Parkroyal on Pickering Hotel

I have nothing but praises of their frontline crews.

I was at the Lime Restaurant to collect my logcake and instead of leaving me waiting at the counter while they prepare the cake for me, I was being invited into the restaurant to take a seat and asked if I would like to have coffee or tea!

Then as I cooped myself comfortably on the solo sofa in front of the Christmas tree at the lobby waiting for hub to drive his car out, the sky darkened with a sudden downpour. I was flickering with my mobile phone and the space has became kind of dim but to my surprise, a frontline staff has hurried over and apologetically switched on the side table lamp to lit the area like he has read my mind!

Being a local, I probably don’t get much an opportunity to check into the hotel but given a chance, I would definitely recommend the hotel to everyone and anyone who needs an accommodation with good taste and great service!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar

I first came to know about Bay Hotel two Christmas back via an EDM from their PR company. 

Gaming to win a stay there, I took part in their Facebook Christmas Treasure Hunt Contest and needless to say, unlucky as always, I did not need. Else, I would have proudly put the name in my list of stayactions.

However, the campaign has successfully aroused my interest and I became so ‘familiar’ with the hotel through the spot the difference picture game that whenever someone needs accommodation while in Singapore, I’d ‘sell’ Bay Hotel to them. Good thing is that the hotel did not disappoint and most stayed with them have given thumbs up and great reviews. 

Anyway, since my experience with the hotel is limited to visiting their lobby, today’s subject won’t be about the hotel but rather, their re-brand restaurant: STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar, formerly known as Rumah Ras that served Indonesian cosines.

This time I heard from the Chinese radio station, UFM1003. It aroused my curiosity after hearing the four very sharp tongue DJs who are hosting the ‘Don’t Give A Damm’ morning talk show raving about the food for several days on a stretch. 

Besides traveling, food is one gastronomical affair that I can’t resist. So while I did not have a chance to check into the hotel, at least I want to have a taste of what’s on the plate.

I have patronized STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar for a couple of times and of course the array of dishes on their extensive menu of Italian, French, Indonesian, Thai, Chinese, Fusion and other flavors are great, but what impressed me even more is their service.

The restaurant manger, Mr Collin particularly, not only that he would remembers guests by their first names, he would personally be greeting you and ushering to your reserved table at the door. Besides doing his round to make sure that his diners are comfortable and enjoying their food, this jovial gentleman would chats you up like an old pal.

The rest of his team is equally good too. There was one occasion that both my hub and I were down with flu so we have opted to dine at their al fresco aining area. As we were enjoying our appetizer (can’t remember the name of the dish but it’s Beef with Spinach), a group of tourists appeared and took up all the unoccupied tables. They were a little rowdy chatting among themselves and across the tables but none of the other restaurant guest complained. However, a young chap that served our table that evening, took the initiative to go from table to table, explaining that the group is their hotel guests and they are waiting for their tour bus to pick them up and apologized for the commotion.

Sweet, isn’t it?

With such great service, the nice ambience and good food, it is hard not to keep going back to STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar. In fact we are planning to try their weekend buffet already! By the way, here are some of the dishes that we have tried and remembered to take a shot before gulping down:

Beef with Spinach 

  We simply can’t get enough of this tender beef slices and thought the dressing is really good! 

Hazelnut Escargots 

Bathed with liqueur and flambéed at the table, it is ashamed that we have failed to taste the Hazelnut and we felt that these Hazelnut Escargots are better to be seen then be eaten.

Hawaiian Pizza 

With the thinly crust and ingredients aplenty, it is hard not to love this cheesy pizza!

 Black Pepper Lobster

I’ve tried Black Pepper Crab, Black Pepper Steak but this Black Pepper Lobster is simply irresistible! I didn’t know that Carribbean Lobster could taste so good with Chinese Style Black Pepper gravy and Ginko nuts!

2 Soup Base Hot Pot

photo from Bay Hotel website

With a seafood platter, a meat platter and Yong Tau Foo and vegetable platter as well as Tang Hoon along with a choice of 2 different soup base, Chicken broth and Siamese Luck (Tom Yam) to choose from, this hot pot set is too generous for good for two to share! Hmm..the next time we should order 2 for 3 if the restaurant doesn’t mind, that is!   

