hotel

Bedazzling Christmas Menu with Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel

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With Christmas around the corner, restaurants and hotels residing in every corner of Singapore are firing up their Turkey-licious Christmas menus! But if one was seeking a bedazzling Christmas menu, the award-winning “10 at Claymore” residing at the lobby of Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel, is definitely one of the top choice to consider.

This is with special consideration for an intimate round-table luncheon which the hotel will be hosting just on Christmas Day itself to add a special festive touch.





Nowadays, I find many restaurants either over-promising the variety of their food or compromised on its quality. Worst if sometimes both happens and at the expense of huge bill size! However, for this hotel buffet, I assure you that you will definitely fancy the spread here especially if you are avid poultry eater.














I would not say this is the most affordable Buffet in town but the cost is definitely well justified by Award-winning executive chef, Andy Oh’s creative spin to some of the traditional Christmas savories. This includes a series of delectable offerings such as Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Chutney, Honey Baked Ham, Herb Crusted Organic Rack of Lamb and etc. But the one that caught my stomach’s attention the most would be their Succulent Blackmore Wagyu har-grilled “Cape Byron” Angus Prime Rib, slow cooked to perfection!

You do not even have to sink your teeth into the steak to know its tenderness; it can even be sensed when slicing through the meat and marbling with my table knife. Indeed, I did not have to chew much to enjoy the entire slab of beef. Also, a good amount of marbling gave out its distinctive & palatable flavour.

Frankly, I enjoyed it so much, I think I easily had almost 500g of it myself! Speaking of making my buffet worth its cost! Lol! Of course, all the other dishes were equally good as well!








Another highlight of this buffet would be this award-winning Char Kway Teow! I bet you must be thinking what does Christmas got to do with this Penang dish! However, I still insist in sharing the best stuff I tried during my food tasting session. If you yearn for some Penang Char Kway Teow, this place offers the likes of it with a good, intense Wok Stir-fried taste! Thanks to the Malaysian roots of Chef Andy Oh!, Now you do not have to fly over to Penang just to enjoy a good plate of Authentic Char Kway Teow!





Pricing:
For Festive Lunch Buffet,
Mon-Fri, Adult cost $42++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $21++
Sat & Sun, Adult cost $48++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $24++
Christmas Eve & New Years Eve , Adult cost $58++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $29++
Christmas Day & New Year Day , Adult cost $88++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $44++

For Festive Dinner Buffet,
Mon-Sun, Adult cost $68++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $34++
Christmas Eve & New Years Eve , Adult cost $118++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $59++
Christmas Day, Adult cost $118++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $59++
New Year Day, Adult cost $88++ & Child (5-12 years old) cost $44++





As mentioned above, you can also choose to dazzle your family with an intimate round table Christmas Luncheon, and revel in a memorable experience in their banquet venue decked with festive ornaments. For this luncheon, you get to savour Traditional Roasted Turkey complete with Homemade Chestnut Stuffing, Giblet Sauce and Cranberry Chutney, as well as the ultra delicious Chr-Grilled “Cape Byron” Angus Prime Rib and Protuguese Linguica Sausauge!

From 12-3pm, per table seats 10 pax and it is priced at $888 per table.

For more information, please visit: https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-resorts/singapore/orchard/stay/dining/10-at-claymore.html

Food that make you Warm, Happy and Merry at Park Hotel Alexandra

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Author: Alex Chua

Black Forest Christmas Feast at The Carvery – from 12 December 2016 to 1 January 2017

As the decorations and festivities kick in along Orchard Road, Park Hotel Alexandra gears up for an enchanted Christmas 2016 with a bountiful feast at The Carvery. This year, executive chef Robert Chan and his team is treating diners and guests to a spread showcasing the wholesome and earthy flavours of produce, herbs and vegetables inspired from the Black Forest in Germany.
It’s a return to classic, authentic feast complete with serene notes of Christmas carollers echoing through the hotel during the yuletide season. Time to pile the plates high with your favourite Christmas deliciousness!



For the carnivores – The Carvery’s famed three-metre long meat carving station

Located on the 7th floor of Park Hotel Alexandra, The Carvery is the hotel’s stalwart restaurant renowned for its meat buffet. Offering a comprehensive selection of flawlessly prepared, quality roasts along its expansive three-metre long meat carving station. These are accompanied by a note-worthy entourage of accompaniments and desserts to whet your appetite.

Let’s check out the signature items in The Carvery this Christmas!

Roasts



Hit the roast jackpot with highlights such as US Black Angus Beef Prime Rib (weekends only), Crown Roast of Pork and Spit-roasted Chicken with Tarragon

Here’s a shout out to all beef fans (me included!) – don’t miss out on the US Black Angus beef. It is flavourful, tender inside with the slight thin crisp outside, definitely worth a second helping or more! Do note that the stellar cut of Ribeye is available for weekdays while the premium Prime Rib is available on the weekends only.



