Founder Bak Kut Teh Tasting Session
347 Balestier Road

Opening Hours:
Wed - Mon: 12pm - 2:30pm, 6pm - 2am,
Closed Tue


500 Jalan Sultan
#01-09 Hotel Boss

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am - 5am


http://www.founderbkt.com.sg/


This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Special thanks to Founder BKT, Love To Eat The Most, and Justin Food Prints for the invitation and for hosting. Attended with representatives from Zanthrea, Doris Goh, Shitty Vince, Food Gem, and Purple Taste.

Bak Kut Teh @ Founder

Ibis Styles
401 MacPherson Road
MacPherson 368215
Singapore

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9411-ibis-styles-singapore-on-macpherson/index.shtml


Comfortable, Quirky Mid-Range Hotel, Inconvenient Location

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Visited: Apr-2017
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 5
Service: 6
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $970 per person.
- $970 Accomodation 12D11N
- $0 Room Service


Hotel Facilities: Business Centre, Free Wi-Fi, 1 Restaurant (Chat & Chow Restaurant), Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Cable TV, Washer & Dryer, Shuttle Service, Phone Charger, Currency Exchange Service


Hotel Activities: Work Out, Internet Surfing, Swimming


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Introduction
Located about 40 minutes drive away from the Changi international airport in Singapore, the Ibis Styles is a comfortable, modern 3-star hotel. While it's located near the Tai Seng and Ubi industrial hubs and business parks, the Ibis Styles is far from any Singapore attractions, making it better suited as a business hotel. Despite this, leisure travellers still put up here, due to their affordable, wallet-friendly prices. However, being located in the heartlands, it does provide the opportunity for guests to experience a slice of life in the MacPherson area.


Ambience
Ambience at Ibis Styles is clean, modern, colourful, and playful. The white, spotlit place is offset by splashes of geometric shapes in all manner of red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. Sleek modern furniture complete the look, and it feels boutique, exciting, with a youthful energy and vibrancy. The corridors are brightly lit and easy to navigate, in fact, I feel like I'm in a futuristic setting when walking the hallways.


Room
Rooms at Ibis Styles are clean, modern, but small. Beds are comfortable and the bathroom has simple amenities. However, there is a small sacrifice of privacy; the sink is smack in the middle of the room, and there's no way to turn on the bathroom light without illuminating the beds, which are right next to the bathroom. This means if 1 person uses the toilet or shower, the other person may have difficulty sleeping because of the bright light and noise. While the small work desk is functional, the cable television channels are limited.


Food
Food at Ibis Styles is provided at the in-house restaurant, Chat & Chow. Generally, I find food here to be below average in quality, and limited in variety. The breakfast has about 20 items or so, most of it carbohydrates, and the items don't change from day to day. Boring and uninspired. Execution is below average to passable, taste is not very good. Personally, I would rather walk across the street where there are many coffee shops and eateries around.


Service
Service at Ibis Styles is slightly above average. Staff are polite, courteous, and friendly. They're quick and helpful with requests, and knowledgable about the surrounding area and attractions in Singapore. I also like that they can converse in a variety of languages. Beyond the lobby and the restaurant, there's very little other opportunity to interact with staff.


Facilities & Activities
The facilities and activities at Ibis Styles are decent. The gymnasium is decently equipped, and the swimming pool is clean and visually appealing. The free wi-fi is fast and stable, and connection is available throughout the Ibis Styles hotel. Despite the inconvenient location, Ibis Styles offers free shuttle bus services to nearby MRT stations, or to selected locations in town, making it easy for leisure travellers to get around. In addition, there are several supermarkets and a lot of eating places nearby. Parking is also complimentary for hotel guests.


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Vesak Day 2017




May you be blessed with Joy and Peace on this Vesak Day!





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Malacca Street Food - Part 1


Malacca Street Food is part of the larger cuisine of Central Malacca, Malaysia, yet it still has distinct characteristics which set it apart. The Peranakan community is strongly represented here, and their Baba-Nyonya cuisine is amongst the most iconic dishes of the city. There is also strong representations of Chinese, British, Indian, and Malay cuisines here, with American and Korean cuisines gaining popularity. The well known stalls here have been selling the same, signature dishes for a long time.

Nasi Ketuk Ayam Rendang

Hatten Hotel
3 Jalan Merdeka
Taman Costa Mahkota
Malacca
Central Malacca 75000
Malaysia

http://www.hattenhotel.com/


Chic Luxury Hotel

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Visited: Apr-2017
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 3
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $300 per person.
- $300 Accomodation 3D2N
- $000 Room Service


Nearby Attractions: Royal Malaysian Navy Museum, A Famosa Fort, Dutch Square & Christ Church, Malay And Islamic World Museum, Baba And Nyonya Peranakan Museum, Jonker Street, Harmony Street, The Stadthuys, Youth Museum & Malacca Art Gallery, St John's Hill, Mamee Jonker House, Menara Taming Sari Tower, ASEAN Cultural Park


