SINGAPORE TRAVEL 2022: my fave local foods, activities to do in Singapore [SG Vlog Ep. 1]

Welcome to day one of my Singapore vlog! I woke up probably at like 6am because of jet lag, and then I made my boyfriend and I this platter of fruit. We went outside for a quick stretch, you know, still feeling kind of sore from the plane, and then we got ready to go out to get brunch with my dad and little brother. If you watched the first part of this series, you would know that I actually grew up in Singapore, so this is one of my favorite brunch places from when I lived here. The location is so pretty and it overlooks the streets of Orchard. I love the outdoor seating. I got this iced latte with almond milk. It's actually cold brew ice cubes and they serve hot milk. I kept spilling it everywhere. Everything on their menu is amazing, but this is probably one of my favorite dishes. I also like the version that has salmon instead, but I was really craving some mushrooms and prosciutto. Look at that drip. Oh, so good. And the bread is so soft and fluffy. My boyfriend, Niko, got the shishuka, which was also really good, and they gave us this really cute takeout container that just had like a big egg on it. Then we walked to the grocery store. A really cool part about Singapore is a lot of the malls are actually underground and they're all air-conditioned, so Singapore is extremely hot and it's nice to come inside to these beautiful modern malls where it's just cold and refreshing. Then we got to the store and I didn't realize they had these really cute rolling baskets. I don't know. I've never seen this before, so maybe this is just a Singapore thing. Another thing I love about Singapore is how cheap and good quality the sushi is. I got salmon belly for nine Singapore dollars, which equals about seven USD. Also, this is my favorite green tea. It's so good. But brunch kept me pretty full, so I only really wanted a snack because honoring that fullness. And then we went out for a walk in Chinatown. You know, I mentioned honoring your fullness. I think a big part of intuitive eating and repairing your relationship with food is also just like accepting when you're hungry, you're hungry. When you're full, you're full. So you don't have to eat at specific times of day. You can really come back and have a snack at any time of day, even late at night. Stopped at the fruit market and got some rambutan. Also, Nico was like, what is that horrible smell? And it was durian, which is so funny. If you've ever been to Singapore, you would know. And then we shared this passion fruit mango smoothie, which was just so good and so refreshing. After the market, we met up with my sister and we went on a bike ride in East Coast Park. So we started here and you can rent bikes for about ten dollars an hour. We biked to Marina Bay Sands and I'll pull up a map to show you the route to take if you ever visit Singapore. But it only took us about 40 minutes and that was with stopping for photos. Something I've been realizing while on this trip is that sometimes the best exercise are the ones that don't feel hard to do. Like some things that are just more fun, like walking, going on a bike ride. And it just serves as a reminder that you don't have to go to the gym to get a workout in. Then we took the train and this is a classic Singaporean thing. Feeling super hungry after our little bike ride, we went to Swee Chun, which my sister's boyfriend is a local and he recommended this place. It's really affordable dim sum. So many options, so good and local. It's actually not bad. It's kind of good. It tastes more banana though than anything. It's just like banana and then like meat texture. But yeah, this is probably some of the best dim sum I've had and I'll put some of the prices on the screen just so you can understand how affordable it really is. But I tried so many new things that I haven't tried before. They also had truffle xiaolongbao on the menu and it was really good. I personally like to just shove the dumpling in my mouth. I know you're supposed to bite it and drink the soup, but I kind of like when it just pops in my mouth. It's so good. Also chili wontons. Fell in love with egg yolk buns. I haven't had this before, but the fried ones are amazing. And then of course, had an egg tart. Super basic outfit because I know I'm going to sweat and we're just going out for like casual sushi. Also, we went swimming last night and I was way too tired to wash my hair so I just rinsed and it looks kind of greasy, but that's okay. I'm gonna tie it up. We're in Singapore anyways. You know, I'm gonna get even greasier. I mentioned you can get grocery store sushi for super cheap and super good quality. We went to Takashimaya and they had a huge selection. It was honestly really hard to pick what we wanted. Looking outside. So pretty. We both worked a lot in the morning and had a platter of fruit for breakfast. I also made myself some kaya toast, which is my favorite Singaporean breakfast. Good morning. It's day three. I have been doing