High-Tea @ Goodwood Park Hotel (30 Mar)

Friends and I (4 of us) decided to be tai-tai for half a day haha!! Well, one of them is not working, while the 3 others took PM off to enjoy high-tea at Goodwood Park Hotel. Cost $33++ per person from 2-5pm at L'Espresso.

I must say we've had a great time, as we've always had, whenever we meet up. These friends of mine are really "crazy" people. We talk about anything and everything under the sun, and laugh like nobody's business. I always look forward to meeting up with them cos it's very therapeutic! Haha!

Pool view from L'Espresso
Inside L'Espresso

I had Sencha green tea and also ordered Cafe Latte. Each guest is allowed max. of 2 choices of beverage.

Items from the high-tea

Vege/ biscuits with different types of cheeses

More items
Scones which I think I don't know how to appreciate leh.. are all scones "dry"? Even those in Australia could only be swallowed with drinks ;p

Desserts! Creme brulee was great! I couldn't and didn't get to try all the different types of desserts.

Verdict: Hmmm... both range and quality of food were so-so only.. not impressionable, wouldn't go back a 2nd time ;p

Don Quihote (27 Mar)

Hubby found this place on hungrygowhere.com. Don Quihote (pronounced as "ki-ho-teh"). Tucked away at Lor Kilat, not noticeable from the main road opposite Bukit Timah Shopping Centre.

Very small yet cosy little restaurant. Good service and yummy food! This was our 2nd visit within 8 weeks..so you say leh..?? Hahah!!

Inside the restaurant
Pumpkin soup

Scallops

Squid ink seafood angel hair pasta. We had the squid ink seafood rice the last time and prefer the rice actually.

tapas items (clockwise from left): sorry, don't know its authentic name so can only give brief description haha - asparagus wrapped with bacon, prawns wrapped with eggplant, salmon wrapped with omelette. The prawn dish was the best!! Must try!!

close up

close up


With 10% discount from Citibank credit card, the bill came to S$90+ for one pasta, 5 tapas dishes, 1 soup and 1 sangria. My hubby said I don't know how to chill cos I can't drink with him ;( tsk!! Hahaha!!

Malacca (23-24 Mar)

3rd work trip to Malaysia - Malacca. Colleagues arranged car to and fro Malacca from JB so I just followed ;) Accommodation at Avillion Legacy Melaka Hotel. Corporate rate S$88 including breakfast. The lobby looks grand but the guest room is damn lousy! I'd give it only 2.5 start (of 5 stars). Hotel is not situated in town centre where Mahkota Parade is. Taxi ride from Legacy to Mahkota cost RM15. The return trip was RM12.

Hotel lobby
The linen has a smell ;( My colleague in the other room said he felt itchy!

TV remote was not working. Not many channel options, bad reception for some channels.

Bathroom which needs refurbishment too. The bath tub was definitely "uninviting" haha!

View from the 14th floor - I suppose this was the best loh haha!

The breakfast was as bad hahaha!! We only had a few mouthful and headed for tim sum recommended by a taxi uncle the night before. For 5 mini dishes, 3 pork buns, 1 lor-mai-gai and 1 pot of tea, it cost only RM13 for 3 persons. Food was ok and I love the pork bun! So soft!

Best thing that happened that morning was the lady boss of the tim sum coffeeshop. She was such a big-hearted lady! It rained heavily and we couldn't get back to our hotel (which is only a 5min walk). Waited for taxi in vain for about 15min. Then the auntie came forward and offered to help us find taxi drivers in her coffeeshop. And so, we got one ;) She even got her staff to shelter us with big brollies to the taxi. So nice of her! Next time when I go Malacca, I must go to the tim sum place again. Everyone, please go too!! Err.. I don't know the address but you can ask based on the name of the shop ;p Apparently very famous wor...

Penang & Ipoh (18-20 Mar)

My 2nd trip to Penang for work and this time, Ipoh was included. Accommodation at Trader's Hotel. Cab cost RM38 from Penang International Airport to Trader's Hotel. Compared with the other Trader's Hotel in KL and Singapore, Trader's Penang is not as grand. Definitely not a 5-star, by my standard ;p

RM4 nasi goreng ayam from a ulu-deserted hawker on top of a shopping mall, Praggin Mall, just behind Trader's Hotel.

Ginseng chicken dinner. Quite tasty actually! RM4.50 I think.

鸡丝 hor fun from Ipoh RM3. Taste like the one I've tried in KL ;p

Dinner back in Penang at MaCallister Street, less than 10min walk from Trader's Penang
Stingray - not exactly the sambal most hawkers used in Singapore and JB. RM15.


Fried oyster omelette - chewy oysters!

Chee Cheong Fun - eaten with prawn paste and black sauce. Quite nice actually ;)

Penang (28Feb & 1Mar)

Ok, I'm going to make this really short & sweet! Went Penang for a work trip and stayed over just one night.

A professor on the trip is a Gold member of the SIA Krisflyer and hence he brought me into the SIA Premier Lounge for breakfast. A first time for me! Impressed with the range of food and drinks - ranging from noodles/ sandwiches to freshly brewed coffee and even hard liquor! Yum! The Lounge also offers complimentary use of computer and massage chairs ;)

Stayed at Vistana Hotel, 10min drive from the Penang Airport (taxi fare cost RM26 - standard fee which you pay at a counter before boarding the taxi). The single room cost RM207nett inclusive of breakfast (quite pathetic range ;p). However, you can enjoy free use of internet in-room or at their business centre (can even scan and print FOC!).
My comfy king bed!
Flat screen TV

View from 14th floor.

Took a cab down to Gurney Drive (hotel is at least 20min to Georgetown) for dinner.

Our food!

On the return trip, yup, once again, the Prof brought me into the SIA Lounge at Penang Airport. As expected, it is smaller (both size and range of food) compared to the one in Singapore but good enough, I suppose.

Will be going to Penang and Ipoh in the 3rd week of Mar again.. but this time round, the Prof not going.. so no more such privileges ;(