Singapore Food Blog - High Tea @ Holiday Inn Orchard Lounge

Location: Orchard, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Note: This post is written base on experience in Holiday Inn Orchard City Center, not Holiday Inn Express, which is also around the same vicinity.

On a fine Sunday after a sumptuous lunch, we decided that we want to try out the voucher we bought for a high tea treat in Holiday Inn Orchard, seeing that we were in the vicinity. No, actually that Sunday was not fine at all because it was hot as hell. Nevertheless the thought of chilling off in an air-conditioned hotel lobby for high tea would beat the horrors of throng filled malls.

True to the fame of Holiday Inn chain of hotels, its high-ceiling lobby beckoned us welcome and we immediately saw the vast lounge off to its side, its glass walls separating the cool interior from the scorching streets. Occupants were sparsely seated and with such a spacious lounge, we were spoiled for choice when it came to deciding where to relax. We finally decided to occupy one of the sofas in oppose to table and chair seating that seemed to gear towards comfortable business discussions in hushed tones.

Spacious lounge

Singapore Food Blog - Element buffet dinner @ Amara Hotel

Location: Tanjong Pagar, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore.

I guess that any search online for Amara Hotel's buffet dinner will result in numerous reviews sharing individual experience of dining there after purchasing online discounted coupons which were available just recently. So here's another piece to add to that growing list.

Welcome to 165 Tanjong Pagar Road!

Malaysia Food Blog - International Buffet Dinner @ Café Laurel, Evergreen Laurel Hotel Part 2

Location: Gurney Drive, Georgetown, Penang Isle

Truth is, I was slightly disappointed with the food there. Not to say that the food was not nice, but the selection of food could do with some improvement. Since this was supposed to be an international buffet, with Italian as a the main choice of theme, the choices were the usual you would expect from any locally planned 'international buffet'.

A dish of yummies, all deep fried to golden crispiness! Maybe I should take back my word on nothing special here... deep fried vegetables were indeed different (it was labeled as 'tempura vegetable').

And what were these...?

Malaysia Food Blog - International Buffet Dinner @ Café Laurel, Evergreen Laurel Hotel Part 1

Location: Gurney Drive, Georgetown, Penang Isle

When I was in Evergreen Laurel Hotel a few months ago (read here for my previous article), I noticed the nicely decorated Café Laurel, but never paid it any thoughts. Now after a few months later, I got my paws on some discounted vouchers and here I am, visiting the hotel in Gurney Drive for a second time.

A dazzling central area of the café where a variety of seafood awaits.

Malaysia Food Blog - Evergreen Laurel Hotel - A Wedding Dinner

Location: Gurney Drive, Georgetown, Penang Isle

Among the numerous hotels along Gurney Drive, Evergreen Laurel Hotel is not one of those which I identified immediately. With Gurney Plaza situated at one end and the hotel situated near the far end of the opposite side, I guess I do not have a chance to get to know it, unlike G-Hotel which I could walk through when I visited Gurney Plaza. I guess my ex-colleague's wedding dinner gave me ample reason to get up close with this hotel situated in the prestigious Gurney Drive.

Red for WEDDING! Congratulations to my friend Poh and his lovely bride for their big day!

Malaysia Food Blog - Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel - A Wedding Dinner

Location: Tanjung Bungah, Penang Isle

I may have attended a few wedding ceremonies, but getting invited to one in a beach hotel is a first for me. When I was invited to the wedding ceremony of my German language coursemate, I got my first ever chance to write a piece on the experience of dining in a seaside hotel, more so in an event of holy matrimony. 

The hotel in itself is breathtaking, and a sparse lobby greets its customers. Going past the lobby is the hotel's beach, and since I arrived with my other coursemates in the evening around 7p.m., we were presented with a magnificent sunset view over the beach.

Since we were early, I took a walk around the hotel's lobby area to kill time. The view over the beach was breathtaking, more so with the sun setting. The long stretch of beach was dotted with visitors and guests, all contributing to the lovely view. I especially loved the veranda that stood looking over the beach and across the sea, with benches provided for guests to marvel at the sunset over the beach; this painted an unforgetable picture of a romantic moment I once saw on TV.

Lovely sunset view over the beach behind Tanjung Bungah Beach Resort

Malaysia Food Blog - Eastin Hotel - The Lobby Lounge

Location: Bayan Lepas, Penang Isle


Setting up Eastin Hotel next to Queensbay Mall and so near to the Free Industrial Zone in Bayan Lepas could not be a more strategic choice. With multitudes of multinational companies located in the neighbourhood, scores of foreign representatives can be expected to drop by the neighbouhood every month. As it is these companies' culture to have dinners and teambuilding activities, and with it being in the vicinity, a budgetary lunch in this hotel would be an irresistable offer. As such, it has always intrigued me what such a hotel can offer to one's palate.

A seminar by one of my company's supplier lent me the oppurtunity to try out their buffet lunch in the Lobby Lounge. The lounge area greets visitors with a tall ceiling and a spacious layout, along with two parallel rows of dishes. Combine this with sparse decorations and a white motif, and you get a sense of freedom and peace of mind. I seldom attribute this sense to buffet areas, which I somehow expect to be tumultous and rowdy, with throngs of hungry diners grabbing for the last bit from the dish.