OI VIETNAM 79
She Uses Cilantro For Everything
Image by Smoke & Mirrorswith the best story of the night, though, is
the humorously-named She Uses Cilantro
for Everything, with its use of pechuga
(Mexican mezcal redistilled with a raw
chicken hung over it, supposedly adding
to the spirit’s final flavor), cilantro, and
chili oil, recalling Singapore’s national
dish of chicken and rice.
Throughout our time in Singapore, we
saw this theme repeated again and again,
a reinterpreting of the old into something
new, even futuristic. Beautifully preserved
or repurposed colonial-era shophouses
stand next to modern skyscrapers. Land,
reclaimed from the sea, to house stylish
resorts and world-class entertainment
venues. Food and drink that embrace
their unique culinary roots while
experimenting with new ingredients. The
locals have a saying that if you don’t like
what you see in Singapore, come back in
a year, because it’ll all be different still.
Well, we came, we saw, we liked, and we
can’t wait to do it all again next year. such as fermentation, distillation and
preservation to reduce ingredients
down to their very essences, often
bereft of color. This makes unraveling
the unique flavor combinations a
surprisingly difficult yet delicious task,
even for cocktail aficionados. We try the
Between the F1 with its spirit-forward,
sour notes inspired by the flavors of
Between the Sheets and a Sidecar. Here,
though, the twist is in the color, jet black
(thanks to a very fine bamboo charcoal
powder), a nod to Singapore’s Formula 1
Championship which takes place at the
Marina Bay Street Circuit, part of the
gorgeous waterfront views commanded
by Smoke & Mirrors. In fact, the spirit
of Singapore subtly inspires many of the
drinks, including the refreshing Robbery
at the Museum, a light take on the
classic Singapore Sling, adding welcome
variations of sour cherry including
Maraschino liqueur, cherry brandy and
house-made cherry bitters. The drink
IF YOU GO...
Everyday Tour Company (www.
everydaytourcompany.com) specializes
in alternative, non-touristy walks.
Signature tours take guests through
public housing estates, an evening walk
through eclectic Kampong Glam, and a
morning walk exploring street art and
street food (USD 60). PS kept the pace
of the tour lively and struck a lovely
balance between sitting and eating and
walking to admire street art and the
stories behind them.
Singabites (www.singabites.com)
is all about unique food-based tours,
combining visits to locally-owned
eateries with fascinating insights into
local stories and cultures. In addition
to exploring the neighborhoods of
Katong and Joo Chiat, the recently-
launched Artisan Experience has guests
interacting with chefs and hawkers and
trying their hand at pouring pulled tea,
wrapping rice dumplings and flipping
pratas. Oi readers get 15% off Katong
morning and evening tours by using
code “oivietnam19”.
Admission to the National
Museum (www.nationalmuseum.
sg) is USD11 and free guided tours
are available. Look for the “Wings of
a Rich Manoeuvre”, a chorus of eight
kinetic chandeliers studded with
Swarovski crystals above the bridge
linking the National Museum’s original
19th-century colonial building with itsmodern wing, and lose yourself in the
spectacular Story of the Forest in the
Glass Rotunda.
Visitors can purchase tickets for
either of Singapore Cable Car’s two
lines (Mount Faber and Sentosa), or
a Sky Pass which allows travel along
both lines. See the website (www.
onefabergroup.com) for lots of exciting
activities, events and promotions in
2019 to mark the Singapore Cable
Car’s 45th anniversary, including
“Miraculous”, a multimedia night show
complimentary for all cable car riders.
One-day tickets to the S.E.A.
Aquarium (www.rwsentosa.com) for
adults / children are USD30 / 21. The
aquarium is part of Resorts World
Sentosa where themed attractions,
hotels, dining establishments and
MICE events no longer serve single-use
plastic bottles. If visiting in October,
don’t miss the inaugural Wine Pinnacle
Awards 2019, a three-day celebration of
excellence and diversity in the world of
wines (www.winepinnacle.com).
Yellow Pot at Six Senses Duxton
(www.sixsenses.com/hotels/duxton/
dining) is committed to local, seasonal
and responsible sourcing of produce
with an emphasis on drawing flavors
through fresh and natural ingredients.
After your meal, walk the few blocks
over to the new Six Senses Maxwell and
have a drink at the gorgeous library-themed bar, Cook & Tras.
Visit both Cooled Conservatories
at Gardens by the Bay (www.
gardensbythebay.com.sg) for USD
21 / 11 (adult / child), and the Floral
Fantasy for USD 15 / 9 (adult /
child). Admission to Bay South
Garden including the Supertrees and
horticultural-themed gardens is free.
Just opposite Sands Theatre, at
the Galleria Level of The Shoppes
at Marina Bay Sands (www.
marinabaysands.com), db Bistro &
Oyster Bar by Chef Daniel Bouloud is
open for lunch and dinner, and brunch
on weekends. The Express Lunch is
especially popular with the business
crowd, an excellent value at USD24 for
2 courses and USD31 for 3.
Timed-admission tickets for 1, 2, or
all 3 exhibitions at ArtScience Museum
start at USD14. Summer months
and weekends are especially high
traffic so pre-booking tickets online
is strongly recommended at http://www.
marinabaysands.com.
Smoke & Mirrors (www.
smokeandmirrors.com.sg) is known
for its spectacular panoramic views
of Singapore’s skyline and creative
cocktail program. If you can’t stand not
knowing exactly what’s in your drink
and how it was made, simply scan the
QR codes for top cocktails on the menu.
Cocktails priced from USD16-21.Image by Gardens by the Bay