Nestled in the cultural enclaves of Chinatown and Outram, our flagship outlet along Kreta Ayer Road is the perfect escape to the hustle and bustle of the city life.

The boundaries of present-day Chinatown were established in 1822 and its origin can be attributed to Sir Stamford Raffles. Among the four sub-districts, Kreta Ayer Road and its neighbouring streets formed the commercial heart of Chinatown. The name “Kreta Ayer” means “water cart” in Malay, which refers to the bullock and ox carts that plied Kreta Ayer Road in the mid-1800s. These carts were used to distribute water from wells located in Ann Siang Hill. The early immigrants of Kreta Ayer, who were predominantly Cantonese, brought with them traditional and cultural traits from their hometowns in China.

Right now, Kreta Ayer has become the cultural heartland of the Chinatown district, known for its concentration of teahouses and opera theatres. It is also home to other traditional arts such as nanyin music, lion dance and wushu, which are examples of intangible cultural heritage expressions that are still practised in Chinatown today.

To learn more about the history of our neighbourhood, do visit the Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery, located at the community centre, just a 5-minutes stroll from our space