SG Magazine, July 15

w w w. s g n o w. s g | M PA S W e b s i t e o f t h e Ye a r

Your FREE independent guide to the next two weeks

Ice kacang anyone?

S G M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E # 7 0 2 | J U LY 1 5, 2 0 1 6

what’s on what’s new what matters

In his 3X3 grids, Instagrammer Ron Lin brings disparate parts of Singapore together to gorgeous effect.

See PHOTOGRAPHY , page 9, for an interview.

NEIGHBORHOOD

NIGHTLIFE

TRAVEL

INTERVIEW

Non-Retail Fun on Orchard

Why It’s So Great Right Now

Awesome Okinawa

Singapore’s First Female Boxer

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

page 3

The Michelin Guide Is Here

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cityscape

Singapore Nightlife Has Never Been Better 6 party

10 film

Garden Beats is Back

Exciting Screenings to Catch

Unless you’ve been dining under a rock, the local food scene has been abuzz with the much anticipated debut of Singapore’s first Michelin Guide on Jul 21. While we await the results, here are some random F&B stuff worth their weight in stars.

Best toilets

10 market

10 music

A Design-y Pasar Malam

Tegan and Sara

Also known as a fail-safe escape route should you need to evade a bad Tinder date, no respectable restaurant can do without a strategically-located intimate space for quick exits, or tete-atetes.

18 dining

16 wellness

New Places

Working Out with Friends

Hottest service staff They may not be part of the menu, but who’s stopping us from feasting our eyes on the night’s amuse-bouche?

The longest wait list In true blue Singaporean tradition, the longer the wait list/ queue, the better the restaurant/food—cue Julien Royer’s Odette and fancy Australian grill, Burnt Ends.

22 interview

20 travel

Boxing Clever

Reasons to Visit Okinawa

Most ulu restaurant Gone are the days where back alleys are where you take out the trash. Employees Only, Burger Joint and Maggie Joan’s have made the tiny stretch of Gemmill Lane the place to be seen.

Who's in charge?

Publisher & General Manager Ric Stockfis countrymanager@asia-city.com.sg Editorial Managing Editor Mrigaa Sethi editor@asia-city.com.sg Features Editor Chelsia Tan Web Editor Adam Kerr Editorial Interns Sarah Begum, Mashyitah Binti Mustaffa Design Associate Art Director Carmen Louise Ho Senior Designer Fishy Toh Designer Carmen Chua

Advertising Director, Business Development Intan Agustina advertising@asia-city.com.sg

Finance Senior Finance Associate Nai Rohmat finance@asia-city.com.sg

Senior Manager, Media & Marketing Shernan Plameras Manager, Media & Marketing Lee Wee Keong

Junior Finance and Admin Executive Rusydi Ya’akup

Marketing Marketing Manager Silver Adrienna Ng marketing@asia-city.com.sg

Group Directors Chief Executive Officer Gretchen Worth gworth@asia‑city.co.th

Most hipster-populated venue An old-school shophouse locale, graffiti-ed walls, food served on anything but plates and mis-matched furniture—all hallmarks of a truly successful Singapore F&B venture.

Grumpiest chef On the scale of one to Gordon Ramsay, being nice is overrated.

Group Digital Director Greg Duncan gduncan@asia‑city.com.sg On the cover Ron Lin

Who are we?

Published every two weeks (with daily updates at sgnow.sg), SG (previously I-S) delivers honest, independent and irreverent coverage of the Singapore lifestyle scene. We’ve been recommending what to do and where to go here for 20 years—and we’ve never been more excited about the city than we are right now.

Where to find us!

Bangkok Asia City Media Group 9/F, Room A, Sathorn Nakorn Tower, 100 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand Tel: 66-2-624 9696 Fax: 66-2-237 5656 bkmagazine@asia‑city.co.th

The Asia City Media Group

Singapore Asia City Publishing Pte. Ltd. Block 211 Henderson Rd. #07‑02 Henderson Industrial Park Singapore 159552 Tel: 65‑6323‑2512 Fax: 65‑6323‑2779 contact@asia-city.com.sg

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Awesome events, cool new places, the very best of the next two weeks

High-end, hawker and everything inbetween: news on the drink and dining scene

Hot topics, local initiatives and ideas for making Singapore even better

Because Singapore is only so big: the best deals and destinations around Asia

Fashion, fitness, tech and more SG Magazine is published 24 times a year by Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd., 211 Henderson Road, #07‑02, Singapore 159552.

Tel: 65‑6323‑2512 • Fax: 65‑6323‑2779. Copyright ©2015 Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. The titles “SG Magazine”, “I-S Magazine” and their associated logos or devices, and the content of SG Magazine and I-S Magazine are the property of Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. SG Magazine may not be distributed without the express written consent of Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. Contact the Publisher for ad rates and specifications. All advertising in SG Magazine must comply with the Publisher’s terms of business, copies of which are available upon request. Printed by KHL Printing Co. Pte. Ltd., 57 Loyang Drive, Singapore 508968. ISSN 0218‑8872 MCI (P) 174/12/2014

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

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up front

Our biweekly study of the city’s burgeoning (and dying) trends

Hot: Doing Everything Outdoors

OB INDEX Mindy Tan Huimin

Beatrice Lee Photography

HOT OR NOT

Singapore’s latest news, numbers and dramas at a glance

Charting the ups and downs of Singapore's openness, tolerance and freedom of expression JUN

22 The Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA)’s precursor festival The OPEN kicked off with a controversial instance of censorship. On the opening night of the opening show—Iranian photojournalist Newsha Tavakolian’s collection of humanitarian crises around the world—festival director Ong Keng Sen revealed that 15 photographs would not be shown, per MDA conditions for a licence, and will appear as black boxes instead.

The photos belonged to a series about an armed all-female section of the separatist Kurdish Workers Party in Iraq. The MDA told The Straits Times, “These included photographs of members from a terrorist-linked organization, who had committed acts of violence to further their cause, for example suicide bombing.”

Not: Sweating Outdoors

alantankenghoe

Icemoon

Our penchant for partying in the streets and exercising in parks is showing no signs of slowing down, what with the upcoming Aliwal Arts Night Crawl and the second edition of Garden Beats, both on Jul 30, and all the morning yoga sessions all over town. It’s almost like we are immune to the fact that the weather in July is a combo of blistering heat and random thunderstorms.

Hot: Hairline cracks on MRT trains

Not: Massive delays on MRT trains

It was announced last week that up to 26 MRT train cars were being sent back to their manufacturer in China due to hairline cracks in the body. LTA assures us that the operational safety will not be affected, and that they’re sending the cars back one at a time to minimize impact to train service. We’ll do anything not to face those crazy breakdowns again!

STREET TALK Albert Centre is famed for its local delights at the hawker center, as well as the dried seafood items and textiles on the upper floors. But it’s not just the stores that make up its rich heritage; its store owners play an integral part in its history. And one of them is 72-year-old seamstress, May Tang, owner of Tang Cottage.

But beyond her job, she also likes to sing. She is a member of the Hsinghai Art Association, and with them, has performed all around Singapore and Malaysia. We spoke to her in Malay, and this is her story, translated.

When did you come to Singapore?

Hot: UberPool

Not: Tinder

We’ve been playing with the new and slightly cheaper UberPool where you carpool with a bunch of people going (sort of) the same way. Our initial attempts have made us annoyed at the detours to pick up and drop people off (but hey, that’s the nature of carpool), but delighted at the few cuties we’ve made friends with. Give it a try. You might even find you no longer need Tinder. (Just don’t be a creep about it.)

NUMEROLOGY

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Hours before departure needed to bid for seat upgrades in Singapore Airlines (SIA) new bidding system

Number of residents and former residents of Block 203, Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 tested for latent TB infections in the first round of screenings

$2,000 Fine for those caught for vandalising public property, on top of jail of up to three years and caning of between three and eight strokes.

9,000 Number of dengue cases in Singapore for the year so far

SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

How long have you been doing this?

More than 30 years. Before that, I worked from home at Bedok South and made clothes and did alterations for people living there. I used to go to People’s Centre every month to buy the fabric, zippers and buttons, but I’ve stopped making clothes for about seven years now, and only do alterations.

Have you thought of retiring?

No. I want to do this until I can’t anymore. My husband did ask me to stop because I’m not young anymore, but I told him I don’t want to stay at home and let my mind wither away. People think tailoring

What are some of the problems you face as a seamstress in Singapore?

People like to bargain about the prices of alterations, even though I’ve priced them according to how much work needs to be done. Also, nowadays young people aren’t interested in this trade, so there’s nobody to teach. It’s also a lot of pressure to teach so I rather run the business myself.

We understand that you like to sing.

Oh, yes. I rush over for practice with the Hsinghai Art Association at the Stamford Arts Centre every Saturday at 7pm after work and sing the soprano parts. Every year, we have two performances; one locally and one overseas. Actually, we’re performing at Kuching next month. So, like now, when we’re closer to the performance, we also have rehearsals on Wednesday.

