These recommendations come from having grown up in Singapore, and then decades of going back and visiting my family there, with some additional contributions from Jessica Chang.

Over time, and Covid, attractions may have changed, places may have closed, operating hours could have shifted, cost of admissions may no longer be accurate; please verify visiting information before you go.

Most of what you want to see in Singapore are going to be around the southern part of the island near the Downtown Core. (The name Downtown Core is still relatively unknown in Singapore, with almost everybody more familiar with the term CBD (Central Business District) which is smaller area within the Downtown Core). There are, however, worthy attractions in far-flung corners of the island outside of the Downtown Core.

In 2016, while Sue Faust and I were planning a visit to Singapore, we developed a list of items of interest to her. We made a rough outline sketch of Singapore with the locations of attractions, which I then mocked up in a digital map.

While some items in the sketch and map are now obsolete, hopefully they should still give you a rough idea of the lay of the land.

Main Tourist Attractions

The Jewel

Possibly the first attraction you can visit (depending on your flight arrival time) is The Jewel at Changi Airport. Actually, it's really just a big shopping mall, but it does have an amazing vortex waterfall that drops into a receiving funnel, and where you can head to the basement level for an external view of the translucent funnel wall.

Also at The Jewel, you can dump your bags at the Left Luggage counter, and get a ticket to go climb around on the Sky Net (cargo net); they are a bit bouncy and springy.

The food court at the base of the vortex waterfall can give you your first introduction to some local Singapore food.

Mandai Wildlife Group

Formerly named Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

One of the best attractions to visit are the trio of Jurong Bird Park (unluckily the district it's located in is pronounced as Jew-wrong), the Singapore Zoological Garden (or simply the Zoo), and the Night Safari. These are three separate attractions and you can get a ParkHopper ticket for all three parks. You can do this as a whole day venture with bird park in the morning, zoo in the afternoon, and Night Safari at night. Or you can split it up in bird park on one day, and then zoo and Night Safari on a separate day. Due to the close proximity of the zoo and night safari to each other, you should do these two together on the same day; it is literally you exit the zoo, then walk maybe 150 yards and you're at the Night Safari. Singapore's zoo is the best zoo I've ever been to; it's been highly regarded and apparently compares favorably to the San Diego Zoo (but I've never been to the San Diego Zoo, so I don't know how it really stacks up). Most of the large animals are not caged, and are presented to you at eye level behind a moat impassable by the animal.

If you're near the primate exhibit, look up and maybe you'll see some of them traversing overhead.

Find out when you can go feed the giraffes and get your picture taken with them.

There's also some enclosures where you can get up close with some of the animals:

The night safari is right next door to the zoo, and it is open only at night. You get to see a whole different set of nocturnal animals. Take the tram ride to get a feel for the place, then head out on foot to explore, linger, and get a closer look at the animals.

A lion or tiger chuffing in the night.

Orchard Road

This was THE shopping mecca in Singapore. It still is a shopping hub, but newer developments along the Marina and Bayfront areas in the southern parts of Singapore have drawn shoppers to other shopping locations. Singapore likes to style Orchard Road as its version of the Champs Elysee (it's not). Nevertheless, it might be worth a stroll from Scotts Road down to around Centrepoint (Cuppage Road), if not all the way to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. ION Orchard, Takashimaya, and Ngee Ann City are relatively newer malls. Lucky Plaza is one of the original shopping plazas here, although it has been somewhat modernized to make it not look not so dingy anymore. I used to spend a lot of time in Lucky Plaza.

At around the same time that I was slumming at Lucky Plaza, all the cool kids were hanging out at Centrepoint; enough of them spent sufficient time there that they got called the Centrepoint Kids, a generational name that predates the popularization of the Gen X name. I never really understood the draw of Centrepoint, and I always felt that Lucky Plaza had way more to offer, and a better location.

Marina and Bayfront Area

Marina Bay Sands (MBS)

The iconic building forming Singapore's skyline now is the Marina Bay Sands (MBS; Singapore loves abbreviations) "integrated resort" (IR) casino and hotel. This is the three towers linked by what looks like a surfboard at the top; it is easily spotted in the Crazy Rich Asians movie, set and partly filmed in Singapore. The infinity pool on the roof is truly impressive.

However, access to the infinity pool has since been limited strictly to hotel guests only; the rooms are not cheap and expect to pay about US$500 to USD$700 per night.

The hotel is rather weaselly now and charges you a fee to visit the SkyPark, but that still does not let you approach the infinity pool and you can barely see it from where you are allowed to be on the SkyPark. Not worth it in my opinion. Nevertheless, since Gardens By the Bay (GBB) is right behind MBS, you might as well pay the MBS complex (minus the SkyPark) a visit anyway on your way to GBB.

Gardens By The Bay (GBB)

Within the GBB area, the big attraction are the two huge, domed biodome conservatories (you really can't miss them).

One is a flower dome:

And the other has an indoor waterfall simulating a cloud forest.

Both these domes provide a nice respite from the fucking hot heat of Singapore weather.

