The Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, true to its meaning ‘old market’ had its origin in 1894 and is the biggest Victorian filigree cast-iron construction that remains in South East Asia today. It has been rebuilt in 1990 and converted to a thriving and popular modern food court that is frequented during daytime by office workers and comes alive in full throttle to the typical hawker food culture by night. Glaswegian iron has given rise to this unique octagonal structure that is considered a national monument and is a concept of the founder of modern Singapore.
The market is extensive, spacious with ample sitting space and contains over a 100 food stalls offering all types of gastronomical delights, starting from well-known oriental and Asian preparations like Malay, Chinese and Japanese to the western favourites like Italian. While the market is dominated by the culinary industry, it also contains the relieving variety of a small but useful line up of shops such as stationary, flowers, handicrafts and even computer accessories and children’s items.
While at Lau Pa Sat, it is impossible to forgo the sinfully delicious ‘Satay’ – a spiced meat preparation with cumin and coriander and a sweet peanut dip. And within the Satay street exciting and tempting varieties are found in different stalls. Other famous Singapore specialties include, Laksa – a thick rice noodle with spicy gravy, chili black pepper crabs, ’Ba Kut The’- meaty pork ribs mixed with spices as well as ice kachang for dessert and an invigorating freshly brewed coffee. The market that remains quite demure by day, turns adventurous by night with musicians blowing their pieces in undeniable glee and the carts rolling laden with crispy, fried and barbeques food that is simply too hard to resist.
If you are a more conservative diner preferring to dine indoors at a hotel Singapore, you can always get into the award winning café and restaurant at Orchard Hotel Singapore. Easily reachable via bus, the Lau Pa Set is also a 5-minute walk away from the MRT station – Raffles Place, and is at the hub of Singapore’s premier financial district. Staying over at an Orchard Road hotel is an excellent option while visiting this attraction in Singapore, because an elegant establishment such as the Orchard Hotel Singapore is conveniently close to the central business district.
