Singapore
Summer 2015
 |
Up close with the mythical Merlion in Singapore
(Jun-2015) |
Journal Entry... Blame it on that #SingaporeAir promo why hubby had booked a flight to Singapore (...again.) Having twice gone to Singapore, there's but one agenda lingering in hubby's mind, and yes, it's food trip! Mine was to walk (...on a first time) to the mythical Merlion spouting water by the bay, to catch a splash of good luck, lah!
 |
| Room with a view |
19-jun: Arrived Singapore... There's no such thing as Singapore traffic. Taxi ride to the hotel, from Changi airport, took less than 20 minutes; taxi fare - SGD15. I was about to say, "Keep the change!" but taxi driver was quick to hand me my change down to the last centavo.
Check-in: #ConradCentennialHotel, beside Suntec City/Millenial Walk. Front desk suggested a room on the 30th floor, because hubby's reserved room on a different floor was a smoking floor; staff said that the reserved room did not have a full view of Marina Bay anyway, so hubby agreed to the room reassignment. Room 3007 had a view of the Suntec round-a-bout on street level, as well as the Youth Olympic village across the bay.
 |
Welcome treats
at Conrad Centennial |
Hotel had welcome gifts awaiting in the room: a "Conrad Teddy"; a "yellow Ducky" next to the tub; a selection of chocolate squares and fruits; and a handful of bespoke Aromatherapy, Refinery and Shanghai Tang amenities that instantly went inside my loot bag for souvenir, and later use. Room booking included access to the Executive Lounge, which had an Open Bar and buffet spread we'd come rushing back to before last call at 8PM. After settling down in the room, I took a nap... flight preparations had me sleep deprived - from leaving home at 4AM to catching the 7:50AM outbound #SingaporeAir flight. As I awoke, I heard the hubby coming in the room; while I slept, he went off to get us the 3-day Singapore Tourist Pass for unlimited access to public transport.
 |
| Suntec City round-a-bout during the day |
 |
| Suntec City round-a-bout all lit up at night |
 |
| My Singapore Pass |
Hubby ushered me out of the hotel room to start off with the food trip at the Hawker Centre in Old Airport Road; why hubby is always hungry when in Singapore... There was still natural light outdoors nearly 8PM. Did you know? Darkness does not set in Singapore, until after 8PM.
 |
This way to the
Old Airport Road... |
Last Singapore trip, hubby and I went to a wrong hawker center, also in Old Airport Road; had we walked further down that road, we would have seen it. This trip, hubby made sure to locate the two-level hawker center. Hubby forged ahead to get a selection of "Grilled Chicken Wings", "Oyster Omelette", "Char-Kway-Teow", and "Chicken Clay Pot Rice", the last took longer to order. Passed on the "Hainanese Chicken", which we prefer to eat at Tian Tian's in Maxwell hawker center across the street from Chinatown.
 |
| What's at the Old Airport Road? Hawker-style food, baby! |
20-jun: Food trip in Chinatown... Hubby and I would skip on those Singapore-style chili crabs every time. Whenever we'd remind each other about not ordering chili crabs, we'd already returned home from the trip. And, we'd just say, "Next time." This trip, it's a go for chili crabs!
 |
| This way to Chinatown... |
I intentionally didn't eat plenty from hotel's breakfast spread, to make space for chili crabs at lunch time. Hubby and I hopped on the Metro, which connected to Chinatown. Walking past the Chinatown marker was the stretch of food stalls. Settled for #Crabsong, after seeing patrons had filled up the place. Tip: "When there's a line, food must be great." Foodie mantra had not let us down yet. Hubby's choice was the "Black Pepper Crab", and he wins; Crabsong priced the crab by the gram, and hubby got the minimum weight. As compromise, I ordered additional "Deep Fried Fish", overloaded with the killer bird's eye chili...
