Lo-Fi Singapore
A City Guide Through Lomo Eyes
Some of the places I’ve always enjoyed and the new discoveries made each time I come home.
* Thank you, Deborah, for the comment who prompted this project.
** This guide is a constant work-in-progress.
Central
BALESTIER
Nearest MRT: Novena, Toa Payoh
Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice
401 Balestier Road
S329803
Hainanese chicken rice, and food in general, can spark passionate debates among Singaporeans. I like this original outlet of Boon Tong Kee because other than its namesake, you can also have dishes like deep-fried tofu, sweet and sour spareribs and brewed herbal soup to go along.
HOLLAND VILLAGE
Nearest MRT: Buona Vista
Bunalun
43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-70 Chip Bee Gardens
S278116
Supplies for turning your kitchen and home into an organic one.
Da Paolo Gastronomia
43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-74 Chip Bee Gardens
S278116
Italian deli for a quick, light take-away meal of pizza, pasta, salads and sweets.
Pantry Magic
43 Jalan Merah Saga
Chip Bee Gardens #01-80
S278115
Bought a lovely tea-towel, mini whisk and an issue of Bon Appetit from this Singapore franchise of a regional chain specialising in kitchenware.
Phoon Huat
Blk 44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-48 Chip Bee Gardens
S278116
Baking enthusiasts know to go to Phoon Huat for their supplies and ingredients, especially if you’re looking for local and Asian specialties such as pandan essence and konnyaku jelly.
WESSEX ESTATE
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth
Laurent Bernard Chocolatier
5B Portsdown Road #01-02
S139 311
Chocolate soufflé, best to have someone to share it with, and the best macaron I’ve had in Singapore.
South
CHINATOWN
Nearest MRT: Chinatown, Outram Park, Tanjong Pagar
25 Degree Celcius
25 Keong Siak Road
S089132
Cookbook specialist and a kitchen serving food and drinks too.
BooksActually
5 Ann Siang Road
S069688
Independent fiction bookseller with their own line of stationery products. Great souvenirs!
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
288 South Bridge Road
S058840
An extremely opulent Buddhist temple.
Enso Kitchen at Goto Japanese Restaurant
14 Ann Siang Road
#01-01
S069694
I really like shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine with roots in the Zen Buddhism temples of Japan. The delicate presentation of simple ingredients prepared with minimum fuss make the meal enjoyable yet humbling. Make an appointment in advance with Chef Danny Chu to sample his version
Pâtisserie Glacé
Chinatown Plaza
34 Craig Road #01-10
S089673
Japanese-owned bakery with a small selection of specialties such as cheese tart and strawberry-based cakes.
People’s Park Centre
101 Upper Cross Street
S058357
Vintage Ray-bans (#02-22/23/24/25) and crafts at Golden Dragon Store (#02-51).
Polymath & Crust
86 Club Street
S069454
Non-fiction sister book-shop to Books Actually.
Qun Zhong Eating House
21 Neil Road
S088814
This is for those who believe that authentic Chinese food has to be experienced in shabby surroundings complete with gruff service. The Northern Chinese food here – Shanghai soup dumplings, potstickers, noodles with meat sauce, spring onion pancakes and glutinous rice dumplings in a rose syrup – is done reasonably well but Din Tai Fung or one of the Crystal Jade chains do pretty good versions too.
Sin Bee Trading Coffee Powder
42 Amoy Street
S069868
Old-fashioned coffee bean seller where you can buy freshly ground kopitiam-style coffee.
Strangelets
87 Amoy Street
S069906
Astier de Villatte tableware, Postalco stationery, Kiel Mead jewellery and more…
Yue Hwa Chinese Products
70 Eu Tong Sen Street
S059805
I never leave Singapore without stocking up on underwear t-shirts and vests at this department store.
RAFFLES PLACE
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place
Tian Fu Teahouse
TOP of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place #60-01
UOB Plaza 1
S048624
Chinese tea, dim sum and views.
CITY HALL
Nearest MRT: City Hall
Feder Sports
111 North Bridge Road
#02-58 Peninsula Plaza
S179098
There are a few branches of Feder Sports around but this shop is at its claustrophobic best. Converse, Dr Martens, Nike and Vans are stacked up ceiling-high and you get the feeling of being able to find something really desirable here. Their stock usually dates back a couple of seasons as they don’t put them on sale!
Gim Joo Trading Co.
16 Baghdad St
S199655
Woven bamboo and rattan products for the home.
Golden Mile Food Centre and Army Market
505 Beach Road
S199583
Food on the lower floors; army, work and outdoor supplies upstairs.
Grandfather’s Collection
42 Bussorah Street
S199460
Collectibles and artefacts from Singapore’s recent history.
Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Unreal but pleasant.
Toast Box
252 North Bridge Road #B1-44A
S179103
I like the pork floss toast from this chain of snack and coffee shops. Many other locations around Singapore.
Yet Con
25 Purvis Street
S188602
I have vivid childhood memories of Sunday lunches at an old Hainanese chicken rice restaurant on Purvis Street with my family. The sounds and the smells, and especially the bright pink paper napkin-wrapped cutlery. Unfortunately I think the restaurant is Swee Kee, a competitor of Yet Con that has since closed down. The traditional style of the boiled chicken, fragrant rice and crispy pork belly at Yet Con suffice to remind me of those days though.
