TBJ TRAVELS: Singapore Diaries 1: Only Got 5 Hours To Explore SG? Eat.

As most of you know, I went to Singapore two weeks ago, but it was only an overnight stay. It was awesome, albeit tiring as I had to squeeze in work and leisure activities in just one day. Not complaining though because a trip is a trip! :)

The biggest challenge I've had so far (at least in traveling) was to explore Singapore in just 5 hours. 5 hours?! That sounded impossible (and ridiculous, even!) considering there are factors that might delay me such as traffic and weather conditions, plus I had to re-orient myself with SG as it's been 10 or 11 years since my last visit!

Another challenge was I only found about this two days before leaving. A week before the trip, I crafted a day's worth of itinerary in Singapore and that included temple and museum visits, Marina Bay area stroll, and food trips because I thought that I'd have an entire day to myself, but it turned out otherwise. It's actually not a big deal to scrap a current itinerary and create an entirely new one, but the hardest part is scrapping your expectations and accepting the reality of your situation haha!

But I had no choice. 5 hours or nothing. In truth, I only got 3 hours to explore, which was actually free time before the company dinner-the 2 hours, which was after the dinner, I gave to myself so I could explore the city one last time.

Game on.

So my 5- hour Singapore itinerary was like this: Eat. Stroll. Marina Bay Sands. I will cover these in a three- part travel journal series-the first part is all about eatiiinnngggg. :P Enjoy! ;D

First, let me show you my hotel. I stayed at St. Regis, a 6-star hotel complete with Butler Service. I probably won't go for a 6-star hotel in my personal travels as I'd rather spend my money on something else so this one's a cool pre-birthday treat! :D

St. Regis is a luxury hotel complete with marbled floors and walls, tip-top service, and a divan in the elevator (cool!). Here's a preview of my room.

 My Butler delivered these fresh fruits a few minutes after I got into the room. :D

Challenge number 3 in my Singapore trip: The room was so pretty as well as this bath tub complete with T.V. that I was torn between exploring Singapore and just relaxing in the room and making use of the amenities.

But my heart chose the former.

I was actually FAMISHED when I got to the hotel (silly me for not eating properly before the flight) so I went out for food a gastronomic adventure-it was also the beginning of my 5 hour exploration. 

I had in mind the following restaurants (researched about them before the trip): Honey Creme and Ya Kun Kaya.

I walked the entire stretch of Orchard Road to mosey/search for Honey Creme and Ya Kun Kaya. Sources said that I could find them in Somerset Road, which is just right after Orchard Road. Distance between the two roads is like 5-6 long blocks (it's a 20-30- minute walk from St. Regis) and if you're not into long walks or you're not physically fit, take the train instead.

The thing was, I had no idea where the f*** in Somerset Road Honey Creme and Ya Kun Kaya are located. I just told myself "God knows, God shows" and just like magic, I found these gastronomic destinations! (Thank you, God! :D) The best part is these two restos are located just right beside each other!

First stop is Honey Creme, a famous Ice Cream shop that originated in Taipei. It's just a small store sitting right in front of Somerset Road and if I'm not mistaken, it's just a little walk from Somerset train station.

Honey Creme is famous for their artisan Ice Cream. Basically, they add a lil 'oomph' to classic soft serve ice cream by decorating it with popcorn, cupcakes, macarons, and what have you. What I got is the one with a lavish serving of Caramel- coated popcorn and caramel drizzle. HEAVEN. It was worth the walk!

Next, I transferred to Ya Kun Kaya, which is famous for Kaya Toast. When in Singapore, don't miss out on Kaya Toast!

Ah, good ol' breakfast food. :) To me, Ya Kun Kaya's toast has just the right size, plus I love the toasted, nutty bread they used. Another restaurant that serves yummy Kaya Toast is Killiney Kopitiam.

Of course, I also opened up myself to unplanned food trips like this one. I spotted Bao Today in the same mall that led me to Ya Kun Kaya and Honey Creme.

Bao actually has a lot of meanings in Chinese: it could mean 'to wrap' and it could mean DIMSUM, at least in Bao Today. Bao Today has an al fresco setting-I totally love its setting because it's in the outdoors, but pretty far from the street, thus you won't be ingesting car smoke along with your Dimsum and it's a great spot to settle down in and go people watching.

I wanted Xiao Long Bao, but dang, it was OOS so I opted for fried dimsum instead. Anything fried is tasty so I'd say that this one is good, but there was more wrapper than meat in this dish. :p Anyway, I enjoyed my HK Style Milk Tea so much-it was the perfect treat for a very warm afternoon. 

Bao Today had a lot of interesting dimsum recipes to offer and I wanted to order more, but I was 95% full already by the time I finished my first order. For Pete's sake, I had Kaya Toast and Ice cream before this! :D

Inside Orchard Somerset 313

How To Get To Ya Kun Kaya, Bao Today, and Honey Creme: 

There are two ways:

1. Train: Ride the train and alight at Somerset Station. The three restaurants are located in this mall called Orchard Somerset 313, which is facing Orchard Road and right in front of Somerset Road. Bao Today is located at the side entrance of the mall.

2. Walking: From St. Regis or Ion Orchard, walk all the way to Somerset Road and look for Orchard Somerset 313. Bao Today is located at the side entrance of the mall (you won't miss it, especially if you're coming from the side of Ion Orchard). For Ya Kun Kaya and Honey Creme, go inside the mall and exit the door with the sign that says SOMERSET (it's right beside a popcorn stall). Turn right for Honey Creme (there's a Taxi stand in front of it) and turn left for Ya Kun Kaya.

On my way back to St. Regis, I spotted the following:

CHARLIE BROWN CAFE! This one is actually located at the topmost level of this mall (I forgot the name) near Orchard Somerset 313. I was so full then so I wasn't able to try it out. It's cute though!

BEN AND JERRY'S! I wanted to have a thick milkshake, but my stomach could not handle it anymore. :p This one's located just beside Bao Today.

STARBUCKS! You'll find a lot of pop- up restos and cafes along Orchard. I actually love the concept! Can we have this in Manila?

I got to the area near my hotel quicker than expected and I had an hour more to spare so I sat down in Coffee Club, this coffee shop near St. Regis, to chill, absorb the city, and to people watch.

I end this post with Coffee Club's Iced Hazelnut Mocha. ;)

So that's part 1 and the first hour of my five hours. The next post will be all about strolling along Orchard Road. Come back for it tomorrow. ;)

Check out my other Singapore trip blog entries:

SINGAPORE 2: Only Got 5 Hours to Explore SG? Stroll.
SINGAPORE 3: Only Got 5 Hours To Explore SG? Go To Marina Bay Sands