MsC had a doctor's appointment, so we took the chance to go out for lunch together. We also needed to pick up our Trace Together Tokens.

Singapore requires people 7 years and older to to check in everywhere they go for contact tracing. I've been able to check us all in with the app on my phone, but as Singapore continues to open up even more with our lack of Covid cases, the kids are doing more things without me (classes and going out with friends). It felt like time to just bite the bullet and get them registered. I also learned that they would need a token if we went on a Cruise to Nowhere (a cruise that stays in Singapore waters).  

One of the closest pick up locations was in Tiong Bahru, which also happens to have a restaurant I've been wanting to try.

Pick up at the Community Centre was fast. Signs directing us were clear, there was no line and we picked up our 3 tokens within a few minutes. We walked through a lovely alley on our way the restaurant where we admired the murals portaying historic scenes of this neighbourhood. Then we eagerly checked into Tiann's Gluten Free Bakery using our new tokens. It was "Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy," as MsC and her friends say.

After being show to a table and given menus we were told to order at the front and pay in advance. This is a common bistro approach here.  The restaurant looked pretty simple: just a hallway with white subway tiles and wooden tables. MsC was confused over the high price of our bill in these simple surrounding. I, on the other hand, was not surprised given the neighbourhood, the western food, let alone the fact that it was all allergy friendly. I think we spent just under $50 on lunch and we didn't order any drinks.

Eating with food sensitivities in Singapore is a real challenge. Unless we're in a high end restaurant, people just don't get it. So eating at Tiann's was amazing. I could eat everything on the extensive menu. I pursued the menu for a long time and then settled on lasagna. It was so good I almost cried, so creamy and like real lasagna. It was the first I've eaten in more than 2 years. It was pretty easy to also find dairy free options here for MsC too; they were clearly labeled (Dairy free and/or Vegan). MsC picked the Vegan Chocolate Dessert Waffles. They came with slabs of chocolate coconut ice cream, curls of chocolate and fresh raspberries. It was really rich and she let me eat quite a bit of it. There's also a large counter at the front displaying all the bakery goods and custom ice cream.

After lunch we headed across the street to the Wet Market, we checked out the fresh produce and then bought fresh flowers. We spent a while marvelling at all the egg stall. There were so many sizes and colours. We saw signs for chicken, duck and quail eggs. Our favorite was small and pale blue in colour. We should have asked what it was laid by. As you might notice in the photo below, eggs are sold in sets of 10 in Singapore.

Near the front of the market I bought a large planted orchid for $18. MsC bought a cut Hydrangea bloom after I told her they grow in our backyard back in Canada for $15.  

I think my orchid is having a bit of a time adjusting to being inside. The market is open air, and although we keep the doors open in the morning, we run the air con all afternoon. A lot of people keep hang their orchids outside on their patios. I totally forgot that was a possibility when I bought mine. I saw the hanging ones, but couldn't fathom where I would hang it from. If this one doesn't make it I'll go back for some hanging ones and put them around my patio.