IT show was on over the past 4 days. Initially, I did not has any intention to step near the exhibition hall as I knew that tons and tons of people,from 8 months old to 80 years old, will be there! This time round there was nothing that I need to buy so in order for me not to have any temptation, I decided to stay clear of the area.
Maybe I spoke too soon! Hee....
Saturday, decided to pop in to see see look look. The crowd was really huge and there are a lot of choke points even before we stepped into the exhibition hall. This time round, the IT show occupied 4 floors, which means the whole area already!
Level 1: Canon Redemption Area.
Level 3: Starhub, Sony
Level 4: Major brands
Level 6: All other brands
This time round although the organisers said that they expanded the walkway to 4 m but I still think they could do better. The management of the place could be done better as well. There is a few bottlenecks especially the one at Food Republic, that one is a killer and with people moving carrying hot food etc. If any one want to do anything funny, they could do it there as there are large boxes lying around at any one time. It seems that they security guard are just minding their own business at the entrance.
I also notice a lot of people just go in and collect brochures. So what is the use of doing that when you dun intend to buy anything? Like to squeeze with the crowd? After collecting the brochure, I am 99% sure that they will land up in the dustbin, worse still on the floors of the exhibition area.
One last complaint, can we bar all the parents from bringing in their baby prams into the exhibition hall. It is already so packed and yet still push a pram along. Babies, young kids and pram should be left outside the hall and have someone to look after them. IT show is not the place for leisure shopping anyway. I gena a lot of time of prams pushed to my poor leg and feet. Not to mention if the kid or baby went missing. OMG!
To survive IT show, you need to decide what you going to buy even before you step into the hall. it is possible now as all the prices would be in the newspapers anyway. Then just stay focus, go in and buy what you want and get out of the place.
Looking at everyone leaving with LVD TVs, printer, laptops... Hmm.... who say Sporeans have no money?
Wanan to make a guess what I had bought on impulse? Wahahaha.....
Spotlight used to have 3-4 stores around Singapore but now they are left with one outlet at Plaza Sing. They sell a large variety of craft items and fabric so you can practically find anything there.... IF you have the patience.
I hate how the things are always in a mess. The shelves are hardly ever tidy even when you go when they open shop. The items are not packaged properly so it makes it easy for people to tear them out. They don't put out samples for people to see, forcing people to buy blindly or to rip their packaging...
They have very few staff around this huge store so don't expect help in locating things. not to mention, everytime you go back they would have shifted the things around. Few things remain in the same corner for long.
Also the prices of some of the items are more expensive... so choose wisely.
I wouldn't go there if I had a choice... Sometimes only Spotlight stocks up stuff from American brands...
I had the chance to go to Hilton on my own yesterday. It was rainy and I got out on the doorsteps on the hotel. It was bustling with activity for the doormen and valets were all trying to get cabs for the guests who were patiently waiting at the glass door. I have been running to quite a few hotels recently and this wasn't done at those hotels anymore. It was nice to see some things like this still done.
The doorman who opened the door for me greeted me with a very nice "good evening". I was ah hour early for my appointment so I decided to loiter about in the hotel. Every staff greeted me. When I was in the lift alone and 3 of them entered, all three smiled and one said hello even. When I got out of the lift the staff outside, held the door for me and greeted me as well. While I was being a busybody around the swimming pool and entertained myself taking pictures, the staff greeted me and waited till I was done before coming up to offer extra information about the venue.
When I met up with the catering manager later, she immediately offered me a drink from their cafe when we sat down. That was a first which I certainly didn't experience in other hotels. She also patiently answered all the questions, even those which I vaguely remember asking before. She was also very flexible with some details agreed to change some things for me.
The place looks nice and pretty posh. I like the interior decor pretty much. The arrangement for the wedding solemnisation to be held by the pool then the lunch to be served in the function rooms next to the pool is a very good idea. I viewed the rooms which I was quite satisfied with. But they are going at $300 per night. ($1080 for F1 nights)
To be honest, I haven't tried the food yet. But the overall atmosphere of the place was very warm and made one feel at home. I guess the only reason why I haven't given it a 5-star is the hefty price tag. I'll update when I've tasted the food. ;)
I went there once and I guess it will be the last time...
I feel that the food is over- price. Not worth it...
My mum ordered a tea and guess what the tea cup has no handle... My mum thinks it's stupid... Although it's a very nice and futuristic cup, it defeats it's purpose....
Special mention to the durain dessert... I don't taste the durain at all.. =(
I shall not go into how nice the food is.... haha...
