Pailin Boonlong

Bangkok is one of the top travel destinations for all Singaporeans, and it’s easy to see why: this bustling metropolitan city has it all with labyrinth-like night markets and tasty street food. But since Bangkok is just a short two-hour flight away, many of the recommended activities and heritage sites strike a chord of “been there, done that”. For a travel itinerary that veers off the beaten track, consider these nine unique things to do in Bangkok. Affordable Botox treatments, picturesque landscapes on city outskirts, and hidden rooftop bars – that’s exactly what we’ll be up to for our next trip to Bangkok. It's a whole lot easier holidaying in Bangkok compared to past months. Right now, there are no quarantine requirements for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers. There’s no need for those fully vaccinated to take Covid tests either. Now, you can get instant approval for the Thailand Pass, a tedious process that once had us waiting for weeks for the green light. And even better, Bangkok’s nightlife is slowly but surely returning back to the glory of its pre-pandemic days – bars, pubs and karaoke bars are open till midnight.  RECOMMENDED: The best street food stalls in Bangkok and where to eat in Bangkok

While certain neighbourhoods like Tiong Bahru and Katong are chock-full with cafés, it’s in recent years that the Kallang district has exploded with a number of weekend spots and fun things to do. Head over to the Lavender and Jalan Besar for a cuppa or one of Singapore’s best brunches. From newly-opened bicycle-friendly joints to brunch staples, these 15 cafés are some of the best in the area. RECOMMENDED: The best cafés in Singapore for brunch and coffee and the most Instagrammable cafés in Singapore

We’ve been waiting for this particular phone for years. Phone (1), by London-based consumer tech company Nothing has finally dropped in Singapore. We’re most impressed by its unique Glyph Interface, a pattern of blinking lights showcased on the back – this lets you know when you receive text messages, calls, and other useful app notifications.  Phone (1) features a 50MP dual camera with a 120Hz OLED display, using a Snapdragon processor. Interestingly, over 50 percent of the phone’s plastic components are made with recycled materials. It starts from $769 and is available in both black and white. You can buy it at M1, Challenger, Lazada, Limited EDT, and Zym. 

Loved by locals and international visitors alike, chilli crab is an iconic Singaporean dish that hits the spot every time. The spicy, starchy, savoury and eggy dish was first created in the 1950s by Cher Yam Tian, who made a stir-fried crab dish with bottled chilli sauce instead of tomato ketchup – a popular delicacy at that time. Shortly after, Cher opened Palm Beach Restaurant along East Coast Road and everyone went crazy for her creation. And thus, a legend was born... Or so the story goes. Today, you can find chilli crab at just about every local seafood or zi char joint. But not everyone gets the sauce just right, or uses meaty crabs that are oh so satisfying. Whether it's your first time trying the dish or the 100th, hit up these seafood joints for plates of chilli crab that don't disappoint. RECOMMENDED The best local food in Singapore and the best chicken rice in Singapore

Brunch is an institution – as it should be. There's nothing better than waking up slightly later on the weekends and hunting down the perfect brunch spot where you can order both breakfast and lunch items. Whether it's regular eggs on toast, ricotta pancakes or a bowl of pasta, hit up these spots in Singapore to fuel your lazy weekend with late breakfast meals and a cup (or two) of coffee. RECOMMENDED: 7 most Instagrammable cafes in Singapore and the best minimalist cafés in Singapore  

It’s Singapore’s 57th birthday in just a few days, and we’re all proud of what our little nation has achieved over the years. Some things just come off as quintessentially Singaporean. From cycling around in Pulau Ubin to ordering up our hawker faves, there’s plenty to do in our little red dot.  And while Singapore is a modern city with a stellar reputation for being clean and safe (we ranked #44 in Time Out’s List of Best Cities in the World), we also enjoy exploring our many activities off the beaten path. Hidden trails to explore, secret bars, and even beautiful beaches – we’ve got it all.READ MORE:The best National Day meals with fireworks in SingaporeThe best things to do during National DayFascinating facts about Singapore that you probably didn’t know Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially British tradition. Call it a colonial hang-up but it's also one of our favourite ways to while away an afternoon. What's not to love about pressing pause and spending time with a good cuppa, delectable sweets and savouries, and a plush, comfortable sofa? Here's where to go to raise your pinkies and clink glasses. RECOMMENDED: The most Instagrammable cafés in Singapore and the best cafés in Singapore for dessert

