Things and Places Not To Be Missed in Singapore: Food

A trip to Singapore would not be complete without tasting the unique local food fare that have impressed many famous foodies such as Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. There is a wide selection of food items to choose from so you can throw that diet plan out the window. Heh.

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At the heart of the food scene of Singapore are the hawker centres. For those not familiar, these are the local versions of a food court. Hawker centres contain several food stalls that offer various cuisine to entice the hungry traveller. Another great thing about them is that the prices are very affordable (A meal would range from around S$ 3 – 5 only). Some of the famous Hawker Centres are Lau Pa Sat located in the central business district, Newton Food Centre is Newton and Maxwell Food Centre near Chinatown.

Hawker Centre in Bedok

• The Chicken Rice is one of my favorite local food. As the boyps explained to me, it is named as such not because of the steamed / roasted chicken but the how the rice is prepared as well. In the episode of No Reservations in Singapore, Anthony Bourdain explained that the broth where the chicken was cooked is used to cook the rice as well to add flavor.

Chicken Rice

• Satay is skewered meat (usually chicken or beef) that is grilled or barbequed and accompanied by peanut sauce. This makes a nice alternative to the barbequed meat that I am used to in the Philippines.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

• I have never been big on spicy food but I am rather fond of the chilli crab. Some say not as spicy as they were expecting, the sauce is semi-thick made of tomato and chilli sauce. Paired with deep-fried buns, this makes for a very good meal. This is served on restaurants such as Jumbo Seafood and No Signboard Seafood as well as on some hawker centres.

Chilli Crab

• I love, love, love cereal prawns! These are deep fried prawns that are coated (and covered) with cereal. Ask for the de-shelled ones for the best dining experience. The best ones I’ve tried are from Jumbo Seafood.

Cereal Prawns

These are just some of the many good things to eat in the Lion City. Check out Lori’s 4-part Dessert Comes First feature on Singapore for more food stuff.

Happy eating!

Things and Places Not To Be Missed in Singapore: Attractions

Despite it being the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, there are a lot of things to see and do in Singapore! For people who are in this island city-state for just a couple of days, here are some of the places that I think are worth visiting.

Remember to wear comfortable footwear because you are in for a lot of walking and always bring an umbrella since the weather can be fickle in this side of the world.

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The City is a nice place to start getting acquainted with the Lion City.

• Stroll through Suntec City and its many shops, check out Duck and Hippo Tours for their sightseeing packages. The largest man-made fountain in the world, the Fountain of Wealth is located here as well.

Fountain of Wealth

• Ever heard of a subterranean mall? The City Link Mall is one. What is cool is that you get to shop and eat while on the way to other places of interest. You can go to Marina Square or to Esplanade via the link. And it goes directly to the City Hall MRT station which is awesome.

• Not far from the City Hall MRT is the Raffles Hotel where the famous Long Bar is located and where the Singapore Sling was invented. Oh and feel free to throw the peanut shells on the floor as this has been a long-standing tradition.

• Get your gadget therapy in Funan DigitaLife Mall. If you’re in the market for a new phone, laptop, music player, game console, and other electronic gizmo, this is where you must go. Be sure to compare prices between shops to get the best deals. And don’t forget to ask for the GST Refund form upon payment!

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Ranked #5 in Luigi Di Serio’s Top 15 Skylines of the World, the City at night is a sight to behold. The City Skyline, Esplanade, Fullerton Hotel, Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands are a must see for photography enthusiasts who like taking night shots!

Marina Bay Sands under construction

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What is great about the Singapore Zoo is its “open zoo” concept. Unlike most zoos, the animals are not seen inside cages but rather in what seems like their natural habitat. The visitors are protected by moats, water ways and plants. There are animal shows during the day as well as a chance for visitors to feed and have pictures taken with the animals for a nominal fee. Walk around the zoo or choose to ride the tram to go around while waiting for the Night Safari to open.

White Tiger at the Singapore Zoo

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The Night Safari is a unique experience and one of the best attractions of the country. The set-up is similar to the “open zoo” concept of the Singapore Zoo but with a tropical rain forest setting. Visitors can start with the guided tram ride that takes them to the different areas. You can hop off the tram should you decide to go through the different walking trails. Another highlight of the Night Safari is the Creatures of the Night show which is a performance by the animals. Oh and make sure to turn off the flash of your camera!

Pink Flamingos at the Night Safari

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Visit Chinatown if you are in the mood for a spot of shopping and to see the Chinese cultural influences. Trinkets such as key chains, figurines and other souvenir items are sold in the several shops lined up in the streets.

Busy street in Chinatown

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Sentosa Island is probably the most famous tourist destination in Singapore. It’s an island resort with several attractions to provide a varied selection of experience for the visitors.

• The Merlion and Merlion Walk is an alternative for those who have not had the chance to go to the Merlion Park in the city. There is a viewing deck at the mouth of the statue where visitors can see a bird’s eye view of Sentosa (for a fee, of course).

