Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Satisfying dinner that ended with a peculiar olive oil cake! Welcome to the last post of the year! SKIRT is a modern steakhouse tucked away inside W Singapore - Sentosa Cove (5*) that's located far, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Given lots of thumbs up by meat lovers, the restaurant that's only open for dinner offers prime cuts of meat and sustainably sourced seafood.

Where you can get smoke-trapped dessert! Ash & Elm is one of the dining options housed inside InterContinental Singapore (5*), the flagship hotel of the InterContinental Hotels Group in the Little Red Dot, which is directly linked to the ever-bustling Bugis Junction. The restaurant prides itself in its three culinary theatres: a charcuterie and cheese room, a wood-fired oven and an open charcoal-grill kitchen.

Made a comeback in Singapore on its 100th anniversary! Did you know that A&W was the first fast-food chain to arrive in Singapore in 1968? It left our shores in 2003, but it's finally back with the first outlet at Jewel Changi Airport. Thanks to my staycation at YOTELAir last month, I finally managed to dine there without having to join the usual snaking queue when it opened at 9.00am on a Sunday morning.

Lovely a la carte breakfast in a peaceful setting! If you've been following the last two posts, I'm sure you're aware that I wasn't impressed by the quality of the afternoon tea  bites and evening canapés served at the Club Lounge of InterContinental Singapore (5*), though I certainly enjoyed my three glasses of Prosecco. Breakfast, however, was pretty much a different affair altogether. Read on to find out more.

Where Shirley Temple beat Tom Collins~ Let's continue to look at the food and drinks served at the Club Lounge at InterContinental Singapore (5*). Besides offering afternoon tea from 3.00pm to 5.00pm, the lounge also dishes out canapés with alcoholic beverages daily from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. After the so-so afternoon tea, I was certainly hoping that the evening treat would make up for that.

Afternoon tea with the most peaceful ambience ever! An overseas friend of mine once said, "InterContinental Singapore (5*) is my favourite hotel in the sunny Little Red Dot!" In terms of comfort and service, I concur with him after my recent staycation there in one of its Heritage Suites. When the clock struck 3 o'clock, I made my way to the elegant Club Lounge steeped in Peranakan culture for afternoon tea.

Quite a hearty bowl of chicken congee for breakfast! A mid-range hotel located next to Zhongshan Park in the Novena district, Ramada by Wyndham Singapore (4*) has been welcoming guests for staycation during the current Phase 2 of Reopening. The hotel states that it's providing boxed takeaway breakfast for the time being. However, my friend and I were allowed to have ours at its restaurant: New Ubin Seafood .

Serving delicious 'mee goreng' since the 1980s! New Ubin Seafood gets its name from Pulau Ubin, a northeastern island of Singapore, where it used to operate in the past before moving to the mainland in 1992. At the point of writing, there are three branches. I visited the one within Ramada by Wyndham Singapore at Zhongshan Park (4*) during my staycation there for a quick lunch.

Quite a huge spread for breakfast, but... I had the opportunity to stay at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa (5*) before the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in. The hotel has been approved for staycation during Singapore's Phase 2 of Reopening, but it's definitely not offering self-service buffet breakfast for the time being. Let's have a look at the spread back then during my staycation on Labour Day.

Been a while since I had good smoked chicken breast! Back in 2017, I stayed at Grand Hyatt Singapore (5*) where I enjoyed its self-service buffet breakfast . In September 2020, I found myself back at the hotel, having my very first staycation during Singapore's Phase 2 of Reopening. With the ongoing nationwide suspension of self-service buffet due to COVID-19, the hotel is serving a la carte buffet breakfast instead.

A sneak peek of the new short-haul Economy Class meal (sans the satay)! Following the Restaurant A380 @ Changi event that I attended sometime last month, I had the opportunity to take part in Singapore Airlines' behind-the-scenes tour named Inside Singapore Airlines. For this particular event, SIA Training Centre is opening its doors to registered guests over the last two weekends of November 2020.

Delicious a la minute afternoon tea with Beef Wellington! It's been five months since Singapore moved into Phase 2 of Reopening after the trying period of Circuit Breaker, our local term for the stay-at-home order. I've done a few staycations during this season, with Grand Hyatt Singapore (5*) being the first in the series. While waiting for the room to be ready, I indulged in a delightful afternoon tea at 10 Scotts located at the lobby level.

