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A Tourist in My Own Country - 3 Singapore Staycations (Andaz,InterCon RQ,Conrad)

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  • #31
    There were several F&B outlets in the hotel, among them Publico, a restaurant/bar with an outdoor dining section by the river...



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    • #32
      There was a Club InterContinental Lounge on the Lobby Level.



      This was a very elegant lounge, decorated in white marble, and dark wood and leather, with both indoor and outdoor seating.



      Apart from all-day coffee, tea and soft beverages, the lounge serves afternoon high tea, evening canapes and cocktails, as well as breakfast.



      Lounge seating...



      Lounge outdoor seating...



      Outdoor dining tables, very popular during lounge breakfast hours, and in the evening.



      From the lounge verandah, you had a good view of the Singapore River and some of the other hotels nearby, which included the The Warehouse, a new hotel comprising three white low-rise warehouses by the river, beautifully rebuilt and repurposed into a stylish boutique hotel...



      In-house tea blends...



      The lounge also had three glass jars of potato chips, with the chilli and wasabi chips packing a spicy wallop...



      More on the catering in the lounge later in this TR...
      Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2019, 03:30 PM.

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      • #33
        There was a lap pool...





        ...and gym...



        There were also hotel bicycles available for guests to use, which would be great for exploring the riverside paths, which led all the way to the Marina Bay waterfront.

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        • #34
          Of course, you could also get to the waterfront on foot...

          It was a fairly overcast day, which made it quite feasible to head out for a mid-day run...

          "Is there a recommended jogging route?" I asked the friendly young lady manning the reception...

          "Yes there is!" she replied, and handed me a small jogging map...

          "...I recommended the route around Fort Canning to another guest yesterday, and he told me he really liked it...there was a lot to see..."



          The 4km route around Fort Canning (in red) looked interesting...and so did the 5km leisure run along the river to Esplanade Park...

          Hmmm...I studied the map for a few moments...which route today?

          No point overthinking it...I would head out and do both: the 4km loop round Fort Canning first, then a 5km run along the river...
          Last edited by yflyer; 12 February 2019, 12:11 AM.

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          • #35
            I headed out from the hotel along Nanson Road, which led straight to Mohamed Sultan Road...



            I headed up Mohamed Sultan Road towards River Valley Road...



            ...then turned right along River Valley Road towards Fort Canning...



            There were staircases and footpaths all the way around Fort Canning Park...



            ...rather than run around Fort Canning, it was a much better idea to head up the hill to the park, and jog up there...



            The park itself had very clean, clear trails, with helpful maps along the way...



            I wouldn't call the views from Fort Canning Park to be stunning vistas: it is a fairly low hill, and there were many trees blocking the view, but that also meant that there was a lot of shade along the way, which made for a very pleasant jog...





            There is an underground service reservoir on top of Fort Canning -- that part of the hilltop is not accessible...



            The reservoir was out-of-bounds to roosters too...



            ...elsewhere on the route I spotted number of wild roosters/chickens roaming Fort Canning...which was surprising given how urban Singapore was...

            Last edited by yflyer; 12 February 2019, 12:14 AM.

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            • #36
              There was quite a lot to see on Fort Canning...



              Fort Canning Centre, originally built in 1926 as British Army Barracks...



              The entrance to the Battle Box, originally an underground army command bunker, now a museum documenting the facts and history of the fall of Singapore and Malaya during the Second World War.



              At the very top, the Fort Gate...



              On the way down, a majestic Burmese Banyan tree, 30m tall and 35m wide...



              I headed down the steps towards Clemenceau Avenue...



              ..and then crossed Clemenceau Avenue and Tank Road, passing the beautifully ornate Sri Thendayuthapani Temple...



              This Hindu Temple was built in the 1850's and is the endpoint for the annual Thaipusam procession route in Singapore.

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              • #37
                I continued my run back down Mohamed Sultan Road...



                ...passing BlueSG electric car charging points...



                I jogged close to the InterContinental on the way to the banks of the Singapore River...



