Here's How to Navigate Chinatown like an Expert

Singapore's Chinatown is a curious blend of cultural heritage and chic modernism. Colonial architecture jostles for space alongside temples and old Chinese shop fronts as bustling markets come alive every morning and stay up, sleepless and enthralled till late in the night.

Historically, Chinatown was a settlement for Chinese immigrants who came to the sunny island when it was a British colony but the streets are filled with elements from other cultures as well.

The best way to soak up the feel of Chinatown is by walking through the lively market and letting different sights and smells greet your senses. Dig into steaming food with locals at hawker stalls, pick up a book to rifle through at a bookstore, get a drink at hip bars and clubs and look through stalls in the flea market to find something as unique and quirky as you. Here's how to weave through the lanes and get the most of Chinatown:

Pick up a book

For bookworms who can't resist buying a book (or five), head to these snug bookstores for a whiff of the heady smell of old and new books. The Moon is a cosy space which triples as a bookstore, an event venue and a cafe. With golden warm lights and comfy cushions, burn the midnight oil as you recline against a comfy cushion with a book and a cup of coffee.

Tintin fans will be pleasantly surprised to find The Tintin Shop, full of comic books, figurines and even large statues. There's a large Haddock statue that beckons you at the entrance and should you be enamoured by it, you can take it home for Rs 5,17,000 to brighten up your home with the old gruff seafarer. There are cute limited edition figurines and boxes which you can pick up for Rs 2,900 and hardcover books for that plane ride home at around Rs 2,100.

BooksActually is one of the best when it comes to books. They publish books by contemporary Singaporean writers and have an extensive collection of genres ranging from non-fiction and fiction to history, poetry and fat books on mathematics for you to browse through.

Head to these places for a bout of gluttony

The five-storeyed Chinatown Complex is always abuzz with activity—over 260 hawker food stalls dish out finger-licking food in a frenzy, locals with shopping bags fill the other floors where wet markets thrive and older residents cluster around in groups under the shade to talk and play games of Chinese chess.

Queue up at around 8.00 am outside Chef Chan Hon Meng's Michelin-starred hawker stall Liao Fan Hawker Chan’s Soya Sauce Chicken Rice for a taste of his famous Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodles. The soya sauce chicken is worth the money (Rs 500-1000) with a crispy cover that gives way to tender meat when you take a bite. We recommend the early hour because serpentine queues stretch down to other levels come afternoon and they shut shop as soon as they're sold out.

Take a breather from shopping to sample some char kway teow – a sumptuous mix of rice noodles, Chinese sausage, oyster sauce, fish cakes and dark soy.

If you’re not one to shy away from the unknown, try the frog porridge with frogs marinated in soy, spring onions and wine, with spicy chilli. The frog is surprisingly sweet, juicy and tender. Pair it with the green onion sauce to savour its range of flavours.

You can't leave Singapore without a messy meal of the Singaporean chili crab. Large crabs slathered in thick sweet and savoury sauce are served with mantou (small fried buns) that you can use to mop up the leftover sauce on your plate.

Come breezy evenings, head to the hawker stalls selling craft beer on tap for a perspiring jug of cool beer with locals. Beer is generally cheaper at these stalls than in swanky bars so you can keep 'em coming as you clink glasses with locals for a colourful night ahead.

Browse through eclectic boutiques

As darkness gathers, people spill out on the neon-coloured lanes of Ann Siang Road and Club Street which burgeons with a variety of hip dining spots for a happening night. By day, Ann Siang Road is a charming street full of shophouses, chic boutiques and hidden gems.

If your weakness is clothing, even though your wardrobe struggles to keep up, this is the place to be. Boutiques offer unique individual choices which is something you won't find in Singapore's glittering malls.

Pick up dresses from global brands under vibrant umbrella shops or check out beautiful party dresses from independent labels at boutiques. If you'd like impeccably tailored suits and shirts for men, your best fit would be Aston Blake.

Take a stroll to chance upon hidden gems like White Label Records, which has a treasure of vinyl records ranging from Bowie's head-banging rock to Sinatra's soulful tunes. If you need to update your vinyl collection, do so here, amidst the store's amazing variety of eras and genres with a drink in hand. The cafe/restaurant also hosts musical gigs in the evening so you can drop by for a musical night.

Haggle with a smile at these markets

China Square Central Flea Market

You can indulge in some retail therapy in the bustling and lively China Square Central Flea Market by day but by night the market dons a different look with hanging red lanterns casting their glow on colonial architecture and shoppers milling underneath. Hone your bargaining skills here while you browse through comic books, Chinese items, vintage clocks and second-hand books.

Chinatown Street Market

The outdoor Chinatown Street Market is game ground for shoppers on the prowl for a good bargain. Joke and talk to vendors as you look through silk robes, porcelain, clothes, electronics, antiques and souvenirs. All that shopping will leave you famished so tuck into some satya, roast duck, stingray or kway teow.

Stock up on traditional Chinese products

Yue Hwa

This legendary landmark is adorned with Chinese architecture and has a wealth of authentic Chinese products at reasonable rates which you can gift your loved ones back home. Browse through aromatic teas and herbs, sip on some Chinese rice wine, get a beautiful qipao (traditional Chinese dress) or run your fingers through silk scarves and load up on handicrafts.

Cio Chinatown Point

A haven for antique lovers, the Cio Chinatown Point has over 200 shops which sell an assortment of souvenirs, clothes, cosmetics and bags. There are antiques that date back to the Ming dynasties which you can add to your collection.

Eu Yan Sang

For some holistic healing the Chinese way, head to Eu Yan Sang which have perpetuated traditional Chinese medicine. With a remarkable range of tonic, herbs and ointments, the store might just have you buying bird's nest broth to drive away fatigue or black herbal jelly to relieve turbulent digestion.

ETTE Tea

You might be on the lookout for Oolong tea in Singapore but test your nose and taste buds at ETTE Tea whose eclectic tea flavours will challenge all the traditional tea you've ever consumed. Flavours range from spicy fortune cookies, silver dust, chicken rice and an amazing blend of Kris grey and Earl Grey with South-East Asian ingredients, among others. At Rs 2,000 for 50g, you can get some of these flavours in pretty sachets.

Written by Neeti Chopra

Think we missed out on something? Tell us about it in the comments below!

In association with Singapore Tourism