"I grew up in the east side of Singapore and feel most at home around the Marine Parade and Katong area. One place I’d recommend to have lunch at is Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Race in the basement food court of the Katong Shopping Center. Mei Wei is not your typical Hainanese chicken rice as they’ve got really nice side dishes like achar salad and different soups."

"One of my favourite ice cream places is also in the basement of Katong Shopping Centre. It’s called The Humble Scoop, and they do a lot of locally inspired and seasonal flavours that you can’t get elsewhere. Definitely try their 'orh bee good,' which is their take on a traditional pulut hitam dessert made into ice cream. "

"There are always new things popping up on East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road. Besides a range of new restaurants, cafés, and bakeries, there are also a couple of record shops in the area. One of my favorites is Retrocrates. It's owned by a retired couple; they’re really lovely and always supportive of artists. They have a mix of reissues and vintage vinyl and sell players as well."

"Another place for records would be Choice Cuts; it’s literally right next door, and they have a great selection of vinyl, too. They used to have DJs and live sets here as well before the pandemic. As things are opening back up, they’ll probably start having more events again, which I’m sure the community is looking forward to. They do pretty decent coffee and bakes as well, and I like having meetings here whenever I’m in the area. "

"Just a little further down on Joo Chiat Road, you'll find this really fun and quaint store with a well-curated assortment of products like books, gadgets, fashion, gardening, and home products. There's usually a cat roaming around, which might explain the shop's name. I’d recommend it if you're looking for a good place to find gifts."

"Roti Prata is a must-try if you haven’t already had it, and this is one of the best places in Singapore to do so. Sadly the owner passed away recently, but his wife continues to run the stall. It’s still as popular as ever, and you’d need to get there early to get some."

"I started out as a performing musician playing regularly at BluJaz café when they first opened, along with a bunch of other cafes and backpackers' pubs around the area, so I have a lot of fond memories here. There are quite a lot of niche shops and cafes here to check out. There’s also an amazing teh tarik ('pulled' milk tea) stall at Kampong Glam called Bhai sarbat that my frends and I often frequent at night. "

"There are plenty of malls in Singapore, but the Golden Mile Tower and Complex is pretty unique. You can find some great Thai food here, and it also houses The Projector—a refurbished, retro movie theatre where you can catch a well-curated range of independent and foreign films."

"The store owner has been running the label for over a decade now. His designs are mostly inspired by workwear and vintage Americana and Japanese fashion, but I don’t think he really cares about following trends. The materials he chooses are great, and everything is produced in limited quantities. He does great accessories as well, like silverware and custom canvas bags and leatherware."

"I’m not a huge coffee snob myself, but there’s something undeniably magical about how they make their coffee here. They’re incredibly passionate and obsessed about their craft."