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Leofoo Village @ Hsinchu, Taiwan

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Hello Everyone,
we really hope you like what we have covered about our recent Taiwan trip. Continuing from where we left off in our last blog entry about the Beitou Hot Spring and the Golden Spring Hotel, we would be covering the Leofoo Village in this blog entry.

As Baby and I have already planned to stay a night at the Mulan Motel, we checked out of the Golden Spring Hotel and left for Mulan Motel right away. Because we were only due for check-in at 6pm, Baby and I left our luggage there so that we could proceed with our plans for the day, that was; to go to Leofoo Village.

Anyways, Breakfast at Golden Spring Hotel was pretty bad. We should have just went to the nearby fast food restaurant but since its complimentary, we shouldn’t complain much.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The Dining Area for Breakfast at Golden Spring Hotel

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some photos while checking out.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Ok, from Taipei to Leofoo Village, there are a few ways that you can go about to get there. First, you can either hail a cab [which we personally would not recommend because of the huge costs]; second, you can take the public E-Go Bus which will cost $130 TWD [approx. $5.52 SGD] per person for a single trip ticket; or third, you can take a private chartered vehicle to Leofoo Village which will cost $150 TWD [approx. $6.37] per person for a single trip ticket.

Allow us to elaborate more about the difference of taking the E-Go Bus and the private chartered vehicle.

The public E-Go Bus can be found at the Bus Stop that is situated outside Jingan MRT Station. The bus comes at different time intervals so it is highly recommended that you check out their website to plan your itinerary. The journey via E-Go Bus to Leofoo Village will take more than an hour’s journey.

About the private chartered vehicle to Leofoo Village, we didn’t know it existed until we were waiting at the Bus Stop for the E-Go Bus. A lady in a pink tee-shirt approached us and asked if we were going to Leofoo Village. Then, we found out that the lady and her husband are operating a shuttle service from Jingan MRT Station to Leofoo Village. To be honest, we were rather apprehensive but we decided to give it a go as we were not the only ones in the vehicle. In fact, there were other tourists whom were going to Leofoo Village too. The best part is, the journey took lesser time than if we were to take the public E-Go Bus; resulting in more time for us to spend at Leofoo Village. However, a word of advise here, don’t anyhow just hop onto any private chartered vehicle.

Moving on, an adult entrance ticket to Leofoo Village cost $890 TWD [approx. $37.82 SGD] but all thanks to Taiwan Tourism Bureau [Singapore], we were given a pair of complimentary theme park tickets that grants us entrance to just about any theme parks in Taiwan! So here’s a really nice tip for you, if you are travelling free and easy to Taiwan, be sure to head down to Taiwan Tourism Bureau [Singapore] with your flight tickets/itinerary and your accommodation booking details to redeem some free goodies! Also, do check out their Facebook Page for the latest updates about travelling to Taiwan!

So here we are at Leofoo Village in Hsinchu, Taiwan!

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some really colourful flowers at the entrance of Leofoo Village

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

There are 5 main areas of Leofoo Village; there are the Magic Water Fountain, the Wild West, the Arabian Kingdom, the South Pacific, and the African Safari.

Here’s a picture of me and the Arabian Kingdom.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

We went to check out the African Safari first as it was quite near to where we were.

Here are some candid photos of us at the African Safari.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

At the African Safari, there is a parrot feeding area. So, to feed the parrots, you can buy the parrot food which cost $10 TWD [approx. $0.42 SGD].

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

An awesome shot of the blue parrots by Baby.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

I looked like I was taking a photo at the Singapore Zoo.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Our first ride for the day was a harmless slow moving ride known as the Monkey Trail.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Basically, for the Monkey Trail Ride, you have to pedal the ride with your partner and the track brings you around to the different monkey enclosures.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here comes the swinging monkey!

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

At the African Safari, you can also have a ride on the Camel but it will cost you some money. We’re not sure how much it cost but well, if you’re interested, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind paying.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

If you like, you can even board the Mini Train at the African Safari which brings you around the Leofoo Village Zoo!

Here are some candid photos while waiting for the Mini Train.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

All onboard the train! Anyways, the total duration of the train ride is about 15-20 minutes because it goes really really slow!

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The Leofoo Village Zoo is really huge! There are quite a number of animal exhibits.

There’s the Hippotamus.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Rhinoceros.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Giraffe.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Zebras.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Emus.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The Mountain Goat.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

So after the long train ride, we took some more photos before leaving for the Arabian Kingdom.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here we are at the Arabian Kingdom in Leofoo Village.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The Arabian Kingdom has a few main rides and the classic merry-go-round is one of them.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

At the Arabian Kingdom, we had a go at the Sultan’s Adventure, an indoor ride.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

We also had our late lunch at the Oasis Restaurant.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The quality of the food was average and good enough to satisfy our hungry stomachs.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Baby had the rather cute Bento set while I had the chicken wrap.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

We then moved on to the South Pacific area where we tried the Captain Cook’s Swinging Boat and the Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure.

The Captain Cook’s Swinging Boat is the largest swinging boat in Taiwan, and there are only 3 other swinging boats of its size around the world. The swinging boat is 18.5 m long, 2.5 m wide and seats up to 84 people. A height of 7-stories is reached at the highest point of its swing, and the swing itself is measured at 70°.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After the ride, Baby’s leg became like jelly and I went to try the Pagoda’s Revenge all on my own.

The Pagoda’s Revenge takes up to 20 brave souls slowly up to a height of 53 m (17 stories) and shows them the magnificent view of the Leofoo Village and the surrounding Guansi area. Then, without any warning, the brave souls are released to the mercy of gravity. This is a true free fall experience not to be missed.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

When Baby has finally recovered from her traumatising experience at the Captain Cook’s Swinging Boat, we went for another exhilarating ride on the Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure.

The Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure Riders embark on a journey through a Jurassic lost world. As the canoe reaches the top of the volcano, riders come face-to-face with a 3-stories plunge. If one terrifying experience was not enough, Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure is the only ride in the world that takes you through the same adventure twice.

