Asia's Best Dining Experience Only at Marina Bay Sands

There is no place better in terms of Culinary Experience than being in Marina Bay Sands. Here in today's special feature dining article, I have compiled a list of the most recommended places to visit at The Shoppes of Marina Bay Sands which were made by Celebrity Chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Justin Quek, Guy Savoy, and Tetsuya Wakuda.

CUT
by Wolfgang Puck

The Steakhouse CUT is Wolfgang Puck's first forray into the Asian Market. It brings to Singapore an elaborate menu of only the finest cuts in beef, a premium selection of over 500 wines, that is matched with an impeccable sommelier type of service. The bar and lounge at CUT is also the venue to enjoy a relaxing cocktail, hand-crafted by skilled bar tenders.

Type: Steakhouse
Attire: Smart
Contact Info: 6688 8517
Reservation Recommended
Located at The Shoppes, Galleria Level B1-71
Main Dining Room: Sun - Thur 6pm to 10pm | Fri and Sat 6pm to 11pm
Bar & Lounge: Mon - Sun 5:30pm to 12am

db Bistro Moderne
by Daniel Boulud

Chef Daniel Boulud's re-invention of the Parisian bistro offers classic bistro fare, an approachable wine list, relaxing bar and a selection of hamburgers transformed into works of art.

Type: Contemporary French
Attire: Smart Casual
Contact Info: 6688 8525
Reservation Recommended
Located at The Shoppes, Galleria Level, B1-48
Lunch: Mon - Fri 12pm - 5pm | Brunch: Sat & Sun 11am - 5pm
Dinner: Sun - Mon 5:30pm - 10pm | Tue - Sat 5:30pm - 11pm

Guy Savoy
by Guy Savoy

The youngest of the great French legends and a pioneer of "Nouvelle Cuisine", Guy Savoy's restaurant in Paris is considered one of the finest Haute - Cuisine establishments in the world. His attention to detail and an intimate knowledge of the very best ingredients the has to offer, guarantees that every dish he creates is an appetizing work of art.

Type: French
Attire: Smart Elegant
Contact Info: 6688 8513
Reservation Recommended
Located at The Shoppes, Atrium 2, L2-01
Lunch: Fri & Sat 12pm - 2:30pm | Bar Dining: Tue to Sat 6pm - 10:30pm
Dinner: Tue to Sat 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Osteria Mozza
by Mario Batali

Osterio Mozza is the creation of Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton. Discover Artisanal Salumi, fresh homemade pastas and a hearty meat, game and seafood cooked to perfection on the wood burning grill.

At the heart of the Osteria Mozza is a fresh mozzarella bar where a wide array of dishes featuring imported Southern Italian bufala and burrata mozzarella are prepared nightly.

Type: Italian Fine Dining
Attire: Smart Casual
Contact Info: 6688 8522
Reservation Recommended
Located at The Shoppes, Galleria Level, B1-42
Dinner: Daily at 5pm - 11pm | Brunch: Sunday 12pm -2pm*
*Last reservation at 1:45pm, Bellini free-flow until 2:30pm

Pizzeria Mozza
by Mario Batali

In addition to serving renowned artisanal pizza from its wood-fired ovens - Pizzeria Mozza boasts a wine bar offering over 100 Italian wines all under $100. Signature dishes include the Mozza Caprese with Burrata Mozzarella, vine roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil pesto, Crispy Duck Leg with Lentils, the famous Nancy's Chopped Salad and the Butterscotch Budino.

Type: Pizzeria
Attire: Casual
Contact Info: 6688 8522
Located at The Shoppes, Galleria Level, B1-42
Lunch and Dinner: Daily 12pm - 11pm (Last reservation at 10:45pm)

Sky on 57
by Justin Quek

Singapore's very own celebrity chef Justin Quek's grandest venture yet is found 200 meters above the ground on the spectacular Sands SkyPark. Showcasing the best of local flavors while adding his own unique twists to classical dishes, offering a delightful arrray of Franco-Asian cuisine at Sky on 57, garnished with warm Asian hospitality to compliment the breathtaking view of the city and the Gardens by The Bay.

Type: Franco-Asian
Attire: Smart Casual
Contact Info: 6688 8857
Reservation Recommended
Located at Sands SkyPark, Tower 1, L57
Breakfast: Daily 7am - 10:30am | Lunch: Daily 12pm - 2:30pm
Dinner: Daily 6pm - 10:30pm | Terrace Bar: Daily 11am - 12am

Waku Ghin
by Tetsuya Wakuda

Waku Ghin's European/Japanese cuisine features dishes made with the freshest ingredients sourced from the region and beyond. Tantalize your taste buds with signatures such as Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin and Caviar at this elegant restaurant. Waku Ghin was voted No. 39 in the coveted "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" 2012 list.

