Every year Singapore's Chinatown host a carnival of Chinese New Year goodies for sale where great bargains can be found. From food to decorations, this is a place where locals shops during this festive season. My personal favorites are roasted melon seeds and Ba Kua (BBQ pork), if you do happen to visit do give this 2 items a try. A small warning though - the queues are usually long but it is worth the wait. With the recent trend of creative food offerings, we found a couple of new-edge additional to the traditional carnival. Introducing Dragon Breath! We came across this booth and notice tanks of nitrogen lined up by the booths. It appears to capture the media's attention as well. We decided to give this a try and join the queue we did! The preparation of this item is rather interesting. They used meringue and soak them into liquid nitrogen to create the ‘breath’. Upon contact with a higher temperature, the meringue reacts and 'wa-la!' you are exhaling nitrogen gas. The dessert gives an odd sensation when the meringue is melting in your mouth; we think this is due to the fact that the nitrogen is emitting. Nonetheless the meringues taste pretty good even though it did leave a numb feeling on my tongue (highly suspect it is frost bite). It is quite a fun experience for $7, some of the meringue do taste pretty good. Beside this store we notice another queue for burgers and decided to give it a try. The caramelize onions smells really good! You can see the staff really put their heart into making this burger. We had to wait about 10 -15 minutes for them to cook each of the layer, thankfully they cook them batches. We tried both the chicken and beef burger. I personally preferred the beef burger as the meat were more tender as compare the the chicken. Nonetheless, this makes my tummy happy and satisfied.
Drop by for a visit if you are around the area. The carnival is expected to end on Chinese New Year's eve - that is also the period where most bargains happens! You will notice vendors slashing down prices, some even up to 50% off!
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Tucked in a corner of Bugis, Haji lane is must to visit if you enjoy avant – garde shopping and cafe hopping. The area is bursting with strokes of artistic inspirations, old school shops and quirky cafes and bars. Bonus Tip : This street are close to cars every Fridays and Saturdays, 8.30pm – 2am, Sundays, 2pm – 2am. It is the best time to shop and hang around during this period without worrying about ongoing traffic! Location: 37 Haji Lane Singapore 189230 Operating Hours: 1000-2000hrs Daily As the name of the shop suggest, Shop Wonderland looks like a place that comes out from a fairy tale. The shop plus retail space is well known for its 3 Inch Sin’s lava cake and wide selection of pastries, each of them instagram worthy. The second level is as beautiful as the first and is transformed into a retail space. There you will find pretty bowls, cushions, notebooks, quotes within photo frames, and other exquisite ornaments on sale. There is also a workshop area designated for floral arrangement and other art classes. Location: 24 Bali Lane Singapore 189860 Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-10pm; Sat 11am-7pm Looking for a nice hair cut or getting a new ink? Then it is a good time to visit Hounds of Baskervilles. The place has polished Victorian aesthetic and dapper barbers that look like they’ve walked straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel. Hounds of the Baskervilles continue to draw swells of local men looking for a traditional barbershop experience. It is also a tattoo parlour specialising in old school, sailor visual ink hidden at the back. Hounds also frequently invite notable barbers from the UK, Australia and New Zealand to showcase their own styles. It also specialises in neat, clean cuts, which are tapered down the back for hair to grow out neatly. Bonus Tip: Reservations, whether for the hair or ink work, are absolutely essential. They can be reach at +65 6299 1197 or email to [email protected] Location: 666 North Bridge Road Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm Hold up! While the men are having their hair cut by artist, pampering is also available for the ladies. Introducing Nail Artelier - a well known local nail art specialist. This outlet is frequented by local celebrities and has a top notch reputation to deliver not just nail polish, but art onto your beautiful nails. Patrons can also bring their own picture references and request for them to be painted into their nails. The price range is reasonable with express manicure starting from $12 onwards and nail art from $3.00 per nail. Bonus Tip: They accept walk-ins, nonetheless they are usually packed on weekend. Reservations is recommended and they can be reached at +65 6298 8028 for bookings. Location: 61 Haji Lane, Singapore 189254 Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; Sat 11.30am-8.30pm This shops serves as a platform to local designers to showcase their items. From little trinkets, jewellery to bags and vintage dress, this treasure trove is brimming with abundance of locally inspired goodies. The team also change the vendors every now and then, so the next time you visit this quirky little shop, don’t be surprise the offerings have changed. If you are a cat lover like me, there is one around the street call Meomi Cafe and they have fluffiest cats! After which you can hang by one of the bars which open from evening onwards to chill. There is more to explore in this location, do take your time to explore and enjoy this hidden gem!
Situated at the North Eastern Region of Singapore, Sergaroon Gardens is where you can find RJ House. This eatery is certified halal therefore not pork is served and popular among locals who are for looking for 24 hours eateries. This place prides itself with fluffy yet crispy roti prata, a South-Indian fried flatbread that is usually served with vegetable or meat based curry. Roti means ‘bread’ and prate means ‘flat’ in the Hindi language. This dish comes in various renditions and you can choose to have them plain, add egg, cheese, mushrooms, onions and many other options offered in the menu. Price range : $1 to $3.50 per slice, depending on the options you choose. Bonus Tip: You can request to have specific type of curry to your liking. There usually is the option of fish, mutton, chicken or vegetable curry. Another dish worth trying is their famous tissue prata. Have them with chocolate sauce, maple syrup, condense milk, honey or even with ice-cream! Your taste bud will thank you for the wonderful treat. Do bear in mind this dish is about 50 - 70cm in height, therefore it might be wise to share them between friends. Price Range : $4.75 - $7.00 per dish To wash it all down, you will need a big drink. Introducing... “The Tower”, you have option of a 2 litre or 5 litre tower of Milo, a chocolate drink with milk or Teh Tarik which is an iconic “Malaysia pulled tea”. It may be a little too sweet for your palette if this is your first time trying, do stir them well with ice. Another option is sugar cane juice or Iced Teh O Limau, a local version of Ice Tea and very popular among Singaporeans, try them either on regular servings or go nuts with their Jumbo size option.
Price Range: $1.10 - $4.50 (regular or jumbo drinks), $12 - $16 (tower drink) There are plenty of other food options at RK Eating House, if you have a big group you can certainly try more variety. This place is also suitable for our halal friends. Do expect large crowds during weekends for dinners and supper. Nonetheless, this will be local delight worth trying! Location: 1A Kensington Park Road Singapore 557253 Opening Hours: 24 hours How to get there: Buses 73 / 136 / 315 / 317 - alight at Serangoon Garden Circus Nearest MRT Station: Lorong Chuan MRT (CC14). Take bus service 73 and alight at Serangoon Garden Circus |
AuthorGina likes local food. ArchivesCategories |