Thing To Do & See

Madras New Woodlands

Another excellent vegetarian joint dishing up some huge portions (if you ever wondered how vegetarians get fat, here’s your answer) on banana leaves. The thalis are vast and truly magnificent, and need at least half an hour to finish, if you can finish them at all. The service is friendlier and more accommodating towards confused foreigners than many of the Little India eateries.

Golden Mile Complex

Singapore's Little Thailand. Forget all the fancy restaurants with their Buddha statues and cultural knick-knacks, if you want real Thai food, brave the stumbling drunken Isaan workers in this seedy old shopping centre for an evening of friendly service, cheap Singha and som tam (spicy papaya salad) like mother used to make. It's uniformly superb (the north-east Thai food is best), but the Nong Khai Food & Beer Garden on the ground floor is particularly good.

Din Tai Fung

One of the best restaurants in the country, Din Tai Fung is the first Singapore branch of Taiwan’s oldest dumpling and noodle chain. The food here, carefully prepared by the large team of chefs visible through the full-length glass of the kitchen, is nothing short of unbelievable. Among the highlights, and worth savouring, is the simple pork and shrimp dumpling soup in a delicate broth, while the fried rice, delicately flavoured with spring onion, is superb. A must visit.