A sarabat stall is basically a makeshift coffee stand, in days gone by.
Unlike an itinerant or travelling hawker, the sarabat stall was usually rooted temporarily at the same spot for a period. It would sell freshly brewed coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks for a quick bite.
The name sarabat derived from the Malay sarbat or ginger juice that was mixed with the milk tea, the main beverage sold at these stalls. This concoction is still available today as Teh Halia.
![]()
There were two sarabat stalls that operated along Hillview Road in the 1950s and 1960s.
These were located aside the main road directly opposite the main gate of the National Carbon factory. This factory was also known as Union Carbide or the Eveready battery factory. The factory began production way back in 1948 but it is not clear as to when the sarabat stalls starting operating at this location.
The above photo shows one of the two sarabat stalls in existence then and was taken pre-1963.
![]()
![]()
Quick links to related articles about Hillview Road
The building of Hillview Road
The removal of the Railway Bridge
The development of Hillview Avenue
The Eveready Battery factory
Unlike an itinerant or travelling hawker, the sarabat stall was usually rooted temporarily at the same spot for a period. It would sell freshly brewed coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks for a quick bite.
Often ramshackle and unkempt, they were found usually at places like construction sites or near places where people gathered like markets, factories and bus terminals. It was mainly good for a quick cuppa or a smoke during office break or while waiting for the bus.
The name sarabat derived from the Malay sarbat or ginger juice that was mixed with the milk tea, the main beverage sold at these stalls. This concoction is still available today as Teh Halia.
These were located aside the main road directly opposite the main gate of the National Carbon factory. This factory was also known as Union Carbide or the Eveready battery factory. The factory began production way back in 1948 but it is not clear as to when the sarabat stalls starting operating at this location.
The above photo shows one of the two sarabat stalls in existence then and was taken pre-1963.
The aerial photo below of Hillview Road was shot in 1958 and already shows the two sarabat stall along the fence of the Hong Kong Rope factory (yellow circle).
Beside the two semi-fixed sarabat stalls, I was told that there was also an occasional push cart hawker selling cut fruits and cold plum juice at times. These hawkers catered mainly to the factory workers during their lunch and tea breaks, especially to the staff of both the Eveready factory and the adjacent Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing factory. Customers included the occasional kampong folks and residents of Princess Elizabeth Estate as well, who had to walk along Hillview Road to reach the main road at Upper Bukit Timah.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
This photo was taken in 2011 after the removal of the KTM railway line over Hillview Road.
You can see that the slope is gentler than in the old days.
*Request Bus-Stops
For those who are unaware, especially of the younger generation today, bus stops in the old days of the mosquito buses were known as 'Request Stop'. A bus will stop at a 'bus-stop' only when a passenger wanted to alight by pressing the bell, or if there were passengers waiting to board at the marker, which was usually only a metal pole with a number plate. The bus would continue on if the bell was not rung, unlike today where it is mandatory for all buses to stop at every bus-stop.
There had been many incidents and arguments where the bus would not stop while a passenger will claim that they had rung the bell. Nasty drivers, which were common, might hesitantly and purposely stop a long way from the Request Stop and some would even continue on and let the passenger off only at the next stop! Most bus-stops did not have a shelter except for those in popular areas. The Request-stops at Hillview Road did not have shelters in those days.
Beside the two semi-fixed sarabat stalls, I was told that there was also an occasional push cart hawker selling cut fruits and cold plum juice at times. These hawkers catered mainly to the factory workers during their lunch and tea breaks, especially to the staff of both the Eveready factory and the adjacent Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing factory. Customers included the occasional kampong folks and residents of Princess Elizabeth Estate as well, who had to walk along Hillview Road to reach the main road at Upper Bukit Timah.
The sarabat stalls were located at the top of the ridge, across which Hillview Road ran from Upper Bukit Timah Road to Hillview Avenue. It was at this very point that the Green Bus Co #5 bus had Request Bus-stops* on both sides of the road, obviously to serve the factory workers as it was just by the company's main gate.
