Review: Hotel - Alila Villas Soori, Bali



We recently redeemed our 2 free nights (courtesy of DBS Altitude card) at Alila Villas Soori in Bali. It is a perfect getaway,  and an amazingly relaxing, tranquil & delightful experience. Far from the intensity of Seminyak or crowdedness in Nusa Dua.



Alila Villas Soori is located along the southwest coast of Bali in the Tabanan regency and an hours drive from the Ngurah Rai International Airport. You drive through miles of picturesque padi fields, rice terraces before arriving at the resort with an impressive view of the ocean.



The resort has around 46 ocean view, pool view and terrace view 1 bedroom villas, including a 5 -bedroom villa and a 10 bedroom villa, which will be perfect for a family getaway or an intimate cozy party.




Amazing ocean view upon arrival



Resort pool set with the ocean as
backdrop



 

Lush & Beautiful Beachfront villa

We stayed in a one bedroom beachfront villa. The bedroom opens up into a large living area (large enough for a 3 seater sofa and study area) with a full ocean front view. The villa pool is right at the doorstep of the living room so you can dip in if you wish.

At the side of the living room is an ocean view patio with sofas, allowing you to have evening drinks and conversations late into the evening. You get a sense of being close to Mother Nature. Throughout the day, you hear the roar of the oceans as the waves beat onto the beach uncessantly. The black volanic sand beach reminds you of the volanic activity in the past.




Lush bedroom



Living Room



Patio facing ocean

Villa pool at your doorstep





Spacious toilet


 

Lazy deck chairs outside the villa,
facing the ocean

Dining options

There are limited dining options - it is highly unlikely you will head outside of the resort for your meals since you are so far away. The hotel serves free afternoon tea and cakes in the reading room and has 2 dining restaurants, that serves both Western and Indonesian cuisine. The food is decent but not exactly cheap. Get ready to spend a bit. Mains cost on average IDR 200-300,000. Our first night's dinner cost IDR 1.2 million, and we only had 2 manis, 1 starter and a couple of juices. 

All said and done, it is still a very nice resort to seek refuge and recuperate from the intensity and busyness of a city state like Singapore.   

Contact Details
Banjar Dukuh, Desa Kelating,
Kerambitan, Tabanan, Bali 82161
Indonesia
Phone : +62 361 894 6388
Fax : +62 361 894 637

Website: http://www.alilahotels.com/soori 

Review: Travel - Jetquay CIP Terminal

Travelling in Style

Recently, we used the Jetquay CIP Terminal. It is an elite airport terminal where one can receive personalized service - including check in, immigration and baggage clearance. Literally no more hassles queuing up to check in. It is great for families, couples on a romantic getaway, who desire a superior level of service. 



Comfortable Lounge

The lounge is like any other Airline premium traveller lounge - well designed, comfortable, well stocked with food & beverages, newspapers and magazines, cable TV and computer internet access. There are clean toilets for you to take a shower as well. Its a family friendly lounge - they even have dayrooms that can be reserved in advance.  

 



Comfortable resting area





 







 

Clean Toilets for freshing up



Business centre

There is also an area where the business traveller can work out of - complete with free broadband  access, printers, fax machines. There are computers for use as well - iMacs & Windows based computers.

 

iMacs for use



 



 





Private room for Business Meetings



  

Work Area



Personalized Service

While the above facilities make travel for the family and business traveller comfortable, they are not different from the lounge facilities provided by the other airlines or services like Priority Pass that caters to  the frequent or premium traveller. 

Ultimately, what was most impressive was the personalized service. The guest relations officer handled our baggage check in, leaving us free to relax in the lounge until it was time to depart. There is an immigration clearance line dedicated to the Jetquay Terminal. When it was time to depart, there was a buggy that took us all the way to the gate. 

It was a fantastic way to start a romantic getaway, we felt immensely relaxed already!

   

Review: Restaurant - Princess Terrace Cafe, Copthorne King Hotel

We recently tried the Penang Buffet at the Princess Terrace Cafe at Copthorne King's Hotel, which is part of the Millenium Group and one of the restaurants where you can enjoy the discounts of the a la carte dining card.

