Our first feature will bring you several places endorsed by Singaporeans themselves. Hey, what better way to know a country than through its locals, right?
The Food Place
Ask any Singaporean to list down their favourite breakfast and/or supper dishes and you’ll inevitably hear the word “prata”. A South Indian import, roti prata literally means flatbread. It’s usually served with a delicious side of fish/mutton/dhal curry, and you can choose between them. Like pizza crusts, prata dough needs to be stretched. Since most prata griddles are in the open, you can watch the prata-man expertly whirling and twirling the dough. You’ll find at least one prata shop in every neighbourhood—that’s how much Singaporeans love it.
Check out Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata, where rumour has it you have to wait 90 minutes for a slab of crispy, fluffy goodness after 9am on weekends. One new entry into your Singapore Traveller Rule Book: If there’s a queue, it’s probably something good.
Opening hours: Thu-Mon 6.30am to 1pm; Tue 6.30am to 11.30am; closed on Wed (we advise arriving before 9am)
Address: Tin Yeang Coffee Shop, 300 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 429356
Nearest MRT: Eunos/Paya Lebar; alternatively, take bus 16 towards Bedok from Orchard
The Hipster Place
Like any other city in the world, Singapore has a burgeoning hipster community. While the original meaning of the word has long been lost, being hip in Singapore generally entails doing stuff that are not mainstream, and coffee, lots of coffee. We find it apt to begin our hipster feature with a café, specifically one located in Singapore’s widely-acknowledged hipster neighbourhood—Tiong Bahru.
Forty Hands has been fuelling the denizens of Tiong Bahru since October 2010. Its founders were one of the pioneers of bringing in the Third Wave Coffee scene to Singapore. Now, that’s what hipsters do. Its cosy vibe, coupled with its dedication to serving quality specialty coffee, has made its brand sought after amongst the caffeine-dependent masses, so much so that they recently set up a second shop at East Coast. Skip breakfast and drop by for a hearty brunch.
Opening hours: Mon – Wed 7am – 7pm; Thur – Fri 7am – 10pm; Sat – Sun 7.30am – 7pm
Address: 78 Yong Siak Street, #01-12, Singapore 163078
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (10- to 15-minute walk)
The Medical Place
Did you know that Singapore is famed across the world (paywall) for its first-rate but affordable healthcare? Its new hospitals are also very aesthetically pleasing, more so than its public housing.
Sengkang General Hospital is the newest kid on the block. Opening its doors in August 2018, the public hospital serves communities in the north-eastern parts of Singapore.
Address: 110 Sengkang East Way, Singapore 544886
Nearest MRT: Sengkang
The Market Place
Markets are an integral part of Singapore living. While Singapore doesn’t have much land for to grow its own produce, its citizens are never short of fresh produce. Every day, crates of fruits and vegetables are flown in or driven down to one of the wholesale centres and auctioned off to market stallholders.
At dawn, aunties with wheeled trolleys begin descending on wet markets, stocking up on produce to feed their families. Tiong Bahru Market serves both the local and expatriate crowd. Vendors peddle both regional and international produce. Seek out the Aussie and NZ beef, which are rumoured to be cheaper than those in supermarkets.
Opening hours: Early morning-1pm
Address: 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (10- to 15-minute walk)