The city-state of Singapore may be made up of 63 islands, but its compact geography and reasonably cheap taxis make most destinations easily and quickly accessible.
Reclamation of land has been voracious. In the 1960s, Singapore's land area was about 580 square kilometres. Today it measures around 700 square kilometres, a staggering increase of over 20 per cent.
Some of this reclaimed land houses Marina Bay Sands, a behemoth of a resort with a 2,561-room hotel. The hotel rooms are housed across three separate towers joined by a Sky Park that runs for 340 metres across the top. Officially opened in June 2010, the venture is said to have cost S$8 billion, qualifying it as the costliest casino property in the world.
were invited to visit the property along with contingents from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Because really, Marina Bay Sands is no humble affair. The infinity pool at the top of the building is mindblowing - the kind of sight that will make you want to pinch yourself, and then stoop down to pick your jaw up from the ground.
Who wants to do laps in an Olympic pool when you join the hoardes of tourists doing selfies with their mobile phone as they bob about in water 191 metres off the ground?
The Skypark may look like a giant surfboard on top of the towers, but the 57th floor playground hosts the infinity pool, gym, spa retreat and bars and restaurants.
Our rooms are spacious but they're nothing compared to what we find during a tour of a Straits suite - the third highest suite available at the hotel. The two-bedroom suite measures an opulent 200 square metres, with a grand piano in the living room, separate exercise bike room with tv, office area and a personal karaoke lounge! It'll set you back about S$7,000 per night which is chump change compared to the top-tier 629 square-metre Chairman suite that costs S$17,000 per night.
It's also interesting to note that although the casino is free for tourists, local Singaporeans must pay a daily entry of S$100, a mechanism that Marina Bay Sands says proves their intent to chase overseas money, and not take advantage of wistful locals.
Across the road from the hotel - and accessible by underground tunnel - is the shopping complex, so evidently fancy they're not just shops but Shoppes.
High fashion boutiques like Gucci, Chanel and Prada glisten and gleam beneath the wave of skylights overhead, but if all gets too much for you, you can always seek serenity on a cheesy sampan ride on the indoor canal.
There's a broad mix of food outlets at Marina Bay, and we noted that the cheaper end of the building, particularly the hawker-style outlets of Rasapura Masters, were always busy. We started off with a buffet lunch at
, serviced with so many stations that the placemat is actually a map with directions on where to go!
There's an ambitious attempt at a Brazilian churrasco, and there's even a man rolling out fresh pizza dough, but I find myself heading back to the sushi and sashimi station. The grilled LA galbi beef ribs are also stickily good.
Pastry chefs at Todai
Biscotti pyramid at Todai
Waku Ghin by Wakuda Tetsuya
Waku Ghin chief bartender Akihiro Eguchi carving ice
At Tetsuya Wakuda's
Waku Ghin, chief bartender Akihiro Eguchi deftly demonstrates the art of ice carving. Using a block of specially frozen clear ice, he makes several deft jabs with a chiselling fork, and within one minute he has created an ice sphere that is used primarily for scotch.
Ice sphere for scotch at Waku Ghin
The ice sphere melts much more slowly and minimises the risk of diluting the scotch. The spheres are changed if a customer changes scotch brands, but otherwise one rock should last about two to three drinks.
There's a serious art to ice, and it's quite mesmerising to watch the bartenders at work. The meditative way in which ice cubes are washed (removing the edges off ice cubes slows down the melting process) reminds me of the ramen appreciation scene in Tampopo.
We learn that Tetsuya's favourite cocktail is a gimlet (he always orders one whenever he visits, and tends to favour less sweet drinks in general) and we're spoilt with margaritas served with freshly ground Hawaiian pink salt on the rim (the superfine salt melts on the tongue and is less harsh on the palate). I will not be able to enjoy a margarita as much ever again.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck
Tuna tartare "sandwiches" with wasabi, Japanese cucumber and togarashi toast;
Mini Kobe"sliders" on brioche buns with sweet pickles
At Cut by Wolfgang Puck, we're plied with more snacks and alcohol. I'm particularly taken by their best-selling Crouching Tiger made with vodka infused with jasmine flowers. I'm going to attempt to make that one at home next weekend.
Bartender Irwan at Cut by Wolfgang Puck
As we perch on stools at the bar, our bartender Irwan is a picture of concentration as he mixes each drink. There's a distinct rolling motion he makes with the cocktail shaker, and I can't help but smile when he makes a concerted deceleration at the end. When he ask him why he doesn't just stop straight away, he smiles and says,
"It's like driving a fast car. You don't just hit the brakes. You have to slow down gently."
