Chicken Goodness at Charly T’s

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(Daddy chomps)

I have to be honest - when I first heard of Charly T's restaurant, I have absolutely no idea what kind of food it offers.

So when I found out they apparently serve up quite a mean dish of rotisserie chicken, I was game to give it a go. After all, which kid - and by kid, I mean my monkies not me - doesn't love chicken... whether it is steamed, fried or roasted right?

Located at family-friendly I12 Katong Mall, Charly T's is an urban, fast-casual restaurant that serves delicious comfort food from around the world, prepared with the freshest local ingredients. Admittedly though, it is best known for its rotisserie chicken but let's get to that in a moment, shall we?

All because the monkies' tummies were screaming for food the moment we stepped into the restaurant. And luckily for them (and me), they had the Kids Meal choices to pick from.

All Kids Meals are priced at $9.50+ and come with a complimentary soft drink or homemade iced tea. Yes, only GST and NO Service Charge! Ayd got the Mini Burger with Fries while Ash went for the Fish & Chips.

And to add further variety to the mix, Ale gunned for the Pasta Bolognese.

I think it's safe to say she enjoyed it, no?

With the monkies' tummies amicably placated, it was the turn of the wifey's and my stomach juices to get to work. Before the rotisserie chicken made their appearance, we were served two a la carte items from Charly T's menu with the first being the Chicken Cordon Bleu ($18.50+).

I am no big fan of fried stuff so I only took a nibble. I found it to be decent but Ash, on the other hand, absolutely loved it. I believed the cheesiness of the breaded chicken cutlet played a big part.

The other item was the Kalua Pork ($20+), which looked like sio-bak (roasted pork) skewered on a stick at first glance.

But do not be fooled by its appearance - these 3 pieces of pork has got to be one of the softest and most tender meat in recent memory. Sinful, yes. But it was terribly g-o-o-d.

And if that got our taste buds tinkling, the main stars of the show finally flew in.

There are 4 types of rotisserie chicken to choose from: Original Recipe, Kampong Chicken, Black Pepper and Kansas City BBQ. The wifey chose the Kampong Chicken (Quarter chicken $15.50+) while I decided to play it safe by ordering the Original Recipe (Quarter chicken $14.50+). All chicken orders come with a choice of 2 sides out of the 4 available: Steamed Fresh Vegetables, Butter Garlic Rice, German Potato Salad and Macaroni & Cheese.

The thing about Charly T’s chickens is that they are never frozen in order to maintain their freshness. The chickens are then marinated for over 13 hours before they are slowly roasted. And all these clearly showed. The chicken meat was tender, full of flavour and not too oily. And out of the two types of chicken the wifey and I tried, the unanimous winner has got to be the Kampong Chicken.

I would also like to give a special mention to one of the side dishes - Macaroni & Cheese. If you are a fan of the usual creamy and cheesy-tasting Mac 'n' Cheese, then you might want to look away now. Charly T's version is a much healthier version that uses a recipe from award-winning Chef Rozanne Gold's "Eat Fresh Food" cookbook and contains less cheese while including fresh cauliflower.

Food alone can't keep the kids busy for parents to enjoy a peaceful meal, you say? You are not alone. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a corner in the restaurant stocked with magazines and books to keep the kids busy. Well, that is what happens on normal days. But on one Sunday each month, Charly T's Kids Corner comes alive by engaging children with hands-on activities. We were there on one such Sunday and the monkies got the chance to make their very own Terrarium!

The workshop is complimentary for kids of dine-in adults and slots are on a first come, first served basis. Needless to say, all 3 monkies were mightily pleased with their own creations!

The next workshop at Charly T's is on 15 December 2013 and from 1pm to 2pm, children can make their own musical instrument, guided by a guest instructor. For more information on class dates, please visit HERE.

And thanks to the workshop, it gave the wifey and me the perfect excuse to try out some of Charly T's desserts as well!

We had the Kaiserschmarrn ($16+), which is a traditional Austrian dessert. It is a caramelized pancake made with raisins, eggs, flour, sugar, and butter. The pancake is split into pieces while frying, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served a generous scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.

