tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62618140180572842872024-03-28T22:52:51.112+08:00Look See EatI came ... I saw ... and I ATE! Food Blog covering food and travel in places in and around Asia, Africa and the Middle east. We're even throwing in the occasional cooking recipe and tips & tricks too!timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.comBlogger643125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-72844592633185463702021-04-06T15:11:00.009+08:002021-04-07T11:43:28.682+08:00Toddler Staycay: Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa (Luxury Room)π Great, relaxing ambience, large pool area, 'out of the city' resort feel.<br />
π The hotel is definitely due some TLC (refresh, refurb, repair, etc).<br />
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Over the Chinese New Year weekend, the <b>Year of the Covid</b>* π¦ restrictions meant no visiting or travelling so ... staycay it is (again)! This time we left the city, and went 'overseas' (well ... sort of) to the <a href=https://all.accor.com/hotel/9474/index.en.shtml><b>Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa</a></b>! Sofitel is a French-based chain, so the hotel should be luxurious, chic, and stylish, right? Well let's find out!<br />
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* Technically it does seem like the entire 2021 will also be year of the Covid, doesn't it? Ah well, fingers crossed that the vaccine does its job and we can start travelling again in the later part of the year! <br />
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<i>Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a> | <b>Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/04/toddler-staycay-kempinski-singapore-stamford-suite.html>The Capitol Kempinski Hotel</a></i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-01.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Lobby"></center><br />
The lobby and check-in areas certainly do feel quite stylish: what with the huge chandelier hanging right above. We also quite like the tasteful sprucing-up of the decor with lanterns and other Chinese New Year-themed items. There are just two check-in counters, but we didn't have any problems with queues or crowds, perhaps as the Sofitel Sentosa has 'just' 215 rooms.<br />
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Check in was quick and efficient, with an 11am early check in (and 2pm late check out) granted - fairly decent as it's our first visit to Sofitel, and have no status with Accor.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-02.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Lobby"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-03.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Lobby"></center><br />
After check in formalities are done, we spend a few minutes meandering around the Hotel grounds, which are really very nice. The entire area has a really lazy, resort, and out-of-the city ambience to it, with walkways surrounding pools (some of which still have some koi in them) and gardens with plenty of seating and relaxation areas (shaded by lots of trees). Our little one had a whale of a time here just running up and down corridors and ramps, frolicking in the gardens, and tossing stones into the ponds. It's an entirely different experience from any hotel in the city (with the exception perhaps of Raffles).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-04.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Grounds"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-05.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Grounds"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-06.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Grounds"></center><br />
Part of the appeal of the Hotel is also thanks to a small family of peacocks constantly roaming the grounds. These peacocks are suprisingly ubiquitous, popping up in the gardens, the pool, Kwee Zeen (Sofitel Sentosa's chinese / asian and breakfast restaurant), etc. The little one had a great time chasing them around (but eventually got frustrated as peacocks apparently walk quicker than a 17-month old).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-07.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Peacocks"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-08.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Peacocks"></center><br />
Anyway, moving on to the accommodations: the entry level room is called the <b>Luxury Room</b>, and is perhaps surprisingly small (given the land size that the hotel occupies). We do like that the door opens to a little foyer that can be closed off, so you can keep your shoes, stroller, and any other unsightly appliance out of sight.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-09.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
The room itself is fairly functional and good enough for a short stay, although if your toddler still needs a cot it might be a bit of a squeeze. One criticism I have is that the table does not have any power sockets, so you do need to pull your cables across to the row of sockets on the wall beside the bed, which can be a nightmare with young children.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-10.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
The other side of the bed isn't particularly spacious either, with room for the wardrobe (necessary amenities like safe, ironing board, bathrobe & slippers included), a one-seater sofa, and a small ledge just wide enough to open a medium-sized suitcase on.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-11.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
The television's decently-sized, but - as far as we can tell - doesn't support AirPlay or Google Cast (or Netflix or YouTube), so you'll have to rely on hdmi cables if you want to play your own content. It also shows that heading early to breakfast means usually means shorter queues: A welcome reminder for you late-risers as the hotel doesn't do timeslot reservations.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-12.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
The switches controlling the room lights are located bedside, but curiously they're also <i>underneath</i> the bedside lamp ledge. This means that you can't actually see them if you're standing or sitting up on the bed. You might also spot many scuffs on the woodwork: It's actually a common theme throughout Sofitel Sentosa in that there's a fair bit of wear & tear and that a refurb is probably due sooner rather than later.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-13.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
Water bottles & a small covid-19 cleanliness kit is provided (no masks, though), and the coffee/tea station has the usual complement of nespresso and a few assorted teabags.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-14.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-15.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
The bathroom's not the biggest, but is good enough for a small family not to get into each others way. Bathtub is strictly 1 adult (+ 1 child) only, though. Bath amenities are by Lanvin - a French brand, surprise surprise - and were ... adequate? We weren't particularly enamoured by the scent or cleaning power or anything.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-16.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-17.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-18.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
Sadly the toilet - like too many other hotels in Singapore - does not have a bidet or even a hand wash hose. The wear & tear around the hotel was most evident here in the toilet + shower as our room had 5 tiles come off in our 2-night stay. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-19.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Luxury Room"></center><br />
Now that the room walkthrough's done, let's move on to the pool! Sofitel Sentosa's pool was probably the most enjoyable pool for us the entire staycay tour. Not the pool itself - the pool floor seems to be in need of a deep clean, and the shallow area that's safe for kids isn't that large - but more the surrounding relaxation areas. There are dozens of pool chairs and sheltered cabanas suitable for a small family to really relax in, and you even get peacock visitors from time to time. Because of covid you <i>are</i> limited to 2 hours a day, but thanks to the larger capacity I didn't have any problems getting a timeslot of my choice after check-in.<br />
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Pool staff went around handing out mandarin oranges, which was a nice treat.<br />
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I forgot to take photos of the gym, but it was huge and well equipped, so you probably needn't worry about missing a workout. Unfortunately I didn't visit the spa, so I won't be able to give you any thoughts on that.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-20.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Swimming Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-21.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Breakfast is served at Kwee Zeen, and is your usual mixture of Western and Asian main courses. Perhaps of special note is a couple of 'healthy breakfast' choices: An egg white omelette, and poached eggs with a whole accompaniment of fruits, grains, and vegetables. The main courses that we tried were actually pretty decent: I liked the Nasi Lemak (maybe because there was begedil which I adore), and the porridge & dim-sum combo wasn't bad either. I do recall that the bacon from the American Breakfast set being hard & salty though.<br />
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Officially it's one main course order per person (which might be a deal breaker if you're a huge eater). We didn't try ordering more than 1 main course each, but we had no problems getting multiple 'side dish' servings (e.g. extra plates of fruits, etc). As I mentioned above, the hotel doesn't do timeslot reservations so do try to make your way over before 9am.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/sofitel-22.jpg border=1 alt="Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa Kwee Zeen Breakfast"></center><br />
In summary, if you're looking for a place that is slightly more 'vacation' than 'staycaytion' (and don't quite feel like ponying up for Capella), <b>Sofitel Sentosa</b>'s a really enjoyable place to spend a couple of nights. For longer stays you could also visit the surrounding areas in Sentosa (Tanjong Beach is within walking distance). <br />
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Our toddler also enjoyed himself thoroughly in relaxing with us in the poolside cabanas, chasing the peacocks, and meandering around the gardens and pools. For older children there is a kids club (<a href=https://www.sofitel-singapore-sentosa.com/spa-fitness/villa-des-enfants/>Villa des Enfants</a>) with some pretty interesting activities to keep them occupied & stimulated.<br />
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Yes, the hotel is getting old and needs some refurbishment soon, and yes, the decor has aged a bit, but other than that the relaxing garden & pool ambience, great poolside areas, and decent dining options will <i>really</i> let you 'get away from the city.' <br />
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joycezzzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18407683084330791926noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-53113594016497298022021-04-04T16:27:00.009+08:002021-04-04T16:34:30.421+08:00Toddler Staycay: The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore (Stamford Suite)π Great service, handsome rooms: Still our favourite staycay hotel in the city.<br />
π No views, pool is tiny and suitable only for relaxing<br />
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We wrapped up our <b>Year of the Covid</b>* π¦ Staycay tour hotel at one of our favorite hotels in the city: <a href=https://www.kempinski.com/en/singapore/the-capitol-singapore/><b>The Capitol Kempinski Hotel</a></b>! Housed in an 80-year old complex comprising of (formerly) Shaws Building and Namazie Mansions, the Hotel's excellent service, gorgeous rooms, and great dining options earn it an easy recommendation - unless a large swimming pool (or out-of-Singapore) <i>feel</i> is important to you.<br />
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* Technically it does seem like the entire 2021 will also be year of the Covid, doesn't it? Ah well, fingers crossed that the vaccine does its job and we can start travelling again in the later part of the year! <br />
<br />
<i>Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a> | Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa | <b>The Capitol Kempinski Hotel</b></i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-1.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
We stayed here just over a year ago in the hotel's <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2019/12/kempinski-singapore-staycay-terrace-room-review.html>Terrace Room</a>; This time we got upgraded to a <b>Stamford Suite</b> instead (from Grand Deluxe Room)! The suite is huge and well equipped, with no really dangerous areas for a semi-hyperactive toddler (other than the standard ones like table edges). If it's your first staycay and/or if your toddler has just started running around and climbing up and down furniture, hotel rooms might give you heart attacks at first, but in our experience it's quite unlikely for hotel rooms to have features on which your baby can really seriously injure him/herself.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-2.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
The layout's a little unorthodox: Upon walking in, the toilet & sinks are on your left, and the shower & bathtub are on your right, with the living room & bedroom straight ahead. It seems a little strange at first, but thanks to the sliding doors that can partition all the different spaces, it's easy to settle in and have as much privacy between areas as you wish. <br />
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Oh, and the toilet has one of those high tech bidet seats that spray your ass and even opens and closes by button-touch, so if you were so inclined you could do your business and not need to wash hands afterwards.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-3.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
Naturally both the bedroom and the living room area have their own televisions - with a limited number of local and international channels, but more importantly, flawless Apple Airplay support. Audio from the television sets is (relatively) amazing thanks to Sonos soundbars. All in all the entertainment's top notch and shouldn't disappoint.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-4.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
Back to the living room: The standard complement of tea & nespresso coffee is complimentary, as are all drinks in the minibar fridge (water, juices, soft drinks).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-5.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
The Hotel supplies <b>Salvatore Ferragamo</b> amenities: I'm unfortunately not a cleansing product snob, pretty much all hotels' soaps and shampoo are good enough for me, so I can't really comment if these ones were any better (or worse) than others.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-6.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
Given that the swimming pool is quite tiny (and therefore there's a high chance of you not getting a pool slot at your desired timing), it's great that the Kempinski Singapore's tub delivers a great alternative. It's huge enough for 2 adults and a toddler, and there's even a small television (with water-resistant remote control). Bath salts are supplied, but for a special treat you can always walk across the road and pick up a bath bomb from Lush @ Raffles City.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-7b.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
If you just want to shower instead the shower stall has a wall-mounted shower, hand-held shower, <i>and</i> rain shower, so the only thing missing is really a half-naked attendant standing in the corner.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-7.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
Bathrobes and slippers are available for use in the room & to walk to the swimming pool. On the bathrobe-comfort-ranking scale these are really plush and comfortable, but not quite up to Fullerton Bay Hotel's crazy comfortable robes.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-8.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Stamford Suite"></center><br />
The welcome amenity - a basket of fruit & assorted nuts - came compliments of our <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Black-level</a> membership in GHA Discovery. And yes, we really did stay on our wedding anniversary date.<br />
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Random thought: If you stay at - for example - 12 different hotels throughout the year, is there anything stopping you from celebrating your anniversary 12 times? It's not like the front desk is going to browse your social media to verify, are they?<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-9.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Welcome Gift"></center><br />
Anyway like I mentioned in last year's review, Kempinski Singapore's most glaring weak point really is its' pool: It's tiny, and has no shade from the afternoon sun. With covid capacity restrictions now in place you really need to book extremely early (or make do with like, 11am-12pm pool slots). The pool is also clearly for relaxation / soaking / sunbathing, and not suitable for anyone who wants to do laps.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-10.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Having said that, the pool is relatively good for toddlers. On each side there's a jacuzzi ledge that's just right for toddlers to wade and play with the air / water bubbles. The ledge is a pretty good size, too - maybe something like 6' by 4' so one adult on half-alert is probably enough to keep your little one from drowning.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-11.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Breakfast is served at Kempinski's flagship dining restaurant: <b>15 Stamford</b> by Alvin Leung. It's one of the better breakfasts in our staycays in the last year: Not quite as good as Raffles perhaps, but pretty much a strong contender for joint 2nd place (with Fullerton Bay and St. Regis). Variety is good, some food items were great, and service was top notch, but we were disappointed by the nasi lemak.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski-12.jpg border=1 alt="The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore Breakfast"></center><br />
The Capitol Kempinski Singapore cements itself as our favourite city-center staycaytion hotel in Singapore, then. Service from the ladies-in-red (and a few of the old timers in 15 Stamford) is great, the hotel rooms are luxurious, and the hotel's nicely connected to a part of the central region that's not as crowded/busy as others. Staycay fatigue has set in a little for us, though, so we'll take a break - but if you're planning an upcoming staycaytion you won't be disappointed!<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-55545753092836297292021-01-10T22:30:00.001+08:002021-01-10T22:33:36.896+08:00Toddler Staycay: Marina Bay Sands Club City View Room!π Check-in and pool/gym booking very efficient, huge rooms with amazing views.<br />
π Pricey, size of the hotel means (almost) everywhere is a zoo, weak air-conditioning.<br />
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We wrapped up our <b>Year of the Covid</b>* π¦ Staycay tour hotel at the iconic <a href=https://www.marinabaysands.com/><b>Marina Bay Sands</a></b>! To many people (ourselves included), the view <i>of</i> the hotel's three towers are synonymous with Marina Bay, so we're really interested to stay a few nights to see what it's like <i>from</i> the building.<br />
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* Technically it does seem like 2021 will also be year of the Covid, doesn't it? Ah well, fingers crossed that the vaccine does its job and we can start travelling again in the later part of the year! <br />
<br />
<i>Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <b>Marina Bay Sands</b>.</i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs01.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Lobby"></center><br />
<b>Marina Bay Sands</b> has more than 2,500 rooms spread across its three towers, so "intimate," "quiet," and "cozy" are understandeably not words that one would expect to use to describe it, in particular the hotel lobby and other publicly-accessible areas. The hotel has done a pretty admirable job of spreading out the crowd though, by way of staggering check in (in hourly slots) througout the day. <br />
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We turned up at our check-in slot (12-1pm, pre-booked via automated sms) just before noon, and were settled in the room at 12.45pm, so it really was a surprisingly efficient and painless experience (considering our lack of any status with Sands Rewards).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs02.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Lobby"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs03.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Lobby"></center><br />
Our original room - Premier Room Garden View - was upgraded to a Club Room Harbour View (but without Club benefits, so ... meh). Looking online, Club rooms from other blogs and websites seem to be a little different (and a tad bit more <i>atas</i> perhaps?) than this room, but we'll take the receptionists word for it. Do let us know in the comments if this isn't really a club room!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs04.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Club or no club, we don't have any complaints about the <i>size</i> of the room, which is pretty massive for non-suite standards. Aside from the King bed there's sofa space for three, a coffee table large enough to comfortably eat <i>dabao'ed</i> food on (one of our meals was char siu and dimsum from Mott32 as they were full for dine-ins), a desk and chair, and loads of space for a toddler to run around and burn up energy.<br />
<br />
We'll admit that the decor isn't the most modern, luxurious, or even cohesive (compared to other similarly-priced hotels in the city), but it's not <i>too</i> outdated, and the room still is a pleasant place to spend a lot of time in.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs05.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs06.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Half the room's lights are controlled by switches on the bedside ... but for the other half (floor light, bedside lamps, and desk lamp) you need to get up and flick a switch on the lamp, which is quite a bit of a bummer. Nevertheless the room does get really bright with all the lights on, which I like. The air-conditioning, on the other hand, takes forever to cool the room down.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs07.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
