Joo chiat by Benjamin Lee

Issue 01 | January 2013

The Peranakan Issue

The Straits Heritage “Traditional Indonesia herbs and remedies, to gorgeous Kebayas. ” Joo Chiat Complex Pg 03

“Katong’s history has been rooted in prestige and wealth.” East Coast Road Pg 04

The Peranakan Issue

“Enjoy its wealth of good food and cultural heritage.” Makan Pg 09

The Peranakan Issue

CON T EN TS Overview

Route

Joo Chiat Complex

Joo Chiat Road

Rumah Bebe

East Coast Road

Makan

The Peranakan Issue

OV E RV I E W

Sugar, spice and everything nice Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago and British Malaya (now commonly known as Malaysia). Members of this community in Melaka, Malaysia address themselves as “Nyonya Baba”. Nyonya is the term for the women and Baba for the men. It applies especially to the ethnic Chinese populations of the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java and other locations, who have adopted to Nusantara customs — partially or in full — to be somewhat assimilated into the local communities. Many were the elites of Singapore, more loyal to the British than to China. Most have lived for generations along the straits of Malacca and most have a lineage where intermarriage with the local Indonesians and Malays have taken place. They were usually traders, the middleman of the British and the Chinese, or the Chinese and Malays, or vice versa because they were mostly English educated. Because of this,

they almost always had the ability to speak two or more languages. In later generations, some lost the ability to speak Chinese as they became assimilated to the Malay Peninsula’s culture and started to speak Malay fluently as a first or second language. While the term Peranakan is most commonly used among the ethnic Chinese for those of Chinese descent also known as Straits Chinese , there are also other, comparatively small Peranakan communities, such as Indian Hindu Peranakans (Chitty), Indian Muslim Peranakans (Jawi Pekan) and Eurasian Peranakans (Kristang) (Kristang = Christians). The group has parallels to the Cambodian Hokkien, who are descendants of Hoklo Chinese. They maintained their culture partially despite their native language gradually disappearing a few generations after their settlement in the various places. Peranakan culture has started to disappear in Malaysia and Singapore. Without colonial British support for their perceived racial neutrality, government policies in both countries

following independence from the British have resulted in the assimilation of Peranakans back into mainstream Chinese culture. Singapore classifies the Peranakans as ethnically Chinese, so they receive formal instruction in Mandarin Chinese as a second language (in accordance with the “Mother Tongue Policy”) instead of Malay. In this trail you will experience an interesting mix of architectural details and ornaments from the East and West. Marvel at the intricacies of baroque elements as you stroll along rows of colourful pre-war shop houses. Savour a taste of the Peranakan culture. Enjoy a mouth-watering range of tangy, aromatic and spicy nyonya dishes; made with recipes that have been handed down from one generation to the next.

Did you know? Notable Peranakans in Singapore include: Goh Keng Swee First Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew First Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong Third Prime Minister of Singapore, son of Lee Kuan Yew Wee Kim Wee Fourth President of Singapore Dick Lee Celebrity

The Peranakan Issue

ROU T E

Sims Sims Ave

Changi Rd Geylang Rd

1 Still Rd

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Tanjong Katong Rd

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1) Joo Chiat Complex

2) Joo Chiat Road

3) Rumah Bebe

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4) East Coast Road

The Peranakan Issue

JO O C H I AT C OM PL E X Embracing ethic shopping Specialising in Malay textiles, crafts, jewellery and traditional clothing, Joo Chiat Complex is bustling with activity, especially during Hari Raya. Recently renovated, this 25-yearold shopping complex features rows of shops selling everything from traditional Indonesia herbs and remedies, to gorgeous Kebayas

“From traditional Indonesia herbs and remedies, to gorgeous Kebayas.”

pins. You can even tailor your own traditional costumes at the numerous tailors within the mall. Gold jewellery in elaborate and flowery designs can also be found here, and are a favourite among the Boyanese. Drop by Joo Chiat Complex this Hari Raya with your whole family and stock up on festive goodies such as Malay cookies and cakes, as well as new clothes for this joyous occasion.

(traditional Peranakan costume). Here, you’ll also find traditional Malay wear such as Baju Kurung (Malay traditional costume for women), Baju Melayus (Malay traditional costume for men) and Hijabs (Muslim headwear), available in a variety of designs and colours, complete with exquisite brooches and

Did you know? Before the 20th century, Malay women wore kemban. After the spread of Islam, they began to wear the baju kurung. In Malay culture, clothes and textiles are revered items of beauty, power and status. Numerous accounts in Malay hikayats stressed the special place occupied by textiles.

