Entree Kibbles

Local ramen lovers would have heard of the Keisuke brand in Singapore and although there were eleven outlets, a big majority had their own set of menu serving dishes not found in other branches. It may not even be ramen as evidenced from my post on Tendon Ginza Itsuki!

My mom had always enjoyed ramen given their usually delicious broth and my sister suggested we had dinner at the 40-seater Kani King at Cineleisure Orchard for our almost bi-weekly meetup on weekdays.

As you can see from the first photograph, the ambience was authentically retro-Japanese and i could imagine myself slurping a bowl of ramen in one of the many traditional shophouses at Tokyo! Oh well, i have yet to visit Japan and it's always nice to play on imagination every now and then for self satisfaction.

Anyway, make your own ramen from the easy-to-fill-up order list where you could determine the taste of the soup, texture of the noodles, the amount of flavoured oil and even remove ingredients you dislike! In my case, no bamboo shoot and no black fungus!

I had raved about the green tea cola on Keisuke Tokyo - Tonkotsu Ramen Special posting but i felt the urge to try out the pinkish Sakura cola instead! For a non-cola lover, there's only so much cola my tummy can take. How?!

While waiting for your food, do help yourself to the bowl of hard-boiled egg and canisters of beansprouts and gomashio cabbage! Mom is a vegetable lovers and i think she finished at least half of the beansprouts and cabbage.

Grind the sesame seeds using the wooden pestle if you need to do something; you wouldn't regret it as the crushed seeds released an aroma that totally whets the appetite when throw onto the soup!

Since i couldn't decide, i ordered both the green tea and sakura cola to be shared between my sister and i. So how was the taste of the pinkish cola?

My expression didn't change when i took a sip. Thinking my taste buds were likely sleeping, i had a longer sip and came to the conclusion that it was pretty normal. I guess i would stick to my green tea cola in the future.

Gyoza - not too bad with a chunky meaty inside that's oily yet flavourful. The size was rather decent compared to other competitors where the dumplings were so pathetically small; i might as well buy from Old Chang Kee.

Crab Broth Ramen (Rich Soup) - finally, my special order that came with all toppings except for bamboo shoot and black fungus!

The creamy, thickened soup with that unmistakable crab taste was so irresistible; i just kept drinking and drinking, alternating only because i needed to clear my normal texture noodles to get to the soup!

Chashu, or what i thought was chashu, was a disappointment as it was, simply put, a fatty bacon that didn't melt in my mouth! Nevertheless, it was enough to placate the meat eater in me.

Nearing the bottom of the bowl, the soup got a bit too salty and you know what you must do? Throw in the gomashio cabbage! My sister and mom got spicy crab and clear soup respectively and i prefer the former for that extra (albeit spicier) punch whereas the latter was too bland for my liking.

And you know what, all the bowls had crab patterns and we only realised that when we had licked clean the bowls and devoid them of their delicious content!

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Location

8 Grange Road, #01-03,

Cathay Cineleisure Orchard,

Singapore 239695

Map

As above.

Website

http://www.keisuke.sg/kani-king-cineleisure-orchard/

Pricing

Sakura Cola - S$3.80

Green Tea Cola - S$3.80

Gyoza (5 pieces) - S$5.00

Crab Broth Ramen (Rich Soup) Special - S$18.90

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is the main gateway in Singapore to Bintan Island and i have been using the same terminal for no less than ten years; which means i am pretty familiar with what it has to offer.

The one thing i always noticed yet never explored all this while was the room that was on my left whenever i cleared the immigration counters; the exclusive Emerald Lounge. To be frank, i would never have stepped in as the cheapo in me would always choose the cheaper ferry tickets.

However, in my recent trip to Bintan with my polytechnic friends, the 'purchaser' suggested taking the emerald class seat as the price differential wasn't big and since there was no objection, we went for the VIP class that came with access to the Emerald Lounge at the terminal too!

Now, compared to the massive crowd outside waiting to board the ferry, the scene within the lounge was vastly different! It was quieter with ample sofa chairs that literally screamed of comfort.

There's also free WiFi for those who need to get connected to upload photos of their trip; just remember to take the slip of paper that contained the password connecting your device with the world wide web.

Thirsty? Get your water from the hot / cold water dispenser and for those people who need to read their newspapers, get hold of the complimentary Straits Times!

Have you noticed the pigeon-hole boxes? They were phone charging stations for those who need the emergency help for a dying battery! Keys can be signed out from the reception counter!

Let's venture further in where there were more seats for our noisy group; put a bunch of marketing students in one quiet area and you can imagine the noise that were generated.

Dissatisfied with just plain hot and cold water? Fret not, there's a nescafe machine for black coffee, espresso, latte, mocha and milo!

Prefer tea? Get your pick from the Dilmah tea bags and you could have your tea with packs of traditional local biscuits (i think the brand is Khong Guan)! All complimentary as part of the higher priced ferry ticket!

A computer for you to check your office email before you embark on your relaxed beach vacation to Bintan or even write a will in case, you know, something happens to the ferry you are on. No harm to prepare in advance right?

Clean toilets within the lounge too!

Emerald class seat holders get priority to board the ferry and there's even a separate entrance connecting the lounge directly to the berth!

Normal class ticket holders would actually wait till emerald class ticket holders have boarded the ferry before their gate is opened. That's really some luxurious shit in my opinion although there's more to come.

Unlike normal class ticket holders who had to jostle for better seats (near the window) or bunch of seats where friends and family members could be seated together, you are assigned seat numbers as emerald ticket holders.

Just like business and first class tickets for the airlines, there's a separate section purely for the emerald class. I felt pampered already when i stepped in even though i don't think i would get use to it; still prefer to save money on 'transportation' when i am overseas.

Seats were spacious and came with the meal tray! There's a pretty big television in the middle and it's showing Toy Story (can't remember which episode), in high definition!

While normal tickets would get you a small bottle of mineral water, emerald tickets would allow you coffee, tea and even can drinks! I went with a cold can of Heaven and Earth Ice Lemon Tea!

Hungry for more? Get your selection here.

Didn't manage to gain much juice for your phone battery at the Emerald Lounge? Charge your mobile devices further using the multi-device charging station in the ferry!

I only realised there was free WiFi in the ferry for emerald class ticket holders when i was on my journey back home (honestly, who can notice the sticker with the password when it was pasted on the tv?) but i guess i didn't lose much since the connection was extremely bad.

So how was the treatment at Bintan's Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal for emerald class ticket holders? When everyone was waiting in a long queue to have their baggage scanned, you would be able to gain priority entry to scan your bags when you show your tickets to the counter above.

Other than that, the executive lounge was crowded with people and i suspected non-emerald class ticket holders may have gained access since no one was at the entrance confirming your tickets.

No coffee dispenser, no biscuits; only tea bags and instant coffee. Oh well, we still got priority embarkation. Oh, before i forget, you do get priority disembarkation too!

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To Buy Your Emerald Class Tickets

Visit https://reservations.brf.com.sg/Booking/bestprice_res.aspx

For my two days, one night trip

to Bintan, click here.

With most retail shops opening at 10am and the time was only about 9.10am, we decided to hop into the first cafe we chanced upon after exiting from Amanda Brownies; Caffe Bene!

The cafe had just started its business for the day and the place was literally empty! Ambience was comfortable and the interior design did remind me of the cafes in Korea when i was there in 2014.

There were great photo spots and with mom around, it's easier to get her to pose for my camera and get a few decent pictures to flash on this blog.

It's even easier to get our dear Joyce and she's always daring to try all kind of poses! With the lack of customers in the cafe, her boldness spiked further and she simply pulled the poor bear out of the chair for the above shot!

She even took unloaded the fake bingsu displays from the counter, although i must admit permission had been sought from the counter staff, and attempted to train my mom to give the ultimate expression!

Mom failed quite miserably even though it's a piece of cake for Joyce!

Okay, i only had hot chocolate and we didn't top for any bingsu as it was too early for cold desserts. Furthermore, we had a darn heavy breakfast at Best Western Premier La Grande Hotel; hence, i could not share any review on the food. However, you may refer to the menu above for price reference.

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Location Map

As above.

For the itinerary of my five days, four nights inaugural trip to Bandung, please click here.

Even though i stayed for only one night at Bintan earlier this month, i managed to patronise D'Bintan Spa twice; main reason being it started raining heavily and we knew all outdoor activities would be disallowed.

With nothing much to do except to laze in the hotel room (which i could have done at the comfort of my humble abode), we contacted the spa and they readily agreed to pick us up from Angsana Bintan at no additional charge for an hour-long foot reflexology for two persons!

There's a friend who decided to join us even though he didn't want to sign up for any massage and the chauffeur agreed since there's sufficient space within the car anyway! Thumbs-up for the service.

The foot reflexology area; we were the only customers and i am wondering if business would really be that bad since it's the weekend. Nevertheless, we did notice a rather thin crowd even at the local market.

Aside from massages, other treatments include facials, hair cares! I shall share the pricing at the end of the post but you may wish to contact the spa directly for updated price list; contacts to be shared at the end of the post too.

Time to start the massage - it was a relaxing session for my feet although what i really needed then was a back massage! Haha. The fault was on me for not asking for that instead.

