Nurseries in Johor Bahru

Green Green Grass  Of  Bloom

Tropical Fruits Galore

I see many of my friends trying to buy plants and bonsais back to Singapore and are always being stopped at customs as plants and vegetation in soil condition (even in pots) are not allowed.  So visitors need to bear in mind on top of a host of forbidden items at customs, live plants are also not allowed to be crossing customs without proper documentation.

Here are some of the best around Johor Bahru area for your next nursery visits in Johor Bahru. 

KATSURA GARDEN

Katsura Garden
At Katsura, near Sutera Mall - which I will feature in future posts - you will find your family spoilt for a lazy afternoon soiree.  While some family members shop for plants and garden items at the sprawling compound, others could laze at its cool tiki huts for their afternoon tea break.

Besides the usual tropical plants, shrubs and bonsais, Katsura stocks a wide array of home and garden pottery ware.  We bought our front door Fu Lions from here, and most of our landscape plants are also delivered and planted by its friendly staff.

The garden tiki hut serves coconut drink, refreshingly cold and quenching fruit rojak, nasi lemak, otak and such.  And if you are looking for fresh fruits, this is the place too.  All seasonal fruits from durians, rambutans, jackfruits, longans, lychees on top of the staples like bananas, melons, papayas etc are always stocked to the brim due to its location along the main thorougfare where local residents and Singaporean visitors ply.

Katsura is along near Sutera Mall, driving towards Bukit Indah at Jalan Sutera Danga, Taman Sutera Utama, 81300 Johor Bahru, Johor.










Riverview Flora
Driving along Taman Sutera towards Bukit Indah, half way you will find Riverview Flora – this is where we had bought bigger ticket items – outdoor palms and oversized decorative urns and stone furniture for the garden.  Its owner Joshua is a young and helpful entrepreneur.  We had wanted a species of beach grass for our garden – and he was able to source for us, albeit after a few weeks.  My very specific-in-what-she-wants partner was elated as the grass now decorate the front entrance of our home.

RIVERVIEW FLORA

Although it does not have as wide an array of garden decor knick knacks as Katsura, it does carry unique items which you may not find in other nurseries.  Our garden water-mist fans for example were bought from here for just MR500 each, when in Singapore we were  quoted more than twice as much I recalled.

Riverview is along Taman Nusa Bestari heading towards Sutera Mall at PTD 118566, Jalan Danga, Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai, Johor.

BL Blooming
Finally, is the new kid on the block which sprang up from Katsura Group due to the number of new homes achieving their occupancy permits and new residents seeking landscaping for their new gardens in the area.  As you can surmise, given that it is the closest to where most Singaporeans and expats live in Nusajaya, you probably have to pay a little more for the well-kept nursery.

BL BLOOMING

 It is even starting to showcase pets for the kids to have fun and taking selfies with (pets caged of course).  BL is just off Sultan Iskandar highway along Jalan Rawa at Lot 51713 PTD 32090, Jalan Rawa, Taman Perling, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor.

 

Dim Sum Jolly

You Say Taro I say Yam

Many Singaporean and Malaysian friends of ours love their dim sum (I have heard some say Yum Cha which literally means Drink Tea) breakfast and we are no exception.

We would go for our early morning walk and then head straight for our dim sum hideout at Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru.  The location  is as local as can be - situated at a corner shophouse, just across from the Tasek Mall - another very local shopping center where you will not find tourists and where we love to go Jalan Jalan (roam around) or shop for groceries at The Store after our dim sum breakfast.

To me this place has the best fried yam balls - with juicy lean meat inside - just the way I like them.  Give me the balls, a good bowl of century egg porridge and local kopi C Siu Dai ( coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar) to wash down my chow, and I will be a happy camper.

My partner loves their homemade char siew pao and turnip pancakes too.  They have a wide array of paos - from sweet to savory,  and a host of other fried and steam dim sum delights which my Singaporean relatives went berserk in ordering whenever we bring them.

All items are made fresh by the shop owner family whose members - from the grandparents to the grandchildren - all help at serving and running the morning-only business.  It is also very heart-warming to see a family happy and friendly at work - even when it is 7am in the morning!

YEW YEE Dim Sum 
is along Jalan Tun Aminah
GPS Coordinates: 1.517002, 103.658352

Malaysia Boleh

Does Your Car Suspension Feel Hard & Harsh?

