The ultimate guide to Redhill

Satisfy late-night cravings for Indian cuisine at this small restaurant, which has been dubbed as a quintessential supper spot in the Bukit Merah 'hood. Open 24 hours every day of the week, Brinda's the go-to place for North and South Indian cuisine – bringing in patrons from all parts of Singapore. Order up a hot plate of butter ($3.80) or garlic ($4) naan, paired with butter chicken gravy ($14) or chicken tikka masala ($13); or try Brinda's selection of rice. 

ABC Brickworks Centre has a rather misleading moniker. ABC reportedly comes from the former Archipelago Brewery Company, not a brickworks factory – though there were some in the area. The bustling hawker centre opened in 1974 and has recently reopened after a renovation. 

It’s a popular supper spot, with several stalls opening past 11pm, but also does brisk service during weekday lunchtimes – though it’s not as densely packed as central hawker centres like Maxwell (which is roughly the same size).

With nearly a hundred stalls to choose from, all your basic hawker staples are covered, from Penang assam laksa to hokkien mee, prawn noodles and oyster omelettes. Must try highlights include Bao Zai’s (#01-135) bite-sized char siew baos ($0.70) with their juicy pork insides – best eaten while hot – as well as Fatty Cheong (#01-52), which offers the bu jian tian (literally ‘doesn’t meet light’) cut of meat ($4/slice) – a sinful, fatty treat that almost dissolves in your mouth. Wow Wow West’s (#01-133) is notable for giving ex-convicts a second chance as employees; their crispy chicken chop with black pepper gravy ($7) also reflects their generosity. Stop by Y.R.A North India Pakistani (#01-12), which has a meaty, juicy chicken tikka ($3), while Habib’s Mee Stall (#01-08) offers spicy mee goreng and mee hoon goreng (both $3). There’s also a nice variety of halal food stalls and a few vegetarian stalls, which makes ABC Brickworks a good destination for those with dietary restrictions.

For dessert at ABC Brickworks Centre, this stall should be your priority. Jin Jin Hot and Cold Dessert (#01-20) has risen to fame with its own sweet creations, with Power Chendol ($2) being a crowd favourite due to its thick gula melaka helping. Die-hard durian lovers should try their slightly pricier Gangster Ice ($3), topped off with a scoop of pure durian flesh.

This stall at Redhill Food Centre serves only two dishes: mee siam ($3) and lontong ($3). Of the two, the mee siam is a hot-favourite with customers travelling from as far as Bedok and Whampoa for a taste of that sour-sweet broth. Each hearty bowl filled with sliced omelette, beansprouts, fried flour puffs and served with a dollop of handmade hae bee hiam sambal. 

Hainanese Curry Rice is a messy affair. Deep-fried pieces of pork are snipped with a pair of scissors, stewed cabbage is strewn over the plate and thick curry is sloppily ladled over rice. Hong Seng Curry Rice's original outlet at Redhill is still a favourite for many. A plate of rice with pork chops, cabbage and curry starts from $2.20, while popular add-ons include curry chicken ($2), stewed pork belly ($1) and long beans fried with sambal ($0.70), making for a tasty and affordable meal.

On the ground floor of the grand Alkaff Mansion lies Txa, the only restaurant in Singapore dedicated to the pintxo experience. Here’s where you can find small bar bites – both hot and cold – similar to what you’d get in Basque Country. Txa’s chefs, Marta Elvira Segalés and Silvana Pascual Romero are graduates from Basque’s top culinary school and have imported some of their hometown favourites to the menu. 

Memorable bites include the Boquerones Con Piperrada ($3.90), toasted bread spread with Spanish red pepper cream and topped with a delicate piece of European anchovy as well at the Crema de Roquefort con Manzana y Nueces ($4.90), smothered with roquefort cream, apple jam and walnuts. Over on the hot menu, there’s the Txangurro a la Donostiarra ($14.00), the head of a flower crab shell, stuffed with crab meat cooked in sofrito, grilled with bread crumbs and butter. Be sure to save room for a slide of the legendary Basque burnt cheesecake, too. Pair your pintxos with a diverse selection of alcoholic beverages, from cocktails and beers to Spanish wines and ciders served in the traditional Basque way.

Carrara Cafe is Bukit Merah's little secret, but we're letting you in on it. For the best waffles and ice cream in the 'hood, mark the cafe on your Google Maps. The waffles here are light, airy and crispy, paired well with the cafe's sweet dessert like the Ondeh Ondeh Cake or artisanal gelato. Wash it down with a caffeine fix – whether it's an espresso, cappuccino or Osmanthus flavoured latte.

Growing up, Emma Goh and Jeslyn Yeo had a common dream: to open a café. The pair now run Geometry, a neighbourhood gelato shop that’s named after a branch of mathematics. It reflects the god sisters’ meticulous approach to dessert-making, which often results in unique creations like the goma ($3.90) made from a combination of black and golden sesame, and the colourful paddle pop-esque Bing Bong. 

Shop with a cause at The Art Faculty at the Enabling Village, a social enterprise that celebrates the abilities of people with autism and related challenges. Looking for a thoughtful gift or just in need of a little trinket to cheer you up? Browse through the products designed by artists with special needs – from colourful mugs to hand-stitched face masks. Through every sale of artwork and product, the artists earn royalties to learn the value of work and financial independence. 

Shopping at IKEA is a guilty pleasure most of us won’t normally ’fess up to. Switch your dusty, tired curtains with some new, brightly coloured ones. Change your floral cushion covers to striped ones – for that mod hipster look – and get some colour (and cheer) into your home, just because you feel like it.

Nothing beats a hot dog and soda after a long day spent hunting for the perfect garbage can – grab them at the Ikea food stand after checking out. Also: don’t miss the Swedish meatballs for sale, both hot and frozen. A kilogram of frozen ’balls goes for $18 – some might call that ‘overpriced’, but we say those delicious little buggers are priceless. Meatballs with pasta sauce, meatballs on toast, meatballs in the morning… mmmm.