TBE: Tiong Bahru Estate

The cars may have changed...

Tiong Bahru — Then And Now We thought our neighbourhood had changed a lot in the time we have lived here, but it turns out that is nothing!

https://thevanderlust.com/en/city/singapore/shop/3683.html

https://shop.nanaandbird.com/pages/the-store

nana & bird Non high-street fashion designers in the trendy Tiong Bahru area

Flowers for the Home is a floral subscription service designed to make having flowers at home a breeze. Flowers are delivered weekly, arranged in a vase, ready to be positioned.

Wonderland Botanicals | Flowers for the Urban Home Start your floral journey with Wonderland Botanicals, a studio specialising in interior-inspired vase arrangements delivered to your doorstep weekly.

https://youtu.be/oFJUDlX355s

Tatler Tours: Cheryl Wee Takes Us Around Tiong Bahru Entrepreneur Cheryl Wee rediscovers Tiong Bahru in the sixth episode of Tatler Tours,, giving us a glimpse into the quaint spaces and hidden gems that make u...

APPLE CEO TIM COOK AT TIONG BAHRU ESTATE

December 11, 2019
Asiaone.com
Ilyas Sholihyn

By now, Tim Cook should be pretty familiar with Singapore — the Apple CEO has talked tech with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and messed around on Garageband with JJ Lin before.

Earlier today (Dec 11), the head of the largest tech company in the world took his connection with Singaporeans even deeper, and naturally, some good ol’ local food was involved.

This morning saw Cook chatting with two of Singapore’s renowned photographers over sugar cane juice and chwee kueh at Tiong Bahru Food Centre.

In a surprise visit to our shores, Cook met up with professional lensmen Darren Soh and Aik Beng Chia, both of whom are diehard Apple fans who’ve used iPhones as the tools of their trade.

Soh, for one, emerged as one of the 10 global winners of Apple’s Shot on iPhone Challenge earlier this year. Chia does street photography with his iPhone camera and is officially appointed by Apple to host workshops at its flagship store at Orchard Road.

Hosting the Apple chief over breakfast had been a huge honour for Soh, a self-admitted Mac user for the past 20 years and an iPhone fan since the release of iPhone 3GS in 2009.

“Aik Beng Chia and I had the amazing opportunity of hosting Apple CEO Tim Cook at Tiong Bahru Market this morning for breakfast and a quick tour,” shared the 42-year-old architectural photographer. “I also managed to give Tim a quick rundown about the architectural history of the buildings in Tiong Bahru and of course we made photos together.”

On his end, Cook seemed to have enjoyed the “amazing food” at Tiong Bahru, but surely the CEO made it all the way here for more than just a plate of popiah.

He’s been touring Tokyo for the last couple of days to visit Apple stores, learning how his products are being used in institutions, and meeting with developers and users, so it’s likely that he’ll be doing the same in Singapore this week.

https://www.asiaone.com/digital/apple-ceo-tim-cook-chats-local-iphoneographers-over-chwee-kueh-tiong-bahru-market

Apple CEO Tim Cook chats with local iPhoneographers over chwee kueh at Tiong Bahru Market

PRINCE CHARLES AND CAMILLA TOUR TBE

Channels News Asia
Published November 1, 2017

SINGAPORE: Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were treated to a tour of Tiong Bahru on Wednesday morning (Nov 1).

The royal couple, who arrived in Singapore on Monday, are on a four-day visit to Singapore. They were welcomed to the Istana on Tuesday by President Halimah Yacob and met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

On Wednesday they were given a tour of Tiong Bahru Market where they got to meet and chat with stallholders. Prince Charles and Camilla also went on a stroll around Tiong Bahru estate and met with residents. They were given a rousing welcome at Tiong Bahru Community Centre, where Camilla also tried her hand at Chinese painting. The Duchess of Cornwall also got to try making popiah.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/prince-charles-and-wife-camilla-tour-tiong-bahru-during-9364094

Prince Charles and wife Camilla tour Tiong Bahru during Singapore visit

SINGAPORE'S CULTURALLY SENSITIVE GENTRIFICATION A MODEL FOR HONG KONG

South China Morning Post
Published October 10, 2017
By Tristan Jinwei Chan

Say the word “gentrification” and a number of clichés spring to mind: exotic restaurants with cuisine from far-flung places, hipster cafes rendered in minimalistic decor, bars serving craft beer – and the loss of character that defines a place.

In Singapore, however, where modernisation moves at a rapid pace, gentrification has also given many old neighbourhoods a facelift, while leaving their traditional character intact.

