The best bits of Singapore's Joo Chiat area
Joo Chiat, most people know it as a conservation area with noteworthy heritage architecture and a solid reputation for good hawker fare.
Some others know it for its more unsavory aspects, the sleazy Vietnamese pubs and massage parlors that dot the main thoroughfare.
Over the last few months, there has been a change of scene with new restaurants, cafés, slick furniture stores and a number of decent pubs opening up, all aiming to offer an alternative (and updated) view of the area.
Here are some places to check out.
Mars Bar? What's that? Pave Chocolate's milk chocolate bar combines freshly roasted macadamias, coconut shavings and sea salt.1. For gourmet fare
The latest dining destination at Joo Chiat has to be Maeda (467 Joo Chiat Road, +65 63450745), an eatery and sake inn that serves up strong flavored Osaka-style cuisine with sake. Helmed by chef Maeda, who has accumulated a string of regulars over his years in Singapore, the highlight here is is the omakase menu for S$80.
Cold poached chocolate, anyone? That’s what you will find at Awfully Chocolate (131 East Coast Rd, +65 6345 2190). The decadent dessert is a soft, rich, dark, cold chocolate invention created by a cold-poaching method with a choice of fresh liqueur creams. For the non-chocolate inclined, the space also houses JooJoo cafe and Japanese style bakery Mooshi Bakes.
If Willy Wonka could pick a successor, he might have considered Pave Chocolates (93 East Coast Road, +65 63420677) with its array of gourmet chocolate bars. The mouthwatering combinations include milk chocolate with sea salt caramel, dark chocolate ganache bars with hazelnuts and assorted bon bons filled with bloody peach jelly and bourbon vanilla.
2. For designer furniture
Furniture buying in Joo Chiat used to be restricted to the likes of old-school rattan furniture.
So when Jarrod Lim, an award-winning designer set up his multi-disciplinary design studio Jarrod Lim (324 Joo Chiat Rd, +65 91877885; www.jarrodlim.com) ) on Joo Chiat Road, it stuck out, though not exactly like a sore thumb.
His iconic furniture pieces, such as the Hi-Ho Rocking Horse, or the Koi Chair, will make quite the stylish addition to any home. Curious? You’d have to make an appointment to view a piece up close.
For trendy vintage, swing by Bangku Bangku Art Gallery (317 Joo Chiat Road, +65 8153 0292) for a treasure trove of age-packed curios; you can pick up collectible phones and cameras from the 1920s right through to the 1970s here, 1980s Raleigh bikes, grandfather clocks to a collection of Javanese-style furniture imported directly from Central Java.
The Cider Pit's owner understands the importance of S$10 beers. 3. For cheap booze
The Joo Chiat area is certainly not short on pubs but a quality one selling beers at S$10 a pint? That's another story altogether.
Hit up The Cider Pit (382 Joo Chiat Road), a no-frills, laid back pub owned and run by Brit native George Kirton. Here, the ones to try are the draught ciders, especially an old-fashioned, strong brew called Westons Vintage Organic Cider.
Otherwise there are 16 ciders and 50 artisanal beers stocked on its menu, and they're all reasonably priced. Drink up!