We were back the next day and this time, we opted for the traditional massage and were brought to another shopfront two doors away that's also under D'Bintan Spa!

Area with drawn curtains where you would be given some privacy since there's a need to strip down to your panties / underwear! Honestly, i prefer the massage parlours in Thailand as they would give a change in clothing for the massages.

Session was comfortable and was definitely better than the excruciating painful one i had at KSL Mall (JB, Malaysia) last week. However, if given the choice, i would still opt for Bangkok massages.

For this particular shophouse with the massage beds, there's also a retail shop for those who need to get some souvenirs for friends / family back home!

Packets of kerepok (crackers) could be purchased here too but i am not that keen in snacking nowadays. It's more the pack of ginger drink that i am extremely interested in; it's the same one served to us after the massage and i totally enjoyed it.

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Contacts of D'Bintan Spa

WhatsApp: +6287892246357

LINE: BINTAN1128

WeChat: BINTAN1128

Packages

As above. For updated price lists, please contact the spa directly via the contact modes that i have shared above.

For details of my 2 days, 1 night Bintan trip, please click here.

<<< Day Four

I am finally getting to the last day of my Bandung trip that was completed early December last year! As usual, the day started with breakfast at Best Western Premier La Grande hotel where i continued to indulge in normal fried eggs topped with acar and sweet spicy onion soy sauce!

The initial plan to walk to Amanda, a brick and mortar shop famed for its healthy, steamed brownies, was derailed with a light drizzle and we hopped into a cab which sent there within 15 minutes.

Reliable blue bird cab that brought us to Amanda; actually i am quite glad we decided to grab a cab as the distance would likely result in plenty of grumblings from my mom.

Entrance to Amanda! Click here for more information.

We were done with our purchases within 20 minutes and with Kartikasari, another popular local snack shop, just about 1.2 kilometers away; the decision to walk was unanimous.

On day four's night, i had already raised caution with the roadworks along this stretch of road although the scene in daylight was even more harrowing; so glad i didn't fall into the drains the day before given that i am not very observant!

Strolled in to Caffe Bene (i think it's the only one in Bandung at that moment) for two reasons; raindrop started falling from the sky again and the numerous factory outlet shops in between Amanda and Kartikasari don't open before 10am.

Aside from goofing around at Caffe Bene, mom secretly opened the box of pisang bolen keju that were purchased from Amanda earlier so that we could have it as snack with our coffee / tea / hot chocolate. From memory, i remember i dislike the banana cheese puff pastry!

An hour later, we continued our way.

For a conservative Muslim nation, i am shocked to see a pizza parlour that's named Panties Pizza and what's more eye-popping was its slogan; "i love panties, like i love you"! I was utterly speechless.

More pedestrian walkway improvements - as i mentioned in day four, the inconvenienced i faced would eventually be the convenience for the future and i can tell you, i would definitely be back in Bandung.

A mini-supreme court?!

In the meantime, we did pop into quite a number of factory outlets like Adidas, Polo Ralph, Nike, Episode etc. For more details on branded factory outlet shopping in Bandung, check out the post here.

Arrival at Kartikasari!

The building that housed Kartikasari had more than just the local kueh and snack shop; there's a restaurant and a toys store on the ground level.

You may even leave your kids at the playground; pricing was indicated at 30,000 rupiah on weekdays and 45,000 rupiah an hour on weekends (from Fridays).

Prefer more craftwork activity for your kids? You may consider the above which i am unsure on the terminology used for it even though it's quite common in Singapore.

On the second floor, i recalled there's a retailer selling Muslim attire (tudung etc) and a makeshift store offering pretty good quality tee shirts at 119,000 rupiah a piece; get two or more at 99,000 rupiah each!

Took a cab as we were running late with just an hour to go before our arranged check out from the hotel. I am blaming it on the ladies who spent too much time at Episode! You would note from the meter that it's only 7,000 rupiah and the journey back was only about 15,000 - 20,000 rupiah.

However, you would be required to pay the minimal 25,000 rupiah as mentioned in the sticker above! In the beginning, we thought the driver was cheating us and i actually had a chat with the head office to confirm it's an official thing.

You can't see much but that LED display was showing the temperature at Bandung! I brought along some sweaters yet never had the chance to wear them as the lowest i ever encountered was only about 23 degrees celcius! Above was 28.1.

Back at Best Western Premier La Grande hotel!

Had a much needed shower, packed up my goods and squeezed them into the luggage and bags! What you see above was 90% mine; the other 10% was my mum's used clothing that she would wash when we returned to Singapore.

Biding goodbye to the beautiful view i was blessed with for the past few days!

With another 45 minutes to go before our driver would come to pick us up to the airport, Joyce and i quickly walked over to the Bandung Electronic Centre's LotteMart to make last minute purchases!

My objectives were the bottles of herbs that's only about S$2 each! In Singapore, i know they would be priced twice as much. While i was about to pay my bill, i received a phone message; the driver had arrived! Darn, he was like 30 minutes early!

We rushed back and hurriedly loaded our luggage to the motor vehicle. My siblings and i were taught from a very young age that we shouldn't keep people waiting and this can be quite frustrating; take for an example during a tour package, we would always be the first few to step into the bus and there are always a few mates who would take their own sweet time. How i wish i am the latter sometimes..

Anyway, we drove past the train station! In my planning stage for this trip, i actually used the railway station as a reference point on the satellite map at Google Maps.

Eye-catching artwork on the walls!

I am unsure what the above building was although my main aim was to show you the Indonesian flag which was rather similar to Singapore flag which has a white top, red bottom with an additional crescent moon and five stars.

Common street scene in Bandung.

The driver veered in to a quiet street and given Singaporeans' paranoia when it comes to quiet surroundings on unfamiliar ground, we had our suspicions.

Security checks at Bandung Husein Sastranegara International Airport and arrival at the terminals for domestic and international departures.

There were houses just right opposite the airport; who can actually claim to stand just a literal "stone's throw" away from the airport?! The people living in the houses could do that and they would not be ridiculed at all!

You can probably gauge the proximity from the above photo!

The happy ladies with their buys although i bought the most! Joyce, in fact, didn't purchase much and her expression, ever so expressive, was more to show that we managed to buy so much stuff!

Crowded airport.

For those who didn't have time to travel to Amanda; you may drop by the Picnic shop at the airport as there's a section for Amanda steamed brownies! Do note that prices would be a bit higher.

Once you reach the airport, go ahead and perform the check-in procedures! If you have flimsy packages, you can opt to wrap them in cling wrap for a fee. Do check and agree on the price before you allow the staff to wrap it up for you!

Note, there's nothing much to have in the departure lounge; hence, just proceed to the commercial district right opposite the airport once you have checked in your luggage.

Lunch for us at Bim Burger & Fried Chicken! For review, click here.

Thank god for the iPad - if not, mom would definitely have bored herself to death in the super boring departure lounge; even i was on the verge of dozing off and i don't even have the habit of sleeping without a bed.

Plane was delayed as the boarding ticket reflected a boarding time at 3.40pm yet the people from the plane was only disembarking at 3.45pm. This would only mean additional torture for me as i suffered in the boring lounge.

Finally our turn at 4.10pm! As mentioned many times before, i so like it when i have the chance to walk on the runway tarmac and board the plane!

More photographs; for the first one, it reminded me of a video that circulated on social media once when a man walking in front of the engine was suddenly sucked in! Horrifying!

Notice those tall supposedly telecommunications towers at the mountainside?

Took off from the runway at about 4.45pm which was pretty close to the 4.40pm departure time that we had been given when we purchased the air tickets!

Anticipating the sunset that would eventually come!

Dinner first; cheese fish and rice if i am not wrong which was pretty decent even though the french beans could have been cooked a bit longer with a heavier dosage of seasoning and the pineapples provided tasted canned.

I was totally dazzled by the beautiful sunset! For more photographs, click here.

We would have arrived way ahead of the scheduled arrival but the plane was asked to hold at a position until 7.15pm and by the time we landed, we it was already 7.28pm, closer to our schedule. :(

Besides clearing immigration, you know what's the one thing i must do after landing at Changi International Airport? Buy vodka for my collection!

My pile of new clothes / shoes from Bandung's branded factory outlets; as i have told many others, i think i would drop by Bandung every time i want to change my wardrobe..

>>> Summary of Trip

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Posts linked to Last Day

(click to find out more)

With a history that stretches over seventy long years, Hua Mui was well regarded by many Singaporeans who would travel across the causeway and make it their first pit-stop in the morning!

For someone who has been a regular visitor of Johor Bahru (JB) for many years, i am embarrassed to declare that it's my first visit to Hua Mui and had to rely on my elder sister to bring me there. p.s. Joyce is a regular patron of JB.

Even though it was a weekday (tuesday) and already past breakfast time, the first floor remained packed with people and i am so glad that it had a second floor with available seating for the four of us!

While waiting for our food (to be shared later in this post), my sister excitedly pointed to the back where there was a pulley system in place.

It's a manual elevator (also known as dumbwaiter) for our food that's cooked at the ground floor! It's definitely interesting; however my follow-up question would be "what happens if it starts to rain?" since the area appeared exposed.

