As a Singapore Travel Blog, in addition to the top 101 Things to do in Singapore post, we’ve decided to start on this series of …
Singapore Travel Series: Day Trip in Ang Mo Kio Heartlands
things to do in Singapore
Big Mama Korean Restaurant @ Kim Tian Road : Great Food & Service!
Big Mama Korean Restaurant located at the corner of Kim Tian Road (Address : 2 Kim Tian Road, Singapore 169244) has been making waves since inception. Kate and I have already visited this hugely popular restaurant twice and we would most likely visit again soon…
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Recommended Dishes at Big Mama Korean Restaurant
If it is your first time visiting Big Mama, no worries. There are several recommendations including the Dakgalbi (Spicy Grilled Chicken – $18 per serving (previously $15) , minimum 2 servings) and Suyuk (Boiled Pork – $25) and you will definitely not go wrong with these recommendations. Even if you’re a newbie to Korean food like Kate and I, the friendly staff will show you the “ropes”.
On our first visit, we were pleasantly surprised that the staff took time to explain the different ways to savour the Suyuk. She made 3 different versions of the dish for us as she explained whether the dips were spicy or not (not spicy one). Unfortunately, we did not take many photos on our first visit. Hence, we made sure we did on our 2nd!
These 6 side dishes (ignore the reddish looking one at the extreme right – it’s actually a dip for the soup) are complimentary (AND REFILLABLE!!!! Did we put enough exclamations??). Our favourite, like most customers is the lotus root. In this dish, there are long beans and lotus root. The white sauce is peanuty and sesame-ey while the vege are crunchy and fresh. Really gets your appetite going!
The Dakgalbi ($18 per person, min 2 pax order) is definitely our favourite dish! Considering that we do not usually order the same dish twice, this dish must have caught our attention, having ordered it on both our visits. You will have a choice of having the dish prepared right in front of you or for the staff to prepare it first before bringing it to you. Well, the cool thing is that you can see how it’s done right before your very eyes. The not so cool thing? Well…smell that lingers on your shirt…Oh, on that note, please dress comfortably and not to the nines. Because of the preparation methods, the smell is actually quite strong. Yummy but strong.
You know when you watch Korean shows and towards the end of the meal, they will pour in some rice and fry it? This can be done with Dakgalbi. Again, no worries if you’re a newbie. The friendly staff will approach you to ask if you would like to have fried rice. A bowl of rice ($3 per bowl *Update* It is $5 now :() will be added and fried together with generous amounts of grounded sesame seeds, seaweed and seasoning. Something not to be missed!
Update
On a recent visit, we had the pork belly ($40) version of the Dakgalbi and it was just as good! However, it can get a little (too) spicy…
As with the Dakgalbi, you can also leave some meat/sauce behind and have an order of korean fried rice mixed into it for $5…
Previously, the lady would fry the rice at the table, next to the guests. However, this time, she took our pan away and fried it closer to the counter. Could be because of complaints of the smoke from the fried rice? Which was why we could only manage to take this short video…
The result…another meal ready to go!
Last but not least, do not be mistaken by the red colour and think that this is “kimchi”. If you taste the Dakgalbi and the kimchi side dish. You will notice the difference. Another korean food lesson for us. The kimchi is spicy though. Beware…:)
Remember the reddish dip above? It goes with the fish cake in this fish cake hot pot also known as Emuk Jeongol. We’re really glad that we were recommended this dish because it is a nice mild yet delicious soup that balances the strong tastes of the Dakgalbi. The servings of fish cake is really GENEROUS. We were thinking to ourselves “there’s still more fish cake?!” after eating so many pieces! There were 5 of us and we still left 1 piece standing. The texture of the fish cake is not the “do-ing” kind that we usually eat with our mee pok. It is chewy yet not jelat. Great dish.
Remember that the side dishes are refillable!!!
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How to get to Big Mama Korean Restaurant at Kim Tian Road
Big Mama Korean Restaurant is located at 2 Kim Tian Road. Although it says “2”, it is actually the first restaurant along this street. There is a bus stop along Tiong Bahru road which you can take buses 5,16,33,63,123 and 195. It is also within walking distance from Tiong Bahru MRT.
Location of Big Mama Korean Restaurant – Close to the intersection of Tiong Bahru and Kim Tian Road
REMEMBER : To avoid disappointment, you MUST make reservations by calling 6270 7704. For dinners, there are 2 time slots, 6 to 8pm and 8 to 11pm (last order at 10pm). If you are in the 6 to 8pm time slot, you must leave at 8pm for the next wave of customers. Well, good food ought to be shared right?
Overall Comment : Food is definitely good and service was great on our first visit. During our 2nd visit, the staff seemed to be quite busy as the restaurant is almost always full. Oh, the smokey thingy as well. Otherwise, MUST GO!
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Did we mention that the side dishes at Big Mama Korean Restaurant, are refillable?
Gardens by the Bay Turns 5: 50% Discount for Friends of the Gardens!!!
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Wild Wild Wet @ Downtown East : A Pictorial Review
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D’Resort @ Downtown East : A Perfect Staycation for the Entire Family!
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Crystal Jade Jiang Nan Vivocity : A Pictorial Review
Crystal Jade Jiang Nan is one of the specialty of the Crystal Jade Group. This Crystal Jade Jiang Nan we visited is located at Vivocity, 1 Harbour Front Walk, #01-52. If you’re visiting on the weekends, it’s preferred that you make reservations (Tel: 62211830) due to the huge crowds visiting during makan hours.
Enjoy this pictorial review of our coverage of Crystal Jade Jiang Nan at Vivocity!
What we ate at Crystal Jade Jiang Nan Vivocity
Crystal Jade Jiang Nan Vivocity Review
If you’re thinking of what to eat at Vivocity, you can check out Jamie’s Italian Singapore or here at Crystal Jade Jiang Nan.
Having tried all of the above dishes, we’ll strongly recommend the following dishes
1. BBQ Pork Sesame Pastry (叉烧酥）: Soooooooooo flaky on the outside! Handle with care!
2. Bamboo Charcoal Black Pepper Chicken Bun : Crispy outer layer with a ‘traditional’ black pepper chicken taste.
3. Hong Kong Ying Yang : To have a beautiful display (effect from the dry ice) while you enjoy your dinner.
4. La Mian : But maybe not the spicy beef version as it’s a tad too salty for our liking. Nonetheless, the noodles were really good. Makes you want to slurp continously!
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We hope you have enjoyed our pictorial coverage of Crystal Jade Jiang Nan @ Vivocity! Enjoy!
Is Chin Mee Chin Confectionary (真美珍) in Katong worth a visit?
Before we visited Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, we checked out the things to do in Katong posts available on the web. Many recommended visiting this kopitiam for their traditional toasts. During our recent staycation at Village Hotel Katong, we decided to drop by for breakfast before checking-in and this is what we thought…
The first thing we noticed was the traditional setting of CMC Confectionery…
It seems as though time has stood still in this coffee shop. It continues to retain its old world charm and we think that the decorations has not changed much since inception. The clock is so old school!
As the number of seats in Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is limited, you may have to wait a while before being seated. We waited for about 5 minutes before someone else finished their breakfast. In this kopitiam, you’ll just wait for someone to finish and “take over” their table. Once seated, the table will be cleared and you will be asked for the drinks as well as the number of toasts and eggs that you would like. For the rest of the confectionery, you will have to go to the displays and get them like so…
We decided to go for kopi-see (coffee with evaporated milk) and kopi-peng (iced coffee) along with its famous toasted buns with kaya and butter. After ordering, we proceeded to take the custard puff and cream horn from the display…
There a few things that we enjoyed about the breakfast. True to being a confectionery, the famous toast lived up to its reputation. The home-made kaya was not too sweet and had the traditional eggy taste. The cool thing was that the toast was a bun and not the usual slices of bread. So it was lightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Our other favourite was the cream horn! Really liked the texture of the cream (slight salty) which went well with the crispy outer layer.
The coffee by itself was nothing to rave about. Quite plain actually. But the confectionery which had their various tastes gave a pretty good balance to the coffee.
The Verdict
To be honest, what really attracted us was not the food or the coffee. So what’s the biggest draw?
Tradition and heritage.
Traditional tastes abound especially in the kaya toast. The kaya is unique in that it is more eggy and less sweet unlike the usual kaya you’ll taste these days. In terms of heritage, CMC Confectionery is really part of our Singapore identity, retaining how it operates and even how it looks – maintaining the traditional kopitiam feel.
Great place for parents to say “When I was young, this was the kind of coffee shop that papa went to, no Starbucks last time…”
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And the answer? Yes. We will be back not really because of the food but because of its simple old world charms.
Singapore Art Museum SAM
Singapore Art Museum (also known as SAM) is located in the heart of the Singapore Art District. During our stay at the Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, we visited the Singapore Art Museum, which by the way, is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (yay!)
Singapore Art Museum SAM
Singapore Art Museum SAM Exhibitions
Unearthed Exhibition at Singapore Art Museum
Medium at Large SAM
While we were at SAM, there were 2 main exhibitions going on, including the Unearthed and Medium at Large Exhibitions!
Unearthed Exhibition Singapore Art Museum
Unearthed “Tree” – What do you want to see unearthed?
Happenings along the Singapore River
Bukit Brown Cemetery
A Day Without A Tree
Paint melting away under the intense heat of the sun
The Unearthed series is about our relationship with planet earth and the various facets of it starts with the “tree” where visitors put up notes on its branches to share about what do they want to “unearth”. At the Singapore River, various memories (fictitious or real) are written on its banks. There is also a segment that features the recent reclamation of the Bukit Brown Cemetery to make way for the construction of a road that will link the Adam Flyover and the MacRitchie Viaduct.
But in the “Unearthed” exhibition, we appreciated the “A Day Without A Tree” feature whereby roman looking pillars start to melt on the left. So you can use the pillar on the right as a basis of comparison. The interesting thing was that there’s another empty room next to it and you’d think that its a place “under construction”. But if you observe carefully, you’ll realise that the floor is white. White from the paint that melted from the pillars!
Medium At Large – Singapore Art Museum
Various mediums at work in this exhibition
Of the many exhibitions here, there are a couple which we thought were really cool…
Pepe and Marcial Bonifacio Portraits
Description of Pepe and Marcial Bonifacio Portraits
The portraits were actually “executed” via M16 bullets etched unto sand paper. The cool part is that the whole bullet was eventually used , ALL OF IT, to become the portraits that we see. WOW!
Steam Rice Man Singapore Art Museum
Description of Steam Rice Man
Video of Steam Rice Man
If you have read the description, both rice and coal powder are essential part of the Vietnamese yet at the same time has contrasts of soft & hard, sticky & dusty, white & black. There’s also a video that depicts the entire process the artist goes through. Right opposite Steam Rice Man is a video of a lady dancing on butter. Through her expression, it shows the helplessness as she falls and tries to regain her dance again. It sort of depicts her struggles moving from an asian country where rice is a staple, to America where bread and butter became the staple – resulting in her weight gains. Hence, the butter dance. Cool.
Status @ Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
Description of Status
For us, this was one of the art pieces that lets you imagine what the artist is trying to say. Is there something trying to escape? Or is the medium tired of being encased that it forms its own frame? Or just, too much paint used on the original painting? It’s really up to you to decide and that’s the fun part of it!
