Katong & Joo Chiat

Katong and Joo Chiat form the heartland of Peranakan culture in Singapore — a neighbourhood of pastel shophouses, Nonya restaurants, and the ornate tile work that is the visual signature of the Straits Chinese community. The Peranakans (also called Baba-Nonya) are descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled in the Malay Archipelago centuries ago and developed a hybrid culture that blends Chinese and Malay traditions in food, language, dress, and architecture. This neighbourhood is where that culture is most visible.

Koon Seng Road is the Instagram shot — a row of perfectly preserved Peranakan shophouses in sherbet colours (pink, mint, lavender) with ornate ceramic tiles, carved wooden doors, and plasterwork that combines Chinese motifs with Malay and European decorative elements. The tiles, imported from Europe in the early 20th century, are so distinctive that 'Peranakan tiles' has become a collecting category, and the shophouses on Koon Seng Road are the most photographed residential buildings in Singapore.

The food is the neighbourhood's other treasure. Katong laksa — a coconut curry noodle soup served with cut noodles (so you eat it with a spoon, not chopsticks) — was born here, and the rivalry between the laksa stalls on East Coast Road is as fierce as any in Singapore. Joo Chiat Road and its side streets contain traditional Nonya kueh (cake) shops, Malay satay stalls, and the kind of family-run businesses that have been serving the neighbourhood for generations. Come hungry and leave understanding why the Peranakan contribution to Singapore's food culture is wildly disproportionate to the size of the community.