Alaise De Bale Ishigaki (Okinawa)

1. Location

Alaise De Bale Ishigaki is around a 30-40 minutes drive from the city centre, which means that if you wanted to have a meal at one of the more popular spots in Ishigaki, it would take you at least an hour to and fro. If you want to stock up on items from the convenience store, do that before you reach the hotel because we didn't see any convenience stores in the vicinity. 

It is a good location if you want to be near beaches- there is a beach right outside the hotel. However, it didn't exactly look like the best spot to swim. It would be a better bet to venture out to Yonehara Beach which is around a 15 minutes drive away from the hotel. It is a popular beach and you can swim with sea creatures without venturing out too far. Kabira Bay is around a 30 minutes drive away. 

It was a short drive to the nearby kayak / canoe store (around 5 minutes) where we rented kayaks to the Fukidogawa River Mangrove Colony. 

If you decide to stay here, keep a lookout for the Japanese name of this hotel because it does not state "Alaise De Bale Ishigaki". 

2) Room

We paid around S$250 per night. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable.Most of the room options allow for two single beds.

There was a folder containing the movies you could rent for free (e.g. Harry Potter, Frozen, Minions etc.). Free strong wifi available. There was a sign stating that lizards bring luck and ants would come if sweet stuff were left open- I guess we know what kind of animals to expect in the room. To be fair, we didn't see any during our stay.

3) Toilet 

The toilet bowl area was separate from the bath tub and washing area. The toilet was relatively big for a Japanese hotel. Full set of toiletries was provided.

4) Breakfast 

We paid around S$15 per person for breakfast. There was a choice between continental or Japanese breakfast and we of course went for the latter. Breakfast was served with a glass of cold tea, with a further choice of hot coffee or tea. Breakfast was healthy and decent, but not sure if it's worth the price.

5) Amenities 

There is the option of reserving a private bathroom (presumably an onsen), although we did not do so.

There is a small swimming pool and you could borrow beach towels from the counter.

6) Service 

The Japanese are well known for their service standards and I wish I could say the same in this case. However, it was a mixed bag of feelings for this place.

While the staff were friendly and courteous, one incident left us feeling a little perplexed. Upon arrival at around 2+ pm, the cafe on the ground floor was closed. We then asked if there were any eating places around the hotel, to which the question was met with a resolute "No". Upon much prodding, the staff suggested a soba place which was around a 5 minutes drive away. I would have imagined that this was a common question, unless people were content to just eat in the cafe on the ground floor (which was closed)- something might have been lost in translation.

7) Conclusion 

While the stay was comfortable, we felt that this place was a tad over priced.

p.s. Do keep a lookout for the night sky- lots of stars in this place with minimal light pollution.

Alaise De Bale Ishigaki 
337-250 Fukai
Ishigaki 907-0451
Okinawa, Japan 

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Builders

Builders was in the news last year, but for the wrong reasons. Despite that, my family who had tried the food at the cafe really enjoyed the meals, so we decided to have lunch there on a weekend. Apparently, there is a minimum order for groups exceeding a certain number of people. While we were not informed of that when we were there (not sure if it is because we didn't hit the minimum number or whether the policy is still in place), they had other strange rules like not allowing us to order for 3 people when the fourth person hadn't arrived. That said, it did not stop us from enjoying the food here. 

The soup of the day was the Bacon Minestrone Soup ($7.90). The soup was appetising and tangy, and perfect with little vegetable and bacon bits.

The crispy Golden Wings ($8.90) had potential to not be "yet another starter" because of the curry vinaigrette which was drizzled over the wings. However, the curry taste was not distinct - maybe I was looking forward to dipping these chicken wings in McDonald's curry sauce!

I enjoyed the Panko Herbed Fish Burger ($16.90) which came with a generous piece of lightly breaded fish between two pieces of buttered burger buns.

My mum was raving about the French Toast ($13.90) and said I definitely had to get it. The french toast was caramelised, crispy at the sides and drizzled with a blueberry compote- enjoyable, but definitely not worth its price.

For a cafe located at a heartlands area, the price is a little steep. That said, the food is enjoyable.

Builders 
53 Sims Place
#01-160
Tel No: 6747 1837 

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VENUE By Sebastian

Eating at VENUE By Sebastian is like an ideal relationship- to keep falling in love with the same person over and over again. I last came here around 3 months ago in a professional setting and was a little reserved with taking too much food because well, it was a professional setting. Yesterday, I came with a good friend and it was just no holds barred. Both times, the food was well executed and memorable.

