Kelong Dinner @ Ciu Yong Seafood Restaurant [Bintan Island]

Whenever it comes to an island escapade, it is always necessary to have that fresh bite of seafood that are usually in abundance in the surrounding water. 

That's exactly what the family did in their recent trip to Bintan island. However, we have no inkling on where to satisfy the fix and have to rely on the recommendation of our driver who strongly endorsed the above kelong restaurant. 

Now, i am skeptical when it comes to such recommendation as more often than not, the establishments are likely to charge a higher price and the food would usually deviate from local taste. Oh well, nothing much i can do about it. 

At the very least, the environment did appear rustic with villagers going on with their daily life. The pace was so slow yet so peaceful and carefree. Of course, we have to understand that kampong life has its blessings and difficulties; for one, i dislike using their washrooms!

A few more pictures of the rural surrounding. 

The restaurant was surprisingly not as big as i expected, which is a plus point. For those looking for air-conditioning and comfort, give this a miss!

Live and literally kicking seafood was what we were looking for and with this came an inconvenience; the fishy smell that i know some people could not stand. 

Families should also be extremely careful with their hyperactive children as not all areas were barricaded and the wooden flooring makes it very easy for one, even an adult, to lose his/her footing. 

Okay, let's start with the food. 

Steamed Crab

The cooking style was markedly different from the norm as no Chinese wine was used and the preparation would be more similar to the steamed fish we get in Chinese weddings. Fresh it was but taste wise, i did not particularly enjoy this version.

Fish Soup

Once again, freshness was its major selling point. The soup was okay although not comparable to the delicious fish soup at Clementi hawker centre! 

Kangkong Belachan

This was one of the best i have ever had. It was not sickeningly spicy and every bite was refreshingly crunchy and juicy. 

Oats Prawns

For a deep fried prawn dish, this would definitely make the cut. Unfortunately, the full power of oats was not spectacularly displayed here; rendering this as slightly disappointing. 

Hotplate Tofu

Tomato sauce base with speckles of chilli padi, this was extremely comforting in the rainy weather; especially when you mix it with plain rice! 

Mee Goreng

For those who are unaware, mee goreng (fried noodles) in Indonesia is very different from the one Singaporeans and Malaysians are accustomed to. The noodles used are instant noodles type and you get a sweeter, not spicier, rendition. My first taste of Indonesia mie goreng was ten years ago and i love it! 

Sadly, this kelong one did not manage to bring me back to the past. It was marginally better than what i can cook at home using packets of Indomie instant noodles and lacked the flavourfulness that put it higher than a typical Malayan mee goreng. 

And for the price of more than S$10 for this plate of mee goreng, i expected much more than the stingy amount of seafood used. 

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Location

Unknown

Contact Number

0812 7752 9000

0813 8679 6866

[i think they will provide transport]

Price [S$1 = 7,700 Rupiah]

Steamed Crab -  Rp 143,000

Fish Soup - Rp 162,500

Kangkong Belachan - Rp 65,000

Oats Prawns - Rp 140,000

Hotplate Tofu - Rp 80,000

Mee Goreng - Rp 80,000

[The prices are not cheap in the local context and i would put it as generally similar to what i will pay in Singapore. The most one can argue is only the freshness of seafood you can get from dining in a kelong]

Menu

As above. 

"Live" Raptor @ Universal Studios Singapore

Every themed zone in Universal Studios Singapore has its signature meet and greet characters but when it comes to the "Lost World" that was based on the highly successful Jurassic film series, it makes one wonder how they are going to bring the dinosaurs to life. 

Having a person walking around in a dino suit would be laughable! And that's when technology comes into play; build a small yet simple and cute robot that is sure to arrest the attention of little kids. 

Definitely not for demanding adults like us!

Something bigger is necessary and this came in the form of a jungle jeep pulling a container housing a ferocious looking dino; the cunning, intelligent Velociraptors (known generally as raptors)! 

In terms of movement, expect more than the well-behaved baby Triceratop; the raptor screeches, growls, shows it pointy canine teeth, hits against the enclosure in an apparent attempt to get out etc! 

A perfect photo shot would be having your head in the raptor's mouth, which is impossible. To hype up the realism act, this supposedly dangerous creature is only to see and not to touch (another likely reason is to prevent visitors from handling the expensive equipment aggressively)! 

Think you can try to get over with it? No way; there was an equally fierce handler who would make sure you keep your head on your shoulder. For that matter, your hands as well. 

A short video i took. For a longer video taken by a USS enthusiast, please visit his blog here. 

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Location

Universal Studios Singapore

Lost World Zone

Buganvil Villa No 25 - What To Expect & Bring @ Bintan Lagoon Resort [Bintan Island]

I was compelled to write on the villas in bintan lagoon resort as i could hardly find much useful information on the world wide web before my trip! This post would be especially helpful for DBS employees who are allowed to reserve a villa at a fantastic rate for 3 consecutive nights. 

There are three types of villa in the resort and i am going to concentrate on the one my sister secured through her company; Buganvil No 25. A more comprehensive entry on the resort would be covered in a few days time. 

With a built in area of 185 square meters (as a comparison, a 4-room new generation HDB flat is roughly 92 square meters), it is a 2-level fully air-conditioned bungalow with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and daily housekeeping service! 

Living Room

Spacious enough for our family of six adults and two children to catch Channel 8, Channel 5, Channel U (yes, Singapore channels are available) and other cable channels on the big television! One thing i would love to have is a programme listing telling me what are available on those cable channels.

Even though i enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs when i was a kid, the same cannot be said now. It was a torture and the constant up, down, up down was frequent enough for me to have muscle ache when i returned to Singapore.

Jovyn enjoying the space! 

Bedrooms

There was a master bedroom that had a double bed and an attached bathroom with a bathtub. This is the only room with an equipment that mom would love to get her hands on; the hairdryer. 

Another room has twin beds. Every room has basic amenities like a dressing table and cupboard to keep your clean clothes. The decor was relatively out-dated with wooden furnishing and parquet flooring. So don't expect too much just because of its "villa" title.

Two rooms have a single bed; of which i took one. Frankly, i had never slept alone in a foreign place before and had to switch on the music every night i was in the villa! By the way, the power plugs are the type we can find in Singapore so there is seriously no need to bring along your international adapters.

View from my bedroom - there were stories of haunting in the villas; unexplained knocking, scratching on the walls etc. It's a pity I didn't encounter anything strange.

Bathrooms

They were clean, well maintained with hot shower facility and included your usual small bottles of shower gel, shampoo, lotion and conditioner. 

Kitchen and Dining Area

A fully equipped kitchen where mom can continue to work as a housewife and whip up delicious cuisines without the need for us to pay exorbitant prices in the resort's restaurants. 

Don't worry about the cooking appliances and utensils; we found toaster, frying pans, pots, glasses, coffee cups, kettle, forks, spoons, knives, scissors, wooden spatulas and even BBQ skewers, brush and tongs! 

Here comes the important question; where do we get the food?

My family bought everything (cooking oil, butter, raw meat, vegetables etc) in Singapore and brought them to Bintan! We dumped most food into a Styrofoam box and checked it in at the custom. 

I was advised to tick "no" in the customs declaration form for "We are bringing animals, fish and plants, including their products (vegetables, food etc)" and didn't face any problem. 

Alternatively, if you happen to be someone who die die has to obey the law, you can purchase your grocery in advance through the resort. The prices were not cheap but for bulkier items like charcoal, ice and BBQ wire mesh, it would be best to order via the list. 

There is a third option; buy them in a local market near Pasar Ole Ole (you can go there via shuttle which is payable) or at the supermarkets in Tanjong Pinang (only possible if you rent a car). More would be talked about on the transportation and the places next week! 

Outdoor BBQ Area

Surrounded with lush greenery while reading the newspapers; this would be a perfect relaxation for mom if the table includes a pot of freshly brewed coffee or tea and a plate of pastries. 

An unsheltered BBQ pit can be really frustrating in the unpredictable moody weather we are facing this month. Lighting was insufficient with just one spotlight shining on the spot at night. As Bintan is one hour behind Singapore, this means you would be better off starting your barbecuing before 5pm Singapore time. 

Do you love to BBQ but take a terribly long time to start the fire? Get these cans of starter fire gel or jelly! Given free with the 5 kilo charcoal we ordered through the resort, it was a breeze to get the fire going!

See how the fire roars! 

We packed so much food (100 sticks of satay, chicken steaks, pork chops, hot dogs, taiwan sausages, chicken wings, prawns, sotongs, corns, sweet potatoes); we actually had BBQ sessions for two nights! 

Put it this way, we managed to save a lot on outside food expenses! 

Buggy

As part of the corporate deal, a complimentary 4-seater buggy was available for us to use. This was a great convenience for the ladies who do not wish to walk under the hot sun! 

Operating the buggy was simple for a class 3 manual driver like me. The only difference is the above three-way gear switch; one side was reverse (you can hear the irritating beeping sound), the middle one was neutral and other one was to accelerate.

Tap on the "STOP" pedal before stepping on "GO". To park the buggy, remember to step on the tiny "PARK" pedal and lock it in position before switching the gear to neutral. How easy is that!?

Just for your information, it would cost S$30.25 per hour to rent a buggy of the same capacity! As you might have realised by now, everything was quoted in Singapore dollars in the Bintan resorts area. 

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Website

Bintan Lagoon Resort

Villas

I mentioned three types of villas previously and Buganvil is considered as mid-sized. 

Cempaka is the smallest (one-level) with three bedrooms. Safra members can book any one of the four Cempaka villas; for more details, please click here. 

Angsoka is the big brother and its villas are located closest to the private beach. With up to five bedrooms (usually only four) and a private pool, the daily rate to book the Angsoka villa was calculated to be S$750.42 for a Saturday night (23 February 2013) stay according to the website.


Map of the Villas

As Above

Additional Information
Feeling rich? Some of the units are available for investment purposes! For enquiries, please send an email to realestate@bintanlagoon.com