Kim Keat Road

Kim Keat Road 

Kim Keat Road today boast a collection of traditional shop houses as well as modern buildings in a blend of old and new. It is named after Chua (Choa) Kim Keat who is a Peranakan merchant and the only son of Chua Kai Hoon, a native of Malacca who migrated to Singapore.

During our trip there, the most memorable experience was watching the baking of bread at Sweetlands Confectionery and Bakery. We were fortunate enough to catch a fresh batch of bread coming out of the oven. These traditional loaves were charred on the outside as they came out of the over. the staff then used a long knife to slice away the 'skin' of the bread, revealing the soft white interior underneath. This is something that I have never seen before and would certainly stay with me for a long time to come.

Rows of bread both cut and uncut 


It is really interesting to see such traditional methods of preparation happening in such an old school store while condominiums tower over it just across the road. It really hits home the effect of Singapore's development where old and new have to find a way to coexist together to prevent our heritage from being eradicated. These traditional stalls are slowly disappearing across the country. Hopefully, there will never come a day that they will all vanish for good.

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