Dinner at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora @ Sentosa

22 Sentosa Gateway S.E.A Aquarium, West Zone carpark B1M, #B1-455 & 456, Singapore 098136

Tel: 6577 6688 / 6577 6869

Website: https://www.rwsentosa.com/en/restaurants/ocean-restaurant/overview

Email: ocean@rwsentosa.com

We usually travel overseas for birthdays celebrations, but April 2020 was not possible for leisure travel, therefore we decided to visit one of my bucket-list restaurants for my birthday dinner. That would be underwater dining at Ocean Restaurant.

The first aquarium dining experience in Singapore, the restaurant did not disappoint. We were given front row seating- meaning, closest to the S.E.A. Aquarium where we could enjoy the stunning views of marine lives. It is located at basement level of Equarius Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa.

A rather dimly lit restaurant swathed in swatches of white light, Ocean Restaurant exuded an aura of mystery when we stepped in. Beautiful ambience, hushed talking,  so that the appreciation of oceanic beauty may commence.

The a la carte menu was not extensive, but an improvement from when they used to only have set menus. Mainly seafood items, as expected; and European styled preparation.

We started with a round of Cocktails (mainly Mojitos and Ocean Sling) because there was a promo of SGD$28.00 for 2 cocktails; needless to say the drinks were pretty diluted.

Shared two starters which were not in the a la carte menu - the colorful cold Egg Custard dish with shrimps that was similiar to Chawanmushi (as per the service crew's description). And the Fish Maw appetiser in a creamy broth.

The Chatham Island Blue Cod (SGD$60.00) was a huge, juicy slab of crispy-skinned fish dish in fermented black bean emulsion, leek cabbage ragout and garlic puree. Pretty tasty overall; both the Mom and Bro had this dish.

My Maine Lobster (SGD$80.00) was dish comprising of chunky, springy, fresh and sweet lobster on top of, and below the orzo pasta. Light hints of seaweed and black pepper jus were detected, enhancing the flavour.

We thought the tastiest dish of the night was my hubby's Chargrilled M6 Tajima Striploin Steak (SGD$95.00); smokey noted amidst the natural jus and shallot puree's heavier flavour. The tender texture added to the enjoyment of this dish, as well.

Overall dining experience at Ocean Restaurant was pleasant enough - be there for the beautiful tranquil underwater views; service and food have room for improvement, especially when per dining experience would set you back easily by S$600, minimally.

[Media Invite] Review on Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom @ Sentosa

51 Imbiah Road, Singapore 099702

Tel: 6275 0013

Website: https://jungle.com.sg

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

Opening Hours:

Ticket Pricing (Singaporeans): Adult SGD$16.00 / Child SGD$10.00

Ticket Pricing (Tourists): Adult SGD$20.00 / Child SGD$14.00

Opening Hours: Daily 9.30am - 7.00pm

Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom has been one of the attractions I enjoyed when I was a kid, and I am glad that it is still around. Located at Imbiah Lookout @ Resorts World Sentosa, this attraction is super easy to get to now - one may take a cab, or the Sentosa Monorail (board from Vivocity level 3). Look for the "Imbiah" station, and take the escalator all the way up to the top, past Madame Tussauds and Singapore Imagery Museum - voila, we have arrived.

The Butterfly Park is a beautiful tropical rainforest surrounded by lush greenery, with vantage points and man-made bridges - the perfect location to discover exotic species of butterflies as they flutter from one plant to another. One may also sight the pre-stages of these beautiful butterflies - such as the pupae form, caterpillars or even the eggs on branches. It was a pretty education refresher for me.

There are also parrots and these super huge, rare-breed Victoria Crown Pigeons wandering the park, making for a lovely discovery.  I also saw Scorpions and Stick Insects but they didn't come out too nicely in photos so I shall not post them. Meet Blink Blink the adorable Iguana as well.

Look at the beautiful species of butterflies here - these are all real preserves of dead butterflies, still glamorous as ever. Do you know that the average lifespan of a butterfly is a mere 60 days? I feel it's incredibly short for such gorgeous creatures.

Moving on, there is also a stunning display of Beetles, preserved and made into art pieces on display around the museum within the Insect Kingdom itself. To be frank, I was never a fan of Beetles but looking at this colorful range of beetles here, I could not help but fall in love. Look at the exquisite and intricate display on some of their bodies - some of them are even iridescent!

I enjoyed myself very much at The Butterfly Park and Insect Kindgom, and find this attraction to be utterly enriching and informative. I never appreciated nature more than today. Thank you Diana and team for invite, for hosting, and showing me around.

Setting Sail with Bob Marine Yacht Charter [Sponsored]

11 Cove Drive, #01-15 One Degree 15 Marina, Singapore 098491

Tel: 9104 2626 / 9712 7218

Website: http://bobmarine.com.sg

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

Yachting is one of the activities I love, being out on the seas, kissed by the winds and listening to the waves sing it's lullabies; the whole experience is just so seductive. Yachting used to be an expensive activity, and may still be thought so these days.

With Bob Marine Yacht Charter however, one can look forward to an unforgettable yachting experience from $800 onwards. Be it for friends, celebrations or corporate team bonding, yachting can now be made affordable and a favourite pastime for the lovers of the seas.

