Brunch @ LeVeL 33

LeVeL 33
Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1
8 Marina Boulevard #33-01, Singapore 018981
Contact: 6834 3133
Website: http://www.level33.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Downtown, Bayfront, Marina Bay (listed according to distance)

A hearty assortment of breads accompanying the Soup of the Day
Pastrami, salami, smoked beef, smoked salmon, salads, oysters, shrimps and many more...
Fruits, pastries, donuts and various cheese for the cheeseaholics
Beer for brunch. Awesome.
A snippet of the desserts available
Rating: 3.5/5

My two cents:

Perhaps I am too used to piping hot meals for breakfast lunch and dinner, thus this meal was (unfortunately) not my plate of breakfast. Other than the soup and foie gras bruschetta, everything else was pre-cooked and left to chill in the air-conditioned room.

To be on the fair side of judgement, the food had sufficient taste despite being chilled. The salad was amazing and so was the pasta.

I liked the tiny salmon quiches, but I would have loved them if they were warmer so as to bring out the sweetness of the smoked salmon and egg. It would also be great if I had the option of lightly toasting the slices of bread. The current available option has everything soggy and soft.

Both beers were light and refreshing and smooth on the palate. My wheat beer had a note of fruitiness which I particularly enjoyed.

As for the atmosphere... I LOVE IT. Like who wouldn't? I was on the 33rd floor of a high rise building, located smack in the middle of a central business district. The design of the eatery was contemporary modern. I felt pampered amidst all the lush decor. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers as a form of respect to other diners in the relaxing dining hall.

There was a beautiful urban scenery to view except for a tiny drawback: I went during the haze period and thus I couldn't see shit FML. Marina Bay Sands — the most expensive stand-alone casino in the world (according to Wikipedia) — was a "haze" away...

In hindsight I agree that the finest ingredients were used to create the food that I saw and tasted. They nailed it when it came to service, atmosphere and decor. However the food lacked of a certain allure that would have gotten me crawling back for more.

With that said, I would return to LeVeL 33 to have another drink or two, try their much raved dinner and to enjoy the city view without the fog haze.

Roasted Delights @ Foong Kee Coffeeshop

Foong Kee Coffeeshop
6 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089114
Contact: 9181 1451
Opening hours: 11am to 7pm
Nearest MRT: Outram
3 varieties of roasted meat (roast duck, crispy roast pork, char siew) with 2 plates of white rice,
and a bowl of wanton soup
Rating: 2.7/5

My two cents:

Amidst all the cafes on Keong Saik Road, you will find a coffeeshop with only one stall in it, selling various types of roasted meats and wanton noodles/soup. The distinct fragrance of the roasted meats can be smelled from afar and in visual terms, a steady crowd of customers were going in and out of the coffeeshop all the time — both were what drew me to have my lunch there.

I don't expect much decor from a coffeeshop but I do expect a decent standard of cleanliness. On the table where I sat, there were the remaining plates and bowls from the previous TWO rounds of customers who sat there (ie. I was the third round). Only after a second request then did a staff finally clear all the insightful cutleries away.

As for the service received... I guess it made sense to not receive a top notch service since there was no service charge paid. However an amiable attitude would have been nice so as to leave a good impression and to convince their customers that this stall is worth coming back to. There was also no need to brutally shove a customer aside, bang hard against the customer's shoulder without an apology and to rudely ignore a polite request for some braised sauce to go with the roasted meat.

To be fair to the food, the char siew was good and is the only thing that I would recommend to order. The roasted meat was a disappointment as it lacked in crisp and flavour. The duck meat was tasty but dry, and that made it hard to chew, swallow and appreciate. The wantons in the wanton soup were filled with more water chestnut than meat; I suppose the purpose of it was to give a crunchy texture to the dumplings — if you are a fan of crunchy wantons, this would be the perfect place for you.

Now for the price of all the food you see above, I paid $20 in total (inclusive of the drinks). Here is a breakdown of the cost as explained to me by the staff:

• 3-varieties roasted meat for two pax: $14
• Wanton soup: $3
• Rice: $0.50 per bowl ($1 paid)
• Drinks: $1 per can ($2 paid)

If I had enjoyed my food, I wouldn't have mind paying 14 bucks for it. However I didn't and thus I do mind.