To end off, we’d like to introduce you to this interactive art piece…
Honey Sticks Singapore Art Museum
Description of Honey Sticks
There are 6425 honey sticks in this exhibit to signify the number of REGISTERED births in Singapore in 1941, the year the parents of the artist were born. Visitors are encouraged to take a honey stick to enjoy from the various flavours of grape, watermelon, green apple and honey (among others). As the number of honey sticks reduces, it sort of signifies the life and death of people through life.
How to get to the Singapore Art Museum SAM
Map of Singapore Art Museum
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Adventure Cove Sentosa : Definitely Worth A Visit!
Adventure Cove Sentosa is one of the major attractions both at Sentosa and in Singapore. In addition to the Maritime Experiential Museum and SEA Aquarium, Adventure Cove was one of the attractions in Sentosa that we pretty much enjoyed. It is a adventure waterpark that offers something for everyone! Find out more about some secret tips that we found out at our last visit here!
Adventure Cove Sentosa Attractions
Tip 1 : Once you’re in, head straight to the area between Rainbow Reef and the Bay Restaurant. At the corner of this area, there is a great area for you and your friends to gather at. It was there where we set up our “base camp”!
Rainbow Reef
The other reason why you should head to Rainbow Reef first is because there will be a SUPER LONG queue as the day goes on. Heading there first will allow you to get a great spot and also be one of the first to be enjoy Rainbow Reef. Something that Tom did…
Rainbow Reef is one of the most enjoyable experience in Adventure Cove. It is actually snorkeling among schools of fish within a reef. You’ll be given instructions
1. Not to kick within the reef. This is because there is a light stream that brings you round like a circuit. You’ll just have to float along. Of course, the other reason is to prevent you from disturbing the marine life within.
2. No diving. Even though you may be tempted to swim among the schools of fish, you are not allowed to do so.
What we really enjoyed about this attraction was that during feed times, you’ll see a HUGE number of fish gather round the food and they all move in one swift, coordinated motion. So much so that there would be a mini wave or tremor that you may feel. Tom was actually shocked by this sudden movement when the feeding begun. But, what an awesome sight to behold! Enjoy!
The Bay Restaurant
The last reason why you should head to the Rainbow Reef area first is because of its proximity to the Bay Restaurant. Usually during meal times, the restaurant itself would be fully occupied. Nonetheless, you can bring out the food that you’ve ordered to the seating area outside, a place which you would have “choped” (Singlish for “Booked”) if you had followed our previous advice.
The fish and chips combo and fried chicken wings, though a little expensive, tasted quite alright. Here are the other attractions that we visited while we were at Adventure Cove Sentosa…
Seahorse Hideaway – A shallow wading pool for the toddlers
Dueling Racer – Grab a mat and race against your mate down the slide side by side
Riptide Rocket – The Waterpark equivalent of the roller coaster. Enjoy!
Pipeline Plunge & Tidal Twister – Twisting and turning at high speeds and plunges!
Bluwater Bay – Chill out or just ride on the giant waves!
Spiral Washout and Whirlpool Washout – Be prepared for a water ride unlike any other!
Tip 2 : We realised that the more exciting ride is always on the left side. Once in line for queues that head to 2 rides, remember to choose according to what you can handle. For us, it’s always the left ride!
Big Bucket Treehouse – A fun splash area for the kids
Splashworks – A water obstacle course
Adventure River – Adventure Cove Sentosa’s Lazy River
At Adventure Cove Sentosa, there are additional experiences – ultimate marine encounters (of course at an additional fee) that you can enjoy. These include Sea Trek Adventure, Shark Encounter, Ray Bay, Open Ocean Dive and the various Dolphin encounters seen above.
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**Photos courtesy of Adventure Cove Sentosa
Universal Studios Singapore : Snowy Christmas Celebration!
Universal Studios Singapore presents Singapore’s Biggest Snowy Christmas Celebration from 1st December 2014 to 4th January 2015! You can choose from either the 1. Universal …
Parkland Green : What’s new at East Coast Park?
Parkland Green is the latest addition to vibrancy at East Coast Park. Opened in September 2014, there are several dining establishments, sports outlets, a laser tag arena as well as a 1 hectare field for endless activities! Find out more about what’s in store at Parkland Green…
Parkland Green East Coast Park
What’s at Parkland Green East Coast Park
1. 1-Hectare Open Lawn
1-hectare Open Lawn @ Parkland Green
The one hectare open lawn at Parkland Green offers a great venue for families to have picnics and gatherings. The flood lights also lit the lawn in the evenings and we caught some chaps enjoying themselves over frisbee. Definitely a great play area for the kids as well. Nearby, there are also BBQ pits along the coast.
2. Tag Team Inc
Tag Team Inc East Coast Park
Laser Tag Arena Parkland Green
At Tag Team Inc, there are laser tag and archery tag team games available. The great thing about the games here are that they’re safe for children as well as adults. The only down side that we see is that the arena seems a little small – may not be as exciting for thrill seekers.
3. Sports Retail Outlets
Sports Retail Outlets at Parkland Green East Coast Park
Hvper Sports Retail @ Parkland Green
The sports retail outlets at Parkland Green provides an option for park goers to purchase skate scooters, roller blades or bikes. Check it out and you might just be hit by the “active bug”…
4. Dining Establishments
Patro’s Sports Bar & Restaurant / Starbucks Coffee
Atmosphere Sports Bar East Coast
Sandbank Restaurant
Pickmeup Cafe Parkland Green
Bakery & Bar St. Marc East Coast Park
Parkland Green is set to be a great hang out venue with these new dining establishments. Sports bars that offers live soccer matches would definitely be drawing EPL fans in flocks. Do take note that free parking is only for the first year of operation (made known to us by restaurant operators there). So do take advantage and visit while it lasts!
We were actually craving for north indian cuisine this evening and Patro’s came to our rescue! Yay! Butter chicken!
Butter chicken, basmati rice, naan and fried vegetables
Sangria at Patro’s Parkland Green East Coast Park
Indoors and alfresco dining at Patro’s Parkland Green East Coast
First off, we must say that the food was really great. Creamy rich butter chicken with long grains of basmati rice. Shiok! Naan was slightly burnt but mixed with the butter chicken gave the meat a tinge of the tandoori taste. Last but not least, the sangria (at $40 a jug) is definitely a great complement to the meal. An enjoyable meal overall.
Oh, you may have also noticed that we moved from outdoors to indoors. Pretty much due to the mosquito and heat. Nonetheless, alfresco dining experience at Patro’s, watching park goers go (jog/cycle) by, is quite enjoyable as well!
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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of Parkland Green @ East Coast Park. Tell us more about your experience at Parkland Green in our comments section below!
National Museum of Singapore : A MUST VISIT Singapore Attraction!
The National Museum of Singapore is our favourite museum in Singapore. Not only because its free (for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents) but because of the high quality exhibits that are always on-going at the “grand old dame of museums in Singapore”. In addition, it’s always enjoyable for us to reconnect with our Singaporean roots through the Singapore History and Singapore Living Galleries at the National Museum of Singapore!
National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore Exhibitions
Masak Masak Exhibition National Museum of Singapore
There is an ongoing exhibition entitled “Masak Masak” (which usually means children playing with toys) which is suitable for kids ages three to seven. Games, interactive installations and films will surely allow the kids to have an enjoyable time at the National Museum of Singapore.
WE : Defining Stories at the National Museum of Singapore
WE : Defining Stories @ National Museum of Singapore
The WE : Defining Stories is a photo exhibition that shows the defining moments of Singapore from the post-war years to independence and finally to where we are today as a nation.
Description of WE : Defining Stories Exhibition
Significant stories such as the racial riots, MacDonald House Bombing, Singapore’s Independence from Malaysia, collapse of hotel New World, hijack of SQ 117, the cable car incident, SARS, floods as well as more light hearted stories such as the queues for hello kitty, new property launches and historic wins by the soccer, swimming, water polo and table tennis teams.
Inside WE : Defining Stories Exhibition
Sebastiao Salgado Genesis Photo Exhibit @ National Museum of Singapore
Sebastiao Salgado Genesis Photo Exhibit
We also enjoyed Sebastiao Salgado’s Genesis photo exhibition at the National Museum. Some of his photos of landscapes and animals seemed very unreal. Really makes you wonder how in the world did he get those shots?! We’re guessing he must have “camped” like Sean Penn in the “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and waited for the opportune moment to take those shots. Enjoy!
Singapura 700 Years : The Latest Singapore Gallery @ National Museum of Singapore
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
Singapura 700 Years is the latest Singapore history exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. In the meantime, the “resident” Singapore History Gallery will be closed for renovation and will be slated to reopen in 2015. The gallery will therefore get a new lease of life in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebration!
How to get to the National Museum of Singapore
Map of the National Museum of Singapore
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For us, the National Museum of Singapore is definitely one of the top attractions in Singapore. For more of what to do in Singapore, visit our post on the top 101 things to do in Singapore!
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Singapura 700 Years : Latest Singapore Exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore
Singapura 700 Years is the latest Singapore history exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. In the meantime, the “resident” Singapore History Gallery will be closed for renovation and will be slated to reopen in 2015. The gallery will therefore get a new lease of life in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebration!
Singapura 700 Years National Museum of Singapore
Map of Singapura : 700 Years exhibition
Exhibits at the Singapura : 700 Years exhibition
Singapura : 700 Years has 6 sections including Archaeology in Singapore, Ancient Singapore (1300–1818), Colonial Singapore (1819–1942), Syonan-To (1942–1945), Road to Merdeka (1946–1965) and Independent Singapore (1965–1975).
Archaeology in Singapore
Archaeology in Singapore : 30 years of uncovering the past from 1984 to 2014
Over the last 30 years, excavation works have been secretly but carefully carried out. This section unearths some of the findings that confirms the historical, colonial and modern past of Singapore. Find out some of the techniques that are used so that historical evidences are well documented for future generations of Singaporeans!
Ancient Singapore
Ancient Singapore with Dragon’s Teeth Gate on the left
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
The Ancient Singapore section tells of Singapore’s history before the founding of Singapore. This includes records of the Dragon’s Teeth Gate (see above) which formerly stood at the gateway to today’s Keppel Harbour, the Singapore Stone with inscriptions that up to this day no one knows and how Singapore got its name – Singapura (Lion City – did Singapore really have indigenous lions?).
Colonial Singapore : 1819 to 1942
Colonial Singapore – Singapura : 700 Years
Milestones of Colonial Singapore
Chinese in Singapore during colonial times
European settlements in Singapore
Colonial Singapore was a time where British firmly had rule over Singapore. Unknown to most Singaporeans, Sir Stamford Raffles only established a trading port in 1819 and it was in 1824 that Singapore was formerly ceded to the British. This section also depicted the life of the rich (mostly Europeans) as well as the poor during those times. The rich Europeans would spend their days horse riding, socialising and enjoying parties (Literally! take a look at the 24 hour schedule of a typical European at the exhibition!) while the poor had to work long and hard hours as rickshaw riders or coolies.
Syonan-To
Syonan-To means “Light of the South”
This section tells of how the Japanese had a grand plan to conquer Southeast Asia which included Singapore. In fact, General Yamashita had a plan to take down Singapore in 100 days which he eventually only took 70 days. During the Japanese Occupation, it was grim and dark times for Singapore. Food was scarce, men suspected of supporting China were executed and locals had to adapt to a new language and a new colonial master.
