1MB Travels: Singapore: Halia at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

One of our favorite things that we did in Singapore this past holiday was a lovely, soul-soothing afternoon spent wandering through the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Lush greenery and all sorts of exotic flowers thrive in Singapore's tropical climate - and while I know I'm often prone to dramatization, a stroll through the Botanic Gardens really felt like getting to walk through some scale model of the Garden of Eden - for free. 

It was lucky for my dad and I not to have visited this place back when cameras required film - we would have killed several hundred dollars' worth, each.  As it was, we maxed out our iPhone camera storage, and memory cards in our cameras. I won't make you scroll through the pile here, but just a few highlights, then we'll get to the food...yes in the gardens!

The only part of the areas we visited that charged admission was the Orchid Garden (SG$5 ~US $4). It was well worth the nominal fee - they have a whole orchid lab on site here and a huge (hundreds?) variety of orchids for viewing in the greenhouse - which was set up so that you got an 'escapist' experience where you felt like you were in some far away tropical rainforest, but were really only a few convenient minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The orchids were so perfect it almost seemed impossible that they were real. But they were!

This little nook brought back memories for me - my parents used to have wallpaper in their bedroom made from a seamless 360 photo of a rainforest with waterfalls/streams just like this.  My brother and I (I was 5 I think and he was 3) used to sit on my parents' bed and make up stories of adventures we'd have in that rainforest, or creatures that we thought lived there.  This corner of the orchid garden was on a much much smaller scale, and my brother wasn't with us on the trip - but that lil patch of nature was gorgeous, and me and my 5 year old self quietly stood in awe and love of its humble beauty.

After wandering the grounds a while (and managing to avoid getting soaked by Singapore's 'surprise' rain showers that come and go without warning), we stopped by Halia Restaurant, in the Ginger Garden - for an afternoon tea break.

A white-linened dining spot with an airy, semi-covered patio to provide shade while offering full views of the surrounding, beautiful plant life in the gardens - it's not your old school snack shack designed for kids on field trips, but an elegant resort-like space where you can enjoy fine dining fare.  For afternoon tea, there is a prix fixe premium tea set, and delicious menu of a la carte desserts, which have their own wine pairings! Or right on theme, you can have mocktails or non-alcoholic drinks that make use of the ginger from the garden.  We got a trio of ginger focused drinks: Gunner (SG$10 ~ US $8) ginger beer, ginger ale, bitters, Ginger Ale (SG$6 ~ US$5) and Ginger Jive (SG$12 ~ US $10).  All were beautiful in presentation but in terms fo taste, I think our favorite was the Gunner, the most balanced and complex of the three.

As the heat reduced our appetites, we didn't go for the full prix fixe, but opted instead to share two desserts.  First up:   Strawberries & Cream, Edible Garden, Passionfruit Lychee Dew (SG$19 ~US$15), wild strawberry ripple, cream cheese & vanilla ice cream on shortbread crumb, raspberry, blueberry, flowers, chocolate choux pebbles on almond cocoa soil, passionfruit jelly in shooter of sweet lychee liquer syrup.  This was one of the most beautiful dessert plates I've ever seen / tasted in my life...and so on theme, with its 'edible garden' on a plate that also presented interesting textures as well as aesthetics.  The strawberries and cream cheesecake was perfectly light, with the ice cream element worked into the cheesecake being especially refreshing on a hot and humid day.  And the shot of lychee liquer was genius - adding tropical flavor with a bit of sophistication.  We wished we had room for 10 more of these.

For a signature Singaporean dessert, we tried Halia's Rojak (SG$16 ~US $13) - knowing that it may not be 100% 'authentic' since we're in a fine dining spot that as we've seen adds their own creative twists on classics.  This dish was served with fresh fruit and berries, chili chocolate sauce, chopped peanuts, white sesame seed, nori crisp, homemade ginger flower sorbet.  Didn't love the textures on this one as much as the last. Since we didn't end up having any other rojak besides this one, I have no frame of reference - but it was sort of like a way fancier version of a fudge sundae with bits of savory ingredients like sesame seed and nori crisp (which ended up being more chewy) added.