Lathered with fresh herbs such as savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano and cooked in oven for several hours until reaching that perfect tender

Truly a sight to behold. The rib portions of the loins are wrapped together to form a circle, replicating the ‘crown’. This succulent Crown Roast of Pork with Herbs and Mustard has a pronounced meaty palette that would appeal to the true carnivores.



Keeping to the traditions – tarragon, a quintessential Christmas herb, is stuffed within the chook and beneath the skin to impart its distinct fragrance

The only available item for takeaway at $38+ ($68+ with a bottle of wine, available from 9 to 29 December 2016) and my personal favourite, the Spit-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon is served with roasted winter vegetables and gravy. Each hefty bird is approximately 1.8kg, ideal for up to six diners.

Sweet indulgences



This crepes are made ala minute right in front of you, with fruits, toppings and sauces chosen by you

It is said that good desserts can lift up a person’s mood, and I couldn’t agree with this statement more. And who knows you can get that from the simple yet delicate Buckwheat crepes? Paired with with your choice of fresh fruits like strawberries, mangos and bananas, walnuts, almonds or Christmas sprinkles toppings, and drizzle it with salted caramel or silky chocolate, and you’re all set for a sweet ride to a warm, cosy Christmas.



Granny Smith and red Gala apples are used to create this savoury dessert

It is apple fantasy comes true with Baked Apples with Walnut Stuffing. A common fruit in the Black Forest, the baked apple is stuffed with walnuts and almond paste, giving it a contrast in texture – tender from the outside with a mild hint of almond flavour and crunch from the walnut.



Who can refuse a slice of sweet heaven?

The Black Forest Trifle is as beautiful as they are flavourful and it is undeniably one of the best trifle I’ve tasted so far. This Carvery’s signature is made with generous layers of chocolate sponge cake, dark chocolate mousse, brandy soaked cherries and whipped cream and custard. The combination of sweet and slight tanginess from the cherries is just incredible.

Overall, The Carvery offers a unique gastronomic experience with great buffet spread for your family and loved ones to celebrate this festive occasion.

The Carvery (Level 7)
Park Hotel Alexandra
323 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159972
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12pm to 3pm | 6pm to 10pm
Tel: (65) 6828 8880 Email: thecarvery.phal@parkhotelgroup.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carvery.sg/

HOTEL: Four Points by Sheraton Singapore

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For those who were wondering where the former Riverview Hotel disappeared to, here lies the answer.

It has been transformed and re-branded to Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview – a modern heaven targeted at independent business travelers seeking a practical accommodation that cater to their work travel needs.

Nonetheless, I certainly think it can not only serve the needs of business travelers but also both local & foreign young crowds who seeks a stylish staycation away from the hustle & bustle of the city. Why so? Well, let me share more below!

1) Location

One of the feature I really adore about this hotel is its well-sitauted centralized position.

To be more exact, this 21-storey hotel sits along the iconic Singapore River and is a stone’s throw from the wining and dining enclaves of Robertson Quay, Clark Quay and Boat Quay. What this means is there is no boring nights with this hotel as you are going to be spoilt with a myriad of night spots to choose from!

What about the afternoon? If you are the kind that are not into using the hotel’s amenities. Rest assured as it is near to Great World City. This was where J & I did our lunch, shopping and even a cinema to catch the latest movie that afternoon!

2) Room (Premium)

Four Points features four room types catering to every traveller’s needs – Deluxe, Premium, Suites and Executive Suites. Nonetheless, we are reviewing the Premium Suite for this staycation.

The Premium room has more than adequate space not just to work conducively but also rest comfortably.

Soft, fluffy King-sized bed that the both of us did not get enough off even after having a good 8 hours of sleep. In my opinion, it might be a tinge too big for a single business traveller!

Simple, contemporary decors within the room with soothing shades of grey as the main theme of the room reflects a clean and sleek feel within the living space.





If I have to pick the main selling point of this room, it would definitely be this huge, eye-catching window that oversees a picturesque view of the city landscape lined with the iconic Singapore River!





This sofa at the ledge of the window is definitely a conducive environment to snap pictures as you can see! >< More importantly, also one for working!!

In fact, we spent quite a big bulk of that afternoon working here! I was busy clearing blogposts at one corner while J was busy clearing his interminable work mails on the other corner. When we are both tired, all we have to do is just to look at the window beside us.

Immediate rejuvenation! Work never seems to tire us out within this room!





Baths and showers are housed in tasteful marble-accented surrounds and come complete with toilet amenities!





One other thing I like about this room is it NEVER runs out of place for Selfies!

Look at how pretty the wall is in the toilet! In fact, one of J’s OOTD was taken within this toilet when some of his followers thought it was some fanciful studio!








Guess what? They have a Bathtub in the room too!!!

I was so grateful for this as I had a warm, bubble bath with my glass of champagne that evening which calmed every tensed nerve I had from the bump and grind of the stressful week!





Other features include a complimentary set of coffee and tea making facilities.

Nonetheless, the mini refrigerator is empty! Don’t be astounded as they purposely kept it free of hotel products so guests have the option to stock up on their own beverage or food if they so desire. All in the good spirit of independence!

