Haji Lane
Pendants from Threadbare & Squirrel
I’ve often thought that if I could do anything at an Olympic level, it would be shopping. I’m certainly not qualified or gifted with the physical ability to do anything else. So when there is actual shopping time worked into a travel itinerary I am ecstatic. To me, there’s only one thing to do when your tummy is full and that is to shop! My justification is that burns up calories in preparation for another meal 
A mini dictionary pendant
With print on each page!
So far we’ve seen quite a bit of Singapore in our short time. Today we make our way to Haji Lane, a small lane way that houses some fantastic boutiques. Whilst larger centres such as Ion and Orchard Road offer chain store goodies and air conditioned relief, Haji Lane in the middle of the Muslim quarter is pure Paddington or Surry Hills boutiques full of young designers at ridiculously low prices. The clothes and accessories are smack bang on trend and we were only dragged out of there by the fact that we had to check into our hotel before dinner.
A bear disguised as a monkey
The lane is small with about 20-25 boutiques and they open late at around 3:30-4pm but it is well worth a special visit (taxis are inexpensive in Singapore). All up I bought three dresses, a necklace and a sweater with each item averaging about $35SGD which is about $30AUD). Sizes are mostly one size fits all and they will fit up to a size 12 Australian depending on the cut. Yep this is why they budgeted in shopping time!
Dresses at where my credit card went a little nuts: Collage Boutique
Yes I mentioned that people in Singapore liked to eat and like to shop. The Singapore Tourism Board even has a dining department as well as a shopping department. So it’s a perfectly valid way to while away the time and work up an appetite because we are going for a rather special meal tonight…
The New Majestic Hotel
Laden down with bags we later check into our new hotel The New Majestic. The owner of The New Majestic has two other properties and they have somewhat of a cult following as each room in each property is entirely different and has a different name. This can be good and bad because the room that I was originally given was the tiniest room I’ve ever set foot in. When the porter takes me to the room I had to be honest, I just didn’t like the room at all as I bumped into things constantly and I tripped over cords it was so small and poky and the work table was just not practical for work. I’m then moved to the only free room left called the “Work” room-quite appropriate as I had several hour’s worth of work to do and lot to write and I needed a proper desk.
The new room is much better and much more spacious although many of the rooms are on the small side. This one features random sorts of sepia coloured clippings and an almost Nordic wood look. There are Kiehls products, a Bose alarm clock/iPod dock and a shower in the middle of the room so your beloved can watch you shower from the comfort of the bed. And nicely enough, water and a small range of soft drinks are complimentary for guests and service is very deferential from almost everyone.
The bathroom that looks out onto the bed (and vice versa!)
Everyone else’s rooms are very different too and range from cute to odd. Alison from delicious. magazine has an Asian cartoon girl themed room, Grace from the West Australian has an all mirrored room and Sue from the SMH’s Good Living has strange plant like creatures popping out of the walls in her room.
Sin Huat Eating House
“I need to warn you service here isn’t very…. hmmm are you sure that you want to go here?” Sandra from the Singapore Tourism Board asks us hesitatingly. Chinese restaurants for the most part, aren’t exactly known for the service. In fact the general rule among some is that if the service is terrible but the restaurant is full, then the food must be good.
Fetching the flower crabs from the tank
Late night Singaporean dining of the more local kind doesn’t get much better than seafood restaurant Sin Huat. It’s the place that Anthony Bourdain visited and he was rapturous over the seafood. The service is said to be notoriously brusque and full of heavy pressure up selling. Gumboot wearing chef Danny is the only person that takes food orders and he is the only chef here. As a result of this, a meal can stretch over four hours and you never quite know what your bill is going to be but you are always full. And you may have to put your foot down even when he insists that you order certain items or you may choose to retreat when you ask for chilli sauce on your stingray only to be told that “If you want to eat it like that, don’t come here.” *Gulp*
Young coconut juice-a saviour in the heat-I think I drank about 3 or 4 of these!
After Sandra battles Danny in a Singaporean version of a standoff we emerge with an order consisting of 10 dishes including stingray, the famous crab with bee hoon noodles and flower crab.