In the above picture of Hillview Road, you might be able to make out the sloping road that peaked at the area where the stalls were. Today, the slope is slightly less steep. The gradient having been reduced slightly in height with the building of the condominiums that replaced the factories in the late 1990s and the regular accretion from road maintenance and re-surfacing.
Green Bus Co Service #5 driving up the slope from Hillview Circus.
It would crest the Hillview ridge just where the sarabat stalls stood at the top of the ridge.
Note that even in 1955, there were no concrete footpaths along the sides of Hillview Road.
It would crest the Hillview ridge just where the sarabat stalls stood at the top of the ridge.
Note that even in 1955, there were no concrete footpaths along the sides of Hillview Road.
Green Bus #5 coming up the slope from Upper Bukit Timah Road side.
The KTM girder railway bridge was built at the same time as when Hillview Road was constructed to run below it in 1947.
The KTM girder railway bridge was built at the same time as when Hillview Road was constructed to run below it in 1947.
This photo was taken in 2011 after the removal of the KTM railway line over Hillview Road.
You can see that the slope is gentler than in the old days.
*Request Bus-Stops
For those who are unaware, especially of the younger generation today, bus stops in the old days of the mosquito buses were known as 'Request Stop'. A bus will stop at a 'bus-stop' only when a passenger wanted to alight by pressing the bell, or if there were passengers waiting to board at the marker, which was usually only a metal pole with a number plate. The bus would continue on if the bell was not rung, unlike today where it is mandatory for all buses to stop at every bus-stop.
There had been many incidents and arguments where the bus would not stop while a passenger will claim that they had rung the bell. Nasty drivers, which were common, might hesitantly and purposely stop a long way from the Request Stop and some would even continue on and let the passenger off only at the next stop! Most bus-stops did not have a shelter except for those in popular areas. The Request-stops at Hillview Road did not have shelters in those days.
My own personal recollection of the sarabat stalls are very, very vague. It would be in the very early 1960s when my father was still working at Eveready. I can only recall that my dad used to stop his car at the sarabat stall and alight to buy cigarettes from the Indian Mama (uncle). We would be driving out from Princess Elizabeth Estate and he would patronise this stall as he was familiar with them while working at Union Carbide then. It was a habit he had or perhaps he had credit with the Mama? Apart from that scant memory, I cannot recall if I ever had a drink at this stall at all. I was too young then.
Illegal itinerant hawkers as well as all makeshift sarabat stalls were all moved off the streets from 1965 to 1971 as part of the government's plan to resettle all hawkers to more hygienic and proper facilities for selling food. So, for those of you who lived at Hillview after the mid 60s, it would be very unlikely that you would have known of these sarabat stalls that supplemented the workers choices for food back then. (There were sarabat stalls at the #5 bus terminus at Princess Elizabeth Estate too)
If you look again at the aerial overhead photo, you can see a yellow square at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Hillview Road. This was opposite the Chartered Bank and were the homes of two Indian families who used their house front as shops to sell Indian food.
I will blog about this eating house in a future article, as well as about the HDB Food Centre that was built in 1994 at the new HDB Hillview Estate.
Illegal itinerant hawkers as well as all makeshift sarabat stalls were all moved off the streets from 1965 to 1971 as part of the government's plan to resettle all hawkers to more hygienic and proper facilities for selling food. So, for those of you who lived at Hillview after the mid 60s, it would be very unlikely that you would have known of these sarabat stalls that supplemented the workers choices for food back then. (There were sarabat stalls at the #5 bus terminus at Princess Elizabeth Estate too)
If you look again at the aerial overhead photo, you can see a yellow square at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Hillview Road. This was opposite the Chartered Bank and were the homes of two Indian families who used their house front as shops to sell Indian food.
I will blog about this eating house in a future article, as well as about the HDB Food Centre that was built in 1994 at the new HDB Hillview Estate.
Quick links to related articles about Hillview Road
The building of Hillview Road
The removal of the Railway Bridge
The development of Hillview Avenue
The Eveready Battery factory