Day Out in Singapore: Geylang Area

Before coming to Singapore, most tourists would have already heard of Geylang. Unfortunately, it is notorious for being a red light district in orderly and strict Singapore. However, that doesn't mean that you should avoid the area. The lanes are clearly segregated with the brothels located at the even numbered lanes. Just tick to the odd numbered lanes and it will be fine.

The main reason for coming to Geylang is definitely to try the local food. There are lots of variety here and the prices are reasonable too. For those who are looking for cheap accommodation in Singapore, you will find that hotels in Geylang offer some of the best rates although the location is central.

Along the Geylang Road, you will also discover many stalls selling the king of fruits, the durian. You can choose from the many types of durian depending on your preferred taste, sweet or bitter. Once you have chosen the durian, the stall owner will open it up for you and voila, you can sample the durian on the spot! Besides durian, do try the other local fruits like mangosteen and rambutans if it is the right season.

One of my favourite foodie haunts at Geylang is located at 126 Sims Ave. This place serves mostly dim sum but you can also select other options such as noodles and otak-otak. Besides the usual dim sum, the simple restaurant also offers unique creations such as the crab meat siew mai and fried prawn and mango roll.

The best way to try more varieties of dim sum is to come with a big group of friends. That way, you can try the glutinous rice, the baos, the siew mais, the har kaos, the porridge, the chee cheong fan and lots more. On average, a typical meal has cost me about SGD20 per person. Pretty affordable and it will be impossible to try dim sum at Orchard Road at this price. Note though that you should not expect the same level of service or atmosphere.

Other interesting food to try in the Geylang area, would be the frog leg porridge, beef kway teow (flat noodles) and chow taufu (fried fermented bean curd). If these foods all sound foreign to you and you are up for an adventure, take the challenge to explore Geylang and try the numerous stalls found along the main road or the lanes (lorong in Malay). Enjoy the tour and bon appétit!