Siglap - Almost 20 Years On

Almost 20 years ago when we moved into the area, this whole place was a sleepy town.

I was finishing up with primary school going on to Dunman High School (while it was still at Dunman Road). Parkway Parade was the newest shopping centre on the block. Katong Shopping Centre was still quite hip. There was a small little bus interchange sitting on the land where Victoria School sits. There was no Siglap Centre.

Siglap back then was just some place convenient for a quick bite at one or two coffee outlets and thats about it. The row of shophouse restaurants where Pizza Hut is located was the newest outlet back then. Now its almost as nice as Holland Village, and so much less crowded. And soon there's gonna be an MRT station?!! I guess we have to move back someday. :)

Was back this morning for some good ol' Ampang Yong Tau Foo at the coffeeshop beside Siglap Centre.

The food here has hardly changed. You're kinda spoilt for choice between some pretty awesome chicken rice, fishball mee pok, or this. For personal reasons, I only eat the Ampang Yong Tau Foo when I'm here.

After brunch, we walked around abit. The junction of East Coast Road and Siglap Road is like the new power junction with so many new changes. Its been renovated quite a fair bit and its alot more pedestrian friendly now.

The coffeshop selling the Yong Tau Foo is on the left of Siglap Centre, kinda cropped off on the left of the picture. Siglap Centre has surprisingly kept its anchor tenants all these years even though business hasn't been all that good. Mcdonald's, Cold Storage and Guardian.

Was telling the wifey someday I'll have a nice little store of my own on the 2nd floor, which nobody patronises. Haha. The new development on the right is gonna end up abit like Siglap Centre's newer cousin. We actually wanted to see the showflat but it wasn't opened yet. Still that didn't stop us from behaving like young millionaire investors (they're everywhere these days) getting psf quotations and floor plans from one of the eager beaver agents hawking their wares at the entrance of the development. It's not gonna come cheap - $1,300 to $1,500 psf.


Beside the new development is the old shophouse stretch signalling the beginning of the restaurant belt. Starting with Pizza Hut, it moves on to Lemongrass, KFC etc etc, tons of eateries all the way down.


Then directly opposite is another little building with lotsa eateries and POSB as anchor tenant. Obviously they noticed that UOB opposite them has been doing so well all these years and decided to move closer to the junction. POSB used to have a huge-ass branch further down the road.


Here's the stretch down East Coast Road leading to the rest of the eateries. Lotsa good stuff and I could go on and on but I'm tired liaoz. Haha. As if to highlight the familiarity of the place, we even bumped into my brother!

I love Siglap! One day must move back here!