All in all, a beautiful, serene afternoon enjoying the tropical weather (in December!) and gorgeous nature (in controlled doses, the way I like it - wilderness wanderer, dozen-miles-hiker, I am not and never will be).

I would definitely recommend Singapore Botanic Gardens as a family activity, for photography buffs or those just looking for brief reprieve from super-commercial tourist hotspots.

[For other photos and stories from our Singapore trip, check out the album on my Facebook page!]

________________________________________________________

Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore
1 Cluny Rd., Singapore 259569
Ph: +(65) 6471 7138 / (65) 6471 7361

Admission: Free for overall gardens, SG$5 for Orchid Gardens (~US$4)
Website: sbg.org.sg/

Halia Restaurant
1 Cluny Rd., Ginger Garden (enter via Tyersall Ave), Singapore Botanic Gardens

Ph: +(65) 6476 6711

Website: halia.com.sg
__________________________________________________________

1MB Travels: Singapore: Da Dong (by Fatty Weng) in historic Chinatown

Singapore is made up primarily of immigrants of Malaysians, Chinese, and Indian descent - each with an iconic neighborhood that not only celebrates each culture's past in the city, but is rooted in the present with an eye to the future.

On our holiday trip, we were excited to get to check out two of these gathering places, stopping by Chinatown and Little India. The name of Chinatown - 牛車水 - references its origins: literally translated, the name means "Bull Car Water" - it's the place where water was mainly transported by ox driven carts in the 19th century. 

It was close enough to our hotel in the Clarke Quay area, that we were able to walk over.  It was in the balmy 80s in December so it was a nice stroll - and we got to enjoy many modern-traditional hybrid storefronts along the way, like medicinal tea houses serving delicacies like turtle jelly (made of turtle shell) and herbal teas, and fruit stands with vendors selling everything from apples to more exotic fare like dragonfruit and mangosteen.

...and stalls selling beautiful preserved sausages (typically used with sweet rice).

There were also daytime street markets flanked by closet-sized permanent storefronts selling everything from Chinese medicine to dry delicacies including swallow's nest (dried bird spit - nutrient rich and apparently good for the skin!), all kinds of mushrooms, sea cucumbers (good for the eyes) and scallops. 

We loved the colonial style architecture juxtaposed by Chinese commerce and all the trimmings that come with it.  Of course we had to stop to try the food, and with my parents, we looked for a sit down place - signage for Da Dong "by Fatty Weng" got our attention with its traditional looking tea-house style decor yet irreverent name.

The bottom floor of the 2-story restaurant had two walls that were wide open to create a bright, airy space; the decor was old school - the only items adorning the walls were framed shark's fin and pictures of local celebrities who have dined there.

Da Dong serves dim sum as well as select dishes for lunch.  We started with some classics: Har Gow (shrimp dumplings) and Siu Mai (shrimp and pork dumplings) - these were passable in quality, not something I'd recommend a special trip to experience. 

It was really the Black Pepper Crab, a Singaporean specialty served all over the island, that I still dream of.  This was my first and last one during our trip, so I can't really say how Da Dong's preparation compares to other restaurants - but I LOVED it.  Just like the Chili Crab at Long Beach Seafood - live Sri Lankan crab was used (you can see a tank of the feisty creatures outside the restaurant!).  The flavors in the sauce are bold, but somehow do not at all overwhelm the crab meat, which remains juicy, tender, and naturally sweet, shining through and in perfect counterbalance with the fiery black pepper sauce. 

Yes, it took a lot of work (as with any crab) to get through all that shell to extract the meat, but it was all worth it.  My parents again refrained as neither of them are into crab - so I got the whole thing to myself! 

Another dish that I was tipped off not to leave Singapore without trying, was Char Kway Teow.  I was so stressed out at work prior to the vacation though, that I didn't have time to do much research on anything, and so it was that when the server asked if we wanted sauce in the noodles, I just went ahead with it.  Apparently the usual way to have Char Kway Teow is to have it dry and wok-fried. The preparation of the dish we got basically involved wide rice noodles in a brown, starchy broth with shrimp, rings of squid and kai lan.  I liked the flavors of the broth with the noodles, which kind of reminds me of Chow Fun but milder tasting with a lot more sauce; however the seafood did not taste fresh and were a bit overcooked (the shrimp tasted a few days old and not very flavorful).

