Straits Express @ Kallang Wave Mall

I've had to think this through a few times. To share or not to share this gem of a place. To do them justice, here goes!

Our favourite new mall is the Kallang Wave Mall. Situated right next to the new indoor stadium, it can be quite confusing to locate. Once you get it right though, it's easy to navigate with ample parking and escalator ramps which are great for strollers.

The highlight - fairprice extra. They have kiddie trolleys and cars. A deposit of $10 is required before you can "hire" one. My kids love this supermarket because of the trolleys. Apart from cold storage jelita, I don't know of any other supermarket with these trolleys in singapore. We end up buying stuff we don't need, just cos they get a kick out of steering and filling up the trolleys with food. A sure way to increase sales.




The other highlight in this mall is a new cafe - restaurant - bar called Straits Express. The outside of the restaurant is fashioned after a train - quite novel. It's on the ground floor right outside, facing the water and next to the taxi and drop off point. If you have an elderly person on a wheelchair, it's an ideal location to dine.





We ordered chicken chop, assam laksa, bakawan kepiting and fish & chips. They did not disappoint! There are 3 chefs - one from singapore, one from malacca and one from penang. The western food is hainanese style - and it's way better than Hans! The chicken chop was fried to perfection and comes with a curry gravy - super yum and we asked for second helpings of the gravy!





The assam laksa didn't disappoint either. Full of ingredients and the broth was chock full of fish.





The bakawan kepiting was also good - the broth was tasty with a hint of crab flavour from the meatballs.





Fish and chips were also good. We have been back twice since, and tried the rojak, char kway teow, nyonya laksa, prawn mee. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of food. Since its right next to the water, fidgety kids can play or scooter outside whilst parents finish off their food. They will definitely be seeing more of us!

http://straitsexpress.com.sg

Staycation Review - Ritz Carlton Singapore

We didn't have a chance to bring the kids out of the country these school holidays, so we decided to bring them on a staycation. I narrowed it down to Rasa Sentosa and the Ritz Carlton Millenia. When I saw the Rasa Sentosa prices, I almost fainted and the Ritz Carlton was a natural choice.




The Ritz Carlton has a Ritz Kids club program over the weekend. Because we went on a weekday, there was no official program - but the kids were treated to kids amenities and a nice cake delivered to the room, nonetheless! We even got an extra one for our wedding anniversary!





The highlight had to be the bathtub by the window. We stayed one night, but the boys managed to soak 3 times.












We booked a deluxe room which is the entry level room and it was very spacious! It's one of those hotels that care about the little things - right down to the design, daybed, kids slippers, etc.




The festive decorations enhanced the holiday atmosphere and we were treated to a choir at the lobby on our way out to dinner.





One of the reasons why we chose the Ritz was also its proximity to shopping malls. It was raining cats and dogs when we headed out to dinner but we didn't even need umbrellas when we walked out via the sheltered walkways. I would do at staycation alone here just to shop at suntec and marina square!





The boys wanted japanese and we stumbled upon Hifumi at Marina Square. They have free flow appetisers and drinks - just order a main course and top up for the drinks. Evan ate free (waitress said it was because he sat in a high chair). Unfortunately we couldn't fit Marc in one. :) Between the boys, they ate 5 chawanmushis! The main course is average, but the prices are reasonable and if your kids like chawanmushi, this is the place to go.





The boys had fun posing with the marina square Christmas decorations.





The hotel has a small kids play area near the check in counter to make up for the lack of a kids club on weekdays. This kept the boys occupied for quite some time! They had the entire area to themselves and the husband and I enjoyed chilling out with the free drinks station at the lobby.





The boys had so much fun, they refused to sleep until almost midnight! Breakfast the next day did not disappoint. Greenhouse is one of those restaurants that have a really decent buffet spread. None of us managed to try everything. It was simply mind boggling. Bak ku teh, a whole spread of cold cuts, a huge salad bar, japanese pickles and rice like there's no tomorrow, huge pastry selection and an entire section of yakult. Every kids dream!