 |
| Crabsong's "Black Pepper Crab", in Chinatown |
Once getting hit by the chili sting, I made sure no chili ever graced my tongue again. I'm used to the bird's eye chili, but the Singaporean variety left an overpowering aftertaste to my taste buds. One and only cure to it was sweet dessert... But this particular "Ice Kachang" had an amusingly awkward shape - an elongated ice shaving over candied fruits and beans, and drizzled with sweet corn. Ice shaving instantly melted down into a water pool in the bowl from the Singapore heat. I asked to pay for more ice shaving in the bowl, which they refilled for free. (Got shy to ask for a third shaving of ice...)
 |
| Sweet dessert of "Ice Kachang", in Chinatown |
While in Chinatown, hubby had not forgotten about #TianTian's "Hainanese Chicken" in Maxwell Hawker Center, across the street, and bought a serving for takeaway I know he'd pair with a scotch drink back in the hotel.
21-jun: Food trip in Toa Payoh & Merlion Park... Having had a serving of Singapore's "satay, bak-kut-teh, hainanese chicken, char-kway-teow, chicken clay pot, pepper crab..." Last item on the foodie list is Singapore's "Curry Fish Head".
 |
| This way to Toa Payoh... |
Anthony Bourdain had suggested (in his food show) a location up the hill, which had gotten a thumbs down from bloggers' reviews, however. Hubby googled an alternative curry fish head in Toa Payoh. "Is that (even) in Singapore?" was my initial reaction. Yes, Toa Payoh is in Singapore. Metro ride to Toa Payoh, from Suntec City, was the longest ride I'd ever been in Singapore. What's more? Metro stop where we got off was not right in Toa Payoh. From that Metro stop, hubby and I had to hop on a bus that passes the Toa Payoh hawker center. I was irritating the hubby, asking him repeatedly, "Are we there yet, or are we lost?" So... was the curry fish head in Toa Payoh all worth the long journey, not to mention that I got honked at by the taxi/driver when I crossed the pedestrian lane not noticing the lighted- "Red Man" in the deserted street? Piping hot in clay pot, hubby and I had a serving of "Curry Fish Head" and rice, from the eatery which goes by the same name, #OceanCurryFishHead.
 |
| A pot of "Curry Fish Head", in Toa Payoh |
My foodie verdict: "They would not name the eatery after the fish, or the fish after the eatery, if it's not the real deal. Thumbs up to "Ocean Curry Fish Head" at Toa Payoh. If hubby and I were cats, even the leftover fish bones would have been wiped out, too."
 |
| Two Peas in Singapore |
After the overly satisfying meal of curry fish head, it was time for sweet dessert, yet again. I had my heart set on a refreshing coconut sherbet from #Co+Nut+Ink. Got my first taste of it at Siloso Point in Sentosa island that first trip to Singapore. There's a Co+Nut+Ink kiosk at Bayfront, near the Merlion Park, where the Merlion statue is which I planned to see, so it was like hitting two birds with one stone.
 |
| This way to the Merlion... |
Connecting bridge at Bayfront led to the Merlion Park. There, everybody was unintentionally photo bombing each other, capturing their best wacky pose before the Merlion spouting water. I did a wacky pose... then I tricked the hubby into doing his own wacky version, but he made me promise not to post it. Hotel was nearby, and hubby and I returned to the hotel for the Open Bar.
 |
| Mythical Merlion spouting lucky water at the park |
 |
| Singapore at 50 |
That August 2015, Singapore is to celebrate its Golden Year (50th). From the hotel window, I watched the air and ground rehearsals for the upcoming event, complete with flying fighter jets and helicopters, and rolling tanks. Here's a toast to SG50! Was already looking forward to my next visit to Singapore... and to think hubby and I have not even left the city yet. La-h!
Link to YouTube>>> Ungkler Travels | SINGAPORE feat. The Foodie, the Merlion and Me
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#Singapore #summer2015
 |
| Check-in: Conrad Centennial Hotel... |
 |
| Road to Toa Payoh... |
 |
| Co+Nut+Ink by the bay... |
 |
| This way to Merlion Park... |
 |
| Hotel check-out |
