Traditional Singapore Street Names

[Narong Wongwan]

My first fast food experience before McDonald came to Singapore was going to the A&W beside Cathay Cinema and yes there is an aquarium shop was it call Red Sea or something like that?

Cathay cinema if you walk towards Bras Brasah where Rendevous hotel is now and where the original nasi Padang was....there was the row of shophouses that sells 2nd books....if you know the shopkeeper well you can rent or buy porn magazines.....Johnny 2 thumb tattoo parlour was there too.

Opposite where SMU is now....used to be a park where they have a beer garden.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Thanks for the pics...

Other cinemas in town I can remember were Rex and Odeon....there was also a Katong Odeon

Hmm...Holland road...i might hab met u b4 back den... Think there was 1 at dover road and another near hong kah...not sure leow...sooo long ago...almost impossible 2 find any photo of de place...Lido n Capitol still got...

 

[Microsoft]

Thanks for the pics...

Other cinemas in town I can remember were Rex and Odeon....there was also a Katong Odeon

And dis guys frm yesteryear selling household utility stuff...frozen in time...

 

[Froggy]

Cathay cinema if you walk towards Bras Brasah where Rendevous hotel is now and where the original nasi Padang was....there was the row of shophouses that sells 2nd books....if you know the shopkeeper well you can rent or buy porn magazines.....Johnny 2 thumb tattoo parlour was there too.

Opposite where SMU is now....used to be a park where they have a beer garden.

I am surprised myself that the name Red Sea sprang up in my mind. I mean I am a person who does not have good memory and I am not a fish lover. I guess it left a deep impression on me being just 12-15. But the A&W those days really solid, PAPA Bear Burger, MAMA Bear Burger, BABY Burger. I can still remember the vegetables are very fresh. I would take a bus from "Boh-Bay-Gang" Queenstown to Cathay for movies and burgers and pop into Red Sea to look at fishes. (Now a days the only fishes I look at weekly are in the tanks of Poseidon, these are mermaids. Hell now I know where this hobby came from, nurtured from my younger days).

I really like that area, also can go to Yaohan for shopping. And not to forget my first date just after PSLE brought a girl to the coffee house next to the present Park Mall, Silver Spoon or something like that for steak and because its a first date tried to impress the girl ordered cocktail for her and had black russian myself, just one and I almost drunk. Damn embarrassingly high. Don't know why those days they allow kids to drink. That's in 1979.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Yaohan! 八百半 Talking about such names silver spoons etc really brings back alot of memories.

I think Yaohan was the first of the Japs (with Isetan) to come to Singapore....back then they were the one who started having the basement food stalls trend inside shopping center in Plaza Singapura.....damn atas to shop there, the shopping trolleys got assistants to help you push to the carpark during festive periods....still remember the building had the old big DBS logo. Uncle Choo had a Diadora shop inside Plaza Singapura also. And kids go to the 5th floor to learn piano at Yamaha.

Back to Yaohan, they had one in Jurong which used to be ice skating rink.....

Parkmall (cant rememeber the old name) had silver spoon restaurant and there was a famous nightclub Maxim there as well....

I am surprised myself that the name Red Sea sprang up in my mind. I mean I am a person who does not have good memory and I am not a fish lover. I guess it left a deep impression on me being just 12-15. But the A&W those days really solid, PAPA Bear Burger, MAMA Bear Burger, BABY Burger. I can still remember the vegetables are very fresh. I would take a bus from "Boh-Bay-Gang" Queenstown to Cathay for movies and burgers and pop into Red Sea to look at fishes. (Now a days the only fishes I look at weekly are in the tanks of Poseidon, these are mermaids. Hell now I know where this hobby came from, nurtured from my younger days).

I really like that area, also can go to Yaohan for shopping. And not to forget my first date just after PSLE brought a girl to the coffee house next to the present Park Mall, Silver Spoon or something like that for steak and because its a first date tried to impress the girl ordered cocktail for her and had black russian myself, just one and I almost drunk. Damn embarrassingly high. Don't know why those days they allow kids to drink. That's in 1979.

 

[Forvendet]

I remember Park Mall used to be called Supreme House. Metro was the anchor there with two floors plus basement.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

I remember Park Mall used to be called Supreme House. Metro was the anchor there with two floors plus basement.

