Tasting SS2: Experiential Spaces for Food & People

tasting SS2 Experiential Spaces for Food and People

“The sensorial experience of food endures in one's memory bank, long after the context in which it is consumed disappears or changes.�

-Wong (2007)

a

food + culture project by Lin Shan En | 0331085 |Tutor: Mr Nicholas Ng

content

preface

framework

scope of study

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02

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designated & formal

designated & informal

undesignated & formal

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14

undesignated & informal

conclusion

reference

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preface food-space-consumers relationship

The physical act of enjoying the food itself most likely lasts only minutes, but the memory linked to that food experience can last a lifetime. Thus this study focussed on how the spatial setting of different eateries, creates different overall food consumption experiences in linking the food and people in SS2.

SS2, as a large business district area with over 20 separated blocks of shophouses and surrounded with residentials, houses diverse dining options to cater for people from all walks of life. The use of designated and undesignated eating spaces for both formal and informal dining becomes a particular interest to study: How different spatial setting give rise to different sensorial experience? How these sensorial experiences affect the reason for consumers’ choice of eating spaces?

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framework spatial setting vs sensorial experience

spatial setting orderly

spontaneous

Designated & Formal

Food

Designated & Informal

Undesignated & Formal

Atmosphere

Undesignated & Informal

People

sensorial experience

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scope of study mapping flavours/people in SS2 Research topic: Attractions of eateries through designated and undesignated spaces of food consumption in SS2, Petaling Jaya

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designated formal eating space - Two Pesos designated informal eating space - Wai Sek Kai undesignated formal eating space - K.T.Z. Dessert undesignated informal eating space - Open air wet market 3

two pesos taiwanese style mini steamboat

This modern style mini Taiwanese steamboat restaurant has been a hype is SS2 since its opening in 2014. Upon reaching, a long queue is observed especially at night and patrons will need to wait for approximately half an hour after ‘registering’ their name and number of pax dining at the counter. Chairs are provided outside for them to wait until their names are call upon.

Walking inside, hungry patrons are greeted with aromatic smell and warm steam of boiling soup. While enjoying their food under public accommodation, the orderly arrangement and ďŹ xed distance between each tables provide relative privacy for conversations.

designated, formal eating space

spatial setting designated, formal eating space the definition. restaurant which only uses its interior space for food consumption activity private & not accessible

half-body-height glass partition

interior seatings only

Tealive

self service sauce table

each table with four stoves

chairs provided at five foot walkway for people waiting for their turn to dine in

food preparation

Kedai Ubat Wei Yip

built in soft seating

counter

waiting area

Food consumption activity only occurs inside the restaurant because the cooking of food - steamboat requires gas supply and happens after the food ingredients served on the table. The five foot walkway is only used as waiting area.

The seating arrangement is fixed as there are built in soft seatings at both side of the walls, and each tables need to be connected to gas supply. The fact that each table has four gas stoves, causes the size of groups this restaurant can serve rigid patrons who come in a group larger than four would have to split table.

However, fixed spacing between tables which are unmovable gives to an orderly and clean feeling, beside ensuring a relative distance with patrons of next table from overhearing conversations, thus more privacy is provided for people who prefers eating with families and close friends without being interrupted by possible new contacts.

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food | atmosphere | people selling point: delivering the best soup with the most suitable pot, in terms of:

visual representation

mongolian herbs cast brass pot traditional

photo courtesy to taufulou

two pesos BBQ pork

Italian tomato

pot + pan grill

tomato-shaped ceramic pot

a two-way pleasure system

symbolism 6

food | atmosphere | people

unique cooking method & serving process japanese cast iron pot preserving nutrients of ingredients + providing natural iron mineral

japanese sukiyaki pot

moroccan pot with narrow top at the cover theory of heat circulation + steam & vapour to preserve water content of ingredients

tajine seafood pot

cast iron stone pot boiling of the soup after gentle aromatic stir-frying

two pesos stone pot

photo courtesy to auntie lilly

photo courtesy to auntie lilly

photo courtesy to vkeong

Various kinds of pot, designated for a particular type of soup & ingredients.

Each hotpot in the menu is served with different type of pots, unique cooking methods and serving process forming avoursome dining experience, meanwhile combining different ingredients with matching soup avours to create the perfect sense of taste.

