ABBEY: As part of pampering, we went to Organic Salon for hair treatment and cut.
We were given scalp assessment and found out that mine is oily. There came what I called “menthol” therapy. After a relaxing shampoo session, they also put serum on my scalp. It was as if my head was dipped in a toothpaste solution. I felt coolness and lightness on my head. Next thing I know I had a haircut ($39.10) which suits me well.
The service price is somehow on the expensive side but it’s worth your while.
Organic Hair Professional on Fave Voucher
WILL: Another tried salon from FAVE. I had the $59.68 deal that consisted of hair colouring and argan oil treatment.
There are so many salon offering their promotions at FAVE but Organic Salon hits most due to being “organic”. Come to think of it, we do not need all those chemicals applied on our body specially on our head. So let’s go for organic.
They are offering a free scalp analysis and I am willingly asked for a top-up of $80++. The scalp treatment ate up almost half of our stay at their salon. The process? Scalp analysis, Scalp Massage, High Frequency Comb, Nanospray and Light Therapy. After that process, you can really see with your own eyes (no need of machine) that the scalp is all cleaned and very clear.
On the other hand, they never met expected color of my hair. Quite a disappointment. Oh! Warning! They are pushy! That is the time that you will regret going to a salon. You can’t relax. Haha! They really don’t accept NO for an answer.
For scalp cleaning, recommendable. For the failed color I experienced is a ‘no’ and for marketing definitely a big NO.
WILL: I am quite curious how the Jurong Lake Garden looks like. Well, Chat made me jealous on her exercise videos. So when she invited on her birthday, I suggested if we can roam around the famous Jurong Lake Garden. It is quite late because we waited for the rain to stop so I told Chat that we will come back to see the huge park through sunlight!
After a week, Abbey and I were back and marvelled the beauty of not yet fully opened 90 hectare park.
We enjoyed the playground specially the zipline. We were amazed by the Allotment Garden and spend some time at The Lone Tree.
We covered around 7km of the park and we are definitely be back once the Chinese and Japanese are renovated.
That is a fun run we have. Your kids will definitely enjoy the Jurong Lake Gardens
HOW TO GET THERE: Via East-West Line: Nearest MRT: Lakeside MRT (EW26) Directions: It's a 3 minutes walk from Lakeside MRT. Take Exit A from Lakeside MRT.
LARGEST HEDGE MAZE AT WORLD’S BEST AIRPORT | SINGAPORE JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT + CANOPY PARK
WILL: Most airports will cater the typical needs of passengers like restaurants, lounges and shops meanwhile Singapore Airport is providing an extra experience not only for tourist but also for transit passengers. I am not surprised why Changi Airport is always awarded as the WORLD’S BEST AIRPORT!
In Changi, there are already four airport terminals and in the middle of those terminal lies the Jewel Changi. Hey you do not need a plane ticket to get in there. It is open to public. It is a mall with direct link to Singapore airports.
You can see the famous and world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the HSBC Rain Vortex and if you are wanting for more you head to level 5 of Jewel Changi and enter the Canopy Park that holds the only hedge maze in airport!
Wwwweetweeewww! I truly enjoyed that experience. I love the idea of getting lost and solving my way out haha! I think this is a perfect test of patience and problem solving for your kids. Totally recommendable!
How We Celebrate Birthday In Abroad! Ofw - Singapore | Singapore Apple Floating Store & Level33 | The World's Highest Urban Craft-Brewery
WILL: For every birthday of my husband, I always make it a point that it will be a special celebration. Why? He is one of the greatest gift I have received from the ALMIGHTY! That is why I always want to shower him with my attention and loving care.
On 2020 while the world is on a halt, I looked for a place where we can dine with a relaxing sight! Of course, on a budget! Haha! LeVel33 came to the rescue!
LeVel33, the the World's Highest Urban Microbrewery is giving its diners the luxury of the view of Singapore’s Marina Bay, the scattered ships at the sea and magnificent horizon.
LeVel33 offers a Weekday Executive Lunch with a buffet of entrée, fruits and cheese for only S$42.00. For main course, Abbey ordered a medium well steak and I went for halibut with mashed potato.
