Yotel with a Far East View

If there be one thing I'm very thankful for in the last couple of months, it is that I've been able to have quite a fair bit of weekend breathers at places here, there, and everywhere. 

Sometimes we go to places one weekend after another. 

Sometimes we don't. 

But altogether there's been a fair bit. 

And I appreciate it.

Very much. 

It doesn't matter to me that we return to some of the places we go.

Because no view out the windows is the same. 

And even if it were, no moment out to the same view of the same window is the same. 

There're times where we go to a place we're familiar with, but the view's different. 

Like this time when we went back to Yotel (again) but instead of looking out over Orchard Road and Voco opposite, we were granted a different side, with a view that I don't think at Yotel I've ever had before.

Let me just say this.

It's not every day I get to gaze out to Scotts Road and Far East Plaza from the upper floors of a (fairly) new hotel. 

All of a sudden, the once familiar Scotts Road and the even more familiar Cairnhill Road looked somewhat different in a way that I had never seen before. 

I don't think I'd ever seen Far East Plaza from this height before.

I don't think I'd ever seen Elizabeth Hotel from the same angle and the same height before either.

It was interesting- as if I were seeing Orchard Road and Scotts Road for the first time with brand new eyes. 

What charmed me most, however, wasn't these buildings, but the sight of Goodwood Park Hotel in all her property glory stretched out below. 

For the first time ever I could look beyond the roof of the iconic front entrance- usually seen only from the road- and appreciate the property as she were, beautifully laid out in a quadrangle just as she had been all those years ago.

It was admittedly a bit surreal. 

Especially since I was standing on the concrete of an upper floor in a much newer property built- from scratch- less than a decade ago. 

And if the view out the window fascinated me, the room herself fascinated me all the same. 

There's something about the color, and ambience of Yotel that speaks to (usually) structured people like me. 

Maybe it's how they've arranged the room.

Maybe it's the colors of the room and how everything has its own space, and place. 

I'm always amused by the way they've fixed the shelves and holders for the hand soap and body lotion on the wall right next to the sink.

And the way that the place below the hangers can actually double up as a desk and dining- if you're okay sitting cross-legged on the floor looking at an angle towards the bathroom, the glass window, and the view beyond. 

If you feel squeamish about having your meal just in front of the bathroom, well, the open door blocks one's view of the bidet, and it's not so bad if you've got a clean, dry floor. 

One of the things I particularly loved during this weekend breather was the food. 

For some reason- we didn't plan it this way- but we seemed to eat rather well. 

No, it wasn't a hotel buffet or hotpot buffet, anything like that. 

But we did have a hotpot, and a very good one it was, over at Ngee Ann City. 

I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but I think it was one of those chains that have huge solid-feel type of tables, heavy hardcover menus that you can easily flip left and right, big pictures printed on the pages of those menus, and lots of variety. 

I know we ordered a lot of chicken. 

We also ordered a lot of beef. 

I had thought all those meats would be enough for the both of us, but no, I soon found out there was an extra order of homemade cuttlefish balls, some tofu wrapped thingy and a plate of lettuce- because, just like how cuttlefish balls in hotpot are my thing, vegetables in soup for hotpot are also my thing.  

I took a special liking to the homemade cuttlefish balls. 

They had an unusual texture, and unusual flavor. 

And of course I took a tremendous fancy to the pork bone broth soup too. 

If this late afternoon lunch of hotpot was attractive enough, there was also the dinner- from the previous night- that I happily contended with too.

See, my friend had wanted to try this new place at Palais Renaissance, said that the menu looked interesting enough to try, so we went, and yes, this place, intimate and cozy, was really good. 

It's the kind of place that you can forget its name but can remember that they had a signature dish of bread on their menu which you didn't manage to order. 

I would've loved to, but then we were there for steak, and so steak it was we ate. 

We liked it. 

Skillfully sliced into pieces easy to pick up with just a fork, the beef was soft, yet so juicy that there was no issue chewing it up slowly, or nibbling on it at all. 

The steak came served with condiments on the side, including sea salt, and some sort of mustard, which we ended up eating with our additional order of sweet potato fries. 

Again I wish I could remember just what it was they served for the vegetable side, but hey, there were the leeks, there were the mushrooms, and let me just say that the slightly burnt burnt taste did the vegetables a whole lot of delicious good.  

It wasn't just the dinner at Palais Renaissance that I felt was good.

I had a fine time with the dessert/supper over at Cafe De Muse too. 

Except that we didn't have it the same night as we did the steak dinner (we were already full), nor did we have it the afternoon we had the hotpot, but we had it on the first night, right after we checked in. 