Free bottled water is topped up daily & a large flat-screen TV is provided for relaxing entertainment! Would have been good we could watch TV from the Bathtub. Nonetheless, we wouldn’t have exchanged this pretty wall for that! Bet J feels that way else he would not have had his OOTD! Lol!


3) Facilities & Amenities

The view from the room is not the only noteworthy one. At least not till you have visited the fifth floor!

A beautiful free-form swimming pool is located on this storey and are open only to hotel guests.





Nice little pavilions lined the swimming pool for hotel guests to laze and sun tanned their afternoon away.





Two 24-hour well-outfitted fitness centers are also located on this level! Not extremely large ones but definitely well equipped to burn some calories.





From this point onwards, ‘Foodies out there! here is where you might want to tune in!’

4) FOOD

Four Points has two stellar wining & dining options for in- house business travellers and walk-in guests – The Best Brew, a newly innovated lobby bar and Four Points Eatery, an all-day dining restaurant with local and international a la carte and buffet offerings.

**Both of them have cool, covered al fresco spots right next to the spectacular Singapore River for those who prefer wining and dining outdoors.

Best Brew Bar

For those who is too lazy to travel to the nearby nightspots even with the FREE shuttle service to Clarke Quay MRT station near Chinatown and Orchard Road offered by the hotel, here’s the deal: The Best Brew

This social hangout hub located at the lobby is designed for guests to fire up their laptops in the open atmosphere of the bar, chill with friends, colleagues and business associates over a wide selection of local and international beers, tipples, cocktails and premium bites.

Live band entertainment is available almost every evening of the week which create the perfect chill out vibes for a break away!





If you are into fresh beers, one not to be missed in the Best Brew is their freshly-tapped Exclusive Bespoke craft beer: Tall Tale Pale Ale. I did not specifically drink it as I am not into beers but quoting from J’s IG post (‘It is so smooth just like lotion down the throat!’).

Aren’t spinning a tale literally here but I was just wondering if it was just as ‘moisturizing’ as well! Lol!

Time just whizzed by unknowingly in this bar…

Four Point Eatery

Breakfast Buffet:

I guess what we love best is their eggs! You can customize and order your eggs at the station 🙂 We skipped our breakfast because we were going to have our brunch buffet that day!

Nonetheless, it was quite a good spread of a breakfast! As I am writing this, I kind of regretted skipping their breakfast 🙁








Brunch Buffet:

Seafood Brunch on Sundays 12pm – 3pm
Price: $52/adult, $26/child
Price is inclusive of free flow of prosecco/ moscato and soft drinks.

For less than $60, you get to enjoy a good spread of seafood on top of the free flow of moscato! From prawns to crayfish! Since it is called Brunch Buffet, expect egg benedicts too. I helped myself to 3!

Soup lovers can find different soups there too – from cream based to chinese herbal soup!

















Thank you Four Points by Sheraton for hosting us!

Food: Tastes of Korea at Marriott Cafe

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K-Pop, K-Beauty or Korean food isn’t going to exit Singapore any time soon because people are generally crazy over anything Korean!

Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s Marriott Cafe is pulling the heartstrings of Korean food aficionados with a sumptuous kaleidoscope of Korean delicacies.

The dishes are specially prepared by guests chefs Choi Dae-hwan and Lee Jae-Bin from JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul. With authentic chefs from Korea, you can only expect authentic Korean food!

Diners will be spoilt for choice with hearty stews, ever-popular bibimbab, delightfully savoury kimchi pancake, fried chicken, succulent roasts and many more.

Soup lovers will enjoy the Beef Turnip Soup; Kimchi Stew Dry, Pollack Soup as well as a Soup of the Day.

P/S: The Beef Bulgogi is damn gooooood!








If you prefer to have a mixture of International delicacies, their Sushi, Sashimi, Herbal Soup, Indian food and more are still available.

They have the freshest selection of seafood such as Snow Crab Legs; Live Prawns; Seasonal Oysters; Crayfish; Mussels and Gong Gong for the seafood lvoers too.

I am a fan of their Nonya Kuehs so if you love kuehs as well, I would suggest you to save some space in your stomach for them too!

Marriott Cafe – Taste of Korea Buffet

16 to 31 August 2016

Korean Lunch Buffet

Monday to Saturday / Sunday
Adult: $59++ / $75++* and $98++** per person
Child: $35++ / $46++ per child

Korean Dinner Buffet

Sunday to Thursday / Friday and Saturday
Adult: $70++ / $80++ per person
Child: $38++ / $40++ per child

* Inclusive of free flow of juices and soft drinks
** Inclusive of free flow of sparkling wine, beer and soft drinks

SINGAPORE MARRIOTT TANG PLAZA HOTEL
320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865
Tel: (65) 6735 5800 Fax (65) 6735 9800

NEW: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Mooncakes

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My favourite festival is nearing again! I love Mid-Autumn because I get to eat mooncakes and I LOVE MOONCAKES!!

Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza has started taking in orders for their moon cakes from 11 August to 15 September 2016.

