Singapore Chinatown
Updated: Feb 22
As the heat and the humidity rises we took the great metro blue line to Chinatown. Vibrant, busy, fool of food places, unashamingly touristic. Perhaps site of one of the few streets in the world where an Hindu temple, a mosque, and a Buddhist temple coexist harmoniously.
Sri Marianam temple created by the first Indian who set foot in Singapore celebrating the ability of Draupathi to walk over coals. Similar traditions exist all over the world and fortunately we did not have to prove our virtue since the festival devoted to this tradition is held in October November.
The Masjid Jamae mosque conducts prayers in Tamil and is next to the velvet Muro coffee that what lacks in pastries has it in the quality of his coffee
and its view. The Paper mask & puppet Seller is one of the Murals dispersed in Chinatown walls inspired by reality of the past and changing the present appearance of the neighbourhood.
Sometimes walking through the preserved facades of the shophouses (particularly the upper floors) you feel they are not real but only a depiction on the wall created by Yew Chong like the Seller.
The praying or should I have sayed paying his devotion crowd is gatherered in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Kilos of gold most by devotees gives to the place a different color
The Hainanese chicken a silky, light aroma, boiled simple chicken shows how you can get a Michelin recommendation without much caricature and complexity. The one stall recommended by the Michelin guide was closed due to the New Year but the Heng Heng stall gave an excellent substitute although after waiting an hour. Ann was playing where is Wallie as I was snaking at the slow queue.
The dragon that passed the shops for the New Year's good fortune and money was more noisy than elegant.
The food was great and the rice transformed by the light broth. It proved that queued 3 times as long being peak hour as when we were ready to leave there was a much shorter patient chicken devottes. From the other stalls a couple fish ones, a well known cockle one would have made our short list if we were still hungry. The skies meanwhile opened and a downpour able to make you soaked in a minute threatened us. Walking next to the buildings proved 'water' saving as we retreated our steps out in the street through non descriptive gift shops and mostly uninspiring eateries.
A bit of rest felt like blessing despite not having done loads and going out for a drink to the outskirts of Chinatown. The downpour has not made the station or the wagons any less clean from the passenger shoes. The miraculous fairies clearly exist in Singapore and they are worth their weight in gold.
My 'Awesome cafe' had great drinks and nice atmosphere (until some loud 'business guys' joined s group that was there showing off. Still good with some crispy out, soft in, spicy wings to keep u in the straight. All this street is full of Korean bbq places, some looking good, all closed by the time we finished. The trusted blue line runs up to 00.06 from this stop, Telok Ayer and is quick to get us back.
Comments