Japanese Chocolates

Chocolates!

Switzerland, Belgium and even Italy make them with perfection. But when comes to novelties and varieties, I am dare to say no one could beats the Japanese!

Last I heard, Lotte (a Japanese confectionery snack company) has collaborated with a famous ramen shop, Menya Bukura to create a limited edition ‘Miso Ghana 2013’. 

And yes, you’ve guessed it right, that’s chocolate with ramen!

The name ‘Miso Ghana’ is actually derived from the usage of white Miso broth and Ghana is, of course the chocolate bar pieces on to top of the ramen!

I am already drooling by just by imagining the chocolate melting into the hot soup. Will any ramen house be adventurous enough to cook up a Singapore version of Choco-Miso-Ramen any soon? I will be first in the game to try.  

Meanwhile, I will have to be contented with my occasional bits and pieces of chocolate from Japan.  

Geec ProCellaz®DG1

If human bodies are produce in factories, mine probably has failed its QC test and I often joke that daddy and mummy are pretty lousy manufacturers in that aspect. I was a sickly child and still am, an unhealthy person that is always falling ill every alternate day.

My immunity system is so bad that whenever someone having a cold across the room sneezes, chances are I would be catching the virus and falling sick the very next day. Besides that, I am often in a blurry state because of my low blood pressure and a slight change of temperature or weather could send me shivering or drench in sweat.

However, nothing is worst than my constipation and digestive problems. I love my food but simply dread how unease my stomach would get after each meal. Hot and spicy food causes heart-burn, carbo stuffs make me bloat, beans and cruciferous veg produce gas and wind, caffeine makes me nausea and same goes with fatty food, wheat, gluten, dairy products and the list goes on. My tummy is always feeling puffed, stretched and extremely uncomfortable after eating and I am always experiencing spasms and pain in the abdomen. 

ProCellaz®DG1

 I like how a tablet of ProCellaz®DG1 before each meal could ease my erratic digestive system. Its active enzymes help to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins and thus, effectively relieve me from the bloating and wind. Not only that, it would also aids the body’s digestion and enhances the nutrient absorption and bio-availability. After taking the supplement twice daily for a week, I noticed that the function of my digestive system has improves tremendously, my bowel movements have become more regular and my tummy has flatten remarkably and I am feeling good!

Brand Name: Geec
Price: S$96.30
Website: http://www.genufoodenzymes.com.sg/

ProCellax® DG1 contains a powerful combination of protease enzymes, which are effective in a wide pH range in the digestive tract and help hydrolyze protein into smaller peptides and amino acids to support the digestive system by providing all-natural enzymes needed to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into essential nutrients.

The supplement helps to:
– break down proteins, carbohydrates, fats, dairy products and difficult-to-digest foods such as legumes, cruciferous vegetables and cereal grains
– enhances nutrient absorption and bioavailability
– improves overall digestive system and function
– helps relieve indigestion, gas and bloating

Its benefits:
– aid your body’s digestion and increase nutrient absorption
– supports the digestive system by providing all-natural enzymes needed to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into essential nutrients.
– contains a powerful combination of protease enzymes, which are effective in a wide pH range in the digestive tract and help hydrolyze protein into smaller peptides and amino acids.

It contains additional Enzymes:
– CELLULASE: enzyme that breaks down cellulose, a complex polysaccharide in plant material
– BROMELAIN: proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzyme known for its digestive properties
– SERRAPEPTASE (Peptizyme SP® Brand) a protein and fibrin-digesting, anti-inflammatory enzyme*
– PAPAIN: enzyme used for centuries as an effective digestive aid*
– ALPHA-GALACTOSIDASE: enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates common in legumes

The ingredients in ProCellax® DG1 are all from non-genetically modified and non-animal sources. ProCellax® DG1 is completely suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Kneipp® Cranberry Cleansing Herbal Tea

I was at Guardian to get a bottle of Kneipp® Lavender Herbal Massage Oil for my pal when I saw the bundle promotion of a bottle of Lavender Massage Oil and Body Wash at S$39.90. If bought separately, the two items would have cost S$47.80 so it doesn’t need a mathematics genius to know it is a good bargain and so I grabbed it. The bundle is going to make a much lovelier get-well gift anyway.

Though not particularly a hot beverage person but the wet weather that day (or perhaps it was the store’s chilly air-con) had prompted me to linger at the lower section of the shelf that was lined with boxes of tea and imagined myself cozying up on the couch with a cup of aromatic tea at hand. Problem was that all the different variants had looked pretty interesting to me so I had a hard time deciding on which I should buy before eventually taking the Kneipp® Cranberry Cleansing Herbal Tea because I reckoned that anything fruity can’t be bad 🙂 

While boiling water to make myself a cup of the Kneipp® Cranberry Cleansing Herbal Tea that rainy night, I was wondering half-heartedly what should I do with the rest of the 14 bags if I hate the taste but the thought was quickly overturned by self praise of my intuition just after one sip; the taste of the tea is terrific and I love it! This herbal infusion tea has added benefits of blackcurrant and its tangy flavor of cranberries tastes clean and refreshing.
As we all know, cranberries are super rich in Vitamin C and are widely recognized for their anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. That’s not all, cranberry tea also promotes health benefits such as treating and prevention of urinary tract infection and it treats gingivitis as well as fights against scurvy, kidney disorders, heart disease, stroke and even cancer.

As I was in between sips, I made a mental note that I must blog about it but as usual of my typical Garfield characteristics, I have procrastinated till I am left with the last 3 bags before finally got down to take some photos and start typing. Well, it is better to be late to share than never. So people, do yourself a favor and pick up a box of the Kneipp® Cranberry Cleansing Herbal Tea the next time when you are hanging at Guardian or Unity Healthcare stores, your body surely will thank you for that.
Apart from using the Kneipp® Cranberry Cleansing Herbal Tea to compliment my afternoon tea snacks, I especially love to drink it after gobbling down a huge feast to make myself feel more healthy and less guilty 😉

Oh, by the way, this cleansing tea tastes great while hot but I have also tried to chill it with a slice of lemon to add zest and it tastes divine too! Play with it but whatever you do, DON’T ever add sugar to the cranberry tea as that will annulled the antibacterial properties of the tea (my pharmacist nephew said so and I assumed he is right 🙂

Enjoy!

 

BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken

My hubby sure knows how to describe me best. You are a cat, he says.  Fearless, curious and often procrastinate. Indeed, procrastination is my forte. Take this post for example, I should have done it up upon completing the BRAND’S® 14 day challenge two weeks ago but I have been putting it off till now because I couldn’t think of a good opening to introduce the subject: BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken. It is perhaps, the only health supplement that I have been so faithfully consuming over the past decades and I am just not prepared to start off a post with, “I have received xxxx for review” and then copy the whole content from the fact sheet before ending with a few praises to please the sponsors.  Sure, some PR companies like it but I prefer to have my say, in my way 🙂

Anyway, let’s get back to BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken.

My early memories of these little bottle of tasty wonders was how mum would warmed it up by putting the bottle into a bowl of hot water and made us drink on days when we were having a test, having examinations or taking part in competitions, sports day and other important events. I was probably too young to understand the rationale of that warming method or know about the benefits of the essence but I liked the taste enough to bring the tradition into adulthood and picking up a dozen of the essence has become our family’s routine when we do our rounds of grocery shopping. Apart from consuming it as a health supplement, it is also our perk-me-up fuel on haggard days, the energy boost in the morning after a hangover, the keep-me-awake punch when burning mid-night oil, the emergency brake to stop the bugs from acting up and very often, it serves as a cooking ingredient as well. Frog legs porridge tastes better with a bottle of BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken, so does live prawns marinated in BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken and double boiled herbal chicken with BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken and the list goes on.

The challenge has come in at a good time when my body and mind was at the lowest point. I was totally stressed and burnt out coping with tight deadlines and looking after my super dependent mum and also preparing three whole meals separately for mum and grandma. Grandma being a vegetarian by religion, is rigid with her diet and her food has to be prepared and cooked separately from us using a different set of utensils and strictly no microwave, oven, steamer as such co-use equipments and could contaminated the “purity” of her food.  Not only that, her cups and dishes have to be washed and dried separately as well. The worst thing is that she is extremely picky over outside food and she has to eat at every two-hour interval round the clock.  It would be easier to cook a large pot for her to nibble throughout the day but I can’t bear to let her eat the same food for every meal so ‘d be frantically rushing home by mid day to cook, go out again and dash back to prepare dinner. By the time I am all done with the last round of cooking for supper, I would be totally exhausted and worn out.