Have you ever thought about going full-time to start a singing career?

No lah, I’m too old now. I like to sing as a hobby and used to sing a lot in the toilet. My favorites were always mandarin and Indonesian songs. Then my friend introduced me to the association and suggested that I joined. 30 years later, I’m still doing what I love. But this tailoring job is my passion, so in that sense I’m very lucky.

What’s one advice you’d want to give to our readers?

Whatever you do in life, you have to face it yourself.

Anything you do, you must be happy. Once you start something, you have to finish it; not halfway and then stop.

Tang Cottage is at Albert Centre, 270 Queen Street #03-35, Singapore 180270. It’s open every day except Monday, from 12-7pm. ADAM KERR

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Number of funpacks prepared by 280 soldiers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for this year’s National Day Parade

(or sign up at sgnow.sg/newsletters to never miss an issue)

Sources: The Straits Times, Channel News Asia

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I came from Medan in 1965 and lived with my cousin. I studied clothes design and tailoring for both men and women, on top of cooking and baking, at a local institution. After that, I married my husband after being introduced by his uncle and had two children. When my daughter was three, we went to Hong Kong so I could learn how to make Shanghaistyle cheongsams and make-up for six months.

is easy but it takes a lot of patience and skill and technical know-how, so it keeps my mind active.

Besides, I love what I do.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

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The essential guide to what's on in Singapore Send your events news to art@asia-city.com.sg, nightlife@asia-city.com.sg, stage@asia-city.com.sg

SHOPPING

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THEATER

Catch local plays at this year's Singapore Theatre Festival

Keep up with the art market trend At Chill AF (Arts Fest), a music and art market by Red Baron, you can expect live music by local bands Disco Hue, Ellipsis and more, along with little knick-knacks like accessories and even a fortune-telling session. Jul 23, Red Baron, Blk 45 Malan Rd., www.redbaronsg.com.

This edition of the Wild Rice-led Singapore Theatre Festival, happening at Lasalle, touches on topics like decolonization, LGBT issues and the lighter side of politics with titles like Hotel, Riders Know When It's Gonna Rain, Geylang and more.

Through Jul 24, LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally St., www. singaporetheatrefestival.com. $110-130.

FESTIVAL

FOOD

Get your food discounts at Sentosa

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THEATER

Watch Broadway and Ah Beng meet on the stage

Quayside Isle @ Sentosa Cove is having its weekday promotion with 10 percent off food at selected restaurants.

Just say "I Love Quayside Isle @ Sentosa Cove" (preferably with a straight face). Through Jul 29, Quayside Isle @ Sentosa Cove, 31 Ocean Way, Sentosa Cove, www.quaysideisle.com/ happening.php.

Broadway Beng returns for its 10th Anniversary Concert, with Hokkien show tunes that'll have you singing and dancing along. Jul 14-31, Capitol Theatre, 17 Stamford Rd. $58-128 from Sistic.

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Show your moves at an electronic picnic festival

Electronic picnic Garden Beats Festival returns to Fort Canning Park with house music by DJ Bakermat and other acts like Moodwax on its roster. There'll be food from Marco Marco, Meatliquor SIN and Lime House, and activities like giant Jenga, social art installations and face painting. Coachella-approved hair preferred. Jul 30, Fort Gate, Fort Canning, www.facebook. com/gardenbeats. $75-125 from Peatix.

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Check out a street food festival

FOOD

With the theme, "Savour the Past, Taste the Future", the Singapore Street Food Festival brings you chef collabs, masterclasses, food trails and cocktail pairings. Don’t miss Streat (Jul 15-16, 5-10:30pm), the exciting two-day food village. Jul 15-31

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MUSIC

Dance and party along the Clarke Quay strip As part of the Clarke Quay Music Jam Series, "Keep on Shuffling with Shuffle" brings you the latest pop and soul tunes by Stage Crew. Let these youthful individuals blow you away with the latest hits as you knock back a few pints of beer and chomp on popular bites like the smoked duck pizza. Jul 20, Shuffle Bistro Bar, 3D River Valley Rd., www.clarkequay.com. sg.

The Clarke Quay Music Jam Series ends off with "Get High with Highlander", the last edition of the series that will fill the night with Top 40's and classic rock by their resident bands, Stereofly and Zyncxation. Jul 21, Highlander Clarke Quay, Block 3B, The Foundry, River Valley Rd., www.clarkequay.com.sg.

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Get into the Brazilian groove with a carnival pool party The second edition of poolside party Singareta, Poolside Brazilian Carnival & BBQ Party, will be held at Owl Bar. Dance to Brazilian samba, pop and house music, sample Brazilian barbecued bites and drink handcrafted spirits. Jul 16, Owl Bar, 2 College Rd., singareta. peatix.com. $53-60. No door sales.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

PARTY

When:

Beautiful Unique Shopping

Weekender THE EXPAT’S

11am to 7pm 12th to 14th August

Entry near Giant Hypermarket and located between James’s Butcher & Co and Quartier

FAIR

Contact: contact@theexpatfairs.com

Where:

Pasarbella 200 Turf Club Road Singapore 287994

Call: +65 8245 7740

Book online at www.theexpatfairs.com

s g n o w. s g

HUNGRY? Get your free guide to over 150 fun and fabulous eateries around Singapore

What’s in it?

16 categories: Brunch, hipster hawkers, healthy lunches, late-night supper and more Search by cuisine and alphabet

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

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now ARTS

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FOOD

Explore folk music heritage with a wind orchestra

Catch the Singapore Wind Symphony at Singapore! A Musical Celebration 5: Listening to the Movies, where they will be performing music scores from local films such as Mee Pok Man, 12 Lotus, I Not Stupid and more. Jul 17, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive. $15.

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PARTY

Join a Barbados street festival in Singapore

Pair hawker food with wine

This mash up of wine and local food returns for the third time this year at the Merchants Hawker Wine Safari. Treat your tastebuds to six pairings of hawker food and boutique wines from Australia and New Zealand, at a secret location. Jul 21, 6:30pm, Merchants Wine Cellar, 443 Joo Chiat Rd., www.store.merchantsofsingapore.com.sg. $88.per person.

The CROP HangOVER 2K16 organized by Cuba Libre Singapore is a music festival that celebrates Barbados music, culture and colors to Central Fountain @ Clarke Quay. Enjoy free flow drinks all night from both CROP HangOVER and Cuba Libre with live music acts or even salsa dance your night away. Jul 22, Central Fountain Square, Clarke Quay, 3 River Valley Rd., www.facebook.com/cubalibresg. $52.50.

PARTY

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Put on your best swimwear

Audio Translate and Eyes To The Front are throwing their first pool party at Sofitel So Singapore. Pool Party with Amine K, will see the likes of DJs Amber H (Singapore), Jonnyvicious (Malaysia) and the founder of Moroko Loko, Amine K, taking the decks. Cover charge of $15 before 4pm comes with a complimentary drink. Jul 23, Hi-So, Sofitel So Singapore, 35 Robinson Rd.

NEIGHBORHOOD 5 fun things to do in Orchard Road that don't involve shopping There's more to Singapore's shopping belt than retail therapy. With a slew of new restaurants and bars, and a huge rooftop hydroponic operation, Orchard Road has some pretty fun weekend activities on offer. Here's what to do.

Barrio by Mex Out

LOAD UP ON MEXICAN FOOD This vibrant fairy-lit joint at 313@Somerset is modelled after a Mexican beer garden and the menu at Barrio by Mex Out keeps to typical Mexican crowd pleasers: quesadillas, taco, tortas (Mexican burgers) and generous rice bowls. You can also get a Margarita if you’re in a festive mood or go with the usual Mexican beer buddies such as Corona and Negra Modelo. #01-14/15 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Rd., www.mexout. com.

GO TRAMPOLINING Modelled after an urban playground with 28 interconnected trampolines. BOUNCE Singapore lets you do variety of activities that involve trampolining such as playing a game of basketball and dodgeball or taking on a challenging obstacle course.

BOUNCE Singapore

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

They are also throwing their first BOUNCE After Dark event, which will be subsequently held once every two months on selected Fridays.

Traverse across the X-Park while enjoying the

pulsating neon club light effects and the latest beats dropped by Radio DJ Mister Young from Power 98FM. The event will take place on Jul 15, from 8pm to midnight at $24 for every hour, with a different colored wristband issued for each hour. Admission rules apply. BOUNCE Singapore, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Rd.,www. bounceinc.com.sg.

BELT YOUR FAVORITE TUNES AT KARAOKE For a pocket-friendly and long-term karaoke option, check out Manekineko, one of Japan’s largest karaoke chains. Their stylish VIP rooms can fit up to 30 people and there’s a self-service bar providing Japanese snacks and drinks to soothe your aching throats. Manekineko *SCAPE, 2 Orchard Link, www.kbox.com.sg.

