SHOPPING In Singapore, malls aren’t just shopping conglomerates conveniently bunched together for fuss-free sprees, they’re an entire cornerstone of our quotidian and social life, fulfilling our urge to indulge and linger for a meaningful day,
movies a passing space of coffees
shoes
Hogging the shopping landscape are the big malls on Orchard Road, each worth their weight in retail therapy gold. Leading mainstay Ngee Ann City (391 Orchard Rd) covers the shopping scope from luxury jewelers Cartier and top fashion labels to family favourites Takashimaya Department Store and Asia’s largest bookstore Kinokuniya. Other prime contenders are the fashionista’s haven The Paragon (290 Orchard Rd); the funky scenester’s
The Heeren (260); the label-lover’s Forum the Shopping Mall (583); the cash-to-splash’s haunt Palais Renaissance (390); the mass-appeal crowd’s Plaza Singapura (68); as well as the funky independent’s Far East Plaza (14 Scotts Road, just off Orchard Rd). Off Orchard Road, Marina Square and neighbouring Suntec City, Great World City, Parco Bugis Junction (which spills shoppers over to Bugis Street) are also worth checking out.
bargains
labels meals
events
air-con comfort books
healthcare pampering
sundries
clothing technology
a plethora of fun
And there’s VivoCity (1 Harbourfront Walk. Mrt Habourfront). When it comes to all-life-encompassing superstructures, this conceptual stronghold stands apart from the crowd. Its delightful iconic architecture incorporates a mind-blowing web of shops, an amazing terrace layout of private sunsets as well as the coolest children-magnets like playgrounds and a wading pool. We’d live there if we could.
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The newest kids on the hip shopping block, Haji Lane and Bali Lane are also Singapore’s antidote to mass consumerism, where anything design-curated and statement-making rules. They’ve bent all the rules here: shops that keep the owner’s free time as opening hours (evenings are the safest bet); out-of-the-ordinary displays; level twos that turn into night-time artistry labs or darkened to double as a cinema. They’ve pulled out all the niche stops that big chains don’t do in order to survive. Here, creativity and a full-bodied personality counts for more than the size of your wallet, and the lanes are paved with inspiration... Off Arab Street MRT: Bugis, Buses: 7, 32, 48, 51, 61, 63, 80, 100, 107, 145, 175, 197, 851, 961, 980
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t’s impossible to ignore the allure of a good suburban neighbourhood shopping strip. There’s the unavoidable cry of the quick-witted salesman Oni 3 for $10!; the techno blast of remixed Chinese ballads pumping from the stereo Jus a few leff, come and grab ah!; the eyecatching bling of fancy gadgets on display Today last day hor, don’t miss!. It’s the life and soul of the suburban towns and an anti-tourist trap, if ever there was one. This stuff is so ordinary that it’ll put locals to sleep. But things like $8 shoes and Hello Kitty mobile phone trinklets make authentic souvenirs from our land of shopping excesses. When we’ve run out of good things to buy and just want to spend some cash, nothing beats the neon call of the ‘downstairs mall’. Bargain hunters and kitsch collectors, take special note. You’re sure to fall victim to impulse buys. They’ve used every trick in the book: desire triggering slogans, brand endorsements (or what looks like the Gucci monogram anyway), or just unbelievable value.
shopping in the
Flip the pages to go where the others go
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ANG MO KIO
Blame it on the weather - there’s no escaping the fact that this city works best as one giant, airconditioned mall. Ang Mo Kio town centre unveiled a cool new $340million revamp by linking the bus terminal and MRT station with a wide spreading airconditioned ‘hub’ – well, let’s call it a mall. But AMK Hub is actually better than it sounds. It is like airconditioning the streets, a breath of fresh, cool air in the retail landscape, and definitely nicer than the malls in the city. It’s more accessible, just as well-appointed, and hosts a big variety of household names and trendy independent stores alike, all keeping a larger stock than the cramped outlets in town. When you’re ready to brave the heat, 30 atmospheric blocks of traditional HDB, value-for-money shops are just at your doorstep. It only gets better now. It’s the start of a revolution of the concept of the neighbourhood town centre, revitalising a flagging part of our economy. Other towns will surely follow suit, and we’re just as pleased as you are. Where: Ang Mo Kio Hub (53 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3) and surrounding HDB blocks 700-730 Getting there: Ang Mo Kio MRT station or buses (a selection): 22, 24, 25, 74, 86, 88, 130, 165, 166, 853, CT8,
this is what
FUTURE looks like
tampinescentral WHAT’S HERE: BIG shopping. Even small retailers are busting at the seams and spilling over on walkways, growing aggressively like bougainvillea. Tampines town is so far away from Orchard Road it has created an alternate retail universe of its own. There are mega malls at Tampines Central, and sprawling warehouse-style outlets of retail biggies Ikea, Courts and Giant hypermarket at Tampines North Drive 2. There’s even a free public wireless surfing zone at Tampines Round Market and Food centre (Block 137 Tampines Street 11), so residents never have any reason to hang out anywhere else. WHERE: The cluster of malls and HDB blocks around Tampines MRT station and bus interchange + Tampines North Dr. 2. GETTING THERE: Tampines MRT or buses (a selection) 8, 10, 21, 22, 27, 38, 39, 66, 67, 168. A shuttle bus runs from Tampines MRT station to Tampines North Dr. 2 every 30 minutes, daily.