“This Mid-Autumn Festival, guests can expect nothing short of perfection as our culinary maestros from Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant combine the best of ingredients, flavors and panache to present 11 exquisite, low-sugar moon cake creatives.”

Snowskin Mooncakes:

Durian lovers scream in delight because they have their signature Pure “Mao Shan Wang” Premium Grade Durian for $69 nett! My parents love them but I will stick by Sencha Green Tea with Japanese Red Bean at $63 nett.

Other flavors available are:

    • Chocolate Brownie with Cookies & Honeycomb ($61 nett)
    • Salted Caramel with Peanut Praline ($61 nett)
    • White Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk ($61 nett)



However, as compared to Snowskin Mooncakes, traditional Mooncakes win hands down (based on my liking).

My most desired moon cakes every year is none other than White Lotus Seed Paste with Double Yolk, which is also their best seller at $70 nett.

Their signature flavor White Lotus Seed Paste with Chicken Bak-kwah and Assorted Nuts ($64 nett) was James’ pick.

Other flavor includes:

  • White Lotus Seed Paste With Black Truffle, Waxed Duck, Roasted Chestnut & Single Yolk ($80 nett)
  • White Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk ($65 nett)
  • White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Nuts ($61 nett)
  • White Lotus Seed Paste with Macadamia Nuts ($63 nett)



You can also order via their website at http://www.singaporemarriott.com/mooncakes/order/ and choose your method of collection – either self collection or delivery.

For more information, please visit http://www.singaporemarriott.com/mooncakes/

Staycation Review: Bay Hotel Singapore [Discount Code]

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Author: James Aw Yong

If you want to stay near one of Singapore’s most iconic beach (Sentosa) comfortably yet affordably , then I would say Bay Hotel Singapore is the BEST option for you!

Why BEST?

Let me just do a simple quick summary for you so that you can always remember this hotel easily! It is simply because Bay Hotel is….

Biggest Executive boutique hotel in Singapore (333-room Bay Hotel Singapore)
Accessibility (Less than 5mins walk to the nearby Harbourfront MRT station)
Yummy local street food favourites in restaurant open from 6am to 3am (new all-day dining menu, weekend buffet lunch and hotpot buffet dinner)
Handy smartphone for use during stay with free IDD calls to selected countries
Opposite Vivocity – the largest shopping mall in Singapore
Technology (complimentary WiFi and technologically savvy check-in perfect for millennials)
Enjoyment of Complimentary Minibar (replenished once daily) and other facilities in an eco-friendly Smoke-free hotel
Located strategically also at the gateway of Sentosa and at the foot of Mount Faber.

Should this short summary not hit the sweet spot for you literally, let me shower you with more details on these aspects according to our own recent experience.

Walk-through

And so once again #JamesnMaybel is ALL ready for our next Hotel review!

This time falling exactly on the National Day weekend with us all donned in our sponsored Superdry outfits! (In fact, the only Superdry store in Singapore is located in Vivocity. One more perks for the Superdry Fans staying near the hotel!)





Accessibility

Firstly, let me give you some context on how accessible this location is especially for tourists visiting Singapore for the first time.

Let’s just say this hotel is just ONE traffic light away from the Biggest Shopping mall in Singapore, VivoCity (located at Harbourfront MRT Station) and walking distance to Sentosa (Most Iconic Beach in Singapore).

And if you are looking to do some serious shopping, rest assured that this location is a mere 2-3 MRT stops from Orchard Road (Singapore’s Prime Shopping district)

Room’s Interior (Deluxe)

The room given to us for this Hotel review is their ‘Deluxe’ Room.

I like the cosy, simplistic concept & earthly tones within the room which kind of makes you feel rooted to Singapore already. The walk around space is decent for 2-3 person with a comfortable bed large enough to accommodate even 3 sleepers. If not, the ‘unlucky’ odd one out can always take the caterpillar cushion by the side of the window! >< Just kidding!

But trust me, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the super fluffy bed here which is comparable to any 4 to 5 star hotels locally!





However, if you do get the caterpillar cushion ‘bed’, don’t sulk. Because you are in for the best view within the room; One that overlooks Vivocity & Sentosa!

This view (below) getting increasingly beautiful as the sun set.





Moving onto the features within the room. They have all the basic features within a room such as TV and writing table etc.

Nonetheless, one of the tourist-friendly feature resting on the writing table is this Handy smartphone which allows for complimentary IDD calls to selected countries! So you are still connected be it locally or overseas!





One thing I like about this room is the snacks and drinks are ALL complimentary! For the drinks selection, this is not ALL!

Within the refrigerator, there are 7-8 canned drinks such as beers eg Anchor, gassy & non-gassy soft drinks. Also inclusive are 3 packets of snacks eg mixed nuts & potato chips.

Going hungry is definitely the last thing that will happen to you during your stay!





Rain Shower with decent space to accommodate two person bathing at one go. Appreciate the fact that they give a big bottle of shampoo & bathing gel.

