Breakfast shopping at Tiong Bahru Market

Another Sunday gone and another Sunday arrived. Missy was called to work at the 11th hour and I dropped the her early in today morning at the hospital. Headed off for my usual Sunday routine of jogging at Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill via Henderson Wave bridge. It was not a sunny morning and the sky was slightly overcast. Nevertheless, a cool morning to run, to vacuum my car in the park and to get some breakfast back for the family.

On the way back home, I decided to make a detour to Tiong Bahru to have breakfast. Tiong Bahru had alway held a special place in my heart for I spend a large percentage of my early childhood times staying with my very strict grandma and aunties who are all now in their 40s and 50s and my cousins. Grandma had passed away long long time ago. I remembered a big family of more than 10 staying under one roof in the old colonial style apartment. Seeing this apartment today felt so nostalgic and brings back all the good and unpleasent memories.



I still recall my reservation each time grandma wanted to bring me to the Tiong Bahru market to buy the morning groceries. Back then, there is no such thing as child labor labor law and I am always been fully utilize as grocey bag carrier by Grandma who is a powerful women with a cane :). hahaha. The Tiong Bahru market in the early 90s were wet, it smell and it got broken black cement floor. The though if my slipper slipping out of my leg and stepping on those black cement disguested the young boy heart in me. The smell throughout the market can only be described as transitional, from chicken, to pork, to fish, to veggies and all of a sudden...smell of the famous Tiong Bahru Pau. It was a mass messy single storey congregation of hawker food, poultry and grocery. Definately sanitary condition wasn't that good in my opinion.

The Tiong Bahru market under went a rebuilding effort and today the market and hawker center was nothing of the yester years. Its clean, bright, spacious and every market shopper all had a smile on their face. Grandma nearly got into a fight with an uncle in the market back than...you can imagine the kinda stress going through our ancestors back than. Highlight of Tiong Bahru market got to be the Hawker Center!



FOOD FOOD FOOD....I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough (sing to the tune). Today, I decided to buy home some nice breakfast fare back for the family...

First stop is the 178 Lor Mee store or Lor Mee 178 store depend on how you prefer to read it. I ta pao 2x $3.00 Lor Mee instead of the regular $2.50 ones. Been here once and knew that the extra 50 cents for "shark meat" does enhance the taste factor of the Lor mee. I will highly recommend getting the $3.00 one with "Shark Meat". Its a pretty long Q during peak hours and it took me 15 minutes before I could collect my orders.

Zhui Kuey or loosely translated as water pastry is one of my favourite breakfast fare. This store had been around since I was a little boy and the store is probably now run by the lady boss daughter who might be around my age. Beside Zhui Kuey, the store sells a assortment of Nonya Kuey as well, adding a certain color vibrancy to an otherwise white and brown affair of a Zhui Kuey store. Brought 6 Zhui Kuey at $1.50. A long Q starts to form after I left the store.

Long Ji Soya Bean and Bean Curd store, according to the lady boss...they been around for 36 years!!! Yup, remembered drinking lots of soya bean milk and eating lots of soya bean curd when I was a kid. No wonder the auntie look familiar. :) Brought 1 big pack of soya bean milk for $1.50. It was only 80 cents back than. The power of economy inflation....

Finally I stopped by this store selling Hong Kong style pastry ran by a Father and Son team. Hmm..nowadays I'm seeing my generation people running the hawker store. Its nice to have your own business thought especially when it involve food for every one need good food. Got to try their fried wanton, Char Siew Shu and Egg Tart! Brought S$3.50 worth of pastry before leaving Tiong Bahru market.

Well...around the market there are many nice eateries worth exploring as well. I think the Ba Ku Teh here is good...its just opposite Tiong Bahru market's 7-Eleven. The Wanton mee here is nice too but I forgot where it is located. Oh...take note that there is no free parking on Sunday and Public holiday around the market. Be sure to tear the coupons and avoid parking at the multi-storey carpark because its jam packed with cars.

Home sweet home breakfast :)