Moving to Singapore in 45-60 days!

[aster]

Perhaps why Carrefour got squeezed out

They only had two stores in Singapore, but losing Carrefour was really, really bad from a consumer standpoint.

Now sure who benefited more to be honest, other supermarket operators... or Toys R' Us.

[JR8]

Daddies licensed/franchised assembly butt-f*/ucked what it didn't like into oblivion


[Oh, big surprise]
<Unwrapping>.... illegal... ice cream.... now

.... yes death and fury I invoke ....


[or w'aevva[

[Hannieroo]

I don't know how anyone who has lived with tesco or Walmart could honestly miss them. Yes, it's easier, but it's not ethical shopping and provides far less jobs.

[JR8]

I don't know how anyone who has lived with tesco or Walmart could honestly miss them. Yes, it's easier, but it's not ethical shopping and provides far less jobs.

Er... you shop to provide jobs.

OOh posh girl!


I won't ask you to flash your pants, but I bet they#'re pretty damned fancy....

[Usmom]

We are going to Singapore to take a prelook at properties and explore the country. Staying near Marina Bay Sands area, can't wait. Again thanks for all the recommendations and advice, it will give our trip better focus. Any suggestions for delicious dinners?

[the lynx]

We are going to Singapore to take a prelook at properties and explore the country. Staying near Marina Bay Sands area, can't wait. Again thanks for all the recommendations and advice, it will give our trip better focus. Any suggestions for delicious dinners?

Marina Bay Sands area is all posh but the real deal is a hit-and-miss. Worst scenario is that you pay $$$ and get crap.

Nevertheless the kids will appreciate staying there for a while. There are free water-and-light shows in the MBS Promenade every night and sometimes they have fun activities at the Promontory on weekends. You find out about what activities they have in http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/tr ... ience.html

Having said that, Lau Pa Sat is a good place to break into local food (although to us, it has gotten more touristy to our taste but hey, it is still good enough for first-timers).

[zzm9980]

Marina Bay Sand's "local" foodcourt is pretty decent too. There's also Makan Sutra at Esplanade (the big silver pointy thing across the water from MBS) which has good local food tuned for a tourist's palette. (Read: If Lau Pa Sat is too native for you... )

If you find yourself walking along Boat Quay (a bunch of restaurants and bars along the river) don't let one of the touts trick you into eating there. The only place worth visiting in that stretch is called the Juban Stand, and is run by one of our regular posters.

[JR8]

@USMom

Firstly a word of caution. I appreciate that first impressions count/last, and your first one of landing at Changi and then heading straight for MBS might just knock your socks off in a kind of 5+* experience way. Try to keep in mind that that experience will be different from the day-to-day reality of 95% of the rest of the country.

As for dinners... this is currently my favourite restaurant in SG. It’s a Japanese-style steakhouse, and is one of the few restaurants in the world that I’d rate as being in the realms of ‘faultless’. Dinner seems to come in at about S$200/pp, so it’s an occasional treat/vice of ours For the more budget-minded I understand they do a well priced set-lunch. The chef, Dan, is American, from Brooklyn IIRC! http://www.fat-cow.com.sg/

At the other end of the spectrum are the food courts (indoors), and hawker centres (outdoors); 10, 20, or maybe 30 food stalls situated around open seating at tables. A good place to dip your toe in, might be the food court at Raffles City shopping mall. They’re often to be found on basement floors, but the latter one is on something like the 3 or 4th floor? The advantage there is it’s very clean, it’s air-con, they’re used to dealing with tourists, things will be marked in English, pricing will be clear. You will see that most people there are SGn office workers, and shoppers.

There are also outdoor Hawker Centres. The first time you go I’d go with a local if you can. They can be hot, humid, noisy, under-lit. The prices might not be well marked, and the stall-holder’s English might be lacking if not absent. It can be a recipe for confusion*, and in the past this has led to some tourists getting ripped off. Also a local would help you navigate and guide you in how to order dishes that compliment each other, in the approximately correct quantities. Just don't expect to leave other than 150% stuffed-full!

Examples:
Newton Hawker Centre @ Newton (just past the north end of Orchard Road)
Lau Pa Sat @ just south of Raffles Place (near MBS!)
East Coast Seafood Centre @ East Coast, by the water-skiing lagoon (you’ll pass it heading in from Changi)

ZZM refers to the Esplanade (the ‘silver pointy thing’). Note they’re having a music festival of live local/regional bands, ‘On the Waterfront’, 1 – 31 August, and it’s free. It’s open-air in an amphitheatre type setting that’s faces onto the water. Bands range from one closely associated with one of the moderators here, Caracal, arguably grunge-rock, playing on the 15th, to an Indonesian gamelan group (like a traditional group of 20 glockenspiel-type instruments working up a hypnotic mix) doing a few nights later in the month.
www.esplanade.com/onthewaterfront


* The indicated price being ‘$x’ and you ordering a ‘Large plate’ without realising that $x is the price per 100grams, and your plate of remarkably cheap lobster is now in fact S$150! Be aware that much seafood is priced in this way.

[zzm9980]

ZZM refers to the Esplanade (the ‘silver pointy thing’).

Pretty sure I said the Esplanade. It's also a great A/C'd rest-point for the inevitiable "tourist walk from MBS around Marina Bay and then along the river".

[JR8]

ZZM refers to the Esplanade (the ‘silver pointy thing’).

Pretty sure I said the Esplanade. It's also a great A/C'd rest-point for the inevitiable "tourist walk from MBS around Marina Bay and then along the river".

[Monty Python voice]
No you didn't, you said, 'Esplanade (the big silver pointy thing...)'. Which is probably a good description for someone who might not know what a stainless steel durian looks like

The Esplanade, the concert hall complex itself, would be a good 'comfort stop' (in English: a pee-stop) en route to MBS back from a night on the lash over at the Quays.

[zzm9980]

ZZM refers to the Esplanade (the ‘silver pointy thing’).

Pretty sure I said the Esplanade. It's also a great A/C'd rest-point for the inevitiable "tourist walk from MBS around Marina Bay and then along the river".

[Monty Python voice]
No you didn't, you said, 'Esplanade (the big silver pointy thing...)'. Which is probably a good description for someone who might not know what a stainless steel durian looks like

The Esplanade, the concert hall complex itself, would be a good 'comfort stop' (in English: a pee-stop) en route to MBS back from a night on the lash over at the Quays.

More than a few tourists I'm sure have stood on the swimming pool sky deck of MBS their first day in Singapore and said "Wow, I wonder what that big silver pointy thing over yonder is?"

[JR8]

More than a few tourists I'm sure have stood on the swimming pool sky deck of MBS their first day in Singapore and said "Wow, I wonder what that big silver pointy thing over yonder is?"

Ah, I take your point!

[aster]

In terms of food courts you can't beat the view at the one at Marina Square (sit by the window and you'll have a great view over the Marina Bay area).

Plus they have one of the best Korean stalls out of all the food places I've been to.

[Usmom]

Took a look at the fat cow menu and holy cow, expensive!! oh well, we're planning a night to dine there. Got to try the Japanese rib eye.

We'll just eat the free breakfast at the hotel that morning and have lunch at a Hawker center to save up for the dinner.

[zzm9980]

Took a look at the fat cow menu and holy cow, expensive!! oh well, we're planning a night to dine there. Got to try the Japanese rib eye.

We'll just eat the free breakfast at the hotel that morning and have lunch at a Hawker center to save up for the dinner.

Welcome to your first taste of Singapore. Also get ready for extremely poor (by US standards) service. But at least tipping isn't required.