Archive for the ‘Area: Chinatown’ Category
Senso Ristorante & Bar: Romantic Italian Restaurant at Chinatown
It has been briefly mentioned in our staycation at Wanderlust Hotel blog post that misterchewy took me to Senso Ristorante & Bar for my advanced birthday dinner, after our terrarium workshop. Ok correction. I had suggested to the husband beforehand that we could use the dining vouchers that we acquired from the Standard Chartered event. I mean, he was already spending a bomb on the staycation, so it’s my duty to be a thoughtful and understanding wife right? Your money is my money and my money is my money, dearest hubby. *Ahem.. Cough cough..*
Anyway, Senso was also a perfect location given that it was situated fairly near Wanderlust Hotel. When we arrived, we checked with the staff if there were any terms and conditions if we wanted to utilize our vouchers. There was no minimum spending whatsoever and we could order what we wanted. Awesome! She suggested dining at the courtyard as it would be romantic for the sun was about to set. Not that we could see sunset, but the transition of the skies was actually quite lovely!
Hubby Chewy eating breadsticks. Like a boss! :P
We had a glass of white wine each to celebration the occasion. Hehehe. :P
Amuse Bouche. Oops I can’t remember what this was.
The photo above depicts half a serving of the Swordfish Carpaccio ($30) because they very kindly split it up for us upon knowing that we wanted to share this starter. The swordfish carpaccio proved to be too fishy for misterchewy but I didn’t think that way. The thinly sliced summer black truffles lent a subtle earthy flavor and I quite liked this dish. It’s surprising how our taste buds can sometimes be very similar, yet different.
We didn’t exactly order a lot to share because we weren’t exactly very hungry. The husband went for the Spaghetti Pasta with Sea Urchin, Red Shallots Comfit and Italian Herbs ($38). The sea urchin had a sea saltish taste and a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
After trying both mains, I’m very sure that I prefer the Carnaroli Risotto with Saffron, pan-roasted Duck Liver and home-marinated Port Wine Cherries ($36). The foie gras was extremely well-executed but I did not really like the addition of port wine cherries.
We will be back to try some of the other dishes on the menu. Service was excellent which made our dining experience a lovely one.
Senso Ristorante & Bar
21 Club Street
Singapore 069410
Tel: 6224 3534
Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
12pm – 3pm
6pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun
6pm – 10.30pm
Sun
11am – 3pm (Brunch)
The Chewys’ First Staycation @ The Porcelain Hotel’s Theme Suite!
Whoohoo! I’m finally blogging about the AWESOME STAYCATION that misterchewy and I had over the long Easter holiday! So what is a ‘Staycation’? Credits to Google: A vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. It was definitely a first for us, and we are not counting our previous stay at Grand Copthorne Waterfront as a staycation because we merely checked in for the night right after our ROM and checked out the very next morning. I somehow realized that there is this ‘staycation trend’ lately, and have always thought that it’s ridiculous to spend money staying in a hotel when you have your own comfortable bed to sleep in. One fine day, I came across The Porcelain Hotel which is a boutique hotel and decided to test out the experience there! Yours truly booked the Queen Executive room for a night and it was also meant to be a surprise for the hubby. I was so excited that I started planning our activities two weeks before! :D :D :D
Hehehe our OOTD was matching leopard prints top and jeans! I don’t really like to wear jeans but this time I made an exception. The name necklace was a gift from the hubby during Valentine’s Day! :D
We woke up really early for this. Brunch at Alkaff Mansion! The place is gorgeous! More photos later :P
Our new iPad! Haha the funny thing is, misterchewy had been pestering me endlessly about it. I didn’t see the point in getting one but gave in anyway. Guess what? He paid for it but it’s mine now because Hubby Chewy said that my BB’s keypad is not functioning properly. :D *Soooo touched* And I love what’s engraved on it! ;)
A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to kickstart the beautiful Saturday morning! :)
Hubby Chewy knew that he wanted the Alkaff Breakfast Set ($14.80) the moment he had his hands on the menu. He’s decisive like that sometimes! :P
Hungry boy all ready to tuck in! ^_^
I can’t remember when was the last time I had pancakes!
It was an instant pancakes-craving-finally-satisfied moment when I ate the first half of my Banana Hot Cakes ($12.80). Thick, fluffy pancakes drizzled in blueberry sauce with sweet banana slices sandwiched in between, I knew that I did not wake up early that morning in vain. However, my appetite seemed to have shrunk recently and I was struggling to finish the pancakes.
I had planned another outfit but a couple of days before the staycation, I saw this top on display and stood gaping at it. LOL! I grabbed misterchewy’s arms and went, “OMG! Can totally match your t-shirt!”
This is really beautiful! I bet it would be nice to sit here and read a book while enjoying the cool breeze.
The fountain attracted many little kids who happily splashed water with their hands!
This huge rocking chair is way too cute! If only we could have this in our home! :P
Apparently, we couldn’t find anyone to help us take photos and decided to put our camera on self-timer mode.
