uk1

That's the building. I think it stunning.

Wan1dap

The food poisoning case at Man Fu Yuan at the IC is well documented. They had to close the restaurant for a while. 400 cases and a fine of S$20,000.

YuropFlyer

Thanks, Googled it up

Funnily enough, the restaurant gets good reviews on "mostly foreigner" websites like Tripadvisor, where the reviews from locals (on SG-local versions) are just average.

I'm refraining from eating at "expensive" restaurants in Singapore anyway. Hawker food all the way, with the occasional 40-50S$ meal in between when I like something "better" (not that the food is..)

IAN-UK

It is: honest.

Perhaps worth a visit - but only to appreciate the true awfulness of too many people taking too many selfies.

Safer to admire it and marvel from afar

robyng

I can't go halfway around the world and not take a look at the world's most expensive building :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands

If only to see whether the owners got their money's worth . OTOH - your advice to avoid it on weekends makes sense.

What about Sentosa? I especially like the name of this "art" exhibit there - the Trick Eye Museum:

http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en...TrickeyeMuseum

FWIW - I am a completely unabashed tourist when I travel. Although I always try to respect local customs and am too old to be into selfies.

I did look up that food poisoning situation mentioned above. It happened during some pretty large catering events. Almost sounded like a food poisoning episode on a cruise ship (seems that norovirus was the culprit).

OTOH - eating street food is no guarantee of anything either:

http://thecourtroom.stomp.com.sg/cou...se-of-2-deaths

Nor is eating at really expensive really famous places - even a place that some consider the #1 restaurant in the world:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddr...poisoning.html

Even in countries we consider very safe - including the United States - we do take a few precautions. Like not eating things like raw oysters unless we're 100% sure that they came from clean beds. Not eating large reef fish that are prone to carrying various toxins (this can be an issue where I live). Inspecting with our eyes and other senses (e.g., making sure things at least look clean - and that hot foods are hot - and cold foods are cold). Common sense stuff.

About the only precaution we've taken for our trip to Singapore that we haven't taken before is we got Hep A shots (recommended by our doctor). Robyn

glennaa11

You should definitely check out Gardens by the Bay too. The pavilions are architecturally interesting as are the "super trees", especially when they're lit up at night.

I found myself many evenings in Marina Bay just to photograph the skyline and the weird laser show.

uk1

Robyn,

Only chipping in about Sentosa and generalising about food.

I'd avoided it (Sentosa) year after year knowing in my heart I'd hate it. I was being nagged so relented last year. I was right, I did hate it and so did she. It is lovely when you are proved right.

Whatever you decide, get over really early before it gets packed. In my view a pretty nasty place gets a whole heap nastier when the queues to get in get frantic.

In danger of repeating myself, so sorry. But Singapore, like a few other palces is genuine fusion food when taken as locals eat it. Not restaurants designed to extract cash from high filled wallet visitors, but locals. Singaporeans have stolen the best from each immigrant groups that have entered, and whilst often preserving their own cuisines have without shame stolen from each other and re calibrated. You learn about the people when you share their lunch in places where they eat. Not where rich tourists eat.

Overlay that with hawker stalls handed down through generations day in day out making the same few dishes and specialising in single or a few dishes and you have the potential to experience stuff in halls and centres at almost no cost you will not experience in many restaurants.

Anyone who is a genuine foody and even a cook knows that the more they learn the more they don't know. Singapore is the place to recalibrate and relearn - particularly if you are stemmed in Western rather than Eastern food - but largely at street food or local eating places. High end restaurants have a place - obviously - but are for different people in my view than edgy foodies. It is mostly stuff you can eat in high-end places anywhere in the world.

Just sayin'

SQ325

As i said, the tourist view. Try to get into a train at 8am in Eunos, then you would know.

Never got the experience of not getting through? Or when they put you on hold and will send SMS 10 mins later, that say there is no cab? A regular in the morning rush hour in the surburbs. Luckily i dont depend on public transport.

I have travelled through the most of Asia (incl. India). Twice it caught me seriously. Twice in SIN. First time I dont know where i caught it most likely a hawker . Second time a Korean BBQ in Katong.
SIN is still Asia and it is in the tropics. Visited a wet market?
Most of us living here have their own story about food poising. It is more common here then you think. Even at hawkers.

AA_EXP09

I would say that this is partially necessary as it must also cater to the 500k+ SPR and over 1.5 million work permit holders
Easily replicated in other cities (i.e. HK, London...)

Wan1dap

Definitely don't bypass the excellent restaurants in Singapore. Although there's a "food snob" element here that thinks hawker food is the only real food, it's not. It's perfectly fine for a couple of meals, but is limited at best, and has to be eaten (usually) in crowded, hot and sweaty conditions. It certainly doesn't match the street food in most other Asian cities for new experiences. I prefer to mix it with some more pleasant eating conditions, especially when I'm on holiday. But we're all individuals, so there's no right answer.

SQ319

2 prominent food poisoning cases does not make it a trend.... How many of such prominent cases do you get in a year? Maybe 1? It's just a big issue simply because of the number of persons involved or the severity of the food poisoning case, or the reputation of the restaurant.

Whether food poisoning is common, I would say it's relative... It definitely can't be more common than in the rest of SE Asia, where sanitary and hygiene regulations are not as strict as compared to Singapore.

SQ319

THat's why you should get the GrabTaxi app.

At the risk of cursing myself, I have never gotten food poisoning in Singapore, actually. *touchwoord*

You sound very disgruntled about living in Singapore. Are you Singaporean??

IAN-UK

Nice to read this! I've always felt rather sheepish about my attitude to hawker food: fine to eat on the move and probably a God-send for office-workers, but generally lacking creature comforts and not really what I'm looking for as a visitor in a Big City enviroment.

The first time a Sin-resident friend took me for "the best chicken rice you've ever eaten", i sat, sweating and jet-lagged, on a stool in a very crowded chinatown dump picking at the most boring food I'd tried outside the UK. After that I've been introduced to more comfortable hawker centres with better food, but .... well, still underwhelmed. Let's call it an occasional treat

gailwynand

I have gotten food poisoning once in Singapore. From Pizza Hut. (Don't ask...)

Food poisoning is a non-zero risk for tourists simply because the local bacteria will be new and hygiene practices are adequate but still not 100% up to Western standards.

Also, at MBS I recommend going to the bar at Ku De Ta in the late afternoon. Relatively uncrowded and their Singapore Sling is better than the Raffles..you can check out the view and then go down to the casino if you like. The atmosphere in the casino is exactly like in Macau so you can then spare yourself the trip there!

Wan1dap

Yep, I actually enjoy a good chicken rice, but would I want to eat that type of food in those conditions every day? Absolutely not.