Singapore’s Southern Ridges are getting rejuvenated, and here is the best food to eat after a hike there.
The Southern Ridges comprise of 10 kilometres of green space that connects Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park, and and Labrador Nature Reserve. Much of it is done through structures like Henderson Waves bridge, and the Forest Walk and Canopy Walk – elevated paths that snake through the treetops.
Plans are also underway to refresh the Southern Ridges. HortPark and Labrador Nature Park will be turned into thematic destination parks. Additionally, all Southern Ridges parks will eventually be connected to six other parks in the greater vicinity through trails and walkways with unique recreational elements.
It is a lot of ground to cover, and you would probably need food to take on the entire thing. This guide starts from the eastern edge at Mount Faber Park, heads northwest through Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, and Kent Ridge Park, before doubling back to Labrador Nature Reserve. From hawker centres to high-end restaurants, here is the best food around the Southern Ridges.
The best food around the Southern Ridges
Mount Faber Park
Connected to Harbourfront MRT station and bus interchange, Mount Faber Park is the easiest way to access the Southern Ridges. It is one of the oldest parks in Singapore, and provides a panorama of Singapore’s southern islands. It is also connected to Sentosa by the cable car.
Faber Peak is home to restaurants with a view, such as Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro and modern European Dusk Restaurant & Bar. Other dining establishments are located at the base of Mount Faber. Makko Teck Neo serves Peranakan favourites from kuehs to mee siam, while Old Habits Cafe offers Asian-inspired Western food like sesame crusted tuna steak and tom yum mayo fries. Alternatively, get your hawker food fix from Seah Im Food Centre, Telok Blangah Rise Food Centre, and Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre.
Telok Blangah Hill Park
Connecting Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park is Henderson Waves. The organically-shaped structure is the tallest pedestrian bridge in Singapore, and is a popular spot to catch a glimpse of various migratory birds. Past it is the Sembcorp Forest of Giants, a collection of more than 600 threatened tree species, and The Alkaff Mansion, a 20th-century colonial bungalow built by wealthy Arab merchant Syed Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff.
Today, The Alkaff Mansion houses food and beverage concepts like Spanish restaurant Una, Wildseed Cafe, and 1918 Heritage Bar, which traces the Alkaff family’s heritage through cocktails. At the park’s southern entrance is Telok Blangah Food Centre, and popular hawker food here includes wanton noodles, ban mian, prawn noodles, and fried carrot cake. To the east is Gillman Barracks, a former British army barracks that have been transformed into a contemporary arts cluster. Eateries have also taken up residence here, such as upscale seafood restaurant Naked Finn, Burgerlabo, and Handlebar, a motorbike-themed grill. For a refresher, Creamier serves artisanal ice cream and coffee.
HortPark
Getting to HortPark requires winding along the Forest Walk, an elevated walkway and one of the highlights of the Southern Ridges. It then leads to Alexandra Arch bridge and spills out onto HortPark. The destination has a series of themed gardens for visitors to learn about native species and edible plants. The National Parks Board (NParks) also plans to turn HortPark into a community hub for gardening and horticulture.
Staying true to HortPark’s ideals, Vineyard is an upscale French restaurant that sources ingredients as close to home as possible – herbs and vegetables from its own garden, meat from local producers – to create dishes like moules mariniere, frog legs, red snapper, and barramundi. Canopy, its neighbour, does scrambled egg croissant for brunch and truffle mushroom pizza the rest of the day. Just outside of HortPark, Uncle Ho’s Tuckshop is a Vietnamese restaurant popular for its bun cha, and Taiwanese joint Eat 3 Bowls makes braised pork rice their specialty.
Kent Ridge Park
HortPark is linked to Kent Ridge Park by the Canopy Walk, a boardwalk that takes visitors eye-level with the tree canopy. It also leads to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a museum commemorating the Malay regiment that defended Pasir Panjang during World War II, and speaks to the hill’s significance as one of the last places where the battle for Singapore was fought. Today, Kent Ridge Park has one of the largest species and number of dragonflies and birds recorded.
Food-wise, there are no options on Kent Ridge Park, and you will have to head downhill by Pepys Road towards Esarn Thai Corner, where tom yum soup awaits. Nearby are Black Cherry and Ashmi, which serves Italian and Indian cuisines respectively, as well as Pasir Panjang Food Centre. If you are coming from Vigilante Drive, head south on South Buona Vista Road towards Plank for sourdough pizzas and 99 Buona Vista Kitchen for tze char staples.
Labrador Nature Reserve
The Southern Ridges end at Kent Ridge Park, so either double back towards Mount Faber Park or explore Labrador Nature Reserve in the south. The area consists of Berlayer Creek, one of two remaining mangroves in the south of mainland Singapore. There is also a replica of the Dragon’s Teeth Gate, a natural rock outcrop that symbolised the entry into Keppel Harbour, and war relics from Singapore’s colonial past.
For food, look towards Tamarind Hill. The restaurant has taken over a colonial bungalow, and melds attentive service, an intimate dining atmosphere, and contemporary Thai and Burmese dishes together. There is also The Three Peacocks, which calls themselves “the largest international seafood BBQ buffet in Singapore.”
(Hero and featured images credits: NParks / Facebook; Tamarind Hill, Singapore / Facebook)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
