The Queen and Mangosteen @Vivocity

The Queen and Mangosteen
#01-106/107 Vivocity 1
Habourfront Walk
Singapore 098585
Lift Lobby E or F

http://www.queenandmangosteen.com/

Good view of Sentosa and a very cosy European-ish feel.
I chose this place for his birthday.

Calling themselves the 'Gourmet British Pub', we were excited about the Gourmet that they'd be dishing out,
and of course, the Beers.

Pimm's and Lemonade

A cocktail mixed with lemonade, mint, cucumber (ya, the veg cucumber!), orange and strawberry.
The glass was mixed with so many fruity cubes and greens.
Wen said it looked as if they were ‘leftovers’ and somebody merely dumped them all in!
I thought they looked unique and the taste was indeed refreshing as promised on the menu!

They have a wide selection of Beers and cocktails, you wont be disappointed.
Wen had the Irish Ale, I found it bitter.
Then again, all beers taste bitter to me.

We decided to order some starters as we admire the view of Sentosa and the cable cars while the Sun began to set. I heard great raves about the hot wings but thought that was common.
We were delighted with our choice.

Lamb kofta meatballs with warm pita bread

The stew was so good that we cleaned up the entire bowl without any stain left!

Then came the main course.

Mini kobe beef burgers with chips and fresh Greens

I love the presentation of this dish!
Soft bread on juicy and thick beef patties...
They might look mini, but after just 2 burgers, I was already very full!

Pan Seared Fillet of Snapper served with risotto, fine beans, and chili crab sauce

Healthy choice, this fillet was smooth. I was surprised to see chili crab sauce in the menu and was even so when it tasted just as how we locals knew it to be. Risotto is a class of Italian dishes of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. I didn't quite like this as it felt a bit too heavy. I would have preferred rosti*. Rösti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes.

We took time to enjoy our drinks and got lured into the dreamy candle lights.
A perfect ending to our night.

Hai Tien Lo - Pan Pacific Singapore

Hai Tien Lo - Singapore (海天楼)
Pan Pacific Singapore 7 Raffles Boulevard
Buffet Brunch from 11.30am - 2.30pm
Adult - S$52.00++

After months of battling a weak constitution, we decided that it was time to bring Ah Gong out for a walk, and of course, to be treated to a good meal.

The lift from the hotel lobby took us up 37 storey to where Hai Tien Lo is. Being one of the few lifts in Singapore that was built outwards, the view up was stunning.

We were greeted at the entrance of Hai Tien Lo, and was then led to a roundabout to our table. This place is designed in such a way that it forms a circle, and every table will be able to get a panoramic view of the landscapes.
We reserved for 9 pax and when the room door opened, I gasped. The view was absolutely beautiful! We had the full view of Marina Bay Sands, and also the Singapore Flyer. Sky was blue and the whole atmosphere took our breath away.


Ah Gong - glad that he was enjoying the view... :)

We were served Pu-er rose tea, a refreshing change from the usual Pu-er.
I like the subtle taste and rose aroma.

Next came the food that we ordered and they were served rather efficiently.
Every dish was awesome and of very good quality.
Shark Fin's Soup

Mini Buddha Jump over the Wall

Assorted Cold Dishes

Beancurd - For Grandpa

Vegetables with Clams

Beef

Ostrich Meat
It tasted somewhat similar to deer meat though... I couldn't tell any difference.
It was soft and tender.

Dim Sums

Prawn Dumplings

Fried Dumplings

Chee Cheong Fun with X.O. sauce
(Rice noodles roll)

Shishamo
A Japanese smelt (saltwater fish), the females were picked for their egg sacs.
This was one of the best Shishamo I have ever tasted. The shishamo was huge and full of eggs.

Boiled prawns

Deep fried Prawn Wasabi Mayonnaise
This was my favourite dish!
It's a must try!

Then came dessert time
We headed to a prepared station where we could choose from a variety.
There were beancurd white fungus, cakes, fruits, tarts and mooncakes, etc.

The little ones couldn't get their eyes off the big plate of colourful fruits.
But what really kept them quiet at the table was the cakes.

Wen loved this cup of jelly. He had 3 cups!
I am not too sure what it was, but it tasted like Osmanthus.
I was not too keen though, was quite an acquired taste.

Touted as one of the best Chinese restaurant, Hai Tien Lo totally deserved the honour, in terms of the taste, style and presentation.
Unfortunately, there was a miss.
This place is not handicap friendly, at all.
From the carpark to Pan Pacific lobby, we could only find an escalator and we were told by the front reception that there was no lift! Weird.
We didn't bother to search for the lift and had to make Ah Gong stand in order to fold his wheelchair up the narrow escalator. (Escalator was too small for wheelchair too!)
We learned that we should have just dropped him at the lobby beforehand.
Worse was when my grandpa needed the toilet.
You need to walk down a flight of stairs (prob 15-20 steps) before you reach the bathroom.
Either that, or we had to choose to wheel him to Level 1 lobby. Crazy.
Poor Ah Gong, he made his way down the difficult steps, with the help of 4 men
(dad, bro, BIL, wen).

Pity I had to give a minus to Hai Tien Lo for this, otherwise it would have earned a five star status just like the Hotel.

Sakura International Buffet

Sakura International Buffet
10 Penang Road
12pm-2.30pm

Dhoby Ghaut Green... Just where is this place?
I found Sakura as a treat for a lunch buffet with my parents (the restaurant offers senior citizen rate for those above 55). The address on the web was puzzling to me and I couldn't find it on Google map. I found that it was close to Park Mall, but hmm...
We drove down to this place and got directions from nearby shops, and there it is. Right in the middle between Plaza Singapura and Park Mall.
An unique architecture, the central space holds an amphitheatre which is hard to miss. It serves as a showpiece to create and encourage public awareness to Art, Culture and Performances.

And part of this place is where Sakura is situated.

Picture from mnd.gov.sg

With all the greenery and being away from the shopping malls surrounding it, this place is appealing to those who like the distance.

Before you are ushered to your seat, payment has to be made at the entrance. We saw many senior people who were just as early as we came (12pm) and knew this place must have some sort of Senior privilege. And it did. $26+/ adult. Senior Citizen were priced at $20+. Pretty good.

I went straight to the food stations for some good pictures and was surprised when the waiter told me no photo-taking was allowed. Strange, why so? Their sushi looked just like sushi, hot station had the usual hot dishes, desserts had fruits we already knew. Anyway, too late. I took quite a few pictures already. Hee... I must commend Sakura, their food variety is exhaustive. Just looking at the stations and all the food made me salivate, literally...

Teppanyaki Station

Sushi and Salad Station

Hot Items Station

Desserts Station

Chocolates!!

These little round balls are actually white chocolates! Interesting!

Surprisingly, photos taken from the table were ok with them.

So I went ahead to take a few. Very nice lobster salad, lots and lots of sushi, tempura, Sakura did fare well with its Japanese dishes. The hot station served the usual international fare, including pizzas and dim sums. Besides that, the steaks station served well marinated beef, lamb chops, shishamos, dory fillets, chicken chops, and more. The drinks station offered many types of drinks - ice milo, grape juice, lemon juice, coffee, tea, etc. Children loved this station. And of course, the dessert station. Ice creams, chocolates, jellies, fruits, cakes, mochi...

You will definitely feel full after visiting this place.

Soup and Salad

Part of the Japanese eating culture, ya, people eat such things whole!

I couldn't... But I heard it tasted good.

Baked Oyster

Fresh Salmon

Crabs - Although they were small, but they were tasty

Some of our desserts...

For the price that I paid per pax, this place was worth the try, if not more.