It is a brief stopover in Singapore, just a weekend, so I ignore the city’s hip new face and dig deeper into the rich Peranakan culture which has had a big impact on the local scene.
Peranakans are immigrants of Chinese descent who were involved in the lucrative spice trade along the Malay Peninsula and some had, by the early 19th century, married local women and settled in Singapore.
10pm (Friday): Fly into Singapore late evening and book into an original shuttered Peranakan shophouse (a shop used to be on the ground floor with the family accommodation above). In this case my shophouse is a renovated suite at the five-star InterContinental City Hotel in Middle Road where many of the original Peranakan decorative features have been retained in the decor.
The hotel is in the heart of the original Bugis strip where Singapore’s notorious nightlife raged until the 1980s and the area now has one of the city’s busiest shopping bazaars. intercontinental.com/singapore
8am (Saturday): Time for a traditional breakfast of wafer-thin toast topped with butter, accompanied by a soft egg mixed with soy sauce and served on a saucer, with a mug of teh tarik (sweet milky tea). We are at Ya Kun Kaya Toast in China Street where sweet-tooths top their toast generously with homemade kaya jam prepared from coconut, eggs, sugar and vanilla. yakun.com
9am: Visit the Peranakan Museum in a grand Victorian mansion for an overview of a rich culture which is a melting pot of Chinese and Malay traditions with a twist of Dutch and British influence. Here, colourful porcelain, gold ornaments, family heirlooms, traditional costumes and delicately worked jewellery are all on display. Peranakans (locally born) refer to their men as “baba” and mature women as “nonya”. peranakanmuseum.sg
11am: Wander the Peranakan enclaves of Katong and Joo Chiat to find colourful, immaculately maintained shophouses with sculpted facades and handcrafted ceramic tiles.
Stop off in East Coast Road and visit Rumah Bebe, a shophouse established in 1928, with a treasure trove of traditional jewellery, intricate beadwork, embroidery, porcelain, and batik textiles.
Also on East Coast Road is Katong Antique House where traditional Peranakan clothing, including elaborate wedding costumes, and striking furnishings are found. rumahbebe.com
1pm: Lunch offers so much choice at Kim Choo in East Coast Road, where Nonya dumplings have been a mainstay of Singapore’s epicurean tapestry for more than 60 years.
This delicacy is made of glutinous rice with a filling of finely minced meat and secret spices with aromatic pandan leaves finely woven around the dumpling. We discover that the typical Nonya kitchen is never without turmeric, ginger, galangal shallots, chives and shrimp paste. Lemons, limes, green mangoes, citrus leaves and coconut milk are other essentials. kimchoo.com
3pm: Time to discover the lively Peranakan enclave in Emerald Hill which sits behind the main Orchard Road shopping centre.
Here were the original homes of many of the city’s wealthy Peranakan community who lived in impressive mansions built between 1901 and 1925. These historical buildings still feature grand entrance gates, ornate friezes, wooden window shutters and external spiral staircases. Many are now home to trendy bars and quirky coffee shops.
5.30pm: Back to the InterContinental City Hotel for a relaxing hour in the Club lounge – staying in a shophouse suite includes entry here – for complimentary drinks and nibbles before a night on the town that strays a little from my original cultural premise. Peranakans have always been a vital part of Singapore’s social scene.
6.30pm: Discover one of the city’s newest bars, Nektar, in the secluded courtyard of a restored heritage building in Scott Road where the bar’s Kettel Kurrie cocktail has won international recognition. It is a mix of vodka, air-dried curry leaves, pink grapefruit juice, Tahitian lime juice and Benedictine topped with Balinese saffron. An explosive sip. nektar.com.sg
8.30pm: Dinner at Coriander Leaf restaurant in a converted warehouse beside the river at Clarke Quay is all about the region’s fusion cooking. It also has an associated international cooking school. Outside, the city’s colourful wooden “bumboats” zip up and down the river where several jetties give access to other bars, pubs and hip restaurants. corianderleaf.com
10.30pm: We walk back to the hotel via Raffles Place, taking advantage of the warm tropical night. The river area is alive with night owls still arriving at the eclectic outdoor cafes, bars and nightclubs.
8.30am (Sunday): We don’t leave Singapore until early afternoon so, after a buffet breakfast spread at the InterContinental, there is time for last-minute shopping in the air-conditioned arcades out the back of the hotel.
Rain is falling but unlike the markets of the past, this busy shopping precinct is protected by a glass roof, with stalls and shops selling the full caboodle from designer clothing to jewellery, electronics and a full gamut of souvenirs. bugis-street.com
FACT FILE
Getting there: Daily services from Perth with Singapore Airlines or Qantas to Singapore’s award-winning Changi Airport, singaporeair.com.au, qantas.com.au.
Stay: The central InterContinental City Hotel within walking distance of most city sights with a huge shopping mall and rail network outside the back door, intercontinental.com.singapore.
More: yoursingapore.com.
Veronica Matheson was a guest of Singapore Tourism and the InterContinental City Hotel Singapore.
Bringing history to life
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