Tag Archives:

Tag Archives:

You are here: Home » Posts tagged "Hotel review"

Make it all legal at the Crown Promenade and The Merrywell, Crown Perth

Posted by  | Categories: Accommodation, Featured, Hotels, Luxury, Perth, Pub, Restaurants, Wedding

In March this year, I married the love of my life in the most magical fairy-tale wedding of my dreams.  Because we chose to get married in Thailand, our wedding was not legally recognised back in Australia unless we made a pre-wedding pilgrimage to Bangkok to arrange the necessary papers. Prior to getting hitched, the Boy and I had already spent more than ten years together and we had always celebrated our anniversary in April often with much greater enthusiasm than for either of our birthdays. It seemed logical to us, that upon our return from Thailand we would arrange a very private official ceremony back in Perth specifically on our anniversary date. This enabled us to invite special friends that weren’t for able to join us in Thailand. It also means we now get to celebrate TWO anniversaries! 😉

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

In total contrast to the extreme detailed organisation of our Thailand wedding, this second wedding was a much more casual affair. Ann Lord, a lovely celebrant I met at a Wedding Upmarket day helped with the proceedings. We found a patch of grass in Burswood Park and without all the fanfare, anxiety, nerves or build up we repeated our vows once more.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

To celebrate the legalisation of our marriage, we booked a Loft room at the Crown Promenade to enjoy one more night of luxury before we started making a serious attempt at paying off all our wedding debt! I had called in the morning to request an earlier check in and was told by the reception desk that this was not a problem. Unfortunately upon our arrival this was to prove not true; we were informed our room wasn’t ready for another hour and to make ourselves comfortable with our suitcases in tow in the lobby area.

"macaron" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

This would have frustrated me greatly if I hadn’t managed to find to find myself a beautiful collection of macarons to snack on. Seeing as I no longer had to fit into wedding dresses, I slipped back into my excessive ways and ordered a whole box to share with the Boy. By the time the reception staff gestured to us that our room was ready, all the macarons were gone.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

The loft room has an expansive balcony that gives glorious panoramic views of the city’s skyline. It was not as breathtaking as the views from our Andara villa in Thailand, but it was by no means shabby.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

The loft itself is of considerable size with a living room, dining room and well stocked kitchen complete with a full mini-bar. There was an iPod docking station for music and flat screen TVs screens in the living room, bedroom AND the bathroom. Not that we watched any television that is!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

The bathroom is ginormous with separate his and her vanities, wall to floor mirrors and a lovely deep spa bath. The flat screen television is positioned directly facing the spa…how relaxing would it be to sink yourself into bubbles while watching a movie. And drinking bubbles of course!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

The bedroom is similarly spacious with a full King sized bed and reading area overlooking the city scape. The curtains successfully make the room pitch black no matter what time of day meaning a late checkout can be well utilised to gain those extra ZZZs if you need. We certainly did.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

After the very short ceremony, we all headed over to the main casual pub of the Crown complex; The Merrywell. The Merrywell’s style of cuisine has been coined “dude food” by a number of professional food critics and whilst I don’t really like this terminology it does describe it well.

"Quesa Fun-dido" "Mexican Cheese fondue" "Chorizo" "Pico de Gallo" "Pretzel" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

Quesa Fun-dido ($19) (Mexican Cheese fondue, Chorizo, Pico de Gallo, Pretzel)

"Chipotle crema" "Jalapeno" "Tomato" "Pink Snapper tacos" "fish tacos" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

Pink Snapper tacos ($22) (Chipotle crema, Jalapeno, Tomato)

Artery clogging Mexican cheese fondues, fish tacos, burgers and hot dogs regularly feature on their changing menu. At the time we went, the waitstaff were not overly familiar with what dishes were gluten free and what wasn’t, but I have since noticed they now offer gluten free buns with their burgers so I presume they have improved their understanding.

"lamb chops" "Fiery Mojito Lamb Chops" "Cucumber yoghurt" "Bacardi 151" "mint jelly" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

Fiery Mojito Lamb Chops ($34)

"Lollipop Buffalo Wings" "Blue cheese fondue" "celery sticks" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

Lollipop Buffalo Wings ($21)

One of my favourite snacks of the night was the lollipop Buffalo wings served with a rich blue cheese fondue and celery sticks. I am pretty sure I slurped at least half a dozen of these wings off the bone each one mouthful at a time. All my bridal grace was thrown out the window!