1. Always go there early to aviod queues. And if ididn't rememver wrongly there a early bird discount...
2. If going late, make sure some1 is early to get the queue number... However pls note that they will only give u are table when everyone is present. I guess this is to shorter waiting time...
3. In order to order every food item in the menu, go in groups, it's more worth it...
4. frankly speaking, there isn't much choice of food... But everything is nice!!!!!!! Haha~
5. For the duck I normally order "hou zhuang" cos the meat is nicer althought slightly higher in price than "qian zhuang"
Batam is a cheap getaway destination... However Batam View Beach Resort is DEFINATELY NOT my choice... There are better choice...
As most of the resorts are away from the shopping mall, the resort will have buses to go there... They will charged a small and reasonable amount.
I went with my extended family. In total, there's 8 ppl. So when I went to comfirm my seat on the bus, they told us was fully booked... They recomend me another way, by the taxi which was much expensive.
As it's really very ex, I dropped off the idea of going to the shopping mall... My whole family juz sat at the lobby deciding wat to do next...
Minutes later, I went over to the counter to ask what are the available facitilies that we can use... I over heard a couple making reservation for the bus ride to the shopping mall...
It's obvious that they are trying to make me spent more money by hiring a cab... =(
- I should continue my story -
Being me... I will NOT stomach this. I confronted the front desk and make hell lots of noise... In the end... all 7 of them went to the shopping mall... I choose not to go and did a spa package instead...
Anyway I feel that HARRIS is much better than Batam View
P.S. Did I mention the boss of Batam View is a Singaporean?
I used to like this place alot... To me, it's the first generation of HK cafes... That was abt 2 - 3 years ago?
It's a great place to go after clubbing... Yup... Those were the times... Whenever I go clubbing, this is a place I will visit after that...
Actually their target audience was the CLUBBERS!!! Their operating hours was from 12 pm to 6 am... It's a great place to go after clubbing... Normally I will reached around 2am - 3am and stay till 6 am where the SBS bus is available...
Anyway, the decor is nice, including the toilent... very different... The price is reasonable... The plus point is the huge TV... Most of the time the shoe CHINESE STAR MOVIE... However they do screen soccer matches sometimes...
Over the years, the standard of the food drops... And there are many other nicer uprising HK cafes... Seriously unless I'm clubbing like those days, I wun eat there anymore...
Been to this place several times... But no recollection on how the food was... Just remember that this place is forever packed...
Normally I will just order drinks...
The best thing abt this place is it's ultra long operating hours. Hence most of the time after dinner and shopping, when there is no place to go esp after 10pm, I will definately head to this place for a drink and a chit chat session with my friends.
I would say the price of the food here is cheap as compared to other resturant that are open at this late hour.
Please note that usually the place is very packed and very noisy...
Had the opportunity to partake in a media dinner at the newly reopened The Seafood International Market & Restaurant, or TSIMR for short, courtesy of The New Paper. It was a reunion of sorts as I vaguely remember dining at its former premises at UDMC some years back. It has since transplanted to become the anchor tenant of Big Splash @ Playground.
TSIMR occupies an impressive 18,000 sq ft and can seat up to 700 people if my memory serves me right. The draw of this place is its live seafood market concept which allows you to choose your desired seafood from the tanks and it will be cooked and served to your table. This concept, though not unheard of, was pioneered in the early 1980s by TSIMC.
The live seafood section is reminiscent of a supermarket while the dining area is like your typical seafood restaurant - huge and noisy. I liked the private dining areas at the two extensions though, which offered a nice view of the park and pond in the day. What I didn't appreciate was the fact that when the sky turned dark, outside visibility became close to zero and passers by could look in aka fishtank. Did I mention that the partitions were nothing more than a facade? During the course of our dinner, I could hear the adjourning rooms' conversation and loud guffaws.
Assorted Mushrooms Deep Fried with Seven Spice Salt - Imagine my astonishment when I heard that the mushrooms were sold by weight. Its definitely a first for me and honestly, as preposterous as selling Tofu by weight. The seven spice salt was purportedly made from dried shrimp powder, curry powder, chilli, szechuan peppercorn, salt and two other secret spices. As impressive as this may sound, I found it nothing out of the ordinary, coming across merely as salty with a hint of spiciness. Ditto for the batter as well, which I personally found too thick and hinting subtly of oil residue.
