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Vegetarian set lunch/dinner in Orchard.

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JOIE BY DOZO… ENOUGH REASON TO GO VEGETARIAN

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Again, I was not disappointed by my meat-free dinner at Joie. They truly deserve a shout out! Joie is a pleasure the moment you step through the doors of the rooftop restaurant at Orchard Central S…

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Vibes! Cool rooftop and in an interesting neighbourhood - Keong Saik.

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Pretty far, so go only if you’re going to Pulau Ubin for a day trip AND if you like beer.

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Fancy fresh, locally-brewed craft beers paired with tantalising 15-hour smoked beef brisket and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly? Then LITTLE ISLAND BREWING CO. is what you've been looking for!

We are a 10,000 square feet, 400-seater microbrewery and smokehouse employing traditional methods to produce award winning world-class beers and awesome food!

Our sylvan charm lies in the laid back rustic Changi Village vibes where shooting the breeze under starry skies and twinkly fairy lights is the order of the night! Dance on the tables, strike up the band, indulge in delicious bites, chug down the beer and soak in the atmosphere!

Recommended by The New York Times as a must-visit destination in Singapore, LITTLE ISLAND BREWING CO now channels its breezy Changi Village vibe and crafty DNA to its classy outlet at South Beach, a tribute to the area's beachfront history, and our newest outlet at historical Gillman Barracks.
Savour our craft beers, freshly brewed and dispensed from 20 copper taps. Our team of seasoned chefs has carefully curated locally sourced and imported ingredients, with our traditional smoked and grilled meats in equally refined techniques. We've created a culinary tour de force in one bite!

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Fancy fresh, locally-brewed craft beers paired with tantalising 15-hour smoked beef brisket and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly? Then LITTLE ISLAND BREWING CO. is what you've been looking for! We are a 10,000 square feet, 400-seater microbrewery and smokehouse employing traditional methods to produce award winning world-class beers and awesome food!

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Happens annually. Check for festival dates. Cool installations and performances over 2 weekends each year.

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Get your first look at the new Night Lights of Singapore Night Festival 2018!

Night Lights 2018

Singapore Night Festival is back again with a nine nights of light installations (17-25 August) and three consecutive nights of performances (23-25 Aug) to close off the event on a high.

With this year's theme, Bring On The Night, the festival features art installations that are more participatory than past editions, allowing visitors to feel more immersed and engaged in the art.

The festival is spread across 5 zones in the Bras Basah.Bugis Precinct and the Night Lights will be open from 7:30PM - 12:00AM. Do take note that bag checks will be conducted at Zones 3 and 4 (Cathay Green and SMU Campus Green) this year, so you are advised to only bring small bags, or no bags if you wish to visit the Ember Rain installation and Festival Village area.

Aquatic Dream (by Lekker Design and Auditoire)

Start your journey into the light from the National Museum of Singapore and discover Aquatic Dream, a walkthrough installation about the mysterious oceans.

Ember Rain (by Starlight Alchemy)

Pedal on a bicycle to make fiery sparks dance and fly at Ember Rain in Cathay Green.

The Search (by The Search Party, SUTD)

Go on The Search - an ephemeral journey around Singapore as you float with paper planes.

A tip from the creators: The light and music sequence takes place in the first and last scenes, then the middle space. Once the lights take pause, you should already move on, because there is likely a huge queue of people waiting behind you!

The Search is located at the National Design Centre's Design Gallery 1, where the popular Phosphene was installed last year. Both works were designed by students from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Expect long wait times as the capacity for this installation is very small.

Odyssey (by Arnaud Pottier & Thimothée Mironneau)

Journey through time and space at Odyssey, this year's epic projection mapping installation at the Singapore Art Museum.

Graffiti Alive (by Arup)

Walk down the Alley of Armenian Street and witness Graffiti Alive.

Due to road works, Armenian Street is closed for pedestrians if you're strolling from Stamford Road and Fort Canning Link, so you'll need to walk along a tiny corridor below the shophouses or go through SMU School of Law.

Pulse (by Galina Mihaleva, Hedren Sum, Pataranutaporn, Kathrin Albers, Audrey Ng)

Explore a floating digital 'playground' of Pulse at the garden behind Armenian Church.

Hyperbands (by kopI/O)

Marvel at a dynamic ribbon of light at Hyperbands, as you walk past the LTA Walkway next to SMRT HQ.

Before The Word (by Pierre Ranzini and Cristina Di Pasqual)

Before The Word lets you make its giant letters come alive when you hover your hand over a mysterious control panel. See this playful installation at CHIJMES.

Orbit (by LiteWerkz x 3M)

Walk through a glittering galaxy of Orbit at Dhoby Ghaut Green, where you can touch, spin and even take flash photos of these spheres for special photo effects.

The Leap of Faith (by Teng Kai Wei)

Jump away from your problems at The Leap of Faith outside The Cathay, in this beautifully lit world of hexagons.

World of WearableArt

Be mesmerised by a World of WearableArt at the Atrium of the National Design Centre. Hundreds of fashion designers take part in this international design competition every year, and the eight finalist garments featured in this space were curated from the past three decades.

Video: Night Lights 2018

What do you think of this year's festival lights?

Singapore Night Festival 2018 - Bring On The Night

Night Lights - Art Installations
17 - 25 August 2018
7:30PM ~ 12:00AM
Bras Basah.Bugis Precinct Free Admission
Performance Nights (Shows)
23 - 25 August 2018
For a full list of night lights and upcoming performances, visit the Singapore Night Festival 2018 website.
Subscribe to Dejiki.com or Like my Facebook page for notifications of updates.

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NIGHT LIGHTS - Singapore Night Festival 2018 GUIDE

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Get your first look at the new Night Lights art installations of Singapore Night Festival 2018!

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The national pastime is eating. Hah!

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Images on posts can be clicked to load linked URLs

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How to order coffee and tea like a local in Singapore | HoneyKids Asia

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Whether you’re a new expat or have lived here for years, ordering coffee and tea like a local in Singapore at the kopitiam is a must!

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Simple to follow with well thought out. Please include a visit to the Art Science Museum for Team LAB’s amazing installations while at Marina Bay Sands area!

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There is a lot of things to do in Singapore, being both a modern metropolitan city and a tropical island country. Singapore is very different compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, and it is by far the easiest country we have ever traveled to in Southeast Asia. It is a modern, well-organized, and spotless city where everyone speaks perfect English. In some ways, it is more comparable to cities in the USA and western Europan towns than to other Asian cities.

Singapore is probably best known as " the country that banned gum and spitting " as it is illegal to spit on the street, sell or own chewing gum, and gum can only be bought with a prescription from a doctor.

We first visited Singapore on a backpacking trip in 2005. It is a city we keep coming back to almost every year as it is such a fresh and comfortable city to visit. Singapore has a well-functioning public transport system, high-quality restaurants and cafes, beautiful architecture and art, great shopping, and stunning parks. There is never a dull moment in Singapore.

Singapore also has some of the best hotels and boutique hotels in the world with very high quality and standards. It is a popular city to visit, not just for tourism but for business and conferences, so you should consider booking your hotel in Singapore in advance. The most popular hotels tend to be fully booked especially during peak seasons: January - February, June - July, and September - October.

If you are wondering where to stay in Singapore have a look at our Where To Stay In Singapore Guide here.

Singapore is a very safe city to visit as the crime rates in Singapore are some of the lowest in the world. There are lots of different food to try at high quality and hygiene standards, it is very tourist-friendly, and many languages are spoken as the city is very international with inhabitants from all over the world.

The downside is, however, that Singapore is more expensive than its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Budget wise Singapore can be compared to Europe, Australia, Japan, and the USA.

Even though Singapore is a rather compact city, it is divided into several districts each with a unique and very different atmosphere, culture, people, and food. A visit to Little India feels like being in real India, while Sentosa Island makes you wonder if you have come to California, and walking around Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay feels like having stepped into the future.

The diversity of Singapore`s attractions is one of the reasons why we love this city so much and why I`m confident that you will too! ♥

Here we give you our Singapore travel guide with what to do in Singapore for an amazing 3-5 days packed with all the highlights.

We hope you find it useful when planning your own Singapore itinerary! 🙂

What To Do In Singapore

- The Ultimate 3 Day Singapore Itinerary
What To Do In Singapore - A Singapore Itinerary: Day 1 = Pink, Day 2 = Yellow, Day 3 = Green, Day 4 = Blue, Day 5 = Violet
See our recommended Morning Singapore Walking Tour - Day 1 in the map below:

If you don´t have breakfast included at your hotel, start your sightseeing walk of the Colonial District with breakfast at one of the cozy cafes in Killiney Road (A on the map above).

Start your first day in Singapore like a real old-school Singaporean and visit the Killiney Kopitiam (cafe). For breakfast, order kopi (coffee) or tea, Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam), and a soft-boiled egg. The right way to eat it is to crack open the egg, add some soy sauce and pepper, and dip your toast with Kaya in the egg, and eat it with your fingers. Delicious! 🙂

Killiney Kopitiam is one of the most authentic places that still serve this kind of old-style-Singapore breakfast.

You will find Killiney cafes in many places in Singapore, but the original one is this one at 67 Killiney Road. I must admit that the atmosphere here is still the best even though newer and posher branches of this cafe keep popping up all over Singapore and at the airport as well.

Killiney Kopitiam also serves delicious Laksa, Chicken Curry, and Nasi Lemak if you rather prefer that.

After this filling traditional Singapore breakfast, it is time to explore the heart of Singapore; the Colonial District.

The Colonial District area is packed with stunning grand colonial buildings, a relaxing park, and several awesome museums. It is the perfect area to explore on foot as everything is within a rather small geographical area.

From Killiney Road (A on the map above), walk east to Fort Canning Park (B) for a morning stroll in the shade of the gigantic green trees.

Walk east and out of the park and into the Colonial District of Singapore. See the beautiful colonial-style buildings:

National Museum (C on the map above)

Peranakan Museum (D)

St Andrew´s Cathedral (E), which was built in 1862

National Gallery (F)

Asian Civilisations Museum (G)

Raffles Hotel (H)

End your morning walk with lunch in Purvis Street (I)

♦ Estimated time for this morning walk: 2-3 hours
Visit the National Gallery and one of the many brilliant museums of Singapore, which are all within walking distance of each other (my favorite is the National Museum so I would pick that one if I were you):

National Museum of Singapore (C on the map above)
Shows six centuries of Singapore history, also the recent history of the city. We loved the digital 3D artwork presented in the Glass Rotunda,Story of the Forest.

Peranakan Museum (D)
Tells the story of the rich heritage of the Peranakans which are the Chinese descendants in Singapore, their culture, arts and crafts, spirituality, and food.

National Gallery Singapore (F)
This is the most stunning national gallery we have ever visited. The building in itself is impressive (the old City Hall and Old Supreme Court buildings), housing more than 8000 pieces of 19th-century and modern Southeast Asian art pieces. Make sure to head up to the rooftop bar/ restaurant for a fantastic Singapore skyline view.

Asian Civilisations Museum (G)
Located in a beautiful yellow and white colonial building, its galleries give you a great insight into Singapore´s heritage as a port city of trade between Southeast Asia, China, India, and Europe. One of the highlights is the Tang shipwreck that sunk more than 1000 years ago, where lots of the ceramics (the ship had over 60 0000 ceramics) are on display. We joined a free guided tour of the museum which was awesome! Highly recommended!

The museums have opening hours: 10:00 - 19:00, although some of them close later on Fridays and Saturdays (21:00 or 22:00, check their web pages).
♦ Estimated time visiting museums: 2-3 hours
Purvis Street (I on the map above), next to the Raffles Hotel, is filled with excellent restaurants and cafes.

Here you will find something for every taste and budget, like Garibaldi serving Italian food (a bit expensive), Jai Thai that has mouth-watering and cheap Thai food, Killiney Kopitiam where you can get old Malaysian inspired food, Mexican food (we had some delicious tacos here), and French food at Saveur. Plenty to choose from and I promise that you will not leave Purvis Street hungry! 🙂
♦ Estimated time for lunch: 1 hour
After lunch, it is time to head towards the waterfront for another walking tour through the Marina Bay district and the Quays district.

This part of Singapore is filled with modern architectural masterpieces, some spectacular light-and-music shows, and lively restaurants and bars by the river.

See our recommended Afternoon Singapore Walking Tour - Day 1 below:

From Purvis Street where you had lunch (A on the map above), walk south to the river and the Quays district.

Cross the Esplanade Bridge to the Merlion Park where you find the famous Merlion statue (B) - the official mascot of Singapore.

Merlion is a statue of a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It was created as a PR-stunt by the tourism board back in the 1980s, and it soon became the icon of Singapore.

Enjoy the view of Marina Bay with the iconic Marya Bay Sands and the glittering The Esplanade Theatres on The Bay.
You can also jump on a boat cruise to get a full guided tour of Marina Bay and the Singapore River.
♦ Estimated time for this afternoon walk: 1-2 hours

6. Gardens by the Bay

Head north along the Esplanade Bridge towards Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and continue to walk east along Marina Promenade to the Helix Bridge (C).

Take in the stunning view of the Singapore skyline while you cross the Helix Bridge. Have an ice cream at the ice-cream vendor (an old man) standing at the end of Helix Bridge.

When you get to the Marina Bay Sands side, take a left and walk over to Gardens by the Bay (D).

Spend at least a couple of hours wandering around the Gardens by the Bay, and don´t miss the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest Dome, and Supertree Grove with its OCBC Skyway (a 22 m high walkway between the Skytrees) as they are awesome!

If you want to avoid the long ticket queue and save money, buy your discounted e-tickets here in advance. The tickets are flexible, so you can book them now and use them any time within the next 180 days.

And last but not least, see the daily light-and-music show Garden Rhapsody at 19:45 and 20:45 when the Supertrees come alive in a spectacular colorful light show. It is a real must!

⇒ Read more about Gardens by the Bay and what you should not miss here

Opening hours: The Gardens is open every day 05:00 - 02:00, the Domes and OCBC Skyway is open 09:00 - 21:00 (last ticket sale is 20:00)

The Gardens by the Bay show: 19:45 and 20:45 every day

Ticket price Gardens by the Bay: Free

Ticket price Flower Dome + Cloud Forest Dome: S$28 (adult) = US$20, and S$15 (child 3-12 years old) = US$11

Ticket price OCBC Skyway: S$8 for an adult = US$, S$5 for a child (8-12 years old) = US$4

♦ Estimated time at Gardens by the Bay: 3-4 hours
From Gardens by the Bay, walk over to the nearby Marina Bay Sands (E) along the bay promenade.

Marina Bay Sands looks like a gigantic stranded ship, but it´s an architectural masterpiece by an Israeli-born architect housing a hotel, casino, theatre, exhibition, museum, and a huge shopping mall. The price for building this glittering architectural star was S$5,7 billion!

