Neighborhood Guide: Kallang Basin and Tanjong Rhu
What to eat, see and do in the area.
Singapore
Chin Sin Huan Eating House
Commonly referred to as the Tanjong Rhu bao, this place’s red bean and char siew fil lings have a fan following. They also have pretty legit lotus buns, siew mai and lor mai ga on top of that.
Goodman Arts Centre
This seven-acre arts hub is home to the National Arts Council of Singapore, dozens of arts groups, theaters, ceramic studios and lots more. Sign up for batik painting or Bharatnatyam, sip wine at La Barca restaurant or see a contemporary dance performance here.
Marina Bay Golf Course
Marina Bay Golf Course
As Singapore’s first and arguably only 18-hole golf course open to the public, this 72-par, 91 pot bunker mini monster has an awfully nice view of Marina Bay and the Singapore skyline. Prices start from $52.50 per golfer per round.
Singapore Swimming Club
Founded in 1894, this cosmopolitan club features two Olympic-sized swimming pools (members only), tennis courts (from $2 per court per hour for members and $5 for non-members), bowling alleys (from $2 per game for members and $3 for non-members) and more. There’s even fine - dining establishment Jack Mil ler alongside six other restaurants and cafes. Lifetime membership starts from $15,000. Ouch!
Advertisement
Brewerkz
No on- site brewing at this branch of one of our fave local microbreweries, but there are waterfront views, lots of alfresco seating and a wood-burning pizza oven. The Indian Pale Ale may convert non-beer drinkers, too.
Kilo
The reincarnation of Raw Kitchen Bar sits comfortably just above Loysel’s Toy, possessing just the right laid back vibe and reasonably priced dishes like ceviche ($17) and Cognac beef tartare ($19).
Long Beach King Seafood Restaurant
A starched Sunday-lunch-with-the-family type of place. Supposedly the creator of the black pepper crab, but we say go for the scrumptious butter lobster and the mouth-watering “dong bo” ribs with honey sauce.
Loysel's Toy
Loysel's Toy
An awesome weekend spot on the riverfront. A side from single-origin drips, French presses and syphons, they also sell beans and equipment including a Hario coffee syphon ($115) and the eco-trendy KeepCup ($16).
Myra's Beach Club
The popular East Coast bistro ventures to a new part of the city in July, with their comforting mix of North Indian and Mexican food. Decent veg options, too, if the old place is anything to go by.
Thai Village
They don’t serve too many “quintessentially Thai” dishes here at this regional chain, but there are Teochew-ish and seafood classics aplenty like black pepper crab, braised fish maw and fried vermicelli with seafood.
The Mushroom Pot
This family-friendly restaurant sells exactly what its name suggests—wild mushroom soup, wild mushroom fried rice, mushroom-heavy hot pot buffet, shitake mushroom with meat paste and lots more.
Kallang Theatre
A friend to the local arts scene, having staged homegrown shows like Singapura: A Lion City and Bendahara: A Betrayal. The 1,680-seat theater also plays host to international superstars like Charice and Sam Tsui.
Bike Rental
Fun fact! Loysel’s Toy rents bikes for $10 per hour so you can slowly make your way to East Coast beach after a lazy afternoon of self-caffeination.
Bowling at Leisure Park Kallang
We can’t decide if bowling is hot or not , but it’s hard to care with this awesome facility and its 22 competition-standard lanes.
The Cage
The Cage
Indulge in a friendly game of nocturnal indoor football. Book your own field for $50 per hour before 6pm, $90 per hour after 6pm.
Ice Skating Rink at Leisure Park Kallang
Constructed to match international competition standards, this is the place to go if you’re a die -hard ice skating fan. They even offer skating courses for all levels.
Kallang Cricket Grounds
A regular host of one-day international matches, this cricket field is home ground to the Singapore national team.
Kallang Lawn Bowl Greens
Housed in the tennis center, this field hosts some of the island’s hobbyist lawn bowlers. It’s more strategic than you think with weekend teams pitting themselves against each other. If you’re interested in picking it up, there are even free sessions everyday 1-2pm.
Kallang Riverside Park
Kallang Riverside Park
Built on both sides of Kallang River, this park is a haven for water sports enthusiasts and boasts fitness equipment, jogging and cycling tracks. Nature lovers will appreciate the butterfly garden and bird-watching opportunities.
Kallang Wave
Located at the new Sports Hub, the mall is named after the iconic celebration that used to take place in the old National Stadium. Alongside international brands like Uniqlo and H&M and dining outlets including Poulet, and Soup Spoon, there will be sporting facilities like a rock climbing area and a rooftop water park.
Liferacer Swim Wears
This local swimwear boutique has lots of funky and patterned options, even thermal swimwear and those fashionable beach cover-ups. They have waterproof accessories, too.
Little Provence
If you love French specialties, this retail store will delight you with its wide selection of olive oils, truffle delicacies, tapenades, artisanal jams, chocolates and excellent wines.
Singapore Sports Hub
Located over 35 hectares of Kallang , the all-new Singapore Sports Hub is now home to the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, Indoor Stadium, Sports Museum, Sports Library, Water Sports Centre, a multi-purpose indoor arena, and a sprawling 41,000 sq. m. of retail space. See what’s happening there this year (below).
Singapore Sports Council
As the governing body to all things sport in Singapore, this place has some neat facilities for public use, from squash to tennis and netball. Book on their site.
