Ivy Restaurant - Part 1

Time for the occasional company lunch and as always, the boss got us to decide on a venue. And as always, we only start deciding only hours before the lunch itself.

It was a mad scramble to find a place to head to. Hopped from one website to another. Eventually it's down to two. Fika (Millenia) and Ivy. We've been to Fika before. Besides the set lunch appears limited since it's only 1 dish per day.

So we settled for Ivy, a restaurant serving Halal French food. Besides, my colleague will also have a site visit at Sentosa itself and also in Vivo City so I guess it did seem ok... At first. That was until we got lost. The hilly roads, flanked by thick vegetation on that hot afternoon. Quite a hassle finding our way around. My bosses were in another car and they were grumbling about the location. Ooops.


The driveway (pardon my straying finger)

We were pretty taken in my the surroundings at Siloso Beach Resort. Truth to be told, I totally didn't expect there to be such a place in Singapore itself. Almost felt like we've been dropped off at the lobby of a beach resort in Bali. Or Phuket. Definitely not SG. The dense vegetation. The almost tranquil surroundings…

Turns out, the lobby is all the way at level 8. We have to get into the resort compound to get to the lift lobby that will bring us to the restaurant all the way at Level 1.


Various pool sections

I was amazed to see the pools that's located at level 5 of the hotel. I can easily visualise my kiddo splashing around in those waters. Check out those slides!


Waterfall 

The waterfall really add plus points to the scenic view. Right then, I was planning a staycation here; in my head. The fact that all rooms have seaview also helps.


Mainly alfresco dining

When we finally reached Ivy Restaurant, I was apprehensive to see the simple layout. Honestly, I had pretty high expectations. The dining area is mainly alfreso. The lush-looking interior seems fitted for sitting around over some drinks or something.

On the right of the pic (behind the bamboo blinds), is the semi-open kitchen.


Simple roofing

It was just corrugated clear plastic roofing sheets thoughout the dining area. Guess I missed out seeing all these details because most pictures that I see of this place were taken over dinner, at night.


Direct beachfront

A plus point is the fact that we directly face Siloso Beach. Quite interesting to see the beach trams, folks on rented Segways and cyclists passing by.

It was lunch on a weekday so it's pretty quiet. I can just imagine the hustle-bustle on weekends.


Halloween decor

Since Halloween is around the corner, the restaurant also partake in that 'festive' spirit and had quirky, supposedly scary stuff hanging around; like that skeleton and couple of 'voodoo' heads in the previous pic.




When 'nature' gets close

This little squirrel came scurrying down from a nearby tree and did not hesitate to come near. Seems like it knew what to expect and it hung around until someone came by with a piece of watermelon. Ahh… no wonder!


Table setting

After making our orders, we anticipate the arrival of our foods. Will they be up to our expectations…?

…This post has gotten too long. More in the next entry!

Ivy Restaurant
Siloso Beach Resort
Singapore 099538
Tel: 6271 7008
Website: http://ivysingapore.com/

Opening Hours:
Tue: 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Wed - Sun: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Bandung - Roemah Emilie

I attribute my long absence to my being busy before my week-long break, when I, together with 12 other family members (hubby's side) scooted off to Bandung, Indonesia for a 6D5N trip.

A trip that end up with 3 of us having 'the runs' (that's a subtle way to say 'diarrhoea').

With such a big group, it's almost apt to stay in a holiday villa, where we get to enjoy large spaces all around and feel like some rich 'tai-tai' for once. I do admit that those stairs take some getting used to (yes, I abhor them)! And having young kids around, those same stairs are also a nightmare!

Bandung is known for it's cooler temperature, lush greenery, mountain views and shopping! There are numerous factory outlets selling branded stuff that had factories in Indonesia. Most of them are based in Bandung to create job opportunities for students in this university town. Their prices are very much marked-down and you'll just go crayyy-zeee!!

Thankfully, I'm not too big a fan of shopping, so my wallet and I are not too affected by it. Heh.

