Take it from the Travelerintransit, traveling is fun, only when everything goes smoothly. I've been really lucky so far, i haven't got mugged, or lost my documents or baggage (not gonna jinx it). The crappiest experience was the missed connection when i flying out from JFK to SIN and was stucked in Dubai for a night. And that Emirates transit hotel was the worst ever. Ok i exaggerate, it was the only hotel that i had to put up at while in transit BUT it was in the middle of nowhere (in the desert) and there weren't proper facilities or decent restaurants even and it was certainly no where close to the airport. I should have just stayed at the airport instead of taking up Emirates offer. Darn!

Well, speaking of transit and airport hotels, i believe it would be hard to beat Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel. Well i've not had the opportunity to experience the hotel while in transit (Singapore is home anyway) but i've always thought about how comfortable it must be. Pretty stoked that i'd be checking CP out later this month, thanks to the pretty ladies at CP. :)

Well i love Changi Airport and if there's any airport that i'm ok with being stranded at, it'd be Changi. It's safe, clean and there are many rest stations and lounges to refresh yourself if it were a short delay. However, for longer waits, i'd rather a hot tub, a nice bed and a good meal before carrying on with my journey and Crowne Plaza provides all of that. Plus it's connected to Terminal 3 at Changi Airport via a link bridge. CP can also escort you from the aerobridge to hotel with their VIP Meet-and-Greet Service, not bad hur?

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is more a business hotel with a resort ambience. On my previous visits, i liked how it's quiet and tranquil indoors but tropical sunshiney outside. 

Courtyard gardens, a landscaped pool area and peaceful garden views from the Lobby Lounge or al fresco courtyard. I don't think any other airport hotels offer this environment.

Now this is what i wanna check into when i'm already pissed about my trip disruption. Comfortable beds and spacious modern bathrooms with good shower amenities. Not some crappy budget hotel that doesn't even provide toothbrushes.

Food options are plenty. Cocktails at bar'75, Cantonese dining at Imperial Treasure or buffet from Azur (read review here). They are plenty more F&B outlets in Changi Airport too so you'd be spoilt for choice.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is offering a Great Value Package from now till 30 April 2014. The package offers travellers breakfast for up to 2 pax and $40 dining credit per night booked. Credits are non-cumulative and only for use in bar '75, Lobby Lounge and Azur (not for in-room dining). If you are going to be in transit, or you just need a pretend getaway, check them out at this link: http://goo.gl/n7PgF1

I'll be back with my report on Crown Plaza Changi Airport after my stay. Stay tuned!

xoxo
Travelerintransit

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport
75 Airport Boulevard
Singapore 819664
Tel: +65 6823 5300

Singapore Airlines is a great way to fly. It's one of the reasons why i'm proud to be Singaporean. S and i always try to fly by SQ if it suits our travel plans. While the economy class is pretty decent, their business product is the best. It's the better-than-first-class business class! Here's a look at their International Long Haul Business Class Product on the A380 SIN-JFK route. For any flight that long a ride, business class is certainly required.

After checking in, i killed some time at the SilverKris lounge till it was time to board (review some other time). It was a breeze from the lounge through the gate to my seat due to my Star Alliance Gold status. Furthermore, the business class at FRA and SIN has a separate jet bridge entrance on an upper level solely for J.

Here's a look at the cabin. 60 seats on the A380 on the upper deck.

Singapore’s business class seats are arranged in a 1:2:1 forward facing layout so everyone gets aisle access.

Now the seats. At least 30" wide, it is almost as awesome as that 34" on the SQ First Class Suites (read my review here). I could sit cross legged on my upholstered leather seat and still have space for my pillow and the leather cushion. Yea it's that much space to lounge, recline, stretch and roll around.

There are no overhead bins above the center seats so it's just a little troublesome having to share a bin with the passenger at the window. However, there are pockets of space to accommodate small items.

If you want extra leg room, the front seats are the best of course (i was at 11F). I had a hard time propping my short legs on the front shelf which also doubles as a seat. You can easily dine with your partner this way. The 15.4" screen felt a little small from where i was seated though it's honestly quite big already. 

No toiletry kits on J, SQ only provides them for First and Suites. You get all the toiletries in the spacious toilet. Eyemask and slipper socks are provided but i didn't like the texture of the sock.

Got started on the Bollinger Special Cuvee before take off, followed by one of my favorites, the 2010 Weinhaus Ress Rheingau Riesling from Germany which is a fresh and light white that goes well with white meats and spicy Asian food. Red wine drinkers should be satisfied with the 2009 Chateau Loudenne Medoc Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux.

As it was a last minute change in flights for me (long story), i had to forgo my Book The Cook meal on my other flight (no fate with my BTC Kaiseki meal!) and settled for whatever that was served on board. Here's my supper course.

For starters, the Caesar salad with marinated prawns, scallops and smoked salmon. Succulent and juicy scallops. Yums.

