Headed down here for a weekday dinner on the eve of Hari Raya with 2 of my girlfriends at 645pm and we were 2nd in the queue. We had to wait almost 20mins to be seated, but then again a long queue is always reflective of the quality of the food, most of the time at least.
We decided to order to share:
Stir Fried Beef Hor Fun ($8) - nice! The beef slices were tender and I actually liked it even tho I'm not a beef person. The simple dish had just bean sprouts and some greens but the wok hei plus just the right amount of oil made this very good.
Home Style Fried Bee Hoon ($8) - this was nice too! Similarly full of wok hei and silvers of greens with evenly flavoured bee hoon.
Seafood cakes with wasabi mayo ($8) - Average plus a a tad too oily. Small deep fried pillows containing a mash of what I could only taste squid. Topped off with wasabi mayo but no wasabi punch at all.
Service was harried because of the crowd but the waiting time is not too bad as you can order while still in the queue. I saw many tables with pots of soup and am assuming it is good. Not a place to linger over meals as well as the place is quite noisy plus the long queue outside makes you a little nervous too sometimes.
Reasonable pricing and nice food makes a good alternative to all-time favourite Crystal Jade! Just remember to go early if you can to avoid the crazy queue.
Redeemed a complimentary night here as part of my belated birthday stuff. And also an opportunity to just relax :) The hotel was sweet to give me a complimentary cake for my birthday, although it was already belated.
The lobby was really empty and I had no problems checking in when I arrived at shortly after 12noon as I had requested for early check in. The staff was attentive and even walked to the lift to offer help plus carry my bag for me.
Room 501 was good sized with 2 super comfy single beds; fitting in also was a nice writing desk and also another couch-like chair with a clothes rack. The bathroom was nice, albeit a little on the small side. I love the Molten Brown toiletries!
There's also a DVD player and ipod player in the room, plus an alarm which i didnt use. One of the pillow case was stained but they very quickly changed it after we called. Requests for ice buckets, extra toiletries etc was also responded to fast.
Some of the mini bar drinks were complimentary which I thought was nice. Also free wireless in the room but sometimes the signals are quite weak, depending on which spot in the hotel you're at. No pool, but a very small gym which looked very un-used.
There's only 2 dining options in the hotel - Nectar at the lobby level (breakfast venue too) and a rooftop bar Halo. The bar is quite a nice place for chilling out if you get a nice breeze going. Otherwise, a big local market is available 5mins walk away.
I was prepared for a sad breakfast spread after reading the reviews and it was indeed quite sad. You get 1 order of your choice of eggs and sausages etc, and the rest of the spread was simple stuff like porridge, one type of dim sum, a small cheese platter, smoked salmon, cold cuts. There's of course fruits, cereals, and coffee/tea. Nothing fanciful but I actually think it fills you up suitably.
I have this review as average although I think the rooms are quite good due to its location. I'm a local so its not so bad, but for visitors it may be abit boring here. No shopping within walking distance, although there's Chinatown but a good 3-4 bus stops away. The hotel is also about 10-15mins walk away from the nearest MRT, Outram. If the weather is hot, the walk will feel much longer.
This hotel is probably not ideal for a staycation or someone who's a 1st time visitor to our country but will be fine for someone who's looking for a good night rest with good accessibility to the airport (right next to a major expressway).
This was a staycation choice for a farewell for a close friend who was going overseas for a while, plus a good 60 days advance purchase deal. The room reservation was also kind enough to grant me an upgrade due to my iPrefer membership.
The 2 Executive Suites I had were well maintained, very clean, and very roomy at 64 square metre, although some of the furniture looked worn out. A long couch big enough for an adult to sleep on in the living room was a luxurious touch. The bed was super comfy too! And mini bar was free - the issue with this i will address later. There's also complimentary wifi in the rooms, and I was given a complimentary fruit platter plus some chocolates, nice! There is also the cute nespresso machine in the suite which came in handy.
Breakfast at Carousel was excellent in terms of quality and quantity, eat here! The C;ub Lounge on the 15th floor serves TWG teas and machine coffee but you get complimentary high tea from 3-5pm - British high tea but refillable. Come 5:30pm - 8pm you get alcoholic drinks plus a small variety of tapas-like bites. Quality was just alright for me.
Didnt try the pool but popped by to have a look - it was rather empty although on a weekend and also small-ish in size.
The following are issues to me though:
Rude attitude at lobby area – one of my guests was waiting for me at the lobby couch when he was approached by a staff member who asked me if he was a hotel guest. When he replied he was waiting from some friends to check in together, he was told he was not allowed to wait there if he is not a guest. I think he didn’t quite get the idea that my friend was not a guest YET but GOING to be one. When asked why, the staff member said they encounter some members of the public sleeping at the couches but my friend was obviously not sleeping at that time. I suspect the staff member realized at some point thereafter and came back to apologize to my friend but I feel it should not have happened in the first place, as it would have been a rude shock to anyone. In any case, it didn’t seem logical in the first place that members of the public were not allowed to be at the lobby.
L'Occitane toiletries / housekeeping issues – when I was granted the upgrade, I was given a list of entitlement for Suite guests which included my favorite - L'Occitane toiletries. But when I saw there were only the hotel’s in-house toiletries in both rooms, I made a call to housekeeping to ask and was told some checks would be made. Half an hour later I was still waiting in the room and decided to call again and this time spoke to a different person who told me the same thing, that checks would be made. 10mins later, my doorbell rang and a lady from the housekeeping brought up this pack of Chopard toiletries and asked if this was what I was asking for. I said no and showed her the print-out of the email – she said the hotel does not have such brands. I was planning to visit the Club Lounge after that and brought up the toiletries to see if anyone can help. The staff at the lounge said that all suites are given the Chopard toiletries now and the hotel doesn’t hold the brand, but said he will check for me and someone will call me back at my room. About half an hour later, the housekeeping brought me the packs of L'Occitane toiletries. I find it very odd that what the hotel apparently did not have could magically appear after making some calls. I am really fine with having house-brand toiletries, but if it is stated that that is one of the perks of the suites then I look forward to the extra treat. If the hotel cannot commit to having that particular brand of toiletries available, then it is better not to state the brand and just say ‘luxury toiletries’. Otherwise the above incident will make me wonder if hotel is trying to hold on to the toiletries for some reason and not provide unless the guests repeatedly asks for it.
The ipod dock was also missing in my room but I did not ask about that since I had no use for it. But again, for someone who was expecting it, it would have been a disappointment.
Bottled water – I called to ask for 4 more bottled water (on top of whatever is in the mini bar) for my room as I get thirsty quite often. Shortly, a staff brought me the 4 bottles and told me it would be chargeable at $5 per bottle, and I thought he was kidding from the way he said it. I later called the housekeeping only to be told that yes, it is indeed $5 per bottle. I know the min-bar is free and I would understand if the hotel wants to charge for any additional soft drinks etc but I have never heard of anyone charging $5 per bottle, it is ridiculous. And why was it that I was not told when I requested for it? Plus there is no signage in the room anywhere to inform guests about it. Ultimately, the housekeeping agreed to waive the charges and let me have them at no charge when I expressed my displeasure and asked for someone to collect the 4 bottles back. But this also means that a guest who did not know because there was no way they could have known will get a rude shock upon check out. I seriously think the hotel should review this. If not, the hotel should just simply revert to the good old standard of charging for everything except bottled water.
And in fact, I was informed that the mini bar is replenished once a day and I had assumed it meant it will be topped up maximum once a day AFTER I have consumed the first round of the contents. The word ‘replenished’ is misleading and should be rephrased.
A minor issue was that there was supposed to be a personalised check in at Royal Club Lounge for Suite guests / Royal Touch member but I never got that, nor was I ever acknowledged for being a member throughout my stay. Again, I would have been fine except that I was expecting it as it was listed all in the same email. The hotel has to improve on its member acknowledgement.
The conclusion is that while the hardware is perfectly okay, it is the software i had issues with. They need to buck up on it, given its reputation as a 5-star hotel.
Was recommended this place and a specific stylist by a friend of mine as I was getting bored of my hair. Surprisingly, it was not crowded on a Sunday afternoon.
Was seated quite promptly and the stylist came over to talk to me. I was actually expecting her to recommend some styles as she is quite senior but she didn't, and instead passed me some books to browse through. Not sure if it was supposed to be like that but I heard from the grapevine that some stylists dont recommend because they do not want to be saddled with any kind of responsibility for how it turns out.
I picked one, and the new colour for my hair. The stylist gave a few advice on the things to look out for for the colour I picked, which was nice.
The stylist took off a bit of my length before washing my hair - nothing fantastic about the wash nor the products. The colour came next, and all was quickly done with no fuss. The stylist was shuttling between me and another lady but totally okay for me as there's no point in her standing her and watching the colour set in.
Then came the supposed treatment which I asked to take as a package - cut colour treatment $189. Again, it didnt feel anything special and no one explained to me what the treatment does.
Finally the cut. The stylist was quite meticulous with the cut, even explaining to me that she was using a razor to shave off the hair ends at the nape of my neck before actually starting the shave - I would have panicked otherwise. The end result had some resemblance with the picture which I thought reflected good skills I guess.
Ginger tea was served during my 2 hours there, plus magazines. There was also initiative to bring me some more magazines when I was finished with the 1st 2.
However, the way the chairs and slots for the tea and magazines were not friendly at all. You cant reach them if you're seated. At all. You either need to reach to your far left / right or bend down. Quite annoying for me.
I quite liked the cut, and have received compliments about it. Plus the price is reasonable too. Worth a return visit for me.
Had the opportunity for a business lunch here ~ I walked past this place a few times but never did realized it is a Aussie cuisine sort of place.
The place was understandably quiet on a weekday 12:30pm with just a few tables occupied, mostly looking like business lunches. The have a open kitchen concept, plenty of sofa seats, and the non-sofa ones comfortably spaced out as well. It looked like it would make a great for a date at night!
They have quite a variety of choices for lunch alone: ala carte, the Executive Set Lunch ($68 for 4-course), or the 2 or 3 course Daily Set Lunch ($38 for 2-course; $42 for 3 course). We both took the 2 course as 3 would be too heavy for us. The bread is an extra order.
StoneHearth Flat Bread ($11 for 1 portion) - served with extra virgin olive oil, butter, dip - there's 4 choices of bread and you can pick 2 halves for that 1 portion. We had the Truffled Kalamanta Olive Flat Bread and the Wild Fire Spiced Flat Bread which were both very good, especially the olive bread. It also came with a macadamia dip (the dips change daily and are made in-house) which was excellent!
Barramundi (choice of chicken, beef, risotto, or this) - preserved lemon, vine tomato, whipped parmesan potato, extra virgin olive oil - The best fish dish I have ever tasted in a very long time. The 2 chunks of fish was very fresh and its skin grilled to perfection and adequately salted. The whipped potato was a little too fine for me, almost too smooth to taste like it should be.
Valrhona Chocolate Soup (no choice of desserts) - Black pepper ice cream, sesame crisp - this was recommended to be the specialty and it indeed was good! It came in what looked like a giant spoon with the top bit baked to harden a bit more while the insides are still liquid (literally soup). The accompanying ice cream didnt taste like anything black pepper though but the sesame crisp was quite nice although it could have been a bigger piece.
Service was quite good and the staff is very efficient at clearing your plates and were very attentive in fact. No grouses here.
