Singapore Garden Festival 2014 at Gardens by the Bay

Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) is returning for its fifth installment from 16 – 24 August 2014.

Singapore Garden Festival is the first garden show to showcase creations from top award-winning garden and floral designers across the world under one roof.

Held for the first time at Gardens by the Bay, the nine-day event will showcased indoor and outdoor, exquisite garden and floral displays, created by more than 30 internationally acclaimed garden and floral designers.

This was my second time at Singapore Garden Festival. Read my previous entry here.

I headed down early in the morning on the first day of the festival. So excited for it.

The 2 early birds.

First, we embarked on the Landscape Show Gardens.

They were designed based on design principles, planting concepts and outstanding plants to achieve horticultural excellence.

Be amazed by the spectacular display.

This landscape garden caught my eyes, how I wish this was my home garden.

The garden celebrates the simplicity and beauty of the vertical line. Contained between the horizontal elements of water and timber are fine vertical lines of silver layering the space, creating depth, dimension, mood and mystery.

The Sacred Groove is a manifestation of the universal concept that a space is both spiritual and reflective.

We moved on to Community in Bloom.

As a celebration of the vibrancy of Singapore's diverse culture that is inclusive and fun, this year's Community in Bloom's Gardener's Cup will take on the theme "Fiesta". Let's take a look at these displays.

This was interesting, you can use umbrella to grow your pot of flower.

Every little things got me fascinated, I love the garden festival this year. 

So colourful.

My favourite garden display was definitely this - Sound of the forest. It has many musical instruments present in the garden.

I think I can stay here all day long, I love playing the drum.

My skill is still not that bad, can consider buying one and place at home.

We also get to learn about the different herbs and plants.

Arriving at the land of Frozen.

Let it go, let it go!

Can't hold it back any more.

Kids got to love this corner, with the musical instruments and fairytale all at Community in Bloom.

This was my ideal Balcony Gardens. It gave me a very peaceful and calm feeling, suitable for soothing personal retreat for the senses. The balacony gardens were created by local designers.

We went to Penjing & Artistic Stone showcase where a wide collection of fine bonsai, landscaping and natural stones from different regions were on display.

Proceeding indoor for more garden displays.

Too beautiful that makes you hard to resist not taking photo when you passed by.

Admire an enchanting display of beautiful flowers, creatively and delicately designed by celebrated local and international floral designers.

"Darkrai" is a floral window that opens our minds to the concept of white being the new black, whereas black is irreplaceable. Both colours appear to be conflicting, the display inspires us to do good deeds and let it shine in a weary world.

Spot the Queen.

She was hidden in the 4 different dimension. Find the correct spot and the Queen will appear.

Let the Fantasy Gardens brings you on a whimsical journey with plants, flowers, stage lighting and general props.

The magical details of a miniature garden brings out the child in all of us. It featured intricately designed gardens, created with miniature plants and furniture.

Being a big fan of Harry Potter, this particular display stood out the most to me.

Lesson time with Professor Sprout on magical plants in Greenhouse.

Samantha's Wedding.

The famous wing horse - Pegasus, guarding the fountain.

We were more or less done with the tour at The Meadow. Time to move on to Orchid Extravaganza at Flower Dome.

Grace and I were feeling excited to see the Orchid Extravaganza. Certainly not-to-be-missed, this exhibition of the region's rich and diverse heritage of orchids will leave all in awe!

We were treated to a stunning visual spectrum of colours, featuring a 10-metre-tall orchid kaleidoscope and over 18,000 orchid plants on display.

Though we were tired and our feet were sore. We felt satisfied and glad that we came for this. Every display was so beautifully done and it took our breath away. Every details of the art work was attentively take care of.

You will not go back home empty-handed, you definitely will be going home with lots of photos taken.

For those who love photography, the “Colours” Photography Contest will reward winning visitors with attractive prizes from Canon when they take and submit stunning photos to their “Colours” FaceBook app. The contest will run from 16 Aug to 7 September. 

For more information, visit www.singaporegardenfestival.com and www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest.

Singapore Garden Festival will run from 16 – 24 August 2014.