work all morning. I actually had a meeting at like 7am, but I woke up at 5. And now that I finished work, me and Nico are gonna go get lunch. Probably go to this place. It's called the American Club and it's where a lot of expats go actually. We're not members anymore, but my aunt is. So we're gonna go with my aunt and get some American food in Singapore. Putting on some sunscreen because even when it gets cloudy outside, the sun can be quite intense. I'm using this Elta MD sunscreen. It's my favorite and it's the best. Our room is just getting progressively messier as we unpack our bags. Okay, enough talking. Let's go get some food. This is one of my favorite meals in Singapore. It's a chicken caesar wrap from the American Club. I always get sweet potato fries and extra caesar dressing. It just hits the spot. I was also craving a chocolate chip cookie, so I went to the cafe and I got myself one. Crazy reflecting on how the old me was always so hesitant to get like a cookie right after lunch, but chocolate chip cookies are my comfort dessert. Nico wanted a snack and he wanted to try more hawker food, so we went and got roasted duck. I also have never tried roasted duck, so this was my first time and it was so good and so moist. It kind of tasted like a sour apple, but it had more of a dense consistency, not as crisp. Also wanted to show you guys how nice public bathrooms are in Singapore. On the way home, I stopped and bought onde onde, which is an Indonesian dessert. It's made with pandan, coconut, and brown sugar. For dinner, we had homemade beef rendang and I also had a side salad and the sweet jasmine green tea that I showed earlier. For dessert, I had my onde onde. It has a glutinous texture and in the middle is actually the gula melaka, which is palm sugar. I had the four that were left in the packet and I love that it's not too sweet. It is one of my favorite desserts in Singapore and if you come, you have to try it. I just think the flavors are so interesting and unique. Also had some leftover froyo, but I feel like this is the perfect time to talk about what it's like to be back in my hometown after three years of not being here. I'm sure a lot of teenagers go through this, not just young girls, but I was a bit of a perfectionist when it came to food. That was actually good. Not bad, but I put too much sauce. Part of it was that I wasn't fully secure in myself and my abilities, so I turned to controlling food as a way of controlling my life and myself. And like a lot of girls, I struggled with body image and I took that out on myself by restricting myself of food. So it's crazy coming back when I'm now in a place of self-love and acceptance. I feel so confident in myself and my relationship with food. So it's been so nice reflecting on this trip, how far I've come, getting to eat all my old fear foods, all the foods that I loved but I stopped myself from eating. Anyways, after showing Nico what a local breakfast in Singapore can look like, we went to the MRT and everyone lines up, which is so cool. You never see that in the U.S. I feel like I'm also noticing all the small things that I never noticed while living here. Another one that is really noticeable but I never appreciated was that there's trees growing on the side of every single road. I think it's just so pretty and provides natural shade. I love it. Then we went to Henderson Waves, which is a really cool bridge that connects the parks on the southern ridges. Here's how I build the perfect bite for chicken rice. First, I put some of the fragrant rice in a spoon. Then I grab some chicken and I drizzle dark soy sauce on top. It's like a sweet soy sauce as well as some chili and then take a bite. So good. This is hands down my favorite Singaporean dish. When I'm eating chicken rice, I also like to grab some of the rice and dip it in the soup and it's so comforting. This is also the perfect meal for when you're feeling sick. My boyfriend Nico wanted to try some more food so I got us some bao. I got char siu, red bean, and I also got some shumai. Shumai is pork and shrimp and they're also sometimes eaten for breakfast. Red bean bao is my favorite but I wanted him to try char siu because a lot of my friends love it as well. Came home and had another red bean bao and if you've never had it before, it's kind of like a sweet paste. Then Nico and I went for a late afternoon swim. We've been swimming I think every day because of how hot it is here. Also, it's just so fun and relaxing. For dinner, we had Thai chicken basil and for dessert, I had Boom Chicka Pop popcorn while watching a movie. That's it for episode one of the Singapore vlogs. Stay tuned for episode two where I'll talk about how I stay fit on vacation while eating out and also how I've incorporated my fear foods into my daily diet because for some, it's healthy to reduce sugar but for others like me who have struggled with restrictive eating, it's healthier to incorporate those foods in a balanced way. Remember to like and subscribe and I'll see you guys next time.