Dessert and Drinks at Conrad Centennial Lobby Lounge

2 Temasek Boulevard, Lobby Level, Conrad Centennial Hotel, Singapore 038982

Tel: 6334 8888

Website: http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/conrad-centennial-singapore-SINCICI/amenities/restaurants-lobby-lounge.html

What does one do on a Halloween weekend after dinner? I don't know about you, but chilling out is an absolute must, for me.

Conrad Centennial Lobby Lounge offers a comfortable and intimate ambience, as well as live pianist singer to fill the space with beautiful  melodies. Service crew is excellent and accommodating, ensuring that patrons have a fabulous time there.

There was a "Pick Your Gin" promotion where you could mix and match your own Gin Tonic by customizing it, selecting your own gin, your bitters, tonic water and garnish.

Here is the Brooklyn Gin Tonic (SGD$15.00) composed of gin, grapefruit tonic, strawberry bitters and garnished with wedge of grapefruit (supposed to be juniper berries).

Then the Citadelle Original (SGD$15.00), made of gin, Old World tonic, dry lavender bitters and garnished with orchid.

If you don't take alcohol, fret not. They have other beverages such as Hot Chocolate (SGD$10.00), soft drinks, juices and teas.

The hotel lounge also has a wide selection of cakes, tarts and macarons. This made it tough for us to pick just a few to try out. Like, how does one choose between Ondeh Ondeh Cheesecake, Chendol Tart, Violette, La Royale, Pure Gourmandise, Strawberry Tart, Almond Lemon Tart, Sensation, Lime Coconut Tart and Black Forest? The tarts are mostly priced at SGD$5.00 each with the exception of Strawberry Tart, Lime Coconut Tart and Black Forest Tart, which are priced at SGD$7.00 each.

We tried the 3 mentioned above.  Lime Coconut Tart was unique with its zesty-sweet flavour and pretty design. This tart also comes in the 500gram form, selling for SGD$38.00.

Black Forest should have been my favorite but this tart, while rich in chocolately goodness, lacked cherries for texture and was a little light on the alcohol.

Strawberry Tart scored highest points according to a few of us - sweet, sour and juicy all at once, set against crisp buttery crust.

Overall chilling experience here was awesome and I see myself returning for the food, gin tonic and ambience.

Halloween 2016 - Howl O Ween Spooktacular Party @ Sentosa Golf Club [Sponsored]

27 Bukit Manis Road, Peak Ballroom @ Level 2, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore 099802

Tel: 6373 7135

Website: https://www.sentosagolf.com/index.php/news-a-events/196-howl-o-ween

Date: 29 October 2016

Time: 6.30pm to 10.00pm

Venue:  Sentosa Golf Club

Tickets: SGD$78.00 (Adults) / SGD$38.00 (Children)

I was thankful to be invited for this Halloween event, especially during a week that was filled with sorrow and distress. Anyway, this costume party consists of spooky decor, a buffet dinner, light painting performance, lucky draw, games and contest for "Best Costume"

It was even somewhat beautiful - all the candles, like keeping vigil in the night, full of hopes. There were spider cobwebs made of cotton and lace, bloodied "body parts" lying around, skeletons, a sarcophagi etc. Inside, we saw staff and guests dressed in all manners of spooks - from Dracula to angel to pumpkins etc.

 

Buffet Dinner was mainly Western cuisine with some Asian dishes - fiery angel haired pasta, beef, prawns, curry, mushroom soup, oyster shots, an assortment of cheese and pastries. Some of the starters and most desserts were made to look frightening, like fingers, brains, etc.

I also had a Halloween Cocktail, mainly made up of Vodka, lime, lemon etc, as well as some wine. Dessert and oyster shots fared better than the rest of the items there, in my humble opinion.

Games such as "scavenger hunt" and "dressing up a mummy" were conducted, as well as 3 rounds of lucky draws. Disappointingly, there was no performance despite it being stated on the itinerary. I was looking forward to watching the light painting.

The event ended around 10.00pm and we had some good laughs over meals and people (costume) watching. Happy Samhain 2016, you all.

Poem: Halloween 2015

Of ghosts and ghouls, 

Of spirits and silence; 

The night when mortal lost souls, 

Paint on the same disguise, 

As lingering body-less souls, 

Sharing drinks in the same edifice. 

