Exploring the world one bite at a time

Category: Central Singapore (Page 2 of 2)

LeVeL 33: “Superb dining experience on a top location”

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.

Haw Par Villa: “Surreal place”

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.

Genki Sushi: “Great kaiten sushi place”

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.

Kusu Island: “Nice little island”

A charming little artificial island worth visiting if you have some time to spare. The journey to and from the island is not that agreeable since you are trapped inside the ferry with no possibility to go outside and enjoy the ride. The cabin of the ferry is drenched by the stench of the fumes from the motor. But it is the only way to get to the island, so you’ll have the endure it.

Kusu Island itself is very beautiful. If you want to spend an afternoon on a quiet beach swimming and enjoying the sun, this place is perfect. There are two temples on the island: Tua Pek Kong Temple and Keramat Kusu. Both very different but well worth the visit, although you’ll have to climb more than 100 stairs to get to the second one. We got a yellow ribbon tied around our wrist at the second one and received a blessing for good health and luck.

Kusu Island means Turtle Island, so naturally there are lot of turtles on this island.

When you don’t plan on spending the day on the beach, two hours are enough for visiting this cute little island.

Kusu Island, Kusu Island, Singapore 000704, Singapore
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/nature-wildlife/singapore-islands/kusu-island.html

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Kusu Island also on TripAdvisor.

East Coast Park: “Great place for fun activities”

We spent a full day in East Coast Park enjoying some kayaking, biking and the excellent hawker center over there. If you love to do something active, East Coast Park is a great place. You can do lots of water sports (kayaking, kite surfing, fishing, sailing,…), you can go biking along the beautiful bike roads and you even can rent roller blades. This beautiful park stretches along the East Coast of Singapore and offers lots of opportunities to just relax and enjoy yourself.

East Coast Park, Along East Coast Parkway and East Coast Park Service Road (Bedok), Singapore 455486, Singapore
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/east-coast-park

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about East Coast Park also on TripAdvisor.

Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore: “Top location! But renovation needed”

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.

National Orchid Garden: “Beautiful flowers”

A great place to enjoy the beauty of orchids in all shapes and sizes. The Orchid Garden is situated in a beautiful park. Absolutely worth the visit.

National Orchid Garden, 1 Cluny Rd Within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569, Singapore
https://www.sbg.org.sg/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=34&Itemid=58
+65 6471 7361

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about National Orchid Garden also on TripAdvisor.

Marina Bay: “What a view!”

The Marina bay area is definitely stunning. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is especially breathtaking. The building in itself is surreal and the view from the platform is even more fantastic. At night there is a 3D water and lights show which is absolutely worthwhile.

Marina Bay, Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018980, Singapore
https://www.marina-bay.sg/
+65 6329 3535

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Marina Bay also on TripAdvisor.

Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality: “Superb hotel with great staff and hospitality”

We stayed for seven days in Oasia Hotel and loved every minute of it. We chose the club formula to indulge in the extra service offerd. Our room was beautiful and modern. Situated at the 24th floor the view was absolutely breathtaking. The bathroom was very clean, the rain shower was a real treat and there was a separate bath (which we didn’t try). Absolutely loved the style of the rooms, with lots of wood, the overall feeling was of warmth and comfort. Internet connection was very good.

The impeccably dressed staff was very friendly and welcoming and did everything they could to cater to all our needs. I absolutely adored the pool at the 22th floor and took the opportunity to go for a swim every day. Towels were provided at the pool.

With the club formula we enjoyed happy hour from 6pm till 8pm. A free cocktail and some nibbles to start of your evening. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Breakfast buffet was also excellent with a choice between western style or eastern style or a combination if you preferred. At the egg station the chef prepared your eggs just the way you liked. Staff was very observant and removed your plates once you were finished eating.

A definitely plus: you can take the elevator to the basement which is connected through a hallway to the metro. There are also shops and a food court nearby. Very convenient indeed!

Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality, 8 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307470, Singapore

Stayed October 2013. You can find my review about Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, location 5/5, sleep quality 5/5, rooms 5/5, cleanliness 5/5, service 5/5.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum: “Superb temple”

If you want to visit only one temple in Singapore, this should be it. The temple holds a very precious relic of buddha and is very beautiful. The museum gives you an apprehensive overview of the life and teachings of Buddha. The museum shows the different styles of sculptures of buddhism throughout Asia.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, 288 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058840, Singapore
http://www.btrts.org.sg/
65 6220 0220

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum also on TripAdvisor.

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