The National Gallery is a famous art museum located in Trafalgar Square, London. Founded in 1824, it houses an amazing collection of masterpieces by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Monet, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and more! In total, there are over 2,300 paintings dating from the 13th to early 20th century. Admission is free.

It is interesting to note that the galleries in the museum are grouped by time range; for example, Rooms 51 to 66 contain works that were painted between 1200 and 1500, while Rooms 2-14 are home to paintings dated 1500 to 1600. Therefore, you will be able to see the evolution of painting styles over time as you proceed through the galleries.

This was what I did, walking from Room 51-66 (1200 to 1500), to Rooms 2-14 (1500 to 1600), to Rooms 15-13 (1600 to 1700), and finally to Rooms 33-46 (1700 to 1930). I did not visit every single room, but I did manage to check out a few paintings from each era.

I highly recommend that you decide which paintings you want to see before going down so that you can have a more efficient visit. For reference, it took me about 2 hours to get through 12 paintings. You can check out the National Gallery floorplan to plan your tour.

As you can imagine, it was an amazing experience to see these world-famous paintings in The National Gallery! Below are my 12 favourite paintings, arranged chronologically based on when they were painted. Click on the paintings to enlarge them and admire their beauty in detail.

Standing in front of The National Gallery

Dates 1200 to 1500

1. The Battle of San Romano

c.1438-40, Paolo Uccello

This painting depicts The Battle of San Romano, a skirmish which took place between the Florentines and Sienese in 1432. The victorious Florentines are led by Niccolò da Tolentino, who is riding a white charger. He is identified by the ‘Knot of Solomon’ motif on his banner.

This painting is significant because it reveals the development of linear perspective in early Italian Renaissance painting. In the foreground, broken lances and a dead soldier are carefully arranged into orthogonals, so as to create an impression of perspective.

As for the background, the landscape rises up in a picture plane as opposed to receding deeply into space, similar to that of a tapestry. This illusion of a backdrop and perspective theme resembles a stage, thereby portraying the war as a theatrical ceremony.

This panel is one of a set of three paintings depicting incidents from the same battle. The other two are in the Louvre (Paris) and the Uffizi (Florence).

The three paintings were designed to be hung high on three different walls of a room. Therefore, the perspectives were designed with that height in mind, which accounts for many apparent anomalies when the paintings are seen in photos or at normal gallery height.

Many areas of the painting were covered with dazzling gold and silver leaf. However, it has since become dull due to the passage of time and early restoration.

Location: Room 59

2. Venus and Mars

c.1485, Sandro Botticelli

This painting shows the Roman gods Venus (goddess of love), and Mars (god of war). Venus watches Mars sleep while two infant satyrs play, carrying his helmet and lance as another rests inside his breastplate under his arm. A fourth blows a small conch shell in his ear in an unsuccessful effort to wake him.

The clear implication is that the couple have been making love, and the male habit of falling asleep after sex was a regular subject for ribald jokes in the context of weddings in Renaissance Italy. The lance and conch can be read as sexual symbols.

In the foreground, a swarm of wasps hovers around Mars’ head. The wasps probably represent the Vespucci family that may have commissioned the painting. The family’s coat of arms included wasps, as their name means “little wasps” in Italian.

On the whole, the painting is widely seen as representation of an ideal view of sensuous love.

It was probably intended to commemorate a wedding, set into panelling or a piece of furniture to adorn the bedroom of the bride and groom. This is suggested by the wide format and the close view of the figures.

Location: Room 58

3. The Virgin of the Rocks

c. 1491/2-9 and 1506-8, Leonardo da Vinci

This painting shows the Virgin Mary and her child Jesus with the infant John the Baptist and angel Uriel, in a rocky setting which gives the painting its name.

The Virgin connects the two infants by holding out one hand above Jesus, while touching John’s shoulder with another.

This impressive, large painting is a highly original interpretation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which entailed the belief that though born of human parents, the Virgin is free from original sin by virtue of the merits of her Son.

By showing the Virgin as an image of almost supernatural beauty, surrounded by a landscape that appears untouched by human hands – a natural yet also idealised world – Leonardo’s creation emphasises the Virgin’s role as the perfect intermediator for Mankind.

The rocky setting that is referenced in the work’s title may in addition refer to the world at the dawn of the time, or to the desert in which Christ lived after his flight into Egypt, or both.

Interestingly, there is another painting of The Virgin of the Rocks (also by Leonardo) at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The two paintings are almost identical, with the only significant compositional differences being the gaze and right hand of the angel Uriel.

However, there are many other minor ways in which the two works differ, including the colours, the lighting, the flora, and the way in which sfumato has been used.

The complete histories of the two paintings are unknown, which has led to speculation about which of the two is earlier.

Location: Room 66

4. The Madonna of the Pinks

c.1506-7, Raphael

In this painting, the youthful Virgin delights in playing with her child. Christ’s attention has been caught by the carnations (or pinks) symbolic of divine love, that she offers him.

Raphael transforms the familiar subject of Madonna and Child into something entirely new. The mother and son are no longer posed stiffly and formally as in paintings by earlier artists, but now display all the tender emotions one might expect between a young mother and her child.

In excellent condition, this little painting, made for private devotion, displays Raphael’s skill in modulating light and shade in the draperies and the subtle transitions of the flesh.

Also impressive is his delicate handling of details such as the translucent veil passing over the Virgin’s ear and braided hair. All comes together to capture a tender moment between mother and child.

Location: Room 61

Dates 1500 to 1600

5. The Ambassadors

1533, Hans Holbein the Younger

This picture memorialises two wealthy and educated young men. On the left is Jean de Dinteville, French ambassador to England in 1533. The inscription on his dagger reveals he is 29 years old.

To the right stands his friend, Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur, who acted on several occasions as ambassador to the Emperor, the Venetian Republic and the Holy See. The book on which he rests his arm indicates he is in his 25th year.

The picture is in a tradition showing learned men with books and instruments. It was painted for Dinteville and hung in his family house in Polisy, Champagne. Polisy is marked on the globe next to him.

The meaning of the objects on the shelves has been much debated. The broken string of the lute is symbolic if discord, perhaps the political and religious disharmony in Europe at the time of the Reformation.

On the floor between them is a distorted skull. When viewed from the right-hand side, the perspective corrects itself and the symbol of mortality becomes clear.

In the top left-hand corner of the picture (partially obscured) is a silver crucifix, a reminder of the Christian promise of salvation.

Perhaps the two powerful young men wanted to immortalise themselves by asking Hans Holbein the Younger, considered to be one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century, to paint their portraits.

Location: Room 4

Dates 1600 to 1700

6. The Supper at Emmaus

1601, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

This painting depicts the moment when the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples (presumed to be Luke and Cleopas) in the town of Emmaus (Luke 24: 30–31).

Cleopas, wearing the scallop shell of a pilgrim, throws his arms wide in astonishment. Luke, wearing torn clothes starts out of his chair. The inn-keeper appears oblivious to the event.

Caravaggio’s innovative treatment of the subject makes this one of his most powerful works. The depiction of Christ is unusual in that he is beardless, and great emphasis is given to the still life on the table, in particular the basket of food which teeters perilously over the edge.

It is a recurring theme in Caravaggio’s paintings to find the sublime interrupting the daily routine (in this case a simple meal at the inn).

Location: Room 31

7. Samson and Delilah

c.1609-10, Peter Paul Rubens

This painting depicts an episode from the Old Testament story of Samson and Delilah (Judges 16: 17-20). Samson was a Hebrew hero known for fighting the Philistines. His Nazirite vows forbade the cutting of hair; in return, God gave him great strength.

Having fallen in love with Delilah, who has been bribed by the Philistines, Samson tells her the secret of his great strength: his uncut hair.

While Samson is asleep, a young man cuts his hair, draining his strength so that the Philistines soldiers (in the right-hand background of the painting) are able to capture him. The man snipping Samson’s hair is crossing his hands, which is a sign of betrayal.

The painting is noteworthy for the masterful and elaborate painting of the draperies and for the absence of blue pigments. Dramatic lighting reflects Rubens’s influence by the naturalistic paintings of Caravaggio.

Location: Room 18

8. Self Portrait at the Age of 34

1640, Rembrandt

This portrait shows Rembrandt at the height of his career, presenting himself as wealthy, successful, and confident, in keeping with his position as one of Amsterdam’s leading painters. It is one of over forty painted self-portraits by Rembrandt.

His pose is taken from Titian’s Man with a Quilted Sleeve, which was then thought to depict the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto. Copying this famous pose was a bold statement: that painters were the equal of poets.

Location: Room 22

9. The Toilet of Venus (‘The Rokeby Venus’)

1647-51, Diego Velázquez

Venus reclines on a bed before the mirror held up by a winged Cupid. Even though it seems like she is looking at herself, the mirror is actually reflecting her face in the viewer’s direction, suggesting that she is observing the viewer rather than herself. This phenomenon is known as the Venus effect.

This is the only surviving example of a female nude by Velázquez. Nudes were very rare in Spain at the time because it was strongly disapproved by the Spanish Church. During the 19th century, the painting was displayed at Rokeby Park, hence its subtitle.

Location: Room 30

Dates 1700 to 1930

10. Bathers at La Grenouillère

1869, Claude Monet

This painting depicts bathers in a swimming area near La Grenouillère, which was a popular middle-class resort consisting of a spa, a boat-hire establishment and a floating café.

Monet spent the summer of 1869 working at this popular cafe and bathing place on the Seine near Bougival. He probably set up his easel on a platform in front of the cafe. He was accompanied by Renoir, who also painted the scene at the same time.

The exceptionally free handling of Monet’s painting may in part be due to the canvas being a sketch for what was to be a more ambitious composition painted back in the studio.

Location: Room 44

11. Sunflowers

1888, Vincent van Gogh

This is one of four paintings of sunflowers dating from August and September 1888. Van Gogh intended to use these paintings to decorate the guestroom of his rented home in Arles. This was because he wanted to welcome and impress his friend Gauguin, who would be staying in the guestroom.

Van Gogh’s paintings of Sunflowers are among his most famous. With these beautiful paintings, he demonstrated that it was possible to create an image with numerous variations of a single colour, without any loss of eloquence.

Location: Room 43

12. Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses)

c.1894-1905, Paul Cézanne

In this painting, 11 female figures repose in an imaginary landscape bordered by trees. It is one in a series of Bather paintings by Cézanne.

Interestingly, the forms of the landscape mirror the women’s sculptured bodies. In addition, the bodies and the main features of the background are outlined in blue, heightening the serene atmosphere and suggesting unity between people and nature.

With each version of the Bathers, Cézanne moved away from the traditional presentation of paintings, intentionally creating works that would not appeal to the novice viewer.

He did this to avoid fleeting fads and give a timeless quality to his work, and in so doing paved the way for future artists to disregard current trends and paint pieces that would appeal equally to all generations.

Location: Room 41

Map (click to enlarge)

I have indicated in the above map the locations of the 12 paintings. They are all located on level 2. If you are lazy to plan, you can simply use this map during your museum visit. It should take around 2 hours to see all of them.

Despite having the floor plan, I still found the museum rather confusing to navigate. Luckily, there were many helpful staff around who provided me with directions.

Beautiful Museum Interior

I enjoyed walking around the beautiful museum, which has a clean design and lots of open space. It didn’t feel crowded and I was able to admire the paintings comfortably.

The National Gallery (London)
Address: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN, United Kingdom
Directions: 4-minute walk from Charing Cross Station
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm, Opens till 9pm on Fridays.