Our itinerary was as followed:
Day 1 - Arrival, chill and check out the mall- Paris Van Java (interesting name, I know)
Day 2 - Taman Safari Indonesia (located in Bogor, high up on the mountain)
Day 3 - Trans Studio (shopping mall & indoor amusement park)
Day 4 - Tangkuban Perahu (volcanic crater) & Ciater (hot springs)
Day 5 - R&R + shopping (I got stranded alone in the villa due to diarrhoea) 
Day 6 - Retun to SG

We stayed at Roemah Emilie. A 5-bedroom villa located on a hill in a posh neighbourhood, cosy with great views, nice facilities and within 15 mins drive to town. And best of all, I did not see a single gecko over there (I do hear them though..)! Hurhur…

The pool is large but it's also shared with another 6-bedroom holiday villa. Good thing though, the pool is closer to the villa we stayed in. 

That weekend, a large family drove up from Jakarta stayed in the other villa. On the weekend mornings, the pool is packed with Singaporean and Jakarta kids.

Here are some pics of the villa exteriors and the compound. This place is designed to max out the 'Rest & Relax' factor. Check out the various 'chillax' zones!

The swimming pool

Despite being located only on a hilly area instead of the mountains, the pool water is already pretty cold! Akin to swimming in refrigerated water!

So is the tap water! Imagine when we want to wash ourselves... Brrr.....!

View from the villa's entrance

That large pavilion is the background is very spacious and makes a great shelter whenever we have to wait for our transport to arrive.

Also a great setting for some relaxing tea-time zone.

Fish pond 1

Pool play

Some playing equipments for use by the kids.

Pavilion

This elevated pavilion enable great views to the scenic surroundings. It also comes equipped with a toilet! Most likely for use by the peeps swimming in the pool. Shower area included.

Pool-side seating

Owner's villa

Pool-side lounge chairs

The other villa

This 6-bedroom villa is also for rent. Popular with Jakarta folks who drove up to Bandung to wind down.

Other villa's compound

While our villa has a pool in our compound, the other villa has lots of open space and a children play-area. There's also a small water-feature with a waterfall & a fish pond in one corner and in another corner, a cage where they rear some large tortoises.

Chillax area

Located at one side of our villa, facing a man-made 'water fall' feature which leads to another koi pond.

Fish pond 2

Check out the small pavilion in the background, on the left.

Small pavilion

This elevated pavilion also has a door leading to the owner's villa.

Small pavilion

Looks a lot like someone's personal 'smoking' area.

Balcony

Located on the 3rd level of the villa. Those are actually swivelling bamboo chairs. 

The view

View's of the surrounding lush greenery on the rolling hills and mountain range in the distance (on a clear day, that is).

Info on the villa can be obtained on their website. You can liaise directly with the agent managing the villa. It'll be more flexible, that way.

I actually still have backlog of foods taken before my trip. Perhaps I'll update those first ya, before I get to foods from Bandung...?

MBS!

Let's take a break from all that food, shall we?

Some nice pics from the time when hubby's aunt informed us of her son's invitation to come over to his workplace some time in mid June (yes, I obviously lagged behind in my updates).

The kids had a whale of a time swimming away at the infinity pool at the top of MBS. My helper was more than happy to jump in and mind the kids (while putting to good use, the swimwear that my mum gave her).

And I went trigger happy as I walked back and forth the whole area, going ooh-ahh over the magnificent views from up there.

The stretch of infinity pool

Gorgeous!!

The kiddie pool


My kiddo's haunt for that day.

The infinity pool


Spot Bukit Timah in the distance?

Jacuzzi with views facing the other side 


This is the view that remind me just how much I miss the sand & surf of Gold Coast, Australia.

MBS shadow


...Over Gardens By the Bay

Parachuters


Headed over to the Sky Park; right on time to catch the parachuters jumping off, for the NDP rehearsal.

Sun set at the Sky Park

Managed to catch the gorgeous sunset views, when we're THAT high up. Awesome!

Family Day at PSA Holiday Bungalow : Food

Gas grilled

Hubby's grandaunt contributed satay meat (beef & chicken) and she brought along satay sticks, assuming the ladies will sit around and help with skewering the meat, prior to grilling.

As it turns out, everyone was in big-time holiday mood and no one ones to get down to it. So, instead of satay 'panggang' (grilled), it became satay 'goreng' (stir-fried) instead. My BiL used the hot plate at the gas grill for the beef burger patties too.

After a round of these, he later grilled some mushrooms and abalones. Yes, abalones! Apparently, the grandaunt who prepared the satay was given a can of abalones and she didn't know what to do with them. So she marinated them and brought them to the BBQ.

Most of them were curious about the taste because abalones are very uncommon amongst the Malay community. And they are expensive, to boot. So everyone gingerly took a small morsel to taste. They were such a chewy delight!

My mum and I regaled everyone with the tale as to how we got our first taste of premium abalones which cost more that $30 a can. We eventually sliced those expensive seafood and cook them with.... instant noodles. -____-

Charcoal grilled

As with the norm, the chicken wings were pre-cooked (method as mentioned HERE).

Chicken wings & otah

I brought along my favourite item to a BBQ party, namely Nam San's spicy mackerel 'otah' (or otak-otak, for the Malay purists out there). Spiced fish patty wrapped in banana or coconut leaf.

Nam San's otah is wrapped in banana leaf so the the fragrance got infused into the fish meat as it was grilled.

Seems like the 'griller' didn't manage to hold proper control over the BBQ fire. All the banana leaf around my otah got really charred. My grandma-in-law was so disturbed by the sight that she peeled all of them for her beloved family. :)))

Ingredients for Soto & sardine sandwich

For those who prefer something 'lighter', grandma had prepared Soto (Javanese chicken soup), to be eaten with either noodles or 'lontong' (compressed rice cakes).

One of hubby's aunts prepared some toasted sandwiches with sardine fillings.

Oh, there's also some spaghetti bolognaise prepared by yet another one of hubby's aunts. I had some of that and topped it with some grilled mushrooms. Yums! (sorry, by then I was too busy eating to snap any pics. hands were dirty, too :P).

Javanese specialties

You can also call them grandma's specialties, cos' she's darn good at preparing these! Then again, which Javanese granny doesn't prepare good 'sambal goreng', tell me? Not to meantion the easy-peasy 'urap' (also known as 'keluban')?

Even both my own grandmothers can prepare some mean 'sambal goreng' and 'urap'! Not to mention my own mum. It's seriously time for ME to learn!

Those in the unknown, 'sambal goreng' is a mix of various vegetable items like long/french beans, tofu, 'tempe' and sometimes some shrimps and meat or even offals (here, we have the 'babat' - layered beef tripe), fried in chilli paste (with a strong hint of lemongrass and galangal). Here, the bonus ingredient will be the addition of some stinky beans (petai).

'Urap' or 'keluban', meanwhile, is generally a type of salad where veggies like long/french beans, bean sprouts, four-angle beans and young tapioca leaf are blanched and mixed with spiced dessicated coconut (usually with a strong hint of 'kencur' - aromatic ginger).

Salad, Javanese style

One of my favourite salad greens, 'Ulam Raja' (King's salad). Do you know that this leafy delight actually originated from Spain and got distributed over Southeast-Asia through Philippines?

This slightly bitter leaves with a scent that's reminiscent of young mango (really!). Here, it's paired with 'timun kecil' (also known as' timun Padang'). Which is actually some really cute, mini cucumbers.

These greens really complete the savoury food round-up. Nothing like some good fiber, eh? It was such a delight to dip them in 'sambal belacan', together with the sambal goreng, urap satay meat and savoured with a plate of hot, fluffy white rice. Mmmm.....!

Desserts

One of hubby's aunts made double-chocolate cupcakes. She's really generous with the chocolate chips so there were much chocolatey goodness.

The marshmallows were meant for the kids to grill over the fire but since the BBQ pit is pretty high, they very much enjoy eating them just like that.

There's also a huge bowl of fruit cocktail. I gotta admit that I'm one of those people who take only a bit of the fruit mix and enjoy many rounds of the water (a mix of ice-cold water, diluted syrup from the fruit cocktail and a good squeeze of lime) instead.

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So there you have it. Things that you can consider when planning a BBQ, perhaps?

Family Day at PSA Holiday Bungalow

Hubby maternal side of the family are pretty close-knitted and they make it a tradition to hold a 'Family Day' anually. It's a day where everyone will gather, eat and simply have fun like the ones held at J's Wok & Grill, previously.

This time, my bro-in-law managed to rent his company's holiday bungalow at 118 Pasir Ris Road (yes, close to home!). And they really mean 'bungalow'. Pretty impressive, I say. It seems like PSA does make an effort to provide good facilities for their staff. Even their holiday bungalow at Bintan Lagoon Resort was the biggest one, The Angsoka.

The Bungalow

On the left is the verandah, where we arrange all the food spread.

Here's a link that shows the front facade of the bungalow. The bungalow fronted the small road, with the bus stop nearby and then it's already Pasir Ris Beach Park, with the large children playground. The bicycle rental kiosk is also nearby.

The Bungalow

The compound on the side, which includes the outdoor BBQ pit (follow the smoke).

The Living Area

Large living area. On the left are doors that lead directly in from the car porch. The dining area is on the elevated level, further up.

On the right is the open staircase (such a nightmare when we have toddlers around!) leading to the 4 bedrooms upstairs and on the left is the door into the kitchen (you can see the kitchen windows in the distance, on the far left).

The Living Area

The TV & stereo system. Behind the TV is the recreation room which also hold the karaoke system.

Beyond the doorway on the left, the steps lead up to the ground-floor bathroom and a 'Mahjong' (Chinese version of free Solitaire) room on the left.

The Dining Area

Located on an elevated level (probably due to the uneven ground), with a massive double-volume space. The min. 10-seating round dining table comes complete with a 'lazy Susan'.

The doorway on the right leads into the kitchen.

Kitchen

Upon entering the kitchen. 3-hob cooking stove and a 2-basin sink. Kitchen utensils, crockery, cook wares are all provided. However, for Muslims, I'd advise you bring your own pots & pans or some 'Sabun Sertu' to cleanse them prior to cooking.

Kitchen

There's also a large fridge and an island counter.

The door on the right leads out to the outdoor wash area (for cleaning of large pots) and for ease of disposing rubbish without have to pass through the house interiors.

The windows on the left looks out into the car porch. I love this kitchen. Big & airy!

The 2nd Storey

Looking up at the upper level corridor from the dining area.

There are 4 massive bedrooms up there (no, I didn't take any pics of the rooms). And a bathroom on each side of the corridor. They also provide large sofa beds alongside the regular beds. Enough rooms for big-time sleepovers!

The Recreation Room

A hit with the kids. Especially when my BiL installed the Nintendo Wii.

At night, the adults utilised the karaoke machine. No worries, the room seemed to be sound-proof!

The Recreation Room

Good way to watch over the kids when the adults are busy manning the BBQ outside.

The outdoor BBQ pits

2 large charcoal pits. This comes with a built-in sink, even!

The 'Indoor' Griller

On top of the outdoor grill, they also provide a gas griller that comes with a hotplate. I guess it works as a back-up plan for barbecuing during rainy weather.

This reminds me a lot of the famed show by Robert Rainford- License to Grill. He usually had a couple of these gas grillers at his home, by the pool.

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Wow, that's quite a handful of pics that I've uploaded just showing the bungalow alone. Guess the food pics gonna come in another post. Till then!