Prawns Stir Fried with Chilli & Basil Leaves - Beautifully presented with ornamental garnishes, the prawns gave an illusion of being terribly spicy. In reality, even someone who can't really take chilli like me could handle it without much effort (and water of course!). I didn't quite take to it though as the flesh was a tad soft and not firm. My guess is that it was a little undercooked.
Sakura Chicken Braised with Tri - Sauce in Stonepot - I liked this dish the best even though it wasn't outstanding. Probably more of something that's close to my heart. Dished out in a huge stonepot, the chicken wasn't too dry and easy on the sweetness, carrying with it a light spice that made every bite rather enjoyable
Golden Platter - Stir Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk - Aptly named the golden platter, this dish intrigued me as I've never actually seen pumpkin cooked this way before. Prawns/lobsters with salted egg yolk? Yes. But pumpkin? It didn't turn out to be very appealing after all as the pumpkin slices were a little too soft for my liking. Coupled with the strong overtones of salted egg yolk, it was a recipe for nausea.
Curry Crab & Bread - I didn't try the crabs so I shall not comment, but the curry tasted rather normal to me, albeit a little heavier on the coconut milk. I liked the bread that came with the crabs though, sinfully buttery and crispy. Guaranteed to increase your cholesterol!
Pad Thai - Call me ignorant or mountain tortise, but to my understanding, Pad Thai should be cooked with thin flat strips of glass noodles. TSIMR does a different rendition using thin vermicelli like noodles which I suppose are glass noodles as well. To be honest, the noodles were way too chewy and had the tendency to clump together, which made me feel like i was chewing on some kind of non sticky kueh.
Wonder Four on Ice - With such a fanciful name, who needs superheroes? Corny jokes and stunning aesthetics aside, this dessert was just red bean kueh, mango pudding, some fruits and lemon grass jelly served on a bed of ice. As normal as it gets.
A little bird told me that the above dinner for 6 pax would have cost about $40/pax, which to me is a tad pricey. Food quality is average and service could have been more attentive. With that, I would like to thank TNP for the dinner once again.
1=SGD 0.0587
IT show was on over the past 4 days. Initially, I did not has any intention to step near the exhibition hall as I knew that tons and tons of people,from 8 months old to 80 years old, will be there! This time round there was nothing that I need to buy so in order for me not to have any temptation, I decided to stay clear of the area.
Maybe I spoke too soon! Hee....
Saturday, decided to pop in to see see look look. The crowd was really huge and there are a lot of choke points even before we stepped into the exhibition hall. This time round, the IT show occupied 4 floors, which means the whole area already!
Level 1: Canon Redemption Area.
Level 3: Starhub, Sony
Level 4: Major brands
Level 6: All other brands
This time round although the organisers said that they expanded the walkway to 4 m but I still think they could do better. The management of the place could be done better as well. There is a few bottlenecks especially the one at Food Republic, that one is a killer and with people moving carrying hot food etc. If any one want to do anything funny, they could do it there as there are large boxes lying around at any one time. It seems that they security guard are just minding their own business at the entrance.
I also notice a lot of people just go in and collect brochures. So what is the use of doing that when you dun intend to buy anything? Like to squeeze with the crowd? After collecting the brochure, I am 99% sure that they will land up in the dustbin, worse still on the floors of the exhibition area.
One last complaint, can we bar all the parents from bringing in their baby prams into the exhibition hall. It is already so packed and yet still push a pram along. Babies, young kids and pram should be left outside the hall and have someone to look after them. IT show is not the place for leisure shopping anyway. I gena a lot of time of prams pushed to my poor leg and feet. Not to mention if the kid or baby went missing. OMG!
To survive IT show, you need to decide what you going to buy even before you step into the hall. it is possible now as all the prices would be in the newspapers anyway. Then just stay focus, go in and buy what you want and get out of the place.
Looking at everyone leaving with LVD TVs, printer, laptops... Hmm.... who say Sporeans have no money?
Wanan to make a guess what I had bought on impulse? Wahahaha.....
Rating given:
Spotlight used to have 3-4 stores around Singapore but now they are left with one outlet at Plaza Sing. They sell a large variety of craft items and fabric so you can practically find anything there.... IF you have the patience.
I hate how the things are always in a mess. The shelves are hardly ever tidy even when you go when they open shop. The items are not packaged properly so it makes it easy for people to tear them out. They don't put out samples for people to see, forcing people to buy blindly or to rip their packaging...
They have very few staff around this huge store so don't expect help in locating things. not to mention, everytime you go back they would have shifted the things around. Few things remain in the same corner for long.