This is a list of all the Crash Landing On You filming locations in Switzerland. They are arranged in the order that they appeared in the Korean drama so that you can relive your beloved moments right from the beginning. Most of the scenes were shot in the Bernese Highlands, a beautiful region in Switzerland home to majestic mountains, tranquil lakes and towering waterfalls, as you will see below. Enjoy and 울지 말아 줘!

1. Lindenhof, Zurich

This place is featured in the drama’s opening sequence. Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok are seen walking across each other – perhaps a metaphor for their star-crossed love story.

This place appears again in Episode 16, when Se-ri hears someone playing the piano near the fountain and thinks that it’s Jeong-hyeuk. She walks closer and is disappointed to see that it is not.

Lindenhof is a beautiful tree-covered park and public square in the city of Zurich. It offers great views of the Old Town, Grossmünster Church, City Hall, the River Limmat, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

2. Schorren, Iseltwald

This trail is featured in the opening sequence of all the episodes too. Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok look at each other lovingly from opposite sides of the trail.

Schorren is a scenic lakeside trail in Iseltwald, a quaint Swiss village located along Lake Brienz. The trail is a short ten-minute walk from the boat dock.

3. Kleine Scheidegg

This beautiful spot is featured at the end of Episode 2, when Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok both look in awe at the paragliders doing impressive turns in the air. This is the first time that they come within physical contact of each other.

Kleine Scheidegg is a beautiful mountain pass situated between the Eiger and Lauberhorn mountain peaks. It is best known for being the end point of the “Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Panorama Trail”, a popular 4.7km hiking trail.

The trail offers amazing views of both the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the famous mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.

4. Panorama Bridge Sigriswil

At the end of Episode 4, Se-ri wants to end her life by jumping off this bridge. Luckily, Jeong-hyeok happens to be here too with Seo Dan, and asks Se-ri to take a picture of both of them.

The bridge appears again at the end of Episode 12, when Jeong-hyeok finds Se-ri’s voice recorder and recalls that it was her on the bridge that day. It’s at this point that he realises he is fated to protect and save Se-ri.

In Episode 16, Jeong-hyeok is seen taking a picture of the tearful Se-ri on the bridge.

Panorama Bridge Sigriswil is a 340m long suspension bridge that connects the two villages Sigriswil and Aeschlen. It offers breathtaking views of Lake Thun and the majestic Swiss alps.

5. Schreckfeld Cable Car Station

At the end of Episode 4, Se-ri continues taking pictures for Jeong-hyeok and Seo Dan at a beautiful trail on the side of a mountain, near Schreckfeld cable car station.

This scene appears again at the end of Episode 11, this time focusing on the grumpy Seo Dan. As the camera pans out, you will be able to see the station in the background.

Schreckfeld is the third station on the First Gondola Cable Car system. The first station is Grindelwald, the second Bort, and finally the top station is First.

Tourists will usually take the cable car all the way to the top station to visit the famous First Cliff Walk and also hike to Lake Bachalpsee.

However, Schreckfeld station also offers fun activities like the Mountain Cart, where you get to ride a manual go-cart downhill from Shreckfeld to Bort.

It is also home to the First Glider, an exhilarating zip line that brings passengers up to First, before coming back down to Schreckfeld again.

6. Landing Stage, Iseltwald

In Episode 7, Jeong-hyeok stands at this boat dock tearfully, having to leave Switzerland after learning about his brother’s death.

At the request of a young girl, he plays the piano for the last time: a touching rendition of his self-composed piece “Song For Brother”.

This place is featured again in Episode 9, when Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok realise to their amazement that fate had brought them together in Iseltwald before.

It appears a final time in Episode 16, when Se-ri goes to Iseltwald in the hope of meeting Jeong-hyeuk after he dropped her a message to meet in Switzerland.

The Landing Stage is a wooden boat dock in Iseltwald, a quaint Swiss village located along Lake Brienz. The dock is the perfect op, offering paranomic views of the shimmering Lake Brienz and surrounding alpine landscape.

Note that it is not actually used as a boat dock because it is too small; the actual dock is a 5-minute walk away.

7. Lake Brienz Cruise

At the end of Episode 7, the suicidal Se-ri is standing on the cruise boat when she hears beautiful piano music that seems to be telling her, “You can live, you must get through this”.

It’s Jeong-hyeok playing the piano of course, and once again he saves Se-ri again without even realising it. It is also the first time that the couple witnesses First Snow together.

Lake Brienz is a beautiful alpine lake in Interlaken with shimmering turquoise waters. Taking a cruise on Lake Brienz is a popular tourist activity.

The cruise boat sails between Interlaken and Brienz, stopping at several lakefront villages like Iseltwald and Giessbach along the way.

8. Grandhotel Giessbach

In Episode 9, Jeong-hyeok walks down the step of this “music university” cheerfully with his schoolmates, just before meeting Seo Dan.

In reality, this is Grandhotel Giessbach, a charming hotel located in Giessbach along Lake Brienz. The refurbished hotel has managed to retain some of its classic Belle Epoque splendour. Perched high up on a hill, it offers fantastic views of the lake.

Guests also get to enjoy spectacular views of the famous Giessbach Waterfalls, which consists of 14 small waterfalls cascading over a distance of 500 metres into Lake Brienz. This waterfall can be seen in the Crash Landing On You scene too.

9. Münsterbrücke, Zürich

At the end of Episode 11, a depressed Se-ri sits along the Limmat river, near the Münsterbrücke bridge. She revisits this bridge again several times in Episode 16, in the hope of meeting Jeong-hyeuk after he dropped her a message to meet in Switzerland.

This historic pedestrian and road bridge was built in 1838. It connects the two cathedrals: the Fraumünster and the Grossmünster, located at opposite sides of the river.

10. Schweizer Heimatwerk, Zurich

At the end of Episode 11, Se-ri is shopping for sweets in this shop and Seo Dan happens to be here too. They both buy plenty of Kit Kats.

Schweizer Heimatwerk is a gift store in Zurich that specialises in Swiss handcrafted souvenirs. The branch featured in this scene is located at Uraniastrasse, a short walk from both Lindenhof and Münsterbrücke.

11. Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe)

In Episode 16, Jeong-hyeok and a reluctant Seo Dan visits Jungfraujoch. In another twist of fate, Se-ri happens to be sitting right behind Jeong-hyeok during the train ride.

Jungfraujoch is arguably the most famous viewing point in Switzerland. It is located in a region between the peaks of Jungfrau of Mönch.

It is also known as the “Top of Europe” because it is home to the highest train station in Europe, at a whooping elevation of 3,454 metres.

The building in the Crash Landing On You scene is the Sphinx Observatory, an astronomical observatory that is one of the highest observatories in the world.

12. First Mountain

In Episode 16, Se-ri is overjoyed to finally meet Jeong-hyeok after her paragliding landing. I’m not exactly sure where this scene was shot, but I believe it is the top of the First mountain, a popular paragliding take off point.

During the paragliding flight, you will fly above the Grindelwald valley while facing the majestic mountains of Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn and Eiger Northface.

This place has been labelled as the “First Flieger” on various other websites, which is incorrect. First Flieger, or First Flyer, actually refers to a zip-line activity at the First Station.

13. Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

At the end of Episode 16, Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok meet at this hotel during the annual piano performance organised by her foundation. It is suggested that this event provides a chance for the star-crossed lovers to meet up once yearly.

Victoria Jungfrau is a 5-Star luxury hotel in Interlaken. It offers luxurious rooms, excellent service, and a world-class spa. You can’t go wrong with staying here, but be prepared to spend a small fortune.

14. Swiss Chalet, Lungern

This is the beautiful Swiss chalet where Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok stay during their yearly rendezvous. Unfortunately, you will not be able to stay here because it is a private residence.

This is the house’s google map address and its google map view, but PLEASE respect the owners’ privacy and view the house from a distance if you decide to visit.

15. Lake Lungern

In the final scene, Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok enjoy a romantic picnic by this gorgeous lake. They are standing near the Swiss chalet mentioned above.

As the camera pans out from this spot, viewers get to enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Lungern, a natural lake where you can go kayaking, fishing, yachting or sailing.

London is home to plenty of world-class museums. Below are the five museums I visited during my holiday in this city, arranged in alphabetical order. Admission is free for all the museums.

1. British Museum

The British Museum is the world’s first public national museum. Located in Bloomsbury, it is home to a collection of around eight million items related to human history, art and culture.

My favourite exhibit was definitely the Rosetta Stone, a large rock discovered in 1799 which is inscribed with the same text in three different languages: Egyptian hieroglyphic, Demotic scripts, and Ancient Greek.

Therefore, it became key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, thereby opening a window into ancient Egyptian history.

Below are some other exhibits worth checking out. Make sure to plan your visit using the British Museum map.

• Parthenon Marbles – ancient Greek sculptures originally part of the Parthenon (also known as Elgin Marbles)
• Easter Island Moai – famous monolithic human figures
• Samurai armour – example of military might of medieval Japan
• Mummy of Katebet – one of the most studied Egyptian mummies

British Museum
Address: Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom
Directions: British Museum on Google maps
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 5.30pm, opens till 8.30pm on Fridays
Website: www.britishmuseum.org

2. National Gallery

The National Gallery is a famous art museum located in Trafalgar Square. Founded in 1824, it houses an amazing collection of masterpieces by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Monet, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and more! In total, there are over 2,300 paintings dating from the 13th to early 20th century.

My favourite painting was “The Supper at Emmaus”, painted by Caravaggio in 1601. It depicts the moment when the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples (presumed to be Luke and Cleopas) in the town of Emmaus (Luke 24: 30–31).

Caravaggio’s innovative treatment of the subject makes this one of his most powerful works. The depiction of Christ is unusual in that he is beardless, and great emphasis is given to the still life on the table, in particular the basket of food which teeters perilously over the edge.

Below are some of my other favourite paintings in the museum. You can check out the National Gallery floorplan to plan your tour, or use my personal map if you are lazy to plan.

• Venus and Mars (c.1485, Sandro Botticelli)
• The Virgin of the Rocks (c. 1491/2-9 and 1506-8, Leonardo da Vinci)
• The Madonna of the Pinks (c.1506-7, Raphael)
• The Ambassadors (1533, Hans Holbein the Younger)
• Samson and Delilah (c.1609-10, Peter Paul Rubens)
• Sunflowers (1888, Vincent van Gogh)
• Bathers Les Grandes Baigneuses (c.1894-1905, Paul Cézanne)

The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN, United Kingdom
Directions: The National Gallery on Google maps
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm, Opens till 9pm on Fridays
Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk

3. Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a museum in South Kensington home to a staggering collection of 80 million items grouped into 5 categories: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology.

The star attraction of the museum is the huge 126-year-old blue whale skeleton hanging in the main hall. I am not really a fan of natural history so I left after a quick walk through the museum.

The museum is located near the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. If you are interested you can download the Natural History Museum map.

Natural History Museum
Address: Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
Directions: Natural History Museum on Google maps
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 5.50pm
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk

4. Science Museum

The Science Museum in South Kensington is home to a vast collection of historical science artifacts. It is near the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

I enjoyed touring this museum, though I would say it is more suited for children and young teenagers.

There are many fun and interesting exhibits, accompanied by information boards that are easy to understand. The museum is not too big, therefore it is quite easy to navigate.

The highlight for me was the Apollo 11 Lunar Module ‘Eagle’, which was the first crewed vehicle to land on the Moon in 1969. It carried two astronauts, Commander Neil A. Armstrong and pilot Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr.

The display in the Science Museum is actually a replica, but it still looked pretty cool. There is also a fake astronaut fully clad in spacesuit beside the Lunar Module.

Below are some of my favourite exhibits in the museum. You can use the Science Museum floor plan to plan your visit.