Type: Modern European/Japanese
Attire: Smart Casual
Contact Info: 6688 8507
Reservation Recommended
Located at The Shoppes, Atrium 2, L2-02
Lunch: Fridays 12pm - 2pm | Dinner 6pm and 8:30pm (for two seatings)

Getting a chance to dine in one of these restaurants is definitely a must for both Singapore and Foreign Visitors. All of these restaurants bring a quality of experience that you can consider as enriching for both your soul and your taste buds. Take time to see which of these you'd like to consider dining in with your special someone or even your family and friends in your next visit to Marina Bay Sands. Just don't forget to give them a call first ;)

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Singapore Travel Itineraries for First Time tourists

Traveling to Singapore is always something to look forward to, as the City of Singapore is a city that constantly evolves and changes. From seasonal celebrations to regular holiday events, you are sure to find many things that'll catch your fancy and even your taste buds. We'll be heading off to Singapore ourselves and just to help create a structure for our trip we hope to get to follow the itinerary below:

• 5 daysDay 1 - Getting to know the city's history
  
  Tour the historic district of Singapore with its many charms. The Colonial/Civic District is a good place to start and many of the structures e.g. St Andrew's Cathedral and Parliament House are easily viewed from a good walk that leads you all the way to the water where you have a lot of choices for a good lunch.
  
  After lunch, visit the National Museum of Singapore (Check out their store for really amazing handicrafts and unique souvenirs). Nearby is Fort Canning, a nice quiet park for a stroll. From here, you can easily make your way to Clarke Quay.
  
  Take a break at any of the fine establishment in Clarke Quay, after which take a river cruise to enjoy the sights of the entire river before alighting at Boat Quay. From here, you can enjoy Boat Quay or check out Lau Pa Sat or Newton, or make your way back to the hotel to rest your tired body and be prepared for the next day.
  
  Day 2 - Heritage districts and the famous Singapore zoo
  
  Little India and Arab District are right next to each other and are best viewed in the mornings. These two neighborhoods are good for shopping and sight seeing as well as a good lunch.
  
  After lunch, return to the hotel and relax, drop your shopping bags and make your way to the Zoological Gardens, one of the best attractions of Singapore.
  You can also visit the Night safari after the zoo visit which is right next door.
  
  Day 3 - Chinatown and Sentosa
  
  Chinatown is one of my favorite place to explore in Singapore. The area is not that big, however it is rather dense and there are endless sensory diversions ranging from food, shopping and sight seeing. There is also a night market here but the day time activities are not to be missed especially for the temples operational hours so it would be best to go there early in the morning.
  
  After lunch, Sentosa is should be next. Here you can easily spend a whole day and that can get expensive as u have to pay for each attraction. So choose the attractions you'd want to see and spend the afternoon walking around. Highly recommended attractions are the aquarium and the musical fountain (which starts in the evening after sun sets).
  
  Day 4 - Shopping belt of Singapore
  
  When you are in Singapore, you should definitely go to Orchard. This famous stretch is full of dining and shopping malls which goes all the way towards the Suntec and Marina neighborhoods. You can easily spend all day shopping and dining along the way.
  
  When night falls, enjoy the night market and area of Bugis or just enjoy a nice cool evening at Chimjes or a simple short walk around Raffles hotel arcade and a drink at Long Bar.
  
  Day 5 - Singapore's wild side
  
  Enjoy a natural side of Singapore, explore Sungei Buloh, Pulau Ubin or Bukit Timah Reserve, preferably early in the morning. For the rest who doesnt want too much of a long walk, a nice stroll at Botanic Gardens is a good alternative.
  
  Your last night in town, just relax and take in the evening breeze while enjoy what local food has to offer at its best - East Coast Seafood Center. You really cant leave town without trying Chili or pepper crab, though I would personally order both :)
  
  
• 3 day itineraryDay 1 - Colonial district, Chinatown and riverside area
  
  Walk along the colonial district early in the morning, head out to Chinatown in the afternoon and enjoy the rest of the evening at any of the riverside areas of Boat or Clark Quay or Esplanade. You can also opt for an easy and relaxing way to enjoy all the 3 areas by taking a river cruise.
  
  Day 2 - Orchard Road and Zoo/Night Safari
  
  Begin your early morning at Botanic Gardens and make your way down Orchard Road. By late afternoon (3pm), head towards the zoo and when that attraction closes for the day, walk next door to the Night Safari.
  