The Malay handloom industr y can be traced its origin since 13th century when the eastern trade route flourished under Sung Dynasty. Mention of locally made textiles as well as the predominance of weaving in Malay peninsular was made in various Chinese and Arab accounts. Among well-known Malay textiles are Songket and Batik. Common classical Malay attire for men consists of a baju (shirt) or tekua (a type of a long sleeve shirt), baju rompi (vest), kancing (button), a small leg celana (trousers), a sarong worn around the waist, capal (sandal), and a tanjak or tengkolok (headgear); for the aristocrats, the baju sikap or baju layang (a type of coat) and pending (ornamental belt buckle) are also synonymous to be worn. It was also common for a Malay warrior to have a Kris tucked into the front fold of sarong. Traditional Malay dress varies between different regions but the most popular traditional dress in modern day are Baju Kurung (for women) and Baju Melayu (for men), which both

recognized as the national dress for Malaysia and Brunei, and also worn by Malay communities in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. In contrast to Baju Melayu which continued to be worn as ceremonial dress only, Baju Kurung is worn daily throughout the year by a majority of Malay women. Sighting of female

civil servants, professional workers and students wearing Baju Kurung is common in Malaysia and Brunei.

The Peranakan Issue

JO O C H I AT ROA D Vibrant streets, delightful treats Before 1917 Joo Chiat Road was known as the Confederate Estate Road. At that time, most of the land in the area belonged to the Little’s Family. The road name changed after Chew Joo Chiat owned most of the land in Joo Chiat area. He bought land from the Alsagoff Family as well as the Little’s Family to plant spices, such as nutmeg, gambier and pepper which were in great demand by the Europeans. In 1903 he added more land to his plantation by purchasing more than an acre of land for $35,000/from Henry William Crane. Later, he turned all his land into coconut plantations. In 1913 he bought from the auction 5 freehold building allotments fronting the Confederate

History in every corner

During Chew Joo Chiat’s lifetime, Katong area was confined mainly along Meyer Road from Tanjong Katong Road towards Katong Park. In Joo Chiat area, Katong did not exist then. From 1926 onwards to World War II saw an influx of Straits Chinese into Joo Chiat when their traditional enclave, Telok Ayer, 04

became overcrowded. Schools were also established in the area: Telok Kurau English Primary School in 1923 (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was a pupil there) and Saint Patrick’s School in 1933. New roads linked the area to the city. In 1932, the Roman Catholic Holy Family Church was completed, attracting to the area a predominantly Catholic Eurasian community. Because of its proximity to Tg Katong, the residents who lived at the east coast referred to the area verbally as Katong. Therefore Katong was born out of Joo Chiat. Chew Joo Chiat was known as King of Katong after his death on 5 February 1926. Seaview Hotel and the Singapore Swimming Club were also opened in the 1930s, providing the area’s wealthier residents with leisure facilities. With the development of Joo Chiat into a small town, the East Coast — stretching from Mountbatten to Siglap — was no longer solely a weekend retreat for the Europeans and rich Chinese and Eurasians who owned the luxurious seaside bungalows there.

Estate Road to increase his land bank. In early 1917 Joo Chiat Road was still a cart track going through Chew’s plantations. It was a private road maintained by him. Transportation of local produce was by bullock carts. Joo Chiat area was then under the jurisdiction of the Rural Board. When the Municipal Limit extended into Joo Chiat, the Municipality wanted to construct a road for motor vehicles from Geylang Serai to the beach. There was no land acquisition law at that time. So the Municipality offered to buy over the stretch of Chew’s land (the Confederate Estate Road) to construct a road for motor vehicles. Chew’s foresight in seeing the benefit of a transport infrastructure

After the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945), Changi Market (now Joo Chiat Complex) at Joo Chiat Road became an important trading centre for Malays from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. They traded in food, flowers and spices, which remain a major part of the area’s economy today. In 1993, Joo Chiat was gazetted as a conservation district. As a result, shophouses and bungalows reflecting the typical architectural styles of the turn of the twentieth century have been preserved, as well as many unique and straits eclectic style Chinese shophouses which give the area its true flavour. The area is also known for eateries specialising in Peranakan delicacies.

going through his land, bequeathed the road to the authority without compensation. For his generosity, the road was named after him as Joo Chiat Road. As more people moved into Joo Chiat especially along East Coast Road, there was a big demand for housing. Chew divided his land into building lots and sold them to developers to build houses. Today, Joo Chiat is best known for its colourful rows and rows of traditional Peranakan shophouses, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, that line its narrow streets.

