Going down Food Memory Lane, Old Restaurants/Coffehouses of yesteryear

[Merl Haggard]

I was just bored today.

It's an interesting cultural phenomenon though. Would guys have done that for ladies in the days when you were young?

Platonic friendship is quite common though.

 

[Merl Haggard]

I think I remember Supreme Records or something Centrepoint and Plaza
Sing. Does anyone remember Chua Joo Huat in Far East Plaza?

The owner of Supreme records at Centre-Point suffered a severe heart-attack about 12 years ago, and fortunately for him, his loyal & dedicated wife, Helen closed all their 3 or 4 outlets just to look after him who became incapacitated.

I don't know whether he is still alive or not. Poor chap was in his late 40's when he suffered his severe heart-attack.

 

[lolabunny]

Oh yes, where the lianish SQ gals used to ask "is this the way to Chino"? Mind you they were much better looking then the present bunch now, QC control much better than.

Those were the fun days of Bonny Hicks (bless her soul), Seraphina Fong and Ethel

I think Pat Kraal is beautiful. Her dad's a journalist right?

 

[HTOLAS]

I think the name of the restaurant was "TIONG HUA" something...

Thanks. I do remember Tiong Hua as well. I've seen one of the two big guys who use to run the place around but have no idea if they are operating from somewhere else.

 

[HTOLAS]

I think this chap recently passed away, end of an era really. Something like the old Beethoven record shop along Orchard Road.

Mr O'dell was something else. I had been warned about how brusque he could be when I first went to his shop. I wasn't disappointed when I stepped into his shop filled with noisy children and their parents.

I said, 'I'm wondering if you have this particular animated feature...'

'Cartoons are down that way ... you'll have to look through it yourself.'

'Er... this one is rather old, so if you don't have it I won't bother to look.'

Silence.

'It's called Flight of Dragons...'

He looked up at me for the first time. 'Come....'

He brought me to a corner of the shop, reached behind some VHS cassettes and pulled out Flight of Dragons. He took it to the counter saying it was a great feature but that no one had asked for it for a long time. He also told me to take care of it.

First-timers were supposed to pay a deposit but when I fished out extra money, he asked me not to bother.

I returned the tape a day late because the day before I missed his closing time by ten minutes. The momet I walked in, he looked across his other customers and said, 'you're late.'

I apologised and explained profusely and was fishing out money for the fine. Again, Mr O'dell waived it asking if I enjoyed the movie.

I went back several times to his TSC shop and to a branch in South Buona Vista Road, until my VHS player conked.

RIP, Mr O'dell.

 

[yinyang]

PS Just recalled, Hotel Equitorial

Also got Chesa (wrong spell?), swiss restaurant with romantic trimmings. Broke my bank account once though..

..old radio DJ Belinda Sunshine Yeo...Also heard from Belinda about stories of her time spinning vinyl at Xanadu (Shang) and Barbarella (Ming Court).

Was her hubby then dj Bernard Selosa? Popped by their holland road once (not sure if they now splitsville).

Omg, Barbarella was ard Boiler Room days (Mandarin)? Kasbah too, upstairs.

What about the Shaslik restaurants, another hainanese joint with russian on the menu? The hainanese forte was western food, with likes of Ship etc.

 

[yinyang]

A&W lost it mass appeal esp to children during the late 80s where the influx of McDonalds, KFC n Burger King. I do believe if a company, which has to be financial sound, manages to get fanchise from A&W. Through good marketing strategy, e.g. start slowly from one restaurant after another, definitely will yield profits in a short time. .. definitely i wont compete wif the likes of mac/kfc which serve substandard fast food. One thing i wan to do is dun associate A&W like fast food.. more on quality food at an affordable price.. but to get quality waiting time definitely wont be like fast food but still at a reasonable time frame.

Market segmentation's all very good. But we have seen a few making a go, eg Svensens restaurants (beyond ice cream) and even shortlived Snoopy's at Singapura Plaza, some years back.

Goes to show what a small market here, without the critical mass for consumer demand both local and tourists.

 

[snrcitizen]

I was just bored today.

