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A “Tea-matic” Experience @ NYP L’rez Training Restaurant

L’REZ is a Training Restaurant for students from the Diploma in Food and Beverage Business in Nanyang Polytechnic. The training restaurant has been operating since 2013. They serve affordable semi-fine dining menu and the menu changes every term (every 3 months) or during special occasions.

Today, thebouncybellies went over to try out their A “tea-matic” experience whereby the students designed a special menu that infuses teas into the food.

We had the entrée, Harira and Sea Scallop Carpaccio.

The Harira was served hot and the soup tasted fantastic. Caramelized lemon was added into the soup which helps to elevate the dish to another level. The risoni pasta found in the soup gave a different kind of texture to the soup which we rather liked.

The Sea Scallop Carpaccio tasted decent to us. The Sea Scallop was lightly seasoned with salt, the tomato salsa had a sweet tangy taste to it and the Squid-Ink Rice Tuiles was shockingly tasty! Having all these components together works well as the different flavours and textures compliments each other greatly.

While waiting for our mains, we ordered the mocktails ($3.00 each) that are hand-crafted by the students. We had the Blooming Rose and Yuzu Sencha.

The Blooming Rose is mainly made up of apricot and peach tea, topped with a bit of lime, peach, apple and rose bud. It gave off a refreshing taste as we are able to detect hints of fruits in the tea flavored drink.

The Yuzu Sencha is made with lime, honey, yuzu, sencha shokai and lemon juice. The drink had an overpowering taste of Yuzu which we were quite dissapointed as we were barely able taste the sencha shokai. It would be better if the proportion of the Yuzu and the Sencha can be balanced out more. However the overall taste of the drink was still good.

The climax of the whole “Tea-matic” experience was the MAIN COURSES. We had the Seafood Risotto and the Pan-Roasted Chicken Roulade.

The Seafood Risotto that we had was pure stunning. It tasted as good as it looks! The risotto comprises of Calamari, River Shrimps, Brown Beech Mushrooms and Jasmine Green Tea Cured Salmon.

The risotto was cooked nicely, with the rice still having a bite to it. The seasoning of the risotto was done well. Plus points was having the seafood cooked to perfection! Not many armature cooks are able to catch the right texture when cooking calamari, but the students of NYP Diploma in Food and Beverage Business did it well. Kudos to them! The taste of this dish still lingers in my mouth and my mind until now.

The Pan-Roasted Chicken Roulade was amazingly tasty as well! This simple dish was well prepared and executed by the students. In this dish, the chicken was stuffed with Sprue Asparagus, Cherry Tomato Confit, Micro-Ratatouille, Spinach Sponge, Apricot and Peach Tea Jus and, Roasted Garlic Potato Mousseline.

The pan-roasted chicken roulade was tender and juicy. The asparagus that was stuffed in the chicken gave the dish a crunchy texture. The micro-ratatouille was nice however we could hardly taste the tomato in it, which we found weird as ratatouille is a tomato-based dish. Interesting part of the dish was the Spinach Sponge and the Apricot and Peach Tea Jus. The Spinach Sponge was rather good surprise as it is hardly seen in many other restaurants. The Sponge was well made as it gave off a nice spinach taste and it added colour to the dish. The Apricot and Peach Tea Jus was very flavorsome, it lifts the taste of the dish when we have the chicken together with jus. Overall the dish is really YUMMY!!

There was only one dessert to choose from in the menu, which was the Chocolate Creme Caramel Rooibos Bavaroise. The dessert is made up of Tea Creme Brulee, Caramelised Tea Apples, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Crumbles and Greek Yogurt Sherbert.

FYI: Rooibos or bush tea (especially in Southern Africa) are leaves used to make herbal tea or sometimes redbush tea (especially in Great Britain)

The dessert was a great closure to the whole experience. The tea creme brulee was really tasty and light. The Greek Yogurt Sherbet was nice and refreshing because of its slightly sour taste, which helps to cleanse our palette after having such heavy main courses. We found that the chocolate cake at the bottom of the cup was slightly dry. We thought that eating the cake with the sherbet will make it moist and easier to eat, but unfortunately not. I believe if the chocolate cake could be slightly more rich, the dessert would be a even better one.

All in all, it was really a great meal presented by the students! From the dishes that they served to us, I personally think that they are well trained by the chefs and lecturers in Nanyang Polytechnic. The students are all in their 3rd Year from Diploma in Food and Beverage Business. Keep up the good work & fly the NYP flag high!

