Dim Sum noir
 

I'm shooting a black & white photo series in SIN next month. Anyone have a favorite "old school" dim sum place? I need push-trolley, old server ladies atmosphere. The jazzier joints are not what I'm looking for. It would be a plus if the food's as good as the setting. Thanks, in advance.

I don't know if you can really find a retro dim sum place in Singapore rather than Hong Kong but you can try out this place.

http://ieatishootipost.sg/2011/10/re...lleys-and.html


Red Star Restaurant
Blk 54 Chin Swee Road
#07-23
Singapore 160054
Tel: 6532 5266 / 6532 5103
Daily: 7.00am - 3.00pm / 6.00pm - 10.30pm

tycosiao, thank you. I did look at this place. I bought the iPad apps (ieatishootipost and makansutra). The dining rooms are just too "classy." I need places that resemble the old kopitiams in Penang or KL. You might be correct. They may not exist in Singapore. I'll keep looking. Thank you, again.

Thing is push trolleys, where they are still used, would be in restaurants like Red Star. The kopitiam style dim sum eateries wouldn't bother with trolleys, customers will be served their orders straight out of the stacks of steamers at the semi/open kitchen.

I don't know if you've actually been to Red Star, but I think it's more retro chintz than classy. I actually love the place though I have been back there in years, the somewhat garish wedding/banquet decor has a certain amount of authentic charm to it. Certainly the clientele and staff is very local and casual. And then there's the swarms that clog the kitchen entranceway when customers spot the 'limited edition' good stuff appearing like their black bean steamed fish head.

Even in Malacca/Penang/KL, kopitiams don't do trolleys.

O.K. I promise to try Red Star next month. I'll shoot grainy black and white and see what the results are. Trip report w/photos guaranteed. BTW, there are many kopitiams in Penang with push trolley. I was there recently and enjoyed the food and the atmosphere in at least three different places. Thank you all for the advice. Char siu bao on me, next round.

Quite frankly, I think you're looking for something that doesn't exist. There are plenty of old kopitiams in Singapore, but they don't do dim sum on trolleys. Old school Singapore kopitiam food is all Peranakan, Malay, Teochew, Hakka etc; Cantonese people, and hence Cantonese food, are a distinct minority. While there are a few dim sum stalls, every one I know of expects that the customer walks up and orders what they want. Singapore being Singapore, I wouldn't be surprised if pushing trolleys around a shared space is a violation of their food license terms.

I'm disappointed. How about "old school" tea houses? I'm not making it to HK on this trip. It's Singapore - Ubud - Jogya - Kuching - PHN - Kampot on this trip.
Thank you all for taking time to respond.

In a different part of the world, but if you want dim sum trolley service there are a few restaurants in San Jose, CA that still do this :) (or did as of a couple of years ago, but I can't imagine it has changed). The most recent one I recall being in also seemed to have the sort of atmosphere you are looking for. Very "old school". Sorry, don't remember any names.

Singapore is not the Wong Kar Wai movie you are looking for. Move along, move along.

Why so rude?
 

Are there any condescending "old school" commenters in Singapore? Or will I only find those in Terra Australis? BTW, I think a more appropriate film director to reference would have been Wong Tin-Lam. Have a nice day.

My apologies -- that was a lame attempt at humor, not intentional rudeness. I was just gently trying to point out that your preconception of Singapore does not seem to be quite aligned to the reality of the place, which does not feature much in the way of old school dim sum places nor old school tea houses.

So here's a possibly more helpful suggestion. My friend Benny does a lot of B&W photography around Singapore, often with a "retro" angle similar to what you may be looking for. Take a look at his Flickr and see if anything catches your eye; if yes, I can probably tell you where he took it.

Sorry I was a bit strong. I really do enjoy your posts and should have realized that you were joking. I am in Singapore quite often and understand that what I'm asking for is hard to find. There is, however, a darker underside to Singapore that I find interesting. My photography is moving more in that direction. I looked at your friend's work. He is talented. Again, please accept my apology. I looked at your message at the end of a tough day. No excuse for bad behavior.

Singapore may not be the place for the old-school dim sum.
But you may find other shots that is uniquely Singapore like Tiong Bahru, Smith Street, Haji Lane, Syed Alwi.

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll make sure to get there. I'm staying in Chinatown so they're all relatively close by.

If you feel like venturing up north, Malacca and KL might have more of the old-school places you are looking for.

PM me if you want to find out more.