Originally Posted by
idaud
I might check out the Naumi hotel - any views on this?
It's right around the corner from the Intercon apparently and so presumably benefits from a great location but looks like it has a more boutiquey feel - might just tick the box.
Wan1dap, Hawaiio, jpatokal - does that sound like a plan? You all seem confident that the location fits my bill and your descriptions sound promising - ie mixture of locals and tourists, "local" food as well as malls close by etc. Plenty of street side action/ people traffic etc as I walk out of the hotel right? Are there cafes etc outside the malls as well or just in them?
Thanks everyone - all these specific questions WILL make my choice of location a better one I am sure - just want to get the most out of my trip and hate it when following the status quo ends up in a lesser experience.
Naumi's location is very good for exploring the area. It's close to the Raffles for the Singapore Sling if that is what you are after, and you're also close to Raffles City if you need a bit of A/C after walking along the street. You're kind of in the middle between the Bugis area and also the Marina bay area, which means u can pretty much walk to and from the major attractions nearby.
Naumi is located on Seah Street, which is right beside Raffles Hotel. The next street, Purvis Street has plenty of local offerings which I personally enjoy. Just to give you a preview of the local food you might find within 20 metres of Naumi Hotel...
If you walk down the small street next to Naumi hotel, that would being you to Purvis Street facing Chin Chin REstaurant and YY Kafeidian. Chin Chin sells some of the best Chicken rice around. Both the roast chicken and the poached chicken are equally good. You may also want to try the Hainanese pork chop at Chin Chin as well. It's different from the Western style pork chop one might be used to.
Opposite Chin Chin is another chicken rice shop called Yet Con. I don't like the chicken rice here as much, but this place is really really retro. It's exactly what I would expect a Singapore restaurant/eating place would be like 30 years ago. Very old school, certainly worth a look.
Next to Chin Chin is another coffee shop called YY Kafeidian. This place does sell chicken rice too, but they are better known for their soft kaya buns. You can come here for a local breakfast of 2 eggs, kaya toast (or kaya bun) and local coffee/tea. If you look at the
Google Streetview, you'll see a couple of tables set up alongside the walkway. That's YY Kafeidian.
Btw, there's a pretty decent Thai restaurant opposite Chin Chin as well - First Thai, if you ever feel like having Thai food instead.