Kopi - a much needed beverage every morning, this was smooth, not overly sweet and pretty aromatic. It was bit too light for my liking although the fault was mine; i should have requested for kopi gao (thick).

Butter and Kaya Toast - Alex recalled (yes, he had been at Hua Mui before) that the kaya and butter toast was just normal and i honestly wasn't expecting much given his disclosure.

The toast was lukewarm and other than that, i thought it was comparable with good kaya butter toasts in Singapore! The butter was really good and complemented perfectly with the irresistible sweetness of kaya (coconut jam).

French Toast - given the good experience with the butter and kaya toast, we thought this would not disappoint, especially when it featured such a beautiful crisp!

It was normal with a crispy exterior and didn't elicit any "mmmmmm...." expression from any of us; naive me assumed there would be peanut butter in between but that's pushing the limit when the french toast cost only RM 2.50 (less than S$0.80).

Hainanese Chicken Chop - touted as the must-try in any travel and / or food blogs, it would be sacrilegious should we decide to ignore the wise advice dispensed by many.

After trying it (thanks to Joyce for helping to cut up the chop), my verdict would be that i don't really have to try it. For a chicken chop (more of a cutlet if you ask me), i had tried plenty to confirm this isn't the kind i enjoy and guess many people like it mainly because it is authentically and traditionally Hainanese style.

Fried Mee (Dried) - lusciously oily, i was very taken by this nostalgic plate of black noodles that's a carbohydrate option at Chinese nasi lemak stalls; there's a desirable flavour coupled with the strong wok-hei essence and it was so delicious despite the fact i would usually resist yellow noodles!

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Location

No. 131, Jalan Trus,

80000, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Map

As above (red star)

Operating Hours

8.30am to 5.30pm

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/RestoranHuaMui/

Menu

As above

Pricing

Kopi - RM 2.00

Butter Kaya Toast - RM 2.00

French Toast - RM 2.50

Hainanese Chicken Chop - RM 15.90

Fried Mee (Dried) - RM 8.90

(Inclusive of GST)

I would never have thought of travelling to this part of Johor Bahru (JB) without a car but with GRAB, anywhere is possible and especially Jang Won Korean BBQ restaurant came strongly recommended by my sister's friend!

Do note that the restaurant is on the second floor and if it happens to be raining, as it did when we dropped by last Tuesday, be prepared to have raindrops falling on you as the staircase isn't sheltered.

Non-air-conditioned section of the restaurant - there's an air-conditioned area further in but the weather was rather cool and we figured outdoor seating would do just fine; at the very least, we wouldn't stink like hell after the meal

Another advantage of outdoor seating; you could look across the promenade where Singapore is! The three red-white pillars belong to the largest power station in the little red dot; Senoko Power Station.

A kid's playroom for those with hyperactive kids; however, the scale is much smaller than the one at Singapore's Ju Shin Jung and i doubt kids can self entertain for very long in the room. Oh well, better than nothing right?!

We deliberated a long while on what to have as everything looked so good and the pricing was way more economical compared to Singapore; to put it in perspective, a Korean seafood pancake (priced at RM 25) would have cost a ridiculous S$20 back home.

A plastic container of barley tea; hot was available for those who dislike cold drinks. Anyway, we decided on having a set known as Course B instead as it offered three types of meat and a kimchi hot pot!

The allure of charcoal-based grill; deemed to be the best way to grill meat, please be assured that there's minimal smoke emitted throughout our meal.

Complementary side dishes - 15 in total, i took a pick at every single one and my verdict would be that i am generally satisfied although the kimchi might be a tad too sweet for some. Even the cut seaweed had sugar sprinklers on them.

Steamed egg in a bowl which came with the course; this reminded me of Jeju's Hwaro Hyang restaurant where we had the island's signature black pork and the steamed egg was free too!

Lettuce for the grilled meat - as my stomach already had something before Jang Won, i knew i wouldn't be taking any vegetables; let the juicy meat fill my tummy instead.

Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) - the first course!

The other two types of meat were dwaeji galbi (pork spareribs) and dak bulgogi (marinated Korean chicken). I thought the portions were relatively decent.

Kimchi hotpot - our last course! It was placed at the side and you may start the fire to warm up and cook the ingredients within when you are done with your charcoal grilled meat.

Pork belly was finally done and despite saying all this while that non-marinated meat doesn't elicit much of a favourable opinion; i believe i am eating my words today as it really depends on who grilled them as these were grilled perfectly!

I was as impressed with the pork spareribs and chicken bulgogi and it's obvious i couldn't stop my silver chopsticks from continuously sticking into the grill. p.s. the restaurant staff would automatically change the grill to a new one once they note the charred layer.

Starting on the kimchi hot pot with ingredients like tofu, sausages, luncheon meat, glass noodles, tteokbokki, enoki mushrooms and, kimchi.

Maybe it's my fault for assuming it was army stew as i didn't find it fantastic and thought the broth was a bit too thin for my liking. Nevertheless, i wouldn't have liked it as a kimchi hot pot too for the aforementioned reasons and having had really good tteokbokki at Dookki, i found the tteokbokki a bit too sticky for my liking.

Free scoop of ice cream in a cone for every customer! Notwithstanding the kimchi hot pot, i would be back for the incredibly priced Korean BBQ! I had the intention to go again today but Alex had stomachache. :(

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Location

K3-211, Block C, 2nd Floor, Perniagaan Stulang Laut,

Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, Taman Stulang Laut,

80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

(Near Berjaya Waterfront)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

11.00 am to 11.00 pm

Reservation

07-2266820

Pricing

Course B - RM 135

(Subject to GST)

It's been a while since my last karaoke session and when no movie actually caught my attention at KSL City shopping mall, we decided unanimously on I am a Singer Family Karaoke even though i am hardly a singer!

The excessive 'rules and regulations' with a prominent sign reserved for "no outside snack, drinks and liquor allowed". Strangely, it had the logo of Kbox Plus, which was the name of the previous karaoke company managing the premises.

Rates from Mondays to Thursdays - as we didn't have the membership and there were only two of us' we opted for 2 hours of Package A at RM 60! It worked out to be close to S$20; technically it means i would have a better deal at Singapore's Manekineko Karaoke since it provides free flow drinks and snacks!

Knowing that most Singaporeans would travel to Johor Bahru (JB) over the weekends, i think some of you would benefit from the weekend rates as published above.

Whatever the case, the singing virus was activated and i had to fix it! On the way to our designated room, we walked past a convenience store; yes, there's one housed within the karaoke where you can buy your snacks and drinks; as an example for comparison, a pack of Super Ring biscuits is about RM 3.20.

Room assigned to me; the space was good enough for about 3 persons and for the 2 of us, it translated into ample space for us to roll around.

Furniture was relatively dated and one of the 3 microphones wasn't working too well; oh well, we worked with the limitations given to us. I suspected the furnishings and furniture were adopted from Kbox Plus.

We were the first customers and the system for the standalone control panel had to be started. Please be assured that you would not be billed for the timing spent waiting for the software to load.

Visually pleasing and easy to use interface on a big screen!

It didn't take me long to navigate the menu and thanks to the training i received for hanyu pinyin when i was in school, i found it quite easy to find the singers and even the songs. Want to guess what's LRH? Hint - a singer.

Lee Rong Hao! By the way, this guy would be having a concert (An Ideal World Tour Concert) on 13 May 2017 at the Max Pavilion at Singapore Expo!

I don't chase any singers / groups and would listen to songs played from the radio station like UFM 100.3. If i like the songs, i would take note and check them out on youtube. From the above, i can roughly sing like 3 of them.

Screen saver - there's another outlet at Sutera Mall (closer to 2nd Link). Now, let me draw your attention to the lower portion of the screen.

It's a permanent bar and aside from stopping / pausing the song and allowing the original singer to guide you in your singing, the most important feature is the time. 01:39:44 means i have an hour 39 minutes and 44 seconds left. It's darn useful as you can slot in another song when it's counting down to less than a minute!

We had a great time belting out the songs and the system was actually not too bad despite the slightly rundown condition of the karaoke lounges.

I also took this opportunity to belt out many Hokkien songs even though i am limited to old classics like 有影無 by 陳雷! Oh, the above photo just reminded me that WiFi was available!

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Location

Lot L2-089, Level 2, KSL City,

Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad

80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Pricing

2 Hours - RM 60

(do refer to the rates i have appended in the beginning of the post)

As loyal readers would know, i am hardly a food connoisseur and rely heavily on foodie friends who make it a point to try out new places whenever we arrange to meet up; they do it simply because i can blog about it! So sweet of them right?!

Of course there were occasions when they also wanted to eat something new and especially for eateries that created a lot of hype; as in the case of Tendon Kohaku at Suntec City shopping centre.

We purposely took time off on a Friday as the queue was renowned to be terribly long and given my experience at Tendon Ginza Itsuki; i knew it's better to sacrifice my valuable time-off for a shorter wait.

Thankfully, it didn't take us long to enter the about 30-seater restaurant although one of my friends arrived slightly earlier to wait in the queue.

