Ann Siang Hill happens to be an area I became quite fond of when the company I used to work for was still located in Tanjong Pagar. I would grab a quick dinner at the Maxwell Food Centre, the various Korean restaurants along Tanjong Pagar Road, or in Chinatown, before taking a rest at one of the watering holes on Ann Siang Hill.
I’d always loved the walk to Ann Siang Hill, and the change in scenes. It always felt as though I was chancing upon a “different world”, away from the glassy environment of the skyscrapers right into the heart of an old shophouse district. Except it’s not exactly shophouses in the old sense anymore (as things often make way for the new in Singapore), but rather, shophouses turned cafes, restaurants and bars. Still, the structures remain the same, and I always find myself admiring the designs of these buildings of the olden days no matter how often I’m there.
The seemingly cramped tables at the restaurants, with red and white checkered table cloths always remind me of the smaller restaurants in little streets in Italy. Everyone’s just happy to share the small space to have their own fill of good food, and wine, after a long day’s work.
There’re also several rooftop bars in the area (Ying Yang @ Club Hotel, Breeze @ Scarlet Hotel, La Terraza @ The Screening Room, P.S. Cafe, to name a few). The sunset views on top these places can be pretty incredible. The sun sets over the little houses in Chinatown, as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple lights up in glory. So do the CBD Skyscrapers on the other side, building their presence with lights. Add a glass of martini in hand, and I could officially say “Another workday is over”.
Revisit Ann Siang Hill – check.