Probably my first time having Halal 'ngor hiang'! MacKenzie Rex Restaurant is a Halal  Chinese restaurant that has been around since 1966. It's located along Prinsep Street in Bencoolen, not far from Place to R.E.A.D , a Greek restaurant that I've previously tried. At the point of writing, it's partnering with three food delivery companies: FoodPanda, Deliveroo and GrabFood.

Can you handle both maple syrup and 'matcha' sauce together? Hoshino Coffee was established in Japan in 2011. Having more than 200 outlets in the Land of the Rising Sun, it's renowned for its hand-drip coffee and soufflé pancake. Following its success, it opened its first overseas outlet in Singapore in 2012, though I'm not sure which is the very first one out of the ten branches that we have across the island at the point of writing.

Where one 'Thai' isn't enough to make you stand out! When I heard my friend mentioning the name Zhongshan Mall for the first time, my response was, "Is that in Taipei, Taiwan?" He was actually referring to a shopping mall located in close proximity to the historical Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall between Novena and Toa Payoh MRT stations. I agreed to accompany him to have dinner there at this affordable Thai eatery.

Salmon main course that packed a punch! Have you heard of Punch and Judy, a traditional British puppet show? Taking its name from one of the main characters of the show, the cosy and quirky Mr Punch Public House is housed inside MINT Museum of Toys. At the point of writing, however, both the museum and the gastrobar are closed for upgrading.

Possibly the one and only time I got to dine onboard a grounded aircraft! Singapore Airlines originally planned to launch the so-called 'flights to nowhere' to earn a bit of revenue after being crippled by COVID-19. However, due to the growing environmental concerns raised by quite a few parties, it called off the plan. To make up for that, it has decided to come up with a pop-up restaurant using one of its Airbus 380-800 aircraft for two weekends.

Savour a variety of Indonesian dishes in small portions! UPDATE (03/06/2021):  The restaurant has closed down. Rijstaffel (lit. Rice Table) is a term coined by the Dutch during their occupation of Indonesia, who approached Indonesian food with a great deal of caution at first by sampling one dish after another in small quantities. The Rice Table inside the unassuming International Building at Orchard Road is a restaurant where you can have all-you-can-eat rijstaffel experience.

All the savoury dishes that I ordered featured 'kecap manis'! Bayang is a high-end Indonesian restaurant at Clarke Quay that has been serving a number of dishes from across the archipelago since its inception in 2016. Literally meaning 'shadow', Bayang decorates its walls with inlays inspired by wayang , which is a traditional form of shadow puppetry.

Melon had lots of mini cakes for her birthday! I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but afternoon tea is part and parcel of my mother's life. As for myself, I hardly have it as I'm not the kind of person who likes to eat in between breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I recently had quite a memorable one at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. The occasion was also to celebrate Melon's birthday.

I'd kill for the salted butterscotch brownie right now! Life's been so stressful lately because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so why not have some chocolate? Did you know that Awfully Chocolate, a brand that has been around since 1998, runs a flagship restaurant called Ninethirty, that's strategically located at the intersection of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road?

Affordable set meals with some free-flow items! With a history that goes back to 1886 in Tokyo, Japan, Yayoi Ken is a branch of restaurants that's well-known for teishoku (lit. set meals). In Singapore, it's stylised as Yayoi. While I've never been to any of the branches in its country of origin, I've been to quite a few here, the latest being the one at Bugis+. At the point of writing, the cheapest set meal costs  S$9.90 .

Edible terrarium, anyone? An epiphyte is a non-parasitic plant that grows on another plant, which makes a good houseplant due to the minimal water and soil requirements. Located in Tanjong Pagar, the gastropub that shares the same name as this particular type of plant has a lovely decor and whips up visually stunning dishes too.

One of the cheapest salmon main courses I've ever had~ Still on J8 Hotel, I actually can't remember why I decided to have dinner at the hotel's café that's located right next to the lobby area, but probably that was because I received some sort of voucher as part of my staycation. The café serves a range of food and beverages that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

Cooked-to-order main course and mini buffet for breakfast! It's just come to my realisation that I've been keeping a few completed posts as drafts without publishing them. I went for a staycation at J8 Hotel (3*), which is located in Jalan Besar area, before this terrible COVID-19 year. For breakfast, each guest gets to choose a main course and enjoy some free-flow items from the mini buffet line.