When it comes to baking, we all know the importance of using quality ingredients. Whether it’s whipping up 20-minute cupcakes at home or designing a tiered cake from scratch, one of the most crucial baking components is cream.  Cream of Europe is behind a Pastry Show that recently happened on June 13, showcasing the premium quality of European cream. In partnership with Cream of Europe and French Dairy Board, our own award-winning pastry chef Cheryl Koh showed how to best use French cream and how it transforms every simple bake into the gold standards of baking.  Photograph: Cream of Europe It goes without saying that professional trade members and key opinion leaders at the Show, with the theme “Classics of Tomorrow”, all were impressed by Cheryl’s two unique pastry recipes – both skillfully showed the excellence of French cream. These were a Peanut-Banana Mille-Feuille that’s inspired by the min jiang kueh (traditional peanut pancake) and a Chendol Chocolate Bar with a French cream-based ganache. By using Cream of Europe in our kitchens, it’s clear that it’s a premium French cream. With a rich heritage that’s been passed down over generations,  it has fresh and a full roundness to it that you’ll only get when whole full milk is used.French cream is a versatile ingredient that we all need when it comes to pastry making – whether you’re an experienced pastry chef or amateur baker.To find out more about Cream of Europe, visit here or check out hashtags #EnjoyItsFromEurope #C

It’s been hot out lately, with the sun shining down on us and cloudless blue skies – now’s not the time to stay cooped at home. Instead, make the most of this fine weather by heading over to the best beach clubs in Singapore. Not only will we be lounging stylishly in beachside cabanas or enjoying stunning water views, but these five beach clubs are also the best watering holes to savour some of the more unique cocktails out there.  Buckets of ice-cold bottled beer or fresh young coconuts? There’s all that, but these waterfront bars also offer refreshing drinks that have a splash of Schweppes – for that extra little sparkle we’ve been craving in our everyday lives. RECOMMENDED: Best hidden picnic spots in Singapore and savouring the best of life with Schweppes

When in Singapore, new restaurants and cafés open on the regular. Whether it's a rustic Italian restaurant in Sentosa or an edgy coffee bar in town, there are plenty of new dining joints to wine and dine at. Affordable wines starting from $2.50, nine-course omakase meals, or a fine-dining pop-up at National Gallery – these are the best eight new restaurants to dine at during the month of August.  RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in Singapore you must try and the 50 best bars in Singapore

In a city with towering skyscrapers and hoards of people, there are also hidden photogenic spots right where CBD workers stride by everyday. This area, flanked by Amoy Street and Ann Siang Hill, is an absolute gem. Spiral staircases, pre-war shophouses, colourful wall murals – it’s all you need to frame the perfect shot. Take the time to wander through and admire these quiet back alleys during lunch or mid-day coffee break. After all, it’s also tranquil enough to offer up the much-needed zen to escape from a busy work day.READ MOREThe best photogenic hotels in SingaporeThe most photogenic housing estates in SingaporeThe most Instagrammable cafés in Singapore Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

Japanese food is hands-down the most popular cuisine in Singapore – even on a busy weekend night, there's no lack of options. While some lean towards an omakase experience with a Japanese chef while others are perfectly satiated with a piping hot bowl of ramen, Singapore has got it all. Here are our top picks for when you're craving some might solid Japanese cuisine. RECOMMENDED: The best affordable sushi bars in Singapore and the best cafés in Singapore  

It’s exciting times ahead whenever a new specialty grocer opens, and even more so when it’s one that’s bringing in hard-to-find seafood. With gourmet seafood grocery Bleu that’s right along Joo Chiat Road, we can now stock our pantries with the likes of live lobster and dry-aged Ora King salmon – quality produce that we can’t find in the aisles of our regular supermarkets. At Bleu, it’s a clean, modern space – one that’s thoughtfully designed in ocean-inspired tones of blues and whites. Interestingly, the grocer is flanked by one of the infamous Hotel 81 branches, massage parlours, and some of the best Vietnamese restaurants. But like many other Joo Chiat joints that’ve recently opened up along this stretch, it all adds to the charm. It’s a new-age seafood market of sorts, fully stocked with a range of seafood. What we’re most interested in is its sashimi-grade dry-aged fish – they have a special dry-ager fridge where temperature and humidity levels are controlled. Fresh fish, descaled and gutted, are stored here from five to 30 days for a more intense flavour. Dry-ageing is getting more common in restaurants these days, from specialty seafood bars like Estuary to the culinary techniques of Edomae-style sushi restaurants. You can either have dry-aged fish raw or seared lightly over a hot pan, to best bring out its firm texture. Choose from dry-aged fish like ora King Salmon (from $12/100g) and samegarei (roughscale flounder, $12/100g), or live seafood like live Boston lobster

