In part 1, I posted the map we made to take with us to Singapore – we’d plotted places we wanted to visit on it, and we found it indispensable.
Here it is again:
and here (in no particular order) are some of the very best things that we found.
1. The Little Drom Store & Kki 7 Ann Siang Hill
Delight upon delight! This store of treasures is crammed with artisan jewellery, colourful cotton bags, Polaroid cameras, Casio watches, and every other imaginable candy-coloured confection.
To boot, if you exhaust / hunger yourself shopping, there’s a cake stand at the other end of the tiny store:
We discovered the cakes just after we had eaten lunch elsewhere. We were too full to have one just then. Problem? Not at all. They’ll reserve one for you! Mr. Me picked out his heart’s desire, and they moved it off to the side with its own little “Reserved” sign on a tiny wooden stand. Later, we returned …
… and enjoyed this confection alongside the palest, loveliest Green Tea I’ve ever tasted.
2. The Plain 50 Craig Road
We were up so early, our first morning in Singapore, that we wandered the streets for some time before anything opened. By about 9am we were hot, parched, and ready for breakfast, so we sought out one of the cafes we’d marked down on our map.
We weren’t disappointed! Mr. Me finished his scrumptious hot chocolate before I could take a snap:
Our breakfast arrived shortly after, and it was delicious, too: I had the “Darling Eggs.”
We came back the next day, and they recognised us as if we were locals or old friends. How lovely!
Two trips wasn’t enough: on our last day in the city we returned to The Plain one more time, to buy some sandwiches for the flight.
We got teased by the staff at our hostel for eating Western food while in Asia, but we didn’t mind. We spent equal amounts of time in foodhalls, sampling more traditional local fare; but Singapore’s fantastic, independent cafes, like Plain, are worthy of their own accolades, and of our appetites.
While at Plain – and other similar establishments (see below), we met some of the friendliest, hippest people in town. And put our feet up in style:
3. Singapore Art Museum 71 Bras Basah Road
The pictures of the playful, joyful exhibits we discovered at SAM pretty much speak for themselves:
As vivid as the colours all around us were, we found the museum to be an oasis of calm in the bustling city.
In one exhibit, we were invited to construct a piece of cardboard fruit (which you could then exchange for the real thing):
It isn’t often, as an adult, that you’re invited to sit down and do something purely creative, purely for joy.
It made for a very relaxing afternoon.
Okay, I’ve mentioned it before, but we really were smitten with Chinatown, especially at night.
Not only is it pretty, but it was our favourite place to eat and hang out after the sun went down.
It was also the most economical. The funny thing about Singapore is that the same item (e.g. a Tiger beer) will cost wildly different amounts depending on where you go. For example,
… in Chinatown: a cold, extra-large bottle will cost you 5-6 Singapore dollars; plus, you can get an enormous dinner from one of the food stands for 3-4 dollars (no tax, no surcharge). The atmosphere is wonderful – crowded with locals and sightseers alike.
… in restaurants: just down the road in Duxton Hill, a small bottle of the same brand of beer will cost 15-20 dollars; your food will be 25-30 dollars a main (for a smaller portion that at the food stalls), and when your bill arrives you’ll find it topped up with tax (15-20%, from what I remember), and the mysterious service surcharge (which, as far as we could tell, varied in percentage from place to place). The atmosphere is glamourous, and you pay for it.
So, despite the fact that Singapore is known for some rather spectacular restaurants and bars (on our map we had marked down the White Rabbit & Tippling Club, the Screening Room, and Orgo), we found these places on the whole to be overpriced and less interesting than the street life downstairs.
(This isn’t to say that the city’s upscale nightspots weren’t worth a visit – especially the rooftop bars, which offer a glimpse into the glamourous city scene, and spectacular views over the metropolis – but usually, after soaking in all our eyes could digest, and briefly glancing at the menu, we’d head off on our way, back to our favourite nighttime haunt).
5. The city streets
Despite what I’ve just written, our holiday was such a walking holiday (we spent ALL DAY, EVERY DAY combing the fascinating streets) that nighttime usually found us cradling our sore feet (in the comfort of our room) rather than living it up on the town.