Getting to GBB is a bit tricky. Go inside the MBS hotel and walk through the lobby until you see a second or third floor pedestrain bridge that cuts right through the hotel atrium; then go outside of the hotel on the side facing away from GBB, go up to the second/third floor, and then using the pedestrian bridge, cut back into the hotel atrium (now on the elevated bridge floor) and out the other side of the hotel to end up facing the GBB.

There might be an easier way, but this is the way I've always used.

If you have the time, maybe take a peek at GBB at night since they'll have the super-trees lit up

Near MBS

While you're at MBS, wander through the shopping arcade across the street from the hotel towers (they're all part of the same complex) and ogle at all the designer houses that have a presence in the shopping mall.

There's also a chintzy canal and gondolier like the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas that like the canals and gondolier in Venice.

Rain Oculus

On the shopping mall side of the complex is the Rain Oculus. The butt-hole where the water dumps out can be seen from inside the shopping mall.

The vortex waterfall at The Jewel is more impressive, but the Rain Oculus was built first and right there downtown

Spectra - A Light and Water Show

There's a music and water show called Spectra - A Light and Water Show in the bay, but if you've seen the Bellagio fountains in Vegas, you can skip this one.

Apple Store

Floating in the bay is an Apple store.

I think this is the only Apple store that floats

ArtScience Museum

ArtScience Museum is the thing shaped like a flower or a hand

Traveling exhibits come through to the ArtScience Museum, so check their website and see what may be there during your trip. In the past, I've visited it for a Harry Potter movie props and memorabilia exhibit (you can buy your own "magic" wand at the gift store), and another time was an exhibit featuring equipment and gear about NASA's space programs.

Singapore Flyer Building

From MBS, in the distance, you can see the Singapore Flyer. At the time it was built, it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, but has since then been surpassed by another ferris wheel in China.

If you see the three, small black blemishes on the left stanchion, those are workmen doing maintenance on it; this gives it some scale.

At the base of the Singapore Flyer, there is Flight Experience, which lets you pilot a Boeing 737-NG fixed-based flight simulator.

It's fixed-based, which means it doesn't move, but the whole thing is otherwise incredibly realistic. Realistic enough that they they paired me up with a real live Singapore Airlines pilot to guide me through the cockpit procedures and controls. You can have a guest sit in the jump seat to watch, and you can pay extra for a video of your "flight"

If you're into F1 Grand Prix, pit row is at the base of the Singapore Flyer building

Helix Bridge

If you're going to head to the Singapore Flyer building from MBS, you can either take the subway, locally called the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), or walk over on the Helix Bridge.

It doesn't do anything for me, but my tourist friends all seem to want to walk through this thing.

Views and Drinks

Remember how I said going up MBS isn't really worth it for what they charge and what you get? There are two alternate buildings where you can get just as impressive view, and get some drinks and noshes while you're at it.

The first is Altitude, which bills itself as the World's Highest Alfresco Gastro Lounge

The second, and which I think is a better place is LeVel 33, styling themselves as the World's Highest Urban Microbrewery

Both, but especially Altitude, seem to serve business-people clientele, so while they won't deny you entry if you show up in shorts and T-shirt, you will probably look underdressed. Office-casual, or slacks and collared shirt (or golf shirt) should be enough.

The view from LeVel 33 gives you a good overview of everything I've described so far.

The three towers and SkyPark is MBS.
To the right of MBS you can see one of the GBB biodome conservatories.
The buildings with the white roofs to the left of MBS is the shopping arcade that technically are part of the same MBS complex; the casino is somewhere in the lower floors of the shopping arcade.
The flower petal thing is the ArtScience Museum.
A bit hard to see, but the Helix Bridge would be just to the right of the ArtScience Museum.
You can also make out the Singapore Flyer up and to the right of the ArtScience Museum.
The shiny, dark ball in the water in the lower part of the picture is the Apple store.
Between ArtScience Museum and the Apple store is where they have the water show at night.

Around Singapore River

Merlion Park

Directly across the bay from MBS would find you in the heart of the CBD. This first thing you hit on shore on that side of the bay are the two Merlion statues (there should be two: a smaller one and a larger one, unless they took one of them away for cleaning and refurbishment.) The large one spouts water into the bay; the locals call it the "Vomiting Merlion".

The merlion is the national symbol for Singapore. Legend has it that a Sumatran prince long ago came ashore to Singapore and saw an animal in the woods; his advisor told him it was a lion, so he named the island Lion City, which in his Sanskrit was simha (lion) and pura (city); this name has survived in the Malay language as Singapura. In actual fact, what he was was probably a tiger since lions were never endemic to this region. The fish tail on the Merlion pays homage to Singapore as a fishing village back then, and now a major shipping sea port.

