Singapore
I traveled to Singapore for five days in November 2018 for work. While it wasn’t my first time in this glittering shiny Asian city, it was my first time rediscovering Singapore as an adult, and I was excited to explore (and let’s face it, really excited after watching Crazy Rich Asians three times! Don’t judge me.). Unfortunately, our grueling work schedule didn’t leave me with much time for adventures, so here’s a little disclaimer for this guide: I did not get to visit everything I list here, (sad face), but I do include everything that I uncovered on my own, along with what good friends tried while they were there at the same time. Enjoy!
But first, your Singapore 101…
A lot of people compare Singapore to Dubai, and the most obvious reason is because both possess a Disneyland/Vegas quality - lots of high-rise buildings, exceptionally shiny & glossy, and almost unnaturally clean (in Singapore you get fined for chewing gum!). Some may feel Singapore lacks “soul” as a result of said glossiness, but I found that Singapore’s soul was in its food, and how passionate locals are about the food culture. Singapore’s food scene, which is diverse, vibrant & yummy, is pretty incredible.
Singapore is very diverse. Not only does everyone speak English (it is one of the official languages, after all), but there are many ethnicities that make up the fabric of this city-state (i.e., it’s way more diverse than Crazy Rich Asians would have you believe). There are ethnic Chinese, Malay & Indians, not to mention a ton of expats from all over the world who live in Singapore, given that it’s a major hub in Asia (Google, Facebook and many others all have offices here).
Street food = so cheap. Drinks = so expensive. Singapore is EXPENSIVE, hence its ranking as the world’s most expensive city to live in. However, Asian street food via hawker centres and the like, are ridiculously cheap. Going out for cocktails? Not so much. If you don’t want to break the bank too much while you’re there, save on meals by eating cheap amazing Asian food, and splurge at fun bars and other spots.
There is no Uber in Singapore - not anymore, anyway. However, Uber competitor Grab is alive & well and very user-friendly. I downloaded the app when I got to Singapore, attached my credit card, and used it as my main way to get around the city.
Getting around Singapore is easy - the city is relatively small and very walkable, but public transportation is also very user-friendly. The MRT (train) is probably the fastest way to get around, and you can buy a tourist pass if you plan to be in Singapore for a few days. See here for info on that.
Where I stayed…
View from the top of the Mercure Singapore Bugis.
I nearly always use Airbnb when I travel, and I found some great options online that were cheaper than hotels (check out this cool loft in a converted Shophouse!). However, several friends who live in Singapore warned me against using Airbnb since it’s technically not legal; i.e., if something happened to me, like a host not honoring my reservation, there was very little I could do from a legal standpoint. That being said, a few friends at the conference did use Airbnb and were completely fine, so if you’re cool with the risk, go for it.
Since I was there for work, I bit the bullet, listened to my friends and booked the Mercure Singapore Bugis, located in Bugis, a cute area that was around a 20 minute walk to where my conference/training was happening in Clarke Quay. The hotel was 4-stars, had great service and I got a great deal when I booked it with my plane ticket on Expedia. If I go back to Singapore though, you better believe I’m staying in that Airbnb loft!
Where I got my Singapore tips:
I mean. No normal person would star this many places, but…
Thanks to Crazy Rich Asians (this is already my 3rd CRA reference! Ah!), there are lots and lots of guides to Singapore out right now. The NYT 36 Hours came out with their new guide a few days before I left for Singapore, which was quite handy, and I found a million other blog posts and articles online. My best tips, as always, came from friends and acquaintances who either live in Singapore or are from the city - special thanks to Sami, Leena & Rafaya, Niamh’s friend Rachel (best food tips ever!), and Kristie, a Singaporean reporter I met at a conference in Karachi who Whatsapped me allll the food spots. My amazing friend Niamh was also in Singapore the same time as me, so some of these are her recommendations as well (thanks Niamh! <3).
So, here is what to do, eat (so much eating) & drink in Singapore:
Get a drink at the Marina Bay Sands followed by a visit to Gardens by the Bay: This is unfortunately not something I got to do (sad face), but it is quite literally on everyone’s can’t-miss must-do list in Singapore. Marina Bay Sands (also featured in CRA! 4th mention!) boasts the best view of Singapore’s impressive skyline, which you can check out via either Ce La Vi or Lavo. Enjoy a sundowner (i.e., sunset drink) and the views here and then walk over to Gardens by the Bay, boasting these Avatar-style like Supertrees and the world’s largest greenhouse. The Supertrees are man-made, but at night come to life via the Garden Rhapsody show, which is apparently a sight to behold. Combine these two touristy things on your checklist - it’s a fun way to spend the early evening.