I am not sure how many of you would understand the frustration of having to ration for these two items even for a one night stay! I have stayed in hotels which give you those ‘sample’ size bottles which seems only enough for one person usage! Luckily, you do not have to worry on such issues here!





Amenities ( Infinity Pool & Gym)

Getting out of the room, let’s check out their amenities! I am glad they have an Infinity Pool & Gym as these are the two places I will always visit when I stay in a hotel.

Even though the infinity pool here does not offer the picturesque, breathe-taking view of any 5-star hotel, there are two things I absolutely like about it: An undisturbed Nature’s view & glass protection. This allows anyone especially parents to have a peace of mind while enjoying this sanctuary.





While my dear M is indulging in her poolside shots, I get to indulge in my manly business aka Gym! Technically, its for me to burn off all the calories built during the scrumptious food tastings within this hotel (which I will share more below)!





Do not expect an extremely well equipped big gym. Nonetheless, they have all ample equipment for you to sweat it out with!





Complimentary Breakfast

The stay comes with a complimentary breakfast the next day to cure your hungry stomach.

Be sure to come down early especially when the occupancy rate is high during holidays. You are sure to get your seats at the popular ‘ Street50’ restaurant due to its large seating capacity. BUT I cannot guarantee you will get your favorite food if you are late!





The chef consistently ensure that you get hot pipping food served! Yummilicious!





The spread they have for breakfast is also pretty generous! M was totally head over heels with their Chocolate Donut balls which seeks to satisfy the sweet-tooth! For me, it just had to be their hot crunchy nuggets! I had like a 20 piece nugget meal myself!

Other food includes scrambled eggs, Ham, Croissant, yogurt, muesli, waffles, different variety of cheese, hash browns and many more!

A hearty breakfast accomplished!





For all those who are in for shopping spree & beaches, this hotel is a definite must stay! Where else can you get an affordable room in the central which is within a stone’s thrown away from the biggest shopping complex and our iconic beach, Sentosa!

ROOM DISCOUNT when you quote “Maybeline Sim”
Exclusive: 10% Off Best Available Rate plus buffet breakfast for 2 persons
Valid for stay between 21 Aug to 30 Sep 2016 only; subject to room availability
Not applicable for the period of 15 – 18 Sep 2016.


‘SINGAPORE FOOD STORY’ Weekend Buffet Lunch (For those who are Foodies only!)

If you are planing for food venture tour instead of a shopping spree, I will highly urge you to try out their ‘Singapore Food Story’ Weekend Buffet lunch!

Why?

For Foreigners – Unless you are staying for a good one week in Singapore, chances is that you are going to miss out either one or two of our famous local delicacies. With this buffet, you are almost able to capture all our famous local delights across different races eg Malay Satay, Indian Rojak etc.

For Locals – Yes, you guys might already be familiar with the local delicacies since you stayed almost half your life here. It would then be the affordability and quality of the local food!

I would say the new chef makes a good concerted effort with perfecting every local cuisines on the table here especially the Laksa which Maybel had two bowls in a row. For me, it’s their satay as he made it extremely palatable without overly burning it! Especially, I have see really ‘carcinogenic’ ones elsewhere!





Apart from local cuisines, they also have additional ‘Grill’ Stations that prepares Grilled Beef, Chicken and etc. So in totality, their spread is definitely generous and bang for buck!

Additional Details

Every Saturday & Sunday, 12pm to 3pm

(After the special debut on National Day, 9 Aug 2016, 12pm to 3pm)

Adult: $42 ++, Child (6yrs to 12yrs): $20 ++

(Children below 6 yrs dine for free with every paying adult, subject to maximum of 2 children per table)

Bay Hotel is located at 50 Telok Blangah Road Singapore 098828.

Village Hotel Changi: Corporate Retreat – MFP Pool Party

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I am not a very sunshine person because I can’t swim and I don’t enjoy swimming or playing in Singapore’s beaches because they are usually quite dirty :/

But whenever I am staying in any hotel for a staycation, I WILL VISIT THEIR POOL FOR SURE!! My Fat Pocket held her first pool party at Village Hotel Changi with the company of unicorns, Team My Fat Pocket and their bloggers. Even though I am already a resident blogger for the last 3 years, this is my first official team-bonding party with them! It is good in a way to know how the people in the office works, and put a face to their names.

Official Sponsors for the Party:
Hotel venue and food catering: Village Hotel Changi
Beachwear & Bikini: Roxy Singapore and Quiksilver Singapore
Sun Protection: Sunplay Singapore
Moisturizer: Hada Labo Singapore
Floats: @letsfloatsg

We were first given a tour of the hotel and GOSH, I never knew that it was so huge! They have Standard Rooms, Club Rooms, Meeting Rooms, Ballroom and more.





As compared to some of the hotels, Village Hotel Changi rooms are slightly more spacious and the fact that they are located at the far end of the east, it felt as though we were on an excursion trip out of Singapore. We felt even more relaxed than usual.

The design and the colours inside the room were also welcoming.





The Club Rooms were just revamped and all the room comes with a posturepedic bed. Some of them comes with a sea view too!