Not too bad, though I have to say the vanilla ice cream was very good. Apparently, Ale has this incredible sensor which bleeps whenever we have dessert so it wasn't too long before she clamoured to have some dessert of her own.

The Cake Pop ($3+) - a form of cake styled as a lollipop - was what she eventually settled for... and devoured in one sitting.

For me, the rotisserie chicken was definitely the surprise find of our visit which was made even more awesome by the fact that the wifey and I were able to spend some time alone while the monkies did their own stuff at the Kids Corner. A definite plus, and a luxury that I can get used to.

Useful Information

Charly T's

112 East Coast Road #03-015, I12 Katong, Singapore 428802

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm | Sat - Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

Tel: 66364701

Website: www.facebook.com/charlyts.sg

Scoot away with FOX!

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(Daddy blogs)

It has become a ritual now somewhat - that the boys will look forward to paying a FOX Kids & Baby store whenever a new month rolls along. Of course that can never be a bad thing, not when the boys get to pick a few outfits of their choice, thanks to a collaboration with with FOX Kids & Baby.

I tell you, the boys are getting to be quite the experts in styling themselves... and influencing their dear mei-mei in the process, poses included.

The fantastic thing that I love about FOX Kids & Baby is that not only does it have clothes suited for more formal occasions - we bought the shirts that the boys tried on in the first photo by the way which came in really useful for the wifey's cousin's wedding 3 days later - it also stocks up really economical tees ($7.90 and up) for any occasions.

The other plus point about shopping at FOX Kids & Baby? Some stores, like the one at City Square Mall, have activity tables to keep the kids busy while parents shop away.

And more time will be what parents will be needing when shopping at FOX Kids & Baby stores from now until 15 Dec 2013, all because of an awesome Christmas Promotion.

Spend a minimum of $60 in a single receipt at all FOX Kids & Baby stores and you can buy an exclusive FOX skate scooter (worth $79.90) at $19.90!

The scooters come in either blue or pink and as you can probably tell from the photos above, the monkies were terribly excited to test out their FOX scooters the moment they laid their eyes on them.

But that's not all when you spend a minimum of $60 in a single receipt - stand to win instant prizes including FOX vouchers, hotel stays, Sony mobile phones and other fantastic prizes as well! Time to get those CNY shopping done too, if you ask me. Heh.

For more details, click HERE. Also, keep updated with the latest news and promotions from FOX Kids & Baby by following them on Facebook HERE.

Disney's Frozen warms the heart

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(Daddy reviews)

Beautiful. This word went through my mind countless times as I sat through Disney's latest year-end animated offering, 'Frozen'. Because being confidently written and positively spilling over with charm, it not only belongs on a shelf right there next to 'Beauty & the Beast', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Lion King' but it is, above everything else, spectacularly beautiful.

That, and the fact that it had both Ash and Ayd gushing over the movie - no mean feat especially since the 2 protagonists of 'Frozen' are princesses! 

Oh, and it’s a musical, too.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Snow Queen', 'Frozen' tells the story of Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), sisters and heirs to a Scandinavian kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa was born with an ability to create snow and ice and when the girls were very young, an accident occurred which lead their parents to separate the sisters. This fear turned Elsa into a recluse, and it leaves Anna longing for the connection they had as children.

The girls grow up and after accidentally sending their kingdom  into eternal winter, Elsa flees before she can do more harm. Anna enlists the help of an outdoorsman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad) to find her sister and reverse the spell.

One of the many wonderful surprises of 'Frozen' for me is how strong the female characters are. Gone are the days when princesses are the meek, helpless and ones that need the rescuing. It was utterly refreshing to see an animated film anchored by two strong women, who don't act like fussed-over royalty and not worried about getting their hands dirty to get the job done. 

And speaking of strong, the songs in the film are the strongest yet since Disney's 'Beauty & the Beast' days. The tunes are terrific - moving, funny, catchy and best of all, they all seem fit into the plot ever so seamlessly. I even caught the boys humming some of the tunes days after we watched it. Okay, me too actually.