WaterVenture
Whether you like kayaking, windsurfing , sailing, dragon boating or sea rafting, this is the place. Courses start at $25 for a one-day intro to kayaking.
Ukulele Movement
Supposedly the “first and only ukulele specialty shop in Singapore”, this place is also home to a community of enthusiasts.
COMING SOON
The spanking new Sports Hub isn’t Kallang’s only new and improved hangout. In fact, according to the URA Master Plan, there are plans to revamp Kallang Riverside Park with the addition of more shops and cafes (hmm... more hipster coffee joints?). Plus, more work’s happening along the beach and there’ll even be a route connecting Gardens by the Bay to the Sports Hub. Also, the (now creepy-looking) old Airport Square, where the Kallang Airport Terminal Building stands, will be conserved and used as an enclave for office buildings, hotels, retail malls and other entertainment facilities. No dates yet. For more info, visit www.ura.gov.sg.
SPORTS HUB HIGHLIGHTS
Some of the biggest events in the coming months:
Singapore Selection vs Juventus FC (Aug 16, 7.30pm, National Stadium)
Watch some of Singapore’s best soccer players take on world-famous Juventus FC, who were last season’s Serie A champions, in what will undoubtedly be a thrilling match.
Singapore Swim Stars (Sep 5-7, 7pm, OCBC Aquatic Centre)
Olympic champions Ruta Meiluyte, Cesar Cielo and Anthony Ervin are just some of the stars who will be participating in this international swimming meet.
Paribas WTA Finals Singapore (Oct 17-26, Various times, Singapore Indoor Stadium)
Catch some of the world’s best female tennis stars, including Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska, at this prestigious sporting event, which will be held in Singapore for the first time.
Opus 2 Jay 2014 World Tour (Nov 8, 8pm, National Stadium)
Mandopop king Jay Chou will do a gig here as part of his Opus 2 2014 World Tour. Expect his usual dazzling pyrotechnics.
Advertisement
Biscotti Bakery
It’s rather niche, but yes, this bakery specializes in biscotti. The original almond flavor aside, there’s cranberry, pistachio, chocolate orange almond and orange almond.
Popiah, Fortune Food
Geylang Bahru Market and Food Center
Amid HDB estates, this food center has some popular stalls, including Mr Wadeh (#01-2729), which does crispy prawn vadai and Fortune Food (#01-2777, 6243-2118, www.fortunefood.sg)—known for their popiah and kueh pie ti, both made from scratch daily.
Lai Wah Restaurant
This Chinese stalwart has been around since 1963 and is allegedly the birthplace of the Chinese New Year dish yu sheng (raw fish salad). No wonder the place is extra crowded during the festive season.
Ming Kitchen
Ming Kitchen
Known for their zi char-style dishes, there’s dozens of branches from Boon Lay to Bedok . They do chil li crab and pork ribs, but we also like the underrated prawn paste chicken wings and chai poh omelet.
Rong Kee Roasted Delights
In the same food court as Ming Kitchen is roast specialist Rong Kee. It’s pretty much an HDB chain, but they do make mean renditions of roast chicken, duck and pork belly, all of which are seasoned with a house-special barbecue sauce.
Sky Joyce Nonya Kueh Cake Shop
Swing by here for your Nonya kueh (cake) fix—kueh lapis, pulut inti (blue glutinous rice cake) and old- school favorites like rainbow kueh, aka lapis sagu. The latter’s only available on Sundays, though.
Dancesport De Allan
Sign up for a class at this modest and affordable little studio. Classes include bal lroom dances like waltz and tango as wel l as fun stuff like samba and cha cha. All levels.
Dennis Gym, Singapore
Dennis Gym
Sign up for combat training classes or get some military- style muscle toning done at this bodybuilding specialist gym. There is also a team of on-site personal trainers for one-on-one work.
Gin Thye Cake Master
These guys have been in business since 1964 and make cream-based cakes and fruit tarts and everything in between. Perfect for catering orders and weddings, though not for dine-in.
Kallang Basin Swimming Complex
This public swimming complex features three pools, including a competition pool for hard core types. It’s only $1.30 to get in on the weekends, and you can sign up for some serious classes, too.
Kitchen Capers
Kitchen Capers
A home baker’s delight with some interesting products like cupcake corers, kueh tutu molds and weird ly specific cookie cutter shapes, including that of a polar bear and an ancient Chinese dragon.
Insider Tip
"I frequent the yong tau foo stall at Block 63. I like it for its traditional, home-cooked flavors. As for changes around the neighborhood, I think a couple of shopping malls would be nice. There’s an MRT Station (Geylang Bahru) coming up soon so that’s something I’m looking forward to," says Lee Meiling, owner of My Home Kitchen (#01-2729 Blk 69 Geylang Bahru Market and Food Center).
Coming Soon
Part of the Downtown Line, the Geylang Bahru MRT station is slated for completion in 2017. Wedged between Bendemeer MRT—which heads towards Bukit Panjang—and Mattar MRT towards Expo, the station will run along Kallang Bahru Road, making the lives of those working and living around the Kallang River and Geyland Bahru Industrial estate a lot easier. Just a stone’s throw away will be GB Point shopping mall (535 Kallang Bahru). The former Mandarin theater is being converted into an air-conditioned haven with retail shops alongside tuition centers, child care centers and food courts. Construction is expected to complete in 2017.
Advertisement