TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 11-2015

TIONG BAHRU - THE OLDEST AND HIPPEST RESIDENTIAL ESTATE IN SINGAPORE Set the common image of bustling Singapore aside and explore the peaceful beauty of Tiong Bahru. Built during the 1930s, houses in Tiong Bahru were where the rich and powerful kept their mistresses. For this reason, the estate used to be known as Mei Ren Wu (“den of beauties” in Chinese). TIONG BAHRU - GïC PHˇ C‡ VÄ HIPPIE NHƒT SINGAPORE N’u nh≠ bπn Æ∑ qu∏ quen thuÈc vÌi h◊nh ∂nh Singapore nhÈn nhﬁp, h∑y thˆ kh∏m ph∏ Tiong Bahru, n¨i mang vŒ Æãp thanh b◊nh Æ«y kh∏c bi÷t. Khu d©n c≠ l©u ÆÍi cÒa Æ∂o quËc S≠ tˆ nµy cﬂn Æ≠Óc g‰i lµ Mei Ren Wu (sµo huy÷t ng≠Íi Æãp) vµo lÛc mÌi x©y d˘ng hÂi nh˜ng n®m 1930. T™n g‰i bæt nguÂn tı vi÷c c∏c Æπi gia th≠Íng gi†u nh©n t◊nh cÒa m◊nh trong nh˜ng ng´i nhµ ki”u c∏ch n¨i Æ©y. BÎi vÀy, r†t d‘ bæt g∆p c∏c m„n “x≠a x≠a” ÆÈc Æ∏o khi bπn Æi d‰c Tiong Bahru. Chºng hπn nh≠ cˆa hi÷u Strangelets nªm tr™n Æ≠Íng Yong Siak nÊi ti’ng vÌi nh˜ng m„n ÆÂ nÈi th†t phong c∏ch ch©u ¢u Æ≠Óc thi’t k’ Æ«y kh∏c bi÷t d≠Ìi h◊nh dπng cÒa nh˜ng loµi ÆÈng vÀt; cˆa hµng Flea & Trees c„ c∏c vﬂng cÊ, hoa tai Æ≠Óc lµm bªng tay, cµi ∏o tı Paris, v∏y dµi tı NhÀt B∂n, nh˜ng chi’c r≠¨ng hµnh l˝ vintage c„ tuÊi ÆÍi tr™n 50 n®m. S∏ch vµ cµ ph™ lµ mÈt Æ∆c tr≠ng kh∏ thÛ vﬁ cÒa khu Tiong Bahru. R†t nhi“u cˆa hµng s∏ch nh· vµ Æãp, cˆa hµng b∏nh †m cÛng, nh˜ng qu∏n cµ ph™ Æ≠Óc trang tr› ngh÷ thuÀt n¨i g„c phË l´i cuËn du kh∏ch Æ’n vÌi Tiong Bahru. N’u lµ “m‰t s∏ch”, chæc chæn bπn kh„ b· qua ti÷m s∏ch Books Actually nÊi ti’ng. ß©y lµ mÈt trong nh˜ng Æﬁa Æi”m quen thuÈc cÒa c∏c bi™n tÀp vi™n Lonely Planet, ph„ng vi™n tπp ch› Travel & Leisure... N¨i Æ©y cÚng b∏n nh˜ng loπi m∏y Æ∏nh ch˜ cÊ, d«u th¨m vintage, c∏c m„n ÆÂ v®n phﬂng ph»m xinh xæn cÚng nh˜ng t˘a s∏ch Æ≠Óc ch‰n l‰c. Nh˜ng ai y™u th›ch latte s˜a n„ng hÊi vµ m„n b∏nh tr∏ng mi÷ng hπnh nh©n Æ∆c tr≠ng cÒa »m th˘c Singapore c„ th” ghä ti÷m cµ ph™, ÆÂng thÍi lµ phﬂng tr≠ng bµy ngh÷ thuÀt Orange Thimble tr™n Æ≠Íng Eng Hoon. Drips Bakery Cafä tr™n Æ≠Íng Tiong Poh gÓi nhÌ Æ’n nh˜ng cˆa hi÷u cµ ph™ Î New York vÌi m„n b∏nh tart d©u, xoµi, m©m x´i, vi÷t qu†t...Flock Cafä nªm y™n t‹nh tr™n g„c Moh Guan Æem Æ’n m„n tr¯ng ch«n Eggs Benedict tuy÷t vÍi. 130 TRAVELLIVE When walking along Tiong Bahru, you can easily find special antiques, such as Western-style interiors designed with animal shapes found in Strangelets stores on Yong Siak Street, handmade necklaces and earrings at Flea & Trees shop, dress sets from Paris, long Japanese dresses and more than 50 year-old vintage luggage storage chests. Books and coffee are two distinct appeals of Tiong Bahru. An array of beautiful small bookstores, cozy bakeries and welldecorated cafes on the corner attract thousands of visitors to Tiong Bahru. If you are a bookworm, don’t miss Books Actually, the famous bookstore mentioned by Lonely Planet and Travel & Leisure. Old typewriters, vintage perfume, lovely stationery items and selected books are always waiting for you here. Those who love a hot latte and almond dessert, one of Singapore’s signature dishes, can visit the cafä and gallery Orange Thimble on Eng Hoon Street. With a wide selection of tarts with strawberry, mango, raspberry and blueberry flavor, Drips Bakery Cafä on Tiong Poh resembles New York style cafes. At the same time, Flock

TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 11-2015 | Page 130