A couple of days ago I wrote about one side of Tanjong Katong Road.
Originally I had planned to write about the entire stretch, both sides.
But as it turned out, there were more pictures and more impressions than I thought there would be, so I decided to split it up, and here we are now- on the other side of Tanjong Katong Road.
This stretch I'm writing about today begins from the traffic light outside this particular property.
Now, I don't have a picture of the opposite side- the side that I was standing on when I took this picture- I had been too occupied trying to get across the road.
But the first thing that strikes you this side, this stretch, is the new, contemporary branch from TCM clinic Chien Chi Tow.
At first glance the (pink) decor looks remarkably different from its predecessor, but then you realize, after a while, that it makes the place feel lighter, less serious, more friendly.
For many years Chien Chi Tow held ground here this side of the road. They were a clinic impossible to miss, never mind which direction you were coming from. But if you thought it were because they were naturally noticeable, well, let's just say that they had a signboard large and traditional, and a green Oriental roof that you could see from a mile away.
It's nice to know that they haven't gone.
My recollection of this TCM clinic here on Tanjong Katong Road is clear.
So is my recollection of Madeleine's Portuguese Egg Tarts with their small yellow signboard above their small little flagship store close to here.
A bit of a pity that they are now closed, but they're probably somewhere, and in any case, the rest of the road near this corner remains the same as I remember it to be.
The fruit stall by the roadside is there.
So is Teo Hin Tyres the tyre shop at the junction of Wareham Road.
There's not much change further on as well.
There is a row of shop houses hosting a variety of businesses.
What exactly they are, I don't recall, but, if I'm not wrong, there are a couple of gyms, a couple of spas and wellness places, a minimart frequented by students where they buy snacks before taking the bus home, and a mix of cafes, dining spots and restaurants.
There is quite a variety of F&B this side of Tanjong Katong Road.
Why they've gathered on this side, I don't know, but on a single stretch one finds Italian cuisine like Al Capone's Katong, Korean-style fried chicken, a bak kut teh place that wasn't open this afternoon, and the Chinese cuisines featuring Ponggol Nasi Lemak, and Heng Long.
The stretch of shop houses hosting Al Capone's and the Korean-style fried chicken has an interesting architecture, by the way.
Putting aside the signboards that you see above the the awnings- it is the balcony that I am curious about.
I'm not sure if there are that many places here on this stretch that have cute little balconies such as these. Besides that, the windows aren't large, different from those that we often see on second-storey shop houses, and so make for a charming quaint little sort of picture when you look up.
Like this one.
It made me wonder if at a certain time or era someone had actually stepped out from the room onto it to look over down to the street below.
From this stretch onwards came familiar Teochew porridge place Heng Long Cooked Food at the junction of Parkstone Road.
After it there was a supermarket- Bharath Supermarket- offering shoppers the convenience of daily necessities, and a variety of groceries for Indian dishes. Beside it too there were a few more dining places offering mainland Chinese cuisine, Filipino cuisine, local eats, and Mee Pok Mee.
An ice cream store and a yoga studio came right after and then it was Boscombe Road- the junction which on normal days I wouldn't pay much attention to, except that this time I realized it was bordering Chelsea Lodge.
Chelsea Lodge is, to me, one of the most noticeable landmarks this side of Tanjong Katong Road. Besides the fact that the facade is a bright, brick sort of red, I have long been intrigued by the architecture, and the foliage around the place.
Everything looks deliberate- the flight of stairs leading from the main road to the first floor, the arched entryways, the metal gates.
We don't get architecture like this very often.
Like those townhouses that I have seen in pictures or on the TV, may I say that it is distinctly European, or British?
A part of me wonders how the interior of the space looks like.
I'm openly curious, nothing more, nothing less.
Beyond this apartment block lies another stretch of shop houses, this time bordering on Goodman Road.
Goodman Road is known for a few things, the most significant of all being the entrance to Goodman Arts Center on the other side. How one thing led to another led to another, we don't know. We also don't know how exactly this road came about or what it is supposed to signify, but on the Tanjong Katong Road side, from this junction on up towards Mountbatten Road, one finds a host of diners and restaurants offering Indian cuisine.
It is quite fascinating, really.
There is a Lucky Store selling electronics here. There is also the Avighna Store offering groceries in the form of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, chilled meats and frozen foods. The variety of fresh vegetables and fruits surprised me. I had not thought there would be that many patrons walking out from the houses behind for fresh produce every day.
But I underestimate.
This road, after all, can be described as the main shopping place for all of them staying in the houses behind.
The place here has a feel of wellness in one form or another.
Might it be the gym at the corner of Bournemouth Road?
Might it be the presence of three pet-related services between Goodman Road and Branksome Road?
Or that there is an ice bath club on what I think is Branksome Road?
One learns to take care of oneself here.
When it comes to dining, there is Darbar, Tesca, Danji the Korean BBQ place, and Vatan Se.
another dining place for briyanis and palek paneer and wonderfully spiced cauliflower.
I might want to go eat at Vatan Se or at Darbar again. A good palak paneer and a mountain of briyani basmati rice always makes for a nice, comfortable meal.
This end of Tanjong Katong Road comes up not too far after you reach this row of shop houses where Darbar is.
You know you're getting there when you turn around and see the stretch of road behind you.
You also know you're nearing the junction when the opposite side of the road shows you the Tanjong Katong Post Office building that has now become a preschool center.
Come to think of it, this side of the road actually carries far more heritage than the other sides.
For what reason it has been preserved this way, I don't know.
But there're working laundromats like these still- the decor of which is nearly impossible to find anymore.
And the plant nursery whose signboard looks like it has been there a long time and which still sits right at the corner.