FLY AN AIRBUS A320 You don’t have to get a pilot license to fly a commercial jet plane. Specifically, the 180-seater Airbus A320. SG Flight Simulations lets you captain a plane with an instructor on hand to guide you, and you can bring two extra friends.

There are different flight packages to choose from—30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes, and you get to pick your destination from over 20,000 worldwide airports, choose your desired weather conditions (rain/snow/clear), and also time of the flight (day/ night). SG Flight Stimulations, 181 Orchard Rd., Orchard Central., www.sgflightsimulations.com.sg.

VISIT SINGAPORE’S FIRST ROOFTOP URBAN FARM Amid the skyscrapers and fancy malls, a group of farmers are hard at work. Comcrop, Singapore’s first commercial rooftop farm located above *Scape produces organic food such as sweet Italian basil, heirloom tomatoes, peppermint and spearmint for hotels and restaurants in the area. Over the weekend, it transforms into a community farm over the weekend with visitors and volunteers, and they also conduct monthly tours. 2 Orchard Link, www.facebook.com/ ComCrop.

now Send your events news to art@asia-city.com.sg, nightlife@asia-city.com.sg, stage@asia-city.com.sg

SHOPPING

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ILLUSTRATION Ron Lin

Fill your shopping bags at a garage sale

The Great Singapore Garage Sale #7 is back once more for its seventh edition in collaboration with Goodman Arts Centre. Stretching over two days, the carnival will bring you goods at bargain prices with an artisan flea market, a farmer's market and live performances. Jul 23-24, Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Rd., www.goodmanartscentre.sg.

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HORTICULTURE

Take a walk through the art of nature

The Singapore Garden Festival is returning for its sixth installment at Gardens by the Bay, featuring award-winning garden and floral designers with highlights such as landscape and fantasy gardens, a display of international flora and an orchid extravaganza.

Jul 23-31, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, www. singaporegardenfestival.com. $12-23.

Ron Lin

Instagram may have amassed 500 million users to date, not everybody uses it just to hoard photos of food, cats and selfies. Local creative Ron Lin (@ronlinrw) is one such user. He’s turned his Instagram account into his creative outlet to cope with the daily grind. He only started curating his feed two years ago, but now, he shares his stories with more than 13,200 followers through a series of nine photos in a three-by-three grid format. Here, he tells us more.

When and how did your interest in art begin?

When I was six, my mom noticed that I doodled pretty much every day. She signed me up for weekly art classes at a nearby community centre. From there, I entered various art competitions and eventually took Art as one of my 'O' level subjects. I continued on this journey, pursuing Visual Communication in Temasek Polytechnic and thereafter BA (Hons) in Communication Design in HK Polytechnic University.

CHARITY

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Show these pooches some love Action for Singapore Dogs is having its A-Dog-tion Drive with over 40 dogs at the Fountain Plaza at Quayside Isle @ Sentosa Cove, from 12-4pm. Jul 24, www.asdsingapore.com/wp.

Cover Up SG Magazine covers celebrate local artists, photographers and illustrators and their remarkable depictions of Singapore.

You have a beautiful and colorful feed.

Can you briefly run through your creative process with us?

Thanks! I usually draw inspiration from song lyrics and music I listen to daily on the radio and Spotify. But sometimes the inspiration comes first, and then I try piecing together photos I already have to make them work. Other times it would stem off an individual shot I’ve taken and I’d continue taking similar shots from there before launching the series. There’s quite a fair bit of editing to be done so that they’ll look seamlessly “stitched” together. Otherwise, the thing that holds the series together would be the shapes that run through the visuals. I’ll also tweak the colors of the photos for consistency sake.

How do you plan your shots and Instagram feed/grid?

Photoshop is my go-to tool. I have the 3x3 grid template so all I have to do is to fill it up with

Instead of using just single photos to express yourself, you use nine photos in a 3x3 grid format. How did this idea come about?

When I first started curating my feed in 2014, it was just a palette of cyan/turquoise which restricted me from posting certain things.

They’re usually images of nature. I had to forgo posting memorable moments with friends because the photos were difficult to tweak. As I scrolled through my feed, I realized it lacked “stories” despite branding myself as a Visual Storyteller. So in 2015, I decided to do up these series, each conforming to a certain style. This gave me more room for creativity without being confined to just one or two kinds of images.

You dabble in a lot of different forms of art – water painting, sketching, photography and of course, graphic design. Is there anything else you’re thinking of exploring?

I’ve always been a fan of Chinese typography, probably because they’re a form of pictograph and I find it fascinating to break the various characters up and create something out of them.

Although I’d like to continue exploring music, typography and graphics in general, they usually take up a lot of time so I’ll only do them when I’m free.

Follow Ron Lin on Instagram @ronlinrw. ADAM KERR

They look so good, we’ve even started hanging them on our walls.

To suggest someone we should feature or to partner with us on this initiative, email editor@asia-city.com.sg

the photos I’ve already edited using VSCO and then shift them around to see which photo fits the grids.

od porn instafo From # igans, shenan to #TGIF through ariously live vic ndy #eyeca our #sg Follow SG on Instagram @sg_now

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

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now Send your events news to art@asia-city.com.sg, nightlife@asia-city.com.sg, stage@asia-city.com.sg

WELLNESS Singapore's newest wellness trend

CONCERT

CONCERT

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Catch this iconic Canadian indie pop duo live

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Don a sarong at this year’s Aliwal Arts Night Crawl

Noughties indie-pop icons, Tegan and Sara, are returning to Singapore to promote their eighth studio album, "Love You To Death". Put on your dancing shoes, as the identical twins' interesting blend of synth-pop will bring you to your feet. Jul 29, The Star Theatre, 1 Vista Exchange Green. $68-228 from Sistic.

16 New Balance Run

Color Run

It seems that drinking and working out have become a power combo here. From pop-up yoga pool parties to running clubs organized by bars, partying and exercising is one way to detox and then retox. Here's where to get in on the action.

Sing your heart out with Selena

After cancelling on us back in 2014, Selena Gomez will finally perform in Singapore for the first time as part of her "Revival Tour".

Fans can look forward to infectious tunes like "Love You Like A Love Song" and "Slow Down" at this concert. Jul 27, Singapore Indoor Stadium, Stadium Boulevard, Kallang. $98-168 from www.sportshubtix.sg.

Mikeller's Running Club had its first run early June and another recently with their MRC Singapore #2 6-8km run on Jul 9-10, which had a special stopover at Druggists for runners to hydrate themselves with beer. They’ll be holding more runs soon but make sure you show up in their MRC drifit singlet at 6pm and you'll get to be a member of theirs for life but don't forget your credit card, of course. Mikeller Bar Singapore, 120A Prinsep St., mikkeller.dk.

SHOPPING

You can also check out other party and exercise runs like the upcoming New Balance Run On 2016 on Aug 20 that has Wunderbar as their official beer sponsor. They're promising free craft beers for runners after the 7km race at their NB Pop-up Festival and they're also having DJ sets by A/K/A (ATTAGIRL!). $45, Gardens by the Bay East, www.nbrunon.sg.

The Color Run is back at Sentosa from Aug 20-21. Sign up for the 5km run and get the chance to be bathed in colored powder, while island-themed music keeps you motivated.

You can reward yourself with the alcoholic drinks available for purchase at designated booths. $65 for Regular Color Runner (early bird rate at $55). Sentosa Beach Station, Palawan Green., www.thecolorrun.com.sg.

And if you're not into the idea of moving too much, then you can stay on a mat by joining Outta Hatha Yoga's on Jul 17 for their pop-up Yoga + Brunch III: Fire Up Your Core at Gilman Barracks. There is an after workout brunch at Red Baron's Farmers' Market which also happens to sell draft and craft beers. Class walk-in rates are at $20. Red Baron, 45 Malan Rd., www.redbaronsg.com.

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Shop at The National Design Centre’s big and quirky pasar malam Singapore’s first design-centric pasar malam, Singapasar, returns for its second run at the National Design Centre with over 35 vendors selling handmade and artisanal goodies from local craftsmen and designers who’ll be joined by tenants Kapok, Keepers, Onemaker Group and Tanuki Raw. Jul 29-31, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Rd., www. facebook.com/thefarmstore.sg.

ARTS

Soak in the traditional vibes of Kampong Glam with contemporary art at the Aliwal Arts Night Crawl. Besides free performances, this themed party will include a batik trail, a flea market by The Local People, and a sunset community yoga session. Jul 30, Aliwal Arts Centre, 28 Aliwal St., www.aliwalartscentre.sg.

FILM 5 reasons it’s great to be a film buff in Singapore Movie buffs in Singapore have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, with international film festivals, outdoor screenings, big-deal local films and even a controversial Bollywood title in theaters now. Here are a few reasons to get excited.

