Stepping into CHIN MEE CHIN, a charming hole-in-the-wall confectionary is like stepping back in time. The 65-year-old fixture on East Coast Road is a breakfast and tea favourite with fans, even if it has none of the comfortable trappings of modern
day coffee joints. What is does boast, is an old-world charm and the offer of an experience reminiscent of how people had their breakfasts in the day. The aroma of fresh baked pastries and brewing coffee set against mosaic floor tiles, old school ornaments and fixtures, and the almost therapeutic whirring of ceiling and wall fans is enough to make you swear off Starbucks for good. But if that doesn’t do it, dig into its delectable kaya (traditional jam made from eggs, sugar, and coconut milk) toast, swiss rolls, cream puffs and coffee served the old way – in porcelain cups and saucers – and you’ll be a convert soon enough.

Wala Wala is just the place you head out too when you want none of that snobby fuss that comes with partying at some hip-chic spot. Which isn’t to say Wala isn’t hip or chic. Except the mood here is so laid back and chilled out, you wouldn’t be out of place if
you turned up in bermudas and flip flops. Music from the live band takes centrestage every night, and expect raucous, spontaneous sing-a-longs to Top 40 favourites and pop classics. The two-storey Holland Village stalwart packs a crowd that ranges from varsity students to yuppies, and they’ll tell you the grub here is as much of a draw as the music is. Sample Wala’s great-tasting pizzas and savoury chicken wings and pedestrian pub grub will never do for you again.

So crazy in fact, you’ll queue up for more than an hour and then some for a table at Eng Seng Restaurant off Joo Chiat Road. Well known with East Coast denizens, the coffeeshop stall attracts even locals from far-flung corners of Singapore with its
signature Black Pepper Crabs. Call it crazy, but the 50 crab fiends who queue up to feed here every night can’t be all wrong, can they? Well Eng Seng die-hards swear the wait is well worth it. Bring along a couple of friends to stave off the waiting time, and before long you’ll be tucking into a well-deserved crab dinner.

Hailed as Singapore’s national dish by its fans, laksa, consisting rice noodles, shrimps, cockles, fish cake and chilli paste in thick coconut-based broth, has won over expatriates, visiting dignitaries and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. But there’s
laksa, and there’s Katong laksa. The Katong variety differs from its counterparts in that it is served only with a spoon (no chopsticks required), and mostly consists of rice noodles, cockles and shrimps. But of greater interest is that the dish can’t be separated from the territorial tussle that’s come to be known as the ‘Katong Laksa Wars’, with four stalls (47, 49, 57 and 328) along the same stretch of East Coast Road claiming to be the best/the original/the Real McCoy. The tussle has been the centre of much debate since the ’90s with local TV shows, newspapers, magazines and even the foreign press having covered the famous stretch and its laksa lore. But don’t take their word for it, take your time to sample each stall’s offerings, then name your own victor.

Occupying the former Sembawang Sea Sports Centre, this Bottle Tree Village has a lovely seaside resort feel to it. Created by Singaporean Alex Neo after he discovered Bottle Trees (Brachychiton Rupestris) on a trip to Australia, this little-
known weekend haunt is home to an ensemble of restaurants, a BBQ area, and even meetings and events facilities for corporate retreats. If pleasure’s on your agenda, roam the lovely quiet area, spend the afternoon fishing, or plan a BBQ cookout in the evening. The flipside to this idyllic escape, is that Bottle Tree Village is tucked far away off Sembawang Road. It is best accessed by car, which makes it an ideal exploration candidate for the whole family.

Tired of eating, shopping and clubbing? Then consider a whole new form of excitement – ghost hunting! Sign up for a ghoulish trail with the Asia Paranormal Investigators.
www.api.sg

Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant and its signature Crab Bee Hoon have legions of fans who don’t mind waiting in queue for its fine fare. The relatively modest pairing of large, meaty Sri Lankan crabs and bee hoon is elevated to gastronomic heights here;
each platter comprises a huge crab filled with bright-hued roe and firm and juicy flesh, swimming in a thick pool of flavoursome broth and transparent noodles. Famous foodies such as celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, the Age newspaper’s food critic Matthew Evans and famed British food writer Kevin Gould have indulged in this dish and come away effusive with praise. But beware: the restaurant is perpetually packed. Those in-the-know will tell you that the magic hour to visit for a taste of heaven is after 9pm, so one can avoid all that waiting time.