Show Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily

Conservatories Opening Hours: 9am - 10pm daily

An experience of a lifetime awaits at the Singapore Garden Festival 2014. Mark your calendar today!

Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏ @ West Coast Plaza

Usually I am quite depressing on Sunday because of the pre-Monday blues syndrome, but that Sunday has become enjoyable when I started my day with my lovely companions for buffet lunch at Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏.

Fatty Choo International Steamboat is a restaurant located in West Coast Plaza and is the one of the rare eat-all-you-can steamboat buffet restaurant you can find in the west.

The restaurant was opened on 2nd June 2014 by Singapore's very own celebrity chef, Chef Choo. He was the Former Executive Chef of Rendezvous Hotel Singapore. Best known for his vast experience and exceptional cooking skills, Chef Choo brings over his expertise in creating a sumptuous spread of Singapore’s Favourites to your palate.

 Chef Choo had been featured in many publications of i-Weekly and newspapers, and even as being the guest chef in the popular Chinese TV Programme “Love On The Plate” 名厨出走记.

We took a photo with the celebrity chef, Chef Choo.

Thanks for whipping up the delicious food.

The restaurant has a nice and cosy setting

There are 4 different types of soup base that you can choose from - Tom Yum, Chicken, Bak Kut Teh and Japanese Bonito.

The soup is free-flow per table, you can ask for refill of soup.

Yuan Yang option available is you want 2 soup broths selection.

I like Tom Yum soup the best, followed by chicken soup. The Tom Yum soup spiced up my appetite immediately after my first sip down. It gave a spicy and sour taste. So shiok.

Moving on to the steamboat ingredients next.

Buffet also includes Fresh Cuttlefish balls, Crab balls, Prawn balls, Chilli Fishballs, Fuzhou Fishballs with Chicken Fillings, free flow of Thinly Sliced Beef (Shabu Shabu), Chicken, Chicken Sausage and Luncheon Meat.

Spotted my favourite yi mian at the noodles section.

Fresh Sashimi and prawns are available too.

Sashimi was our favourite.

Wow, there was even a rojak station (Self-Serve counter).

If you are a lover of snow crabs, remember to come to Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏ for dinner because it is only served during dinner.

Indulged ourselves in the wide buffet spread of over 50 items.

Here's some of our selection:

The prawn, beef and pork meat balls were all freshly handmade from the kitchen, they tasted so good.

A must have for every buffet.

More and more items coming.

Our self-made rojak that was on par with the market standard outside. You tiao together with the peanut sauce tasted awesome.

The restaurant also featured the famous Singapore Laksa with condiments.

I had an enjoyable time with the girls eating and chatting away.

More and more food.

We were eating all we can.

Ready cooked food like pork belly and sambal fish were being served too. 

We found Char Siew Pau too.

The steamed bun was very fluffy and soft, the char siew was delicious and not too sweet.

Moving on to dessert.

We had tried the famous durian pengat. For a non-durian lover like me, I find the taste still quite bearable, you can give it a try. For durian lover, this was definitely something you cannot miss.

Free Flow of Ice Cream (Tutti Frutti, Green Tea, Blueberry Ripple, Lemon Sherbet, Chocolate Chips and Vanilla.

Rounded off the buffet lunch with ice-cream. No matter how full I am, I will always leave a room for ice-cream. I really love to eat ice-cream.

We were really pleased with the food and services provided. We had savour all the delicious cuisine from award winning chef. Thanks Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏ for inviting us.

Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏ is currently having a half-year opening promotion on their buffet price which will last till Dec 2014.

Currently, they are having an exclusive deal on Deal.com.sg which will gives a better discount than promotion price. Check it out here: http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/deal-exclusive-celebrity-chef-fatty-choo-s-snow-crab-steamboat-or-salmon-sashimi

If you are working near West Coast Plaza, why not pop by Fatty Choo International Steamboat‏ during lunch on weekdays?

They are having a $9.90 set menu for lunch.

Fatty Choo International Steamboat

West Coast Plaza

154 West Coast Road 

#02-25 Singapore 127371