Tag: pokémon

Calling All Trainers In Singapore: A Pokémon Centre Is Coming To Jewel Changi Airport In 2019

If you’re saving up your yennies for a trip to the Pokémon Megastore in Tokyo, drop whatever you’re doing.

Your long-life dream is about to come true. From March 2019 onwards, Singaporeans and travellers can look forward to a whole new Pokemon experience at Jewel Changi Airport.

The Pokemon Centre at Jewel Changi Airport will be the first permanent store outside Japan!

Ready, Set, Pokémon Go!

If there’s ever a heaven for Pokémon fans on Earth, it’ll look something like this,

…and this

…and this

You get the point.

Long time fans of Pokémon can look forward to expanding their collections once the Pokemon Centre opens at Jewel Changi Airpot next year. Live out your childhood dreams of transforming your bedroom into a Pokémon Wonderland because the merchandise are endless!

From bedroom slippers to figurines, cushions, utensils and towels – there’ll be endless shelves of Pokémon merchandise in all shapes, sizes and forms.

The obvious reason one might visit the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo is for the extensive range of Pokémon branded merchandise. Another reason would be to see the Pokémon statues. So we’re praying real hard that we’ll see a couple of these giant statues in Singapore’s Pokémon Centre as well.

We’re pretty sure once the Pokemon Centre opens in Singapore, it will be full of frenzied fans clutching shopping baskets overflowing with merchandise (because, you “gotta catch ’em all,” right?).

While there’s no news on how big the shop at Jewel Changi Airport will be, we’re sure it won’t disappoint!

Also Read All Aboard The Pikachu Train! This Event At Tanjong Pagar Lets You Indulge In Japanese Food And Movies From Oct 11-14

(Header Image Source: YouTube)

All Aboard The Pikachu Train! This Event At Tanjong Pagar Lets You Indulge In Japanese Food And Movies From Oct 11-14

Pikachu fans and train otakus, it’s time.

This October, Tanjong Pagar Centre Urban Park will transform into a “Japanese Train” with live music, a wide array of food and movie screenings.

Opened by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Japan Rail Café will be hosting a train-themed event called “Autumn in the Train” at Tanjong Pagar Centre!

In Japan, 14 October is also known as “The Railway Day” (Tetsudou-no-hi), as it marks the opening of the country’s first railway back in 1872. To celebrate this special day, Japan Rail Café, will unfold a train-themed event at Tanjong Pagar Centre from 11 – 14 October.

Pikachu Meet-And-Greet Session

The most exciting part of this 4-day event is definitely the Pikachu meet-and-greet session. If you missed the first Pikachu Parade that was held at Changi Airport in 2017, this is the perfect time to catch this adorable character in action.

Pikachu will be making a special appearance on all 4 days at different times to promote the makeover of the “POKÉMON with YOU” train which runs between the JR Ichinoseki Station and JR Kesennuma Station in Tohoku.

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to snap a photo with Pikachu at the train photo panel!

If you’re visiting Japan soon, you can purchase the JR-East Pass (for Tohoku) to enjoy unlimited train rides including the special Joyful Train here.

Meet-And-Greet Timings

11 & 12 Oct (Thu & Fri): 1pm – 1.30pm

13 & 14 Oct (Sat & Sun): 2pm – 2.30pm

Food & Movie Screenings

If you’re not into Pikachu or trains, there are plenty of other things to look out for at the event as well such as trying out amazing Japanese food. From onigiri and bentos to cakes and ice cream, you definitely won’t go hungry at this event.

Look out for the autumn-themed cakes by Chef Yamashita, marron cream buns from Hattendo Singapore, roasted sweet potatoes and melon cream buns from Japan Point and much more.

Or catch the critically acclaimed Japanese movie “Jimami Tofu” featuring a Chinese-Singaporean chef discovering his love for Okinawan cuisine. A Makoto Shinkai Anime Marathon will also be held, featuring some of his acclaimed works such as “5 Centimeters per Second”, “Voices of a Distant Star” and “The Garden of Words”.

Jimami Tofu Screening
Date: 11 Oct, Thursday
Time: 7.45pm – 9.45pm

Makoto Shinkai Anime Marathon
Date:  13 Oct, Saturday
Time: 5pm – 7pm

For The Train Otakus

Live your fantasies of driving a train at a train simulation game “Densha de go” – one of the most interesting things to check out at the event, given the depth of the game’s realism.

