There are a lot of things going on in Singapore than meets the eye. This dazzling country can easily please vagabonding practitioners whose sheer joy stems out of new places to discover, foodies and food critics whose palates dream of a fusion of flavors, dreamers and transients who are looking for a range of things — a kaleidoscope of wonderful things — to explore: the great outdoors, rich culture, delightful cuisines, and scenic highlights. That’s why we decided to visit this great city-state twice in one month’s time: first with my in-laws, the second one après-wedding (No, it wasn’t our honeymoon trip).

To walk or not to walk

We spent our first day in Singapore meandering around by foot, uncertain of where to go but had so much faith in the bilingual tourist map that I snatched away from our hotel’s peeling trestle. After walking for miles and a train ride later, we decided to jump into a gaudy hop-on hop-off bus, which was the best decision that we made that day (shortly after that, rain poured without even the slightest hint). It was also the best way to have our own synopsis of the city’s point of interests and what awaited us for the rest of our 14-day stay.

After several pit stops from the high-end Orchard Road, which can easily rival Champs-Elysees, we found ourselves at the historic and intricately designed structure in the heart of Singapore’s business district: the venerable Lau Pa Sat.

Lau Pa Sat overview

Lau Pa Sat or Telok Ayer Market is popularly known as a food hub among locals. It was built in 1894 and is the largest remaining Victorian filigree cast-iron structure in Southeast Asia. It used to be a wet market but has been restored and remodeled as a premier food center in Singapore. Its once weathered balusters and walls are now newly painted; its columns and ceilings give a glimpse of Old English architecture, which doesn’t mean anything to the unmindful but offers a lot to the art-conscious and those who want to dig deeper into Singapore’s vibrant history.

We didn’t go to Lau Pa Sat to eat: its historical value is what pulled us for a quick stopover— to poke in an out, nose around, and snag some photos—and explore each of the food stalls amidst a surging crowd. Lau Pa Sat has a wide selection of cuisines and the most memorable for me are Filipino food stalls with proverbial names: Panyeros, Mang Rogers, Jolly V and the one that made me chuckle, Mack’s (the Filipino “signs of wit” indeed transcends all boundaries).

The house was chock-a-block with coat and ties from nearby offices at lunchtime. At night, we learned that the center turns into a popular nightspot: a magnet for young professionals, students, and tourists to spend the whole night drinking their favorite cocktails.

Lau Pa Sat embodies what Singapore is about: an amalgam of different cultures and flavors that come together to form something more beautiful and exciting for tourists like us to enjoy.

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