Getting in a cab at Orchard Road;
"Where you wan go lah?"
It's Friday night, and I'm taking you out to dinner. Knowing better than to try to speak Singlish, the local version of English, back to the taxi driver, I ask him to take us downtown.
Dining is somewhat of a national pasttime in Singapore, second only to shopping, and the late-, or even mid-night dining options are plentiful: from the European influenced little bistros around Tiong Bahru, catering to the area's many European professionals, to the Indian and Malay street food of the northern districts. Although establishments vary in style, price and service, they all have one thing in common: Singaporeans love food, and it shows. In general, locals will eat at one of the thousands of outside food courts or so called hawker stalls around the city, where prices are low and the options are many. A food court is sort of a miniature representation of all the cultures that make up the population of the city and their respective cuisines: Chinese, Malay and Indian are the main cultural groups. If you are looking for a place to try and explore different cuisines and foods, look no further than Singapore.
There are a few must-try's that one simply has to taste during a stay in Singapore. Arguably the most famous dish, and perhaps also one of the simplest, is the Hainanese Chicken Rice. I could go on for hours about the different dishes and specialties, but the taxi ride to Club Street is far too short for me to explain all the delicious details. Remember, Singapore is a city-state: everything is easily within a cab ride's reach.
Tonight, I decide to take you to a Malay seafood restaurant on Club Street in downtown Singapore. Oh, and don't worry; I'll pay the cab fare (it's only a couple of Singapore dollars). The first thing you'll notice when handling Singaporean money is that the banknotes feel like plastic: they are actually made of polymer materials. I hand a few of these polymer notes over to the cab driver.
Entering the restaurant, we are greeted by its Malay owners in surprisingly poor English: even if it is the generally used and universial language in Singapore, not everyone is fluent in English. Singapore has no less than four national languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil. Using some simple English and a series of hand gestures, we are shown to our table. I immediately order a couple of dishes for us: it is common to share the dishes, and a very social and fun way to have dinner. The Chili crab is a given choice, and I also want to show you the Fish Laksa, a curry based noodle soup. Being in a Malay restaurant, we can expect to be served some rather spicy and hot dishes:
"Not too spicy though, please"
After a great, but despite my request still rather spicy meal, it is now around seven o’clock and the sun is setting over the tall buildings around us, same time as always, as Singapore is located only one degree north of the equator. Having all the ingredients for a great night out, one could say that Singapore shines even more brightly after dark. However, it is still warm outside, as always. I'm wearing long pants and a shirt, a quite uncommon sight in Singapore during the day, but a necessity in the night if one wishes to get into one of the better restaurants or night clubs, where "Smart Casual" is the expected dress code. As the night is still warm, I roll up my sleeves to cool down a bit, and advise you to do the same. Many first-time visitors to Singapore describe it as walking into a hot wall of humid air, and I find that the description is quite accurate. I suggest cooling down a bit, taking us into the next stage of our night out in Singapore:
"Time for a drink?"
We jump into another cab (taxis are one of the few affordable things in Singapore), heading to the New Asian Bar, a roof top bar located on the 71st floor of a skyscraper in the busy business district around Raffles Place, to meet up with some friends for a cocktail or two. Raffles Place has enough tall buildings to accommodate a host of skybars, offering some stunning rooftop views. Although prices tend to be a bit steep, there is typically no cover charge. Singapore prides itself on being somewhat of a cocktail-culture capital: it's simply a great place to get drinks, and one will find many both friendly and talented bartenders working and creating here, inventing new cocktails and drinks, as well as reinventing old ones. We order two "Bubble Tea", a surprisingly good, not to say excellent, mixture of tea, cranberry juice and Tanqueray, served ice cold. The bartender smiles, as this drink happens to be his speciality. In no time at all, we are elegantly handed two chilled martini glasses containing probably one of Singapore's best cocktails.
A conversation about Singaporean cocktails wouldn't be complete without mentioning the (in)famous "Singapore Sling", an over-the-top sweet, pink creation, traditionally enjoyed at the classic colonial-era Raffles Hotel. This signature drink, however, has become somewhat of a tourist thing, often copied in watered-down versions or using cheaper ingredients, and can actually be rather bad if not done properly. Don't worry, though, as central Singapore is far from short on options for the thirsty visitor looking to cool down with a drink: simply choose from one of the local watering holes, quirky pubs or hip wine bars, where you'll find Singapore's young, professional middle class spending their money.
Feeling like the night is about to really take off, our growing party of friends are now finishing their second order over laughter-filled conversations. Still at the rooftop bar, we have a stunning view from the 71st floor as Singapore starts to light up. After hours, Singapore transforms itself from a hectic and efficient business hub to a buzzing network of nightclubs and bars, with vibrant districts and night spots really coming to life after dark.