All in all, the meal came out to a total of $80 SG (~$64 USD) so it wasn't that good of a deal.  Though Black Pepper Crab was the only noteworthy item at Da Dong out of the dishes we had - that alone did make the meal unforgettable.  After lunch, we popped upstairs just to check it out: the space looks more formal, like it's for banquet dinners, or spillover as needed, with large windows overlooking the sea of humanity in the street market below - the better for people watching in a more serene setting, above the fray. 

There were many other dining options, with popular ones set right into the street market. Will have to try these next time we're in town (there are so many things still to taste in Singapore!)

Just before leaving the area, we spotted along its fringes an elaborate skyscraping tower of Indian deities, which turned out to be a part of the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple.  We didn't have enough time (or any idea how to get in) to check it out, but it did spark us on our last day to spend the last hour strolling through Little India.

We've never been to India, so Singapore's Little India was in a way just a little taste for us of the local Indian street culture - and we had just an hour so unfortunately it was a quick stroll through.  But it was easily accessible by MRT (Singapore's subway system) - just get off at the appropriately named Little India station - and we loved the street vendors with the flower garlands...  

...and gorgeous giant lotus flowers.

Then of course we had to stop by the closest hawker food center (Singapore is famous for its collections of street food stalls in giant cavernous warehouse like spaces all over the city - which serve amazing food at incredibly low prices).  Wonderful smells greeted us from every direction - I'd read about the famous fish head curry and was on a mission to find one.   

Unfortunately it was nowhere to be found - and with the clock ticking it was all I could do to drag myself away from the giant vats of saffron rice, all kinds of curries and naan...but I guess all the more reason to return to Singapore, and soon, right?

[For other photos and stories from our Singapore trip, check out the album on my Facebook page!]



____________________________________________________

Singapore

Da Dong (by Fatty Weng)
39 Smith St., Chinatown, Singapore 058952

Ph: +65 6221.3822

Website: dadong.biz

____________________________________________________

1MB Travels: Singapore: Old Airport Road Hawker Center

A trip to Singapore is not complete without a pilgrimage to one of its meccas of insanely delicious street food for crazy low prices - aka "hawker centers". 

Hawker centers are essentially a collection of street food vendors, in tiny stalls piled aisle upon aisle within giant industrial looking open warehouse spaces. Flanked by rows of food-court style tables.  The better for convenient, quick 'shopping' and dining among massive selections of every key cuisine represented in Singapore, from Malaysian to Chinese to Indian to fusions or unique creations born of any or all of the above.

You could have a meal made of different courses from several different stalls, and sample the best of street versions of all these cuisines, quick service style, no frills, just authentic, good food for cheap. It's a place where office workers, still in suits, are as at home as the blue collar diners in shorts and flip flops - they come for good food, not a 'scene'.

Before our family vacation there this holiday, I had gotten a huge and amazing list of types of food I must not leave Singapore without trying from Sofia of Burp and Slurp, and a rec from globetrotting food maven miffyeats for the hawker center on Old Airport Road. 

Out of Sofia's list of signature Singapore eats, I was most excited to try barbecue stingray - it sounded intriguing to me, and not something you can find easily anywhere else (definitely not in LA that I'm aware of!)  So it was actually by happy accident that we ended up at the Old Airport Road hawker center - we had a short amount of time to slide in a quick visit to the closest hawker center before 'proper' dinner - and so my 'strategy' (or rather, lack of) was to jump into a taxi and let one of the friendly drivers (who so far have been self-appointed, proud tour guides and ambassadors for the city) take us to the closest place for stingray.

We somehow ended up with the one cabbie on the island who was grouchy as hell though, and when he recommended something that at first didn't sound good to us - and we asked him to take us elsewhere, he sort of had a little tantrum and griped very vocally about how we were making a mistake!  Anyways, all is well that ends well - despite his grumpiness and poor social/communication skills - he ended up bringing us to Old Airport Road hawker center - so it all worked out!

