DESTINATION GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE MUSEUMS

Built in 1937, named after the brothers behind the famous Tiger Balm, Haw Par Villa is a unique Asian cultural park, the last of its kind in the world. On display are colourful statues and tableaux that include animals and scenes from Chinese classics like Journey to the West and Eight Immortals. Haw Par Villa is also famous for its vivid depictions of the Ten Courts of Hell from Chinese folklore. Guided tours are available and visitors can visit www.hawparvilla.sg for more information. Admission to the park is free.

Address: 262 Pasir Panjang Road
Tel: +65 6773 0103 Fax: +65 6224 0136
Website: www.hawparvilla.sg
Email: HPV@journeys.com.sg
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 9am–10pm (Last Admission: 9.30pm)
Nearest MRT: Haw Par Villa Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE RESTAURANT

Singapore’s oldest Peranakan (Straits- born people of Chinese and Malay/ Indonesian heritage) restaurant, Guan Hoe Soon has been serving authentic Peranakan cuisine in Joo Chiat since 1953. Their extensive menu features iconic Peranakan dishes such as babi asam goreng (fried tamarind pork), otah (spicy fish paste grilled in banana leaf) and ayam buah keluak (chicken braised in a thick spicy tamarind gravy with black nuts indigenous to Southeast Asia). Main courses from S$10.80++.

Address: 38 & 40 Joo Chiat Place
Tel: +65 6344 2761 Fax: +65 6440 5650
Website: www.guanhoesoon.com
Email: sales@guanhoesoon.com
Cost: Mains from S$10.80++ Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 11am–3pm, 6–9pm
Nearest MRT: Eunos Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE RESTAURANT

This is one of Singapore’s most fabled dim sum (bite-sized portions of food served in steamer baskets or small plates) restaurants that still serves some of the best dim sum from old-school pushcarts. Must-orders include the char siew bao (barbequed pork buns), century egg congee (rice porridge) and juicy roast meats. Located in the heart of Chinatown, the restaurant has a seating capacity of 65 diners and an atmosphere that will bring diners back to the past. Reservations are recommended and must be made by phone.

Dim Sum from Red Star Restaurant.

Address: 54 Chin Swee Road #07-23
Tel: +65 6532 5266
Website: www.redstarrestaurant.com.sg
Cost: Set menu from S$448++ for 10 pax; á la carte menu and dim sum are available
Opening Hours: Mon–Sat 8am–3pm, 6–10pm; Sun & Public Holidays 7am–3pm, 6–10pm
Nearest MRT: Chinatown Station / Clarke Quay Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE LOCAL FOOD

The yellow noodles and thick bee hoon (rice vermicelli) are stir-fried with succulent prawns, squid, pork belly strips and egg in a rich stock made from pork bones and prawn heads. This dish is often served with sambal (chilli paste) and a squeeze of fresh lime for extra zest. A big contributor to the overall taste lies in the skill of the hawker imparting wok hei—literally ‘breath of the wok’, a cooking technique that involves tossing food in a wok—for a fuller, bolder flavour. Some places add fried pork lard as a crunchy topping. From S$3 per serving.

Hokkien Mee from Gluttons Bay in Raffles Avenu

Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles
Address: Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road #01-27
Nearest MRT: Lorong Chuan Station

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee
Address: Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road #01-32
Nearest MRT: Dakota Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE LOCAL FOOD

Roti prata is a flaky South Indian flatbread, that is crispy on the outside but soft to the bite—best eaten plain or with an egg cracked onto it. It is often served with a savoury, spicy curry (fish and mutton are popular options). Some locals also eat it with sugar, or sweet toppings such as banana, chocolate sauce or ice cream. Different stall owners produce roti pratas with different textures, but the technique is always the same: a skillful twirl of the dough till it is paper-thin before folding it in and cooking it on a greased griddle. Modern renditions of roti prata sees it served with ice cream or chicken floss. From S$1 per serving.