The restaurant is often full for weekday lunches. However, when we came on a Saturday for lunch, there were only a few souls around, which was great because that meant that we didn't have to battle with noise when speaking. The restaurant was bright and inviting, decked out in comfortable neutral colours.

When you get seated, the waiter will ask whether you know how their menu works. Essentially, their dishes are served according to a "sharing concept", where the intention is for guests to order a selection of dishes to be shared.

First up was the Iberico Pork Jowl, Gremolata, Lemon ($18). The thinly sliced pieces of pork jowl was nicely seasoned and had a nice chewy texture. It seemed like a simple dish without fancy embellishment, but it worked well this way.

My friend raved about this Cold pasta, konbu, truffle oil ($23), and there was no way we were going to get through the meal without ordering this. Again, another dish which looks simple but it was very flavourful, say what you may about truffle oil being artificial, but still simply loving that taste which coats every strand of the pasta. The pasta was also cooked al dente.

The Chilean Seabass, mushroom-bacon ragout, truffle yuzu butter sauce ($32) was hands down, my favourite. I liked it so much that I shamelessly told the waitress not to clear the plate as I had not scrapped the remaining mushroom, bacon and sauce from the plate. The fresh seabass was slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy in the inside. Oh, but that sauce. The creamy sauce together with the mushrooms and bacon were a perfect accompaniment to the light-flavoured fish. Just the thought of the dish makes me salivate.

To end off our meal, we ordered the Pear tart, crumble, baileys ice cream ($14), which the waitress told us will take around 30 minutes to be ready. After all the impressive food we have had, the dessert didn't seem to be as outstanding. Despite that, the dessert of sliced pears laid on a flaky and buttery crust was enjoyable- so buttery, we smelt it even before it was served.

There is no way that I am going to deny that we had a enjoyable meal here. While I would pay $32 for the seabass, I am not sure whether I would pay so much for the pasta or the pear tart.

VENUE By Sebastian 
Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
#01-02
Singapore 068815
Tel No: 6904 9688 

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Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodles

The Midtown has relatively lower foot traffic although it is a short distance away from Hougang MRT. This is a pity because the food we have tried there so far have been pretty good and affordable. 

As it was raining on the day we visited Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodles, it was a lot emptier than the previous time we visited. You order your food at the first floor and then go up to the second floor to eat. The second floor is basic and can get a little cramped when it is full house.

To satisfy our hunger before the noodles arrived, we ordered the Fried Wanton with Pork ($3). The crunch with every bite was satisfying and did not have the taste of overused oil.

If you want to order Thai Boat Noodles, you can choose between beef, pork and tom yum. You then choose the type of noodles you want, and finally the size of the bowl.  As we were not small eaters by any measure, we ordered a big bowl of Thai Pork Noodles ($6) each. The broth was rich and came with pork slices, pork balls and pork liver. They were generous with the ingredients and the bowl of noodles was a true delight on a rainy day. I also tried the Tom Yam Noodles on a previous occasion and it was executed well.

Value for money.

Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodle 
The Midtown
1187 Upper Serangoon Road
#01-22
Tel No: 6238 0184 

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Tom's Palette Ice Cream

We last ate at Tom's Palette Ice Cream 6 years ago and had good memories of this place. On a Saturday night, we braved the queue for some good ice cream. 

This time, we decided to up our game and order their French Waffles with a scoop of ice cream. We had to wait 15 minutes for our waffles and that was fine because they informed us at the point of ordering. However, we were served disappointment on a plate. Ice cream parlours typically sell Belgian waffles and I was totally prepared for the French Waffles to taste different. What I didn't expect was an exterior which was half-heartedly crispy, and an interior that tasted like some cardboard pancake pre-mix or some bad homemade recipe for waffles. The After Eight ice cream scored much better with its bitter chocolate and refreshing mint. Spending around $10 for this combo was certainly a bad decision.

Order the ice cream, but forgo the waffle.

Tom's Palette Ice Cream 
Shaw Tower
100 Beach Road
#01-25
Tel No: 6296 5239 

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JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach

We were looking for somewhere to have a staycation and to our pleasant surprise, realised that we had sufficient points to book a free night at JW Marriott Hotel. 

1. Location 

The location is unbeatable. It is right smack in the city centre and a short walk away from City Hall MRT / Esplanade MRT. Raffles City Shopping Centre is also a 7-12 minutes walk away. There is no lack of eating options in the area. 