It was exciting to stroll through the aisles looking at all the unfamiliar dishes - I was in heaven and wanted to order a huge spread, fan them out over several tables and spend the rest of the night working through them all!!!  My dad was weary of the cleanliness of it all though, and was merely 'tolerating' the space for my benefit (my mom is the adventurous diner) - so I knew the clock was ticking and I could probably only fit in one quick dish.

We asked fellow diners at the communal tables the best place for bbq stingray (love that everyone is at least bilingual - if not trilingual or more - in Singapore) - and got directed to a stall that seemed to specialize in all kinds of sea creature deliciousness. There were fresh plates of clams, and live crabs being...well...crabby...in their cramped little cages.

And then I spotted the sign / photo (i.e. for me the holy grail): "BBQ Stingray".

Photo: Jeremy.Collins via Wikipedia

So, what did we expect stingray to taste like?  Even my mom, the adventurous foodie, was skeptical it would be good - stingrays are kite-shaped marine animals that seem like they would have either a gelatinous, or tough, muscular texture like swordfish (check out the photo, they don't look like they would have much / soft meat, right?)

But, what arrived on the plate looked soft and tender, served up on the ubiquitous banana leaf, smeared in lush barbecue sauce, topped by onions and cilantro, with a side of lime and a translucent orange sauce that looked like it would taste sweet and sour. 

I think that was one of my favorite things about Singaporean foods - lots of bold, unabashed flavors with lots of (sometimes complex) interplay of layers working fantastically together - there is never anything that is just single note or bland.

I also loved that the stingray is served with skin-on - I always appreciate it when chefs leave the skin on with fish, it adds nice flavor and texture as well as gets points for presentation!

With the stingray, once I cleared a path through the sauce and toppings, I could see that it was decidedly fish-like, with smooth, tender texture and structure of narrow strands that remind me of skate wing, one of my favorite fish ever!!!

The interplay of slight heat from the robust bbq sauce with bitterness and crunch from delicate strips of onion with clear, smooth sweet and sour fish sauce, over the softest, flakiest but sweet and flavorful fish - was amazing. In short, I LOVED it!!!  Wish I could have gone back for more.  There were also a ton of other must have dishes that I left without trying - like peanut pancake, radish cake, and char kway teow (though I ended up having a version of this at another restaurant later in the trip).

But, I was really glad to have had this adventure with my parents - these are some of the best memories that we will have of our awesome travels together.  Sharing new discoveries, the sense of adventure - and the joyfulness and sense of accomplishment that comes from pushing ourselves to continually see and learn and experience new things (even if it is at first uncomfortable to get out of our comfort zone!).  Which I realized I may not have had the appreciation for when I was younger - when I was a little more rebellious, and a much more self-conscious wallflower.  Now older, not at all wiser but much more appreciative of my parents, and their unconditional love and support (indulging, encouraging and enabling this little passion project of a blog) - I am grateful that we can have these kinds of adventures together - thank you for being the best!!! :)  Ok sorry for the temporary bout of sentimentality. 

So, fantastic time at our first Singaporean hawker center, as one of many stops and great eats on this trip.  Hope to be back again soon!

[For more photos and stories from our visit to Singapore, check out the album of over 120 pics on my Facebook page!]

_______________________________________________________

Singapore

Old Airport Road Food Center
Block 51, Old Airport Rd Geylang, Singapore

_______________________________________________________

1MB Travels: Singapore: Boon Tong Kee

And on this episode of 1MB Travels...

Goes the voiceover in my head of my imaginary show of a life where I get to travel and eat and write for a living...

So far from reality...but a girl can dream, can't she? Stretching memories of trips that are few and far in between, keeps the dream alive.

So here goes another episode...I mean, post.  On our holiday trip to Singapore, at the recommendation of my food-lovin' uncle, and endorsement of many a real-life TV star from Hong Kong - we found ourselves at Boon Tong Kee - famous for their take on the signature Singaporean dish, the simply named Chicken Rice.  A minimum one hour wait was to be expected - and we spent the time wandering to a nearby hawker center and checking out chefs at work in the display kitchen, where their handiwork - cold, skin-on chickens - are featured on racks like a proud designer would set his haute coutoure pieces before the masterpieces are sent out on the runway.

