ohmysingapore

COE가 두달간 만불이 떨어져서 소나타가 많이 싸졌습니다. Only 1억3천… 엘란트라는 그냥 9천만원…

민영화되고 총리가 대주주인 버스와 지하철은 사상최고의 흑자를 내면서 공공요금을 올리고…

인프라에는 그닥 투자를 하지않는 참 멋진 나라입니다.

미래가 밝습니다.

Tags: 싱가포르정보 // Add Comment »

SINGAPORE – For the first time, Singapore overtook Hong Kong as a more expensive city for expatriates, driven by a stronger currency and higher rents, according to Mercer’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

The island-nation was ranked the eighth-most expensive city worldwide, rising from the 11th spot last year following a “substantial increase” in housing costs, Mercer said in an emailed statement yesterday. Hong Kong dropped one level to ninth place, the survey showed.

Singapore’s record economic growth last year helped the city to become home to the world’s highest proportion of millionaire households at 15.5 per cent of the population, according to a Boston Consulting Group report in May.

Inflation rose 4.5 per cent in May, exceeding economists’ estimates, as food and transportation costs climbed, supporting the central bank’s decision to allow the currency to appreciate further.

“You have got high inflation and we’re talking generally about consumer price pressures, rise in property prices, the strong Singapore dollar and tight labour markets,” said Mr Vishnu Varathan, an economist at Capital Economics Asia in Singapore. “So it’s quite clear how Singapore managed to edge out Hong Kong.”

The Singapore dollar has risen about 13 per cent against the United States dollar in the past year, matching the South Korean won as the best performers among the 10 most actively traded currencies in Asia outside Japan.

Mercer benchmarked the costs of each city against New York and compared prices in US dollar terms. While Hong Kong’s housing costs increased 30 per cent during the survey period, exceeding Singapore’s 23 per cent gain, the appreciation of the island-state’s currency made it a more expensive place to live, according to Mr Phil Stanley, Mercer’s Asia Pacific global mobility leader for information products.

“It should also be kept in mind that just because a location may have moved up in its ranking, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the location’s costs have increased in local currency terms,” Mr Stanley said.

Hong Kong’s ranking in this survey may also have been hurt by China’s efforts to cool the economy through housing curbs and five interest rate increases since October.

“One might argue that the China effect on Hong Kong might be a little bit more pronounced,” Capital Economics’s Varathan said. “So if China’s engineering of a soft landing is in fact quite effective, then Singapore might remain ahead of Hong Kong in that sense.”

Luanda in Angola retained its title of the world’s most expensive city, while Tokyo was ranked No 2, Mercer said. New York City, the most expensive US city, dropped to 32nd spot from 27th, while London slipped one place to 18th. Bloomberg

Tags: 투자 // Add Comment »

As a Singaporean who had dedicated 2.5 years of his life to serving the nation, it really pains me to read about what is becoming of this nation in the article “The woes of a Singaporean IT consultant” – we now have under-qualified “foreign talents” who had merely fabricated their resumes are now being given priority to local jobs over qualified Singaporean PMET’s (who, like me, had dedicated 2.5 years to serving the country). These foreign talents do not have to sacrifice a single second of their lives to protecting Singapore, yet are able to share in the same benefits as the Singaporeans whose jobs they have displaced.

If this is not bad enough, let me add that Singapore is now being sold piecemeal to rich foreigners (some of which hail from dubious backgrounds, just like our “foreign talents”), by foreigners who have now decided to call themselves “Singaporeans” but actually have no intention to contribute back to Singapore (in any way), what benefits they have taken as “Singaporeans”. How do they do this? Via the Global Investor Program (a.k.a GIP scheme) [Link] sanctioned by Contact Singapore. Let me explain how this works…

The GIP scheme was actually endorsed by the government to attract skilled and rich individuals to invest in Singapore. One way is for the foreign individual to invest at least S$ 2.5 million in one of GIP-approved private equity funds [Link]; of course, the migrant in question must satisfy certain criteria to ensure that Singapore is actually accepting talent and not junk. If the criteria is satisfied and the migrant passes the interviews by the relevant governing body, he / she is then allowed to “invest” this money in one of the GIP-approved funds and then obtains a Singapore-PR with no questions asked.

From the GIP fund’s point of view, they manage the funds and are required by governing mandate to invest at least 50% of the funds into Singapore enterprises to encourage the growth of local enterprises. At the same time, the fund-manager collects 2.5%p.a. of the funds under management as management fees to cover operating costs. The fundamental intentions behind this idea are good.

