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Sunday, July 24, 2022

St. Regis Afternoon Tea @ Brasserie Les Saveurs

Was staying at St. Regis so decided to book the Afternoon Tea at Brasserie Les Saveurs. The price per adult during weekends is $59++ or $52++ during weekdays. Inclusive of one beverage. Top up options are available to change it to floral, sparkling tea or alcoholic drink.

entrance to Brasserie Les Saveurs


high ceiling


Was ushered to the table soonest possible when staff is available attend to guests. We placed our order for the tea and of course, I had to get the St. Regis blend. The tea was nice and amiable. Floral fragrance but not too overpowering.

St. Regis Afternoon Tea

plenty of sweets


I'd like to start with the scones first, lest it turned cold and harden. Two types of scone were brought out; St. Regis scone (which looked like plain scones) and the raisin scone. Not sure why but only one portion of lemon curd, marmalade jam and clotted cream were brought out. Am guessing that it was meant to be shared?

basket of plain and raisin scones (for 2 pax)

lemon curd, strawberry jam and clotted cream


slathered with jam and cream


The scones were alright when eaten warm. The lemon curd and jam were not too sweet.

Kris didn't like her tea after taking a sip and enquired from the staff if this could be changed. The friendly staff immediately acceded to her request without much question. Such stellar service. Lovely.

Besides the 3-tiered cage, there was a separate plate for the savouries.

savoury plate

salmon sandwich with walnuts

brioche

The brioche looked better than it tasted as the bread had hardened by the time we ate it.

sweets

raspberry

rose macaron

For the sweets, my favourites were the macaron and the round raspberry ball. The swiss roll cake was nice too but it was wet to touch, so that was weird. I hope the moisture was from the fresh strawberry...

Just when we thought we were done, there were two more items served to us; quiche and panna cotta. I definitely didn't expect it, so was pleasantly surprised. That's the problem when one doesn't check-out the menu beforehand.

quiche

served hot

The quiche was nicely hot and very eggy/milky. By now, I was feeling rather full. Am amused that the last 2 items were a contrast of hot and cold.

panna cotta

Unfortunately, took one bite of what appeared to be the cherry panna cotta, and both Kris and myself looked at each other. Then we put our teaspoons down. 

The reason why I didn't like it, was the texture of the panna cotta was too dense. Not sure if it was a time off thing or it was meant to be like this.

Overall, the place was nice to have a gathering or a tete-a-tete with your gal friends. Service was good and staff were all rather friendly. Didn't have to wait long for the items to arrive.

Will I go back for Afternoon Tea? Unlikely.


Brasserie Les Saveurs

Address: 29 Tanglin Road, Lobby Level, The St. Regis, 247911

Menuhttps://marriottbonvoyasia.com/restaurants-bars/the-st-regis-singapore-brasserie-les-saveurs




Friday, July 22, 2022

正宗阿源面薄 – Original Guan's Mee Pok @ Capitol Singapore

It was late in the evening and we wanted to have a nice dinner, preferably something hot. As with any other Saturdays, restaurants are super busy during dinner time. Guan's Mee Pok at Capitol has indoor and 'outdoor' seats with the 'outdoor' version means the tables are located outside of the shop. Hmm, indoor seats please~

Order from the cashier and collect it when it is ready. Self-service style. Kris said she wanted the signature bowl but when I went to the counter to order, the lady informed me that there are two signatures. Hmm, so I bought both since not sure which one Kris wanted. Added a bowl of cuttlefish balls soup, for the vegetables.

dinner for two

Sesame Crispy Prawn Paste Mee Pok @$11

Guan's Mee Pok @$6.80

al-dente noodles

Took the default seasoning for the noodles which is with chili and it turned out to be quite spicy! The spice level is about 2 out of 5 for me. I think this outlet puts in more oil than the previous one that I had some years ago.

cuttlefish balls in boiled watercress soup @$6

Wash it down with a hearty bowl of watercress soup. The cuttlefish balls were rather normal but overall, just good to have alongside the noodles. 