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food | atmosphere | people

couple couple

friends

no culture of sharing table

Although every table in Two Pesos has 4 gas cookers, they did not maximise the usages of all four seats of the tables. Each pair are observed occupying a table of four, when they easily can ďŹ lled the table up by sharing table, which will cut the waiting time by half.

relative distance between people

After all, steamboat is about the intimacy of the occasion when dining with good company. Sharing tables might be an intrusion of personal territory. According to the study of interpersonal distance of man by Edward T. Hall, between 46 cm to 122 cm is considered personal distance for interactions between good friends and family.

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food | atmosphere | people

invitation brightly lit storefront with TV advertising the food

people attracts people long queue at the ďŹ ve foot walkway stimulate interests of passer-by

warm interior colours orange & red boost appetite as a part of marketing strategy, but also produce feelings of intimacy

The spatial setting contributes to maintaining established contacts with family and friends. A suitable meet up place after a long day at work or school.

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wai sek kai claypot chicken rice | chee cheong fun | pork satay | ABC

Housing almost 100 food vendors, ‘Wai Sek Kai’, a direct translation from Gluttony Lane in Cantonese, is often packed with locals looking to enjoy affordable meals for dinner and supper.

Its diversity in choice and ability to house patrons from different social classes and income levels, in a way, portray a microcosm of SS2 community, using food as a media.

Though it is not air-conditioned, this food court is covered by a massive roof with several fans providing a cool breeze all night long. Plenty of fixed seats and tables in the middle of the food court, with numbered stalls lining up at both sides, make this food court a convenient and comfortable one.

designated, informal eating space

spatial setting designated, informal eating space the definition. permanent hawker stalls in open air buildings with common shared or stall dedicated tables and chairs provided for patrons

columns supporting long span of roof

temporary tables sometimes added between fixed tables

fixed seatings attached to table

under a roof

hawker stalls lining up both sides

A food court typology with almost 100 hawker stalls lining at both side along the whole stretch, while fixed tables and seatings are set up in the middle. The tables and chairs are unmovable, thus boundaries between eating groups can be well defined unless sharing of tables occur, sometimes with the addition of temporary table between two fixed table.

The large space with large number of fixed seatings is an advantage in terms of housing huge crowd during eating hours, but it can appear hard and cold, giving an abandoned and deserted feeling during off peak hours.

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food | atmosphere | people stall no. 69 Loong grilled fish & seafood

stall no. 70 Lim satay house

photo courtesy to isabella

photo courtesy to suanie

stall no. 25 Thai food

stall no. 36 Hong Kong chee cheong fun

photo courtesy to open rice

stall no. 19 Claypot chicken rice

stall no. 4 Leen chee kang

photo courtesy to pure glutton

stall no. 41ABC stall

photo courtesy to open rice

photo courtesy to pure glutton

stall no. 78 Abas nasi lemak

photo courtesy to pure glutton

stall no. 48 Penang fried kway teow

photo courtesy to vkeong

Everything under one roof Dining in a family or big groups, sometimes it is hard to make decision on what to eat. Daddy might want chicken rice but mommy wants noodles. When in doubt, food court mou?

Food court is a best representation of ‘jalan-jalan cari makan’ as a local culture among Malaysians as it provides a wide variety of street foods. Though there is repetition of stalls offering the same food, it's still a pleasure to walk around and get a glimpse of the wide variety of choice it offers.

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food | atmosphere | people

accommodate different group sizes to maintain established contacts

large number of seatings

less chance contacts as people can choose not to share tables

people widely spaced out

People are widely spaced out without intimacy of scale, and sharing of tables is optional because there is so many tables available. Although the setting is informal, the arrangement of eating space is well deďŹ ned, thus people stay to themselves or in existing groups, instead of owing freely, weaving in between one another.

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k.t.z. dessert tong shui | shaved ice | snacks

Remember to eat! The translation of ‘Kei Tak Zhek’ from Cantonese, forming the name of this shop, never fail to bring back the memories of how your grandparents will remind you to eat no matter how late it was.

11pm and the night is still young for the night owls in this area as many of them have just ended their long day at work or school. Tables and chairs spilling out to the parking spaces in front of the restaurant and ďŹ ve-foot walkway of the neighbouring Hong Leong bank, invites people who come in group of family and friends, for supper; or some working adults for late dinner.

