DJ’s Singapore Itinerary: Food, Art and Attractions
Hi! I’m DJ, the girlfriend of this website’s owner :P I visited Singapore recently for the sole purpose of seeing my boyfriend. And I’m going to be honest, I did not expect much (except for the food which I expected was insanely good from my boyfriend’s tales of eating there). I thought it was gonna be another small bustling depressing city like Dubai, but I was proven quite wrong after my second day there (I was proven right with the expectations I had with the food though). Singapore is more than just a city like Dubai - no offense to Dubai - but Singapore has been a delight to experience, not only is it super clean and efficient, it buzzes with an energy that’s both modern and deeply rooted in tradition. I can tell that the city cares about making it easier to live for the residents as well.
Day 1 in The Jewel
My first day in Singapore. My boyfriend and I visited The Jewel in Changi Airport right as I landed. We visited the famous Jewel Rain Vortex which had a stunning water display. Then, he took me to this ramen place called Kiwami Ramen & Gyoza Bar; I ordered their chasu ramen. It was insanely good, one of the best ramens I’ve had so far. The noodles were well made: soft and fresh, not frozen or taken from instant noodle packs. The pork broth had the best balance of thick, creamy, and clear; which I personally love. Afterwards, we went to the Backyard Bakers for brownies which was situated right across the ramen place. I bought their sea salt & dark chocolate brownie. What a banger. Before leaving the place, we passed by Café Kitsune and bought iced mocha for me and iced matcha latte for my boyfriend. My mouth’s watering as I’m typing this.
Walking around Bedok Reservoir
At night, we walked around Bedok Reservoir. The air was calm, the water still, and the path around the reservoir quietly alive with joggers, cyclists, and other couples walking together. We walked for about an hour where we stumbled upon a small bar buzzing with locals. A live band was playing and people were laughing, chatting, unwinding from their day. It felt like the perfect contrast to the calm reservoir: nature and community, side by side, both showing a softer, more personal side of Singapore. Overall, the walk was grounding, this is the kind of place that reminds you that stillness has its own rhythm.
Day 2 – Bus Rides and Comfort Food in Kallang
It was my first time using Singapore’s public transport, and I couldn’t have picked a better way to start than with a ride on a two-story bus. We took it to Kallang Leisure Park, and I loved every minute of it. Sitting by the window on the upper deck, I watched the tree-lined roads and greeneries. It was so beautiful and cinematic!
At Kallang Leisure Park, we stopped for lunch at the food court: char siew and siew yok pork with wantan mee. The char siew was easily my favorite - tender, caramelized, and just the right amount of sweet. After lunch, we grabbed iced lattes from Au Croissant and later couldn’t resist having kaya toast and teh as a mid-afternoon snack. Banger.
Before heading home, we stopped by Kallang Wave Mall and tried this adorable hanging bubble tea from Chicha San Chen. I loved it! The pearls were fresh, and the whole presentation was just so charming. Finally, I took the MRT for the first time. The ride was smooth and quiet, but what really stood out to me was a small sign that read “Dementia Go-To Point.” It’s a service that helps wandering persons with dementia find their way home safely. That simple detail said everything about the city and how it’s genuinely caring toward its residents. It made me appreciate the city on a whole new level.
Exploring Our Tampines Hub
At night, we headed to Our Tampines Hub to go bouldering. I was amazed by how vibrant the place was - it’s not just a sports facility but a full community centre. You don’t see much of that in Dubai, where I live. I’ve only ever seen that in Stardew Valley! Anyway, there were so many activities happening all at once, from people playing badminton to families gathering for dinner. At the centre of it all was a huge stage and screen where anyone could sit and watch movies for free. They even hold regular community events there. I loved that sense of togetherness - it made the space feel alive. While walking around, we also passed a calming or sensory room for people with autism, designed to help them regulate. It’s completely free to use. That small detail really stayed with me. Everything from the public transport to small community spaces seems designed to make life accessible for everyone.