The "ship" on top of the three 55-story towers is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel ´s infinity pool. Yep, the view from the rooftop swimming pool is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Sadly, only guests staying at the hotel are allowed to use the infinity pool, but you can head up for a drink in the Cé La Vi Skybar and enjoy the same view just not with the same Instagram-wow-factor. 🙂

You can pay the S$30 entrance fee to the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, or just go to the bar and order something to drink and enjoy the same kind of view but with a drink in hand. Supersmart if you ask me 😉 You enter the bar via the lobby of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

But the real reason why should head over to Marina Bay Sands is to catch another impressive light-and-music show, called Spectra.

The show is shown at the outside and on the actual Marina Bay Sands building every night at 20:00 and 21:00 + 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Grab a seat at the benches in front of the shopping mall Marina Bay Sands and take in the lights, water fountain, and music that will appear in front of you. The show lasts about 15 minutes and is free. You can also watch it from the other side, the city side, but I think it is more spectacular from the Marina Bay Sands side of the bay.
♦ Estimated time at Marina Bay Sands: 1-2 hours
End your great sightseeing day with some delicious food at the Makansutra Gluttons Bay hawker stall market (F) on the other side of the bay (outside the Esplanade Mall).

If you want to have dinner at the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall, head to the excellent hawker-style food court in the basement serving local Singapore food.

Opening hours Marina Bay Sands food court: 07:00 - 22:00

Opening hours Makansutra Gluttons Bay street food market: 17:00 - 02:00 Monday - Thursday, until 03:00 Friday and Saturday, and 16:00 - 01:00 on Sundays

If you have more energy left, head over to Clarke Quay (G) to wind down at one of the many bars and pubs and enjoy the Singapore nightlife.

The Quays is the area by the riverfront and consists of three quays connected by the Singapore River: Boat Quay, Robertson Quay, and Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay is the most popular and lively part of the Quays, lined with restaurants, bars, and clubs. Have some drinks and dance the night away.

Or you can end your night a more sophisticated way by heading up in the sky to the previously mentioned "Cé La Vi Skybar" at Marina Bay Sands or the rooftop bar "Smoke and Mirrors" on the top of National Gallery. Both have an excellent view of the Singapore skyline.

Take the MRT to Orchard Station or Somerset Station and start your day in the famous shopping mecca Orchard Road. Here you can shop till you drop or till your credit cards are empty.

Orchard Roads is packed with huge shopping malls. Here is the best shopping in Singapore, in my opinion:

ION Orchard Mall
Singapore´s poshest and biggest megamall with the observation deck ION Sky on level 56. This shopping mall is located directly above Orchard MRT Station. The basement floors have brands like Zara, Esprit, Uniqlo while the upper floors have more posh and expensive brands like Singapore´s famous fashion label In Good Company.

Paragon
A see and be seen kind of shopping mall with very posh and expensive upper-class brands like Burberry, Prada, Gucci, Armani, and Jimmy Choo.

Ngee Ann City
An old mall that looks a bit old fashion on the outside, but it´s great on the inside with seven floors of shopping bonanza and a cinema. It has the best bookshop in Asia, the Kinokuniya, and also houses the best food court in Orchard Road, the Takashimaya Food Village.

Orchardgateway
A shopping mall that spans on both sides of Orchard Road and is connected by an underground walkway as well as an above-ground bridge. It has a dedicated floor for men's clothes and stuff. It has big brands like Zara and H&M and lots of nice restaurants and cafes.
There is a hotel, theJen Orchardgateway Hotel on the upper floors (reception is on the 10th floor of Orchardgateway mall). We stayed at this hotel and loved it, especially their rooftop swimming pool which is gigantic with a fantastic view of the Singapore skyline.

Tanglin Shopping Centre
A retro mall that has Asian art and antiques like carvings, jewelry, paintings, furniture and so on.

♦ Estimated time for shopping in Orchard Road: 3 hours (can, of course, be much, much longer....)
Have a well-earned break and something cold to drink at one of the bars in the renovated shophouses in the cozy and atmospheric Emerald Hill Road.

Go for a short stroll along this road and admire Singapore´ s most beautiful terrace houses, some of them dating back to early 1900. Although this road is just a stone throw from the busy Orchard Road, it feels like a completely different area.
♦ Estimated time for cafe/ pub and walking around in Emerald Hill Road: 1 hour
The Little India district of Singapore is excellent to explore on foot. Here is our recommended walking tour of Little India Singapore:

Take the MRT to Little India Station (A on the map above), where you start your walking tour of Little India.

Once you step out of the station, it is like you have teleported yourself to India! It is just completely different from the rest of the posh, clean, and glossy Singapore.

Walk around in the small lanes between Serangoon Road and Jln Besar and take in the smells, sounds, and the bustling and vibrant atmosphere. The area gets very crowded on Sundays.

Although Little India has some beautiful temples, we come to this part of Singapore for the delicious and authentic Indian food. So make sure to grab some Indian food along the way.

Our favorite Indian restaurant is the Shish Mahal Restaurant next to Village Hotel Albert Court just on the outskirts of Little India (close to Little India MRT Station). Try their butter chicken with naan bread; it is heavenly good.

If you are a coffee addict and like hip and cool cafes, visit the cool Chye Seng Huat Hardware cafe (in Jalan Besar, close to Lavender MRT Station).

Housed in an old shophouse, this was originally one of many hardware stores in the Jalan Besar area (a part of Little India). It has now been restored into a cozy hipster cafe selling delicious coffee, tea, cakes, and other small dishes. You can also take home a bag of coffee beans roasted in the cafe.

They also arrange coffee workshops and a one-hour coffee tour where you can learn about the process of roasting coffee beans.

After coffee and cakes at the atmospheric Chye Seng Huat Hardware Cafe, it is time to go for a walk and burn off some calories. This walking tour takes you to the best things to do in Little India Singapore:

Mustafa Centre (E)
A 24/7 shopping mall that has absolutely everything! So if you can´t sleep at night due to for instance jetlag, head of to Mustafa Centre and go shopping. 🙂

End your walking tour of Little India at Farrer Park Station (G). From here, take the MRT to Bugis Station to explore the next district of Singapore - Kampong Glam & Bugis.
♦ Estimated time for this walking tour of Little India: 2-3 hours
Kampong Glam district, also called Arab Street, is located right beside Little India. You can either walk here from Little India or take the MRT to Bugis Station.

Our recommended walking tour of Kampong Glam & Bugis:

Start your walking tour of Kampong Glam and Bugis at Bugis MRT Station (A on the map above).

Kampong Glam area has a great mix of hipster cafe, trendy restaurants, cool shops, and Islamic culture and mosques.

The most famous and fashionable street in Kampong Glam is the Haji Lane (B on the map above).

Haji Lane is a walking street full of street art murals, packed with relaxed cafes and trendy boutiques selling everything from hipster clothes, design stuff, shoes, backpacks, and third-wave jewelry. I love walking around in this area, popping into the small boutiques and cafes.

There are lots of cool shops in Haji Lane selling everything from clothes, shoes, hipster backpacks, jewelry, and souvenirs. Also, check out these nice shops:

Supermama
Local designers, excellent for souvenirs and gifts to bring back home

Scene Shang (next to Supermama)
Cool furniture, stone wear, and art

The textile and silk shops along Arab Street

Kapok, located in the National Design Centre
Sells cool designer clothes and sandals

Make sure to visit the Sultan Mosque (C on the map above) with its beautiful golden topped dome sparkling in the sun. The mosque is the signature building of Kampong Glam.

If you are hungry, Kampong Glam is the perfect area to eat or grab some snacks, coffee, or a cup of tea. You will find Malay, Italian, Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern food. We had delicious woodfired Italian pizza at cozy Cicheti.
Make sure to grab some pastries at the Konditori, a Swedish bakery and cafe. They have the best pastries in Singapore in my opinion! I loved it!

If you have the time and love movies like us, then a visit to the independent and supercool cinema Projector (D on the map above) is a must. We saw a very cute animated film here. They also have a cool cafe in the lobby of the cinema.

Bugis is a small part of Kampong Glam where you among other shopping centers will find Bras Basah Complex (E on the map above) with some cool shops like the Basheer Graphic Books (fourth floor). They sell lots of film books, art books, photography books, as well as books on design, typography, interior and architecture. The bookshop also has Singapore´s best selection of international niche magazines. Love this bookstore!
♦ Estimated time for this walking tour of Kampong Glam & Bugis: 1-2 hours (more if you want to eat here or see a movie at the cinema Projector)

5. Night Safari

After all this city sightseeing, it is finally time to leave the urban jungle and head into the wilderness in the north of Singapore.

Jump in a taxi or use the Grab app, and head north to join the famous Night Safari, which is located next to Singapore Zoo. The drive takes about 30 minutes.

The Night Safari part of Singapore Zoo opens at 19:15, and the park closes around midnight. If you want to see the animals in daylight, you should instead visit the Singapore Zoo (opening hours: 08:30 - 18:00), or you can, of course, visit both the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

If you want to skip the ticket line and save money, I recommend that you buy e-tickets for the Night Safari in advance here.

The tickets are flexible, so you can buy them now and use them any time within the next five months. Very easy and convenient!

When you buy the tickets, you also get the option of taking a shuttle bus to the Zoo. So if you want to save even more money, you should go for the shuttle bus as well. You can also buy a bundle discounted ticket for both the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari here if you want to visit both parks.

At Night Safari you take open-sided shuttle trams that drive you on a guided tour of the park where you get to see leopards, babirusas, Malay tigers, giant flying squirrels, etc. You can also walk specific trails of the park.

Don´t miss the Creatures of the Night show; an interactive 20-minutes show that is great fun especially for kids. The show is at 19:30, 20:30, and 21:30 + 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. The show is awesome and I loved it!

⇒ Read our experience of the Singapore Zoo here
♦ Estimated time at Singapore Night Safari: 3 hours
After all that city sightseeing, museums, temples, and shopping, it is time to head to the "tropical beach" and have some fun on Sentosa Island.

There are several ways to get to Sentosa Island from Singapore city: Cable car (take the MRT to HarbourFront Station where the cable car runs from between 08:45 to 21:30), The monorail Sentosa Express (goes from VivoCity beside HarbourFront Station), taxi, or just walk across the Sentosa Boardwalk from VivoCity (the walk takes about 15 minutes).

There are plenty of fun activities to join on Sentosa Island. Head there early in the morning to beat the crowd.
Here are the best things to do in Sentosa Island:

Universal Studios
A gigantic theme park packed with activities, rides, and shows. Great fun, especially for the kids!

SEA Aquarium (SoutEast Asia Aquarium)
The world´s biggest aquarium with sharks, mantas, octopus, jellyfish, seahorses, and lots of colorful fish.

Wave House
An artificial wave where you can try out your surfing skills.

MegaZip Line
Tempting to go in 60 km/h on a zip line 75 m above the ground through the jungle and down to the beach? Then this is it!

You can easily spend a couple of days exploring everything on Sentosa, but since this is your last day in Singapore, you should try to wrap up your time in Universal Studios and SEA Aquarium during the afternoon.

The Beaches At Sentosa Island

Wind down and relax at one of the three beaches on Sentosa:

Palawan Beach
A relaxed part of Sentosa popular among families with kids as you will find a children's playground here

Siloso Beach
Singapore's hippest beach with bars and discos and parties in the evening

Tanjong Beach
Relaxed and quiet, a nice place to chill. It has beach hammocks, Tanjong Beach Club and FOC Sentosa. This beach is very romantic in the evening with candlelit tables where you can have dinner, also infinity pools with comfortable daybeds.

And best of all, visiting the beaches is free! Yay! 🙂
♦ Estimated time at Sentosa Island: A full day. It depends on what you want to do, but after 8 hours you will be pretty exhausted.
In the evening, head back to Singapore city and take the MRT to Chinatown Station (A on the map below).

Walk around Chinatown where the best things to do in Chinatown Singapore are (in our opinion):

The mural by Yip Yew Chong on Thian Hock Keng Temple (D)
A 44-meter long mural painted on the rear wall of Thian Hock Keng Temple. It is painted by the famous Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong. The mural is beautiful and tells the story of Immigrants to Singapore, from leaving China to arriving at their new home in Singapore. Start from the right end to "read" the mural.

After a stroll around Chinatown, you must be hungry and thirsty. Grab some street food at the hawker center Maxwell Food Centre (E on the map above) or Chinatown Complex (F). If you want some more up-class dining, head to Amoy Street (G) or Telok Ayer Street (H).

Time to finish off your time in Singapore with a drink or two in one of the many cool rooftop bars in Club Street (I) or Ann Siang Rd (J) which becomes a walking street after 19:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
♦ Estimated time walking tour of Chinatown: 2-4 hours (depending on how many drinks you want to drink.... 🙂 )
Start your day with breakfast at the lovely PS Cafe before heading over to Botanic Garden for a morning walk.

Or stack up on delicious hawker dishes at the Holland Village Market & Food Center (address: 1 Lor Mambong) like chicken rice and prawn noodles, or buy food at one of the many gourmet delis at the streets Holland Village and Dempsey Hill, and head to the Botanic Gardens for a picnic.

There is also a nice collection of hawker food stalls outside the Botanic Garden´s Healing Garden called Food Canopy (next to the Raffles Building). There you find everything from the old traditional Singapore breakfast kaya toast (toast with coconut jam) and kopi (coffee), to Indian roti (bread), noodles, and roasted duck.

After all this food for breakfast, go for a walk around the stunning Botanic Garden. For me, the highlight is the National Orchid Garden (opening hours: 08:30-19:00), the largest display of orchids in the world. Orchid is my favorite flower, so I love walking around in this part of the Botanic Garden.

The Ginger Garden part of Botanic Garden is also beautiful and houses the atmospheric Halia restaurant with several ginger-based dishes on the menu. The Learning Forest with its elevated walkways and boardwalks is the newest part of the Botanic Garden. It has a cool canopy web where you can lay down and listen to the sounds of the forest. If you have kids, head to the Jacob Ballas Children´s garden.

⇒ Read more about our visit to the Botanic Garden HERE
♦ Estimated time at Singapore Botanic Garden: 3-4 hours
If you only have done the Night Safari part of Singapore Zoo, and you have more days in Singapore, you should visit the Singapore Zoo part. Make sure to take a break and an ice cream at Ben&Jerry´s (our favorite ice cream).

We bought our Singapore Zoo tickets here and got huge discounts. We could also skip the very long ticket line once we got to the Zoo, and could walk straight into the park. Very easy and convenient! The tickets are flexible, so you can buy them now and use them any day within the next five months. You can also buy discounted bundle tickets for both the Singapore Zoo & Night Safari here if you want to visit both.

