Rachel Chu, an economics professor at New York University and New York native, and her boyfriend Nick Young travel to Singapore for the wedding of Nick’s best friend Colin Khoo. On the airplane, Rachel asks her boyfriend why they are staying at a hotel and not with his family. Nick lies and says he wants to keep her to himself a little while longer. In fact, his mother had made it clear his mysterious new girlfriend was unwelcome in her home.
When the two arrive at Changi Airport, Nick’s best friend Colin and his bubbly fiancée Araminta Lee are waiting for them. The four then venture to Newton Food Centre for dinner where Rachel is in awe of the vibrant food culture of Singapore. The following day, Rachel visits her college roommate Goh Peik Lin and her wealthy family, who are shocked when Rachel tells them whom she is dating. Peik Lin reveals that Nick's family are 'old money' and extremely wealthy (the eponymous "crazy rich Asians") and thus akin to royalty in Singapore.
