Memories of Hock Lam Street. A Lost Forever Food Haven of Singapore

Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore"Youngsters" among us will remember Hock Lam Street 福南街, a buzzing foodie haunt in downtown Singapore. Hock Lam Street doesn't exist anymore, not even its name.

Map of Singapore 1933. National Archives of SingaporeHock Lam Street ran parallel and between Coleman Street and High Street. At the northern end was the Central Fire Station on Hill Street and Adelphi Hotel was at the southern end on North Bridge Road.

Adelphi Hotel 1906. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

The Adelphi 1993. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeAdelphi Hotel closed in 1973 and was demolished in 1980 (it was replaced by The Adelphi shopping centre). During its heydays in the 1960s, Adelphi Hotel was the venue of many grand events and occasions. It was the place to be seen in.

Central Fire Station 1930. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore Central Fire Station 1960. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeIn many vintage photographs of Hock Lam Street, the red and white Central Fire Station building stood proudly at the end of the street.

Thankfully, the beautiful Central Fire Station still serves proudly, well into the new Millennium. Let's go back in time and do a Hock Lam Street food trail. Do you remember any of the food stalls? Tell us more about it in the comments. Hock Lam Street 1972. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeGood morning Hock Lam Street. The stalls slowly waking up to another busy day ahead in one of Singapore's top food streets.

Hock Lam Street 1972. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeCan you tell what kind of food stall was this? The hanging bundles look like fresh vegetables. Inside the glass case, it looks like a slab of roast pork belly (siew yok). A zi char stall?

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThis was a zi char stall for sure. Zi char stalls are literally "cook and fry" stalls that dish out many different noodle, rice, meat, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes. It is like a mini restaurant with a menu that match the more upscale establishments.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeWow look at the crowd heading to the Hock Lam Street food stalls for lunch. Hurry, hurry most office workers have only one hour or so for lunch.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archive of SingaporeIs this more fun than an air conditioned food court, or not? What do you think? What's for lunch?

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeChar kway teow! Of course, there will always be char kway teow. I love the aroma of caramelised savoury sauces and rice noodles tossed and turned in a searing hot wok. It is called wok hei 鑊氣. There is no straightforward English translation. It could mean "breath" of the wok or "chi" of the wok, or a combination of both 😄

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeChicken rice! Every food haven in Singapore worth its salt will have a good Hainanese chicken rice stall.

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeChicken porridge and noodle stalls used to be more common than today.

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeChinese mutton soup. One of my favourite dishes (but I have never tried this stall before).

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeKembing sup (spicy Indian mutton soup) and mee goreng (spicy Indian fried noodles) are always popular. Note the sign in 4 languages - Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil - this is Singapore lor 😊

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThis looks like a yong tau foo stall.

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThe stall in the middle sold turtle soup.

Hock Lam Street 1975. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeTurtle soup costs just $1 per serving back then. The hawker had his hawker's licence clearly displayed.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeWhat was he selling? It looks like fried fish cakes? Or, were they fried fritters like ham chim peng, butterfly etc.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore"不要拍, 不要拍". I am familiar with this - I get this "no picture, no picture" reaction in 2020 too. Auntie was selling Teochew steam kueh (cakes). Auntie's reaction is understandable as she was likely an unlicensed hawker. The government had just launched (in 1972) a concerted effort to register every hawker and put all into hawker centres.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archive of SingaporeDo you recognise this coffee shop? It was across Hock Lam Street from Cortina Department Store. I can see a chicken mee stall on the left. What other stalls were there? Most coffee shops have 6 to 8 food stalls and a drinks stall (ran by the coffee shop towkay or boss). Remember those vintage white marble top round tables with ornate legs? Those pretty wooden chairs were memorable too (to me).

Hock Lam Street beef noodlesThe most famous hawker stall at Hock Lam Street was arguably Hock Lam Street Beef Noodles. The brand is approaching its centennial and still going strong.

Hock Lam Street 1974. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeWhat drinks were they selling?

Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archive of SingaporeHock Lam Street once chock-a-block with street food hawkers was cleared in 1977, waiting for the wrecking ball and bulldozers.

Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThey're here (the wreckers). The beginning of the end of Hock Lam Street in 1977.

Funan Centre 1989. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeHock Lam Street and its shophouses were demolished, replaced by Funan Centre which opened in 1985. It was a gargantuan shopping centre specialising in electronics and computers. Its name Funan 福南 is the pinyinised Mandarin Chinese version of the original Hokkien Chinese name Hock Lam.

The brick and concrete Funan Centre was itself demolished in 2016 and replaced by a monstrous size, glass and steel reincarnation in 2019.

Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeHock Lam Street no longer exists, not even in name.

The only place we can still see the words 福南街 Hock Lam Street is at the beef noodle restaurant at North Canal Road run by Edwin Tan, the fourth generation of Hock Lam Street Beef Noodles. The Hock Lam Street legacy also continues at Old Airport Road hawker centre by Francis, the third generation of Hock Lam Street Beef Noodles. Do you remember or know the whereabouts of other Hock Lam Street hawkers or their successors? Please share with us as we love to continue the Hock Lam Street hawkers' story. We love to add your memories to the story. Thank you 🙏 Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThose were the days my friend.