It's an interesting cultural phenomenon though. Would guys have done that for ladies in the days when you were young?

If you are referring to subject on guys holding onto ladies' handbags. No, I don't remember seeing this phenomenon in my younger days. Speaking for myself, I did not and will never. Don't ask me why but could be a male thing. Perhaps bordering on MCP? :o

 

[snrcitizen]

Plausible version of this story. Guy had always been interest in this girl but feelings were never reciprocated. Guy chose to love her in a different way, remain a good friend and a gentleman. Guys of this breed are as rare as PAP leaders with a real heart for the interest of the people they are suppose to serve. Here's to the nobility of gentlemen lovers. Salut!

Plausable, but not in this case. We both felt we were not matured enough at that age to handle a relationship other than being just friends. This was pretty clear between us and both understood the situation. I had my own further education to focus on and careers for both of us to establish before anything else so we just remained great friends and were comfortable with each other just being so.

 

[chupacabra]

Goes to show what a small market here, without the critical mass for consumer demand both local and tourists[/COLOR].

4+ million people in the size of sinkapore is not small at all. The problem is over a million are slave workers that will never patronize any restaurant due to the lack of $.

Sinkees are still the main spenders and there are more restaurants now than it was in the late 80s. But the true blue sinkee population still remains the same as it was in the late 80s and early 90s.

I won't be surprised at all if countless of restaurants and retail stores close next year. It is more convenient to just blame their failure on the recession than stating that they overestimated on the demand of their services in peesai which means they won't blame themselves. Just like whats happening in the states.

 

[snrcitizen]

Was it like the "lau pok kar" that you bought - like those where a plastic or wooden stick would flick out near door panel when you give the signal to turn? And to start the car you need to go to the front bonnet and crank the engine?

I am old but definitely not ancient. No, the first car I owned was very much similar to today's, except there was no ABS, electrical window winding, reverse sensors and power/power-assisted steering. The average engines were 4-cylinders with no fuel injection. Aircon and car radio were optional extras those days. Some models come with conventional ply tires and some with radial plied. The conventional plied tires were old technology with the side walls of a different compound, and hence different performance from the compound used for the tracks.

I do have memories from my childhood, riding in cars you have described. Anyway, your reference to "lau pok kar" is a relative comparison, isn't it? 10, perhaps 20 years from today, your car (if you do own one currently) would also be a "lau pok kar" in comparison to vehicles of the future. Perhaps in in time, your grandchildren would probably ask if you own a "lau pok kar". Would you answer yes or no? I am curious as to what your response would be.

 

[snrcitizen]

I ate at the other place often enough but cannot conclusively remember its name. I feel the food there is better, a little spicier but without being overpowering.

Thanks for your input. In this case I missed the chance to taste the alternative restn. It just goes to show I should have tried and not judge a restn just based on the quantity of customers. :o

 

[snrcitizen]

Bar/lounge was popular with those (mostly expats) from shipping trade. Some also get enamoured with waitresses there. I know of 1 kweilo who had his 2nd marriage with 1 spg type, after prompt relocation. But think this is no consolation or cold comfort to you though, hehe:p

Don't break a sweat over it. I knew of some of the waitresses who were going for the kweilos. The friend I mentioned told me about it. It really depends on each individual's decision. Some were also going for still married ones.

 

[snrcitizen]

Yes I remember that, was it then called Cuscaden Hotel? How about the old Boulevard Hotel's coffee house, anyone recall that one? I use to like to go there late at night and usually had something like hokkien prawn mee soup. Or what about the old Marco Polo Hotel? I liked it's pastry shop.

Hotel Malaysia was the one which changed the name to Marco Polo Hotel when new owner took over. (Reference: Merl Haggard's post). Cuscaden Hotel located further along Orchard Road was later renamed Hotel Malaysia. Why? Not too sure. :o

Calling Merl Haggard. Need your knowledge here to confirm.

 

[snrcitizen]

...it had a pretty good sze chuan restaurant.

