Your MUSLIM VISITOR GUIDE to Singapore HALAL DINING • PRAYER SPACES • CULTURE • STORIES FIRST EDITION | 2020 | ENGLISH VERSION EDITION | 2020 FIRST FOREWORD Muslim-friendly Singapore P18 LITTLE INDIA Muslims make up 14 percent of Singapore’s population As a Muslim traveller, this guide provides you and it is no surprise that this island state offers a large with the information you need to enjoy your stay variety of Muslim-friendly gastronomic experiences. in Singapore — a city where your passions in life MASJID SULTAN P10 KAMPONG GLAM Many of these have been Halal certified by MUIS, are made possible. You may also download the P06 ORCHARD ROAD also known as the Islamic Religious Council of MuslimSG app and follow @halalSG on Twitter for Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura). Visitors any Halal related queries while in Singapore. can also consider Muslim-owned food establishments throughout the city. Furthermore, mosques and – Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) musollahs around the island allow you to fulfill your P34 ESPLANADE religious obligations while you are on vacation. TIONG BAHRU P22 TIONGMARKET BAHRU P26 CHINATOWN P34 MARINA BAY CONTENTS 05 TIPS 26 CHINATOWN ORCHARD 06 ROAD 30 SENTOSA KAMPONG MARINA BAY & MAP OF SEVEN 10 GLAM 34 ESPLANADE NEIGHBOURHOODS This Muslim-friendly guide to the seven main LITTLE TRAVEL P30 SENTOSA neighbourhoods around 18 INDIA 38 ITINERARIES Singapore helps you make the best of your stay. TIONG HALAL RESTAURANT 22 BAHRU 42 DIRECTORY Tourism Court This guide was developed with inputs from writers Nur Safiah 1 Orchard Spring Lane Alias and Suffian Hakim, as well as CrescentRating, a leading Singapore 247729 authority on Halal travel. Tel: (65) 6736 6622 stb.gov.sg Disclaimer: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Verification or clarification should be sought from individual third is not responsible for the accuracy, thoroughness parties referred to in this publication. No part of this manual or usefulness of this publication (February 2020) may be reproduced without the written permission of Singapore and shall not be liable for any damage, loss, injury Tourism Board. All rights reserved. or inconvenience arising from or in connection with its content. Copyright 2020 by Singapore Tourism Board. All information correct at time of publication (February 2020). Front cover: Sifr Aromatics - P14 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE, Universal Globe logo, and all Universal elements and related indicia TM & © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. MUSLIM VISITOR GUIDE INTRODUCTION TIPS Useful tips for navigating Muslim-friendly Singapore Variety of Halal Food in Singapore Singapore is home to a wide variety of Halal cuisines, from Japanese, Chinese, Korean to Middle Eastern, Western and more. Most fast food chains in Singapore are Halal certified by MUIS. For a quick fix, head over to some of them such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Long John Silver’s, Popeyes and Texas Chicken. The metropolis has an abundance of Halal restaurants that have been made easily identifiable in this guide by two different Halal logos. Halal Certified Establishments Eating establishments bearing this logo indicate that they have been Halal certified by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. MUIS is the Islamic authority in-charge of Muslim affairs in Singapore. It Muslim-friendly Destination provides Halal Certification services and regulates the Singapore Halal industry. Singapore has a vibrant and diverse multi-cultural community with accessible Muslim-friendly facilities such as Halal food and prayer spaces Halal Establishments in popular areas. This guide helps you to identify the different Halal certified and Muslim-owned establishments around the city. Restaurants accompanied with this Halal logo indicate that, while they may not have been Halal certified by MUIS, they are still Halal and are safe to dine in. In this case, the restaurant is either Muslim-owned or uses 100% Halal ingredients and is Iftar with the Locals frequently patronised by local Muslims. Most mosques or masjids (masajid) as they are called here, provide iftar meals throughout Halal Food at Hawker Centres Ramadan. The iftar meals may Hawker centres are a familiar sight in the city, recognisable by numerous vary from a dulang style where stalls lined up next to each other. Also affectionately referred to by locals four to five people share a meal as kopitiams, these are food complexes offering various types of from one large tray or bento style cuisines. You will be able to find Halal stalls by looking out for the MUIS where each individual receives Halal certified logo. Although they share a common eating space, you a set meal. A common practice can be assured that the Halal stalls are identified by different coloured Ramadan Bazaar among mosques is porridge cutleries and have a separate wash and tray return area. distribution, which occurs at Each year, regardless of race or religion, Singaporeans will flock to the various times depending