Something's BIG brewing

Breadman and I had a BIG celebration during Valentines' day this year. If you hadnt guessed it,  let me reveal it now! *Drumrolls* We had our first virgin staycation at the BIG hotel! The BIG hotel is located at 200 middle road, conveniently next to bugis mrt station. It is just a 15 minute walk from Bugis mrt station and it is situated just behind fortune centre. This hotel is still a new kid on the block and is pretty unheard of as compared to other big names amongst boutique hotels such as Wanderlust hotel and Hotel Majestic.

As we wanted to celebrate vday altogether as well as to make it a memorable celebration, we decided to take up the Vday promotion for a superior room ($227 including taxes).  Each superior room (13.3 sqm) is equipped with

1. free movies-on-demand
2. high thread count linens
3. internal protocol tv
4. opulent rain showers
5. digital room safe
6. in-room tablet
7. hairdryer
8. hansa sanitary fittings
9. complimentary wifi
10. comfy bed with plush top
11. 24hr cable/internet tv
12. 32 inch LED television.

But before that, we had to make our way to the concierge so that we can check in ( check in from 3pm onwards).

 There was quite a queue forming when we reached there, waiting time was 20 minutes on average. Oh yes, a deposit of $50 is required before you can check in (will be returned on your day of check out). So don't be surprised like me! I totally wasnt expecting that since I have already paid the full amount using credit card. (Breadman and I split half the amount.) Lucky for me, I had 60 bucks in my wallet. Haha. Then we excitedly proceed to the 10th floor, to room 27, our love nest for that night. Haha.

Our room number, 1027. Buy 4D. Huat ah! Isn't it really cutesy to use varying sizes for the numbers?

Tadaa! Welcome to our home.. oops I meant our hotel room! Erm the bed was nicely made btw... it was just that we immediately jumped onto the bed, before I realised I forgotten to take a photo of it. This room is pretty compact and cozy and I didnt feel clastrophobic in it. Some rooms are so small that you feel really stressed in it. This wasnt the case. Though the tv is mounted on the wall and there is no walking space in front of the bed (bed is placed snugly in the room), which means you cant actually walk to the windows., it felt generally alright. I literally had to jump on the bed to reach the windows. I really loved the fact that there are free movies on demand for us to watch as well as the radio channels on the tv. We switched between class 95 and yes 933 fm.    

As this is a valentines day package, we received a nice vday gift for the couples. The gift pack was randomly selected so I guess each room differs.

 

                          So here's the mysterious looking gift pack we received.

Contents revealed: tickle me fancy feather, condom, keychain with bell.
If you are wondering, we DID used every single item! Not in the way you think of course. Rang the bell, tickled breadman. Laughed it off. Oogled at the condom. Hahaha.

 A small pack of prepacked royce chocolates with a non-existent ice pack because it had melted....I guess the chocs were prepared too long ago. These were chocolate truffles that were alcoholic. I love them anyway since I am a huge fan of royce chocolates. After we settled in for a while, we tried out the digital safe which worked well and started to hunt for the in-room tablet. By its name "in-room", we expected it to be in the room. Right? Wrong. Haha. After searching the whole room and almost ransacking the place, we concluded that the tablet was not there. Turned out that we had to go to the concierge to get it. So, dun be such sua-ku peeps like us if you happen to go there for a stay. Hahah.

Here's a selfie of us after we checked in. Still looking fresh and energetic. Haha. He was dressed in his typical black shirt while I decided to don a white one.
However, I had to bring my work to the hotel which means I needed to work on my laptop for a couple of hours. Thus, it isnt just play for us. Got to work loh. No choice. Who asks me to be so responsible.

             My beloved lappy... who went through thick and thin with me... It is 6 years old this year.

This was the view in front of me... as I worked diligently on my editing ... Haha. Not very appealing but ok la. I am not a complainer. I do not care about scenery since we are just there for a night.
    

 Complimentary tea for you. Water jug. The water cooler is located at the lift lobby. There is even an ice cube machine for you.

Rain shower. However, I badly wanted bathtubs so that I can have my bubble bath! Imagine soaking in a tub filled with red rose petals, while drinking a glass of champagne. What a beautiful sight? Think I am under too much TV influence. Haha.   

Shower gel and shampoo.This is really mini mini size! Each bottle is just palm-sized. Shampoo was more than enough for us, but not so for shower gel. I guess the idea is to prevent wastage.  I loved the smell though! It's ylang-ylang. which pretty much smells like lemon grass. Think of aromatherapy. Hehe.  

 

Breadman eating the gift from the hotel. Since we cant use it, might as well eat it!  Haha. No la. He was eating my vday gift for him.

Anyway time really flew past and it was time for dinner! Initially, I wanted to eat Indian food, naan specifically or Northern Indian food, but this man wanted to dine at atas places. So okay loh, I am nice :)

But before that, here are a few pics of the hotel interior.

 These were pics taken at the lounge bar. There werent many people on a Saturday evening in there... A good choice if you want to have a nice conversation with your companion.   

 Pool table in front of the bar completes this chill-out area. Sometimes you just need the peace and serenity, away from  rowdy crowds and tipsy drunkards asking you for a dance. Did I mention that once a caucasian asked me for a dance while in a pub? That was totally awkward. I cant dance. I don't dance with strangers who have many female companions. Haha. Enough said.   

A wine cellar with different kinds of wine. Name it and you might be in luck to find it here! 

Pardon for the lack of clarity in these pictures. Somehow the resolution is really bad for dimly lit areas. Maybe it's time to consider getting a new camera. No DSLR for me as it's too complicated to use. Just something basic yet reliable n user friendly. Might still go back to getting Samsung.

The ever-friendly bartender who stopped for a pose! A pity the picture didnt do much justice here. It's blur once again ! Anyway he isnt really the bartender because the next morning I see him ushering guests to the dining area! Haha. Wearing plenty of hats I guess. 

Dinner was at BonChon Chicken because there was no queue. I didnt really wanna wait too long because I prefer to spend more time shopping at Bugis + and also we had a movie to catch later on. We watched The Lego Movie and trust me, it was one of the best animated films I watched in 2014 (erm or perhaps between 2013 to 2014)! Haha. I can seriously watch that film over and over again.     

We ordered a 4-piece BonChon Chicken wings non-spicy set as starters. According to the menu, the selling point of its chicken is its double-frying method which ensures the crispiness of the chicken and to prevent it from tasting too dry. However, it is also stated as transfat FREE! Is that possible? How can you fry plenty of times and still be transfat free? Hmmm... I am highly sceptical about that. Anyway there should be a restaurant which sells food using the airfryer! At most 1 tablespoon of oil is used, contrary to the buckets of oil used in fastfood restaurants. Anyway, I forgot the price of the food we ate so for this once, no prices will be listed. Pardon for that :(

First bite into the chicken, YUM! The chicken was coated with slightly sweet soy garlic sauce which reminded  me a little of thai sweet and sour chilli sauce. Haha. What an odd link.. you must be thinking! 

This is really good chicken! Very crisp. No smelly chicken smell. All lean meat. No fatty deposits in the chicken joint. I devoured my wings fairly quickly. Another plus point is that it was served piping hot! Waiting time was relatively short too. 10 mins or less? Thumbs up. I havent tried 4 fingers chicken so I am not sure how they fare when compared.. However, I have tried Nene chicken and BonChon is the clear winner of these two. 

 

I ordered Kimchi Mandu Soup (oops pardon for the wrong name in the photo!) which is a bowl filled with goodness! You get to eat chicken chunks, shrimp filled dumplings and a generous amount of kimchi. This dish is served with a bowl of rice and it tasted pretty good too. I was almost blowing my nose because the kimchi soup base was a little spicy, but really good to eat with rice.

 Portion was good. Just the right portion. Anyway the only reason why I like to eat in Korean restaurants would be because of the metallic bowl! Next time I gotta stock up such bowls in my new house. New house will be ready in late April or early May!

Here's Breadman's main dish for the night. BonChon Chicken Burger. This dish did not fare as well as the previous two. The chicken patty was really petite and it tasted strongly of chicken smell. Bleah. The number 1 no no for chicken burgers is its overpowering chicky smell. So this one is not recommended. I ate one mouth and I think to myself: it's better to stick to chicken wings. The sauce used in this one wasnt the same as that used for its signature wings. 

Overall Ratings: 4/5 

BonChon Chicken

Bugis+

201 Victoria Street

#01-11 

 

Someone has gotten a craftholic!That was my vday gift from Breadman. We were just shopping around at Bugis + when I spotted it in the shop. I actually just wanted 1 but it was on promo so we got 2 instead. So now the black and white one is with sister who has been longing to get a craftholic for ages. Haha. This is designed in Japan but Made in China. Actually if you ask me, I am not exactly sure what is all the craze about these fluffy stuff toys. 

 Spot the human in there. This is seriously a darn good movie! Please watch it while it's still showing in cinemas! It's a simple plot but I guess all of you who have played with lego can fully resonate with the storyline. I enter the cinema with the mentality that it's just another animation. How nice can it be with a few talking lego bricks? However I was truly wrong! I fell in love with this just after 5 minutes of watching! In the movie, I love Emmet, the ordinary rule-abiding worker who happens to be the hero who saves the world of lego .. I love batman as well as the a too!  This is really sheer perfection. To the directors and producers, hats off! If you know me, I do not usually sing praises for animations. So this is a first.    

Something wrong with Breadman that day, he actually got this popcorn and chips set! Must be his good mood. Looks like the staycation does him good.  We do not usually eat in cinemas if you know us. Sometimes I eat it with frens, but never with Breadman. I like the packaging for the popcorn. It's like packaging used by americans. Heh. Mixed popcorn as I like sweet ones while Breadman prefers the salted ones. So it's a surprise with each bite cuz you dunno which one to expect as you eat them. Love the surprise that brings. Haha. Life's simple pleasures.

Back to the hotel to retire for the night after the movie! It really helps that the hotel is just minutes away from Bugis +. This hotel is really BIG on convenience. There is a cheers convenience store next to the hotel entrance. So pop by there if you are looking for something in the middle of the night. 

 Hotel lobby at night. Cozy little corner isnt it? You can even borrow the books off the shelf. I like the ambience it exudes. Cozy yet chic at the same time. 

 

Holding onto these new babies! Jailbird and rainbow. Jailbird's now safely at sister's house. I kind of regretted giving it away. Darn! The bear is actually easier to hug than the rabbit as the rabbit has really long ears which makes it not so comfy to hug. 

 

Preparing for bed.. Oh yes this is the weird thing about BIG hotel. The wash basin is in the room itself. Not in the toilet! I have been to many hotels while overseas and this is the first time I see the basin placed in a corner in the room. It's a little strange for me.   

 Okay, a little childish in here. But well, we are still in our twenties! If not wait till thirties then do this meh. I think we look slightly alike in here, dun you think so? Must be seeing him too often.   

                             Good night, sleep tight, dun let the bugs bite!

That concludes the night for us. We went to bed after some cuddling. Oops. Not suppose to reveal the details. 

 Next morning, looking not so refreshed because I slept for like 2 hours only. Conclusion: I cant sleep with someone next to me because I need a big space. Breadman was squishing me because his area was too cold. Of course la, someone slept without clothes on. Of course cold. Oops. I blurted that out intentionally. Haha. Whenever I was falling slightly sleepy, it's either his hand or his leg that would bump into me. That jolted me awake again. Then I needed a long long time before I can  catch the sleepy bug again. That's y I woke up being a little grouchy. Haha. 

Then after washing up, we headed downstairs to have breakfast at The Nook. Breakfast was a buffet spread international style. Selection was limited but still alright for me as I am not an extremely picky eater.

 English breakfast. Bread, grilled tomatoes, salad and cheese. 

 Fried rice, pancakes, peanuts and spring rolls. My fav is still the spring roll! It's served hot and it's crispy. 

Also ate yoghurts which tasted pretty nice. After that we went back to the room and lazed for a while before we prepare to check out.

End off with my favourite photo taken during this staycation. He rarely poses for pics like this so must share. Haha.

 As I type this, it seems like I am relieving all the memories of our staycation! All the fond memories. Yes we should go for another one pretty soon!  Thanks honey, I may not be the best, but I'll strive to be.

The BIG Hotel

200 Middle Road 

Tel: 6809 7988