Menu, to be shared towards the end of this post, wasn't much different from Tendon Ginza Itsuki with the exception of a spicy flavour for both original and vegetable.

To be on the safe side just in case the spicy flavour tendon was too hot for us to handle, all three of us opted for the original kohaku tendon! While waiting, feel free to indulge in the radish pickled in a unique concoction of ginger and yuzu!

By the way, you have two rice options and whichever you choose has no impact on the price; it's a hard decision to make as both types of rice came from Japan and would definitely have nanatsuboshi white rice.

Second rice option was nanatsuboshi white rice WITH 16 multi grains (including barley, millet, brown rice, corn and beans). For details of what the 16 grains comprise of, please refer to the above photo. I played safe again; white rice it shall be!

It didn't take us long to have the bowl of tendon placed on our table and the first thing i noticed was the extra bowl that served as backing for the tempura. Initially thought to be useless, we did realise after a few seconds that placing all the tempura on that separate bowl made it easier for us to enjoy the food!

Overflowing with tempura, i know many of you would wonder what they are and here goes; two pieces of chicken fillet, two prawns, one piece of squid, one crab stick, one portobello mushroom, one slice of pumpkin, one ear of baby corn and one stalk of French beans.

Generally satisfied with the tempura and special mentions included the two pieces of fresh and tender fillet which were actually chicken breast meat, the impossibly soft squid and the incredibly good baby corn! The tempura's batter wasn't thick even though i liked the prawns, my friends couldn't stand their alkaline (commonly known as kee) taste!

Batter and freshness of the ingredients aside, the key determinant to make / break a tendon would be the brown sauce that doused the tempura and rice! It shouldn't be too generous to soak and break the texture of the tempura yet sweet and tasty enough to create a difference from the tendons offered in many Japanese restaurants.

The sauce at Kohaku met the criteria and i really did enjoy the tendon! However, there's always a need to draw comparison with Tendon Ginza Itsuki and i must admin i prefer Ginza Itsuki for two reasons; the egg with runny yolk and the complimentary sides (miso soup and the absolutely delectable chawanmushi).

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By the time we left at 6.29 pm, the queue was 40-person long!

Location

3,Temasaek Boulevard,#03-310/311 ,

Eat At Seven, Suntec City Mall(Tower One),

Singapore 038983

Operating Hours

11.30 am to 10.00 pm

(Break between 4 and 5 pm)

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/kohaku.tempura/

Menu

As above

Pricing

Tendon Kohaku - S$15.00

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

Additional Information

There's a second branch at Boat Quay!

On the few occasions i was at Millenia Walk, i always noticed a literal full house at Patisserie G despite the many such dining establishments in close proximity; hence, we were ecstatic to find it almost empty on a Friday evening and decided to have desserts!

We just had tendon at Kohaku and there's no way we could stomach another main course even though i vaguely remember a friend informing that it's famous for its egg dishes. Whatever, there's always room for sweet things after meals!

Local newspapers and magazines for your reading pleasure; shall keep this in mind as a future reference in case i need to wait for someone at Suntec area and the person is late.

Birthday treat for me and another friend who was also borne in the month of April - much thanks to you-know-who-you-are! Blessed to have so many friends who love to fatten me up!

Small French Hot Chocolate -super thick and you would be excused for thinking it's just melted high quality chocolate. Personally, i think i would prefer the cheaper, thinner and milkier version.

This was mine although i couldn't recollect what it was; maybe mocha? Tasted unexceptional; hence the random elimination from my over-packed brain.

PG Dome - notwithstanding the laughter from the staff, i am insisting this should be called pokemon ball. There was a sourish sweetness to it that complemented perfected with the almond sponge! I rarely enjoy sourish desserts but as you can attest, there's always exception.

The G Spot - with sexual undertones, i am wondering what would be the answers given by parents when their young child asks what does the G stand for. I can tell you it is an abbreviation of Gwen; owner of Patisserie G.

Never a fan of chocolate cakes; this caught my attention for being so similar to ferrero rocher, albeit in an artisan cake form and you know what's the best thing? It's not cloyingly sweet and as the name somewhat suggests, it hit the right spot.

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Location

9 Raffles Boulevard,

Millenia Walk #01-40/41,

Singapore 039596

Website

http://patisserieg.com

Menu for Brunch and Drinks

As above.

Pricing

Small French Hot Chocolate - S$4.50

Mocha - S$6.00

PG Dome - S$9.00

The G Spot - S$9.00

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

In the short two days, one night Bintan trip with my polytechnic classmates, a friend proposed having dinner at a kelong restaurant and although i have reservations, given that the standard of seafood in Singapore is one of the best in the region; i must always go back to the basic blogging advice of "never try, never know".

The cars arrived on time to pick the twelve of us from Angsana Bintan; for free transportation, we must spend a minimum of one million rupiah which we figured would be achievable since there were a total of eleven adults and it worked out to be about slightly more than S$10 a person!

Within fifteen minutes, the cars dropped all of us outside the 'grand' entrance of Bintan Mangrove which was very near to the local market; hm... did the person mistakenly bring us for a different thing!? It didn't help that i was feeling rather hungry at that time.

Guidelines for your reference before you enter the mangrove attraction; don't think i have the means and capability to hunt animals or even fell the trees.

There was a slight drizzle; definitely not the best time to visit the mangroves. Nevertheless, the person bringing us in didn't say a single thing and i guess then that there shouldn't be any mistake that we needed dinner.

A few structures in sight; okay, so that's where our dinner would be!

Wrong again! We would require a boat ride to the kelong restaurant and this would be the place where we would take the speedboat.

Need insect repellent? You may purchase it from the above shop within the jetty, together with snorkeling sets, sandcastle kits, caps, snacks etc.

This jetty is actually the starting point for the bintan mangrove discovery tour which was the gold award winner for PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) 2003. p.s. i did note that it's been more than ten years.

All of us had to put on smelly life-jackets that had been reused many, many times! Okay, i exaggerated a bit; it didn't smell that bad once the boat sped away.

Preparing to board!

Boat ride was only about five minutes and if not for the sky's continual tearing, it would have been pleasurable to have the nice sea breeze brushing against our face

Arrived at the restaurant - it's not exactly kelong in my opinion since i was expecting something in the middle of the river or offshore but this was connected to the mainland. Oh well, i had faced similar situations before so it might be my misconstrued perception.

It was a relatively small restaurant with just about five to six round tables and aside from one small group, we were the only customers. Strange to have such low numbers on a Saturday night!

These structures next door appeared new and seemed to be chalets with balcony.

Live seafood - grouper and crabs! We actually wanted to go with the live grouper but it was too big at about 3 kilograms and if i recollected correctly, it's going to be very expensive!

Operator got us a smaller one which we thought would be more manageable on both our tummies and also wallet. There's absolutely no problem in attaining the minimal spending of one million rupiah!

Orders were made (menu would be shared towards the end of this post) and it's now just a waiting game for us while the chefs whipped up the delicious dishes for us.

Boom - the lights went out. It's not a marketing gimmick to let us have a romantic dinner and our group was actually quite chilled about the power failure; we even joked that we might not even know what was served to us since we can't really see under the candlelight!

The lights came on just in time for us to take a picture of the blackberry juice; thought it looked more purplish than black. Anyway, it was pretty good with a strong yet sweet berry taste.

Salted Egg Sotong (Large) - in spite of the bright yellow coloring, this didn't taste heavy of salted egg yolk even though it was appetising enough for us to overlook the lack of it.

Gong Gong (Large) - my first time trying the dog conch and i must say it's interesting; like eating crab meat with a harder texture. Kind of regret not trying it for the past 37 years.

Broccoli with Mushrooms (Large) - average.

Cereal Prawns (Large)- Even though the prawns tasted accepted, the cereals were just not fried long enough on the wok as i could hardly get a whiff of the aroma that's supposed to make this dish irresistible.

Chicken Satay (20 Sticks) - well seasoned and nice although they didn't feature the sweetness we were more accustomed to in Singapore.

Salted Egg Crab (1 Kilogram) - this was surprisingly good with shell that you could probably use your teeth to chew through and reminded me of the non-creamy, crunchy one at Yi Jia South Village Seafood Restaurant. Only problem; not sweet enough.

Chilli Crab (1 Kilogram) - even though the crab was fresh, i didn't quite like this as the spiciness was just a hint and it's actually quite salty.

Steamed Grouper - the best way to eat a live fresh is to steam it alive! The statement may sound extremely cruel but holds true among the Chinese. Poor fish must be in agony.

Despite my expression of pity towards the fish, it was downright the tastiest fish i ever had in my whole life; it was so fresh and sweet that we should have gone with the 3-kilogram one!

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Location

Within the Bintan Resorts Vicinity

Bintan Island, Indonesia

To Book for the Kelong Dinner

Email : spadbs@gmail.com

WhatsApp / Line / WeChat: +62 813 6381 0181

Packages

My friend actually shared the link that he visited to book for the kelong dinner. There are packages for those who prefer to have massage plus dinner plus firefly tour etc. You may click here for more information.

Menu

As above. p.s. i think i missed out a few pages.

Pricing

No individual pricing as i forgot to ask for the receipt from our class treasurer. If my memory serves me well, i think we spend about 3 million rupiah on our meal.