OMG! This is not the first time I ate halibut but this is the time I really appreciated the texture of the said fish! It is soft and somewhat buttery! Perfectly matched with the mashed potato.
Kuddos to the Level33 staffs as they are quite attentive on what you need and observant on what we like on their raw bar. +10 points on that! Highly recommended if you will be having a business lunch meeting!
***
LeVeL33 Craft-Brewery Restaurant & Lounge
(W) https://www.level33.com.sg
(H) 1130am - 1030pm Daily
(A) 8 Marina Boulevard #33-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 018981
WILL: Okay! Okay! I am preparing myself to test if I am really over with my fear of lizards. Small or big I really have a huge fear and disgust over them. So where should I go to face my fear? At a wetland! Sungei Buloh adventure it is!
It is early in the morning I mustered and talked to myself that it is only an animal and man have power over them. Haha! What a self talk! On the gate of Sungei Buloh there’s a huge photo of what to expect inside the park and of course, giant lizards were there!
Upon entering the park, we immediately greeted by a fresh and misty air. Love to be around the nature. The walkway was not that soft as mud. Just perfect for our great adventure.
Sungei Buloh is Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park. It is popular for birdwatchers so please keep your voice down so birds won’t be disturbed. Please do not litter too! Do not forget to take a photo of the famous observation pods tower of the Sungei Buloh.
Uh-oh! At the centre of our walkway on the middle of our travel, there it is my ENEMY waiting if I really conquered my fear! Haha! I kept my calm and wait for him to walk to the side of the road. I can look at it for now but I can’t stand a minute beside it. Oh well, who will? Monitor lizards are wild animals! Haha!
That was a great exploration! Come visit the Sungei Buloh and be succumbed by nature!
ABBEY: Our table in Paddock was reserved long back even before we knew if I’ll pass my last certification for the year. It’s as if my wife could tell the future. Haha. After two hours of examination I cleared it and when the adrenaline subsided we got ready and head to Singapore Polo Club. We were supposed to seat at a table beside the grass field but there was TV show shooting that time but table beside the pool is also fine.
I had their Polo Club Sandwich. It was huge and has beef pastrami, swiss cheese, ham, fried egg and fries on the side. The pastrami is juicy while the egg yolk oozed out to the bread after I cut it. Overall not too salty and the items went well with each other. I also put some mustard and ketchup to add more flavor to it. And then I washed it down with a rootbeer float.
The Paddock Bistro - Singapore Polo Club | Lunch Deals - Polo Club Sandwich
The Paddock Bistro - Singapore Polo Club | Lunch Deals - Falafel
WILL: Abbey passed a Microsoft Azure test. Woootwooooot! Another technical certification was conquered. And because Microsoft Azure is not his usual database (Abbey is an Oracle SME), we decided to dine to a not usual go to. The Paddock which is located at Singapore Polo Club. The Paddock is open for (non-members) on weekdays so we seized that opportunity for a Friday lunch.
We booked to be seated at the Chukka Terrace but there’s a tv shooting at that moment so we were requested to be at the poolside. It defies what we want to experience (watching horse while dining) but we are there to enjoy the day. So no issues on that.
We are just beside their kitchen and I heard that almost of the food ordered coming our from there is a falafel burger. So I also went for that. OMG! Now I know why the guests almost all went for their falafel. It’s patty is very moist. So moist that it crumbles. This is the best falafel I had so far! Parsley and cilantro is not overpowering but you can definitely taste the presence. Really do enjoyed my falafel partnered with my cranberry juice! Yumm!
That dining is a good experience! Love it and wondering who can beat that falafel! Haha!
ABBEY : I lost to Wilma with our Showdown of Generals (mobile version of Game of the Generals) and the wager is that the winner will pick where to have dinner and the loser will pay. Wilma confessed that she really want to have a Vietnamese meal for a long time. So off we go to Co Chung (Plaza Singapura). We had a serving of spring rolls, grilled pork sandwich, and crab paste and pork vermicelli soup.
The spring rolls are good specially when you dip it in the sweet-salty sauce. We even requested for another round of dip. Our sandwich taste great; the char of the grilled pork and the crunchiness of the vegetables. And the soup will give you the taste of Vietnam. You know it is Viet noodles if it has lime, fresh coriander, julienned carrots and fish sauce.
