Banana Lemon Singapore
Singapore, without the brochure
Food I don’t always understand, neighbourhoods I walk every day, strange rules, expensive beer, tropical wildlife — and the ordinary details that make this city so addictive.
Not a guidebook. More like field notes.
I write about the Singapore I actually live in: the beautiful parts, the baffling parts, and the small things nobody puts in the official brochures. These stories began as notes to friends. Now they live here.
Explore by subject
Life in Singapore
Rules, rituals, transport, weather and the everyday oddities of island life.
Food & Drink
Hawker centres, suspiciously named dishes, coffee, cake and honest verdicts.
Places & Neighbourhoods
Walks through the city, one block, mall, street and surprising corner at a time.
Homes & Condos
Bomb shelters, void decks, lifts, neighbours and what Singapore homes reveal about the city.
Schools & Family
Family life, schools and the practical questions that come with raising children here.
Latest stories
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How We Moved House in Singapore — and Learned About False Economy
We tried to save on a professional move by using Lalamove and doing the packing ourselves. Then a missing condo permit, two trucks and one very principled security guard turned 300 metres into an overnight adventure.
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12 strange things about Singapore I still can’t get used to
Why Singapore taxis make me sick, why tap water is never cold, and why a gecko named Gennady is better than a cockroach: 12 everyday surprises.
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Singapore in Song: Unraveling Vertinsky’s ‘Banana-Lemon’ Metaphor
If you ask Russian-speaking people about Singapore, many will surely recall the famous tango “Magnolia” by Alexander Vertinsky. This song…
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Strange ingredients of Nasi Lemak
Singapore is located near Malaysia, there are many Malays here, and Malaysian cuisine is popular. So! The most popular Malaysian dish, Nasi…
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My choice: Chili oil wonton 🌶🥟
What’s the most delicious thing I’ve tried in Singapore in 4 years? It’s hard to pick from a plethora of impressions, but now I would say…
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Sim Lim: A time capsule of electronics 📻
The exterior of this building is unremarkable, its facade covered in plain concrete and glass, more akin to an office block or a local…
A personal view of a very organised city
Banana Lemon Singapore is written by Denya Lemon — with curiosity, affection, scepticism and no obligation to pretend that every local delicacy is delicious.