When our little red dot is one of the foodie capitals of the world, the Singapore Food Festival promises to be a huge hit. Running from August 24 to September 11, this particular festival is bound to be a popular event with more than 25 food establishments in the lineup. With Boston lobster dry laksa and a plant-based chilli crab burger, there are plenty of new unique dishes to try.  There’ll also be food collabs between the likes of Michelin Bib Gourmand hawker One Prawn & Co along with heritage brand Hock Lian Huat for a thick prawn bisque. Some dishes are made specially just for the festival too, such as a Two Men Bagel House bagelwich that features Singapore’s best curries while Dopo Teatro is baking up a sambal goreng (fried chilli paste) pizza. And when renowned sandwich shop Steeple’s Deli is joining hands with modern Park Bench Deli, you know it’s a corned beef and pastrami sammie you’ll want to try. Do also look forward to an elaborate nine-course dinner that’s by top culinary masters – all featured in SFF 2022’s virtual masterclasses. You can also join in food workshops to learn how to make your own spices from traditional spice stall Jeya Spices, as well as get an insider’s glimpse into best using a Thermomix when baking at home.  SFF 2022 will be happening from August 24 to September 11, at the Bayfront Event Space.

In a row of pre-war Joo Chiat shophouses lies this Japanese yakitori restaurant. It’s nothing fancy, nothing particularly striking. But it’s the wafting scent of freshly grilled meat, lit-up neon signages, and kitsch Japanese knick-knacks that stops people right in their tracks. That’s how we ended up here one late weekday night, after finding out that most of our favourite restaurants in Katong were closed for the day.  Nee Yakitori first opened in late 2020, just before the Covid outbreak. As it goes for any newly-opened F&B joint of the time, it was a struggle to pull through the pandemic – but now, they’ve reached a sound level of popularity. Not that people are forming snaking queues outside their doors, but it’s still filled with hungry diners on the regular. You’ll be seated by the friendly waitstaff. The service here is impeccable and goes beyond a warm smile – one of them might very well be the owner herself. In any case, flip through the menu. It might appear fairly run-of-the-mill at first glance, with skewers like gyuniku shioyaki (beef with salt, $6.50) and tebasaki (chicken mid wing, $3.50) but granted, they are izakaya faves for good reason. We ordered a range, from asparagus gyuniku ($4.50) to a plate of shishamo shioyaki ($8.80), grilled saltwater smelt with roe. Everything was not bad and came out swiftly, still warm and smokey from the grill. The tako wasabi ($8) though, was mediocre – perhaps just a day or two over its best before date. Of everything we tr

Fine dining and hawker fare – things we don’t often see paired together. But Chef Mirko Febbrile is determined to provide otherwise, with an Italian hawker pop-up from August 17 to September 17. He was once the chef de cuisine of Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Braci and will soon be leading other restaurants under the Lo & Behold Group, but till then, he’s cooking up a storm at a humble Chinatown Complex hawker stall.  It’s done in collaboration with pasta hawker stall Nudedles.4, fronted by an ex-Joel Robuchon and Jaan by Kirk Westaway chef known for $8 lobster bisque pasta. The take-over menu is clearly Italian, with classics like a pesto linguine ($7) and oxtail ragu ($10). There’s even a carbonara rigatoni and a cavatelli ($8) – an unusual eggless shell-shaped pasta that’s loaded with ricotta and tomato. As Chef Mirko says in his Instagram post, he’s “always admired the hard work of the orecchiette women that hand-roll fresh pasta daily”. Likening this to the early morning hustle and bustle of all hawker centres, where aunties will be chopping veggies, chilli and spring onions, he believes it to be “the chance to share the food of my country with the people in Singapore”.  Head down to Chef Mirko’s pop-up collaboration with Nudedles.4 from August 17 to September 17, Tuesdays to Sundays, from 11am until sold out. You can find it at #02-34 Chinatown Complex.

Palais Renaissance might’ve been perceived as one of the more quiet malls along the Orchard Road strip, but it’s swiftly becoming one of our favourite dining haunts in town. Newly opened seafood restaurant Estuary joins its panel of restaurants – alongside fine-dining heavyweights like Shatoburian and Sushi Kimura, as well as casual French diners like Merci Marcel and French Fold.  As the name goes, Estuary melds seafood and freshwater produce. The menu’s a myriad of seafood, with fresh classics like a bigeye tuna tartare ($23) to a grilled marine lobster ($34 for half). But interestingly, there’s also a selection of aged fish. It’s a culinary technique used to coax stronger and more intense flavours – as the fillet breaks down and the moisture seeps out, we’re also left with a firmer texture. Case in point: the barramundi fish and chips ($42 as part of the set lunch). As a three-day aged fish that’s coated in a light batter, it had just the right amount of bite – all while remaining equal parts flaky and tender.  Perhaps it’s an ideal spot for work lunches or a mid-week splurge, since the lunch menu does stand at a relatively higher price point. But bear in mind that it’s a full-fledged three-course set lunch, and comes with an appetiser and dessert. To start, choose between the likes of a Jerusalem artichoke purée with pecorino, a creamy burrata, or even a crispy stingray.  Continuing down the track of dry-aged fish, the set lunch menu also offers pan-seared fish like a sev

