Showing posts with label Sentosa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sentosa. Show all posts

Sunday 29 January 2012

Chinese New Year @ Malaysian Food Street plus Sentosa Flowers 2012

Every year during the 2nd day of Chinese New Year our family would usually take a half day off in the morning from the usual house visiting before heading to my mum's place. And since I miss out the earlier Sentosa Flowers 2012 media preview, we decided to drop-by on our own to take some snap shots of thematic photo points such as Dragon Gate, Dinoland and etc.

On top of that we also take the chance to visit the newly launched "Malaysian Food Street" locate at The Bull Ring which is just beside Universal Studios entrance.


MALAYSIAN FOOD STREET @ RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA


Malaysian Food Street at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is officially opened on 12 January 2012. This is a spacious foodcourt standing at 22,000 square feet that seats up to 516 guests comfortably. It has 17 food stalls offering Authentic Malaysian street food such as Fung Wong Confectionery, Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice, KL Jalan Alor Hokkien Mee, Penang Ah Long Lor Bak and etc.

As you can see from the photo above, the place is designed to look and feel of the streets in Malaysia, with facades of old shophouses, detail street stalls and replicas of 1950s-style coffeeshop furniture and street fixtures to set the dinning mood.

Fung Wong Confectionery(Kuala Lumpur)is a well-known pastry business for more than 100 years. Today Fung Wong Confectionery is a famous brand name in Kuala Lumpur with it's tradition and homemade recipes behind the freshly baked and delicious pastries such as their crispy Char Siew Siew Bao and fragrant egg tarts.

Operating Hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm Daily

I have heard good reviews about their egg tarts and how fast it is sold out in the afternoon. So without hesitate, this is the first stall we started our queue because I want to try out this "so-called" famous egg tarts.  Luckily we were early that day(around 11.10am) and we are the 4th on the queue before it gets longer after 20 minutes of waiting time. I was also shock to overheard from those queuing in front us that they orders are at least 6 boxes (6 tarts each box) each.

So when the 2nd batches of egg tarts are out from the oven we were all so excited to see whether it would be our turn to chomp those hot and mouthwatering tarts. Each egg tart is price at S$1.20 each. Their egg tarts are really fragrant with smooth and not too sweet egg custard nested in crispy parties that makes you crave for more after each bites.

Kampung Nasi Lemak (Halal)  -  Nasi Lemak is one of Malaysia’s national bestsellers sample food that has won many hearts over with its simple yet delicious flavour. The simple halal dish includes moist coconut flavoured rice, traditional sambal chilli ikan bilis that served together with tender fried chicken or beef chunks.

Operating Hours: Wednesday - Thursday: 11am – 9pm; Friday – Sunday: 9am – 6pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday

When having Nasi Lemak, I would first look at it's rice as whether is it flavorsome and whole grains instead of soggy rice with no coconut fragrant. After that I would go for their sambal chilli which cannot be too spicy or else it will overpower the taste of this wonder condiment. Overall we gave this stall 4/5 rating for their rice and sambal chilli which I think it taste better than the Fried Hokkien Mee(below).

They have 3 simple choices pricing at:-
~ Normal(rice, egg, peanut and sambal chilli) @ S$3.00
~ Rice + Chicken (rice, egg, deep-fried chicken pieces, peanut, sambal chilli) @ S$4.00
~ Rice + Randang (rice, egg, beef, peanut, sambal chilli) @ S$5.00

Ampang Yong Tau Foo(Ampang) - If you do a Google search on "Ampang Yong Tau Foo, Singapore" you would see a list of entries showing you different stalls around Singapore where the popular stall is around 928, Upper Thomson Road(featured in ieatishootipost, HERE or Misstamchiak, HERE). So with a local stall via authentic Malaysian style in mind, I also join in the queue(waited around 20 minutes) to try out this popular dish.