 SOURCE YOUTUBE

I do not know if most drivers in Singapore and Malaysia feel the same as I do, but with heightening car ownership and the plethora of mega building projects around us - hence heavy vehicles aplenty - the roads are getting increasingly ill-maintained, leaving the bitumen surface worn out, or worse, with an obstacle course of pot holes.  I was once driving a 4X4 Chevrolet Truck hoping to circumvent these bumpy rides, but to no success - and eventually we switched back to saloon car as the truck was also too high for the lady and the kids.

Well I eventually found a cheap solution and the difference in the ride on all the cars I have retrofitted is just night and day.  How do I know?  As a car guy, I feel the pain every time one of my cars go over a pot holes or those omnipresent speed bumps in my neighborhood.  And that is exacerbated by my partner's not-too-refine lady driving (ok I take that back....apologies to all ladies!).  Ever since I had every car retrofitted with the Power Cushion Buffer from Germany brand AMT, the ride is much smoother, the suspension feels buffered (especially over bumps) and the best of all, I feel like I am protecting the suspension systems and making them last longer on my cars.

Trust me, there is only so much funds at bank to go around replacing shocks, springs and suspensions on my cars. - so I gotta make my cars run well and stay on the road for as long as possible.

Brother's at Taman Universiti

You can get the buffer pads at the best price of around MR50 per set of 2 at BROTHERS Carlife Store.  I like to go to the branch at Taman University as the boss lady Ms Wong gives me a good discount for all my cars.  Remember, specific pads fit specific make and model.  So buy the right ones, or better yet, drive your car there so that the mechanics can position the buffers in case your make or model is not listed - they can find one that fits.

Brother's Also Retrofit The Cushion

After that, you may fit them at Brother's or just go to any suspension shop to get it fitted in properly - you need around 1 hour - so you can go Jalan Jalan at U Mall or just drink some kopi around the myriad selection of cafes there.  Remember this - suspension uncles and mechanics make money when your car suspension is worn and needs replacement.  So they want your suspension to wear down soonest possible to keep their business running - cruel but true.  Be firm when they give you a song and dance about "It won't work", "Why don't you change your springs?" or this and that to discourage you from retrofitting the buffer pads. This is because on top of it being a tough job, they know the pads keep your suspension functioning longer. Your effort will pay off when you drive the car and immediately feel the glide and ride of a Jaguar's suspension!

If all else fails and you are not able to find a shop near Brother's to fit the pads - go to my suspension buddy called Chong from Mincent Car Auto at Bukit Indah.  He had retrofitted all my cars and tell him that "Crazy Ang Moh" sent you!  His fee is about MR100 for all 4 pads depending on how difficult it is to retrofit them on your suspension.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Brothers Carlife Store
38 Jalan Kebudayaan 1A
Taman University, Johor
Tel +607 521 5240
GPS 1.541182, 103.632474

Mincent Car Auto Service
73 Jalan Indah 16/11
Taman Bukit Indah
Johor Bahru, Johor
Tel +607 236 8386
Shophouses near Petronas Gas Station

Beauty In Bangkok

Drawing Blood For The Wrong Reason?

Being a Bangkok veteran and unofficial city promoter of the city to my relatives and friends, a couple friend recently accompanied us to Bangkok so that we can accompany them on their to-go list.  While the guys headed for the car parts and accessories sancturary near Chinatown, the fairer sexed made a hasty retreat to Siam Square for their Vampire Facelifts
 
I was too hot near the BTS station of Siam where we parted ways, to fully understand what they were heading for or ask for further clarification.  So fast forward to dinner time when we met at the fabulous foodie basement of Siam Paragon shopping center for dinner, the two ladies came back with slightly bruised but invariably rejuvenated complexion - like a pair of vampires who just found fresh blood.  "Yes!" they chanted in agreement, and further related that they were fed centrifuged blood at the beauty clinic - except it was their own viles of blood.  My apetite then was near gone and I had to put down my utensils to hear the details without food in my mouth!

Here's what they did.  Certainly not for the faint-hearted. Photo directly below is from Google Image as the photos they took of each other were not as systematically and aesthetically taken!  They spent a little over an hour at the clinic, including the numbing cream waiting period.  Here goes:

1. Face sanitized and anesthetic cream applied.

2. Platelet Rich Plasma from blood previously drawn at Photo 3 (sorry for the non sequential collage) injected back into problem areas of the face

3. Blood drawn from your arm for centrifuging to obtain platelet rich plasma to be injected back

4. Face injections should be done in 10 mins - apparently with slight bee-like sting per injection point

5. Neck injections (ouch!!!) is also available if you want to rejuvenate the neck area

Picture Paints A Thousand Words

The above shows how my partner looked just a few hours after the PRP filler. bEven though both of us guys were horrified by the process, we readily admitted that both girls came back resoundingly more youthful and refreshed - I guess "Vampire Facelift" was the right nomenclature coined by the inventor!

 

They paid about THB15000 each at YB Holistic Clinic founded by Dr. Adisorn Sirisunhirun.
 for the platelet rich plasma filler, which is supposed to last up to a year.  But you may do the blood letting 4 times in a year to get the optimal results of a mini facelift. 

Dr Adisorn is at

YB Holistic Clinic
Soi Thong Lo, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Take BTS to ThongLor and you can walk to the clinic

 

Happy Blood Letting!

Singapore Real Estate - Really?

Property Prices At A Rebound...Finally

The Boon Keng HDB on 40th Floor With An Expansive & Expensive $1M view 

 

I remember when I first relocated from the West to Singapore with my then Singaporean spouse, we were lucky enough to have a roof over our heads due to the good system of affordable government-subsidized housing for the lower and middle income populace.  On the advice of our real estate agent, we bought the lowest priced apartment in the least preferred locale on the island (trust me, even then the location was safe and well served by the island's efficient transport system).  We could only afford a simple unrenovated S$350,000 HDB (government) flat.

 

Fast forward a few decades later, we were able to monetize the flat at a hefty profit, split the difference, which allowed my current arrangement of simple living in and commuting between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and reinvesting in small investment properties for passive income.  More on property investment in the latter 2 countries in my later posts, let me opine on the real estate scenario in Singapore island now.

 

I believe it was Li Ka Shing who once said any tiny country in the world situated in a great location is a real estate gold mine.  Why you ask?  Well real estate is location location location, so that takes care of Li's the latter half of his statement.  Singapore is a tiny tiny nation compared to its vast neighbors like Indonesia and further north China.  So land is scarce and hence properties will be pricey.  Hong Kong is yet another prime example.

 

I have always advised my friends back in Europe to invest in Singapore because I am a good resource for them in Asia.  The last few years were doldrum years for properties worldwide - rental and sale of real estate in Singapore felt the heat as well.  But I advise all to start buying when you see your dream home as the rebound is already happening as we speak!  The government is right to say that buying a HDB is a good first step towards financial freedom and independence.  I benefited from a HDB for sure.

On The 3rd Floor & Over 4000sq ft Costing S$16m+

 

The recent Seven Palms Sentosa apartment is another jaw dropper.  Sure it has fun and sun with Sentosa Resort Island in its backyard.  Sure you feel like a million bucks each time you drive home on that private access road over the sea to your abode.  Sure you have the biggest mall in Singapore - VivoCity - within a stone throw away.  But at over S$3700 per sq ft?  Only for the uber rich I say.

 

So things are beginning to stir in Singapore.  Stocks are seeing sunnier days - and we all know property trends with the stock market performance.  I say call your agents and go house hunting if you had been holding out for the great deal.  Mark my words, the next property wave is coming, or may already be here!

 

Read more on the over S$1m Boon Keng HDB Sale

 

Read more on the S$26m Sentosa Island Apartment Sale

What's Going On Singapore?

Ode To Tiong Bahru Charm

Recently a relative from Wisconsin arrived in Asia for his 6-month rediscovery vacation.  Being a distant relative, I was averse to inquire deeper exactly what he was trying to rediscover about himself.  But the fact that he gave me a good reason to go back to Singapore and be his guide while he was on the S E Asia leg of his rediscovery tour, I was a happy non-nosey parker fellow.

 

I helped him book his stay at The Plot Hostel  @ Tiong Bahru where he can mingle with fellow travellers and not be too lonely should I not be able to pick him up for a some days.  For days on end he was raving on Singapore and his "hotel" cum "home" for the next few weeks were nothing short of being fabulous.

The Plot Hostel is cosy and promotes travellers to mingle and network

I am not unfamiliar to the old world charm of Tiong Bahru with its recent renaissance as a hip F&B hangout, I was nevertheless pleasantly surprised by the number of up-market condos are sprouting in the vicinity.  And with expats and trendy young locals moving into this "art deco" styled preccinct (its building archhitecture is protected by Singapore's conservation law) - the old world of Tiong Bahru has been given a new edge. Antique shops and other home decor galleries are occupying up the ground level of what used to be government-subsidized apartment housing, which are one of the largest - and most expensive - real estate in Central Singapore

 I am very glad effort has been taken to preserve the authencity of the neighborhood, such as the covered "5 foot way" of yonder years, the birdcage corner for the feathered ones and their owners to enjoy each other, and of course the ever popular Tiong Bahru wet market and its mega hawker center on the 2nd floor. 



