Bino

Tablescape at Grand Park City Hall – Modern European Dinner in Singapore’s Civic District

July 28, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

Tablescape at Grand Park City Hall recently welcomed a new chef, Armando Aristarco, who counts several years of experience working for fine hotels. I previously encountered him a couple of times while dining in LaBrezza. As I took to my seat in Tablescape, Chef Armando himself came out to say hi to diners. After I told him I tasted his cooking previously in LaBrezza, he was quick to point out that upon taking helm of the Grand Park City Hall restaurant, he has expanded his culinary offerings to continental fare. Indeed, Tablescape mixes both an old world charm with contemporary European cuisine. It is old-world because of the classical look of the place – think black and white and accented by a bit of beige in terms of the furnishings. Even the way certain dishes are presented reminds me of restaurants of yore. Tablescape has a bread cart filled with various selections of freshly baked buns and even has a dessert trolley topped with various sweet endings. Inded, this venue doesn’t delve too far from the grand proposition that the hotel housing it professes to deliver.

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Hotel Review: Sofitel Singapore City Centre – Simply Magnifique!

July 28, 2019 by Bino 1 Comment

Sofitel Singapore City Centre is the newest jewel in Accor Hotels’ crown in Singapore – being its 13th hotel in the Lion City and the 800th Accor hotel in Asia Pacific. Looming over the historic shophouses of Tanjong Pagar, the property marks the further southern development of Singapore’s CBD. Tanjong Pagar has always been known as a commercial area but in recent years, high rises (including Singapore’s tallest), luxury hotels and some Grade A offices have been thrown into the mix.

I was fortunate to be invited for a media preview of the Sofitel Singapore City Centre two days before the hotel officially opened. An experiential media preview that includes a stay is practically unheard of in the hospitality industry as any new property is bound to have teething problems at the beginning. The fact that a preview was organized was a sign of the intense preparation the staff must have been through as well as the management’s confidence in both the hard and soft product – a conviction that turned out to be spot on.

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Visiting San Marino From Bologna Step by Step Guide – Easy as Pie Day Trip to One of the World’s Smallest Countries

July 26, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

After my trip around the Balkans, I decided to make a detour to Italy as I wanted to tick one new country off my bucket list. That country was San Marino and to get there, I had to find myself a city interesting enough to serve as my base. Given Italy’s many fast trains, it is entirely possible to base yourself anywhere in Central Italy and be able to do San Marino as a day trip. However, the most practical cities to make that trip with the least possible connections would be Rimini and Bologna. Rimini gets you there the quickest due to a direct bus, but it’s more of a resort town and I wanted a place with some history and good food. I then looked a bit farther at the map and found Bologna, which only required an additional 1 to 1.5 hours from Rimini. So Bologna it was. Bologna is one of Italy’s great cities and is perhaps most well known for its food. Tagliatelle al ragu immediately springs to mind!

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The Perfect 3-Day Itinerary For San Francisco (2019)

July 25, 2019 by Bino 3 Comments

This is a long overdue guide to one of my favorite cities in the world. For a place that has less than one million people, San Francisco has definitely pushed above its weight in terms of contributions to the world. From Levi’s and Gap to UBER and Airbnb, the city has always managed to keep itself in the cutting edge. For the casual visitor, the number of things to do seems to be disproportional to the city’s land area and it’s often hard to decide how to plan a visit to San Francisco especially when it’s the first time.

This itinerary groups together attractions and places that are near or connected to each other for a more organized trip to the city by the bay. It offers a great mix between scenic spots, eating, shopping and with a few hipster areas thrown in. Without further ado, here’s a 3-day itinerary that you can follow for San Francisco.

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Exploring Alor Setar in Kedah, Malaysia

July 23, 2019 by Bino 8 Comments

My latest Malaysian trip took me to the state of Kedah, a place that many people don’t realize they have visited. If you have been to the resort island of Langkawi then yes, you would have been to this state in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. In my case, my visit to Kedah led me not to the emerald isles of Langkawi but to the city of Alor Setar, the royal and administrative capital of the state, for some sightseeing.

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Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore Is Challenging the Convention of Serviced Apartments

July 22, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

Oakwood OUE Premier Singapore has been making great strides in redefining the limits of serviced accommodations. Recently, it launched the “Oops, I’ve Ginned!” staycation package which continues to blur the lines between apartment living and luxury hotel amenities. Aside from a room stay, the package includes an elaborate DIY cocktail kit and even a short excursion to Brass Lion Distillery. I very well remember my first “serviced residence” experience. Having just moved to Singapore more than a decade ago for work, I was put into this nice apartment just by the Singapore River. My unit was way larger than a typical hotel room but for most services, I had to DIY. Things have changed dramatically since then.

The inspiration for the staycation package was World Gin Day which was celebrated on the 8th of June 2019. For the case of the “Oops, I’ve Ginned!” staycation package however, it is valid every weekend until 1st December except for the weekend of the Singapore Grand Prix.

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Why You Should Visit Kota Bharu in Kelantan, Malaysia

July 21, 2019 by Bino 9 Comments

Those searching for a more traditional side to Malaysia would be hard-pressed to find anywhere more fitting than the northern city of Kota Bharu in the state of Kelantan bordering Thailand. Coming from my short trip to Kuala Terengganu which in itself is a pretty laidback and conservative town, I was still pleasantly surprised with the overall look and feel of Kota Bharu when I stepped out of the bus following a 3 hour journey.

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The Fullerton Hotel Sydney to Open in Historic Post Office Building in October 2019

July 18, 2019 by Bino Leave a Comment

The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts will mark its international expansion with the opening of The Fullerton Hotel Sydney on the 18th of October 2019. The property will open following a brand conversion from what used to be The Westin Sydney. The new property in Sydney will be located right in the heart of the Central Business District and will have heritage and luxury as its defining characteristics, in line with the other hotels under the Fullerton brand.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney (source: the hotel)

There is no shortage of similarities with The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. The Fullerton Hotel Sydney is likewise converted from what used to be the General Post Office of Sydney, a historic landmark that was built in 1866 (even before the Singapore property!). The Martin Place location of the property in Sydney also puts it squarely in the heart of the business district and close to the city’s retail and arts precinct. Famous city landmarks such as The Sydney Opera House, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art and the historic Rocks district can all be reached in under 15 minutes on foot.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney interiors (source: the hotel)

As with the property in Singapore, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney will also be offering complimentary heritage tours of the historic building and of the surroundings.

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