For my 2 days, 1 night travelogue to Bintan Island, click here.

Like most Singaporeans, i didn't quite venture beyond the comfortable, air-conditioned realm known as KSL City shopping centre and decided in my recent trip that i die-die must check out the eateries along the roads outside the mall!

I did my research beforehand and read that this strangely named restoran multi mart housed a stall said to serve very nice Hainanese pork porridge. Despite my long-standing policy of carbohydrate-restricted diet, porridge (specifically the pork one) is one dish i would never ask for a reduced portion.

Classic coffee shop with mosaic tiles and plastic chairs; such interior design style used to be a norm for coffee shops in Singapore too but sadly, a few big players had professionalised the industry with new ones featuring supposedly better, contemporary design.

Make your order, get the old-school number tag and FACE it towards the stall as the operator needs to see the number in order to send the bowl to your table!

The wait of about sixteen minutes was rewarded with a piping bowl of pork porridge on the table topped with youtiao (chinese cruller), spring onions, fried shallots and preserved vegetables.

Don't like pork porridge? Too bad as the stall only offered pork porridge and nothing else. There were two pricing though; one for plain pork porridge and another one for pork porridge with egg.

It was super delicious with the hearty flavour further enhanced by the spring onions, fried shallots and preserved vegetables. Also containing slices of pork and pieces of minced pork, the congee had a smooth consistency that's likely to be appreciated by the older generation.

100% satisfaction! Do you know that i actually had buffet breakfast earlier at Holiday Villa hotel not less than an hour ago?! Sorry, i am reducing the satisfaction to 98% as i would prefer more youtian in my porridge! Apology again as i am reducing it to 96% as the operator forgot i only wanted minced pork since i don't take pork liver!

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Location

No. 124, Jalan Harimau, Taman Century,

80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

(near Near KSL City and Holiday Villa Hotel)

Map

As above.

Pricing

Pork Porridge with Egg - RM 6.00

I arrived on time at The Larder Cafe that's located in Singapore's heartbeat, Toa Payoh, and my friend texted me that she's already at the carpark. 20 minutes later and i had yet to see her; turned out she couldn't find the cafe!

Now, take a look at the above picture. Remember it as i doubt you would find a similar facade (a creative half glass, half metal grille) on the ground floor of any public housing in Singapore. If you require a map, you will find them towards the end of this post.

Since i am not really into cafe-hopping, i didn't know much about The Larder Cafe even though i did like the name; firstly, larder is a place where you keep tons of food and secondly, it has the word lard which i totally enjoy in its deep fried form!

With cement screed flooring, industrial metal chairs, wooden tables and soft lighting that didn't look out of place despite the strong, natural lighting, it's actually quite a nice environment for friends to chill out. You wouldn't believe it but i spent like 3.5 hours with my friends at this place!

Aside from main course, you have your choice of starters, desserts like cakes, not-your-common ice cream, buttermilk waffles, and beverages to spend the afternoon slowly, as we did.

Pssst - want to save on beverages? Go for the free flow lemon ice water that's placed on the IKEA kitchen trolley. Sidetrack a bit - the trolley is actually must have for every household; even i have one that's used for my clothes pegs!

Time to order from the menu!

Sweet Potato Fries - well, no complaint about it as this kind of fries is always so addictive so long they are served piping hot!

Hawaiian Latte - available only in iced, this was such a pretty thing with colours of the sand, the clouds and the sky. Guess the day was cloudy as there wasn't much of a blue there.

It's the same drink by the way, when mixed. The green mixture tasted rather refreshing as it definitely didn't taste like any of the conventional lattes i have been accustomed to.

Arrabbiata Linguine - cooked in 'fiery tomato sauce', my nostrils picked up the enticing aroma and was really looking forward to it although i had like two large pieces of French toast just a couple of hours ago at home.

Although flavourful, it was on the salty side and a bit too spicy for me. Nevertheless, i managed to clean up the plate after sweating like nobody's business!

Fish & Chips - unlike the one in the news recently, the fish and chips at The Larder Cafe was decent, normal-sized and taste wise; met the standards of our fish-and-chips guru, Alex Chiu. This was actually recommended and i love the freshness and chunkiness of the breaded fish.

Crispy Hot Wings - among the many things we ordered, this was the most disappointing in my honest opinion as it tasted just like CP fried chicken with a dash of pepper. As my uncle works in CP, i often have the frozen winglets and drumlets for free!

The Dowager's Fingers - this starter couldn't be found anywhere else and is a signature for the cafe. However, i am resistant to ordering it as it cost a hefty S$10 for something that draws its inspiration from nail guards used by empresses and consorts of imperial China.

After taking a bite, my verdict would be: "Please order this if you are ever at The Larder Cafe"! It's like having fried wanton in an elongated format and the prawns wrapped in a thin pastry thin were so tasty! Dip in the accompanied bowl of honey-sesame-mayo dressing for that extra oomph!

Buttermilk Waffle with Classic Flavours Ice Cream - a nice conclusion to the meal and a conscious-order since we had already sat there for close to three hours! Classic ice cream flavours chosen were Mexican Vanilla and Latte Coffee.

As expected, i didn't like the latte coffee as i have never liked coffee-stuff in things other than a beverage and the mexican vanilla didn't taste any different from a good scoop of vanilla ice cream with vanilla seeds. The waffle was rather nice and i associated it as a thicker and more aromatic version of wafer that i could enjoy without any ice cream. Be warned - the harder texture would not appeal to those who prefer a fluffy-soft waffle.

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I had mentioned earlier that we spent 3.5 hours in the cafe and there was absolutely no unhappiness from the staff who remained as cheerful and as friendly towards us; even helping us to top up the lemon water! p.s. i noticed a lot of families with kids dining there and if you have dietary restrictions, notify the staff at the point of ordering and the chef would do his/her best to accommodate!

Location

Block 177, Toa Payoh Central,

#01-124, Singapore 310177

(near Toa Payoh MRT station)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Tuesdays to Sundays - 11am to 10pm

Closed on Mondays

Website

http://lardercafe.com/

Facebook Profile

https://www.facebook.com/thelardercafesg/

Menu

http://lardercafe.com/menu

Pricing

Sweet Potato Fries - S$7.00

Hawaiian Latte - S$5.80

Arrabbiata Linguine - S$14.00

Fish & Chips - S$15.00

Crispy Hot Wings - S$10.00

The Dowager's Fingers - S$10.00

Buttermilk Waffle with Classic Flavours Ice Cream - S$12.00

(NO GST and NO Service Charge)

I was thinking what i should use as the first photograph for my review on Angsana Bintan but i figured a picture of the cloud, the sea and the sky would likely appeal more than just a shot showing the a rather dimly lit main resort lobby.

Upon arrival at the seventeen year-old resort via the shuttle bus, you would be given a cold towel, a small glass of drink (content of which i couldn't remember which indirectly translates into i-don't-like-it) and a piece of cake.

Check-in, by right, was from 3pm and although it would infer plenty of time to check out the surroundings, i am with a group of fun-loving friends that hailed from my polytechnic days and community bonding is very much required.

Therefore, pictures taken were all over the place and i think it's best to categorise them for ease of reference. This is not the first time i am doing it and being a simple man; i would just put them as room, breakfast, amenities, the beach and activities.

Room

Most rooms were located in this 4-storey wing and i would strongly suggest you request for a room that's the lower number of the hundred; i.e. 401, 305, 202 instead of 432, 329, 230. Trust me, you have to run a long way if your room is at the end of the never-ending corridor!

402 - my assigned room which was super near the main lobby and it's all for me as my room mate couldn't make it for the trip! It may sound amazing to have the whole room for myself yet there's a teeny weeny problem; i don't dare to sleep alone when i am overseas....

Thinking it would be an opportunity for an inaugural sleep-alone-in-a-hotel/resort experience, i didn't get a chance as i eventually slept on the comfortable couch in another friend's room after downing quite a few cans of beer!

What's inside the closet? Bathing robe, safe, slippers etc. Umbrellas are important given the erratic temperature that's similar to Singapore. One moment sunny and the next moment, it's raining.

Guess you don't need explanation on what the above is for.

Every room had a balcony which was used mainly as a smoking area for some of my friends. It's actually nice to have a cup of tea at the balcony when it's raining cats and dogs.

View at the balcony.

Bathroom - noted a similarity? Orange is the main theme for the resort's guest rooms and for someone who has always preferred bright, white walls, it was relaxing and with the scent coming from aromatherapy burner, i believe i can easily doze off without much effort.

This was a real plant by the way.

Toiletries that were nicely packed in a good quality pouch; sadly, you cannot bring back the pouch unless you pay for it. I usually don't use any of them although i will bring back the shower cap.

A resort is for you to truly let go of yourself and de-stress and i guess a bathtub in the room would help towards achieving that goal.

Normally, the shampoo, bath gel and conditioner would be in plastic bottles but right here at Angsana Bintan, they were contained in individual porcelain containers; hence reducing the resort's carbon output. p.s. I totally immersed myself in the fragrance of the bath gel and lamented that i didn't have an empty plastic bottle to bring some back! I am usually not that cheapo!