Also the prices of some of the items are more expensive... so choose wisely.
I wouldn't go there if I had a choice... Sometimes only Spotlight stocks up stuff from American brands...
Rating given:
I had the chance to go to Hilton on my own yesterday. It was rainy and I got out on the doorsteps on the hotel. It was bustling with activity for the doormen and valets were all trying to get cabs for the guests who were patiently waiting at the glass door. I have been running to quite a few hotels recently and this wasn't done at those hotels anymore. It was nice to see some things like this still done.
The doorman who opened the door for me greeted me with a very nice "good evening". I was ah hour early for my appointment so I decided to loiter about in the hotel. Every staff greeted me. When I was in the lift alone and 3 of them entered, all three smiled and one said hello even. When I got out of the lift the staff outside, held the door for me and greeted me as well. While I was being a busybody around the swimming pool and entertained myself taking pictures, the staff greeted me and waited till I was done before coming up to offer extra information about the venue.
When I met up with the catering manager later, she immediately offered me a drink from their cafe when we sat down. That was a first which I certainly didn't experience in other hotels. She also patiently answered all the questions, even those which I vaguely remember asking before. She was also very flexible with some details agreed to change some things for me.
The place looks nice and pretty posh. I like the interior decor pretty much. The arrangement for the wedding solemnisation to be held by the pool then the lunch to be served in the function rooms next to the pool is a very good idea. I viewed the rooms which I was quite satisfied with. But they are going at $300 per night. ($1080 for F1 nights)
To be honest, I haven't tried the food yet. But the overall atmosphere of the place was very warm and made one feel at home. I guess the only reason why I haven't given it a 5-star is the hefty price tag. I'll update when I've tasted the food. ;)
Rating given:
I went there once and I guess it will be the last time...
I feel that the food is over- price. Not worth it...
My mum ordered a tea and guess what the tea cup has no handle... My mum thinks it's stupid... Although it's a very nice and futuristic cup, it defeats it's purpose....
Special mention to the durain dessert... I don't taste the durain at all.. =(
I must admit that the decor is nice... But...
Rating given:
I lurve this place!!
I shall not go into how nice the food is.... haha...
1. Always go there early to aviod queues. And if ididn't rememver wrongly there a early bird discount...
2. If going late, make sure some1 is early to get the queue number... However pls note that they will only give u are table when everyone is present. I guess this is to shorter waiting time...
3. In order to order every food item in the menu, go in groups, it's more worth it...
4. frankly speaking, there isn't much choice of food... But everything is nice!!!!!!! Haha~
5. For the duck I normally order "hou zhuang" cos the meat is nicer althought slightly higher in price than "qian zhuang"
Rating given:
Batam is a cheap getaway destination... However Batam View Beach Resort is DEFINATELY NOT my choice... There are better choice...
As most of the resorts are away from the shopping mall, the resort will have buses to go there... They will charged a small and reasonable amount.
I went with my extended family. In total, there's 8 ppl. So when I went to comfirm my seat on the bus, they told us was fully booked... They recomend me another way, by the taxi which was much expensive.
As it's really very ex, I dropped off the idea of going to the shopping mall... My whole family juz sat at the lobby deciding wat to do next...
Minutes later, I went over to the counter to ask what are the available facitilies that we can use... I over heard a couple making reservation for the bus ride to the shopping mall...
It's obvious that they are trying to make me spent more money by hiring a cab... =(
- I should continue my story -
Being me... I will NOT stomach this. I confronted the front desk and make hell lots of noise... In the end... all 7 of them went to the shopping mall... I choose not to go and did a spa package instead...
Anyway I feel that HARRIS is much better than Batam View
P.S. Did I mention the boss of Batam View is a Singaporean?
Rating given:
I used to like this place alot... To me, it's the first generation of HK cafes... That was abt 2 - 3 years ago?
It's a great place to go after clubbing... Yup... Those were the times... Whenever I go clubbing, this is a place I will visit after that...
Actually their target audience was the CLUBBERS!!! Their operating hours was from 12 pm to 6 am... It's a great place to go after clubbing... Normally I will reached around 2am - 3am and stay till 6 am where the SBS bus is available...
Anyway, the decor is nice, including the toilent... very different... The price is reasonable... The plus point is the huge TV... Most of the time the shoe CHINESE STAR MOVIE... However they do screen soccer matches sometimes...
Over the years, the standard of the food drops... And there are many other nicer uprising HK cafes... Seriously unless I'm clubbing like those days, I wun eat there anymore...