Road to Merdeka : 1945 to 1965
Road to Merdeka (Independence)
Countries gaining independence after World War 2
Referendum held on 1 September 1962 to decide on the options for merger
Singapore was part of Malaya from 16 September 1963 to 9 August 1965 (approximately 2 years)
After the war, both Singapore and Malaya knew that the days of the British as a colonial power were numbered. This triggered Singapore’s march towards independent. In 1959, Singapore obtained self governance with Singapore Flag and National Anthem introduced the same year. On 16 September 1963, Singapore and Malaya obtained independence from the British and because of political differences, Singapore was forced to be an independent state on 9th August 1965.
Independent Singapore
Independent Singapore : Post 1965
Singapore’s Leaders
Developing Singapore in key areas of defence, diplomacy, economy and education
Full marks for being a Singapore Buff!
When Singapore gained independence in 1965, leaders of Singapore went straight to work, developing Singapore in areas of defence, diplomacy, economy and education. With the development of public housing, Singaporeans were well taken care of for the first time. Proper sanitation also came along with these public housing. Our guide, Mike also made a joke about the huge contributions Dr Goh Keng Swee made. When Singapore needed to be developed in a certain area, he would be the minister. Hence, he was the minister for finance, defence and education where he played key roles in developing Singapore into what it is today.
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Guided Tours are also available at the following hours. Just gather outside the entrance at the stipulated times!
From 1 to 10 November
English
Mon – Fri 11am
Sat & Sun 11:30am, 2pm and 3:30pm
Mandarin
Mon 1:30pm
Sat & Sun 11am & 1:30pm
From 3 November onwards
Japanese
Mon – Fri 10.30am
Every 1st Sat of the Month 1:30pm
From 11 November onwards
English
Mon – Fri 11am & 2pm
Sat & Sun 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm, 2:30pm (from 11 Nov to 31 Dec only) & 3:30pm
Mandarin
Mon 1:30pm
Sat & Sun 11am, 1:30pm
From 1 December onwards
French
Every 1st Thu of the Month 12pm
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the latest Singapore history exhibition – Singapura : 700 Years. If you have visited the exhibition, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
Monkey Goes West Musical : “Go Jurong West Bo Jio?!”
Monkey Goes West is the holiday musical by Wild Rice Pantomimes for the holiday season of 2014! This is also director, Sebastian Tan’s (of Broadway Beng fame) debut musical which will run from 21st November to 13 December 2014.
Monkey Goes West Musical
The story tells of an orphan Ah Tang who ran away from home after quarreling with his adoptive family. He then finds himself transported to different dimension where he meets, you’ve guessed it! His “disciples”!
Wukong, the cheeky Monkey King, Pigsy the brave by always-hungry warrior and of course Sandy, a stubborn but loyal river ogre then travels with Ah Tang to subdue demons and overcome challenges along the way.
Written by Alfian Sa’at with music by Elaine Chan, the musical also stars
Sugie Phua as Monkey King
Siti Khalijah Zainal as Sandy
Frances Lee as Pigsy
Joshua Lim as Ah Tang
Lim Kay Siu as King Bull
Kimberly Chan as Red Boy and…
Chua Enlai as Princess Iron Fan!
Early Bird Discounts for Monkey Goes West
Remember to check out the holiday musical of the year and enjoy these discounts…
Early Bird Discount (from 29th September to 22nd October 2014)
– 20% discount for all OCBC Cardmembers, SAFRA, PAssion, British Club and IKEA FAMILY Card Members
– 15% discount for General Public
Discounts from 23rd October onwards
– Discounts available for Students, Senior Citizens, Full time NSFs, OCBC Cardmembers, SAFRA, PAssion, British Club and IKEA FAMILY Card Members
OCBC Family Package – Limited Availability
– 25% discount for Family of 2 Adults and 2 Children (16 years and below)
We’re catching this musical solely because of the catch phrase “Go Jurong West Bo Jio!?”
Doesn’t it interest you as well? ;P
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P.S. Nope, this is not a sponsored post! Enjoy the musical Monkey Goes West everyone! An uniquely Singapore experience!
Alive Museum Singapore Suntec City!
Alive Museum Singapore located at Suntec City Tower 3 is the latest attraction to hit the shores of Singapore! Alive Museum is actually a 3D illusionary museum that makes use of trick art, digital art, object art, experimental art and dark room to bring about a fun and entertaining visual sensory tour!
Alive Museum Singapore Location & Opening Hours
If you’re thinking of visiting Alive Museum Singapore, here are some quick facts for you…
Location of Alive Museum Singapore : Suntec City Mall #03-372 (between towers 3 & 4). If you’re still wondering, where it is exactly, you may want to know that it is actually at the location of the former Eng Wah cinema!
Ticket Prices of Alive Museum Singapore : $25 (Adults), $20 (Children 3-12 yrs)
Operating Hours of Alive Museum Singapore : 10am to 10pm daily (Last admission at 9pm)
3D Illusionary Fun @ Alive Museum Singapore
Here are some of the fun and interesting shots we took at Alive Museum!
There more than 80 exhibits at the Alive Museum and each of these exhibits invites you to pose and take a shot. There are also indicators throughout the museum to tell you the position to pose as well as the position to take the shot from…
Our views on Alive Museum Singapore
Avoid the crowds. As we visited Alive Museum on a Monday, there was a small number of people within the museum. Still, we had to wait (about 3 minutes) for a couple of more interesting exhibits. We extrapolate that during weekends, the situation would be quite bad. Hence, we recommend visiting on weekday nights or weekend mornings to avoid the crowds and have more time to get the great shots without people obstructing your shots or “breathing down your neck” during your shots.
Ladies and kids. During this visit, we realised that kids/teenagers as well as ladies, somehow enjoy the exhibits more. There were 2 groups of ladies who were laughing out loud and really enjoying themselves as they moved from one exhibit to another.
High Quality. The exhibits were actually of a high quality. High quality in the sense that the materials used to construct the exhibits were thick and hardy. Paint used were also able to withstand prolonged interaction with visitors. The other aspect of high quality also refers to the directions, pictures and signs that allows you to appreciate each exhibit much better and to let you know how you should pose and take the pictures.
Video Tour of Alive Museum Singapore! A scary exhibit at the end of the video : Listen out for the scream!
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Well, the million dollar question : “Would we visit Alive Museum Singapore again?”
It depends. We think it’ll be fun if you go in groups of 3 or 4. Some of the shots are nicer if there are 2 or more people posing. Plus, while one poses, the rest can help to take photos and laugh at the amusing shots that have your friends in it! Not recommended for party of 2 or less.
Have you visited Alive Museum Singapore lately? Tell us more in the comments section below!
*Special thanks to the great folks at Alive Museum for making our visit possible!
** For a limited time, Alive Museum tickets are at 40% off!
Would we go back to Common Man Coffee Roasters again?
Common Man Coffee Roasters located at 22 Martin Road (walking distance from Boat Quay) is a new cafe that serves up gourmet breakfast and coffee.
Common Man Coffee Roasters is actually quite an “ATAS” (high class) cafe. The setting is quite elegant and classy yet there remains a casual feel to it.
As you can see from the price, the gourmet breakfasts cost in excess of $20. The eggs benedict we tried costs $24. Well, the real question is…is it worth it?
The organic eggs benedict has the following description
“Tender braised ox cheeks, 2 poached organic eggs with chive hollandaise with artisanal sourdough toast”
Sounds good? In fact it tastes better than it sounds. The ox cheeks was indeed tender and the spices have been infused into the meat. The eggs were very professionally prepared. When you break into the yolk, it oozes creamily (yes an odd word for yolks but it does) unto the toast. The sourdough toast gives an unique spin with its soury taste and crisp outer layer. Together the egg,toast,ox cheek fuses into one magical taste. Simply divine.
On the other hand, we couldnt really appreciate the gourmet cappuccino. To us, it was a little bitter and slightly acidic. We also ordered the Churros…
The Churros again were quite expensive. $12 for 5 sticks! But it was good. The outer later was lightly dusted with sugar and crispy on the initial bite. But as you chew on, the texture quickly turns to a soft chewy texture. With the chocolate dip, the churros tasted especially shiok.
Herein lies the problem, all this “divine” and “shiok” tastes come at a price and the total damage was…
We had tried to save by ordering one main and one coffee. But the price was already close to $50.
The Verdict
Our verdict? The eggs benedict was really unlike any eggs benedict we have tried. The sourdough toast made the difference and the churros was good. But for the price, you will really need to think twice.
We think that it would be good to visit just once, just to know how delicious simple and fresh ingredients can come together to create that unbelievably good taste. Otherwise, for the price, it would be unlikely that we’ll come back again.
Isn’t it ironic that the cafe is named “Common Man…” when the common man will really have to dig deep to eat here…
Have you visited Common Man Coffee Roasters? Tell us in the comments section below!
SEA Aquarium Singapore : World’s Largest Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa!
We finally got to visit the SEA Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore. After hearing that it is the world’s largest aquarium featuring over 100,000 marine life and seeing videos such as this…
We decided that its about time 2bearbear.com visited the SEA Aquarium Singapore!
Attraction Highlights of SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
After reading our visit to the Maritime Experiential Museum, you’ll realise that the SEA Aquarium is actually connected to it. The last time we visited the Maritime Experential Museum, the SEA Aquarium was not yet open to the public that’s why the tickets then were cheaper ($5). But now, with the opening of the SEA Aquarium, you’ll pay ($38) to visit both the Maritime Experential Museum, the SEA Aquarium and admission to the Typhoon Theatre (3D show on Non-Peak Days only).
The SEA Aquarium is located at B1 and there are a total of 7 zones, namely
1. Shipwreck Habitat
2. Discovery Touch Pool
3. Ocean Journey
4. Open Ocean
5. Ocean Dome
6. Moray Eel
7. Shark Seas
Shipwreck Habitat SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
Shipwreck Habitat SEA Aquarium
As you enter the Shipwreck Habitat, you’ll pass through this tunnel where you’ll observe various marine life forms that have flourished around this ship wreck. Here are some of the interesting marine life that we saw…
Razor Fish – Swims in a vertical manner!
Description of the Razor Fish
Can you spot the sea horse? Or do you just see a sea weed?
Discovery Touch Pool SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
Discovery Touch Pool SEA Aquarium Singapore
The Discovery Touch Pool is one of the highlights for the kids. You’ll get to touch various marine life such as the star fish. Kids will definitely have a ball of a time! The only thing is that the waiting time can be quite long, depending on the period that you’re visiting. We waited for about 15 minutes. Not too bad.
Vertical Fish Column
The other highlight at this zone is this vertical fish column. With the various colours shown by the fish, it displays a dazzling array of underwater performance! Check out this video and you’ll see why…
Vertical Fish Tank at Discovery Touch Pool Zone
Ocean Journey SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
At Ocean Journey, you’ll get to see some of the spectacular display of marine prowess in the cold water habitats…
BroadClub Cuttlefish
Intriguing School of Fish 1
Intriguing School of Fish 2
Can you spot the bottlenose dolphin?
King Alaskan Crab!
Jellyfish!
Tiny jellyfish and Upside down jellyfish?
See the Jellyfish in motion!
Open Ocean SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
As you have seen from the first video above, the Open Ocean zone features the planet’s largest window to the ocean! The huge manta rays were also seen “flying” through the waters…
World’s Largest Window to the Ocean at SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
So how does it compare to the Floor to Ceiling Window for Viewing of The Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis the Palm Dubai?