Operating Hours: Monday And Thursday: 11am – 9pm; Friday – Sunday: 11am – 10pm
Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday

A set like this is known as Small (6 pieces @ S$5.00) comes with fried tofu, brinjal, bitter gourd, fried wanton, chilli and etc stuffed with fresh Parang fish paste. On top of that you can choose from either plain rice(S$1.00 per bowl) or yam rice (S$1.50 per bowl).

Friendly speaking this Yong Tau Foo is nothing of WOW factors and their yam rice is not as flavorsome as what mentioned in some write-up.  In fact we have eaten better one and even the Yong Xiang Xing Tau Foo, 永祥興豆腐(read more HERE) serve better quality that worth the queuing time.

KL Jalan Alor Hokkien Mee(Kuala Lumpur) has a recipe perfected for over 30 years and it is also renowned for its dark sauce that infuses the noodles with a fragrant aroma and paired with the freshest ingredients making it one of Kuala Lumpur’s signature dishes.

Operating Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday: 12pm – 10pm;
Friday and Saturday: 12pm – 12am
Closed on Wednesday

Me and a few friends were attracted by the advertisements on "Today" and "The Straits Time" featured this mouthwatering dish as on it's write-up cover. But the few of us were quite disappointed with this dish which looks and taste totally different from the write-up. In fact there are about 3 cooks whipping this same dish and each has different style and end products. As you can see from the photo above, mine was slightly lighter in color and the paring chilli sauce is so watery.

Overall we(my friends and I go in separate days) the standard of this dish not consistent and most of the time it is lack of that "wok" taste. With a plate like that, noodles and fish soak in black sauce plus a few witted vegetables cost S$6.00 per plate which I think my Cze Char stall downstairs can produce better Malaysian style Hokkien Noodles than this.

For photos of the Malaysian Food Street stalls can be found over at Cuisine Paradise Facebook page HERE.


SENTOSA FLOWERS 2012


This year for the zodiac year of "Dragons" you can see various shapes and forms of dragons arrived at Sentosa Flowers 2012 (圣淘沙春节花会), in time to celebrate the Lunar New Year! The one week exhibit starts from 22 January till 29 January from 10am - 10pm daily.

For the 7th years of the events Sentosa Flowers 2012 has featured a couple of new highlight such as "First Sand Sculpture" and "Mount Faber Debut". The above shows the "Dragon Gate" entrance unfolds the story of three playful kids as they venture out to discover the beauty of spring!

Floral Zodiac Dragon near the Merlion Walk.

Floral Decorated Memo located at the "Sea World" trail together with other sea creatures near Beach Station.

And if you are there this year, remember to join and submit 3 of your best photos taken at the Sentosa Flowers 2012 to qualify for the "Magic Moment Digital Photography Competition" with Grand Prize worth S$2,000(more details HERE)

Monday 24 October 2011

Maritime Experiential Museum And Aquarium

On 15th October 2011, Singapore's first maritime museum, the Maritime Experiential Museum And Acquarium(MEMA) opened its doors at the Resorts World Sentosa. With its unique maritime theme design and interactive exhibits which involve visitors’ participation, the museum has transform from a traditional gallery showcasing Southeast Asia’s maritime trade history.

The museum is divided into 6 zones with an outdoor exhibit showing some historic ships at the harbour behind the museum.


ZHENG HE EXHIBITS
And Bao Chuan Show


Greeting you upon entering the museum will be Admiral Zheng He's massive treasure ship known as "'Bao Chuan" where one can learn about the epic voyages he took from China to the ‘Western Ocean’ as the greatest explorer in Chinese history. There is a short video clip at the open-style theatre where you can watch an animated video about Admiral Zheng He’s voyages from China to the Western Ocean.


LIFE AND TRADE ON THE 
MARITIME SILK ROUT
Sealing your very own Passport


Before you entry the Souk, remember to grab hold of a "Passport" in order to chop with the 8 different seal at each ports. And also don't forget the "All Aboard" booklet where you read more about the Life and Trade on the Maritime Silk Route.