The Projector

JAPANESE MOVIES EVERY SUNDAY Hot on the heels of Sundays with French Cinema, Cinewa is The Projector’s new Sunday film segment and a prelude to this year's Japanese Film Festival Singapore 2016. They’ll be featuring titles like Guilty of Romance, a film about a murder in a love hotel district and Lesson of the Evil about a model teacher at a private high school with a menacing secret beneath his appearance. Jul 17-Aug 28, theprojector.sg.

A BOLLYWOOD FILM MIRED IN CONTROVERSY Udta Punjab is a new Bollywood crime-thriller film about a rockstar, doctor, policeman and migrant labourer who are all connected through the rampant drug trafficking and abuse in the rural Indian stage of Punjab. The film faced censors back in India for depicting wayward youth and social degradation, and involved the Supreme Court stepping in to tell the censor board to back off (what a novel idea!). www.gv.com.sg.

Films at the Fort

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

SOUTHEAST ASIAN FILM NERDS HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME In case you missed it, the National Gallery's Southeast Asian film series Painting with Light is still going strong, with a line-up of the region's "best cinematic stories told over the past 100 years" screened the first weekend of every month. The series pairs an old film with a recent one on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

On Aug 6 & 7, you can catch 1967 Malaysian film Sesudah Suboh by the legendary P Ramlee and 2003 mockumentary The Big Durian by Amir Muhammed, dealing with racial tensions in KL. www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/highlights/ painting-with-light.

THE ANNUAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL (YES WE HAVE ONE) IS BACK IndigNation Queer Films has just announced their line up happening over two-days The Projector. The opening film is Strike A Pose, based on the lives of seven young male dancers before and after they toured and starred in

Madonna's Truth or Dare. Other films featured are Papa Rainbow, a story on China's fathers and their experiences with LGBT children, and That's My Boy, about Sonu, who struggles with his biological gender. Aug 5-6, www.facebook.com/ IndigNationQFF. YOU CAN WATCH MOVIES UNDER THE STARS Sure, spending $30 to see an old movie without air-conditioning seems a bit much, but that's not going to stop you (and us) from catching a movie or two at Films at the Fort. Along with a nice reclining cushion (not included in cost of ticket), you can buy gourmet fare lobster rolls, pizzas, burgers and ice cream sandwiches from their food stations. The line-up has some nostalgic classics like Forrest Gump and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, along with more recent harmless dramas like The Many Who Knew Infinity and Brooklyn, more serious stuff like Amy and Mon Roi, along with comedies like Anchorman. Aug 11-21, www. filmsatthefort.com.sg.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

City Slicking

How to spend a day at downtown’s most exciting precinct. ocated right in the heart of Singapore, Capitol Piazza is the destination for a dazzling variety of dining, shopping and entertainment choices. Here are some of

MARKLIN ANG

the best things to do around the mall, so be sure to check these places off your list.

9am

8AM

Go for a scenic walk at the Marina Bay Waterfront and soak in the sights at the ArtScience Museum and the iconic Helix Bridge.

12P M

Tuck into a hearty lunch at Nalan Restaurant (B2-54) , which serves authentic vegetarian North and South Indian dishes.

Branché Hair & Nail

9AM

Have a scrumptious local breakfast at Food Republic (B1-20/27) , a dining enclave offering popular Singaporean and Asian dishes.

Simply Aesthetics

Organic Hair Professional

10:30A M

Pamper yourself with relaxing wellness treatments at Branché Hair & Nail (B1-33) , HighBrow (B2-16) , Simply Aesthetics (B1-28) , Organic Hair Professional (B2-43) and O Medical Clinic (01-64) .

Like and follow us capitolpiazza

Villeroy & Boch

To Be Calm

Simmons

1:30P M

Indulge in home shopping at lifestyle boutiques like posh tableware label Villeroy & Boch (01-74/76) , fragrance store To Be Calm (B1-16) , mattress specialist Simmons (02-25/26), florist Poppy Flora Studio (02-24) and luxury home accessories brand Daum (01-69/71) .

www.capitolpiazza.com

ADVERTORIAL

Tokyo Gallery by Musée Collection

Visionairs Gallery Asia

Eagle’s Eye Art Gallery

3 PM

Be inspired by a wide range of art pieces at Tokyo Gallery by Musée Collection (02-13) , Visionairs Gallery Asia (01-65) and Eagle’s Eye Art Gallery (01-60) .

6pm

4:30PM

Rest your feet while you snack on waffles and ice cream at popular dessert café Geláre (B2-32) .

6P M

Have dinner at Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant (02-27/29) —don’t forget to order their famous roast duck.

11P M

End the day with a nightcap at TAP Craft Beer Bar (01-K1/K2) , a watering hole that has 20 rotating craft beers available on tap, and over 80 different craft beer labels from all over the world.

8 PM

Explore Snapshots of Heritage at Capitol Piazza, a nostalgic photography exhibition showcasing images of forgotten places, people and memories, on till Aug 11.

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13 Stamford Road Singapore 178905 | T: 6499-5168

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city scape

Employees Only

Kult Kafe

Silent Disco

NIGHTLIFE

Party A-Plenty

15 reasons why Singapore nightlife has never been hotter.

By Mrigaa Sethi

2

016 is shaping up to be a fascinating year for Singapore nightlife. While mega clubs continue to do their thing, adding some daytime parties and boozy brunches to the mix, and our cocktail bars continue to wow the region, there has been some exciting movement in other areas: tons more outdoor party series, small venues admirably upping their programming and local entrepreneurs bringing us new music festivals, craft spirits and electro picnics.

1. Our bars are legitimately world-class We may fly out of the island for lots of reason, but better drinks is definitely not one of them. 28 HongKong Street (28 Hongkong St., www.28hks.com) came out on top at the first-ever Asia’s 50 Best Bars list back in April, with cocktail bars Manhattan (1 Cuscaden Rd., www.facebook.com/ manhattansg), Operation Dagger (7 Ann Siang Hill, www. facebook.com/operationdagger), Jigger and Pony (101 Amoy St., www.jiggerandpony.com), Tippling Club (38 Tanjong Pagar Rd., www.tipplingclub.com), D. Bespoke (2 Bukit Pasoh Rd., dbespoke.sg), Gibson (20 Bukit Pasoh Rd., www.gibsonbar.sg), Anti:dote (80 Bras Basah Rd., www. facebook.com/AntidoteSingapore) and Sugarhall (102 Amoy St., www.sugarhall.sg) also appearing on the list. Singapore’s impressive tally of nine bars tied with Hong Kong and beat out Japan by one.

2. The world’s fourth best bar now has a branch here New York City’s Employees Only (112 Amoy St., www. facebook.com/employeesonlysingapore), which ranked #4 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2015, is now open on Amoy Street. It retains its Prohibition-era vibe just like its New York flagship and you can expect raucous late-night partying and friendly hospitality—the last batch of revelers will be served warm cups of chicken soup upon closing. The all-important cocktail menu has highlights like the EO Gimlet, made with Perry’s Tot Navy Strength gin and lime cordial, and Ready Aim Fire, a mix of mezcal, lime juice, honey-pineapple syrup and Hellfire Bitters.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

3. You can now get a Paloma for under $15 Nick Haas, formerly of The Cufflink Club, took over KTV on Boat Quay and made it all American. Skinny’s Lounge (82 Boat Quay, www.facebook.com/drinkskinnys) is all shabbychic, with a pool table out front and dingy-cool low ceilings and graffitied bathroom walls inside—to say nothing of the ‘90s pop and hip hop playlist. The best part, however, has to be the Fast & Cheap cocktails like the Paloma and the Americano, both $15. The other new place for a cheap Paloma is Chimichanga (36 Dunlop St.), a new Mexican dive bar on Dunlop Street (amid all the vegetable stalls), which serves cocktails ranging from $12-15.

4. There are more pool parties than ever Opportunities for daytime drinking and splashing about in your bathing suit are proliferating with more places launching pool parties series. Tanjong Beach Club (120 Tanjong Beach Walk, www.tanjongbeachclub.com) has just launched its Eternal Pool Party Series, and Owl Bar (2 College Rd., www.owl-bar.com) is also hosting another edition of Singareta (singareta.peatix.com), its barbecue and caipirinhafueled, Brazil-themed affair on Jul 16.

5. The party has spilled into the streets—in broad daylight Smaller outdoor events like the ones by Koi Izakaya on Haji Lane, Sunshine Nation on Circular Road and Sundays at the Training Shed have been a thing for a while, but 2016 saw

Gallery & Co

street parties hit a whole new high in Singapore. Sunshine Nation did its first-ever Garden Beats Festival (www. gardenbeats.com), an outdoor, daytime electro picnic-party in Fort Canning Park, back in March. The design-y, communityfostering Lopelab (www.facebook.com/lopelab) organized two editions of Urban Ventures, a car-free daytime-tonighttime event on Keong Saik in late April; Potato Head Folk with support from Singapore Tourism Board no less, did the Keong Saik Carnival (www.facebook.com/keongsaikcarnival) in late May; and even the Getai Group (www.facebook. com/thegetaigroup) moved down from the People’s Park Complex rooftop for Getai Soul in Pearl’s Hill Park. There are no doubt many more such parties to come, starting with a second Garden Beats Festival on Jul 30 with Dutch producer Bakermat headlining, a full line-up about to be announced and early bird tickets going for $75 ($125 at the door).