We’re not yet able to travel freely to Japan without joining a tour group – the easiest way to satiate our love for all things Japanese is by trying the best Japanese food in Singapore. But besides lapping up a bowl of ramen or enjoying a full-fledged sushi omakase, there is also a pop-up Japanese food fair happening right now.  With the Fukui Food Fair in Isetan Scotts, running from now to August 4, you can try the best of the Fukui prefecture. While everyone immediately heads over to Tokyo or Kyoto, Fukui is a relatively unknown coastline prefecture that features some of Japan’s freshest seafood. It’s the Echizen Crab we’re eyeing, a type of snow crab that's a specialty of Fukui. As a known delicacy, the Seiko crab is the female variety that’s highly sought after for its plentiful roe. Besides the crab miso, there’s also a lingering sweet flavour to its meat. Pick up your own to try at the Food Fair – a large stuffed crab is priced at $107.80, which is by no means an everyday meal, but is well worth a special splurge. You can also expect other popular seafood dishes and snacks such as saba sushi and seafood rice crackers. Plus, there’ll be a variety of sake from local Fukui breweries like Kokuryu Sake Brewery, Yoshida Sake Brewery, and Tanabe Shuzo. It’s joined with Fukui Craft Fair, running from now to August 23 at Tokyu Hands (Orchard, Suntec City and Great World City outlets). Here, you can find unique handmade items, ranging from Tange Megane spectacles to Eishin Sangyo

Behind derelict shop facades and dated shopping malls – it’s unassuming places like these where you’ll find some of the best grub. Case in point: Nhung Kitchen, a casual Vietnamese eatery that’s housed in time-worn Balestier Point. This banh mi shop came about during the middle of the pandemic, when “times were tough” for married couple Nhung and Thomas.  The eatery is named for Nhung’s simple but tasty cooking, who grew up cooking for her friends and family in Vietnam. The banh mi bo xao (beef, $8) crammed full with marinated beef is their own personal favourite, but the menu also has other classic fillings like the nuong (barbecue pork, $6) and the cha lua and thit khia (ham and pâté, $6). In fact, a ton of effort was put into finding the perfect banh mi baguette. It had to strike the right balance between being crunchy and having a light, airy crumb. As the journey went, Nhung “was disappointed after trying countless buns all over the island”. For now, they’ve found a supplier that Nhung is pleased with – it remains a trade secret, but she claims that it’s one of the more authentic baguettes in Singapore. Other ingredients are locally sourced from a market near Toa Payoh Community Centre, which Thomas sifts through to find the freshest vegetables. They first started with just the banh mi, since this flavourful Vietnamese baguette is one of their son’s faves, but Nhung Kitchen has since grown by leaps and bounds. Try one of the bun thit bowls, rice vermicelli bowls that are

The life of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew isn’t exactly kept on the down-low. We’ve learnt all about what the founding Father of our nation did for us – his contributions made apparent through countless history books and iconic speeches. But little is known about Mrs Kuan Yew, his wife: Madame Kwa Geok Choo.  In a new play by Toy Factory Productions, a monologue that brings actress Tan Rui Shan to the forefront, we learn more about Madam Kwa’s illuminating life. No doubt, she’s an accomplished woman. Beyond being LKY’s wife, she’s our country’s very first female lawyer and a revolutionary leader of women’s rights back in the day. All the while, though, juggling her family duties and caring for her children. That was the one thing we could applaud Madam Kwa Geok Choo on, is that they thoughtfully portrayed the challenging balance of being a mother, wife, and career woman all at once.But for a play written by award-winning playwright Ovidia Yu and directed by Toy Factory Productions’ Artistic Director Goh Boon Teck, we may have had higher expectations. Tan Rui Shan was a convincing enough actress in her role of Madam Kwa, but the script at times blurred the unwanted line between preachiness and melodrama. That was the main setback: while still a well-made theatre production, certain parts felt almost overly theatrical.Give it a chance though – you can catch it from now to July 31 at Victoria Theatre, with ticket prices starting from $58. There are both English a

Truth be told, when one’s granted the label of a “hidden gem”, it’s more often than not a dubious claim. But casual pasta joint Burrata Joy begs to differ – it is both hidden, in a corner of Katong V, and a true gem for its sprawling menu of rustic Italian dishes. It might be housed in a family-friendly shopping mall that has little else than a Yugoslavian bakery and a traditional KBBQ restaurant upstairs, but its bowls of creamy burrata and al dente pasta more than makes up for it.  Little wonder, since it’s a concept first coined by the Garibaldi Group. On that note, Garibaldi itself has unfortunately lost its Michelin star this year, but we have enough faith in this longstanding Italian kitchen – it doesn’t stop us from going back for its free-flow weekend champagne brunch.  Having first started during the initial Circuit Breaker months, Burrata Joy first budded as an online kitchen. They’re smart: they know our love for burrata in Singapore. And as expected, the menu is a showcase of burrata, all done in different ways to represent the flavours of different Italian cities. Try the Parma ($26), a classic Italian starter – rocket, cherry tomatoes, and parma ham, with a hefty 120 gram burrata ball sitting atop. It’s the type of fresh burrata that splits open once you slice through with a knife, a creamy cheese seeping into the salad. The Torino ($24), inspired by Northern Italy’s Turin, is bound to be a crowd-pleaser too for its generous heap of smoked salmon.  Don’t get too