⇒ Read more about our visit to the Singapore Zoo here

How to get to Singapore Zoo: It is easiest to take a taxi or Uber (a 30 min ride)

Opening hours Singapore Zoo: 08:30 - 18:00

Ticket price Singapore Zoo: S$33 for an adult, and S$22 for a child under 13 years old. I recommend that you buy your discounted e-tickets here in advance, which will save you a lot of money and time. The tickets are flexible so you can buy them now and use them any time within the next five months.

♦ Estimated time at Singapore Zoo: 5-6 hours
Take the MRT to Thiong Bahru Station, and you will find yourself in the hippest residential neighborhood of Singapore with hip boutiques, cool bars, and cozy cafes. You will not see any high skyscrapers here, mostly low-rise buildings as this was Singapore´s first public-housing area. The apartments now have an art deco vibe and are very popular among young hipster Singaporeans and expats.

Thiong Bahru is said to be where rich Chinese businessmen housed their mistresses. Now you find a refreshing mix of chic cafes and old Chinese restaurants and shops.

Go for a walk in the neighborhood and visit:

To Market or Thiong Bahru Market & Food Centre
Dating back to 1955. Here you will find a wet market on the ground floor selling vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish, and meat. They sell some delicious Thai mangoes! Upstairs, however, is a hawker stall center with all kinds of Asian dishes and drinks. (opening hours: 08:00 until late)

BooksActually
A cool independent bookstore. There is a small museum in the back. (opening hours: 10:00 - 20:00 Tue-Sat, until 18:00 Mon & Sun)

Tiong Bahru Bakery
Love this cozy bakery that sells delicious and cute French pastries and coffee of high quality. It has a nice sitting area both inside and outside. (opening hours: 08:00 - 20:00 Sun-Thur, until 22:00 Fri-Sat)

Merci Marcel Cafe
Another cool hipster-like cafe (French) selling quality coffee and pastries. Located next to Thiong Bahru Bakery. They have a lovely back garden area with tables.

Plain Vanilla Bakery
We first fell in love with this bakery at the ION Orchard Mall, but they have a bigger cafe and bakery in Thiong Bahru. They sell Singapore´s best and cutest cupcakes, along with other delicious temptations. (opening hours: 08:00 - 19:00 Mon-Sat, 09:00 - 18:00 Sundays)

Nana & Bird
A cool little boutique next to Plain Vanilla Bakery that sells independent fashion clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Creamier
On the other side of the street from Nana&Bird, they make delicious handmade ice cream and coffee.

Forty Hands
Close to the ice cream place Creamier, a small cafe serving excellent brunch and coffee.

There you have it, our recommended Singapore Itinerary with all the coolest things to do in Singapore. In our opinion, you need at least three days to explore the highlights of Singapore fully. With five days you don´t have to rush around that much and can spread out this itinerary over more days.

There is no getting around that Singapore is a pretty expensive city when it comes to accommodation. But on the plus side, the hotel standard is very high, and there are some genuinely wonderful hotels here. Below are some of our favorites hotels at different price ranges.

The Fullerton is widely regarded as Singapore's most luxurious hotel. While the Raffles hotel is under renovation, the Fullerton Bay Hotel is the best choice for old-school five-star colonial-style luxury and world-class service.
If it is within your budget, staying here is an experience in itself. The 25m rooftop swimming pool overlooking Marina Bay is truly spectacular!
Click for the latest prices

Surrounded by the green and peaceful Fort Canning Park this beautifully restored old colonial fort-made heritage boutique hotel is a quiet oasis in the heart of the city. The rooms are large and beautiful with high ceilings, hardwood floors, and super comfortable beds. We loved the spacious bathroom with its stylish bathtub.

There are two large swimming pools and a well-equipped gym. It has a very central location, within walking distance to both the main shopping street Orchard Road and the Colonial District with all the main museums and sights.
Click for the latest prices

Parkroyal on Pickering is something as rare as an eco-conscious five-star hotel. It shows through in everything from the small touches like the daily refilled glass water bottles to pens made of bamboo to the architectural marvel of the green hanging terraces that decorate its facade.

The rooms are modern, spacious, and very comfortable. The view of the Singapore Skyline from the room and also the bathtub is amazing! There is an infinity pool as well as a well-equipped gym. The breakfast buffet is spectacular, and the location is excellent with both the Chinatown MRT Station and the Clarke Quay MRT Station very close by.
Click for the latest prices

If you want a modern, comfortable hotel that is close to the shopping along Orchard Road, then look no further. Jen Orchardgateway is it! Occupying the top floors of the Orchard Gateway mall the location just simply can't be beaten. The rooms are very comfortable, but the real standout is the enormous infinity rooftop swimming pool with its spectacular evening views of the city. We also loved the room service robot (yes, indeed a robot!) 🙂
Click for the latest prices

If you are looking for something unique, then the Amoy Hotel might just fit the bill. This renovated old temple building at the edge of Chinatown has become a world-class boutique hotel.

Every room is unique, and the old building creates a special and cozy atmosphere.

The staff is always friendly and helpful. There is an MRT station, Telok Ayer MRT Station (blue Downtown Line), right across the street, and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes around.
Click for the latest prices

Located in a quiet residential neighborhood only a few minutes walk from the main shopping street of Singapore, Orchard Road, Lloyd's Inn has a perfect central location and is excellent value for the money.

The rooms are small but stylish and well decorated like out of an Ikea catalog with some unique touches. Our room had a fantastic open-air shower. It is worth paying a little extra for a garden-facing room.

The garden is beautiful and contains a lovely wading pool and resting area. Breakfast is served in a local Kopitiam (coffee shop), Killiney Kopitiam, on the adjacent road, Killiney Road. This road has plenty of affordable restaurants serving everything from Vietnamese to Indian food.
Click for the latest prices

Hotel G was a positive surprise to us! While the rooms are tiny, the standard is excellent for the price with clean, modern, and comfortable rooms with flat-screen TVs and private bathrooms with rainwater showers. Loved the hipster-like design.

We opted for a slightly larger room since we were traveling with a lot of luggage and we were extremely comfortable.
Downstairs is a classy and cool wine bar, and the burger bar "Twenty Five Degrees" on the corner serves some of the best burgers in Singapore. Try the truffle chips, they are heavenly!
Click for the latest prices

⇒ Click here to read our complete guide on Where To Stay In Singapore, with tips on how to find the best hotel and area to stay in for you

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Have you been to Singapore? Have we missed something on this itinerary? What are you most looking forward to for your next trip to Singapore? Please leave a comment in the comment area below. We would love to hear from you! If you find this article useful, please share it on social media. Thanks! 🙂

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What To Do In Singapore - A 3 Day Singapore Itinerary

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The best things to do in Singapore put together into a detailed day-by-day Singapore itinerary (3-5 days) with maps and walking tours.

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Pulau Ubin cycling + Changi Village Food Centre

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Pulau Ubin cycling + Changi Village Food Centre

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Day trip into the 60s. Wetlands, kampong, defunct quarries, etc. (cycling intensive) and brunch at Changi Village hawker before cycling

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MUST VISIT! Beautiful installations.

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Future World: Where Art Meets Science, ArtScience Museum, Singapore | teamLab

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Future World: Where Art Meets Science, ArtScience Museum, Singapore | teamLab

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Mar 12, 2016 - Permanent ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

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Check out Singapore’s local hawker fare at a glance. Just an overview. You can find most of these in ANY hawker center.

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Good Singapore food is everywhere. Without a doubt, Singapore, given its size, packs a barrage of food options that are sure to satiate every craving and longing. Our geographical location also means that much of the food we love comes from the intersectionality of cultures and locale, influenced by neighbouring Southeast Asia countries- Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia.

Enter our local hawker centres, coffee shops, and food courts-gastronomical destinations ubiquitous and unique to this small island nation, shaping how Singaporeans think and dream about food.

So here's the ultimate list of 30 famous local food, steeped in heritage, that has shaped the culinary landscape of Singapore and defined what it means to be a foodie in food-obsessed, trend-driven Singapore.

If you're a tourist visiting Singapore for the first time, or a newly minted citizen looking to brush up on your local food knowledge, this is a good checklist of authentic local cuisine in Singapore that would do right by you.

1. Bak Kut Teh

One of the many stories of the invention of Bak Kut Teh (Meat Bone Tea/Pork Ribs Soup) is that during the olden days of Singapore, a poor, starving beggar came by a roadside pork noodle store to beg for food. The stall owner was in poverty but wanted to help him.

He boiled some of the leftover pork bones and added whatever cheap spices he had to flavour the soup, including star anise and pepper which created a soup that resembled tea in terms of colour. Thus, pork bone tea was born. Another story claims that it was a tonic invented to 'reinvigorate' the Chinese coolies who worked in the Clark Quay area.

Bak Kut Teh has been around in Singapore since we were still a developing country and deserves its recognition as a simple, humble dish. Most of the Bak Kut Teh here are of the pepper variety with mild use of herbs like star anise.

Choose pork rib meat in your soup for a more tender bite. The other variant would be the Klang Bak Kut Teh, a dark and highly flavoured herbal soup originating from Malaysia.

2. Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a very versatile dish and what was once a breakfast item, is now eaten during lunch and dinner too. Traditionally wrapped in banana leaves, Nasi Lemak is a Malay, santan-infused rice dish that, in Singapore, has more variations and iterations than we can ever catch up to.

The rice is steamed with coconut cream to give it a sweet fragrance. A typical Nasi Lemak set comes with Ikan Bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, egg and sambal (chilli paste). A good sambal is arguably the mark of a good Nasi Lemak.

Nasi Lemak is so popular in Singapore, the other races have adopted this dish in their own variations and offer a wide selection of additional ingredients like fried chicken drumsticks, luncheon meat and sotong (cuttlefish) balls.

3. Wanton Mee

This Singapore wanton noodle dish was probably influenced by Hong Kong cuisine, but has become entrenched in our culture over the years. The Singapore version is typically eaten 'dry', drenched with some light sweet sauce, slices of pork char siew and wanton dumplings filled with pork, with a small bowl of soup on the side.

Auntie will also ask if you want it spicy or not. The spicy type sees chilli mixed into the noodles, while the non-spicy kids' version comes with tomato sauce. The wanton dumplings may be either deep-fried or come in the form of soup dumplings. wanton

The Malaysian variant uses a darker-coloured sauce and sweeter tasting mee (noodles).

4. Fried Carrot Cake

No, this isn't the Western dessert. This is far from it. The Singapore Fried Carrot Cake is made with eggs, preserved radish ( chai poh) and white radish flour cake, which resembles a 'white carrot', thus giving rise to the dish name. Locally, this is known as Cai Tow Kway.

This is a Teochew dish popular in both Singapore and Malaysia. Variants include the 'black' version, which has sweet sauce (molasses) added, or a crispy version with the cake fried on top of a beaten egg to create a crust and chunks of cake. Most commonly seen in Singapore though is the chopped up version with individual radish cake cubes.

5. Nasi Biryani

Biryani (or Briyani, Biriyani, Biriani and Birani) is a mixed rice dish of Indian-Muslim influence made using distinctive long-grain rice, usually Basmati rice. A little bit of saffron is also added to give the dish its distinct colour. Meats like chicken, mutton, beef or fish are often included on the side. Vegetarian versions are also popping up, to reflect the growing demand for non-meat local favourites.

Spices used are heavy in flavours like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and bay leaves, rendering the entire dish incredibly aromatic with a heady and irresistible bouquet.

6. Dim Sum (点心)

Another Hong Kong/Shanghai-inspired type of cuisine available in Singapore is Dim Sum or ' Dian Xin'. This is not exactly one dish, but a set of small dishes to be savoured in a group - a typical Chinese dining sharing custom. Popular Dim Sum dishes include BBQ Pork Buns, Xiao Long Bao, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun and many more.

There are even Halal-certified and Muslim-owned dim sum houses to cater to Halal diners.

7. Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs

The one and only traditional Singaporean breakfast - Kaya Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs. The traditional bread is an old school rectangular white loaf, toasted on a bread grill, slathered with coconut or egg kaya, then slapped with a thick slice of butter that slowly melts between two slices of warm bread.

This is the classic kaya toast. Variations include using thinly-sliced brown bread, round buns or 'Jiam Tao Loh Tee' (like a French baguette).

For the eggs, they're usually placed in a large hot water metal pot and covered with a plate to allow it to cook. Then you time it and take out the eggs when they're ready (about 7 - 10 minutes depending on how well you like your eggs).

Trying not to scream like a banshee, crack open the eggs with your bare hands onto one of the two plates given and throw the shells onto the remaining plate. Season with pepper and dark or light soya sauce and pip the kaya toast into the eggy mixture for extra deliciousness.

8. Crabs (Chilli Or Pepper)
Kaya toast recommendations:
10 must-try Kaya Toasts in Singapore
Fete Kopi & Toast
133 Traditional Coffee and Toast
Charcoal Traditional Toast
TOBY's Kopi Toast Bakery

The two most famous styles of cooking crabs in Singapore are with a sweet, spicy tomato-ish chilli sauce, or with black pepper sauce. Chilli crabs are commonly eaten with fried mantous (buns), which are dipped in the luscious chilli sauce.

To achieve a delicious texture, the crabs go through a two-step cooking process; they're first boiled then fried so that the meat doesn't stick to the shell. Recently, many new popular styles of cooking have surfaced as well, like salted-egg crabs or crab bee hoon.

9. Laksa

Laksa is a dish created from the merging of Chinese and Malay cuisine, otherwise known as Peranakan culture. There are two main types of Laksa - Curry Laksa and Asam Laksa.

Curry Laksa is more predominant in Singapore, while Asam Laksa is more commonly found in Malaysian regions like Penang. In fact there are loads of variants of Laksa, differing in the type of fish used, broth and even noodles.

Traditional Singapore Curry Laksa uses vermicelli, coconut milk, tau pok (beancurd puffs), fish slices, shrimp and hum (cockles). Due to cost-cutting, taste preference, and climate change, some stalls might opt out of shrimp and cockles.

A unique Singapore variant known as Katong Laksa, features vermicelli that's been cut into short pieces and eaten only with a spoon. There is much debate on which establishment is the original Katong Laksa, but most bowls are delicious in their own way.

10. Curry Fish Head

Is it Chinese, Indian or Malay? This is another ambiguous dish that probably has a South Indian origin, but has been heavily influenced by the various ethnicities in Singapore. What I do know, is that it's delicious.

Either half a head or a whole head of red snapper is stewed in curry with assorted vegetables like lady's finger (okra) and brinjal (aubergine). The Indian-style of curry has heavier spices and flavours, while the Chinese-style is lighter and sweeter. Variants include the Assam-style fish head curry, which has an added tinge of sourness from tamarind fruit (assam).

15 best omakase restaurants in Singapore for the most authentic Japanese dining experience

11. Bak Chor Mee

Colloquially known as ' Bak Chor Mee ' 肉脞面, this is a noodle dish with minced pork, liver, meatballs, fish balls, fish cake slices, and a signature vinegary braised sauce that adds some wetness.

