hotel

Durian High Tea Buffet at Marriott Cafe

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What are most Singaporeans excited about this season? DURIANS!! Many travel out from Singapore to Malaysia just to eat good durians. Here’s one place you shouldn’t miss – Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel!

Other than their usual international buffet, be sure to expect the bittersweet taste, fleshy meat and creamy texture desserts!

Let me first comment on their food. If you thought since the desserts was the main course, NEH, you’re wrong! The food was as good as their desserts! I love the local delights most. The Fried Carrot Cake and Char Kway Tiao was GOOD! Even their seafood was fresh and sweet.

Below are some food you can expect at the buffet before I go in and talk about the desserts. To name a few: Baked Char Siew Sou, Pork Square Ribs, Seafood Crepes, Egg Tarts, Dim Sum, SzeChuan Chicken Feet, Freshly Baked Pizza and more!

















If you love seafood, they brought the ocean over. Be pleasantly wowed by a plethora of Singapore’s classics and an International fare. Other than just Freshly Shucked Oysters and Prawns, there were fresh salmon prepared too!





It is rare for James to eat more desserts than the mains for his meal. But he treated himself to  quite a few durian puffs!

You will be able to find Fried Durian Balls, Durian Swiss Roll, Mini Durian Mousse in Cups, Durian Puff, Cakes and more. Every bite was so flavorful and you can find chunks and chunks of D24 druian flesh inside. Although they may look small in size, but do not doubt their flavor. It is big as hell! In fact, I would think that one buffet is never enough as they are satisfyingly decadent.











Marriott Cafe

Love for Durians High Tea Buffet

1 June to 31 July 2016

Adult: $42++ per person (Monday to Friday) $45++ per person (Saturday & Sunday)

Child: $25++ per child (Monday to Friday) $28++ (Saturday & Sunday)

For dining reservations, please visit singaporemarriott.com/dining, call 6831 4605 or email mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@marriotthotels.com

6 reasons why you should stay at The Quincy Hotel

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Looking for a hotel near Orchard in Singapore where you can do some R&R & forget the world?

This is exactly the post you should read because we found the best spot for you! It is none other than the Quincy Hotel, a Boutique hotel!

Let’s plunge into the 6 reasons why you should total stay at Quincy Hotel:

1)Good Accessibility to Town (Orchard)

Quincy Hotel is located near the heart of Orchard!

To be exact, it is located approximately 10 minutes walk behind Paragon Shopping centre & Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

I would personally recommend coming in from the carpark next to Far East Plaza as it will only take 5 minutes! Time saved! Woot!








For those who are driving like us, it might take a while for you to figure out Quincy Hotel’s carpark. Here is where you might want to tune in to prevent yourself from wasting unnecessary time figuring! Save that time more fruitfully on the myriad of hotel facilities & activities! Just park into the Elizabeth Hotel’s carpark which is located right next to Quincy Hotel. Both hotels are actually affiliated under Far East Hospitality Group.

Nonetheless, this did not in the least affected our state of excitement about our staycation!

2) Warm Welcoming vibes + Stylish, Contemporary Interior design (Best for #POTD)

As we made a beeline for the reception, we could already feel all the good welcoming vibes!!

While waiting for M to check us in, I just could not help making the lobby my personal living room. I can say we have seen a lot of hotel lobbies and Quincy’s is definitely one of the more Instagram-worthy one where you can snap a lot of nice #potd!

Let #JamesnMaybel prove it to you guys!





If you have not already noticed that it is simply because my ‘Living Room’ is filled with a variety of unique & quirky-looking furnitures! Try to identify them on the shelf!

Not just the furnitures but also the color theme, they contrasted so beautifully!





Thanks to the friendly & efficient front desk receptionist with special mention of Frieda, M had time to even plant herself on the pretty cushioned seats while enjoying her welcome drink delightfully!





Oh Yes! Speaking of the welcome drink, for those who walked your way up to the hotel, you will find their citrusy welcome cocktail most inviting & refreshing!





3) Customers are well fed, in fact VERY well-fed at NO extra cost!

If you think you are paying just for the accommodation & breakfast, NO!! The F&B stations offer all-day light refreshments. So much so it is not just you that is taking a short break but also your wallets!





You must be thinking at this point: Are there any additional hidden cost??

Well, you can have a peace of mind that as long as you are a staying customer, ALL dining are free of charge!! Yes you heard me right!

And that is why M is looking so chirpy below! *just kidding* ><





No lack of juices to fill your stomach and quench your thirst!





Totally not surprising that the first booth that my dear sweet-toothed M made a beeline for is this free-flow Vanilla Softee section! You can even top up Dark Chocolate sauce to your heart’s & stomach’s fill!

That was why this girl is just smiling non-stop the whole day in her photos!





Light refreshments for Hi-Tea.





Even the breakfast looks tantalizing, waiting to satisfy every of your taste buds!














4)24-hours well-constructed Facilities (at 12th floor of Hotel)

Even though it is not as infinity as other hotels’ rooftop pools, this beautiful ‘Infinity’ pool is definitely enough to accommodate a good crowd. I appreciate the fact that they put a roof over this one such that the rain would not foil your swimming plan for fear of lightning strike. In fact, it was indeed raining when we used the pool. You can imagine how thankful we were to the shelter.





Appreciate that they open their ‘Infinity’ pool and Gym for 24 hours access! Shop all you want during the day & save your exercise till the night!





This is my favorite corner! I would like to call it the ‘Replenishment’ corner! Friends and family could gather around the table for a light-hearted chat over a cup of coffee made by the coffee machine. Even better, for those whom have sweat it out in the pool or the gym, could reward themselves with a well-deserving complimentary H-TWO-O or bottled water from the refrigerator tucked in the left corner (in image below).