Nothing to wear?
City City Plaza City Plaza Plaza
is the place you want. An organised chaos of textile merchants, cheap electronics shops and tons and tons of weird fashion, I’m always surprised by the tremendous treasures found between tacky clothing at to-die-for prices. Whenever I get so tired of the chi-chi way of life in Orchard Road, I find myself drifting back to this place and its exciting blend of colours, sights and sounds. Bury myself between rows and rows of anarchy. It’s a great place to observe different kinds of characters, and the occasional Chinese stage performances.
810 Ge yla MRT Pa ng Road ya Leb ar Buses 2, 7, 13 , 21, 26, 40, 51, 67, 70.
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a Ce n t ra ng o Mus t af a b ra n ch at S e h R d , w it ng o o n R d . 65, 66, 23, 64, ra 320 S e re r Pa r k ; B use s 857, N R6. r C3, MRT: Fa 31, 139, 147, ,1 67, 130
Excuse me, where can I find the sugar?
Oh – turn left, go all the way to the end, take the escalator upstairs, cross the bridge, go through the corridor then into the door on the right, go straight, pass the cashiers and it’s on the second last shelf on the left in the second row.
Sheng Shiong Supermarket’s maze of 1001 household necessities and groceries isn’t navigation friendly but makes up for driving you crazy with goods of the cheapest, most authentic and widest variety. These modern markets are our own Parisian cafes, perfect for observing Singaporeans going about their daily rituals. Hang around and observe the fresh meats department, where live frogs are skinned just metres from where they hopped. (Not for delicate stomachs.) As you wonder where the flies have disappeared to, look up. Eugh. Stickytape fly traps with live, writhing insects. Or is that a Chinese delicacy being offered for sale? You’ll be entranced by this place, yet repulsed at the same time. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a spectacle from the comfort of your airconditioned supermarket.
Many branches – try Tekka Mall, levels B1 and 2 on 2 Serangoon Road; check www.shengsiong.com.sg or call: 6481-1218.
You might not have room for its ďŹ ne furniture in your suitcase, but go anyway to bounce on the swish sofas, muse over newly minted ergonomic shapes and daydream of your attitude-swinging penthouse playground. The private helipad may be imaginary, but these inspired objects of art and function from Singapore’s coolest furniture maker will be yours one day, if you can help it.
Somewhere between the shelves labeled
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART you will discover the joy of splendid interior design; GRATIFYING INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS,
ingenious matrices and
sweet, undulating ground
Air Division
Of course, if you want to flip has three main brands: Air #01-18 & Plank #02-19 Park Mall, 9 Penang Rd (MRT Dhoby Ghaut) Open 11.30am-8.30pm daily
Funktion #01-02 Builders Design Centre, 11 Changi South St 3 (in a business park near Expo MRT) Open 11.30am-7pm daily
pages for inspiration,
the gorgeous Page One book store has millions of awesome ones too Page One #02-41 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk MRT Harbourfront; Buses: 10, 30, 57, 61, 65, 80, 97, 100, 131, 143, 145, 166, 855
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We may be a nation of stiffs, but that doesn’t stop the mainly Thai, Filipina, Vietnamese, and other Asian girls from doing us the favour. At regulated redlight districts, of course. If you like your women sexy, adventurous, well-priced, and even with dicks, you’ll fare well at pick-them-lovethem-lose-them mall Orchard Towers (400 Orchard Rd). There are top quality bands and performances at Top Five and iPanema, both in nicely decorated spaces with a clean atmosphere but some dirty clientele. The girls get classier the higher you go. Perched high on the 4th floor is Crazy Horse, a big name full of girls who are looking. And sometimes choosing too, but who knows what they’re into. Drinks at these places aren’t cheap, but it really is the entertainment you’re paying for: bad bands living their rock’n’roll dreams, doe-eyed girls having pajama party girly fun. On stage. With a pole. Nobody talks about them much, but it’s an interesting facet of the city, even if you’re “just checking out the sights”. There are other places too, all quiet, nondescript spaces that would never stand out unless we tell you: Geylang’s legal brothels are on even numbered Lorongs 2 to 30 (watch out for the lighted unit numbers in front of the unit); there’s Changi Village for the shemales and Keong Saik Rd for the budget concious; even the back alleys off Desker Road for cheap, bleak gratification.
scared-to-lose and scared to die
sex
hey sexy, lookin for some fun?
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Mix all the in with chopp gredients with the sauce, sp ed roaste rinkle d of finely grated pin peanuts and a dus ting k ginger bud tip.
Lau Hong Ser Dunman Rd Food Centre, 271 Onan Road; buses 16, 33. (Open from 5pm till late, closed Sundays) Brothers Rojak Blk 449 Clementi Ave 3, #01-211; near Clementi MRT station (closed Sundays)
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Getting a room in any city is an art these days.
