chongl

With the kids out of school for summer, we had a 2-week trip to Asia for both some city and resort life. Once again, we departed with most of us not having a return flight. My wife was the only one with a ticket home, on a direct flight to LAX in JL F, no less. With the rest of us fending for ourselves, the best I could muster was premium economy close-in, but at least we were all on the same flight. There was an option either a day before or a day after our originally intended return, but without award availability at our hotel for an extra night, we opted to cut the trip short by one day instead.



If you enjoy this report, here are some of my previous trips that I've posted:

10 Year Anniversary Trip - Bali and Kyoto/Osaka/Tokyo on SQ/JL J and JL F
A Rapid Lifestyle Downgrade - ANA The Suite to SQ J to Air Asia Y (and QR F and J)
A Ramen Run to Tokyo - JAL First Class and ANA "The Room"
Making Portuguese Egg Tarts a Reality - SQ J and Virgin Upper Class
Always Recycle - New York, Zagreb, and Frankfurt in SQ F
The COVID Contingency - Seychelles, Maldives, and DXB in EK First and QR QSuites
Chasing Cheap Michelin Stars in Tokyo - JAL Business and First Class
Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class
Czeching In and Jetting Out - LH F/J, FR Y, and BA F
Spring, Fall, and Hopefully Sakura in CX F, SQ NEW and Old Suites, CZ J, and OZ J/F
3 for the price of 2? RTW Babymoon to Japan, Maldives, UK (JL/EY/LH J/F/Apartment)
Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD
Christmas in Vienna with a Splash of Porsche and FCT - LX/OS Y, OS J, LH F
The Journey is Half the Fun; RTW in SQ Suites/CX F/JL J/EK F/EY Apartment/AA F
Escaping to the Southern Hemisphere: A Bora Bora Getaway
Honeymoon In Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, etc.) - AA/LH/EK F

chongl

With a Friday afternoon departure, we got dropped off a little past noon. Having taken the direct flight to SIN just 6 months prior, we had thought that having a layover in NRT to break up the flight would be beneficial for the kids





With bags checked and boarding passes in hand, we head towards security. Not today, BA





There was a line out the door, or shall I say elevator for the Centurion Lounge, so we went to the Star Alliance J lounge instead. I actually prefer the food options at the Amex side of things, but the J lounge was much quieter





We found a spot on the indoor terrace and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Nothing to write home about…however, the herb roasted chicken was surprisingly appetizing











We left the lounge at our usual time before departure, but to our surprise, boarding had already started by the time we got to the gate. A familiar J cabin for our next 2 legs to SIN









After takeoff, some warmed nuts



Today’s menu



























Followed by meal service



I opted for the pan roasted salmon which was pretty tasty



Ending with some ice cream



Well on the way



I don’t think I even bothered making my seat lie flat this time and instead just reclined the seat and got some sleep. The time passed pretty quickly, and before I knew it, it was time for the second meal. I had decided to book the cook after some feedback on the last trip of ours that the chicken rice was a good option. Starting with the smoked salmon appetizer



Chicken rice that I couldn’t finish



Before we knew it, we were landing and disembarking at NRT for a short hour or so layover before continuing on to Singapore. It was at this point that we realized it would have been better off taking the direct flight to SIN. Although the kids had a chance to stretch their legs and move around, they would have to get re-settled on the plane, usually without much appetite and wanting to sleep. Coupled with the very early morning arrival time, we decided that we would revert back to the direct option next time around.

On the second leg, I didn’t have much appetite myself, except for the satay that I happily devoured



I skipped the meals and decided to get some rest instead, as did the rest of the family. Then, I spent most of the time sleeping or shuffling to the kids to help them with something. It was during one of these times where I was helping mini-ChongL #2 with something that I noticed a certain flight attendant. It was by complete chance that I read her name tag, which immediately woke me up. A little backstory: if you go back to my third ever trip report, you will read about our first flight with SQ in Suites, where a certain Christina just so happened to be one of the leading FAs. She and the crew that day raised the bar and set the standard for which we compared so many others against. Many times over the years, Mrs. ChongL and I had jokingly wondered, “Would she be on this flight?” Of course we knew that with so many FAs and so many routes, it was highly unlikely. But back to the present: after reading the name tag, I realized it was indeed Christina. I had some small doubts, but I pulled up the picture that we took 8 years prior at the bottom of the Suites staircase and showed it to her. She was flattered that we remembered her even after all this time. She was in red now, meaning she had become a chief stewardess. The other FAs in the galley were curious about our chat and were also surprised to learn how we previously crossed paths.