THE SOUK(market)


Check out the ports of call at the Souk(market) where visitors could experience the interactive touch-learn-play information panels and various bazaars cultural emporium which Admiral Zheng He explored along the Maritime Silk Routes. Visitors can have some hands-on making Chinese Junks and puppet using the prepared template at the allocated area.


MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY GALLERY


This gallery houses the museum's first major acquisition of maritime artefacts from the Bakau shipwreck that can be dated back to the early 15th century and showcases a wide array of archaeological finds that traces Singapore's early involvement in the Maritime Silk Route trade.



INTERACTIVE GAMES AT THE GALLERY


For kids or other with more artistic hand you can try creating some virtual pottery on the interactive touch screens available at level B1 near the Archaeology Gallery. Upon finished you can even sent your finished art piece via email to yourself or friends.


HISTORIC SHIP HARBOUR


At the back of the Maritime Museum you can see life-size replica ships such as Javanese jong, an Indonesian borobudur and with 3 others arriving soon. Due to safety purpose the ships are not for passenger boarding at the moment.

We did not visit the 2nd attraction which is known as "Typhoon Theatre" (additional charges applied). But if you are keen you can take your seats on the deck of a ship that's about to sail where a 360-degree screen will immerse you in a breathtaking shipwreck simulation with special effects.


VISITOR INFORMATION


LOCATION
Resorts World Sentosa
8 Sentosa Gateway Sentosa Island
Singapore 098269
Official Site: HERE

ADMISSIONS AND TICKETING
General Museum Admission:
Adult: S$5.00; Child (4 - 12 years) S$2.00; Senior Citizen (65 years and above) S$3.00
*Exclude admission to Typhoon Theatre

Typhoon Theatre Admission:
Adult: S$6.00; Child (4 - 12 years) S$4.00; Senior Citizen (65 years and above) S$3.00
*Exclude admission to Museum

HOURS OF OPERATION
Museum:
Monday to Thursday: 10am - 7pm
Friday to Sunday and  P.H: 10am - 9pm

Typhoon Theatre:
Monday to Thursday: 10am - 6pm
Friday to Sunday and P.H:10am - 8pm


Friday 21 October 2011

A Day At The Universal Studios, Singapore plus Halloween Horror Night Preview

Universal Studios Singapore - 新加坡环球影城(USS) is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island. The park had its soft opening period from 18 March to 26 October 2011 and it's official Grand Opening was held earlier this year on 28 May 2011. For your information USS park contain 7 themed zones such as:- Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar all based on Universal movie hits and etc.

Since this week the lower primary are having a 4 day school break before the end year school exam I decided to bring my boy to USS as a study-break. He has being wanting to explore more and excited about those rides ever since our 1st visit last year during the After-Hour night visit(read more HERE).


HOLLYWOOD


When you first step beyond the entrance of the USS, greeting you will be the grant "Hollywood" street framed by dynamic architecture, palm trees and the famous Walk of FameTM that makes you will feel as thought you have landed in the center of the entertainment universe. If you wish to grab hold of some souvenir before heading back, remember to drop by the "Universal Studios Store" along this street for some themed collectibles, toys and apparel.

You can use any MasterCard to purchase your admission tickets in order to enjoy 20% off One-Day tickets any day of the week when you book online or purchase on-site(After discount our weekday ticket rate: Adult: S$52.80, Kid: S$38.40)! On top of that you will also receive a S$10 retail voucher and etc. Promotion ends at 18 November 2011, more detail, HERE.


MADAGASCAR


Our 1st stop is at Madagascar: A Crate Adventure where we get to board an indoor river boat ride with Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria, the four heroes from blockbuster movie Madagascar. Very fun and relaxing boat ride which suits kid even for the age of 3 - 4 years old with accompany adult(s).

