Park Regis Singapore @ Merchant Road - Eat Your Way Through Singapore's Heritage With Park Regis #sginsiders Heritage Food Trail

Park Regis Singapore is an upscale brand offering quality accommodation and strategically located in the heart of the city. It is within walking distance to the happening night spots along the Singapore river. Even popular tourist attractions such as the main shopping precinct of Orchard Road and Sentosa Island are within easy access. The hotel is just a stone's throw away from Clarke Quay MRT Station, its prime position places itself within walking distances to Chinatown, Clarke Quay. Raffles City and Marina Bay as well, so that it acts as an ideal base for sightseeing activities and offers accessibility and convenience in exploring the city over the leisure weekends!

This 4-star hotel offers 202 contemporary open-concept guestrooms, with a modern feel and tropical Australian touch accentuated with timber accents, full glass panels and a palette of warm colours, creating a warm cozy vibe for guests to indulge in the luxuries of this stellar hotel. The rooms also offer either an impressive view of the hotel's swimming pool and waterfall or a spectacular view of the city's night life for guests to soak in from the comforts of their beds.

In line with the Singapore Bicentennial which celebrates the country's 700-year rich heritage, Park Regis Singapore recently launched a #sginsiders Staycation Package with prices starting from just S$218++ per night. Available from May to Oct 2019, the #sginsiders Staycation Package includes:

• Complimentary access to #sginsiders Heritage Food Trail held every Saturday morning, 9.30am - 12.30pm (valued at S$99)
• Complimentary use of e-scooter for 2 hours
• Complimentary daily buffet breakfast for up to 2pax
• Late Checkout until 3pm (subject to availability)

Park Regis's annual #sginsiders trail is back with a culinary spin to take guests back in time though a unique guided walking tour around the vibrant hoods in the vicinity, where four famous homegrown food spots are featured, each with a unique story to tell. Held every Saturday at 9.30am, enjoy unique local food experiences during the #sginsiders Heritage Food Trail just a walk away from Park Regis, where you get to relish in a variety of local delights within Park Regis's neighbourhood at Chinatown, known to be home to Singapore's diverse heritage.

The trail starts off at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre where guests get to enjoy the iconic Singapore Breakfast with the traditional Kaya Toast and a cup of Kopi/Teh.

The flaky curry puffs from Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff are freshly made every day, and generously stuffed with a variety of fillings such as chicken, sardine and otah.

Our second stop lands us at a 83-year-old Cantonese pastry shop Tong Heng, which is popular for its diamond-shaped 'Dan-Ta' (egg tarts).

With over 80 years of experience to perfect their pastries and desserts, Tong Heng is known for their egg tarts and a wide range of other confectioneries.

As we venture further into the hearts of Chinatown, we enter Mei Heong Yuen Dessert, a Singapore Chinatown Heritage Brand specialising in different varieties of traditional pastes and unique snow ice bowl.

We got to try some of their popular flavours such as the local favourite Chendol Snow Ice and the Strawberry Mango Snow Ice.

Lastly, the tour ends with a sweet and savoury delicacy at Lim Chee Guan, a stall started back 80 years in 1938 selling 'Bak Kwa' (dried barbequed meat).

Not just a popular Chinese New Year Snack, the Bak Kwa can also be enjoyed at all times throughout the year! What better way to experience it than at this 80-year-old Singapore Bak Kwa Specialist store.

"It is important for us to spotlight hawker culture in this food trail as it is a way of life for many locals across races, gender, and age, and reflects the identity of the nation. This is also our way of supporting Singapore's nomination of Hawker Culture for the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage," as shared by Jack Chua, General Manager of Park Regis Singapore. Considering Park Regis's close proximity to some of the country's most iconic food places, it is truly a great way to experience Singapore's rich multi-cultural history through food from a local perspective.

