Most travellers to Tokyo usually choose to stay in popular neighbourhoods – like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Roppongi, or Ginza – as it is easier to explore the areas. The only trade-off is the very small and cramped rooms that most hotels in the main districts have. And we explored farther out to the Ebisu area, and fell in love with The Westin Hotel Tokyo – one of the most established hotels in the city, combining refined European decor with ample space in the heart of Tokyo.
Christmas might be yesterday but the celebratory spirit is still in the air! And what better way to celebrate than to shop and buy your favourite things? Like the saying goes – retail therapy is the best form of therapy. ‘Tis is the season to shop and be happy!
Some of you might have missed out on the chance to shop from Reebonz x ladyironchef gift guide collection, but it is okay because we have two great news to share, which will please the soul and end your year with a good mark.
Today, Reebonz is having a Boxing Day Sale with a crazy 50% OFF SITE-WIDE promotion. Yes, you have read that right. Everything on Reebonz’s website will be going off at half the usual price. So log on to www.reebonz.com.sg and shop to your heart’s desire!
For those who prefer to touch and feel your bags before buying, make a trip to Reebonz Space – at 24 Raffles Place #07-07 Clifford Centre – for The Last Great Sale of 2013! Enjoy 30% – 60% off storewide, and there will be further discounts on Michael Kors, Coach & Fendi.
The sale is on 27 December from 12pm till 12 midnight, but if you go after 6pm, there is an additional 5% off your purchase. The best thing is its Super Deal – spend above S$1,500 and get S$150 OFF, and if your purchase is above S$2,000, you get S$220 OFF! You don’t have to do your maths to know that is a very good deal. Just a word of advice: the queue at Reebonz SPACE is usually insane during their sales – it is an offer too good to miss – so make sure to get there early! Click here for more details on the sale.
Happy Boxing Day everyone! Go to www.reebonz.com.sg and shop away!
This post is brought to you by Reebonz Singapore.
Neko no Niwa, Singapore’s first cat cafe, is officially opening today. Located at Boat Quay, the cafe is named Neko no Niwa, which means ‘cat garden’ in Japanese.
For the uninitiated, a pet cafe is a theme cafe where you pay a time-based fee to watch and play with the residing pets while you have your drink and desserts.
When we were in Seoul earlier this year, we discovered many cats and dogs cafes, and it made us wonder why no one thought of opening a similar concept in Singapore, Now there is finally a place for cat lovers to gather. Neko no Niwa has 13 resident cats, and it is charging S$12/pax for the first hour, and S$5/pax for the subsequent 1/2 hour block. Now, we hope someone will open a dog cafe in Singapore next!
Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa
54A Boat Quay, Level 2
Tel: +65 6536 5319
Mon to Fri: 11am – 10pm
Sat & PH: 10am – 10pm
Sun: 2pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay/Raffles Place
Photo by Furry-Photos. Nicholas specialises in pet photography and he is based in Singapore. For more information, email him at [email protected] (Note: this is not the contact for the cafe).
Talk about American food and we all think of pizzas, fried chicken, mojos and ribs. And that is just what Shakey’s Pizza is – one of the biggest chains in America for casual dining. In Singapore, Shakey’s is a cosy bistro that dishes out comforting American classics. They do their pizzas well, as with many other tantalising main courses, complete with the addition of some Asian creations like Oishi Wasabi Pizza and Seafood Marinara.
But we’d say go for the signature Shakey’s Baby Back Ribs (S$14.80 for half slab, S$19.80 for full slab). Well-marinated, tender and flavorful, the ribs are oh-so-delicious and very pleasantly affordable. Guilt-free indulgence, monetarily; one that will earn our loyalty.
And of course, pizza lovers should all flock to Shakey’s for the classic Shakey’s Special (S$19.80 for 9-inch, S$24.80 for 12-inch). Generous toppings of minced beef, ham and olives atop a warm and fluffy dough, then baked with mozzarella cheese – the end result is a pizza that oozes the aroma of perfection and one that completes a family feast.