Given that this is a Disney cartoon, you probably already know how it ends, but what is interesting about 'Frozen' is that it is not your traditional cartoon from Disney. There is nothing predictable about where the story ends up or even how it gets there. Yes, expect a few twists and turns along the way.

Ultimately, ‘Frozen’ is a total crowd-pleaser from start to finish. It is funny - all thanks to Olaf the irrepressible Snowman who forever yearns for the hot Summer -, moving, exciting and thought provoking all bundled in one. I have said it in the beginning of this post and I will say it again - This is the best animated musical to come out of Disney since 'Beauty & the Beast', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Lion King'. For sure, this will be a favorite for audiences of all ages, especially for young princesses-in-waiting who now have more choices for princess outfits!

Oh, and as if the film alone is not enough, the accompanying short cartoon before it, 'Get a Horse!', is one of Disney’s best ever and must be seen in 3D. Featuring Walt Disney’s own voice as Mickey Mouse, this short film starts off like an old Mickey Mouse cartoon but let's just say that appearances can be quite deceiving as the cartoon rolls along. I thought that it was fantastically inventive and funny so yes, remember to be seated early if you are watching 'Frozen'! You will thank me for it.

Disney's Frozen opens in cinemas island-wide on 28 November 2013.

[Article] 8 Kids-Friendly Restaurants

UPDATE! Read the UPDATED list here: http://www.cheekiemonkie.net/2015/02/12-great-child-friendly-restaurants-in.html


Last year, I had the privilege of penning 2 articles for Preschooler Survival Kit, a publication which is distributed to parents of preschool kids. So if you are the parent of one such child, chances are you may have received a copy too.

And since I have wrote about Short Family Vacations and Singapore's Top 10 Indoor Playgrounds in last year's edition, I thought I will focus on dining out with the children this time around.

If you are an avid follower of our blog, you will know that I had in fact compiled a list of Kids-Friendly Restaurants in an earlier blog post. So this article is essentially an elaboration of 8 of those restaurants, complete with their price range, food that will appeal to the kids and what kind of activities to keep them busy while parents chomp away.

Here is the article reproduced in full.

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Ever since I became a parent, I am always on the constant lookout for restaurants that satisfy both my palate and my children's with understanding wait staff in a relaxed dining environment. And an even greater bonus would be extra activities within that restaurant to keep them occupied. No, I do not mean the iGadgets.

So here's a listing of 8 kids-friendly restaurants that hopefully, will provide you with some enjoyable and affordable dining options that will leave everyone in your family feeling full and happy.

Restaurant: Eatplaylove Cafe

Location: 28 Aliwal Street, Aliwal Arts Centre, #01-07, Singapore 199918

Kids Like: Where else in Singapore can you find a quaint retro cafe that serves up reasonable food fare, coupled with an awesome crafting corner for kids? EatPlayLove Cafe is such a place - a stylish retro cafe with all things vintage, whimsical and full of nostalgia. An entire crafting corner for kids is THE main highlight for kids here, with loads of crafting materials and ideas abound. 

Kids Eat: The eatery serves a mix of Thai-inspired cuisine, Western dishes and sandwiches, and the best thing is that the prices are rather reasonable with each dish averaging $10 to $15. Kids should adore the Pineapple rice and Macaroni & Cheese. 

Price Range: $$ per pax | Crafting Corner Costs:  $5/child per 2 hrs (Weekdays) & $10/child per 2 hrs or $7.50/child per 1 hr (Weekends) *Craft Prices correct at time of printing

Website: www.facebook.com/eatplaylovealiwal

Restaurant: Nook: D.I.Y. House of Pancakes

Location: Bukit Timah, 21 Lorong Kilat, #01-03, Singapore 598123

Kids Like: If you are looking for a dining place where kids (and the parents) can play with food to their hearts' content, then Nook is it. This is one cool place where you get to make, doodle, flip your own pancakes and eat your own creations! And the best part? The kids polished off every single morsel on their plates without me having to nag.