We ended up totally drenched after the ride.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some fun shots at the South Pacific area.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

When we were done checking out the rides at South Pacific, we went to the Wild West and were just in time to catch a performance.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some photographs taken at the Wild West.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

As the park was also celebrating Halloween, they had some Halloween features where visitors can take photographs with.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

This is one ride you must absolutely try if you are a thrill-seeker. Known as the Screaming Corridor, this U shaped suspension roller coaster brought from Switzerland is the second in the world and the only one in Asia. The track is 190 m long, and the roller coaster reaches 122 km/h when it rushes down its biggest drop of 56 m. The 90 second suspended experience incorporates 360° spiral acceleration and vertical dives, bringing you the excitement and thrills of an eagle in flight.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

An overall map of Leofoo Village.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

While waiting for our vehicle to head back to Taipei, we sipped some coffee to unwind ourselves after a long but fun day at Leofoo Village.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

There are a lot of attractions that you can check out at Hsinchu; Leofoo Village is just one of them. Also, we wanted to stay at the Leofoo Village Safari-Themed Hotel but because it was fully booked, we didn’t manage to book it.

Anyhows, in our next blog entry, we will be sharing with you about our stay at Mulan Motel and the amazing dinner we had at Five Dime Restaurant in Taipei.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Beitou Hot Spring and Golden Spring Hotel @ Taipei, Taiwan

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Hello Everyone,
in our blog entry today, we will be covering the Beitou Hot Spring and Golden Spring Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan.

Last year, Baby and I wanted to go to Beitou Hot Spring but as the weather was rather unfavourable, we had to give it a miss. This time round, lady luck was smiling on us and we really thank God for giving us a really perfect weather and timing to go to Beitou Hot Spring and rejuvenate ourselves.

After arriving in Taipei High Speed Rail Station, Baby and I lugged our heavy baggage to take the Taipei MRT to XinBeiTou Station. The journey from Taipei Main Station to XinBeiTou Station took about 27 minutes and it was extremely fast!

Here’s some photographs while waiting for the train to arrive.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

During the train ride to XinBeiTou Station, we noticed that most of the residential houses were constructed rather near the MRT tracks. In fact, you could see what the people are doing in their houses from the train. Hence, it really makes us wonder how the people could stand the noise coming from the train.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

When we stepped out of the train at XinBeiTou Station, we can literally smell that the air has changed somewhat. In fact, the atmosphere smelt quite pungent and it could be due to the sulphur content in the hot spring.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

As we had lots of heavy baggage, the most urgent and most important thing we had to do was to check into our hotel and unload our heavy baggage before we could even think about exploring the area. So, we checked into our accommodation for the night, the Golden Spring Hotel.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The exterior of Golden Spring Hotel looks rather shabby but once you step inside, its a different matter altogether.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here is a photograph of the lobby at Golden Spring Hotel.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

All of the rooms are equipped with the Hot Spring Facility and this plaque basically serves to inform guests that the hotel has been certified by the relevant agencies. It even tells you what is the type of spring water, the contents of the spring water, and the temperature of the spring water.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

After the checking-in process, we adjourned to our room.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here’s some photographs of the room that we took. The room comes with a television, a safe deposit box, a cupboard to put your clothing, a mini-bar fridge, and coffee/tea making facility.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here’s some photographs of the bathroom.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Again, there is a see-through glass panel and to be honest, I personally feel that the see-through glass panel was constructed out of safety reasons. You can choose to shower standing or soak in the bath. The bath has three types of knobs; one for the normal hot water, one for the normal cold water, and one for the hot spring water.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The complimentary toiletries kit.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Before I continue on with the rest of the blog entry, do allow me to share some tips with you when you are planning to soak yourself in the hot spring water.

1). When you are soaking yourself in the hot spring water, remember to shut the bathroom door tight; if not, the strong smell of sulphur will seep into your room, causing you to have a rather uncomfortable sleep at night.

2). Do not soak your body in the hot spring water for more than 30 minutes.

3). When planning to soak in the hot spring water, don’t plunge your body into the water at one go; start by entering the water with your feet, then to your legs, and followed by your waist. This is to allow your body to slowly acclimatise to the temperature of the hot spring water.

4). Never ever soak into the water near where your heart is.

5). It is perfectly normal to feel your heart beating fast. However, if you start feeling giddy/nauseous, get out of the hot spring water immediately. If you don’t, you might become unconscious and the consequences can be worse.

6). Do not soak in the hot spring water immediately after a meal.

Now that you more or less know the dos and don’ts of soaking in the hot spring water, allow me to continue with the rest of the blog post.

Well, since it was already evening when we more or less settled down, we went around to explore the area and we were quite lucky that we actually caught a wedding photoshoot in progress. And so, Baby went around shooting photographs of the beautiful couple.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Taiwan is really a beautiful place for shooting wedding photos and we are just so excited that we can’t wait for our next trip to Taiwan next year.

All over XinBeitou, you will see streams of water flowing [like the one shown in the photograph below] and there are some people whom will just take off their shoes and soak their legs into the water.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

We also went to check out the Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some photographs taken around XinBeitou.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here is a photograph of the XinBeiTou Hot Spring Zone Guide Map

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

While walking, we chanced upon a squirrel munching on some munchies.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A really beautiful shot of XinBeiTou by Baby.

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Anyways, for the first 3 days of our trip, we did not have a portable data connection. Hence, when we reached XinBeiTou, we were seeking high and low for a mobile shop that sells prepaid mobile data connection. A lot of friends recommended us to get the Taiwan Da Ge Da prepaid mobile data connection as it was considered quite value-for-money. For 5 days worth of mobile data, it cost only $600 TWD [approx. $25.50 SGD].

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Since we weren’t that familiar with the area, we headed to Sushi Express for dinner and boy, we had a rather filling dinner! Just look at all the food that we had!

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Ok, we shan’t tempt you any further but this was the amount of plates of food that both Baby and I had for dinner. The entire dinner cost us about $700 TWD [approx. $29.75 SGD].

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

To end the night on a sweet note, we finally have the opportunity to eat the Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory‘s Dark Chocolate that we bought from Puli!

From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 3 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

In case anyone is wondering how much we paid for a night’s stay at Golden Spring Hotel, we paid $3500 TWD [approx. $148.75 SGD], inclusive of breakfast for 2 persons.

In our next blog entry, we will be blogging about Leofoo Village.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Liao Mayor Black Tea Store + Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride @ Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

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Hello Everyone,
Today, we are going to cover the Liao Mayor Black Tea Store and the Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride that we went to when we were at Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.

Sun Moon Lake is extremely popular for its Black Tea. In fact, if you have family members, relatives, or friends who loves drinking tea, then you must buy Sun Moon Lake‘s Black Tea for them. I was told by our driver that Alishan is famous for its Oolong Tea, Sun Moon Lake for its Black Tea, and Cing Jing for its Green Tea. Well, since my dad is a fan of black tea, Baby and I decided to check out Liao Mayor Black Tea Store in Sun Moon Lake.