This is how they bribe their guests- yummy gummies! These were placed near the entrance and what a pity we only saw it on the last day because these gummies were delicious.

The check in was fast and the lobby exuded a modern flair. The lifts were a little psychedelic, with the colours of the lights changing frequently.

3. Room 

The room was generally nice, but could do with some carpet cleaning as there were some stains on the carpet which was a little off-putting. There was a long corridor that led to the bed. It is obvious that this hotel is going down the modern / trendy route, with modern paintings splashed across the wall, and the cupboards / walls adorned with mirrors. I am a little mirror phobic and hence chose the side of the bed which did not face the mirror. We got pretty good views from the 14th floor. Plenty of TV channels including international channels. The bed was comfortable. 

4. Toilet 

If anything, I liked the toilet more than the room because it felt like the guy who designed the toilet is someone who finally understands travellers. The sink was extraordinarily wide to contain splashes, there was a stool outside the shower area so that you could put your clothes there (instead of walking some distance to the clothes hooks), mats were already placed at the areas which would always be wet (i.e. next to the bathtub and outside the shower area) so that you didn't need to figure which were bath towels and which were bath mats. Finally, someone who understands.

The bathtub, the shower area and the toilet were located in three separate areas. For those who enjoy the automated toilet bowls, you have it here.

I seldom use the bath products from hotels because they often make my hair express their unhappiness in the form of extreme tangles which takes forever to unknot. However, Marriott's bath products have generally proven to be good and these aromatherapy bath products did not disappoint.

Rain showers in major hotel chains are generally expected nowadays and this was no exception. There was good water pressure and no issue with the water temperature.

5. Amenities 

Even if you do not swim, you should definitely go to the swimming pool to have a look. It's ideal for admiring the beautiful skyline. You should go once at night and once in the morning as the feel is different at different times of the day.

It was extremely relaxing to just sit at the benches by the pool and enjoying the morning breeze.

Bonus: In addition to the swimming pool, there is also a pool table and a foosball table.

It is great for  people who want to do something other than swimming / going to the gym. How about a table tennis table next?



Large comfortable sofas for people to just relax and chill.

There was also a gym which looked pretty well-equipped.

6. Service 

Service was polite and the staff were always ready to render their assistance. They also took note of my request for a higher floor.

7. Overall 

A comfortable stay, but the prices are probably a little steep for a comparable five star hotel.

JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach 
30 Beach Road
Singapore 189763
Tel No: 6818 1888 

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Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining

There are days when you want to pretend to be healthy - this was one such day. Since we were in the area, I suggested having some Japanese vegetarian food at Sunshine Plaza. 

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining occupied two shop fronts. Simple furnishing without too much fuss. The other shop front looked more inviting compared to the main shop front.

We tried the Salmon Sashimi ($9). There was no way this tasted like real salmon sashimi but as with most mock meat, they usually don't taste like the real deal in any case. This was chilled, and had a bouncy texture to it.

I much preferred the Vegetable Tendon with Miso Soup ($13.90) which was not inferior to the quality of the tendons in the popular shops in town. There was a variety of deep-fried vegetables, including different kinds of mushrooms, lady's finger, asparagus and eggplant. The vegetables were deep fried just right- not too soft, yet not too crispy to the point of being slightly burnt. 

Reasonably-priced Japanese vegetarian food.

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining 
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-50
Singapore
Tel No: 6337 7050

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A Noodle Story

A Noodle Story is no stranger to the local food scene as it has been awarded the Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. It is set up by two former Shatec classmates who have worked at top restaurants in Singapore. 

Unsurprisingly, there was a long queue ahead of us during lunch time. It also took some time for each bowl to be prepared. 

We ordered the small bowl of Singapore-style Ramen ($8), which was rather filling. $8 may be a lot to pay for hawker food, but as I ate, I told my husband, "I will willingly pay $8 for this." 

Although it is called ramen, it is more like wanton noodles. The egg noodles were springy and coated with sauce made of dried shrimps and kelp, with a small dollop of sambal at the side. The sauce was a little too salty for me, but other than that, this innovative dish was a whole new level on its own.

The Char Siew is made using belly pork from Spain and slow-braised for 36 hours, explaining its melt-in-the-mouth texture. The wantons, made with pork and chunks of shrimps, are fresh and bouncy. I left the best for the last- the potato-wrapped prawn. Nobody can resist deep fried potatoes - what more thinly cut deep fried potatoes wrapped around a prawn! 