There's more than a handful of Plain Vanilla outlets around, and the East Coast joint marks the sixth. But this, notably, has the café's most extensive brunch menu – from savoury mains like smashed avocado toast ($22) to eggs Benedict ($22). They do still offer the crowd-favourite cupcakes, ranging from flavours like salted caramel and earl grey lavender. 

While Tiong Bahru Bakery (TBB, as it's known colloquially), might be revered for its flaky, buttery croissant, they do also have a delectable spread of savoury pastries and sweet treats. And evidently, things have gone well for them – this year marks their 10th anniversary and they’re going all out with a sundown takeover at the TBB Foothills outlet.  It’s all done in collaboration with natural wine bar Drunken Farmer, who is best known for a vast selection of natural wines and artisanal sourdough pizzas – adding an edgier flair to TBB’s otherwise conventional menu. Café classics are at play here – pizza, hot dogs and the like – but all levelled up. Choose between the tomato-based Rosso ($18.50), which comes generously topped with fresh goat cheese and an arugula pesto or the Bianca ($19.50), a ricotta cheese pie with a homemade blue cheese. There’s even a Wild Waffle ($10) that showcases TBB’s famed croissant, drizzled over with gula melaka, caramel, and vanilla chantilly cream. The hot dog croissant roll ($16.50) or laksa prawn sourdough brioche roll ($18.50) make for interesting choices too, with a subtle nod to TBB’s croissant dough and Drunken Farmer’s expert handling of sourdough. You can also choose to add on fresh black truffle shavings ($20) to any of the above, or enjoy an additional side of house-cured Iberico coppa ($6).  And what’s a sundown birthday bash without alcohol? True to form, there’ll be 10 labels of natural wines available, starting from $17 per glass

When you’ve got names like Japanese teahouse Hvala and Michelin-starred Whitegrass  backing newly-opened joint Boyutei, it’s practically a given that it’ll be a hit. This new café is housed along Ann Siang Hill, where famed nasi lemak haunt The Coconut Club once doled out their famed ayam goreng coconut ric.  Boyutei is equally bright and airy a space. Much like the other Japanese-inspired cafés of today, a purposefully stark interior steals the show: wooden counters, a zen garden, and ambient lighting included. The menu reads mostly Japanese but with just the slightest hint of French techniques – makes sense, since Whitegrass Head Chef Yamshita has a culinary background in Japanese-French cuisine.  You’ll need to make repeat trips to run through the list of savouries. Frontrunners are the ebi katsu sando ($22), seafood mentaiko okonomiyaki ($22), and an unagi cha soba ($24). Pop by if peckish during the afternoons, since Hvala is meant to be at the top of their game for dessert and tea. It’s the matcha crepe ($14) with a black sesame crumble that’s likely to be a crowd fave – it’s not overpoweringly sweet and pairs well enough with a scoop of matcha ice cream. Plus, they specially import matcha from Kyoto. Read our full review here.

One of the more popular casual seafood restaurants in Singapore, Keng Eng Kee, has been slated to open in SAFRA Tampines soon. This is an old-school zi char (cooked to order) joint, and many loyal patrons have enjoyed the moonlight hor fun (from $7.80), coffee pork ribs (from $15.80), and har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken, from $12.80) for years at the original Bukit Merah venue.  Others also flock over for the fresh crabs — they serve up one of the best chilli crabs in Singapore – while also offering a range of flavours like black pepper, salted egg, and everyone’s favourite claypot crab with beehoon.   Photograph: Keng Eng Kee Seafood For a simple seafood eatery that’s nestled in a HDB estate, they have quite a number of accolades under their belt. For one, they've been awarded the Michelin Plate since 2016.  Currently, the SAFRA Tampines branch is still in its soft launch stage so you’re not yet able to dine in. It is available for delivery via GrabFood though, so you can order up a feast to enjoy classic zi char dishes at home. READ MORE:Put your scepticism aside and try this new-wave $5 bak chor meeCult-favourite Café Kitsuné to be opening soon in Capitol SingaporeWhy is this mod-Asian omakase experience the talk of town? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

