Most of the land in the area belonged to the Little’s Family before 1917 and the road name changed after Chew Joo Chiat owned most of the land in Joo Chiat area.
He bought land from the Alsagoff Family as well as the Little’s Family to plant spices, such as nutmeg, gambier and pepper which were in great demand by the Europeans. Later, he turned the land into coconut plantations when copra became the cash crops. His foresight and business acumen made him a wealthy land owner.
In 1913 he bought from the auction 5 freehold building allotments fronting the Confederate Estate Road to increase his land bank. In early 1917 Joo Chiat Road was still a cart track going through Chew’s plantations. It was a private road maintained by him. Transportation of local produce was by bullock carts.
Joo Chiat area was then under the jurisdiction of the Rural Board. When the Municipal Limit extended into Joo Chiat, the Municipality wanted to construct a road for motor vehicles from Geylang Serai to the beach. There was no land acquisition law at that time. So the Municipality offered to buy over the stretch of Chew’s land (the Confederate Estate Road) to construct a road for motor vehicles.
Chew’s foresight in seeing the benefit of a transport infrastructure going through his land, bequeathed the road to the authority without compensation. For his generosity, the road was named after him as Joo Chiat Road. As more people moved into Joo Chiat especially along East Coast Road, there was a big demand for housing. Chew divided his land into building lots and sold them to developers to build houses.
Today, Joo Chiat is best known for its colourful rows of traditional Peranakan shophouses, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, that line its narrow streets.
Because of its proximity to Tg Katong, the residents who lived at the east coast referred to the area verbally as Katong. Therefore Katong was born out of Joo Chiat. Chew Joo Chiat was known as King of Katong after his death on 5 February 1926.
Joo Chiat Complex
After the Japanese Occupation during 1942–1945, Changi Market (now Joo Chiat Complex) at Joo Chiat Road became an important trading centre for Malays from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. They traded in food, flowers and spices, which remain a major part of the area’s economy today.
In 1993, Joo Chiat was gazetted as a conservation district. As a result, shophouses and bungalows reflecting the typical architectural styles of the turn of the twentieth century have been preserved, as well as many unique and straits eclectic style Chinese shophouses which give the area its true flavour. The area is also known for eateries specialising in Peranakan delicacies.
Nowadays, Joo Chiat is famous for its pubs where Vietnamese freelance hookers ply their trade both within and outside in the streets.
Joo Chiat Map
Joo Chiat Restaurants
There are some good restaurants you should check out at Joo Chiat Road.
The Garden Slug
The Garden Slug is a cosy, humble little diner located at Lorong L Telok Kurau. Its neighbours are a handful of pet shops and a very well-known animal clinic. And it’s just a very short drive away from Joo Chiat.
It offers comfort food like steaks, pastas, salads, sandwiches, soups and such. There are also Southeast Asian iced teas and aromatic coffee to start your day or wind down on a quiet evening.
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau
#01-59/61 Bright Centre
Fries Make A Difference
Everything With Fries is the brainchild of the young team of Awfully Chocolate , that famous chocolaty brand of cakes and ice cream that also began in Joo Chiat but which has since grown island-wide.
They kept the menu simple and unpretentious and the prices reasonable (mostly under $10). But the quality and portion of the food are all but that!
At Everything with Fries all mains are served with fries with seasonings such as sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar, garlic and herb and curry. Or you also get to choose greens if you like either a baby caesar or a coleslaw to go along. And all are freshly done.
One Egg Soup a great broth brought together with one egg and no cream added, although one would be hard put to figure that out because it tasted and looked full bodied.
The desserts are baked in-house too. They’ve got a pear tart, a nutella tart, cupcakes, poached pears and more. And they’re not your run of the mill cafe fodder. We tried the nutella tart and almost died from pure pleasure!
Wanton Places at Joo Chiat
Check this out: Fei Fei along Joo Chiat Place, Eng’s at Dunman Road Hawker Centre, and Hong Mao Noodle House (open from Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays) from early morning around 7.30am to just past lunch time at 2pm) at 128 Eating Corner along Tembeling Road.
This is one place you can find great roti pratas.
7 Crane Road (junction of Crane Road and Onan Road)
Open seven days a week from 6.30am to 12.30pm (CLOSED END OF THE MONTH)
Other Restaurants at Joo Chiat
- Pu Tien Chinese Food
- Zhi Char
- Sunset Bay Sentosa
Video: Joo Chiat is Singapore’s first Heritage Town
Hotels in Joo Chiat
You can find the following hotels in Joo Chiat.
Fragrance Hotel Joo Chiat
You can get a room at Frangrance Hotel as low as $68. Check out some of the reviews:
The fragrance hotel at Jo Chiat street isn’t a big one. But it’s a nice hotel, cause it’s clean and had fresh air in the room. It had a window, so we can see the sun and other activity outside.
The hospitality of the front officer gives the hotel strength. It had a big excavator that can be filled with more than 5 persons.
The hotel layed among the restaurant and the pub, so it gives you a different choice.
But it’s a little far from MRT station, so we had to walk approx. 2 KM to get there.
But me and my fam had a nice experience during our days in Fragrance hotel at Jo Chiat
And this one:
the hotel is located in a food district with numerous eateries.
However, the rooms are not clean. The floor is sticky and the shower occasionally splashes water and you can hear the water rushing through the piping every now and then.
the cupboards have a musky smell and there is no windows for a double room.
You get what you pay for right? It’s good for a night’s stay.
Hotel 81 Joo Chiat
Standard Rooms are fitted with a queen size bed. 2 single beds are unavailable. Standard Rooms have no a minibar. Bathrooms have a shower only.
This two are the most popular ones and there are also some others.