Readers: remember how just last post I was talking about not knowing the room number? Well, imagine shopping in Singapore (the main thing to do here) and forgetting the exchange rate - while shopping at Hermes! (for those who care, turns out there is a HUGE difference between 7.7:1 - the rate in HongKongDollars to US that I had in mind and 1: .72, the SingaporeDollar to USD, actually close to a 10X difference). Ouch, oh well live and learn.
When you are in Singapore, you have to go to Orchard Road and shop at both The Paragon Shopping center and, my favorite, Takashimaya across the street. Takashimaya is both the center and a department store (like in Tokyo, again one of my favs) where there are loads of boutiques outside in the 'mall' area as well as the gigantic department store.
After you work up an appetite, head downstairs to the basement where there are two floors of food. Well, one and a half (the 'half' is a KFC and McD's on the one floor) the main floor I am writing about is B2. Its a veritable Japanese Harrod's, except that it has a Harrod's food shop too! And a Fortnum & Mason and a whole SLEW of other specialty food stores.
If you like food, donuts, baked goods, teas, coffees or anything else you consume for fun or nourishment - its here. Like vegan soups? Its here. Want sliced and grilled star shaped bacon? Yup, here too. Deep fried ham and cheese mini-sandwiches? Ding. Gelato or Ice Cream? Check. Much of it Asian inspired (of course) but a cornucopia of dining to feast on. And cheap to...
Trust me on this - for both shopping and eating Singapore is great, and this area of Orchard Road is the best. After a day of nibbling and shopping, save room for a real dinner over at Raffles Hotel - eat at the Long Bar Steak house. And trust me on this: order the sauteed spinach with your steak and don't bother sharing.
Last tip: the escalators on the MRT run fast - and I mean fast. Prepare when you step on to 'hang on' and jump off. But otherwise the MRT is a great, cheap, easy way to get around and best of all - its Air Conditioned.
