Top 20 SG Restaurants - Luxe Chinese Dining at Mott 32, Marina Bay Sands

I always had to crack my head when it comes to choosing a restaurant for my wife's birthday. Surely we been to a few great ones, but now she has switched her preference to either Chinese or Japanese (perhaps due to age), the selection has been cut by half. We saw posts of our friends visiting KOMA - the restaurant with the Tori gates and a freaking huge and strange-looking bell. But to be honest, we are not into that vibe, so I did a search on nice Chinese restaurants around that area. And Mott 32 at Marina Bay Sands came into the picture.

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That day, we had some shopping and a VR experience just at Art Science Museum before heading to Mott 32 at our reserved timing. Few days prior, they actually called to ask if we would like to reserve the Peking Duck (S$128), BBQ Iberico Pork (or better known as char siew, S$52) or the Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (siew yok, S$30) as it comes in limited quantity daily. So heads up, if you would like to dine there.

Upon stepping into Mott 32, it is as if you are transported to China, with lanterns and Chinese-inspired furnishings and decors. There's a nice bar area where you could drink the night away. The ambience is dark, with some dim lighting, so we had a table beside the windows. Although most of the windows were closed for some reason, we opened ours to let some mall lighting shine in, because reading the menu in the dark would spoil our eyes. The downside? Lots of curious eyes looking at us.

Brunch at Baker and Cook, Dempsey

Despite located in the heart of Singapore, Dempsey is a chore to go especially if you don't own a car. In fact, we haven't been to Dempsey more than twice since we had our car since November 2022. So there was on public holiday, Lady M and I were racking our heads where to bring the children to. Probably somewhere outdoors since they had their fair share of shopping malls already during the weekends. And Dempsey came to mind.

Baker and Cook has a heck lot of outlets spread across Singapore, but the Dempsey outlet is probably one of the newer ones with a play area set amidst the greenery of Dempsey's Loewen area. We arrived there during noon time, the sun was blazing hot with the occasional cool breeze. Kids were running and playing ball at the play area, but I was complaining because I sweat real easy. Aside from their indoor seating, there's alfresco dining under their tents and fairy lights. I can already imagine myself coming back in the evening for a beer.

Thank God that the children were still asleep so Lady M and I could enjoy some couple time.

To be honest, the menu isn't crazy extensive with just a few selection under each category but it has the standard brunch affair such as the usual eggs and pancakes. However, it has a wide pizza and burger selection, thanks to the tie-up with Plank Sourdough Pizza and Mo & Jo. Lady M got their Big Breakfast with Sourdough (S$28) with the usual sauteed mushrooms, truffle potatoes, salad, sourdough and eggs of your choice - and (me) being a scrambled egg lover - this wasn't a difficult choice.

The Public Eight, National Gallery Singapore - Fancy Cocktails for Date Nights!

Lady M and I used to have this checklist of bars to go to. Before we got married, we are checking this list almost every week. Perhaps we were still young and going strong. Things slowed down when we had Olivia. Maybe once every two to three months. When Emmanuel came along, this checklist came to a halt. We were and are still going out for our date nights once every week or two, but sipping on alcohol didn't cross our minds nowadays.

There was once Lady M mentioned that she wanted to visit a bar with fancy and magical drinks. I was too slow to get the hint (probably forgotten about it), so on my birthday this year, she finally get to visit The Public Eight.

Nestled within Singapore's National Gallery, we have walked past this place quite a few times after our museum visit - a free and relaxing place (and air-conditioned!) to visit with our children.

After our dinner, we took a leisure stroll and reached there at our reserved timing at around 8pm. We were the only guests there and I joked that Lady M booked the entire place for ourselves. The bar itself is an extension of a Japanese restaurant called "Hachi," which is fitting as "hachi" translates to the number eight. It exuded a cozy atmosphere, adorned with wooden furniture, and featured a central bar area like many other bars. The door even has the figure "8" on it!

As the only guests in the entire bar, we basically had the bartender to ourselves - a lovely lady named Irene who was extremely hospitable and lovely. With her fancy hairstyle and captivating showmanship, I reckon she is an attraction within the bar.

