As part of the celebration for Singapore’s National Day earlier this August, Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong had introduced an exclusive “Peranakan Dress Up Experience” in collaboration with Rumah Kim Choo to pay homage to the Peranakan heritage of the Joo Chiat/Katong area.
We were recently invited by Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong to experience the Peranakan dress up for ourselves with a 2D1N stay at Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong, which is located next to i12 Katong and sits on the historic site of the former Joo Chiat Police Station.
The Peranakan Dress Up Experience is priced from S$390 and includes:
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- Breakfast for 2 at Baba Chews Bar and Eatery
- S$50 nett dining credits per night, non-accumulative for Baba Chews Bar and Eatery, or Hotel Indigo Garden, or Rooftop 88
- 1 hour Peranakan dress up experience for 2 at Rumah Kim Choo (photographer not included)
- 1 complimentary parking coupon per stay
Unlike other hotels in the vicinity, Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong prides itself in its Peranakan inspiration, which is evident in its architectural design and curated art within the hotel.
Each room had also been intentionally designed to reflect the rich heritage and vibrant spirit of the Katong neighbourhood, offering a harmonious blend of colours in the interior of the room, with floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light, and spacious bathrooms which includes a unique bathtub shaped like those of the past.
We particularly liked the nice subtle touch of nostalgia, which was reflected in the little knick knacks in the room such as the cups, the pot for the bath salt, and the little spittoon under the sink.
In addition to being a getaway for humans, Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong is also a pet-friendly boutique hotel, which is perfect for pet owners looking to have a little staycation with their furry friends!
Aside from being able to explore the culturally rich neighbourhood, the hotel also provides a few dining options which include Baba Chews Bar and Eatery.
Having lived near the Katong neighbourhood almost my whole life, I’ve always wanted to try the food at Baba Chews, knowing that it had a contemporary fusion menu that offers Asian dishes with a modern twist.
Off the specially curated menu, we were exceptionally blown away by the Dry Bak Kut Teh, which did not have any sort of herbal taste and was all-round flavourful. The pork ribs were also done well as it slid off the bone and made it easy to eat.
Another winning dish for us was the Churros that came paired with Blue Pea Ice Cream and Pandan Dulce.
Despite it being a common dessert, what won us over was the Pandan Dulce, which gave us all the pandan flavour we craved without coming off overtly sweet. It gave a nice balance with the cinnamon dusted churros and offered us a real sweet ending to our delicious meal.
PERANAKAN DRESS UP EXPERIENCE
As part of our stay, we were treated to a Peranakan Dress Up Experience at Rumah Kim Choo, which is located just across the road from the hotel. Being the daughter of a half-Peranakan, I knew I had to have my mother participate in this memorable experience since she no longer had any of her Nyonya outfits with her.
When we arrived at the location, it was a little confusing to actually locate where it was we needed to go to get the costumes. There was no proper check-in area and the whole process took us more than 10 minutes to get someone to help us with the costumes.
Prior to the selection of the costumes, we were also asked how long we intended to take with the photoshoot even though we were entitled to an hour. Although I know we probably won’t take as long, it didn’t feel like it was an experience but more like a rental of space.
We had also thought that the experience was for two but was told by the staff that only one person could wear the costume, so I made the decision for my mom to experience it instead.
The selection of costumes was also not a very pleasant experience as there were no ready costumes with sizes available for us to pick out. Instead, the staff was pulling out various tops, in my mother’s size, asking her if she preferred this colour or that.
While I could appreciate that it meant the costumes were brand new, it felt a little haphazard and made us more conscious in choosing the right ones so that we don’t have to make her open anymore new ones.
We felt that having no one seemingly dedicated for the dress up experience made it messy and we often had to wait on the staff to come help us after she was done with customers.
We don’t know if that added to more hastiness to get us on our way as well because after my mother was dressed, we were asked to head up for the photoshoot — without the beaded slippers to complete her look.
Having already felt hustled to begin our photoshoot, we made the decision to do away with the footwear and dive into the photoshoot.
To clarify, the photoshoot did not include a photographer and all photos had to be taken with your own camera or smartphone. This wasn’t a dealbreaker for us since I had wanted to photograph my mother in her heritage costume.
Despite all the hiccups we experienced, the time we had upstairs doing the photoshoot was actually quite nice and we each had fun as the photographer and model, as part of the second level was decked with Peranakan interior from the past.
It was especially heartwarming to see my mom smile as she recalls certain things that looked familiar to her from her childhood, and just how happy she was to be connecting with her Peranakan roots again.
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