Up till the 90s, matchbox was a common souvenir given out by hotels, nightclubs, banks, airlines and of course the restaurants. These days, with the increase in lighters coupled with the smoking ban in restaurants, no one needs a matchstick anymore, hence, hardly anybody thinks about asking for it.

Thanks to the generosity of matchbox collector Yeo Hong Eng, whose collection runs up to thousands, we were able to reminisce some of the celebrated restaurants in those days, through which we get an invaluable insight to the older Singapore.

Cathay Restaurant

When Cathay restaurant first opened in 1940, it was serving European fare. 11 years later, after renovation, it reopened as a Chinese restaurant attached with a bar, a dance floor and performances by Chinese songstresses like Ruby Wah. Since then, it was regarded as one of Singapore’s finest Chinese restaurant.

Cathay was also the place where the culinary Four Heavenly Kings met. Tham Yew Kai, Sin Leong, Lau Yoke Pui and Hooi Kok Wai were trained under the restaurant’s head chef Lou Seng; and when he died in 1962, the four went on with their own ventures, reuniting at times to help each other. In 1964, Cathay shuts its door due to a decline in its popularity, but reopened again in 2007.

Sin Leong

Sin Leong Restaurant was opened by Chef Sin Leong, one of the Four Culinary Heavenly Kings who created Yu Sheng. Opened in 1965, it offered Chef Sin’s famous creations such USA Duck, Crystal Prawn and Siamese Chicken. The restaurant has now been renamed Roland Restaurant, after it was taken over by his godson Roland. Chef Sin still owns another restaurant, called Red Star Restaurant, which he opened with the other three culinary legends.

Troika

Well remembered for its chicken pies and chicken kiev, Troika was a Russian-inspired Hainanese Western restaurant popular with the rich and the famous, also the British army and American sailors. It was first opened in 1963 at Bras Basah Road, but closed in 1983 when the owner Mr Tang migrated to Australia with his wife. Two groups of ex-employees later opened Shashlik and Borscht separately, naming the restaurants after Russian dishes.

Do you remember these restaurants ((Clockwise from top left) Sin Leong, Restaurant 1819, Skillet, Silver Spoon, Cathay Restaurant, Troika, Tropicana, Peranakan Place, Tai Seng Restaurant, Prince Room, La Grande Bouffe and Singapore Conference Hall Restaurant ? Do tell us what they were like and what were your experiences eating there!