Truly Scrumptious

This post is not really a recipe or a restaurant recommendation – it’s a suggestion of something brilliant to do.
If like me, you want to do something different for Christmas, or something special for a birthday, go to Singapore – don’t just stay in any hotel, stay in a nice hotel like the Pan Pacific, and then don’t just stay in a regular room, stay in a Pacific Room. Now before you gasp and say ‘too extravagant’, here are some reasons of how it can turn out to be both special and affordable.
1. Book in advance – you get the best flight deals this way, and join the airline loyalty scheme so that you can get some free flights or benefits later (even if you fly only once with a particular airline, you can sometimes reap the benefits – I flew once with Emirates and ended up with a $50 gift voucher). Join every free airline loyalty scheme going.
2. Join the hotel loyalty scheme too – in this case GHA Discovery. I joined the hotel scheme before booking – it was free – and then managed to get a special deal of 4 nights for the price of 3 – an immediate saving of hundreds of dollars.
3. With the money that you save by getting a free night – upgrade to a Pacific room. It’s well worth it. You get champagne breakfast included every day, either in the main restaurant, your room, or on the Pacific Club Floor. The Pacific Club Floor is circular – you get 360 degree views of Singapore, the staff know your name, and they can not do enough to help you. You can choose from the breakfast buffet or order anything you like. The breakfast buffet includes breads, pastries, dumplings, Japanese fish and noodles, hams, cheeses,
yoghurts, cereals, freshly squeezed juices, and you can order cooked breakfast to your liking. The club rooms also include afternoon tea with sandwiches and cakes between 3pm and 5pm, and canapes and cocktails between 6pm and 8pm. Basically, you can fill up on the 3 complementary Pacific Club sessions, and then you don’t need to spend much on eating out – just some hawker food will usually suffice. The evening canapes are particularly nice and very cheffy, and usually include 4-6 different savouries with another 4 dessert options.
The wait staff keep your glass topped up too, and it is quite easy to drink a whole bottle of champagne (Mumm Cordon Rouge) and a few Singapore Slings.
4. In addition to the complementary Pacific Floor dining options, all soft drinks in your room are included, as well as 2 laundry items per day, you get a Nespresso machine in the room, free wi-fi internet access, secretarial services, and a depending on your deal, a 24 hour butler service. Like me, you may be a little embarrassed to call on the butler, but they are perfectly happy to make
restaurant reservations, unpack your case, run you a bath etc. The room will be serviced several times per day – so after your morning shower, you will be given fresh towels for the evening. The bath toiletries are Elemis, and the shower has a ‘side shower’ option as well as the normal ‘shower from above’ version. It really is very luxurious.
5. So by upgrading to a Pacific Room, you save lots of money on food and drinks. Marina Bay is fairly central to a lot of attractions like the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Esplanade, The Flyer, Orchard Road, and is walking distance to an MRT station.
6. If you like to travel around and do lots of sightseeing on Singapore public transport, but a Singapore Tourist Pass. It is such great value and saves you having to queue for the machines at the MRT. Click here to find out about the pass.

Coffee machine in the room:

View from the Pacific club lounge:

Orchard Road Christmas lights:

Pacific Club champagne:

Singapore Sling:

Pacific club canapes:
Chicken tikka balls with mint yoghurt:

Spring rolls and spicy Indian potato patty:

Oreo cheesecake, raspberry meringue, chocolate orange cake, blueberry tart:

Papaya salad in shooter glass, spring rolls and crispy pork:

Panko prawn:

Soft shell crab:

Pear and caramel tart, strawberry macaron, strawberry cheesecake, apricot tart:

Salmon quiche, prawn with mango salsa, tuna on pumpernickel, scallop:

Prawn with mayo, tuna on pumpernickel, fish ball with wasabi:

Raspberry danish, chocolate danish, pain au chocolat:

Trout with wasabi, pork, tuna and sweetcorn tart:

Kaya and fruit danish:

Chocolate and peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, and peach raspberry cakes from Twelve Cupcakes (Millennia Walk):

Satay from Boon Tat Street (Lau Pa Sat) – Best Satay stalls 7 and 8:

Satay from Gluttons bay hawker market:

Fabulous char kway teow hawker food:

Famous chicken rice at Hawker Chan:

Ngoh Hiang – Yong Tau Foo – Food Republic Vivocity:

Curry on a banana leaf at Muthu curry: