Malaysian food is cheaper and better. Their street-food culture is richer, more vibrant and un-threatened by social enterprises.

Everything the Malaysian Twitterati said in The New York Times is true. Over the causeway, the gravy is thicker, the noodles are springier, and the Chendol is sweeter. No thinking person in Singapore or Malaysia will dispute this.

Unfortunately, nobody cares.

Hawker Culture still belongs to Singapore, not because we are better at street food or hawker dishes, but because we have more money than Malaysia. Malaysians may be better at cooking, but Singaporeans are infinitely better at selling/marketing ourselves as better cooks—simply because we have the resources to do so.

Our flavours may be lacking, but most of the world will never know because we certainly don’t lack for money when it comes to PR campaigns, media blitzes, and over-the-top product placement. (Remember that pointless scene in Crazy Rich Asians where Henry Golding lectures everyone about satay? I thought not.)

In short, Singapore owns Hawker Culture because we spend more money (and influence) telling everyone we own hawker culture.