It just so happens that Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King’s 11th anniversary falls right in time with Singapore’s 57th birthday. This popular ramen house will be offering tonkotsu ramen for just $1.10* – that’s for today and tomorrow (August 8 and 9).  Over at Tonkotsu King, it’s a hearty bowl of ramen, lauded for its creamy pork-based broth. This cosy ramen joint has rightfully earned its spot as one of our best ramen dishes in Singapore. Pork bones, collage, and chicken bones are boiled for hours at a time to develop these intense flavours. Choose between three variations: normal, black spicy, or red spicy. Each bowl comes with chashu (braised pork), an ajitsuke tamago (ramen egg), and black fungus – you can also load up your bowls with free-flow boiled eggs, beansprouts, and sesame seeds.  The promotion is only valid for Tonkotsu King @ Orchid Hotel. Head down early – it’s only limited to 300 bowls per day, with detailed timings below: August 8 (Monday): 11.30am-3pm, 5pm-10.30pm August 9 (Tuesday): 11.30am-10.30pm *Prices subject to GST and service charge.  READ MORE: Put your scepticism aside and try this new-wave $5 bak chor meeCult-favourite Café Kitsuné to be opening soon in Capitol SingaporeThe best Japanese restaurants in Singapore Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

Fashion label Maison Kitsuné is fairly well known for its fox face emblem, one that’s stamped proudly across jumpers and sweatshirts. But they’ve also made their name known globally for their coffee.  Now, the current word on the street is that Café Kitsuné will be opening a branch in Capitol Singapore. When the majority of coffee aficionados agree that the brew here is first-rate, we know that we’ve got a good thing coming our way. It is a cult-favourite, especially for its quality brews with single origin beans – known for its full-bodied notes of chocolate and hazelnuts.    Photograph: Café Kitsuné   The first store opened in Tokyo in 2013, but there are 21 stores worldwide today, with the nearest one to us located in Bangkok’s EmQuartier. There’s no full confirmation yet on their social media platforms when, or even, if it’s a permanent fixture in Capitol Singapore – but we're already excited.  READ MORE:Clarke Quay will be going through a revampLe Matin and L'éclair are having a pastry collab with kaya butter éclairs and hae bee hiam doughnuts40-year-old sandwich shop in Tanglin to move out by end of year Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

It’s not often that a humble sandwich shop is still standing after 40 long years – it takes a rare gem to do so. Unfortunately, due to the recent en bloc sale of Tanglin Shopping Centre, it’s likely that Steeple’s Deli will have to move out of this dated mall by the end of the year.   But it has been around for decades, a standalone sandwich shop that’s known for bringing the Reuben sandwich over to our side of the world. The Reuben is an American classic ($18.90), with hefty slabs of corned beef, crunchy sauerkraut, and a lightly spiced mustard – all slapped between slices of toasted and buttered rye.  Photograph: Steeple's Deli It's likely that this family-owned business will be shifting to another spot – they'll keep you updated through their Instagram and Facebook. After all, three generations have worked in this deli’s open kitchens since first opening in 1981. Before it relocates though, head down to try other signature sandwiches too, such as the Steeple’s Burger ($22.90) with the full works: a beef patty, tomato and lettuce, melted cheese, and a fried egg, all encased in a buttery brioche bun. READ MORE:Le Matin and L'éclair are having a pastry collab with kaya butter éclairs and hae bee hiam doughnutsFamed chefs from #2 World’s Best Restaurant to have a pop-up at National Gallery's restaurant ArtThis is the only Singapore restaurant to make it on the The World's 50 Best Restaurants list Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

Now, this is something we’re excited about. A pastry collab between two of the more renowned pastry brands in Singapore: French bakery Le Matin and specialty eclair shop L'éclair. Together, they’ve come up with a 6-piece pastry box featuring local flavours just to celebrate this year’s National Day.  Majority of the pastries are sweet, with éclairs freshly piped with flavours like gula melaka, banana roselle cheesecake, and sweet potato lavender. The latter, with an infusion of sweet potato, is picture-perfect in hues of pastel purple. There’s even a kaya butter toast eclair, as a nod to our country’s classic breakfast. Add on an ispahan croissant, a rose-flavoured pastry that’s scattered with rose petals, and it’s a box that any sweet tooth will enjoy. Otherwise, the hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp) doughnut has certainly caught our attention, as it’s the only savoury item in the box – especially with its delicate but flaky shell, and a dried shrimp sitting atop.  Each Le Matin x L'éclair National Day set is priced at $69 and pre-orders have already started. It isn’t available for walk-in purchases, only for delivery or self collection at 190 Clemenceau Avenue between August 4 to 9. READ MORE:The best places to catch National Day fireworks in SingaporeFiamma is a new farmhouse-style restaurant in CapellaFamed chefs from #2 World’s Best Restaurant to have a pop-up at National Gallery's restaurant Art Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

