Ms Skinnyfat

Given a choice, i'll always choose to travel rather than go on a staycation. When travelling, the highlight is your new surroundings and novel experiences. On staycations in Singapore, the highlight is mainly just your room (provided you find a nice place). Exhibitions, plays, food, malls and shopping could be done on a regular basis and there's no need to spend the extra buck doing that from a hotel room. Well unless there's something special experience provided at your place of accommodation. 

This is exactly what Studio M has in mind to keep guests entertained. They have collaborated with Chef Janice Wong to present staycationers with a sensory experience where you will make your own chocolate bar and enjoy the fine chocolates made from Thai cocoa beans.

During my Chocolate Temptation Staycation, i was guided through the process of making chocolate from bean to bar in one of the decorated loft in the hotel. While I wasn't able to go through the entire process of chocolate making in 1 hour, it was sufficient to keep me occupied for a bit. For your customized bar of chocolate, you could choose from milk or dark chocolate and also tweak the sweetness to your liking. 

The focus of the process was conching, where the cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder (if making milk chocolate) are ground into a smooth paste. Expect some arm work to ensure that the conching is done smoothly at the start but once the paste is less clumpy, it could be left to the machine to do its job for the next 24-48 hours. The cream mixture would then be sent to Janice Wong's chocolate store for tempering and made into a chocolate block, which would be delivered to you after your stay. 

It was quite an interesting activity, albeit short and not very challenging. But hey, it helps to kill time. There are only that many cafes and restaurants you can check out in the Robertson Quay area. Perhaps also pair it with a morning run/hike to Fort Canning or maybe a sourdough workshop at Tiong Bahru Bakery as well? 

The Chocolate Temptation Package (from $240)* includes a 1-night stay with breakfast for two, use of hotel facilities and an in-house 1 hour chocolate workshop. WiFi and parking is complimentary (on a first come first serve basis). 

Studio M has been open for a while now and you can expect some wear and tear. We stayed at the 22 m² Executive loft with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows to make the room feel slightly bigger than it is. The toilet however, is smaller than a Japanese business hotel's. For a 1 night stay, we can still make do with this. We would also appreciate more pillows (there were only 2) which are taller for better sleep. I felt more tired than rested after our stay. Breakfast is served at the on site MEMO cafe and there is a local and western breakfast option which were basic. That said, for $240++ including the workshop, you get what you pay for. 

Studio M Chocolate Temptation Staycation
3 Nanson Road Singapore 238910