The entrance to Liao Mayor Black Tea Store.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

With decades of experiences in making the finest black tea, you can be rest assured that the tea you purchase from Liao Mayor is of the finest standard and quality.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here’s where the tea leaves are being processed.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Parting shot at Liao Mayor Black Tea Store.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Anyways, if you are not sure what kind of tea to purchase, you can take your time and sample the tea leaves they are selling. There are no obligations for you to make any purchase to try their tea and that is a plus point.

This was what we eventually got for my dad.

So after checking out the Liao Mayor Black Tea Store, we journeyed by car for about 20 minutes to Sun Moon Lake.

When we reached the vicinity of Sun Moon Lake, we had lunch at one of the restaurants that our driver recommended.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby fooling around while waiting for our dishes to arrive.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here are the dishes that we ordered. In fact, we ordered the smallest portion but its still quite a lot!

Some Vegetable Soup [you see the white thingy and the yellow thingy? they’re a type of edible vegetable and flower respectively that is unique to Sun Moon Lake].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Fried Tofu with Vegetables

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Dragon Beard Vegetable [we’ve heard of Dragon Beard Candy but not Dragon Beard Vegetable. Since it was something new to us, we decided to give it a try].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Steamed White Chicken

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Fried Rice

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After the rather filling meal, we then went to purchase our tickets for the Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride which cost us $300 TWD [approx. $12.75 SGD] per person. If you’re planning to have a meal before the boat ride, it is highly recommended that you don’t eat so much because Baby and I almost “merlioned”/puked.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Onboard The Ship!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

There are many different boat companies that operate the boat ride. So, choose one which has lesser people so that you can take all the pictures that you want with no obstruction.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby look like a model hor?!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some photographs taken during the boat ride.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

That’s Ci En Pagoda from afar! We will be covering Ci En Pagoda in our next blog entry.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

And we finally arrived at Ita Zhao.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

While waiting for our driver to fetch us to Ci En Pagoda, we took the liberty to walk around the night market and bought some Muah Chee to satisfy our cravings.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And guess what, we found out that our accommodation for the night was just around the area. How perfect!

So anyways, because there are just so much things to cover about our trip to Taiwan; in our next blog entry, we will be covering the Ci En Pagoda and also the Ita Zhao night market. Thereafter, we will be blogging about our stay at Skylight BB, a rather chic and contemporary boutique accommodation!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Ming Qin Minsu

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Hello Everyone,
in this blog post, we are going to share with you about our 1 night stay at the Ming Qin Minsu in Cing Jing.

Background Information:

We initially wanted to stay at the Sunnydale Minsu but because it was fully booked, we have no choice but to seek for other accommodations to stay at. Having spent a lot of time researching for a Minsu to stay at, we chanced upon Ming Qin Minsu and we decided to stay there for a night. Ming Qin Minsu has 4 blocks and in each of this block, there are many different room types and some of their rooms can accommodate up to 5 persons. For us, we chose to stay at Block A, Room 1205 and it was really cosy. For a night’s stay, it cost us $6000 TWD [approx. $254.99 SGD].

A Short Video Introduction to Ming Qin Minsu

Baby posing for a photo right outside Ming Qin Minsu

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

When we arrived at Ming Qin Minsu, the exterior literally looked like this because the weather was extremely cloudy and cool. In fact, the temperature and atmosphere is somewhat similar to what you would experience at Genting Highlands.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here’s the interior/lobby area of Ming Qin Minsu

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here’s the exterior/outdoor area of Ming Qin Minsu

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

As it was really foggy, we didn’t really take much photographs. Also, they have an Alfresco dining area where you can chill and relax. In fact, on the night that we stayed at Ming Qin Minsu, they had a simple concert put up by a two-piece band.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And here’s where we stayed at, Room 1205

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Interior of Our Room

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Simple Bath Setup

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Bath Equipment

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A Classic Work Desk

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A Classic Dressing Table

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Complimentary Pineapple Tarts/Cakes

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

As dinner wasn’t provided, we had to settle our own dinner and because Ming Qin Minsu was situated quite a distance from the main bustling area of Cing Jing, we decided to dine at their in-house restaurant that served Western/Italian/ cuisine.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

We had 2 of their set meals and here are what we ordered.

Beverage, some fruit vinegar

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Starter, Salad

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Pumpkin Soup

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Mains, Meatball Bucatini

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Mains, Creamy Chicken Bucatini

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Dessert, Yoghurt and Starfruit

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Honestly, we didn’t really fancy their dinner set meal. Thankfully, we bought some food from the 7-Eleven Store at Carton King and Small Swiss Garden before heading over to Ming Qin Minsu. If you ask me, the food from the 7-Eleven Store taste much better. By the way, the rooms are not equipped with a microwave oven so if you’re planning to buy some food from the 7-Eleven Store, you might want to get them heated up first before heading over to the Minsu. Alternatively, you can get the kitchen staff at the Minsu to heat it up for you.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Jaillance is Bubbling to Singapore Shores

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Jaillance is bubbling to Singapore shores in late September this year and many of you must be thinking, “What exactly is Jaillance?” Well, Jaillance originates from the Drome Valley, nestled between Vercors and Provence, and it represents the Cave de Die, a cooperative founded in 1950; which produces sparkling wines that are second only to Champagne in France and it is the leading French brand in Appellation d’Origine Protegee sparkling wines.
I figured that many of you must be scratching your heads right now and you probably might not be familiar with certain technical wine terms; hence, I would try my best to keep this blog post really simple to understand.

Anyhows, Jaillance is making its debut in Singapore with two bottle-fermented French sparkling wines; the demi-sec Muscat, Clairette from Die and the brut Semillon from Bordeaux. Before I go on to introduce these two really fabulous sparkling wines, please allow me to define certain wine terms for you so that you more or less will understand what I am about to share with you.

The term demi-sec means semi-dry and the term brut means dry. So in other words, if you see the word, “brut” on a wine label, it means the wine has an extremely low or no sugar content; on the other hand, if you see the word, “demi-sec” on a wine label, it means the wine has a slightly higher sugar content level and is mildly sweet. If you prefer sparkling wines that are extremely sweet, you should look out for labels that indicate moelleux or doux [very sweet]. However, it is extremely rare that sparkling wines are moelleux or doux; most of the time, sparkling wines are either brut or demi-sec. If you’ve a sweet tooth, then demi-sec sparkling wines are actually good enough.

The terms, “Die” and “Bordeaux” are wine producing regions in France and the terms, “Muscat”, “Clairette”, and “Semillon” are the grapes that are used in producing the sparkling wines.