6. We have two—not one—of the best clubs in the world In April, DJ Mag announced its annual Top 100 clubs list, and lo and behold, despite Singapore’s steady move towards the boutique, the outdoor and the daytime, two honestto-goodness clubs from the Lion City made it on to the list.

Retaining its hold on the top 10 yet again is good ol’ Zouk (17 Jiak Kim St., zoukclub.com), which moved up one spot to #6. Bringing our grand total from one to a whopping two, though, is the vertiginous Ce La Vi (1 Bayfront Ave., www. sg.celavi.com), which rebranded from KU DE TA last year, coming in at a decent #90. After a new name and a sprucing up of the premises, they’ve added lots of daytime drinking events and a glam boozy brunch to their roster of fun events.

Mikkeler Bar Singapore

Ce La Vi

Tanjong Beach Club

7. Even fancy museums are encouraging us to dance We’ve been getting our drink and snack on at Art After Dark at Gillman Barracks for a while now, but seems like every major art venue has an evening party these days. Gallery & Co (1 St. Andrew’s Rd., www.facebook.com/GalleryandCo) over at National Gallery Singapore now has a monthly block party (the last one in June had Darker than Wax’s Daryl C. & Kaye spinning) and the next one’s on Jul 22.

8. We’re making our own craft gin American expat couple Simin Kayhan and Rick Ames recently founded Singaporean craft spirit company, Paper Lantern Distilling (www.drinkpaperlantern.com), to produce spirits made entirely with Asian ingredients. A few weeks ago they launched a Pozible campaign (www.pozible.com/ project/205027) for their first product, the Sichuan Pepper Gin, a rice-based craft gin distilled at a facility in Chiang Mai. With the Sichuan pepper as its backbone, Sichuan Pepper Gin also uses ingredients like ginger, galangal, lemongrass, honey and the Thai spice makhwaen.

9. Small venues are going for the win Thanks to a couple of key openings and new iterations of longclosed clubs, the cozier side of nightlife has been blossoming this year. Small clubs like Cato (237 South Bridge Rd., www. facebook.com/catosingapore), started out wanting to be more of a restaurant but is clearly doing a much better job being a club. We still remember with fondness the very cool (and, at $35, very cheap) show by Madrid girl band Hinds at the new Kult Kafe (11 Upper Wilkie Rd., www.facebook.com/kultkafe) on Emily Hill, site of frequent dance parties and the new incarnation of the Training Shed party, Sunday on the Hill. Also a great place to party in a low-key way is Red Baron (Block 45 Malan Rd., www.facebook.com/sg) at Gillman Barracks, which is hosting the Chill AF music and arts market on Jul 23.

Beach Beats Festival

10. The craft beer just keeps coming Just when we thought the craft beer bar invasion was slowing down, there has been another inundation around the city, from TAP (15 Stamford Rd., www.tapthat.com.sg) at Capitol Piazza to Freehouse (21A Boon Tat St., freehouse.com.sg) on Amoy Street to the very flattering opening (there are only a couple in Asia) of Mikkeller Bar Singapore (120A Prinsep St., www.facebook.com/MikkellerBarSg) on the grounds of DECK. Most exciting of all, you can now have fancy beers with your Tian Tian Chicken Rice, with the opening of 3rd Culture Brewing Co. (1 Kadayanallur St., www.facebook. com/3rdCultureBrewingCo), a hawker stall pulling fancy beers, a la Smith Street Taps, this time at Maxwell Food Centre.

11. Silent discos maybe here to stay London’s Silent Disco (www.facebook.com/silentdiscoasia) party series came to Singapore back in May, with a one-time event at Kult Kafe. The idea is simple and fun: you get a pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, and there are three DJs simultaneously spinning disco, electro and rock. Tune into the channel you want and dance with the crowd.

12. There’s a pre-Zoukout on National Day Making its debut, the superclub’s Beach Beats Fest (www. facebook.com/BeachBeatsFest) will be held on Palawan Green at Sentosa with a legit line-up of local and international artists.

Headlining the event is producer/DJ wunderkind Mark Ronson, who has worked with Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars and Adele.

Another exciting act to catch is Ta-Ku, an indie Australian musician who mixes trippy, synth beats with R&B and hiphop, DJ Sam Feldt and local singer-songwriter Charlie Lim. Ticket prices range from $88-2,500. Early bird passes are now available at $78.

13. Our homegrown music festival is back for a second year After a very ambitious, two-day, two-stage, fringe-eventpacked inaugural edition, Singapore’s very own music festival Neon Lights (www.neonlights.sg) is coming back Nov 26-27 at Fort Canning Park. The full line-up is forthcoming but we already know the headliners are Foals and Sigur Ros. Early bird tickets are $120 for a one-day pass and $195 for a weekend pass

14. Japan’s hottest sake distillery is coming to Singapore Dassai (www.asahishuzo.ne.jp/en), known for its premium junmai daiginjo sake from the Asahi Shuzo brewery in Iwakuni, Japan, is launching its first international pop-up bar in Singapore for a period of six months. Located at the new Japan Food Town in Wisma Atria, it will feature the exclusive Dassai 23 Centrifuge, a machine that separates completed sake from its lees—giving a “cleaner” finish. The premium Dassai Beyond will also be available along with sake cocktail Sakura Sling and sparkling sake. Food wise, there’ll be bites such as a Dassai cheesecake made with sake. A Dassai sake tasting set of three 20 ml junmai daiginjo retails at $20, and you can buy sake from the bar by the bottle.

15. Even working out comes with drinks It seems that drinking and working out have become a power combo in the wellness scene in Singapore. Mikeller Running Club (www.facebook.com/MikkellerBarSg) had its first run early June and a 6-8km run on Jul 9-10, with a special stopover at Druggists to hydrate runners with beer. If you’re not into the idea of moving too much, then you can stay on a mat by joining Outta Hatha Yogas (www.facebook.com/ outtahatha) on Jul 17 for their pop-up Yoga + Brunch III: Fire Up Your Core at Gilman Barracks. Check out more wellnessdrinking activities on page 10.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

15

The latest openings and hottest trends in Singapore

WELLNESS

Fitter with Friends

Singapore Tourism Board

island

Singapore’s wellness communities for those who like to work out in a group. By SG Staff

Funzing Singapore

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

L

ately we’ve seen a fair share of outdoor yoga sessions, a juice crawl and even an upcoming superhero-themed run, and if you’ve been wanting to get even fitter without signing up for long-term memberships at high-end gyms, fret not.

We’ve rounded up some local community groups that you should bookmark, so you can enjoy fun activities as and when you like, and make friends at the same time.

YOGA

CYCLING

The people behind the affordable pop-up yoga session at Fort Canning Park and yoga pool party at Orchard are all about practising in a relaxing and social atmosphere, with sessions as low as $5. If you’re keen to give Urban Yogis a shot, look out for more pop-up sessions at the places like Botanic Gardens, Haw Par Villa and Marina Barrage. www.facebook.com/urbanyogissg

Whether you’re looking for a leisurely two-wheeled ride with fun people around Singapore or more intense biking to tone your legs, My Bike Group is for you. Join them for a ride-before-breakfast session at Simpang Bedok or cycle under the stars (and have supper after).

Their activities are star-graded according to level of difficulty (distance and endurance), so you don’t have to worry about having to keep up with the pros if you’re just a beginner. www.meetup.com/My-Bike-Group

If you prefer sunset yoga by the beach, check out Yoga Seeds and their monthly Sunset Bossa Flow sessions at breezy and scenic locations such as East Coast Park and Sunset Bay. www.facebook.com/YogaSeeds

TREKKING Adventurous community Trailblazers @ SG regularly organizes outdoor activities from trekking, rock climbing and backpacking, to camping and road trips. Membership is free. www.meetup.com/Trailblazers-SG Sweat it out with like-minded people at Singapore Adventurous Nature Lovers as you explore places like MacRitchie Reservoir and Bukit Timah Reserve. Hardcore types can join one of their overnight trekking trips to nearby islands such as Pulau Ubin or further to Nepal this October.