Kids Eat: Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes! But in case you are craving for something saltier, the restaurant serves all-day breakfast meals too. But the one must-try item on the menu is Nook’s Awesome Cheese Burger soup – yes, I never knew that slurping the soup form of a cheeseburger could be so addictive!

Price Range: $$ per pax 

Website: http://nook.sg/

Restaurant: Belly View Restaurant

Location: 10 Changi Coast Walk, National Service Resort Country Club (beside Constant Wind Sailing Centre), Singapore 499739

Kids Like: Tucked away in a hidden corner of Changi is this gem of an alfresco dining place that whips up delicious tze-char food. Families can choose to dine on the boardwalk, right beside a kick-ass scenic coastal view and under the rustling palm trees. Kids will be preoccupied with the mini playground, wooden swing, hammock and the vast open space. Or if that isn't enough, there is always the common sightings of aeroplanes which whizz by as they are making their landing at nearby Changi Airport.

Kids Eat: Admittedly, the main draw here is the secluded location so while the food wouldn’t win any food awards, the tze-char fare is pretty decent. The dishes that particularly stood out were the Fish Head Curry (their signature dish), Home-made Tofu, Salted Yolk Prawns and Fried Mee Sua. 

Price Range: $$ per pax (No service charge and GST)

Website: www.nsrcc.com.sg/dining/belly-view-cafe

Restaurant: VeganBurg

Location: A total of 3 outlets (Jalan Eunos, The Grandstand and Marina Boulevard) and 1 kiosk (Golden Shoe).

Kids Like: Think fast food is always junk food? Here to dispel that notion, VeganBurg is a wholly vegan - including NO eggs or dairy products - fast food joint which sells mainly burgers. We patronized the outlet at The Grandstand, primarily because of an entire dine and play area devoted to kids.

Kids Eat: The kids had the VeganKidz meal, which consisted of a mini-burger - a non-GMO soya patty sandwiched in an organic mini-wholemeal bun - and accompanied by franks, fries and apple currant juice. And I just have to give a special mention to the Vegan Franks. I don't know how they do it, but the franks tasted exactly like real hotdogs! They are actually made of tofu, and you should have seen my kids fighting over the franks. Suffice to say, they thoroughly enjoyed their first-ever vegan meal.

Price Range: $ per pax

Website: www.veganburg.com

Restaurant: District 10 at UE Square

Location: 81 Clemenceau Avenue #01-15/16/17, UE Square Shopping Mall, Singapore 239917

Kids Like: Who can say no to a hearty brunch on a lazy Sunday morning with the entire family? Especially when a huge bouncy castle is thrown into the mix! That’s right - a Bouncy Castle is specially inflated for the kids every Sunday (11am to 3pm) and it is strategically placed right beside the outdoor dining area, so that parents are able to sneak a peek at what their young-lings are up to via a see-through netting at the side of the bouncy castle.

Kids Eat: We had the Hoegaarden Battered Fish & Chips while the kids tucked into the Eggs Florentine and Pandan-Coconut Pancakes with Gula Melaka Syrup. 

Price Range: $$$ per pax

Website: http://district10.com.sg/uesquare

Restaurant: Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe

Location: A total of 6 outlets at Liang Court, City Square, Bukit Timah Plaza, Toa Payoh Central, Hougang 1 and The Cathay.

Kids Like: If your kids have as a voracious appetite like mine, you can probably empathize how dining outside is getting tougher on the wallet. So thankfully, there is Saizeriya – a Japanese chain of casual, low-priced Italian Restaurant famed for its wallet-friendly jaw-dropping prices. There are no special playrooms or activities for kids here though, but the food prices are enough to turn us into repeat customers, especially with the Free Flow Kids Drink Bar ($1.40 per child)!

Kids Eat: Just how affordable is the food at Saizeriya? Try the half-dozen escargots for $5.90! Or how about the Pineapple & Bacon pizza at $6.40 and Chicken Bolognese Cheese-baked rice at $4.90? Overall, the food is above average and that alone will keep us going back for more.