Typically, the dish is ordered 'dry' to savour the full flavours of the sauce and you can choose between chilli or ketchup, and the type of noodles that you would like. Noodle choices are normally either mee pok (a flat noodle) or mee kia (thin noodle), while some stalls offer bee hoon, mee sua or mee tai mak as well. Variants include a soup version with homemade noodles that's famous at Bedok Blk 85.

12. Oyster Omelette (Orh Lua)

Popular in Singapore hawker centres as well as in Taiwan night markets, this is a dish that many foreigners and locals love. Stalls that sell Carrot Cake typically also sell Oyster Omelettes as it's a similar cooking process that also utilises a common ingredient: Eggs.

Potato starch is usually mixed in when frying the egg and gives a thicker, fuller taste. Variants include a version without the starch, which is priced slightly higher due to more eggs needed instead. A special vinegar chilli is also paired exclusively with Oyster Omelettes in Singapore.

13. Hokkien Prawn Mee

Singapore Hokkien Mee features a combination of fried egg noodles and rice noodles in a rich prawn stock with cubes of fried pork fat, prawns, fish cake and squid. Some vendors add pork strips as well to add more flavour.

This dish was the creation of post-war Hokkien noodle factory workers who would gather along Rochor Road and fry any excess noodles they had. Another version easily confused by the same name is called Hokkien Char Mee, which, unlike the classic, is covered in a signature thick dark sauce and uses only one type of egg noodles.

14. Satay
Oyster omelette recommendations:
Oyster Omelette showdown: Famous Old Airport Road Fried Oyster VS Lim's Fried Oyster VS Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette
Seng Thor Coffee Shop
Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow, Hougang
Lim's Fried Oyster
Sengkang Square Oyster Omelette, Sengkang
Satay is a dish of skewered, turmeric-marinated meat that is grilled on an open fire. It originates from Indonesia but has become a common hawker dish in Singapore. Stalls are not restricted to any race and may be operated by the Chinese, Malays or Indians.

Typical meats include chicken, beef, mutton and even pork which is sold by the Chinese stall owners. Ketupat (rice cake), onions and cucumbers usually accompany Satay. A spicy peanut dip is also provided for the Satay and sides as well.
Hokkien mee recommendations:
19 best Hokkien prawn mee stalls in SG for the avid Singaporean foodie
Sumo Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Swee Guan Hokkien Mee
Deng Wen Ji 鄧文记
Quan Ji Cooked Food
15. BBQ Sambal Stingray

In the past, having a fridge or freezer was as rare as winning TOTO (lottery); barbecuing or frying fishes to mask the fishy odour after being left out in the open for days was a popular cooking choice.

Also known as Ikan Bakar (barbecued fish), stingray has since risen in popularity since Singaporean Malays figured out that sambal (chilli paste) on top of stingray = delicious. It is traditionally wrapped in banana leaf and barbecued, then a sambal paste made with belachan (dried shrimp paste), spices, shallots and Indian walnuts is smothered generously all over the top. Lime is usually squeezed over the fish right before eating as well.

16. Soy Bean Curd (Tau Huay)

Tau Huay is a dessert made with beancurd tofu, sweetened with sugar syrup. It can be eaten hot or cold, sometimes with Tang Yuan (glutinous rice balls), grass jelly or soya bean milk added as well.

In recent times, a popular and more gelatinous, jelly-like version of Tau Huay has surfaced and for a period of time, drove Singaporeans to queue like beesto honey. This version is smoother and can incorporate pretty much any flavour like mango, melon or sesame. The texture is distinct from the traditional types and some camps advocate against it due to unnatural stabilisers used. This version is only eaten cold as the heat would break the structure.

A grinding machine is used to produce a mountain of shaved ice on a bowl filled with assorted ingredients such as red bean, attap chee (palm seed), agar agar jelly, chendol, and grass jelly.
Sambal stingray recommendations:
B.B.Q Seafood

Evaporated or condensed milk is then drizzled on top, along with red rose syrup and Sarsi syrup to produce the multi-coloured, kaleidoscope effect. Variations may include drizzling with gula melaka (palm sugar), adding ice cream or other novelty toppings like durian puree or chocolate syrup.

18. Chwee Kueh ( lit. Water Rice Cake )

This is another breakfast dish seen regularly in both Singapore and Johor, most stalls selling Chwee Kueh only open in the morning and close by lunch time. Rice flour and water are mixed together to form the rice cake, then put into little saucers and steamed to produce the typical bowl-like Chwee Kueh shape.

It is topped with chai poh (preserved radish) and chilli. Making Chwee Kueh is a dying trade that the young generation does not want to carry on, so try it before it's gone forever.

19. Durian

Durian is widely regarded by many as the 'King Of Fruits' in Southeast Asia. In Singapore, we've adopted it as our national fruit-we even modelled a performing arts venue, The Esplande, after it. Most foreigners are turned off by the strong 'pungent' smell, while locals adore the succulent flesh so much that they turn it into desserts, cakes, tarts and even shakes.

Many expensive and popular varieties of durian have surfaced like D24 or the Mao Shan Wang (猫山王), which are even more pronounced in fragrance. There is a taste preference for either the more bitter variety or sweeter flesh. Whether you love it or hate it, you can always smell it when it's in the room, leading to bans in many public areas like on trains, buses, and hotel rooms.
Ice Kacang recommendations:
Cendol Geylang Serai
Ye Tang Chendol
Makan Melaka

Durian stall recommendations:
16 honest durian stores to get the perfect durian fix
10 unique durian-inspired foods in Singapore that you've got to try

20. Mee Siam

Popular among the Malay community as well as the Chinese, Mee Siam means "Siamese noodles" and is a plate of vermicelli soaked in a sweet and spicy gravy flavoured by tamarind (assam), dried shrimp and Tau Cheo (fermented bean paste). It usually comes with a boiled egg, beansprouts, tau pok (beancurd puff) and is garnished with chives.

18 best Indian restaurants in Singapore to add spice to your life

21. Mee Rebus

In the past, mobile hawkers would sell Mee Rebus by the roadside using a pole balanced on the shoulders with a basket hanging at each end-one basket would hold the ingredients and the other contained a stove and boiling hot water.

Mee Rebus is a noodle dish that uses yellow egg noodles like the type in Hokkien Prawn Mee, with a brown, sweet peanut-ty gravy. Compared to Mee Siam, the Mee Rebus gravy is much thicker and viscous, lacking in the sour assam taste. The gravy is made from sweet potatoes (the starch makes it thicker), curry powder, peanuts, dried shrimp, and salted soybeans.

22. Roti Prata

Yet another cross-cultural dish that has been popularly adopted by Singaporeans is the Roti Prata. Roti Prata is of Indian origin, has a Malay name, and is eaten by the Chinese! That's what Singapore racial harmony is all about.

A fried flour-based pancake, popular Roti Prata variants include adding cheese, eggs, mushroom, onions or even chocolates and strawberries to the batter. The dough is tossed, flipped and stretched multiple times into a large thin layer before folding the edges inwards.

Some outlets also stretch the dough so thin that it turns crispy when fried on the metal pan. These are called 'paper' or 'tissue' prata. Prata is served with fish or chicken curry while some people like myself like to sprinkle sugar onto it-sacrilegious as some may deem it.
Mee siam recommendations:
Shi Xian
Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food
Old Teochew

23. Fish Head & Sliced Fish Bee Hoon Soup

What originally started as Fish Head Bee Hoon in the 1920s has slowly evolved to using fish slices or chunks of fish meat in this age of abundance. In the past, meat was scarce and food sellers had to maximise every part of the fish including the head.

The fish head was fried to mask the fishy odour, as back then refrigeration wasn't as accessible. These days, boiled fish slices are now an available option.

The Fish Bee Hoon Soup broth is made from fish or pork bones that have been boiled for several hours, and some stalls might add evaporated milk for a fuller taste. Variants include adding XO cognac or brandy.

Fish slice soup recommendations:
Fish Soup Paradise
You&Me Teochew Fish Soup
Mei Chin Fish Soup
13 fish soups 鱼片汤 in Singapore to help weather the rainy season

24. Rojak

Singapore Chinese or Malay Rojak is a mixture of you tiao (dough fritters), bean sprouts, tau pok (beancurd puffs), radish, pineapple, cucumber and roasted peanuts. Everything is then mixed with a sweet-savoury black, fermented prawn paste sauce. Chilli is optional.

The ingredients in Rojak is quite standard. The other distinctive variant is the Indian version. Indian Rojak lets you pick what ingredients are added and usually doesn't include you tiao. Red gravy made with potato and spices is used in Indian Rojak instead. It is also dipped in a fiery red peanut sauce.

25. Chicken Rice

More accurately known as Hainanese Chicken Rice, this is one of Singapore's most well-known and celebrated dishes. No coffee shop in Singapore is complete without a Chicken Rice stall.

The whole chicken is steeped in sub-boiling pork and chicken bone stock to absorb the flavours and cook. Some shops will also dip the bird in ice after cooking to create a jelly-like finish on the chicken's skin.

Variations include roasting the chicken which is called 'black chicken' (pictured), in contrast to the 'white chicken'. The stalls with better service will de-bone the chicken for you.

The rice used in Chicken Rice is cooked with chicken stock, ginger, garlic and occasionally pandan leaves for added fragrance. Chilli sauce made with garlic and red chilli is served with Chicken Rice, and the dish sometimes comes topped with sweet dark soy sauce and heaped spoons of chopped ginger.

26. Duck Rice

Sometimes Chicken Rice stalls will sell Duck Rice as well, but the good ducks are in specialised Duck Rice-only shops. The common version of Duck Rice, influenced by roast meats in Hong Kong, uses plain white rice with ruby red roasted duck, is drizzled with an ddictive braised sauce.
Rojak recommendations:
Gu Zao Rojak
Lau Hong Ser Rojak
Soon Heng Rojak
Tow Kwar Pop

The other Teochew version uses braised yam rice and braised duck meat, along with some tau pok (beancurd puffs), eggs and peanuts on the side. Teochews just love braised sauce. Both are equally yummy and have distinct taste profiles.

27. Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is another signature Singapore noodle dish made with flat rice noodles (河粉) with sweet dark sauce. Stir-fried with egg, pork lard, Chinese sausages and fish cake, Char Kway Teow was intentionally made to be loaded in fats because labourers in the past needed a cheap source of energy and what better way than to get that from one huge fatty meal.
Chicken rice recommendations:
Cockles are also usually added, as there was plenty of it in Singapore's port island. A Penang Char Kway Teow variation exists as well, using chives and prawns and lacks the sweetness that is distinctive of Singapore-style Char Kway Teow.
Mat Noh & Rose Authentic Ginger Fried Chicken Rice
Pin Sheng Chicken Rice
Leng Heng Chicken Rice
Traditional Rui Ji Chicken Rice
18 best chicken rice stalls in Singapore

28. Curry Puff

A Curry Puff is a small baked pie enclosed with either shortcrust or puff pastry, the former being the more traditional option in Singapore. A common local snack, the filling is usually made with curry gravy, chicken, potato and egg. Other variants include fillings with yam, sardines, otak (grilled fish cake) or even durian.

29. Fish Head Steamboat
Duck rice recommendations:
Cheok Kee Boneless Braised Duck
Ming Fa Duck Rice
Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice
Top 12 duck rice stalls in Singapore you need to quackly visit

Being an island port, Singapore used to have many fishermen who would bring their fresh unsold catch to be sold as dishes instead. Teochew Fish Head Steamboat is another result of our geographic situation.

The soup typically contains a mix of fried yam, sour plums, fried fish bones and vegetables which add flavour to the soup. Raw fish slices are added in later. Grouper, red snapper or pomfret are the usual choices available in Fish Head Steamboat.

Old school steamboat places still use hot charcoal as a heat source, which apparently adds more flavour as compared to just using an electric or fire stove. Be warned-good and popular Fish Head Steamboats in Singapore have fervent customers queuing for more than an hour regardless of how nonchalant the restaurant service is.

Fish head steamboat recommendations:
Hualong Fish Head Steamboat
136 Hong Kong Street Teochew Fish Head Steamboat

30. Popiah
Char Kway Teow recommendations:
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Day Night Fried Kway Teow
Quan Ji Cooked Food
786 Char Kway Teow
Fried Kway Teow
And finally, the last dish on this list to eat in Singapore before you die: Popiah. The Teochews call it 薄餅仔 (thin wafer) or 薄餅 in Mandarin, which in the Teochew dialect reads as ' Bo-BEE-ah', thus resulting in the English name Popiah.

The round Popiah skin is a thin paper-like wheat crepe that encases all the ingredients. A sweet sauce called hoisin is lathered onto the laid-out flat skin before fillings are added. Ingredients within a Popiah typically include small prawns, boiled eggs, Chinese sausage, lettuce, bean sprouts and primarily filled with cooked carrot and turnip strips.

Seth's Note

Now you know where and what to eat in Singapore! This is, however, in no way an exhaustive list of classic Singapore dishes. As expected, this article has generated a lot of passionate comments from Singaporeans, with their own take on who is the 'best' or on the history of our dishes.

Many of the Singapore dishes were created out of poverty and whatever ingredient was available at the time. The high number of immigrants predominantly from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Indonesia also shaped how our food culture mingled and interacted to create many of these dishes. Some people disagree and think that certain dishes listed here are not Singaporean, but as mentioned, Singapore adopts dishes from overseas and assimilates them into our culture. We're shameless like that.

No matter if you are a local or a tourist, I hope this guide I've compiled gives you a better, more authentic picture of what local Singapore food is all about.

30 best restaurants in Singapore you need to cross off your list
Popiah recommendations:
Old Long House Popiah
Good Chance Popiah

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Best Singapore Foods: 30 famous local foods to eat before you die

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Here's our specially curated list of the 30 famous local foods in Singapore you should eat. Read on to find out more.

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Convenient one-stop-try-all hawker fare.

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- very busy during weekday lunch hours
- go with more people so you can share multiple dishes!

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The ULTIMATE Guide to Amoy Street Food Centre!

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Located in the CBD area, Amoy Street Food Centre is a bustling hawker centre which houses Michelin Bib Gourmand awardees.

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Place to cool down!

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Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is a true classic when it comes to tourist attractions in Singapore. It's kind of another world you enter and you can either choose to visit the Cloud Forest, Flower Dome or the main site of the supertree grove and surrounding areas. Each evening/night you can also enjoy a spectacular light show at the Supertree Grove (free entrance). Bring some picnic and do as the locals. In this article, you can read all about the Gardens by the bay in Singapore as well as the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome from my own experience.
What to expect

At Gardens by the Bay, you can visit the following attractions: The Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, OCBC Skyway, Supertree Grove, Heritage Gardens, Sun Pavillion, Children's garden and Bay East Garden to mention the most notable spots.

I recommend starting with the Cloud Forest since that's the most popular place to visit at Gardens by the Bay. When entering the Cloud Forest you'll be met by the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.