They also organize sport climbing and cycling activities. www.facebook.com/Singapore.Adventurous.Group

FITNESS It doesn’t matter which neighborhood you’re in, there’s Singapore Fit Club, a community of fitness enthusiasts offering eight community workout sessions in your neighborhood plus pre and post-workout shakes, an assigned coach and access to health events at only $38 ($8 for first timers). www.fitclub.sg Fitness Kakis holds canopy walks, vertical climbing trainings, zumba and yoga sessions, maritime trails around Singapore and even sunrise hikes in Malaysia. www.facebook.com/FitnessKakis

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

CCK Cyclists organizes events and rides throughout the year ranging from weekly fitness and training rides, relaxed socializing rides, and overseas cycling tours.

They hold regular Friday Chill Night Cycling around the island, making a loop in Changi Village or Lim Chu Kang, and no, it’s not exclusive only to residents of Choa Chu Kang. www.meetup.com/cckcyclist Join this large group of bike-lovers for their 5am weekday rides to charge you up before work, or push your limits on their weekend rides. Singapore Joyriders also hold cycling sessions for newbies so you don’t feel left out. To be part of the crew, you have to purchase their jersey. www.facebook.com/groups/6324827050

RUNNING This friendly community is all about encouraging Singaporeans to be fit through running. Join Run To Walk SG’s weekly 4.8km run at Bedok Reservoir and you can also get a performance assessment so you know how to run better. All you have to do is sign up for free on their page. www.facebook.com/runtowalksg This diverse group consists of all kinds of runners— from first-timers to marathon veterans. Purple Lights focuses on organizing enjoyable runs around Singapore from Wednesday evening sessions in the city, to various locations on Sunday evenings. www.facebook.com/groups/purplelights

Urban Yogis

Woodlands Waterfront

If you’re joining your first marathon, or are a seasoned runner looking to push yourself further, you’re in luck. Kikikukiki Runners hold regular 5K after-office runs at various scenic places such as Jurong International Business Park and Labrador Park. ww.facebook.com/kikikukiki.runners SG Freedom Freaks are bunch of runners meet every weekend for LSD (Long Slow Distance) sessions at various locations from Changi Village to Mount Faber and even Pulau Ubin. www.facebook.com/groups/sgfreedomfreaks

ONLINE PLATFORMS Funzing Singapore is an event platform for individuals and communities to promote their fitness and wellness sessions.

Activities range from kickboxing, street dance, pop-up zumba to yoga sessions. www.facebook.com/FunzingSG In case you didn’t know, the Health Promotion Board has been hosting a series of one-hour mall workouts where you can get fit while shopping. There’s tons of activities to choose such as zumba, yoga, piloxing, and KpopX fitness. For an updated list of shopping malls and activities, go to www.healthhub.sg

join our birthday celebrations ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS From 11 to 31 July, both restaurants will launch three classic Italian dishes with a twist that will only be available in the little red dot.

Guests can enjoy a delicious Beef short rib, a classic Jamie recipe with a Singaporean twist, or treat themselves to a Venetian duck pasta, inspired by Jamie's Italian mentor, Gennaro Contaldo. There's also a homemade Pork & ricotta ravioli on the menu – created by Jamie's Italian Singapore's own culinary team.

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WIN FREE MEALS FOR A YEAR JAMIE’S ITALIAN SINGAPORE IS TURNING THREE & AS A SPECIAL TREAT WE COULD BE GIVING YOU FREE MEALS FOR A WHOLE YEAR To be in with a chance of winning, claim your entry card & collect six stamps at either restaurant from 11 to 31 July 2016 Don’t miss out book now at www.jamiesitalian.sg

583 Orchard Road, #01-01/04 Forum Shopping Mall Tel: 6655 7676 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-165/167 VivoCity Tel: 6733 5500 jamiesitaliansingapore @jamiesitaliansg FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

17

eats

The inside scoop on Singapore’s dining scene

BREAKFAST

Brunch For Days

Raffles Hotel

All-day, Saturday, Sunday, free-flow Champagne, cafe cool—we’ve got it all. By SG STAFF Common Man Coffee Roasters

S

ometimes you might just want to stay in bed a little longer on the weekends, and there are times you might actually take the extra effort to head out to indulge in a good brekkie. This list of some of the most exciting brunches in Singapore lets you do both.

ALL DAY, EVERY DAY

SATURDAYS ONLY

Common Man Coffee Roasters

The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill

It’s hard to say what we like more here: the fussy, makeem-10-different-ways, house-roasted coffee or the elevated but squarely rustic brunch options that we haven’t really seen anywhere else. The Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($25) is a popular choice, but also amazing, is the Veggie Wonderland ($24), eggs with haloumi and spinach. #01-00, 22 Martin Rd., www.commonmancoffeeroasters.com.

Start the party early every Saturday (11am-3pm) at this waterfront seafood bar and grill with a new menu of classic American brunch items. Dishes like crumbled bleu cobb, crab cakes, snappie pie and seafood bouillabaisse can all be had at only $35++ per person. What’s more, there’s free flow prosecco too. #01-01 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd., www.thepelican.com.sg.

The Lokal

SUNDAYS ONLY

This pretty blue-and-white tiled spot in a heritage building on Neil Road feels a bit like brunching in Melbourne or Berkeley. Mix and match from over 20 side options like toast, avocado, cauliflower and cheese, grilled sausage, eggs and lots more. Or go for one of their decadent plates of lobster roll ($22) or French toast ($16). 136 Neil Rd., www.thelokalsingapore.com.

Long Chim At Long Chim, a la carte selections from its weekend brunch menu range from house favorites like spicy pork with rice cakes to green curry with chicken and eggplants, available from 12-4pm. The buffet includes cocktail choices such as the Siracha Bloody Mary and Mandarin Mimosa. $60++ per person. #02-02 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave., www.longchim.com.sg.

WEEKENDERS

Artichoke It won the Best Brunch category in our Readers’ Choice Awards, and for very good reasons. The unique brunch options at Bjorn Shen’s Mediterranean-meets-graffiti-chic restaurant are hard to find anywhere else. We’ll gladly get out of bed and queue at 11am (or make a reservation a couple days in advance) for their hearty, pickle-kick cauliflower sabbich ($22) and the to-share lamb-packed shakshouka ($25). 161 Middle Rd., www.artichoke.com.sg.

Open Door Policy Tiong Bahru’s hip and refined restaurant has recently updated their brunch menu too, with highlights like the Champions’ Breakfast ($20) with homemade granola, acai berries and grilled plantains, and the Grilled ODP pita wrap ($26) with light smoked salmon and scarlett mustard. 19 Yong Siak St., www.odpsingapore.com.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Long Chim

Aura From 12-2:30pm, you can gorge on 40 different types of antipasti, mains and desserts. There’s a seafood bar, charcuterie and roast meat stations serving fresh oysters, and prime beef with a choice of grain mustard, Dijon mustard, rosemary jus or apple sauce, alongside free flow Perrier Jouet Champagne. $148++ per person. #05-03 & #06-02, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Rd., www.aura.sg.

Open Door Policy

Edge This four hour-long champagne brunch (12-4pm) is perfect for those who prefer to dine gastronomic style. What’s new are their caviar bar, a jumbo burger station, peking duck station and two additional cocktail bars—with unlimited Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne, and a selection of cocktails and wines. $178 per person. Level 3 Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Blvd., www.panpacific. com/en/singapore.

Artichoke

Lime

Oxwell & Co

In an airy light filled dining room, dig into an assortment of poached prawns, mussels, sashimi and more at their seafood bar, or go for the more meat-centric offerings of roasted wagyu topside, leg of lamb or traditional German schnitzel. It’s all surprisingly affordable at just $68++ per adult. Parkroyal on Pickering, 3 Upper Pickering St., www. parkroyalhotels.com.

Join their Sunday roast or get your ala carte fix of their panroasted grouper fillet ($32), roast free-roam chicken breast ($36), served with yorkies, roast potatoes and gravy. 5 Ann Siang Hill., www.oxwellandco.com.

Lolla This hip tapas restaurant is now open for brunch on Sundays from 10:30am-3pm, with a la carte, brunch-only highlights like baked Shropshire blue cheese omelette ($19), beef tongue hash ($25), as well as popular plates like sea urchin pudding ($22) for half portion, $42 for full portion. 22 Ann Siang Rd., www.lolla.com.sg.

Raffles Hotel F1 may be months away, but Raffles Singapore is already gearing up with the one day-only Formula One Champagne Brunch. On Sep 18 from 12-3pm, the hotel will reopen its lobby for guests to dine on buffet spread items spanning from premium seafood to a variety of meat cuts, with free flow Billecart-Salmon Champagne. $318++ per person.

Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd., www.raffles.com/singapore.

eats Nippon Express

NEW AND NOTED

Chimichanga Lilly Lee

Japan Rail Cafe

The first travel-themed café is set to open in Singapore in Nov—and it’s Japan bound. The Japan Rail Café, managed by East Japan Railway Company (JR EAST) will be located at Tanjong Pagar Centre.

