Dining

We started off with Takoyaki ($13++), Japanese octopus ball topped with bonito flakes and the sauces brought an infused savoury to the soft takoyaki. Every component complemented well each other.

Afternoon Tea at The Landing Point @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Didn't feel satisfied from my last afternoon tea, I decided to visit The Landing Point @ The Fullerton Bay Hotel for their afternoon tea.

The Landing Point creates a cozy setting for the diners. We were given the high chair seat next to the floor-to-ceiling window, offering us a panoramic sweep of Marina Bay’s waterfront. The Landing Point provides 2 elements of dining experience - indoor and alfresco dining. Alfresco is more suitable after sunset time where the weather is not so hot.

The highlight of this hotel is definitely the view ahead, I was treated to the view of Marina Bay for 2 hours. Despite being located in a centrally, I didn't feel the hustle and bustle of the city. Just dining here (not staying) already made me feel luxury, with the waterfront view that we enjoyed while sitting back and enjoying the afternoon tea. Definitely one of the best way to spend my afternoon away.

Next to our table was the 13-metre long bar lined with top shelf spirits from around the world. Everything about this restaurant from interior to service to location is perfect. The East Meets West afternoon tea was at $65++.

The afternoon tea included a complimentary glass of Sangre de Toro non-alcoholic rosé wine and wide selection of tea, I opt for Sencha Green Tea which is from TWG Tea to neutralise my palate. 

East Meets West afternoon tea featured 3 tiers of selection, with Scones forming the top tier, savoury at the 2nd tier and sweet at the 3rd tier. For people who loves both savoury and sweet choices, afternoon tea is the best selection for you. The afternoon tea came with free flow of savoury selection (2nd tier), the staff was automatically helped you replenished when they saw your plate empty.

The sweet selection included Raspberry Lychee Bandung, Lemon Meringue Blueberry Tart, Kopi-Chocolate Chiffon, Ondeh Ondeh Macaron and Classic English Fruit Cake. The Raspberry Lychee Bandung was wrapped in a shell like casing, it tasted refreshing with mild tartness. The Kopi-Chocolate Chiffon was rich and thick in flavour. Every piece was delicious that I wished this was refillable as well.

The refillable savoury selections included Mini Éclair Oolong Tea-smoked Duck, Basil Waffle Bask, et Smoked Salmon, Madras Curry Egg Sesame Bun, Herb Bread Szechuan Pulled BeefUbin Bay Shrimp and Cucumber Sandwich. I loved Smoked Salmon the best as it brought out hint of saltiness that balance out the flavour of the rest.

It was really nice to just sit back and forget about the daily grind of life, enjoy the food and view. The service at  The Landing Point was excellent, we left the place feeling full and satisfied. 

Places to Dine near Raffles Place and Downtown

 Raffles Place and Downtown is strategically located in the Central Business District (CDB) of Singapore, home to some famous hotels, dining places, corporate buildings and tourist attractions. Raffles Place is also conveniently located along two MRT lines (Green and Red line) while Downtown (Downtown line) is walkable from Raffles Place via the underpass, making the area easily accessible for everyone. 

I have compiled a list of dining places that I have tried around Raffles Place and Downtown, providing you with dining ideas for lunch with colleagues or after work gathering with friends.

1. The Providore

The Providore is located at basement 1 of Downtown Gallery, it is the flagship outlet in Singapore.

I had Ice Chocolate ($8.50++) which I could taste the hints of cocoa in every sip. The drink has moderate sweetness from the chocolate.

I had English Breakfast which comes with scrambled eggs, sautéed mushrooms, roasted tomato, grilled Shulz bacon & bratwurst sausage, sourdough toast. It was delicious and filling, but the portion was a little too much for me that I couldn't finish the sausage and bacon.

6A Shenton Way, #B1-07 OUE Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815

Operating hours: 8am to 10.30pm from Mon to Fri, 9am to 9pm on Sat, 9am to 6pm on Sun

Nearest MRT station: Downtown

 

2. So Ramen

As we wanted to avoid crowds during peak lunch hour, we chose a less crowded mall for lunch at Marina Bay Link Mall. 

We settled for So Ramen which offers value-for-money quality ramen. Food ordering is done via kiosk. There is no service charge so we will have to collect our food via the counter. 

I had Cha Shu Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen ($13.90) and topped up $3.80 for a set which entitled to one drink and one side dish, I had Tori Karaage and Ice Green Tea. I have underestimated myself, the spicy ramen was packed with powerful fiery that was slightly above my spice tolerance. Thankfully, I have the glass of Ice Green Tea to ease the heat.

If you returned your own tray after the meal, you can claim a complimentary dorayaki ice cream. A very good way to encourage people to return their trays.

8A Marina Blvd, #B2-04 Marina Bay Link Mall, Singapore 018984

Nearest MRT station: Downtown

3. Infinity Cafe

Marina Bay Link Mall always comes to our radar when looking for a mall that is less crowded/quiet for lunch, we tried Infinity Cafe, an open concept cafe, this time round.

Feeling thirsty, I had a glass of Misty Cool Lime Fizz which was very refreshing. It was an excellent thirst quencher, great companion to go with while we chatted and waited for our food. 

Decided to go for something healthier, I ordered Baked Chicken Roulade ($16). The portion was just nice for me and I savour every piece of the chicken roulade, the meat was tender.

8A Marina Boulevard #B2-11, Marina Bay Link Mall, 018984

Nearest MRT station: Downtown

4. Erwin Gastrobar

Erwin Gastrobar is located at level 1 of Marina Bay Link Mall (ground plaza), an Italian gastrobar that provides great comfort food accompanied by great drinks.

The interior of the gastrobar  looked cosy with the wooden tables and chairs, nice place for gathering with a group of friends.

Chicken Parmigiana ($19.50++) came in a big portion that I couldn't finished. The crumbled chicken breast gave a good crunch, it was toppled with Napoletana sauce and mozzarella which was satisfying. It was served with small mesclun salad and fries.

I ordered Berry Smoothies ($8.50++) which consists of mixed berries, banana and yoghurt. The smoothie was not really to my liking as the taste was little weird and carried sour notes from the berry.

8A Marina Blvd, #01 - 01, Singapore 018984

Nearest MRT station: Downtown

5. Charlie's Restaurant & Bar

We visited Charlie's Restaurant & Bar which is located along the stretch of shophouses that extend from Clarke Quay to Raffles Place. What attracted me to this restaurant is their picturesque view over Boat Quay that we can enjoy while consuming the food.

We got the seat directly next to the river which offered an unobstructed views of the river and many iconic buildings and museums.

Though we were at the CBD area, we don't feel any bustling vibes over here. We felt very peaceful instead, partly because the place was less crowded in the day. Definitely a great place to unwind and get absorb in the scenery.

I had Chicken Quesadilla which has quite thin layers and not much ingredients in it.

Still not feeling full, we went for Mini Churros. Dip the hot mini churros into the chocolate sauce for a sweet finish. The vanilla ice cream came as a surprise for us because we didn't expect the churros to come with ice cream.

32 Boat Quay, Singapore 049821

Nearest MRT station: Raffles Place