I can say that I lost the battle even before it started. Haha.
Co Chung Singapore - Authentic taste of Vietnam Goi Cuon
Co Chung Singapore - Authentic taste of Vietnam Banh Mi Thit Nuong
Co Chung Singapore - Authentic taste of Vietnam Bun Rieu Cua
Co Chung Singapore MENU
Co Chung Singapore MENU
Co Chung Singapore MENU
WILL: Abbey was defeated in our Best of Three for Game of The Generals. The bet? He treats me at Co Chung - Plaza Singapura. I am craving for Vietnamese food for weeks and having BanhMi and Pho at that time gave me a relief.
Co Chung is not ordinary. The crab and prawn flavour dominated their Crab Paste and Pork Vermicelli Soup! Oh so yummy! Grilled Pork Sandwich fillings are just the same as others but their buns are extra softer.
Not regretting that we tried this Co Chung at Plaza Singapura. Definitely recommendable! Go and satisfy your Vietnamese food cravings.
***
Co Chung Singapore - Authentic taste of Vietnam
(F) https://www.facebook.com/cochungvietnam/
(H) Monday to Sunday : 11am - 9pm
(A)68 Orchard Road, #B2-20, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Capella Singapore - Sentosa Hotel & Resorts in Singapore | FREE Constellation Room
WILL: Good hotels are not always at Marina Bay Area surrounded by skyscrapers of Singapore some “greater” ones are located at luscious greeneries of the Sentosa island and one of those is the LUXURY 5-STAR Hotel and Resort, CAPELLA.
How do I found out about Capella? When Horst Schulze (the founder of Ritz Carlton Hotels) talk about Capella’s service and said it is better than Ritz. Well, who will not be enticed on that no holds barred description? Immediately Capella is on our bucket list. To add up a reason why Capella is to check out the emblem of President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un. That’s a history!
Another reason? Price wise? They are offering almost the same rate BUT with ala-carte buffet breakfast, $100 dining voucher, free high tea, complimentary fruit basket, free to consume juices and cola on your fridge and a curated activities not only for couple but for the whole family. Ladies and gentlemen please let the Culturist Team know your preferences on activities you want them to book for you. It is like you have your own butler right? Oh! Don’t worry about how to go to the hotel, they also have a complimentary shuttle from Harbourfront station.
We were greeted with a smile when we arrived the hotel. Done the Trace Together check-in and temperature checking, we signed some papers at the reception and after few minutes one of Culturist came with us to to acquaint us to our room.
Our room? I booked for Premier Seaview King Bed Room for $828.00 BUT we were upgraded to Constellation Room. That FREE upgrade almost doubled the amount of our paid room reservation. Woootwoooot! We didn’t shy off to show our excitement and gratefulness to our Culturist.
The Constellation Room is one of the sexiest/romantic room in Singapore and now I know why. Haha! Let’s describe the room. Capella only have 4 Constellation Rooms. They are at the top of the building, so you can consider it as their “penthouse” room. So sosyal and ATAS! Their blinds and curtains can be commanded by a click at their Touch Panel. Forget the Do Not Disturb and Make Up My Room paper signage can also be found in the control panel. The Sealy bed is not so soft nor too hard. It is indeed a comfort. Rivolta Carmignani Linens which can only be found at top notch hotels! What do you expect? Capella has it! The 4 pillows at the bed is firm enough to my preferences.
Each room has it’s own bathtub and balcony provided with the room view you have chosen but Constellation Room comes with a your own private Jacuzzi Hot Tub! Imagine soaking at a relaxing hot tub overlooking the Palawan Beach! This is indeed feels like a royal.
Capella really do take it personally haha! As I requested, they provided my husband a cake and balloons for his birthday. When I asked for the price, they gladly to informed me that it is on the house! What a delight! Abbey and I opted to have in-room dining instead of going to either Bob’s Bar or The Knolls.
Abbey had a steak and I indulge on my paneer. It is a feast of flavour and the mushroom soup soothes as an appetiser.
Food service and room service men do not roam around their eyes around the room. They are always looking down or directly to the man they are talking. That is a good point. A sign that staffs are not nosy. Haha.
