With the loud drumming of traditional music, Middle Eastern décor, and the occasional performance by belly dancers, Café Samar is the best place to enjoy shisha (a device used to smoke fruity flavours). Although prices of the main courses are a little steep, you can do the very cheapskate Singaporean thing and just order a drink, and enjoy the shisha experience.

Have a beer. Or three.
Where: Merchant Road – Brewerkz, Price: Pints at $8.49 on Happy Hours (6 – 8 pm). Contact: 6438 7438
Like an older brother, Brewerkz is warm and familiar yet boisterous and slightly rude. Its wooden furnishings and ice hockey posters creates this very welcoming environment where you can savour its beers. Soon, you’ll be one of those loud, jolly, red-faced drinkers not intoxicated enough to puke, but drunk enough to sing “you can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella” at the top of your voice.

Give your sweet tooth a treat at Bakerzin
Where: Orchard Road – Paragon, Price: Individual servings of dessert under $10. Contact: 6333 6647
Simply looking at their assortment of fascinatingly decorated ice cream stirs up so much yearning in me to gobble them all up. The great thing about Bakerzin’s ice cream dishes is that you get to try three flavours at a time — without getting them piled up and then melting into each other like other parlours do. They have a myriad of other types of desserts, like the signature warm chocolate cake and Bailey’s Irish Cream soufflé.

Karaoke rooms — they’re actually your personal disco
Where: Cineleisure – KBOX, Price: $13++ per person from 2 – 7 pm. Contact: 6755 3113
People seldom-just karaoke in KBOX. They party, throw peanuts at whoever sings badly, and execute killer dance moves to Taiwanese pop songs — just be prepared for utter humiliation when the waiter enters abruptly with your orders. It’s still a brilliant space for you and your friends to go absolutely wild. Just a little advice: Learn a few Mandarin chart toppers before your KBOX session. Although English songs can be fun, KBOX’s Mandarin MTVs are of a better quality.