Rain Cloud

The vehicle bridge by the Merlion is the Esplande Bridge, and if you look on the side of the bridge away from MBS, there is this whimsical rain cloud

Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton

Across the street from the Merlion is the grand Fullerton Hotel; this used to be the the General Post Office of Singapore. Worthy of a visit there is to have afternoon tea at the Fullerton. (A common misconception is that the high-end tea in UK is called high tea, when in fact the poshy tea is called afternoon tea. High tea is the lower class tea because working class folk would dash off for tea, but because they were workmen and didn't have a lot of time for a tea break, they stood at high-top tables without being seated, hence "high tea". The rich gentry could afford to sit down and have three-tier service, so they had afternoon tea to while away the afternoon.

They would probably prefer you to dress nicely, but fuck it, I've gone there sweat drenched (because it's bloody hot and humid in Singapore) and wearing shorts and a T-shirt and it's been fine; besides it's in a hotel atrium.

Public Art

Nearby to the Fullterton is Cavenaugh Bridge; it's a historical pedestrian- only bridge. At one end of the bridge are two endearing, and my favorite, street art: children jumping into the Singapore River, and cats basking by the wayside

Cavenaugh Bridge and where the Merlion is located is basically the end of the Singapore River and where it empties into the sea. Beyond the Merlion statue, was the open sea; everything you see across the bay: MBS, GBB, Marina Square (where the Singapore Flyer is located) didn't use to exist: Singapore created all this reclaimed land by by dumping sand into the sea.

Quays

As you head away from the sea along the Singapore River, lining the southern side of the Singapore River used to be godowns, which is another name for a warehouse, but one which as not organized. However, since the bay has been dammed up, ship cargo is no longer offloaded by the Singapore River; this has allowed all the quays to be repurposed into a nightlife area. Daytime availability of eateries and bars is limited. The word quay is pronounced as "key" and is another term for wharf. Each segment of the southern side of the Singapore River has a different name: Boat Quay, Clarke Quay (this one is actually on the north side of the river), Alkaff Quay, Robertson Quay/

Law and order Singapore, not wanting people to attach locks to bridges, has helpfully provided a valentine for you to attach your love locks

And, of course, if you don't have a lock, I think there is a nearby store that will sell you a lock and possibly engrave it for you. Business is business in Singapore

There used to be reverse bungie ride that operated only at night at one of the quays, but I don't know if it's still there. Other than restaurants and bars, there really isn't much more to the quays, but it probably still deserves a walk through just to see it, and maybe get a ride on one of the heavy wooden boats (called bumboats for reasons I don't know why) for a tour of the river from the water

Around City Hall MRT Station

Leaving the immediate area of the Singapore River, go to the City Hall MRT station. Nearby is the Raffles Hotel on Beach Road. Firstly, Beach Road is called Beach Road because it was right along the beach. Now, with the land reclamation that was done to create the Marina Square and Marina Bay land masses, open water is about 1.7 miles away. Raffles Hotel is a cultural icon in Singapore, claiming Somerset Maugham, Queen Elizabeth, Charlie Chaplin, and Rudyard Kipling among her guests. Raffles Hotel is also the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, invented by a bartender at the Long Bar.

Truthfully, only tourists go there to drink a Singapore Sling. The current Long Bar isn't even the original bar, which was moved out from the main hotel building to a side wing, probably to keep the hoi polloi from the genteel hotel guests.

While you're still at the City Hall MRT station, part of the station is under the Raffles City complex of shopping mall, convention centre, and Hotel Swissotel (don't confuse this Raffles City and its City Hall MRT station with the Raffles Place MRT station one subway stop away, they are in distinctly different locations). Wander around the perimeter of this building to find a Duckie tour if you're so inclined, although in Singapore they don't use the DUKW, instead going with the heavier built British LARC-V (Lighweight Amphibious Resupply, Cargo, 5 ton) vehicles.

On the corner of this building is an outlet of the Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant chain; I like to use this one to meet up with friends, and also because I especially like their Affensaft: beer cocktail mixed with mango (or banana) syrup/nectar. A German speaking friend told me Affensaft translates to monkey juice.

(I can't find Affensaft on their online menu, so I don't know if it's still available.)

Sentosa

Heading west and out of the immediate downtown CBD area, there is an offshore resort island called Sentosa. Truthfully, I largely haven't done nor seen what's available there because most of it was developed after I left Singapore; look up their website online to see what they offer (Universal Studios has an amusement park there). However, the S.E.A. Aquarium there is a favorite of mine.

If you want some bragging rights, the Southern-most point of the Asian continent is claimed to be on Sentosa (Singapore is trying really hard to justify this claim since both Sentosa and Singapore are islands and technically not on the Asian continent, but Singapore claims that since these islands are connected by causeways (embankment roads), both islands are technically part of the continent.)

There are multiple ways to access Sentosa: taxi, monorail, or cable car

If you do take the cable car, it's probably easiest to board it from HarbourFront, and either go directly to Sentosa, or take a longer excursion by heading to Mt. Faber first before going to Sentosa.

Other Interesting Neighborhoods

These little enclaves all have their own little charms and attractions and deserve a walk-around if you have the time.

Chinatown

Uh, yeah, weird, isn't it? That a mostly Chinese populated country would have a Chinatown, and yet, here we are: there is a Chinatown.

Little India

This should be self-explanatory.