The ala carte prices seemed reasonable altho not exactly cheap but I suspect they may find it abit hard to get attention due to the stiff F&B competition at RWS. I also did not expect to see a $68 lunch set to be honest.
I probably not return on my own as although the food was good but it was not too exciting either.
The former Bliss cafe premise is now more crowded with people wanting to try Willin Low's new venture and of course this being the first ever proper hang out place in Hougang area made it even more popular.
They have a surprisingly big seating comprising of indoors (which is seldom the first choice), the 'patio' which is more lounge-y and on the same level as where the bar is. Then there's the ever popular pondside seats on a wooden deck complete with very efficient fans which makes sitting there bearable even on a hot day.
Before I went, I've already heard of the wildly popular lychee beer which is so popular that it is currently sold out until end of the month according to the staff. Oh well. Timmerman's Strawberry ($10) - supposedly the popular option to try. But not nice! It taste like a very sweet cider and gets cloyingly sweet after a few mouthfuls.
Erdinger draft ($12 for 1pint) - fresh from the tap but it could have been better chilled.
Chicken wings ($4.90) - Nice but beware of the seemingly innocent dip which gives its kick quite soon.
Giant Sausages ($12.90) - Nice! 2 giant pork sausages nicely grilled served with your choice of mushroom sauce, black pepper, or mayo. The mashed potato was not too bad and the shredded cabbage was fresh and crunchy. The side of fries was shoe string and served hot but could have been less salty.
Chicken Chop ($13.80) - Chicken was tender but came with a whole sheet of skin. The rest of the sides are the same. Chendol ($6.20) - I didnt have this but everyone I've seen ordered this says its nice.
Service was slipshot and the staff team seem to be sometimes forgetful, ignorant, and doesnt make the effort to look up from their ipads order system to spot people waving their hands to ask for service. Be prepared to face bad service on weekends.
That being said, I will still return as this is the only decent place around for me. Prices are reasonable too.
The initial plan was for Pizzeria Mozza but apparently the place is so popular that I couldn't get reservations even though I called in slightly over a week earlier. Still sticking to our initial theme of Italian food, we decided to head for Gattopardo instead, which happens to be under the Garibaldi group.
Gattopardo is located at Fort Canning Hotel, a rather swanky looking hotel that sits at the top of, where else but Fort Canning Park? Probably not the most central place to get to if you don't drive and even if you do, road signs are misleading. There are a couple of carparks around Fort Canning but please do park at the hotel's basement carpark to save on the hassle.
The restaurant itself looks rather inviting with its simplistic layout and dim lighting. There is even a seafood counter where you get to take a look at the day's seafood, all laid out on mountains of ice behind acrylic covers (sashimi anyone?), very much like a Japanese restaurant. As there were quite a number of us, we managed to snag the private room, which can comfortably seat 10.
Complimentary Bread - We had multiple servings of the bread as it was honestly quite addictive, especially the thin and long wafer like biscuit. Crackling crispy and heavily salted with a tinge of spiciness, I was guilty of eating at least 6 slices of it. We were demanding refills of the bread so often that our waiter must have felt intimidated.
Grilled Calamari - The grilled calamari was a recommendation from the chef who manned the seafood counter (who incidentally was also a friend of someone at my table that evening). I have got to give it to him. This was an excellent recommendation and everyone around the table agreed in unison that the calamari was nicely grilled with a smokey, savoury aftertaste and a nice chewy texture.
Mozzarella di Bufala e Cuore di Bue - Nice and light but nothing too outstanding in my humble opinion. And $25 did seem a little too expensive for 4 slices of quivery cheese.
Gattopardo - This was the namesake pizza of the restaurant and was essentially white garlic focaccia with smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, onion and potatoes - all in all it sounded like a smashing combination. Alas, reality is often harsh and the pizza tasted nothing more than your typical cheese prata with onions. Oh and yes, with a lingering hint of fishiness from god knows where.
Arrotolata - Divided up into small segments, the Arrotolata (Smoked mozzarella, suckling pig, porcini mushrooms, grape sauce & rucola salad) was another one of those pizzas that looked good on paper but came out as average in reality (like the Gattopardo). The crust was a little chewy and crisp with little bits of pork stuffed in between so no complaints about the crust. However taste wise, the pizza lacked the oomph and the harmonious blend of distinct flavours I was looking for. Sadly, the whole thing just tasted like bread with cheese. Also, the grape sauce wasn't evident and I had to resort to asking for a side serving of the grape jam.
Tiramisu - I was impressed by the huge portion of tiramisu which doesn't seem to be the norm at Italian restaurants nowadays. The mascarpone cheese was light but the sponge fingers did seem a little too "waterlogged". And I couldn't make out any alcohol taste. A teetotaler version or is it just my numbed tastebuds? Would have appreciated if the tiramisu was served a little more chilled as well as that would have enhanced the eating experience.
The 8 of us had a rather unsatisfying dinner to the tune of $422 (with a 10% discount). That works out to be an average of about $53 a head. Not too expensive but I don't think the quality of food corresponds to the price tag (save for the grilled calamari). Service was decent but that's hardly enough reason to make me go back.
Got persuaded by a friend to try out their herbal steam therapy at the Ang Mo Kio branch. To quote the website, its "a traditional Chinese method that combines the modalities of steam therapy, infra-red radiation and Chinese herbs. It helps to improve your blood circulation and allows for maximal absorption of the essential goodness of the medicine herbs". Wow.
And so we went but booked prior just to be safe. Most of the people sitting there was for the chinese doctor and we could go in almost immediately.
We both picked the slimming ones which is basic $20 $3 for the packet of (slimming) herbs.
The place was sparsely decked out and its actually individual steam chambers separated by curtains. No frills procedures: draw the curtains, take off everything, wear the disposable underwear, then sit into the chamber. The only part of your body that's exposed is your head so if you sit next to your friend its still possible to chat. The lady was also being very professional about things and gave us a towel and tried her best to make sure that we weren't uncomfortable.