• Valve from Colossus Project
• Alan Turing’s Pilot ACE Computer
• One Million Volt Particle Accelerator
• Apple I Computer
• Puffing Billy Locomotive
• Analytical Engine
• Lockheed 10A Electra

Science Museum
Address: Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD, United Kingdom
Directions: Science Museum on Google maps
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm (last entry 5.15pm)
Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

5. Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design, as well as sculpture, housing a permanent collection of over 2 million items. It is near the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.

My favourite part of the museum was the Rodin collection. There are over 20 works by Rodin here, making it one of the largest collections of the sculptor’s work outside France.

I enjoyed viewing his sculptures, which had an unbridled and intense quality that departed from the usual repetition of traditional patterns in classical sculptures.

The other highlight for me was the Cast Courts, home to 19th century reproductions of some of the most famous Italian renaissance sculptures and architecture.

These include replicas of the “Three Davids” by Michelangelo, Donatello and Verrocchio,  Madonna and Child by Michelangelo, and many more.

Remember to download the Victoria and Albert Museum map before visiting.

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, United Kingdom
Directions: V&A on Google maps
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 5.45pm, opens till 10pm on Fridays
Website: www.vam.ac.uk

I often see Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee 大食家大大大虾面 being featured on social media and food blogs, so I decided to give it a try recently. Unfortunately, I was left underwhelmed.

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee 大食家大大大虾面 is a well-known prawn noodles restaurant located on Killiney road, near Somerset MRT Station.

The restaurant was founded by Mr Seth Sim in 2018. It is part of the Big Eater Seafood Restaurant group, a zi char chain owned by Seth’s father.

Da Shi Jia exudes an old school charm with its unadorned wooden furnishings and lovely oriental tiles, complete with a striking Eight Immortals Chinese artwork greeting customers as they enter the air-conditioned restaurant.

The restaurant was only half-filled when I arrived at 7pm on a Saturday. The staff were generally quite polite but I had to wait around 15 minutes for my noodles to arrive.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The prawn noodles are priced from $5.80 to $16.80, depending on the size and number of prawns. There is a dry version too. The noodles available include the standard yellow noodles, thin bee hoon, and kway teow.

Their signature dish is the Da Shi Jia Wok-Fried Big Prawn White Bee Hoon, which costs $16.80 or $19.80 depending on the prawn size.

The menu also offers a small selection of sides such as the Beancurd Skin Prawn Roll ($5.80), Crispy Spicy Winglets ($6.80/$10.80), etc.

Wok-Fried Big Prawn White Bee Hoon

I decided to order the Big Prawn White Bee Hoon ($19.80); apparently the $16.80 size prawns were already sold out.

Unlike the typical seafood white bee hoon which uses chicken or pork stock, Da Shi Jia’s version is cooked with prawn soup instead, which gives the bee hoon its distinctive orange hue.

I found the wok-fried bee hoon to be moist and tasty, with good wok hei and a pleasant umami flavour from the prawn stock.

The shallots, kang kong, pork slices and lard were quite delicious too, having absorbed the prawn stock’s rich flavours.

My $19.80 prawns were indeed really big, and I was happy to see that the shells were already partially peeled. However, I felt that they were not as fresh or “QQ” (to use the Taiwanese parlance) as I would have liked.

On the whole this was quite a satisfying zi char dish, but it was nothing to shout about.

Prawn Noodles

The wife ordered the Prawn Noodles ($9.80) with yellow noodles and thin bee hoon.

Personally, I felt that the broth was bland and lacking in flavour. And notwithstanding their large size the prawns were not really very QQ or tasty.

I followed the menu’s recommendation to add sambal chili in the broth, but it didn’t do much other than giving the soup base an unappealing tangy taste.

But at least the restaurant was considerate enough to provide a brown piece of paper for our prawn shells.

Green Apple Juice with Sour Plum

Ironically, I enjoyed the Green Apple Juice with Sour Plum ($3.80) the most. It was very refreshing with a pleasant tangy flavour. I also liked that it wasn’t overly sour.

Conclusion

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee 大食家大大大虾面 generated significant social media hype when it launched in 2018, and till today there are still many raves about this restaurant online. However, I failed to see why it is so popular – the white bee hoon was only just decent, and the prawn noodles left me underwhelmed. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high due to the premium pricing and all the online hype.

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee 大食家大大大虾面
Address: 89 Killiney Road, Singapore 239534
Directions: Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee on Google maps
Phone Number: +65 67321085
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 12am

Jay Chou’s favourite bubble tea Machi Machi arrived in Singapore in January, but I only managed to check it out recently. This is my full review of the drinks!

麥吉 Machi Machi

麥吉 Machi Machi is a famous Taiwanese bubble tea chain with branches in various cities like Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, London and now Singapore.

It is best known for being Jay Chou’s favourite bubble tea, which is not surprising since he is an investor in the brand. Machi is also the name of his wife Hannah Quinlivan’s pet dog.

The bubble tea surged in popularity after it was featured in Jay’s 說好不哭 (Won’t Cry) music video, leading to crazily long queues for its Tokyo and Shanghai stores openings.

Machi Machi opened in Singapore on 18 January 2020 at Arab Street. It is brought in by Project SuperStar alumnus Hong Junyang and his friends.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The menu offers fresh teas, milk teas, lattes, fruit drinks, and the famous cream cheese foam teas. Apparently, Machi Machi’s cheese tea was even dubbed the “God of Cheese Tea” by Taiwanese media.

If you are a brown sugar fan there is a Brown Sugar Latte drink available too.

It is possible to customise the ice and sugar levels.

Stylish Decor and Friendly Staff

Machi Machi is styled in a hip industrial chic vibe boasting minimalist furnishing and gentle pastel hues. The three stylish seats outside the shop is a nice photo op, and I took a pretty photo of the wife here.

I went down on a Saturday at around 3.30pm and there was a long line of about 20 people. I had to queue in the hot weather for over 30 minutes.

I guess the shop is still really popular even though it’s been a while since the opening!

On the bright side, at least the last portion of the queue was inside the air-conditioned shop. The staff was also very friendly and patiently answered my queries about the drinks.

Cream Cheese Foam Oolong Tieguanyin Tea

Out of the three drinks I tried, the Cream Cheese Foam Oolong Tieguanyin Tea ($5.50) was definitely my favourite!

The highlight for me was the cheese foam, which had a tasty umami flavour that was really addictive.

I was also very impressed by how well the aromatic Oolong Tieguanyin tea flavour stood up to the sweet and creamy milk.

It reminded me of the strong tea aromas of CHICHA San Chen bubble teas.

Black Milk Tea

As a control, I ordered the Black Milk Tea ($4), which is Taiwanese black tea with milk.

It was rich and creamy, and I enjoyed the sweet chewy pearls too. This was definitely a satisfying bubble milk tea.

However, it did not really have a strong tea fragrance, especially when compared to the cheese foam tea I tried earlier.

Jasmine Green Tea with Plum Jello

Finally, I bought the bottled Jasmine Green Tea with Plum Jello ($6) for takeaway. The drink was very refreshing with sweet and sour flavours, but the tea aroma was overpowered by the plum flavour.

Conclusion

While there are countless other bubble tea shops in Singapore, I believe Machi Machi is the first in the Kampong Glam area. The drinks were quite delicious, and I especially enjoyed the cheese foam tea. Check out this bubble tea shop if you’re in the area and the queue is not too crazy.

麥吉 Machi Machi
Address: 25 Arab St, Singapore 199724
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm

Ah Ter Fishball Noodles is one of my favourite comfort food in Amoy Street Food Centre, so I was happy to find out that they had opened a new branch – Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee – at 313@somerset. Unlike the Amoy branch, this stall opens on weekends too, and the convenient location makes it easy for me to check out their delicious noodles. Best of all, it is air-conditioned!

Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee

Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee is a new noodles stall at Food Republic (level 5) in 313@somerset. It opened in February 2020.

It is the second outlet of “Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles”, a well-known fishball noodles stall at Amoy Street Food Centre run by hawker hunk Mr Gilbert Lim.

This handsome hawker was even voted as the “Most Handsome Hawker” in 2005 by The Straits Times!

Pioneers of Hawker Cuisine

Handsome Gilbert

Ah Ter’s history can be traced back to the 1950s, when Gilbert’s grandfather (林猪乳) came to Singapore as an immigrant seeking a better life.

He started making a living by selling handmade fishballs, before saving enough money to open a fishball noodle stall (亚猪鱼圆肉脞面) at Maxwell Food Centre in 1958.

Gilbert’s father, Mr Lim Ter Nee, helped out at this stall for several years before taking over the reins.

The business did well enough for Mr Lim to open a coffeeshop in Bukit Merah in the 1980s, but he was forced to close the shop in 1997 due to the financial crisis. After that, Mr Lim spent a few years selling fishball noodles in various locations.

In 2003, Gilbert decided to continue the family business by opening a fishball noodles stall under his father’s name (Ah Ter) at Amoy Street Food Centre.

In February 2020, Gilbert opened his second fishball noodles branch, Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee, at the food court in 313@somerset.

Interestingly, if you look closely at the new logo, you will see that it corporates the Chinese character “猪”; this is probably Gilbert paying homage to his grandfather 林猪乳. Much respect to this filial man!

Menu (click to enlarge)

The somerset branch menu offers a variety of noodle dishes like Bak Chor Mee ($5.80), Fishball Noodle ($4.80), Abalone Noodle ($15.50), Pork Liver Bak Chor Mee ($7.50) and Pork Belly Noodle ($7.50).

There is a full range of noodle types available: mee pok, mee kia, kway teow, yellow noodles, mee sua, bee hoon, and mee tai mak.

The 313@somerset branch also serves savoury soups like Fishball Soup ($6), Meatball Soup ($6), Fish Dumpling Soup ($6), and even Pork Liver Soup ($6).

Side dishes include Fried Fishballs ($6), Pork Belly ($10), Ngoh Hiong ($12), etc.

You can top up $1 to get a Liang Teh (herbal tea) or $3 to get Liang Teh and one side dish.

Pleasant Ambience and Good Service

The Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee specialty stall at 313@somerset is bright and welcoming. It offers bar seating with elegant wooden counters, and the space is very clean.

The staff was also very friendly and polite. Most importantly, unlike the super hot Amoy Street Food Centre, the air-conditioned food court is cool and spacious.

Ah Ter Signature Noodle

I ordered the Ah Ter Signature Noodle ($9.50) with mee kia. Similar to the version served at Amoy, it comes with a bowl of soup filled with tasty ingredients like minced pork, pork liver slices, fish balls, meat balls, etc.

The secret to this dish, lies in their delicious noodle sauce.

First, they prepare their signature chilli by stir-frying 7 ingredients (dried shrimps, shrimp paste, onions, etc) for 6 hours.

After that, freshly made pork lard and fried shallots are added to the chilli to make the basic sauce.

Finally, tomato ketchup is added to sweeten the sauce, and a pinch of black vinegar is added for tartness.

Now that’s one awesome noodle sauce! It was super satisfying to eat the springy mee kia with this delicious sweet and sour chilli paste.

The sumptuous bowl of soup is prepared with a lot of attention to detail too. First, the soup base is stewed with pork ribs for a long period.

After that, it is cooked with a variety of ingredients such as minced pork, pork liver slices, fish cake slices, fish balls and meat balls.

As you can imagine, this cooking process gives the soup a rich, savoury, sweet, and very addictive flavour – one of the best soups I’ve ever tried.

The minced meat, meat balls, and liver slices were all very fresh and QQ, unlike other fishball noodles which can sometimes be a bit stale.

I found the fishballs to be especially succulent and delicious. They are handmade using fresh saury fish, in keeping with the family’s tradition of producing quality Teochew food.

