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lavaca posted:I'm going to be in Singapore around November 15th. Normally my idea of a good time when visiting a new city involves a whole lot of walking. How much am I going to hate my life if I want to walk between, say, Clarke Quay and MOCA via Orchard Road? For what it's worth, my reference point for sticky weather is Orlando in June. we leisurely walked between orchard and chinatown, and it was fine. definitely a full day's worth of walking and stopping in places / hitting destinations along the way though. if you were just walking to get between one place and another, MOCA would probably be fine - I'd personally hop in a cab at some point though. I live in the ATL, wasn't bad at all weather wise during our august trip.
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Oct 16, 2014 05:53
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You could also just hop on the train or a bus. The stops in the city area are all really close to each other so it won't take very long at all. Also wear really light clothes if you're gonna commit to the whole walking thing. Even jeans is a bit much for me walking down Orchard Road.
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Oct 18, 2014 08:09
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lavaca posted:I'm going to be in Singapore around November 15th. Normally my idea of a good time when visiting a new city involves a whole lot of walking. How much am I going to hate my life if I want to walk between, say, Clarke Quay and MOCA via Orchard Road? For what it's worth, my reference point for sticky weather is Orlando in June. Its a decent walk, can get warm. Orchard Rd I didn't like too much as a tourist, it just seemed like endless shopping malls. Which makes it easy to nip in somewhere for some AC and a drink, but not very scenic or interesting to me.
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Oct 22, 2014 21:39
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Vegetable posted:You could also just hop on the train or a bus. The stops in the city area are all really close to each other so it won't take very long at all. Are you a sing goon because you should join our cool crew
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Oct 25, 2014 11:30
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So it’s been a little over a year since I moved to the Lion City, and since the thread has stalled and I’m stuck sick at home, I thought It’d be as good a time as any to collate some random thoughts and observations on this wacky little island. None of the following is objective fact, but merely the random and quite probably erroneous musings of one little Ang Mo from a tiny little fishing village. Infrastructure Singapore knows how to get people from point A to point B. I’ve actually met one of the lead designers of the MRT system and the sheer insight into the design of the system is quite frankly staggering. I’ve never had the pleasure of using such a clean and efficient public transportation system. I know the train gets a lot of flack these days, and yes with the ever rising population it’s getting pretty cramped in there, but it’s nothing compares to the maddening crush of somewhere like London or Paris. I guess the only big issue I would have with it would be the matter of... Kiasu Here’s an idea – let’s acknowledge that we’re an island full of selfish, feckless, downright rude people; but get this – we’ll turn it into an adorable national character trait! Seriously, if your own government has to start a poster campaign – SEVERAL poster campaigns – to encourage you all to be nice to one another, might that not be an indication of a rather large underlying issue? Nearly every single day I see people of all colours and creeds barging their way into trains, buses, shops and the like. Coming off a train on the weekend feels like I’m about to engage a scrum. And yes, I realise that there are different societal norms at play here, but one would have thought that most people would prefer to live in a place where people are more polite. I could be wrong. Group Coercion In the west, the sign would read: “No Smoking”. In Singapore the sign migh read: “Let’s not smoke for a cleaner Singapore!”. In public notices, there always seems to be an element of group coercion, an appeal to a wider mass of people or community, rather than an outright directive. I think my favourite is: “Clean public toilets are possible. Let’s make it happen!”. Live the dream, my friends. Food Nothing I can write here that hasn’t already been written, but hot drat is the food excellent here. Though I’m a little worried about the general paucity of vegetables in your average hawker centre meal. I’m guessing the local metabolism is geared more towards processing carbohydrates and protein – though I’ll wait on a proper scientist to set me straight. Work I can’t speak for you, but work here is an absolute meat grinder. I work in media, which was always hours intensive, but bloody hell the working day here is just insanity. 12 hour days seem the norm, and it just goes up from there. Also, there seems to be an instilled deference to all manner of authority, to the point that when set a task, workers will always say “can” when the real answer is “I have no idea how to even begin doing the thing you just tasked me with”, and then everything breaks down in about a week when the task hasn’t been done. I blame NS. Wildlife “Singapore got wildlife, meh?”