Seated by the steps in front of the Chinatown MRT station, Mr Wang Quan Kai and his friend have their faces buried in a huge meat dumpling.

Looking up, the 43-year-old from Shangxi, China, said: "The food here suits our palate better."

Like the duo, throngs of Chinese nationals living in Singapore gather at People's Park Complex in Eu Tong Sen Street on weekends for a true taste of home.

The food stalls here sell a range of Chinese cuisine unique to various parts of mainland China - from a mind-bending variety of pickled vegetables to cold noodles, spring onion pancakes to "Zhong Guo Da Pao" (loosely translated as "China Big Pao").

The sights and sounds are reminiscent of home, patrons interviewed told The Straits Times.

"When I miss my home so much, I always come to Chinatown to eat some Chinese food," said 26-year-old Xing Shan from Beijing.

She added: "The food makes me feel better."