Touching a piece of old Singapore

Sometimes I think Singaporeans like me take being in Singapore for granted.

As usual, by late afternoon on a Sunday today, my family began the round of questions on where should we have our family dinner. Having just completed my run around my estate, my brain was cleared of the week-long gunk and a brainwave hit me. I said, why don't we try Lau Pa Sat?

There was a period of silence and I could tell everyone's brain was processing what I had just said. I broke the silence by telling everyone that I am told there are lots of food there. I named Prawn Noodles, and my mom's face brightened up and she said she has been craving it. I continued that there is a street full of satay stalls (like the old satay club) and Brittney's face lighted up. By the time, I finished by bath, i realised that my entire family was tucked in my MPV, engine fired up and ready to go.

The experience was pleasant right from the beginning. As my car inch towards Lau Pa Sat, a car parked just outside the food centre signaled to leave. So, I got the best parking spot!

The number of stalls in Lau Pa Sat amazed me. The food centre is lined up in "Streets" with many stalls along the streets. We were spoilt for choice. The only dark spot then was that there were many touts following us egging us on to their stall. We ignored them and soon they left us alone - good grief! I went for chah Kuay Teow - apparently a famous one from Lakeview. My mom went instead for fish soup, Brittney for porridge, melody noodles, Zachary noodles and fried chicken wings and we topped it off with 10 chicken satay, 10 mutton satay and 4 glasses of sugarcane drink. It was quite a meal but I feel a sense of relief that I had put in the run earlier.

After a happy meal, I brought my children around the Lau Pa Sat. Showed them the satay street, told them about the famous satay club in Singapore. I told them about the history of Lau Pa Sat, took some pictures and felt a sense of satisfaction that I had taken the time to experience a piece of old Singapore. Apparently, Lau Pa Sat was part of the Telok Ayer Market ordered to be set up by Sir Stamford Raffles at the port where the chinese immigrants arrived in Singapore. It was restored in its present day glory in the 1980s and gazetted for preservation in 1973.

The Lau Pa Sat stood in stark contrast to the skyscrapers along Robinson Road, the heart of Singapore business and financial district - a reflection of the past as we experience the present and future.

Looks like my family will be back to Lau Pa Sat for many more meals - good food, wide selection and minus the crowd. I wish the touting will stop though.

Wave to me when you see me at Lau Pa Sat!