Singaporean cuisine is a fusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and similar cuisines. That means that biryani (Indian spiced rice) is just as much a local food as pig’s organ soup (Chinese and exactly what it sounds like). One thing that local dishes have in common – especially the kind found at hawker centres – is the use of a lot of oil.…
We didn’t set out to do it, but we’ve been on an inadvertent tour of Singapore’s hawker centres. A hawker centre is a grouping of many food stalls in an area with tables and benches or chairs. It looks like a US high school cafeteria, but with anywhere from dozens to hundreds of cuisine options.…
Neighborhood: Haw Par Villa Also Called: Queenstown, West Side Pros: It’s peaceful and quiet. It’s quite safe, though that’s true of much of Singapore. You can see how people actually live, rather than just the touristy spots. It’s close to the Harbourfront (where Sentosa is) and a wholesale market for produce, along with several hawker centres. Cons:…
Here is what surprised us most about Singapore: Food: There are Hawker Centres, which are like a cross between a giant market and a food court. They have many food options there, along with produce, toiletries, decorations, and even things like farm equipment. We bought everything from a pair of shoes to a toothbrush at…
For a while now, I’ve been wanting to try ‘Dining in the Dark,’ the idea of eating out in complete darkness. There are restaurants that offer it in SF, LA, San Diego, New York, Dallas, Boston, London, Paris, Barcelona, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Kuala Lampur, and in Singapore. We happened upon the one here and decided to give it a try. The…
We were in Sihanoukville, a beach resort town, for a week. Tubing: The end of Otres 1 Beach closer to town (as opposed to the end closer to Otres 2) has a bunch of kiosks for water sports. (One of them even has these boots that make you hover in the air using hydraulic pressure;…
Neighborhood: Boeung Keng Kang 1 (BKK1) Also called: N/A Pros: Not as many guesthouses, which means that you can see how people actually live and the level of pestering (for things other than tuk tuks) is lower. The food is more authentic, especially from the local market (which you won’t find in any guidebook or site). It’s not close to the Russian…
This is our first trip to Asia, so much is new to us. But a lot isn’t, because – despite what you might suppose or see on TV – people are very similar, all over. Here is a look at some of the similarities and differences. Comparisons of child-raising, sanitation, cooperation and public welfare, off-the-books activities, and driving…
Neighborhood: Otres 1 Beach Also called: N/A Pros: Many nearby restaurant options, so you can go to a different one for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner – if you wanted to. (Otres 2 options are more limited.) Close to Otres Village, which is fun to explore, especially for the Night Market. (This is also true of Otres 2.)…
These are ranked in the order I liked them in, based on food and ambiance. B’s ratings would be different, I’m sure. Moorea Beach [Otres 1]: We got comped drinks here after our island tour, because the outing was supposed to include breakfast, but didn’t. After that, B ordered the mixed salad, which was made of…