On top of that, the Cloud Forest is also the biggest glass greenhouse in the world, quite impressive!

There are several levels to stroll at the Cloud Forest and each will offer spectacular views, plants, and kind of a feeling that you're walking in a movie. It's quite surreal and the total area is huge!

It's very majestic to see all the people walking at the bottom level from the top. And of course, the cloud forest is a great place for vacation and Instagram photos!

How long time do you need in the Cloud Forest?

My recommended visit time for the Cloud Forest is about 1-2 hours. If you do it quickly it can be done in 20-30 minutes, but on the other hand, you won't enjoy it as much if you're just stressing through it.

You can book the tickets in advance here

Flower Dome

Another popular spot in the Gardens by the Bay is the Flower Dome, and as you can guess from the name, this place is all about flowers of different sorts. If you're into flower photography this place will probably be somewhat of a haven, and the same goes if you just like to see beautiful flowers.

For me, sure flowers are pretty, but I'm not a huge fan of photographing flowers or spend a lot of time looking at them. With that said, the Flower Dome is a must place to visit in Singapore if you like beautiful flowers. It's well-organized and features flowers and plants from different continents.

So, you have lots of variety and the display is great as well.

How long time do you need in the Flower Dome?

If you're like me and just enjoy watching some beautiful flowers and move on quite quickly, I would say 30-60 minutes. If you're into flower photography I can imagine that you could spend several hours in here.

But the average person probably spends about 60 minutes in the Flower Dome.

You can book the tickets in advance here

OCBC Skyway + Supertree Grove

Another activity I can recommend here at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is the famous OCBC Skyway, where you get to walk among the supertrees and enjoy amazing views. It's a little scary if you're afraid of heights, but it's safe and you won't fall down as long as you follow the safety guidelines.

The total height is 22 meters and the whole aerial walkway is about 128 meters long. It's a cool experience that you can buy extra for 8 Singaporean Dollars per person. And the photo opportunities here are amazing!

How long time do you need for the OCBC Skyway and Supertree Grove?

The skyway is walkable in 5 minutes, but most people stay for about 20-30 minutes to take photos. It's a great experience in itself and it's pretty cool to walk 22 meters up in the air with an open surface.

For the supertree grove, you can walk the entire place in about 10 minutes, but again, there are a few spots where you will want to take some photos. So, in total, I would recommend setting aside 30-60 minutes for the OCBC Skyway and Supertree Grove together.

Gardens by the Bay light show

Locals and tourists gather every night around 7 pm to see the light show. It's a free attraction, and you just go down to the ground floor at the Supertree Grove. There's a large grass field where people bring picnic baskets and blankets to sit on while watching the light show!

The first light show starts at 7:45 PM and the second one starts at 8:45 PM. So if you miss the first one you get a second chance an hour later. But make sure to arrive 10-15 minutes earlier at least to get a good spot.

How long time do you need for the Gardens by the Bay light show?

The light show itself is about 15 minutes long but if you want to get a good spot, I would recommend setting aside 30 minutes to the Gardens by the Bay light show.

I think it's totally worth it, and especially if you enjoy watching light shows.

Highlights

Visit one of Singapore's most popular indoor and outdoor attractions

Walk 22 meters up in the air and enjoy beautiful views

Amazing photo spots

Lots of beautiful flowers and plants

Explore three unique gardens

Wander around in the world's largest glass greenhouse - the Flower Dome

Admire the world's tallest indoor Waterfall in the Cloud Forest

Learn about each geographical environment and how climate change affects the plant's life

Useful information

The ticket itself include entrance to the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. As mentioned before, the Supertree Grove is always open to the public, and the extra ticket for OCBC Skyway is 8 Singaporean dollars, or 5 SGD for children 3-12 years.

How much does it cost?

The ticket for the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest costs 17 USD per person. Click here to book your experience!

Ticket valid Until: Printed on Voucher

Opening Hours: 9 am - 9 pm

Location: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953

Closure Dates (Flower Dome): Jan 17, Feb 28, March 28, Apr 18, May, June 13, July 11, Aug 29, Sept 26, Oct 17, Nov 07, Dec 2.

Closure Dates (Cloud Forest): Jan 16, Feb 27, March 27, Apr 17, May 15, June 12, July 10, Aug 28, Sept 25, Oct 16, Nov 06, Dec 11.

Make sure to provide your full name as written on your travel document/passport.

How to get here

It's easy to get to Gardens by the Bay with both car/taxi and public transport. Unless you stay close to Marina Bay Sands, I wouldn't recommend walking. Uber or Grab is cheap to use in Singapore, but there is also a convenient metro stop at one of the entrances.

There is also a shuttle from the entrance when you walk here from the Helix Bridge.

By bus/train
Via the Circle Line or Downtown Line

Alight at Bayfront MRT Station (CE1/DT16)

Take Exit B and follow the underground linkway

Exit and cross the Dragonfly Bridge or Meadow Bridge into Gardens by the Bay

Via the East-West Line

Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT Station (EW15)

Take Exit C and head towards bus stop no. 03223 located at International Plaza, Anson Road

Hop onto bus no. 400 and alight at bus stop no. 03371 along Marina Gardens Drive

By walking
From the Helix Bridge Towards the Art Science Museum
Follow the footpath which leads under the East Coast Parkway (ECP), which will bring you directly into Bay South Garden along the waterfront.
From Marina Bay Sands
Walk across the overhead bridge (Lions Bridge) located at Marina Bay Sands Hotel (open daily from 8.00am to 11.00pm), or take the underground linkway via Bayfront MRT Station (Exit B).

By taxi

If you decide to take a taxi to gardens by the bay, you just jump into the taxi and say that you're going there. Every taxi driver in Singapore knows where Gardens by the Bay is located since it's one of the city's most famous and popular attractions.

Summary of my experience of Gardens by the Bay:

This was my first visit to the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. I've been to the Gardens by the Bay one time before, but then we only had limited time and visited the Supertree Grove and the light show.

All in all, I would definitely recommend everyone to visit the Gardens by the Bay if you go to Singapore. Yes, it's touristy, but this tourist attraction is one of those touristy places you really like and enjoy.

It doesn't matter that it gets crowded later during the day, it's still very enjoyable and the area is huge, so it hardly gets congested.

My favorite part of the Gardens by the Bay is the Cloud Forest, and no visit will be complete without it. My second favorite is the OCBC Skywalk, but the flower dome is a great place for flower lovers.

Book your Stay in Singapore

You can book your tickets in advance here

Have you also been to the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore? If so, what was your favorite? Leave a comment below! Have more questions? Don't hesitate to ask, I will gladly help as much as I can from my own experience.

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Gardens by the Bay in Singapore - My Experience + Useful Info

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Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is a classic tourist attraction and a must place to visit! Here you can read more about my experience and more useful info!

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Brunches, galleries, ice cream, dinners, drinks and live music

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Looking for an alternative area in town for a wide array of great eats and a laid-back atmosphere? Dempsey Hill is located just on the fringes of Orchard Road, but carries a totally different vibe that takes you away from the busy streets and towering high-rise buildings.

It takes a little bit of extra effort to get there (unless you're driving in) but these 10 restaurants offering different cuisines will make it all worthwhile!

1. Candlenut

Peranakan cuisine is one of the most underrated in the Asian culinary world, in my opinion anyway. It's often taken for granted given that it has such close roots to both Malay and Chinese cuisine, and not many would give much thought to how diverse and complex its flavours actually are.

Candlenut is a great place to delve into the best of this cuisine. Go for the Gula Melaka King Prawns ($24) which had an elevated sweetness that was not overwhelming, and was balanced by a coconut butter sauce. When you're there you also have to try the Coconut Charcoal Grilled Wild Snapper ($24), Grilled Pork Cheek ($16) and Chendol Cream ($7).

2. Jones The Grocer

Besides selling artisanal produce and boasting a dedicated cheese room, Jones The Grocer is a Dempsey Hill favourite for a slow weekend brunch or as a catch-up spot over coffee.

One of its unique offerings is a selection of DIY charcuterie platters, with a choice of either three ($35), five ($45) or seven ($55) items, ranging from antipasti to seafood, cheeses and cold cuts.

The ready-to-order boards, like this Spanish Platter ($38) is great for sharing as well, with manchego cheese, queso ideazabal, chorizo iberico, jamon serrano, salchichon iberico, apple chutney, homemade crisp bread and mixed olives. Arm yourself with a bottle of bubbly and you're ready for a chill Sunday afternoon.

3. La Forketta Gastronomia Italiana

Enter this welcoming and spacious Italian restaurant that prides itself on procuring some of the finest ingredients for its made-from-scratch recipes, right down to the flour grain.

La Forketta Gastronomia Italiana has a Messicana ($35) pizza that's made with organic flour and uses salami, capsicums, roasted aubergines and fresh mozzarella.

Other highlights that would make the hike up Dempsey Hill worth your while would be the Linguine Ai Frutti Di Mare ($48) and homemade traditional Tiramisu ($13).

The prices may be a tad handsome for your average dinner out, but trust this place to be the perfect location for a romantic date or intimate gathering with close friends and family.

4. Margarita's

Making its mark on Singapore's food scene since 1988, Margarita's is one of the best places to get authentic Mexican fare.

Having just been renovated, the place is as vibrant and colourful as the food on its plates. Some must-eats include the Beef With Mixed Mushrooms And Tequila ($42), Chicken Grande Taco Salad ($20) and Baked Crab Enchiladas ($38).

If you haven't had the chance to try Mexican Coke ($6) (yes, it's different from regular coke!), we implore you to; the drink uses real cane sugar as a sweetener instead of the usual high-fructose corn syrup, so it tastes less sweet. Perfect for your next fiesta!

5. Morsels
Margarita's: 11 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249673 | Tel: +65 6471 3228 | Opening hours: (Daily) 11.30am - 11pm | Website | Facebook | Instagram
Morsels aims to make diners feel right at home, with wooden furniture filling the cosy dining space and plenty of greenery to bring warmth to its ambience.

The Asian fusian food served is just as inviting with a less-intimidating option of a Lunch Omakase ($45), giving Chef Petrina and her crew licence to impress you with their best recipes.

Alternatively, you can choose to take a bite of the juicy Herbal Duck Tsukemen ($25 per lunch set), succulent Charred House-Poached Octopus ($26) or Steamed Venus Clams ($24).

The latter is a signature of the restaurant and the fig broth is blended with homemade kimchi, before being topped with pickled wakame (edible seaweed) and a dash of Chinese herb Yu Zhu (dried edible rhizome of Solomon's Seal flowering plant).

6. PS.Cafe

Who hasn't heard of PS.Cafe? The one at Dempsey Hill is constantly flooded with queues on weekends, due to its glasshouse-styled space, flanked by gorgeous greenery.

If you're looking for comfort, you can find it in their Beef Burgundy Pie ($29), complemented by their decadent Double Chocolate Blackout Cake ($16).

It may be a bit of a wait to get a table, but trust us, it's worth the trip! And since the menu spans various cuisines, there'll be something for everyone.

7. Red Sparrow

This Vietnamese restaurant is spankin' new to the Dempsey 'hood and Red Sparrow is set to whet your appetite with its line-up of authentic recipes such as Goi Cuon ($12), which is rice paper rolls of braised pork, tiger prawns, lettuce, beansprouts and fresh herbs.

Another notable dish to try is their Thit Lon Nuong ($19), comprising grilled marinated Berkshire pork, egg & pork terrine, roasted greens and homemade fish sauce. If you need another reason to check them out, they'll soon have grills installed into some of their dining tables, so diners can immerse themselves in an authentic Vietnamese grill experience!

8. Samy's Curry
PS.Cafe Harding Road: 28B Harding Road, Singapore 249549 | Tel: +65 9070 8782 | Opening hours: (Mon to Thurs) 8am - 11pm, (Fri & Sat) 8am - 1am, (Sun) 1am - 11pm | Website | Facebook | Instagram
Being at the forefront of Indian cuisine in Singapore and having already built quite a reputation for itself, there's one dish you can't miss out at Samy's Curry - their Fish Head Curry ($21/$28/$33) is unrivalled in many foodies' must-eat lists.

If you aren't into that, there's always a delectable spread like Masala Chicken ($5.30 per piece), Chicken Tikka ($10/$13) and Butter Chicken ($10/$13). Gather your friends, so you get a chance to sample as many dishes as possible and have an Indian feast like no other!

9. The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar

Be transported to a dining wonderland with The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar 's garden-inspired indoor dining.

If the delicate furnishings aren't enough to impress you, wait till you sink your teeth into their Spice Crusted Snapper In Sweet And Sour Broth ($39). The flesh was flaky and moist, while the skin was crisp and carried a nutty and peppery heat.
Samy's Curry: 25 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670 | Tel: +65 6472 2080 | Opening hours: (Mon) 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm, (Wed to Sun) 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm, Closed on Tuesdays | Facebook
Other recommendations include Burrata, Meyer Lemon Jam, Basil With Ciabatta Bread ($24), Toasted Egg Yolk ($38) and Black Truffle And Fontina Cheese Pizza ($34).

Be sure to set aside a leisurely amount of time to allow you and your dining partners to soak up both the phenomenal flavours as well as the nature-inspired dining concept.

10. The Green Door

This cosy hideaway might remind you of Alice in Wonderland, and we can't blame you. The Green Door keeps a cosy garden setting, with a casual dining atmosphere that serves great happy hour deals and no-frills American-style comfort food.

One of their recommended burgers is the Mac Daddy ($23), that oozes with mac & cheese, crispy bacon strips and a hearty beef patty to boot. To complement such delicious indulgence, go for their Beef Chilli Cheese Fries ($14) that is evenly layered with savoury minced meat and velvety cheese.

Perfect for after-work gatherings, this spot will make your Friday wind-downs feel all the more rewarding.

Dempsey Hill houses plenty of food offerings and various cuisines that'll satisfy almost every palate. Whether it's for a casual or business meetings, this green enclave serves as a picturesque backdrop that'll make the short 'hike' in well worth the effort!

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10 Dining Spots In Dempsey Hill With Different Cuisines That Make The 'Hike' There So Worth It

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Looking for an alternative area in town for a wide array of great eats and a laid-back atmosphere? Dempsey Hill is located just on the fringes of Orchard Road, but carries a totally different vibe that takes you away from the busy streets and towering high-rise buildings.

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Opened by one of the original gang (OG) ceramicists. 1-time session available.

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Pottery Classes | Ceramic House Singapore

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A pottery studio in the heartlands of Singapore, with over 40 years of experience in producing honest, handmade ceramics.

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Nonya desserts. My favourites are:
- Lemper Udang (Sambal Shrimp roll, OOH!)
- Ondeh Ondeh (rice cake balls filled with liquid palm sugar and coated in grated coconut)
- Kueh Dah Dah (rolled crepe flavoured with pandan juice and filled with grated coconut steeped in Gula Melaka.)