When you’re done exploring for the day, you can look forward to more relaxations and comfort back at Park Regis with their great facilities and amenities such as a 25-metre outdoor lap pool with a waterfall feature, a well-equipped gym with a Bondi Book Corner, self-service Laundromat, e-scooters for rent, as well as free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

The Melbourne room - a 72-sqm meeting room is also catered for corporate functions and events. This meeting space has a centrepiece view of the gorgeous cascading waterfall from the full glass windows. The meeting room also comes with built-in projector, a large screen, up-to-date visual equipments, as well as conference facilities available for hire.

Renovated in Mar 2015, the refurbished hotel saw brand new additions to the hotel's facilities and upgrades on bedding items in all four room types. The rooms are so comfortable that you might find it pretty hard to say goodbye after your weekend getaway at Park Regis Singapore!

As part of the #sginsiders Staycation Package, guests also get to enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet for up to 2 pax, which includes a scrumptious spread of scrambled eggs, french toasts, sausages, bacon, porridge and dim sum, as well as a station where eggs of your choice are made a la minute.

Get your sightseeing on wheels covered with a complimentary 2-hours use of the e-scooter. Just hop onto one parked outside the entrance of the hotel, and go on an exhilarating ride to discover the best of Singapore.

For more information on the #sginsiders Staycation Package, visit http://www.parkregissingapore.com/specials/

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is a media invite.


Park Regis Singapore
23 Merchant Road
Singapore 058268
Tel: +65 68188888
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Directions:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road. Turn right onto Merchant Road. Walk down Merchant Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

What to Expect at Singapore Food Festival 2016

Singapore is a bustling and dynamic city - in fact, there is a major event taking place every month in Singapore!

For the month of July, we have the Singapore Food Festival running from 15 to 31 July 2016. During the festival, you can experience 18 different dining events all over Singapore.

1. STREAT

Kick-starting the Singapore Food Festival is STREAT 2016 which took place from 15 to 16 July 2016 at Clifford Square. STREAT 2016 is curated by international celebrity chef Susur Lee, Tunglok Heen's Senior Executive Chef Ken Ling and Restaurant Labyrinth's chef-owner Han Liguang. The three chefs joined hands in helming a pop-up restaurant featuring an exclusive, five-course, six hands dinner menu that aims to elevate Singapore's iconic street food.

A stellar selection of hawkers and chefs also joined the trio, setting up stalls alongside the pop-up restaurant at Clifford Square in celebration of our dining scene.

Some of the food items I tried at STREAT 2016 are Tequila Chendol from Propaganda Bar, Braised Veal Cheeks with Asian Spices & Fried Mantou from The Disgruntled Chef, Blue Swimmer Crab, Rice Noodles & Yellow Turmeric Coconut Curry from Candlenut and Kueh Dadar Waffle from Stellar at 1-Altitude.onon

2. East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Hawker Spotlight

After checking out the modern interpretation of Singapore's iconic street food at STREAT 2016, I headed down to East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Hawker Spotlight on 17 July to learn more about the rich history behind our local heritage food through a guided tour led by celebrity host Moses Lim.

Besides getting to know more about the heritage hawkers at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, we got to watch live cooking demonstrations of the hawkers working in the confined area of their stall. Some of the participants even got to learn how to roll popiah.

After the tour, we get to savour some of the delicious local dishes that can be found at East Coast Lagoon Village such as Popiah from Lagoon Carrot Cake, Curry Fish Head from East Red Seafood, Satay from Haron's Satay, Bak Kut Teh from Han Jia Bak Kut Teh and Char Kway Teow from Choon Hiang.

3. Singapore Favourite Food Village

One of my favourite events at this year's Singapore Food Festival is the Singapore Favourite Food Village which is taking place from 22 to 31 July 2016, 5pm - 11pm at Rochor Event Space (Bugis MRT Exit A). There are a total of 25 stalls at the food village, offering a mix of traditional favourite dishes and modern interpretations of these dishes. There is even an alfresco area with food trucks and pop-up cafes.

The Singapore Favourite Food Village is an ideal venue to gather with like-minded foodie friends and families to savour an eclectic selection of local favourites as well as some modern interpretation and Instagram-worthy food.

A special mention goes out to one of the vendors - Hoo Kee Bak Chang - who has just been awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand in the first edition of Michelin Guide Singapore 2016.