Bunking In Syle

 

Just around the corner of the hotel is a myriad of local and western dining options which I will feature in my next post.  If you are visiting the Tiong Bahru area and would like to roam its safe streets until wee hours of the morning, why not stay the night at The Plot?  This would allow you to sauter over to the famous Tiong Bahru market for a very local breakfast spread, and visit its wet market on the ground level.

  The hostel is quaintly situated at:

 

259 OUTRAM ROAD, SINGAPORE 169056 / TEL: +65 6223 5866 / FAX: +65 6223 9626

CENTRAL RESERVATION
TEL: +65 6298 8889 / FAX: +65 6396 8356 / EMAIL: reservation@theplothostels.com

 

Or you may find promotional rates for The Plot on Booking.com or Agoda

Johor Late Night Eats

RM27 Family Supper

I know I know....what would an Asing in Asia know about late night supper from street hawkers of Johor Bahru, Malaysia? Well I lived in Singapore long enough and triapsed the Asia Pacific region's street food stalls of Thailand  for years on end that my partner has grown to respect my foodie recommendations...Disclaimer: At least for cheap and good grubs for the soul!

Night marketing cum Supper - love it!

 



The best carrot cake & wonton noodles here & more!



Family of 4 Supper @ RM27 - how great is that?

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Open to midnight
• Those fried goodies come with chee cheong fun rather than the usual bee hoon - but we love the combo.
• Our favorites are the carrot cake, wonton noodles (wet) and those fried goodies and chee cheong fun
• GPS location 1.4695801, 103.6469309
• Address is near 6 Jalan Indah 28/1, Taman Bukit Indah 2, Johor Bahru

Happy Makan & Jalan!

Trendy Hotels

BE EN-CAPSULE-LATED BY SIMPLICITY

 We met up with an investment banker relative recently who used to work for an established financial institution in Singapore for many years.  An epiphany had him pitch some investors together to start a luxe capsule hotel,  I shall feature it as soon as the establishment is up and operating.  His USP for his venture is that "oxy moron" trend sells in today's idiosyncratic lifestyle trends.  So by adding a sybaritic touch to the supposedly no-frills capsule trend, his business proposal bowled over the investors and voila - a vision is being materialized.  That's life!  

That brings me to the topic of capsule hotel.  I first read about it when Japan was raging with the concept many years back.  The Japanese are always ahead in such space-constraint lifestyle innovations.

THAILAND'S BURGEONING CAPSULE 

Then in my last few years of traversing between Bangkok and my kampung, I tried staying in some that were popping up.  I mostly book my hotels with booking.com because they had never disappointed in delivery, and once even helped me get out of a hairy situation with a Bangkok hotel without penalty.  I find the new Luz Triple Capsule - which actually slept 4 of

 Our family of 4 fits just perfect in the Triple Capsule

  us in a family nicely.  We paid around THB1000 per night and are surrounded by many local shopping centers and eateries along Sukhumvit Road and only 400 m away from Arab Street (Nana).  It is only a short walk to the nearest BTS Phloen Chit station (600 m) or Nana BTS Station (800 m). We are surrounded by many local shopping centers and eateries along Sukhumvit Road and only 400 m away from Arab Street (Nana), with swanky shopping at Central Embassy(600 m), Gaysorn Plaza(1.1 km), Central World(1.4 km), Terminal 21 and the EmDistrict.

 You may book direct with Luz.  Or you may want to try MyBed Capsule which is just next to Ladprao Station (where you can take the MRT to next stop Pahon Yohtin for the youth mall called Union Mall and then indulge in upscale shopping at Central Ladprao). 

Wishing you Sabai Sabai on your next Bangkok trip! 



Survival 101

How Not To Get Jumped In JB

Many tourists and day trippers come to Johor Bahru with a little trepidation on getting their cars burgled or their handbags or backpacks snatched by passing petty theives on motorbikes.  Hell, my partner and I even have friends and relatives who do not come to JB as they are fixated with sensationalized news in the media on street crime.  Well, I dare say London, New York and several major Asian cities like Bangkok and Taipei all have their fair share of urban decay.  I also dare say I feel safer in JB than some tourist cities I had visited...and the fact that my kampung (village home) and cars have not been burgled once is testament to how safe JB can be, even for an Asing (foreigner) like me.

