FunkyForty Uncovers Singapore – Day 2

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to day 2 of uncovering Singapore. Feeling ever so slightly sad this morning as I checked out of my lovely hotel with it’s roof top paradise, check this out…

Naumi Hotel Singapore. A lovely small boutique hotel with all the main facilities of a larger hotel but that cute family feel to it. I fell in love with it! Also belonging to the SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World).

Check out the funky restaurant area and my room…

Lucky me, my driver is already waiting. I could get used to this sort of travelling!

Keep reading and join my tour uncovering Singapore.

FunkyForty Uncovers Singapore – Day 2

Breakfast

Having eaten so much the day before I felt relieved to limit breakfast to a cup of coffee in my room, but thankfully Andrew, my guide, had other plans. Taking me to Ya Kun in China town.

Yummy, it was perfect. Toast with bits of butter and homemade kaya, (a local spread of egg and coconut). Plus the most delicious coffee.

Dating back to 1926 when 15-year-old Loi Ah Koon scrambled on board an old Chinese junk and set sail from Hainan Island to Singapore. Starting off by working as an assistant in a Hainanese coffee stall. Then deciding to go out on his own with 2 other partners. They later opted out but he kept on going. Despite marrying in the 1930’s story says he slept on the hard wooden countertop at the stall in order to be on time to serve his first customers at 5 am.

Ah Koon served more than food – he served kindness as well. This is probably the biggest trade secret anyone could have! Read the full story here.

See what happens once fed with breakfast:

Loving the cute architecture nearby.

 

Thian Hock Keng temple

Next a little history lesson of the beginnings of Singapore right through to Singapore as we know it today. All on a wonderful wall mural by mural artist Yip Yew Chong. Located  at the back of the Thian Hock Keng temple.

Here you see the old form of taxi service used by the wealthy.

Samsui women – Chinese immigrants who came to Malaya and Singapore between the 1920s and 1940s in search of construction and industrial jobs. Most Samsui women took vows to never marry. There are fewer than 100 alive still today, all in their 80’s and 90’s.

Temple festivities.

Side view of the temple with brass statues depicting the past food and drinking culture.

Main entrance of the Thian Hock Keng temple. The oldest Chinese temple in Singapore and dedicated to Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea. In the 19th century the temple faced the sea – now there is plenty of reclaimed land in front – even with high rise buildings!

 

Visit of Deck

Deck is an independent art space consisting of 20 containers. Opening in 2014 with a 9 year tenor – lets see what happens!

Andrew, Artistic Director – Gwen Lee and me…Dedicated to nurturing photography enthusiasts in Singapore and Asia. The complex won the president achitecture award in 2015.

I was totally fascinated by the library – a photography/ architecture lover’s heaven!

It’s certainly worth checking out exhibitions or happenings hosted here such as the Singapore International Photography Festival.

Lunch time

Seafood was on the menu today as we went to the Red House Seafood restaurant for lunch. Established in 1976, it is one of Singapore’s oldest seafood restaurants.

Look at that – above was the starter. I had to think of my hubby as one of the three pieces had a distinct truffle flavour – his favourite (don’t tell him else he’ll get jealous).  The crispy prawns were the absolute best I have ever tasted (sorry Mum, yours are good too).

Not to mention the chilli crab…

Visit HDB (Housing Development Board) Everton Park Neighbourhood

If you want to experience Singapore like a local then this is the place to visit. Everton Park was once referred to as the next Tiong Bahru. I found out I could have had my nails done for $8 instead of  $25 in the city for starters! Here is a fab article about cafes, shops, barbers in the area.

I learnt lots of fun facts about life as a Singaporean. Approx 85% live in HDB housing and 15% in private housing. Even more interesting is the fact that whilst you can only own one HDB appartment, it is possible to (conditions prevailing), also own a private property for rental purposes.

The real reason Andrew took me here however was to introduce me to Ang Ku Kueh a small oval shaped Chinese pastry with soft sticky glutinous rice flour with peanut filling.

A cake traditionally bought to celebrate births or longevity (birthdays of older people).

Andrew, Peter (my driver) and I sat in the local food court to munch these along with local coffee. I made them eat my second one to make sure longevity is passed on to me too – haha!

 

Dinner

Dinner at the  hipster Stranger’s Reunion cafe home of the current World Siphon Coffee Champion.  I went on a semi food strike  and insisted we settled for a glass of wine with a plate of truffle fries to share. Wish I would have been hungrier though as the food was amazing!

Seeing this on the wall  I realised there was a lot more to the Stranger’s Reuinion cafe than meets the eye…see here.

Good Nite!

Time to check into my hotel for the nite. Another boutique hotel – The Vagabond Club. Housed in a vintage Art Deco building on the outskirts of Little India with interiors by Jacques Garcia (famous for his interiors of French hotels such as the famous Hotel Costes in Paris).

A very cute hotel with amazing staff and fabulous food.

Check out Latest Singapore Airlines Special Deals Here.

The perfect place to escape November in Europe!

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