A Trip to Din Tai Fung at Paragon

Singapore Day 1
Din Tai Fung Paragon
3:57pm

After arriving at Fairmont Singapore and learning that our room was not yet ready, we REALLY had NO choice but to have our first meal in Singapore.

We headed to Paragon Shopping Mall along Orchard Road to eat at Din Tai Fung because truffle xiao long bao is exclusively available at the Paragon branch.

At Paragon

Menu Board

We couldn't have come at a better time as lines were non-existent during the off-peak hour of 4 p.m.!

Ghost Town at 4 p.m.

It was purely a dimsum meal because we wanted to save room for dinner:

Steamed Pork  Xiao Long Bao

The flavors of the Singapore xiao long baos were consistent with the xiao long baos I've eaten in Hong Kong as of late: It unfortunately lacked a special something. I guess I'll never be able to relive the glory days of Din Tai Fung xiao long baos wherein one bite of the soupy dumpling left me speechless and in bliss.

Truffle Xiao Long Bao

The truffle flavor was evident without overwhelming the entire dumpling. The truffles certainly made the dumplings more interesting although this was not a runaway winner for me.  Having said that, one is not given a lot of opportunities to taste truffle in xiao long bao so it's still worth a try.  

Steamed Crab Meat and Pork Xiao Long Bao

My least favorite of the lot as it didn't taste any different from the pork xiao long baos. Pass on this.

Steamed Chili Crab Xiao Long Bao

Now this made the trip worth it! I was amazed that something so small and delicate was able to capture the essence of Singapore's national dish, chili crabs. Rich full flavors that made me wish that we ordered more!

Spicy Shrimp Wanton

I love all things spicy so this was also a winner. The shrimps were also fresh making this such a joy to eat.

And with the very satisfying meal at Din Tai Fung, our Singapore food binge officially began!

Din Tai Fung has ten branches in Singapore. For more information, click here. 

5 Reasons Why I Love Fairmont Singapore

Singapore Day 1
Fairmont Singapore
3:14pm

There are a lot of hotel options in Singapore but we chose to stay at Fairmont.

Fairmont is an international chain of hotels and resorts found in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.

Its website promises an extraordinary experience when staying at any Fairmont property and I have to say that we did have a fantastic time at Fairmont Singapore.

Here are 5 reasons why...

5. NO LONG WAIT FOR TAXIS

Who said there's a shortage of taxis in Singapore when cabs were aplenty at Fairmont Singapore? We never had to wait long to get a taxi and I appreciated this more than ever when we had to endure a 30 minute delay at Fullerton Hotel's taxi stand!!! Taking the cab was our group's transportation of choice and we certainly saved a lot of time by choosing Fairmont Singapore.

4. COMFORTABLE ROOM

We were billeted in a deluxe room at the South tower which was recently renovated. No wonder our room was very modern, equipped with all the needed amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. The room was so cozy in fact, that we often found ourselves lingering in our room longer than intended.

3. IMMACULATE BATHROOM

It's rare for an all white hotel bathroom too look so inviting and clean but Fairmont Singapore managed to pull it off. A huge reason why I actually enjoyed my stay at Fairmont Singapore is because of the immaculate bathroom. Lock me in the bathroom all day long and I would still have been a happy camper.

2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

 Fairmont is centrally located with most attractions such as Orchard Road, Merlion Park, and Marina Bay just a short distance away. The hotel is also above the City Hall train station which meant that getting around Singapore was a breeze. As an added bonus, Raffles City Mall is connected to the hotel so there's no reason to get bored when staying at Fairmont Singapore.

1. OUTSTANDING SERVICE

It's unfortunate that I was unable to take a picture of  the service team of Fairmont Singapore because they're the number one reason why I loved Fairmont Singapore. From the bellhops to the concierge, everybody assisted with a smile and accommodated our requests big or small. Also, we were given a free room upgrade because our room was not yet ready when we arrived at 3 p.m.  It's proof that they value their guests and strive hard to please everyone that stays in their property. If all hotels had staff as dedicated as Fairmont's, there would be less weary travelers worldwide.

BOTTOM LINE: 

Although not as luxurious as other five star hotels in Singapore, the convenient location and warm service of the staff of Fairmont Singapore make it an excellent Singapore hotel option. Would stay at Fairmont Singapore again in a heartbeat!

Fairmont Singapore is located at 80 Bras Basah Road, Singapore. Room rates start at $200++ per night. For more information, click here.

Singapore Preview

The landmarks proved to be a good distraction....

but I really went to Singapore to...

EAT!!!

Get ready to learn how I ate my way through Singapore on the coming entries...