An informal meeting place to talk over the long day.

undesignated, formal eating space

spatial setting undesignated, formal eating space the definition. restaurant which extends its space for food consumption to five-foot walkway and parking space to add on to its original interior spaces

food preparation

interior seatings

Fluidity in seating arrangement where tables can be combined to accomodate a larger group

five foot walkway Drainage in front of Hong Leong Bank intact

counter

Hong Leong Bank

Ramp with railings are built on top the sidewalk which houses drainage

parking space The privatisation of sidewalk with drainages to accomodate a ramp with railings at both side where people queue and wait. Tables and chairs spill out to five foot walkway of Hong Leong Bank at the side and to the parking space in front to accomodate more people.

Tables and chairs inside the restaurants are movable and can be rearranged to accommodate different sizes of group. As a result, this place can be very crowded at times and the waiters serving food have to weave between tightly arranged tables and chairs. People from different tables might be sitting very close to each other, even though back-to back. If so, sitting outdoor under open air is sometimes more preferable.

Setting is slightly more casual compared to Two Pesos but it might get too noisy for intimate conversations.

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indoor

the five-foot walkway of Hong Leong Bank

the five-foot walkway in front of the shop

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food | atmosphere | people glutinous rice ball red bean paste

peanut paste

fried snacks

photo courtesy to sakthi

cheong fun

dim sum & porridge

photo courtesy to @yhisgreat

photo courtesy to open rice bowl

shaved ice - “mat toh loh� photo courtesy to junior how ka chung

a taste of everything The variety of food, from noodles and porridges as main course to keep you full, shaved ice and hot dessert to satisfy your sweet cravings, make this eating place the best place to eat when you are not sure whether it is time for dinner or supper.

Its opening hours until 1am make it a suitable gathering place for people who ends their day at work late, when the other restaurants around are closed.

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food | atmosphere | people

outdoor undesignated eating spaces along the ďŹ ve foot walkway and car park are less formal

indoor designated eating spaces inside the restaurant become less formal when the seating arrangement are broken down randomly

lively and casual To accomodate more people, two strategies are to: 1.

2.

extend the usage of spaces to outdoor rearrange indoor seating arrangement based of sizes of group

Both strategies make this place become more lively, when freedom and spontaneity are induced, the meeting become more casual, making this ‘place to eat’ a suitable place to loosen up the day.

Because the tables and chairs indoor are also movable , the atmosphere offered to people sitting indoor are more or less the same as outdoor. The only difference might be one is in the presence of air-conditioning, while the other is under cool open night air.

Thus people visiting this place do not really mind where to sit, as long as they get to sit together with their company and enjoy their food.

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open air wet market coffee | hakka mee | curry laksa “Kopi beng ngalat!”

The elderly gather over mugs of coffee and tuck into breakfasts while talking about their son in-laws. Or either they are alone during some days, taking their time to read newspapers over a long cup of coffee.

Husbands and wives sitting down to enjoy a hot bowl of curry mee as breakfast after buying groceries supplies for the week, making conversations with passer-bys they happen to know, who are walking along the wet market where the front of the food stalls extended out to.

Puddles of water dot the uneven floor of side alleys and the five-foot walkway is further narrowed down by the temporary placement of tables and chairs for eating. But the energy of the place is palpable as the hawkers and eaters exchange conversation.

It is a great way to start a morning, isn’t?

undesignated, informal eating space

spatial setting undesignated, informal eating space the definition. temporary hawker stalls which uses the road, side alley between buildings and the five foot walkway of other shoplots for food preparation & food consumption undesignated parking

Bawaigo Plus Cafe

Nikudo Seafood

the side alley

the five foot walkway

tables and chairs of cafe tables for food preparation

hakka mee

curry mee

coffee

the road

market stalls

The food stalls where food preparation occurs, and temporary tables and chairs where food consumption activity take place, take up passageway where people walks through the market stalls. Walking space become narrower, thus people who sit down to eat and people who are walking through this space can easily make contact.

Because of limited eating spaces, people often share tables. It offers to spontaneously generated conversation and greetings, especially when these people are from common background and come to the wet market for a common reason.