This game set up has a realistic control system and hyper realistic graphics making it the top train simulator around. Check out videos of the game on YouTube as it’s pretty much a dream arcade game for hardcore train lovers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuEeUlJe9JE

This is possibly the closest you’ll get to Autumn in Japan right here in Singapore. Head down to Tanjong Pagar Centre Urban Park from 11 – 14 October for 4 days of food, anime and trains!

Autumn In The Train
Venue: Tanjong Pagar Centre L1 Urban Park
Date: 11 – 14 Oct 2018
Time: 11am to 10pm

Also Read Chanel Is Painting The Town Red With Its New Le Rouge Beauty Pop-Up This October

(Header Image Source: Japan Rail Cafe)

A Look Back At 2016: 7 Food Trends That Got Singaporeans Queuing

As true blue Singaporeans, we are definitely no strangers to crazy long queues. And by crazy, we mean queues lasting for a good 2 hours and more. Year after year, we see them forming. Year after year, we joined them. Now that 2016 is coming to an end, let’s do a quick round-up on the food trends that got us voluntarily joining the queues.

1. Michelin-Starred Hawker Stalls

Earlier in July, when two hawker stalls were awarded a Michelin star each, we witnessed people of all ages chiong down in throngs to try their food.

Who wouldn’t, if it means getting to taste Michelin-approved food for less than $5?

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle at Chinatown Food Complex dishes out its famous chicken rice at $2 per plate. Even its most expensive dish, the Pork Ribs Rice, is priced at $3.

At Crawford Lane, the other Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle also saw long queues forming. Singaporeans wanted to have a go at their $5 bowl of Bak Chor Mee.

We Singaporeans know our stuff. When we see good deals like this, we flock down like birds, even if it means queuing for hours in the heat.

Also, read The Full List Of Michelin Guide Singapore 2016 – How Many Have You Tried?

2. Salted Egg Yolk Anything and Everything

Remember that period of time, when almost every other food item seemed to be infused with salted egg yolk? Even McDonald’s had hopped on the bandwagon.

Salted egg yolk croissant, salted egg yolk chips, salted egg yolk lava toast… the list goes on.

Snaking queues in eateries, bakeries and even coffee shops became a common sight when the salted egg yolk craze was at its peak. And we reckon it will still be that way in the new year ahead.

Also, read 6 Seriously Addictive Salted Egg Yolk Snacks You Must Try In SG!

3. Cheese Tarts

The cheese tart trend started when Hokkaido based BAKE opened its first store in Singapore in April.

With its signature yellow box, this is a brand most cheese lovers are familiar with. Yet eating BAKE cheese tarts do not come easy at all. It comes at the expense of having to queue for more than 2 hours for them.

In its heyday, cheese tarts were the rage. Even neighbourhood bakeries jumped on the bandwagon and hawked cheese tarts. Prominent bakeries like BreadTalk and Prima Deli created their own versions of the cheese tart too.

Perhaps there is just something about that measured sweetness of fluffy cheese atop a flavourful crust that draws in the crowd.

Also, read BAKE Cheese Tart Continues Singapore Invasion At Its Second Outlet In Westgate Mall!

4. Themed Cafés

The feverish craze for cutesy cartoon characters seemed to have translated to widespread popularity in their themed cafes as well.

When Hello Kitty Café first opened at Changi Airport in May, more than 100 people waited to enter, queuing for two hours or more just to get inside.

Sounds long? Wait till we get to Pokemon.

At Pokemon Cafe’s first opening, which was also in May, fans of Pokemon had to wait for as long as 5 hours just to enter the café.

Yet the most amazing thing is, 5 hours was not any form of deterrence at all.

The latest themed café to open its doors to customers with much fanfare is the Gudetama Café.

Queues stretched for up to 2 hours and are expected to remain this way for the upcoming few months at least.

5. Tai Cheong Bakery

Famous for its egg tarts and other pastries, Tai Cheong Bakery, a renowned Hong Kong brand, made its way onto Singapore shores in mid-November.

With a dine in-concept introduced, it has become common for customers to queue for close to 2 hours to get seats. Yet the crowd just keeps growing.

