Pumpkin Mee Hoon Kueh 金瓜面粉粿

Not sure why, but I think my parents had not really been fans of Mee Hoon Kueh. I made this conclusion because I don't remember eating it when growing up. Strange I know, especially we are such a traditional family, with both my parents Hokkien. And the first encounter with this Mee Hoon Kueh was when I lunched out with my husband (still BF that time) eon years ago at a hawker center. I remember asking to try it, but unfortunately it didn't leave me a good impression. I couldn't understand that slightly thick doughy mouth feel .....I much rather have Kwey Tiao or Bee Hoon haha. Nonetheless, the soup was rather delicious with sweetness from ikan bills and pork. And consecutive encounters with this dish, even at my in law's, never really turned out that memorable as well. Okay nothing wrong with my in-laws' cooking by the way if you're thinking about that haha. 

So why AM I posting this you ask? Well, because it is one of my husband's favourite childhood dish! Who else can better help him reminiscence this fond memory other then his lifetime partner. :) #goosebumps

And in view of the fall season and my love for pumpkin, I created this Pumpkin Mee Hoon Kwey! Okay, I shan't call it pumpkin flavoured Mee Hoon Kwey because frankly speaking, the pumpkin taste was not that evident. But it did give the kueh a nice orange hue nonetheless. Looks way better then the plain white ones if you ask me. And looks and presentation does play a big part in this modern world. :P

Taste of home right here. Rustic and yet so comforting in every way. And today I think I've fallen in love with this dish! Perhaps by making it from scratch allows me to truly appreciate the labour of love involved, every component that comes together to make this dish so wonderful. Transporting me back to my childhood moments that I actually missed eating it!

Recipe for Pumpkin Mee Hoon Kueh

Pumpkin Dough Recipe

250 g plain flour

1 large egg

100 g peeled, steamed pumpkin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

90-100 ml water 

• In a large mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients and knead using a stand mixer. Dough will slowly come together but will be slightly sticky initially. 
• Continue to knead with a 5 minute break in between to let the dough rest before continuing to knead. Allowing the dough to rest will make it easier to reach the elasticity stage you want.
• Once the dough completely pulls away from the side of the bowl, it is ready. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover to let rest.

Stock for Mee Hoon Kueh

500 ml water

40 g ikan bilis in gauze bag

250 g pork ribs 

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced (reserve the soaking liquid for use later)

200 g minced pork

some bak choi 

• Blanch the pork ribs once in a pot of boiling water. Drain and set the ribs aside.

• Add the water into a soup pot. Place the ikan bills gauze bag and the balanced pork ribs in. Bring to a boil and then lower the fire to a simmer. Let the stock slow cook for at least 35-45 mins.

Marinate for minced pork

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chicken powder

1 tsp cornflour

• First we marinate the minced pork with all of the marinating ingredients and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before use.

• Pan fry the cleaned ikan bilis till light golden brown. Dish up and set over paper towels to drain. Be watchful while you fry it as it will get burnt easily and end up having a bitter burnt taste. #NotGoodEats

• On a non stick pan, add 1 tsp cooking oil and minced garlic. Cook till fragrant and add the mixture into a small soup pot. 
• Add in some soup stock, about 2/3 the amount. Bring to a boil and to a simmer.

• Pinch small amounts of the marinated mince pork into the simmering pot of soup. Continue to add till all the marinated pork has been added.
• Now you can pinch small pieces of the pumpkin mee hoon kueh dough (using a kitchen scissors  helps too) and drop them into the simmering soup. Once the dough pieces are cooked, they will float.

• Add in the bak choi or any fresh greens you like. Cook for a minute and you are ready to serve.
• Scoop the kueh and soup in to a serving bowl and top it off with those crispy fried ikan bills.

Not that bad right? Pretty much like cooking a pot of noodle soup, just that you need to make the kueh yourself. So rewarding when this whole pot of deliciousness is done!