Huge stone looking fish
Largest Stingray “flying” through the water
The manta rays for us were the highlight. It really looked like it was “flying”! So gracefully through the water! It moves with such ease and majestic movement and in a blink of an eye, it was out of sight.
Ocean Dome and Moray Eel SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
We saw the moral eels but did not take any pictures because its movement back to its “nest” was so slick and quick! We did see other interesting marine life at the Ocean Dome…
Ornate Spiny Lobster
Corals
Brightly coloured fish among the corals
Shark Seas SEA Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa Singapore
Shark Seas SEA Aquarium RWS Singapore
As you move towards the exit, you will also exit via a tunnel with views of the sharks…
Hammerhead shark, silvertip shark and sandbar shark
Catch these sharks in action!
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The Verdict
The SEA Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore is definitely one of the biggest attractions at Sentosa and possibly Singapore. The only gripe we have is that because its new and the large number of visitors (hear the background sounds to the videos), it may get a little congested especially at the entrance and at the exits. Nonetheless, a great venue to take the family for a day out “at sea”. If you’re wondering how it compares to the Lost Chambers in Dubai, check out our post during our visit to Atlantis the Palm Dubai!
Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation : Singapore’s ALL-IN Staycation!
Quincy Hotel’s Qool Weekend Staycation is back! Thanks to the folks at FEH and BM, we were hosted to a 1 night staycation at Quincy Hotel Singapore and just as it’s radio ads say, “It’s DIFFERENT!”. It certainly was!
Our stay at Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation could possibly be Singapore’s first ALL-INCLUSIVE Staycation!
Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation Singapore
At the reception, we were warmly welcomed by Madeleine and Zydney who promptly checked us in and served up our welcome drinks – ginger ale with fruit punch ice. Yes, fruit punch that was freezed and use as ice! :O
We were then introduced to the Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation benefits that we’d be enjoying during our stay…
– One night stay at The Quincy Hotel’s Studio Room (twin-sharing)
– All-day light refreshments by Dean & DeLuca and Modesto’s
– Unlimited Wi-Fi access
– Evening cocktails
– In-room mini-bar
– Late check-out till 3pm (subject to availability)
– Local calls
– PLUS one bottle of red wine
– Art Jamming (Saturdays) or Cupcake Baking (Sundays) at 3pm
– Saturday Night Movie Screening by the Pool at 9pm
What we really love about cruises is that programmes and food are planned for you. You just have to appear! It seems that Far East Hospitality has taken this concept and implemented it right here at Quincy Hotel, in the heart of Singapore’s Shopping Belt – Orchard Road!
Besides the welcome drinks, good service was also shown when Zydney personally showed us to our room – the Studio Room at Quincy Hotel…
Studio Room at Quincy’s Qool Weekend Staycation
From the video tour, you would have noticed the large window (which extends to the ceiling), offering a splendid view of the skyline around the hotel. In addition, the sexy glass window between the bedroom and the bathroom, allows you to enjoy the cable TV (mio stadium included!) while taking a relaxing bath in the bathtub!
The blinds of the window can be controlled by a press of a button and therefore you do not have to do “flag raising” at the sides. In addition, the other cool feature we noticed were the cable inlets just below the TV! No more turning and searching around the TV for the socket inlets!
Facilities @ Quincy Hotel’s Qool Weekend Staycation
Here’s a quick snapshot of the facilities that Quincy Hotel offers…
What we did at Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation
After briefly checking out the cable network, we headed first to the all day dining at the hotel’s in-house lobby restaurant, located at level 1…
At 3pm, we headed to level 12 for…you’ve guessed it…ART JAMMING SESSION!
Art Jamming Session
According to our instructor – Damien (holding the camera in the picture above), he says that everyone comes and says that they’re not artistically inclined. But after 2 minutes, everyone would just start drawing the picture that they have googled and colour it with the acrylic paint provided (no mixing with water required – just apply the thick layers of paint directly!). The same happened for us! We chose a picture from Romero Britto and started to work on it.
As the soothing lounge music played in the background, our hands got to work and soon, the “Surfer Dog” was completed! Not that soon actually, we started at about 3:10pm and ended at 4:30pm. But still, it was quite an accomplishment!
After you’re done, just leave it there to dry and the painting will be ready at the reception when you check out!
Totally enjoyed the art jamming session! Everyone should try it!
Evening Cocktails
After a quick energising nap, we headed back to the lobby restaurant for the cocktail at 6pm…(eat sleep eat!)
Although the variety of warm food was small, the quality more than made up for it! In fact, the fettuccine was so good that we had seconds and thirds! Rich and cheesy cream sauce with just the right texture for the fettuccine…yum!
Shopping at Orchard Road
After the cocktail session, we headed to Orchard Road and Far East Plaza to do some shopping! There’s actually a short cut from Quincy Hotel to Far East Plaza via York Hotel. What you will need to do is cross the road from Quincy Hotel and enter the lobby of York Hotel. Walk past it and exit from the open carpark area. Take a short walk down the slope and you will arrive at Goodwood Park Hotel on the right and Far East Plaza on the left.
From there, you’re open to a world of shopping at Orchard!
Saturday Night Movie by the Pool @ 9pm
Heading back to Quincy, you can enjoy movies by the pool on Saturday nights. This evening “Hercules” was screening. You can also opt to lie on one of the floats while watching the movie.
Breakfast at Lobby Restaurant
After a restful sleep in our room for the night, we had a light breakfast at Lobby Restaurant…
Cupcake Baking on Sundays
The cool thing about doing the Quincy Qool Staycation on a Saturday is that you’re able to enjoy both afternoon programmes offered by the hotel! After we checked out, we headed for the Sunday cupcake baking session! Do remember to put down your names in advance if you’re interested to join as there are limited slots for the sessions…
Now you know how much butter goes into your cupcakes… :O
Separately, we were given cupcakes to decorate and we drew sunflowers and the 2bearbears! There’s even a mini competition to see which cupcake was the best decorated one!
Map and Location of Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation
Quincy Hotel is located at 22 Mt Elizabeth Singapore 228517, next to the Elizabeth Hotel. In fact, they share the same parking facility (or rather Quincy uses Elizabeth Hotel’s parking for its guests). After parking at the Elizabeth Hotel, you can exit via its main entrance, take a left turn and enter into Quincy Hotel!
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Quincy Hotel’s Qool Weekend Staycation is a qool 4!
B – 1. Bathroom comes equipped with a bathtub.
A – 0.5. Inviting room and general atmosphere at the hotel.
S – 1. Service was great at Quincy Hotel! Thanks Madeleine and Zydney for the hospitality!
I – 1. Cool infinity pool with great views of the skyline.
C – 0.5. Bed was comfortable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, here are 3 reasons why we thoroughly enjoyed our staycation at Quincy Hotel’s Qool Weekend
1. All-Inclusive Staycation. Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation could probably be the first all-inclusive staycation in Singapore. If you enjoy the programmes (and food) planned for you aboard cruise ships, you’d certainly enjoy the staycation at Quincy Hotel where food and programmes are planned out for you throughout the day (think art jamming, movies by the pool, cupcake baking, swimming, working out at the gym and all-day dining!)
2. Art Jamming. Before we did Art Jamming, it sounded more like an abstract kind of arty programme than an activity that we’d really enjoy. But after creating “Surfer Dog” (see above), it sought of rekindled our confidence in art and for those of you who have not tried it, you’d might be surprised at what you can do as well!
3. Good quality food. Eventhough the VARIETY was small, food QUALITY was actually quite good. During lunch hours, the chicken pho and curry noodle were really good as well. Not the kind that “clock” a noodle on a menu but was surprisingly tasty. The fettuccine? Guess we’ve said enough above (go for seconds and thirds!).
All in all, it was indeed a really Qool staycation at the Quincy Hotel!
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**Special thanks to Mike, Zydney and Madeleine for hosting us at the Quincy Hotel!
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Swissotel Merchant Court Executive Room Staycation : Right In The Heart Of Clarke Quay!
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AMOY Hotel Singapore : Why you should stay here during your next visit
AMOY Hotel Singapore is a newly refurbished boutique hotel launched by Far East Hospitality, right in the heart of the CBD area. We were invited by AMOY Hotel for a stay and this post will tell you why you should stay here during your next visit to Singapore!
Checking In at AMOY Hotel Singapore
Checking in was a breeze and we were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff of AMOY Hotel. While I was checking in, Kate took some shots of the lobby of AMOY hotel…
As we were checking in, we also received our welcome drinks which eased us into the vacation mood. But there was one other thing we noticed while we were checking in…
We saw someone actually painting the artwork on the furnishings of the hotel lobby! To add to the “wow factor”, we were told that this person, painting the artwork, is actually from the housekeeping department! We were told that the hotel has ideas that stems from artistic creativity, but seems like the idea has also permeated to staff of the hotel as well. Kudos to the management for allowing its staff to engage in these small improvements of the hotel!
Special mention must be made of Lina. Throughout our stay, she offered impeccable and personalised service that made our staycation that much more special. After our check-in, she showed us all the way to our Deluxe Double Room. Talk about personalised service! Along the way, we were also told that the 20 most common surname are sprinkled across the hallways of the hotel.
After showing us to our room, Lina also walked through some of the features of the room, which we will show you in the next section. Thanks Lina!
AMOY Hotel Singapore Deluxe Double Room
Our first impression of the room is its modern design which still intertwines with Chinese artistic flavours. The view of the open concept wardrobe shows what we mean…
There are a few things that we loved about the room. Firstly, the tea and coffee selection which offers yummy flavours like Oolong caramel tea and Kimono tea. Secondly, though the room is small (20 sqm), it has a rain shower facility!
Lastly, the modern yet warm design makes one feels welcome for a stay 🙂
Breakfast at AMOY Hotel Singapore
Although many have said that the breakfast at AMOY Hotel is not that fantastic, we actually think that it was adequate. The spread though small, meets the requirements of a continental breakfast of cereals, bread, cheese/ham and coffee!
We recommend that you go for 2 different toasts at breakfast (play with the cool toaster!). One with cheese and ham and the other with kaya and butter. Washed down with a cup of gourmet cappuccino! You can wrap up the meal with some fruits or yoghurt for a healthy touch 😉
Why you should stay at AMOY Hotel Singapore
Frankly speaking, the room is not the main draw of AMOY Hotel. “Then what is?” you may ask. It’s all about location, location, location! AMOY Hotel is so superbly located that you can walk by foot to the CBD area, Singapore River, Chinatown, Club Street and many famous hawker centres to try out local flavours! But before we go there, let’s talk about the heritage of the Far East Square area
1. Heritage. You’ll soon notice that in and around the hotel, there are many monuments, displays and signs that shows the historical heritage of Singapore. This is because Telok Ayer ran parallel to the original shoreline (hard to imagine right? so much land reclamation has been done!) and many immigrants used to land around this area. They set up living quarters and also temples and mosques to give thanks to their gods for the safe passage to Singapore.
(and no, the guy in the middle is not supposed to be wearing a shawl)
2. Excellent Location! From our hotel, we could walk to Chinatown, Singapore River, Club Street and more!
3. Food Food Food. If you’re a foodie like us, you will certainly enjoy your stay at AMOY Hotel. This is because, if you’d like to try some local food, AMOY Street Food Centre and Maxwell Food Center (famous for Wanton Mee and Hainanese Chicken Rice) are within walking distance. In and around Far East Square, you’ll find food establishments at Pekin and Nankin Street. For dim sum buffet, Ju Chun Yuan just downstairs offers a good selection at an affordable price. Of course, for more classy joints, Club Street & Boat Quay is just a stone’s throw away!
How to get to AMOY Hotel Singapore
Like many visitors before us, you’ll probably find it a little challenging to find the entrance to the hotel. So to make the process that much easier, here are 2 ways to locate AMOY Hotel at Far East Square.
Fuk Tak Chi Museum actually fronts the entrance of the hotel. If you’re walking along Telok Ayer Street (opposite downtown line’s Telok Ayer MRT Station), look out for the the facade of the Fuk Tak Chi Museum and bravely walk into it. You’ll notice a glass side door, enter it and you’ll arrive at the lobby of AMOY Hotel.
Alternatively,
If you are already in Far East Square, look for the above entrance opposite Mr Teh Tarik. This entrance is close to Ju Chun Yuan restaurant and next to Tung Lok Teahouse.
In Conclusion
The excellent service and great location is a huge draw to stay at the AMOY Hotel. At night, we were also given a good night note from the staff of AMOY Hotel…
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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at AMOY Hotel Singapore right here! Enjoy warm and friendly services while soaking in the sights and sounds from a centrally located hotel!
**Special thanks to Mike and Far East Hospitality for making our stay at Amoy Hotel possible!
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Rendezvous Hotel Singapore : Staycation In The Heart Of The Art District!
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SATS Premier Lounge : Free Entry with your ANZ Travel Card!
SATS Premier Lounge is one of the lounges where you can enter free simply by signing up with the ANZ Travel Card!
SATS Premier Lounge T2 Departure Transit
There are essentially 2 ways of gaining entry into SATS Premier Lounge for free via the ANZ Travel Card. Firstly, when you apply for the card, you will be given 2 vouchers for complimentary entry into the lounge. The second way? Spend on the card! By accumulating a spending of $1500 (you’ll easily achieve this when you purchase your long distance air tickets), you’ll also get complimentary entry to SATS Lounge.
What’s Inside SATS Premier Lounge?
For the sophisticated travellers, lounges are part of air travel. You can grab a drink, have some snacks, catch some shut eye or even have a quick bath before your next flight. At SATS Premier Lounge, you can do all that and even enjoy a massage on one of the massage chairs available in the lounge…
Massage Chairs in SATS Premier Lounge – According to Kate, go for Sequence “5”!
There are also showering facilities in the bathroom if you would like to enjoy a hot shower before your flight. But what do we enjoy the most? The food and drinks of course!
Coffee Machine, Wine and Hard Liquor in SATS Premier Lounge
A good selection of food and drinks (in the fridge) in SATS Premier Lounge – T2
Chicken Rice, Lemon Chicken and Ramen with Gyoza
We actually had ALOT of food at SATS Premier Lounge. We had the chicken rice (which is something you should have – thigh meats with chili!), lemon chicken, ramen, pasta, cup noodles, naan with chickpeas, banana, cakes, beers, wines and coffee! Phew…that was quite a list!
But the other thing that we enjoyed? Reading CRISP NEW MAGAZINES!
Wide selection of magazines and complimentary use of internet
TIME, Fortune, Travel Magazines and international newspapers are available for your reading pleasure. As travel bloggers, we enjoyed every single bit of the travel magazines which were literally BRAND NEW! The feel is really different when you read it brand new as opposed to crumpled ones where 1 million and 1 people have read it before you right?
Lounge area in SATS Premier Lounge
Well, one of the things we liked about SATS Premier Lounge is that eventhough entry was free, it was still relatively exclusive (as you can see from the picture above). During our stay here (about 2 hours – yes, very KS we know), there wasn’t any time that we felt it was overcrowded or too noisy. Everyone just came in for a rest, a bite and off they went. Adhering to the “do not disturb OTHERS” policy.
After our maiden visit to SATS Premier Lounge, it seems like lounges will pretty much feature in our upcoming travels. Whether you’re a sophisticated traveller or simply a gian peng Singaporean like us, SATS Premier Lounge would be a rest stop you’d want to check out before your next flight.
Remember to sign up with ANZ Travel Card!
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If you’re transiting in Singapore, why not check out the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a 5 star hotel, right beside Changi Airport?
Chinese New Year Celebration and Festivities at Chinatown Singapore!
Every year during the lunar new year period, Singapore’s Chinatown ‘springs’ into live! (If you do not already know, the lunar new year is actually a celebration of the arrival of spring that is why the lunar new year is also known as the spring festival). This year, during our staycation at Amoy Hotel, we visited Chinatown and enjoyed some of the atmosphere of Chinese New Year in Singapore!
As the coming year is the year of the horse in the chinese zodiac calendar therefore, the decorations in Chinatown is made up of many running horses also known as 万马沸腾 in Mandarin…
Decorations with horses for Chinese New Year at Chinatown Singapore
Chinese New Year Decorations in Chinatown
Singapore’s Chinatown unlike other chinatowns in all other parts of the world, is not known as 唐人街 (Chinese Street) in Mandarin but 牛车水 (literal translation : Bull Cart Water). The reason is because in the early days, before the establishment of a water distribution network, the bull-cart (really driven by bulls!) was used to distribute water to the households in Chinatown.
During the Chinese New Year period, in addition to the usual row of shopping streets, additional shops are set up at Temple Street (the street is cordoned off) for sale of chinese new year goodies. And the streets? CROWDED!!
Usual row of shopping at Chinatown – Just outside Chinatown MRT station
Crowded Temple Street during Chinese New Year in Singapore
Another view of Temple Street
Opposite view with People’s Park Complex (珍珠坊) in the background
View of Temple Street in the night
Chinese New Year Decorations in the night
Besides the decorations and experiencing the CNY mood, many also flock to Chinatown during the Chinese New Year period to do some shopping!
Chinese New Year Goodies!
Decorative plants sold during Chinese New Year
Taiwanese fruit jellies?
I think we have not visited Chinatown during Chinese New Year for a really long time! There were 2 HUGE stalls selling Taiwanese fruit jellies and they were giving out free samples with slogans such as “来来来，走过别错过” (translated as “Come! Don’t let this (opportunity) pass by!”) and “All can try, 有买没买 nevermind!” (translated as “Sample all the freebies! We don’t really care if you buy or not because we are already making tonnes of money by selling just one box! Hahaha!” (in the style of semi-sinister laughter))
There is however one stall that many would spend endless hours queuing for during the festive season. And that is Lim Chee Guan’s Bak Kwa (local barbecued pork). We did not take any photos as there were simply too many people in a cramped area. The queue can easily reach about 100 (as far as we could see – could be more!)
To sum it up, whether you’re a local or just visiting Singapore during the Chinese New Year period, remember to visit Chinatown to soak in the atmosphere, take some beautiful photos and sample some Chinese New Year goodies!
Uniquely Singapore Staycation at Village Hotel Katong!
Village Hotel Katong Staycation. Singapore Staycations have grown in popularity among Singaporeans in recent times and this can actually be proven by asking your friends a simple question – “Do you know what is a ‘staycation’?”. These days, they may just give you a wierd look and think to themselves “Where have you been man? Staycation is a word play of the words “vacation” and “stay” – meaning a holiday while staying in locally”. But if you posed the same question 5 years ago, you may still be greeted with a wierd look but a totally different thought of “Whaaaaat??”
Thanks to the great people at Far East Hospitality, we were invited to a staycation at the newly refurbished Village Hotel Katong (formerly known as East Village Hotel and Paramount Hotel before that). The best thing about staying in the Katong enclave is that there are so many things to do in Katong that are so easily within reach! All within walking distance from Village Hotel Katong!
For those who do not already know, the Katong/Joo Chiat area is an idyllic enclave in the eastern part of Singapore that is rich in colonial history and Peranakan culture and Village Hotel Katong is right in the middle of all of that, allowing you to indulge in a staycation while reveling in the history and culture of an Uniquely Singapore experience!
But first, let’s check out the club room that the hotel has kindly arranged for us…
Club Room with Peranakan Lounge Access at Village Hotel Katong
Let’s take a look at the video tour of the Club Room of Village Hotel Katong first shall we?
Video Tour of Club Room Village Hotel Katong
For us, one of the biggest draw of the room has got to be the Peranakan feel that the room exuberates. The hotel spares no effort in bringing out the rich heritage of Katong right in your own room…
The bathroom also comes with a standing rain shower. It really revitalised us after a day spent out exploring what Katong has to offer…
There’s also a balcony that gives you a view of the surroundings (as you’ve seen from the video). The thing that you will have to note is that because of the “Pyramid” shape of the hotel, the larger rooms are below (club rooms are at level 5 and 6) while the deluxe and superior rooms are located at the higher levels. But at higher levels, you may actually have views of the sea! That’s the trade-off that you will have to decide on…size or view, size or view??
Facilities at Village Hotel Katong
Located beneath the hotel is the Katong V retail mall. It’s quite small really but it is anchored by Fairprice Finest allowing you to get your necessities – a stone’s throw away.
As with all 4-stars hotel, Village Hotel Katong has facilities that include a swimming pool, gym, restaurant (Katong Kitchen) as well as a club lounge known as the Peranakan Lounge…
We thoroughly enjoyed our swim at Village Hotel Katong. It was a hot and sunny day and that gave us a good tan! Moreover, the depth of the pool varies (from 1.2m to 1.8m), allowing tall swimmers like us to enjoy a relaxing afternoon swim. There are also deck chairs for you to just laze and take things down a notch.
Katong Kitchen is the place where you’ll head to for breakfast. Surprisingly, the food was actually quite good for breakfast standards. Tasted much better than some 4 stars hotel breakfast that we’ve been to.
Breakfast at Village Hotel Katong
The breakfast at Village Hotel Katong was surprisingly good and the choice was quite extensive as well. Take a look!
If you only have room for 1 dish, you have got to try the Nasi Lemak. Rice was especially fragrant and we realised that it was cooked not only with pandan leaves but also lemon grass – giving it that unique taste. The condiments of ikan bilis,peanuts,belachan egg, chicken chunks (there was chicken wings as well) plus the nonya achar, made the dish all that special. There’s also a noodles station, porridge and dim sum (har gau / chicken pau) for those who yearns for alternatives.
All in all, Katong Kitchen’s breakfast offered great taste and an excellent variety of choices. Yum!
Peranakan Lounge Village Hotel Katong
To truly enjoy a staycation at Village Hotel Katong, you MUST opt for the Club Room with access to the Peranakan Lounge. Drinks (including soft drinks/coffee/tea) and snacks are served at the lounge throughout the day…
The REAL reason why the Peranakan Lounge access makes your staycation all that more wonderful is because of the evening cocktails from 6pm to 8pm! You’ll get free flow, FREE-FLOW of beers, liquors and wine and finger food to go along as well!
The other cool thing is that you’ll be served at the lounge! We just went in, sat down and were promptly served by the staff of the Peranakan Lounge. All you have to do is choose a comfortable spot. While you chill at the lounge, you can choose to watch some TV or read the newspapers (something that Tom enjoys) and magazines.
Why do a Singapore Staycation at Village Hotel Katong?
Besides enjoying a comfortable, relaxing and rejuvenating stay at the Village Hotel Katong, the main draw of the staycation here is the proximity to the attractions at the Katong enclave. The great people of Far East Hospitality has even done up a booklet that tells you the things to do in Katong while you’re staying at Village Hotel Katong…
There are really many things to do and attractions in Katong. You may also be wondering what are the things to eat in Katong? Well, we’ll talk more about that in our next post. But to be sure, there are tons of shopping options at I12 Katong (not 112), Parkway Parade Shopping Centre and Roxy Square. Food options abound at Marine Parade Food Centre and the famous joints (such as 328 Katong Laksa, Ampang Niang Tou Fu, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and Yong’s Teochew Kueh).
How to get to Village Hotel Katong
Village Hotel Katong is located at 25 Marine Parade S449536. If you’re driving like us (parking is complimentary), you can enter into the carpark of Village Hotel Katong via Marine Parade or East Coast Road.
If you go by public transport, the buses 15,31,36,43,48,76,135,196,196e,197,853C and 966 stops opposite Parkway Parade Shopping Centre. Buses 10,10e,12,14,14e,32 and 40 stops at Roxy Square. Both bus stops are 2 minutes walk from Village Hotel Katong.
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We thoroughly enjoyed our staycation at Village Hotel Katong and we think that Far East Hospitality has got the Singapore Staycation formula right on. Just like our Village Hotel Changi staycation, both hotels offers an excellent base to rediscover the gems and unique attractions that Singapore offers. The formula is right in that staycations are no longer about luxuries of a hotel (that is a must-have) but also what one can discover around the precinct of the hotel.
*Special thanks once again to Far East Hospitality for inviting us for this staycation and kudos to the staff of Village Hotel Katong for excellent service rendered to us during our stay!
P.S. To Jennesa and Josephine, thanks for making our stay extra special by tending to our request and addressing our queries with such excellent service. Was particularly impressed with Josephine’s starting line of “Sorry to keep you waiting” eventhough we merely stood in line for 5 seconds. Great service overall, kudos to the team at VH Katong!
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Rendezvous Hotel Singapore : Staycation In The Heart Of The Art District!
Raffles Hotel Staycation Singapore : Relax & Rejuvenate!
Orchard Road
Mandarin Orchard Singapore Staycation Review: Best Views From “Top Of The M” Meritus Club Lounge!
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Staycation: A Post-COVID Review
Novotel Singapore On Stevens Staycation: An Urban Oasis
A Letter To Jen (Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Staycation)…
Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Staycation : Singapore’s ALL-IN Staycation!
National Day Staycation At The Regent Singapore – A Four Seasons Hotel!
Chinatown
The Clan Hotel Staycation Review: Sky Gym and Sky Pool Views That Mesmerise!
AMOY Hotel Singapore : Why You Should Stay Here During Your Next Visit
Marina Bay
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore Staycation: The Complete Review
Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Harbour Studio Staycation!
Ritz Carlton Singapore Staycation: Simply Shiok!
Clarke Quay
Swissotel Merchant Court Executive Room Staycation : Right In The Heart Of Clarke Quay!
Bugis
Mercure Singapore Bugis Staycation: Executive Loft Room Review!
Novena
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Katong
Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore Staycation : The Studio Suite!
Uniquely Singapore Staycation At Village Hotel Katong!
Downtown East
D’Resort @ Downtown East : A Perfect Staycation For The Entire Family!
Changi
Village Hotel Changi Staycation : Rediscover The Gems Of Singapore!
Sentosa
The Ultimate Family Staycation At Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa!
Amara Sanctuary Resort Staycation Singapore Sentosa 2 Bedroom (BR) Villa With Plunge (Private) Pool
What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre?
Marine Parade Food Centre is one of the highly rated hawker centres in Singapore and many will ask “What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre ah?”. So during our recent staycation at Village Hotel Katong, we decided to check out the food centre and tell you what are some of the recommended stalls here…
Recommended foods at Marine Parade Food Centre
Xing Long Cooked Food
Netizens have been recommending this stall for its otah,fried potato balls, curry chicken, lemon chicken among others. This time, we tried the stir fried chicken, potato balls,otah and because we saw many going for the fried fish, we had it as well. Our choices was also fuelled by Uncle’s incessant “来” (meaning “come” – what else?)
The total damage? $6.30!! The most we’ve ever paid for economical rice!!
Truth be told, we’re just too greedy and wanted to try all the recommended dishes here. Therefore the price became quite ridiculous (it’s actually a 4-meat rice). This is because even in the potato balls, there’s some beef rolled into it. To be fair, the food was not bad. The otah otah had a firm texture (not the soft slimy kind) while the fish bits stood out from the curry flavour (unlike some with curry and no fish). The stir fried chicken has some kind of satay sauce fried into it which tasted quite unique. There was nothing too special about the potato balls and fried fish though. Fish was fresh and there was a slight crisp on the outside. But that was it.
So for $6.30? It’s definitely on the high side.
Hup Lee Fried Bee Hoon Nasi Lemak
The special thing about Hup Lee is that usually you’ll find $2 nasi lemak but this stall offers the same ingredients with Bee Hoon instead. Definitely an excellent price for a hearty breakfast meal.
Neptune Dim Sum
We did not manage to (or have the stomach to) try out this stall. However, many netizens have recommended the dim sum here. Have you tried it? Do let us know in the comments section below!
Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow
Another recommended stall at Marine Parade Food Centre. We were contemplating whether to go for this or give the hokkien mee a few stalls down a try. We decided to go for the latter. But according to the queues (and the look of Uncle Apollo), it seems that this is must-try as well.
Seremban Beef Noodles
We’ve tried the beef noodles during our last visit here and thought that the taste was indeed good. It reminded us of the same traditional (dry version) of the beef noodles we had when we were young. Nowadays, the dried version of the gravy seems to be either too sweet or too salty. Seremban got it just right. There’s just one gripe that we have and we would just like to remind our readers to request the Aunty to cook the beef just a tad bit more (ensure that the colour changes!) If you know what we mean…
Hokkien Fried Noodles
There are usually 2 versions of the Hokkien Fried Noodles. The dry and sticky version with all the taste infused into the noodles or this, the slightly wet version. Of course, we prefer the dry version. So it was with some prejudice that we tried this version at Marine Parade Food Centre. We also noticed that the uncle did not really “fry” the noodles but more of “stirring” the noodles into the soup. As a result, as expected, the noodles did not turn out as good as other versions we’ve tried. For the slightly wet version, Tiong Bahru and Clementi still tastes better. But as a consolation, as you work towards the end of the plate, you’ll taste the gravy and its quite sweet and delicious. Perhaps frying a little longer (and harder) would have made the difference.
Katong Chicken Curry Puffs
Again, many have raved about the chicken curry puff at Marine Parade Food Centre. And it did not disappoint. The outer layer was puffy and crispy (bits dropped off as we went in for our first bite). The puff was still piping hot – an indication of fresh ingredients and regular crowd. Last but most importantly, the curry inside oozed out as you bite into it. This is in stark contrast to the usual “dry on the inside” versions that you would have.
So a thumbs up for the Katong Chicken Curry Puff!
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To enjoy these foods, why not do a staycation at Village Hotel Katong as well? Do try out the foods at Marine Parade Food Centre and let us know what you think thereafter!
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Things to do in Katong Singapore!
Katong & Joo Chiat is an idyllic, culturally and historically rich area set in the eastern part of Singapore. There are actually quite a number of things you can do in Katong and this post will cover some of the interesting parts of this heritage area in Singapore.
As we exited ECP and entered into the Katong area, there was a breath of tranquility that filled the air. The contrast was stark because of the “hustle” of the traffic on the expressway and when you enter the precinct, it seems like time has gone back to a more serene era filled with old world charms.
According to the introduction, the area used to be a sea-side resort for the rich in the 18th to 19th century. Today, the Marine Parade Road marks where the original shore line was. Imagine the amount of land we reclaimed!
Old World Charms in Katong
We started off the morning with breakfast at Chin Mee Chin confectionary.
CMC is an old-school kopitiam that serves up traditional kaya and butter toasts. The unique part is that the toasts are on buns and the kaya is home-made, preserving that eggy (not the sweet overpowering type) taste of kaya. Our favourite was the cream cone. Really light for the cream (a little saltish) which went really well with the crispy outer layer of the cone and the kopi…
After the hearty breakfast, we continued on our walk around Joo Chiat and came across some architectures that were an unique fusion of chinese, malay, peranakan, colonial british and other old world charms…
What to eat in Katong
When it comes to food, Katong has build quite a reputation for itself. This is a quick snapshot of the famous eateries in Katong and you should give them a try. They’re really quite good…
328 Katong Laksa
There are two 328 Katong Laksa along Marine Parade Road and the unique thing about Katong Laksa? Yes, you can eat it by using a spoon because the vermicelli has been cut to “spoon-enabled” lengths…
Sometimes, when a stall is famous, you become skeptical. Especially for local hawker fare. Why? Well, simply because I have my favourites and you have yours. But this version? It’s REALLY GOOD. Here’s why.
First of all, the laksa soup is flavourful, rich with traces of shrimps and spices. By itself, it is not too spicy. But there are containers-full of home-made chili on the table for those of you who likes to spice it up a little. Speaking of the chili, it is the other main draw. The chili packs a punch and you can taste the hei bi (little shrimps) infused into the chili. Mixed into the soup? Simply sedap! Last but not least, for $4.50, one would think that you’ve been ripped off. But the fact is, there are alot of cockles, 3 prawns and seemingly endless amount of sliced fish cake that makes every spoon a chock-full of goodness! Now we understand why its so famous…
Marine Parade Food Centre
There are so MANY things to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre that we wrote a separate post just to cover “What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre“. The standard of hawker food is quite high. But along with that, the prices as well. We noticed that in general, for a hawker centre, the prices are above average with char kway teow prices starting at $3. Perhaps it is due to the “atas” (high class) clientele in the area of Katong and Joo Chiat. But still, food such as the economical rice, curry puff, char kway teow and beef noodles are still worth a visit!
Yong’s Teochew Kueh
Teochew oldies swear by this brand and you can often see them as gifts among friends. This is because of the tasty kuehs such as soon kueh (vege filled insides wrapped with a white outer layer) and peng kueh (rice filled insides with the iconic pink outer layer shaped like a tear-drop) that they offer. We prefer the fried version of peng kueh, cant really beat the taste when its fresh off the kwali (aka wok).
Ampang Niang Tou Fu
The first time we tasted Ampang Niang Tou Fu was eons ago. But the taste was really unique and we can still remember it today. It is the sauce that makes this Hakka version of the Niang Tou Fu so special. Price wise, not as cheap as your regular yong tau fu. But you will enjoy the sauce in which it is prepared which goes especially well with the rice.
Peramakan
For a taste of traditional Peranakan food, head to Peramakan – a nonya family restaurant. Essentially, everything there is good. SERIOUS! Every dish was a surprise and with the fragrant (unlimited) rice, it just all came together. Ideas of family, home-cooked food, rich peranakan heritage all infused into the food served at Peramakan.
But if we really have to choose, we’ll highlight the Ikan Garam Assam, Beef Rendang, Nonya Chap Chye, Ayam Buah Keluak and durian pengat as the must-try at Peramakan!
What to do in Katong
East Coast Park
East Coast Park is within walking distance of the Katong precinct and is an excellent venue for the family. For physical activities, you can choose to bike, blade or jog along the long stretch of path along the beach. For those who are into extreme sports, you can opt for wake boarding (aka cable skiing) at Ski 360.