The session is supposed to be for 20mins but after 15mins I could feel myself wanting to get out. It is VERY VERY hot. Plus you breathless just like in a sauna. But sweating buckets from that actually feels quite good.
You can stop the session anytime u feel unwell, and it being our 1st time, the lady stayed with us all the way and chatted to us to distract us. She said for return customers she doesnt do that.
You dry off with a towel after that, get dressed, then an area with basic plastic chairs is available for you to rest, as your heart rate will still be high. Water is also available as you'll be parched.
I seriously dont know if the extra $3 for the slimming herbs works but you actually feel very refreshed after that and I quite liked the feeling! You'll also smell of herbs and of lemongress and ginger more so no real nasty smell.
However, I feel the $20 is an indulgence although you do feel good. They have a package of course but only makes it out to being slightly cheaper per session.
I was curious enough to buy a voucher for one of their weight vapourizer treatment at $46 for 1 session so made a booking at the NEX outlet for a Mon evening.
The staff at the reception didnt seem very professional at receiving customers and asked me to sit in a room, asked for my voucher, then brought it back to ask what certain words on the voucher means. Huh?
I was then brought o change to start the treatments and the stuff explained very briefly to me the procedures, which is as follow
- 15mins to improve blood circulation by lying on a bed with and a 'blanket' which looks like a giant blood pressure machine over your middle section (tummy and abs). It squeezes you then releases, then repeats for the next 15mins. I felt a little heat at the end of it but nothing else.
- 15mins to lie on a "vibrating" bed but I found out the bed doesnt really vibrate but more similar to shaking vigorously, and I didnt feel any real effects. There were heat emitted from the cover of the bed but they didnt explain what that does.
- 20mins for steam room. It an individual steam chamber and half glass window. I was supposed to be in there for 20mins and there was a timer which runs down from 20 to 0 mins. All throughout I can hear some staff who were free sitting outside and talking / bitching about the politics of the work which I thought was not very professional. After 20mins the steamer beeped and I heard someone walk over, and instead of opening the door, I heard her re-set the timer and walked off again, without checking if anyone (me) was inside! I pushed the door slightly ajar and asked them 'This should already be done, no?' and they responded in shock. One of them walked over, opened the door fully, and in front of me, turned her head to say to her colleagues "I didnt know anyone was inside!". Another said "I thought she had gone out!". All right in front of me. Then they started asking each other whose customer am I, and looked around looking confused. They finally got to their senses enough to ask me to sit down to rest while I guess they figure out who I belong to.
Lastly, wrapping to 'shape' the body - they used a giant cling wrap to wrap most of me, from upper arms to thighs. When I asked shouldnt some gel / cream be used before the wrapping, the response was oh no need, as the body is still warm from the steam and the wrapping alone will work.
Thankfully they didnt try to hardsell me any packages but I think it was because the staff who received me at the end was new.
The thing is I didnt feel welcomed at all as a customer. Different people directed me from room to room for the different treatments, and I had to ask some of them how long that segment will take because they didnt explain. And forgetting that someone is in the steam room is simply not forgivable - accidents can happen!
Ventured here for a family birthday dinner as the concept looks interesting and the price seemed like a deal too good to miss. $30 for a dinner buffet in Orchard area is something worth checking out!
Park Hotel Orchard has somewhat been obscured from the public eye due to its strange positioning - smack behind KnightsBridge and lobby level being on the 4th floor. But perhaps it saved Open House from the usual maddening crowd too.
The buffet is publicized as having 4 live stations and you can eat all you want, but there's actually more stations. Its mostly local food peppered with some ang moh eats, and you order at the station with your table number and they'll bring the food to you, so its almost semi ala carte. Station 1: roasted meat station - there's char siew, roasted pork, roast duck, and satay. I tried the char siew and they were quite good, very lean with almost no fatty bits, only that the sauce is a little too sweet. The satay was not bad too!
Station 2: noodle station - your choice of sze chuan spicy noodle soup, wantan noodle, laksa, sliced fish noodle, mee siam, mee rebus. I tried the sze chuan and the laksa. The sze chuan one was not really spicy and I felt the soup was too starchy. The lakas tasted a little watered down but still generally okay.
Station 3: dim sum - har gao siew mai, bbq pork buns, radish cake, and glutinous rice - I tried only the glutinous rice but it was not good, like something went bad in it. I hope the others are better!
Station 4: claypot - choice of claypot rice, assam fish, bak kut teh, kung po chicken, braised beef brisket, braised seafood with beancurd - The claypot rice was good and it had the burnt bits which was my favourite; the assam fish was nice with eggplant and ladyfingers thrown in, and the bak kut teh was comfort soup although they only give one piece of meat per claypot.
Station 5: pizza - 4-5 types of pizza ranging from the usual Hawaiian to strange ones like duck lychee pizza (eee). The teriyaki chicken we tried was thin crust and nice, although the sauce is a bit too sweet too.
Station 6: desserts - usual cakes and some kuehs, fruits, red bean soup, ice cream with a selection of ice cream. Nothing that a kid would not like. I only had the ice cream and whatever brand of ice cream it was, their triple chocolate was not bad actually!
On top of that they have a very small section of starters - vege sticks, cold cuts, potato salad but I thought they were very nice to offer that.
Service was surprisingly quick even though its really semi-service more than actual buffet style, but sometime too eager to want to clear your plates. But better than the opposite i guess.
This is not your international buffet and you will not get cold seafood or complicated eats here but for the value it offers (you get 20% with DBS cards), I would say this is quite a nice place to eat at and return to. Plus you do not need to feel like sardines to eat here~
1=SGD 0.0587
Headed down here for a weekday dinner on the eve of Hari Raya with 2 of my girlfriends at 645pm and we were 2nd in the queue. We had to wait almost 20mins to be seated, but then again a long queue is always reflective of the quality of the food, most of the time at least.