After bouldering, we walked over to Tampines Mall to look for food, but most of the places had already closed. We ended up getting mochi (three for $7) and some fresh salmon sashimi from the grocery store. We stopped by for a slice of pizza and a strawberry matcha latte and started walking back home. Eventually we stopped at a park nearby our place and ate the mochi and sashimi there. The mochi tasted like heaven – the dough was wrapped thinly all over the filling and the filling itself was amazing. My favourite flavour was mango! Having this amazing food with the love of my life within the soft, cool night breeze – it was the perfect way to end the day. This was a ‘life really is worth living’ moment for me.
Day 3 – Chagee, Art, and Pork Tonkatsu
We started Day 3 by taking the bus to Raffles City Shopping Centre for my very first Chagee experience. I ordered the osmanthus oolong milk tea, and it was exactly what I needed on such a hot day. It was refreshing, floral, and not too sweet. Banger!
Afterwards, we walked all the way to City Hall. We explored the rooftop first, where we got these gorgeous scenic views of Marina Bay Sands and took pictures. Inside, we found blueprints, displays, and artifacts that traced Singapore’s early beginnings. It was interesting learning about this small city’s origins.
Then we stumbled into this Fernando Zóbel exhibition, and only later did I realize he was a Spanish-Filipino artist (Pinoy pride raaaah). His exhibit had this cute activity booth where visitors were asked to draw “happy and lively lines.” Naturally, we drew ourselves, added a few star shapes, and stuck our drawing into the communal board. We were able to see other people’s doodles too, which was so cute.
After exploring City Hall, we got hungry. We walked around until we stumbled upon this Japanese/Korean fusion restaurant called URESHII. I took a look at their menu, and their pork tonkatsu immediately caught my eye. Honestly, it did not disappoint. It was the best tonkatsu I’ve ever had: crispy on the outside, tender inside, and the sauce tied everything together perfectly. We shared it and paired it with alcohol, of course.
Merlion
Next, we walked all the way to the Merlion, stopping every now and then to check out statues and take more pictures. By the time we reached it, I realized… the Merlion is kind of anticlimactic. I don’t know why, but I expected it to be bigger. The crowd around it was huge too, so we snapped photos for maybe five minutes and called it a day.
We ended the day by hopping into a nearby restaurant. My boyfriend ordered a beef and kimchi dish, and I got a chili yuzu margarita. It was fine, not amazing, not terrible. Just mid. Well, after that banger of a Chagee and pork tonkatsu, everything else was bound to feel mid at that point.
Day 4: Orchard Central - Pottery, Uniqlo, Don Don Donki, and HEXENSKYE
We started Day 4 in Orchard Central. It was a sunny day, but the weather was still bearable, so we strolled around for a bit before heading to our pottery class at a place called “am i addicted.” The class was so much fun. I was slow though - having long nails is a handicap fr, but the teacher was incredibly patient. She kept helping me get back on track whenever I messed up. In the end, I made a bowl and a cute star-shaped cup, while my boyfriend crafted a classic bowl-and-cup duo. I’d definitely love to take another class there someday.
After pottery, we walked over to a nearby café called Walking on Sunshine. We got an iced mocha and an iced latte, and the place was just beautiful. The place had a soft warm-toned lighting and a really cozy interior.
We then headed to Uniqlo, which turned out to be one of the biggest stores I’ve ever seen. We originally went to get my boyfriend some clothes, but of course I got distracted. We found a custom shirt-printing service which was so unique(lo). Outside the store, there was even a Uniqlo flower stall. A clothing brand selling flowers is honestly adorable. My boyfriend bought me the cutest pink tulip!
Afterwards, we explored a store called Don Don Donki. I had no idea what to expect going in, but the moment I heard the theme song, it hit me that this was actually Don Quijote! I got way too excited and ended up spending more than an hour inside. I bought some Japanese makeup, a Sylvanian Families Persian cat baby (who we named Chagee, of course), and an Ocean Babies blindbag. I left the store with zero regrets.