For the older folks who want to take it down a notch, BBQ is always a favourite. Fishing and camping by the beach are other things you can enjoy at East Coast Park. For us, the best part of East Coast Park? Enjoying the views by the beach and the sea breeze…
360 Tour of East Coast Park with views of Marina Bay Sands
Shopping in Katong
There is no shortage of shopping options in Katong and here are some of them…
Night Life in Katong
If you’re thinking of having a night out, the area near I12 Katong has some options including Alibabar and Brotzeit. We had some drinks ($9.90 nett) and the char kway teow ($5) which by the way was quite tasty and the portion was huge! Good for 2 to share.
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So the next time you’re here, do check out some of our recommendations of the things to do in Katong!
Matchbox 20 Live in Singapore : An Awesome Night To Remember!
Matchbox 20 (now known as Matchbox Twenty) was live in Singapore 10 years ago (2003) and performed only 1 song at the MTV awards.
“This (sell out concert) is much better” quipped lead singer Robert Kelly Thomas, otherwise known as Rob Thomas. Matchbox Twenty was live in Singapore on 10 November 2013 and it was by purpose that the concert started at 8:20pm with 20 of their favourite hit songs performed.
From their humble beginnings as Tabitha’s Secret, Matchbox Twenty burst on to the scenes with their first album “Yourself or Someone Like You” with well-known hits such as “Push” and “3am” to today’s multi-platinum band. But from yesterday’s performance, you could sense that the band still remained humble and just enjoyed good music. You could also see that they have practiced their gigs with the sounds and lighting in synchro throughout the entire concert. Im starting to think that they have a lighting designer that follows them on tours because the timing was impeccable. With that kind of accuracy, the lighting designer is either very familiar with all of Matchbox 20’s songs, or, is simply a huge fan. Perhaps both?
Matchbox Twenty Live in Singapore!
Songs performed by Matchbox Twenty Live in Singapore
And here are the twenty songs and lyrics performed by Matchbox Twenty during their performance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 10 November 2013.
1. Parade
2. Bent
One of our favourite hits from the band. It was from this song that we picked up “twisting of words” such as Bent (biee ent), Scared (scaaare ed), Together (To gae ther) etc. Of course, the starting notes of the songs are as iconic as the song itself.
3. Disease
4. She’s so mean
5. How Far We’ve Come – Indeed the band has come a long way to attaining their status today
6. 3am
7. Real World
8. If You’re Gone
9. Long Day
10. Girl Like That – According to Rob, many girls have told him that the song is really nice but the truth is that the song was written about a “horrible bi@#$”
11. I Will
12. Unwell
13. Radio
14. So Sad So Lonely
15. English Town
Our favourite song from the latest album “North”. Apparently not echoed by others in the stadium (notice the movement in the videos…) Do look out for the last part where Paul hits on the drums emphatically and throws the drumsticks backwards in the air at the last beat!
16. Bright Lights
17. A song that we dont know! Ah!! Can someone help us complete this list?
18. Downfall
19. Back 2 Good – Rob commented that there are 2 things that even intelligent people get confused with and they’re matters of the heart and sex. This song is about going back to where it was before those decisions were made.
20. Push – Back to 1996! The whole stadium stood up and had a huge sing-a-long session!
Matchbox Twenty Live in Singapore – In Conclusion
In conclusion, we thoroughly enjoyed Matchbox Twenty’s performance. For one, they really rehearsed for each and every song. The precision could be seen from the timings and coordination of the band, the sounds and the light.
Secondly, but more importantly, the band continues to be itself even after gaining popularity. I mean have you seen how Rob Thomas dances?! But the sounds still remain true to Matchbox 20 and because of that we noticed that their following is not only limited to the demographics of those in the 30s. There were many youths as well as older folks (in the 50s) as well.
Well done and kudos to Matchbox 20 for delivering on their promise of a “night to remember”!
Tips while watching concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium
We thought we’ll just end off with some tips of watching concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium
1. Toilet. If there’s an opportunity to go to the toilet, go. The concert wont start until you hear the screaming fans scream. In this case, the concert started at 8:20pm.
2. Get some water. You may want to purchase a bottle of water. Eventhough its $3, it’s nothing compared to the price of the tickets that you’ve paid right? Have a sip throughout the show so that your throat gets relieved after all that singing. Oh, speaking of bottles, did you know that the vendors remove the bottle caps of all drinks (including mineral water)? According to them, its because they’re wary of concert-goers throwing things at the artistes. And from our point of view, it translates to easier cleaning as well.
3. Where to park. You may wish to park at the Kallang Leisure Park instead of the open air carpark at the indoor stadium. It’s 1/3 the price. $2.10 per entry vs $6 per entry. Plus, you can grab a cuppa at Starbucks (like we did) to boost your energy for the concert!
4. About cameras. Professional cameras are not allowed. Point and shoot along with camera phones may pass through. Which is why you see many people holding up their handphones in front of the stage…
Camera Handphones at Matchbox Twenty Live in Singapore
Enjoy your next concert and for Matchbox 20? We’ll definitely be there for their next concert in Singapore!
River Safari : A New Attraction at the Singapore Zoo!
River Safari is a new attraction that has recently opened at the Singapore Zoo. This means that visitors can now visit 3 attractions in the Mandai area, namely the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and the new River Safari…
Ticketing Counters for the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari
Entrance to the River Safari
Our cute River Safari Ticket
Map of the River Safari in Singapore
Things to see and do at the River Safari
As you can see from the map, there is actually only 1 general path that you can take to tour the entire River Safari. The River Safari is themed after major rivers of the world and features the various marine life that lives along these rivers. The rivers featured at the River Safari (in order) are
1. Mississippi River
Mississippi River at the River Safari Singapore
The Mississippi River featuring the American Beaver and the Mississippi Paddlefish.
2. Congo River
Congo River & Murray River
Congo River featuring the African Dwarf Crocodile!
3. River Nile
River Nile @ the River Safari
River Nile featuring the Tigerfish!
4. Ganges River
Ganges River, River Safari Singapore
Ganges River featuring the Indian Gharial – Kate actually thought it was a statue! It was actually just lying very still…and enjoying a “jacuzzi massage” under the waterfall!
5. Murray River
Murray and Congo River at the River Safari
Murray River featuring the Barramundi, Murray Cod and Australian Lungfish
6. Mekong River
Mekong River at the River Safari
Mekong River featuring the Mekong Giant Catfish – these guys are HUGE!!
7. Yangtze River
Yangtze River at the Singapore River Safari
Yangtze River featuring the Yangtze Alligator, Chinese Giant Salamander and the Sturgeon (almost mispelt as Surgeon… :p)
8. Giant Panda Forest
Giant Panda Forest – Home of Jia Jia and Kai Kai
The Giant Panda Forest is the highlight of the River Safari (hm…that sentence sounded strange)…
It is the home to a pair of Giant Pandas – Kai Kai (凯凯) and Jia Jia (嘉嘉). Visitors literally flock to this viewing gallery to have glimpse of the pair of pandas. Taller visitors have an advantage in viewing them…
In addition, the Red Panda (VERY CUTE AND FURRY!) and Golden Pheasant (did not know pheasants can be so beautiful) are also featured in this area.
After the Giant Panda Forest, you will have to cross the viewing deck to the Amazon Flooded Forest. Kate was also able to take some arty farty shots…
Kate’s arty farty shots
9. Amazon Flooded Forest
Amazon Flooded Forest – River Safari
To us, the Amazon Flooded Forest was the most interesting part of the safari. It is like a giant aquarium featuring the giant river otter, electric eel, freshwater stingray, pacu, red-bellied piranha, red-tailed catfish, arapaima and of course the cute Manatee!
Video at the Amazon Flooded Forest
Giant River Otter and Manatee
Our Thoughts about the River Safari
The River Safari can actually be covered in about 2 hours and it was more like a walk through of the various segments. The Amazon River Quest Boat Ride and Animal exhibits was also not opened when we visited (slated to open at the end of the year).
The Amazon flooded forest was indeed quite an experience. Seeing these large marine creatures moving freely in the waters before you seemed quite surreal. The pandas were of course an attraction by itself.
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Celebration @ Serenity : Spanish Bar and Restaurant VivoCity!
Recently, we had a celebration at Serenity at VivoCity. It is a Spanish bar and restaurant, touted as having some of the best tapas (appetizers) in town. The fame of its suckling pigs and paella also preceded its name. Hence, we decided to have our small celebration there and also check out the food at this Spanish joint.
Decorations at Serenity
Ambience at Serenity VivoCity
With the posters depicting various parts of Spain as well as the decorations that contributes to a relaxing atmosphere, Serenity gave us quite a good first impression. With prompt service, we were quickly tucked to a cozy corner of the restaurant where we could have our mini celebration. (Do note that this is not an advertorial and we did not inform the management about the celebration)
What to drink at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant
They say (or the menu says) that a visit to Serenity is never complete unless you have tried its Sangrias. So we believe and ordered 3 Sangrias…
Classic Red Sangria Serenity – (Red Wine, Gin, Brandy, Orange Liquor, Juices, Lemonade)
Sangria Pantera Rosa @ Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant – (Red Wine, Raspberry Schnapps, Mixed Berries, Mint, Tonic)
Sangria De Coco – (White Wine, Malibu, Pineapple Juice)
Well, the verdict was not conclusive. Everyone had their own favourites. I liked mum’s Sangria De Coco while Kate loved the Classic Red. Bro enjoyed the Pantera Rosa. From another perspective, the conclusion is that there’s really a sangria suited for everyone! 🙂
What to eat at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant
Deep Fried Spanish style cod fish cake
For tapas, we tried the cod fish cake. It was not that good. After our crab cakes lesson from USA, we should have avoided “seafood cakes” altogether. Though the crust was crispy, the insides did not do justice to the cod. Well, we’ll leave it as that. Next came the mains…
Paella Valenciana – (Saffron, chicken, Spanish chorizo, tiger prawns, squid, half shell mussels, rice)
1/2 Roasted Suckling Pig
Pollo con samfaina – (Roasted spring chicken stuffed with Spanish style vegetable rice)
Do note that the Paella and Roasted Suckling Pig are hot favourites at Serenity and will take about 30 mins to 1 hour of preparation time (depending on the crowd). Hence, if you’re ordering it, sit down, order these before looking at the rest of the mains or tapas.
Paella. Our favourite has got to be the Paella. Its said that the secret lies in the grains and Serenity uses the Boomba which is able to absorb flavours up to three times as much as normal grain. This move proved to be wise. The Paella was SOOOOOOOOOO flavourful. All the flavours of the ingredients were fused into the tiny grains and bursts forth as you take each mouthful of it. The only comment is that although the ingredients (prawns, mussels) were fresh, the manner of preparation dried them a little too much.
Roasted Suckling Pig. The roasted suckling pig proved to be a favourite as well. At $98++ it had better be good. And it was. The skin was light and crispy. The meat was tender, almost falling off the bones. The combination of the crispy skin and flavourful tender meat? Yummilicious!
In terms of flavour, the roasted chicken was ok. But the rice that went along with it was actually quite good. A little bit sticky but rich in flavours. Perhaps thats where all the flavours of the chicken went to…
Conclusion
The total bill came up to $300+ for 5 people. A little on the ex side. But the authentic Spanish taste did tilt the balance. I mean if you fly 5 people to Valencia to taste the Paella, it would have cost a few thousand bucks right? Hence, for the authentic taste and refreshingly good Sangrias, we give it a thumbs up.
But not too often, else it might just burn a hole in your pocket!
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Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura : Is it Worth the Wait?
