Singapore Trip Pt. 2
Welcome to part 2 of my Singapore diaries! See part 1 here.
Day 3 - Joo Chiat - Haji Lane - Maxwell Hawker Centre
On our last full day, I headed to Joo Chiat for some me time.
To start my day, I grabbed coffee and breakfast from Common Man Coffee Roasters. It was a delicious breakfast if not a bit heavy hahah I was hoping for a lighter meal since we had lunch reservations but oh well, no regrets because the food was yum.
I love how easy to walk this street is and how it's a delight for the eyes - the street/area is home to the Peranakan Houses after all. Walking along, you'll see some preserved and used as homes while some have turned to shops. So much color, with a mix of old and new little shops here and there, and lots of restaurants/cafes to choose from.
I came across Petit Pain Bakery which had been on my radar to go but had scrapped off thinking the line would be long. Luckily there were only about 5-6 people lining up, and decided to line up anyway since I was already there. The shop didn’t really have much seating (not that I was thinking of sitting at that point, full as I was). They opened on time at 11am, and maybe around 20-30 minutes total in line I got to the counter and got the maximum of 8pcs of pastries to go and take back to Cebu. Of course I maximize it hahaha.
Verdict? They were delicious! They held up well after the flight, too. Would I line up longer though? Probably not more than an hour to be honest.
A bag full of pastries, I walk further along and came across Joo Chiat's famous Peranakan Houses. They are really charming and colorful as they look in photos.
Next up: Cat Socrates - a curated shop for cat and home lovers. They also have a shop cat named zoo zoo! You can find souvenirs, books, homeware and planters. There definitely were cat themed items but also a lot of self-care related things like candles, mental/emotional wellbeing books, things that would make great gifts.
There’s also a nice homeware shop near the Peranakan Houses where I got my new mug! Sidenote: I collect mugs from trips. I started with Starbucks city ones but outgrew those and now prefer ceramic, quirky ones.
It was a really nice slow morning with plenty of time to go around and just walking along some cute cafes and browsing creative shops.
Then it was time to head to lunch. We had reservations at The Coconut Club, a casual restaurant with really nice ambiance. Upon sitting, I got myself a coconut juice, fresh from the fruit itself and wow. Best thing after a hot morning walk. Overall we had a great lunch here. Here's what we ordered to share: Rendang Sapi, Nasi Lemak, Udang Masak Lemak, Sayur Lodeh Rebung for mains, and the Chendol and Kueh Sampler for dessert. All of them were truly great, but my faves were the beef, nasi lemak, and a couple of the kueh samplers.
Two doors down is a gelato bar called Birds of Paradise. It has a botanical theme which I later found out that the flavors were plant/herb themed. The interiors of this place was very IG worthy and unique. I got Roasted Sesame and Mint Cacao. Although worth a try, the flavors I got were so-so, not what I was expecting/hoping. Maybe try another?
We finally got to Haji Lane. Another art-filled street with shops catering the young and hip xD We didn't spend a lot of time here, mostly just to see and tick it off the list. There were lots of small indie shops and clothing stores as well as snack places and bars for the night life. At the other end of it was a shop called Hygge - another gift shop with lots of trinkets, stationery, and accessories. We walked around a bit more because I was trying to find another small bazaar space but it was a bit underwhelming so I'm not going to recommend. Came across cat shelters/cafes and this cute mural though!
Also, I don't know if it's normal, or age, or the lack of travel the past 2 years or what, but we now find ourselves heading back to our hotel to rest, whereas before we'd stick it out at a cafe before heading out again. Anyone else doing this? 😆
For our last SG dinner, we couldn't leave without eating at a hawker. We specifically chose Maxwell Food Centre for Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken. Unfortunately, we got there a bit too late since turns out they close at around 7:30 or maybe they ran out just before. Luckily there was another hainanese chicken stall which was right next to the chilli crab stand. Hainanese chicken rice is one of those dishes that I can probably eat multiple times a week :))
Are you heading to SG soon, or have you been recently? Let me know where you went because there's never enough recommendations for the next trip! ;)
That's it for now. Thanks for reading/visiting!
See part 1 here.
Prefer to watch? See below!