Scoff at the commercial rides and made up beaches but they’ll still get you as excited as the next 3-year-old. Sentosa is where the locals go for their own island holiday, and where you should stay when what you really need are tropical beaches, lush jungles and extremely lazy afternoons where entertainment, should you want to do anything, is served on a plate – cheap, piping hot and delicious. There’s all sorts of accommodation on offer here, from basic Hostelling International member Costa Sands Resort (30 Imbiah Walk; tel: 6275-1034; www.costasands.com.sg) to luxurious The Sentosa Resort & Spa (2 Bukit Manis Road; tel 6275-0331; www.thesentosa. com), and boutique Amara Sanctuary (1 Larkhill Rd; tel: 6879-2538; www.amarasanctuary.com). For more accommodations and information, check www.sentosa.com.sg
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tʼs not easy to recommend a “sure-win” hotel, due to stiff price competition and tiny details making all the difference. Your best bet the global is the hotel watchhound www.tripadvisor.com, whose wealth of reviews makes it more comprehensive than this book can ever be. So take a look there, and consult the forums if necessary.
The key thing to remember is that transport is easy and cheap around here, so donʼt let accessibility affect your decision too much. Go for locations with a good vibe, and unless youʼre rough and ready avoid less savoury red-light districts such as Geylang, Little India, and Keong Saik Rd in Chinatown, but even then, this is a safe city so youʼre more likely to win the lottery than be a victim of crime.
sentosa
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BUDGET ACCOMMODATION PICKS:
THE INN CROWD BACKPACKER HOSTEL BEST FOR - MINGLING, HAVING FUN The young and fun-loving crowd enjoy how fun and friendly this place is, perfect for swapping travel tales and tips. Owners Hai and Ping introduced innovative “little luxuries” to allow the tired traveler some creature comforts without burning a hole in the pocket – hence the very impressive toilets and open air roof top showers, spacious air conditioned rooms with spanking shiny timber wood floors WOW: cheap Tiger beer at $4 a pint. That’s about half of what it costs outside. PRICE: $18 per night for dormitories. $48 for a double room. 73 Dunlop Street 5 mins from Little India MRT station Tel: 6296-9169 www.the-inncrowd.com
BETELBOX BACKPACKER HOSTEL BEST FOR - FOOD AND HERITAGE Run by seasoned backpackers Mark and Tony, this 80 year old shophouse has been given a face lift, preserving its heritage feel and fitted with basic modern interiors. Bright, neat dorms and warmly lit large lounge areas make it extremely cosy and comfy. stuff your face silly with Singapore’s authentic cuisines on one of Tony’s food walk around the area - no need to feel guilty because you get to work the extra pounds off at the free gym round the corner. WOW: the dorms are amazingly clean PRICE: From $18 for mixed dormitories. $50 for a double room. 200 Joo Chiat Road 8 mins from Paya Lebar MRT station Tel: 6247-7340 www.betelbox.com
ASPHODEL INN BEST FOR - A PEACEFUL, MEDITATIVE SOJORN An excellent budget choice without resorting to backpacker establishments. In close proximity to a host of beautiful historical temples, the contemporary, lightfilled interiors are quite a surprise given its old neighbours. It’s so quiet and comfy here. Do what I’d do - ask for a room with a temple view and wake up to the soothing sound of prayer chants. PS babysitting services are available! WOW: excellent prawn noodles at the atmospheric coffeeshop next door. PRICE: $68 per night for single room and $30 for extra bed. 380 Race Course Road, Little India 5 mins from Farrer Park MRT station Tel: 6296-9298 www.asphoinn.com
2:30am:
I was greeted by a burst of celebratory colours, avours, and drum beats as I entered the historic compound of Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple (555 Serangoon Rd). My friend Indren had invited me to witness him bearing the Kavadi (a decorative altar pierced to the body) in this annual procession when Hindu devotees carry offerings from various temples to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (15 Tank Rd) in a display of faith. The procession kicked off with a brief prayer before Indren put on his harness, which was elaborately decorated with intricate brass ornaments and peacock feathers. Placed on top of the Kavadi were various offerings and a statue of the Elephant God, Ganesha. He remained composed as the spokes were carefully pierced through his body – on his chest, back and his mouth, through the tongue and cheeks – while friends and relatives rallied around him to the rhythm of high tempo drumbeats. With the entourage chanting and singing while bystanders cheered us on, we walked barefoot through the heart of the
thaipusam thaipusa city to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, where the atmosphere was equally electrifying. Spurred on by a sense of accomplishment, many devotees danced to the intensifying beat of the drums as they entered the temple to present their offerings before the altar. For Indren, the experience was a test of his spiritual faith and this was rewarded when the Kavadi was removed, painlessly and bloodlessly. Thaipusam in Singapore is one of the biggest and most spectacular Hindu festivals outside the Indian subcontinent, celebrated on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai, usually falling in January/February.
Some things are just worth waiting for... Singaporeans know that the good things in life are worth waiting in line for; be it delicious donuts, Hello Kitty, coffee flavoured buns, expensive SOHO apartments or lottery tickets. I can never quite comprehend this strange behaviour, but I can’t say that I am not influenced by it. Whenever I see a queue, the first thought that comes to mind is...good stuff!
