Tag: Foodies

6 Experiences At This M’sian Island Paradise – And It Costs Less Than SGD100 To Fly There

When we think of an island getaway in Singapore, Sentosa immediately pops into mind. But let’s be real—with themed attractions and man-made beaches, is it really the natural beach getaway that we sometimes crave for?

While there’s Bali and Phuket, another little known paradise is Langkawi, also known as the Jewel of Kedah, Malaysia. Merely a 1.5 hr flight from Singapore (and usually less than SGD100 for return flight tickets), Langkawi is a duty-free island that receives more than 3 million tourists annually.

Lucky for us, another world-class hotel has joined the western coastline of Langkawi just recently. That hotel is none other than Aloft Hotel Pantai Tengah, which adds to Aloft’s fleet of over 150 hotels open in over 20 countries.

Having said that, the location of Aloft Hotel Pantai Tengah and personalised features of the hotel to its landscape helps it to stand out and hold its own charm and uniqueness.

On top of Aloft Hotel Pantai Tengah’s aesthetics and facilities, there are also other experiences that will make your trip to Langkawi a memorable one. 

1. Sail on a yacht out onto the Andaman sea and have a sunset dinner cruise

Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah collaborates with local tours such as Crystal Yacht Holidays to provide guests with a chartered yacht experience, at a lower packaged rate.

The package is all-inclusive, with a BBQ buffet dinner, free flow drinks, and a salt water natural jacuzzi. The cool sea breeze and beautiful sunset is sure to melt your worries away and give you the recharge you need.

Tip: Be careful not to run on the yacht as it can get a little slippery. And try to get a good seat in front of the yacht for an unobstructed view of the horizon.

2. Experience a 4-hr jet ski adventure

If you haven’t hopped onto a jet ski before, you’re missing out! It may look (and sound) scary at first, but the guide from MegaWaterSports (another partner of Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah) is very assuring.

He tells us that there’s nothing to worry about, as long as we maintain our speed and ride fast through the waves. The slower you go, the easier it is for the waves to jerk or knock the jet ski. But then again, who would want to go slow on such an adventure?

Our top speed on the jet ski is about 60km/hour, which is more than enough to keep that adrenaline rush, but also safe enough for you to not completely lose it.

We make several stops throughout the 4-hour ride with our guide leading the way and also keeping watch on us to make sure we’re all comfortable on the jet ski. 

Each stop has a special experience, such as eagle watching, swimming in a part of the Andaman sea with an unusually high salt concentration, getting up close with the limestone formations, walking along a private beach, and more. 

Tip: Bring along sunblock because you’ll definitely be needing it! And don’t worry about getting your gadgets wet, your personal items can be kept in a waterproof bag in the jet ski’s front compartment.

3. Take a dip in the largest freshwater lake in Malaysia

Dayang Bunting Lake is one of the stops during the 4-hr jet ski ride and it’s too interesting to not mention it as a separate point. The Island of the Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Maiden) is the second largest island within the Langkawi archipelago (fancy word that means group of islands) and it contains the largest freshwater lake in Malaysia.

The location of the lake is extremely unique because it’s right next to the sea, and only separated by a thin ridge of limestone. 

The name of the lake is inspired by a local legend of a fairy princess who married a human prince and got pregnant after drinking the water from the lake. The outline of the hills around the lake also resembles the shape of a pregnant maiden lying on her back.

Visitors can swim in the lake, rent a kayak or paddle boat, or just sit by the deck and dip your feet in the cool water. And we were extra, extra careful to not swallow any water from the lake. You know, just in case.

Tip: You have to climb up about 100 or so steps to get to the lake. It’s not too physically tiring and will take about 10 minutes.

However, there are a lot of wild monkeys along the steps who are curious and not afraid to grab your personal belongings, especially if you’re carrying food. They’re not aggressive, but it’s best to hold your things close to you and do not engage with them.

4. Dine on Malaysian heritage and Western favourites

Nook at Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah is tastefully designed with an array of geometric patterns and bold matching colours. More importantly, their all-day dining offers a selection of Malaysian cuisine and some classic international favourites.

For dinner, we got to feast on some authentic Kelantanese dishes and I still occasionally have cravings for their white percik chicken (broiled chicken in sweet coconut gravy).  

Tip: Instead of taking cordial juice during breakfast, look for the fresh juice bar where they will mix fruits of your choice and you can have a customised fresh drink!

5. Chill at the only elevated infinity pool in Langkawi

Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah currently happens to be the only hotel along the Langkawi Western coast that has an elevated infinity pool. There’s also a sunken pool lounge area and jacuzzis (inside large water features).

Tip: Order a signature cocktail from the Splash bar to complete your sunken pool lounge experience. We tried the Passion Portion, Absolutely Fabulous, and Mojito Mix Berry—each priced about SGD6—no regrets.

6. Take advantage of Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah’s world class facilities

After a long day of activities, Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah has the right facilities you’d need. With complimentary high-speed WiFi connectivity and 49” Smart TVs, you can choose to rest in your room (all of the hotel’s 208 rooms have its own balcony).

Or head down to the Re:mix^SM lobby for a game of billiards and get a drink at the W XYZ^SM bar. If you’re hungry for a midnight snack, you can also grab something from the 24/7 grab-and-go Re:fuel^SM. There’s also the fully equipped, 24-hour fitness centre, Re:charge^SM. 

Tip: If you’re travelling with kids and you want some alone time, take advantage of the hotel’s Kids Club that has board games, toys, art supplies and daily movie screenings.  Don’t worry, your kids will be under the supervision of trained talents there too.

Itching for your island paradise retreat? Get more information about Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah here, or email [email protected].