We managed to squeeze in a final swim at the pool before checking out. In the chilly December weather, Evan and I only made it as far as the heated jacuzzi! We really loved our stay and would not hesitate to return again!

Staycation at Singapore Resort and Spa, Sentosa

We recently celebrated our wedding anniversary at the Singapore Resort and Spa, Sentosa. Special thanks to my parents for very willingly agreeing to babysit the 3 kids and our very able helper for holding the fort. It's been 4 years since we last went anywhere without the kids!




We chose this hotel because The Husband proposed to me after we had dinner at The Cliff. Hence it holds fond memories for us. Firstly - of me getting feasted on by mozzies at the restaurant's open air setting. Secondly - of him trying to hide the ring in a gigantic box in his pocket while he walked me to the "Southern most point of the Asian continent", where he proposed. How can you say no to a guy who goes down on bended knee? ;)





So the plan was for me to enjoy a spa treatment, for him to enjoy his gym workout - followed by dinner at The Cliff.

We made it known that we were celebrating our anniversary and they sent us a cake to enjoy - which was a lovely gesture.





The hotel is now part of the Sofitel group, and the spa is called So Spa. I selected a treatment called the "Slimming Ceremony" and really regretted it - it was painful! I had somehow forgotten how uncomfortable slimming treatments are! I must say though - it was super effective. I saw a noticeable change in skin texture - less visible cellulite and more toned. After the massage, the masseuse applied a green tea wrap which helps cool down and tone the skin. The spa has male and female Jacuzzis and plunge pools as well and steam baths and outdoor pools. Pictures not allowed so I have none to share. The outdoor premises are rather worn, but the indoor pools are well maintained. The galaxy steam bath has LCD stars all over the ceiling!




The resident peacocks - which were aplenty, roam freely around the hotel compounds. They are quite noisy - which surprised us. I mean - cats go meow, dogs to woof - peacocks go....? Well they kinda bark and crow at the same time and they were walking all over the roof of The Cliff whilst we dined!

To get to the gym and spa, you have to walk a fair distance and cross a road. They have lots of buggies to drive you around and I made full use of them!





After studying the menu at The Cliff, we chose to have ala carte dishes instead of the set menu. We shared the starters, which were Fin de Claire oysters done 6 ways - 3 cooked and 3 raw. This was lovely - every piece was delicious and fresh. There was a promotion where we got a free glass of Spanish wine along with the oysters.





All tables were served bread with olive oil, balsamic and butter.





Was too hungry so didn't take pics of amuse bouche - which was a strange green jelly with foam and longan pieces. This combination didn't work.





The other starter we shared was escargot - these were quite yummy, served on little pieces of toast.





We both had the seafood linguine aglio olio style - this was average. I found they seasoned the pasta with far too much parmesan cheese. The seafood portions were generous though.






We also received dessert on the house!

My biggest bugbear - the mozzies - again! They return to torment me after 11 years! We moved tables twice to avoid them. To not much avail! I was rubbing lavender oil all over my bites! (Never leave home without my oils now)






The staff handed me an entire bottle of repellant - very well prepared, as I'm obviously not the only guest with this problem.

Breakfast the next morning was good too - decent spread without the crowd. They just started renovations, though we didn't hear a thing. The crowds are probably at Resorts World, not that we are complaining! The hotel is generally still well maintained, though the renovations will give it a much needed face lift. The staff at The Cliff were very attentive and suggested we come back again next year to celebrate in the newly renovated hotel! Will certainly keep that in mind! It was nice to have peace and quiet and not hear "mummy mummy mummy" for the 100th time in a day.

Diandin Leluk Catering

We recently ordered some food from Diandin Leluk's catering arm and I have to say it was good and value for money! I love thai food and was very cautious before choosing to place my order. I studied other reviews and concluded that this was the real deal.




We had mango salad as the appetiser.





Other dishes included olive rice, thai prawn cakes, baby kai lan, seafood tofu, minced pork with basil, green curry chicken and tom yum soup.





