We chat to Londoners ALLAN and NAVJYOT about living in a condo in Tiong Bahru, and some of their favourite places close to their corner of Yong Siak Street and Chay Yan Street. They say their neighbourhood feels like “a quiet, pedestrian-friendly modern village”, while their eating and drinking highlights include Tiong Bahru Markets for the hawker food. Find out more!
Who they are: Allan Sheriff, Navjyot Lehl and cat Phyllis
Where they’re from: London, UK
What they do in Singapore: Advertising Executive and Civil Servant
# About Tiong Bahru
What’s the name of your street?
Chay Yan Street/Yong Siak Street.
If it’s in another language, what does it mean?
Chay Yan means “to examine or inspect”, while Yong Siak is named after Tan Yong Siak (1835-1914), a charitable community leader in Singapore.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your neighbourhood?
There are quite a few we have come across. One is that Tiong Bahru was known for the presence of mistresses who would escape the homes of businessmen via the back alleys behind all the shops. Even though it was considered a fashionable, high-rent area, it did also get this reputation.
Tiong translates loosely as “to end”, while Bahru means “new” – a name that suggests renewal and modernity. Yet the area’s origins tell a more layered story: once a burial ground and swampland, it carries an older, more mysterious past. It’s perhaps no surprise that, among earlier generations, Tiong Bahru has long been associated with lingering spirits and ghosts.
Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?
“The Regency by Tiong Bahru Market.”
Closest MRT station?
Tiong Bahru (green East-West Line).
How long have you lived here? Why here?
Over a year. We moved to Tiong Bahru because of the peaceful atmosphere. It has a solid expat community, modern quality cafés and an inter-generational community vibe that makes it feel homely.
# Condo Fact File
Name of condo: The Regency
Facilities: Gym, swimming pool, relaxing space, barbecue, event space.
Size: 158 units (between two and four bedrooms)
New or old: Built in 2010 Distance to supermarket: 10-15 minute walk to FairPrice
Community vibe: “It’s a charming, retro-chic, comfortable community vibe, blending 1930s Art Deco heritage with hipster, bohemian cafés, antique and boutique shops. It has a relaxed, nostalgic pace, mixing young and old generations. The neighbourhood feels like a quiet, pedestrian-friendly modern village with close-knit residents whether local or expat, murals and a bustling local market.”
# Tiong Bahru highlights
When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see?
Lush, perfectly kept greenery lining the streets. There’s a steady rhythm of dog walkers, prams carrying pups (and the occasional baby), and people unwinding at our go-to spot, Plain Vanilla, with coffee in hand – no rush at all.
What’s the closest store to your front door?
Micro Bakery and ArtBlue Studio.
If your street was chosen for a remake of a film, which would it be?
A Singaporean version of Notting Hill.
We’re sure your neighbours are great, but is there anything you wouldn’t mind a little less of?
Not really, our neighbours are wonderful, kind, considerate and (thankfully) massive cat lovers!
What’s the unofficial uniform of your street?
Activewear! Everyone around us is clearly doing Pilates or Peloton.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street?
A film crew. Not sure if it was for a film or TV show but there were loads of vehicles, crew dressed in black, professional cameras and lighting equipment and a woman being filmed walking along.
# Things to do around Tiong Bahru
What are your three favourite places to eat or drink in the neighbourhood?
Just three? It’s so hard to choose as we have tons of great places!
- Dirty Supper: A lunch spot during the day and a restaurant by night. The whole affair feels faintly mischievous, as though the kitchen is quietly encouraging you to order one dish too many and enjoy the consequences later.
- Today Restaurant: A neighbourhood go-to for comforting local classics, from chicken rice to deeply satisfying fishball noodles.
- Fiasco: The sort of place that knows exactly what it’s doing – effortlessly stylish, with a relaxed vibe for drinking wine or having a coffee.
What about the best places to go shopping in your area?
- Cat Socrates: We love the quiet charm of this shop. It’s the kind of place you wander into for a quick browse and leave with something unexpectedly meaningful. We’ve bought cushion covers, garden pots, greeting cards/ postcards and tea towels from them. It’s more than a retail space, it reflects, in our opinion, the creative spirit of Tiong Bahru – unhurried, distinctive and quirky.
- Homegrown nursery: “I’m fairly certain I single-handedly cover their rent each month!” (Navjyot)
- Aphorism: Tucked away at the side of a house, this antique store is only open on Saturdays. It’s a treasure trove of vintage finds and curious objects, where every piece feels like it has a story.