For a restaurant that’s housed in Capella Singapore, one of Sentosa’s finest beachside resorts, Fiamma isn’t at all what it appears. A chef with a three Michelin-starred restaurant (Mirazur, France) under his belt helms this new Italian kitchen but Chef Mauro Colagreco doesn’t seem to be taking it all too seriously. In a good way, that is – they’ve bid a parting ciao to starched white tablecloths and formal cutlery lineup.  Stepping into this newly opened restaurant is meant to remind us of home. Not quite the quintessential home in Singapore, but an Italian farmhouse that’s been taken up a notch with wood-fired ovens and cosy seating nooks. It’s a home, but still one undeniably for the bourgeoisie, with each dining area having its own title: you can choose to casually lounge by the “Den” or get front row galley seats at the “Kitchen Chamber”.  Photograph: Fiamma It’s much like how the menu is inspired by Chef Colagreco’s grandparents. Rustic flavours pay homage to his grandma’s cooking and he’s also adamant on using fresh produce, thanks to the fond childhood memories spent foraging at his granddad’s vegetable patch. As he poetically muses, one of his earliest memories is of “a juicy sunkissed tomato, plucked straight from the vine in the vegetable garden”. Fiamma also translates to “flame”, so you can expect lots of wood-fire cooking and grilling over open flames.    Photograph: Pailin Boonlong Whatever the influences are, we’re liking it – our meal started on an excell

According to the recently updated Henley Passport Index, Singapore now has the second best passport in the world. It’s a slight dip from the last updated passport ranking where we tied for first place with Japan. For this year’s update though, Japan is at the top of the list solo, granting citizens visa-free entry to 193 destinations.  Not to worry: Singapore in second place means that we can still visit 192 countries visa-free. Whether it’s a scenic road trip starting from Melbourne or trying unique things to do in Seoul, travel is now on the list for many since most travel borders have opened up.  South Korea comes in second, tying with Singapore. In third place, we have Germany and Spain with visa-free entry to 190 destinations. The index considers historical data from over the years, and includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.    Photograph: Unsplash/Pascal Meier   For those curious, these are the most powerful passports in the world as of July 2022:  Japan (#1, 193 countries) Singapore (#2, 192 countries) Korea (#2, 192 countries) Germany (#3, 190 countries) Spain (#3, 190 countries) Finland (#4, 189 countries) Italy (#4, 189 countries) Luxembourg (#4, 189 countries) Austria (#5, 188 countries) Denmark (#5, 188 countries) Netherlands (#5, 188 countries) Sweden (#5, 188 countries) You can find the full list here.  READ MORE:The ultimate guide to Bintan IslandThe ultimate guide to Jewel Changi AirportUnique things to do in Bangkok Follow us on Facebook, Ins

The sole Singapore restaurant that made it through to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 is, to no one’s surprise, the three Michelin-starred Odette at National Gallery Singapore. While Odette placed #8 on last year’s list, 2022 has this French fine-dining restaurant placed at a lower but still a noteworthy #35 – in any case, it’s been on this acclaimed list for years.  At the very top comes Geranium, a Danish restaurant in Copenhagen. It’s also the first Danish restaurant to have been awarded with three Michelin stars in 2016. This means that long-time frontrunner Noma is no longer at the top, partially because the new rules in 2019 states that the first ranking restaurant of last year’s list will be out of contention.  Photograph: Geranium   For a fine-dining restaurant though, Geranium is unusual in that it’s one that’s perched on the the eight floor of a football stadium. It was also opened in 2010, right in the middle of the financial crisis. Other best restaurants in Asia include Den, Tokyo (#20), The Chairman, Hong Kong (#24), Sorn, Bangkok (#39), La Cime, Osaka (#41), and Narisawa, Tokyo (#45). You can view the full World’s 50 Best Restaurants list here. Make sure to also take a look at the full list of #51-100 restaurants here, with three restaurants in Singapore scoring a win: three Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant Zen (#70), Aussie joint Burnt Ends (#94), and one Michelin-starred modern Korean restaurant Meta (#95).  READ MORE: Michelin Guide Singapore 2