We decided to order to share:
Stir Fried Beef Hor Fun ($8) - nice! The beef slices were tender and I actually liked it even tho I'm not a beef person. The simple dish had just bean sprouts and some greens but the wok hei plus just the right amount of oil made this very good.
Home Style Fried Bee Hoon ($8) - this was nice too! Similarly full of wok hei and silvers of greens with evenly flavoured bee hoon.
Seafood cakes with wasabi mayo ($8) - Average plus a a tad too oily. Small deep fried pillows containing a mash of what I could only taste squid. Topped off with wasabi mayo but no wasabi punch at all.
Service was harried because of the crowd but the waiting time is not too bad as you can order while still in the queue. I saw many tables with pots of soup and am assuming it is good. Not a place to linger over meals as well as the place is quite noisy plus the long queue outside makes you a little nervous too sometimes.
Reasonable pricing and nice food makes a good alternative to all-time favourite Crystal Jade! Just remember to go early if you can to avoid the crazy queue.
Rating given:
Redeemed a complimentary night here as part of my belated birthday stuff. And also an opportunity to just relax :) The hotel was sweet to give me a complimentary cake for my birthday, although it was already belated.
The lobby was really empty and I had no problems checking in when I arrived at shortly after 12noon as I had requested for early check in. The staff was attentive and even walked to the lift to offer help plus carry my bag for me.
Room 501 was good sized with 2 super comfy single beds; fitting in also was a nice writing desk and also another couch-like chair with a clothes rack. The bathroom was nice, albeit a little on the small side. I love the Molten Brown toiletries!
There's also a DVD player and ipod player in the room, plus an alarm which i didnt use. One of the pillow case was stained but they very quickly changed it after we called. Requests for ice buckets, extra toiletries etc was also responded to fast.
Some of the mini bar drinks were complimentary which I thought was nice. Also free wireless in the room but sometimes the signals are quite weak, depending on which spot in the hotel you're at. No pool, but a very small gym which looked very un-used.
There's only 2 dining options in the hotel - Nectar at the lobby level (breakfast venue too) and a rooftop bar Halo. The bar is quite a nice place for chilling out if you get a nice breeze going. Otherwise, a big local market is available 5mins walk away.
I was prepared for a sad breakfast spread after reading the reviews and it was indeed quite sad. You get 1 order of your choice of eggs and sausages etc, and the rest of the spread was simple stuff like porridge, one type of dim sum, a small cheese platter, smoked salmon, cold cuts. There's of course fruits, cereals, and coffee/tea. Nothing fanciful but I actually think it fills you up suitably.
I have this review as average although I think the rooms are quite good due to its location. I'm a local so its not so bad, but for visitors it may be abit boring here. No shopping within walking distance, although there's Chinatown but a good 3-4 bus stops away. The hotel is also about 10-15mins walk away from the nearest MRT, Outram. If the weather is hot, the walk will feel much longer.
This hotel is probably not ideal for a staycation or someone who's a 1st time visitor to our country but will be fine for someone who's looking for a good night rest with good accessibility to the airport (right next to a major expressway).
Rating given:
This was a staycation choice for a farewell for a close friend who was going overseas for a while, plus a good 60 days advance purchase deal. The room reservation was
also kind enough to grant me an upgrade due to my iPrefer membership.
The 2 Executive Suites I had were well maintained, very clean, and very roomy at 64 square metre, although some of the furniture looked worn out. A long couch big enough for an adult to sleep on in the living room was a luxurious touch. The bed was super comfy too! And mini bar was free - the issue with this i will address later. There's also complimentary wifi in the rooms, and I was given a complimentary fruit platter plus some chocolates, nice! There is also the cute nespresso machine in the suite which came in handy.
Breakfast at Carousel was excellent in terms of quality and quantity, eat here! The C;ub Lounge on the 15th floor serves TWG teas and machine coffee but you get complimentary high tea from 3-5pm - British high tea but refillable. Come 5:30pm - 8pm you get alcoholic drinks plus a small variety of tapas-like bites. Quality was just alright for me.
Didnt try the pool but popped by to have a look - it was rather empty although on a weekend and also small-ish in size.
The following are issues to me though:
Rude attitude at lobby area – one of my guests was waiting for me at the lobby couch when he was approached by a staff member who asked me if he was a hotel guest. When he replied he was waiting from some friends to check in together, he was told he was not allowed to wait there if he is not a guest. I think he didn’t quite get the idea that my friend was not a guest YET but GOING to be one. When asked why, the staff member said they encounter some members of the public sleeping at the couches but my friend was obviously not sleeping at that time. I suspect the staff member realized at some point thereafter and came back to apologize to my friend but I feel it should not have happened in the first place, as it would have been a rude shock to anyone. In any case, it didn’t seem logical in the first place that members of the public were not allowed to be at the lobby.
L'Occitane toiletries / housekeeping issues – when I was granted the upgrade, I was given a list of entitlement for Suite guests which included my favorite - L'Occitane toiletries. But when I saw there were only the hotel’s in-house toiletries in both rooms, I made a call to housekeeping to ask and was told some checks would be made. Half an hour later I was still waiting in the room and decided to call again and this time spoke to a different person who told me the same thing, that checks would be made. 10mins later, my doorbell rang and a lady from the housekeeping brought up this pack of Chopard toiletries and asked if this was what I was asking for. I said no and showed her the print-out of the email – she said the hotel does not have such brands. I was planning to visit the Club Lounge after that and brought up the toiletries to see if anyone can help. The staff at the lounge said that all suites are given the Chopard toiletries now and the hotel doesn’t hold the brand, but said he will check for me and someone will call me back at my room. About half an hour later, the housekeeping brought me the packs of L'Occitane toiletries. I find it very odd that what the hotel apparently did not have could magically appear after making some calls. I am really fine with having house-brand toiletries, but if it is stated that that is one of the perks of the suites then I look forward to the extra treat. If the hotel cannot commit to having that particular brand of toiletries available, then it is better not to state the brand and just say ‘luxury toiletries’. Otherwise the above incident will make me wonder if hotel is trying to hold on to the toiletries for some reason and not provide unless the guests repeatedly asks for it.