With a few hours remaining, I went back to my seat for some more rest, and Christina came by to check on us to see if we needed anything. She suggested we take another picture upon landing in SIN, and hoped to see us again, although hopefully not another 8 years later. The crew also graciously stuffed a bag full of snacks for the kiddos knowing that they had skipped the meal service, just in case they got hungry later. With the early morning arrival, we booked the Crowne Plaza at Changi just to get a few hours of sleep before checking in to our hotel in the city









We were greeted with a comfortable room to get a shower and an actual bed to sleep in







Next up: Conrad Singapore and out for some food

roadwarriorafrica

Very interested to know how the Ritz Carlton in KL is, as the online reviews have not been great. We are planning a 4 night KL stay next year, and were debating between the RC & Mandarin Oriental.

wrp96

Always love seeing the travels of the mini Chongs and their parents.

chongl

I can't say I was too impressed. The location was nice, but the rooms needed an overhaul. The windows didn't seal well with shoddy fasteners on the latches and there was wet paint where they touched up the desk I ended up using my laptop at. Other than the pretty good rate and upgrade to Club Level (which we didn't really take advantage of), I'd say look elsewhere

Appreciate you always dropping by, wrp96

GiantCow

Looking forward to the KL portion. Planning to visit in Dec, hopefully the Park Hyatt is open by then.

chongl

After waking up in the morning, it was way too early to head over to the Conrad for check-in, so we opted to explore Changi airport and grab breakfast. As we were browsing the mostly closed shops and approached an open stall selling roti prata, a gentleman came by and said it was too expensive and to follow him. What transpired over the next 15 minutes was him leading us to a food court with an employee discount, where he explained he had worked at the airport for 20+ years. But after seeing nothing foodwise that appealed to us, we tried to tell him it was ok and that we would get breakfast elsewhere. As we tried to thank him for the gesture while removing ourselves from the situation, he briskly walked to a nearby store and bought some chrysanthemum tea. The elevator we had been waiting for arrived just too late as he forced the drinks into our hands, saying the boys needed to stay hydrated. Even as the doors were closing, he said that we should go get some food with him. After heading up from the basement level, we slowly trekked back to the Crowne Plaza, trying to see what other food might be appealing.

After some wandering, we thought to just go back to the room to have some of the snacks that SQ had provided us. Out of nowhere, the gentleman from earlier had managed to track us down again, but now had paper bags with some fried dough sticks and red bean pastries in hand for us. All we could do was thank him for his supreme kindness as we had no way to pay him back other than with our gratitude. He shook my hand and said “Welcome to Singapore.” Flabbergasted as to everything that had just happened, we returned to our room to eat. All we could do now was pay it forward.



We hopped into a cab and head towards Conrad Singapore







Certain that it was too early for our room to be ready, I cautiously approached the counter anticipating a 5 to 6 hour wait. It was only 9 or 10 AM at this point. To my surprise, we were told the room was actually ready and we had been upgraded to the Centennial King Suite













Views out of the room



Towards Suntec City



Come lunch time, we hopped onto the bus towards Orchard Rd where we had our sights set on Tsuta. Having failed to dine at their establishment in Tokyo 3 times for completely different reasons (moving, holiday, or death of the founder), I told myself Singapore was the place to do it!







Delicious bowls of ramen





Followed by a refreshing drink from Mr. Coconut while strolling the area





After stumbling across an arcade, the minis were adamant that they had to play some games before leaving





After heading back to the hotel, Mrs. ChongL put the boys down for their nap while I ventured across the street for an afternoon snack. But first, an Aventador





Some kaya toast and some iced kopi were a great addition to the afternoon routine the 3 days we were there



For dinner, we opted for in-room dining, giving us all a chance to rest instead of braving the heat at a hawker center our first day

Nasi lemak



Delicious bowl of laksa



And some chicken rice



We called it a night rather early and woke up ready for breakfast downstairs, walking in practically right as they opened. Sadly we couldn’t experience the weekend brunch at Oscar’s, so the normal buffet will have to do













Congee station







Selection of juices



Soy milk and fried dough stick



Cheese



Hot options rotated slightly each morning













A surprising find at the ice cream station one morning. And yes, it was delicious with lots of whisky notes without being overly sweet



The sun rising as we returned to our room



Since it had been a good 8 years from the last time we were in Singapore, we were more than ready to hit up the hawker stalls for some delectable, but cheap eats. After getting a recommendation for a good laksa spot, we decided on Hong Lim Food Centre

But first, some more car spotting with a 488. As I told mini-ChongL #1, get used to seeing more red as we switch allegiances next season to Ferrari





Morgan?