"room service" "egg white omelette" "roasted shiitake" "mushrooms" "avocado" "feta" "micro herbs" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "travel blog" "Perth" "Perth travel blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth hotels" "Perth luxury hotels" "five star hotels Perth" "Perth hotel reviews" "Perth luxury hotel reviews" "Perth casino" "Crown Perth" "Merrywell" "merrywell Perth" "Crown Casino" "Burswood casino" "Perth Wedding" "Crown Metropole" "loft room" "Crown hotels" "casino hotels"

The drinking session progressed fairly late into the night and by following morning the Boy and I were nursing a fairly rocking hangover. But we didn’t mind one bit because it was official.

From this point we are now legally “Mr and Mrs”.

Just the very thought of this fact was enough to cast away most of our pain and we eased our stomachs back into the real world with some ultra-healthy room service. My egg white omelette was so fluffy is nearly looked like an Aerobar and it came with some roasted shiitake mushrooms, avocado, feta and fresh micro herbs. Washed down with a black coffee I was re-energised and ready to officially be a Mrs!

A big shout out of thanks to my dear friend Tara for taking most of the above photos. On the day I decided to give Chompchomp a night off and Tara was more than happy to take over the job role of photographer. She got some awesome shots and I am very appreciative. xxx
 
Crown Metropole Perth, Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood WA 6979 | (08) 9362 8888
We stayed in a Loft room and took advantage of their advance purchase rates which gives a significant discount off the standard rates. The full price for this room is around $1250 per night.
 
The Merrywell, Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood WA 6979| (08) 9362 7551 

The Merrywell on Urbanspoon

 

Luxury Accommodation at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Accommodation, Bars, Featured, Hotels, Luxury, Singapore, Travel

I may have inadvertently blown our wedding budget to the point that there was very little left in our kitty for a honeymoon. Our original plans were to go on a six week drive up the West coast of America followed by a week in New York. My fantasy of cruising up Route 101 in a bright red convertible with the wind in my hair and not a care in the world has been pushed far, far away into the very distant future. Our make shift post-wedding holiday was instead to be a four day stopover in Singapore; an easy holiday to do as Jetstar land in Singapore on their way back from Phuket anyway.

"Complimentary Blueberry White Tea" "Blueberry White Tea" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Complimentary Blueberry White Tea

We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental which is a five-star hotel very conveniently located in the heart of the Marina Bay district right along the Grand Prix track. Our room offered stunning views over the Bay and the city skyline in addition to directly facing onto the Formula One racetrack itself. You could watch the race directly from your own room if you booked it enough in advance! I chose this area knowing it is very central to all the foodie, entertainment and shopping places I had on my wish list to check out. It is also only a couple of tube stations from the Orchard Road shopping district. Our Premium Ocean Room was clean and reasonably newly appointed with a pillow menu, twice daily housekeeping and free WIFI.

"Complementary Tasting plate" "desserts" "red wine" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Complementary Tasting plate of desserts and bottle of red wine on arrival

On our first night we had already been out for a beautiful lunch at Sky on 57 with my Dad and Stepmum as they were passing through Singapore on their flight home to Melbourne. Ordering room service seemed like the best way for us to kick back and relax. Earlier that morning when we were still in Phuket we had obtained all our unedited wedding video footage from our videographer and we were both itching to watch it.

"traditional Italian lasagne" "fresh tomatoes" "minced beef" "mozzarella cheese" "homemade pasta sheets" "In Room Dining" "Lasagne al Forno" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

In Room Dining Lasagne al Forno ($30SGD)

"Complimentary Ginger drink" "Ginger drink" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Complimentary Ginger drink

The Boy ordered one of his favourite comfort foods; a traditional Italian lasagna made with fresh tomatoes, minced beef and mozzarella cheese layered between home-made pasta sheets. Retrospectively, it feels quite odd now writing about him eating meat. In the weeks following our return from Singapore, the Boy made the surprising decision to become a vegetarian. After years of being a big meat eater, I wonder what his favourite comfort food will be now?

"grilled Norwegian salmon" "potato" "baby vegetables" "In Room Dining" "Salmon Steak" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

In Room Dining: Salmon Steak ($40SGD)

"In Room Dining" "Garden Chef Salad" "asparagus tips" "avocado" "olives" "cherry tomatoes" "Parmesan cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

In Room Dining: Garden Chef Salad ($22SGD)

"In Room Dining" "Roasted Mushrooms" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

In Room Dining: Roasted Mushrooms

I ordered the grilled Norwegian salmon with steamed potato and baby vegetables. Desperate for some greens I also ordered the garden salad which turned out to be quite an enormous serve. In addition to the usual greens it contained asparagus tips, avocado, olives, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese shavings.

