1-day Orchard itinerary
As a Malaysian, my very first trip to Singapore was when I was just two months old, and I have tons of pictures of me as a baby at Orchard Road. Fast forward to now, and I’ve lived in Singapore for over a decade, including four years working for a food publication, which I’d say qualifies me to know where to actually eat around here. Whenever I bring my tourist friends to Orchard Road for a spot of window shopping, they’reunderstandably worried that the food is going to be overpriced, which is exactly why I put this itinerary together.
This is the guide I’d send anyone if they had a full day to spend in Orchard: hitting heritage cafes, an old-school zi char stall, thrift shopping, and a buffet that’s shockingly good value, so you don’t have to be a Crazy Rich Asian to experience arguably one of the most expensive parts of Singapore.
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Breakfast: Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
For a true Singaporean breakfast, I recommend starting the day at Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe, tucked away at 111 Somerset, a less crowded, more low-key mall along Orchard Road.
The space leans hard into 90s nostalgia, decked out with vintage Kickapoo bottles, old magazines, Kong Guan biscuit tins, and other thingamabobs.
I’m a huge fan of their Claypot Mee Tai Mak ($9.90++), which features short, rice-based noodles loaded with prawns, minced meat, and mushrooms in a savoury black sauce, topped with a raw egg that I’d mix in for extra richness. The Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun ($9.90++) is also worth trying if you’re looking for something with a piquant kick, starring thin rice noodle strips coated in a fragrant curry chicken sauce.
To drink, get the Sai Ka Hor ($5++), which blends local tea and Milo, or their old-school popsicle sticks ($3++ apiece), a nostalgic frozen treat that brings me back to my primary school days. Here, it’s sold in three flavours: Sour Plum, Ribena, and Kopi-O.
Read our Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe review.
Address: 111 Somerset Road, #01-09, Singapore 23816
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 8:30pm
Website
Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe is not halal-certified.
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Lunch: New Station Snack Bar
My friends and I are huge fans of New Station Snack Bar, and we’d drop by whenever we’re in the area, even braving the long queues just to have a plate of their delicious salted egg pork rice.
Located on the fifth floor of Far East Plaza, New Station looks like a regular, schmegular food stall, but it’s actually been one of the most popular lunch spots in the mall since it opened in 1994.
Their Salted Egg Pork Rice is the dish I’d stake my reputation on. A generous $8 plate gets you tender pork ribs drenched in a thick, creamy salted egg sauce, with bits of curry leaves and chilli padi for a savoury kick.
If you’re here with a buddy, get them the Marmite Chicken Rice ($7.50), another crowd favourite. This sees a glossy plate of chicken rice coated in a rich, sticky sauce with a mild bitterness from the yeast extract. The Braised Shiitake Mushroom Rice ($9) is also a solid pick.
Read our New Station Snack Bar review.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #05-95, Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 8:45pm
Tel: 8999 4064
Website
New Station Snack Bar is not halal-certified.
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Shopping: Lucky Plaza
Image credit: Roby Nat via Google Maps
Walk off lunch with a bit of thrifting at Lucky Plaza, one of Orchard’s best-kept secrets for secondhand shopping. I was actually introduced to this spot by a Filipino friend of mine. The mall is often referred to as “Little Manila,” as it’s a popular gathering spot for Filipinos in Singapore, thanks to its Filipino eateries and grocery stores selling hometown ingredients and snacks.
Image credit: @lucky.thrifty
Spread across multiple floors, the mall is also packed with a cluster of thrift stalls, each with its own focus and price point.
Lucky Thrifty is the most curated of the bunch, spotlighting Y2K fashion with branded bags from $35 and clothes from $6. If you’re hunting for cheap jeans, EZ Ukay Thrift Shop covers that niche well, while Lucky Flea Market, the largest stall in the building, is worth a proper browse if you’ve got time to spare; think evening gowns alongside a whole rack of basketball jerseys. Budget hunters should head to Fashion One, where prices start from just $2.
Image credit: Night At Orchard
If you’re visiting towards the end of November, it’s also worth timing your trip around Night At Orchard, a massive night market stretching from Wisma Atria to Ngee Ann City. Their next edition will run from 27 November to 29 November 2026 and will feature over 40 booths from local and international small businesses.
Address: 304 Orchard Road, Singapore 238863
Coffee: Alchemist
I’m more of a matcha latte gal, but if I’m in Orchard, I’d drop by Alchemist for a coffee break. Since starting in Tanjong Pagar back in 2016, the homegrown roastery has grown into one of Singapore’s most well-known speciality coffee brands.
