Meals from Vending Machines

You’ve probably heard about and seen freshly toasted sandwiches dispensed from vending machines. They are a common sight in hospitals. You probably also know about instant microwave reheat-able TV dinners you can get from supermarkets or convenience stores. But have you heard or seen vending machines that dispense hot local meals?

Sounds amazing. I just learned about one at NUS. This vending machine dispenses “tasty hot meals”. They’re “ready in minutes” too! What choices do you have on the menu? Well, for starters, here’s what they have:

• Hor Fun Special
• Yang Chou Fried Rice
• Curry Chicken with Rice
• Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

I’m waiting for some guinea pig to try out the meals and share some feedback about just how “tasty” they really are. You know Hor Fun already doesn’t taste very nice when you “pack” them home. If you don’t consume Hor Fun right away, the gravy gets soaked up into the flat rice noodles, and you are left with dry clumpy Hor Fun. How would Hor Fun turn out from this vending machine?

(Ok, I’m just thinking about the mechanics of dispensing Hor Fun. I suppose the rice noodle and gravy and other ingredients are prepared separately, and then frozen separately. The gravy would not mix with the rice noodle. It’s only upon ordering at the vending machine does the meal get heated up and everything then comes together.)

Would we one day start to see regular canteen stalls dispensed with (pun intended), in favour of vending machines?