                ...where I began the 2nd part of the run along the river, towards Clark Quay and Esplanade Park...



                I headed along the wide path along the river...this would be perfect for cyclists or even e-scooters, many of which were seen zipping along the riverside...



                It was only mid-day, but parts of Clark Quay were already quite busy...



                One of the nice things about this route was that it was possible to go all the way from Robertson Quay to Esplanade Park, and the Marina Bay waterfront without hitting a single traffic light: there were underpasses under all the roads that had to be crossed on the way towards the waterfront...



                On the way, glimpses of the Elgin Bridge, the new Parliament Building, and the Victoria Theatre Clock Tower, with Marina Bay Sands towering in the background...

                Last edited by yflyer; 12 February 2019, 12:09 AM.

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                • #38
                  The underpass under South Bridge Road led to Boat Quay...



                  ...with its old shophouses and godowns lining the river where bumboats used to unload cargo...



                  These days the bumboats are long gone...instead the Quay was lined with eateries...





                  Last edited by yflyer; 17 February 2019, 05:56 PM.

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                  • #39
                    I continued along the river...







                    ...to the Merlion at the Marina Bay waterfront...



                    ...before crossing the Jubilee Bridge...



                    ...and the Padang...



                    I retraced my steps back towards the InterContinental, but this time on the opposite bank of the river...



                    ...passing the old Hill Street Police Station, now housing the Ministry of Communications and Information...



                    ...then past the colourful Alkaff Bridge back to the InterContinental.



                    A very satisfying 10km run combining both the jogging routes suggested by the InterCon!

                    Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2019, 02:42 PM.

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                    • #40
                      When I returned to the hotel after my jog, I found this parked in the driveway...



                      What a beautiful Aston Martin DBS...



                      JB007? That license plate could only belong to one person!

                      Later that day I went up to one of the hotel staff standing near the car.

                      "Is James Bond staying at the hotel tonight?" I asked, tongue firmly in cheek....

                      "No...it's there for a company event", he replied...

                      Apparently there was a James Bond or Secret Agent-themed company function in the hotel that evening.



                      The interior of thus Aston Martin was just as beautiful as the outside, although the sharp eyed among us would notice that in Singapore, even James Bond had to pay ERP...
                      Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2019, 02:39 PM.

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                      • #41
                        Later that afternoon, Mrs yflyer and I headed to the Club InterContinental Lounge for Afternoon Tea...



                        For afternoon tea, the menu comprised cakes, scones and savoury sandwiches and wraps,which were served at your table, along with your choice of beverage. This was a very personalised service concept which gave this lounge a more exclusive, high end feel, than many other hotel executive lounges.



                        The savoury sandwiches, quiche and wraps were delicious. The scones, which were an unusual square shape, were fine, although we would have preferred clotted cream to chantilly cream.

                        Later that evening, we returned to the lounge for pre-dinner canapes and cocktails. These were served between 6pm and 8pm.

                        Snacks and bread laid out on the buffet table...



                        A very nice selection of cocktails...



                        ...and wines...



                        A generous pour of Prosecco...



                        What really impressed us was the cocktails, which were mixed at an outdoor bar area and served at our table...

                        A delicous Martini...



                        ...and a Quayside Sling and Gimlet...



                        ...both were expertly mixed and tasted great, with the Quayside Sling, a variation of the Singapore Sling, tasting even better than the Sling at the Raffles, in my opinion.

                        Pre-dinner buffet offerings included bakery items...



                        Mini salads, dips and fruit...





                        A very appetizing canape platter was served to you at your table...



                        This was a very impressive evening cocktail and canape offering.

                        Service from the wonderful lounge staff was very attentive and personal, with drink orders taken at your table rather than self service, with top-ups and repeat orders handled very promptly as well.

                        We could have spent a long time in this lounge indulging in drinks and snacks.
                        Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2019, 03:36 PM.

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                        • #42
                          In the evening, before a late dinner, we headed to the Esplanade Concert Hall for a concert by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra...



