Two Singapore insiders share itineraries for a perfect day in town
By Brandon Presser
(Bloomberg) — Singaporeans know how to fulfil a brief. Creating the perfect airport? Done. Great medical care? Sorted. Perfected luxury service? No sweat (OK, a little sweat, as I experienced firsthand). So when we reached out to two of the country’s most esteemed hospitality pros about the best experiences in their native city-state, we had no doubt that they would deliver.
Wee Teng Wen remembers when Singapore was boring, and he’s spent most of his professional life trying to turn that reputation around. After attending the University of Pennsylvania, he co-founded the Lo & Behold Group. What started out as one rooftop bar in 2005 has grown into a compelling portfolio of 20-plus hospitality enterprises that include a three-Michelin-star restaurant and one of the city’s best boutique hotels.
Jean Low similarly caters to most discerning members of Singaporean society. Born in the city-state just after its 1965 independence from Malaysia, she left to pursue finance in the US and UK, returning home in the early 2000s, just in time for the arrival of Singapore’s Grand Prix and Marina Bay Sands megaresort casino complex. She is now chief executive officer of 1880, Singapore’s premiere private club, which recently opened spinoff locations in Hong Kong and Bali.
Here, both weigh in on the spots they’d prioritise on a perfect day in town. Among them: a series of epic (but approachable) outdoor adventures, more than a dozen insider dining recommendations, and the best spots for a dose of culture.
Earthly and culinary delights
Edited from an interview with Wee Teng Wen
Singapore excels at dramatic and overgrown tropical landscapes, and they are best seen in the early morning. The magic of Macritchie Reservoir, a lush embankment flanked by 7 miles of walking routes, is best experienced before 8 a.m. Follow the Lornie trail on the boardwalk along the water and loop back to where you started via the forested path.
When I’m feeling particularly intrepid, I book a kayak trip through the wild mangroves of Pulau Ubin – an islet floating in the channel between Singapore and mainland Malaysia – or Lazarus Island, to Singapore’s south, just beyond Sentosa. Escapes to all of these spots were my therapy during the Covid era.
Next up is a visit to our hawker centres – the quintessential Singapore experience. With more than 80 stalls, the centrally located Tiong Bahru Market has some of the best renditions of breakfast foods. Singaporeans often eat hearty breakfasts; my favourites at Tiong Bahru include steamed rice cakes at Jian Bo Shui Kueh, noodles with pork slices at Zhong Yu Yuan Wei Wanton Mee, and Hainanese curry rice at Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice.
The future of Singapore eating and shopping is New Bahru, a former girl’s school in River Valley that’s been turned into a creative cluster offering everything from local design boutiques to finger-licking nasi lemak [aromatic rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves]. You can even do a coffee omakase experience that showcases different brewing methods [Chemex, Aeropress, etc.] at PPP. Around the corner, STPI is a workshop and gallery space that I love, with an unconventional focus on printmaking.
Whenever I have friends in town, you’ll find us having dinner at the Sichuan-inspired Born or Tambi. At the latter, the oxtail and bone marrow murtabak [a type of stuffed pancake] is small but mighty in flavor. After, we usually head to Tanjong Pagar for a post-dinner bar crawl. You’ll be in great hands with the natural wine geek sommeliers at Le Bon Funk; the yuzu whiskey sour is a forever classic at Jigger & Pony; and don’t miss Appetite, a kitchen and record bar known for their evolving selection of wines and inventive small plates, like chicken liver parfait.
Let’s not forget about supper—Singaporeans’ late-night fourth (and favorite) meal of the day! Long Ji Zhi Char, back in the Tiong Bahru area, is a hyper-local roadside spot. The crab bee hoon [crab in broth with rice noodles] is a must.
From bark to bite, in three acts
Edited from an interview with Jean Low
My favourite thing about Singapore is the greenery. I usually start my morning by taking Tala, one of my fur-babies, for a walk. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with lots of rolling public lawns, is a 15-minute walk from my front door.
After my morning walk I’ll bring Tala to Open Farm Community on Minden Road for granola and an oat milk latte – it’s completely dog-friendly, and I love watching the kitchen team tend to their on-site herb and vegetable garden.
Singaporeans are spoiled for choice when it comes to food, and specifically food courts. My favorite is the one at Vivocity Mall. On my guilty-pleasure days, I have char kuey teow [wok fried noodles with cockles and Chinese sausage] from Food Republic, followed by an ice kachang [a huge mound of shaved ice covered with rainbow-colored syrup].
If I’m not hosting an evening event at 1880, I’ll head to 28 Hong Kong Street, an institution in Singapore’s bar scene, for a well-deserved after-work cocktail or two. I always get the canarinio – cachaça, coconut, passionfruit, banana, lime and allspice. And when I have friends or family in town, I’ll often take them to Dempsey, the old army barracks left behind by the British that’s now home to many of my favorite spots for dinner. Usually we’ll go to Claudine, which serves quintessential French cuisine (the coq au vin is must!), or Tuga, my go-to for all things Portuguese.
When there is a show on, I’ll walk along Robertson Quay to the Singapore Theatre Company. This season I’m looking forward to seeing Paradise – or the Impermanence of Ice Cream and Disgraced, Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. To carry on the conversation, for post-theatre dinner and drinks, head over to COL on Keong Saik Road, where Colin Buchan [1880’s executive chef] serves wood fire-inspired modern British cuisine in a supercool, cozy and unpretentious environment. It’s the perfect way to end the night.
On lazy weekends, I take my family to Tanjong Beach Club (Tala comes too, of course). In the mornings, it’s home to staycationing health geeks and families. In the evenings, you’re guaranteed to spot a few mankinis. Who says Singapore’s uptight?
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