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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
Spotlight used to have 3-4 stores around Singapore but now they are left with one outlet at Plaza Sing. They sell a large variety of craft items and fabric so you can practically find anything there.... IF you have the patience.
I hate how the things are always in a mess. The shelves are hardly ever tidy even when you go when they open shop. The items are not packaged properly so it makes it easy for people to tear them out. They don't put out samples for people to see, forcing people to buy blindly or to rip their packaging...
They have very few staff around this huge store so don't expect help in locating things. not to mention, everytime you go back they would have shifted the things around. Few things remain in the same corner for long.
Also the prices of some of the items are more expensive... so choose wisely.
I wouldn't go there if I had a choice... Sometimes only Spotlight stocks up stuff from American brands...
Rating given:
I had the chance to go to Hilton on my own yesterday. It was rainy and I got out on the doorsteps on the hotel. It was bustling with activity for the doormen and valets were all trying to get cabs for the guests who were patiently waiting at the glass door. I have been running to quite a few hotels recently and this wasn't done at those hotels anymore. It was nice to see some things like this still done.
The doorman who opened the door for me greeted me with a very nice "good evening". I was ah hour early for my appointment so I decided to loiter about in the hotel. Every staff greeted me. When I was in the lift alone and 3 of them entered, all three smiled and one said hello even. When I got out of the lift the staff outside, held the door for me and greeted me as well. While I was being a busybody around the swimming pool and entertained myself taking pictures, the staff greeted me and waited till I was done before coming up to offer extra information about the venue.
When I met up with the catering manager later, she immediately offered me a drink from their cafe when we sat down. That was a first which I certainly didn't experience in other hotels. She also patiently answered all the questions, even those which I vaguely remember asking before. She was also very flexible with some details agreed to change some things for me.
The place looks nice and pretty posh. I like the interior decor pretty much. The arrangement for the wedding solemnisation to be held by the pool then the lunch to be served in the function rooms next to the pool is a very good idea. I viewed the rooms which I was quite satisfied with. But they are going at $300 per night. ($1080 for F1 nights)
To be honest, I haven't tried the food yet. But the overall atmosphere of the place was very warm and made one feel at home. I guess the only reason why I haven't given it a 5-star is the hefty price tag. I'll update when I've tasted the food. ;)
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Hanabi has a few other outlets in Bukit Timah and North Bridge Road.... this would be its new addition. I haven't been to the other outlets though my companions have. They have Japanese Buffet in ala carte style which was what brought us to the place during the CNY season. There were 5 adults and 2 kids and we managed to get a table despite not calling ahead. It was really crowded, being a weekend evening and during the festive season. Buffet prices for weekend dinner was about $30(adult) I believe.
Service was good, considering how busy they were. They topped up our tea and water regularly and tried to clear the plates whenever they could. Food was served relatively fast and orders were not forgotten.
However I've had better Japanese Buffets where the food is fresher and tastier. The menu which the food is listed on could be improved on as it is a little disorganised. The variety of food varies from outlet to outlet, according to my companions, who were a little upset that certain sashimi wasn't served in this outlet.
But I do think that a re-visit is possible... when I'm not with fussy people and there's nothing much else in the area to try.
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Etna (East Coast) is the 3rd restaurant from this Italian chain. It opened just down the road from the busier section of Siglap just weeks ago. Fresh from my great experience at de Parma, I was game to try another Italian place so rallied people for a Sunday Lunch.
Stepping into the place, I found it dim but still comfortable. There was enough lighting for us to take photos. The seats were comfortable and the tables were comfortably spaced for people to move about.
The staff were friendly and warm. But it was a tad difficult to get their attention at times. Not to mention, our food arrived before our drinks. There was also one part which I felt really strange. We were asking for recommendations. The response we got was... "We are relatively new so there aren't any real chef recommendations. But if you really really want, then I think this one. " and the assistant manager proceeds to point to the most expensive pasta on the menu. I thought that was a really odd thing to say.
The complimentary bread served was a little too dry and hard.
Food Ordered:
Bruschetta Etna
Toasted Bread with 4 different toppings
I was a little surprised when the dish came but I guess I should have expected it from the description. I thought that it would be a mixture of the 4 toppings on each and not 4 different toasts. The toppings on one or two of them didn't look too fresh. I picked one, the one with mushy green/orange vege and ate it. Well the toppings were ok. The bread was a little too hard and chewy though. Much like the complimentary bread.
Insalata di Gamberi
Rocket salad with prawns, dressed with extra virgin olive oil
This was really nice. I like Rocket and this came in a tasty dressing and the prawns were really fresh.
Quattro Stagioni
Tomato, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives
No complaints about this pizza. The size was ok, the toppings were sufficient. But the base was thicker than the usual thin ones Italian places served but I'm alright with that.
Bistecca al Gorgonzola
Grilled rib-eye steak with gorgonzola cheese in a light cream sauce
I downright disliked this dish. The sauce had a very weird milky taste to it. I hate milk and this one really reeked. I only took one small bite and refused to try any more. Moreover it was very rare, the inside was really really red. The portion was very small too. Well maybe that part's a blessing in disguise.