Kampong Glam

One of Singapore's oldest urban districts; sometimes spelt as Kampong Gelam, or abbreviated as Kg. Glam.

Places to see in Kg. Glam

Off The Beaten Path

Southern Ridges

I still haven't made it to the Southern Ridges, so I don't know much about this other that what I've managed to read somewhere. This is a 10km green space connector linking 3 of Singapore's parks. The Henderson Waves section on the connector is apparently well regarded, and at 36m high is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. Parts of the connector may be within or at tree top canopy level

Treetop walk

Different from Southern Ridges, this is inside a nature reserve area, and needs a stiff and sweaty hike through the forest to get access. Other than seeing a largely undeveloped forest (and if you're lucky you may see monkeys, iguanas, and other forest animals), the highlight is the bridge set at treetop canopy level connecting two adjacent hilltops. Unless they've changed policies, there is no admission fee. Bring your own water; as far as I remember, once you get into the nature reserve, there is only one vending machine deep in the forest where you can get some drinks

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Located on the northern edge of Singapore, this is a wetland nature reserve.

Labrador Park Nature Reserve

On the southern edge of Singapore and just north-west of Sentosa, Labrador Park offer rich biodiversity and war relics. Nature lovers and history enthusiasts will find plenty to do at Labrador Nature Reserve.

Battle Box

During World War II, this underground bunker was the headquarters of the British Military in Singapore before they surrendered to the Japanese. For decades, this bunker was sealed off and its location forgotten; in 1988 the bunker was "rediscovered" by a journalist following a number of leads pointing to the existence of an underground bunker complex. The bunker was then restored and now serves as a museum depicting the final days of the Battle of Singapore during WW II.
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Marsiling Bunkers

Explore sprawling underground tunnels left over from British rule. Unlike the Battle Box, the Marsiling complex has not been restored and refurbished as a working museum. It's been described as either a British Royal Air Force fuel dump, or British Armament Depot prior to WWII During the war, Japan used it to store their own ammunition. In 1971, the site was handed over to Singapore's Ministry of Defense and it became the Sembawang Ammunition Depot. The facility was decommissioned and handed back to the state in 2002. (Since 2008, Singapore Armed Forces Ammunition Command has stored ammunition in Undeground Ammunition Facilities, which most assuredly is not open for tours)

I don't know if you can go explore it by yourself, or you have to sign up with one of the several companies offering a not-inexpensive tour of the facility. Access is by hiking through woods, mud, and stream crossings.

Here's another thing I'm not sure about. A Straits Times article shows the entrance to be a set of steel doors, although the Beyond Expeditions website show using a rope to drop into a hole in the ground. Googling for bunker in Woodlands brings up North Coast Bunker, Marsiling Tunnels, and Gibraltar Crescent Bunker. I have no idea which is what.

Botanic Garden

If you like flowers and shit, visit this. It was created in 1859, and is the only tropical garden that's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The National Orchid Garden is within the Botanic Garden. Singapore's national flower is an orchid flower named Vanda Miss Joaquim. Singapore keeps breeding new hyrids of orchids and names them after VIPs (over 120 so far), including Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela, Laura Bush, Joe and Jill Biden. All these orchids can be seen in the Orchid Garden. The Botanic Garden itself is free, but Orchid Garden does charge an admission fee

Pinnacle at Duxton Sky Garden

No amenities; may need transit card (the cards used for getting onto buses and MRT) to pay for admissions. An alternative to the Sky Park at MBS, but not as posh. Also not as crowded. And also not intended to gouge your pocketbook.

Orchard Towers (Four Floors of Whores)

So, if you are at where Scotts Road intersects with Orchard Road, and you head in the opposite direction from Centrepoint/Dhoby Ghaut, in about 2 or 3 blocks is Orchard Towers, also known as the Four Floors of Whores. Singapore does have an official red-light district, and the hookers are supposed to stay there, but a lot of expats seem to like going to a dance club in Orchard Towers (I think it was called Top Ten, but may have been replaced by Top Five, Crazy Horse, or Harry's Bar) and the hookers have discovered that if they hung out in the building, they'd get some business. The lower part of the building feature a several floors of open central core that's kind of like an atrium, so you can see what's happening on the other floors. Spectating the hookers trying to drum up clients on the four floors here gave it its nickname of the Four Floors of Whores. If you want to say you went to the Four Floors of Whores, then give it a visit. If you want to do some people watching, go at night.

Bugis

This used to be a seedy part of town, but has since been gentrified quite a bit. So, the official red-light district in Singapore is Geylang (pronounced as Gay-LAANG: long "A", like when you doctor tells you to say "ahhhh") ; Bugis (pronounced: boo-gis; hard "G", as in "guy") was another notorious district that was known for its lady-boys. When I was growing up, every other year or so we'd get a news article that some Australian sailor chap got himself arrested on assault/battery charges for getting into a fight with who he thought was a nice lady of the night, until his unpleasant discovery of a penis between the legs of the not-lady he hired. The district has been made all decent now, and if you do visit it, it has a less touristy feel to it than the other shiny, sparkly areas of Singapore. Singaporeans now go to Bugis to eat and shop

Chinatown Pasar Malam

Literally translates from Malay as Chinatown Night Market. Go at night. Eat some street food.