Price Range: $ per pax (No service charge and GST)

Website: www.saizeriya.com.sg

Restaurant: The Bank Bar + Bistro

Location:  1 Shenton Way, #01-01 One Shenton, Singapore 068803

Kids Like: Located in the redeveloped part of the Central Business District (CBD), The Bank Bar + Bistro exudes an old world charm with its dark wood furnishings and leather seats, complete with motifs of Straits Settlement money. But what really endeared me to the place was a separate playroom specially devoted to the kids while the adults tucked into saliva-inducing Weekend Roast and All-Day Breakfast offerings (9am – 6pm on weekends).

Kids Eat: The kids’ menu consists of the usual suspects – ham & cheese sandwich, pancakes, fish & chips and pasta while the adults can take great delight in choosing between Roasted Striploin, Roasted Half-spring Chicken and other All-Day Breakfast items. And here’s something even sweeter - Kids eat FREE all weekend (information correct at press time)! For every main course ordered, your kid will get to enjoy his/her entree FREE-OF-CHARGE.

Price Range: $$$ per pax (No service charge)

Website: www.thebankbar.com

Restaurant: Slappy Cakes

Location: 200 Turf Club Road, #01-20/21, The Grandstand, Singapore 287994

Kids Like: Another DIY pancakes eatery where kids need no invitation to play with their food, kids can have their say in choosing the pancake batter and toppings. Squirt, slap and paint the griddle with whatever batter you fancy and then splatter it with your choice of fixings and toppings, before eating it all up like a messed up kid. Who says food can't be fun? And the best part - kids can never complain about the food because they made it themselves!

Kids Eat: Purely pancakes with five batter mixes to choose from – Buttermilk, Wholegrain, Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Zucchini. Yes, the latter is a rather refreshing and interesting flavor I have to say.

Price Range: $$ per pax

Website: www.slappycakes.com.sg

Snuggling with the Fishes

Media Invite

(Daddy reviews)

If you think marine animals are entertaining by day, just wait until you see them when the lights go out.

We visited the S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa's Marine Life Park back in March this year - you can read our review HERE by the way - and monkies thoroughly enjoyed their time with the marine animals there. So when the chance came along for us to sleep alongside sharks, manta rays and loads of other colourful fishes, it was a no-brainer.

Ocean Dreams is the S.E.A. Aquarium's overnight immersive programme that allows families to stay over to learn more about marine life and other fun facts about the sea. Of course, the icing on the cake has got to be spending a night right inside the aquarium, bedding down with all the marine creatures in front of the Open Ocean Habitat.

The 2D1N programme kicked off at 5pm with everyone being divided into smaller groups after registration. Each group came with our very own Camp Facilitator who initiated some mini ice-breaker games to get everybody in the group acquainted with one another. For appetizers, we were whisked to the Maritime Experiential Museum, where we got to set sail along the Maritime Silk Route and discover Singapore’s past as a trading port.

Although the boys had previously visited the Museum, they were still intrigued by some of the exhibits thanks to the various game stations that the camp facilitators had set up.

All the games certainly worked up an appetite as we grabbed a quick dinner at the Fish & Crab Shack at the Museum.

We then went on a nail-biting adventure in the 360° multimedia Typhoon Theatre - a must-go if you are down at the museum. The show tells the story of a Chinese junk which runs into a nasty storm while delivering some cargo. Expect plenty of roaring thunder, flashes of lightning, and experience the full wrath of the storm which came complete with the occasional rain that came peppering down on us.

As we, together with the Chinese junk, sank to the bottom of the ocean, this was where our Ocean Dreams experience truly began. And if there is one thing I love about sleeping over at the S.E.A. Aquarium, it is because it allowed us to see the entire Aquarium without the crowds! Now that is a slice of heaven.

The Aquarium closes its doors to the public at 7pm (9pm on selected Fridays and Saturdays) so by the time we entered the premise, it was completely free of crowds. It certainly felt as if we had booked the entire place for our own pleasure!

For once, the boys could take their own sweet time to savour the various exhibits especially at the Discovery Touch Pool where they got to prod and feel Sea Cucumbers, Baby Sharks and Sea Stars. The latter is otherwise known as Starfishes. But we learnt that Starfish is actually the wrong term for them as they are essentially not fishes. So yes, even I learnt something new.

