What I saw, what I did: Singapore Part 5

Warning: this is going to be a long post. Rightly so, as this was the longest day of our stay in Singapore.

The "slow group" separated from the rest again to explore the cultural attractions of the city. The other group spent the day in Orchard Road. The picture above is a shot of the entrance to Little India Arcade. Inside, it feels like Greenhills with the many knick knacks being sold, none of which you really need but are so colorful and intricately designed you want to own them just to show off.

In Singapore, even the tiangge is organized

Mak got hungry after strolling around the arcade. I guess having all those interesting merchandise fighting for your attention can get tiring. We stopped by a local restaurant.

The people are very helpful here. In this case, the guy in charge of the restaurant patiently explained to Mak the snacks displayed. He ordered a samosa and a plate of roti prata.

It was the best roti prata throughout our trip. Served hot, this flat bread is soft with a fragrance that almost made it sweet. The curry dip is rich, thick and mildly spicy. I could tell that it hit the right spot for Mak.

Little India commercial neighborhood

This was where we found cheap treasures like FIFA football jerseys for $12, waterproof eye liners for $2.90 (I've used mine and it just glides over and doesn't even smudge!), and my iPod touch case with screen guard for $8. Inside, it feels like Uniwide or a really old, cheap department store. But at least you get the value for your money.

The Mustafa Center is made up of two facing complexes. This one is also a department store. We found Indian perfumes here that cost about $12. They come in little cylinders with a plastic ball on the mouth that you rub on the skin to release the oil. Although they were strong, they actually smelled good which made me wonder why Indians don't use them.

This is the DVD section. Nope, these aren't pirated movies but authentic Indian films. Remember, this is Singapore!

We had lunch here, at Sakunthala's restaurant. We asked some strangers in the mall and they pointed this place which is famous for the Fish Head Curry.

The dishes displayed looked very spicy.

We just ordered some bread again. Each plate costs around $3. It consists of two chapati breads chickpea curry dip. My friends admitted that the bread is very filling. I only finished one and had rest wrapped. I was surprised when they included some fresh dipping sauce!

We took a cab and went to Haji Lane, a shopping district that's included in Time's 10 Things to Do in 24 Hours.

The shopping was a success for everyone. The Great Singapore Sale helped lower the prices even more of items that were already a bargain. You can find in Haji Lane creations of independent Singaporean designers. This place is a haven for the fashion forward. Unfortunately, I go for pieces of clothing that are timeless. It struck me that Haji Lane seems like a second-rate Newtown of Sydney.

Funny store name, eh?

Next, we went to Chinatown. We visited the Hindu temple and the Buddhist temple. I bought some jerky from Bee Cheng Hiang to take home. I'm not longer posting pictures of the temples nor of the sights in Chinatown anymore as they are not different from those outside of Singapore. I feel that the most important part of our day was eating at the hawker place called Maxwell Food Center.
This was where we found the best hainanese chicken rice, for only $2.50. Mak actually asked around to conduct a survey of which stall serves the best HCR! It's a shame that we weren't able to try other places recommended by friends for HCR because we were leaving the next day.
This is a salad-like dish made of cuttlefish, shrimp paste, bean sprouts, vegetables and crushed peanuts. I didn't like it. I had no idea cuttlefish would be rubbery. Good thing I still had my leftover roti.

I like turon very much, so it was no surprise that I fell in love with this variation of fried banana. Instead of filo paper, it's covered in flour. Inside, the banana is soft and mushy but not spoiled, as we sometimes find inside a turon. I may be wrong but I think there was jackfruit in this banana fritter which gave extra fragrance.

Full and happy, we hopped on a cab and collapsed dead tired on our hotel bed. I don't even remember if we bothered to take a bath to wash all the grime off. I'd do it again though, especially if given the same company. :)