The last two weeks have been full of plane rides thanks to my arrival in Singapore, then a work jaunt to Jakarta and mini holiday for myself in Bali.
Singapore has been a nonstop eating fest - even more so than Hong Kong and India, if you can imagine. My first night was aggressive with a late night work drink outing at a rooftop bar which escalated and ended at 4 am. My (hungover) first morning was not exactly pleasant, especially as I was desperately seeking food in the hottest, most humid place I’d been to yet. Thankfully, the payoff was bak kut teh, a pork rib soup with endless broth refills, aka the elixir of life post-jager shots and no sleep.
Saturday Night Lights from a Singapore rooftop bar
Compared to all the other places I have been, Singapore is markedly sterile and orderly, but I don’t mind this too much. It’s great to have clean streets, good public transportation, and to feel safe walking the streets at any time. The distinct neighborhoods and hawker centers are amazing, and the waterfront is gorgeous. Outside of the cost of housing, Singapore seems relatively cheap, despite all the warnings I had heard about the place. (Of course, I suppose living in LA can skew my general sense of “cheap”). The food is dynamite, the people are nice, and the city is SO GREEN. Despite the heat, I’ve been walking everywhere because it’s so beautiful (and maybe also to counteract the 30,000 calories I am consuming per day).
So much greenery everywhere in Singapore!
Jakarta, on the other hand, feels a bit like a cultural desert. There’s not too much to see by way of historical landmarks/sightseeing, and the main activity is to go to these extravagant malls they have everywhere. I’ve now been in a mall more times in a week than I have in the last 5 years at home. The food is good, but I think I’ve been spoiled for choice in Singapore, where it has the best of all of Southeast Asia to choose from. I did book a tour of the old town, which came with nice photos, so at least I got something to make mom happy? 🤷🏼♀️
“Act natural”
And of course, Bali. Bali has always been a bucket list destination for me, and the fact that it is so accessible during this trip makes me super grateful for this opportunity. I splurged a bit, booking a villa with a private pool ALL BY MYSELF. The number of shocked and confused faces did start to annoy me when I said I was traveling here alone - everyone keeps calling my trip an “Eat Pray Love” moment (which I’ve never seen, but if that makes me Julia Roberts, cool). All I know is that the views are unreal and this place is magical. I spent one day traveling the island and exploring and the next camped out on a day bed at the Potatohead beach club with endless cocktails and food. I ended my last night in Bali with a dip in my private pool, a soak in my bath tub, and a full 12 hours sleep. Not too shabby.
Bali has it all! Jungles…
…waterfalls…
…and beaches!
Now back to reality, which for now, is Singapore. This R&R weekend was amazing though, and I can’t wait to be back in Bali someday!
Sin’s Picks
Not only is this soup peppery and delicious, they give you endless broth refills! Clutch during a hangover
Bourdain’s (RIP) fave chicken rice, and for good reason. Perfectly cooked rice, tender chicken, delicious gravy, and a hot sauce to dream about.
So simple, but so good.
This was a work lunch, and I was not expecting to like it this much! It was a whole fish stuffed with peppers and spices in a broth. So damn delicious!
She doesn’t look like much, but she packs a punch.
Went here at the behest of my good friend Travis, and it did not disappoint! It’s a smaller, more curated hawker center by one of Bourdain’s old Singapore friends.
Don’t miss the chicken wings from the bbq place - so damn crispy and moist at the same. Damn. Time.