It started to drizzle right after this shot! Talk about perfect timing.. ;)
We went a little downslope and found ourselves at Telok Blangah Hill Park!
A final self-shot before making our way to the next destination – The Porcelain Hotel at Chinatown! :D :D :D
Photo credits: The Porcelain Hotel
Whoa. Look at this. Stunning isn’t it? I love most of the photos posted on the hotel’s website and facebook page, which led me to the decision in booking a night’s stay here! :)
Check in time is anything after 2pm. We arrived at 12plus and decided to try our luck! And yes, our room was ready! :D
Our Queen Executive room was located on the fifth floor which also happens to be the highest floor. The corridor was really dark and kinda creepy. :S
The reviewers sure weren’t kidding when they commented that the rooms are insanely small. Can you believe that this is an Executive room? This was what greeted us when we opened the door. Like, so in-your-face. Not for the claustrophobic puh-leeze. I was really upset and misterchewy phoned the reception. It turns out that the pictures I saw on their facebook page are taken at the new wing, which is not available yet. Plus there’s no bath tub! *Cheat my feelings* Hubby Chewy checked that we could upgrade to either a room with jacuzzi or the theme suite at an additional $50++ or $80++ per night respectively.
As I was still reeling from shock, Hubby Chewy said, “Ok la let’s go for the best. Theme Suite ok? I treat you to the upgrade.” :D :D :D
The first thing that we saw upon entering was not a bed, but a couch.
Although it’s not written all over my face, I was really stunned to see a staircase in our room! Haha!
Woots! That’s our bed! :D
Our Theme Suite is about 43 square meters. If I didn’t remember wrongly, the Queen Exec is about 13 to 14 square meters. Tremendous difference yo!
There’s free WIFI! Hmm I think this would benefit tourists more.
Photo credits: The Porcelain Hotel
THIS. Yes this made my jaw drop and I actually squealed out loud in excitement. LOL.
The bath tub is situated behind the bed, partitioned by the mirror and basins. So it’s like u can soak yourselves in the tub while enjoying the air-con yo! Machiam hot spring during winter! :D
Haha aiya misterchewy also excited lor. :P
Time to check out the fridge! Heh :P Well, there’s nothing except for two bottles of water. Good thing they chilled it for us!
Coffee, tea or me? Lol.
These hotel bedroom slippers are a must for me!
Another must-have in the hotel – hair dryer!
Like I said earlier, I had our activities all planned out! Decided to go to My Waterway @ Punggol (also known as Punngol Waterway) because it was along the NEL. Seemed like it rained before we arrived!
Haha seriously, we were laughing at this staircase. No idea where or what does it exactly lead to..
“Ahhh! My bus come already!” LOL just for fun.
LOL misterchewy told me to run towards him for this shot! Can you see how happy I am running towards my love? :P
This pose was not exactly a deliberate attempt on my part. I was feeling tired and wanted to sit down.. and hence this! ;) Hehehe misterchewy was teaching me some ‘leading lines’ photography composition and he took this photo to show me an example. Ok la I think got a bit :P
*Cues “Wa meng ti! Wa meng ti!” song* HAHAHA! I should photoshop some dark clouds and a storm but I don’t know how! :P
I think we are starting to look more and more alike. >;_<; LOL!
It was our first time here and we were kinda surprised that there weren’t many people even though it was a weekend. Everyone’s busy shopping, perhaps? We saw a Malay couple having their wedding shots taken there and a couple of joggers. Plus a few lone rangers. That’s about it I think.
I can’t believe I actually shouted, “Look! Got coconut tree!” Damn fail. But it does look like one, no? :P
This was where we deviated from the original plan! We had wanted to go to Chomp Chomp for early dinner like at around 4plus but the place opens only at 6pm! Hungry us found ourselves at Ramen Champion at Iluma :D
Went back to the hotel after dinner. We found another ‘secret’ entrance to the hotel! Nobody mans the counter over here. Haha! It’s me again, holding up the new room card this time :P
The weather was really quite humid and the first thing we did was to take a nice long shower! We used the hotel’s shampoo and bath gel. Bought the facial wash and hair conditioner at Bugis after dinner! Ok the thing that I like is that there is a wide enough ledge where I can place all our toiletries on!
We had been eagerly looking forward to this! A week before, I pulled misterchewy along to choose the scents he like or didn’t like because he’s quite fussy. We went to Marks & Spencer but nothing appealed us. Found this Bodycology Vanilla Cupcake Shower Gel & Foaming Bath in a small shop and the moment we took a whiff, we knew this was the one! Very very candy-sweeeeet-smelling! Vanilla cupcake mah! :P We poured the entire bottle under running water! The water was only slightly hotter than lukewarm. But we enjoyed it a great deal nonetheless! :D
Everyone should indulge in some bubble bath fun with your partner! :P Our tub was able to fit two, even though misterchewy’s legs are quite long and he had to bend his knees a bit. Haha. We talked, laughed, splashed water at each other and sipped beer till our fingers turned into prunes! :D
Ok this photo should come last but nevermind. Just wanted to let everyone know that I really liked how the sunlight shone into our room through the roof! No need for alarm clock! Hahaha.