. Yep, shitloads. Waaaay more than one would expect for a city this dense, but it’s a testament to the wisdom of the national parks system. On any given day, you can spot monkeys, crocodiles, otters, civets, snakes, pangolins, hornbills, jungle fowl, wild boars and all the birds, bugs and spiders you can stuff in your mouth at the same time. Hardly anyone knows this though- a lot of folk never seem to stray beyond their home district and the CDB – plenty people I’ve met who have never been to Bukit Timah, though that might be due to a the prevalence of... Superstition Wow. I never expected a hyper modern country with gigabit internet to be so superstitious. Any time I talk to locals about hiking into the sticks, I inevitably get asked about seeing ghosts, or get stories about the time they saw something spooky, or get show a badly artefacted jpeg of a photograph in which someone is clearly just photobombing, but they are convinced of a supernatural explanation. I was looking for colugos at night with some locals during the Seventh Month, and managed to properly freak them out, completely inadvertently:  “Do we really have to spread out?” “Yes, or we’ll never find them. Now shine your torch up into that tree”. "..."I guess this may have some practical use though – I ended up stepping on a pit viper because I wasn’t watching the path. I’m quite lucky to be alive. Comedy I’ve watched it get better, but having seen a fair bit of local comedy, it’s very apparent that racism is the common denominator. In some ways it’s probably a release valve for ethnic tensions, but it’s also a very vocal indicator of just where some entrenched prejudices lie. That and taxi uncles whinging on about “Indian” construction workers not integrating. Perhaps if you didn’t treat them like wage slave garbage… but I digress. That’s probably enough for now. Feel free to upbraid me for all the things you don’t agree with. You might well be right. FURY-161 fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Nov 12, 2014 |
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Nov 12, 2014 06:10
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A lot of the more famous Singaporean comedians seem to be minorities which may partially explain the predominance of racial humour. Chua Enlai and Hossan Leong are the two most famous Chinese Singaporean comedians I can think of and neither of them are especially known for racial jokes. Although Chua Enlai does an excellent PRC impression.
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Nov 12, 2014 11:49
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So my S Pass got approved, which means I'll be looking for a place to live in Singapore. Any recommendations on neighbourhoods I want to live/want to avoid? My office is in Marina Bay so I figure I want to live near there or somewhere that easily reachable from there with public transportation. Also, once I get off the plane, what should be the first thing I try foodwise?
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Nov 27, 2014 13:19
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Piles and piles of Durian
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Nov 27, 2014 13:41
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Sprechensiesexy posted:So my S Pass got approved, which means I'll be looking for a place to live in Singapore. Any recommendations on neighbourhoods I want to live/want to avoid? My office is in Marina Bay so I figure I want to live near there or somewhere that easily reachable from there with public transportation. Depending on your budget you'll probably want something around the city fringe or Rest of Central Region (RCR). I know people in these areas that just walk/cycle in to their offices downtown. http://www.sghomeonline.com/singapore-district-guide/ Living down in the core can be quite pricey. Good news is we are on a downward trend for rental/property with lots of newly built units in the pipeline, so shopping around might find you a good deal. The above is for private housing, mostly condominiums with facilities. You can also look at renting an HDB (public housing) unit which will cost less but not have facilities. It is still safe and you'll get a more "local" living experience. edit: Marina Bay is in district 2 on the map.
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Dec 3, 2014 11:27
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Yeah, you won't be able to afford downtown on an S Pass salary. I'd recommend out west in Buona Vista area, lots of westerners and fellow goons out there plus lower rents. As for food, Tian Tian chicken rice in Maxwell Food Centre is a classic.
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Dec 3, 2014 16:18
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The range I'm looking in is 1000-2000 a month and there seems to be plenty available so far, even near my office. I'm amazed that pretty much every room I look at has a barbecue/pool/gym included, that's awesome. Where I live now (Amsterdam) that's unheard of.
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Dec 3, 2014 17:28
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Sprechensiesexy posted:The range I'm looking in is 1000-2000 a month and there seems to be plenty available so far, even near my office. I'm amazed that pretty much every room I look at has a barbecue/pool/gym included, that's awesome. Where I live now (Amsterdam) that's unheard of. But yeah, if you're ok with roommates there are some decent deals out there, a friend of mine from Germany was roommates with a banker at the Sail for less than 2k/month. Soy Division fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Dec 4, 2014 |
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Dec 4, 2014 05:23
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Yeah if you're looking at rooms on that budget then it opens up a lot more possibilities for you.
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Dec 4, 2014 06:58
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Gail Wynand posted:For example, no cooking is a not uncommon rule Wait what  quote:as is no visitors. Heard of this one before I think it's crazy. quote:But yeah, if you're ok with roommates there are some decent deals out there, a friend of mine from Germany was roommates with a banker at the Sail for less than 2k/month.
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Dec 4, 2014 07:53
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Gail Wynand posted:Make sure your roommate is a fellow expat, otherwise you could end up living in the extra room of a local family and have tons of restrictions/drama related to your activities. For example, no cooking is a not uncommon rule, as is no visitors. Yeah my search is focused on shared appartments with other expats, no live in landlords and no rules regarding cooking/visitors. From what I see so far I shouldn't have an issue finding something decent.
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Dec 4, 2014 10:02
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Hello goons. Have a bunch of food related questions. I've got the local hawker centers and peranakan food covered, but would like suggestions about 1. Midrange sushi and ramen places. 2. Steaks - is mortons still the place to go? Cut and bisteca tuscan are the other contenders? 3. Cantonese - Tim Ho wan? 4. Cocktail Bars - bitters & love seems to be high on TA. Don't care about the view or crowd too much. Focus on cocktails and price. Any recommendations on NYE stuff? If there's any curated list for NYE dinners /parties that'd be great too!
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Dec 7, 2014 05:46
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For ramen, try Four Seasons near Bugis Village and some nice places at Chjimes. My go to place for sushi is Itacho at Bugis Junction. They also have outlets elsewhere. Liang Court near Clarke Quay has many Japanese restaurants as well Please don't eat Tim Ho Hwan as it is overrated. Try Won Do Sek at Geylang Lorong 17.
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Dec 7, 2014 07:13
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Anarkii posted:1. Midrange sushi and ramen places. Sushi - Itacho (Ion Orchard, Bugis Village) - Sushi Tei (Paragon, Ngee Ann City, Raffles City) - Ichiban (Centerpoint) - Sun with Moon (Wheelock Place) Ramen - Menya Musashi (Orchard Ion, Raffles) - Ippudo (Mandarin Gallery) - Sanpoutei (Shaw House) - Tampopo, they're mostly known for their black pig dishes, but I really like their black pig tonkatsu ramen (Ngee Ann City, Liang Court) Itacho, Sushi Tei and Ichiban are all chains, so they have a bunch of outlets, I'm just listing the ones around town that I can remember.
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Dec 7, 2014 07:42
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Itacho is gross, don't go. Ippudo is not bad for ramen. I think Japanese and Korean food in Singapore is kind of lacking, so you are better off with other cuisines
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Dec 7, 2014 08:54
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Well, I am not sure about Europe and USA but having travelled extensively around Asia, unfortunate unless you want to shell out or you are in JP, you are not going to find quality sushi like the streets of Tokyo.
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Dec 7, 2014 11:43
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Lunch specials is the way to do it. Sushi for dinner is either omakase at god knows what prices or a la carte mincing your wallet piece by piece. Just go to Neighborhoods where Japanese business men hang out/live and get the lunch special on the weekend. Quality sushi is kind of difficult to find, but you can get ramen, ton katsu, tempura, Japanese curry, yakitori or whatever. I'm just a bit biased towards itacho because the owner is a major douche bag in Hong Kong and price wise isn't really that cheap. It's mostly bad fish roasted on a flame
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Dec 7, 2014 12:06
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Itacho is pretty good midrange sushi, at least in HK. Their lunch price is especially appealing. They probably have different suppliers and franchise ownership in Singapore though.
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Dec 8, 2014 03:27
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I'm no connoisseur, but Genki Sushi over in Chinatown has always seemed decent to me, plus there's fun ipad menus and food delivery by little trains. Bring a jumper though, the place is always as cold as a meat locker.
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Dec 8, 2014 06:00
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FURY-161 posted:I'm no connoisseur, but Genki Sushi over in Chinatown has always seemed decent to me, plus there's fun ipad menus and food delivery by little trains. Bring a jumper though, the place is always as cold as a meat locker. That's like saying MacDonald's is gourmet hamburger
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Dec 8, 2014 07:11
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I'm not sure what the definition of mid-range is considering there are hella pricey places on this island. Some personal preferences for japanese include Razuken at Millenia Walk Ikyu at Tiong Bahru Sushi Tei is the most decent of the chain restaurants in my opinion Shin Kushiya at Vivocity is my semi-regular joint because it's close to home JJ.com Fish Mart at Vivocity B2 (more of a sushi counter but you can dine in as well) For ramen i'd go with Tampopo. Steaks: Mortons isn't as good as it used to be, food and service-wise. Bistecca is the current hotness. I'm not big on the cantonese but my go-to place for dim sum is Red Star at Chin Swee road. It's old school with the old ladies pushing trolleys around. Their roast meats aren't bad either. I don't go out drinking so no idea about the bars.
