I once stood on the roof of the old Chinatown hawker centre on a normal weekend and stared down at the bustle below (in fact. I’ve done that many times then as an overeager photojournalist seeking “the moment”). It was like sitting on a cloud of calm just a stratosphere up from the reality underneath. The stench of bak kwa and coffee bean roasted chestnuts perfumed (to me) the atmosphere. There were the distinct shouts of “sa pao jit kor” (Hokkien for 3 packs for $1) from the candy vendor and can be heard like a bell pealing in the quiet night desert from up there. At some stretches of the little streets, it was fifteen people thick across. And an occasional cracko, would gingerly weave his old Japanese boneshaker of a jalopy through the thick of the crowd, gently tapping his horn for a right of way, just so they can soak and revel, seated in comfort and with an air or disengagement. The things one can buy below were all time Chinatown classics – peanuts, bak kwa, red and black kwa chee (melon seeds), dim sum, old iron toys, pyjamas, groceries, fresh meat, seafood and all things edible in red and gold.

From up on the roof atop the food centre,
the hustle below looks and smells like and old Chinatown.

Cheap Hong Kong and Taiwan made toys were abundant and cheap tee shirts, jeans, Panther brand shoes and pyjamas were hawked all along the streets. A snake oil salesman would occasionally break into a dramatic show and tell – he’ll clobber his back with a sword and leave no marks to show. Then he revealed his secret..all those bottles of potent juice he was touting. You can hear all the bargaining going on in unofficial national dialects – haggle in Cantonese and the hawker seeks boss’s permission in Hokkien who agrees in Teochew. That was in the good ol’ 70s and 80s.

This century (just last week) I made a long overdue stroll all around our “now” Chinatown. I began from one corner of the Mosque Street, burned shoe rubber about till I struck Keong Siak Road. I felt like a tourist at home. At almost every turn, someone was touting “Singapore is a fine city” tees, coolie pigtail caps, sandal wood fans, Merlion key chains, mobile phone covers and laptop bags. Yea, it is colorful and fun, but its not quite Chinatown and it definitely is not functional. Gone were the old aunties who trawl the streets for the best bargains for groceries and clothing or even herbs. People came to Chinatown then because it sold all Chinese necessities and it was littered with unique local goodies like bak kwa and curry puffs. The cze cha coffeeshops now at Trengganu Street were offering Yanky chinese food like sweet and sour pork, fried rice, fried chicken balls and seafood noodles. They might as well sell moogoogaipan, General Tso’s Chicken and mooshu pork, something the western visitors believe came from Asia. My little spot of joy in those years, was having a kopi-o siew tai (less sugar) with $5 worth of Lim Chee Guan bak kwa when they were operating a little stall in the koiptiam at the top of Mosque Street. I did that at least 3 times a month and would while a nice evening away with friends in the coffeeshop. The unbelievable queues for their pork jerky was already legendary back then. I can’t even relive it anymore. The coffeeshop is gone and the slick Lim Chee Guan chain today no longer operate in kopitiam stalls, which now have been overrun by a flood of north chinese diners and Szechuan hotpot hotspots offering $15 buffets with live crabs (no kidding).

The original Chinatwon food street had hawkers cooking stuff
with passion and a determination to succeed.

But thank goodness the Chinatown heaven above left some old scraps for the nostalgic to savour. Some Chinatown flavours, which could teleport me to a charming era past, is still alive and well. Tian Tian porridge (not the chicken rice stall), which I began patronizing when they were a push cart stall at Trengganu Street, is now housed in the refurbished food centre as is Anji Fish Head Noodles ( I adore their crispy noodles), which used to operate along Sago Street. The “sisters” Lian He Ben Ji claypot rice is still operating at a cool “window view” corner of the food centre. And in that unique Singapore Chinatown atmosphere, there is that whiff of oddity in Erich’s Wuerstelstand hot dog stand. The food centre is also known as the “$13 fish head centre”, where at least 8 vendors are offering the freshest carp heads steamed in fancy, traditional and spicy sauce. Have that over rice with some greens and a plate of ha cheong kai (prawn paste chicken), and it all drags me back to the days when you had to car pool (at least four in a car) to get into the CBD area.

For now, at least I still have reasons to go back to Chinatown. What about you.