However, it has come to my attention that there are funds, which have been started by former PRCs who have either become Singapore citizens or are currently awaiting to become Singapore citizens. Ironically, they too became Singapore PRs (and then subsequently citizens) through this GIP scheme.

Unfortunately (according to an insider), none of them have professional fund-management experience and are focused on raising as much money as possible (i.e. getting as many migrant-investors / clients to invest in their fund as possible) rather than channeling the money to helping businesses grow, so that they may benefit from the 2.5% management fee. It appears that they have a terrible market reputation and actually advice some of their clients who do not meet the criteria to qualify for Singaporean PR under this scheme to get their documents forged.

To make things worse, they have not invested a single cent of the funds raised in any Singaporean enterprise (instead investing in Chinese enterprises recommended by their own friends or clients) and are not intending to invest a single cent in any Singaporean enterprise.

To top it all off, I was told that this firm (based in Singapore) employs a lot more PRCs rather than Singaporeans. From what I understand, the founder of the firm has sent his wife and son to the UK for the son’s education, and is intending to send his son to the States thereafter for his university education, with no intention to let his son serve his rightful share of national service.

To summarise it in a nutshell, Singapore offered such ingrates a good life in Singapore by offering them Singaporean passports, and ultimately Singaporean citizenship, and how do they repay us?

By opening the floodgates to more foreigners and selling Singapore to more foreigners (some of who do not meet the criteria of highly-skilled migrants are encouraged to forge the necessary documents in order to pass the ICA) so that they may collect more fees and enrich themselves further;

the funds that were meant to go towards growing Singaporean enterprises in exchange for the Singaporean PRs we have so awarded these rich individuals, are now being channeled back into China to fund Chinese enterprises – one does wonder why we’re awarding a Singaporean passport to the rich foreigners in the first place if it will not benefit the country;

a token number of jobs are created for Singaporeans in this firm – the firm still prefers to hire PRCs as the bosses do not trust Singaporeans from what I understand;

the founders of the firm are not letting their families serve their rightful due of national service to the country which gave them clean air to breathe and a safe environment to dream in every night; if they were back in China, they’d probably be choking on the polluted air and worrying about whether they would be kidnapped and held ransom by random thugs.
Really, seeing such things happen in Singapore does make me wonder what this country is coming to – to have a country being sold out to foreigners by its own government is a terrible thing. To have a country’s government let foreigners sell its own country out piecemeal? That’s unheard of and absolutely ludicrous.

[http://www.temasekreview.com]

Tags: 이민, 투자 // Comments Off

“I would like to remind the public that HKD interest rates may rise even before the Fed’s rate hikes. Apart from following USD interest rates, HKD interest rates are also affected by changes in the demand and supply of HKD in the local banking system. As HKD loans have grown faster than HKD deposits since last year, the loan-to-deposit ratio of banks in Hong Kong has risen from 71% at the beginning of last year to 81% in February this year. Quite a number of banks have already raised HKD lending and deposit rates. Since the HKD loan demand is likely to remain strong, local banks’ HKD interest rates may face further upward pressure.”

HKMA Chief Executive Norman Chan, 28 April 2011

Hong Kong mortgage rates have risen by as much as a 1pp over the past three months, as loan-deposit ratios rise given the lending spree. Loan-deposit ratios have risen to about 82% compared with 71% in early 2010. Hong Kong’s three biggest mortgage lenders currently charge new borrowers about 1.7% to 2.2%, or 1.5% to 2% above HIBOR, compared to less than 1% above HIBOR last year (or about 1% mortgage rate).

We ask ourselves the same question in Singapore. Will interest or mortgage rates also be heading higher, driven by demand supply dynamics in the local banking system, despite US interest rates staying low for the foreseeable future? A similar lending spree is taking place in Singapore. Loan growth is sprinting at 21.9%, while deposit growth is 12.7% (as at April 2011). The loan-to-deposit ratio has, as a result, climbed from a low of about 71% in March last year to about 77% as at April 2011. Loan growth is broad-based, with corporate loans growing 24.3% and mortgage loans at 22.2%.

If the gap between loan and deposit growth persists, the loan-to-deposit ratio will likely reach 80% by Q4. That would be the highest since February 2006. A high system-wide loan-to-deposit ratio will likely increase the bargaining leverage of Singapore local banks and increase the likelihood of higher mortgage spreads or short-term interbank rates.