Unfortunately, The “Tea-matic” Experience will be ending tomorrow, 9th June 2017. However, you can still head down to try out their new menu which will be coming up soon. Do make reservations if possible as they are a training restaurant. Give the students a chance to learn how to take down your reservations. Also, do give them your support by trying out the food and drink menus specially created by them.

Student/Staff of NYP : $12.00
Public : $15.00

Address : NYP Blk F Level 3
Operating Hours : 11.30am-2.30pm (Monday-Friday)
Reservation : 6451 4384
Email : L-Rez@mymail.nyp.edu.sg

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Food

Gyudon: Grilllo Singapore

Gyudon, or better known as beef rice bowl, is getting increasingly popular among Singaporeans. Who doesn’t love a bowl of rice filled with delicious sliced beef and topped with a light sauce. Popular food Instagram account have been filling up our timeline with the delicious looking bowl of goodness, making us hungry for it. The hype for gyudon in Singapore is real and the Bellies are here to find out if they are as delicious as it looks like in pictures.

We went to Grilllo for a fix of gyudon. We have seen plenty of Instagram accounts tagging this place and raving how delicious their version of gyudon is.

Located at PasarBella@Suntec, Grilllo looked unassuming amidst the various stalls located there.

Photo: Hungry Ghost

Grilllo have a wide variety of their Signature Bowls, from 5 different bowls, and assorted sides and skewers. We tried the Truffle Short Rib Bowl and the Pork Belly Bowl.

The Truffle Short Rib Bowl cost $14.90 and additional short ribs cost $6. The beef had a mild truffle taste to it, just enough to not totally overpower the sweetness of the beef. The onsen egg was cooked to perfection and breaking the egg was extremely therapeutic.

We rate it as 4/5 Belly

The Pork Belly Bowl cost $12.90 and when we first the bowl, we were quite disappointed as it does not look aesthetically nice as the Short Ribs. The bowl consisted of panko-crusted Nagano pork belly, shiitake mushroom and an onsen egg. Presentation of the bowl might not look good but the taste of it was on point. The pork belly legit melts in your mouth. You can taste the juicy fattiness of the pork belly as you bite into it. Definitely a dish that we will eat again at PasarBella@Suntec.

We rate it as 4/5 Belly

You can visit Grilllo at PasarBella @ Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard

Operating hours is from 10 AM to 10 PM daily

Website: http://www.grilllo.com

Uncategorized

Staycation Review: Hotel Mono

Barely opened a month ago, Hotel Mono is a new boutique hotel with only 46 rooms. Located at Chinatown, this new hotel is not to be missed. Having just opened, this post isn’t a sponsored post but rather by luck that we chosen this brand new hotel.

Finding Hotel Mono wasn’t difficult as it was located just opposite to Porcelain Hotel. Hotel Mono is situated at Mosque Street. Alight at Chinatown MRT and exit towards Chinatown Point. Once exit, you will see a huge Bee Cheng Hian shop. Cross over the road and that’s where you’ll see Mosque Street.

The sight of the hotel. Quite easily spotted as it is the only building with half white and half black at the bottom.

Cute round chair at the lobby and stairs leading up to the second level.

The lobby of the hotel and the check in counter. The hotel was pretty quiet when we stepped in. However the check in procedure went smoothly and in no time we were checked in. The hotel is only 3 storey high but there is a lift in the hotel for guests with luggage. There is also a staircase leading up to the second level.

The staff was nice enough to bring us up to our room. We stayed at the second floor, Studio Room. We were quite disappointed with the room as from the pictures it looked bigger than it seems. Oh well, maybe the illusion from the black and white theme makes the room bigger than what it seems.

Our room for the night.

The room was cosy and it gave off the minimalist type of feel. The black and white theme was really a good play for a small room. About 20sqm, the room is about the size of Oasia Hotel Novena Club Room.

There is a sofa just right in front of the door. The television is located in front of the bed. We didn’t use or sit on the sofa at all since it is placed at such a redundant and inconvenient way. Would be better if a TV was located in front of it or at least a table.

We were sadden by the fact that the toilet we had wasn’t in black but rather in pick. We knew from the photos that some of the toilets were black and white, brown or pink but we would much rather have black as it would fit the whole theme better.

