Singapore - First Time
 

So we're definitely going to be in Singapore Sept 22-27 and this is our first time there. Here's our to-do list so far:

Raffles Hotel for tea and a Singapore Sling
As much shopping and food tasting as time will allow...
Orchard Road
Chinatown
Arab Street
Little India
Tanglin
Asian Civilizations Museum
Singapore Art Museum
Ming Village
Malay Village
Holland Village

Anything else not to miss? What's going on in town that week?

Depends on your interests, but I'd add a trip to the Botanical Gardens, especially their Orchid Garden which is spectacular. Also, while at Raffles, visit their small museum which is charming. One of my favorite restaurnats in Singapore is at Raffles, Doc Cheng's.

Sounds good to me. I go to Singapore regularly and will be there in a few weeks. Oh, add the Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple. If you taxi to Indochine restaurant at 49B Club Street(upstairs) in East Chinatown(for lunch) then you can walk over to the temple after lunch and check it out and then since you'll be on a main street, you can either flag for a taxi or take one of those Chinese bicycle cars. They are outside of the temple. It's just one street over from Club Street. Plus Club Street has some very nice interior design stores. If you're interested in shopping for batik, go to 95 Arab Street...as for shopping malls I like Raffles City Shopping Mall and City Link (underground level of Raffles Shopping Mall) the best for more western style things. Plus there's Jason's supermarket in the basement which is real nice for ready prepared take out food and there's a western foodcourt if you have a craving for Mrs. field's cookies or want some of the western chain restaurants for a quick bite. I also highly recommend Thanying Express Thai restaurant at the B2 level of Takashimaya Dept Store..Ngee Ann City MAll...in the heart of Orchard Road. Also the Chinese restaurant called Lei Gardens is a must. It's inside the Chjmes complex right across from Raffles City Shopping Mall and the back side of the Raffles Hotel. There is a very good moneyexchanger in there if you need to exchange money and a Vietnamese restaurant in the complex that has wonderful fried bananas. Also drop into Peter Hoe-Evolution in the Chjmes complex which is a very nice Southeast Asian gift shop. And last, but not least Tanglin Shopping Centre at 19, Tanglin Road is a must. The whole Centre has Southeast Asian stores for interior design items,antiques,textiles, a great bookstore upstairs, etc. It's a quiet,specialized shopping centre. Don't confuse it with Tanglin Shopping Mall...that's a whole other place. Hope this has helped. Happy Travels!

1. If shopping near the corner of Orchard and Scotts Rd go for afternnon tea at the Goodwood Park Hotel .

2. Lunch at Banana Leaf Apollo in Little India - fabulous curries and fish served on a banana leaf .

I would consider the night zoo...its amazing and you'll need a break from all the shopping and eating :-)

My Singapore favorites:
The Botanical Gardens just before dawn (excellent when you are jetlagged!)

The night safari (zoo) Go late; it's open until midnight. Take the train in out and walk back. It's perfectly safe but eerie.

Newton Circus for a mix and match dinner.

I understand that there is a great exhibit there now on Zheng He the Chinese explorer/navigator, though I haven't seen it myself.

When you are in the Chinatown area I would suggest the Maxwell Road Hawker Center and the Chinatown food center instead of Newton. These 2 places are amongst the best in Singapore.

Checkout this for the best of the hawker foods in Singapore:

http://www.makansutra.com/legends.html

You must try the chilli crab and the curry fish head.

If you are pressed for time skip the Ming and Malay village. The Malay village area would be interesting in October when there's road side stalls selling food and stuff during Ramadan (Muslim fasting month).

Definitely the night zoo. It is 20 degrees cooler out there - SGD 15.00 by taxi. Don't bother taking a tour to get there. Very expensive for an ordianry dinner.
If you are flying with Singapore air you will get discount vouchers for Raffles tea & a free Sling.

i'd skip holland village, its only a couple of blocks of shops. go to clark or boat quay instead.

If you go to Clarke's Quay, then go at night because there is nothing much happening during the day unless there is the inside flea market(I think on the weekend)...which was ok, but nothing incredible. Happy Travels!

guenmai; good point, nothing happening at cq during the day. i guess the remodeling is complete by now.

ready for thanying express???

kmloke; thanks for the website. the fried hokkien mee looks good, and i will check it out on my next trip. the guy must be good, as he closes on "an ad-hoc basis".

Kuranosuke...I'm more than ready for Thanying Express and that new one...Sabai...by the owner of the old Thanying that was both at Clarke's Quay and the Amari Hotel,remember? I'm glad you told me about Sabai. I'll go there first and try it and report back. Happy Travels!

When you are on Orchard Road, go through the back of the cafes to the Emerald Hill residential/historical area. You're about one minute away from it, and it's a charming area of redeveloped houses and gardens - pedestrian only. It's like suddenly walking into an oasis!

kuranosuke
The hokkien mee is definitely one of the best in town. Be prepared to wait as there's long queues most times.

