Awkwafina's Guide to Singapore

Fun, Costume, Event, Plant, Tradition, Performance, Child,

(Image credit: Warner Bros / Sanja Bucko)

published 31 July 2018

We filmed Crazy Rich Asians in Singapore for two months. I’m from New York, I’ve been to Los Angeles a bunch of times, and I’ve never seen wealth like I have in Singapore. I’m talking every other car is a Maserati. There’s this famous hotel, casino, and pool called Marina Bay Sands: It looks like three gigantic skyscraper-level towers connected by what looks like a surfboard on top—it’s an infinity pool.

MCX080118_060 — Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands

I stayed on Orchard Road, which is a shopping district that’s, I guess, equivalent to Times Square. There’s a whole row of hotels and an underground maze to different shopping centers. Nights out are extremely ritzy. If you walked around in a full-blown wedding dress, you’d feel at home.

I mostly existed in Adidas sliders and shorts. Oh, and it’s hot in Singapore. There’s no winter. Even wearing a jacket, it’s like, who are you fooling? Just bring shorts. Leave the Uggs at home.

The best part about the city is the street food. You can get traditional dishes, like Hainanese chicken and popiah [a type of spring roll], from a cart. I liked McDonald’s there too—I hate to say it.

You can’t miss Gardens by the Bay, basically [a park made up of ] illuminated tree hybrids. It’s like the craziest Christmas tree you can ever imagine. There’s an upper walkway there where you can really see Singapore. Just breathtaking, everything. It’s a wonderland.