Cafe De Muse at Lido Shaw has become one of my favorite late night dessert and supper places whenever I'm in town. From where it comes I don't know, but there's a special charm to the place that I like, and it's one of those places that you won't feel shiok if you go there at, say, 8pm, because they're open 24 hours and one gets a younger vibe when you're there after 10. 

For this reason I like to do supper, and dessert there when I can.

Which, in any case, their menu runs pretty late and no matter the time, their dishes come out very well. 

We decided to do nachos as an appetizer, one small pizza as a main, and for dessert, a slice of cake. 

Their nachos deserve special mention.

Whether it be the way they serve them, whether it be the size and portion, they appeal to us so much that we try to order them every time we are there. 

Maybe because they're so similar to what Dan Ryan's down the road used to serve, somehow we always have a great time with the crispy corn nachos- served warm!- the sliced olives, the chopped peppers, the guacamole and the big dollop of sour cream.

This place serves up very good bingsu too, which I'm sure I will want to have at another time. 

After all, there's always space for a bingsu at this place, never mind the day, never mind the time. 

If there's one thing however that our stay this time didn't have, well, it was breakfast at their restaurant downstairs.

Still, no matter. 

Because there's Starbucks around the corner and across the road.

There's a McDonalds further down at Forum The Shopping Mall.

And over at Tangs Plaza, right close to the underpass, you get a Ya Kun Kaya Toast, and on the other side of the building, above ground, Tiong Bahru Bakery.

The Arsenal of Scents

If you're wondering why it is that I've shared a picture of my beauty routine, well, it's not because I'm trying to be a make up influencer or beauty influencer or anything. 

Of course not. 

But now I finally understand why people sometimes call make up war paint, and why people sometimes say that they cannot function without their beauty and make up routines. 

I never used to think that applying lotion on my face and hands were that important.

That is, until I discovered the gap, and the emptiness that followed, when I couldn't bring myself to apply it one bright, sunny morning. 

Never ever laugh at someone who swears by their lotions, their mists and their spritzes. 

It might make the difference between them getting out of bed, or staying in it dull, listless and lifeless, the entire day. 

I didn't think I'd ever place so much value in these little bottles and tubes in my box at my beauty corner.

But now I do. 

Because a big deal it now means to me. 

And a bigger deal when I realize that, without them, I might not have gotten through day after day after day. 

You know how it is in life sometimes when a spritz of face mist in the morning isn't just a spritz of face mist. but an act that gets you to the next step of the day? 

That's what the bottle of SkinCalories's face mist did for me. 

I felt the cool on my face.

I breathed in the scent of "Lavender water infused with the essence of the Lavender flower".

Then I tied up my hair.

The scent of lavender didn't stay with me only in the mornings.

When the hour came and I had to go out, there was first Yardley's Lavender EDT, and then, together with lip balm, that tiny little sample-sized tube of SkinCalories' lavender-scented BB cream. 

Don't laugh at my choice of SkinCalories. 

I'm working in it.

Don't laugh at my choice of Yardley either. 

So, it is a little mumsy, but oy, it was the only Lavender EDT I knew- and the most affordable one for that season in time.  

I'll gladly tell you that I've sprayed it quite liberally. 

I'll also gladly tell you that the SkinCalories' BB Cream made for a light, calming lavender-infused make-up coverage that helped me get ready to face the world. 

The arsenal wasn't all lavender-essence, and lavender-infused, however.

There was cherry blossom, courtesy of Nivea.

And then there was goat milk-scented serum from Korean dermatological brand Dr. Hedison. 

I won't say that this is all that has gotten me through to where I am now. 

But it's been a very, very critical part. 

It's made me feel human. 

It's made me feel like life had a purpose that was entirely my own, and not someone else's.

And it gave me (back) my identity. 

See, it doesn't matter if you're not able to get up and 'do something'. 

It doesn't matter if you cannot bring yourself to apply face powder and foundation and eye shadow and lipstick. 

No, all you need is a lotion (to soften your dry, parched skin), a face mist (to cool it), a BB cream to make you look presentable (even though you don't feel it), and a lip balm (so you don't look too dead). 

If a scent makes you feel alive, don't care how cheap or expensive it is, use it.

And if that's still not enough, get out the coffee, get out the tea, play the music, write a journal, hug a stuffie.

You might need it.

So might we.

Bath & Body Works

Looking at this collection here in Orchard's ION, I can't help thinking of US, of LA, and of the shopping mall in LA that I first saw Bath & Body Works in. 

It's been a long time, but I remember that store well.

Back then their ambience was cozier, slightly more homely, not so bright perhaps, as compared to now, but very little has changed, I do say, and the memory of this brand- or where I first experienced it- sticks with me still no matter how long ago those memories have been. 