The kids were a little apprehensive in the beginning when I presented them these. Since this is after all the first time I am cooking it at home. But they are too hungry at that point to think that much haha.

Love the slight chewy bite and yet soft enough texture of the kueh. And I believe adding the pumpkin into the dough makes it softer. So happy how it all turned out! Saved a portion for my husband and he had it for dinner. He loved it and gave me his seal of approval! Happy. :)

Will definitely be making this Mee Hoon Kueh again soon...perhaps another flavour! We shall see haha!

Hope you will give this recipe a try too. But as we all know, this is truly a family recipe which everyone has their very own version. Whichever way you like it, I am sure the family will enjoy it nonetheless, because it is made with love! <3 i="">

Happy cooking always everyone!

Salted vegetables with duck and vermicelli soup, 咸菜鸭汤加冬粉 (aka Giam Cai Ar )

Cooking soup has become an almost daily affair for me ever since my kids were very young. Yes it has been THAT long. Having a picky eater child really puts a parent to the test on trying out different recipes or just ways of getting nutritious meals into that small body. And some how boiling a pot of wholesome soup usually does the trick. This child of mine would have plain rice and soup for her dinner no problem, even if it means every night. You would think by now I have tried out thousand of  soup recipes! Haha unfortunately, we all know that once we are comfortable with just a handful of good ones, we are just contented. 

I do try to look for new soup recipes even till this day. Because my readers will know my 两菜一汤 menu every night on my IG account, 不可以少了那碗汤！But because I personally feel that some of those soup is so common, it is really not worth mentioning it here on the blog haha!  But today, this particular soup I am writing is somewhat like an old treasure I found after many years. A recipe which I grew up eating and yet haven't had the time to replicate it. After reading up several recipes and watching countless youtube videos, I have concluded my very own recipe for this Salted vegetables with duck and vermicelli soup, 咸菜鸭汤加冬粉.

This is such an old school recipe, I am sure many of you must have drink this before. Personally I love that distinct tanginess of the soup which the cured vegetables gives it. It should be a starter dish if you ask me, sure to whet anyone's appetite! The saltiness from the cured vegetables also cuts into the greasiness of the duck fat, so drinking a big bowl will not make you feel too "Ger-lat".

I added fresh tomato slices and vermicelli to make it a heartier soup. The family had this and they love it. Perhaps its due to the fact that I added less salted vegetables, so it is not overly sour and sweetness from the duck meat can permeate through better.

Ingredients for Salted vegetables with duck and vermicelli soup, 咸菜鸭汤加冬粉

1/4 duck, preferably the drumstick part, chopped into smaller pieces

200 g salted vegetables aka Giam Cai, sliced into smaller pieces and some of its soaking liquid if desired.

4-5 slices ginger

1 fresh tomato, sliced (missing from the photo above)

1 bundle of dried vermicelli, pre-soaked in water

1 spring onion

800 ml water, more if you like it more soupy

1.5 tsp sugar

pinch of salt (ONLY if you think it is not salty enough)

Method:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then carefully place the chopped duck pieces in and par boil for a minute. 

• Drain and fill with a fresh pot of water, add in the ginger slices and bring to a boil again.
• After 10 minutes, you can spoon out any fat or impurities that surface on the soup. 
• Now add in the slices salted vegetables. You can choose to rinse away the salty water that is packed in the vegetables or you can reserve some to be added in to the soup. I added about 2 tbsp worth.
• Continue to boil the mixture for another 5-6 minutes till the duck meat is tender and the salted vegetables are soft.
• Finally add in the tomato slices and the vermicelli noodles.

• Let the mixture simmer for another 3-4 minutes, add your seasoning and remove from fire. And it is ready to be served!

A pot of wholesome goodness! Okay, maybe not that wholesome but it is definitely worth my calories. The next time I make this soup again would be to add another duck drumstick to add more flavour. And you notice I didn't even add much seasoning except for that sugar, to counter balance the sourness (in case my family can't take the tanginess haha).