Fishball Bak Chor Mee

The wife ordered the Fishball Bak Chor Mee ($6.50) with mee kia, which comes with a bowl of plain soup.

The dry noodles are topped with fish cake slices, minced meat, meat balls, meat slices, and fishballs.

The noodles tasted great with the delicious chilli paste. The toppings were fresh and delicious too.

However, I definitely preferred the Ah Ter Signature Noodle because for a small premium, I get to enjoy a sumptuous bowl of soup with generous amounts of delicious ingredients inside.

Conclusion

I visited Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee in 313@somerset with very high expectations, and I’m glad to say I was not disappointed at all. This branch has definitely managed to maintain the same standard as the Amoy Street Food Centre stall. The prices are relatively more expensive of course, but I feel it’s still reasonable considering the location.

Ah Ter Bak Chor Mee
Address: Stall 25 Food Republic (Level 5), 313@somerset, 313 Orchard Rd Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

Note that there used to be another Ah Ter branch at Boat Quay (“Ah Ter Fishball Noodle Bar”) which opened in September 2018, but it has closed down permanently.

Well-loved by many and with a steady stream of loyal supporters over the decades, Blanco Court Prawn Mee is one of the “must-try” food places in Singapore. After hearing so many wonderful reviews about their prawn noodles, I decided to check it out for myself.

Blanco Court Prawn Mee

Blanco Court Prawn Mee is a famous prawn noodles restaurant located at Beach Road. It is known for its delicious jumbo prawn noodles.

The restaurant has a longstanding culinary heritage that can be traced back to 1928, when Mr Lee Pi Duan came from Nan’an (Fujian Province) to Singapore.

He opened a prawn noodles stall which did not do very well in the beginning. However, business started taking off after he began using a new prawn noodle recipe, which he got to learn from a friend from Xiamen (where Prawn Noodles originated).

In 1936, Mr Lee relocated to a coffeeshop opposite the Blanco Court building (now Raffles Hospital). When Mr Lee passed away in 1956, the stall was taken over by his eldest son, Mr Lee Seng Hoon.

The stall remained in the coffeeshop until 1978 when it moved to its present location at Beach Road.

Lee Family Prawn Noodles Empire

Other than Blanco Court Prawn Mee, the Lee family actually runs several other prominent prawn noodle restaurants in Singapore. They are:

• Beach Road Prawn Mee
• Joo Chiat Prawn Mee
• Blanco Prawn Noodle House
• Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee

The famous Beach Road Prawn Mee on East Coast Road was opened in 1986 by Mr Lee Seng Hoon’s eldest son, John Lee.

It was John Lee who first started the practice of using jumbo prawns for prawn noodles in Singapore, which at that time was only being served with small de-shelled prawns and pork slices.

Joo Chiat Prawn Mee is run by Mr Lee Seng Hoon’s sister, while Blanco Prawn Noodle House is run by his daughter, Ms Susan Lee.

Finally, Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee is run by Mr Lee Seng Hoon’s other sister. Interestingly, Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee belonged to a friend who had learnt to cook prawn noodles from Mr Lee Seng Hoon’s father. The two families were so close that Mr Lee’s daughter married into his friend’s family.

Credit to Dr. Leslie Tay for detailing the fascinating Lee family prawn noodles history in his informative blog post.

Spacious Eatery With Polite Staff

Blanco Court Prawn Mee is a no-frills space that is clean and brightly-lit. It is kept cool by the many ceiling and wall fans located all around the restaurant.

Here’s how to order: queue to order and pay, tell the cashier your table number, return to your seat, and the food will be served to you shortly.

The staff was polite and did not chide me even though I did not know my table number and had to walk back to my seat to check.

I went down at 2.15pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was around half-filled. There were around 8 people in front of me in the queue, but it moved very fast and I reached the counter in just 5 minutes. The prawn noodles took about 15 minutes to arrive.

While waiting for your noodles, you may wish to order some gor hiang from the adjacent stall, which has a number of good reviews online too.

Menu (click to enlarge)

You can see the simple menu above.

The smaller prawns options (3, 4 and 6) were sold out by the time we went down, so you might want to go earlier if you plan to order those.

Remember to request for no bean sprouts if you do not like eating them because they come by default with the noodles.

Jumbo Prawn & Pork Ribs Noodle

I ordered the Jumbo Prawn & Pork Ribs Noodle ($10.90), and it was really delicious!

The impression was one of artful balance in the flavour and texture of the prawn broth. It was robust and savoury, with a lovely crustacean flavour that was rich but not overwhelming.

The large prawns were fresh, tasty and QQ (to use the Taiwanese parlance). The pork ribs were surprisingly tender and juicy, complementing the dish perfectly.

3 in 1 Noodle (Prawn, Ribs, Tail)

I decided to be adventurous and try the 3 in 1 Noodle ($10.90), which consists of noodles with jumbo prawns, pork ribs, and pork tails.

The prawn stock, jumbo prawns and pork ribs were delicious of course. As for the pork tails, they were chewy with a slippery texture. I enjoyed eating it, though I would say it’s an acquired taste.

Conclusion

I’m happy to have tried the super delicious prawn noodles at Blanco Court Prawn Mee. If you are a fan of local food, this place is a must-try. The prawn noodles here are definitely one of the best in Singapore!

Blanco Court Prawn Mee
Address: 243 Beach Rd #01-01, Singapore 189754
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 4pm, CLOSED on Tuesdays
Phone Number: +65 6396 8464

Jollibee, the famous fried chicken chain with over 1,200 outlets across the world, has opened a new branch at Jurong Point on 12 March 2020.

Jollibee

Jollibee is a fried chicken fast food giant based in the Philippines. It generated much hype when it opened its first Singapore store at Lucky Plaza in 2013, though the initial push came mainly from our island’s large population of Filipinos.

Since then, Jollibee has expanded to locations that are more accessible to locals. It currently has ten branches in Singapore: two at Lucky Plaza, and one each in Paya Lebar, Changi, Novena, Jurong East, Waterway Point, Woodlands, Suntec, and now Jurong Point.

Jollibee Jurong Point

The new Jurong Point store is located between two other fast food outlets, McDonald’s and Subway. You can order via the self-service machines or at the counter.

When I went down at 3pm on opening day, the restaurant was packed with customers. The staff were quite friendly though they seemed slightly overwhelmed.

Menu (click to enlarge)

Jollibee is best known for its fried Chickenjoy, which comes in original and spicy. Other popular items include the Jolly Spaghetti and Chicken Burger.

6 pcs Chickenjoy Bucket

I indulged in the 6 pcs Chickenjoy Bucket ($15), going with 3 original and 3 spicy. The chicken was tender, juicy, and savoury! It was also very fragrant with a smooth texture.

The highlight was of course the signature Jollibee gravy. It was rich and flavourful, with subtle scents of onion and celery.

It was super satisfying to eat the fried chicken with this delicious gravy!

Chicken Burger

The Chicken Burger ($5) was delicious too. The chicken chunk was really juicy and tender.

3 pcs Chicken Tenders

The 3 pcs Chicken Tenders ($5) were crispy and savoury, but they were not as tender as the Chickenjoy. Skip this.

Conclusion

While Jollibee used to be popular mainly among OFWs, it has grown to become loved by Singaporeans too. Therefore, it’s great that even people living in the far West can now get their Jollibee fix easily too.

Jollibee (Jurong Point)
Address: 1 Jurong West Central 2, #01-32 Jurong Point, Singapore 648886
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

Many Singaporeans have had their travel plans thwarted due to the current COVID-19 situation. I had to cancel my upcoming holiday too, which was a real bummer. Luckily, Singapore is home to plenty of wonderful hotels, so you can still enjoy a relaxing getaway without leaving the country. This is a list of eight luxury hotels to consider for your staycation. I’ve stayed at all the hotels before, so I can attest to their high standards.

These hotels have also rolled out special staycation deals, in anticipation of the increase in local guests due to recently implemented international travel restrictions. I have included the details of those deals below. Note that the hotels are arranged in alphabetical order.

1. Four Seasons Hotel Singapore

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore offers 255 luxurious rooms and suites designed in hues of earthy tones and taupe accentuated with stylish furnishings.

There is even an adults-only level specially designated for couples, so you can enjoy a private and romantic getaway with your other half.

The wife and I stayed on this level and we were treated to many thoughtful touches like complimentary chocolates, selections of love songs and romantic movies, and even a “Love Box” filled with romantic poems.

Out of all the hotels I’ve stayed in Singapore, I personally find that Four Seasons provides the best service. The staff are extremely well-trained and I’ve never experienced any unpleasant incident here before.

Staycation Deal
The hotel is currently offering a Third Night Free deal. Guests get to enjoy a complimentary third night with two consecutive paid nights. The maximum duration of stay is 5 nights.

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Address: 190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646
Phone: +65 6734 1110
Reservations: click here

2. The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Located in the heart of the central business district, The Fullerton Bay Hotel is a gorgeous hotel designed in vintage European style.

Out of all the hotels in this list, I feel that the Fullerton Bay room is most comfortable and luxurious. I was charmed by the elegant interior with soothing hues of cream, the private balcony, and the comfy king-sized bed swathed in silky linens.

I spent some time relaxing at the beautiful rooftop pool, before going to the Lantern rooftop bar to chill out and take in the amazing sunset views of Marina Bay.

The Clifford Pier restaurant in the hotel also happens to be one of our favourite places for afternoon tea in Singapore.

Staycation Deal
The hotel is offering a Staycation By The Bay package from now till 30 April 2020, with room rates starting from $570++ per night. Some of the privileges include:

• Daily breakfast for up to two persons
• 30% off food and beverage bill
• Complimentary parking
• 20% off spa treatments at The Fullerton Spa

The Fullerton Bay Hotel
Address: 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326
Phone: +65 6333 8388
Reservations: click here

3. Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Mandarin Oriental Singapore rooms are elegantly designed with a unique combination of oriental touches, contemporary artwork, and luxurious furnishings.

My favourite spot in the hotel was the twenty-five meters outdoor swimming pool by the green garden, which offers the perfect escape from hectic city life.

Mandarin Oriental is also home to two of my favourite restaurants in Singapore: Melt Café, which offers sumptuous international buffet, and Cherry Garden, which serves Cantonese dim sum buffet.

Staycation Deals
According to the hotel’s Facebook page, it is currently offering an Out and About package that includes complimentary upgrade to Ocean View or Marina Bay View room, free buffet breakfast, late check-out, and free daily parking. Email mosin-sales@mohg.com or call +65 6885 3517 to find out more. You can also check out the other special offers on their website.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Address: 5 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039797
Phone: +65 6885 3517
Reservations: click here

4. The St. Regis Singapore

Located along the quieter stretch of Tanglin Road, The St. Regis Singapore offers exclusive luxury for its guests.

The luxurious room is spacious and oozes opulence. The spacious bathroom features beautifully-veined French Breche de Benou marble vanity tops along with a sexy and glamorous freestanding bathtub.

There is also a dedicated “butler” for every floor of the hotel, whom I could contact anytime via phone whenever I had any service requests.

One of my favourite activities was using the complimentary wet lounge facilities in the hotel spa, which include the steam room, sauna, and jet pools!

Incidentally, The St. Regis Singapore holds a special place in my heart because it was the venue of my wedding.

Staycation Deal
Guests get to enjoy the Taste of Luxury package from now till 29 June 2020. Make sure that the promo code 14596 appears in the Corporate/Promotional code box when making your online reservation. Room rates start from around $500 per night. Some of the perks include:

• Complimentary upgrade to the next room category if you stay for two or more nights
• Daily breakfast for two at Brasserie Les Saveurs
• Complimentary Overnight Parking per room per night
• Complimentary Garment Pressing – 2 pieces per stay
• Signature St. Regis Butler Service

The St. Regis Singapore
Address: 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911
Phone: +65 6506 6888
Reservations: click here

5. The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

Colony buffet

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is one of my favourite luxury hotels for staycations in Singapore.