For our final stop in Orchard Central, we stumbled upon a local handmade jewelry store called HEXENSKYE. They had the cutest gothic pieces: moody crystals, dark metals, very witchy vibes. I bought my brother a red crystal bracelet-and-ring combo. I couldn’t resist getting my boyfriend a bracelet too. It was my first time seeing him accessorized and it suited him sooooo well!
Dinner at Jumbo Seafood Clarke Quay
By nighttime, we made our way to Clarke Quay for dinner. We went to Jumbo Seafood and their Chili Crab was divine. It honestly made me love seafood even more. The sauce was so perfect. I kept taking spoonfuls of it even after we finished eating. By the time we got home, we were all in a food coma and passed out immediately.
Day 5: Art Jam with Cats at Wildflower Studio
Day 5 was easily one of the most wholesome days of the trip. We went to Wildflower Studio for their
art-jamming-with-cats activity, and honestly, I didn’t know whether to paint or just stare at the cats the
whole
time.
We spent the session taking funny photos of them and then tried to paint those exact moments onto our
canvases.
It was chaotic, but so adorable! Between painting, we kept getting distracted playing with the cats, laughing
at our own art and the cats casually walking across the space like they owned it. We were only supposed to
stay
for an hour, but we were having so much fun (& we got so distracted we couldn’t finish our paintings on
time)
that we extended it to two.
Day 6: Paddington High Tea at SKAI
I’ve always loved afternoon tea. There’s something about mixing and matching flavours - savoury, sweet, buttery, tangy - that feels almost playful. If you’ve seen Ratatouille, it gives me the same feeling Remy gets when he’s tasting different fruits and cheeses from the garbage (iykyk).
The Paddington High Tea at SKAI had everything: orange marmalade sandwiches, cheese and truffle gougères, smoked salmon rillette with caviar, crab blinis, lemon tea meringue shortbread, royal hazelnut pralines. Everything was divine, but my personal favourites were the cheese and truffle gougères and the raspberry Battenberg sponge. Those two alone could’ve carried the entire experience for me.
Pairing all of that with a view of Marina Bay Sands made the afternoon feel even more special.
That said, for the price, I think it’s more of a one-time experience than a repeat indulgence. Still, I’m really glad I got to experience it at least once.
Stamp Rallying
Our last day in Singapore ended up being one of the most unexpectedly fun ones. I had been seeing TikToks about stamp rallies all over the city, and I really wanted to try them before we left - so we did.
We started at a Popular store in Bugis to buy a stamp passport. They had their own stamp rally too, so that’s where our first stamps went. From there, we wandered around the building, discovering more stamp stations tucked into hallways and corners we probably would’ve never noticed otherwise. It felt like a mini treasure hunt!
Next, we headed to Haji Lane. The place was gorgeous. It had colourful walls, quirky shops, and outdoor seating everywhere. It honestly reminded me a little of Europe. We found even more stamp rallies there, which gave us the perfect excuse to explore slowly, look around, and appreciate the details instead of rushing through.
Our final stop was Chinatown, where we continued the hunt. By the end of the day, our stamp passport had around 10 to 12 pages completely filled. It felt oddly satisfying, like we had collected little pieces of the city to take home with us.
Stamp rallying turned out to be one of my favourite activities of the trip. It led us to places we might not have bothered to explore, made walking around more exciting, and best of all: it was completely free! It was such a simple but meaningful way to spend our last day, and it felt like the perfect goodbye to Singapore.
Final thoughts
This trip to Singapore reminded me that travel doesn’t always have to be about ticking off famous landmarks. Sometimes, it’s about bus rides, shared food, small discoveries, and moments that quietly stay with you. From community spaces and inclusivity to silly photobooths and stamp rallies, Singapore showed me a version of city life that feels thoughtful, gentle, and human.
I’m leaving with a full heart, a camera roll I’ll never delete, and the simple realization that life really is worth living when you allow yourself to notice the little things.