Where to Stay and Eat at River Valley, Singapore

With wife went for a weekend staycation in Singapore. Selected this new hotel just opened in Jun 2016. The hotel name is M Social, new member of Millennium Hotels and Resorts Group. Standard room with just 19 square meter space, it is really a challenge for the operator to attract guest. M Social has invited famous designer Philippe Starck to design the hotel, this is the attraction/selling point of M Social.

Worked for Pierre Cardin previously then well-known after led the design project for French President. Philippe Starck's output are very wide such like interior design, architecture, furniture, home appliance and many more. The target customer of M Social is younger generation that can accept modern design and IT savvy. The room we had was Alcove Cosy Room, small but all necessaries were in place. The high ceiling replicate cottage ceiling gave me feeling that I was in the countryside cottage.

M Social Singapore
90 Robertson Quay
238259 Singapore
Tel 65 62061888
Email reservation.mss@millenniumhotels.com

Cottage style ceiling.

The Fridge

Like the greenery view.

Smart phone for IT savvy guest. Guest can take it out to explore the city. It is 4G connection and free for hotel guest.

The hotel located beside Singapore River, along the river bank, it has plenty of eateries and bars. Location is convenient. Take a short distance bus, hotel guest can reach main attraction points such like China Town, Marina Bay and MRT Stations. 

 Singapore River

M Social Singapore

Modern design lobby.
They have auto check in kiosk that offer IT savvy guest to do self check in.
(not in this picture)

Swimming pool and gym facility located at 5th floor.

We settled our dinner at the hotel's restaurant. It is designed by Philippe Starck too. Fine dining restaurant with Asian and Western cuisines. Foods are delicious and gave us 'wow' impression for its presentation.

Beast & Butterflies

Operating Hours:

Mon to Fri - Breakfast - 0700 to 1000 hr

Sat to Sun - Breakfast - 0700 to 1030 hr

Mon to Sun - Lunch - 1130 to 1430 hr

Mon to Sun - Dinner - 1700 to 2230 hr

The Bar

Sun to Thur - Bar Snack till 2230 hr, Drink Order till 0000 hr

Fri to Sat - Bar Snack till 0030 hr, Drink Order till 0100 hr

Tel 65 66570018

Email fnb.mss@millenniumhotels.com

Buffet breakfast charge at SGD 25/pax. 

Breakfast served at Beast & Butterflies.

Night View

Stater: Oyster Shot

Oyster soak in Thai source, appetitive starter.

SGD 10 (a set of 2)

Starter: Crispy Spinach
SGD 8

Starter: Truffle Chez Fries

SGD 12

Main: Cody Mee
Baked Atlantic Cod fillet with superior soya sauce.
Braised bailing mushroom.
Brocolini and crispy egg noodles.
SGD 28

Main: Ham Hock Half

Half portion of crispy German pork knuckle. 

Pair with Asian sauerkraut and Nam Jim sauce (sweet and sour sauce).

I like the crispy skin with lard fragrant.

SGD 28

Mocktail: Tornado Twist & Berry Soda

For IT savvy diners, order your dishes by ipad.

Taken in Beast & Butterflies.

My routine activity after dinner, have some walks and went to high floor to take some nice view.

This was taken at 5th floor swimming pool.

The next morning, we did not opt for the buffet breakfast. Walked to nearby cafe for our brunch.

There are 2 well-known cafes with in-house coffee bean roasting capability. You will be assured their coffee is fresh and intense aroma.

  Photo courtesy: hungrymaneats

(Did not take the photos about our brunch, but the coffee worth to try.)

Toby's Estate

8 Rodyk Street #01-03/04 Singapore 238216

Tel 65 66367629

Email tobys.sg@gmail.com

Sun to Thur 0730-1800 hr

Fri to Sat 0730-2000 hr

Photo courtesy: runwaybandits

Will go there on next visit.

Common Man Coffee Roasters

 22 Martin Road 01-00

Singapore 239058

Tel 65 68364695

Email info@cmcroasters.com

Mon to Sun 0730-1800 hr

  

Where to Eat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This post is continue on our Kuala Lumpur trip but about the food trail. About flight info, prepaid sim card, move around in this city, hotel, can refer to previous post: Where to go in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
First day arrived, did not have a proper meal whole morning, after checked in, we headed to Coliseum Cafe. Established in 1921, this cafe is one of the oldest in Malaysia. I get to know this via some travel tv programs. They have few branches, but to experience the colonial atmosphere, the main branch (first cafe) is must go.

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room
98-100 & 102
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel No. 60 3 2692 6270
Business Hours: 10 am - 10 pm

First cafe of Coliseum Cafe opened in 1921 at Jalan Tungku Abdul Rahman.

In the olden days, their customers mainly were those colonial masters. 

 Oxtail Soup, RM19.90

Lovely soup, cooked with sufficient ingredient. Dipped with bread, nice!

Hainanese Chicken Chop, RM 24.90 

In the olden days, most chefs were Hainanese, worked for colonial masters thus picked up

the western cooking skills.

With different tomato source due to different region, the source was tasty and different with

those in Singapore.

Signature dish - Sizzling Aussie T Bone Steak, RM59.90 

Made it sizzling by chef in front of you.

Signature dish - Sizzling Aussie T Bone Steak, RM59.90

 Side dish - Coleslaw

Garlic Toast, RM6.50

Must have for my oxtail soup / mushroom soup. Heehee

Mushroom Soup, RM10.90

 The Bar

Next day morning, went for famous Hainanese coffee and local breakfast. Ah Weng Koh Hainan Tea & Coffee started since 1964 at Imbi Market. After Imbi Market closed for re-development, they shifted to ICC Pudu building together with other stalls from the market. Ah Weng Koh signature dishes just simply South East Asian style breakfast - Hainanese coffee & tea, soft boiled egg and toast with coconut jam (kaya jam) and butter. With few decades, no wonder they mastered the skills and made well-known.

See my previous post about South East Asian style breakfast, coffee, soft boiled egg and toast with kaya jam with butter. (1) At Batam (2) At Tanjung Pinang

Well, unfortunately that Sunday so crowded we skipped this Ah Weng Koh and went into the food court in the same building. Turned out the porridge also from a famous stall, still satisfied.

Address:

ICC Pudu

Jalan 1/77C Pudu

Kuala Lumpur 55100

ICC Pudu, photo courtesy:  timeout.com

 Crowded Ah Weng Koh, photo courtesy: Kentz Food Adventure

Smooth crispy pork intestine porridge, from Seng Kee (生记).

Chee cheong fun is KL style, different with those in Singapore. 

With fried stuffs, sweet source and curry. I liked it.

Chee cheong fun (猪肠粉) = rice noodle roll  

The Food Court

  

The same day dinner, we headed to Tower 'The Troika' for sky fine dining. With the same price, we cannot have it in Singapore like MBS, so is a good deal for me.

Troika Sky Dining has 4 restaurant named Fuego, Strato, Claret and Cantaloupe.

Fuego is a Spanish restaurant. Strato is Italian. Claret focus on various liquors. Cantaloupe headed by celebrity chef Christian Bauer. Recently at Channel New Asia, he hosted a series of tv program about travel to various countries to cook for the royal families. (tv program: Cooking for the Crown)

We selected Italian cuisine at Strato. With the view of Kuala Lumpur, nice food, enjoyable life.

Strato

Level 23A, Tower B, The Troika

19 Persiaran KLCC, 50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel 60 3 2162 0886

Pizza Marghanita, RM 40

The Italian flag colour pizza. Crispy and nice ingredient, worth it.

Lobster Minestro, RM 35

Tasty Soup

Lobster Pasta, RM 85

I could taste the ingredients were top-notch. You have what you pay.

Had Italian bread and olive oil before the meal.

Fragrant olive oil paired with home made Italian bread, very nice.

Fresh Orange Juice, RM 18

     

Night view with KL twin tower.

The next day morning, we had breakfast at hotel (Oasia Suites Kuala Lumpur). Enough spread of breakfast, satisfied meal. 

Noon time, we headed to Kuala Lumpur's Orchard Road - Bukit Bintang area. A well-known shopping district in Kuala Lumpur. Wife wanted to continue to shop as many malls to walk, could not finish in previous day.

For lunch, we settled at Lot10 mall. The food court called Lot 10 Hutong. The owner gathered all old and famous KL stalls here to let customers can have them all under one roof.

Lot 10 Hutong (十号胡同)
Lot 10 Shopping Centre
LG Floor
50 Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 60 3 2782 3500

KL style claypot loh shu fun / rice noodle. With fragrant lard and soy bean sauce, i liked this.

Cantonese style roasted duck and pork with rice.

Last station at Pavilion Mall, had a rest and tasted the local prawn noodle (生虾麵).

Grandmama's
Lot 6.01.02 & P6.01.06, Level 6
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
No. 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 60 3 2143 9333

Dried Fried Sang Har Egg Noodle

干煎生虾滑蛋生麵

RM 42

Strong prawn flavor, suitable for those like prawn.  

 Local Dessert (八宝冰), RM 9