Rating given:
Seriously I have a love-hate relationship with vivo...
Love bcos of the various food choices... I'm always spoil for choice when I'm at vivo...
Hate bcos of the crowd! I hate crowd... It gives me headache. To add on, the queues are madness... =(
I guess I hate vivo more so I aviod that place most of the time... =P
Rating given:
Been to this place several times... But no recollection on how the food was... Just remember that this place is forever packed...
Normally I will just order drinks...
The best thing abt this place is it's ultra long operating hours. Hence most of the time after dinner and shopping, when there is no place to go esp after 10pm, I will definately head to this place for a drink and a chit chat session with my friends.
I would say the price of the food here is cheap as compared to other resturant that are open at this late hour.
Please note that usually the place is very packed and very noisy...
Rating given:
Had the opportunity to partake in a media dinner at the newly reopened The Seafood International Market & Restaurant, or TSIMR for short, courtesy of The New Paper. It was a reunion of sorts as I vaguely remember dining at its former premises at UDMC some years back. It has since transplanted to become the anchor tenant of Big Splash @ Playground.
TSIMR occupies an impressive 18,000 sq ft and can seat up to 700 people if my memory serves me right. The draw of this place is its live seafood market concept which allows you to choose your desired seafood from the tanks and it will be cooked and served to your table. This concept, though not unheard of, was pioneered in the early 1980s by TSIMC.
The live seafood section is reminiscent of a supermarket while the dining area is like your typical seafood restaurant - huge and noisy. I liked the private dining areas at the two extensions though, which offered a nice view of the park and pond in the day. What I didn't appreciate was the fact that when the sky turned dark, outside visibility became close to zero and passers by could look in aka fishtank. Did I mention that the partitions were nothing more than a facade? During the course of our dinner, I could hear the adjourning rooms' conversation and loud guffaws.
Assorted Mushrooms Deep Fried with Seven Spice Salt - Imagine my astonishment when I heard that the mushrooms were sold by weight. Its definitely a first for me and honestly, as preposterous as selling Tofu by weight. The seven spice salt was purportedly made from dried shrimp powder, curry powder, chilli, szechuan peppercorn, salt and two other secret spices. As impressive as this may sound, I found it nothing out of the ordinary, coming across merely as salty with a hint of spiciness. Ditto for the batter as well, which I personally found too thick and hinting subtly of oil residue.
Prawns Stir Fried with Chilli & Basil Leaves - Beautifully presented with ornamental garnishes, the prawns gave an illusion of being terribly spicy. In reality, even someone who can't really take chilli like me could handle it without much effort (and water of course!). I didn't quite take to it though as the flesh was a tad soft and not firm. My guess is that it was a little undercooked.
Sakura Chicken Braised with Tri - Sauce in Stonepot - I liked this dish the best even though it wasn't outstanding. Probably more of something that's close to my heart. Dished out in a huge stonepot, the chicken wasn't too dry and easy on the sweetness, carrying with it a light spice that made every bite rather enjoyable
Golden Platter - Stir Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk - Aptly named the golden platter, this dish intrigued me as I've never actually seen pumpkin cooked this way before. Prawns/lobsters with salted egg yolk? Yes. But pumpkin? It didn't turn out to be very appealing after all as the pumpkin slices were a little too soft for my liking. Coupled with the strong overtones of salted egg yolk, it was a recipe for nausea.
Curry Crab & Bread - I didn't try the crabs so I shall not comment, but the curry tasted rather normal to me, albeit a little heavier on the coconut milk. I liked the bread that came with the crabs though, sinfully buttery and crispy. Guaranteed to increase your cholesterol!
Pad Thai - Call me ignorant or mountain tortise, but to my understanding, Pad Thai should be cooked with thin flat strips of glass noodles. TSIMR does a different rendition using thin vermicelli like noodles which I suppose are glass noodles as well. To be honest, the noodles were way too chewy and had the tendency to clump together, which made me feel like i was chewing on some kind of non sticky kueh.
Wonder Four on Ice - With such a fanciful name, who needs superheroes? Corny jokes and stunning aesthetics aside, this dessert was just red bean kueh, mango pudding, some fruits and lemon grass jelly served on a bed of ice. As normal as it gets.
A little bird told me that the above dinner for 6 pax would have cost about $40/pax, which to me is a tad pricey. Food quality is average and service could have been more attentive. With that, I would like to thank TNP for the dinner once again.
See all my pictures here
Rating given: