This week, explore new ways to rediscover Singapore while supporting our local brands
Celebrating local produce
LeVeL33, MBFC Tower 1 What’s in a name? By christening a seafood dish after the fish farm where ingredients are sourced, LeVeL33 hopes the colloquial title will highlight the profile of one kelong (a fish farm out at sea that is built on wooden stilts) in Singapore. The Ah Hua Kelong Seafood Bouillabaisse ($28) features local mussels, prawns, clams and fish delivered fresh every single day from its namesake fisheries in Pasir Ris and Sembawang.

A weekend at Haji Lane
Parkroyal on Beach Road Ready for a “Singapoliday”? Parkroyal on Beach Road has unveiled the “Simply Yours: The Exclusive Couples Retreat” getaway package, with an emphasis on exploring cultural and heritage sites in the area. Priced from $238 per night, the package features late check-out till 4pm, with club breakfast, refreshments and evening cocktails on wheels for two persons. Guests enjoy 30% savings on in-room dining and 25% savings on a la carte treatments at St. Gregory Spa. The hotel also boasts a wellness floor with a gym and outdoor swimming pool.

Singapore Archifest 2020
Sept 25 to Oct 31 Taking place over six weekends, the annual festival organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) is going “hybrid” with a mix of physical and virtual programmes. Since starting in 2007, Singapore Archifest advocates for vibrancy in local design culture by creating opportunities for the public and architectural professionals to interact. With the theme “Architecture Saving OUR World”, the festival invites all to discover how architecture can address today’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, food shortage and public health. The festival will kick off on Sept 25 with the forum, “How can we place architecture at the frontline?”, which will have an opening address by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee. The forum will also be streamed “live” at 7pm on Singapore Archifest’s Facebook page.
Singapore Writers Festival 2020
Oct 30 to Nov 8 What does intimacy mean in a time of quarantine and safe distancing? Presented in a digital format for the first time, the 23rd edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns with a line-up of programmes inspired by the theme of “Intimacy”. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), this year’s festival invites authors and audiences to discuss and reflect on the impact of the pandemic, and how people are able to engage digitally and connect with one another despite being apart. This year’s international headliners include Pulitzer Prize-winners — comic artist Art Spiegelman (Maus), poets Sharon Olds (Stag’s Leap) and Tracy K Smith (Life on Mars). Also featured are fantasy fiction writer Cassandra Clare (City of Bones), Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin (Three Body Problem / “三体”) and English author Zadie Smith (White Teeth). The digital direction marks a turning point for the festival, says returning festival director Pooja Nansi. This is the local poet’s second year at the helm of the SWF. “We are thrilled to offer our audiences this strong mix of online and offline touchpoints, and are excited to see how digitalisation can bring about greater convenience to festival-goers who will be able to attend a wider range of programmes,” she says. Get your digital festival pass at an early bird price of $12 from now till Oct 9 via Sistic ($20 thereafter). The pass includes access to all international headline programmes and all festival workshops.