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what can i say, other than designer furniture, clean minimalist interior, soft music, good drinks and quietude. if all of the above sound like your idea of a good night out, then this place is for you.
because sometimes you just need places like these to give your head some space.
bar stories, 57A haji lane, tel: 6298 0838http://www.facebook.com/pages/BAR-Stories-at-57A-Haji-Lane-Singapore/125204254191475
two hours out of singapore, but a little haven all to itself.
kluang promises good coffee, cheap organic vegetables, passionfruit and dragonfruit fresh off the vine, delicious bubble tea, kaya buns, goats to cuddle and a hill to climb.
places to check out are:
- uk farm (short for un keng, not united kingdom!) for goats and passionfruit
- witchery idler bubble tea
- kluang rail coffee at the station
- zen xin organic veggie farm
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hong kong.
love it or hate it, it’s a place that’s reduced in the minds of most singaporeans to two activities- shopping and eating. and while they’re pretty damn good at both, there’s a lot more on offer if you’re willing to look beyond this and venture further afield.
food:
- yee shun milk company – delightful milky pudding desserts with milk produced by trappist monks living in lantau island
- lock cha teahouse- vegetarian dim sum nestled in hong kong city park. finally, dimsum that actually is thoughtfully made for veggie people, rather than as an afterthought
- kosmos - organic, feel good, warm wood type of place, unusually located smack bang in lan kwai fong
- yachiyo ramen – yummy ramen, served with a lot of heart
shop:
- design and fashion stores in the kau u fong and gough street area
- kapok in the star street precinct
do:
- walk the heart sutra trail near po lin monastery on lantau
- watch fishermen at work and various animals sleeping near the old disused pier in tai o on lantau
- wander through sheung wan’s winding streets and look at old men chitchatting in blake park
- window shop and gawk at beautiful home decor in lane crawford
- go to the jccac and try your luck at meeting some artists
- take an unlicensed red minibus for an adrenaline rush
- hop on the tram at night and enjoy the breeze through the city
sentosa has usually been one of those places i’ve never quite warmed to. it’s so constructed and in my mind, poor value-for-money. an all-out birthday celebration for mum changed that completely.
the day started out at capella, a hotel i can’t even begin to fully describe. the architecture in the new wing is bold and modern, replete with clean curves and interesting hues of rust, slate and grey. the view overlooking the water, foliage and infinity pool is quite something. afternoon tea at the knolls restaurant is affordable, given the service, serving size and setting. think delicious scones, egg sandwiches, pastries and custom gryphon tea blends. add on to that smiling service and a surprise serenade by the band playing there later in the day.
spa botanica at the sentosa also makes for a great and quick getaway for the occasional indulgence. prices are by no means cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to what is on the market, it’s a good deal. guests can use the outdoor facilities for free prior to their treatment, and this includes a mud bath, jacuzzi, pool, etc. so a one hour massage (which mum rated nothing short of amazing) could stretch to a luxurious 3 hour affair. the peacocks wandering around will also happily make friends with you in exchange for food.
palawan beach, with the view of tankers in the distance, is not the most idyllic of beaches, but the smoke on the horizon gives the place a moody, introspective feel. and the breeze right on top of the two towers is an instant pick me up. what’s even better is that koufu has opened an outlet here. i’ve not tried the food, but it’s good to know that sentosa can be enjoyed on the cheap too.
we ended the evening off at the garden, the restaurant right by spa botanica. it was a quiet affair and we were so full from tea that all we wanted were some greens. the made to order salad bowls are just $12 — cheaper than what you might find at other chain restaurants — the greens are fresh, many ingredients organic and the dressings innovative. plus, you get warm bread rolls and an amuse bouche to begin.
sentosa caught me by surprise, and i’m glad!
capella
http://www.capellasingapore.com/
spa botanica
http://www.spabotanica.com/
the garden
http://www.thesentosa.com/
penang, especially georgetown, is really quite something.
i’m not sure if my being singaporean adds to the charm, especially because there’s a lot here that is what i imagine singapore would have been like in the 60s. think old barber and hairdressing salons, areas dedicated to a particular type of craft, street markets, lots of roadside stalls with good food. add onto that beautiful old shophouses in a multitude of hues and ages– a photographer’s wet dream.
just remember though, singapore is a lot smaller than penang, so it would be helpful to hire a vehicle while you’re there!
check out:
to see
all the old guild associations around town and the beautiful old shophouses
jalan chowrasta- the market here is in full swing every morning
to eat
bon ton cafe, lorong stewart: amazing carrot cake
amelie’s cafe, lebuh armenian: cozy cafe, bread, drinks
gurney drive: most things hit the spot!
lebuh keng kwee: chendol and asam laksa. mmm.
winter warmers, gurney plaza: lavender milk tea
young heart restaurant, jln cantonment: healthy food, delicious dumplings and noodles
nestled in a gorgeous black and white along oxley road, this yoga centre is the epitome of a mind trip. think foliage and a gentle, calm feel to the place. couple that with individualised attention, patient teachers and a supportive class.
voila!
international yoga centre, 57 oxley road, http://www.iyc.sg/
it’s located in a small hdb cluster near little india, and is unassumingly simple. but this place has been such a haven. certain places have a sense of calm about them, and this is one of them. the resident and visiting teachers are serious and committed about the yoga/meditation they teach, and the students you find here are all searching for their paths.
oasis holistic, selegie house, http://www.oasisholistic.com/</a>
taipei seems to have people sharply divided into two camps: the fanatics who love it and those who hate it. i got curious about taipei because so many people whose taste i trust, seem to love it. they talk about its creative industries, the food, the nature and the people. after visiting taipei, i was sold. people wander out to the countryside on the weekend to go hiking in the hills. there’s gorgeous fruit and tea to be had, fresh from the many plantations around the country. street food is cheap and plentiful, and of course, the bubble tea is incomparable. onsens are available a short hop skip away from the city and there’s also a strong design aesthetic evidenced from the numerous owner-run indie cafes heavy on personality. plus, as a bonus, the people i met were open-minded, friendly and big on food & music. instant-taipei-attraction i say!
i rarely venture this far west, because, well, it’s far. but this place is well worth the trek and various taxi adventures trying to get to. once you enter the winding path that leads you to the saddle club, the air smells that tad bit fresher with a hint of earth and horse poo. all of which i think is actually a good thing, since you don’t get to smell much at all, wandering around the city. horses are trotting around, and you see green on all sides. as night falls, the little restaurant fills with a warm glow and everything around is still.
riders cafe, bukit timah saddle club, 51 fairways drive http://www.riderscafe.sg/
we had a night picnic birthday celebration for w the other night, which was absolutely lovely. a breeze blowing, a view of the cbd which was faraway enough, sitting and munching on cheese and crackers, watching kids fly their home-made kites. all in all, a good time. i’m glad there’s still space where people can fly their kites, which isn’t too small a square and not entirely concretised. i’d wondered what would happen to all the kite-flyers when they first began construction at marina south. now i know i needn’t have worried.