At this particular location, you can choose to sit inside, in the air conditioned, more upscale space, or outdoors at more casual tables set up on the sidewalk.  It was late December, but temperatures were in the 80s in Singapore - it was a bit warm to sit outside, but we were charmed by the sparkling lights and muted night-time traffic and cricket sounds in the distance.  Plus it was a shorter wait.  So semi al fresco it was. 

There was a rustic / nostalgic charm to the outside space - including the specials 'board' made up of individual pink parchment pieces handwritten in traditional Chinese calligraphy. 

As we sat we were given an amuse bouche of pidan (aka thousand year old egg or preserved duck egg) topped with ginger and chilis.  

I loved the gorgeous 'snowflake' crystallization patterns - a bit ironic that 'thousand year old' eggs are supposed to be served 'fresh' - but my mom thought it had been sitting out for a while (the preserved yolk looked dry when it should be creamy) so best not to risk eating them.  I love pidan though so was only placated after the promise to order another dish that includes this ingredient.

But first things first - we were excited to try what we came for (cue fanfare): Chicken Rice ("Signature Boiled Chicken" on menu)!  BTK serves this national treasure of a dish in four sizes at SG $5 / $10/ $15/ $30 (~US $4 / $8 / $12/ $24).  We got the SG$15 sized plate and rice for SG $0.50 each.  Regular readers know I don't like chicken unless it's fried or slow cooked in stew beyond all recognition.  Chinese preparations of chicken, served cold, is another exception. 

Sometimes the simplest dishes require the most skill, and that is the case here - there are no more than 3-4 ingredients used to boil the chicken and cook the rice, but it is INSANELY good. The chicken was smooth, tender, juicy and flavorful.  And the juices and oils of the chicken along with flavors of ginger and scallion are used to cook the rice, which means the fragrance is infused into every molecule of rice.  It was so intoxicatingly flavorful, without any trace of grease or 'debris', obviously cooked for a long time to steep in flavor, yet with every grain still perky - that I would not hesitate at all to say it was the best rice I've ever had in my life.  Apparently it's a constant subject of heated debate, where to have the best chicken rice in Singapore.  We didn't have a chance to try it at any place else, so I have no point of comparisan and I'm not trying to say it's the best in Singapore.  It's just the best rice I've ever had - and I may fly back just for that rice.

After that it's hard to enjoy the rest of the meal - nothing can compare -but to round out our dinner we also had Fried Venison with Spring Onion and Ginger ($18SG ~$14US).  This tasted like mongolian beef, but a bit rougher in texture and was tasty but not mind-blowing.  And given all the good and cheap eats in Singapore, this dish was not really worth the price.

To both get some veggies in, and to satisfy my pidan craving - we got the Poached Chinese Spinach with Assorted Eggs - also available at various sizes to suit the size of your party at SG $9 / $13 / $18 (~US $7/ $10/ $14).  We got the SG$9 size.  This was a delicious dish of soft, perfectly cooked spinach in superior broth, topped with a mix of fully cooked salted duck egg yolks, smooth and slightly gelatinous thousand year old eggs, and semi-liquid egg whites.  Great balance of golden / dark colors and textures.  Loved. 

As we sat and chatted contentedly after the meal, we got another pleasant surprise with our bill.  It was around Christmastime, and our server very kindly brought out a souvenir for us - a faux leather business card holder (surprisingly elegant looking for a free case from a casual restaurant!) embossed of course with BTK's logo.  Not sure what business cards have to do with the restaurant (maybe it's for us to put their business card inside?), but don't really care, it was a nice gesture that made us love BTK even more!

All in all, an awesome meal at Boon Tong Kee, which has several other outlets throughout Singapore.  If I had a chance, I would absolutely do a 'rerun' of Singapore and no-fuss, yet incredibly delicious spots like these.

Until next time, I will always have Boon Tong Kee (in my memories)....