Gardens by the Bay
ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay (currently exhibiting Harry Potter and Andy Warhol) and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix grandstand
db Bistro Moderne by Daniel Boulud
db Bistro Moderne
We're swept up in a flurry of French accents at Daniel Boulud's restaurant db Bisto Moderne. Unlike his Michelin 3-starred restaurant restaurant Daniel in New York City, db Bistro Moderne is a little less formal, with leather lounge seating, bistro tables and a view into the kitchen through misted glass.
Heirloom tomato salad S$24
The food is modern but elegant, with considered plating embellished with artistic flourishes.
[Clockwise from top left]: House bread; Flambe tarte; Salade nicoise; and Petits farcis provencaux
The Original db burger S$42
Sirloin burger with braised short ribs and foie gras served in a parmesan bun
Next to the highly stylised salade nicoise, the
original db burger is a hefty serve of calorific decadence. The beef patty is enriched with both foie gras and braised short ribs, all served in a parmesan bun for good measure. It's insanely rich but presumably that's the point.
Bouillabaisse and yellow chicken en croute "Grand-mere style" S$45
Spaetzle accompaniment to the yellow chicken en croute
There's a flourish of lid lifting when the bouillabaisse is presented, contrasted with the family-style presentation of the chicken puff pastry pie. I'm quite taken by the
spaetzle which have a satisfying chewiness.
Black forest; apricot clafoutis; peach melba; and chocolate fondant S$15 each
Desserts fly thick and fast across the table as we dip our spoons across a wide selection. The scoop of cherry sorbet on top of the black forest is marvellously refreshing, and I'm a surprise fan of the chocolate fondant which contains crispy feuillantine that provide welcome textural contrast.
Pizzeria Mozza by Mario Batali
Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza
We may only know Mario Batali from Iron Chef America, but this is his third Pizzeria Mozza location, after Los Angeles and Newport Beach in the United States.
Calamari al forno with fagioli and oregano S$18; Prosciutto di Parma pizza with rocket S$31; banana gelato pie S$19; and Funghi misti pizza S$30
Pizzeria Mozza is more family-friendly than the formal Osteria Mozza, but this just means you can abandon all notion of cutlery and eat the wood-fired pizza by hand. I'm not a big fan of the prosciutto di parma pizza which has a tomato base that is distinctly acidic, but there's much to love about the funghi misti pizza laden with mushrooms, and the calamari that is enviably tender.
Sky on 57 by Justin Quek
Chef Justin Quek
We end up visiting
Sky on 57 three times: for pre-dinner drinks, breakfast and then lunch.
Justin Quek is a local legend, and Singapore's most prominent chef on the international stage. Known for his focus on French cuisine, Sky on 57 offers both Asian and French-style dishes.
Singapore laksa
A Singapore laksa at breakfast has a decent chilli hit, and even one of the Malaysian delegates says it's particularly noteworthy, saying that Singapore laksas are richer and creamier than the Malaysian version.
Slow cooked organic eggs and French toast
Ramen
Justin Quek's signature demitasse of fresh mushroom cappuccino; slow cooked organic egg with artichoke puree and foie gras emulsion; seafood fried rice "mui fan" and jackfruit tart with crumble S$50 for three courses/ S$60 for four courses
At lunch time, Justin tells us that his favourite ingredient to cook with is truffles. "I was working with it twenty years ago. I love it!" There is no shortage of foams in our dishes, including a demitasse of fresh mushroom that is aromatic and deeply umami.
Behind-the-scenes at Marina Bay Sands
Security entrance gates for Marina Bay Sands staff
What does it take to run Marina Bay Sands? We're led on a behind-the-scenes tour, a staggering journey that begins with high-tech security gates that include fingerprint capabilities.
Staff lockers and collecting uniforms
There are just under 10,000 staff at Marina Bay Sands, and the discreet employee entrance is just around the corner from the Marina Bay Sands MTR railway station. All the inner workings of Marina Bay Sands is located here, with an underground corridor that stretches for about half a kilometre.
Staff uniform garment belt, each with RFID tags
The first thing staff members do is pick up their uniform, scanning their card against a specific door which then delivers their allocated uniform, already cleaned and pressed. Each staff member has three sets of uniforms. Chefs have four.