The floor-to-ceiling window in the room offers sweeping views of the city skyline and Marina Bay area.

It is luxuriously furnished with a marble-themed bathroom, and you get to enjoy panoramic cityscape views while having an indulgent soak in the oversized tub.

I highly recommend checking out the sumptuous international buffet at the popular Colony restaurant during your staycation here.

Staycation Deals
From now till 31 May 2020, guests get to enjoy the Treat You offer: for every two paid room nights reserved in a Club Deluxe Marina room, a complimentary third night stay is added on.

Club room privileges include personalised check-in and check-out service, complimentary limousine drop-off service within the vicinity, complimentary garment pressing upon arrival, and five daily culinary presentations which you can enjoy in the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge on Level 32.

Alternatively, if you are having a family staycation, you get to enjoy the Kids Dine Complimentary offer from now till 31 May 2020. For each full-paying adult at Colony for breakfast, lunch or dinner during your stay, a corresponding child (up to 12 years of age) will dine complimentary.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
Address: 7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039799
Phone: +65 6337 8888
Reservations: click here

6. Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa

Located in sunny Sentosa, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa is a great family-friendly beachfront resort perfect for a fun-filled staycation.

The comfortable hues of cream interior and the open-concept bathroom with premium toiletries exude charm and luxury. Some rooms also offer breathtaking sea views.

There are scheduled activities every day for all guests. The “Cool Zone” offers plenty of fun for children, with various activity centres such as Toots Club and Mini Toots Club.

Staycation Deal
From now till 30 May 2020, the hotel is offering the Tropical Family Escapade, with room rates starting from $480++ per night. Some of the perks include:

• One-night accommodation (complimentary upgrade to the next room category, up to Family Garden Room)
• Buffet breakfast for up to two adults and two children (below 12) at Silver Shell Cafe
• Picnic lunch basket
• Buffet dinner for up to two adults and two children (below 12) with unlimited soft drinks, chilled juices, house wines and beer at Silver Shell Cafe
• Early check-in at 11aam
• Late check-out at 3pm
• One Children’s Fun Pack (float and sand toys) per stay
• An additional sofa bed in selected room categories
• Use of water sports facilities
• Access to Toots Club and its organised activities for children, including lunch and dinner
• Access to Mini Toots Club for toddlers
• Access to Nestopia, an outdoor play space on Siloso Beach

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa
Address: 101 Siloso Road, Sentosa, Singapore 098970
Phone: +65 6275 0100
Reservations: click here

7. Sofitel Singapore City Centre

Sofitel Singapore City Centre is a luxury hotel in the central business district that oozes French opulence and refinement.

I loved the large boutique style room, designed with a blend of French art de vivre and local sophistication.

There is a small rooftop pool if you want to go for a leisurely swim. The adjacent Lau Pa Sat food centre, albeit slightly touristy at night, offers delicious local food.

Staycation Deal
According to the hotel’s Facebook page, it is currently offering a weekend staycation package (only available for stays on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Room rates start from $348++ per night. Perks include:

• Three course dinner menu specially prepared by Executive Chef Jean-Charles Dubois
• Daily breakfast for two
• Late check-out until 6pm

Sofitel Singapore City Centre
Address: 9 Wallich St, Singapore 078885
Phone: +65 6428 5000
Reservations: click here

8. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa is a French luxury resort hotel situated at a quiet corner of Sentosa, overlooking the South China Sea.

The luxurious room is spacious and elegant, and I was especially impressed by the gorgeous bathroom.

It was nice to stroll around the serene hotel grounds, which is filled with lush greenery and koi ponds.

During my two night staycation here, I really enjoyed swimming in the beautiful pool and exercising at the state-of-the-art gym.

The hotel is also home to the world’s largest Sofitel Signature So SPA.

Staycation Deals
From now till 30 April 2020, guests get to enjoy the Retreat to Sanctuary package, with room rates starting from $388++ per night. Privileges include:

• Complimentary Buffet Breakfast for two
• Massage for two
• Dinner for two at The Cliff
• Complimentary Scheduled Shuttle Service to and fro the Resort and VivoCity
• Complimentary Fish Spa
• Complimentary Bottle of Wine (In-Room)

Alternatively, if you are planning a family staycation, you can consider the Infinite Family Experiences package, which starts from $538++ per night for four pax. Perks include:

• Full Dining Experiences
• 50% off 1-Hour Massage
• Daily Kids Activities
• Early Check-in OR Late Check-out

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
Address: 2 Bukit Manis Rd Sentosa, Singapore 099891
Phone: +65 6708 8310
Reservations: click here

Recently, I visited Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh to satisfy my bak kut teh craving. It was my first time visiting this restaurant and I’m glad to say I had a really enjoyable meal here.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh is an old school restaurant at Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru known for its delicious bak kut teh.

They serve the local Teochew style bak kut teh which is clear and peppery. Most Singaporeans seem to prefer this version compared to the herbal style bak kut teh that is more popular in Malaysia.

Old Tiong Bahru is run by Mr Xu and his wife Ms Judy Zheng, both in their 60s. The restaurant’s history can be traced back to the 1930s, when Judy’s parents came to Singapore from China.

To make a living, they opened a street-side stall at Wayang Street (now Eu Tong Sen Street) in Chinatown, selling Teochew porridge and various other side dishes, including bak kut teh.

They eventually moved to Tiong Bahru and focused solely on selling bak kut teh. And this was how Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh was formed!

Today, the restaurant is run by Mr Xu, Judy, and a group of loyal staff who has been with the business for decades.

In 2019, this restaurant even garnered national attention when former Singapore minister George Yeo and former ROC president Ma Ying-jeou had breakfast together here.

Menu

Note that the restaurant serves two types of pork ribs: Long Gu (龙骨) and Pai Gu (排骨).

Long Gu is the part of the rib cage nearer to the spine. It is more fatty, tender and flavourful than Pai Gu, which is located further away from the spine. Long Gu is also thicker than Pai Gu.

One way to tell if the meat is Long Gu, is to look at the bone’s cross-section which is round instead of flat.

For Long Gu, Old Tiong Bahru uses fresh pork from Indonesia which is never frozen, while the Pai Gu is frozen pork from Brazil.

Therefore, if you enjoy eating pork, you should definitely go for Long Gu! The quality is significantly higher than Pai Gu, but it only costs $2 more.

The menu also offers standard bak kut teh side dishes like pork trotters, pig stomach soup, braised peanuts, pig kidney soup, etc.

There is also a variety of tze char style dishes like kangkong, fried omelette, clams, prawns, etc.

Strangely, the menu does not have prices indicated. To get an idea of the prices, you can check out the dishes I ordered below.

Street Side Dining

Old Tiong Bahru is an old-school eatery where customers dine on wooden tables by the road. Eating here evoked a sense of nostalgia for me.

The murals across the road gives the place a hipster vibe too.

The staff were polite and our food arrived fast. Most importantly, the staff provided free soup refills frequently!

Bak Kut Teh (排骨)

Unfortunately, when I arrived at 6.30pm, the Long Gu was already sold out. Therefore, I ordered the Pai Gu Bak Kut Teh ($7).

The pork ribs are boiled in a pot of soup until they have just the right amount of tenderness. Garlic and pepper are also added during this process.

As for the bak kut teh stock, it is prepared separately by simmering pork bones and meat at high heat for at least four hours. No MSG is added.

The pork ribs broth is then added to this slow-cooked bak kut teh stock to produce the rich and slightly cloudy bak kut teh soup.

I found the soup to be especially addictive! Thanks to the meticulous cooking process, it was robust and peppery with a velvety smooth texture.

The pork ribs were quite tender and juicy too, with the meat coming off the bone easily.

Lean Meat Bak Kut Teh

The wife ordered the Lean Meat Bak Kut Teh ($7). They use the same bak kut teh soup for this dish so it is equally tasty.

The lean meat slices were very juicy and flavourful, though I felt they could have been more tender.

You Char Kway

The You Char Kway ($1.50), or You Tiao, was a little disappointing. It was not crispy at all and there wasn’t much flavour to it too.

Perhaps this was because I had come at the wrong time? The restaurant actually makes their own You Tiao fresh from 10am onwards.

Therefore, if you arrive before 10am, or if the you tiaos are sold out, you will be served with the outsourced you tiaos; which was probably the case for me.

Sambal Kang Kong

I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Sambal Kang Kong ($8) tasted!

The aromatic sambal sauce was feisty and flavourful, complementing the crunchy and fresh kang kong perfectly.

This is one of the best kang kongs I’ve tried in Singapore so far.

Beancurd Skin

I also ordered one of my favourite bak kut teh side dishes, Tau Kee ($3.50), or Beancurd Skin. Unfortunately, Old Tiong Bahru’s version was bland with an unpleasant plastic-like texture. Skip this.

Conclusion

I had an enjoyable meal at Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh! It was a great experience to dine by the street and enjoy one of the best bak kut tehs in Singapore. Pro-tip: the best time to eat here is around 11am. If you go too early, the bak kut teh soup will not be as rich, and the you tiao will not be ready yet. If you go in the evening (like I did), the soup will have a very rich flavour but the Long Gu will be sold out. In addition, a younger crew takes over from the long-time staff from late afternoon onwards.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh
Address: 58 Seng Poh Road #01-31 Singapore 160058
Phone: +65 6223 3075
Opening Hours: | Tue to Sun 6.30am – 9pm | Closed on Mondays |

Sentosa has announced that it will be offering free island admission from now till 30th June. In addition, they will be giving every Singaporean a free “Sentosa Fun Pass” with 10 tokens, every single day, to redeem free activities and attractions on Sentosa from now till 14th April.

What Is The Sentosa Fun Pass?

The Sentosa Fun Pass is an all-in-one pass that gives you access to many attractions in Sentosa. It is usable over two days.

Sentosa Stay & Play Programme – Free Sentosa Fun Pass (10 Tokens) For All Singaporeans

From now till 14 April, Sentosa will be giving every local resident* a free 10-Token Pass every day. All you need to do is register online for your free Sentosa Fun Pass using your NRIC or FIN.

*Local resident refers to Singapore citizen, Singapore permanent resident, or Singapore work pass holder.

Do not worry if you have children, because you can redeem up to 2 x 10-token fun pass per day. Therefore, if you are a family of two adults and two young children, you will be able to redeem a total of 40 tokens.

The tokens can be used to redeem for:

5 Tokens Attractions

• Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom: Bookmark Making Workshop + Souvenir (U.P. $5)
• Gogreen: Bi-pedal Bicycles (30 Mins) (U.P. $7.50)
• Madame Tussauds Singapore: Ultimate Film Star Experience (U.P. $10)
• Mega Adventure Park: Jungle Buggy Ride (U.P. $5)

10 Tokens Attractions

• 4D AdventureLand: Desperados + 1 Free Cornetto Ice Cream (U.P. $26.90)
• AJ Hackett: Skybridge (U.P. $10)
• Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom: Bookmark Making Workshop + Magnolia Mag-A-Cone (U.P. $9)
• Gogreen: Segway Fun Ride (250m) (U.P. $17)
• Gogreen: Bi-Pedal Bicycle (1 hr) (U.P. $15)
• HeadRock VR: 1 Ride from Orange Zone (U.P. $13)
• HeadRock VR: 1 Ride from Green Zone (U.P. $13)
• Madame Tussauds Singapore: VR Racing Experience (U.P. $20)
• Mega Adventure Park: MegaBounce (U.P. $15)
• Nestopia: Unlimited Play (U.P. $15)
• Ola Beach Club: Single Kayak (30 mins) (U.P. $12.50)
• Ola Beach Club: Stand Up Paddleboard (30 mins) (U.P. $17.50)
• Sentosa Island Bus Tour (2 hrs) 10.30am | 12.30pm | 2pm | 4pm (U.P. $25 or $20)

Some Highlights

1. Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom

Set within a rainforest, free-flying butterflies and insect displays bring you closer to these fascinating creatures.

