While the name black society doesn't raise any eyebrows literally, its Chinese translation refers to secret societies, also known as gangs, that used to be rife in Singapore before the 1980s.
Hence, you can imagine the interest when Black Society (黑社会) first opened for business in 2006 at VivoCity! Decor was dark, modern, chic and would have made for a perfect setting for movies revolving around gangsterism. Sadly, my request to take photos of my food was rejected and I decided not to patronize after the first visit.
Fast forward to more than 10 years later; I was famished after an amazing day at Adventure Cove Waterpark @ Sentosa and walked past Black Society (黑社会). I remember it was a Chinese restaurant and thought it was weird to see cakes (rainbow, lava, burnt cheesecake etc) at the counter.
Well, there was hope they might have advanced with times and would be more open to simple, amateurish photo-taking. I asked and the lady actually gave me a funny look; guess they scrapped the no-photography rule a long time ago. Anyway, order made for dim sum since there's a 30% discount from Mondays to Saturdays between 2.30pm and 5.30 pm.
Ginseng Oolong Tea - a pot of tea would always be a necessity when you are eating dim sum and ginseng oolong sounded unusual. Frankly, it was more like a flower tea with a light ginseng aftertaste that could have been missed by fast tea drinkers.
Prawn with Kai Lan Rice Roll - another intriguing twist to a traditional dim sum dish which aims to increase our vegetable intake for the day. Pity, the old school prawn chee cheong fun is still better.
Crystal Loofah Dumpling - despite its unappetizing appearance, this was shockingly good with the refreshing crunch of loofah complementing the pieces of earthy, aromatic mushrooms. Mom would love this!
Original Xiao Long Bao - they may not look as perfect as the 18-folds xiaolongbao from Din Tai Feng but could give the veteran restaurant a run for their money. Delicious pork broth, soft, fatty meat that went well with the ginger and soy sauce. Only problem; dumpling skin was a tad thick.
Jade Queen Shumai - your upsized siew mai which allowed for a bigger, juicier bite! Having the fresh prawn on top elevated the luxuriousness of the dim sum (remember, it's called a queen), the taste and the satisfaction!
Sichuan Golden Pancake - BreadTalk is famous for their signature pork floss bun; this would be its relative, in pancake form. To be honest, it was too oily for my liking and when it comes to such Chinese pancakes, I think red bean paste would be a safer, more comfortable bet.
Signature Custard Lava Bun - it's so hard to find a good custard lava bun nowadays; they are either too sweet, not salty enough or the custard wasn't of the right texture!
This would be what I termed a good custard lava bun; hitting all the right buttons with a generous pool of liquified custard that achieved a balance of sweetness and saltiness, and soft dough that wasn't overly thick!
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Personally, I would return to have dim sum again, with my mom and likely during the promotional period for dim sum; 30% is irresistible for the quality we had! Service wasn't spectacular but being a positive person; maybe it's a marketing tool for being a Black Society (黑社会)?
It's not a cake you would commonly get for birthdays but this request for a swiss roll with chocolate rice came directly from the birthday girl and being the doting uncle; I decided to bake and make one just for her!
Now that she reached her double digits (ten years old); I can't help feeling that the past decade passed so fast. It didn't seem that long ago when she was just an infant with that humongous pair of cheeks! Same goes for her brother who is now taller and bigger than me!
As per customs and traditions, it's picture time with the family. Given the restrictions imposed by the government, we decided to hold the celebration in my sister's house as each household can only welcome 5 unique visitors a day; just right for us.
With Jovyn's immediate family; given their age difference and gender, sibling rivalry is such a headache. Now that I think back, was my relationship with my siblings that bad at that age?!
She's now also at the age whereby boys are nasty and disgusting; hence, this picture with just the girls. On one hand, I do miss the times when she would willingly come over to give me a hug or even snatch the pocky biscuits from my mouth, using her mouth! On the other hand, it's part and parcel of growing up.