Mustafa Center

How do I explain this? It's called an Amazon offline, and described as "it's like Amazon emptied out a warehouse here, and there is no organization." It used to be open 24 hours, but Covid may have changed this. Absolutely chock-full of stuff, but who knows if you can find where what you want is located. Evenings and weekends can be crowded. Tripadvisor people seem to like it; one reviewer said the first time they went, they didn't realize that saw just the first floor and had to go back to visit the other floors.

Pulau Ubin

Off the north-east coast of Singapore is Pulau Ubin island, which has remained largely undeveloped. Here, you can see what old Singapore's kampong (village) would have looked liked.

Daiso

Local outlets of a Japanese chain version of a dollar store (although nowadays we in the US seem to be having $2 stores, or even 5 Below stores.) I checked Daiso's online catalog, and it looks like everything is priced at S$2.14. Great place for souvenirs, tchotchkes, and goofy Japanese stuff; I like the branch in VivoCity.

TWG

A high end tea purveyor chain. They have a lot of teas. If you want tea and tea accessories, this is the store to go to. Despite their branding looking like they're an 1837 British company, it was actually founded in 2007 in Singapore

Changing of the Guards

First Sunday every month except July and August. The parade forms up behind The Heeren on Cairnhill Road to march down to The Istana; Istana is the Malay word for palace, and The Istana in Singapore is the official residence for the President. For no good reason, the Silent Precision Drill team from the Military Police Command always puts on a display at this ceremony. In the UK version at Buckingham Palace, the musical interlude is necessary because of the time needed for the contingent of new guards to be marched to all the guard posts within the palace to replace the old guards; in Singapore, the only guards needing to be ceremonially replaced are the two in the guard boxes at the front gate to the Istana, meaning there is no practical need to draw out the ceremony other than to just put on a show.

NeWater

Tap water in Singapore is potable. However, unpleasant as it sounds, part of the drinkable water in Singapore is recycled sewage, processed at NeWater facilities. At least one of the NeWater plants is a tourist attraction.

The water from the NeWater plant, while suitable for human consumption, not recommended for daily drinking because the water has zero minerals in it: it is completely pure. The implication is that if you drink it everyday, that super pure water will leach minerals out of your body. Computer manufacturing factories needing super pure water are supplied directly with the super pure NeWater. The rest of the NeWater destined for the population is dumped into open air resevoirs for it to pick up some minerals before the water is reprocessed and cleaned again before going into town-water supply lines. After your visit to the NeWater plant, you can get free, sample bottles of the pure water; it tastes completely tasteless, because it has zero chemicals and zero minerals in it

Museums

We have museums. These are the big one:

National Museum of Singapore
Asian Civilisations Museum
National Gallery Singapore (formerly Supreme Court Building)

Google them, and others, and see if their subject matter interests you.

Notable Mentions

So these two places made the 2023 list of The 50 Instagrammable Cafes in the World:

Cafe Monochrome. From what I can tell, the whole place looks like it's decorated to look like a black-and-white sketch
Kafe Utu. African cafe... not sure why it made the Instagrammable list

Eats

Ice cream

In Singapore, when you get an ice cream sandwich from a street vendor, you get a sandwich with ice cream in it. The bread may be pink, or green, or both, but it really is just regular old white bread

Conveyor Belt Sushi

Conveyor belt sushi seems to have become somewhat popular in Singapore. A bone of contention came up a couple of years ago between a few co-workers and me over the word "buffet". In Singapore (and India... an Indian work colleague backed me up) buffet means eat-all-you-can-eat, and not a banquet table where you serve yourself. Dig around, there used to be some conveyor belt sushi restaurants that do buffets for the slow mid-afternoon hours. If there's an iPad like thing at your table, it probably is for you to order other stuff that isn't coming out on the conveyor belt; the ordered items may be brought to you by a waiter/waitress or shipped to you on separate conveyor belt set at a different level.

The Boiler

Seafood that comes to you in a bag

Rubicon

Surprsingly good steak when I went there; their karaage (Japanese style fried chicken) is also good

HaiDiLao

This is an international chain restaurant from China, and they have very good customer service. The name literally translates to something like deep sea/ocean bottom dredging/rummaging. It's a hotpot (or steamboat) restaurant, like a Chinese version of a fondue with broth.

There are several HaiDiLaos in Singapore. Some of them are open most of the day from 10:30am to 6am the next day. While you wait for a table, you can get some free snacks, drinks, and a manicure, yes: free manicure while you wait for a table, although the manicure station itself has a line for its service. When I went there with my sister and her newly born son, HaiDiLao wheeled out a baby crib for my nephew to sleep in. For women who like to hang their purses on the backs of chairs, they'll drape the chair back and purse with a sleeve-like thing so pickpocketing from the purse is made more difficult. You'll also find small, transparent, plastic packs to protect your cell phone from being dripped on by the hot pot broth.