Interesting 'kueh salat' mooncake, but... Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 is around the corner. Have you got yourselves some mooncakes? This season, I decided to try the quartet of snowskin mooncakes by Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, which pays tribute to local flavours. That aside, let's also wish a very happy birthday to Pikachu, who's been an integral part of this food blog!

Surely my first time having three bottles of 'sake' onboard! At the end of our shortest trip ever to Tokyo, Japan, my BFF and I flew with Japan Airlines in the Business Class from Narita International Airport to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Without a doubt, we were really excited to try the carefully curated dishes by the chefs of two renowned restaurants in Tokyo: Kurogi and L'Effervescence.

JAL's curry is better than ANA's, methinks! Japan Airlines has got two Business Class lounges at Narita International Airport that serves the Greater Tokyo Area of the Land of the Rising Sun. Instead of going to the bigger lounge at the main building, my BFF and I were headed to the one located at the satellite building that's said to be more peaceful.

My first taste of 'sakura dango' and 'kuzu mochi'! After having a good time exploring the old neighbourhood of Shibamata in Tokyo, Japan, my BFF and I wanted to get something sweet. We were drawn by the visually intriguing display put up by Marujin, which is located two shops away from  Kawachiya  where we had our  unagi  (Japanese freshwater eel) lunch.

How good was the 'unagi' in this place that has stood the test of time? Is there a place in Tokyo that retains the charm of traditional Japan? The answer to that is Shibamata near Edo River that's the natural border between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. Located in the old neighbourhood is Kawachiya, a restaurant specialising in  unagi  (Japanese freshwater eel), with more than 250 years of history.

Tasty homemade curry, but it could use more chicken chunks~ Have you been to Inokashira Park in the western part of Tokyo, Japan? I didn't go to Ghibli Museum there, which requires reservation at least 10 days in advance, but I had a splendid time exploring the park. At close to 2.00pm, my BFF and I finally had lunch at Isentei located to the west of the pond at the park.

Quite a lovely sliced beef rice box! I love going to the basement floor of a Japanese department store, where there are typically lots of eye-catching stalls selling multifarious food items that never fail make my mouth water. For dinner on one of the evenings, my BFF and I decided to get something from Sourié at Takashimaya Times Square that's just a stone's throwaway from Shinjuku railway station.

One of the few times I had snow crab on vinegared rice! Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai are arguably two of the most famous sushi eateries at the former Tsukiji Market, the largest wholefish and seafood market not only in Tokyo, Japan, but also in the world before it closed down. Both have since moved to Toyosu Market. It was a pity that my BFF and I reached too late to join the last queue for Sushi Dai, so off we went to Iwasa Sushi nearby.

Not a fan of the local 'chee cheong fun', but the ice cream was good! I shall take the opportunity to write about something local today. Singapore celebrated its 55th birthday on 9 August 2020. In conjunction with our National Day, an ice cream stall named Butterknife Folk, which has been around since 2016, is offering a total of 43 local flavours for the entire month of August.

For all Pokémon fans out there! Dessert was good! Even though the main aim of going to Tokyo, Japan in mid-March last year was to catch a glimpse of the early-blooming sakura (lit. cherry blossom), I also took the opportunity to visit Pokémon Café in the Nihonbashi district. Prior reservation is a must, and I was so lucky to be able to get a slot for that trip.

Having sardine 'sashimi' for the first time in my life! Nakajima in Shinjuku is probably the restaurant where you can get the cheapest Michelin-starred lunch in the bustling metropolitan Tokyo, Japan. Having been awarded One Michelin Star for a few years now, it dishes out affordable sardine-themed lunch sets. My BFF and I queued for close to 45 minutes to get a table shared with three other diners.

Virgin experience with Acerola Mild! During that trip in Tokyo, Japan, my BFF and I stayed at Hotel Listel Shinjuku (3*). Reachable by foot within 15 minutes or so, the hotel is located to the north of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, one of the places where we saw early-blooming sakura (lit. cherry blossom). Let's take a look at the buffet breakfast served at the hotel.