The toilet amenities given was of the average. 2 toothbrushes and toothpaste, shaving kit, vanity kit and sanitary bag. But what we liked the most was that the soap was nicely scented. The smell of the body soap lasted long and smelled good.

Second level, floor plan

The hotel also accommodates to single travelers and also family. Do check out there website at http://www.hotelmono.com/ as they are having an early bird promotion from 2nd January 2017 to 1st Jun 2017 with a 20% discount off all room types. Don’t miss out on this promotion!

Hotel Mono

Room: Studio

Price: from $190/night

staycation

Staycation Review: Marina Bay Sands

Photo: TripAdvisor

Who hasn’t heard of Marina Bay Sands Singapore? Nope, don’t answer that question. Even a hobo would have heard of this place. It’s the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. With the most awesome infinity pool ever.

With such an iconic hotel, there was a lot of people checking in when we were queuing. Even with a number of people checking it, the line move quite fast and before we know it, we had gotten our room key.

Going to different booking platforms to get the best rate, we saw that there were 2 different types of room – one with City view and the other with Garden view. The rooms with city views are more expensive than the Garden view. We mulled over which room to get cause naturally, the more expensive the room is, the better view we’ll get. However, we chose the Deluxe Room with Garden view instead. We did not regret our decision at all.

Photo: Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Our room had a balcony and it overlooks the whole Garden by the Bay. The best part was when GBB had the light show and we could watch the night show, not once but twice! Because of the room level that we had, it was the perfect place to watch the light show.

Photo: TripAdvisor

Our bathroom looked like this. With a separate his and hers wash basin. The shower area is together with the bathtub. To the left of this picture (you can’t see), is where the toilet bowl is at. Plus point is that the toilet bowl have it’s own door. So if you have to drop a deuce, the smell would be contained in the area.

Moving on to the best part, the Sands SkyPark Infinity Pool! Yes, that’s the best part and the main reason to this staycation. Who in the right mind would say no to a pool like that? No one!

Photo: Booking.com

The view from the Infinity Pool is magnificent no matter what time we visit. We went to the pool in the afternoon which was kind of hot since the sun was very bright and we went there again at night. The view of Singapore’s skyline at night was breathtaking. Not even the chilly wind and cold water stopped us from enjoying the view until our fingers pruned. Sadly there were a lot of people both times that we went up. We didn’t manage to take any great pictures without people photobombing us.

We didn’t have breakfast at the RISE Restaurant but we did have their dinner buffet there. Simply putting it, we loved the wide spread available! There were of course seafood available (oysters, lobsters, crayfish etc), Indian food, German Pork knuckles, sushi and many more. The dessert choices were insane as well. For those dessert lovers out there, go crazy on the food. They have a crepe station which allows guests to choose any topping from whipped cream to chocolate sauce and many more. Desserts were so good, Naddy practically inhaled the desserts!

RISE Restaurant have different themed nights when you dine in.

Tuesdays – Seafood Nights
Wednesdays – American Feast
Thursdays – Backyard Barbecue
Fridays – Mediterranean Delights
Saturdays – Singapore’s Local Favourites

Click here to know more about the themed nights.

Daily buffet dinner starts at $72 for adults and $38 for children (prices are excluding 10% service charge and GST).

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Room: Deluxe Room (Garden View)

Price: $580/night

Rate: 4.5/5

Food

STREAT Singapore Food Festival 2016

STREAT 2016 – Singapore Food Festival’s main event – is held on 15 to 16 July 2016.

The place was packed with people from 5.30 pm onwards when we arrived. Finding seats there wasn’t much of a problem since we came early. The area is filled with benches and tables for people to eat at. However, one would have to squeeze in with groups of people on a bench.

We started of with a few dishes since the queue wasn’t every long and the menu tickles our interest.

Dish: Braised Veal Cheeks

Cost: $12

Rate: 3.5 / 5 Belly

Firstly we had the Braised Veal Cheeks with Asian spice and fried Mantou. The dish is from The Disgruntled Chef. The veal itself was flavorful, soft and has a tender meat that just melts in your mouth. However, the gravy could do with a little less seasoning. Overall, the veal was tasteful and braised well as it could easily be split using a spoon.

