The cool, culturally rich Bugis-Bras Basah district has a very special place in local musician Eugenia Yip's heart. She tells us why
Having attended school (Lasalle College of the Arts) and lived out her music dreams in the neighbourhood, lead vocalist of local bands The Steve McQueens and Riot !n Magenta, Eugenia Yip, knows the Bugis-Bras Basah precinct like the back of her hand. Here, she shows us around her favourite enclave in Singapore, and then some.
I love how…
the Bugis-Bras Basah (BBB) neighbourhood is so chill, even though there are many things going on in the neighbourhood. There’s just a quaint vibe about the district.
Before BBB became a cultural hub…
it had a notorious reputation. After a major cleanup, it’s now home to cool venues like the National Museum of Singapore, Peranakan Museum, and The Substation, which hosts a good number of indie gigs and art installations.
Not many know this, but…
BBB is a bona fide enclave for local delicacies; not just art. My bandmates and I are fans of the roast duck and wanton mee (noodles with dumplings and barbecued pork) at Choo Chiang Roasted Meat Noodle House on Bencoolen Street.
Speaking of local food…
we also love the Mongkok beef hor fun (thick and flat rice noodles with starchy gravy) from Mongkok Kitchen. For great prata and thosai, head to Lakshmi Vilas Restaurant on Wishart Road.
The best way to explore BBB is…
by foot. Arm yourself with a mini portable fan and a huge bottle of water, and then walk! Must-visits include the National Library, Bras Basah Complex, Haji Lane, (all day, through night!) Bussorah Street (there’s a very beautiful mosque in that area called Masjid Sultan), and of course, Blu Jaz Cafe on Bali Lane.
Singapore’s live music scene is…
bursting at the seams! SingJazz Club, Blu Jaz Cafe, Lepark, and The Esplanade are some of the many places in Singapore that host a plethora of local and international acts all year round. Watch out for local musicians like Cashew Chemists, TAJ, The Good Life Project, Charlie Lim, and .gif at these spots.
The Steve McQueens…
performs at Blu Jaz Cafe once every couple of months. The restaurant-bar has a great vibe going. It’s one of the few live jazz music venues in Singapore, and they’ve got different acts playing all the time. The food is great and reasonably priced, plus the music is awesome.
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