Year: 2015 (Page 13 of 14)

To be honest this must have been one of the best kaiten sushi experiences I’ve had in my life, outside of Japan. We arrived at Genki Sushi sometime before six, so we managed to dodge the queue, but it wasn’t hard to understand why a short while thereafter we saw a huge queue of people waiting to be seated.

Every table has a tablet which provides an overview of all the different dishes. The interface of the tablet is very intuitive. You just click on the dish you want to order and minutes later a special sushi train brings your order to your table. This form of kaiten sushi guarantees your sushi is super fresh.

The sushi selection at Genki sushi is huge, so it was hard to choose from. But everything we had, was excellent. A real treat!

Genki Sushi, 181 Orchard Road #03-32 Orchard Central Orchard Central, Singapore, Singapore
http://www.genkisushi.com.sg/
+65 6238 0900

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Genki Sushi also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, service 3/5, food 5/5.

Haw Par Villa is a curious place indeed. There is no entrance fee, so no excuse to not go there for a short visit. The MRT brings you right to the entrance of the park.

The park of the former Haw Par Villa is full with colorful painted statues and dioramas. I found this place well worth the visit, but I can imagine it is not for everyone. Some parts of the park have been repainted and the statues look like new, in other parts the decay is very visible (the food corner was closed and you could clearly see parts of the roof came off). For me this was also part of the charm of Haw Par Villa, you can imagine it must have been quite something in the days the park was built by the owner of the Tiger Balsem company.

If you’re interested in Chinese folk tales, the dioramas will guide you through the most popular ones. And if you like horror movies, you’ll definitely enjoy the Ten Gates of Hell. Very gruesome indeed.

You need about three hours to visit Haw Par Villa and read the explanations provided by the sculptures.

Haw Par Villa, 262 Pasir Panjang Road Haw Par Villa, Singapore 118628, Singapore
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/culture-heritage/heritage-discovery/haw-par-villa.html
(65) 774 0300

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Haw Par Villa also on TripAdvisor.

If your looking for a place that combines great food with stunning views, this is the place to be. The view from the open air terrace is absolutely breathtaking. At LeVel 33 you have a great overview of the Marina Bay with its most striking feature being the Marina Bay Sands hotel. We went there for drinks and dinner at 6pm so we could enjoy the dusk setting in. Seeing all the lights appearing on the sky scrapers was magnificent.

LeVel 33 brews its own beer. You can see the large stainless steel containers where the beer is brewed. Very nice touch. The interior is very welcoming with a friendly staff. If you’re a beer lover you might like the beer tasting platter, which offers you the possibility to taste all the different beers they brew.

The food on the menu is European style. We (4 persons) ordered two main courses and a lot of side dishes so we could share and taste everything. The food was delicious. Really great with some inventive combinations of ingredients. The desserts were a perfect finish for a lovely evening. Loved it!

Would definitely go back here!

LeVeL 33, 8 Marina Boulevard #33-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, Singapore 018981, Singapore
http://www.level33.com.sg/
+65 6834 3133

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about LeVeL 33 also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

Gyu Kaku is a classic Japanese barbecue restaurant. The meat you order, is served raw on a plate and you have to bake it yourself at your table. The table contains a build-in charcoal grill with an ingenious ventilation system which makes sure the amount of smoke that escapes in the room stays minimal.

The interior is classic Japanese and the layout makes sure the disturbance by other guests is minimal.

As an appetizer we ordered some prawns and scallops. For the main course we (of course) went for the Wagyu beef. The prawns and scallops were cooked in an aluminum container on the charcoal grill and were very good. The Wagyu beef was excellent. Luckily we got some pointers from the staff how to grill the meat to perfection.

I was a little disappointed though in the side salads. Choice was limited and my wakame salad really wasn’t much to speak of. But I guess you go to this restaurant for the meat anyway.

We drank some excellent sake with our meal, recommended by the staff. Staff was very friendly and professional.