After the boat ride you can catch up with the Madagascar Boogie just outside Penguins Mercantile at specify showtimes such as:- 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

At the same street in the Madagascar zone,  King Julien and the Lemurs are throwing a party for their favorite freaks from New York: Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe at the all time family Carousel - King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round. This is sure a catch for kids and adults of all ages where you can either ride and spins round and round with those cartoon characters.


FAR FAR AWAY


Movie stars, talking donkeys.…the land of Far Far Away showcases lifestyles of the rich and fairy taled whereby you will attracted by this unique castle which is the landmark of USS too. Here you can to enjoy Shred 4-D Adventure where you can see, hear and FEEL the action right from your seat such as water, hairy spiders, wind and etc. My boy and I have great fun and excitement watching this short movie.

Other than the delicious homemade recipe with 7-spice chicken at Goldilocks Restaurants (we had kiddy meal - criss-cross fries, dino nuggets and regular size drink S$9.50 serve in a cute portable lunchbox) you can also pop over to Fairy Godmother's Juice Bar to get some unique concoction of clourful elixirs at the juice bar. 


THE LOST WORLD


After lunch we move on to the next destination at "The Lost World" where we hurried ourselves to the 1.00pm showtime(showtimes: check the daily schedule for actual timing) at Water World. This is a must watch live entertaining show where we can witness a tidal wave of death-defying stunts, along with thrills and spills from real explosions of fire and water based on the blockbuster film, "Waterworld". But beware sitting at the center area or first few rows at the sides as you might get wet due to the splashing of water during the show.

Currently the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is NOT available as it is undergoing enhancement works from 10 August 2011 early 2012. So with 1 attraction down we are left with Canopy Flyer, Dino-Soarin and Amber Rock Climb. My boy loves to ride on the Canopy Flyer whereby he is not afraid of height and turns but this ride leaving mummy with wobbly feet and butterfly stomach.

Dino-Soarin can be fun too as it attracted a lot of adults in all ages whereby you ride on the back of flying dinosaurs called Pteranodons, soaring up into the sky or plunging down into the shadows.


ANCIENT EGYPT


In order to skip the long queue over at Canopy Flyer at The Lost World, we thought of heading towards the Ancient Egypt Zone and take a look before popping by to join the queue. There are total of two rides focusing Revenge of the Mummy as the main attraction and Treasure Hunters on the other hand which is more child friendly ride for the family. The Revenge of the Mummy ride is a psychological thrill ride where the roller coaster travel through a pitch black building leaving you clueless as to where you are going and what is going to happen ahead.

After asking around and seeing the some photos taken at the photo booth from the rides, we decided to give this ride a pass and head on to the "Treasure Hunters" which is a relax jeep ride which is more suitable for us. Furthermore, each young kid will be presented with a Treasure Hunters License Certifies as souvenir too.


SCI-FI CITY


With a choice of either Human or Cylon at this Sci-Fi City riders on both coasters will experience unbelievable thrills as they race towards each other and nearly collide! Zooming at speeds of 82.8 km/h, the Human Viper Mark II is a seated coaster that propels riders up to 14 storeys into the air whereas they Cylon raiders is a suspended roller coaster that will turn your world upside down as it runs through a vertical loop, corkscrew and cobra roll. Imagine with all the turns and loops....this is definitely not my cup of tea. But are you brave enough to take the challenge!!!

Giving out on the roller coasters, my boy and I decided to test our intergalactic stamina while being madly spinning on the whirling twirling attraction known as Accelerator. These individual similar "merry-go-round" ride is so fun and thrilling leaving us screaming in excitement through out the ride.   


NEW YORK


At about 4pm we are already hungry from our earlier lunch-break over at Goldilocks Restaurant mentioned above. So we decided to stop by the recommended Loui's NY Pizza Parlor to have a quick bite. As it was very pretty late in the afternoon there aren't much choices left on the shelf. Here we grab the "1 Slice Pizza Set" which comes with 1 slice of your desire pizza(i choose Tandoori), 1 dessert(either Panna cotta or Cheesecake) together with a cup of regular size soft drink at S$13.80.

