Food Travelogue - Singapore Part 5 - Imperial Treasure

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We had time to kill whilst waiting for our flight back home at Changi Airport and decided to check ourselves in at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next to Changi for a lie-down and a freshen up.  That was when we stumbled upon Imperial Treasure which was located within Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Even though it was neither lunch nor dinner time, we decided anytime was yum cha time.

The yum cha was an 'order off the menu' affair rather than a 'pick off the trolley' type.  This was perhaps because we were eating around 3pm.  The service was very attentive and we were offered a plate of honeyed cashews upon arrival.  Thinking it was a gratis amuse bouche, we quickly scoffed down said unsolicited nuts but got a bit irked when the billed came and we discovered we were charged for them. It was only $3.70 or thereabouts but it was more the principle of the matter.

But having said that, the yum cha itself was a delight.  We ordered the cholesterol laden fried octopus coated with salted duck egg yolk.  OMG, anything coated in duck egg yolk is a winner, never mind the angioplasty I require later.  Continue reading...

Food Travelogue, Singapore Part 4 - Rasapura Masters

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Whilst we were in Singapore we ate at Rasapura Masters practically daily.  Firstly it was conveniently located in the Marina Bay Sands complex where we were staying but mainly because it served the most delicious tasting Hainanese Chicken I have ever ever tasted (no exaggeration, I used to hate Hainanese Chicken but now I'm a convert).  It was only after I got home that I Googled Rasapura Masters website and realised Rasapura means "City of Taste".  The whole concept of Raspura Masters was to offer all the multi-cultural experiences of Singaporean street food all in one place.  Continue reading...

Qantas First Class Lounge Melbourne & Qantas Lounge Singapore

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I was very lucky to be able to have brekkie at Qantas' First Class Lounge in Melbourne airport before flying out to Singapore.  It sure beats grabbing a bacon McMuffin at the old airport Maccas!  The breakfast items are all cooked to order.  The waiter was very cognizant of time contraints and requested our flight details in order to time our food service accordingly.  The customer service was impeccable, as one would expect from a first class lounge.

Kiddo ordered herself a brioche roll filled with bacon, relish and fried egg with a side of hash brown.

I had an assortment of sauteed spinach, bacon, mushrooms, poached eggs, hash brown with sourdough.  It was a big breakfast compared with what I normally would eat but it kept me going until I got on the plane...and ate even more breakfast!

Chefs at work, Qantas Lounge Melbourne

On the way back home from Singapore, we checked out the newly done up Qantas Lounge in Changi airport.  At Changi, they had a self service buffet with an array of salads, sweets and hot foods.  An example of the hot foods is the plate below filled with pilaf, chicken cacciatore, sauteed veggies.

The kitchen also served a selection cooked to order dishes.  Pictured below is the stir fried beef served with rice.  The dishes were hearty and well executed.  It was lovely to just fill up the tum before a night flight.  I was definitely ready for a nap after that.

Here is the salad selection.  They also had a cocktail bar in full service.  I'm kicking myself in retrospect for not trying out a few drinks the bar tender was mixing for everyone.

Salad selection from salad bar

In summary, love the food in the Qantas Lounges both in Melbourne and Changi airports.  It is sometimes hard to eat well when travelling but the lounges never fails to provide healthy hearty meals for the hungry and peckish traveller.  Please see here for our post on the Qantas First Class Lounge in Sydney.

Until next time...

Food Travelogue - Singapore pt 3 - Kopitiam at Vivo City

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No wonder Singapore is often touted as the foodie's destination.  I was so impressed with their definition of shopping mall food court.  No, not  McDonalds or KFCs but individual shops selling noodles, rice, BBQ meats, all serving customers very quickly and very cheaply.  Tucked away in the basement of  Vivo City which apparently is Singapore's largest retail and lifestyle complex is an unbelievably well priced kopitiam.  Continue reading...

Food Travelogue - Singapore part 2 - Rise at Marina Bay Sands

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Whilst in Singapore I stayed at Marina Bay Sands renowned for the highest infinity pool in the world over looking the skyline of Singapore. But at ground level of this hotel is a very splendidly laid out buffet, Rise.  We went there for dinner on two occasions.  The prices were a bit on the ex-y side (S$88 per person on a theme night) Further pricing details and contact details here.  Despite the cost,  the quality was second to none, especially the oyster bar.  Oh, the oyster bar!  They were the creamiest oysters I have ever eaten.  Continue reading...

Food Travelogue - Singapore part 1 - Red House

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Everyone but everyone talks about the famous chilli crab of Singapore.  But I have on good authority (Info segment on Qantas flight) that the lesser known pepper crab is equally as awesome.  So I had to try.  Am so pleased I did as in my humble opinion, it is waaay better - less sweet and not as spicy, so it caters well for chilli wimps, children and people with a sugar aversion (like myself).

We did a bit ground work to locate an authentic experience.  Our taxi driver and several other randoms we accosted during our stay all recommended the East Coast which is a district in Singapore for the best crab experience.  Our taxi driver personally recommended Red House.  So Red House we went.  Continue reading...