At a slightly pricey cost of $1.90 per egg tart, egg tart lovers have no qualms about waiting in line to have a taste of the buttery crust that is all the rage in Hong Kong.

6. Froyo

It all started with Llao Llao, queues were formed for a cup of frozen yogurt with toppings that cost $6.95. With that, new players entered the fray.

Kokopanda serves your regular froyo, but with a twist. It has a new product called Black Yogo Frozen Yoghurt, which is made from edible activated charcoal as well as roasted coconut husk.

This latest innovation to the frozen yoghurt family has led to long queues for froyo stores once again and it certainly does not look like it’s going to become a dying trend anytime soon.

7. Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant

Unagi may not have caught on with Singaporeans quite as well as some other items on this list, but this sweet Japanese eel looks like it has the potential to become something big.

Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant opened in October this year to healthy crowds and looks set to maintain its strong customer base. Perhaps it might even become a trend of 2017.

Now that we have looked back on the food trends that got us voluntarily joining long queues in 2016, perhaps it is time to take a step back for a quick reflection. Which of these queues resulted in a new experience and were worth our time?

Come 2017, a host of new food options may take our country by storm. But how many of 2016’s trends will remain? Will froyo continue to evolve in 2017 and become more popular? Will our love for cheese tarts disappear?

Whatever it is, I am sure we can all agree that Singaporeans know no boundaries when it comes to food. The amount of time and money that we are willing to spend on food trends is astounding, but at least we can be comforted that our F&B industry will continue to thrive even in a slowing economy.

Also, read Serious Foodies Only: Here Are The Best Restaurants In Singapore For 2016!

[Pokemon Go Crucial Tips] Wanna Be The Very Best? You’ve Got To Know These!

It’s official. Pokemon Go is EVERYWHERE. And you’re going to need some Pokemon Go crucial tips to be the very best! Over this past week or so, you’d be more likely than not to run into someone staring intently at their phone screens. They walk, abruptly stop, and may even exclaim in excitement. All these in the name of catching virtual creatures and battling gyms.

However, getting to the top is never easy. With the sheer number of people playing this game so intensely, competition is stiff and very, very real. Especially in Singapore.

So, if you’re one of those striving very hard to be the best, fret not! Team Discover SG is here to help! There’s more to Pokemon Go than simply catching ’em all. Read on for Pokemon Go crucial tips.

1. How To Meet Stronger Pokemon

In order to meet stronger Pokemon, you’ll first need to level up. While you can power up your Pokemon with some stardust and their respective candies, there’s no point in doing so. Especially if your level isn’t high.

2. How To Level Up Quickly

After all, you’re definitely going to meet (and catch) stronger Pokemon out there. Focus on increasing your level and the stronger Pokemon will come.

[caption id="attachment_12989" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Credit: Because these Pokemon are incredibly common. Not only that, you also only need 12 candies (3 catches) to evolve these Pokemon. Since you get the same amount of XP regardless of the Pokemon you evolve, this is the easiest and fastest method to level up!

[caption id="attachment_12998" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Credit:

Image Credits: Rifki.id

You can then exchange these coins for in-game items such as Poke Balls, lure modules, lucky eggs and even bag upgrades. All without having to spend real cash on these items!

So there you have it – Pokemon Go crucial tips so you can be the very best. Of course, we hope all you trainers out there can enjoy the game to the fullest. If there are any issues, feel free to feedback on the Niantic webpage.

Header image credit: Also, read Be The Best With These Rare Pokemon! We Included Their Exact Spawn Locations!

Be The Best With These Rare Pokemon! We Included Their Exact Spawn Locations!

If you’ve been out playing Pokemon Go all week, you probably know that Pokemon-spawning areas are virtually everywhere. However, where are the rare pokemon locations?

There are some specific locales in Singapore that are home to rare and powerful Pokemon. We’re here to let you in on the rare pokemon locations, so you can find all 11 rare pokemon! Read on if you’d like to add these elusive gems to your collection and further your quest to become the very best!,

1. Ponyta

Image Credits: With its luscious, red-hot flaming mane and tail, the incredibly rare Ponyta is one you’d want to collect for bragging rights. Easily one of the prettiest Pokemon around, this fire horse Pokemon – and its evolved form especially – is the closest you can get to catching a unicorn!

Image Credits: Kind and caring, the adorable Chansey is a ball of happiness. If you’re an avid Pokemon fan, you would probably remember that this lovely creature was always at the Pokemon Centre.