Other than the bed, I love the flooring of the revamped rooms because I think it is more hygienic.





Half of us in Group 2! Love the attendance that day!





Not to mention, their gym is also a lot bigger than expected!! I think if we ever do a staycation here, James will spend half of his day here!








There were quite a few meeting rooms of different sizes and agenda. One of it comes with a a mini kitchen too!





If you are planning of a wedding, they have a ballroom that seats 350 guests comfortably.





Other rooms like team bonding, leisure, and brain-storming room are also available for bookings. If your company ever need a retreat, consider Village Hotel Changi!





The hotel also prepared two rooms for us. We were split into two rooms for the yoga session.

There were also other activities like Kickboxing and Jog by the Boardwalk to choose from if you like. Just let the hotel know and they can arrange it for you. I must emphasize this again – this is such a good place for a corporate retreat!





They have two pools in the hotel. One at Level One and the infinity pool at the top level. The weather was crazily sunny and hot in the afternoon. Luckily, we were all well protected by SunPlay!





Again, another cheery shot of Group 2!





We were then greeted by unicorns, swans, ice-cream floats and all things colourful!!





Not forgetting, all of us were decked in Roxy for the girls and Quiksilver for the guys! Roxy has seriously so many cute outfits!! I was quite stuck with a few but decided to just go with the bikini top. We got ours from their outlet at Orchard Central. It is summer all year round for Singapore. So stock up whenever they have any new collection before the size runs out!





Alethea was super happy with her paddlepop tank too! All my swimwear are seriously boring and dull until Roxy came along….








Thank you Village Hotel Changi again for the widespread of buffet!! We were so hungry after the workout and pool party. The food were so yummy that some of the dishes were cleared within half an hour.











I swear everything was well prepared for us. The staffs were so thoughtful in the planning and all. If you need a corporate retreat or have something big in mind, I will strongly recommend what we had last week 🙂

Village Hotel Changi is located at 1 Netheravon Road Singapore 508502
Email: info.vhc@fareast.com.sg
Hotel: +65 6379 7111 / Reservations: +65 6881 8888


For more information, please visit: http://www.villagehotelchangi.com.sg

Staycation Review: Oasia Hotel Downtown Review

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Oasia Hotel Downtown has a interesting concept that we really love. Even though we are right smack in the middle of the city, it felt as though we were in a resort.

There are two check-in lobbies with one for the normal rooms and the other for Club rooms. We stayed at their Club rooms for the weekend. If you need a getaway from the buzzing Singapore life, I suggest you to do a staycation at Oasia Hotel Downtown because it can really make you feel like you are on a holiday.

“Set against an urban landscape of concrete, steel and glass, Oasia Hotel Downtown stands out with a unique silhouette covered by a lush green façade that is a massive vertical garden. This greenery is enhanced by alternating 30-metre tall sky gardens and sleek architectural details to form a tropical skyscraper in the Central Business District.

The 27-storey iconic business hotel is located in the downtown Tanjong Pagar area which is set to be transformed into Singapore’s next waterfront city with a hive of business, commercial and residential activities. With Tanjong Pagar MRT Station right at the hotel’s doorstep, guests are minutes away from Raffles Place, Clarke Quay, Sentosa, Orchard Road and Marina Bay.” – http://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/oasia-hotel-downtown-singapore

Let us start on the surrounding, if you look at the two pictures below, you will be able to feel what I meant by resort. There is also a lawn right in the middle of the lobby where guests can practice Yoga in the morning. The hotel believes in Refresh, Recharge and Refuel.

Creepers are also seen everywhere on the external structure of the building. In another few years, the creepers will grow all over the outside to give off an even more resort feel!





I love the huts especially. I am not too sure if I have seen it at other hotels yet but this idea is simply amazing! I can spend hours and hours there.





For the Pools & Gym – There are 3 pools in total with 2 mirrored pools located right at the highest level (Level 27) and one at Club Room level (Level 21).

The infinity swimming pool on Level 21 is only exclusively open for guest who are staying in Club Room. Our favourite spot is right at the end of the infinite pool where we can rest and relax while watching the urbanized city from far. We even got some nuts from the Club Lounge while enjoying the serenity at the pool.





Here’s a full view of the infinity pool taken during sunset (image taken from Far East website).





The swimming pools located on Level 27 are extremely pretty as well. We couldn’t help but swim at both pools. They are called mirrored pools because there are two exact looking pool at both ends – one with sunlight and one without.

Isn’t this smart? Me, of course, will only be seen at the pool without sunlight.

The swings made the hotel look less urbanized. It felt like me going back in time too. Back to my younger days where stress was nothing.











James even brought his laptop down to work by the pool.








The Gym is open 24 hours a day. So at any point of time where you can’t sleep or need to work out after a feast, head over for some exercise!





For the room wise, the room is as spacious as expected. Club Room comes with a pool view. Not only that, there is also a small bottle of complimentary pillow mist for the guest. This is to ensure that you will be able to completely relax your mind and have a good night sleep.





