Author: Beatrice

EatPrayFlying pledged to Singapore Memory Project

Published by Beatrice

The National Library Board (NLB) wrote to me to pledge EatPrayFlying to the Singapore Memory Project (SMP). The SMP is a national initiative started to collect, preserve and provide access to stories, moments and memories related to Singapore. I think it is quite cool to help build a ground-up understanding of Singapore through all our dining experiences, so I have pledged EPF! If you also have some perspectives and memories to pledge, simply pledge yours here: http://singaporememory.simulation.com.sg/Public/Pledge. 🙂

Maya Ubud Resort and Spa @ Ubud, Bali

Published by Beatrice

I visited Maya Ubud Resort and Spa in Bali back in 2010, and it remains one of my favourite tropical resorts in Asia. This was recommended by my ex-boss who is Indonesian, and since he is local, I booked Maya Ubud without researching much, and it was a very good recommendation indeed! I had an enjoyable relaxing stay with Miss A, and fond memories of the resort still lingering after almost 4 years. It was also the first time I went to Bali not for the beach, but for mountains and scenery. The Spa (Spa at Maya) is possibly the MOST relaxing spa I have ever gone to in my life. Maya Ubud is ~1 hour from Bali’s international airport. It only has 108 luxury guestrooms and private pool villas on many hectares of land, with a river running through the resort, so it is extremely private, quiet and picturesque. We stayed in the lowest tier room in Maya Ubud (Superior Room) and it was already very comfortable. The room was ~40 square meters, with 2 single beds, …

LOWERCASE @ Lasalle College of the Arts

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I had to give LOWERCASE 3 tries before I finally tried the food. The first time, we assumed the cafe would be open for coffee on a Sunday and we headed down and it was closed. The second time, on a Friday night, we headed down at 830pm since their Facebook said they were open till 1030pm but was told it was closed already!! I wrote to them to feedback on the opening hours, and one of their partners, Mr J, was nice enough to explain the situation and we decided to try LOWERCASE again with a group of friends on a Saturday evening. LOWERCASE is nestled in Lasalle College of the Arts and has a huge 5000 square feet space compared to the regular hipster cafes. Their mission statement – “Lowercase is a melting pot where food, art and community come together” – is a good summary of what they are starting to look like, where random art pieces are displayed among tables of people eating. LOWERCASE seeks to promote talent by setting the stage for budding …

Phraya Nakhon Caves @ Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Published by Beatrice

The Phraya Nakhon Caves were an unexpected find on this trip. We had initially planned to do absolutely nothing in Hua Hin; just rest and sleep. I was just surfing on the national park nearby and came across a very familiar picture of a temple glowing in a cave, then I remember seeing this picture in “Places to See before You Die” (on Facebook) before. It turned out where we were at Aleenta Resort and Spa is only 40 minutes drive to Laem Sala Beach, which is how to get to see this unique Kuha Karuhas Pavillon built in 1890 for the King in the Phraya Nakhon Caves. The National Park website said it was a 30 minutes walk so we decided to check it out after breakfast. Firstly, DO NOT be fooled. The entire journey back and forth took 3 hours in the end! We are not the fittest people but I am pretty sure no one can reach the caves and back in 30 minutes because it would be dangerous to be running on …

Duck Rice (Zhen Wang Family Restaurant) @ Bukit Timah Plaza

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We discovered a hidden gem – good and cheap duck rice – on B1 of Bukit Timah Plaza. It is tucked in a cosy corner in a coffee shop called “Zhen Wang Family Restaurant” that has 3 different shops. But the most crowded one is this Duck Rice (with no signboard)! 4 of us ate for under $20 so it’s great value for the family! I love the softness of the duck though the soup is too herbal for me. — Zhen Wang Family Restaurant Basement 1 (Opposite side of Fairprice Finest, nearer escalator)