Staycation review: Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa

Note: This is not a sponsored advertorial. All expenses were fully paid by me.

Some time during the later part of June, I had a 2D1N staycation with the amazing 5* hotel...

Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa!

Lobby of Amara Sanctuary Resort
Tip to get to the hotel:
Skip the monorail and save money on the taxis because Amara offers their own private shuttle bus that ferries their guests straight to the lobby of the hotel! Yay!

I got out from exit D of Harbourfront MRT station and waited patiently at the taxi stand opposite of Vivocity. The bus comes every 15-20 minutes.

Look out for the shuttle bus carrying Amara's logo!!! The place is a common pick-up point for most of the major Sentosa hotels so on't take the wrong bus (eg. W hotel's shuttle bus)!!

Some light refreshments available for guests of the hotel
It was a smart move made by Amara to offer their guests some light refreshments because it helped to ease the tension of either waiting for rooms to be ready or for the shuttle bus to arrive.

The options available were some old school kacang putih*, lemon-flavoured iced water and Amara's own fabulous tea concoction!

*What is 'Kacang Putih': A traditional Indian snack wrapped in a paper cone and it comprises of nuts, peas or strips of deep fried Indian-spiced flour called Murukku

Rates of the various rooms available at Amara Sentosa
Tip: Book online via their website and make use of the available promotions. Your bank account will thank you for it!

Graceful peacocks grazing the hotel grounds freely.
I woke up in the morning to flocks of peacocks on the stone pavements before my suite! Left, right, in front, behind... peacocks everywhere!!!! It was quite a sight.

If you're afraid of these majestic creatures, be warned!!!

They don't peck unless harassed, so just steer clear and admire their graceful strides.

Perfect venue for a small wedding reception or birthday parties.
On the day that I left the hotel, there was a couple who was going to hold their wedding there.

Their friends were helping out in the decoration, and the place was strewn with pink papers and flowers. I can imagine the great photos taken thanks to the au naturel lighting.

I'm bookmarking this place as a potential wedding venue for myself. Hehe!

Oh yeah, I recently came up with a new virtual space to help support my latest hobby — wedding planning! To read more of the crazy wedding ideas that has been going on in my head, go to my wedding blog!

Room of Courtyard Suite
Doesn't the 4-poster bed look magnificent? And the fluffy pillows... and the white drapes all around the posters. It gives off such a dreamy vibe!!!!

Bedside table
Reading area within the room
This room did justice to the hotel's theme "sanctuary".

I really felt like I was in a whole other world, safe and peaceful. There were many tiny details paid to the room, such as the main use of material was wood and the choice of pictures used to decor the place. Just look at that lotus flower wall-print, doesn't it make you feel relaxed already?

It was so different from the usual urban city vibe that you get all around Singapore! I love love love my room, and wait there's more!!

Make your own Espresso in the morning!
Tadah!!!! Your very own instant coffee making machine. Brew your own cappuccino/espresso/latte/(name your coffee concoction) as and when you like!

For the tea lovers, fret not! They have a variety of Twinings tea bags for your selection - from the usual English Breakfast tea, to a warming Lemon and Ginger tea or a calming Camomile tea, and many more! Take your pick!!

(Psst... I did a very Singaporean thing. I brought ALL the tea bags home!!! LOL. So now, whenever and wherever I drink a Twinings tea, I think of Amara resort!)

Bathroom
Isn't. The. Toilet. Huge???????

When I pulled open the double wooden sliding doors that revealed the toilet/changing area, I was stunned at its size and decor. It was simple and modern, but neat and clean too!

I wasn't able to capture the connecting changing area, so the actual area is a lot larger than what you see in the photo above.

Jacuzzi/Dip pool
This was the reason why I chose this room out of all the available options .

My very own relaxing dip pool within my room. Privacy ensured! I can skinny dip if I want, and not get arrested or be on Stomp!

FYI: En route to the suite, the hotel staff made it very clear to us that no bath bombs(!!!) or essential oils or in fact, anything at all, should be added into the dip pool! She shared that some funny joker threw a couple of bath bombs in and all hell broke loose because the jacuzzi system got clogged and went mad... they took forever to clear up the mess.


