Hello Kitty Orchid Garden @ Changi Airport Terminal 3 - World's First 24 Hour Hello Kitty Themed Cafe

The world's first 24 hour Hello Kitty themed cafe has opened at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. Hello Kitty Orchid Garden is designed to emulate the country's garden city vibe. Around the cafe, Singapore's national flower, the orchid is incorporated into the interior design with a kawaii flair of the beloved character.

Coffee lovers will enjoy the the selection of hot and iced brews made from the specially sourced gourmet Ethiopan grade 1 beans. I had the Latte which comes with a cute hello kitty latte art. It also comes with cute shaped hello kitty biscuit.

Hola Nachos 3.5/5

A good starter for sharing is the Hola Nachos ($15.90). The fried tortilla chips is topped with parmasan, jalapenos, olives, onions and cherry tomato salsa. It comes with luscious cheddar cheese sauce that is the star that jazzed up the whole enjoyment.

Over the Rainbow Salad 3.5/5

I do wonder why the salad dish is called Over the Rainbow Salad ($15.90). I was expecting something more colourful or at least the components on the plate resembles the colours of a rainbow. Anyway the dish comes wth mesclun salad, portobello mushrooms, pineapple, jackfruit, feta cheese, pine nuts and dressed in a laksa mustard vinaigrette. I like the idea of using the jackfruit, giving the salad a fruity and refreshing finishing. The laksa mustard vinaigrette was rather light, giving it a slight lift in flavour.

Enchanted Forest 3/5

The Enchanted Forest ($17.90) is quesadillas sandwiched with prawn, avocado, caramelised onions, cheddar and wasabi sesame mayonnaise. The toasted tortilla shell together with the choice of ingredietns is a delectable combination.

Cowabunga Wagyu 3/5

Finally something really kitty on the plate with the Hello Kitty shaped rice. The Cowabunga Wagyu ($24) is one of the few Asian influenced dishes on the menu. The dish comes with Japanese rice, wagyu beef rendang, onions and pineapple. The beef can be more tender and I would prefer the spices mix to be more spicy. This is also the most expensive item on the menu.

Big Breakfast Surprise 3.8/5

Probably my favourite of all is the Big Breakfast Surprise ($18.50). The Hello Kitty waffles comes with cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, shiitake mushrooms, smoked duck and honey lime maple syrup. I like how the subtle zest on top of the maple syrup sweetness enriched the whole experience.

Hide and Seek 3.5/5

Moving on to the dessert, we started with the Hide and Seek ($16.90) which comes with wobbly pandan panna cotta paired with vanilla gelato, gula melaka, passionfruit and strawberry marshmallow sauce. The other Asian influenced dish that the local palate will be familiar with.

The Cat in Paradise 3.5/5

The Cat in Paradise ($18.50) is another dessert we tried. The mango mousse cake comes with candied orange, hazelnut gelato, green apple and strawberry marshmallow sauce. The smooth and light mousse cake will be appropriate for those that does not like their dessert to be too sweet.

Pistachio Gelato 4/5

At any one time Hello Kitty Orchard Garden will have 8 different gelato flavours to choose from. I decided to have a scoop of the Pistachio Gelato, which is pretty good with the nutty flavour and creamy texture.

Camping Under the Stars 4/5

The Camping Under the Stars ($19.50) is probably the cutest and most photogenic dish in the whole menu. It comes with a scoop of chocolate gelato and hazelnut gelato. Graham crackers is stacked onto the gelato to make it looks like a hut. The green tea powder and toasted muesli is designed to look like the camp fire.

While the food at Hello Kitty Orchard Garden is quite decent, I felt that it lacked the in the face cutest in the dishes. Unless you are a die hard Hello Kitty fan, I doubt it is worth queuing for hours for the food.


