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


Saturday 22 October 2011

{Hawker Food Trail} Ghim Moh Food Centre

Sometime it is fun to gather a few friends who loves to eat and keen to try different types of food from different locations. And for the month of October, with the opening of the 12 new stations from the Circle Line,  Derrick from "SG Food on Foot" has organized a food trail to Ghim Moh Food Centre(CC22 - Buona Vista) whereby we get to try some of the Best Hawker food found within that food centre.

With 16 Adults and 2 Children we conquer 10 different local delights plus 2 dessert with a spending of S$8.00 each Adult. Looking at these spread above I am sure this is a good catch for our October hawker food gathering.


HEAVEN'S INDIAN CURRY
Stall Unit: #01-15
Opening Hours: 6.00am – 2.00pm, Daily


First we have 3 signature dishes from Haven's Indian Curry such as Putu Mayam, Thosai and Appoms. As you can see for both Putu Mayam(vermicelli-like noodles) and Appoms(disc shape with egg in the middle) are served together with some fresh grated coconuts and orange sugar. Personally I love their Appoms which is sort of  wafer-thin and super crispy with soft, chewy and slightly sticky central. To eat it you can top with some grated coconut and orange sugar to have different texture and flavour on your each bites.


LIAN HE CARROT CAKE
Stall Unit:#01-30


For your information Lian He Carrot Cake is just beside the Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh mentioned below. Out of the 5 person from our group this plate of fried carrot cake scores 2 votes out of 5. Most of us feel that it is still not well fried with the amount of scramble eggs and dark sweet sauce, perhaps a tiny bit more of minced garlic and chye poh will add extra flavour to this. But for those who prefer your fried carrot cake to be lighter in colour and taste, this might be a good catch if you are staying around that area.


JIU JIANG SHAO LA
Stall Unit: #01-45
Opening Hours: 11am – 7.30pm (Closed on Wed)


Next we try this plate of trio-platter with Roast Pork, Char Siew and Roast Duck from Jiu Jiang Shao La. This is a very common combination that is often ordered by most Singaporean. Out of the 3 items we love the roast duck which comes with a layer of crispy skin laying on top of the juicy and tender duck meat. Other than roast duck I also love their roast pork which is slightly salty but with a crispy outer layer that is simply irresistible.


HAKKA YONG TAU FOO
Stall Unit: #01-14
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 3pm (Closed on Mon)


Although I have read a few good reviews on this stall but then we were quite disappointed with the food we had that day. Their so called "must try" fried tau kwa was very dry and salty which seems to be a bit over fried. Overall the 5 of us in our group don't really like this version of fried Yong Tau Fu, perhaps having them in soup together with noodles/rice will be better choice.


TECK HIN FRIED HOR FUN
Stall Unit: #01-44
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm, 5pm – 8.30pm (Closed on Mon)


A plate of good beef hor fun is a challenge for the cook as you don't want to have either over/under cooked beef. What you are looking for is a plate of fragrant fried Hor Fun(noodle) with slices of beef that are tender and juicy when eaten. One thing to praise is that the hor fun at this stall are freshly fried and imbued with the char aroma from the wok which makes it so tasty when pairing with whichever choice that you order such as fish, beef or seafood.


GUAN KEE FRIED KWAY TEOW
Stall Unit: #01-12
Opening Hours: 9.30am – 2.30pm (Closed on Mon and Fri)


Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow has the longest queue among all the stalls in Ghim Moh Food Centre and they stall owner insists to fry his Kway Teow plate by plate despite of how many plates you order. We managed to try this "famous" fried kway teow after almost 40 minutes of queuing time and for your information their version is slightly towards the wet version making it making it less greasy and yet moist when eaten.


RONG YUAN COOKED FOOD STALL
Stall Unit: #01-19
Opening Hours: 9.30am – 2.30pm (Closed on Mon and Fri)


Read from ieatishootipost forum that this stall has pretty good chee cheong fun but it was sold out by the time we were there so we have to settle for 2nd alternative which is their Steamed Yam Cake. Surprisingly the texture of these yam cake was soft, fragrant and tasty compared to some other stalls. As you can see it also comes with some peanuts which added extra texture and taste to this dish. And most importantly these yam cake taste really "homemade" with real ingredients instead of more flour less yam.


GHIM MOH CHWEE KUEH
Stall Unit: #01-31
Opening Hours: 6.15am – 7pm, Daily


I love chwee kueh especially the one at Bedok Food Centre because of it soft texture kueh and fragrant fried "chye poh(fried turnip). But if you are hunting for traditional type of chwee kueh this stall at Ghim Moh would be the one that you are searching for. Their chye poh is fried using lard that gives it a traditional taste and unique fragrant like those sold in old school days.

Perhaps we are too used to the usual sweet chye poh and soft steamed kueh, those from our table comments that this traditional flavour tends to be bit salty and dry on the Chye Poh toppings which does not bringing that unique taste of this local snack.


GOLDEN SWALLOW DESSERT
Stall Unit: #01-53


Interesting indeed! These are Tadpole Bo Bo Cha Cha from Golden Swallow Dessert if you are looking for a change on the usual plain Bo Bo Cha Cha! These colourful tadpole balls add bouncy and bursting effect whenever each spoonful is being sent into your mouth. And moreover these fragrant bo bo cha cha soup base are made using freshly squeeze coconut milk which add extra bonus point to this all-time favourite dessert.

Thanks for the great company and food. I am sure everyone enjoys this session and also thanks for all the "professional queuers" who help to queue and buy the food from 8 allocated stalls. Looking forward for the next food gathering in another hawker center soon. Once again Derrick and all those who help to queue for the food.

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.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

{Halloween Special} Jack O' Lantern, Black Cat Pumpkin Soup, Eyeballs Fettuccine And Death By Chocolate

Halloween is the celebration typically held on 31st October each year where this date marked the end of the summer and beginning of the cold winter which was often a time of death. As usually this year you could also join in some Halloween event at some of the tourist attraction such as Universality Studios Singapore, Halloween Horror Nights(here), Sentosa Spooktacular (here), FrightFest@Singapore Flyer (here) and etc.

This is the second year (read last year post, here) I cooked Halloween theme dishes despite that we don't actually celebrate this festival. Same as last year I have cooked a creamy pumpkin soup but with fusion of Asian and Western ingredients. And for this year we have a set Dinner Menu that comes with salad, soup, pasta and dessert with Halloween theme decorated.

ShareThis