It is inexpensive - $40.80 ++ per adult for a weekday buffet dinner and $43.80++ for weekend buffet dinner. The usual a la carte dining discount structure applies - 50% with 2 diners, 33% with 3 diners ...

Fish Otah, Prawn paste Fried Chicken & Satay

 It offers fantastic value - with favourite local foods like:-

Noodles: Penang Laksa, Prawn Noodles, Fired Kuay Teow, Duck Leg Mee Sua Soup, Chee Cheong Fun, Rice Flour Noodles

Meat: Satay, Curry Chicken, Sambal Prawns, Braised Pig Trotters, Prawn paste fried chicken

Others: Popiah (Chinese version of a salad wrap), Kueh Pie Tee, Wok Fried Porridge

Dessert: Assorted Nonya Kueh, Yam Paste (Orh Nee), Red Bean Soup, Ice Kachang, fruits

Savoury Prawn Noodles

Overall the food was very delicious. What was most memorable was the prawn noodle soup. I am a big fan of prawn noodles and like different versions like Whitley Big Prawn Noodles, the stalls at Adam Road Hawker Center, Newton and Thomson Long House. They are all nice but have slightly different tastes... But the prawn broth at Princess Terrace is thick, aromatic and savoury. I had two additional servings of the soup.



Penang Laksa



It is quite a nice and relaxed place for a few friends to catch up over a decent meal at affordable prices. Seriously, how many places in Singapore will offer you a decent buffet below $50? If you have the a la carte dining card and go with one other diner, it is $20++! And they will give you a complimentary parking pass as well.I will definitely go back again.

Address:

Copthorne King's Hotel Singapore
403 Havelock Road

Singapore, 169632
Singapore
T. +65 6733 0011
F. +65 6732 5764
Opening Hours: Lunch - 12.00pm to 2.30pm, Dinner - 6.30pm - 10.00pm

Review: BBQ Vendor - Ezb

This evening, organized a BBQ for friends, simply to celebrate the end of the week and have a nice time together. Since we were rushing from work, we decided to hire the services of EZB Pte Ltd (A BBQ specialist and vendor - they provide BBQ food, BBQ assessories and even a chef for hire). Ezb was recommended by a friend, who had used their services before.

Since it was our first time using Ezb services, we decided to play it safe and ordered minimal food items from them. We ordered almost everything else - charcoal, condiments, paper plates, cutlery etc and even the chef for 3 hours. We basically paid $80 for the chef and ~$160 for everything else. We bought our own meat and marinated it ourselves.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Ezb were really professional, sent the guys over on time and they basically started the fire, and managed the pit for the whole evening. While the "chef" turned out to be 2 teenagers, they were clearly experienced. It was a constant fire throughout, and nothing was overcooked. They were so professional that they stayed til the end to make sure we all had a good time.

I have found a pretty good solution to throwing a bbq dinner party, I would use the services again.

Review: Hawker, New Lucky Claypot

The Claypot Rice dish is a great dish, but it is not as commonly found as other local favourites - Char Kuay Teow, Prawn Noodles or Chicken Rice. So I was very pleased to chance upon a copy of the CEO's Hawker Guide, 2010 (published by The Business Times & Knight Frank) that had a list of recommended Claypot Rice stalls. 

Claypot Rice listings

1. Golden Mile Claypot Rice

- #01-65 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road

2. New Lucky Claypot Chicken Rice

- See details below

3. Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice

- #01-38 ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah

4. Geylang Clay Pot Rice

- 639 Geylang Road

I am sure there are more stalls out there but this is a pretty good list to start with. We started with #2 New Lucky but they had moved from the previous published location (Rong Li Eating House, Clementi Ave 2) to Holland Village.

The stall in Holland Village looks non-descript but the owners are pretty friendly. On our first visit, we arrived at 8:45 and they were very apologetic that they had closed for the day. More importantly, the food is quite tasty and affordable.