Home to 71 hectares of land, Pasir Ris Park, on the northeast coast of Singapore (close to Changi Airport), is fast becoming a tourist hotspot. Pond-fishing is a huge attraction here and so is beachfront dining at The Fisherman’s Village, which
serves up a seafood and local delicacies. Aside from bike, blade and kayak rentals for the sports junkie, the park has a six-hectare mangrove forest built with boardwalks that take you closer to exotic flora and fauna for free. Indoor sportsmen will relish a game of pool and ice cold beers at Tropicana Café, while the equestrian in you can head on over to the newly-opened Gallop Stable on Pasir Ris Green. The adjacent Gallop Café serves a mean All-American breakfast for under SGD 10. And down by the beach, Balinese-inspired Mid Summer Nite Breeze Café is a great place to take in the balmy evening breeze and tuck into some cheap Italian fare.

A common sight at hawker stalls and commonly used to pack takeaway food in the post-war decades, the nondescript opeh leaf virtually disappeared from sight when hawkers switched to the more economical plastic-lined brown paper sheet for
packaging takeaways. Today, the humble leaf is enjoying a revival; Hokkien mee stall Thye Hong at Wisma Atria’s Food Republic serves its noodles on it and is said to enjoy queues of eager diners round the clock. Some hawkers are even lining their plates with the opeh leaf for dine-in orders, and customers have started requesting for it. What’s so magical about this humble leaf ( the inner sheaf of the bark of a betel nut palm)? Hawkers agree that when used to wrap takeaway food, it infuses the food with a subtle, woody fragrance that enhances its taste.

Darling on the F&B scene, Rochester Park, is a unique heritage area featuring 11 whitewashed colonial houses earmarked for development into a new F&B and lifestyle precinct complete with galleries, studios, spas and specialty retail shops.
Set against a backdrop of undulating grounds and tree-lined paths and green canopies, the area is currently home to restaurants such as One Rochester (1 Rochester Park) , a charming wine watering hole and North Border Bar and Grill (2 Rochester Park). Famed establishments such as Da Paolo (3 Rochester Park) and Min Jiang (5 Rochester Park) of Goodwood Park Hotel fame are also key players here, as is Graze (4 Rochester Park), an Australian restaurant with a ‘grazing menu’ for small eaters who like a variety of dishes.
9 Rochester Park

One of Singapore's oldest housing estates, Serangoon Gardens (built in the 1950s), is best known for being home to one of Singapore's best-loved hawker centres, aptly named Chomp Chomp. Ask any cabbie, or any local, and he'll know
Chomp Chomp serves up one of the most authentic local food experiences you can hope to enjoy in Singapore. You'll get your fill of BBQ stingray, won ton noodles, fried carrot cake, laksa, sugarcane juice and more from the 20-odd stalls here, most of which have been running brisk businesses in this same spot for years. The smells are intensely aromatic, the vibe decidedly local and the mood, if albeit slightly frantic, laid-back and friendly. Sit yourself close to a table of chatty locals and with any luck, you'll get to listen in on everyday conversations - Singaporean-style.
20 Kensington Park Road

Housed in a three-storey revamped conservation shophouse in the heart of Chinatown, The New Majestic Hotel is the embodiment of heritage chic. Its clever blend of history and modernity in terms of décor, furnishings and amenities
promises a fascinating stay for tourists and locals alike. Not surprisingly, it's the brainchild of Loh Lik Peng, who's also behind the hip Hotel 1929. Sexy, naughty, adventurous ? whatever your mood, there's a room with your name on it! Step into the split-level Loft rooms and you'll find twin vintage bathtubs – right in the middle of the room! The Mirror Suite, like its name suggests, is decked out with mirrors so you can sneak a peek at yourself (and your mate!) at every angle.