Here is a picture of a bunch of Clairette grapes; and Muscat and Semillon grapes look kinda similar as Clairette grapes.

So now that you have more or less essentially understood the wine terms, let me introduce you to the two fabulous sparkling wines that Jaillance is bringing to Singapore; the demi-sec Muscat, Clairette from Die, and the brut Semillon from Bordeaux.

The wine tasting session was held at Balzac Brasserie, a French restaurant at Rendezvous Gallery.

This is where Balzac Brasserie is located.

From Jalliance 2012
From Jalliance 2012

Jaillance‘s Muscat, Clariette and Semillon.

From Jalliance 2012

A closer look at the wine label. I believe that by now, you would have more or less understand what the wine label means. What’s probably ancient to you is, “Methode Ancestrale” and “Methode Traditionnelle”. Well “Methode Ancestral” means that the sparkling wine is made using the ancestral method while “Method Traditionnelle” means that the sparkling wine is made using the traditional method [similar to how Champagne is being made in Champagne].

From Jalliance 2012

A closer look at the back portion of the wine label. Good information to know but might be a bit hard to understand.

From Jalliance 2012

This is Mr. Oliver Campos, Business Manager of Asia-Pacific, UK and Scandinavia. He gave us a short but informative introduction to Jaillance and the two sparkling wines that we were going to sample.

From Jalliance 2012

Just look at those small fizzy bubbles. You just have to know, the smaller and finer the bubbles, the better the sparkling wine is. Usually, big bubbles are associated with cheap sparkling wines.

From Jalliance 2012

After the informative introduction by Mr. Oliver Campos, we had a food and wine pairing session where delectable canapes were served.

From Jalliance 2012

To pair with the Semillon, we had the Carpaccio of Red Beetroot and marinated Calamari

From Jalliance 2012

and the Balzac Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche and Chives on Mini Tartine

From Jalliance 2012

To pair with the Muscati, Clariette, we had the Reblochon Tartiflette and French bacon

From Jalliance 2012

and the Camembert Croquette with wild Mushroom Veloute

From Jalliance 2012

As the Muscati, Clariette goes well with desserts too, we had the Classic Homemade Lemon Tart

From Jalliance 2012

and the French choquette and Vanilla cream

From Jalliance 2012

Ok, I know alot of French terms here are pretty confusing but well, they’re French.

And because I really don’t want to give you readers an information overload, a lot of information regarding Wines can be found on the Internet and Wikipedia is a good start. Anyhows, both the sparkling wines are just superb and I really like it because the taste of the sparkling wines are mellow, balanced, and it certainly exudes a rather exuberant kind of sophistication. Unlike other sparkling wines where the grapes used in producing the sparkling wine are harvested using machines, Jaillance harvest the grapes by hand, a method that is really costly and that which proves its commitment to producing only the finest French sparkling wine that is second only to Champagne in France. No wonder it is indeed the leading French brand in Appellation d’Origine Protegee sparkling wines!

After the wine tasting session, Jaillance was really so generous that they gave each of us attendees a bottle of the Muscat, Clairette and the Semillon. Not only that, they gave us an Ice Bag which would really come in handy for picnics and also a Wine Bottle Stopper.

From Jalliance 2012

So, if you’re wondering where on earth you could find Jaillance‘s sparkling wines, you can find them in Cold Storage, MarketPlace, and Bottles & Bottles from late September and you can also find them in FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, and FairPrice Xtra from early November onward.

The best part is, the Muscat, Clairette is going at $26.90 and the Semillon is going at $29.90; a price that is really value for money, considering the fact that you’re getting award-winning sparkling wines which usually cost about $40+ a bottle. Hence, if you’re planning a 18th or 21st birthday and you’re thinking of having some booze to rock the night away, you might want to consider getting Jaillance‘s sparkling wines for that extra special touch.

————————————————————————————-
Sparkling Wine Trivial:

Do you know that Champagne is a sparkling wine but not all sparkling wines are Champagne? As a matter of fact, the word, “Champagne” has been used too casually that people tend to associate all sparkling wines with Champagne. Now what is really true is this, that Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced exclusively only in the region of Champagne in France; and all other sparkling wines that are produced outside of Champagne are known as sparkling wines.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Mooncakes in Singapore are Grossly Overpriced!

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From the title of this blog entry, you most probably would be able to guess what I would be ranting about; and yes, its the grossly-overpriced mooncakes that are being sold in Singapore! After checking out a few mid-autumn festival fairs where mooncakes are being sold by top hotels and popular restaurants, I can only conclude this; that suppliers/vendors are overcharging their mooncakes! I know I would definitely be flamed/grilled by the various local merchants for putting up this blog entry but seriously, I really would like to share with you readers how you could get better quality mooncakes at just half the price and why you should avoid buying mooncakes that are grossly-overpriced.
The ingredients used to make mooncakes are really cheap and no matter how “premium” a mooncake may be, its not exactly as premium as it may seem. As a matter of fact, what people are really paying for is the branding/reputation of where the mooncakes are coming from and the extravagant packaging that complements the mooncakes. Yes, I do agree that mooncakes make perfect gifts for this special occasion but surly these packaging and branding do not cost that much.

In my own personal opinion, there are only 2 types of mooncakes even though others may argue that there are more; one that is the traditional kind, and the other that is the snowskin kind. Much of today’s traditional mooncakes are still rather traditional except that there may be certain variations such as the alteration/substitution/addition of certain ingredients that somehow give vendors/suppliers the “right” to tout their mooncakes as being a healthier choice/low in sugar content, and etc.

However, for the snowskin mooncakes, there are indeed lots of variations and they come in a myriad of fascinating and interesting colours. In fact, some of the snowskin mooncakes now have added ingredients such as liqueur and chocolate truffles! Not only that, the snowskin mooncakes come in a variety of designs and in one of the mid-autumn festival fairs that I visited, I chanced upon a box of snowskin mooncakes that come in the design of Angry Birds and they were selling it at SGD$80 a box for 4 pieces of mooncakes! And just in case you’re wondering, a box of traditional mooncakes from these popular restaurants or hotels are selling at a minimum price of SGD$50 and above!

While I do understand that mid-autumn festival is a once in a year affair, I do not see the reason why suppliers/vendors ought to commercialise this historical/traditional event just like Valentine’s Day! In fact, I really do believe that we ought to revisit the reason for celebrating mid-autumn festival and understand the origins of mooncakes.

