Did food used to taste much better in the olden days of SG?

Context

Was hearing many elders saying that hawker food now is a far cry from what it used to be. My earliest memories was eating food as a kid in the late 00s and I didnt think the taste has dropped so much.

Folks who have tasted food in the early period like specifically 90s and before, are the food of superb quality like they always said? One of my uncles said KFC used to be so fragrant that you can smell it meters outside the restaurant. I dont know if it is true or just an exaggeration.

What netizens think

Part nostalgia but also part capitalism cost cutting, chasing that quarterly earnings. There wasn’t much options for fried chicken back then for example, but there are so many options now.HPB has also been aggressive in food drinks standards, with multiple campaigns over the years to encourage food companies to be more stringent on their standards and for people to eat healthier.

Agree on the cost cutting. For example: Hor fun used to give fish, Yong Tau Foo used to have hand made items like mushrooms with mince meat etc (still available at those old school stalls).I remember Hokkien mee and chickens rice stalls used to make their own sambal and chilli to stand out compared to the genetic factory made Chili now.

It’s the rent. Maybe my perspective is skewed because I’m into real estate, but I feel that the crazy prices paid for coffee shops (e.g., $40 million+) places an inordinate burden on the stalls as well.How much rental income must 10 to 15 stalls generate to cover these kinds of prices? They’re bound to have to cut costs in the face of rising rent, and the higher GST.