                          The Esplanade Theatres by the Bay is a music and performing arts complex with many different performance venues, of which the main one are a theatre (For musicals etc) and a Concert Hall, not to mention several smaller venues, as well as informal performing spaces indoors and outdoors. It is located in a wonderful spot at Marina Bay, close to the water.

                          That night's performance by the SSO was in the Concert Hall...



                          This was a special concert. The SSO had just celebrated its 40th Anniversary just a few weeks prior, and today's concert was a farewell concert for conductor Lan Shui, who had been conductor of the SSO from 1997 till January 2019.



                          With Maestro Lan Shui at the helm, the SSO blossomed from a good regional ensemble to a world-class orchestra that performed to great acclaim on tours to Europe and at their debut at the BBC Proms in London 2014.

                          The evening's programme consisted of just one work, Mahler's 2nd Symphony...



                          This was an 80 minute emotional roller coaster which would be a fitting farewell to a conductor who has done so much for the orchestra, and indeed Singapore as well.

                          A packed hall for the 2nd and last of two farewell concerts...



                          It was an incredible performance, with virtuosity and power in equal measure from the huge forces assembled, which included 2 vocalists, choir and organ as well.



                          An unforgettable evening (Straits Times review here), with a well deserved standing ovation for Lan Shui, soloists, choir and orchestra, and numerous shouts of "bravo" from the audience...

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                          Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2019, 03:38 PM.

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                          • #43
                            After the concert, we headed straight back to the InterContinental, where we had earlier made a 9.30pm dinner reservation at Wolfgang's Steakhouse, which was on the 2nd floor of the InterContinental.



                            The menu comprised classic steakhouse fare...



                            Ambience was also what you would expect from a steakhouse...dark wood panelling and white tableclothes...



                            Cocktails (With cucumber in the martini rather than olives...)...



                            We ordered one crab cake, which we shared...



                            The most popular steak here seemed to the Porterhouse (Available for 2,3 or 4 persons), with tables around us attacking these massive hunks of deeply flavoured beef...

                            We decided to share a New York Sirloin, done medium rare. This was bone-in, and served pre-sliced on a hot plate...



                            This was served to us by our young waiter, one of the most newest staff among the team there, whose informal banter and good cheer, not to mention attentive service, made the evening a very pleasant one...





                            This was a very tasty steak: With a very charred, almost crisp, exterior, and a soft, tender center.

                            Dessert was apple strudel.



                            A note about portions: while the pricing on the menu may seem high by Singapore standards, readers might notice that between the two of us, we essentially ordered one starter, one steak (With two sides) and one dessert...the portions are large enough to share, which means dinner there might be easier on the wallet than prices on the menu would suggest.

                            Overall this was a pretty good dinner. While Wolfgang's followed the classic steakhouse "script" quite closely, their steak did offer some differentiation from other steakhouses in that our steak was comparatively more crisp and charred on the outside than steaks at other restaurants.

                            While Wolfgang's does not top other steakhouses we have eaten at either in Singapore or overseas, it should satisfy anyone needing a steak fix in Singapore.
                            Last edited by yflyer; 17 February 2019, 06:12 PM.

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                            • #44
                              The next morning, we headed to the Club InterContinental Lounge for breakfast...



                              There was a buffet spread and an a la carte selection...



                              Bakery items...



                              Salads...



                              Cold cuts...



                              Cheese...



                              Fruit and Yogurt...



                              Hot selections...





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                              • #45
                                We started with the buffet, then ordered several a la carte items as well...



                                The Avocado on Toast was so-so : it was made with what looked like avocado dip, rather than mashed fresh avocado, with the avocado topping tasting a little too thin and salty for my liking...not a dish I would order again.



                                By contrast, the Eggs Benedict was very satisfying...



                                Overall, this was a very impressive lounge breakfast offering, with great lounge ambience, service and F&B.

                                Last edited by yflyer; 17 February 2019, 05:59 PM.

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