Pretty sand-filled handcrafted starfish keepsake on the bed - it's free for you although you may wish to note that 14,000 rupiah a night would automatically be added to the bill as contribution to the Green Imperative Fund; you can choose to opt out even though it's seriously not much.

Breakfast

Your morning buffet meal would be taken at this open air, high ceiling restaurant (known as Lotus Cafe) located just a staircase down from the main lobby. It's the same place where i had mie goreng for lunch the day before.

I am going to be lazy and let the above photographs do the talking. There was a wide variety including local Indonesian breakfast offerings (lontong, bubur etc). Please make a beeline for freshly squeezed fruit juice which was surprisingly included in the buffet too!

No review on the respective dishes as i didn't have appetite that morning and only had a Moroccan omelette which tasted heavy of cumin; not my cup of tea.

Amenities

The Angsana Spa was listed as number one in Bintan on tripadvisor and my friends who signed up for their services were impressed. For stingy me, my money was spent on the much cheaper D'Bintan Spa at the local market.

Decent sized gymnasium for the rats. In addition to bottled water and towels, i noted green apples were also placed at one corner who health conscious rats.

Recreation Lounge with dart board, table tennis, pool table, board games and bean bags. This would be popular with those who came to escape the cold in their country. For Singaporeans, air conditioning is essential until the night falls.

Nevertheless, should the mood be there, you can always be assured of chilled infused water to cool down your body!

We had been concentrating on the indoor amenities so far and it's time we pay a visit to the great outdoors where many occupants would likely be at.

Main resort pool with a Jacuzzi section!

Pool counter where you can also get infused water, bath towels and even a couple of novels to waste your afternoon away!

These pinkish sachets were actually insect repellents and they were freely distributed to guests. There's supposedly sandflies on the beach although i didn't encounter any.

Left of the resort, hidden at a corner, was an infinity pool that looked out into the sea. Strangely, it wasn't indicated on the resort's map.

It's pretty isolated and most occupants of Angsana Bintan didn't seem to be aware of it. As it's right next to the connected Banyan Tree Resort, it could be reserved for Banyan Tree guests. However, i didn't see any sign.

Beach

Coming to the beach - now, i have been to Bintan on quite a few occasions (Bintan Lagoon Resort, Bintan Cabana Beach Resort) and although the beaches were generally better than Singapore, they couldn't be compared to the breathtaking ones at Maldives.

This would be one of the nicer pictures taken at high tide. As it was the tail-end of the annual monsoon season, the water was still relatively choppy.

With rocky outcrops, i am aware it would be a good place to snorkel and i wasn't disappointed even though it wasn't a lot. It's a pity i ran of my battery for my underwater camera and couldn't share more of the underwater world.

View at low tide was a different story altogether.

Despite the lack of sun to tan my skin, it's still a nice place to laze around and have the gentle sea breeze brushing against the tired soul residing in many urbanites.

More pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Boardwalk to the left of the resort, in front of the infinity pool, was a great photo spot and selfie-wannabes should seriously check it out!

Numerous warning signs were put up to deter people from climbing, stepping and / or walking on the rocks as they were slippery!

Dead corals.

Photographs taken on the boardwalk - as you can see, there were many rocks surrounding the boardwalk and it's tempting to step / walk / climb on them for better photos!

I did towards the end of the boardwalk and almost slipped! Fortunately i was careful and didn't suffer any injury. Others might not be so lucky.

Crab in the water!

Notice the oily streaks in the water? It would bring me to notify would-be occupants of a precautionary message pertaining to tar balls.

They actually came from merchant ships and had affected the condition of the beach. A famous blogger had in fact complained about it as her clothes were apparently stained by it.

It was serious enough for the resort management to issue a statement and inform guests in each room about the situation. A friend actually had her clothes stained by the tar and the resort managed to clean it up and returned back to her in a speedy two hours' time!

Activities

As the resort was relatively isolated with the main town quite a distance away, you would need activities to keep you occupied, especially if you would be staying there for a number of days!

Daily activities were listed near the reception counter and you may wish to note that advance booking might be required for some and some activities would have a charge.

You may also refer to the comprehensive list above which would include the prices per person for chargeable activities. I would strongly encourage you to book way in advance as available slots for popular activities (for example, ATV) can be taken up pretty quickly.

Some activities like jet ski, snorkeling would depend heavily on weather conditions.

The Conservation Lab would be of interest to animal lovers as we noticed a tank filled with ultra cute baby sea turtles! To view more pictures, click here.

Need sunblock? Get it from the Conservation Lab.

Marine Centre next door would be the place for you to sign up for activities like snorkeling, banana boat, water skiing, jet ski, ATV, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing tour etc. You can click the above photo and zoom in for the listing including their corresponding pricing.

Want to save some money? Go for the frisbee or have a game of beach paddle tennis! The equipment were placed in front of the Conservation Lab.

Aqua aerobics for those who want to shake it, shake it in the main pool!

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Location

Jalan Teluk Berembang Laguna Bintan,

Lagoi 29155 Bintan Resorts Indonesia

Resort Map

As above.

Website

http://www.angsana.com/en/ap-indonesia-bintan

More Information

For operating hours of the amenities and restaurant, please check out the above.

It's funny that whenever I am in an overseas country, I often go for cuisines that actually don't hail from the host country that i am travelling to. One example is Thailand where I often have Japanese food and another country is Malaysia, specifically Johor Bahru (JB) as I did realise recently that I keep having Korean food!

In addition to Jang Won Korean BBQ Charcoal Restaurant, i took the opportunity to try Paik's Bibim at City Square in my recent trip.

A fast-food restaurant concept for Korean bibimbap and it didn't dawn on me then that Singapore already has a number of branches! The embarrassment deepened when i shared my experience with my lunch kakis as they had in fact bought for me before!

Anyway, Paik's Bibim is the brainchild of Mr Jong Won Paik; the same guy who came out with Bornga! If you prefer to Korean BBQ instead of bibimbap at JB City Square, Bornga is actually just next door and you can check out my review here.

Alex's tummy wasn't feeling too well so he opted for something simpler. For me, of course i will take their signature dish; the original bibimbap! To be honest, the jap chae was less oily compared to many others although it translated directly into a drier texture that's also less tasty.

The steamed egg was just, well, steamed egg without much alternative flavour that would have set it apart from what i could cook myself in the comfort of my own kitchen.

Original Bibimbap - "beef stir-fried in soy sauce served over rice with loads of vegetables"; such simplified explanation fails to stir my appetite even though the picture on the menu did. Most people nowadays are visual creatures, leading to a spike in popularity for apps like Instagram.

Vegetables include fat beansprouts, carrots, radish, lettuce, cucumber and seaweed - from the look of it, i believe i had exceeded the recommendation by Singapore's Health Promotion Board's My Healthy Plate.

Clueless people would just start eating and i guess that's the reason why the eatery specifically installed such a big piece of wallpaper teaching diners the best way to eat bibimbap!

Most important item for bibimbap, the gochujang; a red chilli paste that's essential not only as a binding agent for all the ingredients but also the dispenser for the flavour so well loved by my sister and i.

This didn't disappoint - literally an amalgamation of goodness; the sweetness of the marinated stir fried beef, the fresh crunchiness from the vegetables and the light spiciness of the gochujang! Yummy!

Remember to return your tray, utensils and cutlery once you are done.

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Location

Lot MF-21A, Level 3 City Square,

106-108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook,

80000 Johor Bahru, Johor,

Malaysia

Website

http://www.paiksbibim.com/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Original Bibimbap - RM 15.80

Steamed Egg - RM 6.00

Japchae - RM 9.20

Hot Green Tea - RM 3.30

(Subject to GST)

Additional Information

No pork, no lard as declared above.

Sometimes in life, we need a bit of fate to wow us and that's exactly what happened when i went for a day trip to Johor Bahru (JB) with my sister and her friend last month; they were purchasing famous amos cookies whereas i decided to pop by a store right opposite, out of boredom.

It's a shop that sells popcorn and this brings me to mind the irresistible popcorn from Chef Tony's! As expected, you get more than just your usual sweet / salted popcorn and just like ice cream, there were creative flavours bound to tickle your taste buds!

For example; truly Asia durian popcorn would be something unimaginable (especially for durian haters) although it can taste rather nice in ice cream form.

Don't know what's good? Ask for samples as taste buds could vary from person to person and with 10 classic (original, cheese, caramel, wasabi, bbq, seaweed, cocoa malt, dark chocolate, sour & cream, tomato), 2 premium (butter caramel, cereal butter caramel) and 1 durian flavours, it's hard to make a decision without trying!

My haul for the second visit where i spent close to RM 200....

I can't speak on behalf of everyone but i truly enjoy the tomato popcorn for his sourish tangy sweetness; i am so tempted to smuggle a pack into the theatre whenever i catch a movie! Other personal favourites included the oceanic seaweed, the smokey bbq and the sour & cream chips in popcorn format!

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Location

MF-14A, Level 3,

Johor Bahru City Square, 106-108,

Jalan Wong Ah Fook,

80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Website

http://www.eurekasnack.com/

Pricing

Classic (140g Vacuum Pack) - RM 12.90

Additional Information

Buy 3 and get a can free!