The television is small and old by today's standards, and as you can imagine, has no way to play 20th century content (read: Youtube, Netflix, and other streaming media). No brownie points for entertainment, then, but many brownie points for 'free of charge' minibar items (snacks, soft drinks and juices). Most of which I didn't end up consuming anyway: Throughout the three days I only drank 1 bottle each of the apple and orange juice). <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs08.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs09.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
<b>Marina Bay Sands</b> markets their rooms with 4 different views. The city-facing side is sold as City View (40th floor and below) and Sky View (41st floor and above). Similarly, the sea-facing side is sold as Garden View and Harbour View. Our 38th-floor, City View (Club) room's view is breathtaking, especially at night when all the other buildings lights come on.<br />
<br />
The floor to ceiling windows are great for soaking in the view as long as you're not afraid of heights.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs10.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs17.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs18.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Just to check boxes off the checklist: Slippers, ironing board and iron, and in-room safe are provided in the wardrobe in the corridor.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs11.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
The Marina Bay Sands Club room has a pretty large bathroom with a nice, free-standing bathtub plenty large enough to bathe a toddler in. One minor annoyance with this layout is fishing out the bath toys when the little one throws them behind the tub, but of course this is in no way the fault of the hotel.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs12.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs13.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Bathroom amenities (by Roberto Cavalli) are complete, and are ... fine? Personally I don't really get excited with any particular brand of bathroom body wash, really. As long as they can clean my hair and body satisfactorily, they're fine.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs14.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Tpwels, hand towels, and bathrobes are plastic wrapped to give you an extra sense of (cleanliness) security. This is undoubtedly prudent given the current virus situation, but I can't shake the sensation of just how <i>cheap</i> it somehow feels. That, and the linen itself is of below par plushness / fluffiness compared to other similar-priced hotels.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs15.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
The one major shortcoming of the room, though, was the shower stall. The shower itself was fine, with good water pressure and temperature, but the floor - for whatever reason - is angled <i>away</i> from the drain and therefore you spend the entire 15 minutes (or ... an hour, depending on your personal hygiene habits) standing in a puddle.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs16.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Executive Room City View"></center><br />
Of course you definitely know this by now, but one major (perhaps <i>the</i> major) selling point of <b>Marina Bay Sands</b> is its infinity pool that spans the length of the entire hotel. For these covid times, reservations are required (via SMS / automated website). You are allowed to book 1 hour per room per day, and because there are fewer slots available than there are rooms, you <b>need</b> to book as early as possible (I made my bookings the day after confirming the hotel room reservation).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs19.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"></center><br />
A slight word of advice: Make sure you go up to the pool well fed, because food prices are pretty amazing. This tea & pot sticker combo cost us 30 bucks!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs20.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"></center><br />
Other than exorbitant f&b pricing though, the pool (for adults, at least) is really quite gorgeous. The view overlooking Marina Bay and the Central Business District is unparalleled, and each of the three pool sections does seem long enough that you could even do some semi-serious laps (which is more than can be said about the vast majority of pools in other hotels in town).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs21.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs22.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"></center><br />
For toddlers, though, the situation is a little crappy because the kids pool is closed, for whatever reason. Toddlers therefore need to make do with a miserable 6 foot wide strip of wading area at the edges of the pools.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs23.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"></center><br />
Weather also plays a big part in pool enjoyment: If it's cloudy and windy, the water can be really cold, so you might perhaps try your luck at one of the jacuzzis overlooking the gardens by the bay. The water is heated so it's crazy <i>shiok</i> on cold days, but due to covid limitations as only one person / family can use each jacuzzi at once, there's a big element of luck / being up there first thing in the morning.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/mbs24.jpg border=1 alt="Marina Bay Sands Singapore Infinity Pool"></center><br />
If you noticed the lack of breakfast photos, that's because our room rate didn't have it included. Breakfast is normally served at <b>Spago</b>, 'behind' the infinity pool on level 57, so you'll at least have good views regardless of the breakfast quality. <br />
<br />
But otherwise, giving <b>Marina Bay Sands</b> a score is a little tricky. Room rates are a little on the high side, perhaps, given the 'mass market' nature of the hotel, but the entire operation runs like a well-oiled machine, and other than the mishap with the shower stall I found little to criticize during my stay. The views from the room and the infinity pool are really unique, and words really can't express how <i>shiok</i> that heated jacuzzi is on a cold, windy day. <br />
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I guess I will conclude that if I didn't have any hotel chain status at all, <b>Marina Bay Sands</b> would be the among the top few hotels on my 'will come back for staycaytion' list, but all the extra perks from <a href=https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/explore/benefits/benefits-and-terms.html>HHonors Diamond</a> and <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Discovery Black</a> make it very hard to justify a return visit.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-22317696777347271212021-01-03T17:09:00.004+08:002021-01-10T22:39:38.977+08:00Toddler Staycay: Grand Hyatt Singapore (Deluxe Room)π Room is very spacious and is essentially a full suite.<br />
π Aircon noise from neighbouring building; Long queues for breakfast.<br />
<br />
Yet another <b>Year of the Covid</b>* π¦ Staycay tour hotel ... this time at the <b><a href=https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/singapore/grand-hyatt-singapore/sinrs>Grand Hyatt Singapore</a></b>! We're booked into the <b>Deluxe Room</b> (King Bed), which is a rather strange name as the room is essentially a suite as far as we can tell ... more on that below!<br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <b>Grand Hyatt</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
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Although there was a queue (of around 10 groups ahead of us) when we arrived at ~2pm, check in was reasonably efficient and it only took us about 35 minutes to get the keys to our room. One minor amusement was that the front desk systems aren't linked to the breakfast time slot / dining reservations systems, so the receptionist wasn't able to check on the booking. No big deal as we'd already confirmed it via email a couple of days prior.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-01.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-02.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore"></center><br />
Speaking of the room: The Grand Hyatt markets this 581-sqft space as a <b>King Deluxe Room</b>, which really is underselling it quite a bit. I mean, there is a separate living area with sofa, television, and desk ... wouldn't this be called a (non-Junior) suite at pretty much any other hotel?<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-03.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
Anyway the desk area houses the in-room safe, LAN ports (wifi is free and fast, though), and universal power sockets. Aside from the table being glass, which might challenge your optical mouse a bit, you shouldn't have any problems getting some work done.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-04.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
The right hand side wall of the living area houses the minibar, complete with a fancy-looking Japanese-style teapot (fruits not included, we bought them from Isetan next door). Brewing and then serving tea in a teapot feels much more <i>shiok</i> than using just mugs, for some reason.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-05.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-06.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
Beside the entrance is the walk-in wardrobe, which has plenty of space to store away clothes, shoes, suitcases, and other stuff so that they aren't an eyesore in the living & sleeping areas.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-07.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
Speaking of the sleeping area: Here it is! A King-sized bed, comfortable, with firmer-than-average pillows. There's also a television in this room, but soundproofing is a little non existent between the living & bedroom so it might not be practical for two people to watch two different shows at the same time. As with the living room TV set, there's a complement of Cable TV channels (and a DVD player), but no straightforward way to youtube, netflix, or cast your own content.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-08.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-09.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-10.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
It's a good thing then that the soundproofing of the windows was a bit better, as we were unfortunately assigned a room next to Scotts Square's airconditioning (I guess) area. It's got a pretty noticeable hum in the daytime, which was tolerable for us (when we're not staycay'ing we live in a place right next to a major road). If you're more sensitive to sound, the Grand Hyatt has <i>most thoughtfully</i> provided a set of ear plugs for your napping comfort.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-11.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
The bathroom is big but inefficient, as there's a fair bit of wasted space. Of particular note is the lack of a bathtub: This means that we had to bathe our little one in the shower stall, which was a little cramped but fine for a short 2 night stay. Amenities were complete (except for facial wash, but no hotel supplies that anyway), and strangely enough even included a pack of bath salts to be used in the imaginary tub :).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-12.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-13.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-14.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-15.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-16.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
While we're on the topic of the little one: As there was no bathtub we requested to borrow a baby's tub, which was promptly brought up with a little kids goodie bag. It's perhaps a little early for my 15-mth old to manage crayons and colouring book, but nevertheless these little things always add up to how well a hotel makes you feel valued.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-17.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
The Grand Hyatt's Deluxe Room overall isn't <i>completely</i> toddler-friendly, particularly to one who's just learned how to run and still trips over on his own feet on occassion: Plenty of sharp edges around where he could knock his head on, and plenty of electronics and other things in easy reach. Of course this isn't in any way a criticism of the hotel. In any case our little one came away from the stay with 0 injuries after some strategic placement of obstacles to ensure he wouldn't run into the most dangerous areas.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-18.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-19.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Deluxe Room Junior Suite"></center><br />
The swimming pool (at the Terrace Wing of the hotel which is being used for SHN guests) is a little far away from the Garden Wing - around a 5 minute walk. It's a great pool, though - salted instead of chlorined, and with loads of shallow wading areas around the perimeter for the toddler to walk around and play with water safely. Time slot reservations were done by email a few days prior to the stay.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-20.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
The hotel also has a pretty sizeable gym / fitness center, although I didn't visit, and so can't quite comment on how good or bad it is.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-21.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Gym Fitness Centre"></center><br />
Breakfast is either at Straits Kitchen or 10 Scotts, and is a general mix of standard Western and Eastern fare. I understand that the menu across both restaurants is more or less identical - if that's the case then I'd recommend choosing 10 Scotts as it's got a more elegant design, is smaller (and therefore less of a zoo), and overlooks the Valley Wing's waterfall.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-22.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Breakfast 10 Scotts"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-23.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Breakfast 10 Scotts"></center><br />
On our second day the little one overslept and so we missed our early morning breakfast booking at Straits Kitchen. The manager was kind enough to send us up to the <b>Grand Club</b> instead, a far more intimate dining room, with far better service ... at the cost of having less variety (and in my opinion a bit lower quality) of food items.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-24.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Breakfast Grand Club"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/gh-25.jpg border=1 alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Breakfast Grand Club"></center><br />
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. The Deluxe Room was spacious and well-equipped, and having a separate living area means that the adults can continue to do stuff normally when the little one is napping or asleep. Long queues for breakfast and noisy aircon from the neighbouring building were a minor annoyances, but by no means deal-breaking especially considering the s$250++ per night rate.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-26270434738615744042020-12-27T16:29:00.010+08:002021-01-10T22:39:55.251+08:00Toddler Staycay: The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Marina Bay View!π Gorgeous decor with an amazing view, above average breakfast.<br />
π Room was only ready at 6pm, no personalization or little touches.<br />
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Our <b>Year of the Covid</b> π¦ Staycay tour continues* at the gorgeous <b><a href=https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-bay-hotel-singapore/>Fullerton Bay Hotel</a></b>! Being perched directly on the banks of Marina Bay (opposite Marina Bay Sands), the hotel's Bay View rooms are essentially directly over the waters of the bay, so we're pretty excited about the stay!<br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <b>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</b> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
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First impressions were, unfortunately, quite sour as our room wasn't available even though we turned up at the 3pm check in time. We were then basically asked to leave the hotel and go entertain ourselves for the '45 minutes' it would take to get the room ready. We went to the <a href=https://thefullertonheritage.com/dining-shopping/one-fullerton>One Fullerton</a> Starbucks for coffee and babycino to wait for a phone call (that never came). With a cranky toddler in tow, we headed back to the hotel lobby to eventually get our keys at 6pm - <b>three hours</b> after check-in time / our arrival at the hotel. No service recovery was offered - we had to press the receptionist into agreeing to comp an in-room dining dinner.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh01.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel"></center><br />
Once we got our keys and got settled into the room our moods did begin to lift a little, though! At 495β570sqft, the <b>Bay View Rooms</b> are big enough to feel comfortably spacious, with enough free space for the little one to freely run around even with a large desk, and sofa chairs / coffee table in the way.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh02.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
While I'm not a fan of the carpet design or the slightly 'old world' feel of the sofa seats, the rest of the room feels luxurious and classy. The bed / mattress are - as expected of any hotel nowadays - extremely comfortable, although the non-adjustable air conditioning vent blows directly onto the center of the mattress.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh03.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
A door on the left opens up to a pretty sizeable, mostly rain-sheltered balcony, which is a great place to laze away the evenings. If you have a toddler, you might have to keep an eye on him/her though: Although the balcony area is toddler safe, there is a very small gap between the floor and the glass railing which will allow little ones to drop/throw thin items onto the units below.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh04.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
The television's big enough, and has the usual complement of local and cable television channels. We also liked the Harman Kardon bluetooth speaker, which allowed us to play - at a reasonable volume - our own music while relaxing on the balcony.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh05.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
Day and night curtains, and all lights are electrically controlled at the bedside (panel can be folded into the side table once you get tired of your little one constantly turning everything on and off). Plus points for the room lighting being very bright when everything's on.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh06.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
The minibar is very well stocked, but anything other than water, coffee, or tea is chargeable at normal (read: exorbitant) hotel rates. How normal? Well ... the medium-sized pack of wet wipes goes for SGD8. The countertop is more than big enough to prepare milk for the little one, and fridge cold enough to store any leftovers that he doesn't drink.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh07.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh08.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
Over at the desk, there are VGA and line in, and HDMI ports in addition to two universal power sockets, so you can play your own content from your laptop (or tablet) if you're not a fan of local / cable channels. Housekeeping should be able to loan you a cable or two if you don't have your own.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh09.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
A special shoutout to the bathrobe in the Fullerton Bay Hotel, which is insanely comfortable: Probably the fluffiest / plushest ones we've ever tried on. It's so comfortable that if we didn't live in a 30-degree-all-year-round climate we'd have totally bought a pair for our own home use.<br />
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No bathrobes (or slippers) for the little one ... though it's not like he would appreciate it.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh10.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
Moving on to the bathroom: The bathtub (and entire bathroom, really) has a large window (with electric blinds, if you aren't staying with people who you're comfortable naked with) so you can still take in that the Marina Bay (Sands) view while taking a luxurious bath-salted soak.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh11.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh12.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
If you're not so interested in the scenery, the bathtub wall has a smaller television built in so you can watch TV instead.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh15.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
Water temperature and pressure are really good, and bathroom amenities are pretty much complete (mostly Balmain-branded).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh13.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh14.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room"></center><br />
Of course, one main selling point of the Fullerton Bay Hotel is the view, which really doesn't disappoint whether in the day or at night.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh17.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Bay View Room Marina Bay"></center><br />
Once you're tired of lazing around on the balcony enjoying the view, you can head up to the roof* to get some exercise in the fitness center / gym (which truth be told, doesn't seem particularly sizeable even given the hotel's relatively boutique ~100 room size).<br />
<br />
<i>*Note: As you might expect, bookings do need to be made beforehand thanks to covid.</i><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh18.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Gym"></center><br />
The pool is much better sized, and there are (relatively) large wading areas at the sides for toddlers to wade around and play with toys or whatever with little risk of drowning. If you're not planning to actually swim, though, there are a few mini jacuzzi pools off to the side (which can probably comfortably hold a 4-6 person family).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh19.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh20.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Pool"></center><br />
Once you're done with gym or swim, it might probably be time for food! Room service (or I guess it's called 'in room dining' nowadays) is perhaps a little on the pricey side, but the food options are good, and actual food quality is great! We had an order of lobster roll, braised beef cheeks, and a side of mashed potato, and all came hot and delicious.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh21.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Room Service"></center><br />
Naturally, baby / high chairs are available for loan (from room service / housekeeping).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh22.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Room Service"></center><br />
Breakfast in the mornings is at <b>La Brasserie</b>, the hotel's French restaurant. The restaurant's decor is gorgeous, and the leather-topped tables are a particular luxury that we've not encountered before. Breakfast is ala-carte buffet style, with juices, coffee/tea, fruits, and bread basket accompanying unlimited orders of western and asian main courses.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh23.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Breakfast"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh24.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Breakfast"></center><br />
Of the dishes we tried, the eggs were pretty good (though the benedict could use a tad bit more hollandaise). The Laksa was also pretty good, as was the dimsum and congee (except that the cruller / you tiao / ζ²Ήζ‘ was a little tough). Overall one of the better hotel breakfasts that we've had in recent memory, inferior only to the breakfast at the <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a>.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/fbh25.jpg border=1 alt="The Fullerton Bay Hotel Breakfast"></center><br />
Overall, giving the Fullerton Bay Hotel a final score is a little tricky. We paid SGD428++ a night thanks to a Citi Prestige promo, but non-promo rates are usually 50% higher. At the price we paid, other than the 6pm room check in (which was satisfactorily compensated with the in-room dinner), we did have a very enjoyable stay and wouldn't hesitate to come back again. at non-promo rates, though, we would perhaps expect that little extra mile: For example, a simple call earlier in the day to inform us of a room delay, or a personalized welcome amenity (no matter how small).<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-60793108047723277002020-12-21T00:09:00.009+08:002021-01-10T22:40:05.833+08:00Toddler Staycay: Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay (Lifestyle King Room)π Gorgeous lobby, well-designed rooms, great Food & Beverage options.<br />
π Renovation (drilling, hammering) noise in the daytime, no wading pool for toddlers.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: At time of stay, the hotel has only just partially re-opened. Several public areas and many guest rooms are still under renovation, so construction-related issues will undoubtedly clear up with time</i>. <br />
<br />
We continue our <b>year of the covid</b> π¦ Staycay* tour at the newly-reopened <b>Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay</b> hotel! We've never had a chance to visit the hotel prior to its rebranding (previously the Marina Mandarin), so we won't be able to give any before-and-after comparisons, but we imagine that the old lobby didn't look anywhere as gorgeous as the new one. <br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <b>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-01.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay"></center><br />
The hotel markets itself as the first "Garden-in-a-hotel." I'm not totally convinced, really, but in any case the building's triangular design allows a cavernous lobby area in the middle, which is used to pretty great effect by the current interior designers. Wanting to skip the ~3pm crowd, we turned up at check in at ~12pm and there was hardly anyone in the queue. Thanks to <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Discovery Black</a> membership we were able to get our room immediately, with a one-category upgrade* from Urban King to Lifestyle King.<br />
<br />
* <i>Discovery Black members normally get <i>two</i>-category upgrades, but the hotel currently only has these two room types ready.</i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-02.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay"></center><br />
In any case, we make our way up to the 12th floor to check out the room, and are pleasantly surprised to find a seat at the entrance to make putting on shoes easier. I am not sure why <i>all</i> hotels don't do this, it's annoying as heck to have to sit on the floor to do up your laces. p.s. please ignore the messy socks and sneakers on the right.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-03.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay"></center><br />
The <b>Lifestlye King</b> room itself is ... pretty nice? The floor is tiled, not carpeted, which I personally don't like so much, but otherwise I find the decor modern and elegant. As far as I can tell the only difference between the Urban & Lifestyle rooms is that the latter has a sofa / daybed at the end (which is <i>extremely</i> useful if you have a toddler who only naps in dim lighting as you can draw the curtain and get some sun on the daybed while he/she naps in the room).<br />
<br />
Speaking of napping, though ... because many of the hotel's rooms are still undergoing refurbishment, there are drilling & hammering noises throughout the day. We're fortunate that our little one is a fairly heavy sleeper, but I can imagine the more easily startled kids having trouble staying asleep for their entire usual nap time.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-05.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-06.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
In the far corner of the room we find a mini tent for the little one (with adorable dinosaur, toy car, and Le Petit Prince child amenities), and (presumably) a Discovery Black welcome amenity of cakes & macarons.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-04.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
Opposite the bed there's a long desk/counter with Nespresso Machine & universal power socket. While the TV did have the usual complement of cable / pay TV channels, we couldn't activate any 'personal' content (e.g. Netflix, Youtube, or streaming from phone via chromecast/etc).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-07.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
As is par for the course these days, all lights are controllable from the bedside table. There aren't any USB ports (which I don't care for anyway as most of my devices are now USB-C).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-08.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
The cupboards house the kettle, coffee & tea, somewhat utilitarian bathrobes & slippers, ironing board & iron, fridge, and in-room safe.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-09.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-10.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
Moving on to the bathroom, we see that the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay has decided to 'go green' by providing a filtered tap water faucet instead of bottled drinking water. As we drink filtered tap water at home we're perfectly fine with this, but if you're used to other types of water you might need bit of time to get used to the taste.<br />
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We also noted that the underside of the sink countertop was messy & a little unkempt, which may or may not be an issue for you (you probably won't even notice).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-11.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
A reminder that the hotel first opened almost 35 years ago is the separate bidet, which I totally don't dig at all. Of course I understand that this is down to personal preference (or more perhaps to which part of the world you grew up in), but I'd much rather have a hand-spray next to the toilet.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-12.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
As we didn't feel like filling up the entire (adult) bathtub, we requested for a baby tub to bathe the little one in. I think it took less than 5 minutes for the tub to arrive - plus points for efficient housekeeping!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-13.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
The shower was perhaps a little bit of a minus though. We're not sure if it's because of the hotel's 'go green' goals, or if it's because of its' age, but the shower water pressure was only <i>adequate</i>.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-14.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
When we stayed, the Marina Bay view rooms weren't ready yet, so we got a city-facing one (which in our opinions is still quite pretty).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-15.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-16.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Lifestyle King Room"></center><br />
As the club / executive lounge is still under renovation, Discovery Black members are given snacks & drinks from 6-8pm every day at the Atrium Lounge. We didn't pay a visit as it conflicted with some dinner plans, but were able to get a copy of the drinks menu thanks to a friendly <a href=https://t.me/milelion>Milelion Telegram</a> member:<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-17.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay GHA Black Cocktails"></center><br />
In this covid age, bookings are of course required for Gym & Swimming Pool access. Bookings can be done via the hotel's chatbot, which is great. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-18.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Gym and Swimming Pool"></center><br />
The gym is large and seems fairly well equipped. Treadmills & cycling (spin?) machines face Marina Bay / Marina Bay Sands. The pool is great if you want to swim laps, but not so great if you want to entertain a toddler as there is no shallow pool for him/her to wade in.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-19.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Gym and Swimming Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-20.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Gym and Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Breakfast is in the hotel's general-cuisine restaurant, <b>Peppermint</b>, and is semi self-service, semi table-service. For 'small' items like fruits, juices, cereal, salad, and cold cuts, you have to go up to the buffet line and request it from a waiter/waitress, but main courses are ordered at and delivered to your table.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-21.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peppermint Breakfast"></center><br />
The variety of food items on offer is perhaps a little on the low side, but food's decent (not outstanding). Except maybe for the terribly dry turkey bacon that comes with the eggs. Skip that.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-22.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peppermint Breakfast"></center><br />
Our room rate includes 50% discount on all F&B in the hotel, so we also had a festive lunch ala-carte buffet at Peppermint. The cost ended up around $40 nett/person which was amazing value, especially considering that the food was also really good. Yes, there were a few hiccups in the (chatbot-driven) ordering, with some orders going missing, but the wait staff were more than ready to rectify.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-23.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peppermint Festive Lunch"></center><br />
We also visited the Chinese restaurant <b>Peach Blossom</b> for a light dim sum lunch. Peach Blossom does seem to be positioned a little more upmarket than Peppermint - the decor is pretty & elaborate, food's full of <i>atas</i> ingredients (like iberico pork ribs and abalone <i>woo kok</i>). Service is good, food's good, 50% off makes it great value. Without any discount the prices are a tad steep, perhaps, but I think the food's still good enough to plan a return visit for a special occasion.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-24.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peach Blossom Dim Sum"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-25.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peach Blossom Dim Sum"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pmb-26.jpg border=1 alt="Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Peach Blossom Dim Sum"></center><br />
In short, we found our stay at the <b>Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay</b> to be really enjoyable. Yes, there's some renovation noise, and yes, the pool isn't particularly toddler friendly if you don't have floats for him/her. Other than that rooms are nice and fairly clean, the hotel restaurants are good, and if you want some variety, Marina Square is just next door. I'd totally come back again if the price is right.<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-12176497378959719122020-12-09T13:26:00.008+08:002021-01-10T22:40:18.460+08:00Toddler Orchard Staycay: The St Regis Singapore!π Good service, timelessly classy rooms, well-maintained hotel.<br />
π Pool hasn't enough capacity for higher occupancies.<br />
<br />
We continue our staycay shenanigans* with a short taxi ride from the <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> to the <b>St Regis Singapore</b>! We've visited the St Regis in the past as dining guests (Yan Ting / La Brezza / Brasserie Les Saveurs), so we're really excited to finally get a chance to visit as hotel guests.<br />
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It was really nice to get a call at around 11 in the morning informing me that our upgraded (Deluxe to Grand Deluxe) room was ready, so we headed over and joined the (very short, quick-clearing) check-in queue. Checking in while seated at desks somehow feels more <i>atas</i> than standing at a counter, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <b>The St.Regis Singapore</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis01.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore"></center><br />
Having collected our keys, we head up to the room, where the door opens up to a corridor with the bathroom on the left, minibar island on the right, and living / sleeping area up ahead. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis02.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
The room decor is gorgeous, and oh-so-classy. The St Regis Singapore opened more than a decade ago, but the decor still feels fresh and relevant today. There's also plenty of space beside, and in front of, the bed for the little one* to run around and not get himself into <i>too</i> much trouble.<br />
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* Having said that, we ended up needing to relocate the floor-standing coat rack, and block access to the floor-standing lamp behind the single-seater chair, to discourage him from demonstrating his ability to pull them over onto himself.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis03.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis07.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
On the opposite side of the room there's a somewhat strangely-located sofa (can't quite watch TV while sitting on it), and the desk area for one person to get some work done.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis04.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
The closets are wide and deep enough to store a medium-large sized suitcase, and house the 'standard' amenities (bathrobe, umbrella, slippers). For slippers ... we're always unexplainably excited when hotels supply small children sized slippers. Our toddler isn't quite old enough to wear them properly, but still!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis05.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis06.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
The room's lights, curtains, and drapes are operated by (identical) bedside control panels. One minor annoyance is that you're given a choice of scenes (e.g. reading, cosy, movie, night) that control the overall brightness of the room. It does work well, though I prefer to have more granular control over individual lights. The control panel can be stowed away into the bedside tables if you get too annoyed with the toddler constantly closing and opening the drapes.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis09.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
While the overall room decor hasn't aged much, the electronics are starting to show their age - example being these composite (red white yellow) and S-Video inputs. The Bose surround system is also not bluetooth or phone/iPod compatible: It can only be used to watch TV.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis10.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis11.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
The minibar island at the entrance houses the fridge, cutlery, and tea and coffee making facilities.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis12.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room"></center><br />
The hotel also provides a small sanitary kit to help ward off covid. Sadly their masks aren't hotel-branded like the ones over at <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a>.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis13.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Covid Kit"></center><br />
The bathroom is also gorgeous, and we're happy to note a (free-standing) bathtub. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis14.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room Bathroom"></center><br />
Of course there's also a shower (not quite big enough for two people in our opinion). It's not quite a rainshower, but it does have a fancy horizontal-shooting water jet built in, which we really liked. Adult bath/shower amenities are by Remède - which seems to be the 'brand' of skincare / spa of St. Regis worldwide - and toddler amenities from Kodomo (which literally means 'child' in Japanese).<br />
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Ah, before I forget, all guests at St Regis Singapore can access the wet lounge facilities at the Remède spa <i>even if you aren't doing (read: paying for) any spa treatments</i>. Unfortunately the wife and I didn't visit as we couldn't figure out what to do with the little one.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis15.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis16.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis17.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis18.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Grand Deluxe Room Bathroom"></center><br />
Evening turndown service is pretty par for the course, I guess: A quick tidying of the sheets, placing of slippers, and a tray with the TV remote and breakfast menu cards. No sweet treat, though.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis19.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Turndown Service"></center><br />
The St Regis Singapore has a butler service, which you can theoretically use to do all sorts of things like unpack your luggage or buy a pack of cigars from Tanglin Mall. The wife and I always too <i>paiseh</i> to ask for anything, though: The only thing we asked for was freshly-brewed St Regis blend coffee in the morning.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis20.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Butler Menu"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis21.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Butler Coffee"></center><br />
The Grand Deluxe rooms face away from Orchard Road, and towards the general direction of the Singapore Botanical Gardens. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis22.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Botanical Gardens"></center><br />
In-room dining was - in our opinions - fairly reasonably priced (relatively), and baby/high chairs are available upon request. If your toddler's at that noisy / throw-food-on-floor stage, it can be a far less stressful experience having meals in privacy (though you do still need to worry about how to get food out of the carpet). The items we ordered were pretty good for in-room-dining standards.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis23.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore In Room Dining"></center><br />
As <a href=https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/member-benefits/platinum.mi>Mariott Bonvoy Platinum Elites</a>, we are supposed to have club lounge access, but the St Regis Singapore doesn't have one. Instead, afternoon drinks and bites (1 of each per day) is served at the gorgeous St Astor Bar.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis24.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore St Astor Bar"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis25.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore St Astor Bar"></center><br />
One of the main hiccups we had during the stay (and to be clear, this is no fault of the hotel) was not being able to secure a pool booking slot for the first two days due to covid capacity restrictions. We cheered ourselves up by having sparkling juice (Barons de Rothschild champagne if you're not teetotalers like us) with cake while soaking in the tub. And if you were wondering, yes, the tub is big enough for 2 adults and a toddler.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis26.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Bathtub"></center><br />
We did manage to get a pool slot on our third day, though! The pool itself isn't the biggest, but it's long enough to put some casual laps in. Our toddler was far more interested in the mini water fountains in the wading area off to the side, though, and pretty much spent the entire 2 hours playing with them.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis27.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Swimming Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis28.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Breakfast is served at the hotel's French restaurant (Brasserie Les Saveurs), and is a semi-unlimited ala carte concept (main dishes are 1 per person, side dishes unlimited). The wait staff don't really seem strict on enforcing this limit though, cos for both breakfasts we ordered 3 mains (for 2 people).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis29.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Breakfast"></center><br />
