A 10 Star Trip Europe and The Maldives Via SQ New Regional J, Suites, EK 380F and New 777F

[SponsorSFC]

Mrs SponsorSFC is still catching some snooze so I have wandered up to the lounge for pre breakfast.



It is a bit of a hazy day with lots of condensation on the windows.

If you are selecting a room online and want a view of Marina Bay the best you will get is similar to this you need to pick the rooms ending in XX06 (we stayed in 3006 last trip).The others are mostly blocked by the Pan Pacific.

Lounge breakfast has all you need for a quick breakfast but Oscar's has more variety. They get bonus points for having the same toaster we have at home. I hope they didn't buy it with points.

 

[amaroo]

Looks fab. Looking forward to the food shots.

 

[goldenhorn]

Mrs SponsorSFC is still catching some snooze so I have wandered up to the lounge for pre breakfast.

View attachment 181236

It is a bit of a hazy day with lots of condensation on the windows.
View attachment 181237
If you are selecting a room online and want a view of Marina Bay the best you will get is similar to this you need to pick the rooms ending in XX06 (we stayed in 3006 last trip).The others are mostly blocked by the Pan Pacific.

Lounge breakfast has all you need for a quick breakfast but Oscar's has more variety. They get bonus points for having the same toaster we have at home. I hope they didn't buy it with points.

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Looks great! I've been considering the Conrad with EL for next Jan. Do you like the EL?

May I ask what Champagne they serve in the lounge?

 

[SponsorSFC]

Looks great! I've been considering the Conrad with EL for next Jan. Do you like the EL?

May I ask what Champagne they serve in the lounge?

I believe it is Laurent Perrier Brut NV (that is what it was last time). I will check later today for you.

We do like the Conrad and as Hilton Diamonds it makes sense for us because we get free access.

The EL on the 31st floor is a nice relaxing space and is child free. If you have children with you will be limited to the level 4 lounge by the pool.

We have also stayed at the MBS and Pan Pacific.
The best lounge out of the 3 was the Pan Pacific being the round part you can see on the top floor of my photo from the Conrad lounge. I think it was once a revolving restaurant and gives 360 degree views.

The coughtail hour offered Veuve NV and Veuve Rose or whatever made to order coughtail you wanted along with the normal beer wine and spirits. This was 2 years ago (and 6 years ago for MBS) though so things may have changed.

I believe the Conrad are still offering an all day drinks service for beer and wine on 31 so that is a big plus but I will check it out and let you know.

 

[SponsorSFC]

This is the lounge info sheet @goldenhorn

 

[SponsorSFC]

Oscar's was really busy so not really possible to get photos without people's faces in them. There was a short line of 2 groups whem we arrived that turned into a line of about 20 people by the time we left. Lots of locals on staycations here over this 4 day weekend.

It does offer a wide range of western and Asian options.

I do fully support the offer of ice cream at breakfast.

 

[SponsorSFC]

After a morning of retail therapy we ducked back into the lounge purely to test the Champagne situation. The things we force ourselves to do for you AFFers at home.

Champagne is Laurent Perrier and available all day (may be at a cost after 8pm)

 

[SponsorSFC]

We went up to the lounge for a drink before dinner which confided with the evening service.

Drinks were all provided via table service. Beer, Spirits, wine and champagne.

There was a few different options for wine including a decent 2017 Tempus Two Shiraz and a 2017 Bordeaux.



The food were standard lounge offerings and looked good enough but we didn't partake.







It certainly was popular with many people being turned away to go to the other lounge. While others were waiting for seats.

Surely the free food isn't the draw card, and people just don't know drinks are available all day?

 

[SponsorSFC]

After a short can ride it was time for the main event.

Anyone who watched Iron Chef on SBS (there will be a few of you given it used to outrate the Swans on in Sydney on Saturday nights) will know Chen Kenichi the Sichuan Sage.



Shisen Hanten is a Japanese Sichuan chain with an outpost in Singapore that has been awarded 2 Michelin stars. It is run by Kenichi's son Chen Kentaro.