Your Hello! Singapore food guide- Roti Prata

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata
Address: 300-302 Joo Chiat Road
Nearest MRT: Dakota Station

Springleaf Prata
Address: The Rail Mall, 396 Upper Bukit Timah Road and other outlets islandwide
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST HAWKER CENTRE

Housing a wide variety of Malay and Indian food, Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre makes a great stop for hungry travellers. For tasty bites, visit Kueh Talam Asli (#02-148) for an assortment of kueh talam, a two-layered Malaysian dessert, and Otak-Otak Kampung (#02-164) for otah (spicy fish paste grilled in banana leaf). For a hearty meal, tuck into Malay-style chicken rice at Nasi Ayam Sambal (#02-129). Its unique spicy sambal adds a kick to the dish and is highly recommended. To cool down, enjoy smooth and deliciously rich chendol (a dessert with jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup) from Cendol Geylang Serai (#02-107).

visit Geylang Serai market on your Hello! Singapore Trip.

Address: 1 Geylang Serai
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 6am–9pm
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar Station / Eunos Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE RESTAURANT

Since the 1980s, Shashlik Restaurant has been serving up Russo-Hainanese cuisine in Singapore. Its interior bears nostalgic details and its dishes are wheeled out on trolleys. The main courses start from S$20++ and include favourites that have been featured in the media such as the chicken à la Kiev and beef stronganoff. No meal is complete without the theatrical tableside service of baked Alaska for dessert.

Address: Far East Shopping Centre, 545 Orchard Road #06-19
Tel: +65 6732 6401
Website: www.shashlik.sg
Email: enquiry@shashlik.sg
Cost: Mains from S$20++
Opening Hours: Tue–Sun noon–2.30pm, 6–9.30pm
Nearest MRT: Orchard Station

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE RESTAURANT

This family-owned business opened more than 50 years ago in a corner of Dempsey Road and continues to draw diners to that very same location today. The Indian restaurant, simply decorated and mostly ventilated by ceiling fans, seats up to 300 guests and serves dishes on fresh banana leaves. Diners can choose from dishes like briyani (an Indian spiced rice dish with meat or vegetables), fried cauliflower, Mysore mutton and masala (a marinade of mixed Indian spices) chicken; or order their bestsellers such as the fish cutlet and curry fish head–fresh red snapper fish head stewed in a curry with assorted vegetables.

Address: 25 Dempsey Road #01-03
Tel: +65 6472 2080
Website: www.samyscurry.com
Email: info@samyscurry.com
Cost: Fish Head Curry from S$21 to S$33; á la carte menu from S$2.10 a serving
Opening Hours: Mon & Wed–Sun 11am– 3pm, 6–10pm; Closed on Tue

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE RESTAURANT

Serving halal Asian heritage food in Kampong Glam this restaurant was founded in 1921 by M. Abdul Rahman and is well-known for dishing out the island’s best dum briyani (an Indian spiced rice dish with meat). Notable figures such as Singapore’s late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and the late President S.R. Nathan have patronised this heritage restaurant. Main courses from S$10++.

Address: 745 North Bridge Road #01-01 Tel: +65 6298 7563
Website: www.islamic.sg
Email: enquiry@islamic.sg
Cost: Mains S$10++
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 10am–10pm; Closed on Fri from 1–2pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis Station

DESTINATION GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE MUSEUMS

Chinatown Heritage Centre is where visitors can trace the footsteps of Singapore’s early pioneers and discover the personal stories of people who made Chinatown their home. Housed in three adjacent restored shophouses along Pagoda Street, the Chinatown Heritage Centre is a museum that offers insights into the lives of early migrants from China, who left their villages and travelled to Singapore in hopes of a better life.

Visitors can step into the shoes of these pioneers who settled in the Chinatown district and experience how they lived by exploring the authentic recreations of the cramped ‘eight by eight’ living quarters and a tailor shop that once existed in the area. Guided tours are conducted three times a day.

Address: 48 Pagoda Street
Tel: +65 6224 3928 Fax: +65 6224 3917
Website: www.chinatownheritagecentre.com.sg
Email: enquiry@chinatownhc.com.sg
Cost: (General admission with multimedia guide) Adult S$18, Child S$14; (General admission with guided tour) Adult S$25, Child S$20. These rates apply to non-tour groups only. Write in to enquire about group bookings.
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 9.30am–6.30pm
Nearest MRT: Chinatown Station