  Day 3 - LIttle India
  
  Explore Little India and Arab street early in the morning, make your way to Raffles Hotel for a refreshment at the famous Long Bar or the Billiard Rom, or high tea.
  
  To walk off the Raffles high tea when the evening arrives, make your way to the Bugis area for a night market.
  
  At dinner time, make your way to East Coast Seafood center coz u just cant visit SIN and have not eaten the fabulous seafood.
  
  
• 1 day itineraryIf you have only one day in town, take an early Chinatown trip, make your way to Orchard in the afternoon and go to the riverside areas in the evening. For the night, enjoy the Night Safari.
  
• For those traveling with kids ...
  1) Singapore Zoo - dont forget to bring a change of clothes and swimwear as there are two areas that the kids can play in that are great fun. One is located at the playground area and the other is at the petting zoo zone.
  
  2) Jurong Bird Park - great park and had very recently been updated, highlight is the aviary and the waterful, dont forget your camera! After the renovation, there is a new area where there is a nice playground as well as a misting wet play area so do bring along a change of clothes or swim wear for the kids. You can pack a picnic to enjoy here as there are many tables and chairs around and this is right next to the falconry show location.
  
  3) Night Safari - due to the opening hours at night, younger travelers might not make it there or enjoy it as they might be too sleepy. For older kids, this is fun and exciting esp. when u take them on the tram ride and the animals come close
  
  4) Science Center - great place for all ages, lots of visual and sound stimulation for the kids (also bring along some swimwear and clothes as there is an outdoor area for water related fun)
  
  5) Discovery Center - a bit more learning here (as compared to Science center which is more fun) for the older kids but they will love the paintball shooting
  
  6) WildWildWet - water theme park
  
  7) Escape Theme Park - right next to wildwildwet
  
  8) Snow City - is within walking distance to science center as well as the IMAX theater
  
  9) Singapore Art Museum - they have programs for kids age 5 and up (8 and below need adult for supervision)
  
  10) Philatelic Museum - the heritage exhibition allows u to put on some costumes and play with the instruments as part of getting to know Singapore heritage
  
  11) Sentosa - gear towards kids 5 and up, younger ones and those who are in strollers will find it tough with lots of hills and steps. Main highlights are the musical fountain (only in the evenings), aquarium and the luge. the cable car ride is the beginning of the exciting journey.
  
  12) Singapore River boat cruises - You can catch any of them from clark quay, boat quay, grand copthorne waterfront hotel or esplanade
  
  13) Resort World's Universal Studios Singapore - this whole area known as resort world is a mixture of resorts and theme park located on Sentosa Island. It is definitely the place to be for kids 5 & up.
  
  14) MINT - Singapore museum of Toys (a great place to get souvenirs for nieces, nephews, grandkids, etc.)
  
• Looking for the unique gift that represent Singapore ?There are many souvenirs but most are the usual Tees, keychains that can be found easily at Chinatown, Little India, Suntec, Geylang Serai, etc. For something really unique, try :
  
  1) Singapore Museum Shop - my favorite choice esp. the Peranakan items/products.
  
  2) Food Item - Singapore being a Food Paradise, u can bring home some truly delicious products eg. Prima (available at Centerpoint Shopping Mall)
  
  3) Map or painting of Old Singapore - available at Antiques of the Orient (in the Tanglin Shopping Center), I never fail to visit this shop/store in all these years that I had lived, worked and visited Singapore.
  
  4) Orchids - the National flower, fresh orchids can be shipped to any destination, surprised your loved ones with some amazing varieties that are either not available at home or too costly
  
  

This itinerary is courtesy of TripAdvisor which is what I personally use to help us navigate and find the best places to visit and things to do in the destinations that I visit. With the user recommendations one can plot out and personalize itineraries as you seem fit just like what we did with this one. Though the general rule is to really try to stick to the plan, but if you are the adventurous type it does pay to go off the beaten track every once in awhile and check out what the locals themselves would be recommending. I am very excited to get to go back to Singapore and am also just as excited to see how my friends will find the place. 

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Travel Feature: Simply Stunning Singapore @ Marina Bay Sands

Singapore from day one has been quite an eye candy for me and all of my friends that came along with us. In today's article I shall be featuring Singapore's Modern Landmark Statement - Marina Bay Sands and of course with it is their Technological and Ecological Masterpiece known as Gardens by the Bay.

