5-Star Geylang

BanguIzai SG

This Eastern enclave has much, much more to offer than sex and food. By Ramesh William and Arman Shah

Geylang has been hijacked. For far too long. For most of you, it’s a veritable hellhole of quick-buck hookers on social-visit passes, sneaky ruffian-like pimps with equally suspicious hairdos, hand-holding same-sex jaywalkers, backlane-hogging drug peddlers and fight-itchy gangsters with tattoos the size of a bus. But not only is that the view from the outside looking in, it’s merely a small slice of Geylang.
For Geylang is not just about the pink-lit even-numbered lorongs, it’s also about the colorful, cultural scenes at Geylang Serai; the charms of bygone-era shopping malls like City Plaza and Tanjong Katong Complex; the solidly middle-class enclave of Geylang East with its condos; and Geylang Bahru, a sleepy little HDB estate whose ordinariness (being ordinary can be awesome) is the complete antithesis of the mainstream notion of Geylang. And with the newly baptized Circle Line offering easier access from the city to Paya Lebar MRT station, getting under the skin of the real Geylang has just gotten a lot easier.

A short hop, skip and a dance away from Paya Lebar MRT station, this has traditionally been a buzzing Malay enclave. First populated when Malay fishermen began settling at the mouth of the Geylang River nearby, Geylang Serai’s importance grew when mills and factories began sprouting in the area in the second half of the 19th century. In fact, it is commonly accepted that the word “Geylang” is derived from the Malay word “kilang,” which means factory.
Although Geylang Serai had a tumultuous history in the years leading up to Singapore’s independence—with bombs going off as part of Indonesian President Sukarno’s Confrontasi campaign and communal riots—it has since evolved into a culturally vibrant enclave in Singapore. Aside from the landmark Geylang Serai Market, it is perhaps most famous for its Hari Raya night markets and street light-ups during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

At the Geylang Serai Market, we found dressmaker Esah binte Hashim, who runs Manis Collection (#02-24), a clothes-cum-tailor shop—making everything from Haj wear to male and female baju kurungs—in the market. She says, “I’ve been here 18 years and I like Geylang Serai because it has everything I want.”

Stall-owner Syed Ali, a Singaporean of Yemeni descent, has had a stall—Fhoul Madinah Istimewa (#02-114)—here since the 1950s selling local Malay and Middle Eastern fare. “It’s nice to see old faces and friends here,” he said. “It may be a brand new building but nothing beats the nostalgia of the place.”

With his bushy ears, bald pate and garish outfits, fishmonger Ricky Ong is a fixture in the wet market. “I love Malay people,” he harrumphed when we asked him—fella’s been here 30 years—what the draw of Geylang Serai was. “That’s why I’m here!”

1 Whack the delicious briyani at the Haji Mohd Yusof (#02-169) stall.
2 Digest some historical nuggets at information boards on the market’s second floor.
3 Sip on some seriously delicious cendol at Cendol Geylang Serai (#02-107).
4 Head across the road to Joo Chiat Complex for textiles and the latest Malay CDs at Muzika (#01-1031).
5 Must, must, must pay a visit during Ramadan and buy all kinds of festive goods from kuehs, to outfits and even carpets at the pasar malam.

Did You know? From 1910-1927, Geylang Serai was the eastern terminal for Singapore’s first tramline service.

Everyone loves a good relic. And boy oh boy, do we have some absolute dinosaurs on our hands here. Stepping into either of these shopping venues will take you back in time to the early 1980s when these two places were as cutting-edge as ION Orchard is today. In fact, the whole area was a thriving commercial hub right from the 1970s, especially when Emporium department store was on the corner of Haig Road and Geylang Road.
Tanjong Katong Complex was best known for having Singapore’s first 24-hour supermarket, the Japanese chain outlet Yokoso. Situated at Shop n’ Save’s present location, this bit the dust after a short while; well in an era where 24/7 grocery shopping was as ridiculous as a dude in a skirt, this probably wasn’t a surprise. Today it houses an array of small stores selling everything from home furnishings, to jewelry and vintage CDs.
Like its neighbor City Plaza across the street, its humdrum existence is turned on its head every Sunday when thousands of Indonesian migrant workers throng its corridors, giving the place a vibrant, almost electric atmosphere; there are even outdoor impromptu open-mic singing sessions for those who are up for it (usually in Bahasa Indonesia).
City Plaza has a niche to it—ladies’ wear. From tops to dresses, bags and shoes, there’s no shortage of bargains to be had here from small, independent boutiques. Plus you can haggle over the price if you find it a bit on the high side.
If you like crowds then weekends are the best time to visit, as the place buzzes with all sorts of bargain hunters, foodies and people exchanging currency at its numerous money changers.

