North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is escorted by his security delegation as he makes an evening visit to Marina Bay in Singapore, ahead of his talks with US President Donald Trump. Photo / AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is escorted by his security delegation as he makes an evening visit to Marina Bay in Singapore, ahead of his talks with US President Donald Trump. Photo / AP
After North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un was spotted taking in the Singapore nightlife ahead of his talks with Donald Trump, Travel Editor Winston Aldworth looks at the Asian city's best venues to schmooze a dictator.
Mao - 133 Cecil St A club named for the founding father of Asian communistrevolutions, Mao hosts DJs who play "a heady soundtrack of disco, garage, funk and soul, fused in with a dose of techno, trip-hop and broken beats" — you don't get that in Pyongyang. Worth noting: Kim might feel the need to wrap up his face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump over the next two days so he can iron his shirt for Ladies Night at Mao, on Thursday. Danger point: It's happy hour all night.
Zouk nightclub in Singapore. Photo/ Noel Teo
Zouk - 3C River Valley Road, The Cannery
An icon of the Asian nightclubbing scene, Zouk first opened its doors in 1991, and has hosted superstar DJs like Paul Oakenfold and the Chemical Brothers.
Zouk was this year named at No 3 in DJ Mag's list of the world's top 100 clubs.
Danger point:
The bouncers take their job seriously, someone might need to tell Kim's bodyguards to stand down. "The securities were quite authoritative," writes one online reviewer. "Being an enforcer doesn't mean you got to act like one." "Yes it does," Kim might respond.
Singapore's famous Marina Bay Sands hotel, home to rooftop bar Cé La Vi. Photo / AP
Cé La Vi - Marina Bay Sands
Any dictator on a night out will tell you, the first rule of negotiations is to secure the high ground. Among the most famous rooftop bars in the world, Cé La Vi offers prime, 360 degree views across Singapore. They mix a mean old fashioned, too.
Worth noting:
They're serious about the dress code. Kim might need to ditch the Mao jacket and put on a tie.
Danger point:
Those old fashioneds cost $25 each.
Kilo Lounge and kitchen in Singapore. Photo / Supplied
Kilo Lounge - 21 Tanjong Pagar Road
To understand your opposite number in negotiations, it pays to understand their basest appetites. Hipster venue Kilo Lounge has a late-night food stand, Kilo Merienda, serving the kind of sloppy Yank food that US President Donald Trump salivates over, including baskets of fries and New York-style beef hotdogs.
Worth noting:
With Mao shirts and daft shaven haircuts making a comeback among hipsters, the North Korean strongman should fit right in.
