By Lynda Sellars
We began our morning in the lobby of the
beautiful Park Royal on Pickering Hotel where we were warmly greeted by David Sullivan, the general manager of the
hotel (and also a friend and neighbour). We enjoyed a
light breakfast in the Orchid Lounge - the top floor of hotel.
Surrounded by windows on all sides, we were given a fantastic view of the
Chinatown area.
We then proceeded to the Presidential
Suite. It is not quite finished, but the features of the
suite amazed us. Natural wood and fibres have been incorporated
into wall coverings, flooring, and furniture. The room amenities are similar to
the furnishings and all rooms have soaring
views with remote blinds for privacy.
There are sky gardens on 3 different
levels and as the plants mature, the hotel will truly have living walls. The
infinity pool is spectacular with unique hanging
birdcage cabanas and the eco features of hotel include rain water harvesting
and solar panels which have earned the hotel a
platinum rating.
Next, it was a short walk to Yixing Yuan
Teahouse (30/32 Tanjong Pagar Road). Vincent Low, is a former banker with an MBA from London, but his heart belonged
to China. He studied at Taiwan’s famous Lu Yu,
“university of tea” and returned to Singapore to establish the Teahouse.
Mr. Low gave us a fascinating talk on
tea. He showed us the difference between a fresh tea and a supermarket type.
The fresh tea still had proper colour (green,
white, or black) and a lovely scent. Chinese tea making is
an elaborate process designed to draw out the drink’s finest
nuances and to be savoured over good conversation with friends. The doll-house-style cups and pots are deliberately sized to slow you down and relax.
We did just that were seated in preparation for a dim sum lunch. Delicious dumplings, pancakes,
and fried rice were savoured by us all along with generous servings of tea. The teahouse sells varieties of tea and
lovely tea sets. Make your way to this quaint teahouse and enjoy a good cup of
tea in a lively cultural scene!
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