I came. I saw. I hawkered. 🇸🇬
"What you do in Singapore is eat. It's a really food-crazy culture, where all of this great food is available in a kind of hawker-stand environment." - Anthony Bourdain
The day was June 15, 1942, at the height of World War II, and the British Empire suffered its worst military defeat ever. It was not on the battlefields of Europe but on the other side of the world. Seven time zones ahead and just one and a half degrees above the equator.
Lt General Arthur Percival surrendered his ill-equipped force of 85,000 in British Malaya to just 35,000 Japanese troops in the “Gibraltar of the East" - Singapore.
After World War II ended with V-J Day, the day Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945, Singapore was still part of the British Empire.
Once the British Empire broke up after World War II, Singapore was initially part of Malaysia. But in 1965, Singapore broke away from Malaysia and became independent.
Singapore has had a meteoric rise since its independence and boasts one of the most successful economic expansions in modern history.
Singapore, known for its multicultural populations of ethnic Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian as well as a large expat community, is a sunny tropical island city-state located in the heart of Southeast Asia.
I recently was lucky to have the opportunity to visit this impressive country. A little over four times the size of Washington, D.C., Singapore punches above its weight.
From perfectly manicured architecture and gardens to being voted as the cleanest city in the world, Singapore cannot be overlooked. It is a haul to get there from the United States - 23 hours from the east coast. But I’ll trade that discomfort any day to spend time in the Lion City.
Waking up after several days of being there for work and sweating out a short run in the ever-present humidity, I finally had the chance to explore.
The first stop was Fort Canning. It was the original place where Sir Stamford Raffles, who colonized Singapore for the British Empire in 1819, decided to erect a fort. Fort Canning has windy walkways with foliage everywhere. It sits in typical Singaporean style, maintained to perfection.
It was also the site where Lt General Percival decided to surrender to the Japanese forces from the British forces’ bunker located within the Fort.
Fort Canning has since transformed into a massive park, with a luxurious hotel, and a must-see museum known as the Battlebox - the aforementioned bunker. The museum has accurate depictions of how it looked in 1942. Japanese military graffiti still covers the walls.
Feeling the need for a blast of AC after meandering around Fort Canning, I headed over to ATLAS cocktail bar, voted as one of the top 10 bars in the world. Before entering, one has to quickly look up at the impressive art deco architecture of the building. Once inside, check out the 1,400-bottle gin collection along the bar walls.
Needing to make the most of the day, I beat the crowds to check in for a quick view of the coastline from on top of Marina Bay Sands, the landmark hotel, restaurant, and shopping center with three towers and a boat-shaped skyway resting on top.
From here, one can truly appreciate the entirety of Singapore with a view looking down 57 floors onto all of the global trade passing through the tight Straights of Malacca. Connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, around 1/3 of global trade passes through it annually. There are container ships scattered everywhere. For a tip, it’s best to buy a drink at one of the restaurants, such as LAVO, covered by the frequent tropical storms passing through, instead of paying for the bare-bones observation deck.
At that point, I worked up an appetite and couldn’t wait to head to a Hawker Centre for dinner.
Back at the hotel, I took a quick train ride over to Maxwell Food Centre located in Chinatown on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Singapore’s version of a subway. The MRT is much nicer than any other subway I’ve been to in the world; impeccably clean just like everything above ground.
Strolling through Singapore’s shophouses to get to the hawker centre, I ended up at my destination ready to eat Singapore’s national dish - chicken and rice.
Hot and sweating from the walk over, I was primed for dinner and it would not get any cooler at Maxwell Food Centre.
Before the 1970s, street food sellers would sell all their speciality dishes in individual stalls or food trucks. To help the sellers and people eat high-quality food in central locations with better cooking conditions, the government relocated the street sellers to hawker centres.
The 1970s saw an explosion of hawker centres propped up. Maxwell Food Centre alone has 100 stalls and they are all cash only.
Hawker centres sell classic dishes at a fraction of a price from brick-and-mortar restaurants. From roasted duck to ribeye, to crab, to even stingray - there is something for everyone.
Passing stall after stall, I queued in line at Michelin-rated Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. Visited by Anthony Bourdain in 2007, the dish was cooked to perfection at around $5 USD for the plate.
Not far over from Tian Tian, I grabbed an ice-cold oolong tea for about $1 USD.
Needing to cool off, I made my way back to the MRT while the sun was starting to set. After returning to my room, I took a second shower for the day. It’s just something I’ve become used to in Singapore. However, I think the locals know how to avoid needing to do that.
The end of a great day had to be at Raffles Hotel. Built in 1887 in classic colonial architecture, everyone likes to go to Long Bar where the infamous gin-based Singapore Sling cocktail, Singapore’s national drink, was first mixed in 1915. It’s a great place to unwind, but there is always a wait.
At the front of the hotel is the quiet, lesser-known establishment, Writers Bar. Walking into the lobby, it was easily missed and I had to ask for help to find it. I was seated upon entering. With leatherbound books and a few tables, it was the ideal place for a non-alcoholic nightcap. They also mix non-alcohol Singapore Slings.
The next day, I hopped on the MRT to do a hike. Visitors come to Singapore for its impressive modern, urban environment. But the Southern Ridges, a 6.2-mile trail through jungle-like tree canopies was well worth it. It was refreshing to get away from the concrete jungle. The hike was another opportunity for an elevated look down into this well-built country.
After the hike, I took another early afternoon shower (very accustomed at this point), and made my way to Gardens by the Bay.
Opened in 2012, Gardens by the Bay is a gardener and photographer’s paradise. It’s located near the downtown just behind Marina Bay Sands and is also a terrific place to cool off from the ever-present heat. The two botanical gardens, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are the most impressive I’ve ever seen. Their vast size and sharp profile of the displays are well worth the visit.
Later that night, I revisited for the free musical light show happening twice every night - Garden Rhapsody. With classical music serenading the forest, it was a meditative experience.
While I don’t know when I will return, Singapore is always worth the long journey to get there.
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