SNAP & WIN
Take your best flatlay image of your favourite SFF dishes and share it on instagram with the hashtags #SFFflatlay & #SingaporeFoodFestival and tag @Visit_Singapore to win delicious prizes! Full T&Cs here: http://bit.ly/29MRBLw

These are only 3 of the events that I have attended, but there are still many events that are taking place during the Singapore Food Festival, until end of the month. You can find out more of these events at http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com or check out the individual event websites.

One Farrer's Food Street
Venue: One Farrer Hotel & Spa
Date: 30-31 July 2016
Website: http://www.onefarrer.com/Promotions/Pages/FoodstreetJuly2016.aspx

One Farrer’s Food Street will recreate the great food stalls that once lined the roads of the Farrer Park district. While this is a recurring event, July’s edition will be a SFF special, with a focus on local heritage cuisine with unique fusion creations. Pop-up food stalls will feature local food that was originally from Farrer Park Area such as Hokkien Prawn Noodles and Rojak, as well as innovative dishes like chilli crab pie. Executive Chef Kong Kok Kiang will also be serving snacks using recipes from his family, such as Png Kueh Ball and Turnip and Peanut Fritters.

The 50 Cents Fest
Venue: Chinatown Food Street, Smith Street
Date: 30-31 July 2016
Website: http://www.chinatownfoodstreet.sg/the-50-cents-fest/

Relive the nostalgia of dining along the shophouse-lined streets of Singapore! Chinatown Food Street will be transformed with street hawkers, lively music from a bygone era, buskers and costumed entertainers. Dishes include Kok Kok Mee, Ice Ball and Trishaw Noodles.

Dining in the Garden City
Venue: Gardens by the Bay along Dragonfly Lake
Date: Now-31 July 2016
Website: www.facebook.com/dininginthegardencity/

Part of this year’s Singapore Garden Festival. The Indian Chefs and Culinary Association, Singapore Halal Culinary Federation and Food Gen 2 hawkers are coming together to serve up various ethnic dishes at the Gardens by the Bay. Two of the 24 stalls will also feature rotating guest chefs.

Chatterbox Food Truck
Venue: Follow Mandarin Orchard Singapore Instagram or Facbeook for its whereabout
Date: Now-31 July
Website: www.chatterbox.com.sg

Taste the legendary Chatterbox Chicken Rice, often listed as among the best in Singapore, at a location near you, as the Chatterbox Pop-Up truck rolls up to several locations around Singapore during SFF 2016! In celebration of the restaurant’s 45th anniversary, the chefs from Chatterbox will also whip up special versions of the Mandarin Chicken Rice, such as chicken rice maki.

Ipoh LSY-Pot (大众瓦煲鸡饭专卖店) @ Bukit Indah [Johor Bahru]

During my last trip to Johor Bahru, Irene and her husband brought us to this restaurant at Bukit Indah to try the Claypot Loh Shu Fun and Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice. Inheriting the recipe from their mother, the two brothers opened the second Ipoh LSY-Pot outlet in Johor Bahru. The original outlet is in Ipoh, Perak.

Claypot Loh Shu Fun 4/5

Claypot Loh Shu Fun 4/5

The piping hot Claypot Loh Shu Fun (RM$7.50) comes with needle like rice flour noodles which is semi-transparent and it comes with a slightly chewy bite. In the claypot, there are prawns, sliced pork, egg and fish cakes. What holds the noodle dish together is the flavoursome gravy, making it such an enjoyable bowl of bee tai bak. Guest can also choose to add a dash of black vinegar to further accentuate the whole enjoyment.

Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice 4/5

The other signature item at Ipoh LSY-Pot is the Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice (RM$8.50) that comes with tender chicken pieces, salted fish and sausages. Cooked over charcoal fire, the aroma of the rice and other ingredients filled the air when the claypot is served to the table.

Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice 4/5

The finishing touch to enjoy the Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice is to add their homemade dark sauce made from 8 different ingredients. Give it a good toss to coat every single rice grains to appreciate the beautiful chemistry of the rice and sauce coming together.