MEET/BE A CELEBRITY CHEAP, LIMITED STUFF DELICIOUS NOVELTY FOOD FAMOUS HAWKER FARE SLOW STUFF
No one sweats spending days in line for prime positions at a concert or to meet the stars, or even to join TV talent shows like Singapore Idol. Read 8 Days magazine to find out about the hottest stars of the moment and what they’re up to. The line above forms once a year for one day during the limited enrolment drive for the affordable, highly rated elementary Japanese language courses at Japanese Cultural Society (Midland House 112 Middle Road #05-00. Tel: 6338-3428. www.jcss. org.sg) in mid-December. Queuing for food is a way of life in this country. Even better if they come in unusual flavours like the fluffy donuts at Donut Factory (B1-61, Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road). Queues average a 2 hour wait, every day. There are lots of queues in hawker centres all over (especially at Tiong Bahru Market), but this queue for Yong Xiang’s handcrafted Yong Tau Foo (#01-1084, People’s Park Food Centre, 32 New Market Rd) is the most unrelenting around, starting from 1pm till it sells out around 4pm. You get to sit down while waiting for your fish steamboat at Xin Heng Feng (#01-599 Balestier Food Market, Blk 91 Whampoa Drive) but you’re in the queue nonetheless, and the food will take an average of an hour to get to your table, while being charcoal boiled for its intense salty-sweet flavour
tradition chinese medicine
Deep in the cul-de-sac of the tightly-packed produce stalls is Chia’s Vegetable Supply (#01-201) and its enigmatic proprietor.
The reputation of our miracle doctor had spread far and wide. The health-plagued come from all reaches of the island, lured by her effective herbalist prescriptions. Doctor Tan Lee Kee even forms a potent diagnosis by reading your pulse, before asking “what is your consultation for today?”
“What can I get for you today?” his clear baritone cuts through the hubbub of market din. Tanned and muscular, he looks like an off-duty lifeguard. There is “ladykiller” written all over this merchant and the toothsome beam he reserves for the women. Some of those sifting through the tiny aromatic forests of herbs and salad leaves are definitely more Vogue than Home and Garden. If not for the wet and grimy floor, they looked ready to swoon dramatically onto a blanket of coriander and spinach. Apart from being the gregarious entertainer, Chia is a walking information hub on the vegetable world. The cornucopia that’s his stall spills forth stuff that even locals find exotic. Ferns and wild herbs used in the mind-blowing (and numbing) Indian curries share the crates with fresh rosemary and fragrant basil. How can you bring yourself to pay for restaurantpriced salads when Chia offers them for a mere fraction? Tekka isn’t just about Chia’s, but it might as well be. Ask him what would go well with his produce and he’ll point to the different sections of the cavernous market hall; then send you on the way with the evening’s menu planned, topped off with a dazzling smile.
tekka market Tekka Centre 665 Buffalo Road (off Serangoon Road) MRT Little India Buses 23, 48, 56, 57, 64, 65, 66, 67, 131, 139, 147, 166, 170, 851, 857, 960, 980
Queues start at the break of dawn – the dedicated ones come around 5.45am to be guaranteed a fast turnover. All the day’s sessions are snapped up as soon as the clinic opens, either in person or on the phone. And during the weekends when phone bookings are not accepted, the queue starts forming from 4am. Not everyone attests to her miracles, but the queues never abate – if you’re curious, test it out for yourself. Ying Chuan Chinese Medical Hall Blk 202, Jurong East St 21, #01-117 Tel: 6897-5655 Wed-Sun: 6.30am – 4pm (Thurs: 1pm – 4pm are reserved for Japanese patrons when the physician attends with the aid of a translator.) Public holiday: 6.30am – 12pm
legend 1
Pulau Ubin German Girl Temple
URBAN LEGENDS
For all our forwardthinking and technological advancements, we’re a strangely superstitious lot. I suppose it’s much safer to believe...
It starts with a story about how a young German girl died in Pulau Ubin during WWI. The daughter of a German merchant who owned a coffee plantation there, she fell to her death from a steep cliff when the British captured the plantation and interned the rest of the family. Her remains were exhumed and placed in a Chinese temple on the island. Gamblers praying at the temple attributed their winnings to the spirit of the German girl – its power became so real and efficacious that it attracted locals who immortalised her with offerings of perfumes, cosmetics, mirrors, flowers and fruits. Witnesses have encountered moving shadows outside the temple at night and recently, some members of a filming crew reenacting her life story in a movie production were believed to be possessed on the spot. One vomited repeatedly after touching the urn and another suddenly spoke in German while dressed in the girl’s costume. They believed that somehow, her spirit still lingers in the temple perhaps acting as a ghostly protector of the premises...
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Going to the movies is a beloved pastime amongst Singaporeans. Come Saturday, all the cinemas in town are jam packed – punters are used to long snaking queues at every ticket counter, after which, they get to queue even more for popcorn and soda! While most cinemas in town are equipped with excellent visual and audio systems, each of them attracts a different crowd. The “halls-in-malls” at Suntec City (3 Temasek Boulevard) and VivoCity (1 Harbourfront Walk) are the most popular, offering a complete stress-busting package with Singaporeans’ two favourite hobbies. The Young & Angsty hang out around Cineleisure (8 Grange Road, off Orchard Road), posing with a pout or engrossed with their friends. This is the place to check out the current street fashion trends, catch adolescent smokers or even find your missing rebellious child.