Evo getting outclassed by an F8 and SVJ





No durians allowed on the MRT



Getting off at Chinatown



Arriving at Hong Lim



Unbeknownst to us, it was a national holiday, so many a stall were closed. Luckily the laksa spot was still serving up delicious bowls





Locals grabbing lunch



Chowing down on a very fragrant and tasty rendition



Wife wanted some sugar cane juice



With the other stands that we wanted to patronize closed, we vowed to return the following day. The kids hadn’t eaten yet so we hopped over to Hawker Chan for some soy sauce chicken rice. I’ll take the shorter line and A/C of the new shop than the original any day







Wandering through Chinatown



Before hopping back on the MRT towards the hotel



With the minis needing to nap, we split up where I went to get another drink from Mr. Coconut, followed by some more iced kopi and kaya toast for later in the afternoon





A white Gallardo Superleggera on the way back



We were all set to head out for dinner that night together until mini-ChongL #2 said his stomach hurt while walking to the bus stop. From there, my wife took him back to the room while I took the older mini out to grab some nasi lemak. I’ll go to the Coconut Club next time I’m in Singapore to try their version!









Walking back to the bus stop



Back at the hotel, a 991.2 GT3RS just so happened to pull in



Back in the room, we feasted on the still crunchy chicken drumsticks and the fragrant coconut rice



The following morning, we went through the same breakfast routine and caught up on a few things in the mid-morning before venturing back out to Hong Lim





This stall was actually open the day prior, but the line was unmanageable







The Mrs. went to get some char kway teow







Then some dessert afterwards





I went for the coconut option as I’m not a big fan of red bean or peanut. The pancake had a satifyingly springy and spongy bite to it



Then over to Tim Ho Wan for some BBQ pork buns



Spotted another F8 on the way back





BBQ pork buns along with the coconut pancakes were consumed as our mid-afternoon snack



On our final night, we gave the minis a choice of taking the MRT or a bus to dinner. Both of them enthusiastically chose the bus so they could look out the windows on the upper deck. It brought back memories from my childhood as I fondly remember my younger days in Hong Kong when my parents would take me out. I always loved going to the upper deck, no matter how short the ride was



Spying some F1 curbs



Some sightseeing





Arriving at Boon Tong Kee for some chicken rice



Water chestnut drink



Ong choi



Chicken



And fried tofu



The chicken, rice, and vegetables were amazing and one of the best chicken rice places I’ve had to date. No surprise this is a common recommendation in Singapore after trying it myself. After a very satisfying dinner, we hopped back onto bus and called it a night



Next up: Short hop to KL and Jalan Alor

Parterre

Well, now I'm hungry.

VorelNaCestach

great TR with fantastic photos. looking forward to the rest of your trip

rts123

The food pics are making me think it's time to set up another work trip to Singapore.

The car that made you say "Morgan?" is a Himiko, from the obscure Japanese maker Mitsuoka. They also have models reminiscent of a Corvette, an old Chevy Blazer, and a Rolls Royce.

UAflyerwhoflystomuch

Amazing trip report as always!

eightblack

Yes, most excellent TR. I used to live in SIN for 7 years so all the food and car pics brought back memories Keep up the good work

DFW_CK

Great trip report, as always. The Conrad in Singapore looks really nice, way nicer than the Four Seasons where I usually stay.

glasman19

Thanks for sharing! Love the Conrad! Great location. In 2019 I could see the F1 track from my room. I’m very hungry now.

chongl

Me too!

Thank you, VorelNaCestach

Very cool to know. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it was attention grabbing for sure. Any favorite food spots that you have that I might try next time around?

Thank you, UAflyerwhoflystomuch

Appreciate the kind words, eightblack. I'm already missing Singapore. I'm thinking we return next year for an extra day or 2 since the kids will be older and we can take them to Gardens by the Bay and some other attractions. Any other suggestions for food or places to see from someone who has significantly more experience in the city?

Thank you, DFW_CK. I've made a note to stop by Trishna next time I'm in London, thanks to your TR

Thanks for reading, my fellow Californian!


With that said, I just got back from Switzerland, so I should probably make some more progress on this TR!