Monday, December 29, 2008

Chillout at No 5


No. 5 Cocktail Bar is a 2-storey shophouse tucked away at the stretch before Centerpoint. It was quite a nice and cosy place to chill at. Chatted away while we tucked in the food and drinks.
Pizza w spicy filling
Pizza with spicy filling
Wings
Wings
Mini Beef Burgers
Mini Beef Burgers
No 5 Emerald Hill
5 Emerald Hill Road Singapore 229289
Tel : 65 6732 0818

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Swiss Culture - Cheese fondue delight


As I think back on days of St Gallens semester, the thing I miss most was the awfully delicious cheese fondue. ZR and I thought we can go to a place with fondue! Aww… The two choices were La Fondue and Swiss Culture. We settled on Swiss Culture (Suntec) as it seems more affordable than La Fondue!

The cheese fondue (with Ferdant wine) was priced at 38.80.
Melting pot of cheese
Melting pot of cheese
It is really quite convenient to have it outside, versus preparing it ourselves. The cheese was quite rich and fulfilling, just that the taste of the wine could be a lil overbearing. Besides having bread, we had sausages and chicken cubes as sides. Due to a promotion, we had a complimentary chocolate fondue with an order of the Cheese Fondue.
Complimentary choc fondue
Complimentary choc fondue
Swiss Culture Restaurant Pte Ltd
3 Temasek Boulevard
#03-006 Suntec City Mall
Singapore 038983
Tel: 65 6333 5919
Website: http://www.swissculture.com.sg/

Monday, December 8, 2008

Macau - One Day Tour, Food and Sights


We were to set off to Macau! I’ve thought of checking the place out since I did research about a conference at Venetian in mid 2007.

In order to get to Macau, we need to get to Shun Tak Center (Level 3) at Sheung Wan. As it was a public holiday in Macau, we had to pay close to 60SGD for the to-and-fro ferry ride. We rode via Turbo Jet.  

When we arrived at the ferry terminal, Est and I experienced a very interesting quarrel between two Chinese ladies (Lady A from Macau and Lady B from Mainland China) in the Ladies. We were part of the single queue leading to the various cubicles. A few ladies entered the washroom (including Lady B) and they brushed against us and scurried to line up in front of the respective cubicles as though they didn’t see the existing queue. I guess Lady A could not take it anymore and she spoke up:

Lady A: 你们为什么这样?以为排在厕所前就不用排队了吗?你到了噢门,就得守噢门的规矩。华人的名声就是给你们弄坏了!真没有教养!
Lady B: 我哪里没教养?

Both entered the toilet and continued to squabble even when they entered the cubicles. I was with Lady A cos it was my exact sentiments. Just that I didn’t have the courage to voice out. Heh.

Our first stop in Macau was Venetian Macau. Hoping on to the shuttle service at the ferry terminal, we were there in less than 20 minutes. The shuttle service stopped at Four Seasons, The Plaza casino first. And we had a tour of it before walking over to Venetian Macau. The Venetian is grand and stylish in its own rights. Hope to be able to stay there one day.

Entrance
The Entrance
Driveway
Driveway
Interior
The lavish interior
Walkway
Brightly lit walkway
So classy
So classy
After we returned to the ferry terminal by shuttle service, we hopped on a cab to Senado Square. It is enclosed by the buildings of the Leal Senado, the General Post Office, and St. Dominic’s Church. The square is paved in the traditional Portuguese pavement. It was bursting with activities. We started taking pictures and snacked on! The first thing we tried was the pork bun and it was solid! We could not stop thinking about it even after we got back to HK. We also went to Tai pa 太白楼for dim sum lunch.

DSC00564
Dim sum place!
We circled Senado Square several times to locate Pastelaria Koi Kei (鉅記) specializing in peanut candy, almond biscuits and egg rolls! We wanted to get to the place cos we saw so many people carrying the bags. And it is probably very good. Brought some to office and my colleagues enjoyed them!