The night is still young, though, and we decide to head for Clarke Quay, a European inspired bar and club district in the heart of downtown Singapore. We get in yet another cab. “Clarke Kee”, we pronounce it, and the driver repeats it understandingly. Not many minutes later, we arrive and start walking into the district, the distant music from clubs and bars getting louder. The clubbing scene in Cosmopolitan Singapore is as colourful and diverse as the city itself, owing to the city's many different cultures and influences: edgy, hip, laid-back or retro, you'll find the full gamut of experiences, if you know where to look. The well-established club Zouk is somewhat of an institution in Singapore - lines stretching around the block despite its remote location testifies of the club's almost legendary reputation.
Everything seems to be within walking distance when out in Singapore, and with clubs open well into the early hours, there is no reason for turning back after the metro system, or MRT, stops running at midnight: once you're out, you're out.
Entering Clarke Quay, we cross the rather famous bridge over the water, to Boat Quay, by locals simply known as "The Bridge". A popular meeting spot, The Bridge is buzzing with life and people in the evenings, not only Fridays and Saturdays, but all days of the week. The area around Clarke Quay is home to a number of nightclubs, as well as many restaurants and bars. As the evening and night progresses, long lines form outside the clubs, and one can expect to pay a rather heavy cover charge compared to other cities around the world (Tokyo excluded). We hang out at The Bridge for a while, having a rest and discussing our plans for the night.
Deciding on "Attica", a popular nightclub just by the water, we get into the line, and it actually seems to be moving quickly. Singaporean clubs have a habit of overcrowding, and it can actually get very crowded, but it's usually not a problem, as people are polite and friendly. Getting in is usually not a problem, as long as you follow the dress code. We step into the club, and the dancefloor is already packed with people. The lights, the atmosphere and the bass beats are sucking us in, as we submerge in Singaporean club culture.
A few sweaty hours of dancing and house music later, we're starting to feel kind of tired. Actually, you are feeling a bit peckish again. This brings us straight into the next truly Singaporean phenomenon: the late night supper. Late-night dining after a night out in Singapore is in itself an unmissable experience. Some of the best food can only be found at this time of night (or rather morning), and is generally very cheap and fresh from one of the hawker stalls, but you have to know the right places. Luckily, you're out with me: I'll show you some of the best noodles you'll ever have. It's only a short walk away, and the morning air is nice and cool, but not cold: we are in Singapore, remember? We stop at a hawker stall in Chinatown, and I order a large serving of Hokkien Mee for us to share, a lovely fresh and simple dish of fried noodles, lime juice and shrimps. We sit down to rest our tired legs and to finish our noodles, before waving in a cab to take us home.
Pinpointing exactly what defines Singaporean nightlife is a difficult task, and we ask ourselves: from a nightlife point of view, is Singapore more Western or more Asian? While western style nightclubs is what we first encounter in Singapore, digging deeper and getting acquainted with the locals will reveal a more asian side of Singaporean nightlife: Karaoke clubs and tiny, local beer places are of course a part of the asian experience, and you'll find these in Singapore as well. Comparing Singapore to cities such as Taipei or Tokyo is an interesting experiment, with Singapore being the more westernized of the three.
A night out in Singapore can, if you are not careful, burn a hole through your wallet rather quickly. While not as expensive as Tokyo, by Asian standards Singapore is still pricey, on par with European cities such as London or Amsterdam. Singapore nightlife offers more choices and is more westernized than what you will find in Taipei. A night out in Taipei can be interesting, fun and very, very weird, especially if you don't speak Mandarin, but is quite different from what you would find in for example Europe. When it comes to Japan, I can't help feeling that the comparision between Tokyo and Singapore is a bit off: the cultures, attitudes and people are different, but then again, both cities offer a unique and great experience when it comes to nightlife. Singapore doesn't have the same work-related drinking culture as Japan, where businessmen gather in tiny little local drinking establishments, "Izakaya's" over beer and light snacks, nor is there the same culture of saké drinking. Defining Singaporean nightlife could instead be said to be about the really great and inspired cocktails, the hawker stall food and the energetic people keeping the clubs packed until the early hours of the morning.
So, where do we place Singapore in all this? In summary, Singapore can be said to be a true mixture of cultures, and this is also true when it comes to Singapore's nightlife. But then there are these little details, the experiences and quirks that truly define Singapore, and that I have been trying to show you in this article. A night out in Singapore can be memorable in a lot of different ways, and what I've just taken you through is just one of the many ways of spending one night in Singapore.
woot?