[For more photos and stories from our trip to Singapore, check out the album on my Facebook page.]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100%

____________________________________________________________

Singapore
Boon Tong Kee
399, 401 & 403 Balestier Road, Singapore 329801
Ph: +65 6254 3937
____________________________________________________________

1MB Travels: Singapore: Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Fact: Susan Feniger did not invent Kaya toast. I know that may be a little hard for some to accept, but so are many things in the world that are simply, truth.

The original kaya toast was invented by a husband and wife team in Singapore:  Ah Koon was an enterprising young man who arrived at 15 years old to Singapore as an immigrant who did not know anyone. He started as an assistant at a coffee stall, learned the trade then saved to open up his own in the 1940s - an inspiring tale of tireless hard work, endless optimism and passion for serving good food to the community.  He eventually married and his wife perfected a homemade mix of egg and coconut to be spread over her husband's charcoal-grilled toast.   Ya Kun is apparently what the coffee stall's name evolved to as sounding similar to the owner's name. 

Kaya, as the spread is called, quickly became the stuff of legend - and Ah Koon and his family built an empire of coffee stalls with the same cozy, neighborhood food stall vibe only now with dozens of locations all over Singapore including many franchises.

On our holiday trip to Singapore, we were lucky enough to find that there was a Ya Kun Kaya Toast stall right across from our hotel!

It was a quick service set up: you order at the counter, find yourself a seat, and they call you when your food/drinks are ready.

You can order a la carte or breakfast sets - we chose to go with the Kaya Toast breakfast set ($4.50SG ~$3.60US) that came with a stack of toast with butter and kaya spread, 2 'soft-boiled' eggs that are really more like poached, and a hot drink.  The toasts were pieces of thin, wheat bread that are charcoal-grilled for nice smokey flavor which goes really well with the subtly sweet coconut-egg kaya spread. 

My mom actually reminded me that we used to eat the Hong Kong version of kaya as kids - that I LOVED but had no idea was the now famous kaya! The HK version is made by Yeoh's and is a translucent orange, smooth, light and very sweet.

Ya Kun's kaya is more of a translucent golden color, light more subtly sweet.  A delicious, nuanced spread that made me fall in love with this version as an adult.  As for the toast, I would have wanted more substantial pieces, but these made for a nice light breakfast (on a second visit, I got the french toast which was fantastic).  I'm not at all a coffee connoisseur, and on the first visit I got hot Horlicks (a malted drink again a childhood fav in HK, so glad to see that they served it at Ya Kun!); on the second visit I tried their iced coffee, which had a very fragrant aroma that was a perfect start to my morning.

Despite the now huge empire, Ya Kun's slogan somehow still feels very authentic "The Toast that binds...kinship, friendship, partnership".  The lovely guy behind the counter (who actually looks like Ah Koon per the photos on the wall, but obviously isn't him) whose name I somehow never got, was super friendly, asked us about our visit and remembered and asked us about Hong Kong on the second visit.  If I lived there I could imagine myself going to Ya Kun as a morning ritual!

Though the vibe is still very personal and nostalgic, Ya Kun is now clearly a modern company.  That prides itself on constantly coming up with new fun ways to serve kaya including Kaya Cheese Toasts, the aforementioned french toast, and butter sugar toast.  And an apparent local favorite, kaya on buttered soda crackers.

They also have a small merchandise area that sold souvenir jars of kaya in cute little boxed sets, as well as cookies made with kaya butter. 

 

One of my favorite things to do when travelling is to fill at least half of my suitcase with local specialty snacks and foodie finds, so that when I get home I can relive the great food memories and hang on to my vacation for just a little bit longer (and to make the return to 'normal' life a little bit more bearable).  So, I stocked up on the little jars of kaya (just $6US for two 75gram jars in a cute lil gift carrier!) as well as cookies.  Now a few weeks in to my return to LA, I treat myself to kaya spread over toast every once in a while - every bite brings me back to that little coffee stall in Singapore, having breakfast with my parents and as happy and carefree as a 5 year-old again, and that puts a smile back on my face.

I hope I don't run out of kaya anytime soon - but when I do maybe I'll finally go to Street for my fix, and to see if their version lives up to the hype.