The night's come alive, 

Creatures unheard of by day - 

The pointed hats and naked bones, 

To bless, dance or settle scores; 

On this night filled with mystery, 

To treat, to trick, or to traumatise. 

Copyright © 2016 thearcticstar

Halloween Chilling Out at Molly Roffey's Irish Pub @ Bras Basah

51 Bras Basah Road #01-02A Manulife Centre, Singapore 189554

Tel: 6238 0989

Website:  http://www.mollyroffeys.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MollyRoffeysSingapore

After dinner with the SIL, we had wanted to find someplace to chill, since it was the eve of Halloween night as well. Molly Roffey's Irish Pub was the chosen venue  due to several reasons, and they had a good live band performing for the night.  Ambience was totally chill, with elaborate lighting and great service from the crew. Best of all, the entire place was donned up for Halloween - with "cobwebs",  tiny pumpkin decor and the service crew dressed up as ghouls and witches.

The pub was established in 2010, serving beers, drinks and Irish cuisine. Named after the entrepreneurial war-survivor Molly Roffey, who was born in an indigent family but managed to do well in her own life, even sending one of her sons to a good school in Wesminster etc. A meaningful figurine to name the pub after - may Molly Roffey's Irish Pub survive long and well too, in these trying, competitive times.

Anyway, the SIL had a pint of Erdinger (SGD$18.00) and I sought comfort in a couple of glasses of Moscato (SGD$10.00). The latter was very sweet with fizzling in nature, subtle in texture yet going down smooth as silk. It was so deliciously luscious, one tends to forget they are drinking alcohol.

Then we shared a Chocolate Guinness Cake (SGD$10.00) - decadent Guinness infused rich chocolate cake that had a firm, sticky texture and a hard base. There was no lava centre, either that, or it didn't flow. The taste was a rich, dark chocolate in nature, with a subtle bitterer hint of Guinness; the harder base was even richer in chocolate-and-stout combination.  It was pretty good a dessert actually.

The live band belted out rock tunes from the recent past and the present, and the lively environment made it easy to sit and chill for hours on end with drinks and some light bites probably. I've never tried Irish food before (or so I think), and would love to return to try sometime.

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UPDATES

Okay, so I went back a few days later indeed, with a girlfriend for dinner and drinks.  The live band was still good, and even my Russian gf loved enjoyed their singing and choice of songs performed.

Tonight, the pub was bare and stripped off its spooky decorations. It did not look festive, but the cheery vibe was still ablaze; and even though it was a Wednesday evening, the place was filled with happy patrons drinking and dining away.

We started with drinks. She polished off Erdinger Weiss (SGD$15.50 half pint / SGD$18.00 full pint)  while I had Black Velvet  (SGD$17.50) - a bittersweet, smooth and utterly refreshing blend of Guinness Stout and Cider (the original version was made with Champagne!). It was delicious - from the first lick of the foam off my lips to the savouring of the final drop.

We had Singapore Styled Chicken Wings (SGD$10.00) to go with the beers, while waiting for the mains. Ironically, it was actually prawn paste chicken with a fancier name, in an Irish pub!  Nonetheless, it was aromatic with the prawn flavour on its crackling skin; the interior was tender enough - an enjoyable nibbler with the beers.

For mains, *Micaela had the Half Spring Chicken (SGD$13.00) - half day Whiskey marinated spring chicken with grain mustard and fresh herbs, served with sweet potato fries and mseclun salad. I didn't really like the fries because they were too sweet for my liking. The spring chicken, however, boosted of a slightly crispy, paper-thin skin bursting under the pressure of the knife to unravel succulent and juicy flesh, infused tastily with Whiskey's distinctive flavour.

I chose the Irish Lamb Stew (SGD$17.00) - succulent casserole stewed lamb, summer vegetables and boiled potato.  The gravy was rather thick and mildly sweet in flavour; pooling very soft and powdery potatoes, carrots and peas. The lamb was firm but not hard, but not the most tender I've tried; a little chewy. There was no gamey taste; it was a classic red meat flavour that was pleasant enough but wouldn't sweep you off your feet.

That's pub grub for you, and we left very happy girls.
















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