Swensen's Singapore

After our leisurely walk along Bugis area and on our way back to the hotel, we passed by Swensen's and it was here that we decided to have dinner.

Why Swensen's

We chose Swensen's because we were tempted by its mouthwatering desserts while looking at its big menu outside. That time, I was feeling a little stressed and as sweets are my uppers (read that as something that lifts me up) and ultimate food choice, the sweet tooth in me just begged to be satisfied.

While passing by, I was also charmed by its casual atmosphere. It's like eating good food in a good restaurant without having to deal with a stuffy ambiance.

What I Ate

I ordered their Chicken Baked Rice, which was said to be one of their all time favorites. The picture on the menu was just plain inviting. According to it, it is tender fried breaded chicken baked over savory rice with cheese in white sauce. Hmm. Seemed decadently delicious.

When my order came, I wasn't disappointed. The chicken was indeed tender, the cheese in white sauce rich and creamy and the entire combination was absolutely quite a treat.

My drinks

I forgot what my drink was called but it was some sort of shake that's minty. It was yummy! The mint complemented the sweetness just fine thus it's not too sweet to make one stop relishing it after a couple of sip.

The Nutty Mighty

Our ultimate treat and my best stress-buster that night was the Nutty Mighty. It had chocolate buttercup, macadamia and mocha almond fudge ice cream crowned with a generous measure of whole macadamia nuts, peanuts, almonds, hot fudge and caramel. The pictures on the menu alone looked fetching.

True to its picture on the menu and name, it was indeed a "mighty" dessert. It was served in a tall ice cream glass with layers of heavenly ice cream with a slew of nuts. Jid and I were just too happy to share it we forgot we were on a business trip for a while as we felt like pampered travelers while eating this gratifying dessert.

For more information about Swensen's Singapore, please visit their official website.

Singapore's National Library and Bugis Village

After our sales call to various clients had ended, Jid and I went back to the Carlton Hotel, rested for a bit then decided to roam the streets of Singapore.

Earlier, I wrote about the proximity of Carlton Hotel to various tourist sites. It was thus a very leisurely walk since the hotel was just a stone's throw from say the National Library. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time so even when the book lover in me wanted to check it out, I couldn't. I thus just contented myself with taking a picture of its signage.

Our somewhat aimless wandering brought us to Bugis Junction. Its signage struck me as interesting so I snapped two photos of it.

Inside, we just browsed through each shop but the thing I remember most about Bugis Junction was Jid buying The Body Shop's Shimmer Cubes Palette. She thought it was on sale but when she paid for it, she found out that it wasn't due to the mix-up on the labels but she was too embarrassed to return it. Phooey! We just laughed it off afterwards but we were feeling chagrined since if we converted the price to peso, it would be the same.

Later, we passed by Bugis Street. This was one area that a local recommended for shopping. According to our map, it is the largest street-shopping location in Singapore and the place did have a huge signage proclaiming this.

The place was packed with locals and tourists alike. The atmosphere was like the Philippines' Divisoria, which sells anything from clothes, cheap jewelry, toys, watches, bags, shoes, etc. and everything seemed to be on sale. There were food stalls too in case you need a quick snack while out shopping.

Even at night time, the Bugis Junction was bustling.

The Bugis Village wasn't all about stalls selling stuff though as in the area were some mall buildings like this one.

We went inside Fu Lu Shou and compared to the stalls outside, it sold branded makeup, shoes and clothes. We were told that they were sold cheaper here though than if we bought the same item in a high-end shop in Singapore, say at the Suntec Mall.

All in all, it was a leisurely albeit a little tiring walk, with me heaving a sigh of relief at the end and it's not for the chance to rest but for the fact that the compulsive shopper in me did not buy anything despite being tempted straight to my face by innumerable sales. He he!

Singapore's Parkview Square

After our lunch we had two more client meetings to attend. One of our client's office was located in Parkview Square and while there, I couldn't help but be amazed at how magnificent the building was. The said building housed some of Singapore's top companies and even a couple of embassies it was no wonder the security was so strict they did not allow taking any photo while inside the building. I thus just contented myself with taking as many photos as I could once outside.

The Golden Bird

The building has an open plaza and in its center is a statue of a golden bird which is supposed to bring wealth.

A treasure trove of famous people

Surrounding the open plaza are sculptures and statues of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill, the geniuses Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, renowned painters Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt and music prodigies Mozart and Chopin.

The Parkview Square at night

This is my favorite shot of the Parkview Square. It was taken during our leisurely walk later that night when we were scouting for a dinner venue.

The Parkview Square in Singapore was designed by the American James Adams, together with DP Architects of Singapore and was built as the last major project of Mr. C.S. Hwang, a Taiwanese tycoon who wanted it ""imposing and monumental, yet stylish and elegant."

For more information about this building wonder, click HERE.