First Week In Singapore

I've been watching lots and lots of Korean soaps. The telly here shows them pretty much consecutively one episode after the other, and although it took me a while to figure out that they WERE indeed Korean soaps (mouths weren't moving in sync with sounds, plus, everything is dubbed in Mandarin, with English subtitles - so they could've been soaps of any origin), I've now begun to get into the storyline and am actually enjoying the gripping plots.

The housekeeper who comes by daily must wonder why I just sit staring at the computer screen while occasionally staring at the telly - or maybe this is what she gets in every apartment when the husbands go to work. A little background - I am sitting here in our serviced apartment for a month while the husband is at work. We've found a place of our own (albeit to rent) so after this month, I should be staring at the computer and telly from another location.

Yes, I should of course be trying to get some form of income to support all this eating but that is another story altogether.

Anyhow, here are some photos I've put together. As mentioned in the previous post, these are collages because the picture quality is so poor that I couldn't bring myself to post them up as they were. Lots and lots of editing, and some squashing together, here I bring you - Our First Week In Singapore.

Plaza Singapura - Ichiban Sushi

The serviced apartments we're staying in for the month is located near an MRT (tube) stop called Dhoby Ghaut. That is (I'm led to believe) around 20 minutes walk from Orchard Road - the main shopping street in Singapore. Whenever I mention I might walk to Orchard Road, I'm met with stares of disbelief, so much so that I am now very much doubting that this is indeed, if at all, a possible feat. So, I've been pretty much going about a 500m radius from the apartment to Plaza Singapura and back, and then, from the apartment to Bugis and back. Last weekend, we actually ventured all the way from Bugis to Plaza Singapura. I know.

For the geographically-weak (like me) and for my future reference:

Bugis - Apartment - Dhoby Ghaut - Plaza Singapura - Orchard Road

Anyway, Plaza Singapura is one of those malls with anything and everything. I've been up and down this mall so many times this week I reckon I could do quite well in the Information Counter. I've tried almost everything in the food court, and together, the husband and I have perused the menus of almost all the food outlets in the mall.

We ate at Ichiban Sushi twice, Sakae Teppanyaki once, this Korean place once (ordered WAY too much food), and sampled street food in the Basement once. The picture above shows the stuff we ate at Ichiban Sushi - nothing much to explain here.

Sim Lim Food Court

On the way to Bugis from the apartment is this multi-storey mall consisting entirely of computer and mobile phone shops called Sim Lim Mall. It's a techy geek's dream come true which is why we spent our second evening there. Prices aren't that cheap if you know what you're intending to pay - but there is a very interesting food court beneath the mall. I have a source which tells me the 'Mee Pok' there is very good indeed though I have yet to try it out.

While we were there, we took the lazy route and just had Thai food as shown above. It was alright - spicy, tangy, very Thai, and kinda cheap. $11 for the two of us.

Stellar @ 1-Altitude (62nd Floor) (Raffles Place)

Last night (Sunday), we decided to splash out on a treat seeing as we'd been eating at food courts pretty much all week. Don't even talk about Saturday evening, as we met up with a friend, went to Zouk, and then to Home Bar (excellent indie music, with lots of English people there, felt almost like London) and about who knows how many hours later, we pretty much slept all of Saturday away. Interrupted only by a quick trip to De Laundrette in Burlington Square ($10/kg for wash and fold), Burger King (2 double Swiss Mushroom Burger Meals) and in the evening, a quick dinner at the 24-hour food court across the road.

Anyway, back to Sunday. We went furniture shopping at Furniture Mall along Beach Road, had some nibbles at Plaza Singapura (where else) and then after an ironing session (whoever invented the ironing board obviously didn't have to iron men's shirts), decided to have a nice dinner at the posh place shown above.

Located 62 floors above ground, we didn't have a view as we were seated away from the (reflective) windows. #epicfail

Food was good, service was mixed. One of the waiters brought me a shawl when he heard me say that it was really cold in there. The other waitresses didn't know that we'd ordered the set menu ($55++ pp) and also didn't understand the meaning of service with a smile but hey, I wasn't eating the service so who cares.

The 3-course set menu came with some stuff you could pay extra for ie the sushi starter (additional $5) and the beef main (additional $10). I took the seafood starter while the husband took the sushi, and for mains, I had the seabass while the husband had the beef. He incurred a total of $15 additional on the set menu. Just saying.

Dessert was some sharing thing consisting of sticky toffee pudding (?), a fruit flan (?) and a passionfruit panna cotta (?). Just guessing. Menu didn't say.

1-Altitude Bar (63rd Floor) (Raffles Place)

Then, we headed one floor up to an equally grumpy receptionist / front of lift whom we paid $18 pp for entrance to the bar with one complimentary drink (Hoegaarden for him, ginger beer for me). View was spectacular, jazzy music not so great, while the waiting staff went around with walkie-talkies telling each other who didn't have a drink. Seriously. The table next to us had to convince the waiter that their friend was really really at the bar getting a drink for them, after which the waiter leant across the barrier to check at the bar that the friend was really getting a drink.

Anyhow, that aside, the view itself was worth the $18 pp so if you're around there, worth making a little stop here.