like a typical singaporean, i am very fond of spicy food, even if it means looking unglamorous while eating my favorite sambal dishes, nose dripping at the same time. for that reason, i love the robust flavors of indonesian food, which tend to be red hot spicy most of the time.

at the kopitiam food court in plaza singapura, there’s always an impossibly long queue at the famous riverside indonesian bbq stall. but for people that are too hungry to endure the long wait, there’s another indonesian food stall. the name is padang corner, a rather apt one as it is a corner stall too.

you can order the food here in the form of ala carte dishes, or rice sets.

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when craving for american fares, tony roma’s is one name that always pops up. with consistently good food being served in a family-friendly environment, it’s no wonder that snaking queues of eager customers (or guests, the term that the restaurant prefers) can be seen forming at the entrance during the evening chow hours. in fact, i made two trips there in the past week!

at the suntec city outlet, one of only two in singapore, guests can opt for cozy booth seats or window seats, where they get to enjoy a view of the mall’s koi pond. with the colorful neon signboards, black and white photographs of classic america, plus the american flag being displayed proudly, you may be forgiven for forgetting that you’re still in singapore.

tony roma’s award-winning baby back ribs are world famous and need no further introduction. but even the steaks and other grill will not pale in comparison!

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when you’re dining under the tung lok group of restaurants, you are assured of decent food and service. zhou’s kitchen is the group’s newest addition, named after the owner himself.

this mid-range restaurant offers a high-class version of chinese zi char (home-cooked fares). while it is marketed as a place for casual dining, the food and decor are by no means casual. you would find slightly “posh” dishes such as wasabi-mayo prawns and crab glutinous rice (with a whole crab!) here.

Photo credit: Tung Lok Group

occupying the copperdome, a standalone building opposite ikea alexandra, it used to be the premises for paddy fields thai restaurant, also run by tung lok. the atmosphere is unintimidating and friendly, and would appeal to families of all generations. my mom totally enjoyed the chinese oldies playing in the background. we sat by the large glass windows overlooking the posh car showrooms across the road. these, i feel, are the best seats in the restaurant.

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burmese cuisine is a largely unexplored realm in singapore. one burmese restaurant that i do know of is inle myanmar in peninsula plaza (nicknamed the burma mall of singapore). now, after four years, the restaurant has opened another branch in marina square.

my dinner partner and i were on our way to the lerk thai restaurant just a few doors down when we passed by inle myanmar. we were immediately drawn by the summery shades of cheery orange that dominate its walls. being new to burmese food, we were definitely game to give it a try!

the chefs and waitstaff here are burmese, assuring diners of an authentic taste of myanmar. in my mind, i thought myanmar cuisine would be rather similar to thai food or even indonesian food. in actual fact, it is more chinese than anything else (to me anyway).

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ever wondered how a chinese water village, or the remnants of an ancient civilisation would fit into the garden city of singapore? or maybe a mystical sunken city like this?

at the singapore garden festival, you would be enchanted by such award-winning garden creations of art from all over the world. many of the works are pretty stunning!

my most favorite garden design is the one above. seeking shangri-la is an imaginative display of the sunken paradise of shangri-la. the designer has painstakingly created this illusion with the careful choice of plants that resemble aquatic plant life. simulated water waves cast moving shadows upon the underwater city. it reminds me of the lost civilisation of atlantis!

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