Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Of 'laksa', 'pulut hitam' and 'teh C'! Hi, folks! It's been a while since my last update. I'm still in the midst of tidying up the photos from my last trip, so stay tuned! For today, let's talk about McDonald's again. In conjunction with Singapore's 57th National Day this year, our local Golden Arches decided to infuse local elements into some of their items. 

A love story between a Singaporean and an Indonesian~ Hailing from Lombok, Indonesia, ayam taliwang is a spicy grilled chicken dish said to be invented in the 1970s. The combination of ayam taliwang and  nasi lemak  (Malay rice dish cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves), which can be found at Yishun Park Hawker Centre, was conceived by a Singaporean-Indonesian couple who used to work as flight attendants.

Heart-warming 'putu piring' to cap the volatile year! Can you believe that 2021 is going to be over soon? Happy New Year in advance to everyone, and let's hope that 2022 will be kinder to all of us. I don't usually make new year resolutions, but perhaps I can write a bit more on hawker centre stalls, starting with the well-known Haig Road Putu Piring that's been around since 1985.

Free-flow soft-boiled eggs, anyone? From Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), we shall move on to look back (that sounds funny, I know) at Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) when dine-in was allowed once again. How happy I was to be able to have a la carte buffet breakfast again during my staycation at M Social Singapore (4*), which is located at Robertson Quay.

Hopefully the last hotel breakfast that I had to consume inside the room! I'm bringing you another breakfast-in-room post today. Besides The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (5*), I also had a 2D1N staycation at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering (5*) during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) when dine-in was prohibited. In addition to breakfast, the room rate that I paid for included two glasses of cocktails.

Forced to eat breakfast on bed... Hi, everyone! Hope all of you're staying safe. Now that the year is somewhat winding down for me, I shall slowly get back to blogging. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to have a 2D1N staycation at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (5*). However, it happened during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) before Singapore began to move into the COVID-19 endemic mode, so I had to consume the breakfast inside the room as dine-in was prohibited.

Hello Beerenberg, but passable breakfast... In February this year, besides having a staycation at YOTEL Singapore (4*), I also went for one at Hotel Boss (4*) that boasts more than 1,000 guest rooms. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, self-service buffet breakfast was served at the hotel, which unfortunately has since been replaced by not a la carte buffet, but a breakfast set per guest. 

Didn't expect the salad to be so fresh! As overseas travel is still very much restricted, I continue to entertain myself by going for staycations here in Singapore. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to stay at YOTEL Singapore (4*) at Orchard Road for one night during the Chinese New Year period. Breakfast set is offered for each guest staying at the contemporary hotel.

Ever had turkey breast with 'buah keluak'? Sharing the same building with Hotel Clover in the Kampong Glam area, Brine is a small, cosy restaurant with an open kitchen concept. I reckon a number of dishes served at the restaurant, which celebrates contemporary cuisine, involve brining - a process of submerging food into a solution of salt.

Have you tried mayonnaise infused with passion fruit before? The Coastal Settlement is a lovely restaurant decorated with all things of the past, from antique memorabilia to vintage vehicles. Tucked away in the quieter side of Netheravon Road, which isn't too far from the abandoned Changi Hospital, the building was previously used by the Royal Air Force for fault control during the British occupation.

Spend your recess time at this eatery! How many of you miss the flag erasers we used to collect during our primary school days? Be transported to the past with Old School Delights. At first, I was a tad skeptical about the humble restaurant housed inside Esplanade Mall, but certainly it was pretty much unfounded. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised the moment I tried some of the dishes offered.

Manjari chocolate bomb with yuzu, anyone? Renowned as a hotel-in-a-garden, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering (5*) has been enticing me to have a staycation with them all along. However, its proximity from home always deters me from taking the plunge. Anyway, I had the opportunity to have lunch with a friend at its only restaurant called Lime Restaurant.

Take your pick: mock beef, chicken, duck or pork? Even though I'm not a vegetarian, much less a vegan, I occasionally indulge in vegetarian food. Founded in the 1990s, Kwan Inn Vegetarian has been providing vegetarian food at affordable prices, starting with only one stall at 269 Queen Street in Bugis. At the point of writing, there are three other stalls, including one housed inside People's Park Centre in Chinatown.

How's the Express Start ™  Breakfast? I'm not sure about you, but I'm starting to miss self-service buffet breakfast at hotels. I wonder when we can have it again. In today's post, let's take a look at what were offered by Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong (3*), which is located next to I12 Katong, before COVID-19 came to our shores.

A healthy plate of succulent grilled sea bass! Has anyone stayed at JEN Singapore Orchard Gateway before? I haven't, but I dropped by the hotel once to have dinner at Makan@JEN located on the tenth floor. For the uninitiated, makan is a Malay or Indonesian word that means 'to eat'. Before COVID-19 hit the world, it used to offer self-service buffet and a la carte menu. My dining partner and I went for the latter.

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.

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.