Hullo friends, and welcome back to our weekly feature of places to check out in Singapore! We sincerely hope that we don’t run out of cool stuff to feature soon.
The Food Place
What’s Singapore’s best known dish worth flying halfway around the world for? A ‘deceptively simple’ meal made out of boiled poultry and rice, chicken rice never fails to satiate our appetites.
The dish was brought to Singapore by poor Hainanese immigrants from China, and thereafter adapted out of necessity to ensure that every last drop of flavour is squeezed out of a single chicken. Each vendor has its own secret, but in general, chicken rice is prepared thus: a whole chicken is boiled then hung to dry. The resulting broth is used to boil the rice, make soup to accompany the dish and contribute to the fragrant soy sauce sprinkled over the finished dish. It’s surprising how much flavour a bird can impart.
Food enthusiasts would probably have heard of Tian Tian Chicken Rice, a Michelin-starred hawker stall lauded by Gordon Ramsay and the late Anthony Bourdain. Critics love the rice which is tasty enough to be eaten on its own, as well as the slippery chicken. Unfortunatley, some have found standards to be slipping lately, but since you’re here, we’d recommend you give it a go!
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-10/11, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm, Closed on Mon
The Coffee Place
Chye Seng Huat Hardware Store might sound like a dusty shophouse out of the 1940s, but don’t be fooled by this one. The front of the building might retain its old school elements and signboard, but its interior and back house a coffee roaster, a fully-fledged cafe, and a workshop space.
Critics and coffee aficionados rave about their cold brew which makes for essential post-lunch drinking when the weather gets unbearable and the eyes start drooping.
Chye Seng Huat Hardware
150 Tyrwhitt Rd, Singapore 207563
Opening hours: Tue-Thu, Sun 9am to 10pm, Fri-Sat 9am to 12am
The Hipster Place
If you’re wandering around Tiong Bahru, visiting bookstores or stopping by for coffee, don’t miss Curated Records. A rare gem in a highly digitised city, Curated Records offers vinyl records for the music lover and vintage enthusiast. A glance through Google Reviews suggests that the store covers most genres, from classic rock to movie soundtracks, so you’ll likely find something that suits your music tastes.
The owner is apparently very friendly and passionate about the whole vinyl business, so chat him up if you need someone to share your obsessions!
Curated Records
55 Tiong Bahru Rd, Singapore 160055
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1pm to 8pm, Closed on Mon
The Market Place
For cheap quality produce, head east to Geylang Serai Market, one of Singapore’s biggest and busiest wet markets. Situated in Geyland Serai, one of the oldest Malay settlements on the island, the market was given a fresh design and a new roof directly inspired by traditional Malay Minangkabau architecture.
Geylang Serai Market is the perfect place to stock up on ingredients to whip up good, hearty Malay dishes. Check out the Malay and Middle Eastern spices if you’re looking to diversify your pantry. The best part? Prices at the market are among the lowest in Singapore, so you can shop with ease of mind!
Geylang Serai Market
1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001
Opening hours: 6.30am to 12pm daily (wet market), 8am to 10pm daily (food centre)