Each uniform has an RFID, or radio frequency identification tag, which monitors how often the uniform has been laundered and when it is due for replacement.
Alterations and repairs section; and the 7-Eleven store for Marina Bay Sands staff
The network of tunnels is staggering, as we head past the healthcare centre and even a 7-Eleven.
Filling chocolate moulds
We're restricted from taking photos in the kitchen except for the chocolate and pastry sections. One pastry chef is methodically piping fillings into chocolate, a job she's been doing for the past month - her entire tenure.
House breads and shaping doughs
There are daily deliveries of supplies to the hotel, with a minimisation of stock retention. There's no room to hoard or hang onto products.
A strict colour coding system (red chopping boards and knives for red meat, green for vegetables etc) keeps things in order.
All the breads are baked in-house, requiring fourteen bakers working full-time.
Inside the Marina Bay Sands kitchen
Feeding staff is another herculean task. About 7,500 meals are prepared every day, comprised of about 500kg of rice, 1.2 tonnes of meat or protein and 1.5 tonnes of vegetables.
Staff buffet menu and the team members healthcare centre
There are about 18 hot meal choices per day, broken across a Western, Chinese and halal menu. The menu changes every day.
Staff have access to two dining rooms (seating 700 and 300 respectively) and can come and go as they please.
Staff motivational slogans
As for the staff motivational posters plastered on every wall, they do seem a little eerie.
Toast Box
We were only in Singapore for three days and our itinerary was packed, but we took every opportunity to explore Marina Bay Sands and Singapore on our own. From this point on in this post, all destinations were our own choosing, starting with the Singapore/Malaysian classic of kaya toast.
Kaya toast S$1.80; ice sour plum soda S$3.50; Teh O cold S$2.40; Milo pearls S$2.80
It was about 10pm when we stepped into
Toast Box, but really any time is a good time for toast with butter and kaya toast.
Kaya thick toast S$1.90
We stabbed our toothpicks at the cubes of kaya spread on a mattress of thick toast but the greatest satisfaction was still to be had in the traditional kaya toast, sandwiched with an eye-popping slab of butter.
Kaya toast S$1.80
Kaya should be treated like Vegemite. It tastes infinitely better with overwhelming amounts of butter. The salty creaminess of the butter is a perfect match for the sweet spread of coconut jam. I washed mine down with a glass of ice cold milo punctuated with chewy tapioca pearls.
Din Tai Fung
Steamed pork dumplings S$7.30 for 6 pieces;
dumpling markers in the kitchen;
steamed shrimp and pork shao-mai S$10.30 for 6 pieces
We stopped into
Din Tai Fung for dumplings, first marvelling at the army of dumpling makers in the open kitchen, and then excited peering into the bamboo steamer when our order was finally delivered to our table.
Delivering dumplings to the table in bamboo steamer baskets
There's as much an art to making
xia long bao soup dumplings as there is to eating them. Din Tai Fung prides itself on each dumpling having exactly 18 folds and weighing precisely 21 grams. We just prayed that we didn't burst any dumplings each time we picked them up with chopsticks.
Steamed crab meat and pork dumplings S$9.50 for 6 pieces
The skins are enviably thin, but the slurp of soup at the bottom is the real joy to these little treasures.
The Streets of Singapore
Young coconut drinks on an outdoor cart
It can be hard to abandon the air-conditioned comfort of shopping centres, but the streets of Singapore is where you'll find all the best action. Chinatown was about a twenty minute walk from our hotel but with a cab costing about S$5 (AU$3.90) it was easy to justify the relative extravagance.
Chinatown market stalls
Chinatown is a happy headache of tacky tourist souvenirs, but I did pick up a traditional stone stamp with my name engraved in Chinese for S$35 (AU$27). In amongst the Angry Birds keyrings and pashmina scarves, you'll find bak kwa sweet pork jerky shops, the Tin Tin store and several commercial kitchen shops which I happily browsed in.
Pagoda Street, Singapore
On our last night we also stopped by Chinatown for cheap massages, where of course we bumped into Aussie and Swedish backpackers getting all their aches and pains cracked out of them.
Masjid Sultan mosque at Muscat Street in Kampong Glam
Singapore Zam Zam
We skipped breakfast at the hotel one morning and headed to
Singapore Zam Zam, famous for its murtabak.
Making roti; roti canai; teh halia and teh o; deer murtabak S$10
There is much to be said about the pleasures of having curry for breakfast. The
roti was effortlessly light and flaky - we tore this into shreds and dipped it into bowls of curry.