But, it sure fill us up pretty fast. So full after having the noodles and the soup. The noodles actually looked small, but enough for someone who is not a big eater.

Saw many who ordered the herbal chicken, so probably that's a good option if you're dining with your family and wanted something different other than those normally served at a noodles shop.

For me, the draw of Guan's Mee Pok is the texture of the noodles, the adequate ingredients in the original bowl and its hanjuku egg,



 正宗阿源面薄 – Original Guan's Mee Pok 

Address:  13 Stamford Rd, B1-55 Capitol Piazza, Singapore 178905

Websitehttps://guanmeepok.com/

Business Hours:

Daily  9:30am–9pm

Sunday, July 17, 2022

So France Claymore @ 1 Claymore Drive

We had a hard time finding this outlet. Pretty hidden and you probably won't notice it from the main roads. Staff was pretty nice and tried their best to guide us to the place over the phone when we called up to ask for more detailed directions.

So France Claymore

entrance


One could also stock up on imported goodies such as cheeses, wines, condiments within the shop when dining here. As we had a reservation, we were led to our table pretty quickly.

lovely interior

table setting

let's have brunch!

drinks menu


Decided to do a light brunch as perhaps only two of us were super hungry while the other half were okay. Decided on baked camembert cheese, a savoury crepe and another sweet crepe to complete the meal.

The manager is a humorous guy and he was advising us on the sequence that we should be enjoying our orders. We learnt that we shouldn't be eating the camembert with a savoury/sweet crepe or something along the line. Hahaa, okay we will enjoy it one after the other then!

bread basket and butter (complimentary)


After our orders were taken, the bread basket was served. The butter serving was not enough for the four of us and thus, we shyly asked if we could have some more. The staff had no qualms on such request and immediately brought out 2 more portions of the butter. Thank you for your generosity!


yummy

How about a glass of wine for a mid-day tipple? Why not?

Bordeaux M de Monsegur 2016 @$14

Baked Camembert @$20 (half)


We were actually surprised when we dig into the baked camembert. Was it supposed to be that watery? Hmm. More liquid than what we used to have in other places where it was only lightly baked till soft and with a drizzle of honey. Here, it is just the pure taste of a liquid camembert (savoury, creamy) after the top layer was broken off.


liquid gold

Served with crispy toast but I preferred it with the baguette as the bread could soak up more of the cheese!

La Montagnarde @$22

bacon, Raclette cheese, caramelised onions

The savoury crepe was good. Love the accompanying salad at the side. Felt like a balanced meal.

Ended the meal with a sweet crepe but my friends were disappointed. The crepe seemed to be undercooked and more doughy in texture. For me, am not sure if it was supposed to be of this texture but I could still eat it. Just felt it was a tad underwhelming as it seemed to be prepared rather simply; banana slices, crepe and lots of chocolate sauce.

La Banane - Choc @$12


All in all, the staff are friendly and efficient here. This place has good relaxing vibes to it. 

Thank you Tiara, Kris and Shermaine for the treat!


So France

Address: 1 Claymore Drive #01-01. Orchard Tower Apartments, Singapore 229594

Websitehttps://www.so-france.sg/

Contact: +65 6980 7768

Business Hours

Daily: 8AM–10PM

Thursday, July 14, 2022

One Night Staycation @ St Regis Singapore

Ever curious about the service and experience of staying in a luxury hotel, I had decided to book a one-night only staycation at St Regis Singapore.

Check-in was done in a relaxed manner without having to stand in a queue. Just grab a seat at the hotel lobby and wait for the staff to be available.

hotel lobby

nice comfy sofa seats


Requested for a late check-out and staff acceded to the request and extended the stay till 2pm the next day. Once the check-in process was completed, staff offered to escort me to the lift. Lovely gesture.