Did you know? The first Imam of the mosques was Almarhum Syeikh Osman bin Syaikh Omar AlGanus, an Arab from Palembang. He was also a famous Qadi (registrar of Muslim marriages) in Singapore at that time. Almarhum Syeikh Osman was also a great cook and the tradition of preparing food at the mosque still lives on today. This has made the Khalid Mosque famous for good food that’s available during occations on the Muslim calendar.

The Peranakan Issue

RU M A H BE BE

A pernakan heritage home Rumah Bebe, a historical 1928 Peranakan shop-house, restored with gold-gilded woodcarvings and furnishings, is dedicated to preserve the traditional arts. Admire displays of antique embroideries, beadworks, batik-textiles, jewelry and porcelain, each with remarkable stories unfolding their originality and symbolism. View the artistic creations and beading demonstrations by Bebe Seet, the doyenne of Peranakan beadworks in Singapore. Take home a piece of timeless artwork, original or replicated from an array of gifts ranging from fashion, household to collectibles. Graced by the quaint charms of Katong, Rumah Bebe, a Peranakan Shop-in-a-Home is dedicated to preserve the traditional arts and welcomes visitors with a remarkable choreography of scents, sounds and sights. From the Peranakan pot-pourri of Bunga Rampai, to the strains of ethnic Keronchong music and displays of exclusive antique beadworks, embroideries, batik-textiles, jewellery, silverware and porcelain, stories of their origins and symbolism unfold. 06

Structurally built in 1928, Rumah Bebe maintains the layout of a typical Peranakan house with formal features such as a reception hall, inner hall, kitchen and a bridal chamber, decorated with old handcrafted goldgilded screens, ornate doors and colourful tiles. Love of the arts and fashion, along with a creative spirit and years of artistic endeavours has been a natural culmination of Bebe Seetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true mastery of beadworks. Before this foray into the arts, she was a school teacher. Her penchant for the exotic, the dramatic and the unconventional makes her works popular. For the past decade, Bebe not only teaches and sells beaded shoes, but also creates her own designs for embroidered kebayas. The images created have given kebayas a freshness that everybody, young and old, responds to. Today, Bebe is recognized as the doyenne of Peranakan beadwork in the country of Singapore.

The Peranakan Issue

E A S T C OA S T ROA D

A history rooted in prestige and wealth Katong is a residential area in the east of Singapore near the seafront. Formerly located by the sea, land was reclaimed all the way to East Coast Park to provide more land for housing and recreational purposes due to shortage of land in the late 1960s after Singapore gained independence. Katong was the location of many villas and mansions of the wealthy elite in the late 19th to the mid 20th centuries, who made their fortunes in the Far East and built seaside resorts, villas and manors along the beachfront of Katong, beginning from Katong Park to the end of the East Coast. Katong’s rich cultural mix has contributed to its unique cuisine. Katong is mainly well known for its restaurants serving Peranakan (Straits Chinese) cuisine, particularly a spicy Malay noodle soup called Peranakan laksa. Katong Laksa originated from Joo Chiat area. The hawker was nicknamed ‘Jangok” by the peranakan, because he had a few strands of hair at his chin. He was an itinerant hawker and lived in Tembling Road/Joo Chiat Terrace. Later he moved his business into the eating house at East Coast Road/Ceylon Road. Because the Katong people loved his laksa, it has come to be known as the Katong laksa throughout the world in Hong Kong and New York. Katong’s history has been rooted in prestige and wealth. Many wealthy English, Portuguese, Anglo-French and Chinese settlers bought parcels

of land here beside the sea to cultivate plantations. They built business empires from trading in these early international commodities such as cotton, coconut and gambier. The earliest cultivation took place in 1823, when Mr Francis Bernard, son-in-law of Lieutenant Colonel William Farquhar, the first Resident of Singapore, started a coconut estate in the district. Gradually, the crown of Singapore sold plots of land in the area stretching from Frankel Avenue, Siglap Road, to the Geylang River. From Geylang Road to the sea, land was granted to individuals in large parcels, ranging from 8 to 200 hectares. Pioneer estate owners included Thomas Dunman, Thomas Crane, Sir Jose d’Almeida, John Armstrong, and Whampoa Hoo Ah Kay, Chew Joo Chiat. Most of the land was given over to coconut plantations because of the suitably sandy conditions, although cotton was also introduced around February 1836 . Unfortunately, cotton planting was largely a failure and only coconut plantations remained. In the first three decades of the twentieth century and especially after World War I, Katong developed from a weekend seaside retreat into a home for the wealthy, who built their main residence away from the hustle and bustle of town-life in the form of ornate and immense colonial seaside bungalows. Katong then took the form of a wealthy suburb. Large colonial,