Gyu Kaku Chimjes, 30 Victoria Street Chijmes “#01-01/03 Chijmes”, Singapore 187996, Singapore
http://www.gyu-kaku.com.sg/
+65 6333 4001

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Gyu Kaku Chimjes also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

Marina Bay Sands is without a doubt one of the most famous landmark buildings in Singapore. So, yes, rooms in this magnificent building are very expensive. You pay for the unique location, the beautiful views, the incredible infinity pool and the impeccable trained staff.

Often heard complaints are that the hotel is too busy. While this is certainly true (at any given moment of the day the lobby and pool are bustling with people), during my stay this really never bothered me. I always found a free spot at the pool, did not have to wait long at check-in nor at check-out and we always got seated at breakfast in less than five minutes. Marina Bay Sands is huge, so it’s quite normal that you have a lot of people everywhere. If you’re looking for a quiet place, I recommend you book another hotel.

I was lucky enough to stay in a room with a view on the city center as well as in a room with a view on the Gardens by the Bay. I must say I preferred the city view (which is also more expensive). Nothing beats the gracious Singapore Marina Bay Skyline, not even the lights of the beautiful Supertrees. The room at the city center was a lot bigger, but the garden view room had a balcony and the opportunity to step outside for a moment. Very nice, but sadly it seemed almost impossible to get the room airco temperature higher than 20 degrees.

The bathroom was very well equipped, as should be expected from a hotel with this reputation. The shower was very big, the bath tub could fit two persons and there were two sinks. I really liked the shower which was spacious and very comfortable! So nice to clean the sweat of your body after a hot day.

The Club room on the 55th floor is superb. From 17 till 19u guests can enjoy multiple treats. Quality champagne, spirits, beer, juices, beautiful canapés, great cheeses, sweets, fruit, fish and lots more. After a visit to the Club you don’t need dinner anymore. 😉

The pool is gorgeous, although the water was very chilly. It was just incredible, swimming on the 57th floor with those breathtaking views. I can honestly say: never in my life have I seen so many people take selfies of themselves in a pool. But to be fair, who can blame them?

Breakfast was also excellent. the huge buffet was very well organized in different sections (egg station, fruits, indian food, dim sum, vegetables, cheeses, fish, bread, noodle soup, English breakfast,…) so it never felt too crowded. Staff was super professional and very friendly. And the food itself was a culinary trip through Asia. Shout-out for the noodle soup and dim sum with spinach and shrimp.

This hotel has only one disadvantage: the price tag.

Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956, Singapore

Stayed March 2015. You can find my review about Marina Bay Sands also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, rooms 5/5, service 5/5.

Restaurant André really is a little gem. And in Singapore, which has so many excellent restaurants, that means a lot. The kitchen is mostly French, with a touch of Asian cuisine. Each course is carefully constructed and very well balanced. The food is great, no doubt about that, but what makes this restaurant really stand out is the wine selection: Restaurant André imports its own wine. The wine journal is a real book with some extra pages added. Those pages contain a lot (too much to read it all) of information for wine lovers and enthusiasts.

Since I’m from Belgium, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the sommelier of Restaurant André, Vanessa Masse, worked for years in restaurant ‘In de Wulf’, one of the best restaurants in Belgium, in my opinion. Needless to say, my expectations were very high. I was not disappointed at all. We started our meal with a lovely spumante. We were presented with a lovely appetizer to cleanse our palate. I was really impressed by this variation on a mojito, served as a little bite.

Each following course was a little work of art. So very beautiful and tasteful! My favorite courses were the Winter Root Vegetables with Cured Spanish Mackerel and Wild Herbs and the Pearl Couscous With Razor Clam, Emulsion Of Chorizo, Puree Of Clam With Basil.

Serving staff was very professional, but not to stiff (as can be the case in this sort of restaurants). The staff was really friendly and with a sense of humor. I like that!

The atmosphere in the restaurant is refined and elegant. Really loved the fake sheep which had as only purpose to serve as a handbag holder. I had some troubles opening the really heavy door of the toilet. Luckily there was always a staff member present to open the door for me.