A Noodle Story recently wrote a post on Facebook explaining its prices and giving a breakdown for each of its ingredients- honestly, even without the explanation, I would have thought that it was totally entitled to charge what it did. 

Bonus: If you hate queuing and can bear to part with a further $2 just to get your food faster than the rest, you can buy a fast pass from Klook and attract all the envious looks of the people queueing.

A Noodle Story 
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road
#01-39
Singapore 069111
Tel No: 9027 6289 

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Columbus Coffee Co

On a bus ride recently, I noticed that there was a new restaurant along Upper Thomson. I told my husband, "Eh think there's a new cafe called French Toast!" 

Yesterday, my husband rolled his eyes at me after we realised that French Toast was the school teaching French classes, and was not the new cafe, Columbus Coffee! 

Columbus Coffee is owned by the owners of Atlas Coffeehouse and Lunar Coffee Brewers. 

A quick glance of the menu demonstrated serious thought in planning the menu- no run-of-the-mill items, some innovative food and some comfort food. 

Cosy interior, and there is a big table that can suit large groups (probably fits more than 12).

The Soft Shell Crab Burger ($22) caught my attention. Although relatively pricey for a burger, I didn't think it was unfairly priced. This beautifully plated dish came with two substantial pieces of nicely deep fried soft shell crab, and what really perked up this dish was the mango pomegranate salsa - though small, these packed a punch- slightly sour, slightly sweet and the pomegranate added a welcome crunch. The brioche buns are also done just the way I like it- lightly buttered, lightly toasted and fluffy. The generous portion of curly fries were pretty addictive, although they were a little too salty.

It's a nice dining spot serving good food, with friendly service as well.

Columbus Coffee Co 
220 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574352
Tel No: 6253 6024 

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Carton King 纸箱王 (Taiwan)

We had initially wanted to visit Carton King at Dakeng. However, the taxi driver who was supposed to bring us there persuaded us to go to Lavender Cottage instead and the rest, as they say, is history. 

While at Sun Moon Lake, we were looking for dinner options at around 7+ pm and realised that the popular shops were either closed or winding down for the day. We walked to a nearby shopping centre and to our surprise, Carton King was open. 

Unlike other branches where you get to see exhibits made of cardboard, this was solely a restaurant with a small shop next to it selling souvenirs. We were the only customers around at late 7+ pm.

As we weren't particularly hungry (after snacking our way through in the afternoon), we ordered one Chilli & Spicy Hot Pot 野地麻辣锅 (NT$390) to share. The set came with a choice of drink (honey tea / honey green tea / sun moon lake black tea).

There is a restaurant policy of each person spending at least NT$100. I don't get such policies but we ordered an extra portion of pork (NT$100) just to hit that minimum limit.

Everything except the burner was made of cardboard. The waitress told us not to put too many items into the pot at the same time.

While the soup base was pretty good and delivered a feisty kick, I was a little alarmed when frozen food were served to us. I mean, yes I get that the food we normally put into our steamboat was probably frozen as well, but having the food blatantly served in frozen form seems to be a first. Most of the ingredients were cheap ingredients - they tasted fine though.

The drink is served in a carton box and the waitress told us that we could bring the cardboard box back as a money bank. Great recycling initiative but I think we are past the age of having piggy banks!

Novel concept and it was an eye-opener how so many things could be made from sturdy cardboard. That said, the food was not value for money and you are really paying for the novelty.

Carton King (Yuchi branch)
2F, No. 163 Zhongshan Road
Shuishe Village
Taiwan 

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Pancake

I'm a sucker for pancakes and waffles but the pancakes sold commercially are always ridiculously expensive (and I end up eating McDonald's pancakes). Since today is a public holiday, I decided to try a recipe from All Recipes. This recipe is for keeps because the pancake is fluffy and moist.

I also give credit to my mini happy call pan (which came together with my Isetan 福袋) as it gives the pancakes their (nearly) round shape.

Adapted from All Recipes 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) 

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 teaspoon baking power 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cooking spray (optional) 

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 

3. Whisk egg and butter into milk mixture. 

4. Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until the lumps are gone. 

5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet with cooking spray (I did not do so since the skillet was non-stick). 

5. Pour around 1 ladle worth of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side. 

Serving size

Makes around 8 pancakes 

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