on the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar for their annual dosage of trendy food, mosque. Ramadan is the month of traditional apparel and kuih (traditional Malay sweets) during Ramadan. giving and improving our deeds; a That is when the bazaar becomes a food and shopping haven. Experience Prayer Facilities Visit Singapore App perfect opportunity to foster closer the Ramadan Bazaar in its full glory from when the sun sets till late. You ties with the local community! Singapore offers plenty of stunning Search, discover and explore will definitely not want to miss this annual event! mosques and convenient musollahs places of interest on the go. (designated prayer rooms in public Explore and uncover hidden spaces) should you need a break from gems, save your favourite places, Did You Know? sightseeing to perform your daily prayers. and navigate around Singapore with ease — be it by walking, Singapore is ranked as All mosques provide a dedicated female public transportation or car. the top Muslim-friendly prayer and ablution area with privacy as destination among non-OIC well as female prayer garments. (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) countries for five consecutive years, according to the DURATION TO THE NEAREST PRAYER SPACE Mastercard-CrescentRating Finding Nearby Global Muslim Travel Index. Prayer Spaces The places featured in this travel guide are marked with these icons Indicates Indicates On foot By car By Sentosa to indicate the nearest prayer the nearest the nearest Express monorail space for your convenience. mosque musollah 4 5 MUSLIM VISITOR GUIDE Orchard Road, Singapore’s bustling shopping belt is a ORCHARD ROAD ORCHARD one-way street filled with plenty of international and local brands, iconic shopping malls and many Halal ROAD restaurants. Take your pick! THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour Hop onto an open top double ROYAL PLAZA ON decker bus for an expansive SCOTTS MUSOLLAH view of Singapore’s vibrant streets in the day and 02 twinkling lights in the night. MOUNT ELIZABETH ducktours.com.sg FAR EAST PLAZA +65 6338 6877 CAIRNHILL RISE PASSION TOURS PASSION SCOTTS ROAD Al-Falah Mosque SCOTTS SQUARE 4 min JALAN JINTAN CAVENAGH ROAD Design Orchard ORCHARD ROAD designorchard.sg TANG PLAZA TANGS Featuring more than 60 home grown brands across categories such as fashion, home, and beauty, Design Orchard is a one-stop shop for budding local designers. Look out for brands like The Paper Bunny, Pew Pew Patches AL-FALAH and many others for unique gifts to call your own. MOSQUE 05 PARAGON EMERALD HILL Daily 10.30am - 9.30pm 250 Orchard Road, S238905 ION ORCHARD 04 03 ORCHARD MRT CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY 08 CAVENAGH ROAD NGEE ANN CITY DESIGN ORCHARD CINELEISURE ORCHARD Love Bonito 07 313@Somerset 313@SOMERSET Editor’s Market 06 313@Somerset ORCHARD CENTRAL PLAZA SINGAPURA Benjamin Barker PATERSON ROAD SOMERSET MRT Cineleisure Orchard 01 Royal Plaza on 3 min Scotts Musollah Charles & Keith DEVONSHIRE ROAD Muslim-friendly Local Brands and ION Orchard ISTANA The Shirt Bar EXETER ROAD LEONIE HILL Salons Designers Wheelock Place EBER ROAD GRANGE ROAD If you are in the pampering mood, Bring home a piece of Singapore Actually head to Muslim-friendly Pearlista with you. Get your hands on all Orchard Gateway for a haircut and moisturising things quirky about Singapore In Good Company KILLINEY ROAD treatment or Bellus de Charme for a and the latest fashion wear ION Orchard LOCAL BRANDS AND DESIGNERS BRANDS LOCAL relaxing manicure and pedicure. designed by our own home- Beyond the Vines grown designers. From exclusive Pearlista Bellus de Charme TANGS Al-Falah Mosque TANGS sleek pieces to contemporary Naiise Far East Plaza Far East Plaza everyday essentials, these pieces #03-76, S228213 #04-105, S228213 Wisma Atria ‘Masjid’ and ‘Falah’ are both TANGS was formerly known as C.K Tangs, named after its founder Mr hold memories of the lion city. Arabic words which translate to Tang Choon Keng. The building was modeled after a traditional imperial +65 6235 4465 +65 6733 6958 SocietyA ‘mosque’ and ‘success’ in English palace and takes influence from Chinese culture and architecture. Ngee Ann City respectively. Al-Falah Mosque is INSIDER’S TIP Pedro a convenient place for Muslims Istana Beat the heat and look out for underpasses. Most of the key ION Orchard to pray while shopping and Istana means ‘palace’ in the Malay language and it is the office and attractions and malls in Orchard Road are interconnected via Her Velvet Vase underpasses that are widely used by both locals and tourists. sightseeing in Orchard Road. official residence of the President of Singapore. It is open to public on Plaza Singapura gazetted public holidays. 7 MUSLIM VISITOR GUIDE ORCHARD ROAD 05 4Fingers Crispy Chicken HALAL FOOD 4fingers.com +65 6509 6987 Fried chicken lovers, you are in for a treat. 4Fingers Cajun on Wheels is a Singaporean fast food chain with stores across 01 Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and even the cajunonwheels.com +65 6341 9665 United States.