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Dec 8, 2014 08:38
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If you like mid ranged sushi, go for Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru at liang court basement. incredible cuts at budget prices. they have quite a few seasonal items and geared more to the adventurous eater(think squid guts etc). I would also recommend tampopo, but i feel their prices have been jacked up past few years and the menu has been quite stagnant. Things to look out for there are their tonkatsu menu. Their sashimi is pretty fresh and generous with thick slices, but quite pricy. Do go to their main outlet also located at liang court. My personal fav to bring guests to is Shunjuu Izakaya. Its a nice place on robertson quay serving excellent sumiyaki. Think grilled stuff on skewers. Their variety is huge with my favourites being the cheese wrapped with pork belly, foie gras, yakitori and the oysters rolled with pork. If you are up for steaks, head straight to mortons or cut. Skirt at W is a pretty well kept secret. I've been to luke's oyster bar and chophouse but i find it quite pricy. There is this place called burnt ends which is getting rave reviews from my friends.
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Dec 8, 2014 09:13
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Thanks for all the recommendations. Should be able to try out a few of those. Don't really have any particular budget for "mid-range" other than not-celebrity-chef-level.
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Dec 8, 2014 09:33
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Tatsuya at Goodwood Park Hotel is supposed to have some of the best sushi on the island and their lunch special isn't too pricey. Shunjuu is ok but it didn't feel Japanese at all when I went. For steaks, there's also a Ruth's Chris in Singapore now.
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Dec 8, 2014 09:43
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caberham posted:That's like saying MacDonald's is gourmet hamburger Nobody said Genki was gourmet. Stop being a sushi snob.
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Dec 8, 2014 17:10
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caberham posted:That's like saying MacDonald's is gourmet hamburger Probably, but then again I don't like sushi.
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Dec 9, 2014 04:44
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caberham posted:That's like saying MacDonald's is gourmet hamburger That's how Samuel L Jackson says it
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Dec 23, 2014 07:27
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Ya know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in Singapore? Chissburger Upsai.
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Dec 23, 2014 08:34
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So what's everyone doing for new years eve? All special dinner type stuff seems to be massively overpriced. Maybe grab some cheap food and then head to the marina bay area for drinks and fireworks?
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Dec 24, 2014 09:37
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I'm having a blast so far. Went to 1 Altitude for new years, paid way too much for a bottle of whiskey and got absolutely poo poo faced.
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Jan 4, 2015 18:58
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I'm back on sunday chaps what's the happs
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Jan 8, 2015 00:16
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Sprechensiesexy posted:I'm having a blast so far. Went to 1 Altitude for new years, paid way too much for a bottle of whiskey and got absolutely poo poo faced. You pay way too much for a bottle anywhere on this island.
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Jan 8, 2015 01:45
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I had a blast in Singapore over the new year period. It's a shame booze is so expensive since the cocktail bars around are really good. I liked Jigger and Pony much more than Bitters & Love, which is usually talked about more.
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Jan 8, 2015 15:06
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GOOONS I know this is a bit last minute, but I'm coming in next weekend. GOOOOOOON MEET SINGAPORE OK LA? I know creamyhorror, lithiumsum, kru, and a lurker will show up. But would love to meet some more local thread residents. Time: Saturday January 31, 7pm. Location : China town mrt, exit 1? surface side more updates will follow
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Jan 23, 2015 07:57
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caberham posted:GOOONS I'm in Singapore for two weeks staying Monday, might be going to bintan for wakeboarding on that Saturday though.
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Jan 23, 2015 08:03
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My circles are big on authentic Japanese food, but mentioning restaurants would only make them fuller  caberham posted:I know creamyhorror, lithiumsum, kru, and a lurker will show up. But would love to meet some more local thread residents. Any startup/business/tech types, do show up and we can chat about business.
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Jan 25, 2015 09:05
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