People would always comment how similar they look, especially elderly relatives who would say they are carbon copies! I remember how my sister looked when she was at this age and while there are obvious resemblance, I don't think it was a carbon copy!
After the birthday songs (English and Chinese, thankfully), our Jovyn was finally making a wish properly! No point asking her as she is surprisingly superstitious and would know broadcasting the wish would render it useless.
Blowing off the candles; when she was staying at my parents' place as a toddler, she was obsessed with blowing birthday candles and we often had to stick a candle in a piece of bread, light it up and sing birthday song just so she can blow it off. Embarrassing alright but Jovyn can't deny as we all have the videos.
Cake cutting time! I am excited as it's finally time to ascertain if the swiss roll tasted alright since it's been more than a year since I last baked one.
It was yummy; roll was soft and fluffy and the swiss meringue butter cream was delish! Guess I can make this for future gatherings even though my cinnamon rolls have always been popular with my friends.
It's time for my full post on Adventure Cove, a water theme park located at Singapore's island of fun, Sentosa! As mentioned in my previous post on Adventure River, the equivalence of lazy river, the theme park had been closed for a year plus before finally restarting operations on 12 May 2021
I couldn't wait to visit again, especially when international travel is restricted and I haven't travelled out of the little red dot since March 2020 to the nearby Johore Bahru. Tickets were purchased for 14 May, the same day the government announced tighter restrictions under the nicely crafted Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).
First stop upon entry - the washroom where we can change into the appropriate attire for a fun-filled, sun-bathed and water-drenched day!
Not sure what's allowed and what's not? Refer to the above for some information. I am actually revisiting this weekend and wonder if I would be stopped from bringing along my DJI Osmo Pocket. Guess I would write an email to find out.
After changing, it's a beeline for the lockers! While I do not have valuables like an expensive branded watch or wads of cash, I am not the kind to leave my belongings unattended, even in low-crime Singapore! The S$20 (for large locker) was indeed expensive; however, you can lock and unlock numerous times throughout your use, at no additional charge.
Those who have a stronger heart may make use of the storage racks found at a few locations within Adventure Cove. Note the disclaimer; resort world shall not be liable for any loss / damage.
Prefer to splurge? You can consider the private cabanas which come with "two towels, up to S$47 worth of snacks and complimentary usage of locker within cabana." Above three photographs show their locations; at Adventure River Gardens (near entrance), Seahorse Hideaway and Bluwater Bay, respectively. Prices range from S$68 (half day) to S$166 (full day) and those at Bluewater Bay are more expensive given their prime location.
Don't know how to swim? Don't worry; life jackets are available and come in four sizes! While I do not need one for the 0.9-meter deep Adventure River; I think the necessity to don one would be safer for the wave pool at Bluewater Bay.
Remember, some safe management measures are still being implemented under the current Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) and safe distancing ambassadors and theme park staff do comb the premises to ensure we adhered to them.
Let's start the fun by plunging into the lazy river!
Due to reduced capacity (thanks to COVID-19) and presumably limited manpower, some of the rides operate on staggered, half day basis (e.g. spiral washout and whirlpool washout are only operational in the morning) ; hence, do not assume you can play everything by coming in just for the morning / afternoon.
Spiral Washout & Whirlpool Washout - two of the biggest rides at Adventure Cove and the first ones we took as I remember how long the queue was when I took them a few years ago!
Dueling Racer - grab the mat and have a competition with your peer! This reminded me of the ones from Fantasy Island a long time ago; but back then, I think there were six lanes. To me, more competition, more fun!
Tidal Twister & Pipeline Plunge - I only remember a lot of twists and turns for the Tidal Twister although generally quite mild; to be honest, I got a bit bored during the standalone ride.
Riptide Rocket - with a conveyor belt bringing you up to the top before sending you a rolling spin down the pipes, this was thrilling and there's a real risk of shooting past the pool when you exit. Thank god for the presence of the service staff.
Big Bucket Treehouse - said to be the "the coolest place for kids to be"; it has two gentle slides for the younger ones and plenty of "rain" to have that singing in the rain atmosphere! I recall the gigantic bucket could be overturned after it was filled with water but maybe for safety reason, it's now screwed tight at a preferred angle; to be frank, that's not as fun.
Bluwater Bay - only wave pool at Adventure Cove. As there's a capacity limit within the bay, do keep in mind the timings when the surf is up and arrive maybe 10 minutes beforehand. And yes, do remember to wear the life jacket if you are a weak swimmer like me.
Splashworks - queuing up for this interesting, aquatic version of ninja-warrior where you "walk the balance beam, cross the tight rope, climb the cargo net, and leap without fear off the platform cliff jump." No prize would be given though.
I think it would be much more exciting if there's a competing component, either with your friends / strangers. Or maybe have a best timing; similar to the bowling alleys where those with full 300 points would get a reward or something.
Rainbow Reef - aside from Splashworks, this is another unique attraction amongst water theme parks as you can literally snorkel with over 20,000 fishes in this huge water tank!
For someone who loves to snorkel and enjoy going for snorkeling trips (Maldives, Tioman Island, Perhentian Islands, just to name a few), this is an activity I have been craving throughout this pandemic! Of course a natural setting would be better but beggars can't be choosers right?
The good thing with artificial reefs and man-made attractions is that you would be surrounded by many, many fishy fishy. That's a guarantee, even from me.
Seahorse Hideaway - don't bother unless you have toddlers with you. Another picture can be found under the paragraph I shared earlier for the cabanas.
Dolphin Island - have too much money to spare / want to have a special, unforgettable experience?
You can get up close to the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins at a separate fee, on top of your tickets for Adventure Cove. Obviously, I do not have that spare cash. Click here if you are interested in the packages available for Dolphin Island.
Ray Bay - another special experience for visitors to fork out extra money for "wading and interacting with dozens of rays". The price of S$18.00 is not THAT expensive but according to the website, "Photography and videography will not be allowed. An official photographer will be available onsite to capture the experience. Additional fee applies for purchase of the photograph".
The above is bullocks in the current digital / mobile camera era and stingy me was as happy seeing them separated by a glass while travelling down the lazy river.
Feeling hungry? Get your snacks / drink / beer from the booths (not all were opened)! Those with the souvenir bottles from Universal Studios should be able to secure cheaper refills as well; let me try this weekend!
There was a Bay Restaurant but there wasn't out any stalls; it was used more as a dining area, with redemption booths for the ice cream tagged as a "free" snack for online purchase of the Adventure Cove tickets via their official channel.
Enjoy making people wetter using the water pistons located at strategic locations along the lazy river! Those people in the river would likely be wet anyway!
Looking forward to what this is all about. The space given was tiny and I wonder if the scaly aspect refers to the design or that it would house some reptiles within. For a water theme park goer, however, I would be excited for more water rides though.
Closed up section - from the map, I gathered there was a wet maze which is now indicated as "unavailable". Sad. I love getting more bang for the buck.
See that building at the back? That's Equarius Hotel and I am going to have a staycation there soon! Given the proximity of Adventure Cove, my original plan was to stay there and then visit the water theme park. Sadly, my stay was from Monday to Wednesday and Adventure Cove only opens on weekends at the moment!
Other pictures for your viewing pleasure. As you can see, the place wasn't as crowded as before and I personally think this period with restriction on capacity is a good thing for visitors as many places of attraction are a lot quieter and not as squeezy. Even queues to the rides were not as long.
Forgot to bring your sunblock? Or a towel? Or maybe you lost your belongings? Fret not, there's always a souvenir store for you to depart with some of your cash. At Adventure Cove, just step into Reef N Wave Wear.
You would not have missed the shop; it's beside the entrance and in order to exit, going through the retail outlet is a required route.