Roasted pork platter $24SGD
The pork comes out first. It was a dish that chef Danny rather insisted that we have as it’s not normally on the menu. There are various version of pork including char siu, lup cheong, roast pork and pork with bones. They’re all sweet and lightly smoky and delicious. I’m a char siu freak so I’m happy and some of the pieces really spring to life when dipped in the spicy chilli sauce. Note to self, try this at home!
Steamed flower crab $95SGD
Our next dish is the flower crab which is served with a fiery chilli sauce. Named flower crabs due to the floral pattern on their shells here the crabs are cracked open, meat sucked out of and savoured by a now finger licking crowd of us. The sound is of crab shells cracking and sucking with the nearby faint chatter and the passing motor cars.
Prawns with garlic $84SGD
The prawns with garlic are coated with garlic and a spring onion and sit in a pungent sauce. We don’t have rice, I’m not sure why not and it’s probably because rice would take up valuable stomach space but it’s the kind of sauce you really want to soak into some rice. My mother makes a version of this dish but with nowhere near as much garlic.
Stingray $35SGD
The stingray comes out bubbling and looking most unusual. In fact it looks a bit alive it’s bubbling so much! I’ve never eaten stingray before so I am deeply curious to see what it is like. Here it is cooked with a sauce similar to a steamed fish with ginger, soy and spring onions. Once presented, they take to it with a pair of scissors to cut it up into pieces. What is interesting is how the fish looks-on the top of the stingray (it is served overturned) are black ringed, iridescent blue polka dots but on the underside, it resembles the underside of an oyster mushroom. The stingray is a similar consistency of a steamed fish except more luscious and you can chew and eat most of the bones too. It is utterly wonderful.
Can you see the blue dots with the black rings around them?
Underside of a piece of stingray
Whelks (Gong Gong) $50SGD
The whelks come steamed with skewers to help prise out the flesh from inside the conch shaped shell. It is accompanied with a moreish chilli sauce which we use to dip the meat into. And I ate four of these before realising that I had loads of courses to go. Oops!
Sea scallops with black bean $75SGD
The scallops here come with a blanket of spicy yellow bean sauce and I mean a blanket of sauce. The scallops here are slightly different from ours and they have a frill around the edge of the scallop itself. They are juicy and delicious but very rich and packed with flavour and I can’t manage more than one which is a crying shame.
Chinese vegetables $15SGD
The Chinese vegetables, deceptively plain looking end up being one of my favourite dishes. It has a delectable blend of oyster sauce, ginger and garlic and we all go for this wanting some greens to offset the rest of the rich, saucy seafood.
Crab with bee hoon noodles $135SGD
The last dish is the famous crab with bee hoon noodles. It is large and contain two crabs and the bee hoon is a thin vermicelli type of rice noodle. The crab is filled with meat and tender but the noodles that soak up the heady rich sauce with green onion, garlic, ginger and Chinese rice wine are what I come constantly back to the plate for.
After all of the food is eaten Sandra asks Chef Danny to come out for some photos. He is self conscious about the marks on his t-shirt but chats and poses for photos. The bill for the seven of us comes to a surprisingly reasonable $569.60SGD! Now that’s another bucket list item ticked off
Fish spa
OK look away if you’re foot or fish squeamish! Singapore is also known for something quite strange: fish pedicures! This is where fish nibble a the dead bits of skin on your feet. You generally pay $1 per minute and can buy a pedicure in 15 or 30 minute blocks. Alison and I are the only ones game (or crazy) enough to give this a go. There are three pools with fish differing in size and we are advised to start with the smallest fish and then work out way up to the largest fish.
The first and second fish feel like pins and needles and aren’t particularly bothersome but the largest fish do have the occasional nip and are very ticklish indeed! And my skin did feel slightly smoother afterwards although I must admit that a foot file and a sugar scrub would have just as good an effect although they are nowhere near as unusual!
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever or would you ever try stingray? And would you ever do a fish spa treatment?
