10 unexpected things to do around Orchard MRT

Immerse in contemporary art culture at Orchard Road's glitziest mall. Housing a wealth of pieces by some of the world's most popular and revered artist, Opera Gallery is constantly presenting bigger pieces and shows to meet the demand for the globally recognised. Even if you don't plan to buy these masterworks from the likes of Picasso, it's a feast for the eyes and mind at this gallery in ION Orchard. 

Need a breather from all the shopping? There’s ION Sky, a double-storey observation deck on the top two floors. Check out rotating multimedia experiences (you can keep up with the latest here), or get a ticket to the 56th floor – it's worth it for the 360 degree panorama you get of Singapore's busiest shopping district. 

Pick up secondhand gems at Ana Bookstore in Far East Plaza. The man running this joint is better known as Mr Bean, but the man running the 40-year-old business is in fact Mohd Noorul Islam. Archie Comics, chick-lit novels and well-loved classics occupy most of the store. There’s also non-fiction covering investment, fashion and the spiritual world, although this makes up far sparser a selection. Not all titles can be rented, and book donations are accepted and valued on the spot.

Russian cuisine with a Hainanese twist – a combination intriguing enough to convince anyone to skip the mainstream cafés around Orchard MRT to try this out instead. Tucked away in the relatively quiet Far East Shopping Centre, Shashlik brings a winning combination of old world charm, warm hospitality and homey food. The mild, chap chye-harking borscht ($7) is warm and comforting, and the plate of lumpfish caviar heaped generously on jaggedly cut boiled eggs ($16) is endearingly simple. Try the rib-eye steak ($30/220g, $38/300g), which arrives perfectly medium-rare on a sizzling hotplate; or the Chicken à la Kiev ($25) too, a juicy and battered roulade of breast meat. 

Vegetarian restaurants are few and far between in Singapore, but Joie by Dozo is fittingly located at Orchard Central’s leafy rooftop garden. Sample Joie’s vegetarian cuisine, choosing from either a six-course lunch ($38.80) or a seven-course dinner ($68.80), featuring dishes like matsutake mushroom sponge cake, spring vegetable terrine and tomato broth with garbanzo beans.

Before dismissing Uma Uma Ramen as yet another Japanese noodle house, take a closer look at the other door by the entrance. It snakes down into The Horse’s Mouth, a sleek basement bar lit by boxy paper lanterns and peppered with quirky objets d’art, such as a hanging origami display.

The concoctions are just as classy and relatively spirit-forward, a style that stems from the bar staff’s training in Japanese techniques. Most drinks are crafted to showcase various Nihon ingredients and, of course, sake exclusive to The Horse’s Mouth. This isn’t to say that accountant-turned-bar manager Guo Jun Guang doesn’t get to flex his creative muscles: he even uses wagyu beef trimmings from Kaiseki Yoshiyuki next door to fatwash cocktails. Uma Uma Ramen also contributes bowls of ramen to the food menu, which offers decent dinner options.

Far from the glitz and glamour of Orchard Road's main shopping belt, The Community Coffee has been quietly and steadily serving up great cuppas of drip coffees and espresso-based brews. Beans are sourced from small, sustainable farms in Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Peru, and expertly roasted by the cafés team of experts and coffee enthusiasts. If you want to bring a taste of its coffee home, The Community Coffee also has an online shop where you can get specialty coffee beans and grounds.