For a taste of the good old days, head for the ever-popular 780-seater Lido 1 (Shaw House, 350 Orchard Rd), one of the island’s last large cinema halls. The Picturehouse ( 2 Handy Rd) is Singapore’s first arthouse cinema and also the island’s poshest theatre. Where else can you can revel in suede Poltrona Frau thrones during a movie, and sip on Moët & Chandon at the connecting lounge? Our most infamous cinema, Yangtze (Pearl’s Center, 100A Eu Tong Sen St) screens movies with maximum nudity and minimum plot-lines. It is not uncommon to see umbrellas opened INSIDE the cinema hall, as the excitable male audiences are known to ‘take matters into their own hands’ during show-time!
Hill d l a r e Em
B
y 9 am on a Sunday morning, Ang Mo Kio Block 159 is jumping. Already there are dozens of people at the blockʼs Mayflower food centre, rubbing the nightʼs sleep out of their eyes with big cups of teh tarik and hot stacks of pratas. Then there are the housewives and caregivers, bustling through the aisles of the complexʼs small wet marketbags overflowing with a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables and the occasional crab or two. But the real stars of this Sunday morning circus are the songbirds. More than 200 zebra doves perched in cages high above a grassy field. To the novice, what you hear is an amateur orchestra of chirps, warbles and screeches (all a little out of tune). But to the old timers, and those that donʼt blink an eye at forking over 5,000 dollars for a champion songbird—itʼs the easiest thing in the world to pick out:
Block 159, Ang Mo Ko Avenue 4 The birds are at their best form from 9 am to 10:30 am. Get there by bus 76, 268, 269, CT8, or SS3. Additional bird hanging areas can also be found at Block 430, Clementi Avenue 3, (near Clementi MRT station).
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Meet Lim Kiong Pin, a musician from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
He remembers his parents bringing him to shows by orchestra groups from China since he was young, and now he plays in the finest in town. The SCO is known for their genre-defying innovations of the melodic Chinese tradition, and you really shouldn’t miss being serenaded under the lush canopy of the Botanic Gardens, where the troupe sometimes perform in addition to regular shows at the Singapore Conference Hall.
Speaking of the city’s magical spots, here are his recommendations:
I recently discovered Vanilla Pod (tel: 6368-0672), a nice quiet restaurant in the Mandai Orchid Garden (200 Mandai Lake Road, near the zoo) and brought my wife there for her birthday. Another beautiful restaurant tucked quietly away is Flutes at the Fort (Fort Canning, tel: 6338-8770), where we had our wedding ceremony.
Other food gems in town?
I enjoy steamboat, especially “ma la” (with a numblingly spicy soup base). Chuan Yi Pin (530 North Bridge Rd) has a wide variety of ingredients and will slice meat for you on the spot. Another favourite is Hometown resturant in Chinatown (9 Smith Street) for authentic Szechuan food. Try “Fu Qi Fei Bian” (a cold dish of sliced marinated beef) and “Shui Zhu Yu” (sliced fish in hot chilli oil), which are excellent. Eat that with ice-cold Chinese beer, and nothing can get better.
Tanjong Pagar Railway Station O
wned by the Malaysian government, the railway station is a slice of our neighbour right in the city. It is hard to find a relic like this now, run down with an old world charm. I love how laid-back it is here. The food here is authentic Malay, and best of all, really cheap. Our favourites are the $1 for 3 fried prawn cakes. Pick what you like and just pay at the counter - everything seems to work on trust here. Pour lots of chili on them - the sour, sweet and spicy taste goes well with the cake. We remember eating this back when we were in school; there was always an uncle waiting outside school on a bike who would pack them in a plastic bag and squeeze chilli sauce out of a mineral water bottle. We all studied at different schools all over the country, so how did it spread so widely?
Find a seat near the tracks and you can catch glimpses of the train and travellers in transit. It’s a throwback to the time when Singaporeans used to be Malaysians. I imagine loved ones being separated by the journey, sad souls lingering aimlessly... You can also sit alfresco on the road where they’ve put up chairs and tables, cars passing slowly by. There is no barrier between the road and your tables, making it unlegislated, and that kind of feels good. Lawless. The tables are right beside saga trees, full of seeds which we used as bullets for our toy guns to shoot girls with when we were young. The toilet is great too. Yes, you read it right. I love its swinging cowboy door, which is a rare find. Just off the Art Deco main hall, which is magnificent in itself. It is a good trip, even without boarding the train. Taking in the food, the atmosphere, the architecture, and our old way of life, down memory lane. 30 Keppel Rd
All tourists do it, so no originality points here, but having a Singapore Sling at its Raffles Hotel birthplace is like singing a love song to your beloved on your wedding day; you look like a geek and it’s a bit of a cliché, but it feels right and you’ll be happy you did it the old fashioned, underthe-palm-swayingin-the-balmybreeze-way.
singapore sling
duxton hill
We took our time on the cocooning hill high on its delicacy and flowers in the air every pretty angle captured our heart while a game of badminton danced across and gravitated downhill quickly Toasting to the winner with dessert and wine; I thought we were in Paris for a little while Duxton Hill is in Chinatown-Tanjong Pagar, but it could be in France for all you know. A cobbled stone street, pretty shophouses, and elegant design studios line the leafy pedestrian thoroughfare. Linger at the photography exhibitions at Kay Ngee Tan Architects Gallery (16-17; tel 6423-0198) and dine at Broth (21; tel 6323-3353).
