Before Joo Chiat got its recent reputation for unsavoury characters who prowl the night, it was once a place where unsavoury characters prowled the day. Philip Chew takes us back to the Joo Chiat of the 60s, with a cast of illegal street hawkers old shops and gangsters.

My favourite gorent pisang (banana fritters) stall was in the coffee shop at the corner of Joo Chiat Road and Geylang Road. It was within walking distance from my house. The hawker’s operating hours were very short. Customers who went there late were disappointed. There was no queque like we see today. People just crowded round his stall.

The sidelane between the 2 blocks of buildings were selling only muslim cooked food. A variety of Malay food were sold there such as satay, mee rebus, soto ayam, lonton and other cooked food. There was no piped water supply and no washing area. The hygiene was very poor and yet nobody complained.

Rediscover the old Joo Chiat in Philip Chew’s Joo Chiat Story.

Tags: Joo Chiat, 1960s