It’s been a while since we had such a large-scale event to celebrate Singapore’s dining scene – last night, it was none other than the Michelin Guide Singapore 2022 awards. So what’s changed since Michelin Guide Singapore 2021? For one, a grand total of 52 restaurants were recognised for their culinary skill and masterful cooking techniques at the award’s ceremony at MBS. When it comes to the crème de la crème of dining, nothing has changed in this arena. It’s the same as last year’s list. The three fine-dining restaurants fronting Singapore’s list of top restaurants remain as Les Amis, Odette, and Zén. Impressively, there are now two new Michelin-starred restaurants with two stars: Cloudstreet along Amoy Street and Indian-inspired Thevar. This brings the total number of two-star restaurants to seven, including Jaan by Kirk Westaway, Saint Pierre, Shisen Hanten, Shoukouwa, and Waku Ghin.   Photograph: Odette In other news, seven new restaurants have received a one Michelin star, with four of them having won this accolade for the first time. Congrats to kappo sushiya Hamamoto, Gardens by the Bay’s Marguerite, modern Korean restaurant Nae:um, and French-Japanese fine-dining restaurant Rêve!      Photograph: Nikko Pascua/Marguerite Restaurants Burnt Ends, Euphoria, and La Dame de Pic are also considered as new additions, the former having shifted to Dempsey and the latter two having upgraded to a star from Selected Restaurants. Unfortunately, the list has since bid adieu to

It’s an annual affair: Time Out’s list of best cities in the world, that’s been pieced together by the results of a comprehensive Time Out Index. It's based on what more than 20,000 people around the world think. This year, the list of 53 best cities this year places Edinburgh (Scotland), Chicago (United States), and Medellín (Colombia) at the very top. These are the cities you should be heading to with exciting nightlife, food and drink, and a thriving arts and culture scene – all the while, factoring in practical things like public transport and safety.  But where does our little red dot come in? Singapore is now at #44. Photograph: Campari Group   Still a sound achievement since we’ve got at least 101 fun things to do. As most of us would've assumed, we scored well in being a clean city and we're also well-connected with public transport – respectively, 95 percent and 92 percent of respondents agree. Plus, we were named as the safest city in the world with 96 percent of locals saying that it’s one of the safest cities in the Time Out survey. Our city also did relatively well for its food and drink scene, with 89 percent enjoying an endless stream of hot new restaurants and cafés. More interestingly though, 82 percent of respondents believe that Singapore isn't a rude city. Let's pat ourselves on our back for all those times we've helped out when someone's clearly lost and asking for directions. Also, despite the city skyscrapers and modern built-up areas around the entir

Congrats to Singapore’s very own three Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant Zen (#70), everyone’s favourite Aussie joint Burnt Ends (#94), and one Michelin-starred modern Korean restaurant Meta (#95)! In anticipation of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which will be fully revealed during a live ceremony on July 18 in London, a list of restaurants ranked from 51-100 was first released. The winners were decided from the votes of more than 1,000 people – all of them in the restaurant industry, ranging from chefs to food journos.    Photograph: Burnt Ends   With 20 new restaurant entries, including restaurants from new destinations like Argentina and Germany, there’s a ton to feast on around the world. Asia itself has 14 entries in the 51-100 list, with restaurants like Thailand’s Raan Jay Fai (#85), Japan’s Sazenka (#59), and New Delhi’s Indian Accent (#92).  For those waiting eagerly for the proper list of the world’s best 1-50 restaurants, you can catch the livestream on Facebook or YouTube on July 18 (UK time). View the full list (#51-100) here or below: #51: Alcalde, Guadalajara #52: Sud 777, Mexico City #53: D.O.M., São Paulo #54: Lyle’s, London #55: Azurmendi, Larrabetzu #56: La Colombe, Cape Town #57: Trèsind Studio, Dubai #58: Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris #59: Sazenka, Tokyo #60: Rosetta, Mexico City #61: La Grenouillère, La Madelaine–sous–Montreuil #62: Ernst, Berlin #63: Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York #64: Fu He Hui, Shanghai #65: Le Du, B

When you’ve got names like Japanese teahouse Hvala and Michelin-starred Whitegrass  backing newly-opened joint Boyutei, it’s practically a given that it’ll be a hit. This new café is housed along Ann Siang Hill, where famed nasi lemak haunt The Coconut Club once doled out their famed ayam goreng coconut rice.  Photograph: Boyutei Boyutei is equally bright and airy a space. Much like the other Japanese-inspired cafés of today, a purposefully stark interior steals the show: wooden counters, a zen garden, and ambient lighting included. The menu reads mostly Japanese but with just the slightest hint of French techniques – makes sense, since Whitegrass Head Chef Yamshita has a culinary background in Japanese-French cuisine.  Photograph: Pailin Boonlong It’s mid-2022 but the sando wave appears to still be going strong. Boyutei has jumped on the bandwagon with their own rendition of an ebi katsu sando ($22), with breaded prawns atop a soft brioche. It’s not a neatly wrapped sando, but rather, comes somewhat cumbersomely sprawled on a plate. Dig in with a fork and knife to get the ebi katsu, shredded cabbage, and cucumbers in one bite – it’s lightly sauced with a tartare and housemade chilli drizzle.  Photograph: Pailin Boonlong The chazuke ($18) comes topped with niku miso: minced beef that’s been steeped in moromi miso. It's similar to our own pao fan (poached rice) and both are comfort food at its best when done right, but overly muted flavours led this particular dish down