Friday, March 05, 2021

Manulife Sky Nets (Walking) - Challenge Your Fear for Heights @ Jewel Changi Airport [Singapore] #jewelchangiairport

The name for this attraction at Jewel Changi Airport is descriptive on its own although I do find it a bit ironic; walking on nets suspended in the sky while thinking about your insurance policies! Definitely something worth considering!

Known as "the walk you can't forget", there's also a bouncing version that I was less keen in given my fear for height. Anyway, let's try walking first, before we think about bouncing. 

Frankly, it didn't look daunting after I scanned our tickets; just a matter of walking up a steep slope, which wouldn't be too much of an effort for a pretty fit guy for me.

My first step.

Reached the top in no time and the sight ahead of me was , impressive! Doesn't it look like a rolling hill, with the exception that the netting replaces the green grass? As I was marveling at the view, my companions were struggling, and I wondered why.

One of them pointed down; that's the moment I turned my head down and missed a few heartbeats at the free 25-meter high space beneath me! 

My knees went soft at the same time and the immediate reaction was to climb to the edge where I could better support myself, in the event the nets were to give way! 

Maybe my friends got used to the height as they bravely went to the deeper compression in the centers of the sky nets; hello, it would be a free fall resulting in an almost immediate death if anything happens to the net!

To be fair, this is Singapore and I strongly believe the authorities have cleared the safety measures and the strength of the nets before giving the "green light" to the operator. But for someone with acrophobia, there's always an uneasiness despite the assurances.

Bouncing version that was differentiated by its surrounded green nets. Don't think I would ever consider paying to try it, unless Jovyn or Jerald begs me to bring them. 

Given I was in the middle of the route, guess it would be easier for me to grind my teeth and force myself to complete the heart-stopping walk. It's good to challenge my fear; just like the time I went through Forest Adventure at Bedok

Trust me, I was a lot more scared than my friend.

This photo I dared to take since the height wasn't as high as the one that looked down a few floors down! My naïve mind told me I could probably fall and land on my feet even if the net breaks.

View of the netting field at the end of my walk. Okay, legs were still trembling a bit but hey, I survived and it's easier to proclaim now that it's a piece of cake and while I wouldn't pay S$15 (an adult) for a 10-minute attraction; I think it's fine if you are buying the bundle packages. 

Took this photo when I was on the second floor, I think and boy I didn't know the sky nets were so high up! note: you might be barred from entry if you are wearing skirts and do be mindful of your modesty as anyone can just look up!

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Address 
78 Airport Boulevard, 
Singapore 819666

Map of Canopy Park
As above.

Website

Pricing Menu
As above; second photo is for annual pass. 

Thursday, March 04, 2021

Mutton Briyani from Mr Tandoor @ Ayer Rajah Hawker Centre [Singapore] #ayerrajahhawkercentre #nasibriyani

It was only recently that I realized that there were quite a number of nasi briyani stalls at Ayer Rajah Hawker Centre! Even though my former favourite Hassan Rabit Mutton Dam Briyani is no longer in operation; the craving for a delicious plate of nasi briyani would still hit me occasionally, as it did last week. 

I decided to throw in my lot for the nasi briyani at Mr Tandoor, which took over the space vacated by a char kway teow said to be there for decades, before the elderly operator decided to close shop. 

Frankly, the mutton briyani didn't quite wow the eyes and the metal plate, with its unique shape, actually attracted more attention than the meal. And how come no pappadum was provided?! 

When it comes to food, appearance is secondary to the taste and I must said the latter tasted much better than the looks of the former! Rice was surprisingly soft and fluffy, and while tasty on its own; the flavour was elevated by the aromatic gravy that wasn't as spicy as it appeared to be, and the onions.

The pieces of mutton were delicious and the only complaint was the bones that came with them! As mentioned a few times before; when it comes to nasi briyani, my order would definitely be mutton briyani. The other meats, like chicken or fish, just don't appeal to me. 

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Location
Block 503, West Coast Drive,
#01-30, Ayer Rajah Food Centre, 
Singapore 120503

Map
As above.

Price
Mutton Briyani - S$6.50

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

Topiary Walk in Canopy Park @ Jewel Changi Airport [Singapore] #jewelchangiairport

I am not strong in English; while I was vaguely aware of the word "topiary", its actual definition of "the art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes" was totally foreign to me! Hence, it was not to be unexpected that I didn't know what were the key things to look out for at Topiary Walk in Canopy Park of
Jewel Changi Airport!

