Flavor Chasing in Singapore's Chinatown
Once an enclave for Singapore’s Chinese immigrant population, Singapore’s Chinatown with its colourful Peranakan shop-houses and historical attractions, makes for an interesting visit every time I go there. Essentially, it’s divided into four main districts which are Kreta Ayer, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh. The main center where a lot of the action goes down is on Smith and Pagoda Streets.
There’s more to this Chinatown than just restored shops and places of worship. Yes there’s the old Hokkien temple Thian Hock Keng, the Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple and James Mosque but it’s also a haven for street food lovers. There’s a bunch of hawker stands down Food Street serving up traditional and not so traditional Singaporean fare that’s bound to get your taste buds popping!
This is place where the old and the new collide, typified by the smorgasbord of well-loved hawker food, where you can gran anything from street food classics like char kway teow, laksa and satay and onto roast duck and South Indian curries. This is all contrasted with a bunch of hip bars and small inventive noddle houses looking to break with tradition and push the culinary boundaries.
If you’re chasing flavors day or night then this has it all. In fact this is a place that really comes alive at the night, seemingly the later the better! While some tend to think that Singapore’s Chinatown to bea little boring at night - I say don’t believe the hype and head on over to Club Street and you’ll soon be persuaded otherwise.
For those that are looking for something a little grubbier then skip Club Street and go to Geylang.
For those that want to stay close by, there’s also a pretty good mix of hotels here, from heritage shop-house hotels to five-star luxury boutique accommodation. If your staying further afield there’s no lack of great hotels on offer from lifestyle options like Hotel Jen or for those that like the finer things in life, perhaps the Shangri-la Singapore is for you.
Regardless of where you’re camping out, getting down to Chinatown is pretty easy either by cab or by simply jumping on the MRT as the Chinatown MRT Station brings you to the doorstep of Pagoda Street in the heart of the district.
All Images By Talking Fork. Enjoy.