And that interesting tidbit was only one of the many things that all of us learnt during the 1.5 hour tour of the Aquarium with our Camp Facilitator.

I liked how the tour was a hands-on one, with various activity stations along the way. One had the kids learning more about learning more about dolphins while another had the them being tasked to match various foods to their respective marine creatures.

By 9.30pm, it was time for the coolest part: actually sleeping with the marine creatures.

We throw down our sleeping bags - those, along with blankets and towels are provided -  in the Open Ocean Habitat, and get ready for a night with the fishes.

Only problem was - how on earth were we going to fall asleep with such an awesome view right in front of the World's Largest Aquarium?

Luckily for the boys, the perfect excuse to delay their bedtime a teeny weeny bit longer came in the form of a tiny night snack.

Erm, okay... so the night snack was not entirely small.

There are limited shower facilities should one chooses to smell good for the fishes. And after our chomping and washing up, I reckoned we were all good to snuggle in our sleeping bags and drift off to sleep.

Apparently, the boys had other ideas.

The boys had a ball of a time goofing away in front of the gigantic tank.

I attribute it to the alluring blue hue of our bedroom, together with its ever-changing wallpaper.

Come 11pm, it was lights out and all antics had to come to an end.

I, for one, couldn't complain as I finally had the chance to lay down, gaze at the shimmering schools of fish right in front of my sleepy eyes and fall blissfully asleep, surrounded by swirls of curious fishes.



Before I knew it, morning came.

And somebody definitely woke up on the right side of the bed sleeping bag.

We washed up, had a quick morning snack and some surprise visitors!

Perhaps it was early in the morning, but the dolphins were in an extremely friendly mood!

A hearty breakfast at The Bay Restaurant at Adventure Cove Waterpark duly followed, which the boys devoured with great relish.

But we were not done yet. We got the chance to go onto the top portion of the Open Ocean Habitat aquarium tank and watch the manta rays feed! Unfortunately, no photos of our experience as the area is restricted access and no photography is allowed.

I have to say the boys (and me) thoroughly enjoyed the sleepover experience! Granted sleeping on the carpeted floor in sleeping bags was a first for the boys - and they admitted that they missed their comfy beds - but the overall experience of spending a night in an Aquarium definitely was an eye-opener. Considering a staycation nowadays cost about $350 and up, a family of 4 staying over at the S.E.A. Aquarium with full-board meals to boot, will be something out of the ordinary and will leave the kids talking about it for quite some time.

Ocean Dreams at RWS S.E.A. Aquarium

Next Available Dates: 6-7 Dec & 14-15 Dec

Time: 5pm - 11am (Following Day)

Price:

Adult (13 – 59 years old) - Non-members $158 | Members* $138

Child (6 – 12 years old) - Non-members $138 | Members* $118

Senior (60 years old & above) - Non-members $138 | Members* $118

Family Package (2 Adults + 2 Children) - Non-members $548 | Members* $468

*Only applicable to S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark Annual Pass holders as well as RWS Invites® members. RWS Invites members will enjoy 3% rebate on the purchase.

Price includes: Admission to S.E.A. Aquarium within the stipulated hours of the programme, dinner, evening snack, morning snack, breakfast and GST. Sleeping bags, blankets and towels will be provided to all participants.

Participants can purchase discounted tickets to Adventure Cove Waterpark if they wish to continue their visit in the park after the Ocean Dreams programme.

Reservation Period: Reservations must be confirmed two weeks prior to scheduled event.

Reservations: Call +65 6577 7515 or email public.programmes@rwsentosa.com

Website: http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Homepage/Attractions/MarineLifePark/SEAAquarium/OceanDreams

Terms & Conditions:

▸ Minimum age of participation is 6 years old.

▸ Participants below 21 years old must be accompanied by at least one adult.

▸ Bookings for participation in S.E.A Aquarium Ocean Dreams (“Programme”) are to be made at least 2 weeks in advance with full payment.

▸ Other terms and conditions apply.