PS Just recalled, Hotel Equitorial

Since you mentioned sichuan restaurant, thought I was eating genuine sichuan food in Singapore those days until I was in China, Sichuan province and found out the genuine stuff was nothing like what I had tasted before. :o

 

[snrcitizen]

Hey I like this story Bro, thanks for sharing

So I guess 'Harry' may well have been wrong afterall in "When Harry met Sally" eh

Doubt if it will ever end like "When Harry met Sally", bro. Why not just go for SYT's on ONS? That's more practical these days. :p

 

[snrcitizen]

......at Xanadu (Shang) and Barbarella (Ming Court).

Wasn't the Xanadu's previous name "The Lost Horizon" at Shangrilah?

 

[Merl Haggard]

Hotel Malaysia was the one which changed the name to Marco Polo Hotel when new owner took over. (Reference: Merl Haggard's post). Cuscaden Hotel located further along Orchard Road was later renamed Hotel Malaysia. Why? Not too sure. :o

Calling Merl Haggard. Need your knowledge here to confirm.

Comrade Senior Citizen,

Hotel Malaysia was a public company listed in the SES, and after the late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, the real estate wizard sold Hotel Malaysia to Wheelock HK, he bought Cuscaden House for $30m, a block of private apartments to retrofit it into a hotel. He then named it Hotel Malaysia and injected it into the listed company as required by the SES rules.

The Cuscaden apartment block was owned by Mr Kirkham Senior, the founder of S'pore Carrier Air-condition Co.

Do you recall the disco club in the 80's, called My Place located at Hotel Malaysia? Well that was our hunting ground cos the owners were our business associates, and we were at My Place Club almost every night of the week for 5-6 years.

In the early 90's, the late Tan Sri Khoo delisted Hotel Malaysia and renamed it Hotel Boulevard. During the previous property boom in 1996, he sold it to City Development for $280m and to-date City Dev is still holding on to it.

 

[snrcitizen]

Comrade Senior Citizen,

Hotel Malaysia was a public company listed in the SES, and after the late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, the real estate wizard sold Hotel Malaysia to Wheelock HK, he bought Cuscaden House for $30m, a block of private apartments to retrofit it into a hotel. He then named it Hotel Malaysia and injected it into the listed company as required by the SES rules.

The Cuscaden apartment block was owned by Mr Kirkham Senior, the founder of S'pore Carrier Air-condition Co.

Do you recall the disco club in the 80's, called My Place located at Hotel Malaysia? Well that was our hunting ground cos the owners were our business associates, and we were at My Place Club almost every night of the week for 5-6 years.

In the early 90's, the late Tan Sri Khoo delisted Hotel Malaysia and renamed it Hotel Boulevard. During the previous property boom in 1996, he sold it to City Development for $280m and to-date City Dev is still holding on to it.

Comrade Merl,

You are d'best. Thanks for picking up on my request for information from you.

You must have quite a time at My Place Club those days.

Once again, thank you for coming to the rescue with tip top information. I take my hat off to you.

 

[halsey02]

Mr O'dell was something else. I had been warned about how brusque he could be when I first went to his shop. I wasn't disappointed when I stepped into his shop filled with noisy children and their parents.

I said, 'I'm wondering if you have this particular animated feature...'

'Cartoons are down that way ... you'll have to look through it yourself.'

'Er... this one is rather old, so if you don't have it I won't bother to look.'

Silence.

'It's called Flight of Dragons...'

He looked up at me for the first time. 'Come....'

He brought me to a corner of the shop, reached behind some VHS cassettes and pulled out Flight of Dragons. He took it to the counter saying it was a great feature but that no one had asked for it for a long time. He also told me to take care of it.

First-timers were supposed to pay a deposit but when I fished out extra money, he asked me not to bother.

I returned the tape a day late because the day before I missed his closing time by ten minutes. The momet I walked in, he looked across his other customers and said, 'you're late.'

I apologised and explained profusely and was fishing out money for the fine. Again, Mr O'dell waived it asking if I enjoyed the movie.

I went back several times to his TSC shop and to a branch in South Buona Vista Road, until my VHS player conked.

RIP, Mr O'dell.

Yeah, that is Mr. Odell allright!, anyway his shop is not for those, who doesn't know what is good to WATCH on tape, that is!