Aside from featuring Japanese gourmet bites from Tokyo F&B outlets, there will also be monthly pop-up retail booths selling kawaii items from shopping malls inside JR EAST’s train stations. The place will also be a one-stop service center for your next trip to Japan and you can buy rail passes and chat with bilingual agents making off-thebeaten-path recs. The cafe will also host monthly workshops about the different destinations and Japanese-themed cultural events. For updates, check out www.facebook.com/japanrailcafe.

Bochinche

3rd Culture Brewing Co.

Beast & Butterflies

Hip Argentinian Bites

It’s already hip and happening but in recent weeks, Amoy Street has been especially so, with a slew of new bars and restaurants joining the mix. The latest is not a new one, but an old favorite from Martin Road. Argentinian restaurant Bochinche has joined the party with a swanky interior and a casual vibe. On the menu are their tried and tested signature small plates like chorizo croquettes, alongside new choices of empanadas with braised cuttlefish or spinach filling. Their new chargrilled Argentine main courses include grilled octopus with pickled mussels, black tomatoes and burnt onions; and ocean-fresh whole fish of the day served with corn, farro, basil and almonds beurre blanc. Two-course ($27) and three-course ($32) set lunches are also available. #01-02 115 Amoy St., 6235 4990, www. bochinche.com.sg.

Tech & Taste

New restaurant and bar Beast & Butterflies offers Asian-Western fusion flavors alongside artisanal cocktails at the stylish, Philippe Starck-designed M Social Singapore. Furnished with lava lamps, video projections, table-top TV screens and walls mounted with 40 tablets of contemporary art, the restaurant serves a buffet breakfast ($20 per person) and a lunch set that comes with a range from one to three courses ($19.80-29.80) with local and Asian-inspired dishes like Mee Tai Mak Laksa ($16). Hearty mains include the Great Rack of Lamb with steamed glutinous rice ($36) and the Beast Burger with a wagyu patty ($28). For drinks, try their signature mixes like the Asian Beauty—a fusion of classic Asian citrus and cachaca ($28). M Social Singapore, 90 Robertson Quay, 6206 1888, www.msocial.com. sg/restaurant.

Ay Caramba!

If you find happiness in a cheap taco and a margarita, then this cool Mexican dive bar should send your heart aflutter. Located on an otherwise chaotic and vegetable-packed Dunlop Street in Little India, Chimichanga is a humble set up with a no-frills menu: tacos and quesadillas come with carnitas, spicy chicken or shrimp fillings ($10), and other bar bites range from jalapeno pops ($10), chipotle wings ($10) and patatas fritas ($8). Don’t miss their beer bucket promotion—a bucket of five is at $30 and $40 from 11am-7pm and 7pm-12am respectively, with choices of San Miguel, San Miguel Light, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Tennents Lager and Tennents Stout. We’re also curious about their mezcal margaritas. 36 Dunlop St., 6293 3314, www.facebook.com/chimichangaSG.

Balmy Brews

Maxwell Food Centre just matched Chinatown Food Centre with its own uber-cool craft beer dispensing hawker stall. 3rd Culture Brewing Co. has nine taps (with three more on the way) and offers an international range of craft beers from breweries such as Brewdog, Stone Brewing Co., Eight Degrees Brewing and more—with prices starting from $8 for a 12 ounce cup. Look for a stall opposite the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice, or as the owner says, “Follow the hip hop beats blasted from the stall,” and you’ll find their beer. #01-33 Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St., www. facebook.com/3rdCultureBrewingCo.

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19

escapes

Holidays, hotels and insider travel news

Peace Memorial Park

JAPAN

OK Go 5 ways to start your exploration of Japan’s tropical islands of Okinawa. By Ric Stockfis Sea grapes

Cape Hedo

Naha, Great Tuf of War

Bise Village

Shuri Castle

C

loser to Shanghai and Taipei than they are to Tokyo, the 100 plus islands of Okinawa are a world away in spirit too. Famous for white sands and turquoise waters, it’s a destination that’s long been popular with domestic tourists dreaming of the island life. But with overseas visits reportedly up 70 percent last year and new flights being added apace, it’s not likely to stay off the mainstream radar for much longer. And while the continuing US military presence overshadows much of the main island of Okinawa-Honto, it’s still significantly less busy and considerably more laid-back than the mainland. The capital city of Naha is also where you’ll fly into, even if you’re planning to explore further afield, making the main island an obvious place to spend some time at either end of your trip.

1

Explore Underwater

Okinawa is home to what was, in the early aughts, the world’s largest aquarium: Okinawa Churaumi (JPY1,850 ($23.70) entry; www.churaumi.okinawa), near the town of Motobu, one of very few in the world to display whale sharks. But, frankly, it’s depressing to look at so many captive creatures when there’s a wealth of life immediately offshore.

If you do find yourself in this part of the island, the traditional village of Bise, with its sandy, tree-lined lanes and beachfront setting is a much more rewarding use of your time, with Café Cahaya Bulan (www.cahayabulan.com) a very pleasant lunch stop. Far better, if you’re interested in the marine world, to get in the water yourself. Cape Manzamo is a hugely popular snorkelling and diving spot, famous for its Blue Cave—though it’s now so busy we’d recommend you avoid it. We heard much better things about Cape Hedo in the north. And the diving gets better the further out into the archipelago you go, with serious scuba lovers drawn to remote places like Yonaguni island (a 90-minute flight from Naha), in search of schools of hammerhead sharks and mysterious underwater rock formations. Reef Encounters (www.reefencounters.org; +81 9 8995-9414), based inOkinawa City, is one of the few operators with English-speaking instructors and can help arrange trips to some of the more far-flung destinations.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

2

Eat well (and maybe live a little longer)

Okinawans are among the world’s longest-lived people, at least in part thanks to the local diet. Given the island location it’s no surprise they eat a lot of seafood, but they’re also big on tofu, bamboo, and pretty much anything pickled. You’ll see the purple Okinawan sweet potato everywhere and folks here eat more seaweed (including a local variety called mozuku) than anywhere else in Japan. Thanks to historic ties with China, pork crops up more frequently than it does on the mainland, including in the Okinawan classic goya chanpuru (bitter gourd stir-fried with pork, tofu and egg) and local favorite mimiga (shredded pig’s ear). You’ll also find pork ribs served with chewy oki-soba. And the islands are a great place to sample umi budo or sea grapes, fresh seaweed served up with a side of vinegar. One of the best places to try all of these items is Makishi public market in Naha (2-10-1 Matsuo; open from 8am-8pm), where you can pick your produce from the vendors on the ground floor and have the restaurant upstairs cook it for you.

3

Learn about the islands’ chequered history

The islands of Okinawa saw some of the fiercest fighting in WWII, with the huge casualties dissuading the Allies from invading the mainland. Many of the key battle sites are in Mabuni (a 45-minute drive south from Naha), where you can tour the old navy headquarters, a national cemetery, and the Peace Memorial Museum (JPY300 ($3.80) entry; www.peacemuseum.pref.okinawa.jp/english). Shuri Castle in Naha, for close to 500 years the royal court and administrative center of what was—until Japan annexed it at the close of the nineteenth century—the independent Ryukyu kingdom, was also destroyed in the Allied attack, but has since been rebuilt and reopened as a World Heritage site (JPY820 ($10.50) entry; www.oki-park. jp/shurijo/en). It’s also the site of the three-day Shuri Castle Festival held in late October (this year’s edition starts on Oct 28), which sees traditional dance performances and a colorful re-enactment of a coronation ceremony in front of the castle, as well as on the streets of Naha. Also in October (this year on the 10th) is the Naha Great Tug of War, another lively street festival and celebration of local culture, the centerpiece of which sees teams up to 15,000 strong pull a 200 meter-long rope weighing more than 40,000kg (no surprise then that it’s a Guinness World Record).

ESCAPE ROUTES

Okinawan rail

Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach

4

Go in search of the local wildlife

While adventure lovers are better served on outer islands like the jungleclad Iriomote-jima (sometimes nicknamed the “Japanese Galapagos” and home to an indigenous type of wildcat; it’s an hour’s flight to Ishigaki and then a ferry ride away), Yanbaru, the forested northern tip of OkinawaHonto, offers trekking and wildlife-spotting opportunities of its own. Bird-lovers come in search of the extremely rare Okinawan rail, a near-flightless bird found nowhere else in the world, and other endemic species like the Okinawa woodpecker and the Ryukyu robin.

You might also be able to spot the Ryukyu flying fox and the deadly habu snake. You can trek to the Hiji Waterfall (JPY 500 ($6.40) entrance fee), which at 26 meters is Okinawa’s highest, and, though it’s only a 90-minute round-trip hike, camp in the forest at the trailhead (JPY2,000 ($25.60)) if you want to spend more time there. It’s a two-hour drive from Naha.

