Singapore
After a slightly delayed arrival of UA 1, Carl turned straight around on UA 2 to go back. Not being quite his level, I declined United's offer to let me try Carl-levels of craziness and stuck to my original plan of 14 hours in Singapore.
'cause when you fly this far, why not enjoy the food? 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist's roast duck is good but not quite the best, while their roast pork is even better but again not quite tops. It's still damned good, tasty enough to easily enjoy, and at SGD 7.50 for an order of those two and noodles, a great deal. Not too far a walk is Tim Ho Wan, which I decided to skip, and instead I proceeded a bit further down to Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) Michelin star in the world. Their gian man is friggin' amazing, and the large size is only SGD 10.00. The line at lunch was actually shorter than their line at opening, too!
Walked and sweated a bunch more, stopping at Ah Chew Desserts to cool off. They are a classic, with an excellent grass jelly and mixed fruits. Skip the tea, tho.
Stopped by Fraiser Street Coffee to cool off for a bit, then over to the famous Raffles Hotel. The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel had a massive line, probably 45 minutes, so I skipped that and had a snack in their courtyard. Satay is overpriced but you're paying for ambiance and people watching, particularly all of the influencers snapping away while the ex-pats spend too much money.
Final stop before heading to the airport was Maxwell Food Centre, where Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice's line is long but quick, and their Hainan chicken is absolutely worth the wait. That and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle's bak chor mee are easily two of the best dishes around-- even without fat American sized chickens, Tian Tian does a bang-up job. Sadly did not have stomach space for Lao Ban Soya Beancurd (also at Maxwell)...
Back at Singapore's Changi Airport, the SATS Premier Lounge in terminal 2 is basic but does the job. Their laska bar is a nice touch even if the laska is not very good, and showers in the reserved section for United Premier 1K and up customers is pretty clutch.
The return flight was efficient and hooray for upgrades going through. United Airlines food, even in Polaris, is still not good, but it's better than the worst days back during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And I have to admit the pre-arrival meal of shrimp congee is actually very tasty, just a tiny portion.