aldora: Conrad Centennial Singapore, Temasek Boulevard

13.07.2014: FX and YY's Big Day @ Conrad

I have always heard positive feedback on the food served by the Conrad Centennial Singapore and hence was super looking forward to attend FX and YY's banquet dinner to taste it for myself.

Unfortunately, I was down with a cold and hence my tastebuds might have gone haywire somehow :(

My Saturday was jam-packed with activities as well - from attending morning church service, to afternoon house-viewing (yes, we have obtained a HDB Loan finally and will be purchasing a resale flat) then we head off to Cynthia's house for a trial make-up session before rushing to the hotel for the banquet. What an eventful day!

Hair and Make Up by Cynthia Oh from Cynderella :)

I must say that I am very pleased with my make-up and hair for that night. I do get compliments for it and Sweetie Muffin was extremely nice to me that evening! (guys are superficial *face-palm*)

Also, Cynthia is very attentive and her make-up style suits my "exotic" preferences. I hated the dramatic panda-liked eye make-up which most local make-up artists produce and Cynthia's make-up is natural and enhances the natural beauty of the subject (which is me *grin*). Moreover the products used on my face are suitable for my sensitive skin and I did not suffer from any breakouts after removing my make-up that night.

Less is indeed more!

*Give a Thumbs-Up if you agree!*

Post by Cynderella by Cynthia Oh - Makeup and Hair Artist Singapore.

Hence, I have decided to engage Cynderella by Cynthia Oh to be my Make-Up Artist for my wedding day :)

Hotel Name: Conrad Centennial Singapore
Website: http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/conrad-centennial-singapore-SINCICI/index.html
Location:
2 Temasek Boulevard
Millennia Walk
Singapore 038982
Tel: 6334 8888

Le' Ambience

The Ballroom was majestic and grand.

Conrad Centennial Singapore, Temasek Boulevard

High Ceiling...

With high ceilings and ambient lights ~

Rather Spacious Ballroom to host over 30 tables!

Definitely the ideal place to host a banquet :)

Pastel-coloured roses were used for the decoration of the aisle and centrepiece for the tables.

The downside is that we felt a little crammed to have 12pax squeeze into a table.

Tall Table Centrepieces

Le' Door Gifts

Teddy Bear ~

Teddy Bears and Heart-Shaped Chocolates were placed on the tables for guests to bring back as a memento of the couple's matrimony.

Although the Teddy Bears are cute, they serve no practical purpose.. I would personally prefer something more functional for wedding gifts though :)

Tiny Heart-Shaped Chocolates which tasted sweet too!

Le' Menu

The Chinese Dinner Set Menu is prepared by Golden Peony Restaurant.

It consists of 9 courses (excluding Chinese Tea) and is considered quite sumptuous for a wedding banquet.

Le' Food

Fork, Knife and Chopsticks! Ready to EAT!

I was very impressed with the song they chose to play when they served the first dish. It was so classical that I could recognise it right away - "Be Our Guest" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast :)

Awww how innovative and classical!

Wines

I was pleasantly surprised that both their red and white wines tasted good.

Will specifically recommend the White Wine though! It tasted really smooth and sweet :)

A Glass of White Wine

#1: Happiness Platter

Barbecued Suckling Pig, Crabmeat Omelette, Fresh Prawn wrapped in Crispy Filo Dough, Vietnamese Spring Roll, Jellyfish with Minced Spring Onion

This dish tasted pretty OK and I liked the Jellyfish :)

#2: Lobster

Double Boiled with Chinese Cabbage, Sea Whelk, Conpoy, Bamboo Pith and Chicken

The word "Lobster" looked so amazing on the menu but nope, you will not see the entire lobster being presented to you when the dish is served.

The lobster meat will be visible in the soup in pieces. This dish tasted OK as well but I think the taste of the Double Boiled Fish Maw Soup with Bamboo Pith and Shark's Cartilage Broth served by Crowned Plaza Hotel is comparable to this dish though.

Lobster Meat!!!

#3: Scallop and Prawn

Sautéed with Honey Pea in XO Chilli Sauce

Scallop and Prawn Sautéed with Honey Pea in XO Chilli Sauce

This dish is not to my liking and hence I passed it to Sweetie Muffin to finish up.

#4: Red Grouper

Steamed Hongkong Style

The fishy taste is present and hence I hated it totally :( Hence it ended up in Sweetie Muffin's bowl as usual ;)

By this time, the staff have finally removed the table centrepiece which proved to be an eyesore during our first few dishes as we cannot see the guests seated opposite us clearly.

However the flowers still remained in the middle of the table.

A Bouquet of Fresh Flowers ~

#5: Abalone

Sliced, Braised with Sea Cucumber and Chinese Cabbage

Abalone Sliced, Braised with Sea Cucumber and Chinese Cabbage

Starchy dishes are not meant for people who are down with flu. I had no appetite for this and hence off it went to Sweetie Muffin's ~

How STARCHY

#6: Spare Rib

In Aromatic Mocha Sauce Served with Almond Flake

THIS is indeed the BEST dish tasted thus far. And the only dish that created a good impression on me :) It is really aromatic and tasted yummy too!

#7: Crispy Chicken

Topped with Crispy Minced Garlic

Crispy Chicken Topped with Crispy Minced Garlic

Tasted Normal.

#8: Udon Noodle

Stir-Fried with Dice Seafood in Black Pepper Sauce

I disliked Ee Fu Noodles.. But.. I dislike Udon more!

I've never liked to eat fat stripes of soft dough anyways :(

#9: Dessert

Chilled Lemongrass-flavoured Jelly with Aloe Vera, Diced Mango and Strawberry

The strawberries tasted sour. I don't really like the combination and sorry to say that this dessert is not for me :(

Le' Service

The staff helped to place the napkin on our laps once we were seated.

And also, the dishes are being served to us on an individual basis by the hotel staff instead of placing a huge platter in the middle of the table for the guests to help themselves. The upside is that you can seat more guests in one table (12 in this case) but the downside is that the portion of food you get is fixed.

The staff was very polite when they served the dishes and they whispered to one of the guests on our table on how is he going to serve the dish etc etc till he felt it was too much info.. LOL! And to think about it, it was pretty unfair because only a couple of people at our table could hear what was he muttering leaving the rest of us in suspense.

Further to that, as the staff busy themselves at a corner of the ballroom to apportion our dishes, there was not much manpower to refill our empty glasses and hence when it was time for the newly-weds to toast, our glasses were pretty empty..

Overall

The dishes selected under the menu were not to my personal liking but the other guests seemed to enjoy the food and everything. So, I guess taste is something very subjective.