Kitchener Road and Jalan Besar area
The Kitchener Road area has long been a ghetto for the local Heng Hwa community, well before the slicker Putien (their hometown in China) eateries began popping up some five years ago. The oldest, most famous and localised Heng Hwa eatery award goes to Ming Chun (67 Maude Road). Each night, this no frills cze char hall packs the local Heng Hwa community in. It’s loud, friendly and the dishes are those no-brainer Heng Hwa icons like lor mee, clams and celery, deep fried mackerel slices and fried mee sua with seaweed, albeit they have localised the flavours and even included sambal clams and prawn paste chicken (technically, Singapore’s national fried chicken dish).

Kitcherner Road area has long been a ghetto
for the local Heng Hwa community.

This place is just a shout from the ever colourful Sungei Road, just 400 metres down Jalan Besar (honestly, have you ever, or when was the last time you browsed for junk at this Thieves Market street). If you are looking for an LP records to decorate your room, you can get Andy Gibb plus our homegrown Tony, Terry and Spencer records at just $4 each and it comes complete with plastic sleeve jackets (like I did, provided they have stocks). I once bought a set of professional lens caps for my Mamiya mid format camera system there (which cost almost $50 at the pro shops.) I just pretended and asked how much those strange looking ash trays with lids cost and the old leathery and weathered Ah Pek said “$3”. I bought all he had.

One of my favourite local Hokkien restaurant resides not far from the Jalan Besar Stadium. Quan Xiang Yuan (250-254 Jalan Besar) is a no frills air-conditioned eatery that is naturally designed for you to eat and go. The only décor you get is the huge food picture menu on the wall that begs you to order their thick fish maw soup with some crab roe toppings, the rich and smooth Hokkien mee which uses a flatter Hokkien mee, their prawn roll “hae cho” and their stunning pink pork leg roulade sausage simmered in five spice herbs, sliced thin and comes cold. And you’ll be a fool to miss their kong bak bao, which comes unforgivingly sinful dripping with fats (ask for leaner cuts if you want to live a bit longer).

Geylang Road area
This infamous bright red district is one of the most controversial makan hotspots in Singapore. I unashamedly call this one of the food capitals of Singapore. If you can handle the heat and cruise the stretch between Lorong 9 and 24, you will be rewarded by a couple of old household makan icons here. The hugely popular No Signboard Seafood is comfortably nestled with a good view of the busy Geylang and Aljunied Road intersection. Everyone sits out at the semi al-fresco car park seating area and tucks into our national icons like chilli and pepper crabs. Quietly tucked by the boisterous stretch along Lorong 15, is the old timers favourite Sik Wai Sin (287 Geylang Rd). Many still brave this corner and patiently hunt down that elusive parking spot just so they can tuck into what may be the most popular steamed carp fish head dish in Singapore and their very agreeable tofu with prawns, among the twelve Cantonese style dishes they specialize in.

The Whole Earth Restaurant -
like a calm oasis and an anti thesis to this fleshy district.

At the somewhat and slightly saner eastern stretch of Geylang, near Lorong 29 is a calm Nonya style vegetarian restaurant. The Whole Earth (593 Geylang Rd) is like calm oasis and an anti thesis to this fleshy district. They have a “chicken” buah keluak which is done respectfully hearty and an “eel” dish made with long strips cut black mushrooms and simply stir fried. The daily special double boiled soups are not to be missed.