Each A Cup

Flashback post! I couldn’t resist trying the local bubble tea in Singapore – it’s not something that I’m hugely into in Australia, but when it’s 35 degrees outside and 70 per cent humidity, an iced tea sounds more and more appealing! I thought their tagline ‘for people who go for quality’ was cute and so I put them to the test. I ordered a lychee ‘fruity iced blend’, although there were a number of tempting flavours including peach, green apple and ‘love fruit’ (whatever that is!). You can add extras into your drink, and having been so close to picking the green apple flavour, I instead chose to add green apple pearls as an extra, because what is bubble tea without the bubbles? They were somewhat busy, although my order didn’t take long to prepare. The drink was very icy and hit the spot perfectly on a warm day. The lychee flavour wasn’t sickly sweet, and the pops of green apple pearls matched really well, although I did find that the ‘skins’ were a bit tough at times. Each A Cup has so many options that you could easily try one a day for months – hmm, what an interesting idea…

Each A Cup, ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn #B4-45 Singapore      http://www.each-a-cup.com/

Old Chang Kee

Another ‘wish-I-was-in-Singapore’ flashback! I am a bit of a snacker, and no more so when I’m in a country for the first time, burning energy exploring and trying to find stomach space to eat all of the things. As such, when we arrived in Singapore and had waited a good hour for an issue with our hotel booking to be resolved, I was on a mission to find some food. Luckily, we didn’t have to go far. Old Chang Kee’s street-side booth beckoned, luring us with delicious curry scents and the promise of trying a local snack food. I ordered a single curry puff, which was presented piping hot in a bright yellow bag, which I let cool a bit before tasting. I was surprised at how thick the pastry was, but was immediately converted by the incredible filling. A dense mix of chicken, egg and potato, the curry filling was fantastically rich and spicy and jam-packed into the shell. By then I was appreciating the spice-neutralising effect of the thick pastry – although it wasn’t an unpleasant amount of spice – and the mix of textures. The puff was really filling and a perfect snack for the hungry traveller.

Old Chang Kee, Paragon Shopping Centre, 290 Orchard Road #B1-10 Singapore   http://www.oldchangkee.com/

Wild Honey

Flashback time! Here’s one of my favourite foodie places in Singapore from my 2013 trip. My main reason for visiting Singapore was to eat. Yep, I’m not ashamed to admit it. I did a lot of research before we left to make sure no meal was wasted. Wild Honey made the top of every must-eat breakfast list I found, and for good reason. We booked a table, and were glad that we did, it’s clearly a popular place, even on a weekday. I ordered a melon juice to start with, and it came out quickly and was reasonably sized and refreshing. This gave us time to consider which of the country-themed dishes to pick. Wild Honey’s menu has breakfasts inspired by foods from all over the world, reflecting Singapore’s nature as an international hub. I opted for the ‘Portobello Road’, with poached eggs, mushroom, capsicum, spinach and hollandaise, served on a brioche toast. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise was obviously house-made. The brioche was soft and not overly sweet, but it was a huge serving and I struggled to finish it. Luckily Wild Honey has some lovely decor to admire while you take a digestion pause.

Wild Honey, 6 Scotts Square #03-02, Singapore,     www.http://wildhoney.com.sg

Seventh Heaven

First international #icecreamthurs! Singapore is exactly the kind of place where you find yourself wanting icecream. We’d walked a long way in the humid heat to visit the Gardens by the Bay, an incredible botanical garden with huge indoor displays and an impressive array of plants. In between the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest was an outdoor rest area, which by the time we’d wandered through the Flower Dome we very much needed to take advantage of. I was admiring the life-sized sculpture of a pride of lions looking down on visitors when the sign for Seventh Heaven caught my eye. Yep, it was a gelato stall, right there waiting for us! There were a few flavour choices, but being adventurous (and having tried it before in Tokyo), I chose the sakura/cherry blossom flavour. Sakura is (obviously) a floral flavour, and that came through nicely in the generous (but tourist-site overpriced) serving, without being overpowering as some florals can be. The gelato had that lovely balance between creamy and icy and whilst it melted quite quickly in the heat, each spoonful was refreshing and sweet. A perfect treat for explorers.

Seventh Heaven, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore  http://www.seventhheaven.com.sg/

Long Bar

After a very filling high tea, we decided we couldn’t visit Raffles and not go up to the Long Bar, home of the Singapore Sling. A friend who’d studied in Singapore had recommended going if only for the novelty of the peanuts. The peanuts? Yep, it’s all about the peanuts. At every table there’s a big wooden box full of peanuts still in their shells, and the Long Bar allows you to experience the imperiousness of the colonial days, when servants would pick up the shells that the British cast on the floor. That’s right, you can, and indeed are expected to, throw your peanut shells on the floor for someone else to clean up afterwards. It’s actually pretty fun. You are also fanned by the modern equivalent of slaves with palm fronds – mechanised palm fans on the ceiling. The Singapore Sling itself is the other draw card, having been famously invented here. I’d never had one before, so it seemed like a good place to start. In the tropical temperatures, the sweet and fruity drink was refreshing and didn’t taste overly alcoholic, which could be dangerous, but was simply delicious.

Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road Singapore                http://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/long-bar/

Tiffin Room

As part of my Singapore food odyssey, I booked high tea at the Tiffin Room of the famous Raffles Hotel. I had pretty high expectations of this colonial institution, and I wasn’t disappointed. We were seated in a window booth, and for the first time in my life I was brought a small stool to put my handbag on, so it didn’t have to sit on the floor. Wow. Our tiered tray arrived promptly, with the traditional finger sandwiches in five different flavours (the salmon was particularly good), tarts and cakes. If that wasn’t enough food, there’s also a buffet to help yourself to, including a selection of dumplings, fresh tropical fruit and scones, as well as more cakes and sandwiches. Luckily, you aren’t rushed and can take the time to savour each of the tasty morsels included in the high tea. I had a pot of earl grey served in what I’m pretty sure was a real silver teapot (swoon), and the whole meal was accompanied by a live harpist. The service was impeccable, with our waiter offering to bring any drink we liked from the Long Bar. I can’t recommend this experience enough!

Tiffin Room, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road Singapore            http://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/tiffin-room/