6 Things I will Miss About Tiong Bahru

I thought I would have time to finish this post before I moved but it turns out I didn't have any time at all (it was quite naive of me actually to think that I would have time to blog when I have to pack for so many people and TWO kids)!

After going at full speed ahead with packing and working at the same time, my body finally decided enough was enough so here I am at home resting and catching up with my blogging.

It's timely too, as I can literally feel the impact of not living in Tiong Bahru. I miss my Tiong Bahru so much *sob*


6 Things I Miss about Tiong Bahru

1) The Food, the Food, the Food!

My favourite bowl of fish soup noodles

There's no lack of funky cafes and value-for-money hawker food in Tiong Bahru.


2) Old School Feel

Strolling in the neighbourhood
(left is my girl and right is my boy, in the same tricycle!)

Can never get the same feeling of nostalgia anywhere else.


3) CNY Atmosphere

View of the action from our house

Lion dance stunt (left) and a photo with one of the "lions" (right)

Although it was super noisy, it was still exciting to be able to watch the lion and dragon dance from my room window every year without fail. The kids love it! They can sit and watch for hours! It has become our family's annual tradition of sorts.

As Chinatown is also within walking distance, we would sometimes walk over to catch the fireworks and fire crackers!

"So noisy mummy!"

It can be very dusty, noisy and scary for kids though! My girl had fun.

We always complain that it is noisy but you really can't help but feel a sense of sadness now that we won't be able to be in the heat of the action anymore.


4) Our Family's General Physician

Our family clinic 

It is probably not possible for us to travel all the way to Tiong Bahru just to see our family doctor (Dr Ranjan), especially not when we are already not feeling well. Sadly, for convenience, we would have to find another good doctor in our new neighbourhood. Makes me sad every time I think about it =(


5) No Need to Pay ERP

Because Tiong Bahru is right in the heart of town (yet not within the CBD zone), we hardly ever need to pay ERP to get anywhere (unless we are going into the CBD area, which unfortunately is difficult to avoid). Nowadays I pay ERP every morning to get to work (thankfully it's only $2). Luckily I don't have to pay for carpark at our current residence so it's not so bad. Ah well. I guess ERP is part and parcel of being a Singaporean and owning a car =(


And finally, the thing that I miss the most...

6) Tiong Bahru is Only 5 Minutes to Orchard!

I have 4 buses to Orchard Road from Tiong Bahru! And each bus journey only takes me 15 minutes! If we drive, it's only 5 minutes!