Do give this recipe a try and let me know how you like this version. Have fun!

Thai Milk Tea Butter Cake

Frankly speaking, when this idea popped in my mind, I was rather sleepy from the early rise. It occured to me that we just ran out of cake for the kids' recess this week. Jie Jie got the last piece of Espresso chocolate chip cupcake this morning. Was gonna settle for pandan chiffon when I saw that tin of Thai Milk Tea in the cupboard while I was grabbing my tea bag for my morning cup. The next thing I know, I was jotting down notes on the ingredients and steps for baking a Thai Milk Tea cake.

Nowadays I am leaning towards to lighter cake texture, much like chiffon or just very slightly denser. Hence egg separation method is the main technique to go to. But besides that, proportion of ingredients and incorporating everything together and cooking it at the right temperature is also key. 

To enhance the milk tea flavour, it is important to steep the tea bags in the hot milk for a longer duration, perhaps 3-4 hours up till it is cooled. It is one of those food which the flavours enriches over some time, like wine aging haha. :D With that said, the cake will taste better the following day. 

Let's get on with the recipe shall we? 

Thai milk tea butter cake
Egg yolk batter
455 ml whole milk
80 ml condensed milk
3 Thai tea teabagsy
350 g cake flour (unsifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
200 g semi-salted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs yolks, room temperature
100 g caster sugar


Egg White batter
80 g caster sugar 
4 large egg whites, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 155C with water bath. Prepare a 8" by 8" square cake pan, greased and lined with parchment and greased again. 
2. In a small sauce pot, heat milk over medium heat till you see bubbles forming around the edges. Add the Thai teabags, remove from heat, stir awhile and cover, and let sit 10 minutes. 
3. Add in condensed milk and stir well to combine. Place the whole pot in ice water bath to cool down the mixture.
4. Strain out the tea and discard the teabags, squeezing out all the liquid. 
5. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
6. Using a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, egg yolks and 100 g of the caster sugar till light and fluffy (4-6 minutes). Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed.
7. Folded in the flour and Thai milk tea alternate, starting and ending with flour.
8. Meanwhile beat the egg whites with the rest of the 100 g till stiff peaks & shiny. Then fold the meringue gently in 3 separate portions into the egg yolk batter. 
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Use a skewer to check if it is done. It should come out clean.
10. Once baked, remove from oven and let the cake cool on wire rack before slicing. 

Using waterbacth kept the cake moist and slow baking the cake at 155C for a longer duration also helped the cake rise properly and minimal shrinkage when removed from the oven.

The texture was amazing! I rarely have 2 slices of cake at one go...this was one of them. (Not exactly small slices too!) The butter cake is soft and fluffy, and yet holds it's shape. Evident flavour of the milk tea with that creamy after taste, perfect sweetness for me.So much love for this cake. But that aside, this whole technique can be reused using different flavour, like Earl Grey or even Peanut Butter...yum!

Highly recommended! Do give this cake a try and tag me on my IG when you post. :) 

Happy Baking!

Butter Vanilla Sponge Cake

It's been awhile since I last posted here. Possibly because I am too engrossed with my current obsession which is my @HoneyBeeSweets.sg instagram. I guess one can only cope with so much. With the amount of work I have daily, I amaze myself sometimes how I am able to do what I do. But I always believe if you are passionate about something, you will always find time for it no matter what.

Writing this post with a heavy heart because something unfortunate happened today. But I am trying hard not to think about it and take it as a lesson learnt. Money lost but all is well, so that is all that matters the most.

Sharing with everyone today my new found love, an excellent sponge cake recipe that really wowed me. I am sure many of us has this problem of having a coarse tasting sponge or deflated cake etc, endless problems. When I tried this out (for the first time mind you), I was too just as skeptical and didn't expect much from it. But it turned out GREAT. The cake did not deflate when it came out from the oven. It has no cracks after baked. The sponge was actually fluffy and soft. One word...PERFECT. I was so happy with it and have to record it here. 

