Killiney Road leads us to the MRT station and countless malls on Orchard Road. So, we spend most of our time traveling down this street that incorporates all kinds of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and random businesses. It's also incredibly congested with cars as the narrow lanes aren't designed for the Singaporeans' creative ability to park wherever they like, even if that means they are blocking an entire lane of traffic.
Killiney Road
A popular place on the street for our family is the Fair Price grocery store, simply because it's so convenient to our home and cheaper than the other store we always shopped at while living at Riverplace. It's wonderful to be able to walk two minutes to the store when you're missing one ingredient for dinner.
We also frequent Suan Thai restaurant that I especially enjoy at lunchtime because they offer a great buffet with free refills of iced lemon tea. Thai food is my favorite Asian cuisine so I'm delighted to have a good place just around the corner.
Down a little ways from the Thai restaurant is the Orange Lantern Vietnamese restaurant. I've only been there a few times (because I normally don't make it past Suan Thai) but we have had good meals there and even our children (who did NOT want to eat there) were pleasantly surprised.
There's a small shop specializing in curry puffs and another one offering miscellaneous fried food Brian wanted to check out right after we moved. He recognized fried bananas and attempted to order one in English but had no luck with the woman behind the counter. Megan simply asked for it in Mandarin and completed the transaction for him. :)
For a dose of American food, Domino's Pizza has a store on Killiney Road. My opinion is that if I don't like a restaurant in the States, the experience will only be worse here. So it's not likely I will enter Applebee's, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Domino's Pizza in Singapore. And the latest special at Domino's did little to entice me.
Prawn Sensation Pizza
One of the most famous establishments on Killiney Road is the local coffee shop -- the Killiney Kopitiam. When we were moving to our new place, every time I mentioned the new address to a Singaporean, the first thing I heard was that we would be living next to the former prime minister. And then they would tell me I needed to visit the coffee shop on Killiney Road. The locals love that place and the crowds at all hours of day prove it. I've visited once and while I appreciated the S$1 price for coffee, I remain loyal to Starbucks. It's also famous for its kaya toast (spread made from eggs, sugar and coconut on toast) so I need to try their version at some point.
The Killiney Kopitiam
Next to a small bread shop stands Emily's favorite place, the tire shop. Our youngest child loves to watch the men change tires on cars every time we walk towards the MRT station. The location of this tire shop on a narrow, congested street seems odd to me and apparently it is the chosen shop for anyone who drives expensive cars in Singapore. Not a day passes that I don't see Aston Martins, Ferrraris, Porsches and countless Mercedes and BMWs get tires at this shop. The owners don't seem to mind that their luxury cars are parked on the side of the road during the process. And Emily finds the scene fascinating.
At the end of the street next to Orchard Road stands the Killiney Post Office, also known as the KPO. It's a main branch of Sing Post and it's great because you can go there for all your postal needs until 8pm at night. While you wait to buy stamps, you can order a beer at the bar. The post office shares the space with a bar. The KPO offers valet parking, which seems odd for a post office, until you enter the building and see everything it has to offer. And it's actually a pretty cool bar. It has live music and decent crowds on the weekends. Brian and I visited awhile back and enjoyed an evening on the outdoor terrace overlooking the lights of Orchard Road. I'll give the locals credit for making postal transactions more pleasant...
Entering the KPO -- Post Office to Your Right, Bar to Your Left
We're enjoying the opportunity to explore our new neighborhood as it certainly has its share of quirks and unique attractions.
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