Marina Bay Sands is both a hotel and a shopping destination for all that visit Singapore. With a wide array of shops from local brands to the most opulent brand names. It also show cases events and exhibits which in our case was the Andy Warhol and Harry Potter exhibits. If it is food that you are looking for, you wont be disappointed as Marina Bay Sands provides you with a multitude of choices for everyone. For the budget conscious there is an amazing food court that represents every cuisine imaginable and is conveniently located right beside the skating ring. Just make sure you are there before lunch rush hour as the tables can be occupied really quickly. Best to work as a team with friends in this situation, by having someone look out for tables that'll get vacant and the others to do the food buying. For those that want more of the extravagance, there are many of those in Marina Bay Sands that are more than willing to satisfy your cravings.

Below are the pictures of our walk around Marina Bay Sands from the Shopping Mall to the Hotel and through the tunnel that leads to the Gardens by the Bay.

This was the fun exhibit at the arts and science museum of Marina Bay Sands

Shopping is fun and also quite the workout as the Marina Bay Sands offers levels of brands to choose from.

Awesome View of Singapore as you walk along the outside of Marina Bay Sands

This is a must visit shop at Marina Bay sands and only one of 11 around the globe

Gondola Ride anyone? 

This is the basement passage way from the Marina Bay Sands Shopping area to the Hotel Lobby

Very Modernistic artistic approach to the Marina Bay Sands Interior

If you want a breath taking view of Singapore from it's now National Landmark - Sky on 57 is the place to go for drinks and a quick meal.

Here you get to view the Gardens by the Bay. The Giant Super Trees gather solar power and the two eco domes create a very self sustaining environment for the flora that flourishes from within.

360 degree view in Sky on 57

Infinity pool on Marina Bay Sands. Fun for both kids and adults alike. But definitely not for those afraid of heights.

360 degree view of Singapore from Marina Bay Sands hotel

Underground passage way from Marina Bay Sands Hotel to the Gardens by the Bay

Based on shopper's feedback, one should check out the Louis Vuitton Island Maison as it is only one of the very few of it's kind anywhere in the world. You'll get to shop and see the history of Louis Vuitton as you traverse through each collection and displays. I have also noticed that they have QR codes in some of their collectibles so having your QR Code scanners ready would be a plus here. I forgot to mention that if ever you were to travel to Marina Bay Sands by cab, you have an option of where you would be dropped off - Hotel or Shopping Gate, there is also a Casino entrance for those that would want to try their luck. 

Everything is interconnected in Marina Bay Sands, one just has to ask around for directions and many are more than willing to help you out to get to where you have to go. After Shopping one can opt to go and relax at the Hotel side of Marina Bay Sands and what I would recommend is go to the top most part of the Hotel at their restaurant known as Sky on 57. Here you can have your favorite drinks and experience top class dishes while enjoying a breath taking view of Singapore's skyline. You can also go by the pool and have a dip. There are options for day visitors to use the infinity pool which I hadn't had a chance to try out but would once I get to go back to Singapore again. From here you can get to see also the view of what should be your next stop - Gardens By The Bay. 

The Gardens by Bay is my favorite destination in Singapore because of how much effort they put into making something that is an epitome of self sustaining habitats. Here you'll get to experience the wide array of flora and see how all these from the Super Trees to the two eco domes, Flower Dome and Cloud Forrest, contribute to making something completely energy independent from the rest of Singapore. The Cloud Forest was my favorite as upon entrance you are immediately greeted by this massive waterfall and from there you can already see the winding pathways the visitors will be experiencing from the cloud level all the way down to their tropical rain forest level. The Flower Dome too was amazing as you would get to see all the plants and flowers collected from different regions thriving within the dome. You can also opt to get a pass to go up the Super Tree Path just outside the Eco Domes but we opted not too as there were some of us that were afraid of heights. The Super Trees is a must see though at night as they are lit up and it just makes the place even more magical. There are no fees for the Gardens beside the Super Tree, however to see the Eco Domes and the chance to climb the Super Trees there are varying rates but all worth the pay. 

To end the day's visit is to head back to the Marina Bay Sands Shopping side, right beside the Louis Vuitton Island Maison to watch the Marina Bay Sands Light Show. Here you shall see a playful mix of light, water and music. The show times of the Marina Bay Sands Light show can be obtained at their customer service. 

Marina Bay Sands was truly Singapore at it's best and is definitely a must see place. Describing it and showing photos of this place just simply isn't enough. You'll need a day or so to get to explore Marina Bay Sands, in our case we had to go back twice just to find time to explore the Eco Domes without having to be pressured by time.

Singapore is truly a stunning place to visit, there is always something new to see and do here. For the budget conscious, you'd find that Singapore is quite affordable and the food and shopping quite fun. One simply has to look and I guess the best way to experience Singapore is to simply walk around. Get acquainted with the train system and the bus lines and you'll be able to save even more money for food and shopping. Overall, Singapore will leave its mark on you and will most definitely want you to keep on coming back for more.