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Looking at the menu, Lady M immediately spotted their famous cocktail - "Confession" (S$40). If you were to search "The Public Eight", I bet you ten grands that this is the first drink that pops up - A fancy red wine with a floating iced rose - or as the menu described "Kenzo Estate Rindo 2016, Calvados, Pomegranate, Rose". What made it truly captivating was the bartender's theatrical touch. With a torchlight in hand and a spritz of glitter spray, she created a mesmerizing spectacle, enveloping the drink in a shimmering aura. If there's something that is IG-worthy, it is this drink.

3D2N The BEST Desaru Itinerary - Westin Desaru Coast Resort + Homestay

Ever since I got attached, not to even mention after getting married and having two kids, we haven’t had overseas trip with our parents. And since it’s my dad’s 70th birthday, we planned to make it slightly special by doing it overseas. So after researching on the basis of some considerations, such as budget, convenience and having to bring two children along, we decided on Desaru - a beautiful coastal city in Malaysia.

Animal feeding in Desaru Fruit Farm

What to do in Desaru

Considering the short 2 to 3 hour travelling time from Singapore, it's no surprise that Desaru is one of the most popular weekend getaway locations for Singaporeans. There are not exactly a lot to do in Desaru, but it's perfect to fill your itinerary for a quick one or two night's getaway from Singapore. You could check out:

• Desaru Fruit Farm
• Desaru Beach
• Adventure Waterpark
• Kota Tinggi Firefly Park
• Desaru Ostrich Farm
• Desaru Alpaca Farm *NEW*

Getting to Desaru

There are three main ways to get to Desaru:

1. Private hire cars - extremely convenient as they pick you up directly at our residence and drive you straight to wherever you’re going in Desaru. 2-way fees range from $300 (7 seater) to $380 (luxury 7/11 seater) for a 2.5-3h ride, depending on traffic. 

Source: SGMYTRIPS

2. Ferry - multiple timings to and fro Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Desaru Terminal (90min/way). Once you’re there, you would need to arrange for hotel transfer. Ferry 2-way tickets is approximately $110/pax.

3. Self-drive - pretty straightforward 1-2 hour drive (from Woodlands checkpoint, without jam and stopping) so it is a popular option, but please check you have the relevant document and items beforehand to ensure a smooth journey.

Considering that we have 9 pax, including two elderlies and two young children, the best method of transport for us is getting a private hire car. I didn't drive because (1) there are too many people even for my seven-seater, (2) never drove into Malaysia before, and (3) I read horror stories of wheels of Singapore cars getting stolen in bright daylight. So after researching and a lot of liaising, we decided on SGMYTRIPS, which offers multiple pick up points (at only $5 per additional location). It’s super fuss-free and unlike the ferry, we are able to go at our own schedule and pace. The ferry would cost close to $800 for all of us! We even stopped for lunch at Aeon on our way to Desaru (break chargeable at $40/hour).

General transport in Desaru

“You’re not driving?!” was the response from our AirBnb host. Yes, most Singaporeans who visited Desaru is either by coach (usually organised in a big group like CC/RC activities) or self-drive, because to be honest, transport is extremely inconvenient there. Is there Grab? Yes. But there aren’t many Grab drivers on the road. But fret not, hotel concierge would usually assist to get a private car for you, which we did.

Accommodation - Westin Desaru Coast Resort

There are some hotels for you to choose from, and ranges vastly in pricing. As my brother and his wife are only joining for the second day, we decided to do hotel for the first night, and a homestay on the second. For the hotel, considering our budget, we strike off Anantara and One&Only as they cost over $1000/night. Some of the hotels were quite old, so we didn’t consider them as well. After shortlisting, we were down to Westin Desaru Coast Resort and Hard Rock, and chose the former ultimately. Compared to their Singapore counterpart, Desaru’s was extremely worth it at approximately $350/night for a full sea-view room with balcony.

And here’s why we love Westin

1. Beautiful, clean rooms - completed with a superb uncovered view of the South China Sea. The beds are comfy and the facilities are great. That night, I had a great HTHT with mummy at the balcony. We absolutely love the spacious toilet with a full glass window, perfect for couples, those without the kids around. 

Emmanuel's BIG ONE at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road

In another blink of an eye, our little Emmanuel has turned one! What a milestone, not only for himself, but also for my wife, Lydia and I - we managed to survive one year with two children! Till today, we deeply respect parents who have multiple children, how do you even balance your time and effort between your children? But that's another story for another time.

