Tiong Bahru. Everytime my mother said that she had to go back to Tiong Bahru to get a haircut, I would always opted out to go there. Partly because I will have to share the bus with so many strangers, and that kinda puts me off. But when I heard about Tiong Bahru market undergoing renovation and that my Grandpa is in and out of the hospital and old folk's home made me realise I may not be able to visit my childhood place, and thus prompted me to dig myself out of my comfy bed and go back for a visit and some photo hunting. But I'm really glad I did as there are some significant changes. Some obvious, some ridiculous, but ultimately inevitable no matter how much I wanted to protest. So, here it is, all 47 photos of my childhood neighborhood where I grew up and where my happy memories are. Enjoy and remember that all comments, opinions and feedbacks are greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.




Making our way towards Tiong Bahru Market, with my mother leading the way. You can see The Cape Inn on the left.






Tiong Bahru Road, right at the traffic intersection.






The road sign pointing towards Tiong Bahru Market.






The newly renovated Tiong Bahru Market. Back in its heyday, it was only one storey divided into three parts. One part would house stalls that sells clothes, shoes and knick knacks. The next part would be a wet market selling poultry, vegetables, fruits and the last part that shared almost the same space with the wet market would be the food stalls area that consists of an indoor and outdoor sitting area.






A sign stating that the food centre is located on the 2nd storey. The new Tiong Bahru Market consists of three levels. First level is the wet market and regular stalls segregated. I mean, do you want a poultry stall next to a stall that sells clothes? I wouldn't want such a market to exist due to the smell. Food stalls are on the second level and the carpark is located on the 3rd and top level of the market.






My mother, the food guide trying to locate the kway chap stall.






See the stall selling vegetables?






The new outdoor / al fresco seating area. The previous outdoor area was warm, stuffy and provide inadequate shelter. This one doesn't seem so too, but it looks spacious enough.






The view of the outdoor / al fresco area from the indoor area of the food market.






Ordered traditional kopi as usual.






Kway Chap is the choice for brunch. This stall is called:

柴船头果汁。






For dessert, I chose walnut Cream dessert. This stall is called:

Dessert Love.

Be warned that the hot dessert sold here is not necessarily hot. The auntie poured my walnut cream from a takeway container into a proper eating bowl when I told her I was eating the dessert at my table, not takeway.






After our meal, we decided to visit the loo for some "business". And guess what?






There's a fish tank with real gold fish inside the tank. No kidding!






The toilet wasn't so dirty and we could still see the aquarium full of gold fishes...






Remember one of my old post, Adventures On My Off Day where I mentioned about my mother arguing with the chwee kueh auntie about buying 1 piece of chwee kuey? This is that dumb dumb stall and do me a favour. Please do not patronise this stall as their hawker ethics are still that coarse and unrefined after so many years.






This stone bench reminds me of the days when my grandfather would take me out for a walk when I was small. How I remembered his big, wrinkled but strong hands holding on to my tiny hand as we walked around Tiong Bahru, looking at the sights and scenes from another point of view. When we spy an empty stone bench, we would sit down and look at the world pass by while we spent the time enjoying the occasional breeze blowing gently.






This place used to be a BIG patch of grass, also where I met my first cobra (yes, you heard me right, a real cobra with its tongue flicking in and out of its mouth repeatedly) staring back at me. My mother saw the snake first and screamed at me, I got a shock, turned and saw the cobra and got an even bigger shock.






This flight of steps never did change, only underwent a little renovation to upgrade it. My mother lamented she had leg cramps after climbing it.






Finally, we reached the hair salon and my mother started her "bonding session" with the other aunties.






No, I'm not in the mirror world. I'm actually inside the hair salon, looking out.






Look, I found a copy of Condé Nast Traveler magazine to browse.






"Hmm. I shall meditate while my hair is being curled up..."






If you thought the Condé Nast Traveler magazine was a good find, you should check out this baby. Easy to make her smile for my camera.






Now baby wants her grandma to carry...






Look at that beautiful smile.






Okay, time to wash the hair after the curls.






Blow it dry to set the curls.






Oh dear, I'm really infatuated with the baby now...






All done! And my mother suggested we head back to Tiong Bahru Market again for some cold dessert. Yummy!






Along the way back, my mother spied this rickshaw and proposed that I snap a picture of it. Seems like my mother is more excited about the photos though, but too bad my mother wasn't game enough to sit on it for the photo.






This neighborhood had been featured in Singapore's serial dramas a couple of times already, which I though was a bid to get Singaporeans to tune in to the dramas.






Look at all the Singapore flags being raised up for our previous National Day. A little further down would be Tiong Bahru Plaza.






Tiong Bahru Market interior. On the left are the stalls selling poultry, vegetables, etc and on the right are stalls selling shoes, clothes, tidbits.






甜甜园甜品屋 (Tian Tian Yuan Dessert House)

30 Seng Poh Road

#02-15

Tiong Bahru Market

Singapore 168898






This stall was featured on the newspaper before wor...






If you're eating in, they'll prepare your dessert and serve it out through this window.






My mother chose 芦荟蜜糖珍珠 (Aloe Vera de Honey Pearl).






I chose the Green Tea de Nata Coco.






Looks yummy and cooling.






This little blue pearl escaped from my mother's bowl of ice dessert.






This little blue pearl realized it doesn't have legs to go far.






And this little blue pearl is afraid of heights...






Naughty little blue pearl, see how I squished you a little.






Finally, it's time to go home. We took our bus opposite Link Hotel.






Side view of Link Hotel. It's located at:

50 Tiong Bahru Road

Singapore 168733

Tel: (65) 6622 8585

Email: info@linkhotel.com.sg