"Asahi" "Ruinart Blanc de Blancs" "Axis Bar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Axis Bar and our Lounge drinks

During our stay we visited the Axis Bar a couple of times to put our feet up after a hard day eating and sightseeing. Overlooking the Marina Bay they have plenty of comfortable lounges to allow us to unwind from all the wedding excitement over a drink or two.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Axis Bar: Our specially made GF platter

Whilst the bar menu did not have many gluten free options, the kitchen was more than happy to make up for us a special platter each visit with a variety of gluten free snacks including roasted duck with caperberries, smoked salmon  and marinated olives.  

"MELT The World Café" "Gluten free bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

MELT ~ The World Café: Gluten free bread

"MELT The World Café" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Gluten free pancakes

In addition to two bars, the Mandarin Oriental has five restaurants. MELT ~ The World Café is their buffet style restaurant where our included buffet breakfast was served. They had an excellent range of gluten free options and every morning the waiter would come over to our table and ask if I wanted my gluten free waffles and pancakes. I’m sure this is the first hotel I’ve been offered both waffles and pancakes that I am able to eat. No wonder I put on so much weight! The waffles had a wondrously thin crisp outer layer and were light and fluffy on the inside.

"MELT The World Café" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

The Breakfast Fry up

"kaya" "MELT The World Café" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "travel blog" "Singapore" "Singapore travel blog" "Singapore restaurants" "Singapore food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "Singapore attractions" "fine dining" "fine dining Singapore" "Singapore hotels" "Singapore luxury hotels" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental" "mandarin Oriental" "five star hotels singapore" "Marina bay hotels" "Singapore hotel reviews" "Singapore luxury hotel reviews" "Singapore Mandarin Oriental reviews" "mandarin Oriental reviews" "five star hotels singapore reviews" "gluten free hotel singapore"

Kaya! Nutella! Oh yes!

There was a huge range of salads, sliced meats and pastries in addition to both Asian and Western style hot dishes. There was even a waffle counter making fresh waffles while you wait. On our last morning we slept in, nearly missed breakfast and ended up dashing down all dishevelled and sleepy. As we finished off our meals the manager came over to us with two glasses of champagne and a camera wanting to congratulate us on our marriage. Even without any make-up  the natural glow of happiness from us both was easy to capture. Within minutes of returning to our room the photo arrived in a Silk quilted photo frame. What a thoughtful and personal touch.

In addition to the buffet restaurant there are four other restaurants which include Dolce Vita (Italian), Cherry Garden (Cantonese), Morton’s (Steakhouse) and Wasabi Bistro (Japanese). We dined at Cherry Garden one evening where I was gob-smacked that I could enjoy beautiful Cantonese dishes made especially gluten free. Read my review of our meal at Cherry Garden here.

Throughout our stay we found there to be a high level of attention to detail with excellent communication amongst their staff regarding my food allergies. It was refreshing to not have to reiterate at each venue what I could and couldn’t eat and I would have no hesitation staying here again upon our return to Singapore.

 

Note: We stayed in a Premier Ocean Room for $437AUD/night which included a buffet breakfast.
 
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797 | +65 6338 0066 | www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore 
 

 

A Chinese Wedding Banquet at Szechuan Court, Fairmont Hotel, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Chinese, Degustation/Fine dining, Featured, Hotels, Restaurants, Singapore, Wedding

The exciting event of the wedding of a close friend brought us back to the lovely city of Singapore for the first time in over ten years.  It was to be my first experience of a Chinese wedding banquet and was to be held at Szechuan Court, Fairmont Hotel, Singapore.  I felt so privileged to receive an invite and prepared myself right from the outset that for that one night I was just going to have to eat gluten.  Avoiding gluten in a Chinese banquet of any occasion is literally impossible due to the ubiquitous use of soy sauce. I knew that if I was to eat the banquet regardless of the gluten I was going to suffer for it the next day however I figured it would be worth it.

"menu" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese"

The Menu

As we were shown to our seats I noticed that both our table and the bridal table next to us was much more lavishly decorated than the rest of the tablets. Our table was covered in a bright red table-cloth and decorated with bigger bouquets of flowers. As the night progressed I also observed that our plates were filled with more food and served to us in larger bowls.

