Pinnacle@Duxton + [Closed] Banana Tree, Singapore
It was another Saturday but I was already sick of going to Orchard, Bugis, movie and shopping malls. My friend and I wanted to go somewhere new, so we went to Pinnacle@Duxton. I know most tourists will go to Marina Bay Sands Skypark or Singapore Flyer to enjoy bird's eye view of Singapore city skyline, but do you know that there is a hidden gem which is less popular but offers the same breathtaking view at a much cheaper price? Yes, Pinnacle@Duxton is the place!
Pinnacle@Duxton is one of the most iconic housing projects in Singapore's public housing history. What sets it apart from the other HDB housing projects is that Pinnacle@Duxton is the first 50-storey public housing project in Singapore (and also said to be the tallest public housing in the world). It houses 1,848 apartments in 7 different tower blocks, but these blocks are connected to each other. The highlight of Pinnacle@Duxton is the two skybridges on the 26th and 50th storey. The skybridge on the 26th storey is only open to residents, whereas the 50th storey one is open to both residents and the public.
But do you know that it literally takes quite an effort to reach the top? Well, we shall not generalize but we were struggling to get to the rooftop. So before we actually came down here, I had noted down the instruction of getting the access to the rooftop (got it from Tripadvisor). The instruction is like this:
Make sure you have a CEPAS card (or EZ-Link card) with at least a value of $6 inside. Each person needs to have their own card in order to have access to the Skypark. Walk to Block 1G and locate the Self-Service Kiosk Machine. Follow the instructions and pay using your CEPAS card. Take the lift to the 50th storey from any of the blocks and scan your card at any of the turnstile entrances.At the point when I read this instruction I already thought the process would be complicated, because you cannot just go in by tapping your EZ-Link card. We wasted around 15 minutes to find the 'ticket machine' at block 1G (in case you are wondering, block 1G is the one facing Cantonment Road). There was no clear instruction on how to use the machine, and at that time we saw a locket. We thought we could just buy the ticket from there, but the locked window was closed. My friend knocked at the door behind the locket and surprisingly there was an uncle inside. We asked him how to get the ticket and he told us to just give him $6 from each of us (the entrance fee is $6). He then told us to go straight to the 50th storey and that he would open the gate for us. He also gave us his phone number to call him when we were done so he could open the gate for us again. Haiyo, sounds so troublesome already right? Maybe they only do it when there are not many visitors around.
How to get to Pinnacle@Duxton? Take the MRT to Outram Park Station and exit from Exit G. Walk along Central Narcotics Bureau and cross the first junction you see. The Pinnacle@Duxton is located after the junction.
Took #ootd shot enroute to Banana Tree
After visiting Pinnacle@Duxton, we made our way to Banana Tree, a Korean-franchised cafe specializing in cute, Insta-genic dessert. It Is located on Keong Saik Street, reachable within walking distance from Outram Park MRT. The place looks bright and cheerful with the dominance of yellow color. We are required to make our order at the counter and later the staff will serve your order to your table. The waiting time was relatively slow, we needed to wait around 20 minutes merely for drink and dessert.
Iced Matcha Som-Som Latte - $7
'Som (솜)' literally means cotton in Korean. This is not your usual glass of iced latte, because Banana Tree's version has cotton candy on the top. However, it drove me crazy when the straw got stuck within the cotton candy - it made my fingers sticky as I tried to take out the straw.
Banana Flower Pot Pudding - $6.50
Who could resist the beautiful presentation? The pudding was served on a clay flower pot with mock flowers that were sadly, inedible. Hidden beneath the 'soil' was banana pudding. I knew the pudding was made from real banana as I could spot some banana chunks. The texture was not firm - it was more on the mushy side, which reminded me of baby porridge haha. Extra points for that shovel-shaped spoon though.
I enjoyed my time here, adoring the Insta-worthy presentation of my drink and dessert. My only gripe is only the long waiting time just for one drink and one dessert - I needed to wait around 30 minutes. However, I appreciate that they serve the order to our table, yet there is no GST and service charge applied. Free-flow ice water is also available as well. So, why don't you just give this cafe a visit now?
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26 Keong Saik Road
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