Having said that, there are a few golden rules I observe all these years of living in my adopted homeland:

DRIVERS BEWARE!  Observe my Lock Stock Block rule of thumb: 

LOCK

I never leave my car without a steering wheel lock. Even when I stop for gas at a gas station and I leave the car to pay or buy a drink at the gas station mini mart - that is how  you deter car hijacks!  I got wheelocks for all my cars...they cost only MYR50 at Tesco KL.

STOCK

Have you taken stock of things inside the car and make sure nothing is in sight?  By that I mean ALL ITEMS THAT DO NOT COME WITH THE CAR when you bought the car.  Yes I am anal retentive to the point that my children's pencil cases have to be stored in the trunk when we exit the car. Why, you ask? Because like one man's meat is another's poison, one child's pencil case may be a burglar's hunch for an unattended purse. You get my drift.  My neighbor once told me his car got broken into all because his girlfriend thought nobody would want her crummy makeup case left underneath the car seat.  Well,  she was wrong.

BLOCK

By block I mean park your ride in a visible spot along the busiest thoroughfare where it would not be blocked off for the convenience of the wayward ones.  Trust me, having lived in London and New York, I have always seen cars parked in dark alleys and remote areas being broken into, because there is not a car thief who would not love more for a car to be left in a desolate space.

DAY TRIPPERS BE ALERT!

Thousands of day trippers throng the JB area on the weekends, and of late, even the weekdays, although the latter is made up of mostly Singaporean retirees shunning the weekend crowd.  No matter the case, we see day trippers making themselves targets of snatch theft because they speak loudly (the accent is quite obvious that you are not local hello?), dress differently (the ubiquitous cap/hat, backpack & comfy sneakers!!!) and are mostly demanding due to the high standards they hold as Singaporeans which some local service personnel may find hard to comprehend.

My advice would be to dress extreme casual because JB is a laid back city compared to metropolis Singapore, tone down the excitement especially when you come as a group, and lastly, do as the Romans do and enjoy what the locals have to offer in their own unique ways.  This way you will fit in rather than raising red flags to the would-be criminals.

Happy Jalan Jalan in JB and Malaysia!

Car Styling

WHEN STOCK AIN'T GONNA CUT IT

I posted awhile back on how I bought my rides in JB on a budget. Being a car buff that I am, I would not want to be caught driving a stock car if i can help it, especially when friends and relatives come visiting my kampung for holiday stays.

Just as I travelled all over Malaysia in search of my car collection, I make a holiday fun trip out of travelling all over Malaysia and Thailand in search of parts and accessories to "pimp the ride" (in the caustic words of my partner).  While in Muar and Kuala Lumpur, we sourced the diffuser kit and dual tip exhaust for my Classic.  As I was shopping along Jalan Mutiara one day, I stumbled upon this one stop shop where I found a rubber spoiler for my friend's CLS.  He is an attorney in SIngapore but bought a CLS in JB for him to drive during his family's weekend visit.  I help crank start his car every other day since he parks the Mercedes at my village compound (this reminds me to start charging parking rent and valet services!).

On one of our frequent trips to neighboring Thailand, we help him buy a pair of fantastic exhaust tips (S$260) to fit the custom diffuser kit (MYR800 which he retrofitted in JB).  The exhaust tips now make the car 300% fiercer than when he first bought the car.  Every now and then he would have drivers giving him thumbs up, or even car accessories shop owners asking where he bought them.  Well, they are Made In Taiwan and bought in Thailand, what a great find!

We also help him buy a new upgrade front grille (MYR800) in KL - even though he had wanted to modify a new Mercedes diamond grille - but I advised him against it as a factory made-to-fit grille is always better than a custom one - the latter sometimes just does not fit well and will rattle as time goes by.

You also saw my Sports car project - I was trying to retrofit the Lambo door? I got the very hardy hinges from Thailand (S$500) as the ones I found in JB and KL were too weak and I saw a door actually shaking as the door goes up due to the low quality steel!  These hinges from Thailand (photos right) are made of high gauge steel and double the size of the parts I saw in Malaysia.  Budget airline fare to Thailand well spent !!!

CHECK THEM OUT WHEN YOU ARE THERE!

