We all have a soft spot for nostalgic places that remind us of the good times and bring us back to rekindle the fondest memories of the past.

Especially the old-school ones, just family-run traditional eateries in Singapore that serve up hearty and honest food. These are the OG spots where our parents and even grandparents used to eat at years ago.

Here are 10 old-school eateries in Singapore that you should visit before they close down for good.

ANANDA BHAVAN RESTAURANT

Established in 1924, Ananda Bhavan Restaurant is the oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. The very first restaurant that opened was located along Selegie Road, at the rim of Little India and is a popular spot among locals.

Ananda Bhavan has many traditional snacks and tiffin dishes on its menu with their thosai, thali sets and bhatura being crowd favourites.

58 Serangoon Road
Singapore 217964
Tel: +65 6396 5464

CHIN CHIN EATING HOUSE

Chin Chin Eating House has been around for decades and it is known for their chicken rice and Hainanese dishes. You must order the signature Hainanese pork chops!

19 Purvis Street
Singapore 188598
Tel: +65 66337 4640

COLBAR

Offering a full-on menu of both Asian and Western fare, Colbar is one of the few gems in Singapore that we can safely say, has truly stood the test of time. Opened in 1953, the establishment formerly served as a canteen for the British army. It, therefore, gave rise to its name, Colbar, otherwise referred to as ‘Colonial Bar’.

Granted, Colbar’s food isn’t exactly cheap. But few places in Singapore can match the dining experience here.

Colbar
9A Whitchurch Road
Singapore 138839
Tel: +65 6779 4859

HEAP SENG LEONG

Heap Seng Leong is one of the surviving coffee shops in Singapore that still sells this old-school drink. Entering their humble space is often described as walking into a museum showcase of a 1950s kopitiam.

The old furnishing and dim lighting inside felt like a serene contrast to the modern coffeeshop right beside Heap Seng Leong. Time stood still as we started our day there and nourished ourselves while the uncle who wears the same pajamas each day went about pouring coffee for other customers. Having a slow breakfast there made for a peaceful morning.

10 North Bridge Rd, #01-5109
Singapore 190010
Tel: +65 6292 2368

GUAN HOE SOON

Guan Hoe Soon is a hidden gem in Joo Chiat that has dedicated itself to Peranakan cuisine ever since 1953. The restaurant might be a little bit of a hassle to get to unless you drive, but the food speaks of something worth the effort of getting to.

Here is where you can get proper Peranakan food as good as the ones your Nonya grandparents used to whip up (if you ever had any). Expect the classics such as their Ayam Buah Keluak, Assam Fish and Babi Panggang.

40 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427764
Tel: +65 6344 2761

LOVE CONFECTIONERY

When it comes to traditional confectioneries done right, nothing beats a good-old vintage bakery or confectionery. One such confectionery that still stands and is still a perennial favourite among many Singaporeans, is Love Confectionery.

At this neighbourhood bakery located in Alexandra Village, you won’t find dainty designs or out-of-this-world flavour pairings. Instead, what you can be sure of, are rich, sweet and intensely flavoured cakes that will no doubt have you yearning for the gym after—from their oh-so-decadent buttercream cake and their ever-popular, pandan chiffon cake.

122 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-60
Singapore 150122
Tel: +65 6278 2385

RED STAR RESTAURANT

Perhaps one of the few remaining authentic, old-school dim sum restaurants in Singapore—that comes with middle-aged ladies pushing food carts around with a myriad of edible dim sum treats—is Red Star Restaurant.

Red Star is nowhere near any most of the great dim sum restaurants in Singapore, in fact, quality has dropped a lot over the years. But it will always hold a special place in our hearts as we have grown up dining here.

54 Chin Swee Road #07-23
Singapore 160054
Tel: +65 6532 5266

SINGAPORE ZAM ZAM

Serving up delicious murtabak since 1908, Singapore Zam Zam is a humble restaurant located along North Bridge Road that is no stranger to locals—especially the meat lovers. Our personal favourites include the mutton murtabak that sees generous amounts of minced mutton, egg and onions as well as the chicken murtabak that uses shreds of chicken instead.

697-699 North Bridge Road
Singapore 198675
Tel: +65 6298 6320

TONG AH EATING HOUSE

Previously located in an iconic red and white building, Tong Ah Eating House is a traditional coffee shop that has been around since 1939 and has gained recognition for both its charcoal-toasted and steamed kaya toast.

While there is no lack of kaya toast places in Singapore, Tong Ah Eating House is one of those eateries that keeps customers going back for more. Everything is kept simple—from the modest wall decorations to their humble kaya toast and traditional coffee.

35 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089142
Tel: +65 6223 5083

YY KAFEI DIAN

Located in an old shophouse at the junction of Beach Road and Purvis Street, YY Kafei Dian is known for its traditional Hainanese fare and their famous old-school kaya toast, kopi.

On the menu, you can find Hainanese fare including chicken rice, Hainanese-style pork chops, Hainan Braised Pork Belly and a range of zi char dishes.

There is always a long queue during lunch hours, so make sure that you get there early.

37 Beach Rd, #01-01, Singapore 189678
Tel: +65 6336 8813

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a no-frills and utterly unpretentious steamboat restaurant along Joo Chiat Road that stands out against all other places not just for the affordability of its food, but also the authenticity and marvellous quality of the Teochew fare. They stick to the tried-and-proven methods of keeping things simple, with a myriad of dishes suitable for casual dining and gatherings

You know that this is the real deal you step into the restaurant and see countless photos of celebrities who have dined at the restaurant plastering the wall. The owner has travelled to and worked in various countries to pick up the skills needed to execute each dish perfectly, so as to ensure that only the most authentic and best-grade dishes are brought to the table.