There's dancing noodles there.

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck at The Paragon
Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine in Takashimaya on Orchard

Authentic, higher end, Shanghainese food. I don't know how difficult ordering is in English, because this restaurant seems to hire mainland Chinese citizens for its staff; I've always gone with my family, and my mom always did the ordering in Chinese.

But a large part of Singapore's economy is from tourism, so the restauarant will accomodate you and figure something out. Singapore doesn't have that "if you don't speak our language, then we'll just make things harder for you" mentality. Tellingly, English is basically everybody's second language for the three largest ethnic groups of Chinese, Malays, and Indians; nobody gets looked down upon because they can't speaking someone else's native language. In traditional Chinese meals, food is always served "family style", except we don't bother specially designating it as "family style", we just call it lunch or dinner. Typically, one person (the host or guest of honor), does all the ordering in consultation with all the guests there asking if there something someone won't eat or especially wants to eat. Nobody orders a dish to be served just for themselves. So don't expect the waiter or waitress to go around the table asking each person what they individually want to order to eat

Tamago-EN

All they serve is eggs, but it's not just breakfast-all-day eggs only (which really in the US is kind of limited to just scrambled, sunny side up, over easy/medium/hard, and maybe soft/hard boild). Tamago-EN takes eggs to the next level.

The second and third pictures above are of a tornado (or vortex) egg that has fried rice inside the shell of swirled egg

Tambuah Mas

Indonesian food

Samy's Curry

Family-run, good Indian restaurant serving both north and south Indian dishes

Micheline Starred Hawkers

There are also hawker food stalls in Singapore with Michelin Stars. These are probably going to be the cheapest Michelin Starred food you're ever going to get.

Hawker Centres

For Singapore street food, you head to any one of the gajillions of "hawker centers". Hawker centers are where multiple food vendors are co-located to hawk (sell) their food. To truly be a hawker center, it should not be buried inside a building nor be air conditioned; if it's air conditioned and inside a mall or hotel, that's a food court and generally slightly more expensive than a bona fide hawker center fare.

At hawker centers, you can sit anywhere. You do not have to patronize the stall located at where you happened to have sat down. When you go to a hawker center, find an open table and claim it; remember your table number. Then you go to a food vendor and order your food. They may deliver it to your table if they ask you for your table number, OR if there is a sign at the stall that says "self service" or "self serve", then it means wait there after you order, and you have to carry your food back to your table. So, while you are away from your table ordering your food, the practice in Singapore to indicate that a table is occupied/reserved (or in local parlance "choped" (from the word "chope", meaning "reserve"; pronounced like it rhymes with "cope", but with a "ch" at the front) is to leave a pack of Kleenex at the table (the small plastic wrapped ones the size of a deck of playing cards).

This also means that when you see an empty table with a pack of tissues on it, DO NOT SIT there, otherwise you'll risk an irate someone coming back to the table they choped and cursing you out in several different languages (Singaporeans are multi-lingual in speech and especially in cursing). In lieu of a packet of tissues, a book, small collapsible umbrella, or any other inexpensive personal property can used. All Singaporeans respect this convention like all Pittsburgers respect the sanctity of the parking chair.

Unexpectedly in Singapore, paper napkins are not provided in lower end eateries like hawker centers. Paper napkins are also not called paper napkins in Singapore; it's called a serviette, or serviettes for plural. That's why almost everybody heads out to hawker centers with a pack of Kleenex for both choping a table and for wiping up themselves after a meal. Handily, in many popular hawker centers, roving retirees often come around to sell you a pack of tissue paper.

After you are done with your meal at a hawker center, clean up your table, and bus your tray to a tray return cart. To enforce this, Singapore imposes a fine for abandoning your tray after you're done with it.

LauPaSat (Telok Ayer Market)

Telok Ayer Market, also known as LauPaSat (literally translated from Chinese as Old Market) is known for its satay, and also good for Hakka lei cha (thunder tea rice from the Hakka culture), and pig organ soup.

This originally started as the Telok Ayer Market in 1823 on the south bank of the Singapore River. It was rebuilt in 1833 due to structural deficiencies. In 1879, it was relocated to its current location.

Be aware that the seating is inside the structure and you have to wander around outside to find the fleet of satay vendors. Many satay stalls are helmed by either Indians or Malays; beef (holy to Indians) and pork (prohibited for Malays who are Muslims) may not always be available, but also not impossible to find; it really depends on who the vendor is. Chicken and mutton are common and always available. Your order of satay may come with a dense white block of something called a ketupat; it's a rice cake. It, being rice, has no flavor, but I love it dipped in the peanut sauce, so I always order an extra ketupat (pronounced as: "ketu" like in keto, except rhyming with "two", instead of "toe"; "pat" with a long "a")

Maxwell Food Centre

Wide variety of selections, including the apparently world famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice stall

Newton Hawker Centre

Popular among tourists

Additional Resources

Here's the 5 Best Hawker Centers in Singapore

Then the 8 Best Hawker Centers in Singapore

And 10 Best Hawker Centers in Singapore

Not to be outdone, 11 Best Hawker Centers in Singapore

Some eating ideas based on what someone else has eaten in hawker centers

Drink

First of all, Singapore imposes a not insignificant sin tax on things that the government deems undesirable, but not necessarily illegal, such as tobacco and alcohol, so be prepared for beer and alcohol to be kind of expensive.