The pools. There are adults only, family pool and lap pool. In adults pool, they can totally enjoy the water with serenity of nature and chirping birds. While in the family pool you can play around using floaters. Of course in the lap pool, you can enjoy your swim without any interruptions.
I am surprised to the sweet taste of their oatmeal prodidge, ordered thrice of their prawn dumpling and delighted on their not too strong ginger lemon tea. That’s all I liked at their a la carte buffet breakfast.
Unwind at The Living Room with their books together with a plate of sweets and a cup of tea or coffee.
Thank you so much Capella not only for the upgrade, complimentary cake and balloon but most importantly you make us feel special.
Capella is truly a 5-Star Hotel. Staying at this hotel resort is a luxurious experience for me and my hubby. We will never forget this stay! Hope to see you again!
ABBEY: 25 Degrees has always been on my list but didn’t got a chance to dine as it is always out of our way. However an opportunity came up when we were near the vicinity.
We went there as soon as it opens and ordered Burger Number One (beef patty, caramelized onion, bacon). This came with fries and a milkshake (chocolate for me please).
The patty is moist and juicy and my indulgence was completed with a creamy and decadent chocolate milkshake. Who counts the calories right? Please allow the kitchen to prepare your meal though so have a chat with your someone while waiting.
25 Degrees Burger, Wine & Liquor Bar : Veggie Burger
25 Degrees Burger, Wine & Liquor Bar : Burger Number One
WILL: We went out to Rediscover Singapore and one of goal is to look out for the magnificent murals from Tiong Bahru, Haji Lane and some at Little India. Of course, rediscovering sites at Singapore means we need to lunch out too. Haha! Instead of going to malls for a lunch, we checked out the burgers at 25 degrees.
25 degrees is located at the foot of G Hotel (near Bugis) and I ordered their Veggie Burger. Am I bad if I will say that I am expecting 25degrees that they will be the same as the fastfood chains? To my surprise so far, their veggie patty is the best that I ever had!
It is not dry! Now I know what the “real” veggie burger should taste. You will be aware of what’s inside, you can still see
some of the leaves grounded into a patty. It’s green color patty is appetizing and gives a guilt-free eating of a burger. Haha! What makes it extra special? Their 1-for-1 milkshake on Wednesdays. Oh my! The thick vanilla milkshake is an extra treat!
Check it out!
***
25 Degrees Burgers and Liquor Bar
(W) https://www.randblab.com/
(H) Saturday to Thursday : 11 am to 11pm | Friday : 7am to 1am
ABBEY: A new donut shop opened and we took our chance to have some of them on its first day. Sadly the flavors I want were already sold out and the next batch will be available after 3 hours. So we settled with Pandan Ondeh-Ondeh ones. Having the donuts infused with a local favorite poses a challenge as it should taste the same. Surprisingly it was. It has the coconut taste as well as the sweetness of the palm sugar.
On our next visits (yes we came a second and third time), we were able to grab Original, Coffee, and Milo Dinosaur. The taste were the same as other shops and almost same price as well.
City Donut – NEW Donut Specialty Shop Near | Best Donut in Singapore
City Donut – NEW Donut Specialty Shop Near Tanjong Pagar - Ondeh Ondeh and Milo Dinosaur Donut
WILL: Are you fed up with the sugar rush of same old donuts company giving to you? Well, be thankful that City Donut is here to the rescue! They pride themselves with the Milo Dinosaur flavour but they hit the bull’s eye with their Ondeh Ondeh. The coconut bits give a good chew in every bite and the oozing liquid palm sugar is fantastically but not overly sweet. Perfect for a black coffee or tea.
This donut is really recommendable and be early. They are always out of donuts on lunchtime and tea time.
WILL:Many people are posting how you can have a budget-friendly baked sushi. They went for all kinds but we prefer to taste the normal toppings of a sushi, so we bought salmon and pre-cooked crab meat (not the orange imitation).
The taste? Superb! Salmon and crab meat gives a good umami flavour when partnered with nori and furikake. The creaminess of sour cream and mozarella cheese is overwhelmingly good. Plus the kick of wasabi! Oh-oh! It is fulfilling.
