My travel romance with the island city-state of Singapore has always been brief yet always incredibly (belly) filling. As a country that’s a cross-section of three major ethnicities and cultures (i.e., Malay, Indian, and Chinese), there’s no limit to the culinary encounters one can have — so be prepared for a sensational treat for your taste buds!
There’s so much more to the modern cosmopolitan than what meets the eye, and while I’ve yet to uncover all its special nooks and crannies, the taste I’ve had of Singapore will always have me wishing to swing by for a roaring time in the Lion City — guaranteed!
Where we stayed
My most recent visit to Singapore was in 2017 for a quick weekend away from Manila. During this visit, my sister and I chose Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong for our two-night stay.
I was particularly drawn to the hotel’s vibrant interiors, especially the photos of the walls and floor tiles done in Peranakan style in each room; not to mention the hotel’s prime location — right next to a mall, should we require anything, and to the colorful shophouses of Katong, perfect for indulging in the diverse and local food scene!
A thoughtful gesture from the hotel, and a cool feature found in each room, was the availability of a handheld telephone device to keep guests connected while roaming the city — an idea I personally loved and appreciated!
What we ate
I have Singapore to thank for introducing me to two of my favorite comfort food today: açai and laksa, both of which I first discovered while walking around the Katong neighborhood!
We stumbled upon An Açai Affair one fine morning and were beckoned in by the thought of having breakfast served in a coconut! It would be perfect for the ‘gram, we thought, but minutes later, we discovered the coconut aesthetic to be merely the cherry on top, for within its spherical shape, it held the unforgettable and delicious nutritional goodness of açai and fresh fruits. Suffice it to say, this experience has since led to tons of replication attempts at home!
Next, I was besotted by laksa, a spicy noodle dish, that has since left me drooling at the mere thought of it! You’ll probably understand why I’ve fallen head over heels for it when you learn that my first taste of laksa was actually at 328 Katong Laksa — only a highly-acclaimed joint, approved by the Gordon Ramsay himself!
The founder of Katong Laksa, Ms Nancy Koh, took a period of six months through many rounds of trial and error, to create and perfect the recipe. Of the 45 years of existence of laksa in Singapore, Katong Laksa has been a well-known favourite for the last 15 years, which was highly recommended by Yan Can Cook in 2001. It has even attracted the interests of celebrities around Asia who flew here from Hong Kong, Taiwan etc.
328 Katong laksa
We hit up our hotel’s in-house eatery, Baba Chews, for a hearty breakfast on one of our mornings. It was the perfect fusion and an awesome spread of local and Western dishes with their own take on all-time favorite Kaya toasts, dumplings, omelets, pancakes, and French toast.
While roaming around The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, we came across and dined at DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe. It was a truly thematic dining experience of the franchise with dishes named after the DC characters and tons of memorabilia decked around the diner! Collectibles were also up for grabs at the retail store next door.
What we did
My sister and I have never passed up the opportunity to visit Universal Studios Singapore on any of our visits to the country. Located on Sentosa Island, the theme park is always an enjoyable time with its rides and attractions. The park is quite small but within its premises are two of the most thrilling rides I’ve ever been on: Transformers: The Ride 3D and the Revenge of the Mummy. Ahh, the adrenaline!
Within the Marina Bay Sands complex, you can find one of the most incredible meetings of art and science at the ArtScience Museum. While exhibits at this permanent location are continuously updated (they hosted a Disney exhibit for a few weeks), one thing remains true to their vision, which is for visitors of all ages to have a magical and interactive experience that will truly make them wish for all museums to follow suit!
During our visit to the ArtScience Museum, elements of the Future World exhibit caught our breaths. The Crystal Universe installation was particularly show-stopping and was a crowd-favorite.
While our time at the iconic and architectural masterpiece that is Marina Bay Sands won us over, nothing could also quite compare to the excitement brought about by our authentic and community experience at the popular Bugis Street. The street market draws in crowds, both local and foreign, for its cheap retail offerings (perfect for souvenirs!) and its aromatic food display. We couldn’t help but fill ourselves up with a serving of Hainanese chicken rice and tom yum soup — such delicious comfort food!
How we got around
Since our last visit, Uber has no longer been operational in Singapore, which was the main platform we used to get around. (Uber has officially exited Southeast Asia by selling its local business to competitor Grab.)
While we walked around various neighborhoods including Katong, Bugis, and the downtown area, we also made use of the efficient public transport system! Remember the mobile device that came with the room? Well, it included CityMapper, a helpful app that displayed the best and fastest mode of public transport to get to a destination (e.g., bus, MRT, cab, or foot).
Just in Kace (tip) you didn’t know, chewing gum is not allowed in Singapore! This strictly-enforced law has helped the nation maintain its cleanliness — something you’ll definitely notice as you walk down the streets!
Singapore’s rich diversity, solid transport infrastructure, and world-class touristic offerings make it a gem in Southeast Asia and the perfect place to swing by for a roaring, wonderful time!
Kace in point (recap)
Lots of love and travel miles,
Leave a Reply