Lunar New Year pampering begins end-January at the Goodwood Park Hotel

Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore will soon be pampering guests with festive meals and takeaway delights for the Lunar New Year, which begins on February 16, 2018.


Festive meals

Coffee Lounge

• Semi-buffet
• Open Lunar New Year eve (15 February) for dinner 
• Open first three days of the Lunar New Year (16 to 18 February) for lunch and dinner
• Lunch is from 12pm to 2.30pm
• Dinner is from 6pm to 10.30pm

Gordon Grill

• Three-course set menu from S$68++ per person
• Open 15 to 18 February for lunch and dinner
• Lunch is from 12pm to 2.30pm
• Dinner is from 7pm to 10.30pm

L’Espresso

• English afternoon tea from S$58++ per adult, S$34++ per child
• Open 15 to 18 February for tea
• Mondays to Thursdays 2pm to 5.30pm
• Fridays to Sundays; two seatings: 12pm to 2.30pm; 3pm to 5.30pm

Min Jiang

• Prosperity menus from S$488++ per table of six
• Open 29 January to 2 March for lunch and dinner (two seatings apply on certain dates)
• Mondays to Saturdays, lunch is from 11.30am to 2.30pm
• Sundays, lunch is from 11am to 2.30pm, 
• Dinner is from 6.30pm to 10.30pm

Min Jiang at One-North

• Prosperity menus from S$488++ per table of six
• Open 29 January to 2 March for lunch and dinner (two seatings apply on certain dates)
• Lunch is from 11.30am to 2.30pm
• Dinner is from 6.30pm to 10.30pm

Takeaway New Year Treats from Goodwood Park Hotel include:

Source: Goodwood Park Hotel. Pineapple tarts in the shape of ingots, which were traditionally made of precious metal and used as money in China.

Pineapple tarts
The hotel is debuting bite-sized pineapple ingot tarts (发财元宝挞) for 2018. A takeaway special, the tarts are made with the chef’s proprietary pineapple jam. S$38 nett per box of 10 pieces.

Source: Goodwood Park Hotel. The Tree of Blossoming Treasures.

The Tree of Blossoming Treasures
The star of the show is the Tree of Blossoming Treasures (花开富贵) – an exquisite showpiece inspired by the bonsai tree. Exemplifying beauty, grace and fortune, this 28-cm tall ‘tree’ has an oversized ingot as its base. The ingot is made with vanilla pound cake while the branches that cradle mini ingots are made of fondant icing and chocolate respectively. S$98 nett, 1kg

Salted egg yolk yam chips with Sichuan spice (四川咸蛋芋头片), S$36.80 nett per jar
Hot on the heels of 2017’s best-selling spicy salted egg yolk lotus root chips – which are also available this year – is this equally desirable alternative, topped with Goodwood Park's chef’s “mala" seasoning. Mala, literally spicy and numbing, describes the taste sensation from Sichuan spices.

Abundant Feasting Specials are available for takeaway at Min Jiang at Goodwood Park Hotel as well as at Min Jiang at One-North.

One of the new feasting specials is braised whole chicken with sea treasures in claypot (如意金鲍海味鸡锅), available for takeaway at Min Jiang. A whole spring chicken is flash-fried, then braised for an hour, while premium ingredients such as Australian 10-head abalones, dried oysters, king oyster mushrooms, dried scallops, white radish, facai (black moss) as well as gluten puffs are cooked separately. All ingredients are further steamed for 45 minutes before serving. S$308.15 nett for six persons, including the claypot. This dish is available for dine-in as well (dine-in pricing applies).

Yusheng (鱼生), also called lohei

Prosperity yusheng  - julienned vegetables such as white turnips, carrots, yam as well as accompaniments like pickled ginger and jellyfish in a zesty homemade sauce - are available for dine-in and takeaway at both Min Jiang and Min Jiang at One-North. Yusheng with:

Source: Goodwood Park Hotel. The dine-in Prosperity salmon and abalone lo hei from Min Jiang.

Salmon costs S$62 (small) S$98 (large)
Abalone costs S$78 (small) S$148 (large)
A vegetarian version costs S$46 (small) S$76 (large).