Anyways, if you still have the urge to splurge on mooncakes, may I beseech you to make your money worth by purchasing high-quality and good-tasting mooncakes just across the causeway! During one of my usual weekend trips to Johor Bahru, Baby and I checked out the mid-autumn festival fairs there and we found that their mooncakes are reasonably priced. In addition, given the favourable exchange rate, I believe you will definitely get your money worth!

Anyhows, if I don’t practise what I preach, then I suppose nobody is going to be convinced that buying mooncakes across the causeway is cheaper right? So, Baby and I decided to purchase 3 boxes of mooncakes [1 for my mum, 1 for my aunt, and 1 for ourselves] across the causeway and we’re going to introduce them to you here on our blog!

For the 2 boxes of mooncakes which we gotten for my mum and aunt, we got them from The Bakers Cottage. In each box, there are 4 mooncakes, so in total, we ordered 8 mooncakes and they only cost us a total of RM 100.16 [after 20% discount] which is about SGD$40.39 for 2 boxes of 8 mooncakes! Not only that, it comes with a rather presentable packaging too! Having garnered feedbacks from my dad and mum about the quality of the mooncakes, both of them said that they were rather tasty and that the taste was just right for them. In fact, my mum liked it so much that she requested us to purchase a few more boxes for her when we visit Johor. Well, if you don’t want to travel all the way there, The Bakers Cottage has set up their booths here in Singapore [so far I have seen them in Junction 8 and Bugis Junction] and you might want to check them out and sample their mooncakes.

Here is the packaging for the box of mooncakes that we gotten from The Bakers Cottage

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

As for Baby and I, we ordered a rather special box of mooncakes for ourselves and these mooncakes are only available in Malaysia. If you have been checking our Facebook wall, you would have more or less heard of the Hello Kitty mooncakes and the Doraemon mooncakes; and yes, we ordered the Doraemon mooncakes to try and see for ourselves how the mooncakes fared in terms of taste.

We ordered the Tiramisu, Mango Tango, Nanyang XO Jing-Sa, and Chocolate Lotus Almond Biscuit Doraemon mooncakes and so far, we have tried the Tiramisu and Nanyang XO Jing-Sa mooncakes. If you were to ask us how we felt about the mooncakes, we would definitely give it two thumbs up! Not only do the mooncakes look cute, special, and unique; the mooncakes tasted fabulous too! You got to really try it for yourselves in order to believe what we say. In fact, Baby and I are planning to buy a few more boxes of the Doraemon and Hello Kitty mooncakes so that we can bring over to Taiwan, since we are going to spend mid-autumn festival there at CingJing Farm. In case you’re wondering how much our box of Doraemon mooncakes cost, it cost us only RM 67 which is about SGD$27.02 [3X cheaper than the Singapore Angry Birds mooncake].

As we ordered 4 pieces of Doraemon mooncakes, we were entitled to choose a bag that we fancied and so we chose this particular cooler-bag.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

These were the 4 Doraemon mooncakes that we ordered.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

Here’s the Tiramisu Doraemon mooncake that we tried. We found the mooncake to be rather flavourful as it has quite a strong hint of coffee flavour when we bite into it. It wasn’t too sweet and the taste was perfect.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

How the inside of the Tiramisu Doraemon mooncake looks like.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012
From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

This is the Nanyang XO Jing-Sa Doraemon mooncake that we tried. We found the mooncake to be extremely tasty because the chicken floss really complemented the fried bean paste rather perfectly and it has a balanced taste of sweet and salty.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

This is how the inside looks like.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

So, having shared my opinions and thoughts about overpriced mooncakes in Singapore, what are your own personal opinions and thoughts? Well, I certainly hope that this post would have kinda enlightened you and hence, you would have found out how to make your money worth especially if you have to splurge on mooncakes. Have a blessed mid-autumn festival in advance!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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HRSSC SA Branch “Cohesion” @ Marche [313 @ Somerset & VivoCity]

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For me and a few others, it’s 5 more days to ORD and in order to celebrate this joyous occasion, Nicholas organised a mini cohesion cum birthday celebration for the wonderful people at SA Branch and my former branch head respectively. Well, despite the fact that I was no longer working at my former branch, I am really thankful that Nicholas extended an invitation to me and I really enjoyed myself that evening catching up with my former colleagues.
The celebration was supposed to take place at the Marche that is situated at the 313 @ Somerset but due to some mis-communication, we eventually dined at the Marche that is located at VivoCity. As I was there at the 313 @ Somerset [not knowing that it was supposed to be at VivoCity], I happily went around snapping pictures of Marche.

I really like how Marche is decorated, especially with the fanciful props and the way the food are being displayed. Unfortunately, photography of the food stations are not allowed and this is something that I can’t understand; especially when the presentation of its food is fabulous.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

The interior decorations and furnishings of the restaurants are also elaborately designed and hence, provides lots of really nice photo opportunities.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

When I was there, they had specials that are written on a display board and I found out that Marche at 313 @ Somerset actually won the 1st place for being the best of the best family-friendly restaurants 2010 in fresh food concept. If you look at the photographs below, you will definitely agree with me that Marche does serve fresh food!

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Here’s a shot of the breads and pastries that were on displayed. As you can see, food presentation at Marche is a big deal and they really put in a lot of effort to make food look attractive.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

After shooting all the photos above, I was about to enter the dining area when I was then informed that the dining location would be at Marche [VivoCity] instead. Imagine the horrific expression on my face, especially when ERP cost $2 and the carpark fee was like $3 for the first 2 hours. Nevertheless, I journeyed down to Vivocity with four other former colleagues in my car and we arrived at Marche [VivoCity].

Well, so here I was again shooting both Marche‘s exterior and interior decorations which I really really like.

This is how Marche [VivoCity] looks like overall. The lighting, dining ambiance, and the see-thru glass panels really gave Marche a rather uplifting, executive look.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Reservations are strongly recommended because more often than not, you would find huge lines of people just queuing up waiting to get in.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Here’s the Friday’s lunch special at Marche [Vivocity]

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

The interior decorations and furnishings at Marche [Vivocity] which really offer diners a rather unique dining experience.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Anyways, Marche is a really good dining place for dining in large groups. Whether it is a birthday celebration, a family gathering, or even a office celebration, Marche is able to accommodate large groups of people.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Another unique thing about Marche is that every diner gets a Marche Guest Card which they can use to order the food they like. Contrary to what many people believe, Marche is not a buffet place. In fact, Marche is like a big food court where you can find many different types of food and beverage product offering and in order for you to place an order, all you have to do is just to present your Marche Guest Card and the kitchen staff will just log the order into your card. At the end of the day, you just need to present your Marche Guest Card to the cashier and the cashier will just processed your bill accordingly. This rather efficient cashiering system saves the hassle of splitting up bills after a meal, especially for group dining. However, one point you need to bear in mind is that; should you lose your card, a penalty of $100 will be imposed and the money will be donated to a charity of your choice.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

So when everyone kinda settled down, we went around to place orders for food and here are just some photos of my colleagues enjoying their food!

