Singapore: 3 days of food heaven - the beginning of my Asian adventure

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My trip around Asia began with three days in Singapore. I am not quite sure how I checked out of Changi Airport so fast! Within 30 seconds my bags were on the carriage, I was through immigration and in a taxi on the way to the hotel. That is what you call efficiency and I believe is what set the bench mark for an efficient three day trip of Singapore...

When I had started planning my adventure around Asia, there were certain things I wanted to do in each country. Singapore was no exception to this, and I had a long list of the places that I wanted to see and visit.

I began exploring around Clarke Quay which was almost like a student hub; with bars, restaurants and shopping centres galore. In England, the shopping centre food courts are on the higher levels, but in Singapore the food courts are in the basement and the selection of types of food is so much more varied in Singapore. I enjoyed a large bowl of Tom Yam Seafood Ramen which was the perfect fusion of Thai flavours with the added bonus of Japanese noodles. I also had a rice noodle dish that was full of seafood and a selection of meat – Singapore’s version of the English Chinese takeaway ‘Singapore noodles’. It all was delicious!

One of the places I had to visit in Singapore was the Raffles hotel. I took a taxi to the hotel and went up the stairs to the Long bar. This bar was named the long bar because it is exceptionally long and it is also known for where the famous ‘Singapore Sling’ cocktail was created. I sat down at a table and ordered a Singapore sling. The waiter brought over a big bag of monkey nuts and the cocktail. It was a bright orangey-pink colour and it was absolutely delicious. If you ever go to the Long bar, do not be alarmed by the amount of monkey nut shells on the floor or that there are no bins/pots to put the shells in. This is because it adds to the ambience of the Long bar. As you walk through the bar, your feet tread on the shells and they crunch and crack below your feet. You may also want to look up while you are sitting in the bar at the fans on the ceiling. They are just incredible, they don’t really do much at cooling the bar down, but they are beautiful antiques.

After the Singapore sling, I ordered a mojito, which was uniquely served in a short glass so the flavour was so intense but yummy too. I left the Raffles hotel, a little bit tipsy and jumped in a cab in search of some more culinary delights. The taxi driver suggested that I must eat at Jumbos and order the chilli crab. So he took me to the nearest Jumbos and I sat at an express table. Jumbos is a highly rated restaurant and so large parties go there and you must book beforehand, so an express table is for the diners which do not book but require a table. You must leave within two hours and you sit at a round table with other diners. I sat opposite two young Singaporean girls, two older Cantonese women and a single man. With the recommendation from the taxi driver, I ordered the chilli crab, a ginger and spring onion crab, scallops with broccoli and rice. OH MY GOODNESS. I don’t think I have ever zoned out to a plate of food before. It was me and the crab and this heavenly chilli gravy. I zoned out so much that after I had finished I looked up and the heavens had opened and the rain was pouring down. Luckily umbrellas had been pulled over us so we didn’t get wet but I’m not sure when all this happened because I was so consumed in this beautiful plate of food. If you ever go to Singapore YOU MUST TRY THE CHILLI CRAB AT JUMBOS. For dessert, I walked along to an ice cream parlour and I had a scoop of lychee ice cream. It was deliciously refreshing and light.

Another place I wanted to visit in Singapore was the zoo. So on my second day I walked to City Hall station and took the train to Ang Mo Kio, then I got on a bus to the zoo (Warning: People stand on the opposite side of the escalator in Singapore). The zoo was incredible, there were monkeys walking in front of your feet and I got to see the Tigers and Elephants feeding. It was a great experience. I came back on the bus and train to China town and had Hainan chicken which is slow roasted chicken and then rice cooked in all the juices from the chicken served with a ginger and spring onion sauce and a chilli sauce. It was simple and full of flavour.

I wanted to visit the Marina Bay sands hotel to see the view of Singapore and also because on top of the hotel is a full size boat. It cost about twenty pounds to go to the top and although the view was amazing, there was not much else to do up there. So I came back down and got in a cab in search of the best satay skewer which Singapore is famous for. The taxi driver took me to Lau Pa Sat which is also known as Satay Street. It was about 7pm which is when the barbeques fire up and the commotion begins. The street was packed full of market stalls, tables and chairs and people eating bbq skewers. These skinny asian men surrounded me wanting me to sit down at their tables to eat their food. This heavenly smell surrounded me and I sat down at a table and ordered 10 of each skewer; chicken, beef, mutton and king prawn. They were served on a paper plate with two big bowls of peanut sauce. They were delicious.

On my final day in Singapore I went to the Aquarium in Sentosa by the Harbour Front. The aquarium was massive and definitely a must see place! I took the free shuttle bus to the Harbour Front MTR station and took the subway to Little India which was like the Indian version of China town. It resembled my knowledge of India, with food markets, and flower and clothing stalls. After, I took the train to Telok Ayer which was near Lau Pa Sat and I went to the food court by Lau Pa Sat. I watched the hustle and bustle of people leaving work and then the food court got really busy. So I joined the large amount of people and went in search for some food. After being to Little India I was in the mood for Indian so I had the executive Indian plate No. 2. Chicken tikka, rice, naan, poppadom and two veg: okra and chickpeas with curry sauce. I ate with my hands, although I used both so it was definitely wrong.



Singapore is a perfect place for a foodie like myself. There is so much to see, do and eat. There are so many different cultures residing in Singapore that the food courts cater for everyone, which means you can have chicken curry, dim sum, sushi, kebab, noodles and roast duck all on one plate. It was my first taste of Asia and I loved it. Now on to Hong Kong...

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Photos

Lau Pa Sat
Satay Street: 40 skewers demolished
Beef, Mutton, Chicken and Prawn

The Long Bar
Singapore Sling