Dine-in versions include:

Prosperity salmon and abalone yusheng (鸿运三文鱼与鲍鱼生) at Min Jiang, large portions only. Guests will be treated to double the luck as they ‘lo’ (捞, toss) to greater fortunes while dining on this colourful platter by Master Chef Chan Hwan Kee of Min Jiang.

The eyes are first drawn to a beautiful Chinese painting on the plate – personally illustrated by
Chef himself – of a Pekingese perched on the foothills of a mountain, and pretty cherry blossoms beckoning on the peak; then to the gorgeous sunset-hued arrangement made up of ultra-fresh raw salmon slices and abalones crowned with red tobiko. To complete the work of art, edible viola petals and wasabi tobiko add a 3D touch.

A medley of crisp vegetables such as wild arugula, yellow frisee, red sorrel, red mustard greens, carrot, baby radish and white radish, pomelo, sesame seeds, pine nuts and crispy strips of fried sweet potato and yam are refreshing accompaniments, while the homemade dressing is a piquant mix of lime juice, lemongrass and plum sauce.

Source: Goodwood Park Hotel. The dine-in Fruits of Fortune yusheng at Min Jiang at One-North.

Fruits of Fortune yusheng (迎春水果蔬菜鱼生) at Min Jiang at One-North, where both small and
large portions are available. This creation by Master Chef Goh Chee Kong of Min Jiang
at One-North features a flower focal with ‘petals’ made of julienned peaches, plums, kiwi and golden kiwi. Perched in the middle is a mound of pomelo, wasabi tobiko and red tobiko. Encircling this beauty are nuggets of ingot-shaped osmanthus jelly studded with blueberries, as well as edible viola petals. Accompanying the main attraction are romaine lettuce, rocket leaves carrot, green radish, white radish, yellow frisee lettuce, snow pear, pine nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, shredded fish ribbons and two sauces – Japanese sesame and plum.

Available for takeaway at The Deli are:

The Huat! Tart (富贵发“达”), S$48 nett, 500g
This 6.5" pineapple tart, created by the hotel in 2017, returns this year.

Spicy Salted Egg Yolk Lotus Root Chips (辣椒咸蛋莲藕片), S$36.80 nett per jar
Homemade chips abundantly coated with salted egg yolk crumbs, and spiced up with chilli padi plus curry leaves.

Traditional New Year cookies and chips
Macadamia and chocolate chip cookies, almond cookies and 'chiku' (arrowhead) chips will all see a return. Cashew nut cookies are new this year. Prices range from S$22.80 nett to S$26.80 nett per jar.

Details:

Availability for all Lunar New Year specials is from 29 January to 2 March 2018. An advance order of five days is required for takeaways and the last order is on 26 February 2018, 12pm.

The Lunar New Year Treats and Abundant Feasting Specials will be available for takeaway from the hotel’s Deli, Min Jiang (Goodwood Park Hotel) and Min Jiang at One-North. Alternatively, orders can be made online.

Goodwood Park Hotel is at 22 Scotts Road.

Call +65 6737 7411 with general questions, and The Deli at +65 6730 1786 for takeaway orders.

Call Min Jiang (岷江川菜馆) direct at +65 6730 1704;
Gordon Grill at +65 6730 1744; 
L'Espresso at +65 6730 1743; and 
Coffee Lounge at +65 6730 1746 for reservations.

Min Jiang at One-North (岷江在纬壹) is at 5 Rochester Park.
Call Min Jiang at One-North at +65 6774 0122 for reservations.

Hashtag: #goodwoodparkhotel

Note: Prices stated are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST for dine-in, or indicated as ‘nett’ for takeaways. There is a 7% GST charge for takeaways. All information is correct at time of writing.

Park Hotel Group promotes mid-autumn festival

Source: Park Hotel Group website.

The Park Hotel Group offers four classic baked mooncakes this year. Baked using premium ingredients, the handcrafted mooncakes are available in white lotus seed paste with double yolk, white lotus seed paste with a single yolk, white lotus seed paste with macadamia nuts - a low sugar version, as well as white lotus seed paste.

According to the Park Hotel Group, the single yolk flavour is its best seller.

Interested?

The mooncakes are available from 4 September to 4 October. Prices range from S$60 for four white lotus seed paste mooncakes to S$64 for four double yolk lotus seed paste mooncakes. Order by 11 September 2017 and enjoy 25% discount for single-box purchases.