2. 4D AdventureLand

Embark on an adventure at Sentosa 4D AdventureLand where four different rides bring you face-to-face with the different effects of 4D technology. Ride the simulated Haunted Mine Ride 4D, or strap in for the Extreme Log Ride. Shoot it out in Desperados, or get into the heart of the action with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

3. AJ Hackett: Skybridge

The Skybridge crosses the two towers at 47m above the ground. It allows customers to go out on an exposed bridge that is safe enough for everybody to walk on, eliminating the need for a harnessing system.

4. Nestopia

Let the kids climb and crawl to their heart’s content at Nestopia, an open-air space with 17 play sections. It offers challenging obstacle courses made up of three giant nests situated 7.5 meters off the ground with amazing views of the South China Sea, and two long slides.

5. HeadRock VR

Opening for the first time ever in Singapore is one of the biggest VR Theme Parks in Southeast Asia – HeadRock VR promises to bring out the adventurer in you with an unforgettable, larger-than-life experience.

6. Madame Tussauds Singapore: VR Racing Experience

Feel the rush in our new Virtual Reality Racing cars at Madame Tussauds Singapore. Join the team of Lewis Hamilton and race against the best!

7. Sentosa Island Bus Tour (2 hrs)

Go on a 2-hour journey of Sentosa in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus to discover more about the beauty and charm of Sentosa island as well as learn its evolution and transformation into the bustling resort island it is today.

8. Mega Adventure Park: MegaBounce

Bounce up to 8m high on any of the 4 trampolines on the beach with instructors and harnesses ensuring safety throughout. This is the perfect activity to entertain the kids.

Conclusion

With the implementation of strict travel restrictions all over the world, many Singaporeans have had to cancel their holiday plans. Therefore, you might want to consider using this free 10-token pass to have some fun in Sentosa instead, for free! Note that you can top up your Sentosa Fun Pass with additional tokens at any Sentosa ticketing counters, starting from 5 tokens at $5, in blocks of 5 tokens. Click here to register for your free 10 token Sentosa Fun Pass.

I recently discovered Our Secret Garden Cafe, a hidden gem at Bukit Timah Plaza that just opened a few weeks ago. I loved the food here and this is now one of my favourite cafes in Singapore!

Our Secret Garden Cafe

Our Secret Garden Cafe is a new cafe at Bukit Timah Plaza that serves delicious brunch and coffee. It is located near the taxi stand, along the side of the building.

According to its menu, the cafe was founded by a couple who believe that everyone “deserves a hearty brunch and decent coffee every day”.

Therefore, they use only the freshest ingredients from the best suppliers, and their coffees are brewed using locally roasted coffee beans.

Menu (Click to enlarge)

I was very impressed by the small cafe’s extensive menu. Other than brunch dishes, they also serve appetisers, salads, burgers, pasta, western food and desserts.

The drinks menu include a variety of coffee (highly reviewed), tea, milkshakes, juices, and smoothies.

Pleasant Ambience

Our Secret Garden Cafe sits within a cozy glasshouse-like space. It is styled in a rustic chic vibe featuring wood grain tables, rough hewn brick walls and small vases of pretty flowers.

The cafe has an open-concept kitchen but ventilation was so good that I didn’t smell any odour at all.

There is also a pretty outdoor space boasting walls covered with lush foliage – a perfect spot for taking Instagram-worthy selfies.

The staff were slightly aloof but the food arrived fast so that was a plus.

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

The Black Pepper Chicken Chop ($11.80) is served with garden salad and french fries.

The chicken chop was tender and juicy, and it was really satisfying to eat it with the savoury black pepper sauce!

The french fries were surprisingly good too – crispy and salty with just the right amount of bite.

The garden salad, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, provided a refreshing balance with its sweet and piquant taste.

On the whole, this simple dish was executed perfectly. It is one of the best western food dishes I’ve eaten in Singapore!

Brioche French Toast Platter

I also ordered the Brioche French Toast Platter ($14.50), which is supposed to consist of three French toasts, scrambled eggs, hickory smoked bacon, butter and golden maple syrup.

I was hooked from the first bite!

The sweet fragrance of the golden-brown french toasts spread throughout my mouth the moment I took a bite.

The scrambled eggs were savoury with a lovely creamy texture, and I liked that they were not overly mushy.

Doused with the maple syrup, this lovely dish was a joy to eat!

Unfortunately, the chef forgot to include the bacons for this dish, which I only realised while writing this article.

The cafe owner was really apologetic when I messaged him on Instagram about this oversight, and even offered to give me a free meal or food vouchers.

I declined because I understood that they were a very new set-up, and therefore mistakes like this were somewhat understandable.

Conclusion

I am really happy to have discovered Our Secret Garden Cafe at Bukit Timah Plaza! It offers delicious brunch, pleasant ambience, and wallet-friendly prices. During my visit, the cafe was even nice enough to give a free mask to each of the customers, which was a really nice touch. I will definitely be going back again soon to check out their other offerings like burgers, pasta and coffees.

Our Secret Garden Cafe
Address: 1 Bt Timah Plaza, #L1-CA1, Jln Anak Bukit, 588996
Opening Hours: | Mon: 10am – 9pm | Tue: Closed | Wed to Fri: 10am – 9pm | Sat & Sun: 9am – 9pm |
Phone: +65 9154 8550

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day when I came across Carpenter and Cook, a pretty cafe located in Bukit Timah. I had actually heard about this popular cafe from a long time ago, but only went down to check it out recently.

Carpenter and Cook

Carpenter and Cook is a vintage home store and artisan bakery café located along Lorong Kilat in Upper Bukit Timah. It is known for its excellent pastries that are all baked in-house.

The owner, Shenn, trained at the prestigious Cordon Bleu in London and honed her skills at artisan bakery and chocolate shop Cocomaya.

Together with her friends Eunice and Phoebe, they decided to open a bakery café decorated with beautiful vintage furniture in 2012. And that is why the cafe is named “Carpenter” and “Cook”.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The cafe serves a variety of freshly baked goods and confectionery like cakes, croissants, tarts, scones, quiches, and even tiramisu.

Other than pastries, the menu also offers an impressive selection of brunch items and pasta dishes.

The drinks menu includes coffee, tea, smoothies, frappes, and fresh juices.

Cozy Cafe with Vintage Charm

Carpenter and Cook is a charming retro-themed space decorated with an eclectic selection of vintage memorabilia and antiques.

I was intrigued to see that my table was actually constructed from a defunct sewing machine, with the manual foot pedal conveniently serving as a foot rest – quite an ingenious creation.

The cafe is also family-friendly with larger tables available.

acting cool

The swing outside the cafe provides an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity, but on closer look the paint was peeling from quite a few spots.

The staff were generally quite friendly, but I was annoyed by how long my food took to arrive – I ordered at 1pm and the first dish only came at 1.35pm!

Pain Au Chocolat

The Pain Au Chocolat ($4), literally “chocolate bread”, is a French-style puff pastry with chocolate fillings.

The freshly-baked bread had a slightly crispy crust along with an airy texture and a rich chocolatey fragrance. Biting in further, I got to savour the delicate sweetness of the melted chocolate inside.

Thick Cut Brioche French Toast

The Thick Cut Brioche French Toast ($15.50) is topped with strawberries, blueberries, and toasted almonds.

The French toast was sweet and eggy, but was slightly lacking in flavour. Luckily, together with the fresh fruits and lightly musky toasted almonds, this was still quite a satisfying dish.

Cravin’ Crab Cakes

I also tried the Cravin’ Crab Cakes ($20), which consists of two crab cakes served with pastry and salad. Note that this is not a regular menu item.

The crab cake was surprisingly juicy and tender without falling apart. It combined with the flaky pastry and creamy mayo sauce to form a flavourful party in my mouth.

The refreshing salad provided balance to this savoury dish.

Conclusion

Carpenter and Cook, which opened eight years ago, is the eminent elder of the Singapore cafe scene. On the whole, I had a pleasant meal here – the food was good and the cafe had a nice quirky charm. My only gripe was that the food took really long to arrive. Therefore, I suggest eating one of their delicious pastries first while waiting for your mains to be served. The cafe does not charge GST or service charge.

Carpenter and Cook
Address: 19 Lor Kilat #01-06, Singapore 598120
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 10am – 10pm | Sat: 9am – 10pm | Sun: 9am – 9pm |
Phone: +65 6463 3648

I am a fan of Italian comfort food, so I was happy to chance upon the new Lino Pasta Bar at Shaw Centre. This is the latest restaurant to open under the Les Amis Group.

Lino Pasta Bar

Lino Pasta Bar is a casual Italian bistro that specialises in pasta. It opened recently in December 2019 at Shaw Centre along Scotts Road.

If you find the name familiar, it’s because this new restaurant is the offshoot of Lino, a contemporary Italian restaurant located at Binjai Park in Bukit Timah.

Menu (click to enlarge)

As its name suggests, the main focus of this bistro is pasta. However, they also serve appetisers, some mains, and desserts.

The drinks menu offers a small selection of wines, beer, coffee, and tea. Free-flow plain water is available for $0.50.

If you can’t make up your mind, the Tasting Menu ($32) lets diners enjoy sample-size portions of three appetisers and three pastas. A dessert is thrown in as well. This menu is only available for dinner.

The 3 Course Set Lunch ($22) is a value-for-money option that lets you choose from a variety of appetisers, pastas, and desserts. I recommend ordering this set if you visit during lunch.

Nice Casual Ambience

Lino Pasta Bar is located at a quiet corner on the third floor of Shaw Centre.

It exudes a homely charm with its earthy trattoria interiors and unadorned wooden tables and chairs, complete with colourful artworks by famous Filipino artist, Pacita Abad, lining the walls.

The restaurant’s casual atmosphere makes it a nice place to hang out with family and friends over Italian food and wine.

The staff were friendly but seemed a little too eager to clear my dishes – perhaps this was because I visited one hour before closing time.

The food arrived fast, with the first dish served less than 10 minutes after ordering.

Parma Ham, Melon, Argula

The Parma Ham, Melon, Argula ($9) was a nice appetiser to start off my meal. The thin slices of ham were very tasty, and went nicely with the sweet and refreshing cantaloupe.

The fresh rocket salad with balsamic dressing whetted my appetite further with its peppery-tangy flavours.

Deep Fried Calamari with Lemon, Mayonnaise

The Deep Fried Calamari with Lemon, Mayonnaise ($10) was another great appetiser.

The calamari was crispy and not too oily. Drizzled with lemon and eaten with a touch of mayonnaise, this was one delicious treat.

Tagliatelle Bolognese

The Tagliatelle Bolognese ($16) is a classic Italian pasta dish that consists of tagliatelle noodles served with slathers of meat sauce.

The highlight was of course the bolognese sauce, which was moist and fragrant with a rich meaty flavour.

The tagliatelle was cooked al dente with a smooth texture. It tasted wonderful with the bolognese sauce and cheese!

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns, Squids, Bird’s Eye Chili

I also tried the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns, Squids, Bird’s Eye Chili ($18.50).

The spaghetti was perfectly al dente with just the right amount of bite. It had a strong garlicky-briny taste, which was fine with me but may not appeal to some people.

The dish comes with generous amounts of prawns and squids, which tasted very fresh and succulent!

