SINGAPORE: News this week that another popular food haunt could be pulling down its shutters has filled us with woe. Stallholders at Beauty World Centre face an uncertain fate after being informed they would have to cease operations by this weekend.
Opened in 1984, the hawker centre is among a handful of its kind to be situated on a rooftop. Its popularity draws patrons from all over the island, drawn by its eclectic mix of offerings from hipster burgers, to ramen and the more traditional hawker fare.
Over the years, Singapore has seen many a legendary joint shut up shop. It’s a trend not unique to these shores; Hong Kong, New York and London have all seen their fair share of landmark eateries close. Owners dying, uninterested children, stratospheric rentals and redevelopment are all to blame for the loss of culinary gems.
And in the aftermath, what are we left with? A city that’s possibly edging into gastronomic irrelevance with identikit food courts selling the same forgettable dross (fish ball noodles, roast meat dishes and economy rice).
Well, perish that thought. For now, let’s tuck in and reminisce about five food places we miss.
JAGO CLOSE
If you lived in Katong or in Marine Parade in the 1980s and 90s, you were (still are, matter of fact) spoilt for choice as far as eating options went. One of the more popular hangouts in the hood was Jago Close, where a coffeeshop on this narrow street housed a set of gastronomic galacticos.
Every single hawker here dished up top-notch fare: Three sisters ran an excellent chicken rice stall; the rojak aunty was on form every day as her dish had the right amount of tang, bite and texture; the kway teow man in the corner could bang out plates in a heartbeat from his coal-fired wok; the mutton briyani was incredible with succulent meat paired with a superb acar. Even the popiah stall was a hit.
If you head down there today, you’ll still find a coffeeshop. But it’s nothing compared to what you’d find in its heyday. Yet there’s still some value in hanging out at the back with a bucket of cold beers and some zhi char as you shoot the breeze with your pals.
DAWOOD
In a time before Spize, Dawood – on the corner of Frankel Avenue and Changi Road – was the place area fellas would go to for a late night prata and teh halia fix. While the food was excellent (we’ll come to that in a sec), it also served as focal point for Siglap folks who wanted an easygoing joint to hang out with friends and rellies. Remember this was the 80s and 90s, a time before indie cafes and cutesy cupcake places.
Cyclists would prop their bikes on the back wall and nip in for an unhurried kopi; on the weekends, anglers would come in with their rods, have some food and nip off for their overnight session at Bedok Jetty; and late night, the rocker dudes and gals would turn up with their scramblers and hang till 4, 5am.
The food? Well, it did the classics well. None of this Nutella and banana wrapped in tissue prata drizzled with honey kind of lark. Pratas (egg, plain, plaster), biryani (chicken, mutton), to die-for murtabak (chicken, mutton) and in the day, you could get rice and an assortment of dishes – nasi kandar-style. Proper.
Opened in the 60s, Dawood departed the scene sometime in the late 90s or so. A Taiwanese porridge outfit sits in its place today.
SATAY CLUB
(Photo: National Archives Singapore)
Opened in 1970 by the city’s seafront on the Esplanade, the Satay Club became a favourite because its outdoor setting, picturesque views, gentle sea breeze and decent grub made it ideal for just about anyone.
At any one of the tables, you’d find couples, large groups out on a family occasion, Shenton Way types downing after-work beers, wide-eyed tourists and the odd loner puffing on his fag. There were no airs, too. At shared tables, strangers would chitchat with ease – sometimes they even shared food among themselves.
The seafood was good, the mee goreng was popular too – but everyone came for the satay, of which there were many purveyors. And while the touts could be pesky, they were nowhere in the same league as Newton’s in the 90s.
The Satay Club closed in 1994 ahead of the area’s redevelopment and was torn down the following year.
SWEE KEE
Ahh – chicken rice, life’s great equaliser. A veritable institution which opened in 1949, Swee Kee on Middle Road was where you’d find towkays sitting side by side with blue collar scruffs.
Apart from the food (fluffy rice, tick; flavourfully white succulent chicken, tick; a bangin’ chilli, tick) I remember being mesmerised by the place itself. It was a heaving eating den with mosaic tiles, marble top tables, noisy fans, a big clock – basically all the stuff you’d come to associate with 50s, 60s Singapore.
It closed in 1997 and the two-storey building it was housed in was demolished a few years ago. Over the years, there have been many imitators eager to leverage on the Swee Kee name. From Sin Swee Kee to Old Swee Kee and New Swee Kee (set up by relatives in Johor), while decent, are nowhere near the original.
TAMAN SERASI
Taman Serasi Hawker Centre. (Photo: National Archives Singapore)
A cozy little hawker centre where you could nurse a few cold ones after a sweaty jaunt around the Botanic Gardens, the Taman Serasi Hawker Centre was best known for its roti john.
A throwback to much simpler times, it was a nice place to hang on lazy afternoons. And like the little hawker centre next to the old National Library on Stamford Road, we miss having hawker food out in the open in the heart of the city.
Taman Serasi closed in 2001.
