Great Christmas Village

One of the best ways of spending Christmas in Singapore is to catch the lights and beautiful deco at Orchard Road. Over the years, there have been many different variations of Christmas pop-ups but somehow I always feel Christmas needs to be celebrated at Orchard Road. Maybe it is nostalgia at play, but it just hits me differently. :P

This year, we brought the kids to the Great Christmas Village outside Ngee Ann City and Shaw House. It has been a while since we saw such carnivals and it was truly so much fun for both the adults and kids. I thought I will create a guide because this was some thoughts that cross through my mind. We went twice during the day, hence a clothes change HAHAHA. I think it may be more beautiful and less warm at night, but I am not a huge fan of crowds. 

Rides that we are all here for - Mainly at Shaw House

There are some rides which definitely caught our eye because it either didn't exist during our time or we knew it was great fun when we rode them as kids! Although the 2 locations are not very far from each other, I thought it was a waste no one highlighted where each ride was so that families could better strategise their time there. Most of the these rides - European Swing, Cycle Jet, Space Shuttle Ride (Brand New!) except for Robotic Ride (Ngee An City) are at Shaw House. 

We took all of them and some twice except for Cycle Jet because the kids' legs are too short to cycle. The #2 just turned 2 YO and she could go on most of the rides.  Special shout-out to Space Shuttle Ride which I think we took so many times because it was so fun and somehow the competitive streak in me came out. Oops. 

Carnival Games that promises a toy - Mainly at Shaw House

If you are here with kids, you know sometimes you can't go home empty-handed. For some, the toy is a must to complete the carnival experience. For guaranteed toys, go for the fishing game (Shaw House) or the Spin the Wheel (Ngee Ann City). To win big, you need to make your way to Ngee Ann. I tried a few but I am absolutely skill-less or luckless, probably the former so I won nothing. 

The claw machines are at Shaw House, but lady luck wasn't on my side, I forced some possible catches to become impossible. Oops. The games at Shaw House allows you to accumulate points so that you can redeem something. The children love the mini arcade and the Space Shuttle Ride. 

Credits Maximising Tips

To get the bang for your bucks, I would suggest setting a budget maybe S$150 and top it up at one shot so that you can get the bonus credits. The credits can be used at other J'Kids organised carnivals. Space Shuttle is my ultimate favourite because it allows you to both have a ride and accumulate points to redeem something. Accompanying parents are half the credits. If your kids are young like mine, you don't really have a choice to save the parent's credit. But I always believe it is better to experience fun together for the playtime to be more purposeful. 

If you want to maximise your fun, then just do whatever you want to do with your budgeted credit. My kids just wanted to go on the ferris wheel, bouncy castle + ball pit. To me, these rides aren't entirely exclusive. But whatever floats their boat, look at how bright their smiles are. A budget of $150 with its extra bonus credits should be able to keep the family entertained for 1.5 to 2 hours.

And you know what, I think we might still be making another trip there ~!~

Christmas Buffet with Edge

As Christmas draws near, I am sure most workplace are preparing for the year-end gathering. A lot of people always ask me where it is the best place to go and I would always recommend buffets. Buffets are great for teammates with black holes for appetite. At least, the basic requisite feed empty stomachs will be met. :D

Also, the bigger the team, the more complicated the dietary restrictions will be. Buffets usually have food for all and everyone gets to pick what they want to eat and leave the place happy. Look out for promotions if you have a tight budget, because sometimes you may also score a 1-for-1.

My buffet recommendation for the year would be Edge. Edge serves a good spread and their quality is always top-notch. During Christmas, they will also serve the specials such the Traditional Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce and Yuletide Desserts such as logcakes, gingerbread houses etc. They do a good job in deco and bringing the Christmas spirits to the table for smaller teams with no D&D. 

Some of my friends have brought their teams to Edge already for their Christmas buffet and so far the feedback has been great. If you go during the weekdays, there are better promotions and will sit well in the budget. For gifting, do consider their chocolates that comes in shapes of Santa, Snowflakes etc. in little boxes. It is presentable and also very tasty!

I will let my photos do the talking, but I am sure you are feeling as hungry as I am already. Don't know where to feast? I hope I have just solved your problem. *Winks*

Food Tour 52: The Finer Food in Life

It is that month where we tend to eat a little finer, so here's a short list which you can consider for your next celebration! The food is really good and I enjoyed myself fully dining in these places. Do note that the price may be on the higher side. 

1. TungLok Peking Duck

This is the #1 place I would go every time I have a bit of cravings for the Peking Duck, In fact, every time, before the delivery of my children, I am bound to visit there. Haha. I love the experience of having the duck being presented to you as it is being diced and served. I would usually request for the remainder to be cooked into a separate dish. For me I can eat it on its own, but my husband would usually order some carbs to pair. Their noodles are excellent too by the way. I don't think their food ever disappoints, but it can be pricey. Having said that, peking dish is not a cheap dish to begin with. 

2. Yuta

If you are a fan of Omakase, Orchard Plaza is a place with all these hidden gems. I have a little bucket list to try all the Omakase there, so you can do a look out as and when. Note: it is just not possible for me to eat everything at one period la, it is expensive you know. But if any sponsors are keen, please hit me up!

For those who are unfamiliar with omakase, basically you leave the details to the chef. You kinda know there will be x. no of courses and there will be sashimi, sushi, carbs etc. but you don't entirely know how it will all tie up. Yuta lies behind a mysterious blue room and I did my first ever sake pairing with them. I loved the sake they matched for me and even bought a bottle after. The food was really good. I could eat it every day if I had the money. I thought it was a great start for my bucket list :D

3. Angie's Oyster Bar

I may not have shared here before, but I love oysters. But this was one place where I actually could taste the difference and the freshness of the oysters, no joke. Just stepping into this place with its tasteful ambience and all, you probably know your wallet is going to feel a lot emptier. It is located like in an "ulu" place, but there was still a bit of a crowd and reservations were needed. From that, you already know this place is good!

We had the Japanese Little Neck Clams with sourdough bread ($34), servings of assorted clams (~$60) and Linguine Alla Puttanesca Con Vongole ($34) and Ube Cornbread ($18). Everything was good but the dessert in particular blew me away because I never tasted anything like this. But the service was a bit disappointing, I told the kitchen to do something special given that it was the husband's birthday. And no, they couldn't even write a simple happy birthday on the dessert plate. :(