Dish: Popiah & Kueh Pie Tee

Cost: $5

Rate: 4 / 5 Belly

Next we had the Popiah & Kueh Pie Tee from the Kway Guan Popiah. It was by far the best dish we tasted. The filling of the popiah was cooked perfectly and the sauce inside was super delicious. We couldn’t get enough of it! The best part of the dish was that we get to choose whether we want the chilli to be placed inside or outside the popiah. So for those who are afraid of spiciness, you don’t have to fret. The Kueh Pie Tee was very tasty as well. The casing was very crisps and the prawns used had a fresh taste to it.

Dish: Crab Curry Noodle

Cost: $10

Rate: 4 / 5 Belly

We then had the Crab Curry Noodles from the Candlenut. They used a Blue Swimmer Crab with a yellow turmeric coconut curry and noodles. The coconut taste in the dish was very distinctive and the flavor of the curry was delicious. The noodle was nice and springy, not too overly cooked and the crab tasted fresh.

Dish: Devil’s Curry & Cornbeef Cutlets

Cost: $7 & $2

Rate: 2.5 / 5 Belly

The Devil’s Curry from Mary’s Kafe was a let down. We were expecting the curry to be spicy but it was not. The curry flavor wasn’t strong. However, the chicken was very tender. This dish surely still have room for improvement. The Cornbeef cutlet tasted rather bland and it had a slight burnt taste to it as well. The cutlet was too dry for me. Overall, it was a great effort made by them, but we will definitely not try it again.

Dish: Mango Sago Pomelo

Cost: $8

Rate: 5 / 5 Belly

The last dish we had was a dessert from Stellar at 1-Altitude. The Mango Sago Pomelo was by far the tastiest yet simple dessert tasted! Every ingredients in this dish tasted simply amazing and complimented one another perfectly. The liquid nitrogen mango glaze made this simple dish turn into a whole new level. Warning though, do not share this delicious dessert with anyone, you will simply end up finishing all of it yourself!

With that, we ended our food journey at STREAT 2016. Do drop by on the last day tomorrow, 16 July, to get your palate a taste of something new yet delicious.

STREAT 2016 is located at Clifford Square, 1 Fullerton Road. STREAT 2016 is open from 5 pm to 10.30 pm.

staycation

Staycation Review: Crowne Plaza Hotel

Don’t you ever wonder what is that fancy hotel by the airport every time you went there? Most Singaporeans have seen Crowne Plaza Hotel but let’s admit, not a lot stayed there before because the only reason you’re at Changi Airport is to send someone off or take a flight to another country.

Most people would think of Crowne Plaza as a tourist hotel or catered more towards business travellers and superbly expensive due to its location. That was what I thought too until I went there for a staycation. Yes, that’s right. Crowne Plaza Hotel as a staycation destination? Say what??? No kidding though, the hotel is amazing with a capital A. And the best part is that the rooms aren’t very expensive!

Photos: IHG

I stayed in the Business King Room (photo above). The main reason to why I chose the room was because of the toilet. I am a sucker for beautiful toilets and bathtub. Unlike the Premier Room, the bathtub for Business Room is facing the runway! Yes, runway! While you are having a bubble bath or a deep soak in the bathtub, you can enjoy watching the planes taking off or landing. Fortunately for me, I got to see planes taking off and it was by far the best experience I ever had. Something about relaxing in the bathtub and watching planes take off is just so therapeutic. Oh, the best part of the bathtub is that it is big enough to fit 2 people! Perfect to snuggle up with one another in the tub while enjoying the scenery.

Close up image of the bathtub | Photo: The Shutterwhale

Another plus point in staying at Crowne Plaza is that the hotel is located at the airport! There are a lot of eateries in the airport that are open 24 hours or until 2 AM. Perfect for a late night supper or for those who loves taking midnight walks.

Don’t forget to take a dip in the pool. I have got to admit that Crowne Plaza have one of the nicer swimming pools in all of the hotel I’ve been to. Practically an oasis in the buzzing airport. There are little square area all over the pool which allows you to sit down in the water and just have a conversation.

Photos: TripAdvisor

Crowne Plaza Hotel is definitely one of the top hotels to go to have a staycation if you are planning to not leave the area. Gotta admit that travelling from Changi Airport to shopping districts like Orchard will be a long journey.

Room type: Business King Room

Price: from $264/night

Rate: 4.5/5

staycation

Staycation Review: Moon 23 Hotel

Photo: Asiatravel.com

Moon 23 Hotel is located at 23 Dickson Rd, Singapore 209507

Located at Dickson Road, the nearest MRT to get to the place is from Little India MRT. There is quite a walk from the train station to the hotel, about a good 10 minutes walk. Since I have never been to this place yet alone Dickson Road before, I was lost and it took me a good 20 minutes to reach there.