Whith each course we got another lovely wine. It was clear (!) that Vanessa Masse had a thing for unfiltered wines. And I couldn’t be more pleased with her selection. All the wines were excellent. Really nice to taste all these different flavors.

When asked for a suggestion to end the meal in style, Vanessa proposed an umeshu (Japanese plum liquor). Without a doubt the best umeshu I have ever tasted in my life. So, we just hád to order another one.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant when visiting Singapore, but be warned, a dinner at restaurant André comes with a hefty price tag. Lunch is a more affordable option.

Restaurant Andre, 41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089855, Singapore
http://www.restaurantandre.com/
+65 6534 8880

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Restaurant Andre also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

Nice hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. We booked the club formula and were happy with that. We enjoyed the happy hour at the club, although sometimes there wasn’t enough room for everyone and it could get rather crowded. The club had a nice selection of wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. The canapés weren’t that great and the food selection was limited (although I really enjoyed their cheese). No problem for me though, a great way to start off the evening with some nibbles and go out for dinner afterwards.

Breakfast at the club was great: a nice selection of food with all the classics combined: English breakfast, dim sum, bread and cheese, vegetables, yoghurt and fruit. A few times we were lucky to see the sunrise from our table by the window. Breakfast in the cub was never too crowded, so we could enjoy the start of the day in a relaxed manner.

We also tried the breakfast at the Ellenborough Market Café on the ground level: the breakfast buffet was abundant and very good: almost every Asian cuisine was represented. I loved trying all the different dishes and was very fond of the noodle soup which changed every day. Dim sum selection was also excellent. At the egg station the chef prepared your eggs any way you wanted. The Market Café is rather busy in the morning, but staff is efficient and we almost never had to queue for dishes.

I also had lunch at the Ellenborough Market Café and was really impressed by the excellent buffet: a nice selection of all the different flavors of Singapore. Really good and a great option if you (like me) like to try out new foods.

The room in Swissotel was comfortable, although the view wasn’t anything special (our window looked directly at another building). Staff went to great deals to assure we were satisfied and came by at least twice a day to make sure we had everything we wanted. Everyday we got new water bottles and chocolates and fresh fruit was waiting for us on arrival. In the hallway were always green apples available to have a healthy snack. The bathroom could use a make-over though. Although it was clean, it was clearly worn out and I even spotted some mold in the corners of de bathroom sink. I’m also not a big fan of taking a shower in the bathtub.

I also used the spa facilities for an express pedicure, but I have to say, I have had better pedicures at home. The girl messed up the nail polish a little bit, but she was very nice overall. Very useful: laundry machines are available for washing and drying your sweaty clothes (not a luxury in the Singapore heat).

The location of the hotel is great, right next to Clarke Quay, every evening bustling with life. The hotel is located right next to an MRT station, really useful if you like to explore the city. I also really enjoyed the pool. Never to crowded, very well taken care of and with a beautiful garden. If you like, you can have a cocktail in the Blue Potato, situated right next to the pool. I found the staff at the Blue Potato not very helpful (didn’t dry the seats after a heavy rain shower).

My boyfriend and I really had a lovely stay in this hotel and felt very welcome. Only complaint is the bathroom, which really needed a make-over.

Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, 20 Merchant Road, Singapore 058281, Singapore

Stayed March 2015. You can find my review about Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, cleanliness 3/5, service 4/5.

The Singapore Flyer offers a unique experiences and outstanding views on Singapore. The giant wheel moves very slowly, so you have lots of opportunities to take great pictures. It takes about half an hour to complete the tour.

We booked the Moët & Chandon Champagne Flight in advance. No hassle with waiting lines, very comfortable. Staff was super friendly and accompanied us to the entrance. We had the cabin all for ourselves! It was great. The champagne was excellent and there were strawberries and chocolat to have a bite with the champagne.

Singapore Flyer, 30 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039803, Singapore
http://www.singaporeflyer.com/
+65 6333 3311

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Singapore Flyer also on TripAdvisor.