Tim Ho Wan, the famous Hong Kong michelin-starred dim sum restaurant has opened its first outlet outside Hong Kong – right here in Singapore @ Plaza Singapura!
Tim Ho Wan @ Plaza Singapura
View of the seatings @ Tim Ho Wan Singapore
Queue for dim sum at Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura
If this is your first time eating at Tim Ho Wan, do note that the waiting time can be quite long. As we were eating as a family and needed 8 seats, the staff needed time to re-arrange the seats and wait for patrons to finish up as well. Hence, our total waiting time was close to 2 hours.
HOWEVER, if you are eating as a couple, it is much easier to arrange seats for you. As we were waiting, many couples went ahead of us. Hence, the waiting time for couples is about 30 minutes.
Once you reach the seats in front of the restaurant, you would be given the order chit to have a look at the menu so that you can place orders as soon as you’re seated.
Page 1 of Menu @ Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum
Page 2 of Menu @ Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum
What to order at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Restaurant
If you have no idea what to order at Tim Ho Wan, you definitely wont go wrong with the four heavenly kings (四大天王）- Steamed Egg Cake (香滑马来糕), Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver（黄沙猪润肠）, Baked Bun with BBQ Pork （酥皮叉烧包）, Pan Fried Carrot Cake （香煎萝卜糕）。。。
Four heavenly kings (四大天王） @ Tim Ho Wan Singapore
Pan Fried Carrot Cake （香煎萝卜糕）from Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura
The carrot cake was flavourful, slightly crisp on the outside and layered on the inside with the textures felt as you go in for your first bite.
Steamed Egg Cake (香滑马来糕) from Tim Ho Wan
The steamed egg cake has always been the surprise for us (we’ve tried the original Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok, Hong Kong some time back). This is because it is something sweet! Try having something sweet while you’re having the savoury dim sums. Doesnt sound quite right does it? But the egg cake somehow blends in seemlessly with its mild sweetness, light fluffy texture and fragrant brown sugar taste. Somehow it goes really well with the dim sums at Tim Ho Wan…
Baked Bun with BBQ Pork （酥皮叉烧包）@ Tim Ho Wan
The char siew bao as always been the highlight of Tim Ho Wan. So much so that each person is limited to 1 order of the famous dim sum! Unlike all other buns you’ve ever eaten, it is REALLY crispy on the outside and bursting with char siew flavours on the inside! An ingenious creation indeed. Still remember our first bite at Tim Ho Wan Mong Kok…ahh…
Oh, somehow the Singapore version of the baked bun with BBQ pork fares slightly poorer compared to its HK counterpart. Especially the char siew portion. This version is slightly on the sweet side while the one in HK is on the “Oh” side (“Oh” refers to “Oh, this is really good!”)
We also tried several other dim sums such as
Prawn Dumpling (晶莹鲜虾饺）
Garlic Mushroom Spinach Dumpling (金蒜香菇菠菜饺）
You wont miss much if you do not try these 2. But do try the following (plus beef ball – unfortunately we tucked in too fast and forgot to take photo of it :p)…
Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce （鼓汁蒸凤饺）
Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp (鲜竹卷）
Spring Roll with Crab Meat (螃蟹春卷)
The beancurd skin roll, beef ball and spring roll are the next few dim sums that you must try. The meats of the beancurd skin roll and beef ball are fresh, succulent and sort of dances around in your mouth (partly also because its hot) but still, it was yummy!
The spring roll had a sweet, seafood taste to its fillings. Something that you dont quite usually get with spring rolls (usually vege inside right?)
However, if you have space for only 1 other dish, you MUST ORDER the Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cake (杞子桂花糕)
Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cake (杞子桂花糕) @ Tim Ho Wan
Again, we tucked in ferociously before we took this photo (yes, this is almost the remains of the carcass). The taste was simply REFRESHING! Light refreshing sweetness with lasting tastes of the medlar and osmanthus….did we mention that it was refreshing?
You would definitely enjoy your trip to Tim Ho Wan @ Plaza Singapura. Even our mum who is quite a connoisseur herself (high tea / buffet queen) enjoyed the dim sum at Tim Ho Wan! Hence, we would definitely say it’s worth the wait to eat at Tim Ho Wan (添好运）!
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食客 Ssikkek The Restaurant Guest Korean BBQ and Grill : Great Quality Food!
食客 also known as ” The Restaurant Guest” is a Korean BBQ and Grill franchise. Ssikkek Restaurant has several outlets across Singapore in venues such as United Square, Bras Basah as well as this outlet at North Bridge Road!
Ssikkek Restaurant aka The Restaurant Guest @ North Bridge Road
We arrived at this Ssikkek outlet near Chinatown at about 6:30pm and as you can see from the picture, there was already a crowd outside the restaurant! As recommended by many blogs (including this Singapore Travel Blog), you should always make a reservation prior to visit. We could see from the waiting list that the queue number had already reach about 40 people. Thankfully, we made the reservations and we were seated promptly in less than 5 minutes!
What to eat at Ssikkek Korean BBQ and Grill Restaurant
Actually, we did not know what to eat at Ssikkek. We just saw the queue and made it a point to visit. But as they say, if you see a queue, join it! (eventhough sometimes as Singaporeans, you may not know exactly what you’re queuing for, case in point…)
And we were pleasantly surprised…
Variety of Meats including pork collar, pork belly, bacon and beef steaks
The first thing we noticed at the Restaurant Guest is that there is a good variety of meats. Pork collar, pork belly, bacon, beef steaks, marinated chicken and beef were all available. Other than the meats, there is also a small selection of vegetables, squid, prawns and korean dishes such as kim chi, glass noodles and pancakes…
A few choices of Korean cooked food available
Soft drinks, korean tea as well as orange juice are available as well. Kate made a concoction of sprite with orange which tasted like fizzy orange – not bad at all! The star of the show is of course the meats…
Best meats at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant
Close up of the meats available at Ssikkek Korean BBQ
We’ve tried almost all the meats at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant and we must say that although the variety is not that many, the quality more than made up for it. If you prefer to have some fatty bits in your lettuce wrap (which we ate 3 platefuls of to “act healthy” – who are we kidding right?), go for the pork belly. Otherwise, we recommend the pork collar.
It is quite unusual for pork meats to have white bits in the grains of the meat much akin to Kobe beef. But the pork collar at Ssikkek is one of the best korean grills we’ve had. The meat was tender, juicy (even after the BBQ which usually removes moisture) and had a fresh bite to it. Dipped in some reddish korean BBQ sauce, some kim chi, wrapped in green lettuce and stuffed meticulously into your mouth in 1 big mouthful? Just awesome!
Pros and Cons of eating at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant
Let’s start of the pros shall we? The taste was great. Fresh ingredients, no holds barred on the generosity and quality of the meats. Our BBQ plate was also great. The technology allowed smoke to be directed away from you while the oil seeps away through the seams of the plate, leaving you with awesome, well-cooked meat!
Well, there are 2 main cons. Kate pointed out that there weren’t small dishes as a Korean restaurant should have. You know the small dishes like that of Big Mama Korean Restaurant? Yup, those…
Secondly, we realised that although the restaurant has the technology of the BBQ plate which absorbs the smoke from the BBQ, it is not used throughout the restaurant. As a result of these few plates without the suction, the entire restaurant has a “smoke-filled” environment!
How to get to Ssikkek Korean Restaurant BBQ and Grill at North Bridge Road
Map of Ssikkek Korean Restaurant at North Bridge Road (Oriental Plaza)
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Whether to eat at Ssikkek Korean Restaurant?
The price of eating at Ssikkek is $24++ every night and only $14++ from Mondays to Fridays for lunch. Sundays and PH costs the same at $24++ throughout the day. Ssikkek opens from 12pm to 2:30pm for lunch and 5:30pm to 10pm for dinner.
We say that given the quality and generous servings of meats at Ssikkek, it was really well-worth it. If you do not mind leaving the restaurant smelling of BBQ, great quality korean BBQ awaits you at the Restaurant Guest – Ssikkek Korean and BBQ Grill!
Orchard Road : Singapore’s Shopping District!
Orchard Road is Singapore’s premier shopping belt and like most of the shopping districts in the world (think Champ Elysees in Paris, Oxford street in UK and Nathan Road in Hongkong), Orchard Road is a 2.3km shopping belt that caters to the needs of all shoppers from the high end (at Paragon) to the trendy teens (at Far East).
If you’re travelling to Singapore, Orchard Road is definitely a place you must visit!
Map of Orchard Road – Singapore’s Shopping Belt
The whole Orchard Road stretch actually starts from Forum (or Orchard Adelphi) all the way to Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut MRT) on the other end (together with Cathay movie theatres). However, as Plaza Singapura is sort of de-linked from the rest of Orchard Road (hopefully the whole Orchard Road gets linked up with sheltered walkways in the future), therefore we started our walk down Orchard from Orchard Central.
Orchard Central @ Orchard Road Singapore
Opened in 2009, Orchard Central is the tallest shopping centre along Orchard Road. Although shopping has not really picked up since its opening days, it has carved a niche for itself in the wellness (many beauty salons and hair salons there) as well as the F&B arenas with many choices of restaurants there.
Centrepoint Orchard Road
On the opposite side of the road, you will see Centrepoint. The anchor store here is Robinsons (watch out for the Robinson Sales) as well as the Cold Storage Supermarket.
Orchard Road – 313 Somerset
313 Somerset (right at the doorsteps of Somerset MRT) is one of the busiest shopping centres in the whole of Orchard Road. It boasts of all brands that appeal to the masses (like Zara, Forever 21 etc) and excellent accessibility to the Somerset MRT station.
Orchard Road Singapore – Mandarin Gallery
Mandarin Gallery is a high end shopping mall beneath the Meritus Mandarin hotel. It boasts of high end brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs & Emporio Armani. Singapore’s world renowned fashion designer Ashley Isham also has a boutique of the same name there. Many teens also flock to Antoinette – a boutique cafe, to enjoy their pastries and cakes!
Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza Orchard Road Singapore
Ngee Ann City or better known locals as Taka (short for Takashimaya, the anchor shopping tenant) has always been the iconic landmark of Orchard Road. It has a good mix of shops catering to the needs of the well-heeled as well as the masses. Plus, many activities takes place at the open area – Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, such as the annual Subaru Challenge.
Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
Wisma Atria has always been considered a “sister” shopping centre to Ngee Ann City because of the link that connects both shopping centres. Traffic would flow from Ngee Ann City to Wisma Atria and vice versa. Recently revamped, Wisma caters to a similar crowd as that of Ngee Ann City.
Ion Orchard – Singapore’s most iconic shopping centre
Ion Orchard is definitely Singapore’s most iconic shopping centre (Vivo City comes in a close 2nd). Like Ngee Ann City, it boasts of all the top brands and caters to the needs of all shoppers. With it’s excellent location (connecting to Orchard Road MRT Station), Ion Orchard is also one of the busiest shopping malls in Orchard Road. The next time you visit Ion Orchard, see if you notice this trend. The more affordable shops are actually located beneath the surface (B1 and below) while the expensive and high ends shops are above the surface…
Far East Plaza
Far East Plaza is one of the top spots for teens and young adults to shop at because of its B1 shops that offers chic fashion at reasonable prices.
Other notable shopping malls include Tangs, Scotts Square and Wheelock Place…
Wheelock Place
Tangs
Scotts Square
For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in and around Orchard Road right here!
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The next time you travel to Singapore, dont forget to visit Singapore’s premier shopping district – Orchard Road!