We had thai red ruby for dessert.





The red ruby came with a tub of ice and fresh coconut milk. Each dish was delicious and authentic. The tom yum soup is super spicy so you might want to request for less chillies. Ingredients come in generous servings and we had lots left over. The food received our guests' stamp of approval!


http://www.diandinleluk.com/Catering%20Menu/Catering%20Menu.html

Visit to the Central Fire Station

I can't believe it's been almost 3 and a half months since my last post. Oh my poor neglected blog. Here's a quick update on what we did this weekend. We visited the Central Fire Station!




We have heard about how the stations are open to the public on Saturday mornings, but we've just never gotten round to visiting. Evan loves all things vehicular and has become curious about fire engines and ambulances since seeing several on the road with sirens on. So we thought it was a good time to pay them a visit.





We decided to visit the Central Fire Station on Hill Street. Best time to show up - 9am sharp. When we arrived at 9.15am, there was already a large group of kids and parents listening to the briefing and demonstration.

Kids get to ride sit on the trucks, use the water hose, take pictures with the scdf crew and look inside the vehicles.





The fire bell went off a couple of times when we were there and the kids were really excited watching the engines go off with sirens blaring. There was even a fire fighting demonstration with the fire scdf personnel jumping down 3 stories using the fireman pole (I'm sure there's a proper name for it - can someone enlighten me?)




And here's another reason why you should visit the Central Fire Station - there's a heritage gallery with lots of fire engines on display, interactive activities and gift shop to browse. The biggest bonus - it's aircon!!!









At the end of the visit, Marc said he didn't want to be a fireman. When I asked him why, since I thought sliding down 3 stories on a pole would appeal to him lots - he said its because he has to get changed within 30 seconds. Evan was quite overwhelmed and insisted on being carried throughout the visit, but couldn't stop talking about the engines when we left.






A big shout out to the scdf personnel who take the time to educate and entertain their little visitors every week. We all enjoyed ourselves - and it's free! Highly recommended!

Evan is 2!

I can't believe how time flies. Evan has turned 2 years old. Just like that - he's no longer my baby boy.




He's the one I currently feel the most guilty about. (Mummy guilt - that's another blog post idea) I've read about the middle child syndrome. I'm not sure if it's true. But sandwiched in between kor kor and mei mei, he's the one I have the least time for. When I was pregnant with Isabel, Evan was still very young and didn't understand why mummy couldn't carry him nor hug him (I suffered several kicks from him, and so did Isabel). When I finally could carry him again, I felt I missed out a large chunk of his babyhood. He had somehow grown to humongous proportions (in my eyes at least). Now he's turned 2!

Nonetheless he's a very happy, feisty and well adjusted little boy. He's the one I'm the least worried about - i'm quite sure he won't get bullied and his self help skills are quite advanced for a child his age.

So what did we do to celebrate his birthday? Well he likes trains, planes and buses. Taking all 3 kids onto the plane again is not something I intend to do for a while. So we brought everyone for a bus and train ride. We took the bus to the mrt station and took the train to dhoby ghaut station.




Getting on and off the train and bus with 3 kids was quite an adventure. I'm pleased to say that commuters did give up their seats for us, and Evan was thrilled to be on board. Hats off to parents who have to commute daily on public transport with little ones especially in peak hour.

We explored the new wing at Plaza Sing and decided to have lunch at Nana's Green Tea.









The lunch set is such good value! The food was pretty decent and the matcha latte passed my taste test. Will definitely dine there again.





There were kiddie activities on the ground floor which kept the boys busy.

After that adventure, Evan keeps asking for more trips on the bus and train.

We also had a family dinner to celebrate Evan and Nai Nai's joint birthdays.





He was extremely happy to sing happy birthday and blow out the candle. My guess is that he's seen his classmates do this many times and was waiting for his turn to arrive. He was so happy he grabbed the Husband's arm whilst munching his cake, leaned his head against it and gave daddy a kiss. Just like that - out of the blue. That's him - very affectionate with a fire in his belly. He does everything with a passion, no in between.