Just take a look at the cake yourself. Cake-fection!

The sponge texture was excellent. It holds up really well. Even when you pressed it, it springs back almost immediately. So much love for it. And because of the baking techniques used here, which is steamed baking, the cake stayed moist! This recipe will be perfect for that multi-tier cake you have been thinking. It will hold up nicely for you!

Here is a look at the birthday cake I made with this sponge cake. Really tall...like a tower haha.

I am sure you all are eager to know how I made this. So here is the recipe! 

Butter vanilla sponge cake (makes two 8"by2" or three 6"by 2" rounds)

Egg yolk batter

90 g unsalted butter

130 g cake flour (80 g + 50 g)

1/2 tsp baking power

1 vanilla bean pod, opened and scraped out beans

6 large egg yolks

90 ml fresh milk

Egg white batter

6 egg whites

110 g caster sugar

• In a heatproof pot, add in butter and heat over medium fire. Once all butter has melted and started bubbling, remove from fire and pour in 80 g cake flour in and whisk till smooth.
• In a separate mixing bowl, crack the egg yolks in and scrape the vanilla beans into it. Whisk to combine.
• Add butter flour batter to egg yolk mixture and whisk both together till smooth. 
• Add in milk, mix well till no lumps. Then finally the 50g flour with the baking powder. Again whisk till smooth with no lumps.
• Preheat oven to 150C with water bath. Line and grease two 8" round cake pans with parchment papers. I did a 6" by 3" round and a 6" by 1.5" round this time.
• Beat the egg whites with sugar till firm peaks. Then gently fold in the whites to the yolk batter in 3 separate folds. Make sure you don't over mix it and deflate the meringue. 
• Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and bake in water bath for 55-60 mins. Using toothpicks to check for doneness. Clean toothpick means done.
• Let cool completely before unmoulding or slicing. Enjoy!

Not too complicated isn't it? The main difference was cooking the butter till it bubbles and added the flour to it. Almost like cooking the batter before meringue was added. The cooked flour actually stabilises the batter and thus making the sponge a much resilience one...can I use resilience? hahaha

Hope this recipe works out just as nicely for you as it is for me. And I am all ready to replicate it again using other flavours. So stay tune on my instagram to see more about my upcoming bakes. ;)

Thanks for reading guys and have a good week ahead.

Stay positive and happy baking all!

Steamed Stuffed Meat Cabbage Roll

This post has been delayed for quite some time now and I definitely feel I owe my Instagram readers  this recipe. I cooked this dish awhile back on experimental mode and luckily it turned out great. So when I had it up on my IG, I was surprise to see so many people were keen on learning how to cook this dish. Ah yes, the famous question " Can you share the recipe please?" So tonight I cooked it again, captured all the necessary info and ready to share with everyone this time. :)

This dish not only can be served on chinese dinner table, but by changing the gravy sauce you drench over it, you can serve it as a main course on its own. Versatile right? The first time I ever come across this dish was when I was in California watching Food Network show where the chef did a similar dish but she baked the cabbage rolls...if I remember it correctly. There was even rice stuffed in the cabbage and tomato BBQ like sauce to go with it. Then again, that would be another experiment, on another post. Look out for it! :)

Let's talk about this Steamed Stuffed Meat Cabbage Roll now:

Ingredients:

7-8 Napa cabbage leaf, preferably big ones

250 g minced pork (or chicken)

2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and chopped smal

3 tiger prawns, peeled and deveined 

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

2 tbsp finely grated carrot

3 tbsp fried shallots (optional, but adds on a lot of fragrance)

Marinate:

1/2 tsp white ground pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp chinese Shaoxing wine

Gravy sauce seasoning:

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1.5 tsp sugar

2 tsp corn flour with 4 tbsp water mixed well (thickening agent)

2 tbsp goji (wolfberries), washed

Method :

• Wash the cabbage leaves and place them in the steamer to cook at medium fire for 5-6 minutes. Once the cabbage is soft enough to roll, off the fire and remove them from the steamer. Place them in cool water to stop the cooking.
• In large mixing bowl, add minced pork, finely grated ginger, finely chopped shiitake mushroom, grated carrots and the fried shallots in. Add in the marinate ingredients in as well. Toss and mix everything together till well combined. I let the whole mixture marinate for 30 minutes.
• When you are ready to wrap, place one of the napa leaf on a clean working area. Scoop about 2 tbsp worth of meat mixture on the side of the leaf closer to the stalk. 
• Roll in the leaf and tugging in the sides as you roll in, making sure the end of the leaf is tugged underneath at the end of rolling.
• Repeat the wrapping till all the cabbage leaves are used up. 
• Carefully place the rolled cabbage on to a plate and into a steamer at medium low fire. Steam at medium fire for a good 10-12 minutes.
• Once cooked, leave them inside the steamer while you work on the gravy sauce.
• On a sauce pot, add 1 tsp cooking oil and the minced garlic, cook till fragrant. Add in all the rest of the sauce seasoning and cook till thicken and bubbly.
• Drizzle the sauce gravy over the steamed cabbage rolls. Sprinkle the goji berries over the rolls while it is still hot. Serve the dish hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!

(For more detail. hop over to my FaceBook HoneyBeeSweets Kitchen to see the step by step video)

Steamed and lesser oil, this dish is suitable for people of all ages. The level of saltiness and sugar used can be adjusted to your liking.

You can see the packed full meaty filling in the roll. Still juicy and tender. And the goji berries gives a hint of sweetness to the dish.

It is such a lovely dish to present to impress your guests too. Plus napa cabbage has a cooling effect, so it is good when you serve it when you feel your body is feeling heavy. 

Do try it out and let me know how you like it! Happy cooking all. ;)

My Mother's Day Celebration at The Fullerton Hotel

If there is an occasion or person worth celebrating, I would definitely choose celebrating our dear Mothers. Perhaps being a mother myself has made me realise the immeasurable scarifies that this role has to play. So I cannot stress enough about being more appreciative towards these wonderful ladies in our lives.  

Sure, there are many ways we can do to brighten her special day. Be it a bouquet of flowers or a nice dinner out or even just baking a cake for her, it is truly the thought that counts. But if you are planning for something extra special this year, perhaps a lovely staycation might just fit the bill. Let her enjoy time away from home and the endless household chores. But, not just any staycation, offer her one of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore, a 5 star hotel with services that will make her feel like a queen throughout.Yes please!

The Fullerton Hotel

The Fullerton Hotel is now offering a Mother's Day Stay, Spa and Dine package. A tailored room package complemented with pampering treatments, gastronomic feasts and attentive service, all specially designed for the lady of the household. 

From S$538* per night for a Strait Club Courtyard Room, the package features the following elements:

• Privileged access to the hotel's executive lounge, The Straits Club for two persons

Guests will get to enjoy complimentary daily Champagne buffet breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés at The Straits Club

• The Fullerton Spa's signature 60-minute Ultimate Aromatherapy Experience for one person (I say buy another one and enjoy some spa treatment yourself too!)
• S$90 nett Dinning Credit to spend at The Fullerton Hotel and The Fullerton Bay Hotel
• A bouquet of flowers to commemorate the occasion 
• Complimentary late check-out at 2.00 p.m.
• Complimentary Internet connectivity

*Rate is subjected to 10% service charge and prevailing government taxes. Rooms are subject to availability and advanced reservations are required. Not valid in conjunction with other promotions and discounts.

I was invited to enjoy this special Mother's Day package over the last weekend with my family. It was unfortunate that my dear mother could not join me this time as she recently went through a medical procedure. But I did promise to make it up to her, perhaps to bring her back to The Fullerton Hotel again when she's feeling better. 

Many thanks to The Fullerton Hotel for catering to the needs of my family and making the special arrangements, even on a busy weekend timing.

Town Restaurant

We arrived an hour earlier then the usual check in time but we were still warmly welcomed by the hotel staff. We were then led up to the 4th floor where The Straits Club is located. The check in was swift, I was briefed more on The Straits Club privileges as well as the dinning hours.

Since not every hotel guests get to access The Straits Club,  a special gold card was given to us upon check in. This card allows only the hotel guests that stays in one of the 28 suites on that level, to have the 4th floor lift access. Feeling all special already!

The Straits Club entrance

Since the staff was still getting our room ready, we went ahead to have some light snacks and tea in the dinning area which is right behind the checkin desks.

Buffet Tea reception

Although the buffet spread is not extensive, it still offers enough gourmet bites that are sure to satisfy the sweet and the savoury lovers. I especially enjoyed their warm and buttery cranberry scones with cold French butter and jams. But I was pleasantly surprise to find that they also offer quite a good range of Nonya Kuehs and local cakes on the buffet table. There are also gourmet teas and coffees available which guests can order from the staff.

Nonya Kuehs and traditional cakes offered at the tea reception 

There was natural lighting coming into the rooms, the quaint ambience with soft classical music at the background, made the space really inviting. I like that old colonial and Peranakan touch to the design throughout the whole hotel. Pretty much like Singapore in the olden seventies timing but with a touch of modern classic to it.

The Reading Room

Love The Reading room! Wish my living room looks like that. Besides the books, there is also a 50 inch big screen TV in there.

After we had our fill with all the teas and desserts, we finally went to check out our bedroom. 

Our home for the night

The bedroom size is decent, and more importantly it was clean and bright. Bed was nicely made, and guests were encouraged to select their pillow types. All you need was to do was call room service and inform them of your choice, and they will delivery the fluffy pillows to you soonest. 

Another plus was their big washroom, where the toilet(on the left which in not in the picture) is separated from the bath area. Clean soaking tub which is great since I always enjoy using it with a nice bubble soak. And I must say this is one of the few hotels that has a sofa stool in the bathroom. Thanks for sparing a thought for us ladies and letting us resting our legs while we slowly doll ourselves up haha! Yes, I sat there to flow dry my hair, do my makeup etc.

The beautiful Bay view from our bedroom. That's the Fullerton Bay Hotel on the right.

The hotel even prepared a bouquet of flowers for the Mommy for this special occasion.  How sweet! There was even a complimentary basket of fruits and bottle of wine for us to enjoy.

Note that the plush bear is not complimentary. However with every purchase of the plush bear, $10 will be donated to the Singapore Council of Women's Organisation (SCWO). I already own 4 different plush bears from Fullerton Hotel!

The kids decided to have a quick swim after lazing around in the room. So we all headed to  level 2, where this majestic looking swimming pool is located.

The majestic architecture next to the pool gives off such an ancient European vibe to the place.

The swimming pool is heated, so even if you fancy an early morning swim, you won't have any problem getting in it. However it does not have kids pool, so best you suit up your kids with those floats. But still a nice pool overall, enough to let you enjoy some water time and escape from the heat. I do suggest going before noon time as the sun will start shinning on to the pool area after that, well unless you want a tan!

While the kids had their swim, I decided to go for my massage.

The Fullerton Spa located at level 1M

The Mother's Day package includes The Fullerton Spa's signature 60-minute Ultimate Aromatherapy Experience, so make sure you call the front desk to make your reservations ahead to get your preferred timing. 

The waiting area where guests will fill up the questionnaire.

The spa treatment started with some questionnaire so the masseuse can better understand how to serve you better. I was soon brought to the massage suite (there are 7) to change and get ready for the treatment.

The massage bed which is heated. Dim lightings and a pleasant lemongrass scent perfuming the room.

Pail of warm scented water for the guest to soak their feet.

Overall quite a relaxing and peaceful experience at the spa. Although it was a little cold there, but good thing the massage bed is heated! For someone that is not really into spa and massages, I have this say it was overall quite an enjoyable one. They even have couple massage room, so you can buy an additional spa treatment and enjoy the massage with your mother. 

There will be an ongoing promotion from 1st of May to the 31st, exclusively from Mondays to Thursdays, enjoy 20 percent off their 2-in-1 special massage combo which includes their Back Relief Massage (30 minutes) and Essential Rose Facial (60 minutes). Click here to find out more about their ongoing promotions.

After a nice spa treatment, we decided to make use of our dinning voucher ($90) and made reservations to dine at The Lighthouse restaurant, which is located at the 8th level of the hotel. 

Entrance to The Lighthouse restaurant at Level 8 (there is lift access)

Even though it was late at 9 p.m. , the place was still quite packed. Mostly couples that are seated near the window where they can enjoy the lovely night scene with their partner. So if you plan to have a window seat with the amazing view, you will need to call days ahead to make the reservations. But if it is with dear mummy, I guess she will be understanding...as always. 

We ordered our food and it took less then 15 minutes to arrive. We even had some warm fresh baked bread to enjoy while waiting. Here are the dishes we ordered. 

Rigatoni with beef bourguignon

White asparagus, Pancetta and thin sliced pork belly in cream sauce over thin egg pasta

House made gnocchi with basil tomato sauce

Spartan pork chops topped with caramelised onions

Above the restaurant is a rooftop access area where hotel guests can enjoy some drinks and cocktails al fresco style. From there you will also enjoy the spectacular night views of the Bay and the laser shows from MBS. 

The spectacular night scene from the roof top.

Feeling satisfied, we headed back to our rooms and had a really restful night. Thank goodness it was quiet and bed was so comfy and so glad I chose the down pillows! Felt like sleeping on clouds. 

Yes, being a mummy, I have internal clocks that wakes me up early in the morning. Even on holiday! But I was glad I made my way back here to the rooftop to get a couple more photos of beautiful Singapore Bay. 

Morning view. Woke up 8am to sneak up here for this shot.

Missed the sunrise! But still loving the moment.

A touch of old Singapore scene.

After exploring the hotel early in the morning, I headed back to The Straits Club with my family for breakfast. The Club dinning area already had the breakfast buffet spread ready.

As you can see, it is not crowded and service is prompt. What you see is only 1/3 of the Champagne breakfast buffet offered.

The variety of food offered ranging from asian congee, Indian curry with fresh made   papadum, and of course western pastries like my favourite buttery croissants! I think I had 4 of those at one go :P You can also order gourmet tea and coffee to enjoy with all the glorious food. But if you rather have champagne, go ahead and have a couple of glasses.Yes, Champagne breakfast for the mummy! It's always a perfect time for bubblies. 

You can also order their special menu item like truffle scrambled eggs, or go nostalgic with kaya and butter toast with soft boiled eggs on the side. I wouldn't mind waking up to such luxury every morning.

I realised we spent quite a far bit of time at the Straits Club because it was quiet, served good food and excellent service. There is also a huge TV which the kids can watch their favourite cartoon shows. Food and entertainment, that's pretty much what we need on a lazy staycation.

Nonetheless, we decided to head for a last dip in the pool since we have special late 2 p.m. check out timing.

Doing some "work" while the kids had fun at the pool

I have to say I did enjoyed my stay here thoroughly. It is not every day a busy mother like me get to have such top notch services and gourmet meals. And knowing the quality and impeccable services from this five star hotel, I knew from the start that I was in for a nice treat.

So if you are planning on something special this year for your dear mother, consider this special staycation. Sometimes, flowers and dinner just isn't enough to make up all the things that our mothers has done for us. But most importantly, do not wait to show love and care towards her only on Mother's day. Show her everyday that you care and love her. Even a simple phone call asking how was her today so far and how you miss doing things with her; will make her filled with joy. Trust me on that...it takes one to know one. :)

Before I sign off, I want to wish all you wonderful Mothers a blissing and happy Mother's Day, well spent with your dear family. 母亲节快乐！