Dishes

- Mixed Clay Pot Rice (Chinese Sausages, Chopped Chicken)

- Clay Pot Chicken Rice

- Clay Pot Rice - Sausages

- Assortment of soups (e.g., Watercress with Pork Ribs)



Mixed Clay Pot Rice (Chinese Sausages &
Chopped Chicken)




Water Cress and Pork Rib Soup




Location

Blk 44, Holland Drive, #02-19,

Holland Drive Food Centre

Opening Hours: Daily 11:45 - 1:45pm, 5.00 - 8:30pm (Closed on Wednesday)

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/New_Lucky_Claypot_Rice__Holland_Drive_/ 

Alert: Sales - JUMBO Vouchers 2012

I just received a mailer from JUMBO, advertising JUMBO's annual sale. It is a good deal and I plan to get it.

WHAT IS ON OFFER
- JUMBO Rewards member get to purchase up to $200 worth of JUMBO Vouchers at 25% off.

KEY TERMS & CONDITIONS
- Max. purchase of $200 worth of vouchers per member only, while stocks last
- Valid til 31 Aug 2012
- Redeemable at all JUMBO Seafood outlets, JPOT and Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine
- Can be used with other discounts, vouchers, promotional offers and JUMBO Dollars

http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/GJV2012.asp

Review: Dining Card - Jumbo Rewards

I like Chilli Crabs and seafood but am generally indifferent between Jumbo and its other competitors - the likes of Long Beach, No SignBoard etc. So why did I buy a Jumbo Rewards card? It is because of Jumbo's latest edition to the family - Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant.

I tried it once and have been back at least 5 times. More impressively, I have been rejected at least 10 times over the last few months, when I tried to make a weekend dinner reservation. Chui Huay Lim is very popular and has been packed almost every weekend. The main draw is that it servesinexpensive and very good Teochew cuisine. Typical meal for 4 will probably come up to ~$20 per pax. 

If you frequent the Jumbo Group of restaurants regularly, the Jumbo Rewards card is a no brainer. For an upfront $20 for 2 years, you will get 10% off your meals. You will definitely cover the cost of the $20 the moment you have a big dinner party of 8-10 pax.

BENEFITS

1. 20% Weekday Lunch Discount off A La Carte / Set Menu (Except holidays)

- 20% off A La Carte Menu & Set Menu during weekday lunch at Riverside, Riverwalk, Serangoon and Singapore Indoor Stadium outlets.

2. 10% Discount off A La Carte / Set Menu

- All JUMBO restaurants (Except promotional items)

- Excludes Chinese New Year reunion dinners

3. Free Birthday Cake

4. JUMBO Reward $

 - 1 $JUMBO for every $20 spent

* See website for more details on member's benefits.

 http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/memberBenefit.html

WHERE YOU CAN USE THE CARD

1. Jumbo Seasfood Restaurants

- East Coast Seafood Centre

- Riverside Point

- Riverwalk

- Indoor Stadium

- NSRCC

- Dempsey Hill

2. Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant

3. JPOT - Hotpot Restaurant, Harbourfront

4. Ng Ah Sio Bak Ku Teh Restaurant

- Rangoon Road

- Marina Bay Sands

- Tanjong Katong

* See website for more detailed locations

 http://www.jumbo.com.sg/

Review: Credit Card - HSBC Visa Infinite

Some weeks ago, a close friend had emailed our circle of freinds and recommended us to sign up for the HSBC Visa Infinite Card. A HSBC telesales staff had coldcalled him and managed to convince him to sign up for the card. The amazing thing was the card costs a staggering $488!

I don't take his recommendation lightly because he is someone who does not spend his money frivolously and as a senior lawyer, quite intelligent with a good head on his shoulders. I contacted the HSBC telesales and decided to sign up for the card after he explained the benefits to me. That's the power of selling through social networks! Clearly, it was an easier sell for me, since a friend I trusted, had already signed up.

STANDARD HSBC CARD BENEFITS (SELECTED BENEFITS ONLY) 

* For full list of benefits, please visit HSBC SG website

1. Purchase $75 HSBC - Golden Village Movie Card, with 10 movie passes.

- Allows you to watch movies at GV for $7.50 at all times

2. 5% Cash rebate at Cold Storage, Jasons, Giant, Guardian & Market Place

3. 15% discount of Caltex petrol

- Interesting only if you are a Caltex fan. I use the DBS Esso card

4. Pay your income and property tax with your credit card and earn miles

- You have to pay an administrative charge of 0.7% of your tax

- E.g., If you pay $12,000 in taxes, 0.7% works out to an admin charge of $84. You will receive 12,000 points which you can exchange for 12,000 Krisflyer miles, almost enough for a redemption ticket to Bali. You would have to pay for the fuel and airport surcharge though so the ticket is not entirely free.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

1. 01 x welcome gift of either (a) 30,000 air miles or (b) New model Nikon 1 J1 camera with VR 10-30mm lenses (retailing at $799)

2. Free Priority Pass Membership

- Allows you to access 600 VIP lounges around the world for free.

- The infrequent traveller might ask why is this a big draw? The appeal becomes obvious if you are stranded at an airport for more than a few hours (this has happened to me several times before when I missed a connecting flight.)

- Cost: US$ 249 for basic annual membership

- http://www.prioritypass.com/

3. One way Limousine Transfer to the airport

- They will get a Mercedes Limousine Cab to pick you up from anywhere in Singaopre to the airport.

- Cost: SGD$40

4. Private check in service at JetQuay Terminal

- Any guest using JetQuay's facilities can park their car in secured JetQuay on-site car park up to 10 days for free.

- Cost: SGD $200 for parking alone (assuming you park at Terminal 2 - $20 / day)

- http://www.jetquay.com.sg/

* See my Sept 2012 post -  Review on JetQuay CIP Terminal

RATIONALE FOR GETTING CARD

1. First of all, the Nikon camera welcome gift is a big draw. If you sold it second hand, you would probably be able to get $200-300 for it.

2. If you do not have frequent traveller status (e.g., Krisflyer), you would definitely like a Priority Pass card, which would allow you to use the lounges around the world for free. You typically get free food, drinks; a place to rest, read papers and shower.

3. Each time you go away on a trip, you can get a free nice limo ride to the airport. These days, even a taxi from town to the airport will cost $30-40 on peak hour surcharge with booking. You get to travel in comfort for $40. 

The 3 benefits above make the $488 seem worth while, provided you are travel often. As far as I am concerned, these 3 benefits were compelling enough to sign up (even if I don't use the Private Check In Service at JetQuay Terminal, Expedited Immigration Clearance or any of the other basic HSBC benefits.)

FOR MORE DETAILS

http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/personal/cards/hsbc-visa-infinite-credit-card

Disclaimer notice: Road Warrior does not get any benefit (monetary or in kind) from HSBC or its affliates for blogging about the HSBC Visa Infinite Card.

Review: Restaurant - Prima Revolving Tower, Singapore

Panoramic view of the Port
and Sentosa Island

Today, we decided to try the famed Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant to celebrate someone's birthday. It was an appealing idea to sample authentic Beijing foodfare with the breathtaking views of the nearby Sentosa, Mount Faber, sea as a backdrop. 

On my last visit, some years ago, I recalled Prima Tower served rather inexpensive tasty chinese food but looked like a grand dame that had seen better days and was now in need of some renovations. 

While the restaurant still looked like it needed some renovations, the strong sunlight coming through the windows lighted up the place and made it look several years younger.  We ordered mainly dim sum (chinese small snacks) and the famous Shredded Scallops and Egg White dish.

The food - Siew Mai, Har Kow, Har Cheong Fun, Char Siew Bao, did not disappoint. The Hong Kong Yum Cha (literally Drink Tea) culture is always a good way to catch up with friends, over chinese delicacies, tea and in this restaurant, breaktaking views as well! 

Deep Fried Prawn Dumplings

Deep Fried Beancurd skin with prawn & Mango

Siew Mai - Steamed Prawn Dumplings

Xiao Long Bao

Pai Guat - Steamed Pork Ribs

When the bill came, we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was only ~$140 for 6 pax. Given today's inflationary prices, I was expecting closer to $30-40 per pax, so it is definitely value for money. Currently, they have a promotion - if you have the NTUC union card and

About Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
The restaurant was established in 1977 and was one of two revolving restaurants in Singapore (the other being Top of the M, at Mandarin Orchard Hotel, now defunct). It is built on top of a grain silo and allows its diners to take in breathtaking views of Sentosa (one of Singapore's tourist attractions and now home to the integrated resort - Resorts World, and the ultra rich), while sampling authentic Beijing cuisines.