As with most other Alchemist outlets, their cafe at The Heeren features a clean, industrial aesthetic with plenty of concrete and steel. Located on the ground floor next to a busy junction, footfall is naturally high, so do expect crowds, especially on weekends.
My go-to is the White ($6), made with Dark Matter, the brand’s signature blend from Brazil. It’s bold and velvety, with notes of roasted nuts, chocolate, and black plum. If you prefer black coffee, the Iced Black ($6.50) is worth trying too. The flavour is bright and crisp, and you can choose from rotating single-origin beans such as El Carmen from El Salvador.
If you’re feeling peckish, pair your coffee with a selection of bakes from Keong Saik Bakery, priced from $4.50. You can’t go wrong with their croissants and danishes, available in both sweet and savoury options.
Read our Alchemist review.
Address: 260 Orchard Road, #01-ORA, The Heeren, Singapore 238855
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Website
Alchemist is not halal-certified.
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Dinner: Crystal Cafe
By now, I hope you still have space for dinner, because my dinner recommendation is Crystal Cafe at Orchard Grand Court. It’s famed for its Taiwan Porridge Buffet, priced from just $22.80++ per person on weekdays and $25.80++ on weekends, available from 5.30pm to 8.45pm.
A porridge buffet may sound boring, but I promise you it’s anything but. The porridge itself is Teochew-style, meaning it’s cooked with more water than rice, resulting in a thin, watery gruel rather than the thicker Cantonese congee most people are used to. Here, it’s prepared with large chunks of sweet potato to give it some body and natural sweetness.
There are also six curated items that go perfectly with the porridge: Braised Eggs, Pork Belly, Kiam Chye, Tau Pok, Tau Kwa, and Fish Cake.
Other Teochew-style dishes are also available, including Herbal Drunken Prawns and Char Siew—nicely roasted, thick-cut barbecued pork. The Braised Pork Leg is another solid pick, featuring gelatinous skin and succulent meat from a deep, long braise.
Read our Crystal Cafe review.
Address: 131 Killiney Road, Orchard Grand Court, Singapore 239571
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 7am to 9pm, Fri-Sun 7am to 8:45pm
Tel: 6830 2020
Website
Crystal Cafe is not halal-certified.
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Dessert: Chan Susu
Cap off the night at Chan Susu, a Chinese dessert cafe at Orchard Gateway with over 1,020 reviews and an impressive 4.5-star Google rating at the time of writing. It’s tucked opposite the more hyped Molly Tea, but deserves just as much attention, in my humble opinion.
I swear by their Handmade Lava Taro Balls Grand Bowl ($8.90+), which comes loaded with sticky black glutinous rice, silky grass jelly, earthy red beans, and peach gum, served alongside a cup of fresh water buffalo milk to pour over everything yourself. The taro balls themselves are soft and chewy, and filled with a velvety taro paste.
If you’re craving something refreshing, the Sea Salt Fresh Mango Taro Milky Snow ($13.80+) is a good pick. This bingsu-like shaved ice dessert is doused in milk and topped with fresh mango, creamy taro paste, popping mango sago, and two scoops of sea salt vanilla ice cream, finished with crunchy almond slices.
For something unique, try the Pandan Lava French Toast ($7.60+). It’s not my personal favourite, but I’d recommend it if you want to try a local fusion twist on a Western classic. You get a thick slice of crispy and fluffy toast, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, crunchy coconut flakes, and a generous drizzle of sweet, fragrant pandan sauce.
Read our Chan Susu review.
Address: 277 Orchard Road, #01-10, Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 11pm
Tel: 9238 0368
Website
Chan Susu is not halal-certified.
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12-hour Orchard food trail
12 hours isn’t enough to truly explore what Orchard has to offer, but if that’s all the time you have, this itinerary is comprehensive enough to hit up cafes, buffets, and viral food stalls. Most importantly, these food spots won’t burn a hole in your wallet. If you’d like to plan your own day out, check out our guide to cheap eats in Orchard. If you’re also visiting Chinatown, our 12-hour Chinatown food itinerary will help you make the most of your time there.
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The post How To Spend 12 Hours In Orchard: $22.80++ Porridge Buffet, $2 Thrift Stores And More appeared first on Eatbook.sg – Local Singapore Food Guide And Review Site.
