Amara Singapore • Jiak & Jalan Walking Tour

Conveniently situated in the Central Business District at the heart of Tanjong Pagar, Amara Singapore is the flagship hotel of the brand. Featuring 389 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, the hotel offers a wide array of dining options, wellness facilities, and flexible meeting spaces. The Club rooms and suites provide exclusive benefits, including access to the Club Lounge, enhancing the guest experience. Connected to the lively 100AM retail mall and office tower, Amara Singapore boasts numerous dining, retail, and entertainment options nearby, making it an ideal base for exploring the city.

Amara Singapore, the renowned 38-year-old hotel located in the heart of Tanjong Pagar, announces the completion of its extensive transformation. After an 11-month phased renovation, the hotel is thrilled to reveal its refreshed spaces and new guest experiences.

In collaboration with Studio HBA, a division of Hirsch Bedner Associates, the comprehensive transformation includes a redesign of the hotel’s guest rooms, public areas, meeting spaces, ballrooms, and dining venues.

Every element of the renovation has been carefully executed to enhance the guest experience, seamlessly combining modern aesthetics with traditional warmth. The new design draws inspiration from the vibrant culture of Tanjong Pagar, honoring the city’s rich heritage while embracing its contemporary cosmopolitan spirit. We enjoyed the expanse of the swimming pool area and also conducted a nice exercise regime at their modern gym.

Rooms & Accommodation

With sustainability as a priority, the room features motion sensor lighting, air conditioning, and filtered drinking water taps, all aligned with eco-friendly themes. The design exudes warmth and clean lines, focusing on comfort within a spacious area and equipped with modern bathroom facilities, including a refreshing rain shower. It offers a cozy modern retreat where all needs are met, providing a perfect escape to relax after a demanding week.

We stayed in a lovely Deluxe Room at Amara Singapore with Club Access and the experiential stay provided nodes of relaxation, focus, re-purpose, heritage and rest, as we relaxed with wine, small bites and cocktails after our afternoon local tour exploration. The room amenities and Club access on the 17th floor of Amara Singapore (with daily reception and drinks) provided for an enjoyable stay in this lovely Tanjong Pagar precinct, as we partake our refreshing breakfast in a serene cityscape overlooking the city.

“As a cornerstone of Singapore’s hospitality landscape for over three decades, Amara Singapore has earned a quiet reputation for its dedication to providing exceptional serviceand unforgettable experiences. The completion of our transformation underscores our commitment to evolving with the times while preserving the essence of that which hasmade us a cherished destination for both local and international guests. We look forward to introducing new experiences that cater to the modern business and leisure traveller, through a line-up of exciting partnerships that will connect our guests with the local community,”shares Dawn Teo, Chief Operation Officer of Amara Holdings.

To enrich the guest experience at the hotel, Amara Singapore is introducing a collection of curated Singapore Heritage Experiences. At the hotel’s Cafe Oriental, which offers delicious local cuisine in a modern atmosphere, guests can enjoy the nuances of local “kopi” (coffee) and “teh” (tea) traditions while learning the art of traditional popiah making. Popiah, introduced to Singapore by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century, features a filling made from a variety of julienned vegetables such as turnips, carrots, bean sprouts, and lettuce, along with diced eggs and prawns, all wrapped in a thin, paper-like crepe.

For those interested in the area’s rich history, an exclusive walking tour, guided by professional guides who were once involved in the city’s gang culture, provides a fascinating insight into Singapore’s grittier past and the transformation of the vibrant district. We embarked on such a lovely tour arranged by Amara Singapore, termed the Jiak & Jalan (which literally means Eat & Walk) Walking Food Tour.

Jiak & Jalan Walking Food Tour

On this memorable food-centric food trial that takes us through the charming streets of Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, the guided 3-hour food trial with expert Singapore-based tour guide, Alvin Chiong, brought us perspective and purpose as he took us through the paces where past and present meet, where heritage, stories, food and culture is interwoven with the intricacies of alleys, streets and special unique food spots and Singapore's awesome landmarks and secret thoroughfares.

"The Jiak and Jalan Walking Food Tour

A true Singapore-centric tour, Highly Recommended!"

Rosette Media Panel Rating : 9/10

Amara Singapore is nested within the dynamic precinct of what we call the Singapore Chinatown environs; we made a series of pit-stops along our walking tour, including Tg Pagar Road, Maxwell Food Centre, Ann Siang Hill Park, Water Wells in Chinatown, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Upper Cross Street, Jamae (Chulia) Mosque, Sri Mariamman Temple, Chinatown Complex and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple before heading back to our starting point at Amara Singapore.

Tour Highlight

One of the many stories shared by Alvin, showcased Thian Hock Keng (Temple of Heavenly Happiness), Singapore's oldest Hokkien temple which began as a simple shrine in the 1820s for Fujian immigrants to thank the Sea Goddess Mazu for safe voyages, evolving into a grand structure built without nails between 1839-1842 by wealthy merchants like Tan Tock Seng and serving as a vital community hub, clan office, and national monument symbolizing Hokkien resilience and heritage in Singapore.

Built by skilled artisans, featuring elaborate stone, wood, and tile work, with phoenix and dragon motifs, this temple was constructed with contributions, labor, and materials from different groups (Chinese craftsmen, Indian community) along with British/European influence, as opined by Alvin, thus reflecting a multicultural effort in the early 19th century, highlighting the significance of community bonding and unity, to blend into the harmonious and cultural ethos of the Uniquely Singapore DNA.

Details like this, are well documented during the "Jiak and Jalan tour", and the presence of bats hanging upside down at distinct ceiling sections of the temple add to the mystique of the temple, as it directly correlates to the the main altar, with a large bronze incense burner in the middle of the temple and covered with lucky symbols like bats (bats are called "fu" in Chinese which sounds like "luck").

We captured amazing photo-worthy shots encapsulating the rich history of Singapore's past heritage along the unique landmarks and pit-stops, where Alvin shared the city landscape and park history, culture and clans, race and religion, unity and harmony, struggles and challenges of a glorious past as unique indicators of Singapore's nation-building heritage. Amazing heart-felt stories were shared as we toured past captivating murals, adorned by talent artists, to capture the fascinating tapestry of editorials and imagery of Singapore's fore-fathers, a rich historical perspective.

Local Food Trail : Maxwell Food Centre

We were showcased many delightful Singapore dishes from unique food stalls at both Maxwell Food Centre and Chinatown Complex, and had the opportunity to truly dine like a Singaporean local. We tried the "kueh pie tee" a popular Peranakan snack featuring a crispy, edible pastry cup filled with a savory mix of braised jicama (turnip) and prawns, often topped with egg, chili sauce, and fresh coriander, offering a delightful balance of textures and flavors and also sampled "popiah", a popular Southeast Asian fresh spring roll, originating from China's Fujian province, featuring a thin crepe wrapper filled with savory ingredients like braised jicama (turnip), carrots, eggs, lettuce, bean sprouts, and sometimes meat or shrimp, often topped with peanuts, fried shallots, sauce, and herbs, offering a mix of textures and flavors in a customizable, snackable format.

We then sampled the "Fuzhou oyster cake", affectionately known as "UFO" due to its circular, domed shape; it is a traditional deep-fried fritter from the Fuzhou region of China and is characterized by a thin, crispy outer shell and a soft, savory filling typically consisting of fresh oysters, minced pork, prawns, and Chinese celery or coriander. Alvin then brought us an "Appam", a beloved South Indian and Sri Lankan fermented rice pancake in Singapore, renowned for its lacy, crispy edges and a soft, fluffy center. It is a popular breakfast or snack item, typically served with grated coconut and orange palm sugar (Gula Melaka) and we tried the one from Mr. Appam (prepared by a Vietnamese lady, a renowned name in the food industry, and her stall has numerous variants of the dish.

Local Food Trail : Chinatown Complex

When we arrived at Chinatown, Alvin sat us down in a quiet breezy corner with good attention to details, on ensuring we had seats, serviettes and wet tissue, to commence our hawker centre local food experience - indeed very thoughtful and professional!