Birthday cake
When I made the reservation online, I added in a note requesting for the assistance of the hotel staff to help celebrate H's birthday.

Because I did not receive any reply back from them, I assumed that nothing was gonna happen.

But!!!! To my surprise, they actually prepared a slice of cheesecake for him and decorated it so beautifully! Awwww.. Super touched! <3 Needless to say, H was shocked and stood still like a statue, staring at me and the cake with a gaping mouth expression for a full 5 seconds. Thank you for your help, Amara Sentosa!

Breakfast buffet
A smashing good breakfast buffet is key to the start of any good day and to the end of a good stay with any hotel. Amara Sentosa scores full marks in this category with its delightful spread of all-you-can-eat breakfast — international style!

Pastries
Smoked salmon, pastrami, salami and etc.

Egg station!!!!
With the chef behind the stove, ready to cook your eggs the way you like it!
French toast, pancakes, waffles, some sausages and a warm cup of lemon tea
Some simple congee to warm the tummy
Roasted potatoes, more french toast and sausage, bacon and egg omelette, with a glass of cold juice.
Mini bites of apple pie, blueberry muffin, butter croissant, har gau, chives dumpling and lo mai gai


Rating: 4.5/5

My two cents:

I love this place and I would definitely go back there again!

I like the prompt and excellent service provided. I like the relaxing atmosphere of the place.

I docked off 0.5 points because of how long they took to prepare my room. The check-in time was 3pm and I arrived at the lobby at 2.30pm. By 3.20pm, they were still unable to hand me the keys of my room as "it wasn't ready yet". I only got the green light to head to my room at about 3.30pm.

I take it as a privilege if I am able to get into my room before the actual check-in time, but I take it as a MUST to be able to get into my room by the check-in time. It is a promise made by the hotel, hence it is only right that they uphold to their word.

It seems to me that this is a long-standing problem for Amara when it comes to being punctual with their check-in time. I have read several of such complaints on various websites (eg. hotel.com, expedia.com, agoda.com), and I highly agree with all the other reviewers that something seriously needs to be done, after all.. this IS a five star hotel!

Nonetheless kudos to Amara for my wonderful stay in their Courtyard Suite, their assistance in celebrating H's birthday and the delicious international breakfast buffet!

I am ready to check out the other rooms available at Amara Sentosa and am looking forward to my next stay already! Hopefully they would already have sorted out their managing system for check-in(s) by then.

Flock Café

Note: This is not a sponsored advertorial. All food items were fully paid by me.


Flock Café
78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-25 Singapore 162078
Contact: 6536 3938
Website: www.flock.sg
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru

Scrambled eggs & croissant with crispy bacon ($17)
"Creamy scrambled eggs, butter croissant with a choice of smoked salmon or cripsy bacon"

Big Breakfast ($20)
"Two poached eggs, baked beans, sausage, crispy bacon, roasted potatoes and sourdough"

Ratings: 4/5

My two cents:

Situated at Moh Guan Terrace, a short 10 minutes walk away from the famous Tiong Bahru market that is home to many great street food.

I visited this cafe at about 10.30am on a Sunday morning and it was already packed with people. It is not the place that you be at if you wish for a quiet and peaceful morning, but if you are looking for the contrary then this place would a brilliant fit!

One foot into the place and the aromatic scent of freshly brewed coffee filled my nose, and happy chatters from the staff and guests rang in my ears.

The waiting staff was friendly, sincere and full of smiles. The food was albeit priced at a slightly higher end, but was clearly cooked with lots of love.

I enjoyed my brightly lit platter of scrambled eggs with crispy bacon sandwiched in between a buttery croissant. The big breakfast was a close competitor except for one of the poached eggs that could have been taken out 5 seconds earlier and my preference for the sourdough to be a tad softer.

Breakfast at the Flock Café was lovely and I would definitely pay it another visit!

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Food For Thought: Marriage

As I near the age for marriage, my heart sometimes flutter at the thought of it, and sometimes it sinks.

My notion of marriage has drastically changed over the years.

