It is perhaps one of the most popular streets in Singapore, offering a multitude of choices. We went to talk to the people who live and work here to discover their favourite spots and more.
Clarence, 36, restaurant manager of Ember, really explored the neighbourhood 2.5 years ago when he started working here
Q: What do you like about this area in general?
It offers quite an easy access to many things, ranging from the Chinatown Market for daily supplies to bespoke tailors.
Q: What is your favourite café or bar?
My favourite bar is just here and called the Library. It is located at 47 Keong Saik Road. The bar manager is from Czech Republic and has a very unique style of serving cocktails. However, I still like drinking mojitos, but he has his own way of making them.
Q: What is your favourite place for food and what do you normally order?
As I am a father of three, I normally go with my family to eat at some casual dining place. We don’t have a particular favourite one, but when you go to eat with your kids you often choose convenience.
Keong Saik has a good variety of local and modern food. If you are local you might want to eat at the Tong Ah Eating House, which has been here forever. Then there are more modern places, such as Esquina, The Study, or Potato Head Folks.
Q: Are there any interesting shops around here?
There are more shops around Chinatown, but it depends on what you want.
Q: Why would you recommend the neighbourhood?
You have everything in one place. First you can go to a bar, such as a K-TV, a regular pub or a cocktail bar, and then you have something to eat in one of the many eateries. It is a street that serves all.
Augustine, 39, website owner, has been exploring the neighbourhood for 2 years
Q: What do you like about this area in general?
It gets really exciting at night. There is always something happening. The Lime House, for example, is a very active bar. Most of the restaurants have very good food with a lot of vibe. The people who come here are all young professionals and entrepreneurs. It’s an interesting crowd with a mix of Singaporeans and foreigners.
Q: What is your favourite place to eat? What do you normally order?
I like Lime House, as the food is very good. When you walk into the bar, you feel as if you are in the Caribbean – not in Singapore. They made an effort to decorate the bar. I feel it’s very authentic. I really enjoy their small tapas-like dishes. Their full meals are too big for me. But otherwise you can also get very good cocktails.
Another nice place is Bread & Hearth, as it is the only real French bakery around here. I usually get the croissants, pain au chocolat, or their cranberry white chocolate bread. Another favourite is LoKal on Neil Road. It is ideal for brunch.
Q: What else do you find interesting about the neighbourhood?
It has a nice sense of community, as the crowd is very particular here. It is very easy to meet new people and network, while having a good time. Keong Saik at night is really amazing, as sometimes people also start singing and dancing. There are also a lot of terraces here, which is rather uncommon in Singapore.
Sarah, 28, sales manager in IT industry, has come here all her life
Shiying, 28, lawyer, has come here all her life
Q: What do you like about this area in general?
There is a lot of variety for food. At night there is a really enjoyable vibe. It is very easy and casual to do bar hopping, as you don’t really have to make any reservations. It’s also interesting that Keong Saik used to be a red light district, but now it is all transformed.
Q: What is your favourite café or bar?
I really like the Library, which is just there. Both the concept and the quality of their cocktails are really good. I don’t have a favourite drink there, as I like to have recommendations. It’s fun and very interactive. We also go to Esquina, as they have nice red wine sangria.
Q: What is your favourite food around Keong Saik Road? What do you normally order?
Burnt Ends is really good and fresh. They really know what they are doing. Their grilled steak is my favourite.
But we also like the hawker called Kok Sen. It is not as pricy as compared to the rest of the street. One of the best dishes there are the baked prawn noodles.
Q: What is the best part about the neighbourhood?
It’s a good mix of the old and the new.
Harry, 22, working in an architecture firm, has been coming to the neighbourhood for a long time
Q: What do you like about this area in general?
As I work here, it’s good and convenient to get something to eat, as there are many eateries around. I also like that it is not as commercialised with many skyscrapers and shopping malls. It has a slower pace as compared to Shenton Way and the CBD.
Q: What is your favourite food around Keong Saik Road? What do you normally order?
I often go to the Chinatown side of Keong Saik. There are many coffee shops that are pretty good. One of my favourites is a sesame paste dessert.
Q: Why would you recommend Keong Saik Road?
The architecture is very different compared to other places in Singapore. The old houses are a wonderful example of our heritage. But then there is also the Pinnacle@Duxton, offering a strong contrast.
Pio, 45, personal driver, has been coming to the neighbourhood ever since he was born
Q: What do you like about this area in general?
There is a lot of Chinese food around here, especially because we are so close to Chinatown. The people in the area are also particularly friendly, especially the older ones. I have been coming here all my life. Before there existed so many shopping malls, I used to do all my shopping in this area.
Q: What is your favourite café or bar?
In Chinatown there is one coffee shop that sells very good chicken leg porridge. I think it is very famous for this area.
Q: What is your favourite food around Keong Saik Road? What do you normally order?
I really like to go to Smith Street market, as you have a wide variety of food. No matter if Western, Chinese or Indian, everything is there. Normally I would go there to eat chicken rice for lunch. There are also very tasty prawn mee.
Q: Why would you recommend Keong Saik Road?
Although there is a lot of food everywhere, there are also some nice Indian temples in the Chinatown area that are worth visiting.
Travelling, eating, and drinking his way through life, Peter is continuously hungry for more. Always looking something new and exciting every single day, his day starts before the sunrise and ends longer after the sunset.