Deer murtabak S$10
Mutton is the traditional
murtabak filling here, but we venture into
deer territory. Unlike the heavier soggier murtabaks you'll often find in Sydney, this pastry was thin and crispy and filled with a tumble of finely chopped meat with slivers of sweet onion.
We eat the murtabak with the accompanying dish of cucumbers and tomato sauce, as I slurp down mouthfuls of sweet
teh halia ginger tea.
Haji Lane
Kallang Estate Fresh Market and Food Centre
Breakfast crowds and fishball minced meat noodle from Tua Buee S$2
We stumble upon
Kallang Estate by accident, when our taxi driver drops us off here instead of Old Airport Road Hawker Market just a few doors up.
It's a smaller food centre centre here but it does give us a chance to explore the fresh market as locals go about their daily shopping.
Locals at the Kallang Estate Fresh Market
Newspaper stands
Apam balik crepes and frying carrot cake
We find ourselves drawn to the food stalls of course, and we order an
apam balik crepe with corn and a dish of fried carrot (or white radish) cake.
Carrot cake S$2
Wonton noodle $S2
There's nary a tourist to be seen here, and it's reflected in the prices with most dishes starting at S$2. The
fishball minced meat noodle stall has a dedicated queue of fans but I'm a sucker for the wonton noodles that includes fried and boiled wontons on a huddle of chewy egg noodles.
Old Airport Road Hawker Market
Fried oyster S$4 from Katong Ah Soon
Kallang Estate opens and closes early but
Old Airport Road Hawker Market is more for the night owls. After a day of non-stop eating (seriously, I kid you not) we wander the stalls but only have room for a plate of
fried oysters, fresh oysters flash fried in an omelette blanket made crispy with tapioca flour.
There's no shortage of stalls here, and I'm daunted when I realise there's another level of stalls upstairs. Instead we find the stalls closed in place of a local wedding reception, complete with multi-course banquet.
On my next visit to Singapore I'd definitely return for thorough gustatory exploration.
Amoy Street Food Centre
Hawker stalls doing dinner prep at Amoy Street Food Centre
The Singapore CBD has no shortage of hawker markets, feeding suits with hearty cheap meals. Unfortunately its stalls also tend to follow office hours so when we arrive in the late afternoon at
Amoy Street Food Centre many are closed, or yet to commence the dinner trade.
Potato chicken curry puff S$1 from Crispy Curry Puff
What we do find are the most amazing
curry puffs I have had the privilege of eating. These crescents of pastry are extraordinarily flakey, filled with a potato chicken curry that have plenty of punch, and are only S$1 each. I should have bought a dozen.
Almond soya beancurd dessert from Lao Dou S$1.50
We also hoe into a container of tofu dessert flavoured with almond, delicately wobbly and cooly refreshing.
Buddhist temple and Telok Ayer Street
Lau Pa Sat Festival Market
[Clockwise from top left]: Crab meat xia long bao soup dumplings $4.50 for 5 pieces;
beef, chicken and mutton satay S$9 for 15 skewers from Asli Satay Club;
Shanghai deep fried buns S$4 for 5 pieces
Only a few blocks away is
Lau Pa Sat, a hawker market we visited twice. Also known as Telok Ayer ("Water Bay" in Malay), the market is noted for its distinct octagonal shape and Victorian-style cast iron structure.
Inside Lau Pa Sat
Soup dumplings in the bamboo steamer at Shanghai Xiao Long Bao
We try the
xiao long bao soup dumplings here - the crab dumplings turn out to contain little more than seafood extender - but the Shanghai deep fried buns are impressively free from residual oil, even if they are missing a skerrick of soup inside.
Traditional xiao long bao soup dumplings $4.50 for 5 pieces
Popiah S$2.50
Popiah is not as crisp and fresh as I expect but we have no complaints about our late night supper straight after a flight, a feast of
cereal prawns (think sweet and salty oat crumble with curry leaves on top of deep-fried prawns) and
barbecue sting ray smothered in spicy sambal.
[Clockwise from top left]: Bitter gourd with salted egg S$15;
crispy cereal prawns S$28;
Singapore mee hoon S$4;
and medium bbq sting ray pari bakar S$15
from Ming Yen BBQ and Seafood
It's also my first time trying bitter gourd, or
bitter melon, with salted egg yolk, that proves incredibly addictive, where the richness of the salted egg yolk is countered by the bitterness of the melon.