• The Underwater World is an oceanarium that houses thousands of sea creatures ranging from sea angels, rays, sharks, crabs and other similar animals. Bundled with the ticket to this attraction is the admission to the Dolphin Lagoon which is home to the pink dolphins! Be sure to catch the show to get a glimpse of the dolphins playing and doing tricks with the help of their trainers.

• Songs of the Sea is my favorite of all the tourist attractions! I’ve seen it three times but I never get tired of watching it. Be prepared to be amazed by pyrotechnics, laser and water show! [TIP: There is another gate at the left side of the main entrance wherein visitors can queue up. Try to get the front and center seats to get the best view of the show!]

Songs of the Sea

These are just some of the usual tourist haunts in Singapore. Visit Singapore is a great guide to the other places of interest and it even offers an itinerary planner that can be customized depending on your preference.

As the Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) said in third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, “Welcome to Singapore!”

Things and Places Not To Be Missed in Singapore: Shopping

The Merlion

Truth be told, I’ve heard a couple of people I know complain about how boring Singapore is. One even said this just after a day of roaming the city! I find myself disagreeing with them however. Being a constant visitor of the Lion City, there are still a bunch of places that I haven’t been to but I’m keen on seeing.

That being said, there are places and other attractions that I highly recommend seeing (or in some cases, eating) which may or may not be seen prominently in the more popular guides to Singapore.

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Shopping is one of the main reasons people visit Singapore. There are certain items that are less expensive when bought here (which may surprise some since most stuff are costly). And there are stores here which do not have branches in the Philippines.

My favorites:

• Kinokuniya is a big ass bookstore located inside Takashimaya Shopping Center in Orchard Road. Their graphic novels section is a sight to behold. And don’t get me started on their art / design section. Other than books, they also carry Moleskines, DVDs, LOMO cameras as well as art and school supplies. I spotted Makoto Shinkai’s Voices of a Distant Star sold around S$ 24. And I nearly cried when I saw LARGE Moleskines (almost the same size as half of a cartolina!). There are a couple of branches in the city but I recommend going to the main branch in Takashimaya, it being the largest. They even have maps in the customer service area to guide you inside the store!

MUJI store in Bugis Junction

• MUJI is a Japanese retail store that sells a variety of things from household items, clothes and food items as well. There are currently four branches in Singapore. What makes this store special, I think, is mainly their minimalist design. As a person averse to silky things (and similar materials), their clothes made of organic cotton are heaven-sent. Plus, their notebooks are awesome.

• Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing store that debuted this year in Singapore. Their first store is in Tampines One mall and another branch in the newly-opened ION Orchard. They offer unique graphic and statement tees as well as other basic clothing items such as jeans and underthings. Their prices are quite affordable as I found out later on. I remember seeing a massive queue outside waiting for their turn to go inside the store during their first week of opening. A friend even said that one of his colleagues filed for a leave just to visit the store. Wow.

• HMV is no stranger to people from UK and Canada. HMV (which stands for His Master’s Voice, a painting by Francis Barraud, A.R.A. of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone, according to Wikipedia) is a store that sells a wide selection of music and movie CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. They also have other offerings such as shirts, some books and headphones and music paraphernalia. The main branch in Heeren Mall in Orchard spans three floors! There is another branch at the City Link Mall near City Hall MRT, where I got my copy of Say Anything and Grandma’s Boy.

Swedish meatballs, chicken wings and rice

• IKEA. IS. AWESOME. It is a Swedish company that sells household items and pieces of furniture which are flat-packed and sold at an affordable price. I like that they have several furnished areas to highlight how the items work together and how they maximize the space. And another thing that I love about IKEA is their cafeteria which serves yummy Swedish meatballs and other European fare. And look, they have Akevitt!

• Anchorpoint Mall is located in front of the IKEA branch in Alexandra Road. What makes this mall special is that it houses several outlet stores which may appeal to the shopaholic. The boyps’ mother and sister had a blast going through the items in the Charles and Keith here because the shoes and bags are cheap(er than in Manila). Shoes and bags can cost from S$ 12 -30. The catch however is that there are limited sizes and stocks. If you prefer newer designs, I suggest going to the City Link Mall branch. Other stores in Anchorpoint are Billabong, G2000 and Giordano. Again, not a lot of styles and sizes to choose from but if you’re patient enough, you might find some great bargains.

Oh, don’t forget that as a tourist, you are entitled to get a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the items that have been purchased from shops that participate in the Tourist Refund Scheme. You will need to request a form from the said shops which you will then fill-up and submit at the GST Refund counters located at Changi Airport. A S$ 100 minimum purchase from the participating shop on a single day is required to be eligible for the refund. This can be a single receipt or at the most, three receipts which amount to S$100. More details regarding GST Refund and Tourist Refund Scheme can be found here.

When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it’s not, and I need to do it again. -Rebecca Bloomwood

Look At The Stars, Look How They Shine For You

Good bye and thank you, Tita Cory!

You will be remembered well.