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Here are just some photos of the food that we ordered.

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Foccacia Bread

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Crepes with Roasted Chicken and Lettuce

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Rosti with Sausage and Sour Cream by the side

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Pan-Fried Salmon Fillet with Mashed Potato and Brown Sauce by the side

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

1/2 Roasted Chicken with Brown Sauce by the side

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Ok, I have to admit. This is absolutely my virgin experience at Marche and the food was exceptionally good and extremely fresh; despite it being pricey. The whole dining atmosphere is rather uplifting and unique and it feels rather cosy. I will definitely return to Marche to try their other food and beverage product offerings and I will definitely recommend Marche if you’re looking for a unique place to dine at.

So moving on, we held a mini birthday celebration for my former branch head and from her facial expression, we could tell that she was extremely touched by the nice gesture.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

The cool dudes from SA Branch gotten my former branch head a rather cool gift! A dual-sim Nokia non-camera phone which she could use in camp [not all camps allow camera phones and even if camps do allow camera phones, there are certain areas where its not permitted].

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

She was really so happy when she finally undone the wrapper and unveiled the gift!

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

Some funky group photos for the lovely evening at Marche [VivoCity]

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

3 Generations of SA Branch Present in 1 Single Occasion!

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012
From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

The rather sinful chocolate cake that was simply delicious.

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

And a wonderful way to end the dinner on such a high note is a sweet ending!

From HRSSC ORD Treat @ Marche 2012

I really would like to take this opportunity to thank Nicholas for the kind invitation and to the rest of my former colleagues for the lovely evening together. It was really an awesome time catching up with the people whom have made a difference in my National Service and I am really grateful and blessed to be in the company of such an amazing group of people. Well, since I am 5 more days to ORD, this isn’t my ORD Farewell Post so do stay tuned and look out for it in the next few days.

Stay tuned!

God bless!

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Fancy a 40% Discount for Your Next Staycation? Check out StayFarEast.Com!

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Hello Everyone,
thanks to OMY and the team from Far East Hospitality, I am really privileged and honoured to have been invited to attend the Media Party that was hosted by Far East Hospitality on Tuesday at Oasia Hotel.

So, what was the whole Media Party about? Well, Far East Hospitality has revamped their entire website and they have launched a new site at a new domain known as www.stayfareast.com

If you have remembered me blogging about the tour I had at the various Far East Hospitality Properties, you would also have known that Far East Hospitality‘s previous website was known as www.fareasthospitality.com

Hence, if you’re planning your next staycation at one of Far East Hospitality Properties, remember; its www.stayfareast.com [rather easy/simple to remember actually]!

Ok, so much for the introduction. Let’s move on to the more interesting stuffs!

As I was there early, I went around snapping photos of the surroundings and when I actually [officially] arrived at the Media Party, I was absolutely blown away by the luxurious feel of the whole setup that I felt that my dressing [though was Smart Casual] was a bit wayward.

Reminds me of the Courtyard at Fullerton Hotel Singapore [probably because I miss working there]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Courtyard at Oasia Hotel is a really perfect venue choice for this event because it looks so posh and sleek! It would definitely be a good venue to host a Bachelor/Bacherlorette’s Party.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The water feature is actually quite outstanding because it gives the event a different kind of feel.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Alcohol was served and I personally like their signature Oasia Cocktail. I don’t know what the concoction was but my guess is that it contained Cointreau, Vodka, maybe Gin, and Grenadine Syrup.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

There was even a three-piece band that performed a few classical pieces to entertain the guests.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

So while I was there, I was just people-watching [because I felt I was kinda under-dressed] and admiring the serenity of the courtyard.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

I still remember that the first event that I ever attended was the Amazing Race at GreenwichV [that was organised by OMY and Far East] and since then, I have always kept in touch with the blogger friends that I’ve made from that event and we’ll always bump into one another when we attend events like these. Kudos to OMY and Far East for bringing people together!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Here’s Mr. Raphael [Chief Operating Officer of Far East Hospitality] and Mr. Aaron [Director of Partnership APAC at TripAdvisor] respectively addressing the audience. Mr. Kiong [Chief Executive Officer of Far East Hospitality] also addressed the audience but I unfortunately do not have a photo of him.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Here’s the exchanging of memento with Ollie the Owl!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

In case you’re wondering why Tripadvisor was involved in the event too, its because Far East Hospitality and Tripadvisor are working hand-in-hand to integrate Tripadvisor‘s live reviews with Far East Hospitality‘s website. [screenshot of StayFarEast.com]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

After all the formalities, all the guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner that consisted of cuisines from different regions of the world. By the way, the food was served at live buffet stations [where you have chefs preparing the food on the spot for guests]. This itself is perhaps the highest level of service for buffets.

Here’s a Chef skillfully carving the meat at the Italian station.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

A Chef at the Italian Station preparing a dough-like food that contains cheese in it. I’m sorry I forgot the actual name for it but if you know, do pop me an email and I shall credit you for it.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Here’s the Chefs at the Argentinean Station manning the area.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

There’s also a Japanese Station where fresh Sashimi was served.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Here’s the Chefs at the Chinese Station skillfully carving out the duck skin and wrapping it.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Last but not the least, we had local food at the Local Station where there was Laksa, Kueh Pie Tie, and Satays!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

By the way, the stations as listed above are all helmed by the various restaurant concepts of Kitchen Language [a Food and Beverage Division of Far East]. They are,
KUMO Japanese Kaiseki Restaurant, OChre Italian Restaurant, SALTA Argentine Parrilla + Grocer, and SPRING JuChunYuan.

After a rather filling dinner, we took a tour of the rooms at Oasia Hotel and I was pretty excited about it because the last time I went for the Far East Hospitality Properties Tour, I didn’t manage to get a glimpse of the rooms at Oasia Hotel [so it was a good opportunity].

We were shown four room types, namely, the Superior Room, the Deluxe Room, the Club Room, and the Club Suite. Prior to that, we also had a short tour of the Hotel’s facilities [such as the Gymnasium].