Nowadays we need to take at 20 minutes by car to Orchard Road. I know, I know, it's still not that far but in comparison to Tiong Bahru, it's like Journey from the West, literally =(

~~~~~

This post is part of I Love My Tiong Bahru series, which is my way of bidding farewell to my favourite neighbourhood that I had called my home for the last 14 years. As I move to another neighbourhood, join me in celebrating Tiong Bahru! =)

Previous post:
13 Things to Do in Tiong Bahru

13 Things to Do in Tiong Bahru

If you're bored and have nothing to do, why not head down to Tiong Bahru? Besides the food, there are a lot of other things that you can do here =)

Tiong Poh Road

13 Things to Do in Tiong Bahru:

1) EAT @ Tiong Bahru Market

Tiong Bahru Market

For my recommendations of great hawker food at Tiong Bahru Market and other locations, check out my post on 10 Hawker Food You Must Try in Tiong Bahru! There is something for everyone I'm sure =)


2) EAT @ Cafes

Chilling in a artsy cafe

Used to be the favourite haunt of the girlfriends and I

If you've got a bit more cash to spare and want to enjoy the comforts of air-conditioning, head down to one of the many cafes in the area. There are many more, but here are 10 cafes you can visit.


3) EAT @ Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastries

Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry

If you like traditional Nonya kueh and pastries, drop by this very famous pastry bakery along Tiong Bahru Road. Many cars love to stop at the side of the road and pop in to buy the pastries, much to the chagrin of other road users and buses! I personally love their kueh dar dar! Totally melts in your mouth! *yum*

Don't ask the shopkeepers too many questions though. Let's just say that they have the typical "resting bitch face" and are not the most friendly people in the world. Just buy and go and you'll be ok.


4) SHOP @ Yong Siak Street

Books Actually

Woods in the Books

Gardening supplies at Super Farmers
(Love their colourful watering cans! Too bad I don't have green fingers..)

All things strange and interesting at Strangelets

Yong Siak Street is looking more and more like Arab Street in that it is becoming more artsy. Besides buying actual art pieces, you can also shop for books, buy really cool gardening supplies and other strange knick knacks. Definitely a nice place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon =)


5) PLAY @ a Tiong Bahru Playground

There are two playgrounds that my family goes to regularly: 1) a small playground next to Blk 49 Kim Pong Road (near to Tiong Bahru Market), 2) Tiong Bahru Adventure Park, which is located across the road from PSB.

Small playground at Blk 49 Kim Pong Road
(The only playground in the area unfortunately)

When my girl was younger, she enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs

Three years later, Baby Boy is doing the exact same thing!

Do note that this playground requires that you supervise your child a lot, especially if they are younger than 4 years old. This is because there are a lot of big gaps between steps, which a young child may fall through without adult's assistance. The playground is really small though so if you prefer a bigger playground with real sand, head to Tiong Bahru Adventure Park.

Tiong Bahru Adventure Park

Clockwise from left: Mum-in-law helping my almost 2 year old girl to slide down the slide;
Girl climbing up the stairs on her own;
Loving the swing! One of her first times swinging on a "real" swing without assistance (sigh, miss those days T_T)!

Clockwise from left: It's not hard to guess which is her favourite thing in the playground;
Rocking in a race car;
Spinning around in one of the few merry-go-rounds left in Singapore!

It's not hard to guess which playground my kids love more! =)


6) SHOP @ Tiong Bahru Plaza

Tiong Bahru Plaza is currently undergoing renovations right now so I don't have a photo. It used to be a really small mall but things could change after the renovations. In any case, a small shopping mall is better than no shopping mall!


7) HIKE along the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail

Map of all the possible stops you can make to read and learn about the history of Tiong Bahru

Reading about the origin of Tiong Bahru at the Tiong Bahru Market stop

More information on the uniqueness of Tiong Bahru

Bringing Baby Boy on a little hike one afternoon
(it was very hot, which explains his cranky face)

Of course I didn't walk the whole way (not with a cranky Baby Boy at least) but it was still fun to stop by a few structures and read about the history and other interesting facts. You may want to sign up for a guided tour if you prefer to hear someone talk about it rather than read (more about that below).


8) EXPLORE the Graveyard

Photo credit: Cheekiemonkies

Photo credit: Cheekiemonkies

Bet not many of you know that the grave located on a hill just above the bus stop right next to Jubilee Church actually belongs to Tan Tock Seng! I walk pass the grave all the time and in all my 14 years I had never known that! Interesting isn't it?

If you want to read more about the Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail and the graves, Kelvin from the Cheekiemonkies has written a nice post about it.


9) EXPLORE the Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter

Photo credit: Gingerbreadmum

The Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter (which is no longer in use) is also part of the Tiong Bahru Heritage Tour. If you don't want to walk the whole route, this is also a great place to stop and learn about the history of the air raid shelter.


10) GO on a Scavenger Hunt

Screenshot of the downloadable Tiong Bahru Scavenger Hunt by Gingerbreadmum
(Used with permission)

My friend Adora has compiled a fun downloadable scavenger hunt so you can keep your kids engaged while you go on the heritage trail. Kills two birds with one stone if you ask me! =)


11) FIX Your Shoes

Handwritten sign advertising their shoe repair service

With examples of the kind of shoe repairs that they do

It's a sad truth but shoe repair is a dying trade as shoes are getting cheaper so people rather throw them away than fix them. If however you do have a pair of shoes that you want to fix, pop by this cute place =)


12) VISIT the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD)

The SPD building

SPD Signboard

Consider popping by the Society for the Physically Disabled and show your support by being a volunteer (more information on how to volunteer here). You can also support by donating or buying stuff from their online store.


13) DONATE BLOOD @ Blood Bank at HSA

Photo credit: Health Sciences Authority (HSA)

Technically this is in Outram and not Tiong Bahru but it's only 5 minutes away so please, please help save lives by donating your blood if you can! Visit the Blood Bank @ HSA website for more details.


And there you have it! You'll not be bored when you're in Tiong Bahru. Tiong Bahru kakis, anything else to add? =)