The hotel is located near to Mustafa Centre, so those who would like to explore the 24 hour shopping centre or have a late night crave for snacks are in luck as the hotel is close to a 5 minutes walk from Mustafa Centre.

Upon reaching the hotel, the reception area was easily spotted. To our right there was a breakfast buffet line and tables and chairs for guests to sit on.

Photo: Moon 23 Hotel

There weren’t any problems checking in and in less than 10 minutes, I had the key to my room! Yay!

Okay, I know most people blogs about the Moonlight Suite when staying in Moon 23, however, when I stayed in the hotel, I did not even know of the suite let alone know there’s a freaking outdoor jacuzzi. So due to a very last minute booking and the lack of money (yes, everyone, I paid for the room with my own hard earn money), I booked the Standard Room.

When I entered my room, I was very disappointed with what I got. The room was small. Like meant for a mice kind of small. Alright, I exaggerated a bit, but hey! The room was really small. For the Standard Room, the square area is 16 sq.m and I got a queen bed. There was barely any space to walk. Take 3 steps and you would reach the bed. 1 step from the door and it’s the toilet.

Photo: TripAdvisor

I didn’t manage to take any photos of the room but this photo from TripAdvisor perfectly depicts the Standard Room size. I think my house master bedroom is bigger than this room. There wasn’t even a window in the room! The curtains are there to make it look as if there’s a window but nah, no windows at all.

Trust me, this room isn’t for people who are claustrophobic.

When I booked the room, I didn’t opt for the breakfast. Needless to say, all I did was to go out and buy food, come back to the room, watch shitty cable channels, find food and sleep.

I checked out the next day and that’s the end of my staycation. Albeit quite an unpleasant one, but I did manage to relax and have my own ‘me’ time. Would I come back? Only to try out their Moonlight Suite but for the other rooms? Nopes.

Moon Hotel 23

Room: Standard Room

Price: from $100/night

Rate: 2.5 out of 5

staycation

Staycation Review: OASIA Hotel Novena

Oasia Hotel Novena is located at 8 Sinaran Dr, Singapore 307470

Part of the Far East Hospitality Group, Oasia Hotel is a stone throw away from Novena MRT station. A great place to stay if you’re looking for a hotel that isn’t buzzing in the CBD or town area but just near enough the shopping district to shop and eat to your hearts content.

The room that we stayed in was the Club Room. Suffice to say, we love the room and the perks that comes with it!

Upon checking in, there was a long queue and even though there is a special counter just for Club guests to check in, it still took very long. For those people out there that don’t have credit cards, there is a security deposit of $100 which is refundable upon check out.

When we entered the room, let’s just say, we totally like it. It was all wooden and the colour of woods just brings in tranquility to us.

Photo: Far East Hospitality

The photos taken by the hotel is true to the room that we gotten! We love how the black out screen works. Located right at the side of the bed, if the morning sun is too bright, you can easily reach to the control panel and black out the screen.

Photo: Far East Hospitality

The toilets were wonderful. Not too small and not too big. However, do note that the shower area isn’t covered. There is a transparent glass that lets you look out to the bed. Couples, if you’re open with one another, this might just be key factor to get your significant other join you in the shower. However, if you are the shy type, there is a curtain which allows the glass to be covered. The bathtub is enough to fit 1 person only so unless if you and your significant other is small size, maybe both of you can squeeze in together.

Moving on, not only do we love the room, we love the perks that comes with being a Club guest!

Firstly, Club Guests have access to their own private lounge!

Photo: Far East Hospitality

Yes, that infinity swimming pool there, is just for Club Guests. So if you booked your room during a non-peak hour (like we do), that swimming pool is all yours.

From 6 pm to 8 pm daily, Club guest gets to enjoy complimentary cocktail and all-day coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks at The Living Room. Club guests also get to enjoy complementary breakfast at the Living Room.

The complimentary cocktail and refreshment is what we liked most about the Club privileges (well, second to the swimming pool). The view from the lounge is wonderful, not as spectacular as Marina Bay Sands but good enough for us.

All in all, we loved the stay at Oasia Hotel Novena. Definitely will be coming back again and maybe we’ll try the Club Suite next time.

Oasia Hotel Novena

Room: Club Room

Price: from $280/night

Rate: 4.5/5