Header Image Credit: Discover SG

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Keisuke Is Opening A New Omurice Joint At Bugis+ – Prices Start From $9.90 And You Can Upsize For Free

You may have already seen that viral video of Japanese chef, Yukimura Motokichi, who wows his customers with his theatrics whenever he prepares the famous omurice in his resturant, Kichi Kichi.

Originating more than 100 years ago in Kyushu, this Japanese soul food is a staple dish in many Japanese homes and restaurants as they are reasonably priced and affordable to the masses. Most Japanese diners have grown up eating omurice and this yōshuku (Japenese-style Western food) brings back many childhood memories for them.

Comfort Food For The Soul

Celebrity Chef and Ramen King, Keisuke Takeda kicks off the new year with the opening of Keisuke Group’s 17th outlet in Singapore, Omurice Keisuke. This classic Japanese dish consists of a wrapped omelette (“omu”) over western fried rice with ketchup.

While it may seem like the typical “Nasi Goreng Pattaya” you can get at most hawker centres, omurice is actually quite challenging to make. The key to perfecting this dish is that the egg has to be soft, creamy on the outside and smooth on the inside.

Situated on the fourth floor of Bugis+, Omurice Keisuke is a cozy 22-seater outlet, perfect for dinner with the family or a night out with your partner. As the eatery is not exactly spacious and they don’t take reservations, you might want to avoid peak hours if you plan on bringing more than 4 people.

You can also choose to sit at the bar counter so you can watch the chefs prepare the dishes right in front of you.

While it may not be as entertaining as it is at Kichi Kichi, the food here definitely does not disappoint.

The Omurice ($9.90) features Keisuke’s own locally-farmed eggs which come from hens fed with omega-rich grains. The difference is that you’ll get a richer and creamier omelette that pairs perfectly well with the fried rice. The rice is simple and perfectly seasoned with ketchup dashi, diced chicken and corn.

There is also an option to customise your omurice by choosing from a range of sauces including wafu, demi-glacé, creamy white sauce or chilli tomato sauce. We highly recommend pairing your omurice with the wafu or dami-glacé sauce as it cuts the richness of the eggs. We had the creamy white sauce as well, however it got pretty jelak by the time were halfway through our meal.

You can also have the option of adding cheese ($2.00) to your Omurice. The cheese is a combination of mozzarella and two types of cheddar which will be melted and prepared right in front of you over your main dish.

Best part, if you have a bigger appetite, you can choose between the regular or large size at NO additional cost. Honestly, we were already struggling to finish the regular portion so a large portion will be perfect for two.

There’s also an option of getting Spaghetti instead of the Omurice. They serve two types of spaghetti here – Mentaiko Spaghetti and Neapolitan Spaghetti ($9.90). There’s nothing outstanding about the pastas but it definitely gave us the comfort of a home-cooked meal.

For those who can’t choose between the omurice and spaghetti, you can choose to have the best of both worlds in one plate. For $12.90, you can get the Omurice Combo which comes with omurice, spaghetti and a refreshing side salad – potato salad, coleslaw, green salad or spinach and miso soup.

Diners can also order additional side dishes such as deep fried chicken wing, ebi-fried, teriyaki chicken hamburg and pork spare ribs which cost between $2 – $3. If you’ve been to Hamburg Steak Keisuke, then you’ll definitely want to get the teriyaki chicken hamburg here. The seared patty itself has a lovely char, but was still very tender and juicy in each bite.

Omurice Keisuke officially launches in Singapore on Monday, 14 January 2019. This is the 17th outlet under the Keisuke Group with plans to open more locations with different concepts later this year.

Omurice Keisuke
Official Launch: Monday, 14 January 2019
Address: 201 Victoria Street, #04-01, Singapore 188067
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm, daily
Contact No.: 6634 4558
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(Header Image Source: Omurice Keisuke & Discover SG)

Taiwan F&B Chain ‘Ten Ren Tea’ Brings Their Popular Bubble Tea To Singapore

If you’re as done as we are regarding Durian and Nasi Lemak-flavoured stuff, it’s about time we had something more….refreshing.

And this news could not have come at a better time.

Ten Ren Tea will be opening their very first Singapore outlet this Saturday, 28 July 2018, at Chinatown Point!

Leading Taiwanese Bubble Tea Brand

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Ten Ren Tea was established in 1953 and is THE leading tea retailer in Taiwan.

That’s not all, they have over 2000 outlets in Australia, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, and North America.

If you don’t believe me, they’ve pasted their credentials all over the boards in Chinatown Point.

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In China, they’re also known as Ten Fu, a subsidiary of Ten Ren Tea.

The Chinatown Point outlet will have a seating area that can accommodate up to 50 people.

While the menu isn’t revealed at the moment, the global outlets of Ten Ren Tea have been known to serve classic Taiwanese food such as beef noodles, pork cutlet rice, and even desserts like waffles and toasts.

Some of you might be skeptical as to Ten Ren Tea’s decision to serve food too, after all isn’t this a brand for TEA? Don’t worry, their food doesn’t come at the expense of the quality of their tea.

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I personally, don’t doubt the standard of their tea. After all, my grandmother only buys her tea from Ten Fu Tea in China.

Ten Ren Tea will be having a “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promotion on their first 2 opening days and the first 150 customers will receive a goody bag with products worth over $50.

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Don’t miss out on this chance to get their signature Oolong Tea for you and your friend!

For all you KOI purists out there, Ten Ren Tea is legit and you ought to give it a try.

Ten Ren Tea
Address: Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Rd, #01-07, Singapore 059413
Opening Hours: Daily: 10am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6593 4333
Website

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(Header Image Source: @evilqueenmother and @itsyumitran)