Singapore Part 2
So, I kind of cheated with this bucket list item. I originally had Black Pepper Crab on the bucket list, however, I had heard the Black Pepper Crab is spicier than the Chilli Crab, so I opted for the Chilli Crab. I headed to Newton Hawker Centre, often touted as a tourist trap and made famous by the movie Crazy Rich Asians, it is arguably the most well known Hawker Centre in Singapore.
When I arrived, it had just gone lunchtime. The place was half open, a few stalls only operate on an evening. I found a place which sold the Chilli Crab. One thing to note, ok two things really, Crab is sold at Market price, there is no set price for the Crab and you could pay more for the Crab than you did the day before, secondly, the portion size is enough for two. Thankfully you are given plastic gloves as you need to remove the crab from the shell yourself. There was a lot of sauce, not enough Crab and any Crab that was there got lost in the spicy sauce. The Crab came with fried buns. Soft on the inside, golden brown on the outside, perfect for mopping up the sauce. I’m glad I crossed this off the bucket list, but not sure I’ll try the Black Pepper Crab, if I had more Crab then I’d consider it.
During my second and final week in Singapore, I ate at 2 different Michelin starred restaurants, the first being Whitegrass. A 1 star establishment, located in Chijmes (pronounced Chimes). If you have seen Crazy Rich Asians, Chijmes is the setting for the wedding of Colin and Araminta.
Upon being seated at the restaurant, a little dish with a white pebble appeared. Water was poured over the pebble and it suddenly grew to the size of a Marshmallow. Was I supposed to eat this? Was I not? Was it some kind of Heston Blumenthal-esque canape? I looked around the room and saw fellow patrons had left theirs in the dish. There mine stayed too until I was sure what to do with it. 2 leather bound menus, the smaller contained the dinner menu, a choice of either the 5 or 8 course tasting menu. The larger menu containing the drinks list, a mixture of soft drinks, spirits, wines and cocktails. I opted for a purple punch mocktail and the 8 course tasting menu. To read the full review, click here- Whitegrass
2 days after my visit to Whitegrass, it was time for the second Michelin star restaurant… Jaan by Kirk Westaway, a 2 Michelin star establishment. I had come across the restaurant on Instagram whilst in Tokyo, the photographs of the food looked spectacular, I was undecided whether to book the table for the evening or a lunch time and eventually settled for the lunch time reservation. Jaan by Kirk Westaway, boasts of modern British cuisine and yes that is the name of the restaurant, not me name checking the Executive Chef. 4 courses for $198SGD or 5 courses for $238SGD, the signature dish of Hen’s Egg is optional and is the difference between the 4/5 courses. Whilst I didn’t write a full review of the restaurant for you all, the food stayed with me for a long time after eating. It was home on a plate and after nearly 1 month away from home, I did start to miss home, this only lasted 2 days then I ended up at Marina Bay Sands and never wanted to leave Singapore, or the hotel (more on this shortly). The highlight from my lunch at the restaurant was definitely the Cheddar Pancake Canape. A burst of cheesy goodness in a small unassuming mouthful. I’d recommend just going for this Canape alone but the rest of the menu was equally as exceptional as this. Next time I’m in Singapore, I will definitely be heading back to Jaan by Kirk Westaway, but this time it will be for the evening reservation. Don’t forget to take in the views of Singapore, the restaurant is on the 70th Floor of the Swisshotel, which is right next to The Raffles Hotel.
Whilst in Singapore, I took part in 2 cooking classes, both by Commune Kitchen. The first being a Chinese Dumpling class, with the other being a Xiao Long Bao cooking class a week later. Can you tell how much I love Dumplings. In each class, I ended up with 15 Dumplings all to myself. I did not complain one little bit and ate every single one of them.