First order of the day here was a plate of "Hainanese Chicken Rice" - a world-renowned dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice, considered the national dish of Singapore with its origins from the immigrants from Hainan, China, who adapted their traditional "Wenchang chicken" recipe using local Southeast Asian ingredients. Next, we had "satay" (pronounced as sate)'; it's popular in Southeast Asia - a dish of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat, traditionally cooked over a charcoal fire. It originated on the Indonesian island of Java, inspired by Middle Eastern kebabs introduced by traders.

We tried the "Hokkien Mee" a special and popular Southeast Asian noodle dish, featuring yellow noodles and rice vermicelli stir-fried with prawns, squid, pork, and egg, heavily flavored by a rich prawn and pork broth, often served with sambal chili and a calamansi lime for a tangy kick. It's a classic hawker food, originating from Hokkien immigrants in China, known for its savory, smoky wok hei (breath of the wok) bursting with powerful flavors, enhanced by crispy pork lard and aromatic ingredients - the stall that Alvin ordered from, was truly wonderful!

Our last dish was the "Braised duck meat', a tender, flavorful dish prepared by slow-cooking duck in a seasoned liquid, often featuring soy sauce, spices, and aromatics. Popular across various cuisines, it is most notably a staple in Teochew and Hokkien cooking, where it is known as Lor Ark; I love the way that the meat was being prepared, so tender and tasty!

Alvin brought us a bowl of Chengdol - a traditional Southeast Asian iced dessert that is celebrated for its refreshing qualities in tropical climates and is comprised of green jelly strands that are made from rice flour or mung bean starch and flavored/colored with green pandan leaf juice, coconut milk, palm sugar (Gula Melaka) and shaved Ice - simply heavenly!

For drinks, Alvin gave us the flexibility to order what we liked, so we ordered a nice refreshing Teh-O with Ice (basically black tea with sugar, nice and refreshing on a hot day), along with Sugarcane juice (another refreshing cold drink). All participants on the tour will typically get to sample at least 6 iconic local dishes and your choice of local beverage, and for larger tour groups, they get to try more options.

Alvin is truly an experienced tour-guide and is himself a celebrity, with a powerful knowledge of the local street terrain, a plethora of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultural highlights and was able to draw from his rich past and experience (with extensive research) to explain and to share authentic stories; the rationale and character of the places and food that we visited and tasted, with a deep sense and knowledge of the Singapore local food culture.

Tickets

• $120 per adult

• $60 per child (Children under 6 years old have free admission)

Tour Booking Details

9 Amara Singapore, Concierge Desk, L1

+65 6879 2555

singapore@amarahotels.com

Cafe Oriental

The menu at Café Oriental offers an ideal introduction to local cuisine, featuring a flavorful selection of Singapore’s most iconic dishes along with its unique local coffee. With offerings such as the delightfully crispy kueh pie tee, the rich and aromatic laksa, and the beloved traditional nasi lemak, their menu delivers a concise yet satisfying taste of the city's culinary heritage. One fine evening, we took the opportunity to sample an array of dishes from their menu: Golden Collagen Seafood PaoFan along with XO Fish Noodles soup, Sweet Sour Pork, Teh Tarik and Cengdol as an accompaniement dessert dish, a local favourite - such a satisfying and delicious meal!

Element

This all-day dining venue offers a diverse menu featuring global cuisine, with a focus on European-inspired dishes, fresh grills, and seafood. Enter its welcoming and cozy setting, where guests can indulge in a straightforward, hearty buffet inspired by international flavors from morning until evening. We had a lovely morning breakfast buffet, a wonderful spread prepared with love and care from the amazing culinary team!

Accolades

We would like to share our appreciation with the amazing team at Amara Singapore, including GM Gordon Aeria, Jill and Deirdre from Marketing, Cheryl and Andre from We Comms, Muz - check in and Winston - checkout from the Front Office department and Nur on the club floor lounge at Level 17, and lastly, Alvin, our amazing tour guide!

Hotel Booking Information

For more information.. https://singapore.amarahotels.com/

165 Tanjong Pagar Road 088539 Singapore Singapore

+65 6879 2626

+65 9248 0475