Though I have been drinking BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken regularly, this is, however, the first time that I have had it for 14 consecutive days straight.

Day One of the Challenge:  Dragging myself out of bed feeling tired and fatigue, I thought I could be dozing off during the monotonous and unproductive weekly meeting as usual but I didn’t. Instead, I have managed to stay wide eyed and paid attention throughout the session without a single yawn.  Good job! I gave myself a pat on the shoulder.
Day Four of the Challenge: It was the time of the month again but somehow there wasn’t too much cramps and aches that I have anticipated.  The little clots of pain every now and then did not dampen my spirits and I was exceptionally upbeat and focused that day.
Day Eight of the Challenge: Hitting the sack at 2am, I sprang out of the bed at the break of dawn to pick up a client from the airport and was being complimented on how fresh and energetic I was in the early morning.  Unlike the client who was in a bad shape after a long journey, I was indeed feeling great and bursting with energy.
Day Twelve of the Challenge: After a long and hectic day dashing around like a headless chicken, I mindlessly joined a neighbor for a night run and was extremely pleased to clock 5km in 20minutes.  Nothing fantastic but definitely one of my best timing by far and I jolly well know that I wouldn’t have made it without the last twelve days of continuous nourishment from BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken.
Day Fourteen of the Challenge: Same skincare, same amount of sleep and no change of diet but my skin has improved. The signs of tiredness have banished, the irritably patch of dryness has vivaciously disappeared, my complexion has become less sallow and I like my new found radiance! This perhaps, testified again that beauty begin from within.

My conclusion: In life, sometimes you need help and help, sometimes is only a bottle away. To be at your best to face the daily demands of life and staying bright and alert, simply reach out for the genie, drink a bottle of BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken everyday. 

Delhi Restaurant

A much delayed post simply because we have slurped up all the food before I could take some snapshots of them over the last few visits and that perhaps explained how irresistible the food are.

Though we don’t usually fancy Indian Food, we can’t have enough their Naans and Mutton Curries!

 

Food For Thought

Isn’t it nice to have the world on the plate and eat it for a good cause?

That makes my indulgence less sinful and I certainly like that I am, in a way giving back to the society as Food For Thought, a social enterprise is contributing to five different cause and one of their mission is sponsoring children from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myammar, India, Philiippines, Vietnam and Ethiopia through World Vision.

Grilled Ribeye Steak

Chicken Leg

Mushroom Linguine

Prawn Linguine

The Disgruntled Chef

Been to The Disgruntled Chef twice, both on a weekday for lunch. In fact it is not so much for the food but rather, it’s surrounding reminds me of grndma’s old time kampung – winding path, bushy greens, banana trees and even chirpy birds and I simply love the tranquilly and especially, the smell of nature and fresh air after the rain.

Anyway, back The Disgruntled Chef, the service was our first visit was passable, nothing memorable but the service crew on second visit was fantastic! She was polite, friendly and very attentive.

There were four main courses on the board menu for set lunch and we had tried them all during the two visits. Out of the four dishes, Oxtail Stew with Carrots & Kambu, Roast Chicken Leg with Chemoula Spices and Fresh Coriander, Spaghetti Blolognese and Battered Haddock & Chips, we personally felt that the fish and chips were a little too oily, the outer layer of the Chicken was good but the meat of chicken leg wasn’t well marinated and tasted a little too bland and stiff and the sauce for the Spaghetti was somehow a little too watery. But what I have least appreciated was the oxtail stew. It was too rich and flavorful to have it on it’s on as a meal!

Battered Haddock & Chips

Roast Chicken Leg with Chemoula Spices and Fresh Coriander

Oxtail Stew with Carrots & Kambu

Spaghetti Blolognese

Nonetheless, what the taste of the food by itself has failed to make an impression, it was all compensate by their thick and robust homemade soup of the day.  I can’t recalled exactly what these soup of the day are called by now, but both the taste of their asparagus and potato soup of day have never left my mind since! Hmm..delicious!

 

 

 

Confectionery from Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore

A little sweet indulgence to begin the new year. May 2012 be a sweet and fruitful one..