Sky on 57, Marina Bay Sands (13Oct12)

S' parents have never gone up the MBS "ship" before so being the filial her, she decided to bring them to Sky on 57 for a fine Chinese lunch. Excellent choice as the panoramic view thrilled them very much indeed. And time and time again we have to express how impressive a change Singapore's skyline has gone through. Look at those cute supertrees from above.

All of us took the 3-course set lunch at $50 each (but with some additions for more premium courses). Plus a bottle of white at $88. UOB privilege cardmembers get preferred booking (table with perfect view by the window), complimentary valet parking and free mocktail (even for the guests). Don't miss out! See offer details here.

Slow cooked egg was normal, fish carpaccio tasty but maybe not worth the additional $6, foie gras xiao long bao could be more flavourful in my opinion, and fried oysters were superb. Veloute was bad, and Bah Kut Teh was so ordinary it could have come straight from the pack. As for the mains, fish curry was quite good, steamed halibut was ok, braised lamb downright bad, and king prawns capellini above average. We had an apple tart to share and it was good.

Based on food only, I think anyone's crazy to spend that kind of money on such local food. But considering the ambience and setting and view, I'd gladly go back again especially since I now know what not to order! P.S. you shoud be able to catch chef Justin Quek as he seems to enjoy walking around the restaurant.

Name: Sky on 57 (website)
Location: Sands Skypark, Tower 1, Level 57
Expenditure: S$360 for 4 persons

B @ Rochester (Restaurant Week Oct 7-14th 2012)

Singapore Restaurant Week this time round isn't as competitive as before; reservations are still largely available. My guess is either people are experiencing a fatigue (restaurant week is held twice a year) or that the addition of many mid-tier restaurants has diluted the excitement. Either way, we only went ahead with 1 out of 3 bookings.

Arrived at the ever chaming and chillout Rochester Park. Now that Rochester Mall is built just beside, parking's been made much easier. A little less resistance dining there.

Restaurant is modern Japanese-themed. Pretty small although it does extend to another room on the other side of the bar. Simple interior. Food wise I find it very average. Not bad tasting, but just not up to standard. Cooking style is so normal that I think any decent cook can emulate this at home. Save for the cod fish, albeit tiny, that is soft and creamy.

Service staff are very raw. One wanted to serve white wine in a red wine glass. The others kept wanting to clear my plate even though I wasn't done. I kept feeling like I was being rushed. Improvement needed. Overall, reasonably-priced only because of Restaurant Week. Took a peek at their a-la-carte menu and decided that food there does not command such prices.

Name: B @ Rochester
Location: 8 Rochester Park  Singapore 139219
Expenditure: S$35++pp for Restaurant Week dinner, +S$60 for a bot of white

Pollen @ Gardens by the Bay (4Aug12)

Can't remember for what occasion we decided to go to Pollen. Cute buggy service from the carpark to the restaurant. Useful on a rainy day. Clueless visitors were hoping to catch a ride but this is exclusively for patrons only. Love the concept. Lots of natural light and nature. Peaceful ambience notwithstanding other diners.

We picked 2 set lunches (menu changes periodically) and added Sydney Rock Oysters which were nice and fresh. Can't remember what tartare I had. It was alright. Slow-cooked egg was good, risotto was not bad but a tad heavy, pork belly was good and the desserts decent. There's nothing very wow about the food but good enough for us to return, especially with the reasonably-priced set lunch and wine.

What's cool is that you get free entry to the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay. Only because the restaurant is in the dome itself! After you're done with a satisfying meal, just walk out there and enjoy an afternoon stroll in the cooled conservatories. Pleasurable indeed. We didn't venture out to the supertrees though.

Name: Pollen (website)
Location: Flower Dome, Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive #01-09 Singapore 018953
Expenditure: ~S$200+ for 2 set lunch, 1 entree, 1 bot of wine

Retrolicious 2012

On the spur of the moment S called in to Class 95FM on the way home from work. Little did she expect to be the first caller through and thus won us a pair of tickets to the Retrolicious concert! It also came with a Meet & Greet session with one of the acts, Tiffany. Cute.

Great advice from Angel to dress as little as possible. Fort Canning was just hot hot hot. Which is a real pity because the place, with its natural slope, is actually quite perfect for an outdoor concert. Food and drinks were reasonable. One thing we noticed though was that the VIP tents were set up on the other end furthest away from the stage. I doubt they could see very clearly. Atmosphere over there was also more subdued than at the standing area. VIP tickets prob not worth the $225?

"Meet & Greet Tiffany" was only a group photo-taking session. A bit silly but at least I caught this fun shot of her with the Class 95FM crew. What better way than to end the concert with Alphaville's 'Forever Young'. =)

Tokyo/Kyoto Apr12 - Day 7 8 9 10 11

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Rows and rows of Torii gates that lead into the wooded forest of the scared Mount Inari. It stretches so far in that we had no idea where it ends. Had to turnaround half-way (or was it less?) Interesting sight but if you're not big on hiking, just venture in for awhile and be ready to move on to your next destination. Bought a miniature torii gate on which we wrote our names & well wishes. Hung it on a rack together with several others, all in hope of good health and luck. See my kiddish handwriting? :p

"The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. The cost starts around 400,000 yen for a small sized gate and increases to over one million yen for a large gate." - japan guide

Soon enough we caught a bus to the Nishiki Market.

"錦市場 (Nishiki Ichibai) is a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", this lively retail market specializes in all things food related. Nishiki Market has a pleasant, but busy atmosphere that is inviting to those who want to explore the variety of culinary delights that Kyoto is famous for. Some of the shops freely give out samples or sell sample dishes and skewers meant to be eaten then and there. The market has a history of several centuries, and many stores have been operated by the same families for generations. It all started as a fish wholesale district, with the first shop opening around 1310. A larger variety of shops moved in later, and the area changed from a wholesale market to retail. Today it remains an important market for Kyoto and is often packed with locals and tourists alike." - japan guide

Colorful and vibrant yes, but it was more window marketing than anything else. Mainly dried produce and hardly any food stalls. A little bit of a disappointment as we were very hungry at that time, but still worth walking the long street from end to the other.

Moved on to the Philosopher's Path in the evening.

"The Philosopher's Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. Usually in early April these trees explode with color, making this one of the city's most popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots." - japan guide

However it was the tailend of the sakura season already. With the trees almost bare, and with rarely any cafes open, this place looks really plain & impressionless. Of course everything's relative. Google 'philosopher's path' and you'll know what I mean. Needless to say the walk felt like any walk along any canal.. Which is a pity because people come here to be inspired!

Returned to Tokyo and stayed in Ginza. What a change.

"The Ginza (銀座) is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. One square meter of land in the district's center is worth over ten million yen, making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. A visit is most pleasant on a weekend afternoon, when the central Chuo Dori street gets closed to traffic and become a large pedestrian zone. The closure takes place from 14:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and from 12:00 to 17:00 on Sundays (until 18:00 from April through September)" - japan guide

Found the 12-storey high Uniqlo. Like wow.

With this I finally finally conclude our Japan trip 2012 =)))