[Deal alert: For those who are staying in Singapore a few days, and lucky enough to be close to a Ya Kun coffee stall - be sure to pick up a Ya Kun Rewards card.  Get a stamp for every beverage purchased, and get a free hot coffee/tea after collecting 8 stamps]

[For more photos and stories from our trip to Singapore, check out the album on my Facebook page.]
_______________________________________________________

Singapore
Ya Kun Kaya Toast
The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #01-31, Clarke Quay, Singapore
Ph: +65 6534-7332
Website: yakun.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Ya-Kun-Kaya-Toast

_______________________________________________________

1MB Travels: Singapore: River (cruise) + Sky(park) Adventure

As is our M.O., when on vacation my family typically decides what we want to do, when we arrive - we pick a neighborhood and then let the day take us where it may (with the exception of most of our meals, of course!). On our second day in Singapore this holiday, we decided to take a stroll around a popular tourist area, Clarke Quay - which lead to a fantabulous all-day adventure on the river as well as soaring 57 stories above the city!

Clarke Quay is essentially a strip of restaurants and bars right on the Singapore riverfront (reminiscent of Hong Kong's Stanley in terms of a generally expat / tourist crowd that is laid back and in casual wear) - you can find eateries and bars that are right in line with Singapore's mix of primarily Indian, Malaysian, Chinese and European transplants. And then some American staples and important exports, like Hooters (heavy sarcasm intended) but with local waitresses.

While the loudly colored 3-story buildings housing these eateries and bars may look obnoxious - I could imagine this being a fun and convenient place for college kids or young adults travelling with family - and staying at any of the hotels within walking distance - who want to slip out at night in a safe environment.


Not being a young adult, but yes travelling with my parents - we brisked past the pubs towards the mall and supermarket at the end of the riverfront walk to stock up on drinks (another reason that makes Clarke Quay a convenient place to stay).

Somewhere along the way, we ran across a kiosk selling day cruises down the river - sort of like the Bateau Mouche in Paris, which offers a great way to see key sights in the city in a relaxed, short ride for just $15SG per person. My mom ingeniously also discovered that for $3SG more (so total of $18SG = ~$14US pp), you can use the cruise like a water taxi for 24 hours - with unlimited hopping on/off at popular stops should you wish to take a closer look on foot.

I loved the Bateau Mouche in Paris - and was excited about the concept of the HiPPO cruise being similar for the Singapore River.

There were sights both along the right and left banks of the river, and we passed another riverfront tourist hangout called Boat Quay, another collection of al fresco restaurants and bars...

...and Singapore's iconic symbol, the Merlion

And a building that looks like a cross between an armadillo and a spaceship - that turned out to be the Esplanade Theaters by the Bay.

Lots of skyscrapers, then the famous Singapore Flyer (a giant ferris wheel that affords 360 views of the city) in the distance, and the lotus-shaped Art and Science Museum

Then for the grand finale - the most breath-taking structure of all, and looks like some modern day Noah's Ark post flood - stranded atop three skyscrapers - Skypark.

Apparently Skypark is not some national monument, but the brainchild of some marketing genius behind the Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino (which occupy the three towers below the 'ark'). You can pretty much see this structure from anywhere in the city, and it draws people in like some invisible beacon, or moths to a flame.

According to Marina Bay Sands, Skypark stretches longer than the Eiffel tower laid sideways, or 4.5 jumbo jets, and the gravity-defying cantilever is one of the largest of its kind in the world.


For gamboholics' visitors' convenience, not only is it easy to get to Marina Bay Sands by MRT (Singapore's subway system), taxi or bus, it's also super accessible by boat - there is a dock built right across the street from Skypark, and HiPPO cruises makes its last stop and drop there.

Skypark is thankfully open to the public, not just hotel/casino guests - for an admission fee of $20SG=~$16US per adult.

The view from the top is spectacular - especially to see the fleets of ships 'taking a break' near harbor in the South China Sea.

Folks lucky enough to be able to afford to stay at Marina Bay Sands can also enjoy their rooftop infinity pool, with the spectacular views.

After checking out the view, us pleibes made our way back down to ground level to check out The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (and enjoy the air conditioning in the mall - temperatures were in the 70s in late December and everyone was in shorts/dresses and flip flops - can't imagine how hot it would be in the summer!)