As you can see the slice of pizza was quite big which is about the serving of 2 normal slices of pizza that we used to have. I love the thin and crusty base with topped with tender and flavorsome tandoori chicken, green chilli and well-blend seasonings. Worth trying this set especially with a cup of yummy Panna Cotta as dessert before heading to our show over at the opposite street at "Lights, Camera, Action!" where we get to witness the stage setting with awesome sound effect on a major hurricane hitting New York City. 

After a fun-filled day at the theme park, here is the crumbled map with marking on all the attractions that we have survive through. Friendly speaking other than the "roller coasters" I guess most of the attractions are still very family oriental where most of the family members can participate with.


HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS



This October if you are looking for some terrified event for your Halloween Night, do consider joining this 1st Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios Singapore, Resort World Sentosa(Date: 21 - 23, 27-30 October 2011, Time: 8.00pm - 12 Midnight). These are some of the scenes from few of the 6 scare-zones that you will encountered during the event.

The highlights of this event are such as haunted Peranakan house to face the Vengeance of the Matriarch, Mutated zombies roam for blood in a Post-Apocalyptic Rage, Mad Scientist stalks unsuspecting victims in The Void and etc... More details of the event and ticketing information can be found HERE. Enjoy and have a fright night.

More photos of the USS trip can be found at HERE at Cuisine Paradise facebook page.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

The Ultimate Crab & Durian Buffet @ Sentosa Boardwalk

Last Saturday evening we finally went for the "Ultimate Crab and Durian Buffet" after hearing so many different reviews from media, bloggers and friends who had tried. We had booked two tables to cater our usual group of foodie friends as well as a few new comers to feast on this "FULLY" booked buffet which starts from 09 - 26 June 2011, 6.00pm to 11.00pm(daily) at the Promontory along the Sentosa Boardwalk.

The long waiting queue of people was there even 10 minutes before the buffet starts and when enter the venue you will see a long buffet line with over 40 different varieties of food to satisfy your hungry and taste. To begin with the buffet you can start with either their cold/hot appetizer such as "Coral Crab Bisque with Sour Cream Soup" to go with freshly baked roll. Or you can pick up something from the selection of Maki Sushi, Poached Tiger Prawns, Prawn and Mango with Avocado Mousse, Fresh Oysters and etc.

Further down the buffet line of this Ultimate Crab buffet, you would at least get to try 5 different crab dishes such as Wok-Fried Chili Sri Lankan Crab, Black Pepper Sri Lankan Crab, Masala Mud Crab shown above. Or others some others like Salted Egg Yoke Crab, Nonya Curry Crab and Ginger Scallion Flower Crab. I am sure for someone who loves crab there is definitely something that suits you.

Even though when comes to seafood, crab eating it is usually not my cup of tea compare to the others like prawn and fish. I find their Masala Mud Crab taste better than Wok-Fried Chili Cab because of it lovely hot and spicy taste from the Masala spices. And if you like spicy food, don't missed out their "Beef Rendang" which is very tender and comes in thick and fragrant gravy which you would love to dip with the Fried Man Tou or as gravy for the crabmeat fried rice.

One of our friend in group recommend this must try "Whole Baked Salmon in Rock Salt" which served with Chive Butter. The fish itself taste so fresh and juicy with it's nature sweetness even without any serving sauce. And personally I prefer this baked salmon compare to their Salmon Sashimi. Some of us are also quite shock to see the orange-red colour of their sashimi but the texture and taste wise was still quite average which generous thickness of slices.

Look at those baskets of D24 Durians! To be honest, Durian are the main reason why I am coming for this buffet. According to one of our friend she said that everyday at around 7.00pm onwards there will be a non-ending queues waiting eagerly for their turn to get hold of a plate or two of these creamy and delicious freshly open Durian.