It is helmed by the reknown Hong Kong Master Chef Chan, who has more than 30 years of culinary experience and has led the restaurant to win numerous awards like Singapore's Best Restaurant and Best Dish Award, Chinese restaurant category for the Singapore Gourmet Guide.

Signature dishes include the Peking Duck and Shredded Scallops with Fish and Egg White.

Address

Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
201 Keppel Road Singapore 099419
Tel: (65) 6272 8822
Fax: (65) 6272 8823 http://www.pfs.com.sg/restaurants/prima_tower/

Business Hours

Lunch:
11.00am – 2.30pm (Mon – Sat)
10.30am – 2.30pm (Sun & PH)
 
Dinner:
6.30pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Sun & PH)

Review: Dining Card - a la carte, M & C International

When the dining card prorgam telesales person calls, they typically tell you that the main selling point is that for a mere $400-1000 annual fee, you will get to try really nice restaurants and save a lot through the card discounts. For many, it seems counter-intuitive that you would have to pay so much upfront for a dining card, in order to save money (through discounts) that you have yet to spend (and may not). Quite valid. For someone like myself, who dines out a lot and likes socialising with friends over dinner and drinks, it is a much easier sell because the value is much more obvious.

I have been a member of Feed at Raffles Dining program for the last 5 years and started paying for their highest tier (Connoisseur, $888++) since 2008. That year, I had to host a wedding dinner party of 12 with several guests from out of town and needed a nice restaurant. The Feed at Raffles program came with a Special Occasion 50% discount voucher for 12 pax. The dinner bill that night was ~$1500 and that one voucher alone made up for the cost of the card.

Last year, I decided to try a different card as I was getting tired of going to the same few hotels in the Raffles prorgam (Favourites like Mikuni, Billard and Bar, Sze Chuan Court, Equinox). I picked a la carte as I liked Pontini's, Hua Ting & Grand Shanghai. This card is really good value for money. It only costs $408 but the vouchers are easily worth more than twice that amount. The 6 $50 dining vouchers (with no restrictions) alone are already worth $300, not to mention the complimentary night stay, Special Occasion vouchers etc.

I will definitely keep 1 or 2 dining cards, and will probably stick to a la carte again for this and next year. I will continue playing musical chairs and switch cards again once restaurant fatigue sets in.

HOW THE DISCOUNT STRUCTURE WORKS

1. Main Card

- 20% Member dining alone

- 50% Member with 1 guest

- 33% Member with 2 guests

- 25% Member with 3 guests

- 20% Member with 4-19 guests

2. Partner Card

- 20% Member dining alone

- 33% Member with 1-2 guests

- 25% Member with 3 guests

- 20% Member with 4-19 guests

* Other benefits include 15% off beverages at hotel bars and lounges, 1-for-1 all night long on house pours at the various hotels on different nights. 

WHERE YOU CAN USE THE CARD

1. Grand Cpthorne Waterfront Hotel

- Brios

- Pontini

- Grand Shanghai

2. Orchard Hotel

- Orchard Cafe

- Hua Ting Restaurant

3. M Hotel

- Cafe 2000

- The Buffet

4. Copthorne King's Hotel

- Princess Terrrace

- Tien Court

- Stars Cafe

LIST OF VOUCHERS

1. 01 x Complimentary night stay at participating hotels

Singapore - Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Orchard Hotel, M Hotel, Copthorne King's or Studio M Hotel

Malaysia - Grand Millenium KL, Copthorne Orchid Penang

Thailand - Grand Millenium Sukhumvit Bangkok, Millenium Resort Patong Phuket

Philippines - The Heritage Hotel Manila

Indonesia - Millenium Sirih Jakarta

China - Grand Millenium Beijing or Millenium Hongqiao Hotel Shanghai

2. 01 x Special Occasion voucher

- Choice of Chocolate Truffle Cake, One dozen longevity buns, bottle of house wine or Mango Cake depending on choice of dining location in M&C hotels in Singapore.