Breakfast items were a bit of a mixed bag. We thought that the Thai items (spring rolls and pork skewers with sticky rice) and the lobster foam omelette were pretty good, but others like the porridge and laksa were particularly disappointing.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis30.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Breakfast"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis31.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Hotel Singapore Breakfast"></center><br />
All in all, for the money we paid (s$600 nett for 2 nights, including breakfast and $50 dining credit), we thought the St Regis was really terrific value. There were two hiccups - first one being the pool booking problem (not a fault of the hotel), second one being that they forgot my birthday arrangement request, but other than that we had a very enjoyable stay, and would certainly come back in the future.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-80434333542138963072020-12-06T17:14:00.011+08:002021-01-10T22:40:29.939+08:00Toddler Orchard Staycay: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel!π Orchard location is great, large toddler-friendly pool, great value proposition.<br />
π AirCon really cold, Service isn't the greatest, children not allowed in club lounge.<br />
<br />
Staycaytions* are the new normal now, aren't they? We've gone so long without vacations that it seems perfectly normal now to spend a night (or two) in some hotel somewhere in town, ordering room service and lazing away the afternoon sipping champagne at a club lounge. Well, perfectly normal to <i>some</i> of us, anyway - a number of friends can't get why I spend all that money and effort to temporarily relocate to a hotel when there's a gym and (far better) pool downstairs at home. <br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <b>Marriott Tang Plaza</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
<br />
I mean ... come to think of it, I can't get it myself either, but that's a story for another time as we pull up to the <b>Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel</b>. No doormen available: You pretty much have to manage all your luggage on your own (may or may not be an issue depending on your group's adult to young child ratio).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang01.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel"></center><br />
We really dig this huge Christmas tree in the hotel's intimate (read: small) lobby. Check-in was quick & efficient (even with all the additional covid-19-related declarations). We managed to get a 2-level upgrade from the basic <b>Deluxe Room</b> to an <b>Executive Room</b>, <i>and</i> 11am early check-in, thanks to <a href=https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/member-benefits/platinum.mi>Mariott-Bonvoy Platinum</a> status.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang02.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Lobby"></center><br />
The roughly ~350sqft Executive Room was pretty spacious! Decor isn't the most modern or luxurious, perhaps, but the mattress & sofa were comfortable, and there was loads of space for our 15-month old toddler to run around. He also figured out really quickly how to get up and down the bed using the sofa, which was comforting for the parents.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang04.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
The TV is a 46-incher, but thanks to the size (and layout) of the room, looks pretty small when you're trying to watch when lying on the bed. The aircon vent blows onto the open space / table rather than directly onto the bed, which was great as the air con in the Marriott Tang Plaza is really cold. We ended up leaving one keycard in the slot when going out because otherwise the 'default' setting would kick in, turning the room climate into something more suitable for penguins or polar bears.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang05.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
Speaking of the table: It's a pretty nice and solid table, with thoughtfully-placed universal power sockets. It would be perfect to get some work done if you needed to.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang06.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang07.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
The console below the television houses the nespresso coffee machine, kettle, and tea, and is most-certainly <b>not toddler-safe</b>. Our toddler could reach anything placed on this console so we had to be extra considerate on what we put there (I forgot one time and left a cup of soluble Vit C, which he promptly ran over to and pulled down on himself).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang08.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
Cabinets in the room have the requisite bathrobes (one is already hanging in the bathroom), slippers, safe ... and an iron / ironing board.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang09.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
The bedside consoles have power sockets (so you can plug in your phone <i>after</i> snuggling into bed), and electronic light switchs. Drapes and day curtains aren't electric, though, so you'll still need to get out of bed to draw them.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang10.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Executive Room"></center><br />
Our room was facing the East direction of Orchard Road: Always fascinating to get a different view of a familiar place. I've lived in Singapore for more than a decade and never knew that there were rows of landed houses just behind Lucky Plaza.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang11.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel View"></center><br />
The bathroom is great. It feels modern and luxurious, and has basically everything you'll need in a bathroom ... except perhaps a bathtub, so if your baby / toddler hasn't quite transitioned to showering standing up, you might have better luck borrowing one from the hotel (they do have some available). On a side note, this blogger clearly didn't bother making sure white balance is consistent across photographs, which is super poor form.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang12.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Toilet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang13.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Toilet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang14.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Toilet"></center><br />
The conundrum with longer staycays is how to handle wet swimming suits. Sure, you can hang them up, but in the cold air they won't actually dry, so the next time you go to the pool they're wet <i>and</i> cold. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments!<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang15.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Toilet"></center><br />
The welcome & birthday gift was quite nice (yes, I really celebrated my actual birthday here).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang16.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Welcome Gift"></center><br />
As with all other hotels in the covid era, the pool is capacity-controlled and reservations are recommended. That said, I feel like the (relatively) large size of the pool allows a higher number of swimmers. I had no problems using the pool as many times and whenever I wanted to during my stay. There are also three pretty large areas where the water's only a few inches deep, perfect to let your toddler wade alone without needing to worry (too much) about him drowning.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang17.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang18.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Pool"></center><br />
The fitness center / gym seems pretty well equipped. The area also has a sauna, which was great for warming up after a cold swim on a cold day.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang19.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Gym"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang20.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Sauna"></center><br />
Our stay also included lounge access, but the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel's <b>M Club</b> doesn't allow children (this would be a plus or minus depending on your circumstances) - no worries though, we get alternate happy hours at the Marriott Cafe on the first floor. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang21.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Cafe"></center><br />
The alcohol list is decent, and the food was pretty good (although it took around half an hour to arrive). Do keep in mind that the portions are really large, though, so it'll be quantity over variety if you've got a smaller family.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang22.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Cafe"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang23.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Snacks"></center><br />
Breakfast is also at the Marriott Cafe, and as might be expected from our 'new normal,' is unlimited ala-carte style (instead of a buffet). Service is quick and food orders arrive promptly; Food itself is perhaps best described as <i>adequate</i>? We didn't think any item was particularly standout, but we can recommend <i>not</i> ordering the dimsum (underwhelming) or the bacon (extremely salty).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tang24.jpg border=1 alt="Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Breakfast"></center><br />
Despite the somewhat underwhelming breakfast we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and also found it to be terrific value (our rate was s$350nett for 2 nights inclusive of breakfast <i>and</i> $100 dining credit). Huge plus points were easy accessibility to the toddler-friendly pool, generally toddler-safe rooms, and toddler-friendly restaurants. And of course the location being right at the heart of the Ion / Wheelock / Tangs / Isetan intersection is AAA. Would totally come back again.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-66716491036971398282020-08-04T23:41:00.007+08:002020-08-04T23:53:27.771+08:00Yi by Jereme Leung (Raffles Hotel)'s Dinner Menu IIπ Creative Chinese dishes that are mostly very good. Nice ambience, great service.<br />
π The signature 100-ring cucumber was surprisingly underwhelming.<br />
<br />
With all holidays cancelled for the entire year (and perhaps even into 2021), the <i>darling</i> and I (fortunately) have a little excess disposable income to spare, so we decided to visit a couple of <i>atas</i> restaurants that we wouldn't otherwise visit ... which is how we wound up at Raffles Hotel's Chinese Restaurant: <b>Yi by Jereme Leung</b>!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately we forgot to take a photo of the gorgeous entrance (lined floor to ceiling with handcrafted white flower petals), and elegant dining area. The restaurant is a nice place to be in, and sound dampening is above average (for Chinese restaurants) so you don't get too much crowd noise from other diners. Service was great, too!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-1.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
The little one was a little hungry so between trying to set him up in a baby chair and getting his feed on we didn't really have much appetite to browse the menu properly. We gave up quite quickly and chose the (Set) <b>Dinner Menu II</b> (s$138/pax), to be washed down with a pitcher of <b>Yi's Herbal Tea</b> (s$18) <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-2.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
The eight-course Dinner Menu started off with three Appetiser / Cold Dish items:
<b>Hundred-ring Cucumber & Poached Sea Whelk with Soy Sauce Vinaigrette, Sichuan Style Chicken with Peanuts & Sesame Chilli Dressing,</b> and <b>Okra, Tiger Prawns & Arctic Shellfish with Soy Sauce Vinaigrette</b><br />
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Surprisingly, despite the Hundred-Ring Cucumber being a signature dish, we found it a little underwhelming (perhaps we're not huge fans of sea whelk). On the flip side, the Sichuan Chicken was terrific: The cold, juicy chicken constrasting perfectly with the tongue-numbing heat from the sichuan peppers. The Okra dish was well balanced, but ultimately neither particularly impressed nor disappointed.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-5.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-3.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-4.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
Moving on: The <b>Fish Cartilage Soup with Abalone & Fish Maw</b> was amazing: Gorgeous, thick, umami-laden broth with tender abalone, fish maw, and hokkaido crab leg. We would come back again just for this soup alone.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-6.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
The two Main Dishes were <b>Baked Cod with Wild Honey & Soy Sauce Reduction</b>, and <b>Iberico Pork with Golden Garlic & Savoury sauce</b>.<br />
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I really liked the pork, which was tender, fatty, juicy, and crazy good with that gravy. And the fried garlic chips. Everything tastes better garnished with fried garlic chips. The cod (technically 'chinese' cod i.e. ι³ι±Ό i.e. Chilean Seabass i.e. Patagonian Toothfish) was also executed really well, with the sweet & salty glaze (from the honey & soy sauce reduction) just strong enough not to overpower the delicate fish flavour.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-8.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-7.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
Rounding off the savoury dishes: <b>Crispy Egg Noodles with Shrimp, Crab Meat & Scrambled Eggs</b>. This was a decent (if somewhat forgettable) end to the meal, seasoned lightly as to let the ingredients take centre-stage flavour wise.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-9.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
Oh and for dessert ... a small platter of pineapple, grape, rockmelon and watermelon. Do let me know in the comments if I'm being picky here, but at over s$160/person after service charge and taxes, surely it's not unreasonable to expect a proper dessert rather than these common fruits?<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/yi-10.jpg border=1 alt="Yi Jereme Leung Dinner"></center><br />
Nevertheless, the meal <i>was</i> overall solid, with decent value-for-money. I think the strength of the outstanding dishes (pork, soup, chicken), service standards and ambience have more than earned a return visit - this time to go ala-carte and try the restaurant's other signatures.<br />
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<b>Yi by Jereme Leung</b> is located in the Arcade of Raffles Hotel. <a href=https://www.yi-restaurant.com.sg/menu/>Reservations recommended</a>, non-halal.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-64881897411010007102020-05-24T22:48:00.000+08:002020-05-24T22:52:52.373+08:00St. Regis Brunch: Home Edition (Brunch Delivery) Review!π Great variety of delicious food, prompt delivery, portions are huge.<br />
π Sushi rolls were a bit crappy.<br />
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Even though our Circuit Breaker period will officially end just a little over a week from now, it appears that work from home - and therefore eat at home - arrangements are going to continue at least throughout June. Most of you will probably already have your day-to-day meal routine sorted, but what if you're celebrating a special occasion and/or would just like to splurge a little to reward yourself?<br />
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Well, why not try out the <b>St. Regis Brunch: Home Edition</b>: A weekend-only brunch delivered right to your doorstep? The <i>darling</i> and I did exactly that this weekend, ordering their Duo Set for 2 Adults for a long weekend celebration. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis1.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"></center><br />
Delivery was prompt, and while presentation/plating wasn't quite up to fine dining levels we thought it was really more than good enough for a home celebration. The amount of food included in the <b>St. Regis Brunch</b> is a little ridiculous: We kept almost all of the cold dishes in the fridge and ate them for dinner. You'd need to have two teenagers, athletes, or competitive eaters to finish everything off in one seating.<br />
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Most of the dishes were well cooked and delicious, except for the Sushi Rolls which were 'meh' at best. If you've got an oven at home, we found that holding the hot dishes at 55Β°C allowed us to eat leisurely while still having good temperature food.<br />
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<b>COLD ENTRΓES</b><br />
Crab Meat Salad, Celeriac Remoulade, Baby Radish<br />
Smoked Salmon, Green Asparagus, Yoghurt Cream<br />
Burrata, Tomatoes, Rocket Salad<br />
PΓ’te en Croute <br />
Assorted Sushi <br />
Selection of Charcuterie <br />
Cheese Platter<br />
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<b>HOT ENTRΓES</b><br />
Pan-seared Lobster, Garlic Parsley Butter<br />
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<b>CHOICE OF TWO MAINS</b><br />
Saumon RΓ΄ti, Ratatouille, Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Capers<br />
Beef Sirloin, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots<br />
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<b>DESSERTS</b><br />
Raspberry Pistachio Financier<br />
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Tartlet <br />
Orange Mascarpone DΓ΄me*<br />
Seasonal Fruit Platter<br />
Chocolate Pralines<br />
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* <i>Replaced by what I assume is some sort of peach cake</i><br />
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<b>JUICE</b><br />
Choice of Alain Milliat Juice: Orange or Strawberry<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis2.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis3.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis4.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis5.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis6.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis7.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/stregis8.jpg border=1 alt="St Regis Brunch Home Edition Delivery"></center><br />
You can check out complete details of the <b>St. Regis Brunch</b> and order online <a href=https://festive-stregissingapore.oddle.me/en_SG/product/8a81977e719e433b0171a0e92f1f0182>on their Oddle</a> website. We paid $156 nett for the set for 2 adults, and thought it was amazing value given that it fed us for literally one entire day.<br />
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Hope this express review helps you, and do stay well fed for the rest of these strange covid times!<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-50048895562562496672020-04-11T15:22:00.002+08:002021-01-10T22:40:43.177+08:00Sentosa Staycay: Capella Singapore Constellation Room Review!π Amazing 'away from the city' getaway ambience, luxurious and large rooms, good service.<br />
π Location's a bit inconvenient if you don't plan on lazing around all day.<br />
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Just before the Singapore government <a href=https://www.gov.sg/article/what-you-can-and-cannot-do-during-the-circuit-breaker-period>instructed us to all be CB</a>, the <i>darling</i> and I managed to sneak in a Sentosa Staycaytion* at <b>Capella Singapore</b>! Capella is one of the highest-profile hotels in Singapore thanks to last year's Trump-Kim summit, one of the most luxurious, and consequently one of the most expensive: Even in these Covid-19 times we still had to pay s$584++/night for their 'Sentosa Staycay' package. Thanks to our <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Discovery Black</a> membership we do think the money spent was worth it, though!<br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/03/raffles-hotel-staycaytion-palm-court-suite-review.html>Raffles Hotel</a> | <b>Capella Singapore</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella07.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room Jacuzzi"></center><br />
We arrived at <b>Capella Singapore</b> by taxi at 1pm for our 'early' check-in. The lobby is in a restored colonial-era bungalow, so the lobby has no super high ceilings with huge chandeliers, but has a more intimate dΓ©cor. Check in was quick and efficient, and we didn't even have enough time to savour the welcome drink and cookie. Thanks to the Discovery Black membership we got upgraded to the <b>Constellation Room</b>, which seems to be the hotel's top-tier non-suite / non-villa room.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella01.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Sentosa Staycay"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella02.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Sentosa Staycay"></center><br />
And what a room it is! Spread out over 828 sqft / 77 sqm on the highest floor of the hotel, the Constellation Room is huge, spacious, and has an amazing view over the swimming pool and the Singapore Straits beyond.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella03.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella04.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella05.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
Day and night blinds, curtains, lights and air-conditioning settings are controlled via tablet, which we found extremely simple and straightforward to use. <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella06.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
The Constellation Room's <i>pièce de résistance</i> though is its outdoor, heated, private jacuzzi and day bed. This feature turned out being way more useful than we first thought: We ended up relaxing on the balcony a lot during our three day stay. The jacuzzi's location is also really private, tucked away well enough that you could totally skinny dip without any risk of unintended exposure (as to whether we did or didn't skinny dip ... we'll leave that to your imagination).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella07.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella08.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella09.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