"roast duck" "mango" "soya chicken" "honey glazed pork" "chilled spicy jelly fish" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese"

Szechuan Court Cold Cut Combination

In eager anticipation for the feast I forced myself to only graze on a few small snacks over the day. As we headed to Szechuan Court I was so hungry I could have nearly eaten my own arm. If only I had known before that it is common custom at these important Chinese events for there to be quite a wait before food is brought out! By the time our starter combination arrived I was so utterly famished that I demolished it all far too quickly. There were beautifully plated slices of roast duck sandwiched around a fresh sliver of mango, there was a richly coloured chunk of Soya chicken, a thick wedge of succulent honey glazed pork and a cute little lettuce cup of chilled spicy jelly fish. This was one of my favourite dishes for the night and I really regretted my gluttony wishing I had savoured its flavours for more than a millisecond.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Braised crabmeat soup" "bamboo fungus"

Braised crabmeat soup with bamboo fungus

I love the deception of clear soups.  Gazing into my reflection in the bowl I always wonder how something so watery looking can manage to pack such a powerful punch of flavour. This crab soup was no exception and the table went silent for a few minutes while everyone slurped away hungrily.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Braised crabmeat soup" "bamboo fungus"

Braised crabmeat soup with bamboo fungus

Bamboo fungus is a type of mushroom that is claimed to have many medicinal properties including antibacterial and anti-cancer effects. Another more unusual fact about this fungus is that the smell of the fresh fungus has been reported to trigger spontaneous orgasms in women!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Steamed live marble goby" "superior soy sauce" "seafood" "marble goby"

Steamed live marble goby in superior soy sauce

The next course was some lightly steamed live Marble Goby served in a broth of superior soy sauce. Marble goby is a type of freshwater fish that considered something of a delicacy by many Chinese as for its flesh is delicately tender yet has a lingering sweet flavour.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" " Crispy fried wasabi prawn" "wasabi" "prawn" "mango" "dragonfruit"

Crispy fried wasabi prawn

With a number of gluten containing courses now under my belt, I accepted my fate that in a few hours I would start to feel the aftermath of my indiscretions therefore I really had nothing to lose and must press on.  I had psyched myself up for this banquet for months and certainly wasn’t going to turn any of these sumptuous dishes away! The next two dishes steered away from the more traditional Chinese style infusing some modern fusion flavours.  The wasabi prawns crunched loudly as I bit into their crispy exterior and I couldn’t help but feel liberated to cast off the shackles of my allergies for one night even if it made me unwell and covered in eczema!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Pan-fried pork spare rib" "mocha coffee sauce" "pork"

Pan-fried pork spare rib with mocha coffee sauce

I was informed earlier that evening by the dear mother of the bride that sea cucumbers are very laborious to prepare for eating. There is an extensive amount of work involved over several days which include slitting them open, turning them inside out and then repeatedly washing and boiling them over a few days.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Braised sea cucumber" "Chinese mushroom"

Braised sea cucumber with Chinese mushroom

The Boy and I first tried eating sea cucumber many years back at Shung Fung in Perth and we both really loved its slippery, nearly rubbery texture and subtle flavour. Sea cucumbers are a highly nutritious food and contain large amounts of protein in addition to many essential compounds including iodine, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, selenium, manganese, chondroitin sulphate, saponins and vitamins like vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Seafood fried rice"

Seafood fried rice with shallot

The beauty of eating slowly is that you get full much more easily as your brain has time to actually register the food you are shovelling into it! The polite sized scoop of seafood fried rice was just enough to fill the last gaps in my stomach before dessert.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore restaurant reviews" "chinese wedding banquet" "szechuan court" "szechuan court, Fairmont hotel" "chinese" "Chilled cream of mango" "pomelo" "sago" "asian desserts" "desserts"

Chilled cream of mango and pomelo with sago

Many of my dear readers may recall my obsession with food shaped in tiny balls; tobiko, caviar, sago, tapioca, you name it I’m sure to squeak with delight if you serve them to me. I think this obsession is one of the main reasons I love Asian desserts so much!  The chilled cream of mango was not overpoweringly sweet and the tang of the pomelo gave it more depth and flavour.

By this late stage of the night things had started to become quite rowdy, but in a good way.  The bride’s father proudly led the bridal party in a procession to each table individually bearing a very elaborate looking bottle of whiskey.  At each table he would stop, pour healthy size nips of whiskey to everyone before drinking some himself and then commenced to singing very loudly at the top of his lungs.  No one required much encouragement to join in and before long dining room was filled with the booming voices of all the guests joyous for this wonderful marriage of two very beautiful people.