There are more than enough seats and tables situated next to the pool for chillaxing where you can choose to enjoy some ‘underwater view’ or..





..the landscape view of Orchard!However, do not expect a picturesque view of the whole Orchard road else you are going to feel rather disappointed. Nonetheless, the view is still quite a breathtaking sight of the front half of Orchard e.g. Far East Shopping Centre, Paragon etc.





You can also choose to run on their technogym treadmills (with advance multi-media touch screens) and enjoy the landscape view of Orchard!





I love to frequent gym in my ‘ME’ time & I dare claim that their gym though small, is very well-equipped with the necessary equipments to complete a decent workout!





These are not all!  They also have shower facilities, sauna and steam room right beside their Gym which unfortunately we did not have the chance to utilize as we were busy with events that evening too! Haiz!

5)Spacious Bedroom with complimentary Mini Bar

How can we ever review a hotel with no mention of their room! It is said that they have two types of rooms: ‘Deluxe’ & ‘Studio. For this staycation, we can only speak for its ‘Studio’ room which was what we were given for this hotel review.

When you hear Boutique hotel, first thought is probably small room space. Correct?

That was what we thought so too! However, you will be delightfully proven wrong once you step into their Studio room as its room space is decently spacious. It spans an area of approximately 26sqm with more than ample walking room around the King-sized bed!





The whole feel to the room can be summarized in three words: Neat, Sleek & Contemporary! Not to mention its amazing view of the city!

The cushy ledge by the window makes for a perfect spot to rest, enjoy the city view or even snap picture for its excellent natural lightings before dusk sets in.



Automatic blind can be brought down for privacy sake.

Even better, we made our own Platinum Class movie night within the room with our own projector! I planned this for M which totally took her by surprise & definitely pleased beyond words!





I am so pleased when I see their iPhone dock! Thought to myself, ‘finally someone upgraded their iPhone dock!’. I had the experience of going into the hotel and find that they are still using the iPhone 4 charging dock!!

I guess it is very thoughtful of Quincy Hotel to let their customers have the best of both worlds by getting a dock which can connect to both older and newer generation IPhones! Small actions speaks volume of their thoughtfulness to the most minute details!

Lost your phone? No worries at all! They also included a handy which allow for free local calls and some selected countries plus free data for your daily usage! With this, I am certainly not encouraging you to lose your phone!








The toiletries are from La Labo Santal 33! You will be able to enjoy them in the hotel from mid June onwards! I am usually very skeptical about hotel toiletries as the shampoo and conditioner can be extremely dying to hair but when I knew they are from La Labo Santal 33, I kept my toiletries into my bag again! Hahaha.




Even though the studio room is their smaller room (vs Deluxe), it still have a bathtub of its own for you to drain your accumulated work stress all away in that hot bathtub at night! I must say the design of their bathroom is rather ‘Sexy’ simply because it adopts an open concept style where you could see through to the room!

You can always make it less ‘Sexy’ by drawing the blinds! However, I chose to enjoy the full benefit of this feature as I watched movies on FOXHD Channel while lazing in the hot bathtub!





The housekeeper did an splendid job with upkeeping the cleanliness of every toilet such that an OOTD shot in it is not an issue at all!





Hot drinks, snacks and drinks in the mini bar fridge are all included in your room booking! So drink & merry-make to your heart’s fill!

6) No lack of Activities within the Hotel

We have heard of couples accomplishing Acrylic painting during their stay previously. This time around, we had something more romantic and sweeter. By sweeter, I do meant it in the literal meaning!

We did Chocolate Truffle-Making session which started at mid afternoon (3pm) of that Saturday!

Isn’t that good? This means that you do not have to worry about having nothing to do even if you did not plan your itinerary!





Not all men enjoy some home economic lessons, certainly not me! Look at my gleeful smile as I stir that melting Dark Chocolate as part of the preparation process!





Tips from the Head Chef: Ideally, to make a good Dark Chocolate truffle, you should use 50-65% Dark Chocolate & mix in whipped cream to make the taste more wholesome!

Our chef was certainly very adventurous to teach us a few different variation of Chocolate Truffle. From left to right: Peanut Dark Truffle, Rainbow Sprinkles Dark Truffles & my favourite one of all, Original Dark Chocolate Truffle!





If you and your spouse do not fancy doing such form of home economics, do not worry as they have art jamming on Sunday as well!

Our package was Qool Wekend Package so the chocolate truffle baking was complimentary! However, if you are not staying under the same package as us, you can opt in at $50/pair 🙂

Opinions & Review

I love how they treat all guests equally and no matter how many request a guest makes, they always serve them with a smile on their face. The service is top-notch in my opinion. Overall, I am satisfied with my stay, my room and the service. I will strongly recommend my readers to check The Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Package out if you are planning for a stay cation. Remember, it’s Qool Weekend Package!!

ASUS MAX STAYCATION – Win staycations here!

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On one fateful weekend, #jamesnmaybel visited the well-known klapsons, the Boutique Hotel. Even though both of them were at the same hotel, they stayed at DIFFERENT rooms!

Have they just went through a major brawl?

Worst! This couple is going to have a BATTLE! One they could not even imagine in their wildest dream. Let me give you a hint, it is all because of this ‘third party’ aka their ASUS ZenFone MAX! As we all know the USP (unique selling point) of MAX is its super duper long battery life! And so the duo brought ONLY their ASUS ZenFone Max with them, leaving all forms of charging cables at home..

With this, the battle was pretty straightforward: Whose ZenFone MAX going to be the last one standing based on the activities they engage in their own rooms?

And here we have the two contenders in the two corners!