Taglierini al Pesto di Bronte
Homemade pasta in a Sicilian pesto sauce (with pistachio from Bronte in Sicily)
Plain pasta in cream with nothing else. I'd expected the pasta to be superb to make up for the fact that it didn't have additional ingredients, but it wasn't, which kinda upsetted me. But this was average I guess, until you see its price tag.
Torta al Cioccolato
Chocolate cake
I love chocolate cakes and I guess because of that, this one really disappointed. It wasn't rich and moist like a chocolate cake should be. It was really dry and crumbly for the wrong reasons.
Tiramisu al Pistacchio
Tiramisu with pistachio flavour (from Bronte in Sicily)
This one does taste a little like Tiramisu, but where's the pistacchio? The colour looked the part but the taste wasn't there.
Panna Cotta Etna
I think.... the red stuff on top was raspberry. The texture was a little weird but this was alright I guess.
The bill came up to about $160 for the 5 of us, including 3 drinks. Not all minuses... but I think it'll be a long time before I'm back. (Perhaps never.)
Rating given:
Popped by with Claudia, LIC and Tamago a few weeks (months) ago.. It's my first time at a Tong Shui place despite it having a few outlets at other places.
I loved the decor of the place. The bright colours are so cheery and yet go so well. The places has some of those crockery from old days and the furniture was basically in that style too. The lady who greeted us at the door was nice and polite and showed us to our seat. There weren't many people that night as it was a weekday I guess.
As we were already full, we ordered a dessert to share and it was the Tutti Frutti Summit at $11.90.
I felt that only the Mango was nice enough and that was the first one to finish too. The rest of it, the strawberry and the kiwi flavours were just too weird. The kiwi didn't taste like kiwi at all and I kept feeling as if it had a rubbery smell to it. The strawberry one was the sort with some milk in it and it's just not nice.
Nonetheless there were lots of other things on the menu and I think i would go back to try the others.
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I had been on the hunt for jeans for a long long time and went through all my usual places with no luck. I chanced upon Gap and walked right in, not feeling too lucky.
When I went in, the place was organised and it was easy to locate the section I wanted. But that was where I started to get confused. Jeans of different styles were stacked together and they were not arranged according the size. Also there were very few jeans on display, forcing one to unfold the neatly stacked piles.
If there were a store assistant to offer help immediately it wouldn't have been a problem. But the staff were chatting loudly across the store, stacking already neat piles.
The styles were confusing. There were the usual bottleg, flare, straight cut, skinnies... but there were also variations to these with a whole host of descriptions under each heading.
After muddling around for about 20 minutes, I finally got someone to help me and he asked me what size I wanted. Here came an even bigger problem.... The sizes read like 1P, 2, 3... etc... HUH? I asked him what waist size would each of these equate to and he couldn't give me a clear answer. He said something like this is in between 25 and 27 (isn't that 26?) and this is between 27 and 29... THAT got me really confused... anyway I later figured I'm size 1.
I tried on a few pairs and finally found my dream pair. I paid for it. It cost me $75 after a 40% discount. I brought it home, only to realise that my hands turned blue after touching them for a while... the dye was coming off on my hands. I thought that a few washes would solve the problem.. well it's been 3 5 washes and the colour still runs.
I do like the style of the clothing... but they are really a tad too ex for the minimal design.
Rating given:
Don't go if you don't have anything to buy!
I went to the IT Show yesterday after 7pm, and as expected, everyone headed down on the first day too, in hope to avoid the even massive jam over the weekend.
I did a survival guide for those who's visiting IT Show. If you're keen to read, please go to my blog.
One concern I have at such a crowded event... what IF there's an emergency? I wonder how will they evacuate that many people within the shortest time possible. But I'm sure the organisers would have all these planned and ironed out long ago.
Everyone knew that the place is going to be packed, but still everyone still wants to go check out the prices. Why? Cos they always have very good bundles and discounts at the show. Especially for those who hate shopping and comparing prices at so many stalls around Sim Lim or Funan, shows like this is the easiest for them. Perhaps the price is not the cheapest, but with a little more, you get whole lot of goodies. So why not right?
Have you gone to the show too? Did you get anything there?
Rating given:
My first trip back in Serangoon Gardens. I haven't been here for the last ten years. So many things have changed and many had remained. I found myself on the doorstep of this quaint little Italian restaurant. My friend and I were curious about it and decided that this would be our dinner place that Thursday evening.
Being a weekday evening, I guess it's perfectly understandable why it wasn't crowded. About 4-5 other tables were occupied while we were there. They have a seating area of about 40, including the two tables outside. They have soft warm lighting and earthy tones to create a cosy ambience. It has nice interior decor really.
The staff was warm and friendly. My friend came a little later than me. So the staff talked to me a bit, introducing the restaurant and telling me about the background of it,which was nice.
Food ordered:
Funchi Triffolati al Moda Dello Chef - $12.90
Portobello Mushroom garnished with grilled bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes & olives with de Parma's house dressings.
I love mushrooms and I'm so glad this dish didn't disappoint. I love the juiciness of the mushrooms as I bit down into it. In fact I loved it so much I was clearly happy to have more than my share. haha I also enjoyed eating it with the bell peppers.