The menu is a comprehensive and reasonably-priced one, from salads to pastas to pizzas; there will surely be something for every palate. Most of the dishes are priced below S$20, making Shakey’s Pizza a place where you can dine out and have a good meal without breaking the bank.
Shakey’s Pizza currently has two branches at Liang Court and Junction 10, and they are planning to open more outlets in the near future – do keep a look out for them! For more details, go to shakeyspizza.com.sg or ‘like’ them on facebook.
Shakey’s Pizza
#02-32 Liang Court
177 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 6338 6553
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
#01-31A Junction 10
1 Woodlands Road
Tel: +65 6767 6553
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
This post is sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza Singapore.
There are many things to eat in Hong Kong, but one of the must-eats is definitely roast goose. A good roast goose has plump, juicy and tender meat with crisp skin. Served with a sweet plum sauce, it is unbeatable, and so good that you won’t be able to stop eating. Hong Kong has many good roast goose restaurants – you can find one on every street – but we will save you the trouble and share with you 6 of the best roast goose restaurants in Hong Kong.
The next time you are in town and need a venue for meeting your clients, or simply want a nice and quiet spot for coffee and pastries, Tuxedo Cafe & Patisserie at Carlton Hotel Singapore is the place to head to.
Tuxedo Cafe offers an enticing Express Set Lunch Special from 11am – 3pm daily. It includes a bowl of soup or salad, sandwich, and a cup of gourmet coffee or tea. At S$15.80, it is a deal to score for those who are looking for a good lunch without busting your budget.
Being a patisserie, the focus at Tuxedo is its array of freshly baked bread and pastries. Under the lead of Chief Baker Andrew Loong, the award-winning Carlton pastry team is constantly coming up with new creations to wow the crowd with its repertoire.
Other than the classic items like French Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, German Rye Sour Bread, Tuxedo has a whole range of bread such as Baguette, Walnut Bread and Semi-dried Tomatoes & Basil Baguette. The desserts, too, are to die for. Raspberry Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Hazelnut Crunchy Eclair, Red Velvet Cupcake – just to name a few. The highlight for us is definitely their signature Lobster Pie, and the rich and luxurious Tuxedo Cake made with Valrhona chocolate.
Photo credit: Carlton Hotel Singapore
Tuxedo is really quite an enchantment and it has every reason to visit. You get the best of a patisserie and so much more. A centralised location, a friendly price tag, and a charming environment to retreat to when you need to unwind from all the stress in life.
For more details, visit their website www.carltonhotel.sg/tuxedo.html and like Carlton Hotel Singapore’s facebook page www.facebook.com/CarltonHotelSG
Tuxedo Cafe & Patisserie
Lobby Carlton Hotel Singapore
76 Bras Basah Road
Sun to Thu: 7am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 7am – 12 midnight
Tel: +65 6415 7887
Nearest Station: City Hall
This post is brought to you by Carlton Hotel Singapore.
Updated on 6 Oct 2014: Restore Living is no longer in operation.
Restore Living is a vintage furniture shop and cafe which is tucked in a shop house along Tanjong Pagar Road. Freshly baked bagels, homemade waffles in a nice and quint cafe surrounded by vintage furniture – it is the formula for a perfect afternoon. All the vintage furniture in the shop is available for sale. If you are looking for a new addition for your place, you can choose your favourite piece and bring it home.
Awestruck. That was how we felt when we stepped into Aoyama Flower Market Tea House in Tokyo. It combines a florist with a tea house, and the result is the dream café for every girl.
Like an indoor greenhouse but with an impeccable sophistication, the tea house is lavishly decorated with fresh flowers of the season. Scattered, lined, tied on vines, sprouting from under… we were lost in the splendiferous floral world with all kinds of richly-coloured species blooming in their unique forms, and filling the space with a wondrous mix of scents so delicate. Decorative mini lights span across the ceiling and drape down the pillars, creating an illumination so dreamy that it enraptures your soul; soft instrumentals looping, quite like a choir of nightingale serenading every dreamer in the room. Nothing quite as beautiful, nothing quite as enchanting.