Bino

Restaurant Review: Tentsuru – Come Here for the Tempura Omakase

August 28, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

Tentsuru is a tempura restaurant located in level 2 of St. Regis Singapore. Opened in 2022, the restaurant took over what was previously Italian restaurant LaBrezza. Unlike its predecessor however, Tentsuru is a tenant of St. Regis Singapore rather than a component restaurant of the luxury hotel.

tentsuru

Tentsuru fulfills a gap in an otherwise overcrowded omakase scene in Singapore by instead offering a tempura-focused set for both lunch and dinner. The lunch omakase starts from S$120++ while dinner omakase starts from S$280++.

In Tentsuru, there is a strong focus on condiments and unlike other tempura restaurants where the usual condiment is just the tempura sauce, here they provide so much more. Each dish in the omakase menu clearly indicates the suggested condiment. These other tempura condiments include lemon juice, plum sauce, yuzu pepper, curry salt and sea salt.

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5-Day Prague and Vienna Itinerary: Expert Tips for a Memorable Trip

August 24, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

Planning a trip to the heart of Europe can be as exciting as the destinations themselves, and it’s hard to find a more enchanting pairing than Prague and Vienna. These two capital cities epitomize the grandeur and charm of Central Europe, with their rich historical and cultural experiences. A five-day itinerary of Prague and Vienna provides the perfect opportunity to explore the must-see attractions in both cities while still having time to soak in the unique atmosphere each has to offer.

In this article, we will guide you through an unforgettable five-day Central Europe itinerary, switching effortlessly between the cobbled streets and graceful bridges of Prague, and the elegant boulevards and timeless charm of Vienna. With this itinerary, you’ll be able to capture the best of Central Europe’s art, history, and soul, making memories that will last a lifetime.

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Food Review: Province Restaurant – Fine Dining Has Finally Arrived in Joo Chiat

August 8, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

The notion might be taken for granted now but it was not too long ago when the idea of opening a fine-dining restaurant in Joo Chiat was considered farfetched. With the area’s gentrification gaining quick momentum the last 3 years, the opening of Province in this rather hip area – perhaps the only fine-dining concept in the neighborhood at the moment – leads one to say “oh, finally.”

Hidden at the back of 808 Eating House, Province is an intimate 8-seater that explores the diversity of Southeast Asian ingredients and flavors. Province is the brainchild of chef Law Jia Jun, who used to come from Magic Square. The cuisine in Province is decidedly Southeast Asian but with a contemporary touch. Chef Law was inspired by his travels to nearby countries such as Thailand and Malaysia and many of the ingredients are also sourced from there, through building relationships with farmers, growers, fishermen, and producers at home and abroad.

Distinctly Southeast Asian ingredients and spices figure into Province’s prix-fixe menu priced at S$138++, which gets refreshed approximately every 3 months. Think: buah keluak, sweet potatoes and fruits. Even the meats are sourced from neighboring countries.

From the arcaded facade of the Joo Chiat shophouses, there are no signs that indicate Province’s existence inside. Diners will have to saunter in through 808 Eating House’s door. From there, a back door proudly displaying the Province name leads one in via a pebbled walkway. Customers then get seated in a slightly curved teakwood table, in a setup that’s not too different from omakase dining. The manpower setup in Province is quite modest – it’s just Chef Law and Wei Xiang who helps him in the kitchen.

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Turkish Airlines is Adding Frequency to the SIN – IST Route

July 27, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

Turkish Airlines is expanding its presence in Singapore by making the SIN – IST route a 14x weekly affair by September from 10x weekly currently.

At the moment, Turkish Airlines has TK55 which departs SIN daily at 2330 and arrives in IST the next day at 535. The IST to SIN leg (TK54) departs Istanbul at 0210 and arrives in Singapore at 1750. I have personally taken this flight a number of times and this is usually quite a full flight as it leaves Singapore late at night, allowing passengers to arrive in Istanbul or to most European destinations by morning the next day.

Turkish Airlines also has TK2o9 which departs SIN every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 1040 and arrives in IST at 1645. From 12th August, TK will add Saturday and Sunday flights for TK209, departing at 1115. From 13th September, TK209 will become a daily flight with a Wednesday and Thursday departure.

Consequently, the IST-SIN flight – TK208 – which currently departs IST at 1715 every Monday, Thursday and Sunday will become a daily affair by September.

The new flights will increase total seat capacity by 2,632 seats for a total of 9,492 seats per week. TK55/54 will continue to be serviced with Boeing 777-300ER while the new flights will be serviced with the Airbus A350 which has the newer Turkish Airlines business class seats. The current TK209/208 3x weekly flights are already serviced by the Airbus A350s.

I have personally been on TK’s A330s, 777-300ERs and Dreamliner, the latter having the same seat configuration as their A350s. The newer business class seats provide an all-aisle access, something which the Boeing 777-300ERs don’t possess. I am probably one among a minority who actually likes the older seat configuration. Though lacking in privacy and possessing a middle seat, I find it wider and more comfortable for sleeping.

In terms of flight redemptions, Turkish Airlines has the Miles & Smiles frequent flyer programme. If you are based in Singapore, you can redeem for Miles and Smiles points through a Citi credit card.

I have been redeeming Turkish Airlines flights for years. It used to be quite straightforward to find availability out of Singapore even a month or two before departure but it has become challenging since the reopening in 2022. My most recent Turkish Airlines redemption flight to Baku led me to fly out of KUL! Hopefully, there will be more availability after the increased frequency kicks in.