Practically a necessity among Singaporeans thanks to our stressful hectic lifestyles, foot reflexology is a natural health method practiced by the ancient Chinese, where the reflex zones (nerve endings) in the feet are massaged to normalise the
function of the body's internal organs. And thanks to its ubiquity and fuss-free nature (indulge in one any time of the day!), you’ll find locals here ? from the elderly to the yuppie set, to even little tykes ? getting their feet massaged and kneaded at foot reflexology centres across the island. Indeed, Singapore is home to nearly 200 foot reflexology establishments island-wide, so you can be sure of finding one near you when you’re in need of some foot work.

Iconic fixtures on Orchard Road, these ice-cream ‘uncles’ proffer salvation to shopping on a hot day, serving ice-cream ? in peppermint, durian, red bean, mango, yam, corn and blueberry flavours ? out of their push carts. Depending on your preference,the ice-cream man will serve your sweet salvation (at SGD 1 a pop) in a cup, cone or between wafers. Better yet, opt to have your scoop on bread, just like a sandwich. A dollop of your flavour of choice goes on a slice of bread sporting delightful swirls of green and pink. The bread is then folded over and the end product is best enjoyed quickly, especially in Singapore’s humid weather.

Famous for its colourful nightlife, the Joo Chiat area in the eastern part of Singapore is fast gaining a new reputation for being a nosh pit. Foodies visit to sample delights from eateries offering anything from Peranakan and French to Cantonese and Taiwanese cuisines. Sample glutinous rice dumplings from the famous Kim Choo Kueh Chang (60 Joo Chiat Place) or melt-in-the-mouth chocolate cake at the popular Awfully Chocolate (451 Joo Chiat Road). Restaurants such as Canton Wok (382 Joo Chiat Road) and Casa Bom Vento (467 Joo Chiat Road) also boast a growing customer base, thanks to their top-notch nosh. When you come up for air, be awed by the district’s unmistakable old world charm, present in its colourful rows of traditional Peranakan shophouses with Art Deco architecture.

Part of the Chinatown district, Club Street has established itself as a yuppie playground where bankers and ad industry types gather. Navigate yourself through narrow, crooked streets lined with pre-war shophouses given new lease of life as trendy retail shops and international and local restaurants and bars. Hunt down elegant home apparel at Vanilla Home (48 Club Street), stock up on exclusive Raf Simons fashion and Starck PUMA shoes at Venue (44-46 Club Street) or slip into Nudie jeans at Style:Nordic (39 Ann Siang Road). Foodies can eat, drink and make merry at Indochine restaurant and its affiliate Bar SáVanh (49B/49A Club Street), Jerry's Bar and Grill (92 Club Street) which is famous for buffalo wings and Senso Ristorante & Bar (21 Club Street), considered one of Singapore’s finest Italian restaurants.

What better way to take home a slice of Singapore with you than to buy up local properties – Monopoly style? The Uniquely Singapore Special Edition Monopoly set features Singapore landmarks and locations for sale, as well as new tokens
in the form of Singapore icons like the Kucinta Cat and the trishaw.
Available at all major department stores, Toys ‘R’ Us, selected bookstores and toy specialty stores.

Pooh-pooh to vinos and their chichi wineries. Good ol' trusty beer gets its due respect, finally, with this multimedia, multi-sensory brand entertainment centre specially dedicated to tracing the illustrious rise of Singapore's own Tiger beer.
St James Power Station. 3 Sentosa Gateway #01-02
http://www.tigerlive.com.sg/

Don’t like spending precious time snoozing? Mustafa doesn’t either. Marching to a different tune as other shopping malls, this 24-hour six-storey shopping centre stocks everything from Indian chutney and diamonds to plasma TVs and cars.
That’s not all, customers claim prices are cheaper than elsewhere, so insomniacs, shopaholics and jet-lagged tourists know where to head to if they’re looking for a late-night bargain.
145 Syed Alwi Road