It's like I cannot think of LA without thinking of the brand. 

Neither can I hear of Wells Fargo bank without thinking of the brand, for the very simple reason that the store in that particular shopping mall was right next to the bank's ATM. 

I guess I've always felt some sort of affinity with Bath & Body Works, and White Barn, never mind that their collections are seasonal, and change from time to time.

I like their (now discontinued) Moonlight Path. 

I like their Million Dreams (something like that)

But I like their Aromatherapy collection most of all, be it the Lavender-Vanilla range, the Lavender-Chamomile range, the Ginger-Orange range, or even the Eucalyptus range. 

Doesn't matter if they've added a couple more scents to their Aromatherapy line, like the Lavender-Rose, the Lavender Patchouli, the spicier, manlier collection of Sandalwood-Cinnamon, or the hippier version of Vanilla-Patchouli.

I like sticking with the same. 

Yes, maybe I'll find the patchouli more fascinating. 

Or I might actually need the Eucalyptus more than the Lavender. 

But through the decade, it has been the Lavender-Vanilla that stays with me, the body wash, the body lotion, the pillow mist, essential oil, all, and I'll continue to use it, as oft as I can, as much as I can. 

I kind of wish they would concoct a fragrance though. 

There're so little lavender-scented fragrances out there! 

Kuay Teow Goreng @ One Farrer

So it doesn't happen very often but one of the highlights for this weekend breather turned out to be a plate of kuay teow goreng from the corner coffee shop adjacent to Serangoon Road and Kitchener Road. 

It was something I deliberately wanted to have, and I'm glad to say that it was definitely the dollar, the carbs, and the oil. 

Perhaps it was redder, and spicier than I'd thought it would be, but oy, I liked it, and I hope to have it again when I'm back in the area after. 

Kuay teow goreng wasn't the only dish that we ordered from this shop. 

There was a kebab, which although tasty with a nice mint sauce, had a texture too hard to appreciate, and we found ourselves enjoying the soup kambing way much more. 

I can't remember just on which floor it was that we stayed this time, but I know we looked out towards the east (where the Lavender Street area is), towards the South (all the way down Kitchener Road heading to the sea), and towards the Downtown Core. 

From where I stood I got to see lots of high rises, mid-rises, condominiums, hotel buildings, shop houses, office skyscrapers, South Beach and the CBD.

It was a charming sight. 

The scenery wasn't unadulterated though- structural pillars and frames granted a little addition to the otherwise expansive view.

But I didn't mind. 

The view you get from their windows is one of the joys staying here at One Farrer Hotel. 

And it''s remarkably restful. 

Looking now at these pictures now, it strikes me just how compact and contained this country really is. 

Had we been on a higher floor we would have been able to not only see the blocks of flats on the Kitchener-Maude Road side, we would also have been able to see the entire coast stretching out towards the horizon of eas, whilst on the other side we'd see as far as the Marina Bay Financial Center and slightly further beyond. 

If the view alone is not enough of a surprise, sometimes we bring along our own too. 

This time one of us decided to bring along a big flask for a ready supply of hot water and tea. 

We also decided to bring along bottles of mineral water that, coincidentally, had been purchased (at a very affordable price) from Mustafa just opposite the road.

We had the Little Black Grill, of course.

Except that I can't remember what it was we made.

It might have been rice with egg done fried rice style, which if you ask me, when fried with olive oil, is pleasantly light and clean.

There might have been a couple of shabu-shabu style meats that we bought from DDD in City Square Mall.

But we definitely bought a box of pre-cooked gyozas from the same supermarket and had them heated up in the grill. 

It made for a lovely, light dinner- something which I greatly appreciated. 

Best part, we had snacks, and for supper I was gifted a box of McDonalds Mcrispy, because I missed it, and there's a McDonalds right opposite. 

High Ceilings at One Farrer

We were given a larger room this time.

Rather unexpectedly- it's not always that we get an upgraded room on one of the upper floors.

But I'm not complaining.

I take a fancy to high floors, and the perspective it brings. 

The room we had this time was on the 19th floor.

I know, because it was on the very same floor that had their high-rise pool. 

Don't laugh at the plainness of this pool.

You might not get so much of a tree or shrub or even a clear view of sky, but it's got some sort of a waterfall at one end of the pool and may I say that the sound of water gushing into the pool itself was therapy to my ears? 

What's more, the pool looked gloriously beautiful in the late afternoon light. 

I myself was surprised by the glow that bounced off the whitewashed pillars and walls.

I hadn't known sunsets this part of town could be this beautiful.

I've said that higher floors give one a different perspective, and really, it is true. 

Because this is what I saw every time I looked out of the long, ceiling to deck windows, and despite all the solar film and the not-so-blue sky, this view made me think. 

There're times in life where circumstances make us forget who we are and what we are.

There're times in life where we keep looking up and out but we see nothing else but the same blue/white (hot) sky and the same situations as we are in now.

It's hard. 

And we forget.

We can easily forget.

But being here had me thinking of how charming the heritage shop houses in Little India below me were, how tall those Downtown CBD skyscrapers in the distance were, and what worlds there were that existed within them.

Not just the buildings, of course, for beyond those skyscrapers- in the far distance- despite the cloudy humid overcast sky, I knew there was the sea, and  she beckoned. 

All this had me deeply considering who I was right now, what I really wanted, and who I didn't want to be.

In fact, so focused was I on the view ahead that it didn't matter to me that right in front of my window stood the facade of another hotel- the Holiday Inn, with its logo huge, large, and glowing (at night) right at my eye level.

I was too busy gazing ahead. 

What helped me, certainly, was the space from which I gazed out to this view.

You know how they say a person thinks better in a wide, uncluttered space? 

Well, this room certainly was wider, and larger, than some of the other rooms in the same hotel I had been. 

I was especially delighted with the space of the glass-topped work desk (although, as it turned out, I didn't use it much). 

I was also delighted with the arm chair. 

It made me feel cosy and comfortable for a morning, and evening task which I had to do- but had no desire to. 

Then, of course, there was the bath tub. 

Which I unfortunately did not get to use. 

Or maybe because at this point I didn't need it as much as I would have needed it later.

Our stay this time included breakfast, so down to the restaurant by the pool we went the next morning. 

Theirs seemed to lean heavily on the Continental side. 

You didn't get much variety, but you had the usual offerings of breads, pastries, butter, jam, a selection of noodles Chinese-style, some simple dim sum, a selection of roti pratas with curry, eggs (done however you liked), yogurt, and fruit. 

I think I took a bit of pastries, some noodles (me being the type who can't resist), eggs- omelet, and fried= and a serving of rock melon, watermelon fruit. 

I can't remember whether I took the dim sum or the yogurt. 

I might have. 

I think I sampled a bit of their cheese selections and cold cuts too. 

There wasn't much around this area that we did during this weekend breather, but we hung out at City Square Mall and Mustafa alot. 

I was quite determined to go to Mustafa only at night- it's less fun during the day time- so we went there around 1030pm and checked out the organic herbs, the snacks, the frozen naans, and their selection of toiletries.

Mustafa has one of the widest range of body sprays in this country, by the way, and also the only place, I think, where you have hope of getting a Yardley Lavender body spray. 

It wasn't just the shopping at Mustafa.

There was also of course the food.

One can't come to Little India without wanting to have some favorites in the eating houses around here.

I know of some who like Ananda Bhavan or Komalas. 

I also know of some who like Muthu's Curry or Gayatri. 

Me, I tend to go to Sakunthala's quite a bit. 

Most of the time we go to the one at Syed Alwi Road opposite Mustafa, but on occasion, like today, we went to the one at Race Course Road. 

My friend prefers this one. 

There's better (restaurant) ambience, the pappadums come served in a little basket, and somehow the dish of butter chicken seems to be larger. 

I'm not sure.

At both places they look the same to me. 

But, yes, there's the ambience, there's the crowd, and the briyani does look a tad more mountainous compared to the other side. 

I pretty much liked my butter chicken. 

A pity we were unable to tapao the gravy back, so we finished up as much as we could, and let it be. 

Indian cuisine wasn't the only thing we had whilst here in the Little India area.

On the other side of the enclave, close to the Jalan Besar side, was Swee Choon.

And anyone who knows me long enough knows that I'm a huge fan of their dim sum, and I won't hesitate to say it so. 

I however do think we ordered a little bit too much this time though. 

Because whilst I had thought we would only order our regular favorites of xiao long bao, mee sua kueh, cheong fun and crispy fried tofu with pork floss, on the table suddenly popped up a plate of char siew baos, a plate of char siew sous, two deep fried balls with infused lychee within, a plate of guo tie, one plate of salted egg fried chicken, plus two more purple-colored sweet potato balls- with a filling of which I've since forgotten what it was- inside. 

I very much had a calm time at the weekend breather this round. 

Perhaps there were things I didn't yet figure out.

Perhaps there were things I thought I could still handle. 

But one thing I realized.

I'm someone who digs a space where I can read and write and concentrate and talk and think without being bothered. 

If there be a chance, I might consider having a room that grants me access to their lounge. 

It's neat, unostentatious, soothing, and spacious enough for one to have a quiet chat, a quiet read, or a quiet write. 

And it's right next to the sound of the gushing waterfall.