This place makes me want to buy a better camera.

My sister is currently in town and wanted to visit this area to buy dried mushrooms and eat at the nearby hawker centers. We discovered that the mushrooms are three times more expensive here than at the mall. Also, it's best to go late afternoon when it's not so hot and most of the hawker stalls are open.

I recently bought the Makansutra Singapore 2013 and we tried a couple of the recommended food stalls.

We ordered the Mixed Rice (SGD 5 for one person with chicken, salted fish and sausage) to go and just ate it at home. It was pretty good though not sure if it was a "Die Die Must Try" (how the book describes the stores with the highest rating of three pairs of chopsticks) experience. Maybe we should have heated it first?

The line above was for the stall below - this was at 5 PM when the store opened.

We had the yam cake without chilli and it was pretty good. It also had the same "Die Die Must Try" rating, but my sister said she'd only order it once.

Chinatown should be on everyone's list of places to see in Singapore as not only is it interesting, but you'll also get a ton of cheap food options.

Johor Premium Outlets

My mother-in-law was in town over a week ago and requested to see Malaysia. So we decided to bring her to the Johor Premium Outlets as it's only a short bus ride from here.

The place is also just a few minutes away from Legoland and uses the same bus so it's a very convenient day trip for anyone interested in going over the border.

I've been to outlet malls in the U.S. and I must say that if you plan to go bargain hunting, best to do it in the States as the prices here are rather steep. A pair of Nike shoes for example, range from MYR 169 to 209. Basically, MYR 169 is equivalent to SGD 70 or PHP 2334 which makes it cheaper than Singapore but more expensive than Manila or the U.S.

Ah, but then again prices in Singapore are really more expensive to begin with. My Mom found a bag she liked from Mango while window shopping at Orchard Road, but found the exact same bag in one of their Manila branches to be PHP 1000 less (SGD 30).

Another concern is that you have declare all items purchased from abroad and pay the corresponding tax (GST) once you reach Singapore. That lessens a bit of the savings any long term resident might be hoping to have.

Well, if you want things a little cheaper and can't go anywhere else at the moment, then the Johor Premium Outlets will do in the meantime. Also, the place reminds me so much of Alabang Town Center back home that I'll definitely return if only for the scenery.

Singapore Flyer

This turned out to be better than expected and coupled with the XD Theater ride next door (below), both made for a very enjoyable evening.