It is located on floor 35 of the Mandarin Orchard Hotel.

Decor was very much inline with Chinese restaraunts at home, though slightly more upscale.









We started with Chinese Pu-er Tea


We shared the Shisen Hanten 5 Signature appetizers (crab, BBQ pork, prawn, Wagyu beef and jellyfish) all were great but the crab and the beef were the pick.

 

[SponsorSFC]

We then had three mains all come out at once to share.

Though we forgot to take photos before dishing them out.

Hokkaido Scallops with Sweet Japanese Eggplant


Wagyu Beef with Green Peppers



Mapo Dofu (Tofu with Meat Sauce) this was the pick of the mains. It came in a cast iron pot that the waitress served out our portions.


We were too full for dessert but were surprised with a lovely chocolates hazelnut cake with some sort of crunchy rice in the base.

I had mentioned that was are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary when making the booking as they proactively asked if we were celebrating an occasion.



Service was friendly and relaxed but definitely not the refined formal euro style 'Michelin style'. Our waitress Doris was great fun and the trainee who assisted did a good job.

Overall if you avoid alcohol this was a pretty good value high quality meal for at $180 for 2 people.

A half pint of beer was $18 SGD each, wine around $20 a glass.

 

[Silvia]

Thanks for the info on the executive lounge. We are staying there in a month and a half, so useful to know what they are offering and the post 8pm charges.

 

[SponsorSFC]

We finally went to Gardens by the Bay last night.

We have intended to go on each of our previous trips but never actually done it.

It was extra busy as there was a National Day concert on but was worth the trip.

The Skywalk was very popular with many people turned away. We got in to one of the last sessions at 8.20pm. There was a light and music show at 7.45pm in the Skytrees so that would be a good time to be up there.















After wandering around the Gardens for a Few hours it was time to turn in.

You couldn't get a cab for love nor money so walked back through MBS and around Marina Bay to the Conrad. Just in time for the end of the light show at MBS.

 

[SponsorSFC]

A 1 hour 45 min delay today and a change of aircraft so still ensconced in the Private Room.

Breakfast menu hasn't changed much.



Nor has the champagne.



PH Rare is also available from the First Class lounge.



I preferred the Dom Mrs Sponsor the PH. Though she usually preferredthe Dom over the Krug last time we were on board. Will be interesting to see if that still holds true.

 

[SponsorSFC]

To wind things back a bit, the First Class check in was deserted and we were through immigration in under 5 minutes. I felt bad interupting the border agents reading.

First Class check in




We were quickly escorted through the First Class Lounge to the TPR

First Class Lounge


TPR departure board reinstalled.


The Private Room


With an early departure from the hotel we had skipped breakfast so went straight to the dining room.
We both enjoyed the Eggs Benedict and a coffee before settling in for more rewarding pursuits.



SQ have replaced the rather tacky wall mounted dispensers that were in the showers on our last visit.





Overall TPR is a comfortable quiet place for a couple of hours but as nice as the offerings are you wouldn't want to spend a long layover there due to the lack of any real resting place.

 

[drron]

Much quieter than our experience just a few days before.The F checkin actually had people waiting in line!

 

[SponsorSFC]

Interesting there was such a difference for the same flight number @drron

 

[SponsorSFC]

Finally have a quiet day and some time to get back to this.

What can I say about SQ Suites that hasn't been said before?

Nearly 10 years on and it is still a fantastic hard product but the soft product is really what makes it.

With the new Suites being rolled out I am sad so say this may have been our last flight on the original.

We had pre selected row 3 C&D.



After the delay we had worked up a bit of a thirst.

I had the Krug Mrs SFC the Dom as is our usual preferance.







We then settled in to the vacant row 3 window seats for take off.

 

[SponsorSFC]

Menus for SQ308 12/8/19

 

[SponsorSFC]

 

[SponsorSFC]

We used a window Suite to dine together.

Not wanting a 2nd breakfast style meal we had booked the cook.

Mrs SFC had Grilled King Prawns


I had the Kyo Kaiseki