In Transit: UNEKUAL’s Guide To Singapore

A flagship store recommendation? Seriously? Yes, absolutely. 

Part of Audemars Piguet’s more elevated ‘AP House’ retail concept, this outpost in Singapore is the 20th such store the brand has unveiled globally - joining sister locations in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, New York, London and beyond. 

Having the additional benefit of a sub-let inside the legendary Raffles, AP House Singapore actually resides within the space previously occupied by the hotel’s Bar & Billiard room: inviting visitors into an airy, residence-like environ sprawled across 11,000 sqft. 

The Maison has put this palatial footprint to good use, incorporating the usual suite of client playpens, such as the aforementioned billiards table and a dedicated lounge for vinyl lovers.

It wouldn’t be right to say that the modern AP catalogue - of Offshores, 41mm Royal Oaks and CODE 11.59 complications - isn’t a focal point, yet it is noteworthy how much the traditional retail experience accounts for just one aspect of your visit here. 

True to Singapore’s (in)famous reputation as a culinary capital, this particular House is home to the first ever “AP Café”: an all-day dining concept serving classic Swiss fare “through a Singaporean lens”. You may have had rӧsti in Le Brassus before, but the version here - cooked up by the same team behind modern Australian eatery Burnt Ends - is something else entirely.

Affiliated with Ian Schrager’s New York and Shanghai-based hotels of the same name, the Singapore edition of the… EDITION also happens to be a favoured haunt of local watch collectors.

Whether that comes down to the spa, signature ‘Punch Room’ bar concept, or even just the custom Le Labo-made scent wafting throughout the space is anybody’s guest - likely all of the above. 

Situated on a leafy stretch of Orchard Road - at the very heart of Singapore’s city centre - a stay here comes strongly recommended, especially if you crave relief from sensory overload. Despite the EDITION brand’s reputation for all-hours conviviality, most of the hotel’s private and transitory spaces are a textbook study in minimalism.

Guestrooms are blanketed in soothing tones of taupe and cream, and the majority of the hotel’s 204 keys open onto views of its lushly planted interior courtyard - envisioned by Safdie Architects as a “sunken garden”. 

The firm’s dramatic urban interventions continue on the hotel rooftop: at one end, occupied by sun loungers and a much photographed 43-metre pool. Practiced swimmers will be rewarded with an exhilarating, fisheye POV of the sunken garden below - visible through a transparent oculus carved into the bottom.

Named, in part, for the Connery-era Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), this sultry lounge - in the heritage-rich neighbourhood of Tanjong Pagar - is “an ode to mid-century Japan”. Fittingly, the two specialties here are meticulously crafted cocktails and izakaya-inspired food items - such as the popular trio of katsu sandos.

Like its more famous sibling venue, Jigger & Pony, Live Twice’s appeal rests firmly in the quality of its beverage menu. Gimmickry for gimmickry’s sake isn’t high on the agenda; and that is reflected in the bar’s succinct three-part menu, split as between classics, more modern signatures and a couple of choice seasonal recipes.

Travellers looking for a pick-me-up in Singapore’s sticky tropical heat should start with a ‘Cacao Fizz’ or ‘Summer Soiree’. And if you fancy yourself a big drinker? Try the ‘Vesper’, a.k.a. the original James Bond Martini. This version is shaken until fatally delicious: with “‘navy strength” gin, Elyx vodka and an L'Aéro d'Or aperitif wine distilled, of all places, in Switzerland.

Well-known in collecting circles as one of the principal forces behind Singapore Watch Club, Tom Chng is also nominally in charge of Pygmalion: a museum-grade space where enthusiasts of Audemars Piguet can learn about, and in many situations purchase, the brand’s historic references.  

Described as having “one of the most extensive collections of vintage Audemars Piguet timepieces in the world”, Pygmalion also utilises this impressive inventory to put on an array of thematic exhibitions. The current show is titled ‘First And Only’, and consists exclusively of watches - and pocket watches - with cases numbered ‘1’.

Even if you’re chiefly in the gallery to window shop, this exhibition has some seriously unforgettable highlights. Just a few of UNEKUAL’s favourites include one of the 48 cushion-cased ‘John Shaeffer’ minute repeaters, in addition to the “first bi-metal” incarnation of the Ref. 5402BA ‘Jumbo’.

Appointments are essential - and can be made through Pygmalion’s website.

Michelin stars are all well and good - Singapore has 52 starred venues in the Guide, matter of fact - but if you want to catch the vibe of the +65, what better place to do it than in one of the 100-plus hawker centres dotted across Singapore?

An integral part of the city-state’s national identity, hawker centres have been popular since the mid-20th century. In 2016, businesses operating in the Chinatown Complex and Crawford Lane were the first street food vendors to be awarded Michelin stars - both typical examples of the open-air “community dining rooms” that are a staple in Singaporean dining culture.

Visitors based in the city usually opt to check out Maxwell Centre, but if you’ve got enough time on your hands, take the MRT south to the area of Bukit Merah: home to Tiong Bahru Market. Named for the surrounding, leafy neighbourhood, this hawker centre is home to some 200 individual stalls - a handful of which have been in business since the ‘60s.

Hong Heng serves up a quintessentially Singaporean take on Hokkien Mee: yellow noodles stir-fried with squid, prawns and crispy lardon. For an option with vetted industry chops, try Tiong Bahru Hainanese Chicken Rice - specialists in Singapore’s most famed national dish (and recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand).

Finally, those keen to embrace lesser seen regional specialties should save room to sample Lor Mee 178. Per the name, this stall’s signature is a decadent bowl of saucy noodles, fully loaded with fish cakes, pork belly and - should you request it - nuggets of literal sharkmeat.