My fortune tells me…I need to paint my toenails again!
NQN travelled to and explored Singapore as a guest of the Singapore Tourism Board
Haji Lane
New Majestic Hotel
31 – 37 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089845, Singapore
Sin Huat Eating House
659 Geylang Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 67449755
Lunch : 9.30am – 1pm
Dinner: 6.30pm – 1am
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55 Comments | Add your own
I love Singapore, especially the shopping. It all looks too wonderful for words! Stingray – yes – we had it at Sentosa restaurant here in Sydney a while back, they had it as a special one day. It was delicious!
eeeeeeek I am not sure that I could!!!
Singapore is one of my favourite cities, because of food! You are lucky. Great photos, Sin Huat does not focus too much on presentation I guess but you managed to make the food look really good.
sea scallops with black beans my favorite!!!
I always thought that skate was stingray – perhaps I”m wrong!
I’d try it – sure, I’d try anything once.
I’m a bit taken aback at how much garlic is on those prawns! Whoa mama!
Singapore is a favourite stop-over of ours, and I noticed a couple of places offering the fish foot treatment. I think I’d prefer to be shopping.
Prices must have gone up in Singapore!!!! Can’t imagine you paid almost $600SGD for a meal in a eating house. When I was living in Singapore, $600SGD will be more than enough to eat in those top Chinese Restaurants.
Mouth Watering! I just want to eat these dishes off the screen and I’m not even all that keen on seafood!
x S
I wish I’d known about that little lane-way on my visit although I didn’t really have a minute to spare.
Nope, I’ve never tried stingray but I’m willing to give it a go. I can’t believe how inexpensive your meal was with all that seafood.
I’ve never had one of those foot spas and am too germ-o-phobic to ever try. Big wimp I am.
I love the food in Singapore! I was watching Poh on telly last night and she was in Singers too.
I so need to get back to my roots…
SSG xxx
I have eaten stingray before, and yes, it was in Asia. I don’t know that I’d have it again, but I’m not a huge seafood lover either. (Except for scallops, bugs, and lobster. Yes I have expensive tastes).
I’m totally up for a fishy spa, have it on the bucket list!
What a feast! I would like to try the stingray. Love the feel of the boutiques. Reminds of these particular markets in Bangkok.
I have seen baths in bedrooms but never a shower. A little bizarre I think. I’m interested in the stingray as I have heard rumours of fisherman cutting scalloped sized discs from stingray and selling it as scallops, which I believe are more expensive than stingray. Did you find any similarity in taste?
Grilled stingray with sambal belachan! It’s yummy. Had it in Singapore , Malaysia and Brunei . Lau pa sat in Singapore has it. New majestic is an awesome hotel . I live close to it. If you have time and want something different, check out oso restorante and magma German restaurant – both on the same street
Fish spa- I love it , my feet always feels smooth after a session
Oh, that absolutely wonderful food
! Yes, love stingray and how, but those whelks and scallops and prawns looked yumctious too! To the best of my knowledge rice is oft not served with other courses in many parts of Asia (certainly not in Japan, as you would know) – it is a final ‘fill-up’ in case one is still hungry?! Loved your little gold dictionary: I have one from Hungary which is a tiny cookery book! Adore the luxury of spa treatments, but have not had a ‘fishy’ one and, quite frankly, don’t think I’d cherish the feeling . . .?
I love Singapore, and am keen to go back and try more food places.
I would probably try stingray just to see what it is like.
I had a fish pedicure when were in Singapore, it was the weirdest feeling.
Sounds divine!
The food all looks amazing – but I want to be let loose on the shopping!!! The little pendants are adorable.
Wow, what a trip! Those bigger fish just look plain scary, some of them are the size of your toes, eep! I would love to visit Singapore again one day, all I remember from my brief trip there (when I was quite young) is the pandas and orangutans at the zoo, hehe!
GREAT trip indeed!
Looks like everything was an intersting feed!
Only live once, anything re food would definately try!
The E-X-C-I-T-E-M-E-N-T of YET another food journey experience is WHY!