3. 01 x 50% off Buffet

- 2-8 pax for lunch or dinner, Sun - Thur

- Valid at Brios, Orchard Cafe, Princess Terrace, Buffet Level 2 M Hotel

4. 06 x $50 dining voucher

- Valid at M&C dining outlets

5. 01 x 50% off a la carte Meal @ Pontini's

- 2-4 pax, weekday lunch (excluding eve and public holidays)

6. 01 x 50% off a la carte Meal @ Grand Shanghai

- 2-6 pax, Lunch from Tue - Sun (excludes Sat)

7. 01 x 50% off a la carte Meal @ Grand Shanghai

- 2-10 pax, Dinner from Tues-Sun (excludes Sat)

8. 01 x 50% off a la carte Meal @ Tien Court

- 2-6 pax, for lunch or dinner

9. 02 x complimentary 2nd night stay at Millenium Patong Phuket

10. 01 x 1-For-1 Massage at Escentika Spa, Millenium Patong Phuket

A La Carte Dining Program

Millenium & Copthorne International

For more details: http://www.clubalc.com/

Disclaimer notice: I do not get any benefits, monetary or in kind, from M&C, its affliate or any third party vendors for blogging about this dining card.

Review: Restaurant - Straits Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Singapore

Here in sunny Singapore, there is no lack of food choices. In addition to the plethora of Asian cuisine, one can easily find American steakhouses (like the famed Morton's of Chicago), French bistros, Japanese Izakayas. Singaporeans love their food and it is no wonder there local F&B establishments offer varieties of food buffets to cater to their customer preferences.

A friend stongly recommended Grand Hyatt's, Straits Kitchen local buffet, as a great sampler of the local street food - mainly Indian, Chinese and Malay cuisine. We were not disappointed. The range of food was staggering and it was not possible to sample everything. The buffet is organised in stations featuring cuisine from the various ethnic groups.



Fried Carrot Cake & Char Kuay Teow



Chinese Station 



Traditional choices such as Fried Carrot Cake, Char Kuay Teow, Wanton Noodles, Prawn Noodles, Laksa are found offered here. The Fried Carrot Cake, Char Kuay Teow were very tasty, not overly greasy like some variations found in the food centres.

In the roast meat section, they dish out local favourites like the Roasted Duck, Soy Sauce Chicken, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Roasted Pork Meat.



There are also other popular dishes like the Fish Otah, Popiah, Rojak (Asian salad) and many others.



  

Clockwise: Roast Duck, Soy Sauce
Chicken& Hainese Chicken Rice





Popiah - A local wrap with
shredded turnip, carrot, lettuce,
peanuts, eggs & shrimp

 

Malay, Indian & Dessert Stations

After sampling the chinese station, we were pretty full, which was a same given there were so many other dishes we have yet to try. I don't think its possible to sample even half of what is offered in one session. 

Dessert was pretty interesting. You can have your choice of cakes, ice cream (Durian strongly recommended), fruits including the Goreng Pisang and assorted Nonya (Straits Chinese) kueh. There was also an ice grating machine in the corner that made ice kachang (ice shavings with syrup).

Indian station included dishes such as Naan, Tandoori Chicken, Parpadum, various vegetable and meat marsala dishes.  

 

Chicken, Beef and Mutton Satay



 



Goreng Pisang - Deep Fried Banana



  

Assorted Nonya Kueh



 





In all honesty, most people who visit will claim to have tasted better variations of each individual dish elsewhere in Singapore (e.g., I would probably go to Boon Tong Kee if I wanted to have Hainanese Chicken Rice or La Pa Sat for authentic street satay). Nevertheless, Straits Kitchen serves up high quality equivalents in a comfortable setting. You can take your time to fill yourself up, while catching up with friends over coffee in a hotel coffee shop setting, instead of a food centre under hot and humid weather.

It is a pretty nice way to spend a weekend afternoon! The bill came up to ~SGD$55 each, not extravagant. I would definitely go back again.

Restaurant Details

Straits Kitchen

Lobby Level, Grand Hyatt Singapore

10 Scotts Road, Singapore 228211

Tel:  +65 6738 1234, Fax:  +65 6732 1696

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday from 6.30am to 10.30pm

Dess Code: Smart Casual

http://www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/