Three days in Singapore proved to be too little to eat all the foods I had on my extensive must-try list or walk all the streets marked in the map, but I tried to do my best braving the rain, waiting in line to get the cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world, and even eating ice cream wrapped in bread. I gathered a few of my favorite places and eats in Singapore in this visual essay.
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Streets and Eats is a series of posts about places that I visited only briefly. I don’t feel knowledgeable enough to write a full guide, but I still want to share my best finds. Look at it as a freestyle visual guide to the city that will, hopefully, inspire your visit and give you a few random ideas of what to see and where to eat!
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Traditional Singaporean breakfast: toast with kaya jam, soft boiled eggs and coffee. You can find this breakfast at local coffee houses called kopitiams. Kaya jam is actually curd made of caramelized sugar, coconut milk and eggs and flavored with pandan leaf juice, popular in Singapore.
There’s plenty of amazing street art in Singapore. This right here is a colorful mural at Haji Lane, an art aficionado’s paradise still untouched by urbanization of the city.
Chicken rice from Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle – the cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world for which I paid $1.5! The little hawker center stall that serves it was the first street food restaurant to ever receive a Michelin star.
Bright murals and unusual deco of Arab quarter
Beautiful mural of a Sikh man drinking chai painted on the wall of The Singapura Club at Haji Lane
One of the best brunches in the city served at Forty Hands cafe (their avocado toast is incredible!)
Singapore’s Little India has plenty of colorful murals…
… including some inspired by Bollywood icons!
The neighborhood offers lots of great affordable places to stay in Singapore.
Ice cream sandwich is a locals’ favorite that you can buy from street food carts. There are many carts on Orchard road, one of the most touristy streets of the city. Although it looks like a huge chunk of butter, I promise it’s vanilla ice cream inside a slice of bread. The combination of bread and ice cream is not as outrageous as it sounds, but the quality of both ingredients is quite low (at least in the street carts on Orchard Road) making it an interesting experience, but not a very enjoyable treat.
Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay. The supertrees are tree-like structures that provide shade during the day, serve as home for exotic ferns, vines and orchids, and harness solar energy.
Nasi Lemak, a Malay dish popular in Singapore that consists of rice cooked in coconut milk with addition of pandan leaves to make it fragrant and different fried foods or curries on side. One of the best places to try the dish is Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak at Adam Road hawker center. Nasi Lemak here is served with deep fried chicken, fried anchovies, egg, cucumber slices and chili sauce. It’s quite an affordable meal too, in case you are traveling on a budget. Tip: Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world. If you are looking for affordable accomodation, check out this guide to the best hostels in Singapore.
Haw Par Villa, a theme-park based on Chinese folklore and mythology. A sort of Asian Disneyland, but very strange and cruel at times.
Haw Par Villa has over 1000 colorful statues on display, including giant gorillas, sumo wrestlers and even a small Statue of Liberty all in one park!
Very close to, but not exactly, a meal at Michelin-starred restaurant. Din Tai Fung is a world-renowned chain of restaurants famous for their dumplings. Their two restaurants in Hong Kong received one Michelin star each.
The tallest indoor waterfall in the world located in Cloud Forrest at Gardens by the Bay
Coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell with the view of Marina Bay Sands, the most iconic hotel in Singapore. You can find a street stall selling this ice cream on Waterfront Promenade.
The view from 1-Altitude, the highest alfresco bar in the world providing 360-degrees observation of the Lion City.
It’s best to enjoy the views of Singapore with a cocktail in hand! The cocktail is included in the price of entry to 1-Altitude and will cost you a leg and an arm (to be more specific SGD$30), but the views are truly incredible.
Garden Rhapsody – daily light and sound show at Gardens by the Bay.
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