My craving was for You Kee crystal char siew at KSL mall but by the time i got to Holiday Villa hotel for my birthday staycation, it was close to 10 pm and the eatery had already closed for the day.

Wandering aimlessly and not knowing what to have for a much needed dinner, we heard peals of laughter and chattering coming from beyond the staircase.

Out of curiosity, we stepped in for a better look and the entire place was packed with customers! Typical of any Singaporean, it's a given that to command such a crowd at such a late timing, food must be of a certain standard!

As the place was full, we waited for about ten minutes for a table. The time spent on waiting could be better used playing around with the props provided but again, not exactly my cup of tea. Haha.

Brought to a window seat and with an ongoing drizzle outside the Korean-pop themed restaurant, i did feel like i had mysteriously teleported to Seoul, until i see the signboards along the road.

Ordering time - honestly, i would love to have every type of chicken wings! However, there were only two of us and with Alex being such a small eater, i had to be mindful not to over-order.

Mango Rita - the picture on the menu appealed to us and since it's a non-alcoholic beverage using lemon Barbican soda, we figured it would not do much harm to weak drinkers like us. p.s. the bingsoo we wanted was unfortunately already sold out. :(

Alex had the Strawberry Rita and in comparison between the two, the mango one was so much nicer; refreshing and not overly sweet with a tinge of sourness! It's actually a lot for one person and i would strongly suggest sharing if you happen to be there.

Jap Chae - you would seldom go wrong with the Korean style stir fried glass noodles and this didn't disappoint with the signature savoury sweetness that i have always enjoyed! Add in my favourite mushrooms, chives and onions and it's an appetising dish i couldn't resist.

Garlic Soya Wings - crunchy with a strong garlic infusion, i admit they are worthy of the thumbs-up logo on the menu. With 4 winglets and 4 drumlets, don't forget to snack on the delicious garlic bits that garnished the deep fried chicken!

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Location

260, Jalan Dato Sulaiman,

Within Holiday Villa Hotel,

Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru,

Johor, Malaysia

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/kfrymy/

Operating Hours

12pm to 12am (Daily)

Last Order at 11pm

Pricing

Mango Rita - RM 19.90

Strawberry Rita - RM 19.90

Jap Chae - RM 18.90

Garlic Soya Wings - RM 18.90

(Inclusive of GST but subject to Service Charge)

Additional Information

No pork, no lard, no alcohol.

Have family members or friends who couldn't endure the stairs? There's an out-of-place box within the restaurant that i couldn't understand its purpose until i stepped closer; it's an elevator!

I didn't have much time and cash to plan for a birthday vacation far away from Singapore but i did manage to squeeze out some time for a night stay across the causeway at Holiday Villa JB hotel!

As i only took leave on my actual birthday, i had to travel to Malaysia after work. By the time i got to the hotel reception, it was already 9.30 pm and obviously due to the lack of late check-in customers, it didn't take long for me to have the key card in my hands.

Room assigned - 1806; always good to have a high floor as the view on top would likely be much more spectacular compared to lower levels.

Note the non-allowables to the hotel. I can understand no durians and mangosteens but i was scratching my head when i read that even dragonfruit is banned; personally, i don't think it has a foul smell and if you get the normal white-flesh dragonfruit, i doubt it will stain too.

Room (WiFi ready)

Remember the ten taboos when staying in a hotel; one of which is to knock before you enter the allocated superior room!

To be totally honest, the decor of the superior room was nothing to scream about and the size also didn't stand out from any of common, same-starred hotel in the market. To put it simply, it's plain.

View was definitely an eye-popper and given my poor grasp for night photography, i shall share the pictures of the daytime scenery, shortly.

Ta dah! Isn't this a gorgeous view?! And only upon drawing the ugly curtains apart did i realise there's a long cushion for those who prefer to sit next to the window and read a romantic novel for the rest of the day.

Holiday Plaza just in front of us! I remember a long, long time ago, Holiday Plaza was one of our favourite haunts whenever we visited Johor Bahru (JB) and i guess we should revisit the place for good old memory sake.

Another sign in the room stating what's not allowed in the room even though this provided a lot more details like the levied fine of RM 500 should you choose to violate the rules!

Flat screen television and i am including the available channels for your reference too. Miss Singapore television channels? They are generally available in JB since it's so close to Singapore.

Now the bathroom which had your usual freebies (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, sanitary pad, shower cap, vanity set, shower gel, shampoo). In case you miss it, there's an attached hair dryer!

Rainfall shower! The only thing lacking would be a stool where i can sit and relax while the water drops down from the "key". Have i ever mentioned that it's darn shiok to sit in the rain?! So long there's no lightning and thunder.

The mysterious button outside the shower with faded wordings.

Touch the button and brighten up the bathroom with lights coming in from the see through glass looking out into the bedroom! Having the blinds would be so much better than the frosted glass at Ipoh's French Hotel; it's a nice thing to have with your girlfriend / boyfriend but i was with my parents then!

Breakfast

My package included buffet breakfast for two at the Fern Pine Cafe on level nine of the hotel. In JB, it's really unnecessary to have breakfast in the hotel as there are often ample food options nearby!

Not to also mention that it's also literally filled with tourists who needed the energy boost for their likely hectic itinerary! p.s. we took some time to finally find seats for two persons.

There were just too many people on the day i was there and i didn't manage to take any decent photographs showing what was available; some trays were already almost cleaned out. Judging from the labels, i guess the offering was rather decent and my sister, who stayed at the same hotel during the off-peak period, was happy with the variety.

My breakfast which was honestly not too bad although my heart was skewed towards the exploration of food outside the hotel! If you have been following my blog, you would have read about the pork porridge i had near the hotel. Click here for the details.

Amenities

Let me start with the key attraction for holiday villa hotel which was completed very recently in 2016 with 345 guestrooms; the swimming pool which doesn't look like much from the above photo.

It's an infinity pool on level 25 of the hotel! View, as expected, was stunning and i would have gladly taken a dip if i haven't forgotten to throw my swimming trunks into the bag!

Those who are scared that they might just fall over the edge could still dip in the shallow pool by the side. Prefer to gym instead? There's the gymnasium just further down.

I was supposed to use the gym for a short workout but i figured i should just give my muscles a rest on my birthday. Birthdays should be spent filling up the tummy with good food!

On the top floor of the hotel are the Pantheon Lounge Bar and a karaoke lounge. We actually wanted to go in to play some darts although we eventually gave up the idea when we saw that the machines were located just next to the live band; figured it would not be too nice if competitive us made too much noise during our game.

Business centre on the ground floor - aside from checking your business email (if you still haven't invested in a good tablet / laptop), you may also print out documents at a cost of RM 4 per page for A4 colour or RM 2 per page for A4 black and white.

Massage lovers; get ready to rejoice as there's a Thai Odyssey within the hotel and for hotel guests, there's a discount of 10%! It's a fact that pricing is steep at Thai Odyssey although for the quality (it's ranked number 1 in traditional Thai massage in Malaysia) is definitely worth the price.

Okay, not exactly an amenity since this was taken at the lift lobby on the 18th floor where my room was; two sofa chairs with a nice view at the back. If mom was with me, she would definitely ask me to take a picture for her.

Mentioned in the subject of this post was the closeness of Holiday Villa to KSL Mall and Resort and i guess you can roughly gauge from the above post the distance between the two hotels.

Incident

A power shutdown was scheduled on the day i was going to check out and power would be down from 10am till 2pm. The problem is; i didn't know until the day i checked in and of course i requested for late checkout so that i can at least take a bath before i check out.

The lady on the line argued that there's nothing they can do with the power shutdown as it's mandated by the authority which i could empathise as the same thing happens at my workplace too. However, i would have stayed at another hotel if i am aware of this shutdown at the point of booking. To cut the story short, she relented and allow me to check out at 2 pm.

Power was still down at 1.15 pm and i am thankful that one of the lifts was still operational (can't imagine having to climb 18 floors)! The emergency lights in the room were switched on and they illuminated the bathroom sufficiently. Within the bedroom was fine as there's always the daylight from mother nature and there's still remnant air conditioning to cool down my body.

Last look of the view outside the room before we left the hotel for a massage session at City Square. p.s. Thai Odyssey Holiday Villa was closed due to the power shutdown.

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Location

260, Jalan Dato Sulaiman,

Taman Abad, Johor Bahru,

Johor, 80250, Malaysia,

Pricing

Superior Room - S$87.92 from hotels.com

Additional Information

Close to KSL Mall and 11 Century Hotel.

Check out the KFry Urban Korean Fried Chicken that's within Holiday Villa hotel. Besides the fried chicken, go for the mango rita and jap chae. For more pictures, click here.

The past three blog postings were on food and accommodation at Johor Bahru (JB) and i think it's time for me to go back to my Singapore roots although in this particular case, the abbreviated JB still appears since it's part of the restaurant's name.

Be warned of two things - only cash was accepted and i would strongly, strongly recommend you make a reservation. We arrived at 5.30 pm and although first in the queue, all the tables were reserved and the staff released a table to us under the condition that we must evict by 7 pm.