This is the most expensive ($20+)“lutong bahay” we have .. for now. Maybe we can do this once a year.
WILL: Sembawang Free Hot Spring is not a new thing BUT it was closed for renovation and early 2020, National Parks opened it with a good design to accommodate more residents.
Even it is quite far from our place, we still muster ourselves one early morning of July. We arrived 5 minutes after 7am and to my surprise, around 20 people were already enjoying the benefits of the hot water from the springs.
They have told that hot springs have benefits like:
Boosts Blood Circulation
Reduces Stress and Promote Sleep
Relieves Pain
Heals Skin Problems
We queue around 20minutes and soaked our feet for 30mins. The feel? I can’t feel my legs. Haha! It is not numb but it is like that my feet really felt the relaxation.
Premier Fine Dining Dim Sum Buffet in Singapore | Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road
WILL: Abbey passed 4 certifications from Oracle and he decided to celebrate those on a dim sum buffet at Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road.
We arrived 30mins early on a Sunday and because Singapore is still on DORSCON Orange Circuit Breaker Phase 2, we can’t linger around at Parkroyal’s lobby. We just stand in front of the restaurant.
Exactly 1130, their doors opened for diners and we were advised that they will serve first the specialities on menu. My favourite in that is the steamed dumpling with seafood in clear soup, it is packed with seafood (of course) and not typically served in a different dim sum restaurant.
After they served their specials, we started ordering that seems appetizing on the menu. The two items that really shoots on me are the sliced pork in garlic and chili sauce and the boiled spare ribs soup with golden mushrooms, bean curd and preserved capsicum. Why I like those? First the sliced pork is very tender and complements well with the spiciness of chili sauce and the pork ribs gingery/spicy soup gives a soothing relief on that rainy day.
It is totally recommended for you to try dim sum buffet of Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. One tip is order food by batch, well at least 5-7 plates, there’s a time a that all guests arewaiting for the dim sums to be served for more than 30mins.
Betty Crockers Chocolate Cake – bake as per instruction
Toffee Crumble:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup water
1/4 dark/light corn syrup
1/2 tbsp baking soda (sifted)
Mocha Butter Icing:
75g unsalted butter (softened)
1/4 cup evaporated milk (or full cream milk)
1 tsp instant coffee powder
Frosting:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp corn syrup (or 1/8 tsp cream of tartar)
1/6 cup water
1 egg white
3/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Instruction:
VERDICT:
WILL: COVID 19 cancelled all our holiday plans in Manila. The places we will visit..the food that we will linger into. It is indeed upsetting.
Abbey do his best to solve the problem.. ahm well my problem on wanting to eat a Becky’s Chocolate Swiss Cake.
It is exactly (swak na swak) the same taste as the original. The simple chocolate cake, the not so sweet icing and the soothing cracking sound of the toffee! Yumminess to the nth level.
Please bake try this on your kitchen. Did I mentioned that Becky’s Swiss Chocolate Cake location can only found at Valle Verde and behind La Salle? So you know now their market right? Wink-wink.
ABBEY: As the Singapore Circuit Breaker continues you can mostly rely on food delivery. And sometimes you want to have a meal which is out of the norm. We placed our order at Common Grill. I got beef short ribs with chicken chop. It came with half corn, pasta and greens. The beef short ribs are peppery while the chicken is moist and sweet. The serving is enough for me to be full and satisfied. Common Grill was our choice when we had our e-dinner with our friends.
Common Grill by Collin's (delivered by foodpanda)
WILL: Abbey got an appreciation FoodPanda voucher from their office and we spend the $30 ordering from Common Grill.
Why? First, we are craving from sime grilled meat as we can’t book a bbq pit and second because they are on 50% and free delivery promotion! What again? Haha! You read it right! Two promotions are running until now.
I went for Grilled Pork Chop and Quarter BBQ Pork for our first order and Spanish Pork Belly for our second order. Huh? We ordered twice? Yes. May and June hehe.
What we love with Common Grill? The meat is perfectly grilled. There’s no pink meat neither too much burnt parts. It is still lovingly juicy! They gave a generous meat, pasta and salad portions. The food is not compromised due to promotions. Oh! Don’t muss their mushroom soup!
Would love to visit one day their store and have a dine in there. Very recommendable!