“It is only when more people begin to witness the underlying real estate potential of a neighbourhood and start to participate in it that gentrification occurs,” says Yeo Kang Shua, assistant professor of architectural history at Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Economic, market-driven forces are not always driven by property developers, he adds. “A traditional shop owner may give up his business and rent the premises out.”

Preserving the characteristics of a building’s heritage while ensuring its relevance has long been integral to Singapore’s conservation philosophy. One example is a project by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, whose mission is to turn disused spaces into new places of interest and recreation. Baba House was built in the 1890s.

The private residence was restored as a museum showcasing the Peranakan culture of the Straits-born Chinese and opened to the public in 2008.

Initiatives to officially promote a historic district as a trendy, arty area can backfire.

“The Bras Basah precinct in Bugis was always a hive of creativity before the ‘artistic’ label was attached to it. Businesses pertaining to the arts began taking root there. But now that it is officially labelled as an arts enclave, a lot of the street credibility has been snuffed out,” says Carolyn Oei, an independent writer and educator.

Singapore need not worry too much about being eclipsed by cookie-cutter eateries and bland retail expansion. There continues to be bold and creative use of traditional spaces as well as integration and diversity, thanks to initiatives by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and independent artists and activists.

With an appetite for internationalism and a well-travelled population, old neighbourhoods of Singapore are benefiting from new cuisines and other additions, while preserving their heritage and culture.

Here are seven Singapore neighbourhoods in which gentrification has straddled modernisation and the preservation of tradition.

Tiong Bahru Estate

This is undoubtedly Singapore’s hallmark neighbourhood of gentrification. Tiong Bahru’s art deco residential blocks, old shophouses and green spaces date back to the 1920s.

Apart from chic bakeries and indie bookstore BooksActually, Tiong Bahru’s has wall murals commissioned by residential committees. The paintings feature designs inspired by the neighbourhood’s heritage and lifestyle, with names such as “Bird Singing Corner”, a gathering spot for bird lovers, and “Pasar and the Fortune Teller”, a lively spot where people queue to have their fortune told.

The neighbourhood also has a designated heritage trail that offers visitors a glimpse into its origins as a burial ground for Cantonese and Hakka communities.

Oei, a long-term resident, says: “Transience is rife in Tiong Bahru and scores of creative professionals including artists, designers and architects have consumed the marrow of the fascinating meld of culture that it offers. Today, the area is thronged with numerous Airbnbs and people don’t live here long enough to be an actual part of the community.”

Jalan Besar

It was mostly swampland in the mid-19th century, but has since been reclaimed. Until the end of the first world war, Jalan Besar was known for betel nut and fruit trees, and a pig slaughterhouse. It was stronghold of old Chinese clans and religious structures.

The trendy enclave is a good spot for people-watching at its grunge-inspired industrial cafes, including Chye Seng Huat Hardware, in a former hardware store, and The Western Co, a humble looking eatery that serves Swiss raclette cheese. For those with a hankering for history, there are also plenty of art deco and Chinese-baroque-inspired architectural gems to share on Instagram, including the Holy Trinity Church.

Joo Chiat

This neighbourhood has a multicultural influence. Joo Chiat’s mishmash of places of worship include the Masjid Khalid Mosque and Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple. The latter, built in the mid-19th century, is situated around rustic flats where the Ceylonese community once raised cattle.

The old neighbourhood is also peppered with five foot ways (covered shophouse pavements), with an eclectic mix of dining options, ranging from traditional Peranakan restaurants and unvarnished Vietnamese cafes to an authentic German rotisserie. Although it was better known for massage parlours and sleazy bars, Joo Chiat has been evolving since the early 2000s into an upscale area of design studios, boutique hotels and restaurants.

Tanjong Pagar

This fringe-hinterland area of Chinatown is situated close to the harbour and port area, and is where the former terminus of the railway to Malaysia once stood. Now full of restaurants, this neighbourhood used to be an unsavoury part of town, with prostitutes and seedy karaoke lounges and bars. Its less palatable facade faded away when the government initiated urban redevelopment in the 1980s.

The merrymaking now has a more sophisticated face; the neighbourhood is home to foodie haunts ranging from Caribbean cocktail bars to Mexican burrito joints, Italian trattorias and venues dishing up contemporary European molecular gastronomy.