Szechuan Court, Fairmont Hotel, Singapore
80 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189560 Singapore | www.fairmont.com/singapore
 
Tripadvisor
 
Price:                     $$$        
Food:                    8/10 (I am no expert on Chinese fine dining but my taste buds don’t lie!)
Service:                3/5 (a little slow serving drinks)
Ambience:          3.5/5 (the function room was filled to the brim with cheerful, noisy guests)
Total:                     16.5/20

Fairmont Hotel, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Accommodation, Breakfast/Brunch, Hotels, Singapore, Travel

Our last visit to Singapore was during a stopover ten years ago en route to London where we lived for a number of years.  We had spent our last few weeks in Perth burning all the candles at every end bidding our friends farewell and by the time we arrived in Singapore we were left feeling like a clump of melted wax.  We were young and comparatively naïve and got easily caught up in the flurry of hotel booked tours and commercialised tourist traps.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The view from our room

Fast forward to the present and we are now both savvy travellers; we know what we enjoy and more importantly how to find it.  Consequently I was super excited to be returning to Singapore to attend a close friend’s wedding armed with a multitude of eating recommendations from all my fellow blogging friends.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The view from our room

The wedding banquet was to be held at Fairmont Hotel so to simplify things we took opportunity of the discounted group rates and stayed there. The location is very central being walking distance to the harbour, CBD and Marina Bay Sands; and has a subway train station in the shopping complex attached to the hotel.  Public transport in Singapore is quick, efficient and easy to use.  We actually discovered it to be a quicker way to get around the central city than a taxi. 

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Fairmont Room

We stayed in the Fairmont Room which is their most basic room; however it was relatively spacious with a lounge chair, extremely comfortable king sized bed, fully equipped working desk and a private balcony overlooking the city. 

"bathroom" "amenities" "le labo" "rose" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Lovely Le Labo products

There was a selection of bathroom amenities using Le Labo products scented with their signature Rose 31 fragrance. The thought of rose fragrance conjures up in my mind subtle, underwhelming, floral scents so when I took a waft of the luscious hand cream I wasn’t expecting the complexity of spice and woodiness.  Other components of this fragrance include cedar wood, cumin and olbanum giving a sexy, nearly masculine scent.  We only stayed for two nights but I ensured to clear away the products each service to ensure getting refreshed with another batch!

"Nespresso" "coffee" "minibar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The mini-bar was small but had the essential ;)

Another highlight of our room was the addition of a Nespresso machine.  Since my Mum gifted to us a Nespresso machine for our engagement last year, I have realised my coffee addiction has been lifted to new heights and I cannot start my day without a decent coffee.

"Nespresso" "coffee" "minibar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Oh no!

My initial excitement at seeing a Nespresso machine was short-lived when I realised the only pods on offer were in fact the only pods I didn’t like! Thankfully a Nespresso Boutique was not far from our hotel and before long I was back in 7th coffee heaven.

"chickpea curry" "pastries" "honeycomb" "cereals" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Breakfast buffet

Breakfast is served buffet style downstairs at their Italian restaurant Prego.  I always find Asian hotels offer a much great variety of foods for breakfast buffet than our Australian counterparts and this buffet was no exception. Gluten free bread was available on request however unfortunately none of the buffet food was sign posted whether it was gluten free so I was a little nervous in knowing in what I could and couldn’t eat.  The non-allergic Boy on the other hand went nuts and piled his plate high of an assortment of curries, pastries and meats topped with a pile of crispy bacon.

"poached eggs" "salmon" "bacon" "cold meats" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Breakfast buffet – the bacon was so crispy

"donuts" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The donut tower

On our second day in Singapore we returned fairly late back to our room after a full day walking around the city. The wedding banquet was to be held that evening so we planned to quickly beautify ourselves ready for a few pre-dinner drinks to set the mood for the occasion.  To our dismay, on entering our room we were confronted by the same mess we had left hours earlier that morning. Housekeeping had forgotten to clean our room! I cannot deny this is a major oversight for a premium hotel establishment and I couldn’t help but be annoyed that I had to wait for fresh towels before I could start getting ready for the evening celebrations.  Consequently we missed out on the pre-drinks and had to rush straight to the wedding reception.

"orchids" "lobby" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Despite this frustrating hiccup the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore proved to be a great accommodation option for us during our recent stay.  The central location, reasonable room rates and well-appointed room made our whirlwind 2 day stay an enjoyable and comfortable one.  Our only complaint (other than our un-made room) was we didn’t have enough time! As a result we have decided to stop over again on our way home from our wedding to finish off our hit list of must-eats!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Fairmont Singapore

80 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189560 Singapore | www.fairmont.com/singapore

Tripadvisor reviews 
 
Food:                                    3.5/5 (based on buffet breakfast at Prego only)
Service:                                2.5/5 (check out process was slow, housekeeping forgot our room)
Rooms:                                 4/5 (clean, well-appointed and spacious, BTW the bed is the BOMB)
Location:                              4.5/5
 
Total:                                     14.5/20