Plot twist: the non-Japanese dishes were more delicious! Prior to that trip to Tokyo, Japan last year in a bid to catch early-blooming sakura (lit. cherry blossom), I'd never stepped into Haneda Airport. The opportunity came when I redeemed some miles to fly in style with Japan Airlines. After relaxing at British Airways Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 1, my BFF and I boarded the aircraft at 10.00pm.

Ask for a secret drink if you wish! Not being able to travel in June this year has given me the opportunity to catch up on my two blogs. Now that I've completed the short series of food hunt in Penang, Malaysia, let's move on to one of my past trips to Tokyo, Japan. As I'd be flying with Japan Airlines in the Business Class, I had access to British Airways Lounge as a Oneworld partner at Changi Airport Terminal 1.

Not so often you'll get a main course with curly fries as a side! Perched on Strawberry Hill, one of the peaks of Penang Hill in Malaysia, is a cosy place to have a meal and/or sip a cup of tea in a British colonial building. There are also some seats outside for those who prefer to enjoy the view of the lush greenery surrounding the restaurant. My group went there to celebrate my mother's birthday during the trip.

Could it be the best 'chendol' in Penang? On the Malaysian island with the same name, Penang Road is a major road in George Town. Don't forget to drop by one of the smaller streets called Lebuh Keng Kwee for a nice bowl of chendol , they say. Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul has been around since 1936, and it currently operates multiple branches across the country, including Sabah and Sarawak.

There was a long queue for 'char koay teow', but... Gurney Drive is a popular promenade within George Town in Penang, Malaysia that's well known for its street food. The seafront hawker centre has been listed as one of the 25 best street cuisine worldwide by The Traveler, an Australian travel magazine. I sampled four dishes from four different stalls when I was there.

Mostly Chinese dishes, but lovely Indian curry! My family and I, as well as my friend and his mother, started exploring Penang, Malaysia on the second day after arrival. First things first, we went to Kek Lok Si Temple, which is the largest Buddhist temple complex in Malaysia that was built from 1890 to 1930. We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant within the complex.

Need more cherry tomatoes and onions for the salad! Kimberley Hotel Georgetown (3*) is a heritage hotel that's strategically located in the heart of Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia, which historical core has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Buffet breakfast is served at the hotel, but there isn't much variety of food and drinks offered.

Grateful for the snacks onboard the short flights! I've been wanting to write about my little adventure in Penang, Malaysia a while ago before the COVID-19 pandemic as part of my mother's birthday celebration, and the opportunity has finally come. Let's begin by looking at the Economy Class snacks and drinks offered onboard Silk Air MI354 and MI347 from Singapore to Penang and vice versa respectively. 

Lobster or beef? Or perhaps both? Tucked in the vicinity of Telok Ayer is The Market Grill, a bistro offering quality seafood and meat. The interior features a whimsical mix of old style butchery and diner, coupled with a light industrial touch. That evening, I enjoyed my dinner with my dining partner at the counter seat directly facing the lobster tank.

Tasty sea bass grilled with lots of 'kecap manis'! We've now transitioned to the second half of 2020, and we continue to hope that the COVID-19 pandemic would be over soon. During the Circuit Breaker period here in Singapore, our term for partial lockdown that lasted from 7 April to 1 June, there was no way we could dine outside. On one of the days, I had a yummy dinner at home from Cajun on Wheels. 

Care for a 'roti john' onboard? Here's the last post of my December 2019 trip for the food blog. After spending three nights in Jakarta, Indonesia, my BFF and I flew back to Singapore with Batik Air. This isn't my first time reviewing the Economy Class in-flight meal of the Indonesian carrier. I've also tried flying in its Business Class once, but I haven't had the chance to write about it.

Delectable chicken, fish and shrimp porridge! Boldly claiming to be one of the best restaurants in Jakarta, Indonesia, Ta Wan is a Chinese restaurant chain that has been around since 1996. Literally meaning 'Big Bowl', it specialises in porridge. I had a really good dinner at its Mall Taman Anggrek branch without having to dig deep into my pocket, so read on to find out more.

Fermented cassava - it'd been a while! How many of you enjoy sampling street food out there? However, it can sometimes be a struggle of whether to try or not, especially if you've got a weak stomach. Kafe Betawi in Indonesia, having quite a number of branches in Jakarta and elsewhere, brings together the diverse street food and main dishes in a restaurant setting that you can try without worrying too much about hygiene.