Chinese and Peranakan bungalows were built along Meyer Road and Mountbatten Road from Katong Park to Tanjong Katong (which in English means “Road of the Turtle Mirage Promontory”). By 1928 Katong had grown to the extend that the InspectorGeneral of Police, H.Fairburn remarked: “The development of the area from Katong to Joo Chiat, which has been so rapid in the past two years, promises to continue, and from every point of view one sees the necessity of providing for a sub-divisional station in the suburb. The suburb at present possess no police station.” From then on Katong encroached into Joo Chiat area from Tanjong Katong to Telok Kurau Road. East Coast Road (now divided into East Coast Road and Upper East Coast Road) have many upper-class family homes. The Katong of today covers both sides of Tanjong Katong Road and the seaward strip along Mountbatten Road and East Coast Road, stretching from Katong Park up to Martia Road. Also included in this strip are Katong Church and CHIJ Katong Convent.

Did you know? As of June 2012, Katong Village, originally Joo Chiat Police station has been put up for development as a hotel site. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released the detailed sales conditions for the hotel site located at East Coast Road. With a land area of 0.8 hectares, the land parcel is expected to generate a gross floor area of about 24,700 square metres. URA said the site contains the historically and architecturally significant former Joo Chiat Police Station, which is to be conserved and restored as part of the hotel development.

The Peranakan Issue

MAK AN Eat, eat and eat

Katong has numerous cafes and old-world coffeeshops like Chin Mee Chin and excellent culinary fixtures all within a short walking distance of one another. Enjoy its wealth of good food and cultural heritage. Food scattered across Joo Chiat Road is also not to be missed, excite your tastebuds and empty your stomach for a day full of delicious food from all kinds of races.

Punggol Nasi Lemak

328 Katong Laksa

Punggol Nasi Lemak is good but not great. It’s not the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore, but you won’t mind having it if you’re in the area and there’s no long queue. It’s a ideal late night supper place in Singapore for the night-owls, and the idea of having nasi lemak in the middle of the night will definitely be very appealing.

Laksa has a rich coconut-based curry soup with rice noodles alongside ingredients like cockles, shrimp, tau pok and fish cake. There’s no menu here, just plain ol’ laksa in Small ($4), Medium ($5) or Large ($6), with hum (cockles) or no, and otak. The laksa is not too spicy; with lots of cockles and fishcake; the prawns are fresh and peeled to save diners the trouble. Without a doubt, Laksa is one of the Singapore’s must-eats.

238 Tanjong Katong Road Closed On Thursdays Fri-Wed: 5.30pm - 2.30am Mon - Fri: 5:30 pm - 2:30 am (Closed on Thursdays)

Kway Guan Huat

51 East Coast Road Singapore Mon-Sun: 8:30am - 21:00pm

Xu Jun Sheng

121 Joo Chiat Road Mon - Sat: 11:00am - 3:30pm Mon - Sat: 5:30pm - 9:00pm Sun: 10:30am - 3:30pm

95 Joo Chiat Road Tue - Sun: 10:00am - 8:00pm Takeaway is available on Mondays

Located along Joo Chiat Road, this stall serves popiah. Diners are free to customise their popiah by bringing their own ingredients to add into the popiah. Alternatively, you could buy the popiah sets for your own popiah party whereby the fillings are packed in a claypot. For over 70 years, they have continued to make popiah skins the traditional way, painstakingly by hand using a secret family recipe handed down by their forefathers in Fujian province, China. The crab popiah is a definite must-try here.

If you are craving for authentic Teochew muay, this is the place. The variety and the quality of the dishes have reasonable price if you stay away from the seasonal seafood. Having said that, most Tze Char stall do not serve fresh seafood with the same amount paid. Plus you pay a higher price for a quality fresh seafood at restaurant.

Chin Mee Chin

Ampang Niang Tou Fu

Chin Mee Chin has been serving up sweettasting treats to Singaporeans for more than 80 years. With its retro floor tiles and hanging ceiling fans, the confectionery gives urbanites a ta ste of what life used to be in the early 1960s and 70s. At Chin Mee Chin Bakery, local coffee, kaya toast and homemade cakes are the stars. There are many supporters of the round buns (instead of the normal toast), and the nottoo-sweet kaya from this old school coffee shop. Together with butter, it is the perfect snack for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Ampang Niang Tau Foo, from its name, serves an authentic style of Yong Tau Foo in Ampang style (normally in soup base of gravy base). The shop is bright and no menu is available for you to choose. The server will normally choose the Yong tau Foo for you depending on how many person you are with. We choose from the soup base style and it comes with fishballs, lady finger, brinjal and tau kee etc.

204 East Coast Rd Tue - Sun: 8:30am - 4:00pm

225A East Coast Road Mon to Sun: 11.00am - 8:30pm