View the brochure (PDF)

Participating hotels include:

• Grand Park Orchard
   
• Park Hotel Clarke Quay
   
• Grand Park City Hall
   
• Park Hotel Alexandra
   
• Park Hotel Farrer Park
   
• Destination Singapore Beach Road

Singapore companies investing in China can get a leg up at the new Singapore Centre in Guangzhou

Source: Ascendas.

Singapore-based companies venturing into China can look forward to a one-stop service platform with the official opening of the Singapore Centre at Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC). Named Singapore Centre @SSGKC (Singapore Centre), the centre is located within Ascendas OneHub GKC, an integrated business park within SSGKC.

The Singapore Centre brings together key agencies in China and Singapore and their resources to provide one-stop services for Singapore-based companies investing in China. It will be managed by business space solutions provider Ascendas, with support from IE Singapore, SSGKC Administrative Committee, Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development Co., (GKC) and Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) to assist in investment consultancy, government facilitation, business matching as well as streamlined company registration and set-up.

Companies can also take advantage of the business spaces, including plug-and-play facilities, that Ascendas offers at competitive rates, to facilitate their business entry and growth in China. To date, Singapore-based companies such as Nicolabs and Dentalthon have set up their operations in Ascendas OneHub GKC. Nicolabs makes health supplements, and Dentalthon is behind the MBrace clear dental aligners.

Chin Phei Chen, CEO of GKC said, “The launch of the Singapore Centre comes at an opportune time when SSGKC is ready to welcome the first group of companies to set up their businesses in OneHub. Through this initiative, we aim to position SSGKC as the preferred location for Singapore companies seeking entrance into the South China market.”

Wong Wing Kien, CEO of Ascendas China added, “With Ascendas’ strong expertise in Singapore and Asia as well as our deep understanding of the local market in China, we are confident that we will be able to work closely with all relevant parties, and contribute to the bilateral investment and industry development between Singapore and Guangdong.”

SSGKC is jointly developed by the Singbridge Group (Singbridge), a member of the Ascendas-Singbridge Group, and Guangzhou Development District (GDD). Ascendas-Singbridge was formed through the merger of Ascendas and Singbridge in June this year, combining the capabilities of two leading brands to originate, aggregate and provide urban and business space solutions across multiple industries and geographies. SSGKC and Ascendas OneHub GKC are good examples that showcase the expertise and capability of Ascendas-Singbridge in undertaking complex, large scale sustainable developments and providing end-to-end urban solutions.

With a vision to become a model and catalyst for Guangdong’s economic transformation, the 123-sq km SSGKC will be a unique, vibrant and sustainable city highly attractive to both talents and knowledge-based industries. Targeting key industries such as information & communication technology (ICT), biotechnology & pharmaceuticals, clean technology, next generation materials, culture & creative industries, and science & education services, SSGKC will support a 500,000-strong community when fully completed.

Located in the heart of SSGKC, Ascendas OneHub GKC is Ascendas’ flagship integrated business park development in Guangzhou, comprising business and commercial space, high-end residential and lifestyle amenities. When fully completed, Ascendas OneHub GKC will have a built-up area of 600,000 sq m.

Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai, sets foot in TripAdvisor Hall of Fame

Source: Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel website.

The five-star Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel in Dubai, opposite the Burjuman Shopping Centre and adjacent to the Dubai Metro, has joined TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame, winning consecutive Certificates of Excellence over the past five years of operation.

The Hall of Fame ranking, introduced by TripAdvisor this year to highlight those hotels, restaurants and attractions that maintain the highest customer satisfaction ratings, is achieved by less than 10% of the establishments winning the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, according to Scott Butcher, General Manager at the Park Regis Kris Kin.

“What our team has accomplished is quite outstanding,” he said. “Not only did we receive high customer ratings from the beginning, but we have continued, year on year, to deliver the product and service required to satisfy the increasingly discerning traveller to Dubai who is looking for quality at a price.”

Increasingly, customers research hotel accommodation online prior to booking, and with more than 225 million views and reviews, TripAdvisor has an important role to play, he added.

“The key difference in the 21st century is that travellers are no longer passive buyers of accommodation, and at the Park Regis Kris Kin, all our staff know that every guest counts – and the spirit of hospitality so famed in the Arabian Gulf is enshrined in our corporate thinking.”