Hope everyone enjoyed reading about The Chewys’ first staycation! Definitely not going to be our last! Soooo fun! Lalalalala~ We are looking forward to our next staycation! ;)
2D1N Soju Bang: Korean BBQ Buffet Party
I was invited by Cozycot.com to be a guest writer for its Food column. My review on 2D1N Soju Bang, an affordable and value-for-money Koeran BBQ Buffet, was published last Friday. It’s a very short review but if you are interested, you can read it here!
P.S: Photos were taken with an iPhone because I didn’t want to expose my dslr to oil that was spluttering everywhere.
2D1N Soju Bang
44/46 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: 6227 6033
Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
11.30am – 2.30pm
5.30pm – 3am
K Ki ケーキ: Have your K Ki and eat it too!
And here I am. Finally on my way to the much raved about K Ki. I have seen countless photos of K Ki’s enticing cakes and they are always calling out to me. Ok I admit I’m slow but it’s better late than never right? :P Anyway I shall not attempt to go into the details about how K Ki came about but I believe it’s (almost) every girl’s dream come true. How fortunate to be able to work alongside your husband, doing something that you really enjoy! :D
Took a trip down just yesterday and the nice weather made the walk from Chinatown MRT station a little less painful. The fellow foodie (you will find out who in just a bit!) reminded me that their cakes get snapped up very quickly and I did a little jog in order to catch up with her (now you know it’s a she) pace when we were going upslope. Phew. Talk about getting a little workout before some indulgence! Hehe.
I fell in love with K Ki the moment I stepped in. It’s cosy, neat and simple. Somehow, I find that the wooden furniture gives the place a very nice, rustic feel and it makes one feel at ease immediately. Absolutely nothing pretentious here.
Look at that! Now I feel like kicking myself for not asking who sewed all these. Probably Delphine?
No fancy red roses. Just a very adorable looking white flower. Not sure what is it called.. And we were wondering if it’s real!
Ta-dah! This is Stargirl, author of Le Petit Connoisseur. She certainly is petit and looks younger than what she really is! I truly enjoyed her company :) Full of life and bursting with energy. I feel so old beside her for she is 7 years my junior!
Hello! *waves* I will tell you more about the Little Drom Store later :) Anyway there were only four different types of cakes left when we got there around 1.45pm and we decided to share all four types! Act now, think later :P
Call me silly but I was a little worried when Stargirl told me that Kinabaru ($8) is basically layers of coconut mousse, passion fruit creme and a spongy chocolate base. I don’t detest coconut but I’m not entirely a huge fan of it either. Passion fruit? The only thing that comes close is the body scrub that I have. Sorry but I don’t really fancy tart flavours. It got me thinking that the only consolation would probably be the chocolate base! I took my first bite with caution and.. hey it’s not as bad as I thought it would be! The coconut mousse is light and smooth, plus the passion fruit had a nice refreshing twist! Maybe I’m a little ‘conservative’ but after having the Kinabaru, I reckon it’s nice to excite your taste buds once in awhile ;)
The Antoinette ($8) is a beautiful piece of art and it got me fooled. I didn’t expect that the white fluffy coating to be white chocolate! I love chocolate in all shapes, colors and sizes. Sweetness was just right and it certainly wasn’t cloying.
There is a very sexy centre hidden within the Antoinette and it’s wet, I mean molten mango puree. A very interesting pairing of white chocolate and mango. Yummeh.. I love it! :D
I can’t help but giggle upon realizing why this particular creation is named Little Red Riding Hood ($8.50). The shiny chocolate ganache is so gorgeous and I could almost see my own reflection staring down at it. The dark chocolate was bitter sweet and very rich. The raspberry filling within the chocolate mousse had a slight frozen, icy texture which made me shiver with delight.
I say, simplicity is best. You probably wouldn’t give Cafe Dumo ($8) a proper look in the beginning, especially when the other exquisite creations are fighting for your attention, all at the same time. When you finally decide to give it a second look, you realize that the Cafe Dumo can’t be all that simple and it lures you to it, to unravel its mystery and discover what truly lies within. Shall I tell you what I found? Go figure it out for yourself! :P Coffee lovers will find joy in savoring this. I still have a hard time deciding which is my favorite :( All I can say is that, it is a tie between Antoinette and Cafe Dumo!
This is the Little Drom Store that is housed within the same space as K Ki. Here, you find all sorts of bric-a-brac from trinkets to tea towels.
Those vintage polaroids certainly caught my eye! Pretty old school stuff :)
I will definitely go back and try the Strawberry Tart, Mont Blanc, Mona, and everything else that I can get my hands on :P Lastly, I would like to thank Stargirl for her time :)
K Ki ケーキ
7 Ann Siang Hill
#01-00
Tel: +65 6225 6650
Opening hours
Tue, Wed, Fri and Sun
11am – 9pm
Thu
11am – 7pm
Sat
11am – 4pm
missuschewy
misterchewy