The ipod dock was also missing in my room but I did not ask about that since I had no use for it. But again, for someone who was expecting it, it would have been a disappointment.
Bottled water – I called to ask for 4 more bottled water (on top of whatever is in the mini bar) for my room as I get thirsty quite often. Shortly, a staff brought me the 4 bottles and told me it would be chargeable at $5 per bottle, and I thought he was kidding from the way he said it. I later called the housekeeping only to be told that yes, it is indeed $5 per bottle. I know the min-bar is free and I would understand if the hotel wants to charge for any additional soft drinks etc but I have never heard of anyone charging $5 per bottle, it is ridiculous. And why was it that I was not told when I requested for it? Plus there is no signage in the room anywhere to inform guests about it. Ultimately, the housekeeping agreed to waive the charges and let me have them at no charge when I expressed my displeasure and asked for someone to collect the 4 bottles back. But this also means that a guest who did not know because there was no way they could have known will get a rude shock upon check out. I seriously think the hotel should review this. If not, the hotel should just simply revert to the good old standard of charging for everything except bottled water.
And in fact, I was informed that the mini bar is replenished once a day and I had assumed it meant it will be topped up maximum once a day AFTER I have consumed the first round of the contents. The word ‘replenished’ is misleading and should be rephrased.
A minor issue was that there was supposed to be a personalised check in at Royal Club Lounge for Suite guests / Royal Touch member but I never got that, nor was I ever acknowledged for being a member throughout my stay. Again, I would have been fine except that I was expecting it as it was listed all in the same email. The hotel has to improve on its member acknowledgement.
The conclusion is that while the hardware is perfectly okay, it is the software i had issues with. They need to buck up on it, given its reputation as a 5-star hotel.
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Was recommended this place and a specific stylist by a friend of mine as I was getting bored of my hair. Surprisingly, it was not crowded on a Sunday afternoon.
Was seated quite promptly and the stylist came over to talk to me. I was actually expecting her to recommend some styles as she is quite senior but she didn't, and instead passed me some books to browse through. Not sure if it was supposed to be like that but I heard from the grapevine that some stylists dont recommend because they do not want to be saddled with any kind of responsibility for how it turns out.
I picked one, and the new colour for my hair. The stylist gave a few advice on the things to look out for for the colour I picked, which was nice.
The stylist took off a bit of my length before washing my hair - nothing fantastic about the wash nor the products. The colour came next, and all was quickly done with no fuss. The stylist was shuttling between me and another lady but totally okay for me as there's no point in her standing her and watching the colour set in.
Then came the supposed treatment which I asked to take as a package - cut colour treatment $189. Again, it didnt feel anything special and no one explained to me what the treatment does.
Finally the cut. The stylist was quite meticulous with the cut, even explaining to me that she was using a razor to shave off the hair ends at the nape of my neck before actually starting the shave - I would have panicked otherwise. The end result had some resemblance with the picture which I thought reflected good skills I guess.
Ginger tea was served during my 2 hours there, plus magazines. There was also initiative to bring me some more magazines when I was finished with the 1st 2.
However, the way the chairs and slots for the tea and magazines were not friendly at all. You cant reach them if you're seated. At all. You either need to reach to your far left / right or bend down. Quite annoying for me.
I quite liked the cut, and have received compliments about it. Plus the price is reasonable too. Worth a return visit for me.
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Had the opportunity for a business lunch here ~ I walked past this place a few times but never did realized it is a Aussie cuisine sort of place.
The place was understandably quiet on a weekday 12:30pm with just a few tables occupied, mostly looking like business lunches. The have a open kitchen concept, plenty of sofa seats, and the non-sofa ones comfortably spaced out as well. It looked like it would make a great for a date at night!
They have quite a variety of choices for lunch alone: ala carte, the Executive Set Lunch ($68 for 4-course), or the 2 or 3 course Daily Set Lunch ($38 for 2-course; $42 for 3 course). We both took the 2 course as 3 would be too heavy for us. The bread is an extra order.
StoneHearth Flat Bread ($11 for 1 portion) - served with extra virgin olive oil, butter, dip - there's 4 choices of bread and you can pick 2 halves for that 1 portion. We had the Truffled Kalamanta Olive Flat Bread and the Wild Fire Spiced Flat Bread which were both very good, especially the olive bread. It also came with a macadamia dip (the dips change daily and are made in-house) which was excellent!
Barramundi (choice of chicken, beef, risotto, or this) - preserved lemon, vine tomato, whipped parmesan potato, extra virgin olive oil - The best fish dish I have ever tasted in a very long time. The 2 chunks of fish was very fresh and its skin grilled to perfection and adequately salted. The whipped potato was a little too fine for me, almost too smooth to taste like it should be.
Valrhona Chocolate Soup (no choice of desserts) - Black pepper ice cream, sesame crisp - this was recommended to be the specialty and it indeed was good! It came in what looked like a giant spoon with the top bit baked to harden a bit more while the insides are still liquid (literally soup). The accompanying ice cream didnt taste like anything black pepper though but the sesame crisp was quite nice although it could have been a bigger piece.
Service was quite good and the staff is very efficient at clearing your plates and were very attentive in fact. No grouses here.
The ala carte prices seemed reasonable altho not exactly cheap but I suspect they may find it abit hard to get attention due to the stiff F&B competition at RWS. I also did not expect to see a $68 lunch set to be honest.