Hotel Facilities: Business Centre, Free Wi-Fi, Conference Rooms, Gymnasium, Laundry Service, 3 Restaurants (Chatterz, Coffeevine, Alto Sky Lounge), Swimming Pool, 1 Lounges (Premier Lounge), 1 Salon (H Salon), 1 Bar (Splash Pool Bar), Spa, Cable TV, Doctor On Call, Tour Arrangements Service, Currency Exchange Service


Hotel Activities: Work Out, Internet Surfing, Meetings, Swimming, Massage, Sauna, Hair Styling, Hair Treatment, Manicure, Pedicure, Spa, Foot Reflexology, Facial Treatment


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Introduction
Located about 40 minutes drive away from the Malacca international airport / Batu Berendam airport in Malacca, the Hatten Hotel is a modern luxurious, 4-star hotel smack in the city centre. The convenient location to numerous attractions, medical facilities, business areas, and malls is amongst the best in the state. Hatten Hotel is well-suited for both business and leisure travellers, offering a variety of modern comforts and amenities, catering to families, groups, solo travellers, medical tourism, and more.


Ambience
Ambience at Hatten Hotel is sleek, impressive, and modern. The high ceiling and low lights of the lobby lend a sense of grandeur, as do the patterned chandeliers and designer lounge chairs. Free wi-fi is available throughout the hotel, and it's fast and stable. Clear signages point you to the facilities, making it easy to navigate. However, corridors are poorly lit, and the lifts take forever because they have so many guests.


Room
Rooms at Hatten Hotel are clean and spacious. I stayed at the premier deluxe suite, which has a living room, study room, and 2 televisions, though the cable reception is very poor. The bathroom is spacious and clean, well stocked with amenities. Beds are large and comfortable, and I had a good view from the high floor. Love the thoughtful touches such as fresh fruit, chocolate treats, and arrangement of toiletries.


Food
Food at Hatten Hotel is mostly provided by Chatterz, the in-house all-day dining restaurant. However, while the quantity and range of options is varied enough, the quality of dishes leaves much to be desired. I didn't like the taste of most dishes, as they are executed to below average standards. Would rather eat elsewhere instead.


Service
Service at Hatten Hotel is polite, courteous, and efficient. Staff are friendly, and can converse fluently in several languages. Requests are carried out quickly, and staff will also offer greetings if you meet them in the hallways. Because they exhibit a good level of professionalism, I find little difference between the regular service at the lobby, and the service at the Premier Lounge.


Facilities & Activities
The facilities and activities at Hatten Hotel cater to all manner of travellers, making it convenient for guests to shop, get a hair cut, exercise, and hold meetings. Conference rooms are bright and well equipped, it seems they have ample space, as they even use the ballroom as a 2nd banquet hall during breakfast. The gymnasium is well equipped with a variety of machines, and the swimming pool with infinity view is clean, though it quickly gets crowded. The best thing about Hatten Hotel is their location, within walking distance of tourist attractions, a private medical centre and hospital, and several modern shopping malls. Had an excellent experience here.


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Malacca Shops

Some examples of the shops in Malacca, whether along the streets or within the shopping malls.

The Orangutan House

Some notable ones include:
Bunga Raya Popiah, a well-known pop-up food stall in Malacca, Malaysia, which makes their popiah using pork lard
Chop Chung Wah, a Jonker street hawker stall specialising in chicken rice balls
Donald & Lily Restaurant, an authentic Peranakan restaurant that offers tasty Baba-Nyonya food for breakfast and lunch
Hong Leong Bank, an international banking group with many outlets across Malacca and Malaysia
Kaison Furnishing, a decoration and gift retail shop that has quirky household items and novelty gifts
Nancy's Kitchen, a traditional Peranakan restaurant, well known for their old-school recipes and yummy dishes
Restoran Lee, a coffee shop that offers crabs for dinner and supper, done in a variety of Chinese Zi Char styles with unique sauces
San Shu Gong, a retailer of traditional snacks and other Malaysian delicacies
The Orangutan House, an art gallery and unisex clothing store by artist Charles Cham, known for their fun, playful t-shirt designs
Yee Hai Music Centre, an old-school music and video shop







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Malacca Shopping Malls

Snapshots of some of the shopping malls and markets in Malacca.

Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall

Souperstar
3 Simei Street 6
#B1-K6 East Point Mall

7 Wallich Street
#B2-31 Tanjong Pagar Centre

http://www.souperstar.com.sg/

Brisket Set (SGD $9.50)

Yoogane Tasting Session 2017
200 Victoria Street
#02-47 Bugis Junction

3 Gateway Drive
#03-08 Westgate

313 Orchard Road
#B3-37 313@Somerset

4 Tampines Central 5
#01-33A Tampines Mall

23 Serangoon Central
#B1-28 NEX

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:30am - 10pm


http://yoogane.com.sg/


This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Purple Taste, Epicurious Caniggia, and Madame Chewy.

Dosirak / Lunch Box - Chicken Bulgogi (SGD $12.90), Beef Bulgogi (SGD $13.90), Chicken Galbi (SGD $12.90)