A Food Lover's Guide to Katong Shopping Centre's Basement
Ask most Singaporeans about Katong Shopping Centre and they'll mention two things: that it's one of the older malls on Mountbatten Road, and that it's full of maid agencies. Both true. But ask the East Coast's food lovers, and they'll tell you the real secret: the basement of this 1973-era mall is one of the most quietly beloved food destinations in Katong.
The chicken rice people cross the island for
The anchor of B1 is Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice, a stall with a devoted following and lunchtime queues to match. Silky poached chicken, fragrant rice, and the kind of chilli that regulars would defend with their lives. Come before noon on weekends or be prepared to wait — though we'd argue the wait is part of the experience.
The great banana pie rivalry
A few steps away, two shops carry on one of Katong's tastiest traditions: the banana pie. Dona Manis Cake Shop is the old-school cult favourite, its flaky, nutty banana pie a fixture of "best hidden bakes in Singapore" lists for years. Nearby, Auntie Peng carries the same torch with her own take. Loyalties run deep; our honest advice is to try both and pick your side.
Cafes above and below
The building has quietly become a little coffee destination too — a Japanese-style bakehouse in the basement, a minimalist specialty coffee bar upstairs, and a hole-in-the-wall bakery on the second floor have all drawn write-ups from Singapore's food blogs.
And then there's us
The Bridge by ET began life at B1-K128, right in the middle of all this — a social enterprise coffee kiosk where 100% of nett profits went to social causes. Our kiosk chapter has since closed, and The Bridge now travels Singapore as a mobile coffee cart — but this basement will always be where we learned to pull our shots, steps from the chicken rice queue.
The basement of Katong Shopping Centre rewards the curious. Come hungry, leave happy — and if you'd like our coffee at your own event, the cart now comes to you →