年年有余 in celebrations for Abundance through the year

I've probably had ten of these in the 15 days of the Lunar New Year.

And they came in all shapes and sizes with different people groups.

But this.
Was 年年有很多鱼!
Bountiful set for 4-6 persons with 18 slices of salmon.

With add-ons of 12 slices of salmon and kajiki.
Each.

Do the math.
That's 42 slices.
Yes?
Indeed.

There's a lot of camaraderie in the tossing of colorful fresh and preserved vegetables alike.

And then you mumble some awkward random chinese prosperity phrases.

But when people just play with the vegetables on the surface, you know some massive help is needed.

Like that.

Otherwise, somebody's gonna end up eating a whole blob of sweet plum sauce.

There's just a lot of fish in there.

And as the chinese saying goes,

my dining partners insisted that we keep one slice of fish aside.

Hopefully that little slice bodes well for us four in the year 2014 :)

Putting size into perspective with the lemon wedge.

These were baby sized shisamos.

I have never seen them like that.

And frankly,

we were hardly pleased.

The hanasaki ika tempura was also more batter than anything actual squid.

I don't know what went wrong there.

Thankfully we had these edamame peas that were faultless.

And really the saving grace after our massive tossed salad.

It was a miss that night at Ichiban Boshi Ngee Ann City.

But I'll be back again.

And see how all that goes.

For the love of affordable Japanese food and the expanse of space and high ceilings at this outlet situated so conveniently in the heart of town.

To a great year of the Wooden Horse ahead!

祝大家年年有鱼!

A weekend in Bintan Lagoon Resort with Journeyful and Nuffnang!

An hour's ferry ride away from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal brings you to the doorstep of Bintan Lagoon Resort & Golf Club. The Indonesian beachfront resort overlooks the South China Sea, boasts 473 rooms and has 11 food and beverage outlets, spa and massage facilities with a diverse range of land and sea activities for guests to choose from. The resort has also won numerous awards for both of its spectacular 18 hole golf courses.

The recent facelift has seen the addition of a new ferry terminal which makes travelling to and fro from the resort a breeze. The rooms have also been refitted with flat screen televisions, day beds for lounging and even marbled furnishings in the toilets. Bintan Lagoon Resorts has also recently received the Green Hotel Award from Indonesia. The first in Southeast Asia, they have been awarded the U.S green resort certification - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The LEED provides third-party verification that a building/community was designed and built using strategies targeted at what matters most - energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts all thanks to the concerted efforts of their Green Team.

Now that's a holiday worth taking. Nothing but rest and relaxation with minimal carbon footprints. :)

And a very warm welcome to...

Paradise.

Deluxe rooms with a seaview starting from S$140++/night.

A personalized welcome note and a fruit platter.

How's that for hospitality?

RICE, Bintan’s lagoon resort’s beachfront bar and dining option.

Poised on a stretch of private soft sand beach, take in a spectacular amphitheatre view of the vast South China Sea. During the day, the restaurant is bathed in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows and it couldn't have been more perfect for the press conference.

Simple open faced canapes.

But the vibrant colours of the fresh ingredients used and careful presentations made it almost too hard to eat these pretty bites.

Almost being the key word.

I wolfed them down anyway.

The press conference was a very short and informal affair.

Because I really suppose there's a lot more than just talk about Bintan Lagoon and Golf Resort.

And a resort tour would just be the best way to go around it.

Pun totally intended.

Angsoka villa.

Aside from rooms connected to the main hotel lobby, there are also many villas available for stays.

And this was just one of the 4 room villas with cooking and washing facilities, a private pool and hey, a poolside BBQ pit.

What would one BBQ? They have an order list where you can opt for BBQ packages and they'll send over all that's required for that awesome poolside BBQ.

And I think I wanna marry you. :)

Stunning hectares of green.

Play considerately.

Sunset over the green.

Makes you catch your breath a little. 

An a buggy ride brought us through the course to our dinner venue.

A dream wedding set up hey.

 So drink up and make merry.

That's a lot of heart into a banquet table setup outdoors.

Meze appetizers showcasing their Mediterranean restaurant Orzo.

The allure of a tropical beach holiday.

And it only looks even more beautiful at nightfall.

Tempura from the resort's Japanese restaurant Miyako.

Bintan Delight.

These cocktails may have different names but can be found on the menus of most of its dining establishments.

So stop for a drink every now and then during the course of your stay

and breathe.

There's no place like Bintan Lagoon Resort to kick back and chillax.

A girl could only hope.

For more of these island adventures.

So she writes and sends them up into the sky on these sky lanterns.

Don't bother with the instructions.

Ask.

The friendly staff are dripping sweat, burning their hands if only to send those wishes for you. :)

And just because I asked.

Look who came home with me after the dinner?

I went to bed happy. :)

Book your own Bintan Lagoon Resorts holiday at 

www.mozaichotels.com/bintanlagoon

or

on Journeyful.

Providing hotel booking services with social networking features, helping people around the world travel together better.

Website: https://www.journeyful.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/journeyful

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bintanlagoonresort

Many Thanks to Nuffnang, Journeyful and Bintan Lagoon Resorts for making this a perfect weekend getaway!

**Promotional Package: 

From now till 31st March 2013, book a 3D2N stay in a Deluxe room with complimentary breakfast, return ferry tickets, a 30-minute massage, S$20 worth of F&B credits per room and a complimentary sky lantern launch session at prices starting from S$239++ per person.