What to do in Singapore – Eating in Joo Chiat
A popular place for expats to live in is Joo Chiat. For those that don’t live here, its a nice place to come to explore for the food scene.
Most overseas tourists will come here just for the Peranakan houses, a street with two rows of colourful old style houses from the old Singapore. Of course its something to have a quick look at, take the photos for instagram, and the usual stuff.
Joo Chiat
But what you actually want to do here is eat. Sure theres a few malls like 112 Katong and Isetan that you can browse. But most of the action is in the variety of local food all in one spot, in a part of Singapore that is not dominated by high rises. I swear it’s hotter out in the east precisely because of the lack of high rises (and thus shade) compared to the central side.
Chin Mee Chin
Start your day with a breakfast treat at Chin Mee Chin, a local coffeeshop selling kopi and teh, buns with a slab of butter and kaya, and soft boiled eggs. They also sell custard filled buns as well which work a treat.
Chin Mee Chin
Chin Mee Chin
Kim Choo Kueh Chang
Next up, continue to satisfy your sweet tooth by visiting Kim Choo Kueh Chang, a shop specialising in Peranakan style rice dumplings and traditional confectionary like ondeh ondeh, and kweh. Though they look like the rice dumplings you would find in Hong Kong or parts of China, they taste a little different. Think more minced sweet meat rather than chunks of fatty pork that they serve in HK.
Theres also an air conditioned spot inside that you can sit in to have your treats!
Kim Choo Kueh Chang
328 Katong Laksa
After sweets, you probably want a proper lunch. Head over to 328 Katong Laksa for a spicy soup broth with noodles. I actually preferred the one at Novena, but thats probably because I’ve never needed to wait in line for it at their United Square branch.
328 Katong Laksa
Alibabar Hawker Bar East Coast
And if you’re still hungry, there is char kway teow and other mixed western, indian, and chinese delights at Alibabar, a mixed bar and foot outlet on Joo Chiat Road.
Alibabar Hawker East Coast
Birds of Paradise
And to wrap it up, have some ice cream with freshly made wafer cone.
Birds of Paradise