For mains, i decided to give Chef Sam Leong's dish a try. The deep fried chicken with apple salad and black vinegar dressing, vegetables and steamed rice. Sadly, it was extremely bland and dry. I didn't touch the dish after the first mouth and the stewardess was rather concerned and offered me a different dish.

The Nage of Salmon and Mussel in spicy minestrone broth with pasta and vegetables was a savory and hearty dish. The meat wasn't too dry as well. Fish is always a better option on flights even though i'm not a fan.

Dessert was the Blueberry cream cheese and maple syrup cake. Followed by the cheese cart and more drinks.

Bed time! It's a flat bed on the International long haul J class with a dedicated sleeping surface. Love the fresh linen, light duvet and larger pillows. It's a manual process to fold the seat forward but I got the stewardess to turn down for me. Since nobody was seated next to me, i had a bed and a seat for easy rotation. Heh.

I opted for a light supper instead and had butter cookies with cold milk while I watch my movie in bed.

Here's the supper menu anyway.

Before landing at Frankfurt for the short layover, breakfast was served. To start, I had my favorite Bircher muesli, followed by Black Forest Ham with caramalised chicory and poached egg. There's also the Singapore fried carrot cake for some local flavor and another omelette dish.

Even though the eggs weren't perfectly poached, it was really good for an airplane breakfast!

Quick transit at FRA. Headed to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge which is on the way to my gate.  

Spacious and clean facility. Most importantly, they have showers. Nothing beats a hot shower to refresh yourself before or in between flights. I really need to try the Emirates in plane shower on their first class flight soon.

Simple shower but adequate.

The lounge breakfast had a good spread of breads, cheeses and hams. The breads are full of goodness and absolutely delicious with the honey and other condiments. I opted for a rosé instead of coffee.

Back to the plane in an hour. Was told by my fellow passenger that I don't look like I took a long haul flight. ;)

Next leg to JFK. It's the same seat so I settled back into the routine of eating and watching tv easily.

3rd breakfast! Tomato Cheese Souffle served with bacon, spinach and roasted potatoes. Amazing egg souffle i must say!

Then it was lunch. Starter of Mediterranean platter. Stuffed peppers, roasted peppers, grilled zucchini, cheese and proscuitto.

Mains was Thai Green Curry with Chicken and steamed Jasmine rice which was delicious. Comparable to TG's thai food offerings on their Business Class. 

This was one of my easiest long haul flight. I can't imagine flying economy to NYC anymore. Oh the pain. Honestly nothing else can beat this, well other than the non stop SQ37 that i took from LAX to SIN. Can't wait for SQ to bring back the non stop to NYC. Fingers crossed for 2015! Till the next one!

xoxo

Travelerintransit

The things i miss most about Paris are first, the buttery and flaky croissants and then the beautiful people watching from the quaint sidewalks. I was delighted to discover a piece of Paris, right in the heart of Singapore at Cafe & Bar Gavroche.

Cafe & Bar Gavroche is opened by Chef Patron Frederic Colin, which also owns the successful Brasserie Gavroche, also on Tras Street. The conservation shophouse would not be out of place in Paris with its cobblestone flooring, Drucker wicker chairs and pre World War artefacts which includes the 4.2m wooden bar originating from Normandy, circa 1920.

I absolutely love the outdoors-indoor concept of The Terrace, a natural light filled space, where S and i enjoyed their weekend brunch.

We got started on the freshly baked and rustic croissants ($2.50) and pain au chocolate ($3.50).These are LOVE. Flaky, salty, crumbly and glossy pastries are the best. They are absolutely out of this world especially when paired with creamy French butter and Bonne Maman jams. Definitely a mood lifter!

Have them with some coffee or even better, the pear juice ($7). It was fresh pear in liquid form. Yums.

Smoked Salmon Oeufs Benedict ($25)- I loved the that Gavroche uses Brioche instead of muffin and the pillowy bun took in all that eggy goodness. The hollandaise is on the light side but that's what made it French.

Tartine d'oeufs brouilles, tapenade et tomatoes ($17)- was an interesting open faced country bread topped with scrambled egg  and spread with tapenade olives and sweet tomatoes. This is certainly a refreshing breakfast sandwich.

Not to be missed is also their Croque Madame ($18), a hot favorite with many diners that i vow to try the next time i return.

We ended breakfast on a sweet note with the profiteroles and i was extremely sure that Gavroche does really good breads and pastries. 

This is certainly where i'd be when i need a dose of Paris.

Weekend breakfast are available from 10.30am to 2pm. Catch you guys there sometime.