The "Bob" in Bob Marine stands for "band of  brothers",  because the co-founder Kah Meng believes that in order to succeed, it takes teamwork and people striving together, like a band of brothers in arms. Recently, I was honoured to be introduced to him, and an experience on board The Sardinia. This ship can hold up to 38 pax comfortably, on upper and lower decks.

The exterior is pristine white and very neat, allowing  guests to sit and enjoy the breezes in total comfort. The interior is tastefully furnished in varnished wood and black cushions.

What to do on board a yacht?

• Take great photos
• Relax and watch the sunset
• Eat, drink and party
• Hold celebrations for birthdays or weddings
• Island hopping
• Corporate team bonding
• Hold talks for clients
• Sail somewhere to kayak and play in the waters

Besides The Sardinia, other yachts under Bob Marine Yacht Charter currently are Golden Ocean and Sea Wind One. Do check them out for your out-at-seas getaways. Thank you Bob Marine Yacht Charter and Kah Meng for the enjoyable experience!

Review on Yacht Charter with Ximula Sail

11 Cove Drive, ONE°15 Marina Club, Sentosa Cove, Singapore 098497

Tel: 8716 1519

Website: http://www.ximulasail.com

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

Friends of mine know that I have always loved water bodies and vessels, strangely addiction for someone who has Hydrophobia and panics whenever her head goes underwater. Chuckles. That aside, being onboard yachts, cruises, ferries, and ships always delight me - with the elements of the sand, sun and sea as enticing prospects.

I was happy to be part of the group chartering Ximula Sail for a day of fun out at sea, letting the breeze kiss my skin all over.  The yacht can hold up to 18 persons and is docked at One° 15 Marina Club, Sentosa - home to many beautiful yachts. Service by director Min Qi was fantastic as well - friendly, personable, and always keeping a lookout for the safety of her passengers.

Introduction of the yacht was made to us - galley, bedrooms and whatever's exterior. We started sailing around 4.30pm, but before that were prepped with Calming Ginger Pills if we needed, to prevent seasick-ness.  I had no need for those, thankfully. Food may be catered for consumption onboard the yacht, and packing list (caps, ponchos, towels, swimsuit, etc) was disseminated to us before we set sail.

The yacht sailed to Lazarus Island where we could kayak and swim. The waters were clear and surroundings were tranquil, the perfect getaway from city life's immense stress. We stayed there for about 2 hours before the yacht turned back toward Sentosa. I got to steer the wheel, with detailed advice and guidance from their friendly captains.

All in all, the sailing experience was amazing and I would love to do this a lot more often. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy this fun and beautiful trip out at sea! Charters are reasonably-priced, starting from SGD$1,200 so do contact Ximula Sail today for your corporate / personal events!

Photo credits:  Meng Lee @ Lifeview Photography and Alvin D. S.


Other Cruising Experiences:
1)  Star Cruise to Kuala Lumpur (review here)
2) V Spirit Cruise at Halong Bay @ Hanoi, Vietnam (review here)

Visit to Madam Tussaud's Museum @ Sentosa

40 Imbiah Road, Lookout Lookout, Sentosa, Singapore 099700

Tel: 6715 4000

Website: http://www.madametussauds.com/singapore/planyourvisit/contactus/default.aspx

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

You have probably been to the Madame Tussaud's museums in France itself, or at least the one in Hong Kong. Well, good news is that now we have our very own in Sentosa, Singapore!

Combined with Images of Singapore - which used to be the Waxworks Museum featuring the historical figures of Singapore, the museum now encompasses both a little bit of Singapore's historical characters as well as famous celebrities as one, so we get the best of both worlds.

What is even more unique is the BOAT RIDE that takes one on a journey on water - to view the interesting landmarks and important events of Singapore - starting from Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles to the Merlion, as well as Super Trees of MBS, to Formula One and some other cultural sites that are the markings of this little island named Singapore.

The "stream" is a short one, but the enriching. It showcases our country being a multi-cultural society. Pardon the slightly blurry images - the boat was moving and the place was dark, so we tried our best to capture some shots.

After the boat ride, we took a walk around the museum itself, to pose with or simply gawk at some famous persons we may or may never see in real life. First there were the well-known politicans, some familiar names would be Obama Barack, our very own Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and wife, the royal Queen Elizabeth, and none other than Gandhi himself "coming alive" in this museum.

Following these politicians are sports stars such as David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Yao Ming, Tiger Woods etc doing their famous athletic poses in another exhibition room.

Next, we have the familiar faces we often see in the news or on TV - such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Nicole Kidman etc.

Last but not least, the rather life-like wax sculptures of dead (but forever alive in our hearts) stars such as my favorite Marilyn Monroe, the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, the talented Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson etc, in elegant settings that bring one back in time.

Finally, we have the mysterious and adorable alien, E.T. in disguise - with a beautiful full moon backdrop.

For those who prefer Chinese stars, fret not - in this museum are also Asian stars such as the late Teresa Teng, Zoe Tay, Jacky Chan, Andy Lau etc, as well as a couple of Bollywood stars. Besides these lovely wax statues on display, there is also a room for one to do Wax Hand Prints (you must be able to tolerate hot water and not have skin allergies).

Overall, a rather fascinating visit albeit the extremely small scale of this museum.

The fees are SGD$35.00 for adults, SGD$25.00 for children and SGD$30.00 for senior citizens. The opening hours are from 10.00am to 9.00pm daily, with the last admission at 7.30pm.