The scale of this local food node become intimate. It is a matter of distance and communication because we now can perceive more clearly the emotions of other people, at this point the meeting become relevant in a social context. (Jan Gehl, 2011) 20

the road

the side alley

the ďŹ ve-foot walkway

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food | atmosphere | people

curry mee

kopi o

hakka mee

古 早 味 food memory “Food memories feel so nostalgic because there’s all this context of when you were preparing or eating this food, so the food becomes almost symbolic of other meaning.”

-Susan Whitborne, physcologist.

Food is good, reasonable pricing and portion, but nothing much to boast about.

With only three hawkers stalls, there is not much choice but people still crowd this place. What makes the crowd here and what makes this place a destination to eat: is more than the food itself.

It might not much about the curry mee itself, but the whole experience of having it before with your grandparents as a child, being in a family and nourished, and that acquires a lot of symbolism apart from the sensory quality.

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food | atmosphere | people

紐帶 the knot who ties the people to this place He remembers that this lady always want her drink ‘kurang manis’, and that couple always share a ‘teh si ngalat’.

It is about the relationship built with the seller over the years. It is associated with memories and familiarities.

Which an outsider might find it harder to relate.

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food | atmosphere | people But the culture of sharing tables help.

Unlike in designated, formal eating spaces where the boundary between eating spaces are prominent and fixed, the setting of a crowded market and the friendliness of the market communities makes the sharing of tables (daap toi - 塔台) a natural gesture.

Conservations and greetings flows freely as if you have known each other when there is a third person, a middle man - the hawkers who weaves the communities with their simple but sincere food.

It is an authentic atmosphere powered by the spontaneous act that we simply can’t recreate in a carefully choreographed designated, formal eating spaces.

塔台

couple relatives

friends

new contacts forming, adding on to established contacts 24

“I have known the owners of this coffee stall for more than ten years. I came here for breakfast everyday since I stop working.

We can sit here for a long time, reading newspaper, while chit-chatting with friends.”

-‘extra-friendly’ aunty

daily routine

“I haven’t seen you here for a long time” “Teacher, sit down and join us lah”

“Eh hi, want to join us for breakfast?”

here the people cannot be separated from the food and the atmosphere

“I came here every morning from Setapak, sometimes I will sit here alone having my daily coffee, but sometimes I will meet my friends here.”

-semi-retired uncle Leong

the regulars because these people don't come here for the food alone

the first-timers

“We always get our family supply from this market but this is the first time we sit down and eat here.”

-the couple

conclusion the secondary function of eateries: a meeting place

In the study of food-space-consumers relationship by looking at attractions of eateries through designated and undesignated spaces of food consumption, although quantitative conclusion regarding the consumers’ preferences on places to eat cannot be made, a certain pattern is observed.

While people’s experiences are subjective, a clear conclusion can be made on the shifting function of an eating place to a place of meeting. The nature of meeting, whether with established contacts or new contacts, is then very much influenced by the spatial setting of the eateries. The level of contact is highly influenced by the spontaneity and freedom the spatial arrangement offers.

Restaurants such as Two Pesos and K.T.Z. Dessert are usually visited by a group of close friends and families - to maintain established contacts. The rigidity of table arrangement and fixed spacing between tables in Two Pesos give more personal distance compared to K.T.Z Dessert, where the meeting can be partially informal under open air together with the fluidity of tables and chairs arrangement.

Informal eating places on the other hand, has more potential as a starting point to a new level of contact because of the culture of sharing tables. In Wai Sek Kai, however, due to the large designated space with many seatings, people have a choice to not sit together and be widely spaced in between. In contrast, temporary hawker stalls in SS2 wet market serves as a better external stimulus to bind people together - the spirit of food is inseparable from its people and atmosphere due to its physical and cultural setting, where the passage for people to walk through become narrower when tables and chairs take up spaces, and how conversations are generated naturally between sellers and buyers from other stalls.

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references Hall, E. T. (1969). The hidden dimension. Garden City, N.Y: Anchor Books.

Gehl, J. (1987). Life between buildings: Using public space. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Wong, H. S. (2007). A taste of the past. Historically themed restaurants and social memory in Singapore. Department of History, National University of Singapore, Thomson, J. R. (2017). Psychologists Explain Why Food Memories Can Feel So Powerful, accessed 14 June 2019 from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/power-of-food-memories_n_5908b1d7e4b0265 5f8413610

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food | space | people | culture

SS2 as a place