Yes, correct....good memory bro. Metro Supreme.....after metro moved out they got the roller disco at the basement for awhile........magnet for gangsters.

 

[stainofsaints]

woah hey guys this is such an informative nostalgic thread!
i'm still too young to know most of these, could only remember like A&W and Yaohan etc.

But i really learnt a lot of interesting origins and stories about these traditional street names over here. nice lesson not taught in school.

 

[Forvendet]

Yes, correct....good memory bro. Metro Supreme.....after metro moved out they got the roller disco at the basement for awhile........magnet for gangsters.

The "island" between Supreme House (Metro) and Plaza Singapura (Yaohan) is now Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. It used to be occupied by a famous car dealer selling a famous brand of car. Does anyone remember that?

I was just a kid when my dad bought a car there. My dad and mom died in that car in an accident. Nothing to blame on the car dealer or car maker, it was just accident. But such memory doesn't just fade away.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

The "island" between Supreme House (Metro) and Plaza Singapura (Yaohan) is now Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. It used to be occupied by a famous car dealer selling a famous brand of car. Does anyone remember that?

I was just a kid when my dad bought a car there. My dad and mom died in that car in an accident. Nothing to blame on the car dealer or car maker, it was just accident. But such memory doesn't just fade away.

Should be C & C right? i remembered orchard had alot of car showrooms especially that row next to MacDonald House has a few dealerships......malayan motors was there as well

 

[Forvendet]

Should be C & C right? i remembered orchard had alot of car showrooms especially that row next to MacDonald House has a few dealerships......malayan motors was there as well

Borneo Motors selling Toyota cars.

 

[cybercabby]

beautiful pics bring a tear to my i.

 

[zikoman]

lianbeng remembers orr sai (black lion) used to be where the current Communicable Disease Centre is located - u can still see that black lion at the entrance.

cleber boy.....

Anyway ABC is used because of the ABC Stout factory there. When ABC estat

I think ABC derived from either Archipelago or Anchor Brewery Company.. ABC stout is one of the alcohol under their stable.... :p

Precisely, "Red Sea" was there selling fresh-water n marine ornamental fishes at tat time! There was 1 more shop bside it, tink was called "Green Sea"...Gd ole days!

Boh salah lai kong, Red Sea Aquarium still around that area, inside Parklane Shopping Mall.

I remember Park Mall used to be called Supreme House. Metro was the anchor there with two floors plus basement.

That's where i got my 1st pair of Jeans - A Man Called Oscar

 

[zikoman]

Microsoft oso leemember last time got those roofless cinema...7,9 n midnite can b 3 diff show...Microsoft n kaki ar ka leow with ursher...pay 50 cent can watch 3 show...

got watch 獨臂刀王?

[video=youtube;jd8GXguZJfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd8GXguZJfQ[/video]

 

[Microsoft]

got watch 獨臂刀王?

No...too young...me watch dis...

[video=youtube;OkTZOFtdbXY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkTZOFtdbXY&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

Alamak...paste slah...dis 1 new update...me watch de older 1...:p

 

[po2wq]

... <IMG src="http://www.singas.co.uk/Frank_Clewes/The_Brushman_in_the_South_Bridge_Road_area.jpg" height=120></IMG>

ur parens oso buy from tis seller feather duster 2 whack u 1, ah? ... :p

 

[po2wq]

Microsoft oso leemember last time got those roofless cinema...7,9 n midnite can b 3 diff show...Microsoft n kaki ar ka leow with ursher...pay 50 cent can watch 3 show...

if rain, how? ...

 

[sleaguepunter]

Roofless cinema the last I went to was in holland road....must bring own umbrella.
There was another called zenith around hougang

according to my mum, the open air cinema near hougang was at the current site of the serangoon stadium. my parents go there for movies when they still paktor.

 

[HedgeTrader]

ur parens oso buy from tis seller feather duster 2 whack u 1, ah? ... :p

LOL! I remember those days of cane and feather duster. Sign report book time jialat, sure piak!

 

[Microsoft]

ur parens oso buy from tis seller feather duster 2 whack u 1, ah? ... :p

No...not enuff stock...dey usually buy by van load...

if rain, how? ...

Poh jua...jua peh...hor suar...wind breaker...choose...me go buy 1 gooni gong kopi oh for de projector rm uncle...can sio hoonki, take shelter, tcss n c show at de same time...:p:p