Basic HTML Version
40
{ }
c h i k k a
d i s p a t c h
Weekends in
Tiong Bahru
Long-time Singapore
resident and Pinoy expatriate
Diane Jorolan gives us five
reasons to love her ‘hood
YOUR LOCAL GUIDE
Diane Jorolan
LIVES IN
Singapore
WORKS FOR
CNBC
MY NEIGHBORHOOD
Tiong Bahru,
Singapore
I’VE LIVED IN SINGAPORE
for 11 years,
and six of them were spent in a pre-war flat
in Tiong Bahru, a neighborhood that boasts
a conservation status for its historical and
architectural significance. I chose the area
because of its proximity to many of the
places I frequent: my favorite mall, the
yoga studio, and the market. Tiong Bahru
also has its charms: small shops selling all
and sundry, and old men in tattered shirts
selling batches of durian to well-heeled
(and well-coiffed) ladies. Tiong Bahru
is only a stone’s throw away from the
busiest parts of the city — Orchard Road,
Robertson Quay, Chinatown, the Central
Business District — but it easily allows me
to feel removed from the rest of the city.
1
IT TAKES ALL TASTES
When I moved into the neighborhood, Tiong Bahru Market had just been renovated. It is
easily one of the cleanest markets I’ve ever seen. On the first level you can get fresh meat,
poultry and seafood, sitting alongside bright and organic greens, as the smell of freshly ground
coffee wafts in the air. On the second level you’ll find a great selection of local food. Through
the years, Tiong Bahru Market has earned its stripes as one of the best hawker centers in
the country. Topping my list of favorites is the boneless chicken rice, followed by prawn
mee
(noodles),
ayam penyet
(Indonesian fried chicken) and porridge. The best way to end a meal?
Always with a cold glass of sugar-cane juice with lemon, or fresh soya-bean milk on ice.
Tiong Bahru Market is
Singapore’s fourth-largest
hawker center, with 83
food stalls to choose from
Tiong Bahru’s cool
art deco residential
buildings
The dry-goods section of
Tiong Bahru Market
PHOTOS
LESTER LEDESMA (MARKET)