What are some fun or interesting things to do in Tiong Bahru?
Under Block 78, a stone’s throw away from our condo, is an air-raid shelter, a preserved WWII-era bunker built between 1939 and 1941. It is Singapore’s only surviving pre-war civilian shelter. It’s rarely open to the public but you can be given access if you join one of the community tours.
Another interesting thing to do is a street art tour – Tiong Bahru has become well known for the often historical and symbolic art murals that you can see dotted around the neighbourhood. There are murals called “Bird Corner”, “Fortune Teller” and “Hawker Stall”, and a mural of a typical Singaporean home. It serves as a fun walking map guide and is something we have done a few times with friends and family.
What’s one thing you’d never change?
Without question, Tiong Bahru Market. Upstairs, the hawker centre is a masterclass in controlled chaos – arrive hungry, leave slightly overheated, and still plan your next meal before you’ve even found the exit. The variety is remarkable, with just about every cuisine imaginable under one roof.
Downstairs, the wet market tells a different story: a more traditional rhythm, where butchers, florists and greengrocers offer everything from restaurant-quality cuts of meat to vibrant produce and fresh flowers. It’s a reminder of how seamlessly the old and new coexist here.
And if we could add one more, it would be the houses themselves. Tiong Bahru is home to Singapore’s largest concentration of pre-war housing – distinctive, enduring and quietly beautiful. Their curved Art Deco lines give the neighbourhood a character that feels both nostalgic and timeless, unlike anywhere else in the country. And tucked among them, places like Alice Wong Shoe Cobbler & Handbag Repairs quietly keep that spirit alive.
How about one thing you would change?
Tiong Bahru Plaza – it feels tired and dated.
If the city gave you a million dollars to soup up your street, how would you use it?
A small sum would go towards officially recognising the art of “chope-ing”: commissioning beautifully designed tissue packet holders monogrammed, even – that elevate the humble seat reservation into something approaching heritage craft.
A portion of the budget would be reserved for preserving the slightly eccentric mix of old and new – ensuring that places like Flock Cafe and Micro Bakery continue to exist alongside the kopitiams, rather than being edged out by anything too earnest or overly polished.
Then, there are the cats. One can only assume there are dozens – hundreds, even – quietly marooned in upper-storey flats, gazing longingly at the street life below. Our solution: a network of high-rise cat frames – part infrastructure, part absurd civic gesture. Think cat-friendly lifts with discreet paw-operated buttons, or sculptural “giant branches” snaking down façades, allowing residents’ cats to descend with dignity (or at least enthusiasm) into the neighbourhood below. The aim is simple: to repopulate Tiong Bahru’s streets with cats who have places to be, people to ignore, and reputations to maintain.
Finally, we’d do something entirely impractical: fund a rotating series of late-night supper tables that appear in unexpected corners of the neighbourhood – one evening a quiet courtyard, the next beneath a stairwell – bringing together strangers, good food, and the vague sense that you’ve stumbled into something you weren’t quite meant to find.
# Things to do in Singapore
What are your favourite Singapore spots for taking out-of-town guests?
Our favourite spots include Dempsey Hill, Atlas Bar in Bugis and Kult Yard. We also love taking out-of-town guests to Pulau Ubin to cycle around and experience a glimpse of Singapore’s kampong past – it’s a side of the city that many visitors and expats never see. Closer to home, we enjoy exploring Tiong Bahru’s heritage streets and stopping at Tiong Bahru Bakery for coffee and a pastry.
When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go?
We often visit the National Gallery or the Asian Civilisations Museum, which have great exhibitions and lectures. On the weekends, we like to join community tours, exploring one neighbourhood at a time.
If you’re missing home, what do you do?
For us, it usually starts with finding our people. We spend time with our British friends, whether it’s through the British Dragon Boat Team or the wonderfully named Girl Gone International – two communities that make Singapore feel a little smaller and a lot more familiar.
And then, of course, there’s the food. When the cravings hit, we know exactly where to go: proper fish and chips at Smiths in Bukit Timah, classic pub grub at Carnaby, a few easy drinks at Dallas in Boat Quay and the occasional fiercely competitive pub quiz at Muddy Murphy’s Irish Pub in Orchard.
It’s not quite home – but it’s close enough to keep the homesickness at bay.
Share your neighbourhood with us
If you love your little corner of Singapore, tell us about it! Just email contribute@expatliving.sg with “Street Talk” in the subject line, and include your name and street. We’ll be in touch!
This article first appeared in the July 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest mag or an annual subscription, or read the digital version free now.
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