Noodles with grace and dignity
Prawns on the barbie, Singapore-style
Most people head to Lau Pa Sat for satay, especially at night time when the road is closed and tables are set up on the street. It's an intoxicating mix of charcoal plumes with the hiss and spit of animal fat hitting the fire.
Satay chicken skewers on charcoal
Maxwell Food Centre
Yong tau foo fish balls and stuffed bean curd stall
Just over the road from Chinatown is Maxwell Food Centre (also known as Kim Hua Market). More than 100 stalls are spread across three rows beneath a covered roof hung with slow moving fans that seem to stir the humidity rather than offer much of a cooling sensation.
Maxwell Food Centre
The array of choice can be dizzying but it's hard to go wrong if you follow the queues.
Fruit stall with watermelon, pineapple, papaya, red dragonfruit and jackfruit
A simple display of freshly cut fruit makes me wonder why we don't have more of this in Sydney, but I'm then distracted by a bowl of red bean and peanut soup.
Red bean and peanut soup and glutinous rice balls S$1.30
The soup tastes more like a Chinese savoury porridge, filled with a mix of soft and chewy grains and legumes. The glutinous rice balls are optional but they offer my personal highlight - filled with a sandy sweet mixture of sugar, sesame seeds and ground peanuts.
Zhen Zhen Porridge
Serving up congee rice porridge
It's
congee that fuels most Singaporeans at breakfast time, a thin rice gruel that's amped up with a variety of fixings.
Congee rice porridge with fish S$3 from Zhen Zhen Porridge
There's a huge queue at
Zhen Zhen so we join it immediately, finally rewarded with a hearty bowl of congee that's packed with barely cooked fish fillet, ginger, scallions and deep-fried red shallots.
The couple here have been running this stall for over twenty years.
Yu sheng raw fish salad $3
We also make like the locals and get a side order of yu sheng raw fish salad. It's similar to the yee sang raw fish salad eaten by Malaysians at Chinese New Year, albeit somewhat simpler. Raw slices of fish are squeezed over with the juice of fresh kalamansi limes, then jumbled up with scallions, fried red shallots and a snowstorm of toasted sesame seeds.
It's fresh, lively and deliciously invigorating.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice - even Anthony Bourdain approves
And hello, how could we forget Tian Tian. If anyone remembers anything about that 2008 Singapore episode of
No Reservations, it's
Anthony Bourdain waxing lyrical about the Hainanese chicken rice at
Tian Tian.
Just in case you did forget, the stall holders here are more than happy to remind you, with a giant picture of Bourdain emblazoned across one window.
Whole white chickens and the tub of chicken rice
The queues here are notorious (even though I hear the former chef has moved to another shop a few doors down) but we arrive at 10.30am and are third in line. Half an hour later the queue is close to a dozen.
Hainanese steamed chicken with rice S$3
It's a humble plate of white boiled chicken with chicken-stock rice but that's the beauty of Singapore: you find the best things in the most unassuming of places.
Grab Your Fork visited Singapore as a guest of Marina Bay Sands. Meals at Todai, Cut, Pizzeria Mozza, db Bistro Moderne and Sky on 57 were complimentary. All other meals were personally paid for.
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Tel: +65 6688 8897
Cut - Wolfgang Puck
Level B1-71
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8517
DB Bistro Moderne - Daniel Boulud
Level B1-48
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8525
Din Tai Fung
Level B2-63, Canal Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6634 9969
Pizzeria Mozza - Mario Batali
Level B1-42/46
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8522
Sky on 57 - Justin Quek
Level 57, Tower 1
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Tel: +65 6688 8857
Todai
Level B2-01, Canal Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 7771
Toast Box
Level B2-62/64, Canal Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6636 7131
Waku Ghin - Wakuda Tetsuya
Casino Level 02-02
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8507
~~~
Singapore Hawker Markets
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road, Singapore
Open 11am-8pm with limited stalls trading on weekends
Kallang Estate Fresh Market and Food Centre
Block 19, Old Airport Road, Geylang, Singapore 397972
Open for breakfast and lunch
Lau Pa Sat Festival Market
Corner of Boon Tat Street and Robinson Road, Singapore 048582
Tel: +65 6220 2138
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 12pm-10pm
Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
Open Monday to Sunday 8am-10pm
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Block 51, Old Airport Road, Geylang, Singapore 397972
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 12pm-12am (closed Mondays)
~~~
Zam Zam
697 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198675
Tel: +65 6298 6320
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 8am-11pm
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