While the Claypot Loh Shu Fun and Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice are worthy for visit, it is unfortunately not very accessible and close to the causeway. Unless you drive or take a taxi, it may not be easy to get to. I do hope you have the chance to try it and let me know whether you like it or not.


Ipoh LSY-Pot 
31 Jalan Indah 15/1
Taman Bukit Indah
81200 Johor
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: +6072326098
[Map]

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1100am - 3pm, 530pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 10pm

Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail, Singapore Food Festival 2014

This year Singapore Food Festival 2014 kick started at the Chinatown Food Street. The 10 days festival from 11 July to 20 July 2014 will see events at different parts of Singapore featuring an array of dining experiences and cuisine.

Themed as A Walk Down Memory Lane, it is even more appropriate to launch the event at the heart of Chinatown where our ancestors came to the shore of Singapore from various part of China bringing along their different dialect group's cuisine.

For this year Singapore Food Festival 2014 at Chinatown, a Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail has been specially designed to introduce 20 Chinese dialect dishes that are not commonly found now.

From the Hakka Chinese dialect group, one can try dishes such as Red Glutinous Wine Chicken, Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo, Abacus Seeds, Salted Egg Steam Meat, Stir Fried Pork Wrapped in Lettuce. The Cantonese Chinese dialect group will feature Deep Fried Taro Dumpling, Paper Wrapped Chicken, Pig Trotter with Vinegar and Ginger.

The Hokkien Chinese dialect group, you will find Richshaw Noodle, Wa Kueh, Tapioca Starch Kway Teow, Kong Bak Pau While you can frind Yam Paste, Sweet & Savoury Glutinous Rice and Pork Aspic from the Teochew Chinese dialect group.

Lastly from the Hainanese Chinese dialect group, you can savour dishes such as Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball, Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup and Vermicelli with Cuttlefish & Chives. The food trail also features 2 very traditional item such as the Bird's Nest Drink and Ice Ball.

Do head down to the Chinatown Food Street from 11 July to 20 July 2014 to check out these different Chinese dialect group's dishes Informative boards will also be put up to explain the significance of the 20 dishes that is specially selected to be featured in this year Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Food Trail in conjunction of the Singapore Food Festival 2014.

For more information on Singapore Food Festival 2014, please visit SFF Website.

Singapore Food Festival 2014

Singapore Food Festival is back from 11 July 2014 to 20 July 2014. This year the theme is "A Walk Down Memory Lane" which will feature an array of dining experiences and cuisines that represent Singapore's rich food legacy at various locations during the 10 days.

Singapore Food Festival 2014 will kick off with the launch of the Chinatown Food Street on 11 July 2014. The street will be enlivened with iconic Chinatown characters from the past such as samsui women and coolies. Over the 10 days, foodies can taste and learn about the specially curated 20 Chinese dialect dishes that are not commonly found in Singapore at the various stalls and restaurants at Chinatown Food Street. Foodies are encouraged to go on a Chinese Heritage Food Trail to discover more about each dish.

Event: Chinatown Food Street
Date: 11-20 July 2014
Time: 11am - 11pm
Location: Chinatown Food Street, Smith Street
Pricing: Free admission, pay for purchases
Organised by: Chinatown Food Street

One of the 20 Chinese dialect dishes is the Hakka Rickshaw Noodles. This is namd after rickshaw pullers who were its usual customers. Rickshaw noodles is a flavourful bowl of stewed Hokkien yellow noodles in port broth with minced meat and vegetables, topped with fried garlic, shallots and anchovies.

The rest of dishes are Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls, Hakka Abacus Seeds, Hokkien Rice Bowl Cake, Hakka Red Glutinous Wine Chicken, Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup, Teochew Pig Trotter Jelly, Hokkien Kong Bak Pau, Cantonese Pig Trotter in Vinegar and Ginger, Teochew Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts and Hakka Yong Tau Foo.

