Enjoy local dishes on free Ion Orchard tour

Chendol from the Ice Shop at Food Opera. PHOTO: FOOD OPERA

SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - The New Paper is not the only good thing you can get for free.

At Ion Orchard, you can enjoy food, history and the arts for free too.

Plus, if you are a tourist, you can get a $5 voucher to use at the food and beverage outlets.

The mall - one of the busiest in Singapore since it opened in 2009 - has been quietly offering tourists walking tours. Now, it has opened this up to locals too.

You will be taken around the mall and fed tasting portions of local dishes.

The guide will also highlight some artwork within the mall - look out for the Nutmeg & Mace, and the Digital Waterfall.

The tour ends with a visit to Ion Sky for a bird's-eye view of the country. It is a nice way to spend an hour and a half.

The food provided should not be new to locals. We would have eaten this at one time or another. But the tour is a worthy adventure, for both locals and tourist.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast (#B4-71/72) is one of the stops on the tour. It is my go-to breakfast place as the toast is good.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

You will be spending most of the time at Food Opera, where you will do a food tasting from five stalls. I recommend the chendol from the Ice Shop.

Another Food Opera stop is Thye Hong Fried Prawn Noodles. Since it opened at Koek Road in 1970, its prawn noodles have always been a hit. The best part is the rich stock the noodles are fried in.

Thye Hong Fried Prawn Noodles. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

The chicken briyani from Prata King is a good introduction for those new to Indian cuisine. Locals may prefer bolder flavours.

Prata King's chicken briyani. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

Everyone has their favourite bak kut teh stall, but Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh remains a popular choice.

It is the peppery kind, made with a recipe dating back to 1973.

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

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