Surprisingly, the bird’s eye chili (or Thai chili), was not too feisty and provided just a small tinge of heat. Therefore, you can safely order this dish even if you can’t really take spicy food.

Tiramisu

The wife and I ended our meal with the Tiramisu ($6), which was fluffy heaven on a fork!

It had a dreamily soft texture and a rich creamy fragrance, while the coat of cocoa powder provided just the right amount of bitterness.

I also loved the lingering alcohol aftertaste, which gave the dessert an endearing richness but did not overwhelm.

On the whole, this classic Italian dessert was a harmonious blend of flavours that delighted my palate with every mouthful.

Conclusion

I had a very satisfying meal at this new Italian bistro. With its delicious pastas, pleasant ambience, wallet-friendly prices, and convenient location, Lino Pasta Bar is a quaint little restaurant with much potential.

Lino Pasta Bar
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, Shaw Centre #03-23, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 3pm (last order 2.30pm), 6pm to 9.30pm (last order 9pm)
Phone: +65 6235 4653

Even though Klook is best known for its travel deals, it actually offers plenty of great food deals too, some with discounts of up to 50%! From bubble tea to cafes to seafood restaurants, there is bound to be something that will satisfy your taste buds. Below are some of my favourite food deals from Klook. Note that the links in this post are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, but at no extra cost to you.

Bubble Tea

Buffet

Cafe

Chinese Food

Korean Food

Seafood

Thai Food

Western Food

When it comes to food delivery services in Singapore, I’m pretty much an amateur because most of the time I prefer dining out. But in light of the recent situation, I decided to do some research on the options available. Below are seven popular local food delivery services, with some even specialising in hawker food, Japanese rice bowls and Halal food.

1. AMGD

AMGD offers a wide variety of healthy bento sets loaded with vegetables, fruits, nuts and other healthy toppings.

Some of the choices include char siu chicken breast served with quinoa and spicy plum dressing, teriyaki grilled salmon served with greens and sesame seeds, and beef slices with cherry tomatoes and ginger teriyaki dressing.

And in case you’re wondering, AMGD stands for “Ahmahgawd”.

Price: starts from $17 per bento, goes down to $12 for a package of 101 bentos
Delivery charge: $2.50 per bento, free delivery for orders above two bentos.
Delivery hours: | Mon to Fri: 10.30am – 1.30pm, 4.30pm – 7.30pm | No delivery on weekends |

2. Deliveroo

Deliveroo is a major player in the local food delivery scene, boasting a large number of restaurants on its platform.

Participating eateries include Dian Xiao Er, Tim Ho Wan, Gong Cha, Burger King, 4Fingers Crispy Chicken, SaladStop, among others.

Price: varies by restaurant
Delivery charge: varies by restaurant and location
Delivery hours: varies by restaurant and location

3. Don Play Play

Don Play Play delivers sumptuous Halal Japanese rice bowls. Indulge in favourites like the Truffle Beef Yakiniku Don ($12.80), Salmon Chirashi Don ($12.80), Unagi Don ($12.80) and Chicken Yakitori Don ($10.80).

If you are having a gathering, you can consider ordering the mini buffet set ($158) for ten people.

This homegrown brand’s name is a play on the Singlish phrase “Don’t Play Play”.

Price: starts from $10.80 per bowl, minimum spend of $64
Delivery charge: $10, free delivery for orders above $128
Delivery hours: | Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 1.30pm | Sat: 5.30pm – 6.30pm | Sun: No Delivery |

4. Foodpanda

Foodpanda is another major food delivery company in Singapore, with thousands of eateries on its platform.

There are many restaurants to choose from, such as Crystal Jade, Subway, Pepper Lunch, Gong Cha, R&B Tea, Putien, Liho, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, etc.

Price: Varies by restaurant
Delivery charge: Varies by restaurant and location
Delivery hours: Varies by restaurant and location

5. GrabFood

Even though it was only launched in 2018, GrabFood has quickly grown to become one of the most popular food delivery services in Singapore due to its exceptional service and low delivery fees.

One of the perks of using GrabFood is being able to earn GrabRewards to redeem vouchers and other benefits.

I use GrabFood frequently and so far I’ve had no problems with it at all.

Popular establishments include Crave, Guzman Y Gomez, Old Cheng Du, Koi, Tiger Sugar, Gong Cha, Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, Chicken Up, and many more!

Personally, I like using Grabfood to order McDonald’s because it is often faster than the official delivery service.

Price: Varies by restaurant, no minimum spending required
Delivery fee: $3 to $5
Delivery hours: Varies by restaurant and location

6. Grain

Grain is a local startup that offers a variety of healthy Halal meals like rice bowls, pastas and even desserts.

Some tantalising options include the Caramelised Beef Char Siew ($12.95), Feel Good Salad ($12.95), Grilled Farm Fresh Chicken ($11.95), Cinnamon Churro Waffles ($4.95) and more.

Price: Mains start from $10.95, $16 surcharge for orders below $100
Delivery charge: $4
Delivery hours: | Mon to Fri: 11am to 1.30pm, 6pm to 9.30pm | No delivery on weekends |

7. WhyQ

Last but not least, WhyQ delivers hawker food to your home or office, with no minimum order and a flat delivery fee of just $1.50!

There is a total of 23 hawker centres on its platform, including favourites like Amoy Street Food Centre, Chomp Chomp, Maxwell Food Centre, Hong Lim Food Centre, etc.

CBD folks can pick from an impressive array of famous stalls like Han Kee, Wah Kee Noodle, Spinach Soup, Pepper Bowl, Outram Park and many more.

Price: Varies by stall, no minimum spend
Delivery charge: $1.50
Delivery hours: Varies by stall and location

Ramen Matsuri is a small ramen shop along North Canal road (behind Boat Quay) that sells chicken ramen and mazesoba (dry ramen). It is run by chef Kenichi Ikehata, who honed his craft at Marutama Ramen for years before deciding to open his own ramen shop.

If you find the setup here familiar, it’s because Ramen Matsuri is the sister restaurant of Kajiken, a popular mazesoba specialist restaurant with several branches across Singapore.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The menu offers a variety of chicken soup ramen, spicy ramen, mazesoba, and side dishes. No MSG is used in their food.

If you are a big eater, go for the free noodles upsize – however, do note that the upsized portion is not for sharing.

As expected, this Japanese joint serves a selection of alcohol like beer, sake, and umeshu (plum wine).

Authentic Japanese Vibe

Ramen Matsuri is a cozy restaurant that offers traditional izakaya-style dining. They have an open-concept kitchen but ventilation was good so I didn’t really smell any odours.

The staff were extremely friendly and food was served fast.

Incidentally, I used the washroom during my visit and was very impressed by how clean it was. No wonder the Japanese are world-famous for their toilet hygiene.

Torikoku Special Toppings

The Torikoku Special Toppings ($16.80) is a sumptuous bowl of chicken ramen containing two slices of chicken, one slice of pork char siew, one kakuni (braised pork belly), one ajitama egg, black fungus and spring onions.

The chicken broth was rich, savoury and nourishing – the kind of soup you crave when you are feeling a little fluey and need some comforting broth to feel better.

According to their website, the chicken broth is made by boiling whole chickens for more than 6 hours over a strong fire, and each bowl of ramen soup is made from over 400grams of chicken! This probably explains why I could really taste the rich chicken essence.

The thick chicken slices were surprisingly tender and juicy with a very smooth texture. The char siew was good, and the kabuni was soft and savoury.

The noodles were springy and it was very satisfying to slurp them up with the chicken broth. The flavourful ajitama egg, chewy black fungus, and fresh spring onions completed this hearty dish.

On the whole, this was a wonderful bowl of ramen. Simple yet complex, packed with flavour, and executed perfectly.

Taiwan Karaage Mazesoba

The Taiwan Karaage ($15.80) is a mazesoba dish consisting of dry ramen, one ontama (soft boiled egg), spicy minced pork, shredded seaweed, spring onions and two pieces of karaage (Japanese fried chicken).

I mixed everything together, and the resulting mixture was definitely quite savoury and satisfying. That said, I felt that it was not as flavourful as the mazesoba served at Kajiken.

As for the karaage, it was decent but not fantastic.

Don’t get me wrong, this was still a very enjoyable dish, but it fell just a little short of my high expectations.

If you are feeling hungry, you can order a complimentary oimeshi (small bowl of white rice) to eat with the remaining mazesoba sauce.

Conclusion

In Singapore, most people prefer pork ramen over chicken ramen, and there are only a few well-known chicken ramen shops like Marutama Ramen and Ramen Keisuke Tori King. However, I feel that even though pork broth has a more luscious texture, chicken broth has a very rich flavour too and should not be overlooked. I enjoyed my meal at Ramen Matsuri very much, and I highly recommend checking out this cozy Japanese joint if you are in the CBD area.

Ramen Matsuri
Address: 7 North Canal Road, Singapore 048820
Phone: +65 6533 0845
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm | Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm | Sat: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm | Sun & PH: Closed |

Unless you have been living in a cave, you would have probably noticed the many bubble tea shops popping up all over Singapore nowadays. The latest player to join the trend is Chun Yang Tea at Orchard Central. From now till 30th April 2020, Chun Yang Tea is having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free promotion for its drinks, with the lowest priced item being free of charge.

Chun Yang Tea 春阳茶事

Chun Yang Tea (春阳茶事) is a well-known Taiwanese bubble tea chain with over 100 outlets across the world.

Founded in Taiwan in 2017, it has since expanded to countries like China, Malaysia, USA, Canada, and now, Singapore.

According to their website, the term “Chun Yang” originated from a Taiwanese village called Ren’Ai, which specialises in cultivating tea leaves.

This is because their bubble teas are made using fresh tea leaves harvested from this village’s tea plantations.

Chun Yang Tea opened its first Singapore branch at Jewel Changi Airport on 29 November 2019.

During their grand opening, they even invited popular Taiwanese celebrities Blackie Chen and Jason Tang for the ribbon-cutting ceremony (not sure if the two of them are investors).

Orchard Central branch

Chun Yang Tea opened its second Singapore branch on 07 March 2020, on the second floor of Orchard Central.

I visited this branch on a weekday afternoon and was surprised to see quite a number of office workers getting their bubble tea fix here.

The shopfront is casual and minimalist with a beige and white colour scheme. There are several tables available if you wish to sit down and enjoy your bubble tea.

I was impressed by their good service. The staff were very friendly and answered my questions patiently. The drinks were prepared fast too.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The extensive menu offers a variety of fresh milk tea, pure tea, fruit tea, cheese macchiato, and red bean series drinks.

For the fresh milk tea flavours, you can choose between Red Tea, Oolong, and Green Tea.

The toppings available are Pearl, AiYu Jelly, Pudding, Grass Jelly, and Red Bean. They cost between $0.80 and $1.20.

It is possible to customise the sugar and ice levels.

Popular Drinks

The picture above shows their top five bestselling drinks:

• Honey Lemon Oolong Tea (M$5.90 L$6.90)
• Oolong Tea Latte with Pudding (M$5.80, L$6.80)
• Brown Sugar Pearl with Fresh Milk (M$5.80, L$6.80)
• Sugar Cane Fresh Milk (M$4.90, L$5.90)
• Cheese Macchiato with Tea (M$5.50, L$6.50)

Honey Lemon Oolong Tea

On the staff’s recommendation, I tried the Honey Lemon Oolong Tea (L$6.90). This is a refreshing drink with a sweet honey lemon flavour, though I felt the tea fragrance could have been stronger.

Oolong Milk Tea

The Oolong Milk Tea ($4.30) was sweet with a smooth texture. I enjoyed the pearls which were very chewy.

