People i meet always ask me.. what's so great about Katong.. and well.. I tell them.. it's the food, the people and the overall ambience. Having grown up in the East most my life, Katong has always been an essential part of me.
From shopping trips with my mum to Katong Shopping Centre for materials and the like, to Red House for chocolate milkshakes and cakes, to Chin Mee Chin for the custard puffs and kaya toast. Katong was my childhood and will forever be in my adulthood.
For a better part of my teenage years, I lived round the corner of Marine Parade. My grandfather's house at Still Road. Once where a beautiful and big terraced house stood with a huge garden was slowly uprooted. First the huge garden went when the government wanted to expand the road. Then the house became run down due to lack of care. Even when I stayed there 5 years, it was like staying in my own 'ghost house'. My grandfather's house saw many relatives come and go and some till 'hung' around. I always knew that I had many guardian angels watching over me.
When we finally sold the house, it took awhile but today, standing at No. 9 Still Road is a brand new apartment block and I recently heard, only 50 people have been shortlisted to buy the place. And at S$1000 per sq foot, one can only imagine the price of a decent unit. There are 12 + 1 penthouse. Pity, it is out of my budget.
But back to Katong, over the years, it has seen many food establishments spring up and also many close down. Off Katong is Joo Chiat which has seen it's hey day and also bad days of too many dodgy night clubs, budget hotels and karaoke joints. I heard that there's a clean up in progress - to encourage more culture and young talent/entrepreneurs to set up business there.
The food trail in Katong starts from Katong Shopping Centre and ends somewhere near Siglap centre.. though it does stretch on... but that will be more along East Coast Road. Katong Laksa stalls are aplenty and so are the mixture of Char Kuay Teow, Hokkien Mee and lots more.
Katong Village, once the police station now houses Hong Kong Teahouse, Samba, Waraku and Cafe D'Manilla. I recommend you try the Crispy Pata at Cafe D'Manila. If you're looking for Eurasian food, there's always Quentin's which is near to Telok Kurau.
My food trail yesterday started with dinner at Quentin's, followed by cheesecake at the Cheesecake cafe nearer Siglap. Wine at Vie and supper at Hong Kong Cafe pretty much ended the evening. Or rather early morning.
Then again, with good food, you must have good wine and even better company. I was lucky to have all three.
So if you're ever in the neighbourhood of Katong, do venture to try the food from the many stalls depending what suits your taste buds and relax. The east is about the chill. And it is the place where you find the babes and the hunks. :D