Cafe & Bar Gavroche 
69 Tras Street
Tel: +65 6225 4869
Tue - Fri: 12 - 2pm, 5pm till late
Sat: 10.30am till late
Sun: 10.30am - 2.30pm

Picking a hair salon/hairstylist is like picking a boyfriend. It takes a lot of effort at the start in finding the right place, continuous communication and potentially a long term commitment. I haven't divorced my stylist though but well i'm exploring alternatives since i've been approached by several salons to manage my hair. Soooooo... Say hello to Silkcut Salon!

Silkcut is a small salon operating in the Havelock Road estate. Well if you're wondering why Silkcut.. Well I don't go for big brands all the time. What matters is the quality of the salon, the ambience and the level of service and Silkcut meets all that criteria!

Silkcut has been in operation since 1995. Say wert! The creative directors, Dave, Eve and Geraldine, have years of experience under their belt (but none of the age on their faces I swear). Their customers are all regulars from all over the island who come here specially for their hair services.

The crazy packed salon on a Friday night. Weekends are way worse I heard! It's almost impossible to do a walk-in even on weeknights. Yea they're that popular.

When i first visited Silkcut Salon, i was terribly upset at the state of my hair. It was dry and had gotten worse after a dye at one of the Far East Plaza salons which I reviewed (thou shall not be named unless asked).

This is the before hair. Well I tried to make it a little more presentable by blowing dry my hair but it's really a huge heavy mob.

The back. Wispy and frayed hair. Yucks!

The Silkcut experience starts with a consultation. Geraldine, Eve and senior stylist Doreen spent a good 15 mins just touching and analyzing my hair to decide on the treatment plan. They finally decided to go with a Japanese Water Rebonding treatment to make my hair smoother, shinier and healthier.

This treatment is not harmful to the hair because there's only 10% chemicals and the rest is the Biostraight formula which is mostly moisture! It combines hair straightening with hair treament so it's a perfect 2 in 1 solution for me.

The solution was only left on for 10mins and the entire session only took me about 2h as compared to the usual 4h for rebonding.

The end product. Absolutely soft and silky smooth. It's not too flat as well since the solution wasn't left on for too long.

Just look at how manageable it is. Love!

Positively in love with my hair now. This is my out of bed look. No kidding. It's super low maintanence and fizz free. I only found my fringe a little flat but nothing unsolvable with some clay and clips.

For medium length hair, the Japanese Biostraight Water Rebonding costs $288. It's slightly pricier but you're paying for a stellar hair treatment on top of rebonding.

Silkcut Salon

22 Havelock Road #01-693, Singapore 160022

Tel: +65 6275 6108

Weekdays: 11am - 8pm

Weekends and PH: 11am - 7pm

I haven't been visiting the Far East Square, Chinese Square area for some time and was surprised to see a booming F&B scene when i dropped by during one weeknight. It was amazing the number of options the CBD crowd gets for dinner. The Mad Poet is the new kid on the block there, inspired by watering holes in New York.

I was surprised to see how empty it was as compared to the rather packed &Sons next door (had a taste of it at Savour 2014). Well, both Mad Poet and &Sons are gastropubs but the former is American, while the latter serves up Venetian ciccheti, which is a novelty in Singapore. Perhaps that's why the Mad Poet has been neglected. But hey, don't write it off as yet. Comfort food is always what we go back to isn't it?

An extensive drinks menu is available to go with the food. There's a good selection of European and Asian craft beers e.g. Old Speckled Hen and Wychwood Hobgoblin from the UK, and Hitachino Nest Red Rice and Yona Yona from Japan. I enjoyed the refreshing Death & Resurrection, a Caribbean white rum infused with cumin and shaken with Japanese yuzu.

The best kinda bar bites are those that are fried to a crisp, with lotsa flavors. The Tempura Mushrooms were quite perfect and we loved the really light and crunchy batter that was paired with a truffle aioli.

More crunchy bites but here's one that really packs a punch, the Jalapeno Poppers ($10). I thought these jalapenos were harmless, like the many that i've tried in Singers. Instead, i felt the blood rush to my head and i momentarily lost it for a bit. But yea. piquant peppers with creamy cheese stuffing and salsa are possibly the best beer food.

I liked the Buffalo Wings as well. It's hard to find decent ones in Singapore (not too spicy nor sour). My only complain is the accompanying blue cheese dip wasn't pungent enough.

The Smoked Duck Breast ($18) was also a great side/main. I haven't had any smoked duck that left an impression on me until Mad Poet came along. Tender and succulent slices of smoky red meat with the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

For something more substantial, there's the Mad Burger ($23) which is made with a Wagyu beef patty. The burger is a little on the bland side though.

If you work in the area, Mad Poet does a really affordable lunch menu that is priced at $10 nett. Think pastas and hearty sandwiches with various fillings such as cajun chicken, smoked salmon and roast beef. It also makes a decent spot to down a couple after work.

Mad Poet
20 Cross Street, #01-23/24, China Court, Singapore 048422

Tel: +65 6557 0312
Mon - Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri: 11am - 12am
Sat: 11am - 11pm