Oh I did a fish treatment in Singapore as well – it was so ticklish I couldn’t stop giggling. I’m not convinced it did a lot, but it was fun!
Oh I’d totally get the pedi. We are going to Thailand for our honeymoon and before we even get to the hotel I want those little fishies to nibble on my feet! Lol – TMI?
I’ve never had stingray before either and I thought it was a mushroom too when I first saw it haha. Looks delicious though
Ooooh you found Haji Lane. Yes it is very much like Surry Hills in Sydney…shopping there is much more fun. The other place is Ann Siang Hill area where Majestic Hotel is. It’s a little like shopping around Paddington. I much prefer to shop around there cos things are not the usual shopping mall stuff (aka Mc-Mall. Another up and coming place is Tiong Bahru..go fo the food at the hawker centre there and go shop at Book Actually and Strangelets and have coffee at 40Hands. My list could go on. If you are going to Sg again, let me know..i’ll give you a long long list of alternatives to Mc-malls. OOh you went to Sin Huat. It is the priciest coffeeshop in Sg..the only one that accepts credit card. Yup, our bill when we ate there was abt the same price. But damn it was worth it. The crab beehood was divine. The amount of garlic is that copious as we do believe it has some effect on enabling our stomachs to ‘kill the bacteria’ (not sure if it is true) cos the seafood at Sin Huat is not refrigerated and comes swimming in tanks just minutes before cooking. Those scallops are divine…oh you didn’t get to have the frog legs with chicken essence. That is another famous dish of his. Majestic Hotel is the brainchild of a former lawyer who collects chairs…he has so many chairs that he decided to open a hotel and use some of them. So that was the start of 1929 hotel and next was Majestic. I love the chairs!!!
Thanks for such a great post…it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and a littl homesick(in a good way). =)
Wow, look at that garlic, I so want some of that! I haven’t tried stingray, but it does look like a mushroom doesn’t it?
I just don’t know about the True-Blood Fish Pedicure…. what if they decide they like the taste of me, and go for more?
Lorraine – I am so glad you finally tasted Stingray. I just love it. We frequent Malaysia and this is a staple for us every single night along with wing beans and loads and loads of garlic.
I so want to have a BBQ here and serve to guests!!! One day.
From Bex MUM
Oooh I don’t think I could eat it. It just doesn’t seem right.
LOL I have heard of fish pedicure but have never tried it! I am extremely ticklish though… hehehe
The food looks amazing… especially the pork and veggies! I love Singapore and can’t wait to go back!
What a fantastic feast, Lorraine! I love seafood and everything looks so well done! I’m a real char siu freak too =)
What an incredible trip! I’ve heard of these fish pedis, very strange indeed. I once had a pet bunny who would ever so gently nibble the dead skin from your feet!?An unusual sensation.
I love food and shopping, so I imagine I would love Singapore!
What a trip! And yes, I agree, I think you would be perfect for the shopping olympics. Can you imagine the heats?! LOL ” OK, first one to max out their credit card wins!”
You can also do being awesome like an Olympian.
AWH GAWD!! I MISS eating stingray with satay sauce..it’s been a while since I had some and everytime I went back to SG, I always have some stomach issue so can’t have ‘em..*sad
Stingray is one of our favourite dishes but we have only eaten it in Malaysia. In the night street markets the stringray comes encrusted with spices and char grilled.Absolutley delicious and easy eating because of course it is a cartilaginous fish-no bones! And fish spas? I love the sensation. Tickle my pinkies!:)
What fun! I’ve always been of the opinion that marathon shopping ought to be an Olympic sport. ;P (Oh, and the women of the world would fight tooth and claw to get on their national teams! Unlimited credit! Sublime sales!)
The food looks rustic and so tasty. I’m curious about the way the stingray was cooked. In my neck of the woods, we poach it, shred the meat, and stew it down in coconut milk with chilies and moringa leaves. Lovely on rice!
Stingray or skate is very popular in french and other cooking. Is hard to source here in Australia, so trying to get my hands on some.