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Cool area to hang out for the day!

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From heritage tours to a garden of singing bird cages, there's nowhere quite as inspiring as Singapore's trendy Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.

Tiong Bahru may be Singapore's oldest housing estate, but it is also one of the more interesting residential neighbourhoods to visit. With a mix of unique architecture, quirky boutiques, and good old-fashioned traditions and food, here's our list of the top 10 things to do in Tiong Bahru.

Appreciate the art deco architecture

Singapore is filled with towering blocks of flats better known as Housing Development Board (HDB) or government housing. You will notice that the low blocks found in Tiong Bahru are unique and unlike any other in Singapore. These were some of the first blocks constructed in the 1930s, inspired by the popular art deco movement of the time, with great attention paid to the lines and detail, unlike the more cookie-cutter shapes built in the following years. Look out for rounded corners, external spiral staircases and porthole windows - all favourites of snap-happy photographers.

Take your own heritage tour

Did you know that Tiong Bahru actually translates into 'new cemetery'? This is because the area used to be a swampy burial ground. Take the time to get lost in this little neighbourhood and see what surprises you can uncover - like one of the last remaining World War II air raid shelters. There are also free guided walking tours conducted by volunteers who live in the estate, usually on the first weekend of each month. If you'd rather wander around on your own, here is a free heritage walking tour map of Tiong Bahru created by the National Heritage Board.

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Go mural hunting

Take a closer look around corners and up on the walls of the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood to find some artistic treasures. Local heritage lover Yip Yew Chong, who grew up in Tiong Bahru, has three murals scattered around, depicting some of his memories of days gone past. Animal photographer Ernest Goh once had a series of chicken fish pasted on the walls, though these days only a family of three goats can still be seen around Tiong Bahru Market, where you can also spot a colourful peacock and its tail feather on the inner air well by Australian artist Makatron.

Immerse yourself in Singaporean literature

Pick up books by Singaporean authors and poets in some of the best local, indie bookshops found in Tiong Bahru. BooksActually is a huge supporter of Singaporean writers, with a whole slew of local literature and poetry titles. For the more visually inclined, Woods in the Books is a picture-book heaven for kids and adults alike, with a generous selection of children's books and graphic novels.

Indulge in some nostalgia

One favourite past-time of the Tiong Bahru's older generations is to hang up their bird cages and enjoy the singing from this elevated aviary while catching up with friends. Sadly this practice is less prevalent today, with the designated Bird Singing Corner near Link Hotel eerily emptier than it used to be. Swing by the 90-year-old Qi Tian Gong temple dedicated to the monkey god Sun Wu Kong, or for something a little more fun pop by Tiong Bahru Adventure Playground - one of the few sand playgrounds left in Singapore.

Sadly, there aren't many birds singing in this corner these days | © Jnzl / Flickr

Go cafe hopping

Tiong Bahru is a hipster haven of cafes that are perfect to grab a cuppa and have a leisurely brunch. Ready your cameras and be prepared for an onslaught of Instagramming patrons. Perennial favourites include the flagship Plain Vanilla Bakery and its delicious cupcakes, the stellar coffee at Forty Hands and the croissants of Tiong Bahru Bakery. But there are plenty of cafe options available, as well as restaurants for more substantial meals.

Do a local food crawl

The level above Tiong Bahru wet market is home to a sprawling hawker centre, home to several hawker food stalls that have been given the Michelin Bib Gourmand and The Plate awards - just look for the long queues. A local favourite is Jian Bo Shui Kueh, with its steamed rice cakes topped with diced preserved radish and a dollop of chilli - excellent for a very Singaporean snack. Other gems in the area include Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice along Seng Poh Road, and Sin Hoi Sai - the oldest restaurant in Tiong Bahru serving up delicious home-cooked zi char-style seafood.

Shui Kueh or Chwee Kueh is a popular dish at Tiong Bahru Food Centre | © Instant Replay / Flickr

Check out indie boutiques

You won't find popular brands in the alleyways of Tiong Bahru, so be on the lookout for cute indie boutiques showcasing curated fashion and quirky retail concepts. Check out Nana & Bird, which stocks local and international designers, then get your fill of nostalgic tunes over at vinyl record shop Curated Records. Afterwards, pick up some lovely flower bouquets at One Olive.

Chill out at night

Look out for some surprises in Tiong Bahru's streets when the sun goes down.Bincho @ Hua Bee is a traditional mee pok noodle stall in the day that turns into a hip yakitori joint by night, complete with a secret bar entrance near the back. Also popular is Coq & Balls, a cheekily named gastrobar with a healthy selection of alcohol, and so is Lin Rooftop Bar, which offers a great view with your cocktails on the roof of Link Hotel.

Support traditional businesses

While the hipsters may have invaded Tiong Bahru, there is a number of small traditional businesses that are worth checking out. Get your furniture upholstered at Yong Huat Upholstery on Seng Poh Lane, or look out for the lady offering shoe repair out of her house window at Moh Guan Terrace. Pin Pin Piau Kay & Co is a pokey looking provision shop that sells an eclectic mix of stuff, including quinoa and balsamic vinegar amidst its household items, while the Tiong Bahru market on level 1 still feels like a trip back in time.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful - and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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The Top 10 Things To Do in Tiong Bahru Singapore

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From quirky design stores to a temple dedicated to the Monkey King explore Singapore's trendiest district with our guide to the best sights and...

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Special ondeh ondeh cake - Review of The Malayan Council, Singapore, Singapore - Tripadvisor

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The Malayan Council: Special ondeh ondeh cake - See 178 traveler reviews, 285 candid photos, and great deals for Singapore, Singapore, at Tripadvisor.

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- 2-3 hours of exploration
- Check out Mustafa (interesting huge departmental store that has everything - and also has one of the most favourable foreign exchange rates)

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A Guide to Singapore’s 3 Little India...

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Singapores Little India Heritage trails offer generous glimpses into the countrys history and culture inviting travellers to partake in self-guided tours…

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Explore for half a day

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- eat with sambal chili or dip it in the brown sweet sauce (usually placed beside the utensils tray)
- Far East plaza or Lucky Plaza locations are the most convenient (in Orchard Road)

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Highlights

Halal certified Indonesian restaurant with main focus on "penyet" food: Ayam Penyet Ria is the true world of "penyet" food where Ayam Penyet (smashed fried chicken), Bakso Penyet (smashed beefball), Bawal Penyet (smashes pomfret), Udang Penyet (smashed fried prawn), Empal Penyet (smashed beef steak), Lele Penyet (smashed catfish), Tahu - tempe Penyet (smashed beancurd & beancake), and Sayap Penyet (smashed chicken wing) are generously offered.

One of the best Ayam Penyet in Singapore: As the restaurant's name would suggest, Ayam Penyet is the signature dish at Ayam Penyet Ria. After cooking process, this enticing fried chicken is given a nice mash to make it tenderer and easier to eat. Ayam Penyet Ria restaurant serves both the classic version and boneless version of this dish in style of set menu. Those tasty Ayam Penyet sets come with a piece of smashed chicken, fried tempe, fried tofu as well as sambal, steamed rice and blanched vegetable.

Addictive sambal belacan: A lot of diners come to Ayam Penyet Ria restaurant just because they really fall in love with its sambal belacan. This chilli-based sauce is extremely spicy yet addictive. The restaurant's free flow sambal belacan is a perfect condiment to enhance flavours of chicken, beef, fish or even rice.

Value for money foods: A generous set of Ayam Penyet is offered at the price of S$7.40. And you won't find any items on the menu have the price tags more than S$9.00. It is a steal, considering the restaurant's location and the given portion.

MENU
Ayam Penyet Ria has a simple picture menu with around 30 dishes on offer. Half of its menu focuses on "penyet" food while the rest is where Indonesian staples such as Oxtail Soup, Gado Gado and Prawn Crackers are listed.

ORDERING
A picture menu and an order slip will be given to each table for diners to have a picture of what are on offer and to place order easily. Prepayment should be made at the cashier counter.

LOOK & FEEL
Ayam Penyet Ria's outlets are bright and clean. There is not much atmosphere there, but it is cozy enough for diners to enjoy some of the best dishes from Indonesia.

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Lucky Plaza #01-45
Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Road, S238863
Tel: (65) 62356390
Open daily 11:00 - 22:00

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Lucky Plaza #04-25
Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Road, S238863
Tel: (65) 62356390
Open daily 12:00 - 21:00

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Far East Plaza
#05-22, Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road
Tel: (65) 67334336
Open daily 11:30 - 22:00

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Jurong Point
#B1-06 1 Jurong West Central 2, Singapore 648886
Tel: (65) 6794 3015
Open daily 11:30 -21:00

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Bedok Mall
311 New Up Changi Rd #01-71/72 Bedok Mall S467360
Tel: 6441 0025
Open daily 11:30 - 22:00

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Compass One
1 Sengkang Square, #01-34 Compass One, Singapore 545078
Tel: (65) 6386 4748
Open daily 11:30 - 22:00

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Ayam Penyet Ria : Recommended Indonesian Restaurant

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MENU Ayam Penyet Ria has a simple picture menu with around 30 dishes on offer. Half of its menu focuses on "penyet" food while the rest is where Indonesian staples such as Oxtail Soup, Gado Gado and Prawn Crackers are listed. ORDERING A picture menu and an order slip will...

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I like Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice the best but others may not agree with me. There is never a unanimous favourite on this highly popular local dish. Any one on this list would be great!

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Hainanese Chicken Rice is Singapore's national dish and can be found island-wide at almost every dining spot, from humble hawker centres to major restaurants and even hotel cafés. The chicken is usually served with fragrant rice and a spicy chilli sauce, with ginger paste. In Singapore, chicken rice recipe can be roasted or braised in soya sauce for a different taste (we still like it poached). For some people, it might be the rice and chilli sauce that makes or breaks the dish. As we celebrate Singapore's National Day today, we've hunted down 17 chicken rice stalls in Singapore that are among local favourites.

1. Ah Boy Chicken Rice

Local celebrity chef, Eric Teo, has raved about Ah Boy Chicken Rice on his Facebook about 3 years ago so we decided to check it out. The roasted chicken has a crispy and thin skin that we enjoyed but a pity, the meat was a little on the dry side. Poached chicken, however, fared much better. It was tender, sweet and cooked till perfection, maintaining a smooth texture. We thought the rice itself is fluffy and loose with a nice aroma and not overly greasy. The tangy chilli dip didn't make much of an impression as it was a little watery. If you're in the area and craving for chicken rice, you should drop by.

2. Chen Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken here is tender and perfectly complemented by the flavoursome oyster sauce. The chilli is bright and tangy and contains a spicy kick. Sadly, the rice did not fare so well as it was dry and although it has the flavour of the chicken broth, it doesn't stand out at all. What's worth mentioning here is their chicken feet soup that's only available on Mondays and Fridays after 11am. Chicken feet is full of collagen, which is good news for ladies! We loved the crunchiness of these chicken feet and the flavoursome broth made the entire package simply wonderful. So, if you come here for chicken rice, remember to go only when they're serving chicken feet soup!

3. Chin Chin Eating House

Founded in 1934, this eatery exudes a nostalgic feel and is reasonably clean. Dishes offered here are very Hainanese, including steamed chicken rice with chilli sauce and ginger dip, pork chop, chap chye and more. Today's focus is on chicken rice so we'll just skip the rest. Chicken rice at Chin Chin is drizzled with light fragrant soy sauce and sesame oil, enhancing the flavours of the tender and juicy chicken. Cooked just right, the chicken has retained its moisture with every bite. The rice is less oily but still fragrant and tasty with aroma from ginger and garlic. The chilli sauce consists of a little tanginess which made our meal very satisfying.

4. Hua Kee Chicken Rice

This stall is now run by Mr. Lim, a second generation hawker, together with his mother, Mdm. Tan who founded Hua Kee over 30 years ago with her husband. Unlike other stalls, the chicken here is chopped in large chunks with skin and bone still attached to ensure the meat retains its natural juices and flavours. We liked that the chicken was tender, juicy and full of flavours. The aromatic rice was not too oily and fluffy, with grains that separate easily. There's nothing impressive about their chilli and ginger dips but we've got to say that this is the tastiest cucumbers from any chicken rice stall. The savoury and sweet juices from the chicken clung to the sides of these crunchy slices of cucumbers.

5. Kampong Chicken Rice

What makes Kampong chicken different from the usual chicken we get at chicken rice stalls? Well, the yellow skin kampong chickens have more distinctive features such as their skinny legs and leaner bodies. They are allowed to run free and are corn fed, thus containing less fat and are healthier for consumption. The meat here is definitely not as fatty. It is leaner but still, very tender. Ladies will jump for joy and feel guilt-free for indulging in this plate of healthier kampong chicken rice due to it being less fat. Even though the rice is not as fragrant and amazing as compared to others, it complements the chicken well. The highlight was their kicky chilli sauce, which is properly thick and spicy. One word - SHIOK! Read about it here.

6. Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice

Uncle Leong used to be the head chef for "稻香村山芭鸡" shop in Novena Ville, which unfortunately, closed down in 2007 due to the outbreak of bird flu disease. His passion for the kitchen still burns strong hence, he set up his own Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice in Shunfu Market. The meat served here has a textural difference compared to others. The chicken breast is very tender and flavourful. Little soy sauce and sesame oil were drizzled onto the chicken and we could really taste the sweetness of the meat. As for the chicken drumstick, you can see the glistering chicken skin and the meat was very succulent. The rice was infused with ginger and chicken stock and the grains are very fluffy. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal as Uncle Leong's chicken rice gave a very warm, homely feel to it.

7. Ming Kee Chicken Rice

Ming Kee Chicken Rice is well-known for those staying in Bishan. It's not surprising to queue for at least an hour just to satisfy your chicken rice cravings over here. Unlike others, this stall has no chicken displayed so if you're here for the first time, you might get the wrong idea that the stall has already ran out of chicken. In actual fact, once the chicken is cooked, they will dunk it in ice water and it will be left there till it is ready to be chopped.

Shocking the meat in ice water after cooking creates a jelly under the skin. This results in the meat tasting more flavourful and succulent. Surprisingly, it tastes even better when these chilled chicken are eaten with some steaming rice. We enjoyed the skin which glided smoothly into our mouths. Chicken gizzards are also soaked in cold water here to retain the crunch. Their chilli dip, however, was a tad disappointing as it's too watery for our liking.

8. Nam Kee Chicken Rice

Nam Kee has over 40 years of experience under its belt and is a household name for many families across the island. It serves traditional Hainanese chicken rice with meat ever so tender with the unforgettable chilli sauce - and at affordable prices too! The velvet-smooth skin of the chicken is enticing enough and tucks in just the right amount of fat beneath. The meat is juicy and goes very well with the dipping sauce, which is a combination of chilli sauce, ginger paste and a not-so-salty dark soy sauce that delivers the right punch. The rice served here is aromatic and has a good consistency, complementing the chicken perfectly.

