Thursday, July 14, 2022

One Night Staycation @ St Regis Singapore

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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

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Sol & Luna - Weekend Brunch @ I-Spring

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Someone wanted a western brunch, and so we came. Located at I-Spring (CapitaSpring Building), one need to inform the staff at the building lobby before taking the lift up to Level 17.

Sol & Luna appeared to be well-staffed and we were led to our table quickly. There's a time limit for each table and its turn-around time is about 1.5 hours.

brunch at Sol & Luna


latte @$6


Passion De-Light @$14


I had the Passion De-Light cocktail, but was surprised by its taste. Though it was stated as having vodka as the base, this drink was really light with little to no alcohol taste. More sour than sweet and tasted of cucumber and citrus.

ZQ got herself the Parma Ham Eggs Benny, while Jeff got a Sol and Luna Big Pan breakfast. 

Parma Ham Eggs Benedict @$18

S&L Big Pan @$27


The Big Pan breakfast had Salsiccia Sausage, grilled Roma tomatoes, avocado, sauteed mushrooms, and toasted sourdough.

Darren opted for a pasta dish and we stole a bite. I think it was delicious and unlike the typical oil-based aglio, its sauce seemed somewhat unexpected for an aglio olio. The sauce had a creamy texture and was so darn tasty! 

House-Made Spaghetti ‘Aglio Olio’ @$24


We also chose a meat dish to try. The lamb shoulder. If you're afraid of the gamey/funky lamb smell, this dish was done superbly at Sol & Luna and had none of the gamey smell nor taste. Instead, its meat was tender and had a gentle mild flavour. Loved the broccolini and those juicy tomatoes.

12 Hours Slow Cooked Welsh Lamb Shoulder on The Bone @$36


And we ended the meal with dessert. Tried the Chestnut Mandarin Mont Blanc and the Lemon Meringue Pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie @$10


Overall, the dessert here was rather sweet. Personally, I prefer the Lemon Meringue Pie here as it was zesty and quite a nice looking tart.

yums


It was funny, how we were wondering if the staff brought us the wrong quantity of the Mont Blanc, as two pieces appeared on the plate when it was served. The staff explained that the order was correct and it is two pieces per order.

Chestnut Mandarin Orange Mont Blanc @$13


The chestnut paste was 'melting' and hence, it's visual was just disappointing. Taste-wise, it was sweeter than the lemon meringue' and I didn't enjoy it.

Expect to spend about $47 per pax for a 2-course meal with a drink.


Sol & Luna

Address: 88 Market St, #17-01, CapitaSpring 048948
Contact: 8031 4316
Business Hours:
Mon - Thur:  11am–12am
Fri:  11am–12.30am
Sat - Sun: 10am–12am


Monday, July 4, 2022

Sawadee Thai Cuisine @ Tan Quee Lan St

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My colleague wanted to eat Thai food, so it was decided on Sawadee Thai Cuisine that we previously passed by on the way to Wan Po Tea Shop. Take note that there will be a $100 deposit required to confirm your reservation. 


shop front


Staff was friendly and one could peruse the online menu by scanning the QR code.

scan QR code for the menu


table setup


My friends decided on the items and we went for medium plates as per recommended by the staff, as we were in a party of 5.

Was surprised when our drinks arrived. Some of the glasses looked like there wasn't enough tea to go around. This was made even more jarring when one out of the 4 milk tea had more tea than others. Hmm. Other than that, the tea tasted good.

Thai Milk Tea @$6


Thai Glass Noodles Salad (Yum Woon Sen - medium) @ $24

Tom Yum Soup (Tom Yum Talay) @$28


The glass noodles salad portion looked a tad small for a medium. Served warm, and I liked that it wasn't too sweet. 

The tom yum soup was served in a small pot and it was portion out to the 5 of us by the service staff, automatically. A small sip with a big dose of sourness! Tasty, flavourful and definitely a wake-me-up! If you like really sour, this is it!

Thai Green Curry Chicken @$16

Am surprised that there wasn't a medium size option for the Thai Green Curry Chicken. So delicious, that curry! Pour it over the rice, and that mouthful tasted heavenly! Must try here.


Spicy Steamed Seabass @$38

Didn't enjoy the seabass as the sauce was a tad underwhelming in terms of overall flavours but overwhelming in its sourness. The fish was of a good size though.

Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings @$5 per piece

The stuffed chicken wings were served piping hot and loved that it was meaty. Didn't taste like it had a lot of stuffings. Instead, it tasted like a good regular fried wing. Hmm.