Heading back into the room, there's a walk-in wardrobe neatly tucked away sort of in-between the bed and bath rooms. One slight criticism here, perhaps, is that the two bathrobes are of the same, small, size, so my 6'0", 190 lbs body made it look like I was wearing a child size.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella16.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
Speaking of the bathroom: It's a full-featured one with two sinks, bathtub (which we didn't use), separate toilet and shower. The toilet unfortunately has no bidet or hand spray, so it's toilet-paper only for those of us used to more moist ways of cleaning up.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella10.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella11.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella12.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella13.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
Amenities are by AΔsop; I can't tell the difference between the <i>effectiveness</i> of the various skin/bodycare brands, but I did really like the scents of these AΔsop shampoo / body wash: Strong notes of Citrus and Lemongrass.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella14.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella15.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Constellation Room"></center><br />
Afternoon tea is served daily at <b>The Library</b>. There's coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, and a decent selection of fruits, cakes, and pastry on offer. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella17.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Living Room Afternoon Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella18.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Living Room Afternoon Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella19.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Living Room Afternoon Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella19b.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Living Room Afternoon Tea"></center><br />
There are three separate swimming pools: A relaxation pool for adults only, a relaxation pool for families (it has an infinity edge, which our baby sadly didn't seem to appreciate), and a small lap pool for serious swimmers.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella20.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
The gym seems well stocked, and spacious. There's also a spa, which we didn't visit.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella21.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Gymnasium"></center><br />
The vast green areas around the hotel mean that peacocks can roam the grounds quite comfortably.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella22.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Peacock"></center><br />
Our Singapore Staycay rate came with s$100 in dining credits, which we used for a rib-eye steak (decent for room-service standards) and a chicken breast ceaser salad. No drinks, because the water, juices and soft drinks in the minibar are complimentary / included in the room rate.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella23.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Room Service"></center><br />
<b>Capella Singapore's</b> main restaurant is <b>The Knolls</b>, which serves up Mediterranean fare for lunch and dinner, but a less exotic, more standard breakfast. The eggs benedict from the ala-carte breakfast menu was really good; the laksa less so.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella23b.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Ala Carte"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella23c.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Ala Carte"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella23d.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Ala Carte"></center><br />
There is also a buffet line for the rest of the breakfast items. Compared to the rest of the hotel, the breakfast spread was perhaps a little ... ordinary? I mean, it was a <i>good</i> breakfast spread, just not as outstanding as I might have expected given the hotel's positioning. Oh, the egg tarts were really good though.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella24.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella25.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella26.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella27.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella28.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella29.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella30.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella31.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/capella32.jpg border=1 alt="Capella Singapore Breakfast Buffet"></center><br />
Overall, the <i>darling</i> (and the kid) and I enjoyed ourselves a lot at <b>Capella Singapore</b>! It's our first Staycay in Sentosa, and it was really really refreshing to be away from the city with that beach/island getaway 'feel.' The flip side of that isolation is, of course, that it's not as convenient as a city-centre hotel when you want to buy something or go shopping - but at least there's a half-hourly shuttle bus to the nearby Vivocity. <br />
<br />
We're sincerely hoping that the Covid-19 situation & lockdown ends sooner rather than later so that we can plan our next visit!<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com1Sentosa, Singapore1.2494041 103.83032091.2176541 103.7899804 1.2811541 103.8706614tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-21661484132327910622020-03-29T18:12:00.004+08:002021-01-10T22:40:58.269+08:00Raffles Hotel Singapore Staycay: Palm Court Suite Reviewπ Terrific service, gorgeous deco, thoroughly modern rooms.<br />
π No executive lounge (but it doesn't matter, really).<br />
<br />
<b>TLDR</b>: Raffles Hotel is doing a "The Suite Life" staycay* package for bookings by 9 April for stays til 30 June. Weekend/holiday dates for the 'base' Courtyard Suite (s$795++ for 2 nights) are sold out, but the Palm Court Suite (s$975++ for 2 nights) is still tremendous value. <a href=http://www.rafflessingapore.com/offer/the-suite-life/>Book on their website</a> before rooms run out!<br />
<br />
<i>* Hotels in the Staycay tour: <br />
<b>Raffles Hotel</b> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/04/sentosa-staycay-capella-singapore-constellation-room.html>Capella Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-orchard-staycay-marriott-tang-plaza.html>Marriott Tang Plaza</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-st-regis-singapore-hotel-grand-deluxe-room.html>The St.Regis Singapore</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-grand-hyatt-singapore-deluxe-room.html>Grand Hyatt</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-fullerton-bay-hotel-bay-view-room.html>The Fullerton Bay Hotel</a> | <a href=https://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2020/12/toddler-staycay-parkroyal-collection-marina-bay-lifestyle-king.html>Parkroyal Collection, Marina Bay</a> | <a href=http://look-see-eat.blogspot.com/2021/01/toddler-staycay-marina-bay-sands-club-city-view-room.html>Marina Bay Sands</a>.</i><br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles01.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court"></center><br />
The legendary <b>Raffles Hotel Singapore</b> just completed 2-year long renovations in August 2019. The 100-ish suite hotel (even the basic rooms are suites) has long been known to be the epitome of luxury in Singapore ... with normally a suitably luxurious price tag unaffordable by the proletariat. So while the <i>darling</i> and I have wanted to get a taste of the <i>atas </i>life for a while, we could never really bring ourselves to bite the bullet, until a combination of the forced cancellation of our Japan Sakura trip plus a ban on foreign visitors thanks to the covid-19 situation gave us this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles02.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"></center><br />
The hotel, naturally, is ridiculously <b>gorgeous</b>, and (mostly) immaculate. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles03.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"></center><br />
We booked ourselves into a Courtyard Suite, but were very graciously upgraded to a <b>Palm Court Suite</b>. It's a huge, luxurious, gorgeous room with just the right balance of classic design language with thoroughly modern amenities (including tablet-controlled lights, curtains, and television). Check out the video tour below:<br />
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<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugQnxKKBMHg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
More photos of the room below:<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles04.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"></center><br />
Little touches like this birthday 'cake' and Raffles Tiger soft toy (done by the Butler team) are always extremely appreciated as they set a great first impression.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles05.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"></center><br />
More photos of the Palm Court Suite:<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles06.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles07.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles08.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles09.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles10.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"></center><br />
The room's design is really classical, but the fixtures are most definitely modern. Everything in the room (except the ceiling fans) can be controlled by two iPads: One in the parlour / living room, and the other in the bedroom. It's pretty nifty being able to turn off all the lights at a single touch.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles11.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"></center><br />
There is a walk in wardrobe area in between the bedroom and bathroom, with a dedicated hair-drying desk.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles12.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite"></center><br />
The bathroom also is gorgeous and fully equipped with anything you could ever expect from a hotel. Except maybe a high-tech Japanese bidet/washlet on the toilet seat. You do still need to manually wash your own bum.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffes13.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles14.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles15.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite Bathroom"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles16.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Palm Court Suite Bathroom"></center><br />
The hotel's surroundings, of course, are also gorgeous, even for the <i>darling</i> and I who aren't able to view it through colonial-tinted lenses.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles17.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles18.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles19.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore"></center><br />
Raffles Hotel has an outdoor rooftop swimming pool which is salted (instead of chlorined), which is always a nice touch. The water temperature was great for even our 6-month old, regardless of time of day. Except maybe when the sun's out in the middle of the day, as there's not much shade.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles20.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Swimming Pool"></center><br />
For food, we had lunch at <b>BBR by Alain Duccase</b>, which is now a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant (verdict: The set lunch is pretty good value). We also splurged a bit for a dinner at the <b>Butcher's Block</b> (verdict: A little pricey, but service and food rivals any other top-tier steakhouse in the city). Full reviews will come in a separate post.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffes21.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore BBR by Alain Duccase"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles22.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore The Butchers Block"></center><br />
Breakfast is at the Tiffin Room (in Raffles Hotel's main building), and is currently unlimited ala-carte (instead of a buffet) because of the covid situation. We actually really loved this breakfast format; not sure if the kitchen can handle it during higher occupancy period, though.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles23.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles24.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles25.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles26.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles27.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles28.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles29.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles30.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles31.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/raffles32.jpg border=1 alt="Raffles Hotel Singapore Entrance"></center><br />
All in all, Raffles Hotel certainly lives up to its reputation. What these photos weren't able to capture, however, was just how amazing the service was. From the moment the iconic doorman greets you at the entrance, all the way til check out, you always feel like the staff are out to make your stay as comfortable as possible. It truly is amazing service, and has spoilt us so badly that we're not sure how we'll go back to "normal" hotels after this.<br />
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As I mentioned at the top of the post, Raffles Hotel is running a killer promo now if you're comfortable with doing Staycays at this time - it's a bargain that you really shouldn't miss!<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com61 Beach Rd, Singapore 1896731.2948829 103.8544791-24.2271516 62.545885100000007 26.8169174 145.16307310000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-5439648978489358042019-12-25T14:53:00.000+08:002019-12-25T14:53:24.256+08:00Kempinski Singapore Staycaytion Review (Terrace Room with Discovery Black)π Gorgeous deco, impeccable service, great location.<br />
π Evening hors d'oeuvres offering sparse compared to the competition.<br />
<br />
The <b>Kempinski Singapore</b> - full name <b>The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore</b> - is a relatively new hotel which has just opened in the Capitol Building and Stamford House (built in 1930 and 1904 respectively). To be honest the <i>darling</i> and I aren't exactly history buffs so we're not <i>too</i> familiar with the two buildings, but nevertheless we quite liked the idea of staying in a heritage building refurbished to modern standards, and run by Europe's oldest luxury hotelier, so we booked ourselves in for a night to celebrate her birthday!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski01.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore"></center><br />
For those of you looking for a quick summary: <b>Kempinski Singapore</b> is an amazing intimate, luxurious hotel, and you would not be disappointed with a stay here. Staff are (mostly) well-trained, warm, and welcoming, and the hotel does go out of its way to make you feel like a special guest rather than just another random customer staying the night. The hotel's location is also superb, being connected to the City Hall MRT station (which has Singapore's two major MRT lines), and within walking distance of a lot of the city's attractions. Some minor niggles: Executive Lounge evening hors d'oeuvres offering is weak, and access within the hotel for wheelchairs and prams / strollers isn't the best.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski02.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore"></center><br />
The luxury starts at the intimate, gorgeous lobby, where check-in is done seated at one of four desks with a cold towel and welcome drink, and with a receptionist who already knows all your special requests and likes/dislikes because the hotel actively asked you about them a few days prior. Once formalities are done, said receptionist walks you to your room and makes sure that you're properly sorted - which is amazing, but may perhaps cause some bottlenecks if you happen to arrive with a large crowd.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski03.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore"></center><br />
We had booked a Deluxe Room but were kindly offered a triple-category upgrade to the <b>Terrace Room</b> (thanks to our <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/>Discovery Black</a> membership). The room was really nice, with enough space for our bags, stroller, other stuff, and the baby cot (already waiting for us in the room upon arrival). <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski05.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski06.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"></center><br />
The wardrobe houses the usual amenities: Bathrobes, fluffy slippers, in-room safe, luggage rack, and the Minibar cabinet houses a fridge, nespresso machine, teabags, kettle, and some snacks. <b>Kempinski Singapore</b> makes soft drinks, water, and juices complimentary, but alcohol and snacks are chargeable.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski07.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski08.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"></center><br />
Modern facilities like cordless phone, wireless charging pad, electric/electronic lights, blinds, and curtain control, and universal power and USB sockets, and a Sonos soundbar are nice touches, but perhaps expected as this is a new hotel.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski09.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"></center><br />
The <b>Terrace Room</b> is so named because of the balcony that makes for a nice outdoor lounging area if you are so inclined. The view isn't great, though, which is probably one of the major disadvantages of opening shop in a low heritage building. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski10.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski11.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"></center><br />
The bathroom is huge, spanning the entire length of the whole room (possibly a concession to the buildings' dimensions), and has all the bells and whistles you'd expect of any luxury hotel, and even including some you might not (like the high tech warmed toilet seat + bidet, Japan style). A second television in the bathroom is set up at the perfect height for watching some TV while getting your soak on.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski12.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski14.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski15.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski13.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Terrace Room"></center><br />
If you are the sort that likes to work out by swimming laps, then unfortunately the Kempinski Singapore is not for you: The relaxation pool is - as it's so named - for relaxation, not for swimming. One plus point is that it's salt water, so your hair won't be ruined like it might be at chlorined pools. The gym is fairly well appointed and has treadmills for cardio and a decent assortment of weights and other circuit equipment.<br />
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Kempinski also has a spa, but we didn't check it out this trip.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski16.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Salt Water Relaxation Pool"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski17.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Gym"></center><br />
We were granted access to the <b>Kempinski Singapore's</b> Executive Lounge next to the check-in area. The lounge is <i>gorgeous</i>, and is an extremely pleasant place to sit and rest and idle some hours away. Guests with Executive Lounge access get evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres / canapes from 6-10pm, plus a private area for breakfast in the mornings. We're not too sure <i>who</i> gets lounge access, though: For most other hotels, access is normally part of the room type - for example, an "Executive King Room" would normally mean a "King Room" with lounge access - but I can't find <i>any</i> mention on Kempinski's website.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski18.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Executive Lounge"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski19.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Executive Lounge"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski20.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Executive Lounge"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski21.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore Executive Lounge"></center><br />
Also, the evening canapes would be sufficient for a pre-dinner appetizer, but most definitely not a dinner replacement (as it is in the lounges of some other competitors like Hilton/Conrad/Pan Pacific/etc). We snacked a little and then headed over to the hotel's flagship restaurant <b>15 Stamford</b> (by "demon" chef Alvin Leung) to try out his Asian-Singaporean cuisine.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski22.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore hors d'oeuvres"></center><br />
The next day, we opted for the privacy of the lounge (again) to have breakfast. The mini ala-carte / made to order breakfast menu was a nice touch: I ordered some truffled scrambled eggs with baked beans and mushrooms, which were delicious.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski29.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski30.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast"></center><br />
Of course there is also a buffet line with the rest of the breakfast items. It's a little smaller than what's on offer at the main restaurant, but between this spread and the ala carte menu, I think all but the biggest eaters will be satisfied.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski23.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski24.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski25.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski26.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski27.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/kempinski28.jpg border=1 alt="Capitol Hotel Kempinski Singapore breakfast buffet"></center><br />
Oh, and for this trip we also had lunch at <b>Frieda</b> (Kempinski Singapore's German restaurant), which had probably the best sausage & mash that I've had in recent memory.<br />
<br />