28 Hong Kong Street

It's a speakeasy located at 28 Hong Kong Street. A bit hard, but not impossible, to locate, unless you know what you're looking for. When a Nikki Bruner and I went there, we figured it out after we saw some tipplers come out of the establishment.

O'Bama's Irish Pub

I don't know what the hell this is about

Stay

I often get asked for recommendations on where to stay in Singapore. Having family there, I stay with my mom, and never had to look for hotels. Nevertheless, here are are a few accomodations that I found by Googling "hotels in Singapore", and I've picked the ones that I would consider if I had to get a hotel in Singapore. Be aware that with one notable exception, I've never stayed in any of these hotels, and I'm going exclusively on location, price, and whatever information I could glean from their website.

Budget

Kinn offering more of a boutique hotel vibe than hostel, Kinn has capsules or actual rooms that they call studios

Galaxy Pods capsule hostel

Midrange

Hotel 81 Orchid

V Hotel Lavender

York Hotel

Mercure at Bugis. They have another location at Stevens which I think is not as well located for access to the MRT

Rendezvous Hotel

Vibe Hotel

Holiday Inn Clarke Quay

JEN Singapore

Hotel Fort Canning

Luxury

Marina Bay Sands

Fullerton Hotel Singapore

Ritz-Carlton, the hotel of my quarantine when I returned to Singapore to visit my family at the height of the Covid pandemic

Raffles Hotel

Miscellany

A YouTube video of someone trying out "exotic" Singapore food, which Singaporeans don't consider exotic.

I've done the Food Walk Tour given by Tony Tan, the proprietor of BetelBox. Back then, there was only one Food Walk tour, which I think is now called the Joo Chiat/Katong Food Walk Tour. You do walk around a lot sampling bunches of food, but Tony also talked a lot about the culture and history of Singapore, so it's not simply just about food

A friend of mine Peter Tay is a private tour guide; let me know if you want to engage him and arrange something.

Before you leave Singapore, check out this kinetic sculpture at the airport in T1 level 2. The sculpture was closed in 2020 due to Covid, but reports as of Apr-2022 is that they are preparing to reopen it

Meanwhile, in T3, Changi airport has the worlds tallest slide in an airport (Singapore is really grasping at straws here trying to narrowly qualify it as the world's tallest slide as being one in an airport)

The F1 Night Grand Prix is in Singapore usually at the end of September. If you want to see it and you will in Singapore at the right time, check online for tickets and buy them early.

Random Singapore information

Singapore has a unified addressing system. Floors follow the US custom of having a first floor at street level. One level below ground is always B1, with the number increasing the deeper underground you go. Individual business unit or store numbers as well as residential apartments are always numbered as a floor number, a dash, and the individual unit number. So unit or apartement number 3 on the second floor is 02-03. If the unit is 2 levels below ground, then it would be B2-03. This numbering system does not vary: everything is numbered this way.

Bathrooms in Singapore are called toilets; it's not called a bathroom because you don't take baths in a public toilet. It can also sometimes called the gent's or the lady's. Sometimes there an old woman (auntie), or occasionally an old man (uncle) with a table sitting outside the toilet. In Asian culture, anyone older than you is an auntie or uncle, regardless whether they are actually blood relatives of yours or not, kind of like using ma'am or sir, but slightly less formal. Toss her or him whatever their sign says; it used to be 10 cents when I lived in Singapore, but because of inflation, it's probably more now, like maybe 20 or 50 cents. These toilet aunties or uncles supplement their income by cleaning the toilet facilities and relying on you to give them a bit of money for their service. They might give you 2 squares of toilet paper for that fee, but who really uses only 2 squares? Another reason to leave home armed with a pack of Kleenex. Toilet aunties and uncles are only seen at lower-rent places; you won't see them in hotels or better shopping malls; they're mostly seen in the older, shabbier shopping malls.

Don't be surprised if some random kid addresses you as uncle and auntie. BTW, it's always auntie, never just aunt.

Incidentally, the World Toilet Organization was founded in Singapore to improve toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) has regulations mandating minimum toilet standards, so you'll never quite find truly nasty toilet in Singapore. Is is also the law in Singapore that after using a commode or urinal, you must flush it; this is enforced by an expensive fine.

Tap water is safe to drink in Singapore, and well within WHO standards for drinkable water. Nevertheless, my mom claims tap water gives her a belly ache, so she fastidiously boils the tap water before drinking it.

Do not litter; it's a S$1,000 fine. Singapore has a fine for just about anything the government doesn't want you to do.

