Wow!
We were a bit hesitant at first, given the recent situation in Japan, and any potential of consuming ‘radioactive’ foodstuff. We were assured by the staff that the hotel imported food from other countries, so we decided to go ahead.
Posters everywhere explaining that the food was not sourced from Japan...
I really enjoyed myself at the buffet. The selection was rather limited compared to other buffets, but the food was good. The sashimi was delicious and fresh; with a good selection available. The oysters were of a nice size (bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to oysters); and there were scallops as well! I didn’t see my favourite grilled eel- ‘unagi kabayaki’ until much later (after I had dessert!), so when I went back to try that, it tasted yucky! Not surprising, since I was virtually bursting at the seams, and grilled eel has a rather mushy texture which does not go down well on a VERY FULL stomach.
Other highlights were the teppanyaki dishes- in particular the lamb rack teppanyaki. That was really nice; tender and flavourful. The prawn tempura could have been improved; I felt that the batter was slightly too thick, lending it a rather chewy texture. I wouldn’t have said anything if this was any other establishment, but hey, this is the Shangri-La.
And ohhh… the desserts! Again, the selection was not extensive, but I really enjoyed them. Especially the HUGE strawberries! That was absolutely lovely with the cream… ahhhh, strawberries and cream- what a girly dessert!
The ice cream (which you had to order, but is included in the buffet) was delicious as well, especially the green tea flavour. I also liked the various cold fruit-flavoured teas that were on offer- there was cranberry, apple and lychee flavours. Nice and refreshing.
We’re going back again for lunch in May; am definitely looking forward to it!
It has been a rather physically tiring week, with lots of yelling- i.e. phrases like 'Don't play with the wires', 'Cannot beat mei-mei', 'Sit down!', 'Don't put your fingers in your mouth', etc etc. Phew. I really wonder how stay-at-home-mums cope. Hmmm.
I'm seriously craving for a holiday. We're hoping to take a quick break sometime in end Aug, after hubby's exams. I've done loads of research over the past week- we're looking at either Bangkok or Bali. I've even reached the stage where I've drawn up an itinerary! :p
Hopefully we can sort out the babysitting arrangements for the kids...
Walking around with 2 backpacks and a stroller was not easy- no thanks to the terrain and the many steps we had to negotiate. Hmmm, not very toddler-friendly.
Isn't this water playground so cool?
Our little boy had fun at the aviary, where birds were free to roam around. He followed some birds around, saw chickens (!), swans, etc.
The funniest thing happened when we were at the mandrill (a species of monkey) enclosure. One of them came up to our little boy against the glass and showed its huge pink butt! A 'game' then ensued between monkey and boy- where one paced up and down inside the enclosure, and the other followed outside! It was absolutely hilarious to watch.
The resident pelican
Freaky-looking hairless mouse
We then had a quick lunch (KFC) and went off to explore the Surf Beach. It was our little boy's first contact with sand, and he just sat there, diligently scooping the sand into his yellow pail. We did let him soak his feet in the water for a while, but it was way too hot and he was getting tired, so we decided to get changed and head home. Phew- changing a toddler there was a real challenge. The restrooms were not well-equipped and were not very clean. It was hard wrestling with a wriggly toddler- trying to clean him, change his diaper and clothes, all with him seated in the stroller! >.<
We only managed to see a tiny fraction of the park though, guess we'll be back in the future when the kids are older!
Since the tree was already up, it made sense to leave it out for a bit longer, right?
Check out our Chinese New Year tree! Hahaha :)
Cute bunny cookies from sis-in-law :)
Mum-in-law also cooked up a storm on the 2nd day of the new year; there was SOOO much food! We really stuffed ourselves silly... *burp*
Babies really don't keep; they grow so unbelievably fast. In a blink of an eye, No.2 is 4.5 months old already!
I'm quite relieved that she's looking less 'cheesed-off' these days- probably because she can respond to her surroundings; cooing, smiling and chuckling. Previously she seemed to be perpetually grouchy- gravity tends to do that to fat and chubby cheeks! Haha :p
The first time she chuckled, hubby and I burst out into laughter- it was hilarious beyond words! Hubby was saying something funny at that time and suddenly we heard this funny noise; took a while before we realised it was our little girl chuckling!
She's developing really well too. A couple of milestones:
So far, it does seem that No.2's developments are progressing at a faster pace than No.1. Either that or we're less 'kan cheong' this time (or maybe too busy?) to keep track of all the details!
Oh, and did I mention she weighs 8.3 kg at the 4.5-month mark?? Gosh! :)
Praise the Lord that she is growing so well!
Happy birthday dear- I hope you have a great year ahead and may all your wishes come true! Love you loads.. *hug*