Ok, so you took your wedding to the road, live with your same-sex partner and adopt kids from Russia – swing back the fine cocktail anyway at the designer den at Singapore Sling Boutique, where the concoction is made with the same original recipe, with added dashes of contemporary flair. Wherever you drink it, your mind is refreshingly clear as the essence of the cool nectar gets to you: you realise why Columbus braved the treacherous seas of exploration and Raffles ventured south to establish our trading settlement – there’s nothing as sweet as the discovery and toast to your own tropical paradise.
Long Bar Raffles Hotel 1 Beach Rd.
Singapore Sling Boutique
#01-05 The Foundry, Clarke Quay, 3B River Valley Rd
I’ve not been to many Chinatowns but it seems that ours is a strange affair. I started noticing this when friends visiting from overseas exclaimed that it must be the cleanest Chinatown in the world. That seems true, but like any other Chinatown, it has electronics storeowners who want to rip off tourists. Ah, so it’s not so weird. Then again, most Singaporeans don’t go to Chinatown for electronics but Chinese knickknacks and the occasional wayang (Chinese opera) shows. Or the well-hidden treasure trove of Nepalese food (Gorkha Grill, 21 Smith St, tel: 6227-0806). Or Singapore’s most important Hindu temple (Sri Mariamman Temple, 244 South Bridge Rd). Or the discreet gay bar (Backstage Bar, which can be spotted only by its rainbow flag. 13A Trengganu St; tel: 6227-1712).
Kudos to the authorities and enterprising residents, who have polished up the area formerly populated by secret societies and gambling houses. Now there are smooth pavements, garish shophouse facades and sleek boutique hotels. I hope they are happy to stop at these. I much prefer laughing at the old men thronging the rundown Yangtze cinema (Pearl’s Centre, 100A Eu Tong Sen St) for soft porn flicks, and watching our elderly looking for treasure at the Sunday flea-mart run by their peers (between block 336 and block 4 Smith St) – rather than the trendy ones run by young designers just some blocks away (MAAD at the Red Dot Design Museum, 28 Maxwell Rd). Chinatown comprises several sub-districts. Here, the writer is referring to the main stretch between Eu Tong Sen St and Pagoda St.
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Growing up practically next to a war memorial had mixed outcomes for me and my siblings. On the downside, Mum refused to take the shortcut home after grocery shopping because she didn’t want to “offer” the fresh pickings from the market to the wandering souls who dwelled there (sing it with me... “there are superstitious writings on the wall...”) But we loved it when Dad took us there for walks and recounted Singapore’s history to us in its immaculate lawns, with the view of Johor in the distance. Whenever I complained, dad would show me the smooth stone columns inscribed with the names of 24,000 soldiers and airforce men from Canada, Ceylon, India, Malaya, Britain, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, who died defending Singapore in WW II, but whose bodies were never found. You can bet I thought twice before grumbling about my lot in life again.
KRANJI WAR MEMORIAL.
When we got older those little treks with Dad stopped, but I still go to the Memorial to catch a beautiful dusk sky and quietly celebrate life among those who died in the hope that we may be free.
9 Woodlands Road; open daily 7am-6pm. Best way to get there is to take an MRT to Kranji Station, and it’s a 7 minute walk away.
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Try Chee Cheong Fun at the many stalls in Chinatown Complex Food Centre, 335 Smith St. (This venue is under renovation and due to reopen in December 2007. The temporary food centre is at 11 Outram Park)
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H
ealth nuts will baulk at these artery-clogging Singaporean foods we locals love so much. Forget about the cholesterol (hey, youʼre on holiday)—you havenʼt tasted Singapore till youʼve sunk your teeth into these:
crispy roti prata cooked in ghee
As a teenager, the bustling 24-hour roadside Roti Prata House was the coolest neighbourhood hangout. Cheap and good food, friendly servers, cute boys who hung out there – what was there not to like? “Prata kosong” is the basic no-frills plain flatbread prata. Check out the menu for the tens of toppings available today – itʼs just like our version of pizza. Try the various toppings or at the very least, ask for a “plaster”. No, youʼre not going to get a band-aid, but a prata with an egg cracked over while it fries. While waiting for your food, watch the prata man as he kneads, flips and twirls a blob of dough in the air to transform it into a paper-thin pancake—itʼs gravity-defying acrobatics at its best, we say. 246M/K Upper Thomson Road; tel: 6459-5260
12-2pm, Central Business District, hawker centres
food fatfatfood
After all, Geylang was the place where I first had my first ‘shandy’ (we concocted our own, by mixing Barons beer and Sprite, at one of those late-night coffeeshops). Way before the craze for Taiwanese street snacks, I was frequenting Yong He Eating House (239 Geylang Road), which served gigantic dough fritters, double the size of what was usually available in the wet markets. They were usually freshly made, served piping hot on the table, comforting with their crusty crunch. It was then when I learnt what is good tau hway zhui (soya bean drink) and tau hway (bean curd). Made in the bustling kitchen, the tubs of soy bean drink were much denser, and the bean curd a silky-smooth quality.
