I spent 12 hours in a mall with my bestie — and we didn’t even run out of things to do

They say time spent with your loved ones is time well-spent. To that, I'd say time spent with your loved ones while getting your to-do and shopping list all checked is even better.

With all the Covid-19 restrictions in place, meeting my friends for a long-awaited catch-up has been tough, but we finally did it.

And we didn't just have a quick tete-a-tete at a cafe — my bestie and I spent 12 hours at Raffles City.

Right smack in the middle of the city and just steps away from City Hall MRT station, the shopping mall is the perfect spot for meet-ups.

Taking a day off on a weekday just to chill, catch-up, and do some shopping is just about the best decision we've made in 2021.

Come along as we take you through our time spent at Raffles City!

Nourish our souls at MilkFish

First, we fueled up with brunch at MilkFish — a newly opened casual restaurant that serves comforting seafood soup.

With prices starting at just $12.80 for their signature soup, even budget-conscious diners would enjoy their offerings. But for us, having taken a day off just to chill, we decided to go all in and #treatyoself.

Here's what we got: their signature soup set ($16.80), premium soup set ($32.80), and the whole grilled milkfish ($19).

Made in collaboration with Ao Broth — a local collagen soup brand popular for its all-natural broths — MilkFish's nourishing, milky soup comes from the milkfish's gelatinous belly fat and also fresh clams.

Just a sip of that creamy concoction diminished all our work woes and nourished our tired souls.

Best of all? No milk was added — perfect for those of us with dairy sensitivities.

Shop for everything under one roof at ONE Assembly

With over 140 brands housed under one roof, it's no wonder they are called ONE Assembly — all your household needs are assembled in one store.

We were excited to find new beauty brands like Tiffany & Co Fragrances, NARS, Dyson, as well as Korean skincare and makeup brand Allura — their first counter in Singapore!

While touching and testing products are still prohibited due to the pandemic, shopping around the double-storey department store and ticking off items in our to-buy list was enough to keep us busy.

Being the homebodies we are (or have become from all the working from home), we are always on the lookout for things that would make our stay-home time a tad more comfortable, and ONE Assembly's home and living section is a dream to shop at.

The first stop we headed towards was the Xiaomi Counter to check out their highly-raved Mi Robot Vacuum Mop ($399) that's known for its smart functions. The best part about shopping in-person? We got to test it on the spot!

Here are some other things we picked up: a coffee machine from Nespresso ($168) for all the late-night work, a KitchenAid mixer ($1,299) because we're still not over the circuit breaker baking, a Mayer airfryer ($45) in the most perfect pastel colour, and some of Canopy's luxury bed linen.

And we're still sitting on the mattress and bed frame decision — between Tempur, Simmons, Sealy and King Koil, it's tough just picking one.

But if you're also looking to get yourself some new bed sets, head on over to shop by July 21 to get up to $350 home vouchers and a Tiger 3-in-1 multi-purpose electric skillet pan (worth $449) with a minimum $3,500 spend in a single receipt.

Whine and dine at Providore

What's a girls' day out without rounding it up with some whining (or wining) and dining?

This all-day dining cafe that sits just opposite Raffles Hotel makes you feel like you're on vacation, especially when you get one of their al fresco dining tables on a cool evening.

It features comforting delights like grass-fed beef burger and slow-braised lamb shank, and healthy dining options such as baked vegetarian rotolo and smashed avocado on toast.

Here's what we got: a tapas sampling board, club sandwich, grapefruit martini, and lime daiquiri.

Providore's newest outlet at Raffles City is the perfect, cosy space to hang out with your girlfriends for some weekend brunch or even a special date night with your loved one.

We both agreed that the club sandwich, with its tender and juicy grilled chicken breast, fried egg, avocado, bacon, and freshly-baked sourdough, was mind-blowingly good.

And the drinks? They were the perfect accompaniment to end the day on a high note.

This article is brought to you in partnership with Raffles City.