Heading For A Craft Beer Tour To Singapore

Glass Half Full.
Oh Yes, That Please!

As a Nepalese citizen, I have major, major restrictions where I get to travel. So bad is the Nepalese passport, that it's rated among the very worst along side countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. I don't blame those host countries either; look, we as Nepalese, have this really awesome habit of disappearing wherever we land (except India, duh!) and that naturally does not go down so well with the host nation's immigration. 

I though, have changed my perspective on how bad things really stand between me and my travel restrictions. I see it in a glass-half-full rather than glass-half-empty. I stopped stressing about applying for visa. I go to places where I don't need a god-damn visa. That actually narrows my destinations to a handful of places that I can really, well, enjoy. 

Enter Singapore. That's right, Singapore. With visa on arrival for Nepalese citizens, Singapore is the city, as Anthony Bourdain in his Layover episode on Singapore said, "that never stops eating." For a gastro-centric, craftbeer-centric person, this is a fantastic opportunity to explore and go nuts on the food and brewing culture. 

The best thing I like about Singapore is that if you stay there for two days, you get bored. Cut that into 1/8th and I can have a concentrated effort to maximize efficiency and get down with the most important things first. James, a friend of mine, might be around but I thinking of the worst case here. Worst case being I am on my own.

 So here's the plan.

CHANGI VILLAGE HAWKER CENTER:
Food Food Baby!


I land at Singpore's Changi Airport at 5 am. My normal routine does not include breakfast, but this isn't a normal day is it now? Get the subway day pass and head straight to Changi Village Hawker Center. Hawker Centers are these open air, cheap food malls where everything is housed under a single roof. The government's way of systematizing street food. 


Time and again, I have heard both my Singaporean pals and friends who have visited Singapore, mention two local delicacies; Chicken Rice and Crab Chilli

Recommendations on food at Changi Village Hawker Center are:
Wah Feng wonton noodles
Tiong Bahru chicken rice*
Teck Seng soybean milk and curd
Min Nan pork ribs prawn noodle
Kampong carrot cake


CRAFT BEER CONCENTRATION CAMPS
Oh Yes.
Here's how I normally select my accommodations.
1) Map out all craft beer locations on the area
2) Find the area with most clustered location
3) Book a hotel right at the center

Locations. Locations. Locations.

I am heading for Singapore on route to Kathmandu so it's a layover. I have 13 hours of time there but technically will have anywhere between 8-10 hours of actually hanging around. Plenty. I am thinking, most of the places will still be too early to open. I can see that some beer places open at noon, some at 4PM. If I can narrow down a list of places which open at 12PM, I have greater chance of making it to most bars.

Two bars who do open before noon in the location are:

Hop Heads

Hop Heads opens at 11:30 AM, YEAH!

The 1925 Brewing Co.



The 1925 Brewing Company [HERE] claim that they are true Singaporean craft brewers so that should be interesting. Look, if I go to a place, I am there for the local beer. Imports go sideways, unless, something rare shows up. Which it could.

Just saying. 

NO SIGNBOARD CHILLI CRAB
Seafood? Yes Sir!

The mouth watering, semi expensive chilli crabs are worth trying when you are Singapore. Actually, let me rephrase that; it's a must eat. The best place apparently is No Signboard [HERE] which looks deceptively close from the Beer Concentration Camps I mentioned earlier. Well, it's time to roll out some crabs right after a bucket full of craft beer. 

No Signboard Chilli Crab

LITTLE INDIA
Indian is the shit.

Let's not forget that Singapore is a multicultural, multiethnic place with a significant population that have roots to India. That also means they have authentic, authentic Indian food. Think about that for a moment. Going to India for me is stressful but the food is absolutely stunning. Take that stunning food and place is inside a place like Singapore and it's a super combo (heat's the same though). To try that, I will have to go to Little India.  


The food I will be most definitely trying out is Biryani. The food is tough to cook and easy to get it wrong. So I am trusting the pros on this one. I want my Biryani and I want her real bad.  For that, I am trusting this dodgy Indian guy with Singaporean dodgy english to take me right into heart of Little India.


Chettynad Curry Palace

This all writing and planning about food is making me hungry. Off for some Korean food. 

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