Another good hokkien mee is at Lorong 29 Geylang. They have another outlet at a coffee shop near Telok Kurau/East Coast Road which I've been told is better than the Geylang one. Again expect to wait.

kmloke; thanks for the additional info. i can eat hokkien mee all day. i've been to a hokkien mee place on east coast road. excellent.

wow! a hokkien place in geylang. what more can one ask for. :-).

Yes, definitely go to the Emerald Hill area right off of Orchard Road. Happy Travels!

I've been to Singapore dozens of times but have never heard of Emerald Hill. Could you please give more specific directions? Sounds like a nice walk.

it's in Orchard Road. The entrance is between Orchard Emerald and Peranakan Place. You will see a beer garden at the entrance. Just walk straight through it.

http://www.streetdirectory.com.sg/si...masterid=21796

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Sounds like we should skip "the villages" and head towards "the quays". Emerald Hill looks interesting too.

Being true foodies, we bought the Makansutra guide which will be a great help, but it doesn't list one yummy food that I want to try: pisang goreng (deep-fried banana with cinnamon/sugar and caramel sauce?) Anybody know of the best hawker stall for it?

We'd also like to buy ingredients, spices, cookbooks, etc..if you have recommendations.

the goreng pisang (local version) do not have caramel/sugar. the sweetness will come from the banana. my favorite is by Lim Kee (Orchard) Banana Fritters. They are located at Maxwell Rd, Stall 61, Maxwell Food Centre.
as mentioned in my previous post you will find lots of good food at Maxwell.

For ingredients and spices you can visit Tekka market and little India. Most supermarkets do stock spices pre-packed.
You can find pre-packed ingredients for soup. Try the bak kut teh ones. Literal translation pork bone tea. They are eating places selling this throughout the day. It's eaten with rice and dough fritters. Tea is the preferred drink.

For cookbooks they are available at most bookstores. Recommend 'the New Mrs' Lee Cookbooks'. Written by our former Prime Minister's late mother who was famed for her cooking.

Don't miss the chilli crab and curry fish head!

Skip Malay and Ming Village - head to Botanic Gardens or Night Safari.

I would still do Holland Village for shopping. Definately go to Lims Arts and Crafts on the second floor.

As others said, you should eat in a hawker stall once. Try Lau Pu Sat or Newton circus. Better yet, if you enjoy seafood, you MUST go to East Coast Seafood center - they have the best seafood at affordable prices. Try Singapore's specialities - Chilli Crab or Pepper Crab.

I would also recommend some walking tours if you are intersted.
Original Singapore walks:
http://www.singaporewalks.com/fun.htm

Lots of good suggestions!!! Singapore's basically a place to eat and shop. And if you are truly bored in the middle of the night and want to shop, head to Mustafa (at Serangoon Road) as it's open for shopping 24 hours! You can get anything and everything that you need from there, especially now that they have extended the place!

I'm in Bangkok at the present and was just back in Singapore before coming up here. Go over to the Katong area and try a Paranakan restaurant...for lunch... called," True Blue" at 117(?) East Coast and check out the little Paranakan shop next door to it called Rumme Bebe(sp?). The restaurant is also open for dinner, but a dinner reservation is an absolute must since this restaurant was voted best new restaurant in Singapore.The whole block is filled with shophouses and it's a very interesting block. Not a tourist area. If you don't know what Paranakans are then go on www.paranakan.org.sg I think the website is or go to the, "Boston GTG" thread here in the forum where I'm reporting my trip findings. Go down to the bottom of the thread and you can read all the stuff I've written since I've been here in S.E.Asia. Got to go. Internet is VERY expensive here at the Four Seasons Hotel, but I hope this info has helped. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

What hotel did you use in Singapore?

Hi, just in case you can't get into the website, it should be www.peranakan.org.sg. It's spelt as "Peranakan", not Paranakan.

Elaine

I just read thru this thread as I am travelling to SIN in April for the 50th anniversary. Thanks for all the good tips. I am in a wheelchair so access is an issue. I am deciding between the Ritz or the Hyatt. Any thoughts? Thanks Mr.Bill

Oh, it's too late for me to suggest anything !!!!!!

bbecker,

If you are in a wheelchair, I think Ritz is better. Both are great shopping areas but Hyatt is along the crowded Orchard road, Ritz has a few large connected shopping centres which you can find enough shops and restaurants and you don't need to come out much to the main road outside.

Hope I helped.

thanks for the tip chinesefan. I will send a report.

Wow, I just found this info treasure! I'm taking a print out of this thread to Singapore next week.

Anyone heard of "Nosignboard" next to a stadium ? It's recommended to me by a local for the best chili crab, is it? What else is good there besides the crab?

I was also told of Boon Tong Kee for chicken rice. It's supposed to be where the locals go but tourists may get grossed out by the place. How bad is it? I've only been to Singapore once (a long time ago) and had chicken rice on top of the Mandarin hotel, so naturally I'm searching for the best chicken rice.

when i last went to SP (my best friend lives there) she told me to meet her at the Black pepper crab place??? i'm like where is it and she said the cab driver will know. Sure enough he did and there were QUEUES down the street at 6.30pm GORGEOUS. Try it, its cheap fab and packed VERY basic (plastic chairs etc) but lots of locals and expats.
Am going next friday, will write in my journal the exact place and let you all know.