On his actual birthday, we had a simple cake cutting at school with his friends. I ordered a cake from bengawan solo - with an airplane design on it, no less. He was thrilled with the cake. I must say I was pretty impressed - the cake tasted moist and fluffy - i didn't even pay to upgrade to a special filling. Just the regular chocolate cake. The design was done in fresh cream and I find them tastier than fondant cakes. I won't hesitate to order from them again next time.





Happy 2nd birthday my little Spartan boy! Daddy and mummy love you very much!

Back to the office

So everyone's been asking me - "how do you feel about going back to work". (May I add that going back to work isn't a fair question - staying home is very hard work. Hence I've used the title "going back to the office".

If you read through my old posts, after having Marc, I started crying a week before going back to work. I missed him even before I left the house. Yeah - i'm super emo - that's why I married such a strong stable man like the Husband.

Before I had kids, I was certain I wanted to stop work and become a stay home mum. Why? Because nothing beats mummy right? How can anyone replace a mother's love, care and nurturing? I was left in the care of my grandmother when I was young and really really missed my mum when she left for work. I remember looking out the window of grandma's flat, arching my neck waiting for mummy to come pick me. And I resolved not to have my kids feel that way. So when Marc came along, I dreaded going back to work and was consumed with guilt whenever I was away from him. I eventually got over that and managed to obtain approval for a part time work arrangement which I love love love. As he grew, I realised that he flourished with or without me.

After Evan came along, I was really happy to go back to work once my maternity leave ended.




Yes he was quite a terror to look after, but any mum will attest that staying home to look after kids is not easy. I told my friends that going to work is a break for me - and got incredulous looks (except from fellow mums who gave me knowing nods). But a big part of why I was happy to come back to work was the realisation that there's only so much I can humanly do for my kids. They belong to God and He loves them much more than I do. He takes special care of them and watches over them. I realised that whilst a mother's love cannot be replaced, having mummy stay home 24/7 is not always the best. Every family is different - i have friends who are stay home mums with zero outside help in the form of parents and domestic help. They truly have my admiration as it's not easy at all. I'm not sure how I would stay sane as a stay home mum and a loopy mummy is all round bad news for the home. The Husband is very hands on and I think it's apparent that he's much much better at handling the kids than I am. When I'm away, the boys spend more time with daddy and to me, it's crucial for their development. And I'm thankful to say they have turned out quite well as a result of that. I realised that I wasn't short changing them by going to work, albeit for 3 days a week and the mummy guilt eventually left me. I did take a step back in terms of pay and career progression, but you can't have it all. That's another blog post all together so I shan't digress. God has also sent us the right helpers at the right time and I'm really thankful for a reliable helper and parents and in laws who never hesitate to lend a hand with the kids.

So as my third maternity draws to a close, how do I feel about coming back to work? I'd say it's a mix between my past 2 maternities. It's nice to be able to dress up, stay in an aircon office, eat with both my hands, use the toilet without an audience and have adult conversation over lunch. On the other hand, after 3 kids, I've come to realise that they grow so so quickly. Evan turns 2 next week. Before I know it I will be selecting what to wear for Isabel's wedding! With 3 little ones, I just can't find enough time in a day to be a part of their antics. Whether it's Marc's crazy stories, Evan's cheeky grin or Isabel's latest milestone, every minute with them is a privilege.

Choosing to stay home would have been the easiest option - with 3 kids, juggling their feeds and schedules would confound the most skillful circus performer. Yet I know that my calling isn't to be a stay home mum - at least not now, not this season. And being in the centre of God's will is the best place to be.

So how did I usher in my going back to work? Well wouldn't you know it - by eating of course!








Last week it was waffles from Creamier in Toa Payoh. Truly the best I've ever tried. Today it was mazechirashi from Aoki. Seriously good stuff, better than the chirashi we had in Japan! I'd find any reason to eat. ;)

Now to pack my pump - my bags - my snacks - my oils - and to adjust to a whole new routine. Here we go!