Singapore Series 2018 - Eating, Bugis and Lucky Plaza

I don't have a lot of photos for this post as when we're on vacation, I try to savor each moment with my loved ones and I just seem to forget to take photos. 😊

Food prices start at S$5.50 in Singapore. We avoid the solo restaurants and opt for Food Republic or food courts. There are more choices and the food is cheaper.

We passed by a Food Republic branch on our way to Bugis and as I was not able to eat on the flight (allergy restrictions), I was famished. I bought a meal with vegetables like chopsuey, chicken chop and ebi fry. I asked for a double portion of the vegetables. I think the total bill was around S$8. I also asked for extra rice. I gave the chicken chop and some vegetables to my son. I ate the shrimps and veggies without any reactions.

A note on Google Maps

Google maps wasn't very reliable in Singapore. Sometimes, the map would tell us to go around a longer route and it was very tiring and annoying as I had my son with me and my senior citizen mom. If you're using Google Maps to get around SG, be sure to stop and ask for directions also to make sure that you are on the correct, shortest path. 

If you see a bus stop, check out the routes and schedules. If it's your first time in Singapore, be prepared to walk a lot! If you have kids and senior citizens with you and cost is not a problem, I suggest you take the buses and MRT whenever you can. If you are near a bus stop and it's going to an MRT station, ride the bus. Conserve time and energy. There are so many places to visit in SG and the faster you get there, the better. 

Food Notes

One of my favorite foods in SG - nasi lemak (this one was from the airport) This is the only food photo I have as this is the only one that made me happy. 

Food is expensive. One small piece of pineapple costs SGD 1.20. One stick of jackfruit with 4 pieces costs SGD1.70. One small bottled water costs SGD1.20-1.50 in Food Republic so be sure to bring water with you at all times. Buy water in the supermarket where it's cheaper. Bring reusable water bottles with you so you can buy one big bottle and refill your individual bottles before leaving the hotel. 

Fresh fruit shakes costs SGD4.50 and half of the small glass is ice. If you need to buy juice, buy them at Bugis where it's cheaper. Costs start at SGD1 for the carrot juice. Our favorite is soursop/guyabano which costs SGD2-2.50. 

You can also buy snacks at Bugis Village. My BFF's favorite is prata with sausage. Mine is fried mushrooms. There are several other options as well. 

Bugis Village, Bugis Street Market and Bugis Junction

Let's talk about Bugis Street Market first. The market mainly features Chinese fortune tellers. On the sides are Chinese shops selling Chinese dried delicacies, food, charms and other Chinese products. There's a building with a food court in the basement and several shops. There's also a CD shop here if you're looking for some movies or music. 

There's a department store that sells pretty much anything that a department store sells including toys and kid's stuff. They sell bags and clothes as well but the prices are regular. They were holding a sale outside their building when we got there but they were mostly little girl clothes so we didn't bother to look.

Bugis Street Market connects to Bugis Village. You can't miss it as there's a big sign on the facade. Bugis Village is my favorite as this is where I can buy my juices. (I need a steady supply of fresh veg and fruit juices as I'm healing and destroying a cyst.)

You can also buy some fresh, sliced fruits at a cheaper price here. When we went there, the owner gave us a 4 for SGD10 deal. 4 trays of fruits of our choice. I chose 2 pineapple trays, one dragon fruit and one guyabano which I was able to bring all the way to Manila and enjoy for my lunch on my first day back. I think I bought the fruit on Wednesday night and ate it Sunday afternoon and it was still all good!

If you're not going to Chinatown, buy your souvenirs here - t-shirts, magnets, key chains, nail clippers, stickers, etc. There's a store here that sells flag stickers if you're looking. They also sell chocolates here. I avoid the Merlion chocolates as they don't taste good to me. 

Bugis Junction offers more upscale, branded products. We didn't spend a lot of time here. I just went with my BFF to check out some branded items she was looking for. This is air conditioned so if you need to get away from the heat and crowds outside, go here. 

Don't go to Bugis on a weekend as it is packed!

Lucky Plaza

When you say Lucky Plaza, you immediately think Pinoys. There really are a lot of Pinoys in this mall. There are businesses there run by Pinoys. There are also a lot of Indians. If you're looking for cheap shirts, buy them here. There are 3 for $10 deals here. 

Value Dollar is also here. Most items are $1 including US chocolates and a lot of US products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning materials, etc. We bought most of our pasalubong (homecoming gifts) here. 

Exchange your money here if you missed doing that in the airport. They have a better rate than those in the city. 

There's also a Jollibee here, if I'm not mistaken.

If you need help, just approach the Filipinos here and they will be happy to give you directions and insider tips.

If you have allergies and special conditions

If you have trouble eating because of allergies or an illness or if you are a vegan/vegetarian, etc., I suggest you bring a small cooker with you. We brought a blender and an Imarflex travel cooker with us. The cooker conked out on our second night. (Seriously, I am hating Imarflex as my juicer is always broken and it's not even a year old!) Look for another travel cooker or buy the Php300-400 travel cooker on Shopee. I'm just not sure about the quality. You can also buy a travel cooker in Mustafa. That's where I got our replacement. It's really good. I was able to cook pasta, fried rice, eggs, boil stuff, etc. in it. 

As for the JML blender that we brought, it was a thumbs down. It was only useful for fruits but not for carrots which was my main thing. I was only able to use it once. It's good for smoothies though, according to my sister. If cost is not an issue, just go to Bugis and load up on their fresh fruit juices. My only issue with the juices is the sugar. I don't like sugar and if you're sick, sugar is bad for you. 

Also, load up on groceries on your first day there. Trust me, you won't have any time to go there once you start going around the malls and tourist spots. Just go to the supermarket right after you dump your things in the hotel or after you get some rest. 

Stay tuned for more tips!