Geylang and Katong

Oddly, the sleazier parts of Singapore today coexist with some of the city’s most famed and favoured food. Neighbouring Geylang and Katong are popular supper spots, with delicacies ranging from frog’s leg porridge to venison kway teow (a thick noodle), and a perennial favourite, Katong laksa, a rich noodle broth made with clams, shrimp, crisp bean curd and coconut milk. In the past decade, the area has become more eclectic, with a new breed of vegan cafes and trendy bars sprouting up.

Another attraction in the neighbourhood – where there are many homes built by wealthy Eurasian and Peranakan communities – is East Coast Park, developed in 1966 on reclaimed land. It’s a popular weekend spot for families looking for an escape from more crowded urban areas.

For more insights into the neighbourhood’s past, read Peter Neville’s 2006 novel The Rose of Singapore, set in the area in the 1950s.

Dempsey Hill

This area is rich in military and political history, but has since been transformed into an upscale congregation of speciality food purveyors.

Dempsey Hill was at one time covered in dense forest. Then, until 1970, it was the site of a British army barracks. The green cluster was also a base for Singapore’s Ministry of Defence and Central Manpower Base until 1989.

Fast-forward to 2017 and you’ll find tastefully conserved former official buildings housing trendy restaurants and open-concept bars such as Tree Lizard, The White Rabbit, La Salsa and CM-PB.

Kampong Glam and Rochor

These adjacent neighbourhoods are situated in Bugis, an enclave predominantly influenced by the Malay community. Kampong Glam is nicknamed “Little Arabia” (or Arab Street) and visitors cannot fail to be impressed by the magnificent Sultan Mosque, ochre-lit at night. Food lovers may also appreciate the mix of regional Muslim restaurants, including cuisines from Turkey, Lebanon and Morocco.

Rochor has a few quaint establishments operating out of old buildings. One is Singapura Seafood Restaurant, serving up classic dishes from China’s Fuzhou province, including chilled crab, which is steamed then frozen, and wine chicken soup.

Since the 1930s, Rochor had been synonymous with the Thieves’ Market on Sungei Road. The flea market, where vendors don’t pay rent but just set up shop with mats on the ground, was Singapore’s last spot for old-style merchants selling second-hand goods ranging from electronics, to collectible toys and furniture.

The market was relocated this summer to make way for the site’s redevelopment into an education and learning centre. Vendors now have a floor to themselves at the nearby Golden Mile Tower.

Singapore’s culturally sensitive gentrification a model for Hong Kong The Lion City has managed to modernise its old neighbourhoods, while still retaining their traditional charm and character. We look at seven areas that have undergone development without losing their identity

When in Tiong Bahru Estate...

https://youtu.be/CA2tQKoZvFk
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/182035-singapore-minute-tiong-bahru

A Singapore Minute (Part 5 of 5): When in Tiong Bahru If you want to experience the steady, less-frenetic side of Singapore, do consider spending day in this neighbourhood. It doesn’t disappoint. More on http://...

TIONG BAHRU CC REOPENS AFTER MORE THAN 2 YEARS OF RENOVATIONS

Channel NewsAsia
By Rachel Phua
Published July 23, 2017

SINGAPORE: The Tiong Bahru Community Centre reopened on Sunday (Jul 23) after undergoing more than two years of renovations – the centre’s fifth revamp since it first opened in July 1951.

According to a Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Constituency Office spokesperson, the works - which started in April 2015 - were done to improve the use of space within the centre, as well as improve its safety features.
The community centre’s gross floor area increased from 3,400 sq m to 4,250 sq m. The office declined to reveal the renovation cost.

The spokesperson said that the community centre is now "barrier-free", with more ramps and handrails added to cater to the elderly, physically disabled, and families using strollers.

A bridge linking the centre's two buildings has also been built on the second floor, creating a sheltered walkway underneath it as well. Previously, visitors and staff could only get across through an open space on the first floor.

The multi-purpose hall was refurbished with a higher ceiling so that activities such as badminton games and gymnastics classes can be held there. The hall’s previous ceiling height meant that it could not host such programmes, said the spokesperson.

One of the community centre’s two former air raid shelters has been turned into a culinary studio, allowing the centre to triple its cooking class size from about 10 to 30 people. According to the spokesperson, the centre is considering renting the other air raid shelter out.

But beyond the physical facelift, the centre has also expanded its course offerings, with new additions such as Zumba and trampoline classes.

This comes as more young families are moving into what is one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates, said Mdm Tan Seow Peer, the chairman of the Tiong Bahru Community Centre Management Committee.

“In the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, a lot of young people left Tiong Bahru, their families, to live elsewhere,” Mdm Tan said. But as new housing developments have started to crop up in the area, she added that “we found a lot of young families moving back to Tiong Bahru area, so we felt that the old CC is not enough to cater to their needs.”

