Archive for the ‘Singapore’ Category

FHA 2010 Singapore Expo 20-23 April 2010 – Singapore

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

masthead

FHA2010 – Wine & Spirits Asia 2010 – Opens This Tuesday!

FHA2010 – Asia’s LARGEST international food and hospitality trade event opens this Tuesday at Singapore Expo! This highly anticipated 4-day power packed event will see the gathering of 2,542 international exhibitors from over 63 countries/regions showcasing their latest products and supplies for Asia’s booming food and hospitality industry.

Don’t miss the opportunity to:

· Network and interact with over 50,000 trade attendees!

· Meet face-to-face with international suppliers from 46 Group Pavilions!

· Witness the ingenious culinary creations at the FHA2010 Culinary Challenge, Asian Pastry Cup, Asia Barista Championship and the debut of AHRA Cocktail Competition!

· Gain insights at our series of conferences and forums!

· Attend free seminars and presentations by our exhibitors!

Exhibition Opening Hours

Date:
20 – 23 April 2010 (Tuesday – Friday)

Opening Hours:
10am – 6pm ( Tuesday – Thursday)

10am – 4pm (Friday)

Venue:
Halls 2 – 9, Singapore Expo

– Visitor Registration Counters are located in Halls 2 and 9.

– Visitor registration will stop 30 minutes before the closing time during all four days of the exhibition.

Admission Guidelines:

· All visitors must be in proper business attire.

· The organiser reserves the right to refuse entry to those seemed inappropriately dressed e.g. in bermudas, shorts, singlets, sports sandals or slippers.

· Admission is restricted to food and hospitality trade professionals only.

· Visitor badges are non-transferable due to security reasons.

· General public and minors below the age of 16 will not be permitted entry.

· Visitors who do not have pre-registration confirmation emails or complimentary tickets will have to pay an admission fee of SGD80. Admission tickets can be purchased from Information Counters in Hall 2 and 9.

Important Tip!

As you will be meeting and interacting with present and potential business partners at the exhibition, do remember to bring along your business cards!

We Look Forward to Seeing You @ FHA2010 / Wine&SpiritsAsia2010!

Sands Singapore Casino Launch Date Set for April 27, 2010 – Singapore

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Sands Singapore CasinoUnder Construction: triple-tower Marina Bay Sands Casino, Singapore

The first phase of the Las Vegas Sands Singapore Casino will open earlier than anticipated on April 27, 2010 and is expected to generate $1 billion in annual profits, when fully operational, according to its billionaire CEO, Sheldon Andelson. The restaurant line-up features American restaurateurs: Wolfgang Puck, David Boulud and Mario Batali.

Rival casino Genting Singapore’s Resorts World at Sentosa opened slightly ahead of the Sand’s on February 14th and has had a mixed performance with restaurant and food outlets packed and, hotel rooms fully booked although, the actual count of traffic entering the casino’s doors were lower in comparison to casinos in Macau on their opening days. In addition, the Sand’s location is considered better with its waterfront location nearer to the central business district.

Joel Robuchon to Open 3 Restaurants in Singapore – Singapore

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

jr-resortsworldsentosa (image credit: resortsworldsentosa)

Chef/Restaurateur Joel Robuchon will open L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and The Pastry Shop & Lounge in the about to be launched Genting Singapore’s Resorts World located in Sentosa.  This will bring his worldwide tally of restaurants to 23.
The Genting Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa is going to be a complex that will feature hotels, casinos, and a Universal Studios theme park and will begin partial operations in February. This is not to be confused with the Marina Sands, which is a different organization altogether, and has already slated Wolfgang Puck, David Boulud and Mario Batali into the operation. Robuchon has a successful restaurant in Hong Kong and two restaurant is the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he has experience operating restaurants in a resort casino and also in Asia.

Forbidden City by Indochine – Singapore

Monday, September 7th, 2009

3A River Valley Road, #01-02 Clarke Quay
Tel.+65 6557 6268
Website: http://www.indochine.com.sq
Operating Hours:
Sun-Thur: 3pm-3am
Fri/Sat: 3pm-6am
Type: Pub/Bar
Entry: Free
Full Bar
Dress Code: Casual, stylish, or business attire
Music: House, World
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate

Gigantic stone warriors guard the entryway of Forbidden City, make your way downstairs to the Bar Cocoon, relax and lie down on numerous opium-style daybeds, although no opium is provided. Drop in on Wednesdays where Babes and Bubbles Ladies Night is in full-swing with buy one get one deals on Veuve Clicquot champagne (by the glass), selected cocktails, house wines and beers. The Ice Palace bar seats and bar top are made from solid blocks of ice and seats ten persons. Is it worth the special cover charge to knock back a few 42 Below Vodka shots ($15 each) in minus-5 degree Celsius? That depends on your point of view, although it seems to be a “popular thing to do” as every steamy, major city in Southeast Asian has their own version of the same theme.

Restaurant Fifty Three; is it The Fat Duck of Singapore? – Singapore

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

53 Armenian Street
Tel: +65 6334 5535
Operating Hours:
Lunch: 12noon – 2pm (Tue-Sat)
Dinner: 7pm – 9.30pm (Mon-Sat)
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Very Expensive
Reservations are essential for dinner (recommended 24 hrs. advance notice for parties of two and 48 hrs. for parties of four or more and I think highly advisable for lunch).

Chef Michael Han has opened Restaurant Fifty Three in a shop-house with very limited seating in Singapore, he previously worked at Heston Blumenthal’s, Fat Duck on the outskirts of London. (For the unfamiliar: this restaurant has been rated number one or two in the “World’s Best Restaurants” for a few years). He is a former law-student, which may not bode well for some patrons but hey, an attorney in the kitchen is probably better than a chef in the courtroom! Whatever. Although, reality is that one has to be concerned about the very mixed reviews from both professionals and amateurs regarding his experimental combining of ingredients that some have said, “have no friendly interactions with each other”. Remember, I said “mixed” that means; as many, and in his case more, utterances were praising the 31-year-old as were criticizing. In any case, maybe it would be prudent to wait until the dust settles before dropping the S$250 plus per head for a multi-course dinner at 53, although I imagine that the majority of you will want to see what the Hoopla is all about—now. Highlights include various renditions of David Blackmore’s Wagyu beef from Kagoshima, Mara des Bois Strawberries and Green Peppercorn. For dinner the set menu is your only choice, and I have a feeling that to encourage repeat business Chef Han will have to change the menu more often than he would normally choose to do, and with Singapore’s fairly limited selection of imported goods and domestic production at almost nil, it would probably be easier to pull rabbits out of a hat.

The French Kitchen – Singapore

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

Pictured above: Terrine de Joue de Boeuf et Foie Gras – Angus beef cheek and duck liver terrine

The French Kitchen
7 Magazine Rd (off Merchant Road)
#01-03, Central Mall
Singapore 059572
Tel: +65 6438 1823
Fax: +65 6438 3043
Email: info@thefrenchkitchen.com.sg
Website: www.thefrenchkitchen.com.sg
Opening Hours: Lunch: 12pm-2pm Tue-Fri; 12pm-3pm Sun
Dinner: 7pm-10pm Tue-Sat 6.30pm-9.30pm Sun; Closed on Mondays
Corkage 750ml: Mon: None; $30: Tuesdays to Thursdays; $40: Fridays, Saturdays, Public Holidays & Eve of Public Holidays
Maximum seating interior: 40
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Set Lunch 3-course $36++; Degustation Menu $88++; Starters from $24++
Main Course from $35++; Desserts from $14++

Jean-Charles Dubois formerly resident chef at the Raffles Grill is now cooking at The French Kitchen his new restaurant at Central Mall. He abstains as usual, from using modern techniques as molecular cooking or canister foams and sticks to basic classic French cuisine! Bravo!

The Menu Follows:

STARTERS
TERRINE DE JOUE DE BOEUF ET FOIE GRAS
angus beef cheek and duck liver terrine, Pommery mustard dressing and printaniere salad
or
BISQUE DE HOMARD*
traditional lobster bisque with tiger prawn beignet and leek custard
or
SAUMON FUME MIMOSA
home smoked salmon with traditional garnish of finely chopped egg, parsley, capers, shallot and horseradish cream

MAIN COURSES
THON
grilled tuna fillet with home smoked bacon, warm citrus scented salad of corn and baby romaine, light port wine jus
or
CONFIT DE CANARD
confit duckleg with caramelised fig, crispy polenta, sauteed Jerusalem artichoke and duck jus
or
ONGLET DE BOEUF
pan fried skirt steak with endive leaves, cauliflower gratin and perigourdine sauce

DESSERTS
FRUITS DE VERGER
organic orchard fruits; compote of apple, sable biscuit, citrus scented jelly and fresh berries
or
CREME BRULEE
dark chocolate creme brulee with vanilla ice cream

From The Past: The Famous Marco Polo Hotel – Singapore

Monday, May 4th, 2009

The Marco Polo Hotel, also known as the Omni Marco Polo Hotel after 1989, was built in 1968 on Tanglin Road, and it was one of Singapore’s famous landmarks and my favorite hangout at the time I was living there. It had the fine dining restaurant Le Duc and the more informal La Brasserie both good in their particular category. It was also home to Le Club, which I joined in 1989 or 1990, a private “members only” nightclub that was very popular and attracted an elite crowd. It had a separate entrance from the hotel’s main entrance slightly hidden to the right on the ground floor. The hotel was torn down in 1999 with barely a second thought, the excuse given was quite obscure, related to a downturn in business caused by the recession of the late nineties, and perceived competition from an adjacent hotel called the Trader’s; on its site now sits yet another boring condominium called the Grange Residences and a big chunk of Singapore’s history is gone forever.
According to details from the archives of the National Library Board (the National Library Building has since succumbed and it has also been scraped):
“The Marco Polo Hotel, at the junction of Tanglin Road and Grange Road, was originally known as Hotel Malaysia when it was first constructed in 1968. Designed by Alfred Wong Partnership, it was a 10 storey building with 300 rooms built in contemporary architectural style. It was owned by the Goodwood Group and the hotel interiors boasted jade, green onyx, marble and teak carvings. It also had a roof-top restaurant. Lobby lounge girls dressed in cheongsams added to the exotic look of the hotel and it was well-known for its high quality service. The exterior was simple with a broad sweeping facade and little ornamentation. Big trees, birds and a water fountain however added charm to the hotel’s grounds. Additions and changes were made to the hotel in 1981, again by Alfred Wong Partnership. The hotel’s architecture won it the 1983 Singapore Institute of Architects’ Award for Outstanding Building. In 1988, the hotel went through a $30 million redecoration programme, adding a new coffeshop and shopping arcade and an enlarged lobby. From 1983 to 1988, the hotel was consecutively voted as one of the top 10 business hotels in the world by the British-based magazine, Business Traveller. The hotel was so popular in the 1970s that many famous personalities chose to stay here during their visit to Singapore. They include British pop singer Sir Cliff Richard, Hollywood actor Roger Moore, Prince Sufri Bolkiah of Brunei and former British Prime Minister Edward Heath. The hotel was selected as the runner-up in the Overseas Best City Hotel category in the Hotel of the Year 1990 presentation in London.”
“Its success notwithstanding, the hotel’s ownership changed hands twice. In 1973, the Goodwood Group sold it to the Hongkong and Kowloon-based Wharf and Godown Company Limited, and in 1986, it was taken over by Marco Polo Developments, a group which is 75 per cent-owned by Hong Kong’s Wheelock Group.”

It is staggering to think of how many stately structures and historic edifices have suffered this same fate in Singapore, due in part to greed or corruption—and how many more will follow. I read somewhere, that even the famous landmark The Singapore Cricket Club might fall victim to demolition if people continue to allow this to happen.

UDMC Seafood Centre – Singapore

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Block 1202 East Coast Pkwy
Tel. (65) 6442-3435
Opening Hours: Variable from: 11am – 2am and other restaurants: 5pm-midnight
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate

The UDMC Seafood Centre on East Coast Parkway has a large selection of regional seafood dishes, it is about halfway to the airport. There are eight seafood restaurants in the complex and some of them have telephones and accept credit cards, reservations and others do not. The most popular are Long Beach Seafood and Red House. Best known for their legendary black pepper crab and chilli crab. Incidentally, none of the crabs come from anywhere near Singapore, they are raised and harvested in Sri Lanka and flown in.

Helipad Bar and Disco – Singapore

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

photo credit: www.helipad.com.sg

photo credit: www.helipad.com.sg

#05-22 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street
Tel: +65 6327 8118
Email: info@helipad.com.sg
Website: www.helipad.com.sg
Age limit: 23 years and above
Operating hours: Monday-Thursday: 6pm- 1am, Friday – Saturday: 6pm – 3am, Closed on Sundays
Happy Hour: 6pm – 9pm (1 for 1 on all house pours)
Entry Charges: First drink charges apply from Mon – Sat
Age limit: 23 years and above
Dress code: No shorts/bermudas, slippers or caps

From the creators of the now shut Sound Bar & Liquid Room, another victim of a lost lease, one of Singapore’s best all-night party spots, Helipad is now going to fill that void at The Central, with two floors of entertainment with a unique “rooftop-on-rooftop” al fresco area, with a city skyline view.

Oosh Restaurant & Bar – Singapore

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Oosh
22 Dempsey Road
Tel. 65 6475 0002
Email: info@oosh.com.sg
Website: www.oosh.com.sg
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

Oosh is located at the former British Army barracks district at Tanglin Village (Dempsey Hill) formerly known as Dempsey Road. The alfresco bar and restaurant has a long beautiful sushi bar, attractive and artfully-lit cabanas along with numerous aquatic special effects. You will find an extensive drinks menu listing most of the premium liquors available. Sensibly, there is a dress code: no slippers, singlets or cut-offs.

A lot of thought has gone into the architecture, design, and décor, it is really very well coordinated. The negatives are that the service is slow in spite of a service call button, and the prices are high for food that is only average at best, and drinks and wine are unfairly marked up. It is not necessary to dwell anymore on this establishment except to say; that it is a romantic place to visit but the bullet stops there—nothing else will impress!