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By JOANNA SEOWand YEO SAM JO
ROUND wooden tables and stoolsfill the floor and Chinese paint-ings line the walls of Ms VionnaHuan’s bak kut teh shop on Tan-jong Pagar Road.
Office workers and touriststhrong the coffee shop-style storefor pork bone soup and other localdishes. Ms Huan opened it justtwo years ago, restarting her fa-ther’s Xin Mei Le Bak Kut Tehbusiness, which began as a stall inKallang Airport back in 1969.
Next door in the row of conser-vation shophouses, bakery cafeQuarter to Three serves sandwich-es, coffee and cakes named afterBeatles songs.
The cafe’s decor is modern andminimalist. Owner Denise Tong
says customers are young anddrop in for dessert after a trendyKorean barbecue dinner nearby.
These are the two faces of Tan-jong Pagar, a historic neighbour-hood at the crossroads of a rapidlymodernising Singapore.
Tanjong Pagar means “cape ofstakes” in Malay, which refers tothe wooden kelongs of the once-sleepy fishing village in the 1800s.
Today, it is a hub where China-town meets Shenton Way. Elderlyresidents with memories of sleep-ing 10 to a room mix with ayoung, hip crowd. “When you’reasked to define Tanjong Pagar,you’ll probably have some difficul-ty,” said Mr Cheng Hsing Yao,chief operating officer of privatedeveloper GuocoLand Singapore.
A hodgepodge of eateries, wa-tering holes and bridal salons, Tan-
jong Pagar lies at a confluence ofcultures and eras.
This may change in 2016 withGuocoLand’s new project, Tan-jong Pagar Centre. which will beSingapore’s tallest building at290m. Integrated with TanjongPagar MRT station, it will includeGrade A offices, a luxury hotel, re-tail space, apartments and a park.
In the meantime, residents rem-inisce about the bygone icon of
their district, Yan Kit SwimmingComplex. Opened in 1952, it wasSingapore’s second oldest publicpool until it closed in 2001.
“We used to take our childrenswimming there,” said Madam HoGeok Khern, 70, a newspaper ven-dor who has lived in Tanjong Pa-gar Plaza for about 30 years.
She added that the area used tobe more bustling, with food stallslining the streets hawking local fa-vourites like popiah and tangyuan. In recent years, Tanjong Pa-gar has relied on bars and pubs togive it a lively atmosphere.
The 50’s is one such establish-ment. Since its opening in 1994,the lounge, with its leather couch-es, neon lights and disco balls, hasbeen a haunt for businessmenwho go there to listen to singersfrom China.
Across the street is the sleekWA Bar, which opened two yearsago amid a boom in Korean cul-ture. It draws students and work-ers with its K-pop videos and fu-sion dishes like bulgogi pizzas.
“I’m crazy over Korean cul-ture,” said bank executive CindyLoye, 31, who goes there for Kore-an fried chicken five times a week.
Meanwhile, street names in thearea like Duxton, Wallich, Yan Kitand Hoe Chiang reveal a colonialpast and also pay homage to Chi-nese merchants.
While Golden Cafe coffee shopin Craig Road sells zi char fare,just around the corner is a row ofWestern bistros. Mr Jay Soh, man-ager of Australian wine boutiqueMerchants, said: “There are fewersleazy pubs and more niche placeslike ours coming up.”
But Singaporeans, like shippingadministrator Josh Hau, 35, avoidthem. “I still prefer hawker food,”he said. “The new pubs and cafesare too expensive.”
The Urban RedevelopmentAuthority sees Tanjong Pagar as amixed-use district, conservinghistoric buildings like MaxwellChambers and introducing newresidences to liven up the commer-cial area in the evening and onweekends.
Mr Cheng hopes GuocoLand’snew centre will make the area achoice destination. “Now, if youwant to meet friends, you say,‘Let’s go to Orchard or Marina.’You don’t say, ‘Let’s go to Tan-jong Pagar.’ This project wouldgive it that identity,” he said.
[email protected]@sph.com.sg
The 50’s lounge (left) draws patrons who enjoy listening to live performances bysingers from China, while Merchants (above) is an Australian wine boutique.
PHOTOS: LIM YAOHUI FOR THE STRAITS TIMES, LIM SIN THAI
A row of conservation shophouses (above) is juxtaposed against the Pinnacle@Duxton HDB estate as its backdrop. (Right) Elderly residents, some of whom have lived in the area for more than 30 years, hang out at Tanjong Pagar Plaza every day.
Tanjong Pagar is at once a businesshub, historic area and housing estate
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STREET VIEW
A confluenceof culturesand eras
B10 HOME F R I D A Y , A U G U S T 9 , 2 0 1 3