Entry requirements, safety and health advisory, important points to note and etiquette; god knows how many visitors actually stand to read the entire stuff! All I need was the topmost portion and the one thing I gathered was that this walk appeared to be good for photo-taking. 

It didn't disappoint although the life-sized yet fake orang utans didn't quite meet the definition of what topiary is. Nevertheless, quite a nice spot for photos!

Brightly coloured animals and birds dotted the rest of the walk. Well, to paste unreal flowers onto existing animal structure wouldn't be topiary right?  Can't deny that they did provide a pretty contrast to the surrounding greenery.

The flower crocodile failed to scare the lights out of me. 

Elephant fountain was the cutest even though the shades of purple and red did make it appear sick from afar! p.s. I actually didn't attempt to verify if the 'flowers' were fake but it's quite obvious from some of the photographs.

The friend whom Alex and I accompanied, to Jewel Changi Airport, was a better photographer than Alex; the pictures he took of me were decent and way better than the asshole. Now you all know why I seldom post photos of myself when I am overseas with Alex. 

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Address 
78 Airport Blvd., 
Singapore 819666

Map of Canopy Park
As above.

Website

Pricing Menu
As above; second photo is for annual pass. 

Tuesday, March 02, 2021

Tolido's Espresso Nook Cafe @ Crawford Lane (Near Lavender MRT Station) [Singapore]

The first picture I uploaded for my blog review on Eat 3 Bowls showed a long queue; which I initially thought was for the Taiwanese eatery but turned out to be for its neighbour, Tolido's Espresso Nook Cafe. 

I went back to Eat 3 Bowls a few weeks later and it was the same scene again with way more people lining outside the cafe. It left such a deep impression on me that I decided to check out Tolido's Espresso Nook on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, right after the busy lunch peak. Thankfully, no queue at all.  

Due to safe distancing measures, the number of tables both indoors and outdoors was limited and that could have explained the queue on weekends. However, waiting time appeared to be long and impatient persons like me would have look around for alternatives (plenty in that area) unless the food were amazing. 

View the menu online via the QR code pasted on the table. I think this should be the way to go; you save paper and ink, diners wouldn't have to fumble through dog-eared menu and most importantly for this pandemic, operators wouldn't have to disinfect the menu every single time you hand it to another customer!

Alex and his Sea Salt Caramel Latte - I forgot to ask him for his verdict on this but the cafe was said to be renowned for its coffee which isn't much to me as I very much prefer our local kopi.

Whatever the case, I had to drink something and decided on the Sea Salt Caramel Mocha (Iced); honestly, not much of a sweetness and as expected, I didn't think it's fascinating even though it's listed under signature drinks.

Starting with dessert - a slice of their signature Homemade Fudgy Brownie. There are actually a few textures when it comes to brownies and while this was fudgy as the name suggested and tasted pretty nice when served warm; my brownie preference is more for those with a crisp crust and crunchy pieces of walnuts hidden within. 

Rosti with Cheesy Sausage - my general dislike for potatoes is known among my peers and my last rosti was likely at Marche, which I remember was pretty decent. Fried to a crisp and only lightly seasoned, this was actually good! 

I have no idea what's that white, creamy butter-like stuff in the blue saucer although its cheesy flavour goes perfectly well with the rosti! The cheesy sausage didn't disappoint as well, despite its conventional appearance. 

The Ultimate Combo - I love all day breakfast and faced with such a bombastic sounding name on the menu; I knew this dish comprising of "fluffy pancakes, pork bacon, cheesy sausage and sunny eggs" will be my order. 

What are the two ingredients I die die must have for pancakes? 
Maple syrup and butter! Both of which were provided. 

Same sausage as the one for the rosti; juicy! Bacon was okay; frankly, I usually don't enjoy bacon that much as they are often too salty for my liking and I prefer it to be a tad sweeter like the irresistible gourmet bak kwa from Bee Cheng Hiang

Pancakes were fluffy alright and tasted great with the maple syrup and butter; sadly, they were too heavy for me and I didn't manage to clean them up! If there's no queue the next time I drop by, I would likely return for the rosti instead of this ultimate combo though.

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Address
462 Crawford Lane, 
#01-63, Singapore 190462
(Next to Eat 3 Bowls)

Map
As above.

Website

Reservation (Weekdays Only)
Call 6648-0178

Pricing
Sea Salt Caramel Latte - S$6.50
Sea Salt Caramel Mocha (Iced) - S$7.50 
Homemade Fudgy Brownie - S$7.00
Rosti with Cheesy Sausage - S$17.00
The Ultimate Combo - S$16.00
(Inclusive of GST, No Service Charge)