The buffet includes dishes such as bee hoon, porridge, soup, 10 different types of vegetables like curry cabbage and toufu. The extravagant spread is packing in the crowds, especially as the downturn deepens in Singapore.

The lodge's president, Mr Lee Bock Guan, told my paper that more are turning up for the free meals. And even though donations look set to go down this year, the lodge has no plans to stop the flow of free food.

Mr Lee said that donations are expected to drop by up to 20 per cent, even as the number of people turning up for free meals daily goes up from 1,000 to 1,300.

'Right now, people have financial problems and don't have enough money to buy food.So, when we have good things, we have to share them,' he said in Mandarin.

The lodge will dip into its reserves of $10 million to feed more people. It is already spending $210,000 per month on the buffet, up from its previous budget of $200,000 per month.

The meals are prepared daily by a team of three cooks and up to 30 volunteers.

Beneficiaries said they were grateful for the lodge's charity. Even those who are able to afford their own meals turn up for the buffet, like 38-year-old engineerKelvin Yip.

He donates $10 each time he takes a free meal. 'If we can afford it, then weshould pay more. It is very good that the lodge helps others by sharing the food,' he said. -- MYPAPER