Rachmat Suswantho, who does traditional Malay calligraphy from his Sufia’s Gallery (#02-33 Tanjong Katong Complex), says he is one of the last practitioners of the art around. Rachmat has been writing calligraphy on framed mirrors (some pieces can fetch as high as a few thousand dollars) for seven years after 25 years as a loadmaster at Singapore Airlines. “Since my teacher passed away, there are only six or seven of us left in Singapore,” he says. “I thrive on word-of-mouth; people around the world who want this know that there’s only one shop here doing it and that’s mine.”

1 Try the mie bakso (beefball soup) at Es Teller 77 (#01-K2 City Plaza). Oh so good.
2 Dig into the Family bucket ($54) at Arnold’s Fried Chicken (#02-99 City Plaza).
3 Change currencies at competitive rates with money changers at City Plaza.
4 Grab cutting edge designs at the many ladies boutiques at both City Plaza and Tanjong Katong Complex.
5 Go nuts at City Plaza’s Xin Titbits Centre (#01-62A).

Did You know? First Lady at Tanjong Katong Complex was created by the owners of Second Chance to replace the latter. Second Chance, as many of you may recall, was a popular kids and menswear chain in the 1980s which folded in 1992.

You could call this an exclave of Geylang; it’s closer to Little India than it is to the other Geylangs. Some ask, “But is it really Geylang?” Of course, it is. It says so in its name, for goodness sake! Formerly a kampong area, Geylang Bahru was developed in the early 1970s into a residential-cum-industrial area, a bit like Jurong. That legacy continues on through today with its heartland vibe and cookie-cutter HDB blocks. It may look like it has all the trappings of a non-descript neighborhood but scratch the surface and you’ll find a charming estate full of (mostly older) characters, pawnshops, medicine halls, wonderful bakeries (the waft of pandan cakes is everywhere), coffeeshops and a slew (in every sense of the word) of massage and acupuncture outlets. It’s a quiet, unassuming place where the old fogeys will stare at you before breaking into a smile and wave.

“The rent here is reasonable,” says Christine, owner of Inu Petz (#01-509 Bl. 66, Geylang Bahru, 6341-5019), a pet grooming store. “I moved here because of that, and also because it’s walking distance from my in-laws. I like the area, it’s homely and peaceful,” before adding, “No photos of me, please!”

1 Get needled at Kim Chan Acupuncture (#01-471 Bl. 67 Geylang Bahru).
2 The $7 foot rub at King Foot Spa (#01-463 Bl. 67 Geylang Bahru).
3 Take a wine tasting class at Kolam Ayer Community Club (3188 Geylang Bahru, 6293-5572).
4 Enjoy warm buns at St. Kerry bakery (Bl. 68 Geylang Bahru).
5 Get counseled at Salvation Army when feeling blue (#01-511 Bl. 66 Geylang Bahru).

Did You know? The Kallang Basin Swimming Pool is one of the oldest public pools in Singapore.

The fact that Geylang has a neighborhood like this may come as a bit of an eye opener to most. It’s relatively quiet; the condos and maisonettes reflect a middle class area that minds its own business. There is a popular public library, a polyclinic, a wet market and the Singapore Basketball Association (SBA) has its headquarters—along with playing courts—here. It has a non-threatening suburban feel and even has two temples, the Buddhist monastery Foo Hai Ch’an and the Hindu Sri Sivan temple.
The Singapore Disability Sports Council recently organized a power soccer (a variation of soccer played by the severely disabled in wheelchairs) clinic, featuring both local and overseas players at the SBA’s premises. “It’s nice to get out here to Geylang and play power soccer with some of the best international players in the world,” says Law Yean Cheng, a player on the Singapore team who has spinal muscular atrophy.

Shopkeeper Mr. Tan, owner of Hoe Leong Minimart (Blk 134 Geylang East Ave 1) has been here since 1986, when it was a brand new estate. “I moved here after my old shop (we were there since 1952) on Still Road was demolished to make way for new developments,” says the 77-year-old. “After renting it for a few years, I bought it from the HDB for around $50,000.” Mr. Tan, whose father was also a shop owner, naturally reminisces about the good old days when business was better.

Yusri Mohammed’s customers swear by his haircuts. One of them puts it succinctly, “He knows what I want and the way I want it.” Yusri co-owns Haider Malay Barber (#01-16 Bl. 119, Aljunied Ave 2) with three other barbers and relocated here from Circuit Road in 1997. He chose Geylang East because it’s “central” and says Geylang is both heaven and hell: “Heaven, because there are so many temples in the area and hell because there are just so many prostitutes all over the place.”