On one end, we have James at the lobby. Looking really relax with total disregard for Maybeline!



On the other corner we have….Maybeline, with an even bigger disregard for James! Fully focusing on enjoying her hugeass bed in her suite!



Let me shower some light on the ‘boxing ring’ (venue of the battle) before moving on to the couple!

klapsons Hotel is beautiful boutique hotel with 17 rooms. The beauty of it all is that each room are individually-characterized such that no two rooms are alike! Passionately crafted by William Sawaya right down to detail, the aim is to offer guests a practical yet innovative alternative to mainstream perceptions of hotel stay. Custom-made fittings invite refreshed expectations of contemporary room design, comfort and the indulgence of a different experience with each visit. The word ‘Dull’ will never be breathed in this hotel!

Coming back to our female contender, M in short!



The lady spent the entire day in the room, excluding dinner. As the hotel is conveniently located in Tanjong Pagar and a stone’s throw away from Chinatown and vicinity of Bukit Pasoh, there were a lot of delicious options around.

So let’s have a rundown of what she did:

1)The Running Man Fan girl let hours slipped by as she watched her favourite Running Man episodes in all corners of her suite!



2) When she started feeling guilty from too much leisure, this is what she did next: Blogging and replying emails from existing & new social media clients! That is part of her daily routine – no escape even on the weekends!



3) Done with enough solitude, she invited some of her close girlfriends over to chillax at the beautiful room and camwhored the rest of the night away.



…Even little Superman couldn’t resist the cartoons on YouTube!



Snapping pictures of every single happenings of klapsons with her MAX.



The best thing part about MAX is that after all the abovementioned activities, it can still charge her friend’s phone when they are running low on battery. This is simply done with a little help from the OTG cable. You should see that grin of satisfaction on her face when her friend’s face went into amazement upon knowing this amazing function!

Wohoooo! We haven’t found any phone which could do this, have we?



How about on James’ end?

If you think Maybeline is a workaholic. Wait till you see James!

1) He spared no time lazying in the cool comfort of his bed! It seems like he is always working on the go. Apart from checking his work emails in between meals, his eyes were consistently glued on his investments e.g. stocks & online news etc!



2) When work is finally accomplished, he invited his buddy over for a game. If you look carefully, the “gaming console” he was using is actually his MAX phone! The phone was connected to the television VIA wifi.

One thing for sure, there is no lack of fun in his room when he has his MAX with him!



What’s not to love when they can watch dramas on a bigger screen too? This is simply achieved by just connecting the phone to the TV as what the boys did for their games a while ago!



3) A hobby the couple love doing: Snapping pictures whenever he can. He was super amazed the moment he found that his suite has personal afresco-style Jacuzzi that can accommodate a few more of his guy friends!



4) To make Maybeline super jealous, he consistently whatapp-ed Maybeline to boast to her about his own suite. Pretty successful with images taken with high resolution on his MAX!



With so many activities done, can you guess which phone is the last phone standing?

You can make your guess at ASUS Page and stand a chance to win staycations courtesy of ASUS and klapsons!

4 PRIZES TO BE WON
First Prize: 2D1N stay at klapsons suite (GRAND)
Second Prize: 2D1N stay at The Executive Suite
Third Prize: 2 winners $50 Fabrika Voucher

Criteria to enter the contest:

1) Like both ASUS Main FB page and ASUS Mobile Singapore FB Page

2) Comment under the post in ASUS Main FB Page either #teammaybeline or #teamjames

3) After commenting, share the post on their own facebook (posts has to be made public, posts shared that are private will not be considered valid)

4) ASUS SG will pick the winner and winner will be announced on both ASUS Main FB Page and ASUS Mobile Singapore FB Page

This campaign will still be held on ASUS Main FB Page, please vote for either of them on there.

They have also created a new page https://www.facebook.com/ASUSmobileSingapore/ – a new Facebook Page for the ZenFone fans and owners. They will be sharing exclusive promotions and information on ZenFones on this page, so do give them a like!

Boutique Hotel Vagabond Staycation Review

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In recent years, we can see uprising trend of economy class or budget hotels (on average room rate of $120 & below) on a sharp decline in the Singapore scene while brights spots sparkles out from the Luxury segment (average room rate of $300 & above). This can only prove one critical point. Foreign visitor & potentially even our own locals are demanding for MORE! Be it for quality or services! Arguably, it could well be because of the scarcity of such Luxury rooms. Even more so for a luxurious 5-Star Boutique hotel amidst the sea of 3-star boutique hotel scene in Singapore.

This brings me great pleasure to introduce one of the most exclusive 5 star Boutique hotel in Singapore which we had the privilege of being offered a one-night stay review: Hotel Vagabond. What thrilled us further was the fact that it is also ranked number 1 on TripAdvisor among all 306 hotels in Singapore earlier in April! I must say our expectation were raised a few notch the moment we knew about it! So was this Boutique hotel able to meet that mark? Let’s see..

Hotel Vagabond strategically resides in the heart of Singapore’s most popular shopping district, Bugis. It is owned by Mr Satinder Garcha (Currently ranked 48th on the Forbes’ Singapore rich list).

Hotel Vagabond niched itself in one specific theme: Art.

His exquisite taste for Art is reflected the choice of interior designer he worked with: renowned Interior Designer, Jacques Garcia. He is  most known for his contemporary interior design works of Paris Hotels & restaurants e.g. Le Méridien hotels, the Royal Monceau à Paris, Hôtel Costes and Costes restaurants and the restaurant Fouquet’s.

