When in Singapore on business, the best way to soak into the city is to go out for walks and stroll by the bay and Quey after logging off in the evening. I did just that. The first evening, it was the Marina Bay (Read: An Evening Walk in Marina Bay, Singapore), and on the second evening, I turned towards Clarke Quay.
Located on the banks of the Singapore River, Clarke Quay is famous for its eateries and pubs and bars. Perfect place to catch up with friends after a hard day’s work. I strolled up to Boat Quay, a couple of yards ahead, overwhelmed by the thousands of colourful lights that had lit up the buildings, bridges, promenades of the Quay and across. You can opt for a boat ride here and go all the way up to Marina Bay and back. What’s more, there was a live band performing close by. We stopped for a mug of beer parked ourselves at the small seating area and sipped it over some favorite hits of the 80s & 90s. The place had a great choice of drinks, but let me warn you, they are very expensive. That one mug I sipped was for S$20. That’s for the beer, music, ambience and the lights, I concluded. But worth every penny…
By now, my colleagues had joined me, and we headed towards Jumbo Seafood, the famous seafood restaurant in Clarke Quay. Remember this, when it comes to good food, you will never be short of choices in Singapore. Taking that further, when it comes to sea-food, even more so. After our feast at the Makansutra Gluttons Bay last evening, Clark Quay would be our haunt this evening. And so, we went on a rampage. The manager at Jumbo Seafood told us to wait for about 30 min — a 30 mins wait on week day? What is the probability of getting a table on a weekday then, we wondered. We didn’t wait though. We ran to the next famous place there – Harry’s!
Why should you waste time waiting when Harry’s is right next door, we reasoned. The famous Singapore chain lives up to its reputation as one of the most popular hangouts in the area. Excellent service, even more excellent location right overlooking the river – we ordered a tower of beer with some snacks. Food is quite average here – we ordered a Satay which was decent though. But we majorly saved our appetites for the feast next door…
Back at the Jumbo Seafood after 30 min of Harry;s, we started off with local Tiger beer followed by fried prawns in cereals. The prawns weren’t a great choice as the batter was really sweet. Then came the dish we were drooling for – Pepper Fried Crabs and Chili Crabs. The former was one of the best I have had, perfectly cooked, succulent with adequate flavor of peppe. The latter, Chili Crabs, were served with the traditional buns and was good, but not as good as the one we had at the Bay area the day before. Shark Fin soup and mixed fried rice completed what turned out to be a very heavy meal indeed. Overall, a must do and a must have when you are in Singapore.
Without any room for any more food, we walked back to our hotel to call it a day, a beautiful, gastronomically rewarding day. Nay, evening 😀
I can totally relate to you. Did something very similar when I had been there for work .
🙂 the place charms doesn’t it?