Singapore

A few days before arriving in Singapore, we face the double whammy of bad news that the air quality has deteriorated because of forest fire in the neighboring island of Sumatra and the number of Zika cases is increasing. Now I have to worry about those in addition to not chewing gum in public? (Actually the gum thing is somewhat confusing as the law just applies to not selling gum other than for health reasons, but there is no question the "gum control" has been extremely effective here.) 
Other half-amusing punishable offenses include connecting to another person's wifi, not flushing a public toilet, and "expelling mucus from the nose." Although I don't agree with all the banned items, I am willing to comply if it promotes civic mindedness (as Lee Kwan Yew envisioned), or at least to avoid flogging (actually I am fortunately over the age limit for caning!)

Luckily for us, it had just rained before our arrival and the weather is cooler and air quality better than expected. So we take a short walk from the hotel to Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre to check out hawker stalls, and one in particular that has achieved instant global recognition when the Michelin star ratings were announced in Singapore for the first time in July.

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle: What, no line? Wait, no one around? Turns out the entire complex is closed for cleaning that's scheduled every three months. (Their chicken rice still costs only two Singapore dollars, or about US $1.50, which unquestionably makes this place the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.)  So Plan B.

Out of Chinatown Complex toward Maxwell Food Centre a few blocks away, we pass by Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The name refers Buddha's left fourth canine tooth enshrined here. For sure.

Plan B is in trouble also. The line at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is relatively short but the euphoria doesn't last long, as they announce being done for the day. We don't get to try the rice that Anthony Bourdain gushed over. So Plan C: three stalls down is Ah Tai, operated by a former chef at Tian Tian who left after dispute. But alas, it is the day of their normal weekly closure.

Plan D: Go to a random open place selling chicken rice. The dish from Maxwell Hainanese Chicken Rice is definitely good enough to the un-discerning palate and I can see why Hainanese Chicken Rice is considered Singapore's national dish.

Right across the hall, a picture of Bourdain on the window of this stall catches my eye (lower left corner). A page from his book describes him strolling down the hall and being curious about a lady who's been doing this one thing for 35 years. Well, I am equally curious. The crisp oyster pancake is quite good. Our first foray into the hawker food scene in Singapore is declared a success!

It's getting dark so we head to Marina Bay to catch night time light shows. We take MRT, which is not a dyslexic cousin of Hong Kong's MTR, but an efficient enough system in its own right. Inside the subway car, next to the Subway ad for chicken tandoori is a list of forbidden items: no eating or drinking, no smoking, no flammable goods, and... no durians!

Marina Bay Sands: a ginormous structure reminiscent of some of the behemoth resorts in Las Vegas

Marina Bay: getting ready for the light show "Wonder Full." We get ready by slapping mosquito-repellent stickers on our clothes, which may or may not work.

Marina Bay: light show

Marina Bay: lights reflecting on Louis Vuitton "Island Maison" and the lotus-leaf shaped ArtScience Museum

Marina Bay: light show

Marina Bay: enthusiastic audience but the crowd size very manageable

Marina Bay: the finale of "Wonder Full" to the tune of, what else, Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world."

Marina Bay Sands: this monstrous building grows on you. Traversing it to reach a viewing point for Gardens in the Bay.

Gardens in the Bay: these "Supertrees" are built to perform environmental functions but they serve an aesthetic role as well, especially when coming alive at night.

Gardens in the Bay: the colors change rapidly during the nightly synchronized light and music show "Rhapsody" 

My lunch at Andre, not my dinner with Andre, but as memorable and refreshingly unique as the scenes from the Louis Malle classic. What a fantastic meal! From the moment you enter the colonial style house, the site of the first law firm in Singapore where LKY worked, to the time you finish the tour of the house and get out of the elevator, the multi-lingual staff cater to you professionally while making you very comfortable. The taste, creativity and presentation of the dishes are a testament to the incredible talents of the Taiwanese-born and French-trained chef Andre Chiang. It puts some of the hyped-up places like The French Laundry to shame.

Restaurant Andre: the beautiful amuse bouche is a harbinger of fascinating things to come.

Andre: the server describes this as a couple - a poor woman (butternut squash) and a rich man (foie gras soup).

Andre: looks like just a loaf of bread but inside is salt-baked Bresse chicken.

Andre: the chef chats with us while petit fours are brought out (the one on right looking like a macaroon is his interpretation of the Kaya toast, a Singporean breakfast treat). We are shown his handsome cookbook based on "Octaphilosophy." He says we should return for a full dinner. Who wouldn't want to! 

Raffles Hotel: a Singapore icon from the colonial era. I respect the sign limiting the entrance to hotel guests. Otherwise I might incur the wrath of the Sikh guard!

Long Bar, Raffles Hotel (a separate entrance, mind you): one of those things you do in Singapore because that's what people do - drink Singapore Sling where it was first concocted. Actually the Autumn Sling (behind it) is more tasty and refreshing. Obviously over paying, I throw down the shells from the peanuts (unlimited supply from the bag) to the floor with glee like you are supposed to.

OK, pampering over. We are on our own now. We take MRT and get off at Lavender a couple of stops away. We find our way to the other one of the two hawker stalls to receive a Michelin star in July. Surprisingly, the line isn't too bad,

Hill Street Pork Noodle and Soup: I am no expert on Bak Chor Mee (minced meat noodles, on left), but each ingredient is so well cooked and I can see why this place is so popular.

"Cloud Forest": visiting the two conservatories at Gardens by the Bay at dusk. The three columns of Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Sky Park on top are seen through the glass from this vantage point next to a man-made waterfall lit purple.

Gardens by the Bay: the light show "Rhapsody" is definitely more enjoyable up close.

Gardens by the Bay: Marina Bay Hotel again seen in the background - I am now getting quite impressed with this structure. It has won me over!

Botanical Gardens: an excellent place to stroll among exotic tropical plants and flowers. It does not feel crowded despite its UNESCO Heritage status.

Corner House: a nice table at a corner of the terrace of this colonial building, named not because it is in a corner within Botanical Gardens but after EJH Corner, a man largely credited for "greening" of Singapore. Who would have thought the world's most visited botanical gardens is in this corner of the globe. The Chef calls his cuisine Gastro-Botanica, a mouth-watering designation.

Ce La Vi: this bar atop Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which used to be called Ku De Ta (the revolutionary spirit gave way to a state of resignation?), is fortunately open despite intermittent rain to offer a great view.

Ce La Vi: admiring Sky Park from below which sits on top of the three columns of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, I had to come up here. To our left (not shown) lies the famous infinity pool.

View of Marina Bay from Ce La Vi, as the sky gets darker

Les Amis: dinner at this respected restaurant is nice enough (their signature angel hair pasta dish above), especially the desserts by the well-known pastry chef (the take-home medeleine in an elegant tin box is a nice touch), but I keep thinking that our last meal in Singapore could have been at another hawker stall at a fraction of the cost. Early such dinner also would have allowed us to linger longer at the al fresco bar in Skypark to look down on light shows. I also regret not having enough time to visit the ethnic neighborhoods in this unique city-state where Chinese, Indian and Malay coexist without much political rhetoric.