Hotel Review: Copthorne King’s Hotel Renovated Signature Studio Room

July 26, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

In a city where hotel room prices are sky high, it has become rather challenging to recommend more affordable full-service hotels to friends who are visiting Singapore. S$300 a night has become the norm since the full reopening of the travel sector in 2022 that anything below that is considered a rarity for a full-service property.

Due to this rarity, I was quite intrigued when the kind team from Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore invited me for a staycation. The property, which first opened as King’s Hotel back in 1970, has been a long-time fixture in the city’s hospitality scene. The hotel has recently seen developments in two fronts. First is the recent opening of the Havelock MRT Station around 5 minutes walk away and the second being the recent renovation of some of their guestrooms. The property is under the Millennium Hotels & Resorts, and counts some of the other hotels in the vicinity such as the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel and M Social Singapore as its sister hotels.

Some 142 guestrooms in Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore’s Tower Wing were renovated in 2020. The tower wing is the taller cylindrical structure appended to the shorter main building of the hotel. Unlike rooms in the main wing, the rooms in the Tower Wing don’t have a balcony but its cylindrical nature allow for rather interesting guestroom layouts.

Copthorne King’s Hotel has a rather conventional lobby. My check-in was rather uneventful, except that my room was not initially ready and reception invited me to wait for 15 minutes at the club lounge. My room did not come with club lounge access so it was my sole chance to have a peek inside.

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A Look at One Farrer Hotel’s Gorgeous Dahlia Villa With Private Jacuzzi & Club Lounge Access

July 21, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

One Farrer Hotel is an upscale hotel located in the vibrant Little India district of Singapore. It is a modern hotel that features 249 rooms and suites, all of which are equipped with high-end amenities such as flat-screen TVs, minibars and high-speed internet access. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, with contemporary decor and exceptionally wide windows that offer stunning views of the city.

Despite being initially geared towards medical tourism (the hotel is integrated with Farrer Park Medical Centre), the property has won plaudits among business and leisure travelers and also has a strong base of local clientele who come for staycations.

It has been a while since I last stepped into One Farrer Hotel. I had a very good staycation there a couple of years ago and I also went for a dinner event in The Nest in 2022.

The neighborhood where One Farrer Hotel is situated is seeing a lot more interest recently – especially with TimeOut magazine listing Little India as one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods.

The property can be thought of as having four different propositions. The first would be the standard rooms which the property calls Mint Hotel. The second would be the Loft Apartments – a SoHo living concept with lower and upper sections in the room. The third is the Skyline Hotel & Sky Villa – the more exclusive upper floors of the hotel where rooms get club lounge access as well as a separate pool dedicated to guests staying in these levels. The fourth would be the Saranggong Villa concept – suites which offer bells and whistles such as courtyard, jacuzzi, BBQ facilities and even chefs that can serve in-suite meals to guests.

I was recently invited back by One Farrer Hotel to stay in the property – this time at their rather private and luxe Saranggong Villa.

One Farrer Hotel has a few villas for guests to stay and each one is named after a plant or flower. The sky villas which are located at the upper floors are named as Peony, Lotus, Jasmine, Orchid and Calla Lily – with the latter being the hotel’s equivalent of the presidential suite.

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REVIEW: Restaurant Matera – Modern Italian Cuisine With Asian Elements in Fullerton Waterboat House

July 21, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

Matera, an Italian restaurant helmed by Chef Bjoern Alexander, has recently opened in the historic Fullerton Waterboat House. Named after the ancient city in Italy, Restaurant Matera offers modern Italian cuisine, interpreted thru Chef Bjoern’s fusion with Asian influences.

Update: Restaurant Matera received a Michelin Star during the announcement in June 2024.

Chef Bjoern Alexander hails from Octavium, a 2 Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong. His culinary career has taken him to places such as the Middle East, Hong Kong and Shanghai before arriving in Singapore. He began his career in Germany, where he originally comes from.

Matera occupies the ground floor of the Fullerton Waterboat House. The dining room is a picturesque affair with floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire width of the dining area. There is also a private room that’s still being developed at the time of my visit. This same space was most recently occupied by Basque Kitchen by Aitor which closed sometime in the first half of 2023. Restaurant Matera has retained roughly the same interiors and even furnishings, with some re-painting and upholstering here and there.

Matera offers lunch with set menus starting from S$78. The more elaborate dinner menu starts from S$138 for 3 courses. During my visit, I tried their 6-course dinner menu which is priced at S$268++.

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Hotel Review: Pan Pacific Orchard (Singapore) – Rebuilt Hotel With Striking Multi-Terraced Architecture

July 17, 2023 by Bino Leave a Comment

Roughly 4 years after they demolished the old Pan Pacific Orchard, the same property undergoes a new lease of life with a striking new building taking its place. The new structure, which was designed by renowned architecture firm WOHA, features a vertical setup with lush, tropical elements throughout. From afar, the building looks like jenga blocks assembled on top of each other.

pan pacific orchard facade

Even though the current version of the Pan Pacific Orchard is spanking new, this is a property that I have fond memories of. I remember doing staycations in the previous incarnation of the property. I remember how great the service was and the nice room upgrades they gave to GHA Discovery members. I also remember going for dinners at the previous all-day dining restaurant called 10 on Claymore and rushing out to grab takeaways at the Thai eatery in nearby Orchard Towers for supper. Pan Pacific Orchard counts the likes of voco Orchard, Four Seasons Singapore, Yotel Singapore Orchard Road and Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza as its neighbors.

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