Two New Mums: August 2013

Friday, 23 August 2013

Groupon - Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant

It's another Groupon Restaurant Review!! This time, we came to Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant located at Zhong Shan Mall. This is quite a new mall that is located beside Days Hotel. Zhong Shan Mall is a very small boring mall with nothing to shop and only a few eatery located inside the mall. BUT....one very attractive tenant will make me come back to the mall again!! That is NTUC FINEST, which took the whole second level, there is so many imported gourmet material that you cannot find in normal supermarket. Everything is so neatly placed and no crowd at all. This is like a heaven compare to the NTUC inside NEX which is forever crowded haha..... Ok, enough raving of NTUC Finest,back to the review of Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant.

$20 for $40 worth of Voucher

Easy to make reservation?

I called to make reservation when I was on the way down. But no one picked up the phone. I decided to try my luck by walking in. No problem walking in without reservation, the restaurant is quite empty when I arrived.

How is the experience?

The restaurant decor is typical Japanese setting. The feel is quite authentic as there is comics book located at the counter for you to read while waiting for food. Japanese TV program playing on the TV. The waitress service is very prompt as well, green tea is refill every now and then.

Free Pickled Carrots on every table

Oyako Iyu (Chicken and Onion Rice) - $15/-
The chicken and onion is seasoned very well, very appetizing to eat along with white rice.

Saba Shioyaki - $13/-

Spicy Ramen - $15
The spicy ramen comes with a plate of chili paste, you can add the chili according to your tolerance for spiciness. I added all...and it was SPICILY SHIOK!!!

Spoon ---Size of ladle

Mentai Cheese Potato - $10/-

Total Bill was $63.55 after $40 Voucher, we had to top up $23.55.

Any Hard Sell?

No.

Will I go back again?

Yes, the food there is really not bad. I love their spicy ramen thou I would prefer the ramen come with full egg instead of half egg only.

Kotobuki Restaurant (Zhong Shan Mall @ Balestier)

20 Ah Hood Road

#01-16

ZhongShan Mall Singapore 329984

Open Daily (Include Chinese New Year)

Lunch: 11:30am - 2:30pm (Last Order: 2.00pm)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Last Order: 10.00pm)

Take a look at my preloved Bags for Sale: http://msandmrslove2travel.blogspot.sg/2013/08/bags-accessories-for-sales.html

Monday, 19 August 2013

Wedding Venue

Long before we decided to get marry, we already decide to chose Conrad Hotel as our Wedding Dinner Venue. This is where we first had our dinner together...(Angie N WT wedding dinner) hehe ...But....we found out Conrad Hotel could only held 35 tables maximum. We had to give up the location as we are looking at places that could hold 40-50 tables. By the way, Conrad Bridal Suite is super spacious and nice.

Here is a list of places we went for wedding fair that meet our crietria...

Mandairn Orchard (Grand Ballroom)

Pros: - The High Ceiling, Pillarless , Inteligent Lighting for the Ballroom

- Location : In the heart of Orchard Road

- ROM and Dinner Venue is side by side

- The Pre-Event Hosting area is private

Cons: - The hotel sturcture is abit complicated, guest might be confused where is the ballroom

- The bridal Suite is small and dated compare to other suite we seen

We wanted to book this hotel as Nick really like their grand ballroom...but when we called the wedding planner and told her that we wanted to go down to place deposit she told us someone had already block the date , she had to check with the person first. We are shocked as we do not know that actually you can block the date while you considering other venue, you will be given priority if someone else wanted the venue. No one had advise us actually we can do that!!! To all brides and groom who are looking for venue...just block the date for whichever hotel you are interested while considering others. You will be alerted if someone else is interested in the venue..they would be at your mercy...

Anyway the couple decided that they wanted the venue...so we had to go hunt for other venue...thou we are disappointed....we tried booking more than one year ahead but still could not get the venue we wanted....** Book Early!!!

The small ballroom (low ceiling)

The Medium Ballroom, this ballroom is very modern and chic looking. It is quite different from your normal wedding ballroom..looks abit like theater hall ...the wedding couple is on the stage.

Staircase leading up to the Grand Ball Room...

Bridal Suite

Fairmount Hotel

Pros: - Big Ballroom and Tall ceiling Ballroom that can hold up till 100 tables

- Very nice bridal suite with very nice view

- Very central Location, located on top of shopping mall, guests can go shopping before dinner

Cons : - Banquet food is outsource

- The pre-function area is very public

- The theme decoration is not attractive

- Very conventional hall feel

Additional Decoration that you can top up...

ROM Room

The Beautiful Bridal Suite..

Helpers room

All come with this super nice scenic view of Singapore....

Out of curiosity and promises of free meal, we went to the wedding fair at Singapore flyers thou the banquet room is too small for us. The room was nice and the mini buffet treats is elegant and nice. Good for couple who is considering solemnization venue or for corporate events.

Finally we decided to settle for Marriott Hotel as it fits our requirement. We did not view the actual Bridal Suite as we reach Marriott quite late during the wedding fair. From the photos, it look quite modern.

Pros: - The ballroom can fit 50 tables

- High ceiling , the ballroom comes with intelligent lighting

- private pre-function area

- the deals at the wedding fair was good

- location is in the middle Orchard Road

Cons: - one pillar in the ballroom

- hotel looks abit old ( they are changing the ballroom carpet and wallpaper this October)

- Solemnization area not as cosy and convenient as Mandarin Orchard

Long Walkway to the Ballroom, this area would be corner off during the wedding dinner.