The mall was also built to entertain/impress - with a faux 'river' running through the heart and gondolas for rent (yeah it's kind of like the Venetian, Las Vegas). With high tourist traffic due to the hotel and casino - there are many international brands at this mall, even when it comes to eateries. Oh yes, this is where Nancy Silverton's Mozza has its Singapore outpost. We didn't try it as we have one in LA, and we'd rather focus on things from, or that you can only get in Singapore.

We stumbled across just such a find in one wing of the mall - a cafe which sat on a boat-inspired structure, suspended above the 'river'.

This was a branch of the Singaporean teahouse chain TWG, which treats tea as an art form.

The concept is steeped in the history of and celebrates Singapore as a former trading post for tea, spices and gourmet goods. Unfortunately the letters stand for something that isn't as exotic - The Wellness Group - the corporation that runs the business.

But we had fun immersing ourselves in a menu so large that the teas alone literally merited a book. Actually, two books - one that was an index of I think over 200 types of tea, and one that had descriptions of these teas that you had to cross reference if you wanted to know what they were.

The tea menu did end up a bit overwhelming - so we simply asked the waiter for recommendations. I went with a Fruit Mountain Tea milkshake - made with a black tea with "golden asian fruits" ($11SG ~$9US), SO good but pricey, while my parents went for classic hot teas: Genmaicha and Dragon Well.

They also have a great menu of salads, sandwiches and desserts which feature their teas as ingredients - we started with a Seared Foie Gras Salad ($29SG ~$23US) with housemade pan-seared foie gras served on tender spinach shoot salad, caramalized apples and carrots drizzled with Chocolate tea infused vinagrette.

Then my dad got a Mango Crumble ($12SG ~$9US) a delicious tart with mango wedges, light coconut cream infused with Vanilla Bourbon tea, topped with crunchy crumble biscuit, and scoop of Alfonso tea ice cream (black tea blended with rare mango). Every spoonful of this was pure heaven with fragrant tea interplaying with fresh, tart mango flavors.

My mom got a Bourbon Island Crepe ($14SG ~$11US) with mango marmalade tossed in light caramel sauce infused with Vanilla Bourbon tea and flavored with coconut, lime and vanilla.

I took the liberty of dipping my fork into both their plates, plus a Grand Wedding Tea macaron with passionfruit & coconut ($2SG ~$1.50US).

The teas, food and space are all lovely though some items were pricey - this was the most delicious and relaxing afternoon tea we've ever had in the middle of a mall (or perhaps any cafe).

After catching a cab to dinner at Boon Tong Kee, a restaurant recommended by my uncle - also a foodie! :) - we dragged ourselves back onto the HiPPO boat for one last ride, to capture the nighttime experience and views.

I don't know if it's just a case of - almost everything in the city always looks better at night - but we LOVED Singapore from a riverboat after dark.

Especially Skypark, which turns into some vessel from outerspace at night - with its crazy looking lights and laser show.

Clarke Quay also looks beautiful, lit up at night (apparently you can also dine al fresco on the two traditional looking ships near the center of the photo)

All in all, a spectacular day with lots of great memories and 'Kodak' (or shall I say Instagram? Sadly people don't use film/prints photos anymore) moments, for relatively little money - loved it!

[For more photos from our Singapore trip, check out my album on Facebook]
___________________________________________________________

Clarke Quay
Ph: +65 6337-3292
Website: clarkequay.com.sg

HiPPO River Cruises
Clarke Quay, Singapore (kiosk next to Hooters)
Ph: +65 6338-6877
Website: ducktours.com.sg/hipporiver.php
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/DUCK-HiPPO

**************************

Skypark

Bayfront Avenue, 10 | Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore 018956, Singapore

Ph:

 

+65 6688 8888

Website: marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Attractions/Sands-SkyPark/

Twitter: @Marinabaysands

**************************

TWG Tea on the Bridge
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Ave., Singapore 018972 Canal Level B2-89
Ph: +65 6535 1837

Website: twgtea.com
______________________________________________________________________