Honey Osmanthus Oolong Tea

The Honey Osmanthus Oolong Tea ($5.50) was my favourite among the three drinks I tried. It had a pleasant Osmanthus scent along with a subtle Oolong tea fragrance.

Conclusion

Another day, another new bubble tea shop in Singapore. It’s hard to say whether Chun Yang Tea will emerge a winner in the saturated bubble tea scene in Singapore, but they may have an edge due to their impressive selection of bubble tea drinks.

Chun Yang Tea 春阳茶事
Address: Orchard Central #02-25 / 25A, 181 Orchard Road Singapore 238896
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

This is a list of 18 popular restaurants in Singapore offering Chinese food delivery and takeaway options. In light of the recent situation, many of these restaurants are now offering attractive discounts. Some have even come up with new menu items just for delivery and takeaway. This article was last updated on 04 April 2020.

1. Beng Hiang

Founded in 1978, Beng Hiang is one of the most well-known Hokkien restaurants in Singapore.

Enjoy $3 off your Deliveroo delivery order with promo code BH$3OFF when you spend a minimum of $20. However, note that they only deliver within the Jurong neighbourhood.

Their signature dishes include the Kong Ba Bao ($7.65), Hokkien Mee ($11.77) and Ngo Hiang ($8.24).

They also have $12 Value Set Meals for their Hokkien Mee, Mee Sua, Honey Pork Rib Rice, and Beng Hiang Fried Rice. All set meals come with two prawn balls.

Order here: Beng Hiang Deliveroo page

2. Chengdu Restaurant

Chengdu Restaurant 成都川菜馆 is a Chinese restaurant along Amoy Street that offers authentic Sichuan cuisine.

They have recently created sumptuous Chengdu Bowls for delivery and takeaway. Some tantalising options include the Double Cooked Pork Belly Bowl, Kongbao Chicken Bowl, Ginger Onion Beef Bowl, and more.

The bowls are nett priced at $10.60 (small), $12.80 (regular), and large ($14.90).

You can choose to pick up at Chengdu Restaurant (74 Amoy Street) or Taikoo Lane Hotpot (Chinatown Point).

The restaurant even provides free delivery to Tanjong Pagar MRT, Raffles Place MRT, UOB Plaza, Downtown MRT, Telok Ayer MRT, Tiong Bahru MRT, Queenstown MRT, Redhill MRT, and NUS Campus*.

Note that for NUS Campus, a minimum order of 6 bowls is required.

Order here: Chengdu Bowl Ordering Page

3. Crystal Jade Restaurants

Crystal Jade is a famous Chinese restaurant chain in Singapore.

They are currently offering Bento Sets from $15.80 for both takeaway and delivery.

Enjoy 20% off when you takeaway a bento set, or 30% off when you buy 3 or more bento sets.

4. Hai Di Lao

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Hai Di Lao is a Chinese hotpot empire known for its delicious food and excellent service.

They are now offering a generous 35% discount for self pick up orders from 22 March 2020 to 30 April 2020. You can simply call in to place your orders, or head down to any of their branches.

You can also order delivery, but the minimum spending is $98.

5. Imperial Treasure Restaurants

Imperial Treasure is a fine-dining Chinese restaurant chain in Singapore.

From 01 April 2020, customers get to enjoy a whooping 30% discount on both takeaway and dine-in for all ala-carte food items, from selected Imperial Treasure restaurants.

However, note that for dine-in, the offer is only valid from Monday to Thursday. For more details, visit their promotions page.

From 02 April 2020, the restaurant is also offering three types of takeaway sets at selected Imperial Treasure restaurants. These are priced at $13.80, $16.80, and $20.80.

The $13.80 set consists of a dim sum platter, roasted duck, barbecue pork, and egg fried rice. For details on all the sets, visit their takeaway set page.

6. Kam’s Roast

Kam’s Roast offers signature Hong Kong roast dishes.

During “this time of uncertainty”, they are giving away a free portion of Immune Boosting Herbal Soup 提高免疫养身汤 ($6.80/regular portion) with all delivery orders.

Indulge in their Roast Duck Rice (from $11.27), Roast Duck Noodles (from $12.42), Cured Sausage Rice (from $11.27), and more.

Order here: Kam’s Roast Oddle Page

7. Keng Eng Kee Seafood

Keng Eng Kee Seafood is a famed zichar restaurant located at Bukit Merah.

For this period, enjoy island-wide delivery at a flat fee of $5. A minimum order of $50 is required for delivery.

Their signature dishes include the Moonlight Horfun ($7.20), Coffee Pork Ribs ($18), Marmite Chicken ($14.40), Salted Egg Sotong ($21.60), and more.

Order here: Keng Eng Kee Seafood Oddle Page

8. Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh

Ng Ah Sio is a well-known Bak Kut Teh restaurant in Singapore, with a history that can be traced back to 1955.

Today, it has three branches, located at Resorts World Sentosa, Chui Huay Lim Club, and Rangoon Road.

If you are planning to takeaway from any of the branches, buy a $30 voucher on Klook for just $20 – a discount of 33% discount!

The restaurant is also now providing islandwide delivery, along with 10% off for your first order with promo code ISLANDWIDE. A minimum order of $50 is required.

Order here: Ng Ah Sio Ordering Page

9. Paradise Group Restaurants

Paradise Group is a homegrown oriental cuisine brand with 11 culinary concepts across 9 countries, serving customers at close to 50 restaurants locally and over 60 restaurants across the world.

They are offering a 20% discount for takeaway orders during this period, valid at all Paradise restaurants in Singapore.

Citibank and Maybank Credit or Debit Cardmembers, and PGR members can enjoy 30% off for both dine-in and takeaway. This offer is valid till 30 April 2020.

This is their full list of restaurants for your reference: Beauty In The Pot, Le Shrimp Ramen, Paradise Hotpot, Taste Paradise, Paradise Teochew, Seafood Paradise, Paradise Dynasty, Canton Paradise, Paradise Classic, Le Fish Restaurant, Le Roast Chicken, LeTen, ParaThai, LeNu, and One Paradise.

Paradise Dynasty, Paradise Classic and Canton Paradise are also offering value-for-money Bento Sets from $10.80 (excluding GST) that come with a bottled drink, available for both delivery and takeaway.

If you are ordering delivery, below are the respective promotions:

GrabFood: $3OFF voucher with minimum spending of $20
Deliveroo: $3OFF voucher with minimum spending of $20
Foodpanda: Free delivery

10. Peach Garden

Peach Garden is a well-known Chinese restaurant chain in Singapore that was founded in 2002. It has branches at Hotel Miramar, Chinatown Point, The Metropolis, NTU, Changi Airport T2, Thomson Plaza, and OCBC Centre.

You can now enjoy Bento Takeaway Sets at $9.90 each, with a minimum order of 2 sets. Each set contains 2 dim sums, 1 meat/seafood dish, 1 vegetable dish, 1 main course, 2 complimentary fruits/desserts and 1 complimentary drink.

In addition, customers will also enjoy a generous 30% off for takeaway (ala carte dishes) from now till 30 April 2020.

Order here: Peach Garden Ordering Page

11. Putien

Putien is another homegrown brand that has come a long way since opening its first “coffee shop style” eatery at Kitchener Road in 2000.

Today, this Chinese restaurant chain has branches in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

You can enjoy three of their signature dishes at just $7.90 for takeaways (usual price $10.90). These three dishes are Fujian Lor Mee, Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon, and Putien Cabbage Rice.

However, note that this offer is only available daily from 11.30am to 12.30pm, and 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

12. Shang Social

Shang Social is the very first Shangri-La Group restaurant located outside of a hotel setting. It offers three Chinese cuisines: Cantonese, Huaiyang, and Sichuan.

Enjoy $3 off your Deliveroo delivery order with promo code SS$3OFF when you spend a minimum of $20.

Order your favourite dim sums, bamboo noodles and congees through their Deliveroo page.

Order here: Shang Social Deliveroo Page

13. Si Chuan Dou Hua

Located on the 60th storey of UOB Plaza, Si Chuan Dou Hua offers Sichuan and Cantonese delicacies along with stunning views of the city skyline.

Enjoy 15% off your first order with promo code SCDHNEW10 on Oddle (minimum order of $50).

Order here: Si Chuan Dou Hua Oddle Page

14. Swatow Seafood Restaurant

Swatow Seafood Restaurant offers dim sum and authentic Teochew dishes. It has three branches in Singapore, located at Toa Payoh, Serangoon, and City Hall.

You can now enjoy their Teochew Executive Bento sets for $9.80 (usual price $12.80), available for both pickup and delivery.

The sets come with a bottle of homemade herbal tea and Dessert of the Day.

Order here: Swatow Ordering Page

15. Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant

Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant is a dim sum eatery famous for being a popular supper spot in Singapore. It was founded almost 60 years ago in 1962!

They have now reduced their island-wide delivery fees to just $5. The minimum order is $50.

Indulge in comforting dim sum bites like their signature Mee Sua Kueh ($5.60), Siew Mai ($7.60), BBQ Pork Rice ($5.80), and more!

Order here: Swee Choon Oddle Page

16. Taikoo Lane Hotpot

Taikoo Lane Hotpot is a new Chinese hotpot restaurant that opened in August 2019 at Chinatown Point.

The Green Peppers Soup Broth had the numbingly-spicy flavour distinctive of Sichuan cuisine, but I felt that it was very well-balanced and not overwhelming.

The Pork Bone Soup Broth was full-bodied with a lovely savoury-sweet flavour perfect for cooking the hotpot ingredients.

In light of the recent situation, they are now providing mala hotpot delivery.

Order here: Taikoo Lane Facebook Page

17. Tsui Wah Singapore (翠華)

Tsui Wah Singapore (翠華) is a Hong Kong style cafe with two branches in Singapore: Heeren and Clarke Quay. It is the first South East Asian branch of the iconic Hong Kong based cafe chain.

They are now delivering islandwide, and you can use promo code ISLANDWIDE to enjoy 10% off your first order. A minimum spending of $50 is required.

Some of my favourite Tsui Wah dishes are the King Prawns in XO Sauce with Tossed Noodles ($15.30), Kagoshima-Style Braised Pork Cartilage with Tossed Instant Noodles ($12.36), and the signature Milk Tea ($4.12) of course!

Order here: Tsui Wah ordering page

18. Xiao Ya Tou

Xiao Ya Tou is a quirky modern Asian restaurant bar in Duxton. It features local dishes with innovative touches such as the Char Kway Teow, XYT Hokkien Mee, and XYT Li Rou Fan.

For this period, enjoy 20% off for all takeaway orders. You can check out the full menu on their website.

Order here: Whatsapp +65 9711 1965

Prawn Mee is one of Singapore’s most beloved local food, and you can actually cook it at home in just three easy steps! While it will probably not taste as good as the one sold by your favourite hawker stall, at least you can whip it up quickly in your own kitchen. This is a very simple recipe, suitable even for beginners who have no experience in cooking.

Step 1

Blanch flat yellow noodles in boiling water for about 10 seconds, then strain away water. Portion into individual bowls.

Step 2

Fill pot with 700ml water and bring to boil. Add prawn stock mix, sliced lean pork and pre-cooked prawns. Bring to oil till meat is cooked.

Step 3

Add prawns and pork as toppings on the noodles, and pour in the prawn stock. Garnish with fried shallot & oil, garlic powder, and chilli powder. And you’re done!

Ingredients (serves 2)

1. Prima Taste Prawn Mee Kit (prawn stock, fried shallot & oil, garlic powder, chilli powder)
2. Yellow Flat Noodles (250g)
3. Frozen Cooked Prawns (8 pieces)
4. Sliced Lean Pork (100g, 8 slices)