1 Pay a visit to the Tan Swie Hian Museum (460 Sims Ave., 6744-0716) for elaborate contemporary paintings in oil and Chinese ink and beautiful ceramic frescos.
2 Have the best Chinese vegetarian hawker food at Kwan Im Vegetarian Food (#01-229 134 Geylang East Ave. 1, 6744-4424).
3 Go swimming at the recently upgraded Geylang East Swimming Complex (601 Aljunied Crescent).
4 Watch a basketball game at the Singapore Basketball Association (#01-04, 601 Aljunied Cres., 6743-8426).
5 Check out the excellent architecture on Geylang East Avenue 2, namely the Foo Hai Ch’an Buddhist monastery and the Sri Sivan Hindu temple.

Did You know? The nearby Geylang Fire Station was built in 1929 and was the most modern of its kind when it first opened.

OK, we saved the worst for last. This is what gives Geylang its rep, its street cred. It’s noisy, seductive, dirty (in many ways), hostile and quite fun. The food is great, the sex shops are underwhelming and Bangladeshi fruit and veg stores do a roaring trade. Every night its lorongs (streets) throng with freelance hookers and all kinds of hangers-on, from bodyguards to ice-cream vendors.
The area is also chockfull of hourly rated hotels (names unnecessary) where occupants, it can be safely said, don’t spend their one hour playing Boggle. It’s a tourist must-see and yet you won’t find it in any visitors’ brochure. But take it from us: You don’t know the real Singapore until you visit this part of Geylang.

Our pimp backed out. We were scheduled to interview him, but he got cold feet and thought we were the police. Us? So we had to move on and tried to interview and photograph a streetwalker, but we almost got beaten up and had to hurriedly scratch up an “Oh, we’re tourists from Malaysia” excuse. It was duly bought and we beat a hasty retreat. Moral of the story: Don’t take photographs openly here and don’t just poke your nose anywhere … the place is full of lookouts, pimps and gangsters.

1 The beef noodles at Geylang Lorong 9 (237 Geylang Lor 9).
2 The dim sum at Mongkok (214 Geylang Rd.).
3 Watch a football game at Geylang Field (Lorong 10).
4 Go prawning at Geylang Prawn Fishing (#01-13 former Singapore Badminton Hall, 100 Guillemard Rd., 9182-7217).
5 Well, get laid—and then have some durians.

Did You know? Even-numbered lorongs in Geylang are where the brothels are located. The brothels have a larger-than-usual number sign in the front, indicating that it is a house of pleasure.

While you’re there, check out what’s just a quick hop away.

Tanjong Katong Road
Circle Line MRT: Dakota; 10-min walk.
There’s an old-world charm about this historic road (it’s been in existence since the 1820s, and during the Japanese Occupation a stretch of shophouses were used as comfort houses) which we absolutely love. There are quaint bookshops, pet stores, yoga places and loads of good food to be found here. Here are some definite must-try chows.

Punggol Nasi Lemak Centre
Take the bustling Tanjong Katong Road often enough and you’re bound to notice the perpetually long queue snaking from Punggol Nasi Lemak Centre. Don’t be misled by the grandiosity of its name; it’s just a nondescript stall without any air-conditioning, selling arguably the best nasi lemak in the east.   
Where: 238 Tanjong Katong Rd., 6348-3303. Open Fri–Wed 5:30pm–2:30am.

Bombay Café
Vegetarians and lovers of Indian cuisine will find this garish pink-fronted restaurant a delight. True to its name, it has authentic Bombay street fare like gol gappa, or crunchy puffed semolina pastry shells served with fillings and sauces.
Where: 334 Tanjong Katong Rd., 6345-0070. Open daily 11am–2:45pm, 6pm–10:15pm.

Madeleine’s Original Portuguese Egg Tart and Puff
Residents of Tanjong Katong swear by this. The delectable Portuguese egg tarts are the bomb, with its filling full of rich custardy goodness.
Where: 198 Tanjong Katong Rd., 6247-9363. Open daily 8am-5:30pm.

Kallang Leisure Park
Circle Line MRT: Stadium; 2-min walk.
A stone’s throw from the red-light district of Geylang is the latest hotspot in the city. The opening of Stadium Station on the newly inaugurated Circle Line has given a fillip to this once sleepy nook.
With easy accessibility, a state-of-the-art bowling alley in Kallang Bowl (#02-22, 5 Stadium Walk, 6345-0545), Kallang Ice World (#03-08, 5 Stadium Walk, 6348-1123), the biggest ice-skating rink that tropical Singapore has ever seen, and FilmGarde (#03-10/#03-15, 5 Stadium Walk, 6344-5997), this place is all set to thrive.