There's a separate section in the unit next door which was air-conditioned and if you couldn't stand dining under a fan in hot and humid Singapore, do make it a point to reserve a table a few days beforehand.

Given the limited time, we chop-chop ordered the dishes we wanted to try and it's so beneficial to have a list of signature dishes included in the menu; made our job so much easier.

While waiting for the food, let's have Jovyn to entertain you with her funny expressions! You can only see them in photographs as she would be too shy to show you in "real-life".

Fried Garlic Chilli Clams - known affectionately as lala, i used to abhor this as i associated them with oysters and cockles which i don't quite like. Thankfully, i had since disassociated them and thoroughly love clams them now!

The ones at JB Ah Meng were rather meaty and infused with appetizing bits of garlic coupled with tiny bursts of spiciness! Garlicky with an appetising aroma; throw one clam into your mouth and let your tongue unleash the magic!

Brinjal Potato with Chilli - the English name of this dish is so boring and you must refer to the actual Chinese term which is 地三鲜; a dish from Dongbei, China that uses eggplants (also known as brinjal), potatoes and capsicums (also known as chilli peppers).

First time our family had this; we were darn impressed although mom failed to replicate it in her own kitchen. The version at JB Ah Meng tasted as nice as our first time and was so addictive; you can literally snack them in a movie theatre!

Cameron Highland Dragon Vegetables - i have been to Cameron Highlands countless times yet i don't remember eating the dragon veg before. Anyway, it was surprisingly good and i can savour the wok hei from the vegetables that were stir fried with pork and crunchy bean sprouts. p.s. i had the thin strips of vegetables stuck in between my teeth!

King Pork Ribs - tender, fatty, juicy although a bit too much tomato sauce for my liking. Nevertheless, it's good to have a bowl of rice accompanying this dish and do look out for the piece with a thicker layer of fat; they usually taste better.

3 Delicacy Beancurd - not exciting about it except for the strips of cuttlefish that caught our attention for its impossible softness!

Salted Egg Prawn Ball - one of the signature dishes, we initially balked at the higher pricing but how to resist salted egg stuff?!

I think i can recognise shapes pretty well and doubt this is in the shape of a ball. Furthermore, it was far from satisfying with a saltier, rather than sweet-salty, flavour.

We can't help but noticed on many tables that the deep fried bits in the bowl of Salted Egg Prawn Ball were generally left untouched. They were actually corn cobs and tasted surprisingly good with a balance of both sweetness and saltiness! Now, could the restaurant consider having a separate dish known as salted egg corn cobs and priced it much lower?!

JB San Lou Bee Hoon - stir fried with cuttlefish, this San Lou bee hoon featured the burnt crispness that many diners enjoy from across the causeway. Having dined at the original San Lou fried bee hoon stall in JB, this was actually pretty good although the original store was a notch better.

White Pepper Crab - the white pepper crabs was tagged prominently as a special recommendation in the restaurant and this was unique as most tze char restaurants prefer to go with black pepper crabs, chilli crabs, salted egg crabs etc.

The shells were already cracked for the customers' convenience and i must say this plate of crabs was indeed enjoyable with a numbing spiciness from the aromatic white pepper! Did they import the pepper from Sarawak?!

My family was split on their review of the white pepper crabs as some would still prefer chilli crabs, butter crabs etc. However, all agreed that the crabs were really fresh and juicy!

Time check - 6.53 pm; we had controlled our time well.

====

Location

534, Geylang Road and

Corner of Geylang Lorong 30,

Singapore 389490

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

5.30 pm to 2.30 am

Reservation

6741-2418

As mentioned earlier, reservation would be better as the queue can be irritating long and you have to endure the pollution from the road too.

Can't bear the wait for a table? Ask for takeaway and don't blur blur stay in the queue. Just walk into the eatery and order it from one of the waiters / waitresses.

Pricing

Fried Garlic Chilli Clams (Small) - S$16.00

Brinjal Potato with Chilli (Small) - S$12.00

Cameron Highland Dragon Vegetables (Medium) - S$18.00

King Pork Ribs (Medium) - S$18.00

3 Delicacy Beancurd (Medium) - S$18.00

Salted Egg Prawn Ball (Medium) - S$30.00

JB San Lou Bee Hoon (Big) - S$14.00

White Pepper Crab - S$76 for two crabs

(Inclusive of GST)

Now that i am car-less, i am often too lazy to travel too far with the exception of maybe Singapore Expo as there are often many trade fairs with discounted products worth the time and cab fare!

However, it's unlikely to find me arriving at 6.00 pm at Singapore Expo as that's simply not a good use of precious time and just to add that there's hardly any trade shows yesterday that interest me.

I have another purpose and that's to catch the Li Ronghao - An Ideal World Tour Concert at the Expo's Max Pavilion! Do you know that this is officially my first attendance to a music concert!?

Far from being a music noob, i do enjoy listening to music (thanks to the radio station, UFM 1003) but i had never felt the need to pay over a hundred dollars to sit in a concert with loud music bursting my ears.

The queue to get into Max Pavilion which can seat up to 7,000 persons. Those who were early might be able to catch the star of the day, Li Ronghao, masquerading as a ticketing usher to choose a concert-goer for an interactive session in the middle of the concert.

Huge holding room after getting our bags checked. As i had my big-ass camera in my bag, i was notified that i couldn't use it and it could be confiscated if i were found to be using it. Okay, point taken and noted.

Signs warning what's not allowed beyond the point of no return. With the proliferation of camera phones, i wonder then how the organiser would be able to stop people from taking video and photo.

Answers shall be revealed soon.

With banquet chairs linked up into rows and divided into sections, it wasn't my usual esplanade-style decor and seating that i am more comfortable with (p.s. were there on a few occasions to catch Happy Ever Laughter and Kumar: What Makes a Man a Man).

My seat is row 1, seat 2, section b4 - would prefer to have seats closer to the stage but i purchased the tickets a bit too late. :( Whatever the case, i am happy to face the stage in the middle!

See, see, see! How to stop people from taking out their phones to take pictures?! With so many people (likely all concert-goers) having a smartphone, it's impossible to deter people from taking an innocent selfie.

Lights dimmed at about 7.12 pm and we waited with abated breath as the center projection screen came to life with a live band drumming to the grand opening. There were separate screens on the sides that would show the lyrics of the songs that were sung and zoom-ups of the singer on stage (and also of the audience).

Here's the man and star of the day, Li Ronghao! Darn, i really hate the zoomed function for the iPhone but guess nothing much i can do since i can't take out my huge ass Nikon D7100.

Screenshots of the stage setting and lighting - i must say i was blown away as i never knew attending a concert can be so fun; you can sing as loud as you can just like everyone else and Li Ronghao's singing was really pitch perfect (at least for my ears)!

Nothing beats hearing his voice for real without the aid of post production manipulation as had been the case for some singers. And it's quite funny to hear the screams from fans declaring their love for him. Unlike other countries, however, Singaporeans are known to be a lot tamer.

Our dear singer decided to step off the stage and this created a hoo-ha for his fans in the audience who quickly took out the phones and stood up for a better view!

People were literally running towards him for a closer look. Pity he didn't come by my section and although i like his singing and his songs, i think i am not that obsessed to get super close to him. Okay, maybe i should have for the purpose of this blog.

Though Li Ronghao readily admitted that he doesn't talk much and prefers to just sing, i thought he was doing a great job in trying to engage the audience to sing with him. And he was so talented. To think that the only musical instrument i can handle (and that's when i was in primary / secondary school) is a recorder.

Interactive session where he identified a lady whose ticket was torn off by him as a ticketing usher and invited her on stage to sing a few Singapore singers' songs with him. I still remember the seat number, row 7, seat 11 as 11 July is the singer's birthday!

Can see that the lady was shocked to see her face on the screen but she composed herself and asked the singer to get her friend up as well as her friend is a very big fan of Li Ronghao! So kind of her right?!

The singing continued - sad to say, i only know a few of his key signature songs like 李白, 模特, 喜剧之王 etc although for those i heard during the concert, i noted down those i like in my phone as i didn't know of their existence!

Singer asking everyone to scream for him for 30 seconds and that's the countdown timer. Save for a technical fault at the end of the concern, i was honestly quite impressed with the tech setup! Maybe also because it's literally my virgin concert experience.

Everyone (okay, almost everyone) took out their phones, switched on the torchlight function and swayed to the singing. It's almost like National Day parade, on a much smaller scale.

After introducing and thanking his band members, the singer left the stage and with silver streamers floating down from the ceiling, this officially marked the end of the concert. Not sure if it is the case elsewhere but in Singapore, i think there's always the call for encore. Is it a given everywhere else?

He returned with two more songs!

Now, this is really the end of the concert with confetti falling from the sky and making a mess out of the concrete floor. I cannot imagine how hard the housekeeping team has to work to clean up everything!

It was such a nice experience that i think i am keener to explore attending music concert as an avenue to throw my hard earned money. Hope that the next concert i attend would be by Joker Xue (薛之谦)!

=====

Price of the Ticket

Category 1 Ticket - S$178 per person.

(Purchased from http://www.sistic.com.sg/)

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