Not since the Joy Luck Club have white audiences been so confused by the faces in a Hollywood film!  It had been 25 years since an all-Asian cast had graced English-speaking silver screens and although I personally had just as many issues with elements of the story line of Crazy Rich Asians as I do with any other mainstream romantic comedy, I did adore the film, the lush locations, the fantastic cast (including my former schoolmate, Remi Hi, sorry, couldn’t resist the name drop) and the killer soundtrack!

So naturally, when planning my trip to the metropolis star of the film, it was essential to include a Crazy Rich Asians location tour.  Upon further investigation, however, it seems that not only do these tours come with a “Crazy Rich” price tag, they don’t cater for those with back injuries or those who are pregnant so my herniated disc and Cassandra’s bao in the oven rendered us ineligible for a commercial tour.

But never fear!  Armed with a detailed knowledge of locations in the film from obsessive over-watching and google maps, I was able to develop my own Sensible Cost-Effective Eurasians tour of Singapore utilizing the MRT instead of a private driver and leisurely spanning four days instead of cramming everything into four hours.

SPOILER ALERT – Major plot points of the film will be discussed so I urge you to watch the film first before reading on!

Hawker Centres

When Rachel and Nick first arrive in Singapore, their first stop is a hawker centre where they enjoy specialized street food, perfected over generations!

We visited several Hawker centres on our trip – two in Chinatown and one at Gardens by the Bay.

We at a lot of BBQ meat and carbs:

• theSingaporian specialty famous chicken rice;
• myfavourite char sui pork with rice; and
• pekingduck with congee.

And of course my favourite soup dumpings which are technically from Shanghai but, Singapore can naturally accommodate this kind of craving!

Nick mentions to Rachel that Singapore is the only place in the world where street vendors receive Michelin stars.  Every time I’m in Melbourne, I make a trip to Michelin Star recipient Hawker Chan’s restaurant on Londsale Street.  (Actually this is not technically true since I discovered I can get Hawker Chan delivered to my usual hotel via Deliveroo, but you get the idea.)   In Singapore, we visited one of Hawker Chan’s restaurants (unfortunately not his actual hawker cart) in Funan for soy sauce chicken, char sui and tofu.

I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t end up eating a chilli crab, which is a famous Singaporean hawker delicacy … there just wasn’t enough time!  But we did eat an enormous grilled schezwan fish, which was pretty spectacular!

Raffles Hotel

After Nick’s mother tries to manipulate Nick into abandoning Rachel by making her unwelcome as a guest in her house, Nick books alternative accommodation for the two of them at Raffles Hotel.  Cassandra and I aren’t quite as “comfortable” as Nick who was likely paying in excess of $1000 SGD per night, so we only made a reservation for high tea in the Grand Foyer rather than staying the night.

The foyer is very exclusive and guarded by turbaned footmen who only allow entry to genuine hotel guests or those with restaurant reservations.  As we were also travelling during peak Corona Virus hysteria, there were also staff on hand to clean the door handles between each use.

The foyer was grand, as advertised, but also delightfully peaceful with a harpist playing soundtracks from Studio Ghibli films.  High tea was delicious and it we had a very relaxing time making our way through the layers of food (which also included scones, not pictured). We also came back to The Long Bar for (virgin) Singapore Slings several days later, for the full Raffles experience!

And just so you don’t feel too sorry for us, the hotel we did stay at was delightful too.  A little bit like a forest in the sky…

Tanjong Pagar Street Dining

When Peik Lin and Rachel discuss Rachel’s next move in her game of filial piety chicken with Elanor, and they cry out one of the catchiest catch phrases of the movie, “Bok-bok, bitch!” they are sitting in a restaurant on the streets of Tanjong Pagar.  We visited a number of restaurants in the area, but I think the best, and the one which looks most like the one from this scene in the movie was My Awesome Café in the neighboring suburb of Telok Ayer.  My Awesome Café is known for their brioche and their décor is wild!  I had smoked duck on brioche when we visited for breakfast and I was definitely not disappointed!