geylang gey lang geylang gey lang geylang geylang It’s a secret I don’t keep anymore – I used to be a Geylang kid. This usually gets a disbelieving response. After all, this is the main red light district of Singapore, where the street springs to life when the sun sets and beckoning red lanterns double up as the “this is a brothel” sign. As a growing teenager, I used to disguise myself with ugly spectacles and baggy clothes before leaving my house along Lorong 26, to roam the streets with friends, eager to discover its gastronomic delights.
My first taste from Geylang Famous Beef Kway Teow (237 Geylang Road) was a revelation – wok-fried flat noodles with a slightly smokey taste, flavourful sauce and deliciously tender beef slices. A while ago, a Malaysian friend of mine arrived in Singapore, and when asked what she wanted to do (see the Night Safari, maybe?), she replied: eat at the beef kway teow store in Geylang. Its fame had preceded our shores. I don’t live in Geylang anymore, but I’ll always return to this hawker treasure trove. I was once asked to bring a group of Michelin-star chefs for a hawker exposure trip, on their first visit to Singapore. Geylang made a perfect ‘hawker safari’. The two stalls above made the list, plus Shi Cheng Frog Porridge (235 Geylang Rd) selling claypot stir-fried frog legs across the road at Lorong 9. The owners had generously agreed to demonstrate how fresh the frogs were – the amphibians were dexterously sliced up, and then quickly cooked. For most, Geylang is about sex and sleaze...but to me, this is the heart of Singapore’s hawker paradise.
Spize
TANGLIN VILLAGE It used to be our best kept secret, but like most good things, everyone’s noticed how well Tanglin Village has bloomed, full of world-class establishments in refurbished colonial bungalows. Its fine antique furniture shops make for a great stroll in the day, but the charming village, which used to be a plantation and army camp, really comes to life at night, with its fine restaurants and bars in a gloriously leafy, atmospheric setting. There’s something for everyone to fall in love with here: good wine (at The Wine Company, Blk 143, or Wine Network, Blk 13); fine foods (Asian, Western and Japanese at Oosh, Blk 22, or Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ, Blk 18C); chill-out lounges Oosh and Hacienda (Blk 13A); and the modernist bistro with the best cakes in town, PS Cafe (Blk 28B, Harding Rd).
the Makan Place In my book, the best place to end a sweaty night of carousing in Singapore is Spize at River Valley Road. It’s the sensible spot to park yourself when your body is in need of some yummy food to soak up the alcohol and ensure (well, at least partly!) that you don’t wake up too hungover the next morning. With a fairly wide variety of Indian Muslim food, your taste buds will be dancing way after your feet have called it a night. I personally recommend their Chicken and Cheese Murtabak (thin dough filled with diced onions, shredded chicken and cheese and fried on a griddle till golden brown) and Milo Godzilla (jumbo sized ice-Milo with a chunky scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of Milo on top). Mmmmm… Heaven…
409 River Valley Road. Open 6pm to 6am Sun-Thurs and 6pm to 7am (Fri & Sat).
central business district (commercial core) orchard road to bugis & city hall
see&do
c ntents
174_Amrita Spa 154_Bar None 24_Chinese Festivals 39_Cineleisure 51_Emerald Hill 154_Hard Rock Cafe 30_Japanese language lessons 39_Kbox 46_Kenko Healthy Foot Reflexology 156_National Museum of Singapore 39_The Picturehouse 154_Three Monkeys
eat&drink 51_Akira 193_Chuan Yi Pin 67_Divine Society 30_Donut Factory 14, 174_Equinox & New Asia Bar 80, 193_Flutes at the Fort 73_Goodwood Park Hotel Deli 74_Iggy’s 57_Long Bar 14, 146_Loof 73_Makansutra Gluttons Bay 136_Roomful of Blues 59_Singapore Arts Cafe 80_Song of India 90_Steeples 94_Tambuah Mas Indonesian Restaurant
RECOMMENDATIONS
design conscious
on a date
watching the wallet
family fun
shop Actually_110 Air & Plank_134 Alldressedup_106 Baylene_106 Benno La Mode_112 Blackjack_106 Boutiques at Fort Canning_141 D’Apres Nous_51 Fancy Faire_141 Far East Plaza_14, 108 Felt_106 JN’s Creation_112 Left Foot_131 Limited Edt_131 Movie Modelmaker Workshop_136 Orchard Rd malls_102 Pretty Corner_112 Swirl Swap Shop_141