***
Common Grill by Collin's
(W) https://www.collins.sg/collins-common-grill
(H)11am - 10pm
(A) Blk 21 Hougang St, #01-51 Hougang Green Shopping Mall (S) 538719
ABBEY: We went to Burger+ (Wisma Atria) branch but we backed out as the waiting time for a takeaway order is 2 hours. I saw my wife became sad. So on an ordinary day, I placed an order and boy she was surprised when she saw the food. Actually it was not a surprise afterall as she saw my placement in my mail. We got Bulgogi Hotdog (Pork), Vege Cheeseburger, and Korean Bulgogi burger. All those came with fries and drink. I like the packaging as it is very presentable even after delivery. It protected the food specially the fries. Speaking of fries, the truffle fries is flavorful and fragrant. You need to eat them as soon as you can as they will be hard if you keep it a long time. The burgers are juicy, moist and got the grilled taste. You can never ask for more tomato or lettuce. They are all packed in the sandwich. Ready your dough as this will cost you.
Burger+ - Wisma Atria Branch
WILL: Covid-19 gave a threat not only in tourism sector but also on food industry. You can’t dine in your favourite restaurants! Oh my! What’s the next step? Order a delivery! Since every restaurant is only relying on food delivery and pick-up many of them came up with different promotions. One of them is Burger+.
Surprised me with a delivery. He ordered a pork bruger for me and a truffle fries. The pork burger is succulent yet not overcooked. The toasted bun has a distinctive taste of butter. The bag of delivery will be overwhelmed by the aroma of truffle fries.
It is indeed a treat for me! Facebook you won again! We ordered one of your sponsored ads! Haha. And of course, I want to shout to the world that until now my husband loves to surprise me.
Will we dine in to Burger+? Yes! We will do
***
Burger+
(W) https://burgerplus.com.sg/
(H) 10am - 10pm daily
(A) 435 Orchard Road #01-37-38 Wisma Atria (S) 238877
Ingredients: -1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour -1 tsp. of salt -3/4 cup of cornmeal or ground popcorn / dried corn -1/4 cup of white sugar -2 eggs -3/4 cup of milk -8 boiled hot dogs -8 wooden skewers
Instructions:
VERDICT WILL: I’ll tell you a secret...i love corn dog. I am always looking forward to eat those everytime we are in amusement parks. Pork hotdog here in Singapore is not available on our usual supermarket, but it available in Abbey’s favourite grocery — the Cold Storage.
So, we went there and bought a pack of hotdog and on that very weekend, he made a corn dog as our breakfast. The taste? It is better! Omg! Not drenched in oil and the bits of corn is there! Oh my GEE! Will never pay more at amusement parks’ corn dog.
Ditch out the marshmallow, pineapple, hot dog skewers! Amped up your party with this corn and hot dogs! You can do this as a business too! No need of waffle maker!
WILL: Abbey and I quite fascinated on the different taste of Kinamatisan recipe for pork and we thought that it will be a good variation if we do that with pasta.. Well, we are not wrong. The sourness of vinegar plus the umami taste from soy sauce and patis (fish sauce) gives a “Filipino” taste to pasta. Pwedeng-pwede itong pang-negosyo sa Pinas. Pang-mirienda sa carinderia. Definitely worth a try itong Kinamatisang Pasta recipe.
VERDICT WILL: I am always a huge fan of hot soups in Singapore. Since Singapore is a melting pot there are many varieties to choose from. Old cucumber soup is one of my favourite. When looking how to cook that meal, I am astonished for the ingredients. The dried squid and anchovies is quite pricey here in SG so for this stewed meal be on budget, we improvised. Instead of dried seafood we put on the umami taste of fish sauce. If there’s no old cucumber can be found (which we found that day) we can use carrot. And we can skip the dates too. What is the taste? I will always crave for this kind soup! It has a feast of flavours! Saltiness from fish sauce, sweetness from the old cucumber and dates, and the crunchy side brought by the peanuts! Take a spike of soy sauce with grated ginger or smashed chili! Oh my!! Please do they this at home and tag us on your social media. Please do standby for another set meal to be cooked at our Youtube channel! TARA LUTO TAYO!