The exterior might not seem anything much apart from its name ‘Hotel Vagabond’ spelled in huge fonts on a 3 storey high red brick wall. But I assure you that you will be left in awe the moment you take your first step into the ‘Lobby’. Apart from being artistic, the hotel concept is very much into Openness. Why do I say that? You wouldn’t see a fixed ‘Lobby’ (hence the inverted commas) nor ‘Dining’ area. Everything is blended together into what they call it as the ‘Salon’! Even the reception is housed behind a rhino made of shimmering brass! It gives a fresh breathe of perspective on what makes a hotel. One of the signature artifact in this Hotel is their Golden Trees (below).

Don’t you agree its a great spot to have your first #potd ?(hashtag in IG for ‘PictureoftheDay’)

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There is another one located right in the middle of the Bar area! Can you guess how many of these Golden Banyan Tree there are in the hotel? 6! See if you can spot all 6 of them because I could at best find 5 in my best attempt! This is literally my first treasure hunt in the hotel!

For cocktail lovers, there is a good variety of artisanal and wholly original spin of cocktails concoction which will most definitely blow your mind away! So much so if you were to successfully finish all of them in one night, you would probably reenact the entire ‘Hangover’ movie scene in the streets of Singapore. Dear foreign visitors of our Lion City, please try not to do that as Singapore is a city that has stringent rules & regulation. So don’t try! If you have that urge to try, I would suggest to keep it within the Hotel as their motto implies an open invitation: ‘If you must get into trouble, do it at the Vagabond’! *Joking*





The Golden Banyan tree isn’t the only interesting artifact that lurk around the first floor of the Hotel. One other noticeable artifact is this Gigantic Elephant sculpture which flank both side of the lift!

TI never once felt so ‘distracted’ by the decorations of a Hotel lobby till I came to Hotel Vagabond. I was so busy wondering around in awe that I almost forgot about checking into the room! Lol!





This is definitely my favourite hangout spot around the entire hotel: ‘The Salon” (as I mentioned previously). Even if you are not an artiste, you are bound to feel a sense of inspiration welling up within you once you enter the Salon with walls peppered with beautiful abstract art pieces! I have never seen this many art pieces at the Lobby of any hotels in Singapore!





In fact, we drank & dined with the company of these myriad of art pieces as this is also where the dining area is! I must say it feels as though I am dining in the middle of Louvre Museum! Well, you know that is NEVER gonna happen so Hotel Vagabond is the next closest thing to that! The Salon’s peak period would be during its ‘Lady Boss High Tea’ event that happens from 3pm-5pm DAILY. This is with compliments from the Lady Boss!





The high tea is scrumptious and portion was certainly beyond generous as you can see in the picture below. There were macaroons, chocolate mousse, apple crumbles and many more! The pastries were made fresh & not overly sweetened nor sinful! We slowly enjoyed these pastries while admiring the awesome interior design of the Salon.





If you are a tea connoisseur, you are in for a bigger treat as they have dried slices of oranges & pineapples for you to pair with your choice of tea!

I must say the generosity of Lady Boss paid off well as I see a sea of happy faces at the end of our High Tea session!





In Hotel Vagabond, there are a plethora of room types such as ‘Classic’, ‘Deluxe’, ‘Classic with Shared Terrace’, ‘Deluxe with shared Terrace’, ‘Art Suite’, ‘Junior Suite’ & ‘Vagabond Suite’. This time around, we were allocated the ‘Classic’ room but we manage to catch a glimpse of those rooms with Shared Terraces during our media walkthrough. I must say it certainly is the perfect place for a Birthday celebration, Bachelor’s or Hen’s Night party if you are considering one with a bunch of friends!

I must compliment the hotel for their high level of customer service be it at the reception or within the room. We found a note which re-emphasize this point within our room! Felt as though there is a personal butler in our room!





Well, it was no surprise that the rooms were filled with the same level of ‘Art-syness’ as the Salon. The wall was peppered with framed pictures to strengthen its focus as an Art-themed hotel. Nonetheless, what did surprise us was the fact that these pictures were actually taken single handedly by the owner himself! This man is certainly a charmer with many talents!





Well, we got pretty inspired ourselves and started to embark on our own art piece also known as ‘ The PhotographS in Selfie-tograph’ !

How’s that for a first attempt at Art itself? Lol! Not too bad huh!





Basking the Beauty of Jacques Garcia design and pictures lovingly curated by Satinder Garcha! The best of both worlds happening in one room!





The beds were extremely soft, fluffy and comfortable that promise a good rest after a long day of exploring!





The Bathroom area isn’t exactly very spacious but is definitely enough to accommodate two person in that space!





Rain showers





Even the floorings are beautifully decorated with monochrome tiles!



Just a ring away from the reception. We called them on several occasions even the wee hours for simple requests. It was a pleasant experience as far as this aspect is concern as they were not only prompt but also polite at every single requests!





Love the air of vintage within the room too!





To the mini bar in the room, there are complimentary Nespresso machine with capsules if you need a caffeine boost!





Well, there are also a variety of liquor for those avid drinkers who prefer to stay in the cool comfort of their room while enjoying soothing music (orchestrated by their Artist in Residence) or a movie!

Best part is these movie and music are all complimentary and pre-stored within the television for your pleasure!





If you purchase rooms with breakfast packages, you will be able to enough delectable food in the hotel restaurant. Even though it is not buffet style, the ala carte selection which includes this ‘Full Breakfast Set’ (below) prepared by the hotel restaurant was very palatable! My taste buds resonate the most with the Pork very much because of its excellent texture. I would say you should just walk in to have breakfast at this place even if you do not stay there! At least for once this lifetime! You definitely will not regret the experience of sinking your teeth into the Pork meat!





For getting around Singapore, they have diligently placed maps & recommendations for your reference!





Now for the verdict!