CLARKE QUAY
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay
The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
S059817
I harbour a guess that the architects for this new mall had a clause on their brief that said, “A building with a layout so confusing that it can rival Harrods of London.” You have to see it to understand why. Ramen Santouka (#02-76), a Japanese export known for its shio ramen and braised pork cheek, will tempt me to return though. Walk through an open-concept Chinese restaurant to find it.
A rather sleepy mall but there are good reasons for visiting. Books Kinokuniya (#03-50) and Meidi-Ya Supermarket (#B1-50) have been here for as long as I can remember and newer additions such as ramen and kurobuta restaurant Tampopo (#01-23/24) and their take-away shop, Tampopo Deli (#B1-16/17). Famous for its cream puffs but what I really like is the cheese chiffon cake.
DHOBY GHAUT
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
Mr Bean
Dhoby Xchange
11 Orchard Road #B1-44
Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station
S238826
With a mascot like this, who can resist? My favorites are the soya bean ice-cream and Mr Bean biscuits. Many other locations around.
National Museum of Singapore
93 Stamford Road
S178897
I spent hours in this museum. My favourite bits: food and lifestyle artefacts from old Singapore, the display of herbs and spices in bell jars, William Farquhar’s nature study drawings and the sleek ticket and entry gate system.
HARBOURFRONT
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront
VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk
S098585
Vivocity, one of Singapore’s newest malls, may be huge but I come here for only a few reasons. PAGE ONE (#02-41/42) is the bookshop by the publisher of the same name and stocks a good range of art, design and lifestyle books. National Geographic (#01-19/20) and Brooks Brothers (#01-127/128) may be in London too but I still visit them when I’m in Singapore.
LITTLE INDIA
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park, Little India
Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice
Lau Di Fang Restaurant
229 Jalan Besar
S208905
Very messy, very delicious. It’s hard to explain why Hainanese curry rice is so good since it looks like gloopy sludge but you have to try it to understand. Scissor-cut refers to the way large pieces of meat or toppings are turned into bite-sized pieces and is part of the charm of this traditional dish.
Mustafa Centre
145 Syed Alwi Road
S 207704
Herbs and spices, electrical appliances, cookware, silk, garments, jewellery and more – all day, everyday! Only at this Little India icon.
ORCHARD ROAD
Nearest MRT: Orchard, Somerset
Ice-cream Carts along Orchard Road
Yes to ice-cream in bread!
Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Rd
S238873
If I had time for just one mall, it’ll be Ngee Ann City. Most of the big brands are here – Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Cartier, Tiffany & Co. – you get the drift. Marc by Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Chloé have also opened in this shopping centre. Memories play a part too – I used to come here often with friends to check out the latest books and magazines at Books Kinokuniya (#03-09/10/15), then to snack on sandwiches and cupcakes at Toast (#02-11), or sometimes the other way round. Besides, they have two places for great Japanese curry rice – Romankan Yokohama in Takashimaya Level B2 and Tonkichi (#04-24).
Paragon
290 Orchard Road
S 238859
If I had time for another mall, I’ll cross over the road to Paragon. More big brands (Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Miu Miu…) and I can never leave Muji without buying something. Then Din Tai Fung (#B1-03/06) for xiao long bao and fried rice.
Surrender/Ambush
119 Devonshire Road
S 239883
Independent store stocking independent brands ike Visvim and Head Porter.
East
KATONG
Chin Mee Chin Confectionary
204 East Coast Road
S 428903
You probably have to stand around to wait for a table. When you finally get one, the service is painfully slow. One of the chains selling a similar product is probably doing it better. But this traditional Chinese bakery and coffee shop has a charm that is tough to duplicate. And I’ll go back just for that.
Katong Antique House
208 East Coast Road
S428907
A well-preserved Peranakan house.
KALLANG AND GEYLANG
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar, Aljunied, Kallang
Old Airport Road Block 51 Market & Food Centre
51 Old Airport Road
S390051
Char kway teow, rojak and other hawker food…
CHANGI
I think the best thing to take home just before boarding your flight is a pandan chiffon cake from Bengawan Solo.
Sentosa
I’ve only just looked at your Singapore guide and realised that I love so many of the places you’ve mentioned. I’m definitely looking forward to visiting all these places when I go back in Feb. My first pit-stop will be kaya buns from Chin Mee Chin upon landing!
I’ve only just found your blog, and I love it already. I’m from Singapore and I love so many of the place you’ve put up here! Cool thing is there are some I never knew existed too. Will most definitely be checking them out. (:
I own a lomo and it is lurking somewhere in the depths of a shoebox underneath my bed. Looking at your images, I am now inspired to dig it out and play. LOVE Boon Tong Kee!
Have only been away from home for a year plus and I miss home already. Expecting our firstborn soon in a foreign land and am wondering. ” How can I help my child to know and love these places, these food, this culture I have grown up loving (and you really only know the intensity of your attachment when you are away!) if we stay away for more years?” Keep on shooting and reminding us!