Do not jaywalk; this is seriously enforced in Singapore... with a fine. If you are within 50 meters of a pedestrian crossing, you are required to use it, or risk a jaywalking ticket. Outside the 50m limit, you can cross the road at wherever you are. There will be signs demarcating the 50m limit. It's not uncommon to see someone walk to just outside of the 50m limit and cross the street there rather than do the 49m walk to the designated pedestrian crossing. Cars will stop for you at zebra crossings. Zebra crossings are wide black and white block lines painted across the lane on the road. In the US, municipalities willy-nilly paint zebra crossing lines at pedestrian crossings at intersections with stop lights; In UK, Singapore, and many other Commonwealth countries, zebra crossings function as on-demand pedestrian crossings at places where there otherwise aren't any other traffic control devices to stop cars. Pedestrians always have the right-of-way at zebra crossings, meaning that if there are no pedestrians crossing the road there, then cars do not have to stop, but if there are pedestrians crossing, then the car has to yield to the pedestrians. Singapore drivers are so ingrained with this that if you happen to be standing too close to a zebra crossing and having a conversation, they'll think you want to cross the road and they'll stop for you. You'll then have to wave them on and move yourself further away from the zebra crossing.

If you're legally crossing a road outside of the 50m limit to the nearest pedestrian crossing, and a speeding, oncoming car flashes his high beams at you, it means he does not intend to yield. This is the complete opposite of the US where flashing your high beams indicates that you are yielding to the other motorist.

Do not smuggle in any illegal drugs, including what in the US would legal, such as medical marijuana or edible gummies. Singapore is very strict about drugs. Possession of some drugs over an incredibly small amount can result in the death penalty. Singapore is serious about this, and have hung foreigners for drug smuggling despite pleas for leniency from the convicted's home government, including the US Government. Justice is swift in Singapore, and it would not be uncommon for a 36 month timeline from arrest to execution in capital cases.

Singapore used to not have open container laws. You want to buy a bottle vodka at the 7-Eleven and drink it on the sidewalk with a straw in bottle? Sure, not illegal. Then one year (2013), a riot in Little India by drunken migrant construction workers resulted in 5 emergency vehicles set on fire and led to the establishment of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act of 2015 that clamped down and prohibited consumption of alcohol in public between 10pm and 7am. However, this still does mean that if you want to chug your bottle of supermarket tequila on the streets between 7am and 10pm, you still can and won't get into trouble. There may be stricter restrictions within what's termed Liquor Control Zones comprising of Little India and some other districts where migrant workers tend to congregate. Alcohol can still be served in pubs and restaurants after 10pm. That was the first and only riot in Singapore since 1969.

If you see "1-for-1", it means buy one get one free; it works the same as the US "two-for-one" which gets you two for the price of one.

Singapore uses "take away" instead of "to go". The opposite of getting fast food to go is to "eat here". Outside of fast food joints, the common term for "to go" is "da-bao", or sometimes also spelt "ta-bao", or "ta-pao". In Chinese, it literally means make package.

Hawker center fare you should try:

Laksa (noodles in a spicy seafood based broth thickened slightly with coconut milk)
Bah Kut Teh (pork rib soup; very aromatic and flavorful)
Jellyfish salad (jellyfish does not have the texture that most people think it should have)
Hainanese chicken rice
Roti john
Roti canai (sometimes called roti prata)
Char kway teo (Chinese stir fried broad noodles)
Mee goreng (Indian fried noodles)
Chili crab
Nasi lemak (simple Malay dish of coconut rice with little fried fish and sometimes peanuts, and a side of hot chili paste)

For breakfast:

Kaya toast (toast with coconut-based butter)
Dippy eggs
Mee siam (a savory and tangy breakfast noodle)
You tiao (cruller), dipped in soy sauce. The you is pronounced like a drawn out yo.
Porridge/congee

These are kind of like accompaniments rather than a meal unto themselves:

Otak otak (sometimes spelt otah otah) (Grilled, spicy fish cake thing)
Rojak (Malaysian style salad)
Ice kacang (the kacang is pronounced the Malay way: ka-chang, again "chang" uses a long "a") (shaved ice with colorful syrup and other stuff (like corn and red beans among other stuff) mixed in. Good for desert or just as a nice cold thing to eat when you're seriously hot from walking around )

Bandung/bandong A sweet, pink drink made with evaporated or condensed milk and rose syrup. Looks a bit like Pepto Bismol

Coffee and tea in Singapore deserve its own section. This is what happens when Starbuck fucks around in Singapore and they find out. It's not uncommon for the local people to call coffee and tea with the Malay/Chinese/Singlish term of kopi and teh (pronounced as caw-pee with a drawn out caw sounding like mix between caw and gaw, and teh like a mix between tay and day)

How to order teh/kopi in Singapore in chart form:

A nice video explanation. I don't know why he starts his video with a "blimey" since he isn't a bloody Brit

You should endeavor to get a kopi or teh tarik (sometimes spelt tarek). Tarik means pulled. At 0:43 and 0:58 of the video, see the traditional old-school way of doing da-pao coffee in a plastic bag; this is increasingly less common now that Starbucks has popularized disposable paper cups)

And now with more English

Singapore