Premium Biology amenities from Australia were also provided so you can keep your usual shampoo at home. Oasia Hotel Downtown only give you all the good stuffs. Iron, ironing board, bathrobes and hair dryer are all provided as well.





The wellness drinks in the fridge are also complimentary. James was delighted when he saw Perrier Water and Coconut Water.





All Club Room comes with bathtub. You can choose to close or open the door while soaking. Leave it open and you can enjoy your movie while you soak yourself after a long tiring day. I absolutely love the wood decor because it gives off a very homely yet resort feel.





Breakfast starts from 7am to 10.30am everyday. We chose to have our breakfast at Club Level instead of heading down. I like how we can order our eggs – scrambled, omlette, sunny side up – on the spot. Served hot and fresh!

















Cin Cin is located at Level 1, just right underneath the hotel rooms. Pop over anytime you need a quick drink.








Other services that comes with a stay in the Club:

  • Complimentary evening cocktails and healthy canapés from 6pm to 8pm
  • Nespresso Coffee Machine with Tripod Coffee capsules and TWG Tea
  • Complimentary 13-seater shuttle from 8am to 9.40pm to 77 Robinson Road, Marina Bay Financial Centre and Battery Road (available on Weekdays only, reservation required)
  • Complimentary hop-on hop-off city tour to discover Singapore
  • Two hours of airport lounge access at any Changi Airport Terminal

You can also find The Mamalade Pantry at Level 1. I missed dinner because we were out with some friends.

As for the services, the staffs were very efficient and detailed and so was the complimentary WIFI. You know I get very irritated when the WIFI is laggy because it can affect people who are on work trips.

FYI, there is also an on-going promotion where some rooms are at 50% off! Hop over to http://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/oasia-hotel-downtown-singapore for more details!

Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore is located at 100 Peck Seah Street Singapore 079333.

Contact: +65 68126900

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar.

Places to eat near the hotel: Famous Ramen Keisuke at 1 Tras Link.

Review: Bay Hotel Street 50’s New Ala Carte Menu

maybeline

Author: James

For ALL the foodies who are heading down to Vivocity, you might want to consider making a walking trip down to Street 50 Restaurant & Bar. This restaurant residing within Bay Hotel is presenting a whole new array of favourite local street food in their brand new all-day dining ala carte menu.

For those who are existing customers, you might taste a slightly different style and flavor as they have just engaged a new head chef (Previously from Sofitel Hotel) to helm Street 50’s kitchen! In the spirit of sharing, these dishes created exclusively by this new head chef will come well-presented in palatable small plates. This ensure that NO food goes into wastage & more importantly maintaing a reasonably affordable price tag for the price conscious ones from $7.90 to $12.90!

One of the key selling point of this menu is their smart move jumping into the bandwagon of ‘Salted Egg’ craze! In fact, you will see two of the dishes being themed & teamed with Salted Egg!

Here’s some of my honest review of their LATEST menu.

1st Salted Egg Dish: Soft Shell Crab with Salted Egg Dip ($7.90)

See the yolk looking sauce, that is the Salted egg dip! Don’t be deceived by its bland looking yellow coloration, the Salted egg taste is actually pretty strong.

I have tried dipping a soft shell crab into many sauce but this is certainly the first time dipping into salted egg sauce. I must say it is a good marriage of both and promises a flavorful crunchy bite with every mouthful!





2nd Salted Egg Dish: Salted Egg Lava Chicken Breast ($9.90)

If I have to pick a favourite that night, the winner will definitely be this one! One of the reasons being which I do a bit of body building & we all know what’s one of body builders favourite food (Chicken Breast Meat). However, every body builder would also know that chicken breast meat isn’t the most tasty part of the chicken, for the fact that it is usually the driest and hardest part.

However, I am very impressed when I tasted this version of chicken cordon bleu; the meat was very tender and slightly moist most probably due to the clever move of infusing salted egg instead of cheese inside. Eat it after you cut it piping hot upon the sight of oozing hot salted egg! Yummilicious!~





Moving onto to some of the other local delicacies perfected under the hands of the chef.

Since most of our local crowd like seafood, let’s start with some prawns!

Cereal Prawns with Wasabi Dressing ($9.90)

Yes I do agree this dish might be slightly plain-looking but the taste is definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Starting from its key ingredient, the prawns are fresh to begin with; You can still get that crunchy bite even after deep frying and evenly-coating them with cereal. For those who like a bit of spice, the wasabi is going to give you that kick without overpowering the prawns’ original sweet flavor!





Missed your caffeine intake in the morning? No worries, you are going to like the next one!

Coffee Wings ($7.90)

Inspired by Coffee Pork ribs, this Coffee wings are bound to take flight in the hearts of many. Still, this is because of the crispy texture of the wings instead of the sauce. For Maybeline who is less of a caffeine addict as compared to me, felt it was just nice! For me, I would have love the coffee flavour to come on more strongly!

Nonetheless, I leave it to your good judgement on this one!





So much for protein, shall we move on to some carbs?