Hello Kitty Orchid Garden
Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3
Arrival Hall Central
#01-22
65 Airport Boulevard
Singapore 819663
Facebook
Website
Nearest: Changi Airport (EW Line)

Opening Hours
Daily: 24hr

Direction: 
1) Alight at Changi Airport MRT station. Take Exit B. Go to arrival hall. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Melt Cafe @ Mandarin Oriental Singapore - Explore The Flavours of India

Melt Cafe at Mandarin Oriental Singapore will be drawing your attention to a special showcase of Indian cuisine by Indian Specialty Chef Santosh Kumar from 16 to 31 May 2016. And not just the food itself, I was welcomed by a beautiful lady dressed in Sari, with Indian music to waltz me in.

Mutton Biryani 4/5

What caught my eyes at the Indian cuisine section was their Mutton Biryani. Like a King indeed, the mutton biryani is cooked with a whole lamb, which has been roasted for hours. Apart from the tender mutton, I love the aromatic spiced basmasti rice, punctuated with sweetness lent from raisins, dried apricot etc. There was also a lot of textures to it, thanks to the crunchy carrots and green peas.

Tandoori Jhinga King Prawns 3.8/5

A few notable items which I particularly like. The Tandoori Jhinga King Prawns marinated with spices and carom seeds is definitely one of them, something different from the usual tandoori fish or chicken. Fresh and succulent, the spices and carom seeds really whetted my appetite.

Lamb Foie Gras 3.8/5

Lamb paired with Foie Gras is not something that I would expect, given that both ingredients inherited a rather strong and acquired flavour. However, perhaps given the right proportion, this petite item turned out to be quite palate pleasing, rather than giving me a flavour assault. The patty was moist, and not gamey. The marriage of these two is almost like that of beef patty and bacon.

Potato Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Vegetable 3.8/5

One of my favourite snacks of the evening was this unassuming looking Potato Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Vegetable. The potato was roasted to the right tenderness, and I really like the comforting sweetness of the stuffing.

Vegetable Curries and Flat Bread, Yogurt and Chutney 3.5/5

There is a range of vegetable curries, which you can pair with an assortment of naan flat breads with flavours such as garlic, butter, olive and cheese. To mellow the fiery and creamy curries, you may want to visit their special 'Indian snack bar' for some homemade chutneys and yogurt.

Rasmalai Cottage Cheese Balls in Cream, Dumpling with Light Syrup, Apricot Pudding

To complete the entire Indian dining experience, there are 3 Indian flavoured desserts. They are Rasmalai Cottage Cheese Balls in Cream, Dumpling with Light Syrup, Apricot Pudding. My favourite is the apricot pudding. It was sweet and sour, and aromatic with cardamom.

Sushi and Sashimi 3.5/5

Herbal Prawn 3/5

Other international cuisines are available - Japanese, Asian, cold sections and desserts.

Cheese and Accompaniments 3.8/5

Apart from the Indian cuisine, another highlight for me is their cheese platter and crepes station.

Crepes with Ice Cream 4.5/5

The crepes was soft and fluffy, and was delicious even on its own. No matter how filled you are, their ice creams are a must-try. Their chocolate ice cream was rich, velvety and edged with bitterness, while the strawberry sorbet was tangy and refreshing. Their yogurt ice cream is also not-to-be missed.

 Explore The Flavours of India is available for lunch and dinner at Melt Cafe from 16 to 31 May 2016,

Lunch
Mon-Sat: $62
Sun Brunch:
$98 (inclusive of free flow of juices and soft drinks)
$158 (inclusive of free flow of champagne, wines, beer, juices and soft drinks)

Dinner
Sun-Wed: $78
Thu-Sat: $88 (inclusive of barbecue selections)


Melt Cafe
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039797
Tel: +65 68853500
Facebook
Website
Nearest: Promenade (CC Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Breakfast: 630am - 1030am
Lunch: 12pm - 230pm
Brunch: 12pm - 3pm (Sun)
Dinner: 630pm - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B. Take the Marina Square Link to Marina Square. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes.[Map]