My room was at Level 14 and noticed that the lift has a seat in it. Don't think I had ever come across such a design in other hotels, thus far.

seat in lift



hallway


Upon entrance to the room, one can't help but to notice a large mirror at the doorway. Hehe, good for that last minute outfit check before heading outside.

area upon entrance to the room


container for the keycard

all in one cabinet (without snacks)


wine opener, but where are the wine glasses?

mini fridge

ice bucket


First impression of the room? Definitely spacious. Its bathroom is like bigger than my current rented space master bedroom. There are 2 sinks at each end of the bathroom, so you and your partner can have your own space to freshen up.

Executive Deluxe (King bed) 52 m²/560 ft²

bathroom

would you like a butler service to get ready the bubble bath?


lovely

separate area for toilet

standing shower

bath things

bag storage area and bedroom slippers in the bathroom

extra pillows here


The room bell rang when I was exploring the room, and I wondered whom it was. Turned out to be the room assigned butler and he was bringing up the complimentary fruits bowl and birthday cake, plus a welcome card from their General Manager.

celebratory cake, fruits bowl and handwritten welcome card


I was like, "Shouldn't this be prepared before the guest arrive?" He acknowledged that and informed that this mix-up was due to the initial room assigned was another one. Hmm, better than late than never, I guess? Not a big deal for me but am sure other guests would like to surprise their partner and hence, this setup would not be ideal when the guest is in the room.

Nevertheless, I must say that the fruits at St Regis were sweet! Good job to the purchasing department for getting such lovely quality fruits.

apples (red and green), kiwi, orange, grapes (red), plum and longan


lovely chocolate cake


lovely spot by the window

view from Level 14

workdesk area


green plants in the room

care package


By the bedside, the side table has a panel that controls the in-room lightings and window drapes. By default, it was setup to be visible. One could also push it in to make it less visible.

controller


I get apprehensive when the room uses french press to make coffee. Like, the cleaning up is kinda messy.

let's drink coffee



yes, I read the instructions...


hot water in


not quite instant, but fast enough


Having said that, the coffee was mild and nice. Not too acidic. Good with that chocolate cake.

Visited the Astor Bar during my stay and tried two of their cocktails. Staff was friendly and welcoming. 

Astor Bar - no entry at this side

complimentary snacks

St. Regis Singapore's "Chilli Padi Mary" @$24


I haven't had Bloody Mary for like ages. Think I only had it once prior to this. St Regis worldwide seemed to have their own version, so ours is the chili padi version. Tasted of savoury tomatoes with a spicy punch. Vodka base, and had aromatics like lemongrass and ginger.




Next one, I opted for Duke of Jazz. Rum and tequila base and tasted of pineapples with a dash of cinnamon/nutmeg powder. This drink I liked for its fruity sweetness. Didn't know it had that dash of spice (which I would've opted out).

Duke of Jazz @$24


Overall, the drinks were pretty strong at Astor Bar. Live Jazz Performance is happening from Thursdays to Saturdays from 6.45pm to 10.45pm. Nice place to unwind. There was a birthday celebration that night too.

Breakfast is served at Brasserie Les Saveurs. There are default items served during breakfast. One will be served the pastry basket and a plate of fruits. Just need to put in the order for one appetiser/side and a main. I chose a salad as the side dish (I forgot that the omelette did come with some greens too...) and the Epicurean Omelette (since that seems to be the thing that guests rave about). 

There are other choices for breakfast such as the usual toasted bread with ham/bacon and eggs, and I spied laksa as well. Observed that regulars here actually don't order the epicurean omelette. Seems like they prefer their own favourite items like regular sunny side up with bacon and toast.

scan QR code for the menu

Viennoiseries

fruits plate

assorted jam for the bread

Epicurean Omelette


Breakfast was served pretty quickly once you are seated and though the place was bustling during the weekend, I got my omelette without having to wait for long.


Overall, the stay at St Regis was comfortable. Room was spacious and quiet. Staff at the lobby was efficient and polite. Check-out was a breeze.


St Regis Singapore

Address: 29 Tanglin Rd, Singapore 247911
Contact: +65 650-66888