Organised by the Indian Chefs and Culinary Association (ICCA) Singapore in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival 2014, Suvai 2014 hopes to inspire interest in the local Indian culinary scene. Besides servicing mouth watering creations from eight renowned chefs, attendees can look forward to an array of activities from competitions, entertainment and master classes.

Event: Suvai 2014
Date: 11-20 July 2014
Time: 6 - 11pm (17 Jul), 12noon - 11pm (18 - 20 Jul)
Location: In Little India, opposite Serangoon Plaza.
Pricing: $18 (All day pass and is inclusive of $10 Suvai dollars and access to master classes and hands-on classes). Free admission for children 12 and below.
Organised by: CIndian Chefs and Culinary Association (Singapore)

Signature dishes that attendees can experience at Suvai 2014 are Grilled Roulade Prata by Chef Sultanul Arfin, Trio of Assocrted Rice by Chef Rajeswary Sinan and Mutton Briyani by Dr. Chef K. Damodaran. The grilled roulade prata consists of crispy prata stuffed with minced mutton. Trio of assorted rice, a vegetarian dish is made up of 3 delicious variations of the Asian staple of lemon rice, yoghurt rice and sambar rice. Lastly the mutton briyani a well seasoned and marinated meat with spices cooked with basmati rice in a large pot.

Nyonya Mobile is a food event on wheels that aims to showcase the richness of Peranakan cuisine and heritage. This roving food truck will offer food tasting, interactive exhibits and live cooking demonstrations.

Event: Nyonya Mobile 
Date: 12-17 July 2014
Time: Check SFF website for the updated schedule
Location: Various location, check SFF Website.
Pricing: Free
Organised by: Singapore Tourism Board

Some of the dishes that attendees can enjoy from the participating chefs are Chicken Pong Teh, Grilled Chicken Pong Teh, Sambal Udang, Sambal Udang Sandwiches, Beef Buah Keluak, Buah Keluak Ice Cream, Satay and Satay Nanas.

Helmed by Chef Damian D'Silva, South East Sliders @ ION Orchard will feature his radical take on familiar Singapore dishes, namely Beef Rendang and Chicken Debal. This pop up concept is driven by the chef's pursuit to preserve the heritage behind our ethnic food while innovating to make it appeal to the younger generation.

Event: South East Sliders @ ION Orchard
Date: 11-20 July 2014
Time: 10am - 10pm
Location: ION Orchard, Level B3
Pricing: From $7

For those looking to experience Singapore's diverse food culture, ION Orchard will launch the ION Orchard Local Food Trail in conjunction with Singapore Food Festival. The food trail involves a series of sampling and demonstration of iconic Singapore food such as Perankan kueh, chilli crab and kaya toast.

Event: ION Orchard Local Food Trail
Date: 11-20 July 2014 (Mon to Fri only)
Time: 11am
Location: ION Orchard
Pricing: Free (pre-registration is needed)
Organised by: ION Orchard

Participating establishments for this local food trail are Lim Chee Guan, Bengawan Solo, Punggol Nasi Padang, Killiney Cafe, Food Opera, Eu Yan Sang and Wang San Yang.

As part of the Singapore Food Festival 2014, Sentosa's dinner affair allows diners to fully immerse themselves in the environment with specially sand sculpted tables and seats as they savour barbequed seafood and meats at Palawan Beach. This will be the first Sand Dining concept in Singapore with the sand dining sets created by renowned local sand sculptor Joo Heng Tan.

Event: BBQ by the Beach
Date: 11, 12, 18 and 19 July 2014 (Fri & Sat)
Time: 630pm - 1030pm
Location: Palawan Beach, Sentosa
Pricing: Adult $79-$99, Child $29-39 (age 3-10 yrs old)
Online Reservation: http://store.sentosa.com.sg/main/events
Organised by: Sentosa

Dinners will get to feast on a buffet dinner that includes a good variety of seafood and meat dishes infused with spices, popular staples, and desserts. The seafood and meats will be grilled using traditional Hawaiian underground barbeque pit known as the Imu.

For more information on Singapore Food Festival 2014, please visit SFF Website.