Sawadee Thai Cuisine

Addresss: 9 Tan Quee Lan St, Singapore 188098

Websitehttps://www.sawadee-cuisine.com/

Contact: 6238 6833

Business Hours:

Daily: 11am–2:30pm, 6–10pm

Friday, July 1, 2022

[Tasting] Guriru グリル @ 2 College Road

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Guriru (or 'grill') is neatly tucked inside 2 College Road. It offers diners an alfresco dining ambiance complete with swimming pool view, perfect for us to unwind after a hard day's work. Some may even say that this place has the vacation vibes!

follow the sign

dining by the pool


view from our table

Guriru is a charcoal-grilled seafood concept by Chef Teppei Yamashita . Its menu is inspired by the Japanese Hamayaki (浜焼き). In the traditional sense, Hamayaki usually have freshly caught seafood broiled at a beach. While it isn't an exact match, the relaxed and happy vibes of Hamayaki are carried over to Guriru, and the restaurant do receive fresh locally caught seafood as well as importing some other premium seafood from Japan, such as the oysters and beef.


To order, simply scan the QR code that from the slip of paper placed on your table.


How about we start off the meal with some oysters from Hyogo? Raw oysters served with homemade ponzu sauce. Our friendly service staff, Berna brought out the tabasco sauce for us even without us asking for it.

Hyogo Oysters @ $19 (half dozen)



White wine works well with seafood, but of course, feel free to select your tipple of choice. While there is no Happy Hour implemented at Guriru, the current prices of the drinks are reasonable.


White Wine (Gold Trees Sauvignon Blanc) @$12, or Sake (Nambujin Tokubetsu Junmai) @$15 per glass

Yuzu Highball @$15

Aki-Momiji (lychee, lime, soda) @$8

One can never get enough of oysters, so we got the grilled oysters as well. One could opt for butter garlic, or simply shoyu sauce for the grilled oysters.

grilled Hyogo oysters

grilled Hyogo oysters (garlic butter, shoyu)

If you prefer something more substantial, meaning with carbs, and you still love Hyogo oysters, I'd say... go for the Guriru Oyster Rice. Portion is enough to be comfortably shared amongst 4 pax to savor its flavours. Slow-cooked japanese rice with special sauce and topped with Hyogo oysters. Good wholesome savoury flavours. Very likeable but do leave some stomach space for other items!


Guriru Oyster Rice @$18

For typical Japanese izakaya snacks, we tried the recommendations from Berna.

Crispy Salmon Skin @$9

Eihire (dried stingray fin) @$12


Fugu Mirin Boshi (marinated puffer fish slices) @$14


Kawa Ebi (tossed in seasoning) @$10

Salmon skin was served warm and it was indeed crispy as its name implied. Quite shioks to hear the crunch when you munch on it. The fried small prawns (kawa ebi) was addictive as well. One can't help but to continuously pop one after another into the mouth.

The eihire and fugu mirin boshi at Guriru, is not those super crisp types. It felt 'meatier', with strong flavours and goes well with the drinks.

favourite snack of the night


Let's get more food from the Hamayaki Live Charcoal Grill! How about some good sized black tiger prawns, shishamo, whole squid and kurobuta pork belly? Yes please.


Black Tiger Prawns @$6.50 (1 piece) / $25 (5 pieces)


Shishamo @$9 (5 pieces)

Whole Squid @$16

Kurobuta Pork Belly @$12

All the grill items were done beautifully. My favourites are the Whole Squid and Kurobuta Pork Belly. The squid flavours was subtle and mild, with tender texture. None of those rubbery nonsense. 

The pork belly did not disappoint. We learnt that the meat was slow-cooked for 4 hours before getting its time on the grill. The meat was wonderfully tender was yet still holds firm when picked-up with the chopsticks. Must try.

closer view of deliciousness

There's pizza on the menu too!

Prosciutto Pizza @$21

thin crust pizza

We also sampled some special items prepared by Chef Teppei; Grilled Hitachi Beef and Foie Gras ice-cream.

Hitachi Beef

The beef texture was so soft, and tender. Such delicate texture. The sauce is strongly flavoured so a tiny dab of it will do. Seems like the sauce has some spicy element to it.

To complete the meal, we enjoyed the hot and cold, savoury and sweet combination of foie gras vanilla cinnamon ice-cream. Do eat it right after it is served as it melts pretty quickly. Unusual and interesting. Could be something that you either will like or will hate it.

Foie Gras Ice-Cream

Overall, the food was enjoyable and service was excellent with staff always moving about to top-up the water, to clear off empty plates or simply to enquire if diners need to add any other orders.

Alfresco dining has its plus points as well as downside. For me, if the day gets too hot, I do prefer air-conditioned dining. I suppose an ice-cold beer would be of some help? Hahaa! But on cooler days, it is pretty nice to dine with the pool view. Feels like a staycation, well...almost.

Thank you Hence for the invite and Eunice for hosting the tasting. Special thanks to Chef Teppei for feeding us with delicious food and not forgetting the lovely staff of Guriru.


Guriru グリル 

Address: 2 College Rd, Level 1, Singapore 169850

Websitehttps://www.guriru.sg/

Reservationhttps://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/guriru

Contact: 9010 7020

Business Hours:

Closed on Sundays.

Mon - Thur: 12–10:30pm

Fri - Sat: 12-11:30pm



 
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