Bino

Guide to Chinese New Year 2018 Promotions in Singapore: Reunion Dinners, Buffets, Yu Sheng, Set Menus and Festive Takeaways

January 17, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Chinese New Year in 2018 will occur on the 16th of February and in the Chinese zodiac, the coming lunar year will be the “Year of the Dog.” For the coming festive season, various hotels and restaurants in Singapore are once again showcasing their very best for reunion dinners, lo heis as well as festive takeaways. What I noticed this year is that restaurants are trying to outdo each other in terms of who has the most premium yu sheng or pen cai with pretty creative interpretations to choose from. I’ve seen relatively unique ingredients being included such as truffles, imperial swiftlet’s nest and even foie gras while others are sticking to their traditional best sellers. Whatever it is you’re after, you will certainly be spoiled for choice for that reunion dinner venue. Here’s a guide on this year’s offers:

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The Best Ways to Deal With Jetlag

January 14, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

The jetsetting lifestyle isn’t always as glamorous as it’s always portrayed to be. Unless you’re fully prepped in celebrity ways, armed with oversized sunglasses and a mini toiletry kit for landing, you’re likely to end a long-haul flight looking and smelling like you’ve been dragged through a bush.

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Hotel Review: Silks Club Kaohsiung (晶英酒店)

January 13, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Silks Club Kaohsiung opened in August 2017 as the first hotel of Yui-mom Group, a Kaohsiung-based building contractor. The property also comes under the wing of Regent Hotels with this being their first Silks Club branded hotel. Compared to the chain’s other brands, Silks Club is more exclusive with a luxury boutique and design-oriented proposition. During a recent trip to Kaohsiung, I managed to check out the Silks Club for a night.

Kaohsiung is experiencing a bit of renaissance as of late, diversifying its image to incorporate more art and culture into what is traditionally known as a heavily industrial city. I witnessed this transformation myself after coming back to the Southern Taiwanese city after more than a decade. So much has changed.

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Hotel Review: Shangri-la’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Tainan – Shuttle Bus to Tourist Attractions & Night Markets

January 7, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Shangri-la’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Tainan is just one of a handful of luxury hotels in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan. Located just steps away from the city’s main railway station and 5 to 10 minutes drive from the tourist attractions of the city center, the 333-room hotel serves as an excellent gateway for those on a short jaunt to the buzzing city. The hotel is also just next door to the Far Eastern Plaza department store which has a couple of restaurants in their basement.

lobby at shangri-la’s far eastern plaza hotel, tainan

On a tour around Taiwan, I spent two nights in Tainan and chose the Shangri-la’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Tainan due to the reliable Shangri-la brand and wonderful location. The hotel was converted from an office building in 2007 which explains the interesting atrium found in the upper floors. There aren’t many properties in Taiwan that are built in this way. This particular Shangri-la differs from most of the chain’s other city hotels in a number of ways. Firstly, there is a slightly higher inclination towards leisure travel, as evidenced by free regular shuttle buses to city attractions and night markets. Also, this is one of the few Shangri-la non-resort properties I know that offers family rooms.

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Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena – Infinity Pool & Stunning Rooftop Views

December 19, 2017 by Bino 1 Comment

Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena opened its doors in November 2017 as the first hotel to rise in the Novena area for quite some time. The new property is situated close to Health City Novena and is meant to cater to medical tourists as much as leisure travelers and even those coming to Singapore for business. While the location is not in the city’s central core, the hotel is just steps away from Novena MRT.

I recently stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena. The property follows a growing trend in Singapore of high lobbies (other hotels with similarly high lobbies include The Westin Singapore, Andaz Singapore and Sofitel Singapore City Centre) with the reception being at Level 22.

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Hotel Review: Novotel Singapore On Stevens – Free Minibar & Fantastic Infinity Pool

December 17, 2017 by Bino 1 Comment

Novotel Singapore on Stevens is the latest property of Accor Hotels to open in Singapore, cementing this chain’s status as the largest in the Lion City with over a dozen hotels. The new Novotel property is located around 2 bus stops from Orchard (take the #190 bus from the Orchard Station bus stop to be exact) making the location within a residential neighborhood good for a nice escape without losing the city center convenience.

The Novotel Singapore on Stevens is part of a mixed use complex developed by Oxley Holdings. The building includes the Mercure Singapore on Stevens next door as well as a couple of restaurants and bars in the lower floors. It is the second Novotel property in Singapore, the other being the Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay.

Shuttle Service from Novotel Singapore on Stevens to Orchard Road and Singapore Botanic Gardens

It is worth noting that Novotel Singapore on Stevens provides complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and Orchard Road. Departures occur every half hour from 10AM to 9:30PM daily with the drop-off point being the DFS Galleria at Scotts. The hotel also provides free shuttle service to the Singapore Botanic Gardens with departures at 7:30AM, 8AM, 8:30AM and 9AM from Mondays to Fridays.

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Fujisawa Design Week

December 15, 2017 by Bino Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Design Week is an event concept that originates in Tokyo and which has extended to over 100 cities worldwide. Within Japan, around 1,800 municipalities hold their own events in conjunction with the Design Week. The aim of the Design Week events is to showcase local creative talent – be in the musical, performing or visual arts. These events also serve to boost tourism in more off-the-beaten path cities in Japan.

The third district to hold Design Week this year is Fujisawa with the Fujisawa Design Week being a 9-day event lasting from 2nd December to 10th December 2017. Like the Design Weeks that preceded this event, the Fujisawa Design Week was a multisensory experience that encompassed musical performances by local artists across various genres as well as art book exhibitions.

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Moosehead Kitchen & Bar – New Menu (2017/2018)

December 10, 2017 by Bino Leave a Comment

The unassuming space that is Moosehead Kitchen & Bar in Telok Ayer Street has always piqued my interest. As I am constantly on the lookout for interesting dining spots to try near my workplace, I’ve gone through the many eateries around Telok Ayer and Amoy Street. I love the thriving scene of independent restaurants in the area and some of them are personal favorites. Moosehead Kitchen and Bar is an oddity to me despite having tried the venue for lunch before. Its midday menu mostly consists of quick fixes such as burgers (which are great as well!) but it is the dinner offerings which really stand out.

Three years after discovering the venue, I finally managed to try Moosehead Kitchen and Bar for dinner and I must say the food did not disappoint. Three years is a mighty long time for a small venue such as Moosehead and the fact that they are still attracting a good crowd to this day probably says a lot regarding the food here.

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