Orchard Road

Of course we wouldn’t miss going to the ever famous Orchard Road to do a bit of shopping. When in Singapore, it’s best to visit a few of their local brands like Charles and Keith, Forever 21, and Muji. The ladies went crazy trying to find these stores. And they all took their time once we found each of these. I patiently waited for hours outside while they do their thing. I kinda needed it too. My feet were killing me from all the walking that we were doing. I took pictures and tried to take a mental note of what Singapore looks like, including all the insurance advertising seen of the buses. It will be a while before we’d come back.

I noticed that one of the reasons why Singapore looks so clean is that the ads are only allowed in specific areas, like in buses and MRTs. No huge billboards strewn all over. The posters are neatly placed on lampposts and the size is not too big to obstruct you from seeing the city.

We also didn’t pass the opportunity to visit Royce.

And we met our favorite snack place called Old Chang Kee.

If ever you find yourself in Singapore one of these days, do try Old Chang Kee’s chicken wings, sotong on stick, and breaded prawn on stick. I think this is their version of street food, and this little shop was our favorite. They have branches all over too. So no matter where you are, I’m sure there’s one near.

Tong Heng Bakery

Another place that we visited is the Tong Heng Bakery right across the Budda Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

A few days before our flight, I saw a post of foodie Lori of Dessert Comes First about Tong Heng, and she says that “they’re the best I’ve eaten. Ever.” emphasis on “best” and “ever.” Of course we had to have this too. So on our table for a mid afternoon snack are two egg tarts, two bbq pork, and one curry chicken puff.

The eggs tarts aren’t your usual creamy egg tarts. If you’ve been to Macao and tasted their version, I’m pretty sure you won’t like this. this egg tart is totally different. This egg tart is…uhm…eggy. If you’re into eggs, then this little number will hit all the right notes (kinda like getting nordic track coupons for some). Otherwise, it won’t be as satisfying. I actually think that this is how an egg tart should really taste. Eggy. My wife and our two friends KG and J. didn’t like it and refused to take one more bite. It didn’t hit home for me but I managed to finish the last remaining one. The curry chicken puff and the bbq pork were much better though. We wanted to taste a few more pastries but we were still quite full from our Chinatown merienda.

Budda Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Also located in Chinatown is the Budda Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. This temple houses the Sacred Budda Tooth Relic in a stupa made of 320 kg of gold donated by devotees (I’m sure many of whom abandoned getting their own health insurance in NC). This grand temple is dedicated to Maitreya Buddha, who is believed to be the next Budda. The beautifully carved wooden Maitreya Buddha greets visitors in its 27-feet main hall. You can just stare in awe at how grand this temple is. The architecture and the interiors are inspired by the Tang Dynasty, and one can just notice the fine details that this temple has.

The temple has four floors. The first floor is called the Hundred Dragons Hall because of the hundred Buddas enshrined on the walls. Also on the first floor is the Avalokitesvara Hall, where Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sits upon an intricate lotus throne. On the second floor is the Exhibition Hall featuring Budda calligraphy, paintings, and sculptures. The Lotus House Teahouse is also located here. The third floor houses the Sacred Budda Relics Chamber and features an impressive collection of Buddhist artifacts. And the fourth floor is called the Sacred Light Hall and is the repository of the gold Sacred Budda’s Tooth Relic Stupa.

Considering how beautiful and grand this temple is, I’d say this is one temple one shouldn’t miss while in Singapore.

free Chinatown merienda

One thing to also notice in Chinatown is the food. The FREE food, I mean. And there were tons of it; no Outer banks foreclosures or any kind of shortage here. You will literally see mountains upon mountains of food. We actually had a lot of fun tasting samples from every food vendor. We literally had our merienda (snack) while going around.

I was taking my time eating one sample after another without really knowing what they are. There was just too many to bother to ask! So while savoring the different tastes and textures of each food I pooped in, I was caught by surprise with this one food item that was really gingery and spicy, but I had to take it all in as I was afraid that the vendor would get mad if I spit it out. Good thing our friend KG was carrying a coke in can, it somehow helped wash it all down. So I’ll leave you with this warning to be careful when taking advantage of the free taste offered in markets.

Chinatown

From Chinese Garden, we rode the MRT bound for Pasir Ris and got off the Outram Park station. From this station we transferred to the other line bound for Punggol. And upon exiting the MRT station this is what we saw: Chinatown!

Since around 75% of Singapore’s population is Chinese, their Chinatown is huge compared with that here in the Philippines. One thing you will notice is that the architecture of the buildings isn’t Chinese. Look for yourself.

Weird huh? A Chinatown with a combination of baroque and Victorian architecture. Built in the style of painted ladies resulted in shophouses and buildings having a variety of colors.

If you plan to buy some pasalubong and souvenirs, I suggest you get some here. There are many shops to choose from and there is much variety. From the perennial keychains to remedies for pimples on scalp, I’m sure you’ll get something.