I love Singapore, mum and dad lived there for many years, lots of happy food memories for me
Fabulous hotel room, and fabulous boutiques – the jewellery and brooches looked amazing, as did the lovely floaty white dresses.
Ooo Haji Lane sounds like the place to go! i love small and inexpensive goodies!
Thanks for the seafood shots…reminded me of the times that i was in singapore!
What! No beef ‘n black bean or sweet and sour pork? How foreign.
I like the cute little bear/ monkey.
Good work finding those cute boutique stores Lorraine, i’ll keep them in mind…
Sting ray-is popular amongst the locals from the Greek island i’m from, except its prepared into a garlic-olive oil-lemon mash and the sting ray meat is folded through.
By the way,loved the previous True Blood theme,very chic table and crystal wear-the toothe fairy must have had a hard time with collectin those extra bonded fangs,lol.
Thanks for another adventure Lorraine.
love the pendants…
omg stringray… isnt it scary eating something you know that kills people? whenever i see or hear about stringrays i associate it with steve irwin!
Oooohhh!!!!
I want to shop at Threadbare 7 Squirrel!
And not just because I love that name : )
I haven’t had stingray, but I have had skatewing, which is related I think.
Very delicate flavor.
I stayed at a B&B in San Francisco in the Mission district just as it was becoming gentrified.
It was one of the old Painted Lady Victorians and we had the attic suite.
The shower was located in the middle of the room, freestanding and in view of not only the bed, but windows that opened to the street.
Hopefully being 3 floors up, noone peeked.
And yes, I would try the fish pedicure.
I have a callus on the ball of one foot that I bet would choke even the #3 fish!
Gosh now I really REALLY want to go traveling in Singapore
hehe footspas are so funky & unusual but it’s kinda pleasant after a while 
It’s strange because I’ve never thought of eating stingrays before, it just never occurred to me that it could be eaten lol but it does sound intriguing!
What a fun post, Lorraine! I would love to join you for some Olympic shopping, lol! The scallops sound so flavorful and delicious, I’d love to try those!
And a huge congrats on NQN’s 4th anniversary!!!
Oh wow! Great post! Absolutely love Singapore! Used to go there every month since it’s only 2 hrs flight away from my home country. I miss it very much since I’ve been in Aus. Can’t wait to go again.
thank you!
Love the shopping there! It is phenomenal isn’t it?! And Cheapish too. Always a big bonus!
Stingray is one of my favorite food. My dad is the master of cooking stingray and any sort of seafood really. We normally have it grilled witha very unique marinade. But you must try it dipped with some tamarind sauce! Will email you the recipe. It’s the best way to eat it, brings out the sweetness of the stingray meat. Oh Yummm.. I want stingray! And I am also a little bit homesick now reading your post as it brought up alot of good fun memories of being home! But good homesick.
Stingray looks like skate — is it like that? I was soo curious when I saw it mentioned. WHy isn’t it eaten more often???
Well, you are braver than I! I don’t think I’m up for stingray or fish treatments….
Looks like you are having a great trip though!
I know the shopping is great in Singapore, but I always thought the main reason to visit was just to eat. Of course, for me it’s been years since I was in Asia and I harken back to the days when Orchard Road turned into a nighttime extravaganza of food carts and stalls. As I say, it’s been a long time. I’ve never eaten stingray, but it sounds divine.
I really like and collect miniatures! May I know the name of the shop that sells the miniature pendant dictionary along Haji Lane and how much it costs? Thanks so much. Can see you had a wonderful time in Singapore!
Hi Minibaker-the shop is called Threabare and Squirrel. I think the pendants were between $20-$40 but the dictionary one was closer to $40?
Oh this post is so timely! I am going to Singapore in a few weeks. I’ll have to check out Haji Lane. Did you go to The Ice Cream Man? Apparently they have all these weird and wonderful ice cream flavours.
I love stingray and my first experience with the fish spa was in Singapore too!
Love the look of those boutiques…I’d not heard of Haji Lane but when I’m next in Singapore, I must visit it!
I would definitely try stingray. As for the fish pedicure… I’m not so sure on that one!
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