when people, unable to afford a meal, would sit in front of her stall, eyeing the food.

“I took the initiative to ask them what they wanted to eat,” she said.

“When you see them, you feel for them, especially during inflation where everyone is feeling the pain, even me.”

To maintain the $2.50 business – amid increasing rental and utility costs – Madam Hani and her family have had to make sacrifices.

“When my mum or dad feel like going out and eating something nice, we always share our meals. To help people, we have to feel what they feel too,” she said.

“One time, I wanted the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but I told myself not to get it unless my phone was damaged. I have to prioritise, since my parents aren’t getting any younger. 

“I need savings to send them on pilgrimage and for their retirement. (When that happens), my sister or my husband and I will handle the shop.”

Madam Hani could have opted for a much different life. She graduated with a Double Honours Degree in Law and Economics. After completing her studies, she worked at a law firm for two months.

But her true passion lay elsewhere.

Her parents had always been selling food, and ever since Madam Hani was two years old, she enjoyed helping her mother peel eggs.

When she left her office job, Madam Hani – with the help of her parents – set up a canteen stall at Queensway Secondary School.

There, she encountered students from underprivileged homes who couldn’t afford a meal every day of the week.

“Once, after school, a student asked me, ‘Cik, is there any food? I can carry or wash the plates for you.’”

Moved by the student's predicament, Madam Hani offered a free meal to the teenager.

@tnpdigital Head down to Jalan Kukoh Food Centre to try traditional Malay dishes for only $2.50. ??? Read the full story on TNP to learn about why Hani Isnin-Racine, an NUS grad who runs the stall, decided to make it affordable for everyone. #fyp #sgnews #tiktoksg #sgfoodie #foodiesontiktok ♬ original sound - TNP

Now, at her parents’ stall in Jalan Kukoh, Madam Hani operates daily.

Recently, she had to close shop for a few days when her father needed to visit the hospital for a ligament injury.

“When we resumed our business, an elderly customer asked, ‘Why did you close? I had no food to eat. Everything is expensive (and) I didn’t eat for three days.’

“I felt very sad. I couldn’t imagine my parents going through the same thing,” Madam Hani said.

“Insya Allah (if God wills), if we have the capital and support from Singaporeans, we can open more shops elsewhere or in other countries that require our help. Good food brings people from all over the world together.”