Next on, it was the St Paul’s ruins.
St Paul's Ruins
St Paul's Ruins
Often see the building from friends’ pictures on Facebook. And I finally got the chance to see it for myself. It has a very classic, historical feel. The ruins refers to the façade of whatt was originally the Cathedral of St. Paul, a 17th century Portuguese cathedral in Macau dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. It sits on a small hill, with 66 stone steps leading up to it. We were trying to take pictures but it was really challenging given the large crowds. In the midst of taking pictures, we saw Amanda. It is really quite a small world at times.

We decided to walk over to Mount Fortress since it is in the vicinity. Was a challenging climb given the high steps. But it was all worthwhile to catch the sun setting. Just so beautiful.

Sunset
Like the backdrop
We also checked out Musue De Macau given the historian trait in Est. It was quite enlightening to read more into the history of Macau from its humble beginnings to where it is today. An interesting bit is the delicacies!

Towards the end, we were rushing back to Senado Square to grab a cab back to the ferry terminal!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Hong Kong - Hike & Seafood at Lamma Island

The original intention of heading to Lamma Island was to check out the sights and seafood.
Intro to Lamma
Intro to Lamma Island
At the pier
At the pier
Scenic View
Scenic View
Upon reaching the island
Upon reaching the island
I didn’t imagine that it’d turn out to be a hike! So glad that we were clad in sports shoes cos it was an uphill task to walk from one pier (YSW) to another (SKW).
YSW
YSW
SKW
SKW
Upon reaching the island, it resembled Kukup. While we made our way through the island, we snacked along the way, feasting on curry fishballs, 鸡蛋仔 and 豆腐花. 豆腐花 was featured in Moonlight resonance.
Signboard
Soya bean curd
Ever delicate dou hua
Ever delicate dou hua
It’s so good! Most delicate texture I’ve tasted! Although the filling has the taste of ginger, it was a good combination!

Soon after, we began to mount the hill. It was especially challenging on some of the slopes as they are steeper. The whole hike took about 2 – 3 hours. Quite a work out indeed! It was quite satisfying upon reaching the peak. Heh.

Seafood lunch at Tai Yuen Restaurant – we ordered a seafood set at HKD$318 for 4 persons.
Tai Yuen
Tai Yuen
Quite a spread of seafood ranging from scallop to prawns to mussels!

Fried Rice
Fried Rice
Calamari
Calamari
Scallops
Scallops
Soy Sauce Prawns
Soy Sauce Prawns
Mussels
Mussels
The Greens
The Greens
My favourite was the scallops!


It is definitely worth a go if you like to check out nature in Hong Kong! 

Friday, December 5, 2008

Hong Kong - Disneyland & Hollywood Hotel


Here is an interesting welcome!
An interesting welcome
Welcome!

There were 4 main segments within Disneyland:
Parade
Main Street
1) Main Street USA - This is the main area upon entering Disneyland! Visitors are likely to find the Disney characters within this main street. We also managed to catch Mickey's Waterworks Parade in mid noon.

Was especially entertaining to see how characters such as Alice in Wonderland sing to the Cantonese dance tune! Oh, they actually know how to speak Cantonese? Heh. The surprise element was the wet component of the parade. Showers of blessings were catered to cool the guests from the heat in August! In the evening we were treated to a fine display of fireworks...Aww...So magical.

2) Adventureland - This is for the slightly more adventurous group featuring a Jungle River Cruise and the Tarzan's treehouse. For the cruise, we had a very animated guide who quickly won the rapport from the passengers.
Animated Guide
Animated Guide
The design and thoughts put into this cruise were amazing. Worth the queue!

3) Fantasyland - 2 things that I was impressed with! Firstly, Mickey's Philhar Magic was well orchestrated and left viewers recollecting disney classics. Furthermore, the effects complemented the 3D show well, with gusts of wind, spurts of water and scents of food adding on to the surprise for viewers! Secondly, Small World was rather fascinating with displays such as Aladdin, Mermaid and the list goes on..!

Small World
Small World
We also went through some queues to take pictures with our favourite Disney characters!

4) Tomorrowland - Space Mountain was a thrilling ride (a lil similar to Panasonic in Escape theme Park way back). When I got in, I wasn't sure if I was ready. And I was definitely relieved when it was over. Astro Blasters is a cruise where all of us will attempt to shoot at targets and I managed to top the scores among the 4 of us. Ha.

Tomorrow Land
Tomorrow Land
How could we miss out on the fireworks?

We also got the chance to stay at the Hollywood Hotel (4* Disney Hotel). Guess we were really looking forward to it. The counter staff processed our check in rather quickly. We were upgraded to the (insert name) where we’d be able to view the fireworks from the comfort of the room. What’s more we were able to tune in to the sights and sounds by tuning in to one of the TV channels to enhance the viewing experience. Its way cool! Here is a peek into the room and deco.

Table setup
Table Setup
Mirror Mirror on the wall
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
TV for tuning in to Fireworks!
TV for tuning in to fireworks from the hotel
Towel in disguise
Towel in disguise
Washing area
Washing Area
Mickey Themed Soap
Mickey Themed Soap

Monday, September 22, 2008

German fare at Brotzeit

We treated ourselves to a German dinner spread @ Brotzeit (Raffles City) – with an amazingly large pork knuckle and sausages!
The knuckle - isn't it huge?
The knuckle - isn't it huge?
Salmon
Salmon
Sausages platter
Sausage Platter
Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
252 North Bridge Road
#01-17 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103
Tel: 65 6883 1534

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Hong Kong - Sights, Food and more!

Day 1 (Saturday)
The much awaited Hong Kong (HK) Trip is finally here, after 2 delays and a cancellation due to Typhoon Nuri. Apparently, we were told that it was a Signal 9 on Friday. Well, wasted a day of leave staying home and waiting for SQ to cancel the flight we were bound for.
Due to the delay, SQ arranged additional flights for all the customers and we decided to board the one at 8am the next day. We kind of expected that it may take some time as there were large numbers of customers affected by the delay on Friday. Little did we realize that there were 5 passengers who checked in their luggage and decided not to board. The crew spent close to another hour removing the luggages of that 5 passengers. The flight managed to take off at 10am. The ride to HK was quite a smooth one and we were on course till we approached the HK airport. We were not able to land due to the heavy traffic. Someone from our travel agency later told us that in such circumstance, the plane would hover around that area until it is low on fuel. In all, we took a grand 7 hours to travel from SG to HK.
But I was filled with a deep sense of relief to see that the weather was perfectly fine and one could not have imagined that the typhoon struck HK the day before.
By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was close to 5pm. We decided to check out Sogo and Avenue of the Stars in the evening. The lights show in the Avenue of the ars was quite fascinating, just that I spend most of the time figuring out the best configuration for my digital cam. Although the settings were not optimal, the sights were still rather captivating!
View from Avenue of the Stars
View from Avenue of the Stars
After which, we returned to the hotel before we headed out again. Here's how the hotel looks like at night:
Kimberley Hotel
Kimberly Hotel
At Mong Kok, BZ managed to buy quite a number of items such as T-shirts, belts etc while we were absorbed with the sights and snacks (Curry Fish Balls and Grilled Squid).
Snacks... Aww
Snacks...Awww!
My dream of checking out Xu Liu Shan was also realized on Day 1! I ordered Yang Zhi Jin Lao and that was really a strong dose of mango. And it ended of the night on sugar high.
Mango Pomelo
Mango Pomelo
Day 2 (Sunday)
We started this day early with the 1/2 Day City Tour by Ann's Travel. I must say that they were quite good in making the necessary arrangements for us throughout our stay. The stops arranged were
1) Dim Sum Breakfast @ Foo Lum - Interestingly, there is also a Foo Lum Eatery opposite my office in Spore. They are likely to be Cantonese then! Over breakfast, there was a giant mass of dim sum. The rest of the tour folks are also from Spore and they are actually colleagues. Because of the typhoon, they were only able to spend 2D1N in HK. What a pity!
Dim Sum Barrel
Dim Sum Barrel
2) Photo taking at Golden Bauhinia Square - This is to mark the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997.This was the site where the photographer arranged to take the photos for us. We thought that photo taking would not mean we've to buy them and that we would have the option to purchase it at the end of the trip. We were quite surprised that they were developed by the end of the trip and it was 150HKD per pax! Initially we wanted to refuse it, but we decided we should end it off on a good note, and leave it for keepsake. Ha...
3) Jumbo Kingdom @ Aberdeen - Its the place for seafood on a boat. The guide indicated that it could cost up to HKD300 - 500 dollars per pax!
Home to the Dan Jia Ren
Home to the Dan Jia Ren
We also went on a boat ride to see the homes of the earliest group of people who arrived in HK.
4) Repulse Bay - Checked out the sea side but we did not really get to enjoy it cos it started to pour after a while. Interestingly, the rain only lasted for under 10 minutes. And that was the only rain we experienced throughout the entire stay in HK.
Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay
The Peak - Visit to Mdm Tussauds Musuem myself was quite a fun experience. Was amused when the guide told us that the wax figurines are modified as the actual personalities change (for e.g. the addition of wrinkles).
At the end of the trip, we met up with ZR to head to Charlie Brown Theme Cafe at TST. Quite a nice place for photo taking and a light meal!~ Personally found the mooncakes to be really cute and delicate.
Charlie Brown Themed Cafe
Charlie Brown Cafe
We managed to go for the MTR rides from Day 2 onwards.
The Peak Tram
The Peak Tram
The winding queue
Check out the queue!
In the evening, we made our way to the Peak to catch the night view. As we've yet to try the tram, we thought we should do it... but we did not expect to wait for more than an hour for it. And it was really very crowded and stuffy. When we finally got to the Peak, it was a relief!
View from the Peak
View from the Peak
After coming down from the Peak, we took a bus to LKF. As we were there on a Sunday evening, there really wasn't any serious partying going on. And like what a friend shared, LKF is really quite small. We settled for drinks at Green Bar before heading back to the hotel to rest.
LKF
Bar George
What a long day!

Day 3 (Monday)

Day 4 (Tuesday)
We had Dim Sum at Maxin (City Hall). Overall, the food is much better than the ones we had at Foo Lum.
We shopped at Island Beverley before heading back to the hotel with mooncakes, goodies and Lao Po Bing.
Island Beverley
Island Beverley
In the evening, we shopped again at Mong Kok and made our way to Modern Toilet for dinner. This is a theme restaurant featuring the washroom! Unique concept originating from Taiwan. 
But the food was only so so. After which, it was more shopping at Argyle Center!
Because of the extensive shopping, we had so much to pack that we ended packing at about 3am.


Day 5 (Wednesday)
Lorraine recommended Macau Café for the food and so it was for breakfast on the last day! The Bo Luo Bao was nothing short of fabulous. The nicest one I tasted during the treat. The other breakfast items were good as well!

Macau Restaurant
Macau Cafe
Pineapple Chicken
Pineapple Chicken
My fav!
My fav!
As we had some time, we broke into pairs for some last minute shopping. BZ and I took the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tung Chung. Quite refreshing to see the seas and the mountains. At Tung Chung, we managed to do some last minute shopping. Would probably be shocking when the bill comes. 
BZ and I had a meal at Yuen Ji, the eatery that is opposite the hotel. And it was local food once more – Char Siew Noodles, Fish Porridge & Bo Luo Bao.
Char Siew Noodles~
Char Siew Noodles
We awaited for the bus to pick us up for the airport.
While we were on the bus, we all fell asleep as we were simply too tired. Managed to buy some food back from Krispy Kreme + Xu Liu Shan. We were very happy with the service rendered by SQ on the return flight. It was on time, food was good. And the plus point was there were no children running around.
Would like to visit HK again, for the food and sight seeing!
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