Iftar buffets at 21 on Rajah

Source: 21 on Rajah.
The buffet.

If you are looking to host a company iftar dinner in Singapore over Ramadhan*, the halal-certified 21 On Rajah, an all-day dining restaurant in Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park will be hosting a series of Mediterranean and Asian iftar buffets nightly. 

Chef de Cuisine Faustino Picardo Ines Jr and his team will offer several menus over the week. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 21 On Rajah will feature a specific Mediterranean country's cuisine for the dinner buffet. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, diners can enjoy a Mediterr-Asian buffet which serves up Mediterranean and Asian culinary delights. 

Mondays: Italian Fiesta 

On Mondays, diners are transported to Italy. The spread includes favourites such as potato gnocchi in gorgonzola cream sauce, braised Lamb shank in Mint sauce, braised osso buco and calamari with spicy aglio olio. Four different sauces will be available to complement pastas: pesto, tomato bolognaise, mushroom cream and chilli aglio olio.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends: Go Mediterr-Asian

The Mediterr-Asian nights feature seafood on ice such as tiger prawns, green mussels, scallops and snow crab. Diners can also look forward to classic Mediterranean fare such as lamb moussaka, chicken charcuterie and beef ensemble, baba ganoush muhammara dip as well as traditional Asian dishes such as lamb and chicken satay, assam Nonya fish, Ayam panggang and Singapore style chilli slipper lobster.

Wednesdays: Viva Espana

Feast on beef albondigas (meatballs) with smoked paprika, Spanish lamb stew with white beans, fish fillet escabeche and crema de la Madrid and more. Diners can savour seafood and chicken paella and tortilla patatas ala Espanol (Spanish omelette with potatoes) straight out of the pan. 

Fridays: Moroccan Feasts
On Friday nights, diners are treated to Moroccan feasts redolent with the subtle aroma of exotic spices. The buffet features appetizers such as Arabic fattoush salad, hummus, potato salad in ras el hanout**, followed by main courses such as spring chicken in Moorish Rabat spice, slipper lobster in homemade harissa sauce, mussels with herbs and sautéed zucchini with tzatziki. The signature Moroccan baklava is a must-try to conclude the meal.

The highlight of the buffets will be the carving station, where diners can try the signature slow roasted US prime ribeye with shallot jus and 21 On Rajah's signature homemade sauce, rock salted whole salmon with creamy dill sauce, and roast lamb. 

The popular Asian pasta live station will be available nightly during the fasting month instead of appearing on selected days. Pasta is paired with local sauces such as Singapore chilli crab, Nonya laksa and aglio olio hae bee hiam (dried chilli shrimp paste). 

For more private gatherings, the Private Dining Room with a view of the neighbouring Zhongshan Park can accommodate up to 35 persons. The room is strictly by reservation only. 

Post-Ramadhan, 21 On Rajah will ring in the festivities with a Hari Raya Puasa special of 50% off for the second diner, valid from 17 July 2015 to 31 July 2015 for both lunch and dinner buffets. 

Source: 21 on Rajah. All prices in Singapore dollars. '++' refers to an added service charge and GST which are not yet included.

For restaurant reservations, please call 21 on Rajah at 6808 6847, email 21@dayshotelsingapore.com or book online. Guests can enjoy a buffet at S$49++ for adults from Mondays to Sundays. 

*Ramadhan begins 18 June in Singapore. Hari Raya Puasa (Eid) is on July 17.

**Ras el hanout is a spice mix from North Africa.

TripAdvisor names world landmarks in Travelers' Choice awards

TripAdvisor, the travel site, has announced the winners of its Travelers’ Choice awards for Attractions. In the second year of the awards for these categories, 929 winners were identified, including the top 25 in the world. Four of the top ten landmarks in the world are in Asia or the Middle East, while one of the top ten parks is in Australia.

Top 10 World Landmarks

2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

3. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

6. Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

7. Bayon Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Top 10 World Parks

6. Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, Australia

“TripAdvisor travelers have helped identify some of the best attractions around the globe,” said Barbara Messing, CMO, TripAdvisor. “These award-winning landmarks and parks are an ideal starting point for taking in the world’s must-see sights.”

Travelers’ Choice awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for landmark and park attractions worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

View the full list of winners here.