9. Nan Xiang Chicken Rice

Nancy Lim, founder of Nan Xiang Chicken Rice, took charge of her first chicken rice stall at Whampoa food centre in December 1986. Nancy and her husband takes turn to manage the hawker stall. It looks like another unassuming chicken rice stall but when the plate of rice was served, it was so fragrant you can't resist taking a mouthful even if your camera usually eats first. Chicken rice here is first stir-fried with garlic, ginger, shallots and chicken soup before cooking it in rice cooker. Not a lot of chicken rice stalls do this now because it's laborious and takes extra time to prepare the rice. Well, all we can say that it's worthwhile because frying the rice before cooking makes it even more fragrant, which is a plus point when the chicken meat is already succulent and cooked just right, leaving a gelatin layer beneath the skin. The addition of lime juice to the chilli sauce also makes it refreshing and delectable! Read about it here.

10. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

This should be the most well-known stall among both locals and tourists. Growing the business from an unknown stall in Maxwell Market from 1986, Madam Foo and her daughter, Ms. Loi, still preside over the quality of food at all outlets with a watchful and experienced eye. Tian Tian chicken rice is cooked with American Broiler breed of chicken and remember - they defeated Gordon Remsay at the Hawker Heroes Challenge! This already speaks a lot about their food. Their steamed chicken is served slightly chilled which is very refreshing and light on a hot day. The soothing coolness is also a perfect counterpart to the "fierceness" of the chilli. Most importantly, their light, smooth and slightly buttery rice, with just a hint of garlic, sets them apart from the rest. Even celebrity chef and host Anthony Bourdain said that the rice here is so good that you can eat it on its own! There are many outlets and the one we're featuring is at Joo Chiat and it's air-conditioned too!

11. Uncle Chicken Rice

Uncle Chicken Rice is very persistent in using good quality ingredients. Their fresh chicken is simply poached, sits in cold water, chopped and served with the flavourful rice. The chicken is cut chunky with an ultra smooth skin and the flesh is tender and sweet. Served with aromatic rice that was not too greasy and loose, it has a subtle garlic flavour. Chicken stock was used to cook the rice hence, you won't get a soup here to pair with your chicken rice. The chilli has a hint of sweetness which cuts the oiliness of the rice.

12. Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice

Wee Nam Kee started from a humble beginning and now, has a few outlets islandwide. They serve three different types of chicken - namely the poached, soy sauce and fried. We tried the poached chicken and it was executed really well in a flavourful broth. The chicken turned out to be juicy and tender, gently gingery with subtle chicken flavour. The broth is tasty enough to boost your appetite. Each long grain rice is well-oiled, mildly fragrant, yet not too greasy and separates easily into loose grains. Lastly, the chilli is amazing! It contains a well-balanced blend of ginger, vinegar and spice. It was tangy with very little sting.

13. Yeo Keng Nam Chicken Rice

Having grown up eating chicken rice here as it's just a stone's throw away from where I stay, the taste is special to me. The chicken is so plump and juicy and it has managed to retain a lot of its natural flavour since the stall owner here makes it a point not to soak the chicken in ice water for too long. I love the roast chicken here as well, due to its super tasty skin that whets my appetite for more. Rice here is whole and coated with a thin layer of oil, making the texture just right. The chilli has a tangy twist to it. Hence, I always enjoy my chicken rice experience dining here.

Phone: 6285 4153

Website: http://www.ykn.com.sg/

14. Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice

About a month ago, Benson is back on his feet and re-opened "Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice" at Holland Drive with his young partner. Nothing much changes, Benson still chopes the chicken in huge chunks. His movements are still clean and brisk, each piece of meat is tender and smooth in the mouth. He will leave the leftover bones from the chicken to prepare that soup, which is used to poach chickens and rice. The slightly aromatic rice is well paired with the chilli that is spicy and tangy done right with vinegar and lime, just the way we like it. Read more about it here.

15. Yishun 925 Chicken Rice

It started with just one hawker stall within Yishun but over the years, they have expanded and now, there are a few stalls around Singapore. We're always happy for these successful hawkers who started out very humbly. Chicken meat here is cooked just right, making it smooth and palatable. We liked that it was served deboned, which makes it more convenient for consumption. The soya sauce which the chicken was drenched in is not overly salty, just perfect! Rice here is very ordinary and not as aromatic as compared to others but you know the saying, "mai hiam buay pai". Since it's so affordable, we've nothing much to complain about.

16. Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is another time-honoured establishment lying along Purvis Street. Yet Con has been serving their style of authentic Hainanese chicken rice here since 1940. Notice that chicken at Yet Con are being laid on trays instead of being hung up - this is to prevent the juices from dripping so that flavours are bette retained. There's no silky gelatin layer under the chicken skin but we enjoyed the super "chickeny" flavour here. The chicken is lightly salted without any overwhelming drench of soy sauce seasoning, making every bite full of natural "chickeny" taste. The rice is aromatic, with the lovely scent of ginger, shallots and chicken stock. We like that it isn't overly greasy. The only downside was the chilli and ginger dip that we found too watery for our liking.

17. Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice

It was already 3pm and we were still queuing for Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice. 30 minutes queue just to get my chicken rice fix, but so worth it! We paid $11 for 2 pax meal with soup and achar. The chicken is chopped into big chunky pieces and topped with fried garlic, which is quite unique. Achar brings a refreshing touch and the rice has a pleasant garlic aroma. We are so in love with their (refillable) cabbage soup that is peppery and full of vegetables and meat. The owner is in good mood on our day of visit so he gave me an extra bowl of lotus root pork ribs soup filled with generous amount of lotus roots and peanuts.

There are plenty of other stalls that might be good but not mentioned above. Do comment and share your thoughts with us, let us know which other chicken rice stalls in Singapore are worth our calories! Enjoy your hunt in finding the best chicken rice stall in Singapore, HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!

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17 Best Chicken Rice in Singapore (Food Hunt Time!)

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We round up 17 of the local favourite Chicken rice stalls in Singapore. Do comment and share with us your personal favourite too!

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A food court is an airconditioned (higher comfort level hence higher prices) version of a hawker centre.

My favourites in this foodcourts are:
- Hokkien Mee
- Lam’s Signatures’ Abalone noodles with a side of their signature salt baked chicken thigh.
- Bak Kut Teh
- sugarcane drink

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After an extensive two-month renovation, Food Opera re-opens with an impressive tally of 27 stalls and mini restaurants in late May 2016. I frequent this outlet in ION Orchard for its fishball noodles and nasi padang. After renovation, the food heaven has more delicious and heritage dishes from parts of the world, including local hawker delights and traditional street snacks.

Here are our 7 favourites.

Xing Lou Seafood White Bee Hoon

Seafood white bee hoon is recently in trend with many new stalls offering it. Riding on this trend is Food Opera's latest addition - Xing Lou Seafood White Bee Hoon. Enhanced with shellfish such as "la la" (clams) and crayfish, as well as, prawns, it sounds like a simple dish, but the stock makes or breaks this dish.

The talented Malaysian chef from Xing Lou Seafood White Bee Hoon first wok-charred the vermicelli before braising it with seafood and pork ribs broth. One appeal is the stall front, with an ice bed mount of crayfish and scallops. They are committed to using only the freshest catches ferried into Singapore daily from Endau, a Malaysian fishing port. The all-important stock comes easy on salt with no MSG, so you taste the subtle richness of the seafood. A single portion of white bee hoon with prawns and clams starts from $6.90, and you can add crayfish for $8 or scallops for $4.

Ah Yat Kitchen

Ah Yat has been a household brand since 1970, and is regarded as the master of abalone with its repertoire of abalone dishes and Cantonese favourites. If you want to eat abalone for anything less than $10, that's quite impossible. But here's the good news - you can enjoy Ah Yat Abalone Baked Rice for only $8.80 in Food Opera!

Tender baby abalone and mushrooms are basted with a homemade abalone sauce, placed over a bed of aromatic egg fried rice, then baked to perfection. Ah Yat also serves Roasted Chicken Rice or Fries, Baked Spare Rib Rice, Special Braised Shark's Fin with Rice, and Double-Boiled Spare Rib Soup with Carrot & Corn.

Scotts Hwa Heng Beef Noodles

Being a Hainanese myself, beef noodles is usually one of our staples. It's real hard work just to prepare the beef stock. Scotts Hwa Heng Beef noodles started out in the 1940s at a humble stall along Bain Street. Dishing up piping hot bowls of Hainanese-style Traditional Beef noodles; dry or soup versions are available, the stall has kept to its original proprietary recipe which has nourished many generations of customers.

We were surprised when we took our first bite of the dry Beef Noodles Combo Set Meal ($7.50). The gravy was thick and starchy, with beefy goodness. The sliced beef adds bite to each mouthful of springy thick vermicelli. Tender and fragrant, the set also served with beef balls in soup. It's a pity they do not serve with preserved vegetables anymore; but luckily the chilli and chinchalok dip added a comfortable mix of salty-tangy and spicy flavour to the dish.

Great World Noodle House

Many of us know that You Men is best known for his Hong Kong-style roast meats and noodles, which he mastered under the tutelage of Hong Kong chefs in the early years of his career. But at Food Opera, he has challenged himself with the opening of Great World Noodle House.

Their new Fried Pork Chop Noodle ($5.80) is super solid. Tender & juicy meat is marinated and deep fried to yield a juicy and crispy pork chop. Don't play play ok! They also have Signature Chicken Chop with Noodle, Crispy Pork Chop with Fried Rice, and You Men Noodle Soup.

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh

I am very surprised to see Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh in Food Opera. This is the only brand that my husband and I always visit during our dating days. Started in 1973 by Madam Gwee Peck Hua, she learnt the tricks of the trade while working at a bak kut teh stall and have created her own recipe since then.

Using only garlic and the finest grade of white pepper from Sarawak, its Signature Prime Ribs ($11.50) is a medium-bodied clear soup that's just a touch fiery. The chilled ribs are air-flown from Australia and Indonesia. They are boiled for hours to get the maximum flavour and to ensure its tenderness, but also careful to not mask the sweetness of the pork ribs with garlic. Here, you can also enjoy new menu items like Pig Trotters ($9.50) and Claypot Tofu ($8.70) featuring silken tofu with pork balls and egg in claypot... so homely!

Lam's Signatures

There are many well-respected heritage brands in Food Opera at ION Orchard. Another one is Lam's Signatures where owner Mr Yap Eng Lam is the man responsible for bringing abalone to the local masses. We first tried his signature Abalone Noodles at a coffee shop in Race Course Road, and later made another positive impact in the food scene when he debuted his Mini Wok Noodles.

Not only can you try the said dishes here, they have other tempting dishes like Salt-baked Chicken Thigh with Rice ($6.90). The moist chicken thigh is freshly marinated with sea salt and herbs before baking it till a beautiful golden brown. That Thai style chilli brought the dish to another level. We tried to ask for the recipe but the manager only said, "Coriander, fish sauce, sugar, chilli padi and other ingredients I cannot say lah..." Ok aunty, you win. I will come back just for the chilli.

Pepper Lunch Express

Hinging on their do-it-yourself concept using a special electromagnetic iron plate, Pepper Lunch has been a crowd-pleaser since it entered Singapore's bustling food scene. Now, customers at Food Opera ION outlet can look forward to savouring an exclusive Scallop & Chicken Chilli Crab Pepper Rice ($10.80).

Accompanied by a scrumptiously spicy chilli crab sauce made with a medley of spices, it adds complexity of the taste with the spiciness kicking in towards the end. The scallops were plump and works great with the robust sauce and Australian short grain rice. Cook the way you like it to experience the smell and taste. If you like beef, they also have Beef Pepper Rice with chilli crab sauce.

Other popular stalls include Riverside Indonesian BBQ, Thye Hong Fried Prawn Noodles, and Guan Chee HK Roasted Duck.

Let's build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there's any changes or additional info to the stalls listed. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

MissTamChiak.com will be rewarding 5 readers with $30 Food Opera's dining voucher each.

All you need to do is:
Step 1 - LIKE Miss Tam Chiak & Food Republic Singapore on Facebook
Step 2 - SHARE this entry on Facebook
Step 3 - Comment below: What dish would u like to try in Food Opera at ION Orchard?
Closing date: 22th September 2016. Good luck! This post was brought to you by Food Opera.

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7 Popular Stalls To Try in Food Opera at ION Orchard + GIVEAWAY

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After an extensive renovation, Food Opera at ION Orchard re-opens with an impressive tally of 27 stalls and mini restaurants.

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2 Parks or 4 Parks Combo tickets available

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Check out Night Safari ticket pricing, operating hours and important announcements before your visit. Book tickets online to enjoy more savings.

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YUMMY. CHILLED. Not a cafe, just a confectionary shop to buy and go.

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Silky smooth soya bean filling, encased in a thin cup of delicious

buttery pastry.

*The crust contains egg and butter.
This product does not contain gelatin .

Requires refrigeration. Serve chilled.

Packaging : 8pcs in a box only. ﻿

Last updated: 10 Nov 2022

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Bean Curd Tarts (O ﻿ ﻿ RIGI ﻿ ﻿ NAL) Silky smooth soya bean filling, encased in a thin cup of delicious buttery pastry. *The crust contains egg and butter. This product does not contain...

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Bin Cho/Hua Bee (Mee Pok by Day, Yakitori by Night)

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Bin Cho/Hua Bee (Mee Pok by Day, Yakitori by Night)

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- Mee Pok is a typical kopitiam noodle dish in Singapore.
- Good quality Japanese Yakitori
- same space, different concept for day and night
- Tiong Bahru is a hipster neighbourhood to hang out at

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Bincho at Hua Bee – Meepok by Day, Yakitori by Night - DanielFoodDiary.com

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Newest Restaurants & Cafes In Singapore, Best Around The World | “They all ate & were satisfied”

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It is everywhere! Check out blog for suggestions of the ‘best’ places for Kaya Toast Set.
- eat runny eggs with black soya sauce and pepper
- Teh (milk tea), Kopi (coffee with milk), Yuan Yang (half tea half coffee)

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Few things in life satisfy as much as the Kaya Toast-a traditional Singapore-style breakfast. It has undoubtedly become a staple for many Singaporeans since generations ago, and today, it is still widely loved.

We enjoy the old-school fare in various ways-dipping it in soft boiled egg, coffee, or just having it on its own. Very often, it is also paired with a set meal of two soft boiled eggs and your choice of coffee or tea.

You can find renditions of this dish almost everywhere you go, and to get you started, here are 11 Best Kaya Toasts In Singapore.

Ya Kun is one of the most frequented coffee stalls in Singapore, with its history dating back to the early 1940s.

The kaya from Ya Kun-made up of eggs, coconut milk, sugar and pandan-is sandwiched between crisp brown toasted bread. The household brand constantly keeps up with the trend to offer new menu items, and the consistency is the reason for our loyalty.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast
1 Harbourfront Walk, #B2-26, Vivo City
Singapore 099253
Tel: +65 6225 5789
Sun to Thu: 8.15am - 10pm
Fri & Sat: 8.15am - 10.30pm
Nearest MRT: HarbourFront

Fun Toast was originally Kheng Nam Hong, a coffee house widely known by the early residents of Telok Ayer Street. It has since rebranded to a fun-loving label where the younger generations of Singaporeans can better relate to.

One of their signatures includes the Kaya Butter Soft Bun set (S$5.20) which features kaya smothered on buns that are crisp on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside. We highly recommend you to dip it into their soft-boiled eggs for an elevated flavour.

Citylink Mall, 1 Raffles Link, #B1-04, Singapore 039393
Tel: +65 6533 1233
Mon to Thu: 7am - 8.30pm
Fri: 7am - 9.30pm
Sat: 8am - 9.30pm
Sun & PH: 8am - 8.30pm
Nearest MRT: City Hall

#3 KILLINEY KOPITIAM

The pioneer outlet of Killiney Kopitiam was founded in 1919 and still operates along Killiney Road today; it is the longest standing Hainanese coffee shop in Singapore.

Other than the kaya toast (S$2.40 for 2 slices), the coffee shop also dishes countless of local delights such as their famed Laksa and Curry Chicken. The standards across various outlets have dropped over the years, but the original branch at Killiney Road is still as good as before.

Established under the BreadTalk group, Toast Box prides itself on offering authentic breakfast that will bring one back to the 70′s.

It is set to ignite nostalgia amongst the Singaporeans, completing the experience with a good Nanyang cuppa and grilled Kaya Toasts (S$1.70 per slice). Other standouts from the menu include the Floss Toast and Crunchy Peanut Butter Thick Toast.

#5 OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE

Though the food at Old Town White Coffee is slightly pricier, their Kaya Toast (S$1.60 per slice) is still worth a shot.

Originating from Malaysia, this franchise is now a familiar name in Singapore too. Patrons visit them for fragrant white coffee and an array of simple but delectable local fares.

Old Town White Coffee 180 Kitchener Road
#B1-31/32 City Square Mall
Singapore 208539
Tel: +65 6509 8355
Daily: 9am - 10pm
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park

#6 KAFFE & TOAST

Being the halal subsidiary of Coffee & Toast, Kaffe & Toast offers Kaya Toast at S$1.80 per serving. Their kaya spread is made with more doses of egg yolk and is generously slathered on each slice of freshly grilled bread.

We also love with the Mackerel Otah Bun that comes with fish otah.

Known for its rich history since the 1930s, Tong Ah has since moved a few doors from its original location to reside in the same space as Potato Head Folk.

Be sure to catch them toasting the kaya toast on traditional charcoal grills and you can even request for your toast to be extra crispy. Their formula? Toasting it thrice before scraping off the charred parts using a condensed milk lid.

#8 HEAVENLY WANG

Heavenly Wang serves a mean slice of Kaya Toast (S$1.50), with thick butter slices and a sweet kaya spread generously tucked in between slightly crisp bread.

This halal eatery also whips up several other Singaporean classics too, so be sure to try out their signature Mee Siam that is well-loved by the locals.

#9 GOOD MORNING NANYANG CAFE

The kaya toast (S$1.60) at Good Morning Nanyang Cafe is really unique. Their kaya spread is freshly made in-house, following the recipes of a man from Segamat; so rich, luscious and subtly sweet. But this is what sets them apart from the rest-they use ciabatta instead of regular white bread.

Other toast selections include the Orange Ciabatta set, with caramelised orange peel added to bring about a robust element in the toast.

#10 HILL STREET COFFEE SHOP

Hill Street Coffee Shop evokes a sense of nostalgia that is hard to beat.

Their Kaya Toast (S$2.50) spots a different execution with the replacement of steamed bread-and we love it so much. Expect to sink your teeth into the incredibly soft white bread, coated with a generous kaya spread with a distinct coconut element and topped off with pieces of savoury butter.

One of our favourites in this list, Toast Hut is a place that is worth all the hype and crazy queues. The owner heads over to the stall at 4am every morning to prepare for the opening of the stall so patrons can get their coffee-fix as early as 6.30am in the morning!

Their Kaya Butter Toast (S$1.60 for 4 pcs, S$3.00 for a set) goes extremely well with the aromatic and fragrant coffee.

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11 Best Kaya Toasts In Singapore For An Authentic Local Breakfast

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Few things in life satisfy as much as the Kaya Toast-a traditional Singapore-style breakfast. It has undoubtedly become a staple for many Singaporeans since generations ago, and today, it is still widely loved. We enjoy the old-school fare in various ways-dipping it in soft boiled egg, coffee, or j

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Chong Wen Ge cafe + Thian Hock Kian Temple

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Chong Wen Ge cafe + Thian Hock Kian Temple

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Explore + lunch
- Teh-C Special, Kopi (tea and coffee)
- Mee Siam

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Chong Wen Ge Cafe (Closed) - The Ordinary Patrons

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Lunch at Chong Wen Ge Cafe next to Thian Hock Keng Temple, Telok Ayer - nonya kueh, curry chicken, mee siam, sambal prawn…

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Peranakan refers to a group of people that live in Singapore and on the Malaysian Peninsula who have Chinese ancestry.

- book early
- located in Dempsey (central and great place for drinks)

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You may come across the word "Peranakan" a few times when you're in Singapore. It refers to descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled in the Malay archipelago between the 15th and 17th centuries. They inter-married with local Malays and produced a unique culture and cuisine that blends Chinese, Malay, and other influences.

It's my belief that one of the best ways to understand a different culture is through food, so we made reservations at Candlenut to experience this ahma-kase dinner by Chef Malcolm Lee. A play on the Japanese word omakase, ahma means "grandmother" and it refers to Chef Lee's tasting menu of modern Peranakan dishes served family-style.

It mixes Chinese ingredients with local spices and cooking techniques to create Peranakan interpretations of Malay food that are distinctly tangy, aromatic, spicy, and herbal. Presented over three courses - starters, mains, and dessert - he aims to give diners the experience of going to Grandma's house and being served a thoughtful sequence of lovingly cooked food. It's an interesting concept we thought, and one that says a lot about the culture.

To explain Peranakan cuisine in the simplest terms, on our table was the week's ahma-kase menu with this short story:
"She was a beautiful, petite Malay lady who caught the eye of a man coming through Singapore for business. They fell in love, and he stayed for her sake. Her nimble fingers were quick to learn, putting her heart to cooking what she knew while bringing in Chinese flavours he missed from home. And so, this was the humble beginning of Peranakan cuisine."
And that, in a candlenut shell, is what Peranakan food is all about.

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When we ate at Candlenut in 2016, the restaurant was still located on the ground floor of Dorsett Residences. They've since moved to their current location on Dempsey Road. Based on pictures, the new location appears to retain the same down-to-earth feel as the former. Candlenut was awarded one Michelin star in 2016 and 2017, making it the only Michelin-Starred Peranakan restaurant in the world (as far as I know). Bravo!

We were at Jurong Bird Park all day before going straight to Candlenut so I looked and smelled like a stinking tourist. They were nice about it and never gave my shorts a second look but I don't recommend coming underdressed. It may look casual but it's one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

Complimentary fish crackers while waiting for the starters

Starters

As described, they serve several dishes together in courses. The serving sizes are dictated by the number of people at your table.

Hummingbird tree flower with minced pork and Peranakan signature buah keluak black nut glaze. I remember seeing buah keluak on the Discovery Channel long ago and wondering what it would taste like.

Buah keluak is a black nut from Indonesia that naturally contains cyanide but is made edible through fermentation. As it turns out, it's a quintessential ingredient in Peranakan cuisine but I had no idea I ate it here until I started doing research for this post! If I remember correctly, it had a taste similar to dark chocolate. So cool!

Deconstrcuted kueh pie tee with homemade shells, jiu hu cha dried cuttlefish, braised jicama, and pork belly. According to this article by Singaporean food blogger Dr. Leslie Tay, this bite-sized canape called kueh pie tee may be linked to British influence on Peranakan culture. It's served as a snack and considered by many to be the Nonya (Peranakan) version of a British pastry.

Put it all together and voila! Kueh pie tee is said to be closely linked to Poh Piah or fresh spring rolls. They share the same fillings which traditionally include bamboo shoots to herald the coming of spring. Come to think of it, it really was like eating spring rolls, but in a cup.

Charred octopus with chincalok, cucumber and pineapple achar, and roasted peanuts. This was really good and probably my favorite starter from the bunch. Chincalok is fermented shrimp paste.

Grilled spice-marinated Blackmore wagyu beef satay. Very tender and delicious!

Next come the mains with a bowl of Thai hom mali rice. They give you lots of food here so remember to bring your appetite.

Charcoal-grilled John snapper with black belimbing sambal, ginger flower, and local cabbage kerabu. This was delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked and it was topped with a potent, flavorful sambal. We quickly learned after just a few dishes that Peranakan food is very tasty.

Ayam buah keras with candlenut, lemongrass, and cherry tomato in a yellow turmeric broth. This is a chicken dish made with the nut from which this restaurant gets its name. Candlenuts have a high oil content and are similar to macadamia nuts. They're often pounded and made into a thick sauce like this.

Wok-fried minced lamb rendang with kaffir lime leaf and green peppercorn served with taro stem and tempura kang kong. Again, another dish from tonight that wasn't shy in flavor! Like spreading dip on a cracker, you spoon the rendang onto those green taro stems and take a bite. That rendang is so incredibly tasty so its best to temper it with some rice.

Pong tau hu soup with tofu and crab meatball in a shellfish bisque. I loved this soup. You could really taste the crab in that meatball. Delicious!

Tapioca leaf lodeh with young jackfruit and crispy whitebait. Bicolanos will surely enjoy this. It's similar to laing except its made with tapioca leaves.

Palate cleanser to prepare us for dessert.

L: Buah keluak ice cream with Valrhona chocolate and warm chocolate espuma
R: Candlenut's classic chendol cream with pandan jelly and gula melaka

We had to choose just one dessert each so Ren went for this boldly flavored ice cream made with buah keluak and Valrhona chocolate. See, I knew that buah keluak tasted familiar. It makes perfect sense with dark chocolate! I fell in love with chendol in Penang so I wanted to try a gourmet version. It was really, really good with a nice caramel flavor. I'm not a dessert person but I could seriously eat chendol everyday.

We haven't had enough Peranakan food to really know but if this meal at Candlenut is a fair representation, then their cuisine can best be described as an explosion of flavor. And not just the same flavors over and over again but a whole spectrum of it. I'm talking fireworks. Subtle can never be a word used to describe Peranakan cuisine because the intensity and variety of taste and texture is remarkable.

Come to think of it, I don't believe the word subtle has any place in the Peranakan vocabulary. We spent a few days in Penang before flying to Singapore and reflecting upon this ahma-kase experience brings me back to the Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town. Like these dishes, that embodiment of affluent Peranakan living was striking. It was bold and it was nuanced, sometimes to the point of feeling overdone. Though it may not be to everyone's liking, you can never classify it as being boring.

The same can be said about Peranakan food.

Candlenut

Block 17A Dempsey Road, Singapore 249676
Tel: +65 1800 304 2288 (local only)
Website: comodempsey.sg/restaurant/candlenut
Facebook: candlenut.sg
Instagram: candlenutsg
Twitter: candlenutsg
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun, 12NN-3PM / Sun-Thurs, 6-10PM / Fri, Sat, Public Holidays: 6-11PM
Expect to Pay: SGD 128++ per person (set dinner menu)

HOW TO GET THERE:
The closest MRT station to Candlenut is Commonwealth MRT Station, but it's still about 2.6 km from the restaurant. From there, you can take Uber or Grab to Candlenut.

For more Singapore travel tips, check out our First-Timer's Travel Guide to Singapore

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Candlenut: Michelin Peranakan Food in Singapore | Will Fly for Food

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Candlenut in Singapore is the only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant in the world. Peranakan food is a blend of Chinese and Malaysian influences.

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Dinner/Late night supper

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- Zi Char is street side Chinese food
- Located in Geylang (Singapore’s red light district)
- Must order San Lou Mee Hoon (Crispy noodles)

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JB Ah Meng burst into our Zi Char scene in 2009 with their white pepper crabs going for $20 for 3 . I still remember reading about them in the forums and promptly made my way down to sample the food.

They have made great strides since then and even gotten themselves listed in the Michelin guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant in 2016. That same year, they moved to new and bigger premise but for some reason did not get into the Bib gourmand list this year. I have eaten there several times since my blog post but this is the first time at their new place.

One big reason for JB Ah Meng's success, aside from the quality of the food, is that they are opened till 2.30am in the morning. By providing tasty zi char at reasonable prices late into the night, they fill a very important niche in our local food scene. This is the time when chefs who have shut their own restaurants for the day finally get to eat to chill out after an exhausting day. It's no wonder that their walls are peppered with photos of famous chefs both local and foreign!

Their white pepper crabs have, predictably, risen in price since 2009. We paid $51 for four small sri lankan crabs. They might be small but they were full of meat and some of them were double shell crabs which have that nice layer of new shell forming under the old. The white pepper crabs as still very good and one of best I have come across. 4.5/5

The other must try dish is their san lou meehoon which is wonderfully crispy on the outside and deliciouly chewy on the inside. San lou (三楼) refers to the restaurant in JB famous for the dish and not san lou (三捞) as in the popular dish of san lou hor fun. 4.5/5

Some other dishes we tried were the lala which are surprisingly plump and juicy. Owner Ah Meng told me that they are from Russia and come frozen. . For veggies, we ordered their lotus roots fried with snake beans which were also very good. The lotus roots where fried to a crisp and then tossed with the snake beans in a tasty sauce with just a tinge of sweetness. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Great place for white pepper crabs and crispy beehoon especially if you are looking for a place that opens late into the night! Do note though, that in my facebook post, there has been a number of not so favourable comments. I had a very good experience, so I am not sure what happened. Perhaps there is some issue with consistency especially when it gets really crowded. But, if you get them at a good time, the food really is very good.

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This Zi Char place in Geylang is famous for white pepper crabs and crispy beehoon. They are opened till 2.30am and was a Bib Gourmand restaurant in 2016.

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Bollywood Veggies + Poison Ivy Bistro (Farm + Cafe)

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Bollywood Veggies + Poison Ivy Bistro (Farm + Cafe)

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Explore + lunch
- far from town
- love the Banana bread at the cafe
- check bistro opening hours

100 Neo Tiew Road, Singapore 719026

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Best time to go: just before sunset.
- unparalleled view of the Marina Bay Skyline
- highest urban craft brewery in the world

8 Marina Boulevard #33-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 Singapore 018981