In my opinion, Hotel Vagabond does deserve its title from TripAdvisor. It is easily my favorite Boutique Hotel after having a staycation at quite a few of the top-notched Boutique hotel in Singapore. I love the serenity it offers amidst all the funky art which span from the ‘Lobby’ right to every room!

I will strongly recommend Hotel Vagabond for those visitor who are looking for an artistic small luxury hotel & locals who yearn for a well deserved staycation from the hustle and bustle of city life!

Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre CNY 1 for 1 Buffet

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Sponsored

If there is a hotel buffet restaurant that I strongly recommend in terms of affordability & fun, it would be at Window on the Park which is residing within Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Center.

Let me start with the fun part! I call this the fun corner: the Lou Hei DIY station! How many restaurants actually offer you a whole station just to let you ‘define’ your own Lou Hei! I really appreciate the generosity in providing their patrons with a vast selection of Lou Hei’s ingredients ranging from sweet sauces to crackers!





So here we are with our own definition of 2016 Lou Hei! Since it was created with the combined effort of our host, William and other media friends, I am inclined to name this our “Friendship Lou Hei”! Looks pretty decent, don’t you guys think so? ><

One thing for sure, it is definitely MORE MEANINGFUL tossing your own self-made Lou Hei while chanting the well wishes for each other during the toss!

**One other benefit of making your own Lou Hei is you get free-flow of Raw Salmon! I always find those pre-prepared ones have so little salmon & I have to “fight” for that few sad, pieces of Salmon! So Yayyyy to that free-flow interminable salmon! Yumzz!





Oh! And if you are worried eating raw fish after the recent severe infection saga, the good news is Mackerel is the culprit instead of Salmon. Even if you say rawness is still a risk factor, you can have that piece of mind digging into the raw salmon here as it goes through stringent QA checks before it is served on your buffet station!

With this, there wasn’t much reasons to stop me indulging in the fresh, raw salmons here! 🙂

Moving on to the cold crustaceans station! Even though their range isn’t extensive, they make it up with offering a few fresh items (such as the prawn below) which are not commonly served in other buffet restaurants.





Some that did not appear at the cold station, it is simply because they have made it to the cooked stations instead! For instance, the well-renowned Spicy Chilli Crab!

Frankly, even though the size of the crabs aren’t comparable to those titanic-sized Sri Lanka crabs, they are certainly fresh with a tinge of mild sweetness & spongy texture to its meat~ Not forgetting the most important part: Gravvy! Certainly friendly even to those who cannot take spice well!




Abalone!!! Peppered generously around the crunchy broccoli!





For those enjoy a glass of red wine paired with a good steak, you should make a beeline to this station! Ribeye steak served medium well done with the company of pipping hot wedges!





There were two Noodles stations to further your spirit of DIY-ing!

One is the PASTA station where you can have the choice of cooking them in Tomato or Cream base. On the other hand, you can DIY your own “Katong Laksa”! All you have to do is just pick your desired ingredients and hand it over to a well-experienced chef who will look after the cooking for you! As such, you can be assured that you can get that texture of noodles you want especially for those who are noob about cooking!





Desserts stations! I must comment that they score best in the creativity section! Decorating their desserts in potteries like a pot of flower! I have been to their buffet a few times & the creativity exhibited at their dessert section never fails to impress!





If you think this is all, it isn’t! Apart from cakes, they also have ice-cream (serving three different flavours), durian puree, chocolate fondue, longan with almond jelly, fresh fruits and many more!





A “summary” of what we had that night! Unfortunately, I did not bring my wide lens camera. This is probably only 1/3 of what was suppose to be captured! For the remaining 2/3, I shall leave it as a surprise for you to explore with your friends & loved ones!





Prices:

14 January to 29 February 2016, excluding 6 & 7 February 2016
Lunch Buffet (Monday to Sunday) – S$86 nett for two persons
Dinner Buffet (Sunday to Thursday) – S$106 nett for two persons
Dinner Buffet (Friday and Saturday) – S$116 nett for two persons

6 & 7 February 2016
Lunch Buffet – S$96 nett for two persons
Dinner Buffet – S$116 nett for two persons

Chinese New Year Takeaways*
Eight Treasures Pen Cai (八宝盆菜) – S$488++ for 10 persons
Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng (富贵三文鱼鱼生) – S$58++ for 10 persons
Fortune Smoked Duck Yu Sheng (财富熏鸭鱼生) – S$68++ for 10 persons
Double Happiness Abalone and Top Shell Yu Sheng (双喜鲍鱼与白玉鲍鱼生) – S$98++ for 10 persons

*Collection from 18 January to 29 February 2016. Orders must be made at least three working days in advance. Self-collection at Window on the Park on Level 2 of Holiday Inn® Singapore Orchard City Centre.

For reservations and enquiries, call +65 6733 8333 or email fnb.hisinorchard@ihg.com.

Park Hotel Ultimate Seafood Feast Buffet

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Woooo. Brizo @ Park Hotel Clark Quay welcomes 2016 with an ULTIMATE SEAFOOD FEAST!

Brizo Restaurant & Bar in Park Hotel Clarke Quay is famous for their seafood buffet in my opinion. Hence, I must say that I am really glad to start my 2016 with their new buffet! They are back with bigger and better choices with new additions – a barbecue station, cook-to-order star fix “Claypot Herbal Prawns” along with other delectable meat dishes.

Let me start off the post with Roasted Duck with Homemade Sweet Plum Sauce since it’s CNY soon~





Red Snapper & Potato Au Gratin, other hot favourites like Seafood Paella can be found on the buffet spread.