MALAYSIA

MX Car Body Kit 29, Jalan Masai Utama 1, Taman Masai Utama, Johor

Tel  +607-2550216  WeChat & WhatsApp   +6014-612 2683

Closed Sunday

* bought the CLS spoiler here for just MYR150

We One Auto Station127, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century Garden, Johor Bahru

Tel +6012-7185569 / +6012-7195569

They seemed to be open whenever we drove pass even during holidays!

* bought the diffuser kits for my Classic and Sports here, each MYR100

THAILAND

SingTo AutoSorry business card only has address in Thai. Visit www.singtoauto.com

Tel  02-2262001,  02-2215087

HP  083-0822293

* a haven for Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Isuzu and Chevy accessories

RTN MotorSorry business card only has address in Thai. Visit www.rtnmotor.co.th

Tel  02-6118090

HP  081-2555800, 081-8890926

* got Mercedes HID headlights (S$400), Lambo Door Kit (S$500) and many continental accessories here



Cat Cafe

Purrrrfect For Family Afternoon Getaway



The Sphynx Cat is also at The Persian Cat House!



Tucked away from the main thoroughfare where most from Singapore and Malaysian city slickers would rather hang out such as the likes of City Square, Komtar CC, KSL Mall and Tebrau Aeon Shopping Center - is yet another hidden gem that is fast attracting local fans of the feline kingdom.

U Mall is a non descript simple (but full of surprises and.......BARGAINS) shopping destination where we like to visit whenever we are around Taman Universiti neighborhood.

The cat cafe is called Persian Cat House and the felines there are well-kept in air conditioned comfort of an enormous sized playroom.  They allow us to cuddle and take wefies with the kitties - which was a great plus because a few others we had visited in Malaysia had No Contact rules with the cats.

The minders also seemed very professional, requiring hand sanitization and change into cafe-provided footwear before interaction with the docile and extremely cuddly cats.

The charges are beyond reasonable!  About MYR10 for 2 hours of pure indulgence and play.  Sure beats Jalan Jalan in the current Malaysian heat wave!

BUSINESS HOURS 10AM - 10PM

U Mall, Tmn Pulai Utama, JB. (Near MBO cinema) ‪#‎persianinthehouse

Plastic Singapore

 

Non Invasive Singapore

Click Photo Above For Accurate Straits Times Report On The Case

There are several reports in Singapore news in recent years on botched plastic surgeries and aesthetic procedures gone awry.  While Singapore's reputation as one of the world's best  medical centers and medical tourism hubs is undisputable, one has to be sure of the doctor's experience and reputation.  The case of the CEO of a property firm in Singapore who died on the operation table while undergoing liposuction procedure is a clarion call not to throw caution to the wind - even if the clinic is in a hospital located in a top notch address - as it was in the case of this CEO. 

The Singapore Straits Times had done some investigative reporting and revealed that the doctors of the clinic had just set up shop recently in the upmarket hospital in Central Singapore to do liposuction. One beggars the question of how many years these young enterpreneurial doctors had in doing delicate operations such as liposuction. 

I am afraid I have not many plastic surgeons to recommend in Singapore, but perhaps non-invasive clinics at which my partner does her little maintenance touch ups and such. Being Thai, she would rather go back to her homeland for her spa pampering and beauty procedures.


Click Menu Above To Go To Kose Face & Hair Center

Our family unanimously votes for the Kose facials whenever the lady of the house wants some pampering.  She says the center is the only few who do not apply pressure tactics to sign up for a costly beauty package.  And of course she had been going to this Isetan Scotts branch for donkey years.  We vote for it because my kids and I could get my hair trimmed quickly and then head for Isetan shopping center browsing and finally wait for the lady at the F&B outlets in the basement - which had been recently renovated and the new layout gets my vote too.

As regards more "invasive" procedures than a facial, the lady requests that I bring her to Cosmopolitan Clinic to see her aesthetic doctors.  It is located just along Boat Quay at the Singapore River.  She has apparently been going there for nearly 10 years, and likes it since she knows both Dr Alan and Dr Bunn - which means whenever she needs a jab of botox or a flash of whatever light spectrum (IPL, Laser, the works!) - she could get the attention of one doctor if the other is away from the office. 

I know it sounds weird, but I look forward to her visit as the clinic is pretty cool, and so are the staff and doctors.  It is in a strip of conservation shophouses which I always enjoy admiring.  Besides, the kids could run along the riverwalk while I sip cold beer in one of the nice F&B outlets - which are a dime a dozen there.