Today was a bit of a “catch all” day – we essentially planned to follow up on a variety of leads within Singapore that we hadn’t been able to get to previously and it ended up being a fun adventure. First up was one of the stops on our originally-planned Little India food tour, Sungei Road Laksa. As we started our bus ride over, we realized we were incredibly close to the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam, Singapore’s Muslim district.

Ironically, this was one of the few places we’ve stopped that was INCREDIBLY packed with tourists; we didn’t spend a ton of time in Kampong Glam, but it definitely felt materially different from the neighborhoods it borders (Little India and Chinatown). The Sultan Mosque was beautiful (apparently it’s a restored version of the mosque that would have been built here in the mid-1800s), as was another mosque (this one pattered with blue tiles) we passed as we crossed the river into Little India.

Once we crossed into Little India, we quickly started to head for our laksa station within the hawker center. As always, we got vaguely lost and a) explored a hawker center that was absolutely not the right one, b) accidentally intruded on what appeared to be a festival or potentially a funerary ritual site, and c) found a number of other exciting-looking food stalls.

Finally, we came upon the right hawker center and found Sungei Road Laksa, which is one of the few laksa cooked over charcoal still in Singapore.

Despite the ~30 minute bus ride, 15 minute walk and 20 minute wait in line, this $4 SGD bowl of laksa was truly among the best things we tried in Singapore. As with most hawker stall dishes, they make one item and “the regular” comes with all the toppings (in this case cockles, bean sprouts, and a fresh and tangy fish cake). The broth was rich and fragrant with coconut and the right amount of spice; the noodles are cooked in the broth in the bowl and are cut to ensure they are easy to eat.

Up next, we decided to visit a Hainanese chicken stand (also Bib Gourmand!) and found ourselves meandering a relatively residential neighborhood for about 45 minutes to find it. Interestingly, these two hawker centers are “less known” and therefore were much cleaner, much better ventilated and generally more comfortable than some of the others we’ve tried. The chicken was well cooked and the sauces (ginger, garlic) really accentuated the dish.

After that, we decided we’d hit one last tourist site: the Singapore Merlion. Despite a brief snafu with the train (pro-tip: if you’re traveling with others, don’t jump through the closing doors onto the subway!), we made it safely to the Merlion just before the afternoon rain storm passed through. The Merlion itself is part of a broader riverwalk, which offers nice sights of the Marina Bay Sands towers and some of the local hotels and such.

As evidenced by the last two photos, the heavens decided to deluge on us and we ended up cowering in the nearest mall (aka the concert hall!) for half an hour before heading out again. Fortunately, our next stop was an amazing tea tasting at Tea Chapter, where Queen Elizabeth II herself went for a tea sample during her time in Singapore.

Tea Chapter was a wonderful experience – our tea master was incredibly welcoming and shared a variety of useful tips regarding tea etiquette, tea history and the current perception of tea in Singapore and beyond.

To start, we were informed about the tea set itself and the traditions regarding pouring. Our tasting included 6 different teas, each of which included their own teapot. The way it was explained to us, there are several components of a tea ceremony: first, the tea leaves are poured out and examined; then, they are poured in the teapot. Hot water (varying temperatures, based on the type of tea and size of the pot) is poured into the teapot, first to rinse the tea and then to steep. Once steeping is completed (~20 seconds to two minutes), the tea is poured into a second vessel. This vessel then pours into the “sniffing” cup; the “sniffing” cup is used to “sniff” the tea – first, when the liquid is in the cup, and then, once the tea is poured into the tasting cup, to sniff the tea once the “sniffing” cup has been rolled between the hands to cool it sufficiently. Oddly enough, the scent is totally different on both “sniffs” (and this was true for all six teas we tried; apparently there is an enzyme that smells sweeter once cool). In between teas, the different vessels are cleaned with boiling water.

At the end of the tour, they allowed us to continue to brew the tea (it’s MUCH harder than the tea master made it look!) and gave us a couple treats. First was a set of tea-infused cookies, which were delicious butter-based cookies. Second was a fascinating tea-soaked egg; they also soak the egg in cinnamon, anise and other aromatics such that it tastes almost like a creamy mulled-wine egg, since the yolk blends with the other flavors.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed two interesting sites: the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple.

For dinner, we feasted at Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, which is a Michelin-star Szechuan restaurant located in one of the malls (or potentially a Hilton hotel?) on famous Orchard Road. We ordered way too much, including a pot of tea, a bottle of junmai sake, a Peking duck (and a “second course” in which they cooked the remaining duck in ginger and scallion), a ginger / garlic steak, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu and a variety of Chinese pickles. Of course, at the end of the meal, they told us we ordered way too much food, but we put up a valiant effort eating almost all of it.

Ultimately, a great last day in Singapore! Frankly, Singapore is incredibly livable, hugely comfortable, and easy to explore. Between the hawker centers and all of the other amenities, Singapore could be an incredibly affordable place to both live and visit. I’m so glad I was able to visit this former home of mine and to gain some real memories of it; I hope to get back frequently if I can!