the singapore tourism board has made a valiant effort to sell singapore as a shopping paradise. as a serious shopper, i vehemently disagree -- you can find the same stores anywhere in the world, will less prohibitive prices.
in my humble opinion, the stb should harp on the food. and none of this fine dining french restaurant crap. a couple of days before i left, a slew of stb-sponsored articles about singapore came out in a few local dailies and mags. most of them talked about food that you can find (and better enjoy) elsewhere, such as french food, and were particularly enraptured by pricey "fusion" dishes at five-star hotels. oh please. how un-"uniquely singapore" can you get?
Black pepper crab (Jumbo)
yes, yes, chili crab is the crown jewel of singaporean cuisine (i seriously doubt there is such a thing by the way -- it's everyone else's best dishes slapped together). but what really does it for me is black pepper crab at jumbo seafood palace (east coast park and clark quay).
marlon and i were in a cab to jumbo barely an hour after my arrival in lah-lah land, as we had both salivated for black pepper crab weeks before my trip was confirmed. due to its legendary crab, jumbo has what must be the world's most elaborate seating system (complete with diagrams, pushpins and walkie-talkies), not to mention world's most harassed maitre'd. i tried to take a pic of her, but since it was dinnertime on a saturday night, she was barely visible past a swarm of crab lovers. the closest picture that comes to mind is the throng around the black nazarene in quiapo on good friday.
tip: eat with your hands, bring lots of tissue. and don't think for a second that the tea and spicy peanuts are free.
the lau pa sat festival market is a glorified food court near the raffles place MRT. it is home to a deadly combination: tender white stingray wrapped in banana leaves and fresh off the grill, fried seafood rice and satay. real satay, care of the dozens of genuine indonesians milling about. it's extremely hot here, even during the evening, so take a table outside and arm yourself with lots of iced water.
Chicken rice (Wee Nam Kee)
wee nam kee on thomson road in novena (a hop and skip from marlon's office) serves "the best goddamn chicken rice in the country" (i quote marlon). try questioning this statement in front of anyone who has tried wee nam kee's delights, and watch the fur (yours) fly. the present prime minister of malaysia reportedly used to take the bus from his country just to eat here, back in the days when he was still a lowly bureaucrat.
i tried it. it's quite good, although not in the league of black pepper crab and grilled stingray. by the way, "chicken rice" is actually what we pinoys know as hainanese chicken, plus rice cooked in chicken fat. so much for "uniquely singaporean."
bakerzin for dessert. this is near the durian (i.e. esplanade) and right next to the bay. i could never picture having romantic candlelight dessert at manila bay (the smell). the bailey's irish cream souffle and warm chocolate cake make up for the fact that the toilet is just a hole in the ground.
chijmes just for the atmosphere. food is just so-so considering the prices. loads of moneyed white tourists around, which should explain the prices. props to chijmes though for showing us all a better use for convents. my old high school should learn a thing or two.
boat quay for drinks, touristy atmosphere and (slightly pricey) indian food. tip: eat where all the booms are eating, and stay away from italian restos. cross the bridge to have drinks at indochine, a lounge on the patio of the asian civilizations museum. don't worry, their giant couches will hide the old white expats from view. stars are overhead, the drink list is long and creative, the cocktails are superb and the jazz singer is pinay. urban bliss.
the 70th floor at swissotel the stamford for the view (and a liberal dose of second-hand smoke). sit down in front of the windows, grab a singapore sling, and see the entire country (yes, the entire country--it's that puny) at your feet.