Anyway to conclude, the <b>Kempinski Singapore</b> is my new favourite hotel in Singapore. The effort that the team took to personalize my stay really made me feel welcomed and cared for (as compared to, for example, the 'thank you for being our Diamond member, here is your key to a low floor room with undesirable view, p.s. there are 500 rooms so we forgot what you want' that I usually get from the Hilton group). <br />
<br />
However the Kempinski <i>does</i> have some minor niggles like the weak evening canapes offering highlighted above, and the fact that there is a half-staircase between the Capitol Building and Stamford House parts of the hotel which are annoying for pram / stroller users (and presumably wheelchair users too).<br />
<br />
If you've read all the way here and are interested, head on over to their website to check out room rates for yourself! <a href=https://www.kempinski.com/en/singapore/the-capitol-singapore/>https://www.kempinski.com/en/singapore/the-capitol-singapore/</a>.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com715 Stamford Rd, Singapore 1789061.2937016 103.85164609999993-24.2283329 62.543052099999926 26.8157361 145.16024009999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-3652687619312566772019-07-21T20:55:00.000+08:002019-12-25T13:32:10.674+08:00Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Review (Harbour Studio with Discovery Black)π Nice, spacious rooms. Good service. Stylish club / lounge with a gorgeous view.<br />
π Hmmm. I guess the view is slightly blocked by the Mandarin Oriental?<br />
<br />
There are 2 types of people: Those who staycaytion and those who think it's a ridiculous waste of money and therefore don't. The <i>darling</i> and I are the former; We do enjoy the occasional visit to a nice hotel in Singapore, enjoying the service and the change of scenery. Which brings us to today's post, where we check out the <b>Pan Pacific Singapore</b> for a night at their <b>Harbour Studio</b> with access to their gorgeous <b>Pacific Club</b> (Lounge) courtesy of a <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Discovery Black</a> loyalty membership (more on that at the end of the post).<br />
<br />
The <b>Pan Pacific Singapore</b>'s got a pretty good location. It's one of the hotels connected to the large Marina Square shopping mall, which means you're walking distance from Marina Bay, Padang, National Gallery, and a bunch of other nearby malls. About the only downside of the location is that the closest MRT station is a <i>bit</i> of a walk away, but with staycaytions that's a pretty inconsequential downside.<br />
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We arrived at the hotel at around 12pm. <b>Pan Pacific</b>'s lobby is gorgeous, huge, and bright. In our excitement we forgot to take photos ... so you'll have to unfortunately use some imagination π<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac1.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion"></center><br />
Check in was quick, friendly, and efficient. We initially booked a <a href=https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/rooms/panoramic-room.html>Panoramic Room</a>, but thanks to Discovery Black, were upgraded to a <a href=https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/rooms/harbour-studio.html>Harbour Studio</a> with Pacific Club benefits. We were also offered a 6pm late checkout, which we gladly accepted.<br />
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Our room was on the 27th floor and was surprisingly spacious (for Singaporean standards). The room is 495sqft, which is literally more than half the size of our <i>entire apartment</i> (915sqft). The King-sized bed and pillows were really comfortable and we had no problems getting a good nights' sleep. The more keen-eyed readers among you might also spot a Herman Miller Aeron chair at the work area. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac2.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac3.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"></center><br />
The mini-bar area has complimentary tea and Nespresso coffee, and the usual range of non-complimentary wine, snacks, drinks, and alcohol. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac6.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"></center><br />
The washroom is nice, and has separate toilet (with manual bidet seat), shower, and bathtub areas. It might not be too clear from the photo, but the tub can fit two adults with a bit of a squeeze. A full range of amenities are provided so you can pretty much leave all your toiletries at home (except maybe facial wash).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac4.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac5.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"></center><br />
Pan Pacific Singapore also arranged for a pretty nice welcome gift of chocolates and dragonfruit (I'm not sure if this was because of my Discovery Black membership, or if all guests receive it).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac7.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"></center><br />
The most amazing part of the room was, however, the view. The rooms on this side of the hotel all overlook Singapore's iconic Marina Bay (with Marina Bay Sands out of the camera's field of view over on the left). It's quite nice in the daytime, but absolutely gorgeous at night when the lights come on.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac8.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac9.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Harbour Studio"></center><br />
I mentioned earlier that we were provided with <b>Pacific Club</b> (lounge) access thanks to the room upgrade. This comes with:<br />
β’ Afternoon Tea from 3-5pm (on both check-in and check-out days)<br />
β’ Champagne Breakfast in the Club, <i>or</i> breakfast at The Edge<br />
β’ Cocktails & Canapes from 6-8pm (only on the check-in day)<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac10.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge"></center><br />
At all other times you're welcome to rest and relax in the pretty stylish lounge. Outside of breakfast, tea, and cocktail hours, there's a small selection of biscuits, crisps and candy bars on offer, but drinks and other food are chargeable.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac11.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge"></center><br />
As the Pacific Club is on the 38th floor, the views are to die for.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac12.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge View"></center><br />
For the Afternoon Tea session, the Club provides an assortment of sandwiches and salads, cold cuts, a couple of hot dishes (<i>har gao</i> and glutinous rice for us), and pastries / cakes. As long as you've had a decent (or late) breakfast, the selection of food on offer is more than enough to serve as a late lunch.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac13.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge High Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac14.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge High Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac15.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge High Tea"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac16.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge High Tea"></center><br />
Evening canapes & cocktails is pretty similar, except that there's booze and a dress code (smart casual). For the teetotalers among us, fear not! A wide range of soft drinks, fresh juices, and mocktails are available.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac17.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge Cocktails"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac18.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge Cocktails"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac19.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Pacific Club Lounge Cocktails"></center><br />
For breakfast we decided to skip the lounge and head directly to <b>The Edge</b> (Pan Pacific Singapore's huge buffet restaurant). The buffet spread is <b>HUGE</b>, covering all sorts of international, chinese, and indian cuisine. No photos though -- sorry! (we didn't bring our phones / cameras down with us).<br />
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<b>Pan Pacific Singapore</b> also has a decent swimming pool, gym, and spa. As we were only on a 1 night stay we didn't really have the time to explore any of them.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/panpac20.jpg border=1 alt="Pan Pacific Singapore Staycaytion Swimming Pool"></center><br />
Now just to come back to the upgrades. <a href=https://www.discoveryloyalty.com/Membership-Benefits>Discovery Black</a> entitles to you to up to a 2-level <i>space available</i> room upgrade. If you book a room with no Pacific Club benefits, it is possible for you to be upgraded to another room which also has no Club benefits (or to not get upgraded at all). Therefore <b>the only way to guarantee Club access is to book at least a <a href=https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/rooms.html#club-rooms>Pacific Room</a></b>.<br />
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Discovery Black membership can be fast-tracked for free and with no strings attached if you are a World Elite Mastercard holder: Check out the details over on <a href=https://milelion.com/2019/01/19/psa-gha-black-hotel-elite-status-still-available-for-world-elite-mastercard-holders/>Mile Lion</a>.<br />
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To conclude, the <i>darling</i> and I really enjoyed our short staycaytion at the <b>Pan Pacific Singapore</b>. The rooms are nice and spacious, service at the Pacific Club was very good, and the hotel's location right above Marina Square means that it's easy to fill in the time between meals with some window shopping or to just take a stroll. In fact we might go as far as to say that this hotel is our favourite price / performance staycaytion spot in the city at the moment (as long as you get lucky with the Club access, of course)!<br />
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<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com57 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 0395951.2924176 103.8585852-24.2296169 62.549991199999994 26.8144521 145.1671792tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-6169636824868127672019-06-09T18:38:00.000+08:002019-06-09T18:47:57.236+08:00Great German/European Food at CURATE, Resorts World Sentosa (a 4 Hands Kitchen dinner)π Very good German-focused European food. Gorgeous dining area.<br />
π Inconsistent meal pacing; Portions a little on the small side.<br />
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Another month, another 4 Hands Kitchen dinner: This time heading to Resorts World Sentosa's <b><a href=https://www.rwsentosa.com/en/restaurants/curate/overview>CURATE</a></b>! This week, CURATE's Chef <b>Benjamin Halat</b> hosts one-starred Chef <b>Nicolai Wiedmer</b> from STUCKI in Basel (the Swiss-German speaking side of Switzerland). Both Chefs have cooked extensively in Germany / Switzerland, so we're expecting a very heavy German influenced dinner.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate1.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
A small note on the dining area, which is cozy but oh-so-gorgeous. Several tables are within full view of the kitchen (and the pass) - which we like - but if you're not interested in observing the chefs, do request to be seated in the corner off to the side.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate2.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Up first, an amuse bouche of <b>Eierstich</b>, an egg custard not unlike Japan's <i>chawanmushi</i>. In this rendition it's topped with small cubes of white asparagus, ham, and tomato, which provides an interesting tangy, refreshing complement to the deliciously-seasoned egg.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate3.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Next up: <b>Cured Trout</b> (by Chef Wiedmer), with Pickled Cucumber and a starchy, sticky Jasmine Rice Cream. The trout was good, and the cucumbers pickled just right (without being overly sour like gherkins sometimes are). We weren't really that enamoured by the starchiness of the rice cream, though. Acquired taste / texture perhaps.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate4.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
My mobile phone camera doesn't do justice to the beauty of Chef Halat's first dish: The <b>Grilled Scallop</b> served with Sauerkraut, sauerkraut consomme, and parsley cream. The scallop was cooked just right, but the amount of sauerkraut might be a little excessive if you're not a fan of pickled flavours. I am, though, so I found the starter delicious and appetite-whetting. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate5.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Next up: Chef Wiedmer's <b>Ossetra Caviar</b>, served alongside a delicious earthy piece of eel in yuzu dashi and celery. We were annoyed enough by the 45-minute gap between this plate and the previous one that we struggled to really enjoy it, though.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate6.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Chef Halat is up again with a perfectly-cooked piece of <b>Pike Perch</b>. Or at least, the flesh was perfectly cooked; we didn't much care for the limp skin. The lentils and beurre blanc accompaniment was divine, though: Who knew fish and lentils went so well together? Standout dish of the night for us.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate7.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Last savoury plate of the night was Chef Wiedmer's <b>Lamb Loin</b> (and lamb belly) served with Hazelnut Dukkah, Carrot, and Dill. With the lean loin and fatty belly - you get the best of both lamb worlds, really. The accompanying sauces and carrot mash was also delicious, with Dill standing in as a surprisingly competent replacement for the more typical mint jelly / sauce.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate8.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
Finally, Chef Halat presents his rendition of <b>Snickers</b>, with Dulcey (a chocolate from Varlhona), peanuts, and caramel. It's like eating a deconstructed snickers bar, only with much more chocolate than peanuts. Oh, and much, much more delicious.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate9.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
We end the dinner with some petit fours and coffee ... and with stomachs perhaps not quite satisfied. The <i>darling</i> and I aren't large eaters by any means, but even we were tempted to adjourn somewhere else for supper.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/curate10.jpg border=1 alt="Curate Resorts World Sentosa"></center><br />
<b>CURATE</b> normally prices their dinners from s$148 (5-courses) up to s$228 (8-courses), and so - like pretty much every other fine dining restaurant in the city - isn't cheap. The food overall was really good, though, and perhaps worth a visit just for the fish dish alone. CURATE is in Resorts World Sentosa, and is walkable from the 'free entry' area of Sentosa. <a href=https://www.rwsentosa.com/en/restaurants/curate/overview>Reservations recommended</a>; Non-Halal.<br />
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<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com5Sentosa, Singapore1.2494041 103.830320900000061.2176541 103.78998040000006 1.2811541 103.87066140000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-7012292182505527682019-05-22T22:39:00.000+08:002019-05-22T22:44:58.362+08:00A review of Aura, National Gallery Singapore (4 Hands Kitchen)π Imaginative Dishes, well-balanced flavours and textures. Gorgeous dining area.<br />
π Nothing much ... except maybe for the fish.<br />
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Last week the <i>darling</i> and I spent a few hours in <b>Aura</b>'s super gorgeous dining room, stuffing ourselves on terrific Italian fare from both resident chef <b>Beppe de Vito</b>, and visiting chef <b>Luigi Taglienti</b> (who hails from one-Michelin-starred Lume Restaurant in Milan). Although <b>Aura </b>itself isn't Michelin-starred (yet?), Chef Beppe's other Singapore restaurant - Braci - is also one-starred, so we go in with pretty high expectations!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura1.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore"></center><br />
To start - warm, buttered <b>foccacia bread</b>, served with a delightfully fragrant extra virgin olive oil (though strangely, no balsamic vinegar).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura2.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Focaccia Bread"></center><br />
The dinner then properly starts with the first amuse bouche: Chef Luigi's <b>White on White</b> (Passion fruit cream sandwiched by rice crackers & topped with edible flowers). Flowers, as always, are really just for show (they're pretty much tasteless), but the airy, light, crisp rice crackers & just-the-right-hint-of-sour passion fruit cream really do whet the appetite.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura3.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore White on White"></center><br />
Chef Beppe's amuse bouche is the <b>Uni and Scallop</b>, which - as you may have guessed - is Uni and a Hokkaido Scallop. Topped with caviar and wrapped in a shiso leaf. I'm not really sure that Italians traditionally eat uni and scallop like this, but there's no need to complain when the bite tastes <i>this</i> good: Creamy, briny, sweet, salty ... and that nice ever-so-slight pungent flavours from the shiso leaf. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura4.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Scallop and Uni"></center><br />
We move on to the first of the hot dishes then, with Chef Luigi serving up a <b><strike>Squid</strike> Scampi in Black and White</b>: Tender, juicy scampi with mushroom, sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke) puree and a pork jus. Probably the standout plate of the night for us.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura5.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Scampi"></center><br />
Chef Beppe then serves up his <b>Coho Salmon, White Asparagus and Wild Garlic</b>. The salmon was cooked ever so slightly to a 'barely rare' temperature, which was amazing texture-wise. The asparagus was likewise also delicious. We didn't like the crisp skin, though. It seemed to have been cooked and then flattened in the dehydrator, which <i>did</i> result in it being terrifically crispy, but also tasting too much like scales. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura6.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Salmon and White Asparagus"></center><br />
We continue again with Chef Beppe's dish: <b>Lobster Tortelli, Fava Beans, and Yuzu Salmoriglio</b>. This was another terrific hit. Perfectly portioned and textured tortelli with just the right amount of well cooked lobster meat. The accompanying lobster broth was perhaps just a <i>tad</i> bit salty, but nevertheless had an amazing depth of (lobster) flavour.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura7.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Lobster Tortelli"></center><br />
Chef Luigi's <b>Seabass and Celeriac</b>, however, was a little anti-climactic. The fish itself was juicy and at just the right temperature, but seabass is a very mild tasting fish, and its flavours were totally overpowered here by the strong tanginess of the celariac.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura8.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Seabass & Celeriac"></center><br />
The final hot plate of the night ended with Chef Beppe's <b>Kagoshima Wagyu, Kale and Wasabi Oil</b>. As you'd expect from a proper wagyu steak, it was juicy and sinfully oily, and seasoned with just the right hint of salt. The accompanying kale (crispy and light: probably deep fried) and kale puree were nice, but really our opinions are that good steaks are perfectly able to hold the stage alone without needing any supporting cast at all.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura9.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Kagoshima Wagyu"></center><br />
For dessert, chef Luigi's rendition of a <b>Black Truffle Tiramisu</b> was a revelation. The truffle-laced mascarpone cream was came in a chocolate / fingers / biscuit-like casing, sprinkled with chocolate powder and topped with more truffle. Utterly delicious.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura10.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Black Truffle Tiramisu"></center><br />
And finally to end the night: Chamomile Tea (complimentary) and <b>Petit Fours</b> of Olive Oil macaron, chocolate tart, and limoncello-laced strawberry.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/aura11.jpg border=1 alt="Aura National Gallery Singapore Petit Fours"></center><br />
For just under a hundred (nett) per person, we thought that the dinner was good value, and thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes (except for the seabass)!<br />
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<b>Aura</b> is on the fifth floor of the <b>National Gallery Singapore</b> (which, by the way, has free entry for Singaporeans and Singapore PRs). <a href=http://www.aura.sg/>Reservations Recommended</a>; Non-Halal.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com2Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-8561828109545471842019-05-12T19:13:00.001+08:002019-05-12T19:17:36.751+08:00Superb Roast Duck and other ducky dishes at Duckland, United Square.π Extremely well executed Roast Duck, with great balance of fat and crispy skin.<br />
π Dining area is very busy and noisy.<br />
<br />
A really short and sweet post from us today, covering one of the Tung Lok Group's most recent contemporary restaurant concepts: <b>Duckland</b>! <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/duckland1.jpg border=1 alt="Duckland Menu"></center><br />
Located in the basement of United Square, <b>Duckland</b>'s signature dish is - of course - the Roast Irish duck, but it also has quite a number of imaginative east-meets-west crossover-style duck-themed dishes. Being a shopping mall restaurant, the dining area does tend to be a bit busy and noisy, but at least reservations are accepted so you don't <i>have</i> to queue.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/duckland2.jpg border=1 alt="Duckland Restaurant"></center><br />
Speaking of said crossover dishes, we started off with the <b>Duck Liver Terrine</b> (s$15), served on crispy toast and rum-infused marmalade. It's a delicious starter, but it does take a little time to get used to combining these Western flavours with the Eastern style main course.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/duckland3.jpg border=1 alt="Duckland Duck Liver Terrine"></center><br />