We managed to pack in so much every day, though, that we never felt, by evening, that we’d missed out. You don’t have to have much of a plan: if you set out on foot in Singapore, you’ll find yourself seeing amazing things all day.
We passed gargantuan skyscrapers in the business district:
… were swarmed by leagues of school children tourists at the Merlion:
… cooled our feet in the fountains at Raffles hotel:
… met an interesting staff member at a bookshop on Club Street:
… passed by beautiful temples in Bugis:
… and spotted surprising shop window signs in Holland Village.
Alas, this little treasure no longer exists; turns out, it was an “exhibit” on show only for a brief time. We hardly knew how lucky we were to have found it.
Run by the owners of some other small cafes in town, the Steeping Room set out to exhibit coffee in much the same way the cellar doors showcase wine.
You could sign up for a tasting, during which you’d sample all the delights described on their menu:
… or just hang out in the store, which was filled with cool tunes playing on a little turntable, and stocked with specialty coffee pots for sale.
The most delightful part about visiting the Steeping Room was the staff. They were so friendly and cordial to us. A young woman made me a cup of coffee on a machine you can no longer buy (Starbucks bought up all of them in the nineties). Apparently it brews coffee to the perfect temperature. It tasted pretty good to me!
If we ever decided to go and live in Singapore, we’d want to have these guys as our friends.
They were so nice that we wanted to see the other (permanent) cafes with which they were involved, so the next day we set of to find …
7. Loysel’s Toy 66 Kampong Bugis
One of the best things about this little secret was getting there. We took one of Singapore’s incredibly affordable cabs to a station nearby, and then walked.
It was like going into the country for half an afternoon; the sun was beating down, and we passed a temple surrounded by quiet parks.
Beyond the temple, we walked along an abandoned, dusty road. Was this the right way? We weren’t sure, and didn’t really mind. Off to the side of the road, some boys were playing cricket in the heat.
And then, all the sudden, after a bend in the road, there was the cafe – looking for all the world, amongst dripping willows, as though it were miles from any city.
We spent a relaxing hour or so just sipping excellent coffee and basking in this tranquil, unusual little place.
8. The food
I’ve already mentioned the divine confections they make at Kki:
… and the cheap-as-chips delicacies available at Maxwell foodhall (and other Hawker foodhalls):
… but this is only the tip of the giant iceberg that is Singapore gastronomy. We encountered a MAMMOTH ice cream profiterole (at Food For Thought):
… peanut butter and jelly bread-snacks at the Zoo:
… American-style 1950s malteds and club sandwiches at Overeasy:
… as well as a chocolate bar on top of a hotel, $27 Singapore slings (plus tax and service charges) at Raffles Hotel, and Spanish Tapas in Duxton Hill … you need to bring your appetite to this town.
9. The MRT
The Singapore transit system is worth a mention as a destination in itself. It’s clean as a whistle (for a reason; don’t dare to bring food or drink aboard), fast, convenient, and super affordable as a way to get around town.
Inside the trains, there are little signs encouraging you to give up your seat for pregnant, disabled, or elderly people. We also saw a poster for the Singapore Kindness Movement. Don’t you think every city should have a movement like that? We were inspired.
Here’s a poster for the forerunner of the kindess movement, the 1970s courtesy campaign:
10. Sri Mariamman Temple 244 South Bridge Road
I mentioned it already in an earlier post, but this place was really a pinnacle of our trip.
We took this picture on a rainy morning; on the day when we actually went inside, it was scorchingly hot.
Mr. Me spent time in India as a child, and he said that for him, entering this temple was a little bit like going back in time. The feeling of the hot, clean ground on our bare feet felt to him like India did as a child, he said. The incense-laced air smelled familiar, and the chanting of devotees nearby transported him.
Well, that’s all for now – though I could never express in words or pictures the amazing time we had.
If you get a chance to spend time in Singapore – do it!
I hope we’ll get to go back very soon.
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