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

This was the Superior Room [Twin-Bedded] that we were shown to. Before I forget, all the rooms at Oasia Hotel are designed by a Japanese designer and I personally find the rooms to have a rather minimalist, simple zen-style design that many travellers will definitely love.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

What you could find in the Superior Room..

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Bathroom

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Wardrobe

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Another Superior Room that we saw [but its King bedded]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Some of the bathrooms can be rather spacious.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Here’s the Delxue Room that we saw.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

And here’s a photo of Chris [to prove that he was doing his job of explaining the room features] (just kidding), in fact, Chris went the extra mile to demonstrate how certain room features work.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Ok, here’s my most favourite room in Oasia Hotel, the Club Room!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

What you could find in the Club Room

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Bathroom [with a Bath Tub]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Nespresso Coffee Machine [when I was working at the Fullerton Hotel, these kinda coffee machines were only available in suite rooms]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Well, as I’ve said, I really like the Club Room a lot. This is because, the interior decoration and fixtures are made of pine wood. In fact, you could literally smell the scent of pine wood when you enter the room. I personally find the scent of pine wood to be rather calming and relaxing.

Then, the final room that we saw was the Club Suite that has a living area with sofa.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The amenities in the room.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Bathroom [with Bath Tub]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

The Bathroom Amenities

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

And the Bedroom!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Anyways, the Club Suite is equipped with this electronic panel that allows you to draw curtains and switch the lights on/off.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

As it was the last room that we viewed, we took the liberty to take some photographs!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Ending the night on a rather high note, we were treated to awesome desserts [and yes I really mean it!]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Just look at all the delectable desserts!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012
From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Oh, and Cold Stone Creamery’s Ice-Cream was served too.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

I’m just putting this photo up to tempt people.

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Look at the cute teddy bears they have on display [that I wished I could have smuggled home]

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

So anyways, the “desserts party” was held at The Living Room, otherwise known as Oasia’s Club Lounge where Club Guests could unwind and chill. There’s even a private swimming pool for Club Guests!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Honestly, The Living Room is a suitable venue for cocktail parties and the likes. I am not exactly sure whether these venues could be booked entirely for corporate functions, so you might just want to give Oasia Hotel a call and find out.

What really came as a sweet surprise for Grace and I was that we both won a 1-night weekend stay at Oasia Hotel and Orchard Parade Hotel respectively [yes, with Breakfasts for 2 included].

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Every guest that attended the event also walked away with a thumb-drive and a luggage band [which will definitely come in handy for my trip to Taiwan]. Photo courtesy of Grace.

More than just winning a prize, getting goodies, and enjoying awesomlicious food, I also had the opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old friends; and I think this is what Far East Hospitality is all about; to provide guests the familiar warmth and comforts of home with a special touch of personalised service that goes the extra mile. [Please don’t be mistaken that it is the official tagline/motto of Far East Hospitality. It’s something that I personally came up with that describes how I feel about Far East Hospitality].

This Media Party organised by Far East Hospitality has definitely left a lasting impression for me and to end off this blog post, I really want to thank OMY and Far East Hospitality for this awesome invite and I will definitely look forward to my next staycation at Orchard Parade Hotel. I would also like to thank the following wonderful blogger friends that made the night a rather enjoyable one, they are, Grace, Dawn, Rui Ting, Amanda, and Manli. You can click on their names to check out their blogs too!

From Media Party @ Oasia Hotel 2012

Now, here’s the best part for you readers!

Far Easy Hospitality is offering 40% off its Best Available Rates with a minimum of 2 nights’ stay from 1 September 2012 to 3 March 2013. Bookings must be made between 28 August and 3 September 2012 on www.stayfareast.com . So, if you’re a foreigner and you’re planning to visit Singapore [either for Leisure or Business] from 1 September 2012 to 3 March 2013, and you have read all the exciting stuffs about the various hotels of Far East Hospitality, hurry and make your booking now! If you’re a local and you’re planning your next staycation, you might want to grab this offer too! Remember, you have to book the rooms by 3 September 2012 [which is next Monday]!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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Food Tasting at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore

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Hello Everyone,
recently, Baby and I were invited by Dawn [blogger of 365 Days to Play and Eat] to an exclusive all-bloggers food tasting event at the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and I must say this, the dinner was a blast!

It was my virgin experience to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and when I received the invite from Dawn, I was totally excited about the whole event! As I was there early, I went around taking photos of the external facade of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore. Here are some of the noticeable structure that caught my attention.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I believe everyone whom frequents Orchard Towers/St. Regis/The Forum Mall would have past by the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and noticed this rather unique facade of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I also like their unique guitar railings along the stairs.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

In case you’re wondering what are the operating hours of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore, they are open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 1100 hours to 0200 hours and from Saturdays to Mondays from 1100 hours to 0300 hours. It is highly recommended that you make a reservation before going to dine at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore. Their contact number is 6235 5232.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

And yes, Hard Rock Cafe Singapore has live band performances so do enquire about it before heading down.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

When we were inside, the interior was simply vintage and classic. There were musical instruments all over the place and they are real! It would have been lovely if Hard Rock Cafe Singapore gave me a guitar as a welcome gift instead! =P

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Anyway, the dining area at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore is pretty cosy and it is suitable as a venue for group gatherings, romantic dates, or even for a simple drink and snacks.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

The Happy Diners for the Night!

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

While we were looking through the menu, we were really spoilt for choices because there are really tons of food and beverage offerings! Nevertheless, because Hard Rock Cafe Singapore recently launched their Seafood Menu, we had the privilege to try all their seafood items!

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

And also, we were given the liberty to order any sort of beverage for the night [liquor included]. Hence for beverage, Baby ordered the Berrilicious while I had the Mango-Berry Cooler.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I really like the presentation of the drinks and what’s really cool is that you can actually bring the glass home as a souvenir, just by paying a few additional bucks.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Alright, so much for the introduction, here comes the glorious food from Hard Rock Cafe Singapore! By the way, due to the poor lighting, some photos might look a bit darker than usual.

As mentioned earlier on, Hard Rock Cafe Singapore recently launched their new Seafood Menu and here are all the seafood dishes that we tasted.

Seafood Platter

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Chilli Crab Spaghetti

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Crispy Sea Bass

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Crab Fried Rice

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Chilli Crab Dip– served with either Chinese buns or Nachos

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Of all the seafood dishes that were served, I personally like the Seafood Platter and the Chilli Crab Dip.

Here are some of the side dishes that we had for the night.

Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Hard Rock Nachos

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

The side dishes were fabulous and I really like the Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings. There are in fact three flavours that you can choose from; classic rock, heavy metal, and tangy BBQ and you have to try them all because their flavours are unique and extremely tasty!

For Mains, we had the Hickory Smoked BBQ Ribs.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I’m not exactly a fan of pork ribs but if you fancy them, you could give it a try.

After all the awesome tasting food that we had, it was time for desserts and we tried three of their dessert offerings.

Apple Crumble

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Mud Pie

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Honestly, all their desserts taste good although they are kinda sinful to my diet plan. Nevertheless, they are really a sweet ending to an extremely perfect meal.

Well, this will definitely not be the last time I will visit Hard Rock Cafe Singapore because the food is truly awesome, the ambience is comfortably cosy, and there’s live band performances for some chill-out session too. All thanks to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore‘s Marketing Manager and Dawn of 365 Days to Play and Eat for hosting us and the kind invitation. It was really a lovely start to the weekends and both Baby and I really enjoyed the dining experience at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore.

If you haven’t been to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore, you should visit it one day because it is something you must do once-in-a-lifetime and not only that, you should check out their souvenir shop that sells memorabilia items too [perfect place to shop for gifts!]

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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Irvin’s Live Seafood House

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Hello Everyone,
this is one long overdue blog post and I sincerely apologise for the delay.

So, here goes…

Hazel [blogger of AiMakan] extended a food tasting invitation at Irvin’s Live Seafood House to us [Dawn, Grace, Jesslyn, and myself] and it was really a fabulous time of meeting up for events like these.

As Grace and I were there rather early, we went around snapping pictures of the place.

I really like the external facade of the restaurant and it has a rather classic look to it. Oh, and before I forget, Irvin’s Live Seafood House is located at 4 Jalan Leban, Upper Thomson Rd, (Singapore 577548). Anyway, its along Upper Thomson Road and because of its huge signage, I’m sure you will spot it along the way.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

We were surprised to find out that Irvin’s Live Seafood House was celebrating their 4 Years Anniversary on the day we were dining. And yes, all their crabs were going for $10, irregardless of shapes and sizes.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

If you’re someone that fancies some steamboat and cooked food in an air-conditioned environment, you might want to check out their Lunch and Dinner Buffet that are going at $13.80 nett (weekend price) and $21.10 nett (weekend price) respectively. Of course, dining over the weekdays would be much cheaper so I guess I need not put up the weekday pricing.

From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House

We headed to their backyard and there was a mini viewing gallery where you can see the crabs and fishes they have for sale.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

As my hands were getting rather itchy, I just had to fiddle around with the crabs.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

So before dinner began, Grace [blogger of Working With Grace] dished out some goodies that she brought over from Taiwan! Chocolate “condoms” and a Hello Kitty [Biscuit/Cake]! It was really thoughtful of her and I just can’t wait for my next trip to Taiwan!

From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House

Irvin’s Live Seafood House serves handsomely good food indeed. Check out the following dishes that we had and you will know why!

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Salted Egg [Yam Chips]- Photo Courtesy of Grace

This particular dish is seriously fabulous! In fact, it is highly-addictive to the point that we just have to order a second helping! The yam chips are fried till crisp and have a tinge of spiciness to it. It really makes a good snack and once you start, you can’t stop.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Butter Chicken- Photo Courtesy of Grace

All I can say is, its just buttery in taste!

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Special Pork Ribs- Photo Courtesy of Grace

Well, the special pork ribs is special enough to make all of us drool [not literally of course] on our tables. It has a unique flavour and fried till crisp.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Balachan Fried Egg Plant- Photo Courtesy of Grace

I’m not sure why many people are not fond of eating Egg Plant [maybe its the colour] but you might want to try this because it is crunchy and spicy.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Red Tilapia with Special Sauce- Photo Courtesy of Grace

I really like this fish a lot because its sauce is zesty and spicy at the same time. The sauce has a rather unique flavour and it complements the fish pretty well. The texture of the fish was also smooth and soft.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

KungPo Fried Salmon Skin- Photo Courtesy of Grace

You know those Kungpo Chicken we always order at those Chinese Mixed Rice Store? Well, the flavour and taste is the same except that its Salmon Skin instead of Chicken.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

And here comes two of my most favourite dishes for the night!

Black Pepper Crab- Photo Courtesy of Grace

It’s just crab with black pepper sauce and because I am a huge fan of crabs, this crab is not an exception either.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Introducing to you the Salted Egg Crab!- Photo Courtesy of Grace

This has got to be the dish that deserves the highest number of likes at our table! The salted egg sauce was so addictive that we kept dipping our fried buns into it and in case you don’t know, Irvin’s Live Seafood House makes the best salted egg sauce in town. I wanted to buy some back for my mum to try but sadly, the salted egg sauce has to be ordered in advance as they are made fresh daily.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

This is the salted egg sauce that I was talking about. It’s really awesome!

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Just when we thought dinner was over, we were treated to desserts from Leban HK Cafe [a subsidiary of Irvin’s Live Seafood House].

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Affagato

For those of you whom needs a little bit of awakening, you should try this particular sweet dessert. Its basically made up of a shot of espresso and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Crispy Butter Bun with Condensed Milk
I’m not a fan of dairy products so I didn’t try this, but Baby did tried it and she said it was quite milky; which means I probably would not fancy it anyway.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

Savory French Toast Bites with Ice Cream
It’s just french toasts with ice-cream. I must say, its pretty filling due to its large portion.

From Irvin’s Seafood House

The Sun Fried Ice Cream

This was a rather new dish to me because I haven’t tried anything like it before. The ice-cream is basically coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried till golden brown. Honestly, I will prefer to just have the ice-cream without the breadcrumbs because the breadcrumbs were quite a mouthful. By the way, they have a variety of flavours for their ice-cream.

From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House

After the oh-so-filling dinner, we had a tour around the restaurant and I’ve got to mention this, if you’re planning to host some reunion dinners, luncheon meetings and etc, you might want to consider Irvin’s Live Seafood House as they have private dining rooms available for guests.

From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House

And to top it off, we were all so honoured when Stephanie [our host for the night and also Marketing Executive for Irvin’s Live Seafood House] presented each of us with a VIP [very interesting person] card where we can get discounts for future visits!

From Irvin’s Seafood House
From Irvin’s Seafood House

Here’s a group photo for the night with all the lovely people! [Photo courtesy of Grace]

So, if anyone fancy a pretty awesome seafood dinner, do check out Irvin’s Live Seafood House!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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