After my Xiao Long Bao class, I headed to Marina Bay Sands. Another place from the bucket list. The place is iconic. The boat atop the 3 towers. The extravagance of the shopping centre underneath. I had checked out of my hostel that morning, headed to the Marina Bay Sands to drop my luggage and complete pre-check in. I was allowed to head to the rooftop pool before check-in but I didn’t have time due to the cooking class. Once the class was over, I received an email informing me that my room was ready and to head to the hotel to get the key. My luggage was in a back room somewhere safe and I was informed that this would be brought to the room within half an hour of my arrival. 5 minutes after I entered the room, there was a knock at the door. My luggage! Talk about service. I explored the room and wandered out onto the balcony. Yes, you read that right. I had a balcony which overlooked the Gardens by the Bay. I made myself a Coffee and sat on the balcony reflecting on my life and how much I had enjoyed the last month.
Later that evening, once showered and bundled up in the robe and slippers provided, I ordered room service. I was still a little full from the Xiao Long Bao earlier in the day but when would I get a chance to order room service at Marina Bay Sands again. Unless I win the lottery, probably never. I settled on a cheese platter. There are a number of different menus to choose from and you can either order on the TV in the room or scan the QR Code and order on your phone. Upon check in, a deposit is taken from you on top of the cost of your stay. This is to cover anything such as room service or any food you order by the pool.
Half an hour after placing my order, the doorbell rang. Yes, the room had a doorbell! A table was wheeled in and my Cheese platter had arrived. Normally when I’m in the UK, I’m not allowed to order a Cheese plate in a restaurant, it takes forever for me to eat it. There’s a certain way I have to eat it. First start with the Cracker, spread Butter and Chutney on the bottom, then a layer of Cheese, then Grapes. But the Grapes have to be slices so I have little rounds of Grapes on top of the Cheese. If there is any Honey, the Honey is then drizzled over the Grapes. You can see why it takes me a while, so I could take as long as I wanted to and my Brother wasn’t there to give me the evils or tell me to hurry up. In fact it took me an hour to eat the Platter in the room, I took my sweet, sweet time but it could also be due to the fact I found Man of Steel on TV and got a little distracted by a shirtless Henry Cavill haha.
I spent 2 nights/1 day at Marina Bay Sands. I spent the following day lazing by the rooftop pool and ordering food, eating in the sun before going for a dip and seeing the views of Singapore. I headed to the pool after 11am (check out time) and left before 3pm (check-in time). It’s a lot quieter. A lot of people only head up to the pool to get photos by the edge of the pool for the ‘Gram’. I ordered a Club Sandwich and Fries. It was perfect in the Singapore heat, however, the bread was toasted! Why Singapore? Why do you toast your Bread when making Sandwiches?
My final night in Singapore was spent eating Sweet and Sour Pork and drinking one final Singapore Sling on the balcony after packing all the Christmas presents and souvenirs into my suitcase. Even after buying a new suitcase, it was still a struggle. To be fair, the suitcase I had bought was only hand luggage size and I still had to pay for extra at the airport. I watched the light show one last time before heading to bed. I needed as much sleep as I could get, I was in for a long day at the airport the next day.
Singapore is one of those places where everyone I spoke to said you can stay for 3/4 days and see everything you need to. If you really want to see Singapore, you need at least 10 days. I’m glad I had 14 days to really explore. Although Singapore is 31 miles from east to west and 17 miles from north to south, there really is a lot to see and do, you just need to look for it.
I think I lived the life I was meant to live in Singapore; Afternoon Tea at The Raffles, eating at Michelin starred restaurants and staying in 5-star hotels. It was a life I could get used to. Sadly, I could only stay for 2 weeks as Greece was calling my name…
My Tips for Singapore
- Don’t buy a EZ Link card to use for the MRT, instead use you’re contactless card to tap on and off the MRT.
- Look for ‘Free’ Walking Tours to explore the City. These are predominantly free, however it is customary to tip the tour guide at the end.
- Hawker Centres are cash only, make sure to carry some cash. You will also need some cash to tip tour guides if you take part in a free tour.
- Wanting to try the Black Pepper Crab or Chilli Crab? Make sure you take a friend, the portion is big enough for two people.
- Gardens by the Bay has a light show every night at 7:45pm and 8:45pm. It’s definitely something you want to cross off the list in Singapore.
The Fine Dining Foodie 