Thursday, December 27, 2012

2012 Notable Dining Experience in Singapore

Its sad that I'm summarizing most of my blogs up as I rush to close off the year 2012. It's just that so much has been happening lately, and I don't want to miss it all, yet I don't have time to blog it all in detail! Yet I have this urge to share these information out with whoever that may be interested to read them. It's my way of contributing to the cyberwide knowledge based I guess.

Anyway, here's an entry on notable dining experience in Singapore 2012 for me.
1st stop: Ember @ Duxton Hill. I told my husband I wanted to try some of the French restaurant they have at Ann Siang Hill, and him being him, we ended up at Duxton Hill at a fusion restaurant call Ember for our anniversary instead. Trust me, it all means the same to him, but TOTALLY different to me. Food at Ember was expensive, perhaps SGD60 to SGD80 per head? But the review at Hungry Go Where was good, so I was looking forward to it. Sadly, the place was rather claustrophobic or me, and the portion was really not up to the price you're paying for. No doubt lots of rich people dine there, but for me, it was really not that value for money. Taste wise, sad to say the only thing I really enjoyed was the dessert which was a french toast with nutella, bananas and vanilla ice cream, something I could totally make at home. For half the price, go Le Bistrot instead. You get awesome food there, with an awesome setting.

2nd stop, luckily for me we did managed to discover a wonderful French Restaurant that doesn't take reservation. It call Saveur @ Bras Basah, and its totally lovely! Go early to get a place, even if it means queuing before the restaurant opens. Everything is affordable on the menu and won't cost you an arm and a leg. Service is wonderfully fast and efficient. Sorry no photo of the food, but please visit it, the duck confit is my fave so far in Singapore!

3rd stop: Au Chocolate @ Marina Bay Sands. Its a lovely fantasy place to visit as the brochures promises, but a  bit flat when you actually visited the place. For such a cliche place, the food was surprisingly good, but then again, for both visit, I tried their Egg Benedict both times! Haha. Planning to go back there in January 2013 to try their Duck Confit soon. As to the service at the place? Well, considering it's Marina Bay Sand, they have a lot to brush up on at the customer service department....

Ref:
Ember
Saveur
Au Chocolate



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Garden By The Bay

After the disappointment of change of venue from the Retrolicious 2012 organizer (click here to read more), we had a stroke of good luck when my in-law was too tired to go on an RC trip to the Marina Garden By the Bay. The ticket was only SGD10, and includes transfer to and from the RC at Tampines, and entrance to the two air condition dome. So of course I said yes! And drag my husband there for me. I love gardens, and I heard from my colleagues that they were having a Halloween special featuring lots of pumpkins! How could I not go? I have a weak spot for pumpkins ever since my teenage years!
 First dome we visited was the Flower Dome. Before going I read that it would feature different garden from different region. When I got there, there was more concrete than flora...Slightly disappointed. The only up beat thing about it was actually the Halloween patch at the center which, without it I think, would have been a rather dull expedition for me. So all my photos are on the pumpkin patch :)  enjoy!
Next was the Cloud Forest. When you first walk in, the first thing you hear is the waterfall, and once you enter, you're more or less splash with water! I love it! It was exciting and mysterious! I especially love going beneath the water wall and looking up at all the gallons of water falling down like 4 stories! It's a lovely free feeling you get. If only the could hide away all the concrete stairs and metallic canopy walks. I love the Cloud Forrest better as I find its so much more interesting, what's with the heights, the canopy walk and all that water. For ladies going there, please don't wear a skirt cause all the canopy has holes in.

Would I visit the garden again? Not unless I'm accompanying friends visiting to the spot. I wouldn't pay the full price to go as well cause it's super expensive to look at flowers growing out of a concrete garden. I would however travel to Cameron Highlight anytime to look at the flowers there :)

Ref
Garden By The Bay

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

2012 Entertainment

Wow it's like 4 months since I like posted. Sorry for being gone so long, work has been crazy lately, and I've been doing some crazy stuff along the way as well. It's Christmas today, and since I'm off and have completed my mountains of laundry, I thought I'll started catching up on my posting and let you know what I've been up to the last 4 months. I thought I'll update you on the entertainment sector that I've been fortunate enough to participate in.
First stop, I managed to attend a concert with two friends at the Old Parliament House a.k.a The Art House. The venue was much more impressive to me than the concert itself actually, cause it was so classical with all the legendary Singapore politician's name carved into the seats. The concert was playing music from a Russian composer mixed with Jazz performed by Singapore youth. It was a bit hard to appreciate, but they were nevertheless good.

Second stop, Ivan Heng was performing at the Esplanade so how could I miss that? So off I went to La Cage aux Folles broadway style. I fondly recall my very first play was also by Mr Heng, the legendary Emily of Emerald Hill. I totally love La Cage! It was one very touching and funny play. Highly recommended!

Third stop, was the The Hossan Leong Show that my colleague drag me too. Hossan Leong was incidentally was also in La Cage, and compared to Ivan Heng's majestic performance, I wasn't actually looking to this show very much. It was shown at the National Library, so I was rather excited about that, but nothing more. The play started, and the jokes was lame, and I mean really really lame. After half an hour, the jokes was so lame that it was headed to the other extreme of being lamely hysterical. And when he actually took off all his clothes and did the pole dance, I was totally impress and in love with him! Managed to took a picture with him after the show. Can't believe he had more make up on than me or my colleague! He also had flawless skin and is older than me or my colleague! Look at him! And look at us (hung head in shame). We love you Hossan!

 Last stop: Retrolicious 2012. The only reason I said yes to this concert was because they initially plan to held it at the Garden By The Bay, an excellent site I've never been to. But one week before the event, they announced that it will be moved back to Fort Canning :(  Boo! Since the tickets were already bought, what can we do, right? So we went. This year features Tiffany, Wang Chung, Howard Jones and Alphaville, I was only familiar with Tiffany, and didn't even like her as compared to Debbit Gibson at that time. But after the concert, I can happily confirm that she sounds better live!
 
Here's my fave photo of me and my hubby at the retrolicious 2012 concert with matching glow stick bangles!

Ref:
Old Parliament House a.k.a The Art House 
La Cae aux Folles
Ivan Heng
The Hossan Leong Show
Hossan Leong