Wrap & Roll @ Ion

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It was a rushed Friday lunch so my friends and I decided to all travel from our respective offices and meet in centrally located Ion for quick lunch. My Vietnamese team mate recommended Wrap & Roll (Ion branch just opened in Sep13), and she recommended is because she said it is quite authentic Vietnamese flavor (of course no where near Vietnamese price). Given Vietnam are known for their rolls, we shared the Minced Pork & Mushrooms in Steamed Rice Paper Rolls which was quite yummy. It is textured a lot like chee cheong fun. I noticed most of the tables ordered rolls to share as well; definitely be trying different flavoured rolls next time. For main, I had the Stir Fried ‘Pho’ Noodles. What I really liked about this dish was that it was very healthy; it was 40% vegetables, onions and carrots making the dish very crunchy. It also had lesser carbs than usual Asian meals so less food coma tendency after lunch. My friends had other mains. Miss S tried the Beef Hot Pot …

Restaurante Botin – World’s Oldest Restaurant (Guinness World Record)

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Restaurante Botin in Madrid, Spain, was founded in 1725 and is the world’s oldest restaurant according to the Guinness Book of Records. According to Wiki, the restaurant was founded by a french man Jean Botin and his spouse, and was originally called Casa Botín. The official Botin website says that the restaurant continues to be run by the third generation of the family. Miss A and I had a chance to try Botin in 2008 and I was so excited to be able to dine in such a historic location!!

Aleenta @ Phang Nga (Phuket)

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This is another post dated entry on a resort we like very much, but we only stayed for a short one day. Sister resort of Aleenta @ Huahin we stayed at recently, Aleenta @ Phang Nga (Phuket) was my first and beautiful encounter with Aleenta. In Phuket, Aleenta @ Phang Nga is definitely my top favourites alongside Sala Phuket. As we only stayed a day previously, we didn’t get to take many pictures but I believe these few are beautiful enough to paint a fair picture of Aleenta @ Phang Nga and why we would definitely love to be back! As Aleenta describes the room, “Breathe in the ocean splendor… These lofts with ocean view are expansive in height and depth with an Infinity pool extending from your private sundeck… Exciting design and individually unique…”. Truly, the modern duplex with the high ceilings give a magnificent view of both the infinity pool and the sea. We definitely hope to be back, and take better shots this time around! — Aleenta Phuket – Phang Nga Resort and …

Aleenta Resort and Spa @ Hua Hin

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After a week of full day meetings in Bangkok, I extended my trip to spend the weekend in Hua Hin. I have heard so much about beautiful Hua Hin, which is known for her majestic sunrises. Having had a very good stay at Aleenta @ Phang Nga before, I decided to choose Aleenta @ Huahin. I must admit it is partly because I didn’t have much time and capacity to do much research, so I went for a familiar name (Aleenta), but Aleenta @ Hua Hin definitely lived up to expectations! Firstly, as members of SLH (you can also sign up for free), Aleenta @ Hua Hin offered us a free upgrade from the main wing to the more expensive Frangipani wing. Both wings are 600m apart and you can travel back and forth by: 1) Walking on the Pak Nam Pran Beach beach, 2) Walking on the road, 3) Riding Aleenta’s tuktuk 4) Cycling with Aleenta’s bicycles. Aleenta started as a family beach villa that was upgraded and now boasts 23 unique suites. The …

Sala Phuket

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I went to Sala Phuket a while ago, but Sala Phuket remains one of my favourite boutique resorts in the region so I decided to do a post-dated feature. I have also stayed in Marriott and Twin Palms in Phuket but looking back, the memories of Sala Phuket still beats the rest for me. Not my best set of photos either (wasn’t thinking of having a blog previously) but I will let the pictures do the talking! In the Garden Pool Villa, the bedroom overlooked an outdoor veranda, gardens and a private swimming pool, which I felt was really private as it was a walled up garden, and the people living on top did not have windows to look down. Sala Phuket also has an award winning Beach Restaurant. My food shots were really bad so I won’t share them as they won’t do justice to the food, but you will definitely get to try if you stayed in Sala as they offer free breakfast. I loved how the poolview at breakfast immediately relaxes the mind and …