The star of the show is - naturally - the <b>Roast Irish Duck</b> (s$28 half, s$50 whole). <b>Duckland's</b> execution is superb: The breast portion of the duck is sinfully fatty (as you'd expect from the Irish duck), but the skin of the leg/drumstick area is crisp and delicate: <i>almost</i> as crispy as a good Peking duck. Seasoning is on point, too.<br />
<br />
<b>Duckland</b> serves their roast duck with raspberry jam, sriracha, and mustard, but we very much preferred just having it with the gravy made from the duck drippings.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/duckland4.jpg border=1 alt="Duckland Roast Irish Duck with Duck Rice"></center><br />
<b>Duck Rice</b> (pictured above) is an s$2 add-on; <b>Duck Broth</b> (pictured below) is a s$4 add-on. We'd recommend adding on the rice (to have a Roast Duck Rice "feel"), but we felt that the duck broth was somewhat mediocre & uninteresting.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/duckland5.jpg border=1 alt="Duckland Duck Broth"></center><br />
Unfortunately it was just the <i>darling</i> and I visiting, so we didn't have the stomach to try the other items on the menu. When we return we've got our eyes on the <b>Duck Confit & Waffle</b> and the <b>Duck Fried Rice</b>. Oh, and if any of your dining party doesn't eat duck, there are also non-duck dishes like the <b>Good ol' Fish and Chips</b> and <b>Irish Lamb Stew</b>. <br />
<br />
<b>Duckland</b> is at B1-09&64/65 United Square Shopping Mall, and opens daily. Reservations recommended; Non-halal.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-21674737687044763952019-05-04T18:45:00.000+08:002019-05-04T18:50:01.298+08:00Alma by Juan Amador: A Citi Four Hands Kitchen Review.π Imaginative, Asian-fusion'ed European Cuisine. Service is warm and inviting.<br />
π Tonight's dinner a tad inconsistent: A few dishes were a little on the weak side.<br />
<br />
For April 2019 Citi's <a href=https://4handskitchen.com.sg/>4 Hands Kitchen</a> moves back to Goodwood Park Hotel's <b>Alma by Juan Amador</b>, where resident Chef <b>Haikal Johari</b> hosts Le Normandie (Bangkok)'s Chef <b>Arnaud Dunand Sauthier</b>! The two chefs hold 3 Michelin Stars between them, so the <i>darling</i> and I were pretty excited to be back to try out their 6 course dinner menu!<br />
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The dinner starts off with some <b>Snacks</b>, which include a one-bite Strawberry chips with salmon roe and sour plum sauce, Foie gras mousse with apple jelly, Fish tartare cracker, and chili-spiced Prawn tartare cracker topped with frozen yuzu powder. We especially liked how the richness of the foie gras mousse was cut by the tart apple jelly, and the contrast of flavours, textures and temperatures in the Prawn tartare.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma1.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Snacks"> <img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma2.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Snacks"> <br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma3.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Snacks"></center><br />
To cleanse the palatte before the start of the dinner proper: Alma's <b>Potato Bread with Smoked Butter</b>. It might be a bit strange to fawn over bread, but this is one of the better presentations we've come across. The bread's served in a box on a bed of warm coffee beans, which keeps it warm and provides an amazing coffee aroma at the same time. The smoked butter is pretty damn good, too.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma4.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Bread"></center><br />
Onwards to the first course, then: the <b>Monkfish Liver</b>, served with beetroot, beef tartare with gochujang paste, and mustard ice cream. Truth be told I'm not entirely on board with ice cream as an appetizer - it's difficult to undo almost two decades of <i>"no ice cream until you finish your food"</i> brainwashing - but otherwise this appetizer was delicious and decadent.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma5.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Monkfish Liver"></center><br />
We then move on to one of Chef Arnaud's signature dishes: <b>Caviar Et Oursin</b> (Caviar and sea urchin with potato foam and champagne sauce). This was probably the standout of the night for me: The Potato foam having substantial body to carry and hold together the briny umami and textures of the caviar and uni (buried at the bottom, strangely enough).<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma6.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Caviar et Oursin"></center><br />
Next up was <b>Asperges Vertes Pertuis</b>: Roasted Green Asparagus with Anis and Olive Oil 'fruiteee noire.' According to the server the asparagus was cured for 6 hours prior to a slight roasting on the grill. It was a well cooked stalk, but overall we didn't think the asparagus brought enough to the table, even with the accompanying sauces.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma7.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Asperges Vertes Pertuis"></center><br />
Moving on then to the <b>Maquereau de Ligne</b>: Wild Caught French Mackerel with Fennel, Anis, and a Liquorice-based sauce. Yes, liquorice. If you are one of the few people who like the taste and aroma of liquorice*, more power to you. I am not one of those people, however, and so I ate the fish and greens without it.<br />
<br />
* The <i>darling</i> disagrees vehemently. She argues that my prejudice against liquorice tainted my judgement, and that the mild pungence actually complemented the flavours of the mackerel and fennel perfectly, so this was the standout dish of the night for her.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma8.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Maquereau de Ligne"></center><br />
The last savoury course is instantly recognizable as Chef Haikal's handiwork: <b>Ohmi Beef</b> with Ramson (wild garlic), Gobo (burdock root), Yuzu Kosho, and a crispy potato stack. The Ohmi naturally was delicious - it <i>is</i> one of the big three Japanese Wagyus alongside Matsusaka and Kobe after all. The accompanying potatoes, gobo, and vegetable were also nice, but I didn't think the dish needed the watercress sauce so I left it untouched.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma9.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Ohmi Beef"></center><br />
<b>Wild Strawberry</b> headlines the 6th - dessert - course, atop umeshu jelly, chantilly, and smoked koshihikari rice puffs. We quite liked this fruity, not overly sweet dessert.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma10.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Wild Strawberry"></center><br />
Before we say good night, though, we have a cup of (included in the dinner price) coffee & tea alongside Alma's <b>Petit Fours</b>:<br />
<br />
- Chocolate cake with Pear jelly<br />
- Green tea tart<br />
- Raspberry with Gochujang square<br />
- Jackfruit and passion fruit macaron<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/alma11.jpg border=1 alt="Alma by Juan Amador Petit Fours"></center><br />
The 'sticker price' of s$218++ (per pax) is a little high considering that Alma usually only charges s$158++ for its 6-course degustation dinner menu. However with Citi's discounts we ended up paying s$109++, which is pretty good value, and we left the restaurant well fed and more or less extremely satisfied. <br />
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<b>Alma by Juan Amador</b> is at Goodwood Park Hotel. <a href=https://alma.sg/>Reservations recommended</a>; Non-Halal.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-34231881694247833742019-04-24T21:15:00.000+08:002019-04-24T21:19:00.600+08:00Delicious Thai Fusion Fine Dining at Tangerine, RWS/ESPA.π Interesting (and mostly delicious) Thai/Fusion Fine Dining. Good service.<br />
π Mediocre desserts. Location is really inconvenient for public transport.<br />
<br />
Resorts World Sentosa has a host of restaurants that the <i>darling</i> and I have never visited: mostly because Sentosa is kind of annoying to get to for those of us with no wheels. So when we heard about a Thai Fusion / Fine Dining place there named <b>Tangerine</b>, we decided to make a reservation and head on over to check it out!<br />
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<b>Tangerine</b> is located inside <b>ESPA</b>, the health and wellness complex located along the western edges of RWS. This makes it really quite out of the way, but persevere and you'll soon be seated in a comfortable, quiet dining room surrounded by greenery and man-made water features. It's a comfortable place to be, if perhaps not particularly <i>posh</i>-feeling.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine1.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining"></center><br />
The meal starts off with warm, freshly-baked spring onion brioche, served with an amazing lemongrass and basil dip. I liked the buttery fluffiness of the brioche, but the lemon-y, minty basil pesto was the star of the show. A perfect way to whet the appetite.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine2.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Spring Onion Bread"></center><br />
For my starter, I chose the off-menu <b>King Salmon Pad Thai</b>. Strips of raw King Salmon (I did not ask if it was farmed or line-caught), tossed in pad thai flavourings and condiments. The lime juice, fish sauce, and cilantro flavours - with the texture from the chopped peanuts and slight heat from the chili flakes - complemented the fish perfectly. I would consider a return visit for this starter alone.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine3.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining King Salmon Pad Thai"></center><br />
The <i>darling's</i> starter - <b>Pork Manaow</b> (Pork loin with chili lime dressing with flowers and vegetables from the garden) - wasn't quite as accomplished. While the dish is really pretty, we thought that the chili lime dressing was a little too strong, and flavour-wise overpowered pretty much the entire dish.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine4.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Pork Manaow"></center><br />
For my hot starter I chose the <b>Bamboo Clam and Angel Hair Pasta,</b> with Mexican Tarragon and Lump Fish Roe with Seaweed Sauce. This was a pretty good dish - al dente pasta with just the right briny salt from the lumpfish roe. I would've appreciated a little more flavouring otherwise, though, as the bamboo clam and flowers were a little bland on their own.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine5.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Bamboo Clam and Angel Hair Pasta"></center><br />
The other hot starter we shared was the <b>Yuba with Organic Onsen Egg</b> (Japanese Bean Curd Skin, Hon Shimeji Mushrooms and Ginger Flower with Garlic Parmesan Foam). The use of the bean curd skin as pasta was quite interesting, and the onsen egg and parmesan foam tying everything together as a luxurious, creamy, "pasta" sauce.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine6.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Yuba Onsen Egg"></center><br />
The standout dish of the day for me was the <b>Beef Short Rib and Foie Gras</b>, served with Long Beans, Heirloom Tomato, Spicy Shallots and Cilantro with Yuzu Dressing. The beef was slow-cooked to glorious, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth luxury, and perfect on its own. I also really liked how the accompanying vegetables (especially the long beans) and cilantro/yuzu sauce gave the dish a noticeable Thai flavour profile, which is something I haven't had the fortune to try in fine dining restaurants in the past.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine7.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Beef Short Rib and Foie Gras"></center><br />
We weren't quite as enamored with the <b>Pan-roasted Farm Seabass</b> though. Served with Summer Pea and King Oyster Mushroom with Citrus Sauce, the fish itself was cooked very well - nice, crispy skin, and a moist, firm flesh. However we weren't so convinced by the foam, the texture of which - in our opinions - really distracted too much from the fish and the overall dish.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine8.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Pan-Roasted Farm Seabass"></center><br />
For desserts, we first shared a <b>Madagascar Chocolate and Tofu Mousse</b>, served with Thai Farm Honey and Pineapple. The chocolate mousse (couldn't taste any tofu flavour) was ... decent, but overall it really was quite a simple dessert.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine9.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Madagascar Chocolate and Tofu Mousse"></center><br />
Likewise, the <b>Jasmine Panna Cotta</b> (Rice Puff, Dragon Fruit and Berries with Sweet Potato Crisp) had decent execution, but in comparison with the savoury dishes was perhaps a tad bit underwhelming and unambitious.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/tangerine10.jpg border=1 alt="Tangerine Resorts World Sentosa Thai Fusion Fine Dining Jasmine Panna Cotta"></center><br />
The 4-course lunch above is priced at sgd58++ per person (with an sgd8 and sgd5 supplement for the bamboo clam pasta and beef short rib respectively), which is fairly good value. If you're a MasterCard holder you really should head on over to their <a href=https://www.rwsentosa.com/en/promotions/mastercard-exclusives/1-for-1-dining-deals>1-for-1 dining deals page</a> (running til 30th June 2019), which brings the price down to an extremely attractive sgd29++ per person!<br />
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Drinks extra, of course.<br />
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<b>Tangerine</b> is at ESPA, Resorts World Sentosa. It's probably easiest to just drive or take a taxi/grabcar here, but if you're a staunch supporter of public transport, it's about a 10 minute walk from the huge Universal Studios Globe. Non-halal.<br />
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<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com3Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-37416623294195802302019-04-06T22:20:00.000+08:002019-04-06T22:40:17.328+08:00Dinner at Monti (at Fullerton Pavilion): A Citi Four Hands Kitchen review.π Food was generally pretty good, and the view of Marina Bay is gorgeous.<br />
π Service was a little hit-and-miss. Pacing of the dishes a little inconsistent.<br />
<br />
The Mar 2019 edition of Citi's 4 Hands Kitchen features <b>Monti</b> at the Fullerton Pavilion: A gorgeous Italian restaurant perched on the edge of Marina Bay! Monti's head Chef Felix Chong - with 15 years of experience in Italian fine dining - hosts Chef Guy Grossi, who visits from (among others), restaurant Grossi Florentino in Melbourne.<br />
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Did we mention that Monti is gorgeous? Well ... it is!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti1.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
Inside, the restaurant seating is designed to maximize Marina Bay views. Thanks to the high ceiling & tall windows, you get a very nice view of the Marina Bay Sands side of the bay even if you're not seated right by the windows. It's a nice place to bring a date.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti2.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
After we're seated we whet our appetites with some <b>Onion, Thyme and Sea Salt</b> bread. The bread is flaky and buttery (sort of like a croissant), and the added aromatics worked really well.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti3.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
The <b>Amuse Bouche</b> comes from Chef Felix's world: Marron with Lardo, Mortadella Mousse in Peroni Beer Bread, and 'Lasagna' Bolognese Espuma with Crispy Pasta. These 3 snacks were pretty delicious! We especially liked the Marron with Lardo: The fat from the ... well, <i>fat</i> (Lardo is cured pork fat), gave the bite a terrific oily (but not exceedingly so) mouthfeel.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti4.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
We then move on to the first of Chef Guy's dishes: The succinctly-named <b>King Prawn</b>, sourced from the Indian Ocean and served with tropea onion and pantelleria capers. The prawn stole the show, being perfectly cooked & seasoned.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti5.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
Next up: <b>Roasted Bone Marrow</b> by Chef Felix, served with 18 hours sous vide Wagyu Beef Short Rib, Saffron Risotto Cracker, and Gremolata Sponge. We didn't really feel that the gremolata (chopped herbs) sponge added much to the dish other than perhaps to soak up a little of the oiliness of the bone marrow. If you're comfortable with animal fats though, you'll love the combination of oily bone marrow and the beefy, super tender short rib on its own.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti6.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
Next up, also from Chef Felix: <b>Squid Ink Lobster Tortelli</b>, served in a spinach & tarragon broth, and accompanied by artichoke chips, fennel & lemon, and smoked vinaigrette. First the tortelli: It was very good. Well executed al-dente pasta hiding well seasoned lobster inside. The spinach & tarragon broth was also delicious, but we weren't so convinced by the grapefruit and citrus adding - in our opinions - a somewhat excessive sour note.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti7.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
The final dish from Chef Felix was the <b>Crispy Skin Tile Fish 'Amadai,'</b> served with perfumed fruit, celeriac & chive, and basil seeds. This was very interesting to us: The Amadai was deep fried (presumably only on the skin side) without any descaling, thus curling and crisping up the scales into a light, airy, crispy crust. The texture of this scales crust was a perfect contrast with the moist flesh beneath.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti8.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
For the final main course: Chef Guy's <b>Mayura Full Blood Wagyu Tri Tip</b> (MBS 9+), with onion, creamy mashed potato, and a watercress gravy. The steak (essentially) was sublime: It had a terrific crust, with a distinct nutty, earthy flavour. And being a from a full blooded Wagyu cow, the meat was naturally fatty, oily, beefy, and delicious. So delicious, actually, that we felt the watercress sauce actually hampered enjoyment, so we left most of it untouched.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti9.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
Finally, for dessert, Chef Guy bids us farewell with his <b>Buttermilk Panna Cotta</b> with latte, malt, and white chocolate. It was a pleasant, light dessert and a nice end to the meal. <br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/monti10.jpg border=1 alt="Monti Fullerton Pavilion Dinner"></center><br />
<b>To conclude:</b> The dinner was quite satisfying. We were also quite appreciative of the generous portion sizes. Food was also good: Good enough that we would consider at least two return visits: Once to sample more of Chef Felix's Italian dishes, and once to try the 1.1kg Mayura T-Bone Steak!<br />
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<b>Monti</b> is in the Fullerton Pavilion building across the bay from Marina Bay Sands. Non-Halal.<br />
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<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-90240091843154307552019-03-20T20:45:00.000+08:002019-03-20T20:45:41.376+08:00Great Sunday Brunch at Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong (Central)π Generally really good food, superb range of sashimi and cold seafood.<br />
π Variety of dishes and types of cuisine on offer isn't as high as some other buffets.<br />
<br />
Every once in a while we like to go stuff ourselves silly at a good Sunday Brunch. While visiting Hong Kong we decided to spend the afternoon having brunch at the <b>Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong</b> (Next to Central MTR).<br />
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Compared to other 5-star hotel buffets, the variety of cuisines and dishes isn't the greatest, but the quality of the dishes on offer were generally very, very delicious. We were quite amazed in particular by the fat and juicy scallops on the sashimi bar, and the king crab legs, oysters, and abalone on the cold seafood table. We also thought the roast prime rib of beef was excellent. There was a huge variety of desserts, some of which were perhaps somewhat an acquired taste, but most of which were good.<br />
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Service was friendly, attentive, and prompt, and the dining area is gorgeously elegant. If you're the type of person who absolutely must have over a hundred different dishes at a buffet, then this place might not be for you, but otherwise we highly recommend it if you're hankering for a Sunday Brunch Buffet in the city!<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper00.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch"></center><br />
Some photos of the bread and cheese table, sashimi, sushi, oysters and cold seafood bar:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper01.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Bread Table"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper02.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Cheese Table"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper03.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Drinks"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper04.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Sashimi"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper05.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Sashimi"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper06.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Sushi"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper07.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Cold Seafood"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper08.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Oysters"></center><br />
Some photos of the Hainanese chicken (a little dry), Roast Beef & Ham, Hot Dishes, and Desserts:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper09.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Hainanese Chicken Rice"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper10.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Roast Beef Ham and Yorkshire Pudding"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper11.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Sausages and Bacon"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper12.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Mussels"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper13.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Grilled Lamb and Broccoli"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper14.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Steamed Garoupa"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper15.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Desserts"></center><br />
Some photos of the food we brought back with us to our tables:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper16.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Cold Seafood"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper17.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Sashimi"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper18.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Roast Beef"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper19.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Hot Dishes"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper20.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Dim Sum"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper21.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Cold Seafood"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper22.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Seared Wagyu Beef"><br />
<img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper23.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Desserts"></center><br />
Finishing off with (complimentary) coffee and tea:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/clipper24.jpg border=1 alt="Clipper Lounge Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Tea"></center><br />
<b>Sunday Brunch</b> at the <b>Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong</b> costs HKD718 per adult (+10% service charge). Add HKD400 to include free-flow Champagne Rβ de Ruinart Brut NV, house white and red, beer, soft drinks and fruit juices. Visit the <a href=https://www.mandarinoriental.com/hong-kong/victoria-harbour/fine-dining/buffets/international-cuisine/clipper-lounge>Mandarin Oriental HK</a> website for reservations. Non-halal.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-40154901410649688112019-03-10T10:45:00.000+08:002019-03-10T10:47:58.653+08:00Superb Korean BBQ (charcoal) at Pujim BBQ, Amoy Street!π High-Quality meats grilled over charcoal, service was very good!<br />
π <i>Banchan</i> (side dishes) weren't the best.<br />
<br />
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of Korean BBQ places all around the island, so it's really quite easy to satisfy a Korean BBQ craving when you get one. Many of these places are quite mediocre, though: Either their meat is sub-par (typical of all-you-can-eat joints), or the grill is electric/infrared. So we were quite excited to visit <b>Pujim BBQ</b> over at the Telok Ayer area (Amoy Street, to be exact)!<br />
<br />
The dining area feels quite industrial, with bare concrete floors and unfinished brick walls. The neon purple lighting does give the experience a bit of an edgy vibe. We're pleased to report that the suction/exhaust system in use is strong, so you don't get any lingering smoke in the air. You <i>will</i> still leave with a noticeable grilled meats aroma in your clothes, though, so keep that in mind if you're planning a lunch visit on a working weekday.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim1.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ"></center><br />
The <i>banchan</i> (side dishes) were perhaps a tad bit underwhelming, with only salad and fish cake complementing the kimchi and various pickles. But that's okay as we're really here to stuff ourselves on charcoal-grilled meat!<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim2.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Banchan"></center><br />
The cut of meat on the first page of the menu - and also the first thing we immediately ordered - was this amazing <b>Rib Eye Cap</b> (amusingly enough it's called "prawn" on the menu). If you've never heard of this cut before, picture a rib eye steak. The rib-eye normally comes with a large section flanked (and separated by a layer of fat) on the top and side by a smaller strip of meat. This smaller strip of meat is the "Cap" of the Rib Eye and is crazily tender, fatty, juicy, and beefy. It's the <a href=https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/05/meet-the-ribeye-cap-the-tastiest-cut-on-the-cow.html>"tastiest part on the cow,"</a> and so it's pretty amazing to be able to order it on its own.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim3.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Prawn Rib Eye Cap"></center><br />
We also ordered some <b>Boneless Beef Rib</b> (Galbi/Karubi), which was really nicely marbled ...<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim5.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Boneless Beef Rib"></center><br />
... and <b>Pork Jowl</b> and <b>Pork Belly</b> for some variety. <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim4.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Pork Jowl and Belly"></center><br />
Another huge plus point (for us) at <b>Pujim</b> is that the waiters/waitresses help you grill your meat over the charcoal pit. I know that grilling meat on your own is perhaps one of the fun parts of a Korean BBQ dinner, but sometimes it's nice to have the professionals take care of that for you so you can concentrate on eating.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim6.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Cooked Rib Eye Cap"></center><br />
We thought that the way they 'serve' the cooked meat - on top of a slice of bread - was quite interesting. Excess juices were soaked up by the bread, and the meat got just the right amount of indirect heat to keep it warm without continuing to cook more.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim7.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Cooked Boneless Beef Rib"></center><br />
The resulting grilled morsels were - as you'd expect given the amount of marbling evident in all of the meats - absolutely delicious. Oh and the waiters/waitresses do ask you for your temperature preferences, too, so don't worry about getting a lot of pink and red everywhere if you prefer your meat on the well-done side.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim8.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Cooked Pork Jowl"></center><br />
Oh, we also do prefer the pork belly being 'thick cut' style rather than the thin, strip style that pork belly is normally served up at other Korean BBQ restaurants.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/pujim9.jpg border=1 alt="Pujim BBQ Cooked Pork Belly"></center><br />
At around s$48 per person after taxes, the meal here at <b>Pujim</b> certainly isn't cheap, but in our opinions it was really worth it. I mean for comparison, going to a cheap Korean BBQ buffet place will cost you around s$30 anyway, but the quality of meat, service, and the overall experience is many orders of magnitude inferior to what you get at <b>Pujim</b>. Highly recommended!<br />
<br />
<b>Pujim BBQ</b> is at 82 Amoy St. Non-Halal.<br />
<br />
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timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com1Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-50658812074143307492019-03-02T22:30:00.000+08:002019-03-02T22:32:12.825+08:00Review of Esquina Spanish Tapas Bar (a Citi Four Hands Kitchen dinner)π Food was great. Good synergy between both chefs' dishes.<br />
π Bar seating isn't the typical 'fine dining' setup.<br />
<br />
The <i>darling</i> and I paid a visit to <b>Esquina</b> Spanish Tapas Bar for the Feb 2019 edition of Citi's 4 Hands Kitchen! In a nutshell, 4 Hands pairs up a (visiting) foreign chef and a local one to create a limited-run lunch and dinner menu, and is a pretty sweet way to sample and compare two cuisines in a single meal.<br />
<br />
For this edition, Chef Carlos Montobbio (R) of Esquina hosts Chef Gustav Knutsson (L) of Denmark's 1-Michelin-starred <b>Bhoga Restaurang</b>. We're seated at the counter right in front of the kitchen, which makes for an amazing view of the chefs and cooks as they whip up the 8 courses for dinner.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina1.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
First up, we get some <b>snacks</b>: Marinated "Gordal Olive" stuffed with anchovies and basil, Dried Sour Cream with trout roe and chives, Celeriac Tarte with Thyme and Puffed Rye, and Uni and Chips. Our favorites were the Dried Sour Cream (dehydrated until it was almost like a large chip), and the Uni. <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina2.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
The first starter was the <b>Lightly Seared Scallop</b> (by Chef Gustav), served in a Scallop and Mussel Consomme, brown butter, and pickled seeds and herbs (pickled at their restaurant in Denmark over the summer). The pickled seeds and herbs added a surprising and yet refreshing sour and tangy taste to the scallop.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina3.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
Next up: <b>Baked Sweet Potato</b> (by Chef Carlos). The potato - slow-baked for two hours, resulting in smooth and sweet decadence - was topped with a smoked quail egg and served with Aji Amarillo (a type of chili from Peru) sauce and Crispy Quinoa.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina4.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
The next dish (by Chef Gustav) was served up in two parts. The first was a small breaded & deep-fried 'fish finger' with a cut of turbot that was more fats than meat, resulting in an interesting gelatinous texture.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina5.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
The second (and main) part was the <b>Grilled Atlantic Turbot</b>, with turbot fat emulsion and topped with smoked brussels sprouts and fermented garlic. Turbot's a pretty mild-tasting, somewhat firm-fleshed fish, so it was perhaps with this in mind that the accompanying greens (and the entire dish) was lightly seasoned as to not overpower the fish.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina11.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
We move on then to the <b>Tsarskaya Oyster</b> (Chef Carlos), lightly broiled and then served with warm Pigeon Jus, Winter Black Truffle, and Beetroot foam. Unfortunately the <i>darling</i> and I are yet to learn to appreciate oysters, so this dish was sadly a little wasted on our unrefined palates. <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina6.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
Chef Gustav's <b>Raw Westholme Wagyu Beef</b> was brushed lightly with a reduced mushroom soy sauce, and served on a bed of spruce tips and shimeji and shiitake mushrooms. All in all it was pretty delicious, but our <i>kiasi</i> subconscious still can't let go of the fact that raw beef does add a bit of risk to the dining experience.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina7.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
Chef Carlos then finished off the savoury dishes with charcoal-grilled <b>Iberico Pork Presa</b> and Espelette Confit Potato. The pork itself was tender and delicious, but the collision of flavours from the (very) tangy Nam Jim Jaew Sauce, and (very) salty Ras-el-hanout Hollandaise gravy was a little overwhelming for us.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina8.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
No such problems with the <b>Beer Stout Ice Cream</b> (Chef Carlos) though. The stout ice cream, banana cake, banana foam and warm caramel sauce complemented each other perfectly, and was a very satisfying dessert.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina9.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
Chef Gustav's <b>Raspberry and Red Current Sorbet</b> - served with picked powdered roses, cream, and salted meringue - was also a very good dessert. We were especially enamoured by the crisp-thin salted meringue sheet, which was wonderfully light, airy, and delicate.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/esquina10.jpg border=1 alt="Esquina"></center><br />
<b>To conclude:</b> The dinner was overall a very satisfying one, and we found the portions sized perfectly for the average middle-aged adult appetite. This Four Hands Dinner was priced at s$93 - s$186 nett (depending on what type of credit card you hold) per person. At s$93 nett it's an amazing value for the quality of food served up, but we're not so sure if we'd willingly pay the full s$186 nett sticker price.<br />
<br />
<b>Esquina</b> Spanish Tapas Bar is on 16 Jiak Chuan Rd, near the Outram Park MRT Station. Non-Halal.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-86583427172641195562019-02-17T15:27:00.001+08:002019-02-17T15:27:31.544+08:00Singapore Airlines 'New' Regional Business Class Review (SQ638, SIN-NRT)!π The large, straight-on footwell makes for a superior sleeping position.<br />
π Seat is relatively narrow (for SQ), no 'double bed.' <br />
<br />
The wife and I got the chance to try out Singapore Airlines 'new' Regional Business Class on their B787-10 Dreamliner from Singapore to Tokyo/Narita!<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RGUas8OjqOU" width="560"></iframe></center><br />
<b>SQ 638</b> is a 6hr 35min scheduled flight, leaving Singapore at 11:55pm and arriving in Tokyo (Narita) at 7:30am. It's a perfect, albeit a little short, time-saving flight as you can work a full day, sleep in the plane, and then have an entire day of vacationing in Tokyo (or wherever else you're planning to go to in Japan).<br />
<br />
<b>Check in at Changi Airport</b> as a premium passenger is, as always, an extremely efficient affair: Just a couple of minutes and you're all checked-in and past immigration. The <b>SilverKris Lounge</b> (for Business Class passengers) was surprisingly packed, so it might not be the best place to get some rest. The food available was far better than most of the other lounges in the airport, however!<br />
<br />
<center><img alt="Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge Food" border="1" src="http://www.timing-design.com/food/sq638-1.jpg" /></center><br />
<b>The New Regional Business Class seat</b> is a departure from Singapore Airlines' typical Business Class seats, in that it places the footwell right in front of you (instead of skewed to one side). This is, in our opinions, a HUGE improvement in sleeping position, and therefore is probably a superior seat for (relatively) short red-eye / overnight flights like this one. There are a couple of drawbacks though, namely:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>The seat is noticeably narrower than Singapore Airlines' International Business Class (but still perfectly fine for my 86kg frame.</li>
<li>There is no "double bed" available, and even in the middle "couple-type" seats you need to lean forward quite a bit to speak to your travel companion.</li>
</ul><br />
<center><img alt="Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class" border="1" src="http://www.timing-design.com/food/sq638-2.jpg" /></center><br />
<b>Dinner</b> was served very promptly after take off. We tried the Hanakoireki and the Seared Black Cod ala Nicoise, which were both filling and delicious. Having said that, it's a little odd to have dinner/supper on a flight scheduled to take off at midnight. Wouldn't a heavy breakfast be a better idea instead?<br />
<br />
There was also a light continental breakfast served just prior to landing, which we chose to skip in order to get a little more shut-eye.<br />
<br />
<center><img alt="Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class Food SQ638 Hanakoireki" border="1" src="http://www.timing-design.com/food/sq638-3.jpg" /></center><br />
As is usual for Singapore Airlines, you get water, socks and slippers and an eye shade, but you <i>don't</i> get pajamas in Business Class. You don't get an amenity kit, either: You're expected to head to the toilets to pick up shavers, combs, toothbrushes, etc if you want them.<br />
<br />
Overall, the flight was extremely comfortable, although it being so short (actual flight time of around 6 hours) meant that it was really just board, eat, then recline the seat to get as much (very comfortable) sleep as possible.<br />
<br />
<center><div class="fb-page" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-height="70" data-hide-cover="false" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" data-show-facepile="true" data-small-header="true" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="600"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lookseeeat/">Look See Eat</a></blockquote></div></center>timinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076705703643811650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261814018057284287.post-6303097997196238302018-11-25T16:17:00.000+08:002019-02-17T14:56:40.147+08:00Is Cut by Wolfgang Puck the Best Steakhouse in Singapore?π Steaks are cooked to the perfect temperature and have a terrific sear.<br />
π Dining room is really dark, Food is really pricey.<br />
<br />
Where's the best place to get a steak in Singapore? Well, if we go by the Michelin Guide, <a href=http://wolfgangpuck.com/dining/cut-singapore/>Cut by Wolfgang Puck</a>'s the only Steakhouse in the city with a Michelin star. The restaurant's got a little bit of a reputation for being pricey, though, which is why we've been putting off a visit ... until today!<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut1.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck" border=1></center><br />
You probably already know this by now from reading other reviews - or by having just walked past the restaurant - the dining area is really dark. Tables are also packed quite close together, resulting in noise levels that are surprisingly high. Not the best choice for a romantic dinner, then, unless you can get one of the more private, alcove tables set along the edges. Also, while sometime in the past waiters used to bring meats to your table to help you choose your steaks, it seems that doesn't happen any more.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut2.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck" border=1></center><br />
The waiters <i>do</i> at least bring the bread selection to your table, though. We especially liked the sourdough and the onion bread. The pretzel was pretty good, too!<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut3.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Assorted Bread" border=1></center><br />
For starters we had the <b>Maryland Blue Crab Cake</b> (s$38) with Heirloom Tomato Relish and Basil Aioli. The crab cake didn't disappoint: Almost all crabmeat and no filler. perfectly seasoned, delicious. Would totally order this again when/if we return.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut4.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Maryland Crab Cake" border=1></center><br />
We also tried the <b>Maple Glazed Pork Belly</b> (s$33) with Fuji Apple & Yali Pear Salad, and Sesame-Orange dressing. This appetizer was also amazing, the pork belly being cooked to tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The acidity from the julienne'd apple & pear and citrus dressing was marvelous in preventing fat overload. Definitely a must-order.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut5.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Maple Glazed Pork Belly" border=1></center><br />
On to the main star: The Steaks! Cut stocks and serves up a relatively high variety of cows: USDA Prime, Australian Angus and Wagyu, American Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyus from Hokkaido and Sendai. The cuts are priced from a <i>very </i>reasonable s$92 for 340gm of USDA Prime NY Strip/Sirloin all the way up to $330 for 170gm of Hokkaido "Snow" 45-days Dry-Aged Wagyu Rib Eye.<br />
<br />
We decided to share something more mid-range: The <b>Tasting of New York Sirloin</b> (s$255), which comes with:<br />
β’ 120gm of USDA Prime Illinois Corn-Fed beef,<br />
β’ 120gm of American Wagyu from Snake River Farms, and<br />
β’ 90gm of Japanese Wagyu from Sendai prefecture.<br />
<br />
Each steak came cooked <i>beautifully</i>: A perfect medium-rare (as we requested) almost from edge to edge, and yet having a terrific crust on the top and bottom. These are simply the most well cooked (technically) steaks we've ever had in Singapore. <br />
<br />
With regards to the meat, well, it goes somewhat as you might expect. The USDA Prime has the most chew and is the most stringy, and the Wagyu was so tender and fatty it almost felt like eating foie gras. The Snake River Farms wagyu - our favorite, by the way - was somewhere in between (slower to the USDA Prime than the Sendai cow, though).<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut6.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Tasting of New York Sirloin" border=1></center><br />
To accompany our steaks we added on half a 400g <b>Maine Lobster</b> (s$25) and <b>Foie Gras</b> (s$45) - both of which were well cooked but overshadowed by the meat. We also had <b>Tempura Onion Rings</b> (s$18) and <b>Brussels Sprouts</b> (s$18) with Sesame Yuzu Aioli and Glazed Shallots. Ultimately we felt that the flavour of the Brussels Sprouts was too intense, and didn't enjoy how it tended to overpower everything else.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut7.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Lobster and Foie Gras" border=1></center><br />
Being too stuffed after starters and mains we declined to order anything off the dessert menu ... but still got a (surprisingly delicious) mini carrot birthday cake anyway!<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut8.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Birthday Cake" border=1></center><br />
Before we left we also got some petit fours, the best of which had to be the black sesame macaron; it's earthy flavour blending beautifully with the sugar and ground almonds.<br />
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<center><img src=http://www.timing-design.com/food/cut9.jpg border=1 alt="Cut Wolfgang Puck Petit Fours" border=1></center><br />
So there you have it! In our opinions Cut <i>does</i> live up to its' reputation as Singapore's best steakhouse. The way they char their meats while yet maintaining perfect edge-to-edge temperature is sublime; and their starters and sides are also very solid. The price tag <i>is</i> pretty steep, though, so it'll remain firmly in our "special occasions only" bucket (unless we get lucky with an upcoming toto jackpot).<br />
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<b>Cut by Wolfgang Puck</b> is in the Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, right next to the Sands Theatre. Reservations highly recommended; Non-Halal.<br />
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