From the dreamy "Cinderella meets Prince Charming" idea that I had when I was a innocent child, it has adversely turned into one with a more serious note. That is to be expected since I am less innocent and wiser than before with my current age.

What do I think of marriage now?

Hmm... Scary? There are so much responsibilities involved in it.

Getting the finances sorted out. Paying for the house, the groceries, the bills.

Keeping the house clean and tidy. Doing the laundry, mopping the floor, packing the tables, tidying the beds, washing the dishes.

Cooking the meals. (No sub-category for this, those three words said it all.)

And then there are the fearsome in-laws.

I will admit that no matter how nice any of my (ex and current) boyfriends' parents were... they always still scare the shit out of me. I am ultimately not their own born. Things will still somehow be different some way.

Because I am a perfectionist and I strive to gain approval from others, I fear doing things wrongly and getting the look of disapproval.

I fear being told that I am not doing my role right or that it isn't enough. Being a wife is tough work, what more being a mother?

I guess I can come upfront and tell my husband-to-be:

"Hey, do know that I will never cook like your mom but I will try. Do know that I will do my utmost best to keep the house in decent appearance but you need to help me out too. Do know that I am terrible with bills and I can't handle it for nuts, but I will pass you the due amount every month because I don't expect you to pay for them all. Do know that I love your parents and I will take care of them like they are my own, but I may always feel a tad fearful towards them because I am afraid of judgements and I am not their own born after all."

Does the fear towards your in-laws ever go away? I suppose I will find out when I am at the brink of death some many decades later.

I have yet to even dwell on how marriage would alter when the children arrive. I dare not approach that topic. The former is complicated enough already.

Let me first survive the first few years of marriage without kids and then we'll see how to wriggle those little beings in.

I guess to summarise my sentiments towards marriage: It is the leaving behind of a comfort zone which I have been snuggling in for the past 2 decades of my life that makes me feel so terrified.

Henceforth, the man that I will be giving up my comfort zone for has better damn be worth it.

Being a tourist in Singapore: Trick Eye Museum

The Trick Eye Museum is one of Singapore's up and coming tourist attractions, and with its situated location... tons of families go there for outings as well.

A couple of months back, I made an obligatory visit to Trick Eye Museum.

Here is my take of the place and some of the photos taken:

Trick Eye Museum
26 Sentosa Gateway, Resorts World Sentosa
Singapore 098138
Contact: 6795 2370
Website: http://trickeye.com/singapore


Rating: 2/5

My two cents:
Would I ever go back there? Definitely, no.

Was it worth the $25 paid? No.

There was a period of time when my Facebook "Home" page got flooded with photos taken by friends who had visited the place. Some of my friends warned about how overrated the place is, and after my virgin trip to this attraction I am highly inclined to agree with their words.

The only reason why I even went there was because H's family went and I was invited too.

I am grateful for the presence of on-site staff who did their best in managing the crowd of visitors waiting to enter the museum. One of the staff was kind enough to pull out a stool for H's grandmother to sit as we waited to enter. Commendable hospitality service provided! Well done! (:

Unfortunately all was not jolly and gay. The long waiting time just to get into the museum is incredulous — 45 minutes spent STANDING outside the museum just waiting to get in!!

And more waiting to do once you enter the museum. The maximum capacity of the museum was maxed out and it was a nightmare entering the place. HUMANS... EVERYWHERE.

The whole place is so damn crowded that taking a picture is a pain in the arse. You will be banged left and right. Kids will be stepping on your toes. Your ears will be ringing from the noise. Shit load of queueing to do. Your skin has to be damn right thick.

It was impossible to appreciate the spectacular artworks, what a shame to the diligent artist. Management staff, please do something on crowd control.


Some tips:
This is not a place that you should even consider going if you intend to go alone. Because: 1) you have nobody to take the photos for you — do not believe the museum's recommendation to use a selfie stick, 2) you will stick out like a sore thumb, 3) you would finish walking the entire place in 5 minutes flat.

If you wanna have fun with this and have really good pictures taken, put out your best acting skills and EXAGGERATE your expressions!!!!! It's the perfect time to be whacky. Or if not, prepare to succumb yourself to some much-dreaded boredom and heartbreak over the price of your admission ticket.