Rise @Marina Bay Sands

It was years since the last time we have enjoyed a buffet at Rise. Read online that it has been revamped, and yes, we did have a very pleasant surprise!

It certainly looks grander than before. The customers at the restaurants come from many nationalities. Being an international buffet, it has what it is supposed to have- Indian, Chinese, Western, etc.

Hello!

The table is set for 10! Love the potted plants from their own herb gardens! 

Breads section

Kept warm with the heated lighting. Lots of jams for you to choose from.

 Local Delicacies- Live Station

The Honeycomb

Yes, legit and dripping, onto chopped walnuts and almonds, to pair with your cheeses and crackers.

The pig. 

Seafood on Ice section

The Alaskan Snow Crab legs were, sadly, chopped into very small pieces, which somehow destroys the experience of eating such a great delicacy. 

Well, the live-shucked oysters made up!

Apart from these, we get the usual prawns, clams. scallops. 

Seafood on plates

Sashimi

Look at the thick, thick slabs!!

 Desserts

They have much more whole cakes, which can get really filling...

Live Desserts Station

Waffles and Crepe Suzette!

 The other side of the Desserts station

Thai Red Ruby, White and Milk Chocolate Fondue, Snickers bars, and Hershey Kisses...

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Verdict:

What we think:

For the price (30% off with Sands Lifestyle Card),  we think it's pretty worth the money. 

Food: 4/5

Lots of varieties! Interesting dishes to note: Legit honeycomb (at the cheese section), make your own Soda, as well as a whole Babi Guling!

It was year style="text-align: left;"> Service: 3/5

The waiters can be overwhelmed at times. Takes awhile to have plates cleared.

Decor & Ambiance: 5/5

Great for family, at the ground level of where the hotels are located. What more can we say? 

Total Score: 4/5

[1- Never visit again, 2-Won't visit unless there's no other option, 3-Perhaps, 4 & 5- Yes!]

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About it:

Rise

Address: Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956

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Bali: Bumbu Bali Seminyak

 

This is a pictures-based post.

Worth the time to visit?
Yes. These pictures look good. the food is great, the service is fantastic. Price is above average, lots of foreigners. Compared to prices in Singapore, this is pretty okay.
In short, make a reservation and GO!

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BTO Reno Journey: Air-con Installation

Hi all! Returning with a post on choosing a suitable air-conditioner unit, based on several points:

How we chose our air-conditioner units

• Price: Ask if the sales guy can exchange the free gifts to discount the selling price. E.g. Exchanging a 32" TV for extra $200 off.
• Know how big or small your rooms are, so that you can get air-cons with the right power. 
• Other issues you might want to consider, noise from the compressor, thickness of the air-con pipings.

Tips

• 2 trips or 1 trip? If one trip, be mindful that painters might not be able to paint small gaps, such as between the air-con unit and the side wall. If two, the wall area around the air-con unit will look aesthetically better. TBH, nobody will climb to the top and see...
• Be open-minded and receptive to all pros and cons of other brands, as some brands have spent quite a bit on marketing, hence people think better of them. 
• Air-con installation takes the whole day- from 9am to 5pm. Feel free to go somewhere, and come back again. It's a messy procedure, drilling and all.
• Know roughly where you are going to place your air-con units, because when the installers come, they are going to ask you the same question, and you have to decide on the spot with your partner. Bear in mind that the trunking will be extremely visible, so do decide the path of the trunking as well. Decide whether the air con units will be facing your bed, etc. Because having the air-con directly at your face isn't exactly comfortable, and may cause colds more easily.

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Bali: Gabah Restaurant & Bar

This is a pictures-based post.

Worth the time to visit?
Unless you're around the area, which you most likely will!
Make a visit. Food and service is great, you see a decent number of locals, so you know the prices are affordable.

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JB: Gianni's Trattoria

The place

We were looking around for a place that was opened at 9:30pm around that area, and found this small, quaint restaurant tucked along a pretty quiet street. There's Seven Oaks a stores down, which opens later, but we wanted decent Italian food, so here goes.

Caprese

Mushroom Soup (RM21)

Salmon Caviar Pizza (RM42)

Seafood Linguine (RM51)

The food, by JB standards, is slightly more expensive than normal. I mean, approximately SGD7 is somewhat similar to a price you'd pay in Singapore. But the portion is definitely larger.

The pizza is a must-order. They have a wood-fired placed at the bar area of the restaurant, so you can see the chef putting the pizzas into the blazing fire.

The prawns are big and fresh. Though pasta was slightly bland, it was saved by the delicious pizza.

Service is reasonable, the ambiance is good. But if you're looking for Italian food, this might be the place.


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Verdict:
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall: 3
[1- Never visit again, 2-Won't visit unless there's no other option, 3-Perhaps, 4 & 5- Yes!]

Good for? Couples

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About it:
Gianni's Trattoria
Address: 110, Jalan Serampang, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

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BTO Reno Journey: Customizing and Making Korean Combination Roller Blinds on EzBuy Prime service

Yes, after surveying the local market for prices and the types of blinds, we're decided to take a gamble...and buy on Taobao, via EzBuy Prime service of course! Since shipping is free (practically!) via Prime, the reviews on the listings are good, seller was quite responsive to my enquiries, and most importantly, the price, design and quality are great, we went ahead and made an order.

You can ask for free samples from the seller and use EzBuy's Ship-for-me service to receive the parcel.

How are the samples look like:

We measured the dimensions ourselves, told the seller the color we want, how many panels. They then told us the price, and I told him my friend (aka Prime) will be making the order and payment for me. So I typed into the comments section with my ID and conversation with the seller, and Prime did the necessary arrangements for me. Voila, and it was ready in a week! Only Prime EzBuy shipping will take awhile, as the parcels are considered bulky.

Price of Korean Combination Roller Blinds for:

3 bedrooms (same size): SGD 4xx

Living room: SGD 2xx

Prime fee: SGD 2.99
Home Delivery: SGD 8.00
Total: SGD 6xx

Some photos of the arrived goods:

Matching the sample with the real stuff...

Installed and looking good!

Feel free to ask us any questions you might have! :)

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Bali: Four Points by Sheraton Bali, Kuta

The Lobby

The receptionists were very friendly, and we were served some ice popsicles as our welcome refreshments. Very interesting. 

Deluxe Lagoon Access Room

Shower. No rain shower, very basic.

The room is spacious, with a strong Balinese theme to it. We were very excited with the pool access, but was disappointed to find out you can only access the pool from the morning till evening. Oh well, the water was too cold anyway. :)

The pool deck, right beside the room

With all the floating beanbags, we finally got the chance to jump into the pool and chill the morning away. Perfect photo moments.

Shuttle bus schedule for hotel guests

There could be more timings though, as it isn't easy to hail for cabs due to the hotel's location. You can try hailing Grab or Uber, but do so discreetly. 

Restaurant- the al fresco section

Breakfast!

Making our own eggs on brioche...

Just some pics of their fancy restroom

There was a good spread during the morning buffet, and the servers are pretty friendly. 

What we think:

Other than the location being slightly difficult to access, as it's situated on a narrow road. It took quite a while for the cabs to horn incoming traffic and slowly chug in. Other than that, the place is great for travellers who want to stay at a well-known hotel group, at a lower cost.

Is it worthwhile to book the Pool Access room? Well, if you intend to explore the rest of Bali, it might not be worth the money, as your room curtains has to be constantly drawn, as other guests can swim over to your room. Which means you can't really have a pool view when you are in the room. But the cost was quite comparable to the regular rooms, so we thought we'd have a try staying at such rooms :)

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