I probably not return on my own as although the food was good but it was not too exciting either.
[Sorry no pictures of the food this time!]
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Finally a decent chill out place in Hougang!
The former Bliss cafe premise is now more crowded with people wanting to try Willin Low's new venture and of course this being the first ever proper hang out place in Hougang area made it even more popular.
They have a surprisingly big seating comprising of indoors (which is seldom the first choice), the 'patio' which is more lounge-y and on the same level as where the bar is. Then there's the ever popular pondside seats on a wooden deck complete with very efficient fans which makes sitting there bearable even on a hot day.
Before I went, I've already heard of the wildly popular lychee beer which is so popular that it is currently sold out until end of the month according to the staff. Oh well.
Timmerman's Strawberry ($10) - supposedly the popular option to try. But not nice! It taste like a very sweet cider and gets cloyingly sweet after a few mouthfuls.
Erdinger draft ($12 for 1pint) - fresh from the tap but it could have been better chilled.
Chicken wings ($4.90) - Nice but beware of the seemingly innocent dip which gives its kick quite soon.
Giant Sausages ($12.90) - Nice! 2 giant pork sausages nicely grilled served with your choice of mushroom sauce, black pepper, or mayo. The mashed potato was not too bad and the shredded cabbage was fresh and crunchy. The side of fries was shoe string and served hot but could have been less salty.
Chicken Chop ($13.80) - Chicken was tender but came with a whole sheet of skin. The rest of the sides are the same.
Chendol ($6.20) - I didnt have this but everyone I've seen ordered this says its nice.
Service was slipshot and the staff team seem to be sometimes forgetful, ignorant, and doesnt make the effort to look up from their ipads order system to spot people waving their hands to ask for service. Be prepared to face bad service on weekends.
That being said, I will still return as this is the only decent place around for me. Prices are reasonable too.
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The initial plan was for Pizzeria Mozza but apparently the place is so popular that I couldn't get reservations even though I called in slightly over a week earlier. Still sticking to our initial theme of Italian food, we decided to head for Gattopardo instead, which happens to be under the Garibaldi group.
Gattopardo is located at Fort Canning Hotel, a rather swanky looking hotel that sits at the top of, where else but Fort Canning Park? Probably not the most central place to get to if you don't drive and even if you do, road signs are misleading. There are a couple of carparks around Fort Canning but please do park at the hotel's basement carpark to save on the hassle.
The restaurant itself looks rather inviting with its simplistic layout and dim lighting. There is even a seafood counter where you get to take a look at the day's seafood, all laid out on mountains of ice behind acrylic covers (sashimi anyone?), very much like a Japanese restaurant. As there were quite a number of us, we managed to snag the private room, which can comfortably seat 10.
Complimentary Bread - We had multiple servings of the bread as it was honestly quite addictive, especially the thin and long wafer like biscuit. Crackling crispy and heavily salted with a tinge of spiciness, I was guilty of eating at least 6 slices of it. We were demanding refills of the bread so often that our waiter must have felt intimidated.
Grilled Calamari - The grilled calamari was a recommendation from the chef who manned the seafood counter (who incidentally was also a friend of someone at my table that evening). I have got to give it to him. This was an excellent recommendation and everyone around the table agreed in unison that the calamari was nicely grilled with a smokey, savoury aftertaste and a nice chewy texture.
Mozzarella di Bufala e Cuore di Bue - Nice and light but nothing too outstanding in my humble opinion. And $25 did seem a little too expensive for 4 slices of quivery cheese.
Gattopardo - This was the namesake pizza of the restaurant and was essentially white garlic focaccia with smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, onion and potatoes - all in all it sounded like a smashing combination. Alas, reality is often harsh and the pizza tasted nothing more than your typical cheese prata with onions. Oh and yes, with a lingering hint of fishiness from god knows where.
Arrotolata - Divided up into small segments, the Arrotolata (Smoked mozzarella, suckling pig, porcini mushrooms, grape sauce & rucola salad) was another one of those pizzas that looked good on paper but came out as average in reality (like the Gattopardo). The crust was a little chewy and crisp with little bits of pork stuffed in between so no complaints about the crust. However taste wise, the pizza lacked the oomph and the harmonious blend of distinct flavours I was looking for. Sadly, the whole thing just tasted like bread with cheese. Also, the grape sauce wasn't evident and I had to resort to asking for a side serving of the grape jam.
Tiramisu - I was impressed by the huge portion of tiramisu which doesn't seem to be the norm at Italian restaurants nowadays. The mascarpone cheese was light but the sponge fingers did seem a little too "waterlogged". And I couldn't make out any alcohol taste. A teetotaler version or is it just my numbed tastebuds? Would have appreciated if the tiramisu was served a little more chilled as well as that would have enhanced the eating experience.
The 8 of us had a rather unsatisfying dinner to the tune of $422 (with a 10% discount). That works out to be an average of about $53 a head. Not too expensive but I don't think the quality of food corresponds to the price tag (save for the grilled calamari). Service was decent but that's hardly enough reason to make me go back.
See all my pictures here.
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Got persuaded by a friend to try out their herbal steam therapy at the Ang Mo Kio branch. To quote the website, its "a traditional Chinese method that combines the modalities of steam therapy, infra-red radiation and Chinese herbs. It helps
to improve your blood circulation and allows for maximal absorption of the essential goodness of the medicine herbs". Wow.
And so we went but booked prior just to be safe. Most of the people sitting there was for the chinese doctor and we could go in almost immediately.
We both picked the slimming ones which is basic $20 $3 for the packet of (slimming) herbs.
The place was sparsely decked out and its actually individual steam chambers separated by curtains. No frills procedures: draw the curtains, take off everything, wear the disposable underwear, then sit into the chamber. The only part of your body that's exposed is your head so if you sit next to your friend its still possible to chat. The lady was also being very professional about things and gave us a towel and tried her best to make sure that we weren't uncomfortable.