Eat…and eat…and eat. Ok. Since you could literally eat your way through this entire city, here are the food items you should most definitely try while you’re in Singapore:
Chilli Crab: Singapore Chilli Crab is a pretty famous, must-try dish while you’re visiting the city. The dish was supposedly invented in the 1950s by Madam Cher Yam Tian. It is pretty amazing and there are lots of places where you can try this (here’s a handy list). I visited Red House Seafood in Robertson Quay, thanks to my friend Leena (!), and it was delicious.
Haianese Chicken Rice: Another pretty famous Singaporean dish - most will tell you to get the white chicken (not with skin) and add the garlic & chilli sauce. We tried ours at the Maxwell Food Centre, (hawker centre), where there’s a famous stall called Tian Tian Chicken Rice. If you want my honest opinion - I thought Haianese was a bit bland (we probably should have added more chilli & garlic to the mix), but the rice itself was pretty great.
Chicken satay: My very first meal in Singapore included chicken satay from a vendor in a random shopping mall and it was SO GOOD, so I can only imagine how good it would be from places more well-known for this dish. The more famous spot to go is outside of Lau Pa Sat at the “satay street,” where there are vendors upon vendors outdoors selling their variations on chicken satay. (Here’s another list to check out for more options.)
Kaya Toast: Ok. If you want to eat breakfast like a Singaporean whilst in Singapore, that breakfast needs to include kaya toast. Kaya is a jam made from eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaves and it is delicious (and addictive). Combine that kaya toast with some kopi (coffee) and you’re good to go. I tried mine at the chain Toast Box, which was a pretty classic choice (and close to my hotel), but Conde Nast suggests the Chin Mee Chin Confectionary, amongst other options.
Curry Puffs. This was not a food item I got to try, but my friend Niamh said it was something not to miss while in Singapore. Gets yours from Old Chang Kee (there are outlets across Singapore).
Keep EATING…at hawker centres. Asking someone who is from or lives in Singapore about their favorite hawker centre can be a bit overwhelming - everyone has an opinion! Hawker centres, for those who may not know, are essentially food stalls in a large food court. The three that came up most often in recommendations were Maxwell Food Centre (noted above), Amoy Street Food Centre, and Lau Pa Sat (the most touristy of the three). At Maxwell, as I noted above, you should get the Haianese Chicken, and note that a lot of stalls close early so best to come here during the day versus in the evening. (Here’s a list of all the stalls a food blogger suggests to check out here). While Lau Pa Sat is the most touristy, it does come with a lot of great stalls to try food from (you can see a great list we used here). My favorite dish we tried was the fried kway teow from Lai Heng Fried Kway Teow, a spicy noodle dish that was so yum. Also check out the Chinatown Complex, a 2nd floor hawker that apparently serves up amazing dumplings (I personally didn’t get to try this, but everyone who did from our conference swore by it).
Walk around the cute & funky areas of Haji Lane & Tiongu Bahru. If you’re a fan of hip murals & coffee, you should drop by Haji Lane and also take a stroll in Tiongu Bahru, where you should stop by the Tiong Bahru Bakery for coffee & pastries and BooksActually, a cute independent bookstore. Other recommendations I read include Forty Hands and P.S. Cafe Petit in that neighborhood.
If cocktails are your thing, you have a ton of options in Singapore. As I mentioned earlier, drinks are pricey, but the bars are all very cute. There’s a bunch of fun rooftop spots (I checked out Loof one day), and my friend Niamh recommends you check out Smoke & Mirrors for cocktails at sunset, located on the roof of Singapore’s National Gallery, which gives you a great view of the Marina Bay Sands and the light show. I would also really recommend Atlas, a gin bar in the Bugis neighborhood. Atlas is located on the ground floor of the Parkview Square and the bar boasts a pretty impressive gin collection and Art Deco interiors.
Other spots to check out: My favorite part of Singapore was just walking around (and getting lost). I loved the cool shophouse architecture, and turned our walk to the hawker centres from our conference spot into an opportunity to pass by the Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. I also had legitimately one of the best meals of my life at Don & Tori, an elevated Japanese restaurant (truffle noodles anyone?!). Niamh (yay Niamh!) also recommends splurging and having a meal at Candlenut, a 1 Michelin Star Peranakan restaurant in Dempsey Hill.
So there you go - I am SURE I missed many spots, but these were the highlights of where I went and where people who were with me in Singapore went & recommended. Enjoy Singapore, la!