This post is part of I Love My Tiong Bahru series, which is my way of bidding farewell to my favourite neighbourhood that I had called my home for the last 14 years. As I move to another neighbourhood, join me in celebrating Tiong Bahru! =)

Previous post:
10 Hawker Food You Must Try in Tiong Bahru

10 Hawker Food You Must Try in Tiong Bahru

Nowadays when people think of Tiong Bahru, they immediately think of the spunky cafes that sprouted up all over the neighbourhood. However, what Tiong Bahru is more famous for (and has been for the last decade or more) is its cheap and good hawker food! Each dish does not cost more than $5! So the next time you're hungry in Tiong Bahru, pop by these places instead of the cafes =)


TIONG BAHRU MARKET

Tiong Bahru Market

The Tiong Bahru Market that you see now is a new building that was built after the old market was torn down. Only a few of the stalls from the old Tiong Bahru Market are still in existence in the new Tiong Bahru Market today. There are many "fake" stalls trying to pass off as the "original" but come on, I know a fake when I see one (I've been eating at Tiong Bahru Market since 2002 okay!). These are some of the stalls that I remember since way back when:


1) JIAN BO SHUI KUEH

Jian Bo Shui Kueh

This stall survived the move from the old Tiong Bahru Market to the temporary market at Kim Pong Road and back to the new Tiong Bahru Market. Even the signboard remains the same, just like how I remembered it.

The Shui kueh, also known as chwee kueh (soft rice cakes topped with fried preserved turnip), that is sold here is super tasty albeit very oily. Eat only if not on a diet. This used to be my family's favourite food until we decided that it was too fattening to be eating it every week. Nowadays, we only eat it once a year! =P

Address: 83 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market #02-05, Singapore 168898


2) HONG HENG FRIED SOTONG PRAWN MEE

Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee

Again, our family used to eat this fried sotong prawn mee aka hokkien mee every other week (especially when it was at the temporary market) till the hubby and I discovered that we could no longer lose weight that easily anymore (getting older mah). Nowadays it's a more like a once in a blue moon thing.

Address: 83 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market #02-01, Singapore 168898


3) TIONG BAHRU LOR MEE

Tiong Bahru Lor Mee

This lor mee is quite decent though my family gave up our loyalty to this stall when we discovered the amazing lor mee at Taman Jurong! My mum still prefers this lor mee though. Try it and make your own verdict.

Address: 83 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market #02-80, Singapore 168898


4) TIONG BAHRU FISHBALL

This stall has been around since the original Tiong Bahru Market. I remember because we love to buy the fishball and otah fishcake from this stall! So many years on and they are still selling their famous fishballs. Of course over the years their standard has dropped a bit but still good by my standards.

Address: 83 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market #02-20, Singapore 168898


5) TEOCHEW FISHBALL NOODLE DRY/SOUP

Teochew Fishball Noodle Dry/Soup

I can't remember if this stall was from the original market but I love it ever since the mum-in-law introduced it to me a number of years ago. The fishballs are bouncy and nice while the dry mee pok is cooked just right. There is usually a long queue at this stall (especially during lunch hours) so be prepared to wait!

Address: 83 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market #02-13, Singapore 168898


OTHERS IN TIONG BAHRU

6) TIONG BAHRU YONG TAO HU

Coffeeshop at the junction of Tiong Poh Road & Eng Hoon Street

Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu

Our family finds this yong tau fu palatable but nothing special even though hordes of people crowd the stall during lunch (a lot of them from nearby offices and SGH). Their business is so good that they are only opened for breakfast and lunch (closed at 3pm) and not opened on Sundays. Hence, be prepared to wait for your food!

Address: Blk 56 Eng Hoon Street, Singapore 160056

7) AH CHIANG'S PORRIDGE

Ah Chiang's Porridge

Located diagonally opposite the house of the hubby's late grandfather (ah gong), this porridge used to be one of ah gong's favourites when he was still alive. I have never eaten there oddly enough but the hubby and his colleagues love to eat there once in a while. This is on my to-try list!

Address: 65 Tiong Poh Road, #01-38, Singapore 160065.


8) OLD TIONG BAHRU BAK KUT TEH

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh at Seng Poh Lane

Another one of ah gong's favourites, I remembered ah gong treating us to lunch here after a difficult day at the courts. Quite a memorable day for us.

Address: Blk 58 Seng Poh Road, #01-31 Singapore 160058.


HAVELOCK ROAD COOKED FOOD CENTRE

Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre

This food centre is also called the "L-shaped market" by yours truly due to the unique L-shape of its building. Taxi uncles used to flood this place because they could park their cars for free as anytime the summon aunty came, they could easily run back to their cars and avoid getting caught. Nowadays there's a parking system installed so people can't do that anymore (sadly haha). Nevertheless, the food here is still worth it though. Although there are a number of stalls that are good (such as the bak kut teh and prawn noodles), I'm focusing on our two favourites that we eat almost every week:


9) IVAN'S PORRIDGE

Ivan's Porridge

Fresh raw fish with various spices

The hubby loves the raw fish salad even more than the porridge itself! Nevertheless, the mum-in-law finds the mixed meat porridge full of ingredients and value for money.

Address: Blk 22 Havelock Road, Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre, #01-06, Singapore 162022.

10) YU MEI MEI SHI

Yu Mei Mei Shi fish noodle

Fish soup and fish beehoon soup

Yum!

I can't believe that after staying in Tiong Bahru for so many years, I had only recently discovered this stall! The fish is very fresh (except during CNY when fish is expensive though) and the soup base is sweet and essentially very awesome! My picky foodie kids both love the fish so you can imagine how good it is. Sigh, I'm going to miss you when I move :(

The stall is quite popular so you might need to wait if there are a lot of people. The best time to go is when it's raining, virtually no one is there *grin*

Address: Blk 22 Havelock Road, Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre, #01-15, Singapore 162022.


P.S: Apologies that this post contains limited pictures of the food. We almost always take away our food and eat in the comfort of our home rather than at the crowded hawker centres. Anyway, I'm not a food blogger :P

~~~~~

This post is part of I Love My Tiong Bahru series, which is my way of bidding farewell to my favourite neighbourhood that I had called my home for the last 14 years. As I move to another neighbourhood, join me in celebrating Tiong Bahru! =)

Previous post:
10 Cafes to Visit in Tiong Bahru