Street food vendors wear face masks, as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, when serving takeaway customers in Chinatown in Bangkok. (Photo: Reuters)Hanoi(VNA) – From Facebook groups to hyper-local delivery services, street foodchefs in Southeast Asia are cooking up creative ways to sell their wares asthey struggle to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangkok Postreported.
The region isknown for exotic treats often enjoyed at chairs and tables by the roadside,from mango sticky rice to rich coconut curries.
Butrestrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus have forced vendors off thestreets and confined customers to their homes, leaving businesses scrambling tofind new ways to make ends meet.
And even withlockdowns being eased in some places, business will likely be slow to recoveras many people continue to observe the social-distancing order.
One chef inSingapore, where open-air food courts housing many stalls are largely desertedas eating out has been banned, has created a Facebook group and is helping lesstech-savvy vendors advertise takeaways.
Melvin Chew, 42,whose stall offers rice noodles and braised duck, said the group now has over250,000 members, including both food sellers and customers.
There are alot of supporters who have been helping out sharing the Facebook page, Chewsaid, adding this actuallybrings out the passion and the love for street food.
In Thailand’s Bangkok,one small hostel has transformed itself into a centre to help street foodsellers in their neighbourhood.
Once AgainHostel has launched a delivery service linking vendors up with customers in thearea via messaging app LINE, and takes a 15 percent commission, far lower thanother such online services.
After acustomer places an order, the food is dropped off at the hostel, and staff thenarrange for motorbike couriers to deliver it. Thai street food classics likepad thai and roast pork noodles are among the most popular dishes.
In someplaces, the community is rallying around and a crowd-funding campaign has beenlaunched in Myanmar's biggest city Yangon to raise money for street foodsellers./.
VNA