sleep Fullerton Hotel_174 Raffles Hotel_174 Ritz-Carlton _174 Shangri-La_174 St Regis_174 Swissotel The Stamford _174
living history
worth the splurge
see&do central west clementi, queensway and holland village
central business district (financial core) chinatown to raffles place & the quays
see&do 24_Chinese festivals 58_Duxton Hill 44_Eucalyptus 58_Kay Ngee Tan Architects Gallery 44_Rustic Nirvana 44_Spa Haven 26_Sri Thendayuthapani Temple 26_Thaipusam 18_Thian Hock Keng 39, 60_Yangtze cinema
shop 104_Ang Siang Rd & Erskine Rd 104, 106_Asylum 18_Books Actually 141_China Square Central flea market 104_Egg3 141_Far East Square flea market 141_Flea and Easy 104, 106_Front Row 126_Guan Antiques 141_Market for artists and designers (MAAD) 126_Odds ‘N’ Collectibles 40, 60_Smith Street collectors flea-mart 131_Sole Central 104_Style:Nordic 126_Tong Mern Sern Antiques Arts & Crafts 14, 131_Venue 126_Viewpoint Trading
RECOMMENDATIONS
Ang Mo Kio lucky altar_28 Ang Mo Kio songbird arena_50 MacRitchie Shinto Shrine_36
eat&drink Xin Heng Feng (fishhead steamboat)_30 Roti Prata House_77 Sing Hon Loong Bakery_92 Singapura Bakery and Confectionery_92
shop
see&do
eat&drink Amoy Street food centre_18, 73 Barfly_108 Boat Quay_150 Book Cafe_59 Booze Wine Shop_14 BROTH_58 Butter Factory_14 Chinatown Complex Food Centre_72 Earshot Cafe_59 Hometown_193 Maxwell Rd Food Centre_78 Mohammed Sultan_150 Red Dot Traffic_150 Riverside Food Centre_78 Saint Julien_80 Singapore Sling Boutique_57 Spize_99 Temple St_14 The Blue Ginger_73 The Cannery_148 Tiong Bahru Food Centre_75 Yong Xiang Yong Tau Foo_30 Zouk_14, 149
Ang Mo Kio Hub_120 L’Artichaut_106
Botanic Gardens_48 Clementi Songbird Arena_50 Biopolis_52 Bios Centre_64
eat&drink Adam Rd Food Centre_94 Au Jardin_48, 80 Brothers Rojak_158 Dempsey_74, 152 Handle Bar_136 Holland Village Bee Hoon_71 Oosh_14 P.S Cafe_14 Provence_88 Rochester Park_74, 152 Zion Rd Food Centre_94
central north ang mo kio, toa payoh, thomson
western outskirts jurong, choa chu kang, bukit batok
see&do
shop Comme des Garcon Guerilla Store_111 Clementi Central_118 Parasilk_138 The Shophouse Fair_141 Queensway Shopping Centre_14, 131
64_Bios Centre 62_Church of Saint Mary of the Angels 162_Jurong Swimming Complex 14_Singapore Science Centre 14_Snow City 33_Ying Chuan Chinese Medical Hall
eat&drink 59_Gone Fishing
sleep
shop
New Majestic_175 Novotel Clarke Quay_172 Scarlet Hotel_174
design conscious
128_Cheok Keuw Bridal Co 124_Hong Kah Point
on a date
watching the wallet
family fun
living history
worth the splurge
see&do central east little india, geylang, east coast
eat&drink Poison Ivy Bistro_56 Sardine Prata_170 Vanilla Pod_193
see&do
sleep
25_Koo Chye Ba Sheng Hong Temple 144_Little India 47_Salon 916 44_Spa Sauvignon 26_Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple 163_Stikfas 32_Tekka Market
Hostel 166_170
eastern outskirts pasir ris, pulau ubin, tampines northern outskirts yishun, woodlands, kranji
eat&drink 144_Bar Baa Black Chic 153_Blue Jazz 87_Durians 82_Geylang 84_Geylang Serai market 73_Jumbo Seafood 14, 78_Katong laksa 156_Lau Hong Ser Rojak 73, 79_Muthu’s Curry 79_Race Course Rd’s Fish head curry
sleep 172_Asphodel Inn 172_Betelbox 172_Prince of Wales 172_The Inn Crowd
south tiong bahru, keppel, and southern islands
Kranji Wat Memorial_63 7-11 lottery hotspot_28 Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve_170
see&do Kusu Island Tua Pek Kong_24 Pulau Hantu_164 Tanjong Pagar Railway Station_54 Underwater World_165
eat&drink see&do 64_Bios Centre 160_Pasir Ris Park 34_Pulau Ubin German Girl shrine 24_Pulau Ubin Tua Pek Kong
shop Beach Road Army Market_170 City Plaza_130 Grandfather’s Collection_126 Haji & Bali Lane_14, 114 Katong Antique House_126 Mustafa_133 Sheng Siong Supermarket_132 Sungei Road Thieves Market_140 The Heritage Shop_126
eat&drink 14_Charlie’s Corner
shop 134_Funktion 122_Tampines Central
Cafe del Mar_147 Il Lido_14 Imperial Herbal Restaurant_73 KM8_108
shop Page One_135 Vivocity_102
sleep Amara Sanctuary_168 Costa Sands Resort_168 The Sentosa Resort & Spa_168
sleep 174_Changi Village Hotel
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design conscious
on a date
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living history
worth the splurge