CHIJMES

Colin and Araminta’s magical rice paddy field wedding was filmed at CHIJMES, a former chapel which is now a multi-purpose function space.  The interior looks a bit different to the film when not filled with wedding guests, lanterns and water but it was spectacular nonetheless!

Gardens by the Bay

Colin and Araminta’s wedding reception was held in the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.  There was more to see than just the Supertrees at night at Gardens by the Bay, so we visited the Gardens during the day as well, including the two airconditioned glass dome gardens, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest!  We also managed to see some otters and koi fish!

In the evening, we came back for the Garden Rhapsody light show which was beautifully orchestrated and well worth the crushing crowds to see!

Merlion Park

When Nick attempts to apologize to Rachel (for the shock of his family hiring a private investigator to expose her because he had not previously disclosed any information about his family, their extreme wealth and prejudice, or their likelihood to do things such as employing private investigators) by proposing to her, the backdrop is the iconic Merlion Park.  The Merlion is a half fish (like a mermaid) and half lion creature which is the official mascot of Singapore.

We visited the Merlion Park and posed with the statue/fountain which was far busier than when Nick and Rachel were having their moment on film.

Very close to the Merlion Park is the Asian Civilisations Museum, which was hosting an exhibition of the private collection of Dr Tan Tsze Chor.  It is said that from the 1950s to 1980s the best place to see Chinese art in Singapore was Dr Tan’s seaside mansion, which sounds like exactly the type of excusive place the Young family might be invited!  The artwork was stunning and I was very glad that we timed our visit to be able to see it!

Economy Class Cabin of a Flight Departing Singapore

When Rachel decides to leave Singapore and return home without Nick and his family drama, she has an ordinary economy class ticket booked.  The “grand gesture” of the film is when Nick manages to enter the plane (without intending to leave on the plane, which is weird as there are actually signs all over the airport that seem to prohibit this, but I guess when you’re a Crazy Rich Asian you’re exempt) so that he can propose, again.  So I’m claiming that the economy class cabin of a flight departing Singapore counts as a Crazy Rich Asian location and I’m ticking it off the list!

I travelled during peak Corona Virus hysteria, so I’m wearing a facemask.

Marina Bay Sands

Nick and Rachel’s engagement party was held at the very exclusive Marina Bay Sands (which is the boat parked on top of three sky scrapers in the background of most of my photos).  I left it a little too late to book an observation deck ticket for the dates that we were in Singapore but employing some of the “Crazy Rich” spirit, I booked a table at one of the sky deck restaurants instead!  We went to Ce la Vi quite late at night and got some amazing dessert!  We also got to see the Supertree show again from above and some of the Hong Bao New Years fireworks.

Bonus – Chinatown

Now that I’m no longer studying and have no children, I’m pretty hazy about term times and school holidays.  Also, as someone who’s not from the US, I have no solid idea when the infamous “Spring Break” actually occurs, although, I do assume its sometime during the season of Spring.  The reason that Economics Professor Rachael has the freedom to travel to Singapore without impacting her work is that the events of Crazy Rich Asians are set during Spring Break.  Another event that occurs during Spring is the Spring Festival also celebrated as Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year and we scheduled our trip specifically so that we could enjoy some of the new year celebrations, although, in hindsight, I would actually recommend going earlier for more of the lead up events.

We had a great time in Chinatown on Chinese New Year’s Eve, making our way through the crowded streets and shopping at market stalls.

We also returned later in the week to visit the Chinatown Heritage Centre which is set up to demonstrate the living conditions of previous inhabitants. It was incredibly eye opening!

This New Year was the beginning of the Year of the Rat.  In Chinese culture, the rat is seen as a symbol of wealth and surplus, so it seems absolutely fitting to have spent our time in Singapore, getting a taste of the “Crazy Rich Asian” life to celebrate the beginning of this particular lunar cycle!