When we were planning for his party, we were torn between two choices, should we do a party and invite our friends and family? Or should we do an intimate one? Thinking that Emmanuel would be all tired and angsty (like most babies on their parties), we decided to do the latter and started to look for staycaytion places to host the small party.

After filtering lots of hotels, we settled on Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road.

Located just minutes walk from Bugis and Nicoll Highway MRT, this hotel is literally at Singapore's city center. Essentially, you are just beside to major attractions like the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands, and several shopping centres that we frequent a heck lot - Marina Square, Suntec, Bugis, etc. It's even a stone throw where we used to stay.

For other lovely alternatives (and if you have more budget for a suite), check out these staycation we had at:

1. JW Marriott South Beach

2. Equarius Hotel, Sentosa

Our room: Premier Suite

For a good night stay, this suite definitely fits the bill. At 45sqm, it has separate living and bedroom spaces, and even feature a full kitchen, so you can do your light cooking over here. Of course, we cannot compare the recent suite we did with Emmanuel's 100th day at JW Mariott, which is a whopping 100sqm, considering the price difference. At $380 for a weekend stay, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites was great, cozy and definitely alright for hosting less than 10 pax.

Opus Bar & Grill Review @ VOCO Orchard Singapore

Whenever our wedding anniversary draws near, I will start cracking my head to think of places to bring my wife - by now you should know she's Lady M. Places that I have not brought her to. To be fair, we covered most restaurants with a view. Last year's at Artemis, we did LeVeL33, SKAI, CÉ LA VI, Monti, Riviera.. As you see, we always do Western at Marina area for some reason. So this year after some researching and filtering, we chose Opus Bar & Grill, conveniently located at the newly refurbished VOCO Orchard - once called Hilton. For once something different.

Limbeh and Lady M 5 years already lo!

VOCO does house some fancy luxury brands, but just to set expectations right, the entrance isn't grand. Just as with a lifestyle hotel. Cosy, small, a couple of check-in counters, unlike hotels like MBS or Shangri-la. The location of Opus can be easily spotted beside the check-in counters.

Okay, first impression. Busy Friday night, most tables are filled with crowds chatting loudly away. What do you expect, it's a bar and grill. We were seated promptly, but the table beside was uncomfortably close to us (imagine less than 50cm - how I miss the COVID restrictions), so we requested for a change of table at least thrice before we got our butts nestled at a nice corner.

We got ourselves their freshly shucked oysters (half dozen, $31), which is nicely dosed with plum vinegar, soya and spring onions. The freshness and tanginess from the sauce really hit the spot. But considering one of them cost most than five bucks, I'd say they better taste good. Speaking of which, I do miss the ones we had at the oyster bar in Perth. Cheap and good.

BMW 216i Gran Tourer - The perfect family car?

One of our biggest purchase last year was a car. 

It was finally a dream come through as I sat in my new purchase. Obviously this purchase didn't came easy, so we had a heck load of research work done. Considering our family of five, including our helper, and occasionally going on family trips with the grandparents, we knew we had to get a 7-seater (although I still wished for a coupe or my favourite ah beng Lancer). However, a full-size MPV would be a hassle to drive and park, and would probably use considerably more petrol, and a SUV is probably too small for our needs.

After weeks of filtering, we narrowed down our choices to 3 models, and most importantly, according to our budget of 100k for a second-hand car.

Before landing our hands on this 216i, here's our shortlisted cars (which could be used for your reference if you're considering a family car too):

#1. Mitsubishi Outlander 2018

When it comes to getting a 7-seater, the Outlander was my initial choice. The front looks mascular and seems like it could hold itself in the event of an accident. I did a test drive but found the ride to be extremely bumpy, as if I could almost feel every unevenness of the road. Despite looking bulky from the outside, the interior was quite cramp. To be fair, the Outlander seems to have the most powerful engine amongst our shortlisted cars. Features are basic and slightly limited, but the main con to me was the super tight third row. Imagine the leg space of budget airlines and halved that. Yep.

Blessed Lunar New Year 2023

Another new year, but this time we are celebrating with not just three, but four! Now that Emmanuel is almost hitting the big one, it's amazing how time flies, but that's a story for another time. Here's wishing all a blessed lunar new year. May this year be good, no, even better than the ones that have passed. May you be blessed in so many ways that you can't imagine, in your family, relationships, finances, studies, and most importantly, health. This year will be a year of breakthroughs, just be expectant of it, 2023 here we go!