XO Scallops & Prawns Fried Rice ($9.90)

This tantalizing fried rice in all time favourite XO sauce is SO going to whet the appetite of carbo-lovers! Split open the egg wrapping and you are guaranteed to see an avalanche of sliced-up prawns spilling out of the crevice!





Shrimp & Eggplant Sambal ($8.90)

By this time, my stomach storage was almost up! However, space is always freed up whenever sambal comes into the picture! Especially flavorful ones like the one here! You already have an idea how fresh their prawns are based on its crunchy texture, so I will not further dwell into that!

Instead, I would just like to share how much I enjoyed gorging down the eggplant that was soaked with the palatable sambal sauce! Mouth-watering even at the thoughts of it now!





Oyster Char Kway Teow ($12.90)

How can we ever miss this famous local delicacy! I would go for this anytime for the fact that I am a bigger fan of oysters instead of cockles ! However, I was slightly disappointed to find that oyster shrink in size after stir-frying it.

Nonetheless, they make it up with quite a substantial amount of fried oyster which did satisfy my oysters craving. If that is not enough, the portion of Kway Teow is sure to make you full!





In the tropical climate of Singapore, there is always room for cooling desserts!

Such is the case here: Fresh Coconut Malibu ($8.90)

You are definitely get your fair share of fibre intake from this scrumptious dessert! It contains coconut ice cream, young coconut flesh, mixed fruits and fresh coconut juice. Worried it is too sweet? Rest assured this is not the typical diabetes-causing kind of sweet but more of refreshing one!

If your stomach still has space after those savory dishes above, I would recommend trying this one out and giving your palates that sweet ending it deserves!





In essence, I have had quite a few rounds of food tastings with Street 50 Restaurant & Bar and this is definitely one of the better ones worth going for! The new head chef has definitely done a good job perfecting local delicacies which you definitely should not miss out!

They are located at Bay Hotel Singapore, 50 Telok Blangah Road Singapore 098828.
Call in to 68186681 for reservations.

Spice Brasserie’s Union of Crabs and Lobsters Dinner Buffet

maybeline

We know how exciting a crab buffet sounds. But what if ParkRoyal combines it with lobsters and they came up with The Union of Crabs and Lobsters Buffet?!

I am not afraid to tell you guys that my blog post for their Battle of the Crab buffet is one of my top reads by my readers! It seems that people are always googling or reading for the crab buffet’s information! So scream in delight now that we have the companion of the lobsters as well!



You can still find the all-time favourite – Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab and Pumpkin Crab in Claypot. But on top of that, seven flavors of lobsters are also gearing themselves up into the crustacean war!



Some new additions are: Steamed ‘Live” Boston Lobster in Chinese Wine, Truffle Lobster with Marinated Jullyfish Salad appetizer, Flame-griled Lobster Mentaiko, Lobster Noodle Soup, Baked Lobster with Okiami and Natto Sauce, Crustacean Paella, Cuban Lobster Stew, Lobster Wellington, Crab Roe Congee, Japanese Lobster Fried Rice, Stir-Fried Lobster in Fragrant Salt, Lobster Congee and Crustacean Congee.

I got to give it to Flame-griled Lobster Mentaiko because of the combination of cheese and mentaiko on a fresh lobster meat. All the lobsters were succulent and the sweet freshness taste were retained.









I will also strongly encourage you not to miss the congee and noodles. They were in fact, MY FAVOURITES. The congee was cooked to perfection and the chef was quite generous with the toppings.





Apart from the Battle of the Crabs dinner buffet, Spice Brasserie also offers the Singapore Nostalgic Lunch and Dinner buffet, featuring an extensive range of local and Asian cuisines such as assortment of fresh sashimi and sushi, the popular Teochew Porridge corner, and a tantalising variety of appetisers and desserts.











Both the Singapore Nostalgic Buffet and the Union of Crabs and Lobsters Dinner Buffet are available till 3 September 2016.

Exclusive Facebook Offer:

From 4 July to 3 September 2016, claim our Facebook offer on facebook.com/parkroyalkitchener to enjoy a complimentary
glass of wine per adult, on top of the existing card promotions!

*All prices are valid till 3 September 2016. Prices are subject to service charge and Goods and Services taxes (GST). Child prices are applicable for children below 12 years old.

Spice Brasserie’s operation hours:

Lunch: 12noon to 2.30pm (daily)

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (daily)

Address: PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road, Lobby Level Telephone: (+65) 6428 3160

Email: spicebrasserie.prskt@parkroyalhotels.com

Usual Price:

Daily Lunch: $33/Adult and $16/Child

Dinner Sun to Wed: $33/adult and $16/child

Union of Crabs and Lobsters Dinner Thurs to Sat: $78/adult and $34/child

UOB, DBS/POSB, MAYBANK & HSBC CARD HOLDERS:

Daily Lunch: $50 for two adults

Dinner Sun to Wed: $50 for 2 adults

Union of Crabs and Lobsters Dinner Thurs to Sat: $118 for 2 adults