Archives for April 2013

Photo *Heart* Fridays – A Good Ol’ Breakfast

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Right at the corner of Chapel Road from East Coast Road is this blue-green colored shop-house with a business that dates back to the 1920s.  With it’s mosaic floor tiles and marbled table tops, you will feel just like you stepped back into the 50s ambiance of a Hainanese Coffee Shop.

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The hot favorites from Chin Mee Chin Confectionary hardly changed through the years; piping hot black coffee, Kaya Buns, Sugee Cake, Custard Egg Tart, Custard Puff and the Luncheon Meat (SPAM) roll.

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Be prepared to share a table with strangers as the coffee shop can be crowded even on weekday mornings. If you are planning to head there for the first time, don’t wait at your table to order, as the auntie (rather aged and quite grumpy) hardly comes around to take your orders. Instead, choose your own pastries from the shelf and stand at the counter to order, and do make sure that the auntie writes it down.

As for my breakfast usual? 2 Half-boiled eggs with dark sauce and a dash of pepper, accompanied with hot Teh-Si (tea with milk).

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And it will still be business as usual for this old dame CMC, there be no chance of it closing down any time soon.

How do you like your half-boiled egg? With dark or light soya sauce?



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Photo *Heart* Fridays – Nostalgia

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Behind these dusty window panes is a medical shop manned by a middle aged lady and her aged mother…

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Taking a peek through the windows of these shophouses, I see dark, dusty rooms, now abandoned. Once homes to residents living along Katong Road.

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The former Red House Bakery, once a landmark on Katong Road, used to be famous for its Swiss rolls and curry puffs. The“Red House” Bakery was the first in Singapore to bake three-tier Western-style wedding cakes in the 1920s.

It will become residential homes very soon, to be sold to affluent house buyers.

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Katong, whose history is filled with vacation homes and mansions for the wealthy in the 19th century, still retains some of its charm with its quaint cafes, eateries and glimpses of its Peranankan heritage. What other nostalgic finds will I discover in this neighborhood? Do read the upcoming posts to find out!



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Eclectic Peranakan Heritage in Joo Chiat

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Take a walk with me down the streets of Joo Chiat, and there we will discover glimpses of a bygone era, a hybrid of Chinese, Malay traditions with a touch of Portuguese, Dutch and Indonesian influences.

A street once known as Lorong E East Coast Road, this road was named after a man, who was a wealthy 2nd generation Straits born merchant from Malacca.

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The two rows of pre-war terrace houses along Koon Seng Road are a distinct part of Joo Chiat’s identity and are one of the finest examples of Peranakan architecture in Singapore.

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The most outstanding feature of the late styled (1900-1940) houses is the narrow and intricately embellished facade of the entrance.

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The main face of the house is decorated in plaster and tiles, often, these fine ceramic tiles with floral or geometrical designs were imported from France, England and Belgium.

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The external walls of these houses are decorated with Chinese couplets of good fortune, health and happiness adorning the front windows, similar to the traditional residences in China. These motifs are derived from mystical dragons, deer and dogs, symbols of good fortune and long life.

Other motifs like flowers are bird act as accompaniments to the decoration, which reflected the wealth and status of the owners.

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With its rich architectural heritage, I can only imagine the many intriguing stories behind these homes and their old owners who used to lived there.

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I will be taking a walk down Katong Road next to discover more of the Peranankan culture in this part of Singapore, look out for my upcoming posts!

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