We’ve long loved Changi for its relaxed vibe and a veritable selection of nasi lemak (there are plenty to choose from at its Changi Village Food Centre), but with the arrival of new microbrewery Little Island Brewing Co, there’s even more reason to head back for other food and drinks options, too.
Bottoms Up
Charlie’s Corner
The new 5,000 sq. ft. Little Island Brewing Co houses large tanks of beer, with cool, industrial-chic concrete counters and communal wood tables. It’s currently self-service, so you pay for your beers (British brews like Adnams and Beavertown, and New Zealand names like Tuatara and Stoke) and pour your own at the bar.
For more beer options, don’t miss old-school favorite Charlie’s Corner. This unpretentious pub has been serving up beers from around the world since the late ‘70s. It has regular screenings of soccer matches and other manly sports competitions so you can head down with your buddies for testosterone-filled night out too.
Meanwhile Five Izakaya offers $5 cocktails, pub grub and Asahi drafts, sakes and wines all-day, every day. So what are you waiting for?
Makan Makan
Table Manners
These F&B establishments may be located at various corners of Changi, but they are certainly worth the trek. Kakis Bistro & Bar is located within a plant nursery, and so they grow their own greens. This is also where you go to for comforting favorites—their menu lists familiar plates like kampong satay, Kakis beer battered fish & chips and chicken tandoori wrap with mango chutney. There’s also a set by local band The Passerby on Friday evenings and weekly group fitness classes like Bokwa, Zumba and aerobics.
While it may be a tad inaccessible, the casual The Coastal Settlement is still worth the drive. Besides serving up decent food, its Instagram-friendly interiors are dotted with quirky vintage furniture. Other than the usual pizza or truffle fries, try their more interesting items, like Half & Half Pizza, with wagyu beef slices, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms on one side, and pepperoni and prosciutto on the other.
Meanwhile, chic Table Manners does customizable platters starting at $11 for lunch and $11.50 for brunch, for a choice of three different items ranging from salads to carbs, meat and seafood. Dinner offers us fancier options like truffle capellini with organic egg and chicken Parmigiana. Also, they get their beans from Papa Palheta, so the coffee is pretty fail-safe.
But if you’re looking for good ol’ fashioned hawker food, just head back to Changi Village Food Centre (2 Changi Village Rd.) especially for Weng Kee Ipoh Hor Fan for its signature dish that comes with chicken cutlets, the ever-popular Nasi Lemak from International Nasi Lemak and Goreng Pisang from Million Star Fried Banana.
Life’s a Beach
Changi Beach
With its kampong-like atmosphere and pristine sandy white beaches, Changi Beach (Nicoll Drive) is still the go-to park for weekend picnics and barbeques. That said, fitness enthusiasts will also find lots to love here; there are various winding tracks that are great for jogging and cycling.
Culture enthusiasts must revisit The Changi Museum and look out for their nostalgic collection of artwork, photographs, and personal artifacts donated by former POWs. Plus admission is free.
This supremely popular entertainment center Downtown East is still packing a good crowd with its various choice shopping and lifestyle options, including a Cathay Cineplex, a bowling center, a trampoline and its biggest draw, Wild Wild Wet, Singapore’s largest water theme park.
