Well. Raffles lived up to it’s reputation – an amazing building with a very colourful history, complete with a be-turbaned doorman and also the Tiffin room. Tiffin is an Asian meal container of 4 layers and consisting of rice meat, vegetables and dessert which people took to work. This was anglicised to mean High Tea at 4 pm. There was even a “Tiffin” chocolate bar which you were able to purchase in the 50’s and 60’s. The trip up to the Long Bar was fun, even if you’d have needed the aforementioned gold plated bank account for the night on the town! A Singapore Sling signature cocktail of the Long Bar had we indulged would have set you back a tidy S$ 29.75 before 10% service charge and before 7%GST is added. Not that bad if you’re used to clubbing prices in London , but if you’re not used to a sweet mixture of gin, daiquiri, grenadine etc. ....
For those who haven’t been, the Long Bar is still in it’s 1930’s decor, complete with oscillating palm fans! – no punka walla that we could see tho – we presume he’s been replaced by the new fangled electricity! The spiral staircase in the centre of the bar led upstairs to where very good live music was entertaining the clientele. At the foot of the stairs were 3 large sacks of roasted monkey nuts awaiting consumption! Each table had a large square container of these, which were regularly refilled, and unlike the rest of Singapore, where littering of any sort attracts a large fine, you were positively encouraged to drop your monkey nut shells on the floor as you finished them! A hangover from British Ex-Pat eccentricity, we gather! I didn’t have a problem with this (no comments please!) but Ron still found it hard to chuck his shells on the floor!
And so to bed...Andy Pandy is waving good bye! Good bye! Looby loo’s knackered as well!
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