Jane

Nosignboard is the name of a seafood restaurant. When it first opened for business there isn't a sign board to indicate the name of the restaurant.
They have several branches. There is one located next to the Indoor Stadium. There is airconditioned seating and alfresco seating available. One of their signature dishes is the chilli crab. Ask the waiter/waitress for recommendation or you could checkout what your neighbouring tables have ordered. Try the bamboo clams!

There's quite a number of seafood restaurants located at the East Coast Parkway. Just tell the taxi driver and they will know where to bring you. Recommend Red House or Jumbo. Both are long established.

For chicken rice there's many that claims to be the best. Boon Tong Kee is one of them. They are fine but not the best IMHO but worth a try. Chicken rice at the Mandarin Hotel is OK but not worth the price. You could get a whole chicken for the same price at Boon Tong Kee. You could go to Katong at East Coast Road there's a chicken rice war going on. There's several places selling chicken rice. Just go to the most crowded one! After that go to the Chin Mee Chin coffee shop for a nice cuppa coffee or tea. Try the kaya buns! Highly recommended.

Tourists grossed out by Boon Tong Kee? Don't see any reason why. Care to explain? You mean by the innards being served?

For the black pepper crab with long queues? Is it the one located at an old coffeeshop at junction Joo Chiat Terrace and Still Road? The placed is packed with long queues.


Checkout:
http://www.sbestfood.com/

Thanks KMLoke. I appreciate your help. We're staying at the Hyatt and are told to go to Tasikamaya and Paragon buildings. Is there any outstanding cuisine on Orchard ? I was only 9 years old the last time (and first time) I visited Singapore, now I'm taking my twelve and fourteen year old teenagers for their first time.

Dax, I'm sure you'll find Singapore has changed dramatically since then.

some recommendations posted previously
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mai&fid=27

A few of my favourite places at Orchard.

Island Cafe - refreshing interpretations of Asian favourites. Located at 5th floor or Tangs department stall located at Marriotts Hotel. Take the escalator all the way to the top.

Lei Garden - Cantonese cuisine, they have several outlets with 2 at Orchard Road. One is at Orchard Shopping Center and the other at Singapore Shopping Center (next to Somerset MRT exit). Ask the captain for recommendations. If you are brave enough you could give a budget and ask for a menu to be put together.

There's a new restaurant which I haven't tried yet but sounds interesting.
Crystal Jade Golden Palace at Paragon.

http://food.asia1.com.sg/gdfd/res_20051024_001.shtml

If you do eat there you must try the sweetened mashed taro with gingko (called 'Or Nee' in Teowchew dialect) It's something not easy to find even in Teochew restaurants.

There's another Crystal Jade outlet at Takashimaya which serves dim sum.

For something different you could try
mezza9 at the Grand Hyatt itself. It consists of 9 different dining experiences in ONE restaurant. You can mix and match whatever YOU want for the meal. Haven't tried that myself TBH I prefer the food found at the local hawker centres*.

the grill: western grill & rotisserie
sushi: traditional Japanese sushi and sashimi bar
yakitori: yakitori grill
the steam basket: traditional Chinese seafood
the deli: European deli, Thai deli & crustacean bar
the shop: gourmet boutique
the patisserie: desserts
the wine cellar: walk-in wine cellars
the bar: martini & cigar bar

http://restaurants.singapore.hyatt.c...a_cuisine.html

If you love desserts you must try the HongKong desserts found in the building next to Shaw House. Shaw House (where Isetan department store is located) is just across the road from Grand Hyatt. The dessert place is next to it but before the Thai Embassy. Located on the ground level, just walk past Isetan and you should be able to see it.

A useful guide:
http://food.asia1.com.sg/

*My favourites hawker food centers.
1. Food center at Chinatown complex.
2. Maxwell Road Food Center
3. Old Airport Road Food Center.
4. Tiong Bahru Temporary Market And Food Centre (at Kim Pong Road)

Have a great time.

Thanks KMLoke !!
Hopefully you can indulge me with one last question.
What's the cheapest place to buy a Nano Ipod in Singapore? I need to buy a 220 volts (not available in the US) for a gift.

The Nano is in great demand here so the discount won't be very much.

You could check out, their prices are
quite competitive:

http://www.parisilk.com/

You could also check out Mustafa at Little India.

I believe Mustafa or Parisilk can advise if you can get a GST refund when you leave the country.

you could reference for prices (without tax for Bargaincity)

http://www.bargaincity.com.sg/

The Apple site for Singapore. They have a store at Orchard Road.

http://www.apple.com.sg/

The GST refund only applies if you bring the item along when you leave the country.

Thanks again. Just 2 days away from our trip departure. Looking forward to some warm weather.

It's too late now but next time you are in Singapore it is worth it to visit a new French restaurant "Le Pont de Vie" on Waterloo Street 42. The food is great and it's very reasonably priced. Also the ambience and service is great.