Image Credits: All Snorlax likes to do is eat and sleep, but don’t let its lazy, cuddly appearance fool you. This Pokemon is extremely powerful in battle! Snorlax is backed by high HP and defence stats, making it a popular Pokemon for trainers holding gyms.

Image Credits: YouTube

With its friendly appearance and gentle nature, it’s hard not to fall in love with Lapras. Despite its docile look, this Pokemon also has relatively high combat capabilities. It is another popular choice for battles or gym takeovers.

Rare pokemon location – Lapras has been spotted at:

• Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3
• Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3
• 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

5. Vulpix

Image Credits: Author

Fire fox Vulpix is already stealing our hearts in its own right. Look how cute it is!

However, its evolved form, Ninetails, will propel it to the top of your must-catch list. This Pokemon is an elusive one, with rare sightings in Singapore. Fire-type Pokemon are strong when up against Grass, Bug and Ice Pokemon, so it’s always useful to have some of them!

Rare pokemon location – Vulpix has been spotted at:

• Sentosa Siloso Beach
• Beauty World MRT Station

6. Dragonite

Image Credits: Dragonite looks like a cuddly teddy bear. However, don’t let Dragonite’s harmless appearance fool you! It is actually pretty impressive on the battlefield!

Image Credits: Now, this is a Pokemon you don’t usually chance upon! This shockingly (pun intended) fierce Electric-type Pokemon would make a great addition to your team. Especially since there aren’t many Electric-type Pokemon around at the moment. Just what you need to take down Golducks, Slowbros and Vaporeons.

Image Credits: YouTube

If you thought hunting for Growlithe is tough, wait till you try searching for Arcanine. A cross between a tiger, wolf and fox, this Pokemon is one you’d definitely want to catch. Arcanine is said to have one of the highest combat stats amongst the non-legendary first generation Pokemon.

Rare pokemon location – Arcanine has been spotted at:

• Clark Quay area (near Riverside Point)
• Chinese and Japanese Gardens

9. Hitmonchan

Image Credits: With a name that pays homage to renowned martial arts artist and action star Jackie Chan, Hitmonchan certainly packs a punch.

Image Credits: Unlike any other Pokemon, this prism-like Porygon is completely made out of a computer program. It does not require any food or sleep to survive!

Image Credits: Author

We saved the best for last – you didn’t think we’d leave this out, now did you? Undisputedly the most famous Pokemon of all time, Pikachu remains as one of the most loved Pokemon to date.

If you didn’t manage to catch Pikachu at the start or hatch it from an egg, fret not, because here’s where you can find it!

Rare pokemon location – Pikachu has been spotted at:

• Universal Studios Singapore (Sentosa)
• Near Jurong West Temple
• Tampines West Community Club
• Marina Bay Sands
• Gardens by the Bay (near carpark exit)

And there you have it – 11 of the rarest Pokemon that have been sighted in our city! While we don’t have access to internal spawn data, trust us when we say that the aforementioned places are your best bet to catch ’em all. Happy hunting!

(Photo header: Our Lives Have Changed Since Pokemon Go! 12 Things Every Player Can Relate To!

Gotta Catch’em All! – The Pokémon Café Is Coming To Singapore!

Heads up all Pokémon fans, this maybe a little onix-pected, but a pop-up Pokémon café is happening in Singapore! That’s right, becoming the very best no longer requires you to travel across the land, searching far and wide.

From 27 May to 31 Jul, the café will be situated on the fourth floor of Bugis Junction. A collaboration with Everything With Fries, this Pokémon café concept will also be the first in Southeast Asia!

Not much information has been released on the café but what we do know is that there will be 12 Pokemon themed dishes and a string of related merchandise. Also, a Pikachu mascot could be making appearances during this period so remember to get your cameras ready!

So be prepared to eat catch’em all this coming May at the Pokémon café! In the meantime, stay tuned for updates at the café’s Facebook page. As die-hard Pokémon fans, we’re also secretly hoping that the café will be here for good.

Address: #04-05 Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria St, S188021
Tel: 6338 0135
Date: 27 May to 31 July 2016
Opening hours: Daily, 11am to 9:30pm

Also read: A Festival You Won’t Want To Miss – Super Japan Matsuri!