The session is supposed to be for 20mins but after 15mins I could feel myself wanting to get out. It is VERY VERY hot. Plus you breathless just like in a sauna. But sweating buckets from that actually feels quite good.
You can stop the session anytime u feel unwell, and it being our 1st time, the lady stayed with us all the way and chatted to us to distract us. She said for return customers she doesnt do that.
You dry off with a towel after that, get dressed, then an area with basic plastic chairs is available for you to rest, as your heart rate will still be high. Water is also available as you'll be parched.
I seriously dont know if the extra $3 for the slimming herbs works but you actually feel very refreshed after that and I quite liked the feeling! You'll also smell of herbs and of lemongress and ginger more so no real nasty smell.
However, I feel the $20 is an indulgence although you do feel good. They have a package of course but only makes it out to being slightly cheaper per session.
Am unsure about a return visit.
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I was curious enough to buy a voucher for one of their weight vapourizer treatment at $46 for 1 session so made a booking at the NEX outlet for a Mon evening.
The staff at the reception didnt seem very professional at receiving customers and asked me to sit in a room, asked for my voucher, then brought it back to ask what certain words on the voucher means. Huh?
I was then brought o change to start the treatments and the stuff explained very briefly to me the procedures, which is as follow
- 15mins to improve blood circulation by lying on a bed with and a 'blanket' which looks like a giant blood pressure machine over your middle section (tummy and abs). It squeezes you then releases, then repeats for the next 15mins. I felt a little heat at the end of it but nothing else.
- 15mins to lie on a "vibrating" bed but I found out the bed doesnt really vibrate but more similar to shaking vigorously, and I didnt feel any real effects. There were heat emitted from the cover of the bed but they didnt explain what that does.
- 20mins for steam room. It an individual steam chamber and half glass window. I was supposed to be in there for 20mins and there was a timer which runs down from 20 to 0 mins. All throughout I can hear some staff who were free sitting outside and talking / bitching about the politics of the work which I thought was not very professional. After 20mins the steamer beeped and I heard someone walk over, and instead of opening the door, I heard her re-set the timer and walked off again, without checking if anyone (me) was inside! I pushed the door slightly ajar and asked them 'This should already be done, no?' and they responded in shock. One of them walked over, opened the door fully, and in front of me, turned her head to say to her colleagues "I didnt know anyone was inside!". Another said "I thought she had gone out!". All right in front of me. Then they started asking each other whose customer am I, and looked around looking confused. They finally got to their senses enough to ask me to sit down to rest while I guess they figure out who I belong to.
Lastly, wrapping to 'shape' the body - they used a giant cling wrap to wrap most of me, from upper arms to thighs. When I asked shouldnt some gel / cream be used before the wrapping, the response was oh no need, as the body is still warm from the steam and the wrapping alone will work.
Thankfully they didnt try to hardsell me any packages but I think it was because the staff who received me at the end was new.
The thing is I didnt feel welcomed at all as a customer. Different people directed me from room to room for the different treatments, and I had to ask some of them how long that segment will take because they didnt explain. And forgetting that someone is in the steam room is simply not forgivable - accidents can happen!
Not going to be a return visit for me.
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Ventured here for a family birthday dinner as the concept looks interesting and the price seemed like a deal too good to miss. $30 for a dinner buffet in Orchard area is something worth checking out!
Park Hotel Orchard has somewhat been obscured from the public eye due to its strange positioning - smack behind KnightsBridge and lobby level being on the 4th floor. But perhaps it saved Open House from the usual maddening crowd too.
The buffet is publicized as having 4 live stations and you can eat all you want, but there's actually more stations. Its mostly local food peppered with some ang moh eats, and you order at the station with your table number and they'll bring the food to you, so its almost semi ala carte.
Station 1: roasted meat station - there's char siew, roasted pork, roast duck, and satay. I tried the char siew and they were quite good, very lean with almost no fatty bits, only that the sauce is a little too sweet. The satay was not bad too!
Station 2: noodle station - your choice of sze chuan spicy noodle soup, wantan noodle, laksa, sliced fish noodle, mee siam, mee rebus. I tried the sze chuan and the laksa. The sze chuan one was not really spicy and I felt the soup was too starchy. The lakas tasted a little watered down but still generally okay.
Station 3: dim sum - har gao siew mai, bbq pork buns, radish cake, and glutinous rice - I tried only the glutinous rice but it was not good, like something went bad in it. I hope the others are better!
Station 4: claypot - choice of claypot rice, assam fish, bak kut teh, kung po chicken, braised beef brisket, braised seafood with beancurd - The claypot rice was good and it had the burnt bits which was my favourite; the assam fish was nice with eggplant and ladyfingers thrown in, and the bak kut teh was comfort soup although they only give one piece of meat per claypot.
Station 5: pizza - 4-5 types of pizza ranging from the usual Hawaiian to strange ones like duck lychee pizza (eee). The teriyaki chicken we tried was thin crust and nice, although the sauce is a bit too sweet too.
Station 6: desserts - usual cakes and some kuehs, fruits, red bean soup, ice cream with a selection of ice cream. Nothing that a kid would not like. I only had the ice cream and whatever brand of ice cream it was, their triple chocolate was not bad actually!
On top of that they have a very small section of starters - vege sticks, cold cuts, potato salad but I thought they were very nice to offer that.
Service was surprisingly quick even though its really semi-service more than actual buffet style, but sometime too eager to want to clear your plates. But better than the opposite i guess.
This is not your international buffet and you will not get cold seafood or complicated eats here but for the value it offers (you get 20% with DBS cards), I would say this is quite a nice place to eat at and return to. Plus you do not need to feel like sardines to eat here~
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