Calzone (Folded Pizza) - $24.90
This Neapolitan speciality is filled with ham, bacon, onions, mushrooms, capsicums & smoked cheddar cheese.
This folded pizza was pretty huge, so it sort of justified the price. Inside was filled with plenty of warm ingredients. It would have been more delicious if it were piping hot but then it would have been difficult to eat. So it's good as it is, just one gripe... the outer covering was a little too hard and we had to put quite a bit of effort into cutting it up. Good exercise.
Fileto Di Mento - $32.90
Air-flown, grain-fed beef tenderloin drizzled in red wine sauce & served with Portobello Mushrooms & sauteed vegetables.
Let me say this for the record: I'm not a beef person. In fact I don't like beef, but only started eating it when I joined Yebber. Even so I only take one small slice to try each time. But this one? It was fantastic. Yummilicious! The meat wasn't tough and hard to chew. It was tender and the meat was well marinated. But the mushroom that came with it was visibly squashed and shrunken, though it still tasted nice with the sauce they had.
Chocolate Fondant
Break the hard crust outside and the chocolate inside flows out nicely. A chocolate addict, I'd say this fondant is good! Not the best but certainly very good.
Tiramisu
I think I was a tad biased when I had this Tiramisu. The last 4 Tiramisus I had simply didn't taste like Tiramisus... so when I had this one, I had the words "FINALLY...." going in my head. Nicely done with a tinge of liquor which my companion insisted didn't exist.
The total damage for two of us was $105. Good food, nice ambience, good service. It does seem a little ex but I think it was well worth it. TRY TRY TRY!
Rating given:
1/2 Price Tuesday! So 1/2 the menu and service too?
Felt like having waffles yesterday so I met my girlfriend for dinner at Gelare. The last time I went, the mushroom cream pasta was pretty shiok. But yesterday our experience was in fact, very bad.
This outlet at Hougang Mall is pretty small and getting a table for 4 wasn't easy. After 20mins of waiting outside, finally we got our table. They've now improved on their menu and there were many choices that looks quite good. Since we were there for the waffles and pasta, we didn't get distracted. We wrote our orders on the order sheet provided at every table and went to the cashier to place our order.
While waiting in the queue, I realised that the ice cream choice we wanted wasn't available. And thus I tried to remember whatever that's there and walked back to the table to check with my friends. By then, I've already forgotten 80% of the choices available. Had to walk all the way back to check again and then back to the table to change our orders. Statisfied with our choice of ice cream for our waffles, we got back to the queue and when its our turn, the cashier told us that they had run out of mushroom cream pasta!!! (They could have indicated somewhere or inform us when they cleared the table right?) My friend had to walk back to our table and check what we want to change our pasta to, and then we changed our order AGAIN and joined the queue AGAIN!
We ended walking back and forth for about 5 times before we placed our orders with the cashier!
Our pasta was served first and one look at it I lost my appetite. We ordered tomato seafood pasta, the pasta looked pathetic with the little amount of sauce that only managed to cover 1/3 of the pasta for mine and 1/2 of the pasta for my friends'. We were too hungry to complain and so we just went ahead with what was given.
After our pasta, we stayed to chat while waiting for the waffles which was finally served after more than 30 mins! We did indicate to serve our waffles later, aka after we're done with our pasta, but not till that late.
Very disappointed about yesterday's experience. Guess I'll just forget about the pasta and just go for their waffles the next time.
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I had a chance to take a ride on the Singapore Flyer before it was officially opened to public. I was very very excited and was looking forward to the flight. I was there at night and as it was not open to public yet, there wasn't much people there. The flyer was lighted in blue neon color at night and gives a very dreamy feeling at night.
Everyone has to pass through a security check, like at the customs, before entering the boarding area. To get to the flyer itself takes abit of walking and couple of escalator. And before stepping onto the boarding platform, everyone will enter into a mock up of the capsule where photos will be taken. ($15 for the first photo, $10 for subsequent copies.) This photo is supposed to be superimposed into the back drop and show as if we took it while riding on the Singapore Flyer. You can buy the photo after the flight with the magnetic tag passed to you at the mock up photo taking area.
Finally we saw the capsule! Boarding the capsule can be rather tricky. It continues to move as everyone rushed up to get into the capsule before the boarding period passes. I wonder if they carter for handicaps entrance. Probably they'll have to stop the moving flyer for such boardings. The capsule was not as big as I’d imagined. 24 of us standing around the capsule already seemed rather packed and it was rather warm inside the capsule. Can't imagine hot hot it might be in the day when the sun is above.
The view from the top of the capsule was magnificent. You get to see the beautiful skyline from high above. It's recommended that you move around the capsule and enjoy the entire 360-degree view. If you are planning to take photos, its advisable to bring a tripod and set it up before you're 1/4 way up the flight. The glass used isn't suitable for photo taking with flash. So you'll have to have very steady hands or use flash and missed out the beautiful backdrop in the background of your photo.
I'll probably return for another flight when the construction of Marina Bay is complete. Now only one side has got good view.
Rating given: