The insiders: Singapore

Audra Morrice, MasterChef finalist and catering specialist, reveals her travel tips for Singapore.

Audra Morrice, chef, caterer and ambassador for the Singapore Tourism Board.

Audra Morrice, MasterChef finalist and catering specialist, reveals her travel tips for Singapore.

GO:Singapore is all about food. The scene is vibrant and a reflection of the nation’s multiculturalism, offering everything from inexpensive hawker fare to high-end cuisine. Some of the world’s best chefs, including many from Australia such as David Thompson, Ryan Clift, Matt Abe and David Pynt, and of course Tetsuya Wakuda, have opened restaurants. Every trip back draws me to the food I grew up eating; yoursingapore.com.

EXPLORE: The way to see the real Singapore is to jump on the MRT, hop off at various stations and walk around areas such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. The best time to visit is during festive periods such as Chinese New Year when streets are closed to traffic and lit with red lanterns. If you’re lucky you’ll see lion dancers giving their blessings for good business, luck and fortune. Wet markets in Ghim Moh, Holland Drive, Tekka and Chinatown all offer an array of produce, each targeted at quite different consumers.

EXERCISE:Singapore is known as a “city in a garden’’ with beautiful parks and green spaces. For families, the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden at the Botanic Gardens will allow parents to relax while kids enjoy themselves. There are many trails and treetop walks such as those at MacRitchie Reservoir, Kent Ridge Park and Alexandra Arch. For somewhere more untouched, take the MRT to Tanah Merah station, jump on the No 2 bus to Changi Village, then catch a bumboat to the island of Pulau Ubin; nparks.gov.sg.

LEARN: Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. Visit the Peranakan Museum in Joo Chiat; wander around and you’ll find vibrant and traditional architecture and food showcasing a culture born from intermarriage between Chinese immigrants and Malay families in the 17th century. Another must is the new National Gallery Singapore, which not only has the largest collection of Asian modern art but is located in the beautifully restored former Supreme Court and City Hall; peranakanmuseum.org.sg; nationalgallery.sg.

PERFECT DAY: A local breakfast of fish congee in Chinatown, but leave space for morning tea of Maxwell Road Hawker Centre’s delicious spiral pastry curry puffs, then pop by Madras Woodlands restaurant in Little India for dosas, settle in for afternoon tea at the Fullerton Bay Hotel and have dinner at Lolla in Ann Siang Hill. Finish the night sipping cocktails and taking in the view at Sky on 57, Marina Bay Sands. For 2am cravings, head to Adam Road Food Centre and order mee goreng or roti prata.

Audra Morrice, a finalist on MasterChef Australia 2012, is a catering specialist in Sydney and a judge on MasterChef Asia. Her book My Kitchen, Your Table was published in 2015 and she is an ambassador for the Singapore Tourism Board; audramorrice.com.au.