Pot making at Chuko distillery

5

Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta

Knock back the local liquor

Awamori is the Okinawan take on shochu, made from long-grain Thai rice, an indigenous black mold and water (unlike sake it’s distilled not brewed). It’s commonly aged for at least three years and often for 25 or more, after which it becomes more potent and is known as kusu. There are some 48 distilleries in the islands, though the Chuko distillery (www.chukoguro.com), a 10-minute drive from Naha airport, is the only one that continues to make the drink in a traditional pot still— and it’s helpfully open to the public. You can see the pots themselves being made, watch a demonstration of the distilling process, and sample the wares yourself while you’re there.

Admission and tasting are free.

Essentials GETTING THERE It’s not easy right now as there are no direct flights. Your best bet is to go via Taipei with China Airlines (www.china-air. com), which flies through Taipei from $690 return (journey time is around 8h30m). Consider asking a travel agent though— we flew direct with SilkAir (www.silkair.com), which had a number of chartered flights Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel running in June. Note that the island is not particularly easy to get around, and so we’d strongly recommend renting a car: try Budget (www.budget.com) at Naha Airport, which has vehicles starting from around $50/ day including taxes.

Flights to the other islands with ANA (www.ana.co.jp) and JTA (www.sg.jal.com) start from $280 for foreign travelers, regardless of destination.

WHERE TO STAY The nicest place we stayed was Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel (www.senagaspa.jp), a luxe spot right by the ocean, and only a few minutes from Naha Airport. It’s a great place to start or end your trip, with an in-house onsen, open-air baths with sunset views in some rooms, and a smattering of cafes and restaurants on the headland next to the property.

Rooms start from JPY9,600 ($120) per night. Other upmarket options on the main island include a Hyatt Regency in Naha (naha.regency.hyatt.com) and the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa (www.ritzcarlton.com/Okinawa), inside a golf course north of Motobu.

Snoopy Museum Tokyo

Yonaguni underwater ruins

St.Regis Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA

Kuala Luxe St. Regis Kuala Lumpur (goo.gl/173HKb) is the Malaysian capital’s latest luxe hotel opening, and follows hot on the heels of the brand’s expansion into Langkawi.

Supposedly taking its cues from Manhattan high-rises, the hotels offers 208 elegant rooms and suites (from 62 sq meters to 137 sq meters)—all with walkin wardrobes. Big-spenders can live it up in the 371-sq-meter Royal Suite, which is accessed by a private elevator and comes with an en-suite massage room and gym. But for now only the Deluxe rooms are available—opening rates start from RM1,084 ($362). The highlight might be the six in-house restaurants and bars including Taka by Sushi Saito, the first restaurant to open outside Tokyo by three Michelin-starred chef Takashi Saito, and Ginza Tenkuni, a branch of a 131-year-old Japanese restaurant that serves Edo-style tempura. The hotel is handily located right next to Kuala Lumpur Sentral train station, within spitting distance of attractions like the National Monument, Sri Kondaswamy Kovil Hindu Temple and Little India.

INDONESIA

Time of the Season Sprawling, suffocating Jakarta often gets a bad rep. But things might just be looking up for your next business trip with the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.

Located in the business district of Jalan Gatot Subroto, the all-suite hotel boasts 125 rooms with Four Seasons’ usual impeccable interiors. An outdoor pool and terrace offers panoramic views of Jakarta’s (often smog-filled) skyline. Guests can also get drink at the ground-floor Nautilus Bar or get pampered in one of their eight spa rooms, which include two VIP couples’

Snoopy Museum Tokyo

suites and a hammam. Room rates start from Rp3,888,000 ($397) including $100 worth of hotel credits.

PHUKET

The New Pearl After a recent opening in Hua Hin, Marriott hasn’t wasted any time unveiling the new-look Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach (goo.gl/ bDDAg3). Situated on the Northern end of the island, a bit south of Phuket International Airport, the completely refurbished resort is home to 180 rooms surrounded by the lush tropical forests of Sirinath National Park. On-site venues include the beachfront Big Fish grill restaurant and bar, all-day Thai and international spot Andaman Kitchen, and Quan Spa. Room rates start from a pretty friendly B3,499 ($134) for the Deluxe Garden View.

JAPAN

Snoop Around Japan now has the first museum outside of the United States dedicated to the work of Snoopy creator Charles M. Schulz.

At the Snoopy Museum Tokyo (www. snoopymuseum.tokyo), you can browse rotating exhibitions of Schulz’s original artwork (the opening exhibition, My Favorite Peanuts, runs through Sep 25 and features work selected by the late artist’s wife, Jean Schulz), grab some West Coast American-style bites at Cafe Blanket, and shop for Peanuts and Snoopy products at Brown’s Store, which includes many items designed exclusively for the Japanese branch. It won’t last forever, though. The Snoopy Museum Tokyo only has a two-year timeframe, and is scheduled to close in Sep 2018.

Until then, tickets cost ¥1,800 ($24).

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

21

last word

Nurshahidah “The Sniper” Roslie Nurshahidah “The Sniper” Roslie came into the spotlight when she became Singapore’s first female professional boxer, winning both her professional fights at this year’s Singapore Fighting Championship. On Jun 10, the 28-­year-­old headlined the SFC 3: The Next Chapter, where she won the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) Female Inter­Continental Super Featherweight belt. Here she tells Mashyitah Binti Mustaffa how she got started, what it’s like training while you’re fasting and what her family thinks of her unconventional career.

As a child, I enjoyed P.E. lessons and sweating it out with the boys during recess. I also played soccer and basketball. When I took up taekwondo, I wanted to try out for the national team but after getting my black belt, I felt very stagnant.

I didn’t see myself progressing further.

when I’m fighting, I tend to wait, probably so I don’t tire myself out, and I go for clean shots.

It’s very difficult to get people to support you, and when you go out there and invite people to watch your fight, most would think twice about spending money to go. Financial support is scarce in a sense.

Most people would rather go for a secure job, even if it’s not what they really want to do.

For a school project, I had to observe a kickboxing coach. Along the way, I learned about the sport, picked it up and grew to like “One question I get it. Later, I switched from kickboxing to boxing, and I actually took up classes asked a lot by my with that coach I was observing and relatives is, “Is it trained for two years under him.

For a period of time, I stopped. I had no drive, maybe because I was burned out from training and not getting in any competitions. A friend introduced me to a coach in Genesis Gym who helped me tweak my diet and placed me in weights training. He made sure that I felt good about myself again and shortly after, I had a fight and I won.

That sparked the fire in me again.

not painful?” And During my first boxing match, I was up against girls who were trained I’ll say that it’s not

by Arvind “The Juggernaut” Lalwani, as bad as it looks.” and I won. The following week, my coach closed down the group and introduced us to Fightworks Asia, where Boxing has been quiet for a very long time, Arvind was teaching at that time. He’s been coaching and we need to build up the hype. Everyone’s me since, now under the Juggernaut Fight Club. talking about MMA [mixed martial arts]. Even when I tell people that I’m a boxer, they’d ask One question I get asked a lot by my relatives is, “Is it if I do MMA. So there’s still a lot to be done. not painful?” And I’ll say that it’s not as bad as it looks.

They’re more concerned about my safety, but they’re I want to be known as someone who paved the way proud of me when they hear my name in the news. for female boxing in Singapore. If I can’t earn the thousands and millions now, at least I’ll have paved a I wanted a ring name that started with the letter S, way so that other female boxers know that they can and it was difficult finding one which relates to boxing. go further if they train hard. There are opportunities The Sniper is a perfect fit for me. I watched my out there, and that’s what I’m trying to prove at the old fight videos, and I noticed that I have really moment. As long as you treat it as a proper career, long arms. Snipers are long range weapons, so like any other career, you can make a living out of it.

I thought it would fit nicely. I also realized that

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

If a student I’m relief­-coaching tells me that they’re having second thoughts, I would ask, “What do you want out of this? How far do you want to go?” If you’re going to have regrets, don’t even pursue it because you’ll end up saying that you’ve wasted your time.

It’s Ramadan, and I’ve been fasting, so I plan my training timing to make sure I don’t push myself too hard. Diet­wise, I water­load at night instead of daytime.

It doesn’t affect my performance much and I can still train, although I do feel a bit thirsty at times.

When I was preparing for my fight in Taiwan, I had to give up my favorite rendang dish during Hari Raya as I had to make weight. A relative of mine makes really good rendang, but she’d keep some for me in tupperwares to freeze and eat after my fight. I cannot miss rendang.

It’s definitely a must­-have every Hari Raya.

I’m putting my childhood dream of becoming a police officer on hold a bit longer. I applied for a job as a police officer while I was working at the gym, but I was rejected in the last round of interviews. Since I could only reapply after six months, I decided to continue pursuing professional boxing, to see where this leads me to. My boxing career is doing pretty well at the moment. When I decide to retire from boxing, I’ll try again.

I’d really love to freedive in the Caribbean. I’ve never freedived before, but I read up on it. I know it takes a lot of training because you need a lot of stamina to freedive, but I’m hoping my boxing training somehow helps me achieve that.

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