Singapore for foodies and art lovers – the top places to eat and drink, and local art to savour
- Art lovers from Hong Kong taking advantage of the expected Singapore travel bubble shouldn’t miss the Georgette Chen retrospective at the National Gallery
- Combine it with a meal at three-Michelin-star Odette, or head for the Maxwell Centre hawker food centre, before a nightcap at the Gatsbyesque Atlas bar in Bugis
With the travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore expected to launch in early December – sources say its scheduled launch on November 22 has been postponed for two weeks – we have some suggestions for Hong Kong foodies and art lovers heading to the Lion City.
You don‘t have to be particularly interested in Southeast Asian art or subscribe to the growing interest in previously overlooked women artists to appreciate the Georgette Chen retrospective at the National Gallery Singapore, which opens on November 27.
The China-born artist had a cosmopolitan and privileged upbringing and attended art schools in Paris and the United States before settling in Singapore, where she taught art for many years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
She was instrumental in shaping what became known as the Nanyang school of art, which combined modern elements of Western oil painting with Chinese painting styles. In terms of subject matter, her works stand out for her interest in the local landscape and her entrancing portraits of friends, local personalities, and herself.
This is one of the biggest exhibitions dedicated to the artist, who died in Singapore in 1993 at the age of 86.
If you’re at the National Gallery, you could try dining at chef Julien Royer’s three Michelin-star Odette (1 St Andrew‘s Road, #01-04 National Gallery Singapore. Tel: +65 6385 0498). You have a higher chance of getting a reservation now with much fewer overseas foodies visiting Singapore because of the Covid-19 travel embargoes.
7 tips for Singaporean travel bubble visitors to Hong Kong
Work up an appetite for lunch or dinner by touring the gallery beforehand, or savour lunch and walk off the calories as you view some art.
A grand place for drinks in Singapore is Atlas bar in Parkview Square in Bugis (Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road, Downtown Core, Singapore. Tel: +65 6396 4466), ranked No. 5 on the World‘s 50 Best Bars 2020 list. The high ceilings, plush chairs, and over-the-top art deco theme makes you feel like you’re in The Great Gatsby.
Gin lovers will have a tough time choosing from its list of over 1,000 bottles of the spirit, and there are some rare champagnes on the menu too.
No visit to Singapore is complete without a visit to a hawker food centre. Locals and tourists alike go to Maxwell Food Centre (1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore. Tel: +65 6225 5632), which has more than 100 stalls to choose dishes from.
The most famous stall here is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, which not only has a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide but was also highly praised by the late TV chef Anthony Bourdain. There‘s also Zhen Zhen Porridge for congee, Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake, and Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue.