Since it is a seafood feast, we mustn’t forget about the crabs! I still love their Chilli Crabs while James preferred their White Peppercorn Crabs and Alaskan Snow Crab Leg.  The good thing about Brizo is that they refill their food really fast so you don’t have to queue for the Snow Crab Legs!








You can also DIY your own laksa at the noodle live station.





Fans of BBQ can also enjoy fresh-off-the-grill delights without perspiring! Haha.

You can find Cajun Spice Tiger Prawns, NZ Angus Beef Steak with Dijon Mustard and Turmeric Spice and Chilli Arrow Squid along with other vegetables and potato.

The NZ Angus Beef Steak was the hot favorite among the guests that evening.











Not forgetting about their cold section where diners can find the Alaskan Snow Crab Legs on top of sashimi and sushi.


Highlight: The Claypot Herbal Prawns are brewed for three hours with seven types of herbs so this pot of succulent fresh tiger prawns is bound to warm the tummies of ALL diners no matter what. Yums.

Remember, as the dish is order-to-cook, remember to request for it!





For the desserts wise, you can end off your meal with Creme brûlée, New York Cheese Cake, Durian Pengat or even mini Cornetto & Magnum. You will be so spoilt for choices!

So yums~ See you at Brizo!








The Ultimate Seafood Feast buffet dinner in Park Hotel Clarke Quay is available from 1 January to 31 March 2016 every Thursday to Sunday, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm, at $55++ per adult. Children aged 6 to 12 years old at $27++ per child, complimentary for children under 6 years.

Brizo @ Park Hotel Clarke Quay is located opposite UE Square;
1 Unity St, 237983

For restaurant reservations, please call (65) 6593 8855 or email brizo.phcq@parkhotelgroup.com

PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road – CNY Buffet

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With a new year come new things to gaze upon & one that should not miss your sight nor stomach is the Chinese New Year buffet at Spice Brasserie (PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road which is located a stone’s thrown away from Farrer Park MRT) !

Spice Brasserie is celebrating the 2016 Lunar New Year with an abundance of delicacies in a delightful feast. I can say it is so abundant that not even their highly-raved Crab Buffet could steal away this limelight!

The key highlight for this year’s CNY menu is the Fivefold Fortune Set (五福临门)with each of the 5 dishes created delicately by Executive Chef Low Hoe Kiat, to symbolize a blessing for the New Year.

So what are the FIVE wonders?

Let me slowly stir your appetite by revealing them to you one by one to you! ><

To represent “Abundance”, there is no better candidate than the ubiquitous “Yu Sheng” dish during CNY. Steering away from the typical Salmon + assorted vegetable combination, Chef Low invented the “Crispy Baby Crab Yu Sheng” where the crispy baby crab added a tinge of delightful crunchy twist on a bed of fresh salmon slices, drizzled with Passion Fruit and Plum Sauce.








Abalone Glutinous Rice with liver Sausage which represents the important value of “Family Unity” while a close reminiscent of traditional home-cooked meals.





Lobster in Superior Stock which bolsters the warm well-wishes for “Longevity”!





Nothing is more appropriate than the Prosperity Pot(盆菜) to represent “Prosperity” itself. Dive into the juicy abalone, mushrooms, sea cucumbers and scallops. So good you would rather indulge in this rather than prospering!





Last but not the least, the delightfully-smooth Pumpkin Purée with Almond Flakes for the couples to bless them with “Sweet Beginnings”.

This extensive buffet also features Asian delights, a sushi and sashimi corner and several ‘live’ stations cooking up a medley of Asian and Continental creations!








For lunch bookings from 4 February to 14 February 2016, guests can enjoy a complimentary Crispy Baby Crab Yu Sheng per table (S$48 per Adult /  S$25 per child), while dinner bookings are a complete feast with the Fivefold Fortune Set (S$68* per Adult /  S$35 per child). With the exception of the 7th February, where the Adult price per pax is S$78 instead of S$68. All else stays the same.

To sweeten the deal even further, the adult get to enjoy a glass of wine or beer, free flow soft drinks during dinner buffet dining. Furthermore, UOB, DBS, HSBC, Maybank and Diners Club cardholders will enjoy 25% savings from 4 to 14 February 2016 and 10% savings on 7 February 2016 for the Reunion Lunch and Dinner.

Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 6428 3160.

Bay Hotel CNY Hotpot Buffet x Brands

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If I have to pick one Hotel’s restaurant that truly bring out the “Essence” of this year’s CNY, it is no other than ‘STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar’ which resides in Bay Hotel Singapore.

Why so? This is simply because their Executive Chef (Ricky) has ingeniously decided to pair the annual signature CNY dishes with BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken for the ‘CNY IN ESSENCE’ Buffet Lunch!

Kickstarting the first signtuare dish that no CNY can go without. The Yusheng! Why not make this year’s a special one by trying this new creation : ‘EssenceTIAL Yusheng’ (‘精’玉满堂鸡精鱼生) which comprises of Smoked Salmon Low Hei Salad with specially made BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken Aspic & Vinaigrette!





Initially, I was feeling skeptical of such combination. One is the ESSENCE of Chicken while the other is the ‘ESSENCE’ of Fish (Salmon). One stays on land while the other is in the water. How can their taste ever compliment each other just like how can their path ever met?

Surprisingly, the Essence of Chicken added a tinge of flavourful saltishness to the yusheng without being overly-powering! Chef probably found the right amount of ESSENCE to enhance the taste while not spoiling the original yusheng taste !

A regular sized ‘EssenceTIAL Yusheng’ can easily feed a table of 4 while not burning the pocket ($38++). For a bigger crowd of approximately 8 to 10 pax, you can order the ‘Large’ portion which cost $68++!