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a clear hit amongst the older generations and it is definitely one that young adults alike should hit up for a wholesome, communal meal.

And you’d love to know that at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant, the owner promises you something: if the food is not good and fresh, they will refund you. Money back guaranteed is the best guarantee for a good meal, right?

EVERYTHING IS MADE FROM SCRATCH

From their fragrant steamboat broth to the fish paste noodles and bouncy fish balls, the folks behind the restaurant pride themselves on having almost everything handmade, bringing you only the freshest and nothing less.

Even the chilli is a star in its own rights. You have to try every single dip for your steamboat; they are made fresh in-house daily!

STEAMBOAT IS THE WAY TO GO

The star and centrepiece of this restaurant is definitely their steamboat. Every table should order a steamboat for sharing, on top of all the a la carte dishes that you may wish to add on.

Their signature soup base is a best described as a labour of love—the chefs prepare and wash the necessary bones and carcasses before adding them into a giant pot with their speciality ingredient—shark cartillage—then have them all boiled for over 5 hours daily.

The result is a creamy collagen-rich broth that is both savoury and sweet, and highly addictive. Even though we were stuffed by the end of the meal, we couldn’t help but have one last bowl of soup before leaving.

Prices start from just S$10 for 2 to 4 people, with a plethora of ingredients to choose and help yourself to.

FRESH SILVER POMFRET

You can look forward to a variety of seafood dishes to elevate your steamboat experience. The Silver Pomfret (seasonal price), in particular, is set to impress with its freshness. Afterall, what is Teochew cuisine without a good pomfret, right?

Wild-caught from Surabaya—which is known to have the best quality and sweetest Chinese Pomfret around—you can tell how fresh it is right from the moment your teeth sink into the white flesh that is soft yet firm at the same time.

We are telling you that quantities are limited so if you’re in luck, you have to go for it because it is worthy of the splurge.

DRUNKEN PRAWNS

The Drunken Prawns (S$8/100g) is something you cannot miss out on. Fresh prawns are intoxicated with Chinese wine and herbs, allowing the wine’s flavour to permeate throughout the body, intensifying the natural sweetness of every single prawn.

As mentioned, do not forget to flash this advertorial upon sitting down for steamboat during dinner hours. From Mondays to Fridays, every table with a steamboat order will enjoy free-flow drunken prawns. You are in for a real treat, guys.

HOME-MADE FISH PASTE AND FISH BALLS

Handmade from scratch, the fish balls are a must to order—everything from the mixing of ingredients to the shaping of the fish balls are prepared by hand without taking the easy way out.

You can literally taste the difference when you bite into these bouncy delights and it is amazing how they managed to conceal the fishy odour without compromising on the taste.

Another dish you must make sure to order up would be Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant’s signature squid paste fillet—made using 99% fish paste and 1% vegetables and chestnuts without the use of flour at all, you know that what you get here is undoubtedly the real deal.

VARIETY OF PREMIUM MEATS

No steamboat is ever complete without meats. Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant offers an array of high-quality meats that are imported from USA and Brazil—while it did not particularly blow our minds, these meats are definitely not something that we would decline.

Here you can choose from meat including USA Prime Beef (S$12 per portion), Pork Belly (S$9 per portion) and Fresh Chicken (S$8 per portion).

CLASSIC A LA CARTE TEOCHEW DISHES

Steamboat just ain’t enough when dining at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant. We suggest you save some space for some of Jinji’s equally delectable array of Teochew a la carte dishes.

The a la carte items do not come packaged with fancy accessories nor over-the-top creations but the simplicity of it is precisely why we love their Teochew fare. Here are some of the sumptuous dishes you can expect at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.

PORK KNUCKLE

Should you be looking for something more indulgent, the Pork Knuckle (S$30) will go highly recommended. Boy, this dish checks all the boxes for what a good pork knuckle should taste like.

Upon your first bite, be prepared to be impressed by the crisp texture of the crackling skin before digging into tender and succulent pork meat.

TRADITIONAL SALTED CHICKEN

The Traditional Salted Chicken (S$18) may be light in seasoning but that itself is enough to leave us satisfied. There is nothing fancy going on in this dish but every piece of chicken is extremely flavourful, making this a simple but hearty dish that we’d return for.

GOLDEN PRAWNS

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant isn’t afraid to boast the variety of cooking methods that they have which can transform a seemingly simple seafood into a myriad of dishes.

The Golden Prawns (S$30) is one of the many prawn dishes that they offer. Despite being heavily coated in a crisp and golden layer of flour, it was surprisingly light in flavour and that only served to accentuate the flavour of the prawns.

JADE KAI LAN

Who would have thought that a vegetable dish would excite the entire table of diners? Well, the Jade Kai Lan (S$12) was one that we wiped out within minutes.

We thought that kai lan is best enjoyed when stir-fried, but this dish proved us wrong. Stir-fried kai lan is hidden below a stack of deep-fried pieces of the same vegetable, bringing you a textural variety that is nothing short of impressive. The latter reminds us of crispy kale!

BRINJAL WITH PORK FLOSS

The Brinjal with Pork Floss (S$12) may be a fairly straightforward item on the menu but it is still a remarkable one at that.

Deep-fried brinjal pieces are covered with a generous amount of pork floss, curry leaves and chilli; this dish is a winner. The different textures made it a delightful side dish to munch on and it will forever change your impression of brinjal.

GOLDEN PUMPKIN

The Golden Pumpkin is essentially deep-fried pumpkin slices doused in a rich and piquant salted egg sauce that will have salted egg yolk fans swooning in no time.

Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant
176-178 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427447
Tel: +65 6348 8924
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm
Mon to Sun: 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

This post is brought to you by Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.