In the canteen, long queues can always be seen at Uncle Chang’s Cafe and Nang’s Fruit Stall. To some people, they are pretty much the same thing, just known as the 2 drink stalls in the canteen. So, what is different between these two stalls and which could be considered as the better one?
I conducted an online survey on 109 people who were mostly Year 2 students to find out their opinions on these two stalls, and here are the results.
As shown above, Uncle Chang is obviously the more popular choice among students. 55.2% prefer Uncle Chang, 13.8% prefer Nang’s Fruit Stall and 22.4% like both. 8.6% prefer other drink stalls.
I will now be featuring everyone’s favourite food/drink from each stall.
1. Milk Tea ($1 without pearls, $1.30 with pearls)
Despite this fact, the milk tea from Nang’s Fruit Stall seems to be very popular compared to Uncle Chang. The milk tea from Uncle Chang received rather negative comments while Nang’s Fruit Stall was showered with praises for its good milk tea. Uncle Chang’s milk tea is $0.80, and Nang’s Fruit Stall’s milk tea is $1 withut pearls and $1.30 with pearls. For a school canteen, these prices are quite cheap and I would recommend you try them. Do note that Nang’s Fruit Stall’s milk tea might be too sweet for some people and it is literally diabetes in a cup. Occasionally, the fruit stall runs out of pearls.
As for the queue time, Uncle Chang usually takes a longer time. Since Uncle Chang not only sells drinks, it should not be too surprising to know that. But when it comes to the time the stall owner takes to serve food, Uncle Chang definitely wins. The aunty and uncle can pull out a drink from their fridge within 5 seconds without fail. Both stalls are more crowded on days when most of the school is dismissed at the same time, on days like Friday. To conclude, go to Nang’s Fruit Stall if you’re in a rush and need a quick drink.
2. Ice blended tropical drink from Uncle Chang($1.00)
From Uncle Chang’s Cafe, the ice blended tropical drink is quite popular. I have no idea how it was made, but it is a homemade drink with a bunch of fruits. To me, it tastes a bit like carrot juice. When you drink it, it tastes sweet and juicy at the start. As you get to the bottom, it’s basically all ice. You have to crush the ice a little and once you’re done it tastes too diluted. Shaking it does not really work too. Please suggest how to enjoy the whole thing. It costs $1 and I would say it could be a little cheaper but it is not overpriced.
Another favourite is the ice longan drink. It is very refreshing since it’s really cold.(maybe a bit too cold) Like the ice blended tropical, just drink from the top until there’s little liquid left. Remember to shake it before you drink it. Once all you taste is ice, open the cap. Take the toothpick or whatever the thing the stall owner gives you along with the straw, and poke it into the ice and scoop out the longans. For the price of $1, I would say it is worth the price, and it may be better than the ice blended tropical.
3.The plain beancurd from Nang’s Fruit Stall ($1.00)
4. The chocolate beancurd ($1.50)
Something worth trying from Nang’s is the beancurd. The plain flavour costs $1 and the chocolate, bandung and almond flavour costs $1.50. It has a silky texture and the taste is not too overpowering. It is also not too sweet with an affordable price.
After carrying out the survey and conducting interviews, I have come to a conclusion that it is not possible to compare the two drink stalls. There, like my history teacher would say, is no basis for comparison. After all, Uncle Chang’s Cafe sells snacks and dimsum, while Nang’s Fruit Stall has fruit juice. Nang’s Fruit Stall is known for its milk tea, and Uncle Chang is known for selling canned and bottled drinks at a cheaper price and the yummy homemade drinks.
The drink stalls are all good in their own ways and if you read this thinking it is a guide to choose which stall to patronise, I am sorry to say you came to the wrong place. It was click-bait all along – just buy drinks from whichever stall based on the situation. Although Uncle Chang is more popular, I still feel both stalls are equally good.