Apart from the yusheng, other innovative dishes born from the marriage with ESSENCE of Chicken are like the ‘Essence of 8 Treasures Platter’ (八宝鲜味精典盘 – Salad of Pacific Clams, Prawns, Smoked Oysters, Sea Asparagus, U.S Asparagus, Black Fungus, “Fatt Choy” and Roasted Pine Nuts with Essence Vinaigrette)





‘Fortune Chicken with Essence Consommé’ (精鸡报喜富贵汤 – Herbal Chicken steamed with Old Ginger, Chinese Wine, Dried Longans, Red Dates & Chicken Essence),





‘Sixth Happiness Seabass in Essence’ (六六大顺精目鲈 – Steamed Seabass Fillet with Carrots Pearl, Barley, Green Zucchini Pearl, Yellow Zucchini Pearl, White Fungus and Chicken Essence)





‘Seventh Heaven Crabmeat Noodle in Essence Stew’ (七星报喜精选蟹面 – Crisp Hong Kong Noodle with Yellow Chives, Mushroom, Crabmeat, Chinese Mushroom & Lily Bulb in Essence Stew).





Apart from these few dishes, there are another 20 auspicious dishes at the buffet counter! You are definitely assured of a BOUNTIFUL dinner which signifies a BOUNTIFUL year ahead!

Feeling the chill this year with the unending rain & cold weather? You can always choose the other CNY Buffet options they offer: the ‘CNY IN ESSENCE’ Hotpot Buffet Dinner.

That explains the raw food lying on the buffet table!

They have about 50 ingredients ranging from healthy greens to fried specialities and premium platters of fresh seafood to delicious meats. STREET 50’s vegetable platters include Enoki mushrooms, white cabbage, baby kailan, dried seaweed, Thai lettuce accompanied with your carbo needs – noodles or rice.





Seafood choices include Red Grouper fillets, white clams, sliced squid, Canadian scallops, flower crabs and red prawns. There are also familiar all-time favourites like fish balls, crab sticks, chicken franks and sliced chicken, for that added home-cooked flair.





Ingredients wise, the plus point would be on its freshness & the selection of popular favorite dishes that even avid meat lovers can’t refuse such as the fresh sliced beef and pork that are sure to satisfy your cravings! They even have different kinds of fish & sotong balls. As a big fan of Fuzhou fish ball which contains minced meat within, I couldn’t help having more than 2 helpings that night!





The true “Essence” of this Hotpot buffet does not lie in their ingredients at the buffet station but what lies within these individual Chinoiserie Chic pots with customized designs of propitious dragons blanketing them in vibrant hues of majestic yellow & royal blue: a healthful BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken broth

This is the latest addition to three lovingly-prepared choices of soup bases – Imperial Chicken Broth, Siamese Luck Tom Yum Broth and Indonesian Bakso Broth. More choices is always welcomed especially during CNY as it means more ABUNDANCE! Whereas on normal days, it just mean it can satisfy any greedy mouths! ><

#Feellikeaking or rather a feast fit for a the Royal!





This food tasting is definitely one of the more interesting ones I had so far with its innovative usage of Chicken Essence! The taste is indescribable & definitely worth exploring!

1. ‘CNY IN ESSENCE’ Hotpot Buffet Dinner – 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21 Feb, 6.30pm to 10.00pm: $38++ (Adult), $18++ (Child, 6-12 years)

2. ‘CNY IN ESSENCE’ Hotpot Buffet Dinner – 7 Feb (Eve of Chinese New Year), 6.30pm to 10.00pm: $58++ (Adult), $28++ (Child, 6-12 years)

Promotion
50% off every 2nd diner for Citi Credit cardholders (discount is valid for adult prices)

Raintr33 Hotel Staycation Review

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We have done quite a couple of hotel review during this period. However, none has a heritage as rich as this one. To some locals, it might even be deemed as a daredevil move!

Why so? Simply because it is located right next to the notoriously-eerie Old Changi Hospital! Yes! it is none other than the “Raintr33 Hotel” (Located at 33 Hendon Rd, 509673).

Thanks to these groundless rumors & it being located on the eastern outskirt of Singapore, we had one of the most pleasant and serene hotel stay!

In terms of its location, it might be slightly further away from the city centre. However, don’t discount the fact that it is still located at the MOST IDEAL location for a foodie! Firstly, it is only a 5-minutes drive away from the famous “Changi Village” where you can enjoy all the famous local hawker delicacies as well as the most vibrant night scene in Singapore! Moreover, for the locals foodie crowd, this hotel is located directly next to the popular Coastal Settlement Cafe.





Now onto the outlook of the hotel.

To me, if there is any CRY that I have heard in this hotel is the FAR CRY from any forms of eerie-ness those rumors has depicted it to be! Personally, we gave the simple, clean colonial-looking exterior extra thumbs up! Such a great spot for taking #OOTDs & #POTDs! In fact, we spent the entire afternoon exploring the vicinity & snapping pictures of ourselves with this nice “backdrop”!

Doesn’t the main door look so welcoming and serene? Like a door leading to an eternal garden!





The front service staff was friendly and efficient. Hence, it did not take us long before we made our way to the room. Even though the hotel has no lift, it was perfectly fine for us as our room was situated on the second floor. Even if your room was located at the highest floor, a little exercise wouldn’t hurt since it is only 3-storey high!

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the room; the room is super huge!

Not to mention, we had the smallest room (Mulberry Room) but I would say that it can easily hold a party for 10 pax. Furthermore, the bedroom (below) is only half the size of the entire room!





Doesn’t the transparent glass panel add some spice to the night? Hehe! ><

Nonetheless, if you prefer some privacy during bathing, you have the option to wind down the binds.





Let’s go to the other half of the room! The Balcony.