Indranee Rajah, the MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, noted that the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division has one of the youngest demographics in the Tanjong Pagar GRC, and said that she wants to start coding programmes for children and young families.

“As we know, coding is the way of the future. We’re gearing up to be a smart nation. We’re gearing up for a digital economy," Ms Indranee said.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/tiong-bahru-cc-reopens-after-more-than-2-years-of-renovations-9056362

Tiong Bahru CC reopens after more than 2 years of renovations

BAKALAKI GREEK TAVERNA
Straits Times
By Wong Ah Yoke
Published July 9, 2017

Some restaurants just make you feel good the moment you walk in. Bakalaki Greek Taverna, which opened last month in Tiong Bahru, is one of them.

With a high ceiling and an expansive dining area, there is a sense of space that puts you in a relaxed mood. Tables are not too close to one another and there are sofa seats with plump cushions that invite you to lean back.

Add to that a colour scheme of white, beige and turquoise, lit by natural light streaming in through a glass wall during the day, and you can imagine yourself at a beach resort instead of the city centre. There is even an olive tree in the middle of the room to help you imagine you're on a sunny Mediterranean land.

This is a great place to hang out for Sunday lunches because once you sink into one of the sofas, you are in no mood to go back to work. So it's just as well the restaurant does not open for lunch on weekdays.

Ambience is not the only area where the restaurant tries to create a true Greek experience.

Bakalaki's kitchen is run by Greek chef Spiros Palaiologos, who used to be at Blu Kouzina in Dempsey. He keeps the flavours authentic by using Greek produce whenever he can. For example, most of the seafood comes from the country and the restaurant has its own brand of extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed from olives in Greece.

The menu offers an array of dips and salads for starters, but it is a rainy day and I decide to go for hot items instead - a decision I do not regret.

The Keftes ($16.90) are excellent. Plump beef meatballs are deep-fried until a brown coat forms, sealing the well-seasoned juicy meat inside. They come with a mint and lemon dip, but taste good on their own.

The serving of seven meatballs is generous, which describes many of the other dishes too.

My other starter of Kalamari Tiganito ($22.90) is less outstanding, but I don't have any complaints either. It's just that it tastes pretty much like the calamari or battered deep-fried squid you find at many Italian restaurants here.

Try the Htapodi ($32.90), or grilled octopus, instead. You get a tender te****le with an appealing aroma of smoke and oregano. A squeeze of lemon brightens the flavours and brings them to life.

Main dishes are mostly grilled items and there are hits and misses here.

Paidakia ($32.90) are lamb chops that are grilled just right, boasting tender and juicy meat. Rosemary and oregano rubbed on them tone down their characteristic gamey taste.

I may enjoy gamey meat, but fishiness turns me off. And the Tsipoura ($43.90), a seabream grilled whole and deboned table-side, tastes a little fishy to me. Luckily, it comes with a sauce of lemon juice and olive oil that masks any unpleasant flavours.

Desserts are where Bakalaki shines. My favourite is something I would not have tried if the restaurant had not sent it to my table with its compliments. Yiaourti ($12), which is Greek yogurt topped with honey and walnuts, looks boring on paper, but it turns out to be delicious. It's such a simple idea and so easy to put together that I am eating my yogurt this way at home.

Rizogalo ($11.90), a rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon on top, is another dessert that works for me. It is creamy and deliciously sweet, but not as cloying as you would imagine a Greek dessert to be.

Those with a sweet tooth can go for the Baklava ($14.90), which comprises layers of filo pastry stuffed with walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and honey syrup. The sweetness level here is toned down compared with traditional Greek recipes, but it is still a tad syrupy for me. Still, once I get past the sugar shock, I start to appreciate the combination of aromatic nuts and spices.

One corner of the restaurant functions as a deli, with shelves that are filled with Greek products such as olive oil, feta cheese, honey and liqueur. So if you like that honey in your yogurt or the olive oil you drizzle over the fish, you can replicate that experience at home.

3 Seng Poh Road, tel: 6836-3688; open: 6pm to midnight (Mondays to Thursdays), noon to 2.30pm, 6pm to 1am (Fridays and Saturdays)

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Ambience: 4/5

Price: Budget about $70 a person, without drinks

•Follow Wong Ah Yoke on Twitter and on Instagram

•The Sunday Times paid for its meals at the eateries reviewed here.

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/transported-to-a-greek-isle

Bakalaki Greek Taverna - Transported to a Greek isle