Although not every seeds of these durians are of good grade but at least you can expect about 80% of it. And if you would like to have something different, perhaps their Durian Pengat which is on the lighter taste compared to the fresh durian pulps will be a good choice for you. But unfortunately the one that we had that day are not served in individual cups with a extra gula melaka topping like what mentioned in some blogs that I have read about. Instead I think the chef have mixed the gula melaka syrup together with the durian puree for our convenient.

Other than Fresh Durian and Durian Pengat, they also served other accompany desserts such as Fresh Cut Fruits, Nonya Kueh, Ice-cream and pastries such as Dark Chocolate Mousse, Durian Cheesecake, Tiramisu and Durian Mousse.

THE ULTIMATE CRAB AND DURIAN BUFFET
Venue: The Promontory, Sentosa Boardwalk
Time: 6pm - 11pm
Prices: Adult $38++ / Child $21++
(Free flow of ice water but other drinks chargeable)
Telephone: 6279 1767

Special Promotions:
Islanders - 15% discount (max. 10 pax per reservation)
ANZ Credit Card - Every 3 paying Free 1

p/s: By the way the buffet is already fully booked till the last day of the promotion. However you can try walk in and may be lucky to get a table.


Each and everyone of us has a wonderful night with good company of friends, food and excellent view from the promontory where we are able to catch the fabulous fireworks and Crane Dance performance. For more read-up and photos related to this buffet, you can refer to their blog links shown below:-

1. Maureen: http://www.misstamchiak.com/

2. Shi Ting: http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/

3. Celes: http://celestialdelish.blogspot.com/

4. Derrick: http://www.sgfoodonfoot.com/

5. Meng Ching: http://jessiefoodtrip.blogspot.com/

6. Sherie: http://www.maameemoomoo.com/blog

7. Priscilla: http://www.iluvmyscooter.com/


Monday 4 October 2010

Magical Night @ Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is having an “After Hours” event where they features the Lake Hollywood Spectacular show as well as Dine and Shop at the Hollywood zone from 7:00pm to 10:00pm on every Friday and Saturday. Guess what, the entrance fee is only S$5.00 per person and this will be a great bargain for those who just wanted to go in and have a feel of the atmosphere but not rather on those exciting rides.

With this valuable offer, last Saturday our usual group decided to organize a trip to USS to explore what they have in the theme park. I am shared that every one of us has an enjoyable night moving around the park and the kids are so overwhelming with the fireworks performance that they yield for more.

You can purchase the limited same day entry ticket from the ticket booths located outside the Universal Studios Singapore (USS) entrance where they starting selling it at 6.30pm onwards. So do go earlier to avoid disappointment if you are going to catch the Fireworks performance that is available only on every Saturday night.

As this is the “After Hour” ticket, we can’t proceed far in to the other area of the park, except around some parts of the Madagascar and area, Hollywood and New York where you can take photos and visit some of the gift stores and restaurants.

This is an amazing HUGE pizza from “Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor” that is a must-stop eatery for those who loves traditional Italian pizzas and pastas. Too bad, we give this a missed because we had already tried “Mel’s Drive-In” burgers before spotting the pizza. Perhaps next round…..

Are you tired after the walk? Want to take a cab?

Beautiful view from the Lake Hollywood before the Fireworks.

Every Saturday night at 9:30pm you’ll get to watch the Lake Hollywood Spectacular which is an incredible new show where you will see beautiful fireworks burst across the night sky right in front of you!

Fireworks!!!

If you want a good spot to catch the fantastic view of the fireworks or take photographs during the performance, remember to secure a seat at the viewing area just outside “Mel’s Drive-In” restaurant at least 30 – 45 minutes before the show starts at 9.30pm.


Note:
For more photographs on the above mentioned post, please click HERE.




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