The balcony is available in every room and is almost the size of the bedroom! The first thought that came into our mind was we should just gather our close friends to have a small pizza party in this super conducive corner!





As you can see, both the bedroom’s and the toilet’s door opens to the balcony. M like this concept as it confers the convenience of going to the toilet straight from the balcony instead of having to go through the room!





An afresco-style basin right at the front of the Balcony!





Personally, I like this concept of having the basin situated right at the balcony as I could enjoy the sight of the morning sunrise while brushing my teeth!





Through this stay, we dispelled all myth of the presence of supernatural phenomenon. On the contrary, we both agree in unison that Raintr33 Hotel is easily an uncovered gem in the hospitality scene of Singapore! We are more than happy to be back again and making it our regular staycation venue!

I did a research and prices start from as low as $180 and up.

Why not consider Raintr33 Hotel for a short getaway from the city?

PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road Christmas Buffet

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Christmas Buffet @ the ‘Warmest’ Place on Earth this Christmas – PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road

Amidst the cold darkness, that hopeful glow has once again returned to 30 special children @ PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road on the 4th December 2015! These children (as seen congregating around the glowing Christmas Tree) are the underprivileged children attending Thye Hua Kwan Moral Student Care Centre @ Bukit Panjang.

Hence, in the spirit of sharing and caring, the kind staff of PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road led by their GM, Ms Sharmini Moganasundram, has decided to pay forward to society through this annual ‘A Gift of Hope’ corporate social responsibility project.





We felt extremely privileged to be part of this meaningful event and no less touched by the warmth extended by hotel staff that day! These children, mostly from low-income families, were invited to hang their Christmas wish envelopes on the hotel’s Christmas tree at the Christmas light-up ceremony before enjoying a dinner treat at Spice Brasserie, the hotel’s all day dining restaurant.

The ‘Happy Three Friends’ comprising of #JamesnMaybel & William also did our part for this project as we picked one of the envelopes (Definitely not the one requesting for Nerv Gun as Christmas present)…





…& placed in our donation through this cute gingerbreadman box! Hope the child got the bag she wanted!





Thank you to PARKROYAL for making this Christmas specially meaningful not just for the 30 children but also the Hotel Guests like us that night through this purposeful charity effort. More importantly, they reminded us what the festive season is all about

The second part of this event was the food tasting portion. Let me start of with the most highly raved dish for that night: the Festive Takeway Platter.

One adjective to describe this platter is ‘Abundance’. Even the description is quite a handful & here goes nothing…The Platter is filled with sliced and ready-to-serve festive favorites like Roast Turkey Slices, Pork Liver with Chestnut Stuffing and Classic cranberry sauce, Honey-glazed Gammon Ham paired with homemade peace sauce, Cumberland Sausage and Salt-crusted Sirloin Beef with Au Jus dip, roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. ><





Salivating by now?

I did so too when I saw this rather inviting platter which is easy and fuss-free for any parties and gatherings. Good news is this very presentable platter which can easily feed at least 10 pax, is already available from now all the way till 31st December 2015. It costs $98 & selected cards will enjoy a further 20% discount!





To add on to the festive cheer, Spice Brasserie presents the Festive Feasts buffet for the whole family from 14th December to 3rd January 2016. This scrumptious buffet promise to satiate your craving for Variety be it in the Crustaceans department….





…Raw seafood department eg Salmon, Tuna, Octopus etc





..or the Cooked food section!





For the cooked food section, some of goodies to list down are the mouth-watering Gammon Ham, Roast Turkey, Jamaica-style Leg of Lamb with Roasted Garlic and Mint Gravy, Fillet of Beef with Madere Au Jus and the highly raved Flame-grilled Mentaiko Rock Lobster.

One of our personal favorite corner that night was the CRAB section! We were totally drowned here with the wide plethora of Crab dishes ranging from Black peppered ones to our locally renowned Chilli Crab! If there is a hotel to be conferred the title of Dictionary of Crabs, this got to be the one!





One thing to KUDOS to them for is the quality of crabs. They were consistently fresh which means you do not get those irritating meat-sticking-to-shell issues. I could taste that palatable sweetness in every shred of crab meat across the various flavours. They are indeed the expert when come to dealing with Crabs!

Prices start from S$45 per adult and selected cards get to enjoy 25% discount!





Don’t say I didn’t warn you to save a substantial amount of space for the Desserts! One adjective for the Dessert corner is ‘Extensive’!

*Special Features for only Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day (Below)*

This is one room filled with festive sweets and treats that will tempt even the strongest will and easily any sweet tooth! Expect an array of Yule Log Cakes, Gingerbread Houses, Mince Pies, Panettone, Eggnog with Rum etc. What’s interesting is that there is a chef preparing Flambé Cherries and Crepe Suzettes with a tinge of precious VSOP LIVE! As a frequent liquor drinker, this dish certainly satiated my urge for liquor& sweet at the same time that night!





For the kids & minion lovers, there is a Minion-themed dessert corner!





Good & Evil Minions gathering together just to humor the children & seeks to bring our the inner child in everyone!

Cute, aren’t they?





Just when you think this isn’t enough, they have a big one! Muchhh Bigger one!





Don’t say children, even an adult like M is happily basking in the Bah-Nah-Nah mood!

This is not all to the aspect of entertainment. They even have a Minion-themed kids corner with slides, Christmas carolers, bouncy castles, balloon sculpting, face-painting and much more which is sure to maximize the fun factor for the entire family!

Speaking of a buffet location with ample fun for the family, delectable delicacies admidst a strong sense of warmth, PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road sure check the list for all the above!

Prices start from S$60 per adult and selected card will enjoy further 20%! Call them at 6428 3160 for more information!