More than simply laksa can be found in the old Joo Chiat neighborhood which is also home to small cafes, wonderful restaurants, and beautiful buildings. Joo Chiat is more than just an overcrowded residential sector. It has earned its spot among Singapore’s busiest neighborhoods.
Katong, Singapore’s easternmost district, is noted for its colorful, picture-perfect shophouses, rich history, and bewildering variety of great local cuisine. Take a stroll about the city to learn more about the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) and Eurasian cultures, as well as ancient and new Singapore.

Where to Stay in Joo Chiat?

Village Hotel Katong

Village Hotel Katong is located in the Katong-Joo Chiat neighborhood and resists cookie-cutter hotel designs with its Peranakan decor influenced by the vibrant surroundings. The rooms are filled with bold, vivid design touches, such as cerulean patterned rugs with matching throw pillows and similarly brilliant color tones for the headboard and window seat. The room size is a huge plus here and even the smallest Superior Room is 29 square meters. If you are willing to spend a little more, rent the Peranakan Club, which has an in-room jacuzzi for luxurious soaks while watching your favorite TV show.

Where to Eat in Joo Chiat?

328 Katong Laksa

Slurp laksa with a spoon the old-fashioned way. One of the stalls claiming to be the makers of the popular local meal is this one.

Alibabar The Hawker Bar

Alibabar The Hawker Bar serves Kopitiam-style local cuisine and craft beer. The broad choice of food vendors providing a mix of Singaporean, French, Filipino, Japanese, and Western food, as well as an excellent range of craft brews, make this Katong gem a crowd favorite.

Ampang Niang Tou Fu

This Niang tou fu stall does not allow you to choose your ingredients. Simply tell them how many people are at your party, and they will prepare Ampang-style Niang tou fu in a giant pot of broth with bitter gourd, soybean skin, tofu, chilies, and quail eggs. Do not forget to dip each piece in the sweet sauce you created yourself.

Awfully Chocolate Bakery & Café

Awfully Chocolate’s charming cafe concept has chocolate taps tempering fresh cocoa, an array of in-house baked pastries and pies, and a delectable brunch and dinner menu. Try the breakfast set for two with fruit and muesli, truffle cream eggs, flatbread with roasted aubergine, and chocolate milk if you are stopping over in the afternoon. Options for dinner include French onion soup and Angus brisket.

Baba Chews Bar & Eatery

The restaurant which is housed within the historic Joo Chiat Police Station, preserves much of its colonial beauty from the 1920s. The intimate restaurant is brightened by white walls, and homey, colorful motif-scattered tiles contrast with metal mesh sliding panels that are more contemporary than suffocating. The Ayam Buah keluak burger, beef short rib rendang, and Assam curry mackerel are all standouts.

Baker’s Well

Baker’s Well also has luxurious in-house sweet delicacies including nutritious muffins, strawberry yogurt cakes, organic pandan cakes, puff pastries, and even a party tray of small sandwiches if you feel like high tea. Plus, the relaxed ambiance of this cozy cafe is ideal for a lengthy, languid catch-up.

Birds Of Paradise

This gelato shop on East Coast Road serves super-smooth gelato that is produced fresh every day. But it is their signature flavors that set them apart. The gelato here is prepared with natural and botanical ingredients like basil and blue ginger and is greatly influenced by Southeast Asian palates, resulting in a refreshing gelato experience with familiar fragrances.

Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice

You cannot discuss the best chicken rice in Singapore without mentioning Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice. Five Star’s East Coast branch, one of three on the island, is the answer to all your chicken rice needs.

Forty Hands

Forty Hands, one of Singapore’s early coffee pioneers, now opened a second location in the east. Enjoy a cup of coffee. You can rest assured that you are getting high-quality brews produced with freshly roasted beans. In addition, the brunch menu has har Cheong Gai waffles, smashed avocado on toast, and the renowned big boy breakfast platter.

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

This specialty shop offers a broad variety of bak chang. The pyramid-shaped dumplings are wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with savory ingredients such as pork, chicken, and chili prawn.

Little Farms

With Little Farms Grocer and Bistro right next door, you get the best of both worlds. After you have stocked up on groceries, treat yourself to some delectable bistro fare and custom cocktails. At Katong Point, Little Farms is located along Joo Chiat Road. The freshness and quality of its all-natural, organic fruit, fresh poultry, and gourmet foods will wow you. Some of the items are also available at its grocery shop.

Loving Hut

Going vegan in Singapore might be difficult, especially if you cannot get enough of the local cuisine. Do not worry, Loving Hut has vegan options for traditional Malaysian dishes like banana leaf nasi campur, Nyonya laksa, Teo Chew mee pok, and more.

Lower East Side

Take on the ultimate taco challenge on the Lower East Side. This Mexican joint hand-picked its chilies have a variety of specialty salsas and guacamole and even has fresh churros on the menu.

Mongkok Dim Sum

This East Coast version of the renowned Mongkok Dim Sum in Geylang serves its unique handmade dim sum, hot selling Geylang Lorong 9 beef noodles, and Cantonese stir fry.

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata

It is more of an old-school eatery with a variety of alternatives at Mr. and Mrs. Mohgan’s and orders their Super Crispy Roti Prata. If you can get past the huge lines, you will be rewarded with some of Singapore’s crispiest and fluffiest roti prata.

Penny University

This cozy East Coast Road cafe promotes the “made in Singapore” idea. These people buy their coffee beans from local roasters, serve freshly baked bread from local bakeries, and frequently partner with local bakers. The Turkish eggs and the smoked salmon bagel are both excellent selections.

Petit Pain Bakery

This local hidden gem bakes everything from crusty French loaves to flaky croissants and other small-batch pastries. They are free of artificial flavors, preservatives, and improvers and it is so amazing that they even provide batch times which is three times daily so you can get your favorites before they sell out.

Ponggol Nasi Lemak

It is all about perfecting the art of crisp chicken wings, flavorful coconut rice, and tantalizingly fiery sambal chili when it comes to nasi lemak. Whatever your feelings are about Ponggol Nasi Lemak, you cannot argue that it is a fan favorite and deserving of its reputation as one of the best on the island.

Sinpopo Brand

This kitschy cafe-slash-bar with a nostalgic, old-school feel serves local cuisine like nasi lemak and wagyu beef hor fun, but the sweets are the real draw here. The cakes are all delicious, but we recommend the ondeh ondeh and gula Melaka varieties for a new take on classic flavors.

Smokey’s BBQ

The meats are smoked in custom-built smokers using a special blend of hickory and mesquite wood chips, and the restaurant was founded by true blue Americans in 2009. The baby back pork ribs and buffalo wings will get your hands filthy.

Rabbit Carrot Gun

Rabbit Carrot Gun delivers unabashedly English food made with seasonal and organic ingredients but there is a catch: no salt is used in the kitchen. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner are all served with a variety of British favorites. The stunning décor with fresh flowers for ambiance, wonderful light, and lovely touches make this the ideal balance of modern and ancient furnishings. Upstairs, boutique suites with Asian and European antiques have been uniquely furnished, making them ideal for staycations or stopovers.

The 1925 Brewing Co

The 1925 Brewing Company serves contemporary Teochew cuisine with a nod to its craft beers. Garlic fried rice with wagyu fat, crispy chicken cartilage, and many other items are on the menu.

The Cheese Shop

The specialty shop has an award-winning collection of artisanal cheeses from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Tian Fu Hong Kong Steamboat

Tianfu Hong Kong Style Steamboat, which promises to be “paradise on earth” as its name suggests, is a popular steamboat restaurant famed for its thick, flavorful broths and luscious meats.

Tok Tok Indonesian Restaurant

This is where you go for popular Indonesian cuisine, as the name implies. With such a large menu, it is great to bring your friends and family so you may sample some of the restaurant’s distinctive dishes. Must-try dishes include udang bakar bumbu bali, ayam bakar betutu, soto betawi, and buntut bakar saus kacang. Of course, serve them all with nasi uduk, a delicious coconut rice dish. So call Tok Tok Indonesian Restaurant and make a reservation.

Zaffron Kitchen

Zaffron Kitchen may easily be mistaken for a high-end gastropub. After all, it does not appear like your traditional Indian restaurant, what with its modern fixtures and fashionable downtown ambiance. However, rest assured that the menu offers authentic Indian cuisine that not only looks nice but also tastes great. The dum chicken biryani, a very moreish meal with fluffy basmati rice and juicy bits of chicken, is an essential must-try.

Where to Shop in Joo Chiat?

Cat Socrates

Come in for books, accessories, stationery, and other charming trinkets at this quirky independent shop. Local designers have created some cool Singapore-inspired trinkets that make fantastic souvenirs.

Feet Haven Reflexology

The award-winning Feet Haven is not your typical spa, with funky lighting and eccentric furnishings. The value-for-money spa is spacious and pleasant with professional masseurs who will make your feet feel brand new. When you are tired of cafe-hopping in Katong, this is a great place to stop by.

RetroCrates

RetroCrates has a comprehensive variety of used and new records spanning many genres such as pop, rock, and jazz. There is more if you are looking for speakers, record players, or amplifiers, you can find it right here.

Rumah Bebe

Rumah Bebe is just across the street from 112 Katong that sells everything Peranakan, including lovely traditional Nyonya kebayas and beaded slippers. While photography is strictly prohibited inside the store, the exteriors are nonetheless worth photographing because of the beautiful cerulean facade and Peranakan tiled flooring.

Singapore Trading Post

Singapore Trading Post is like your home decor inspiration that comes into reality. Furniture and home furnishings with a colonial theme may be seen throughout the store. Think ornately carved sideboards and shelving units, pineapple-shaped lamps, tropical-print couch covers, stunning paintings, wall decor, and the list goes on.

TheAC

With a plethora of homegrown jewels and sustainable companies, this multi-label store celebrates shops local in style. Spend your money on everything from beachwear and skincare to children’s clothing and home decor. The brands change frequently, so there is always something new to discover.

Where to Explore in Joo Chiat?

Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple

Another of our ancient treasures is Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple. It is one of the island’s oldest Hindu temples, dating from the 19th century and featuring Chola-style architecture.

Heritage and Art Trail at Katong Joo Chiat

It spans from East Coast Road to Joo Chiat Terrace, so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. There will be murals along the self-guided trail for you to check out and it will make for a great photo opportunity.

Heritage Shophouses

Walk around Joo Chiat Road for Instagram-worthy Katong pictures, and look for the many well-preserved Peranakan shophouses that have been there since the early 1900s. A stroll down Koon Seng Road past the famous shophouses is a must-do for every Joo Chiat adventure. These dwellings are narrow and tall, with pastel faces and characteristic ceramic Peranakan floral or geometrical tiles. Look for the Chinese couplets beneath the windows, which are supposed to bring good luck.

Katong Antique House

This antique business is housed in a wonderfully restored two-story shophouse owned by Peranakan history and culture expert Peter Wee. Pay a visit to see Peranakan artifacts and learn about the history behind each one. To reserve a spot, call ahead.

The Intan

The Intan is a place you should visit. It is Alvin Yapp’s private shophouse, where he greets visitors. With a range of artifacts, needlework crafts, knick-knacks, and furniture items, you may get a taste of Peranakan culture, customs, food, and lifestyle.