We find that Singapore 3M SIBOR rates are significantly influenced by loandeposit ratios historically, even after controlling for US interest rates (Table 1). Our estimates show that an increase in the loan-deposit ratio to 0.80 from the current 0.77, for example, could increase short-term rates by about 9bp. There nevertheless remains a large difference in the loan-deposit (LD) ratios between the three Singapore local banks. DBS – the dominant interbank lender and mortgage lender – still has a relatively low LD ratio of 0.60, versus above 0.80 for OCBC and UOB (Table 2). The uneven LD ratio spread (short of collusive action) may reduce the possibility of a Hong Kong-type outcome.

The other dynamic in Hong Kong driving up mortgage rates is the shift toward RMB currency deposits. Concerns of further depreciation and negative real returns have prompted a switch from HK and US dollar deposits into renminbi. Hong Kong dollar deposits are growing at 5.2% as a result, versus foreign currency deposits at 18%. At end-April, Chinese currency deposits accounted for 8.4% of all deposits.

Such a dynamic is absent in Singapore. Savers are quite happy to keep their funds in Singapore dollars, given the MAS’ commitment of a “slightly steeper” appreciation bias. The Singapore dollar has strengthened some 12% against the US dollar over the last one and a half years. Foreign currency deposits are only growing at about 2.5% as at April. There have been major RMB product launches in recent months, but these have yet to make any significant impact on overall system-wide deposits, in contrast to Hong Kong. Singapore dollar appreciation moreover has been faster than RMB appreciation over the last two years (CNYSGD has moved from low of 4.40 in March 2009 to 5.25 currently).

Whether Singapore’s loan growth can continue running at the current rapid pace (21.9% in April) is another key question. The government had recently tightened loan-to-value ratios for investment residential properties to 60% for individuals and 50% for non-individuals (on 13 January). Some of the local banks have signaled a drop in mortgage applications since these measures. Corporate lending may also cool off if the current soft economic patch persists.

Higher short-term interest rates may also occur by year-end if the MAS decides to normalize the appreciation bias back to “modest and gradual” from the current “slightly steeper” stance at the October policy meeting.

This is not our base case,but cannot be ruled out given the current growth deceleration.

Moreover, the inflation threat is not as acute, with headline CPI having peaked in January 2011. Normalization of the MAS appreciation bias could increase short-term rates by about 10-15 bp, based on the past market reaction when MAS had to tighten. A larger interest rate reaction is however possible, as regional interest rates (Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) have been rising. A 3% ringgit deposit rate, for example, might start looking more attractive against a 2% Singapore dollar appreciation bias, which could prompt some deposit shifts.

In summary, we believe Singapore interest and mortgage rates will at best be only slightly higher if the loan-deposit ratio continues climbing, with a higher likelihood of a larger increase if MAS normalizes the appreciation bias in October.

The dynamics driving HK mortgage rates higher are not quite the same, as there is a flight to RMB deposits in Hong Kong. In contrast, the strengthening Singapore dollar has held up Singapore deposit growth in the low teens despite low rates.

Tags: 투자 // Comments Off

5-6조원의 가치는 없다고 생각하지만…

sky park도 생각보다 괜찮고…

카지노도 나쁘지 않은 곳.

호텔 내부. 위의 철 그물(?)은 호텔 디자인한 사람의… 몸을 형상화 한거라나;;;

카지노 전경. (돈 쉽게 번다;;;)

호텔 정면.

sky park

sky park의 lap pool.

관광객(투숙객 말고)이 아직 많고… 레스토랑은 안 열었지만…

생각보다 꽤 괜찮았던 곳.

Tags: 싱가포르볼거리 // Comments Off

It is an open secret that Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the highest paid political leader in the world, but the figures still appear shocking nevertheless when his salary is ranked alongside that of others.

In a report published by The Economist this week, PM Lee tops the list of the salaries of selected leaders – he is paid more than 40 times Singapore’s GDP per person, an astonishing statistic considering the fact that Singapore is one of the smallest country in the world with a land mass of only 700 square meters.

In contrast, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is the leader of the 7th largest country in the world is paid less than one time the country’s GDP per person.

PM Lee is paid more than S$3 million dollars a year, or more than 5 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama. On top of his salary, he is entitled to a pension for life (even upon stepping down) amounting to two-thirds of his last-drawn pay.

Despite disgruntlement among Singaporeans at the obscene pay packages of their leaders, they continue to insist that they be paid at “market rates” pegged to the private sector in order to retain their “services” in government.

The median salary of an average Singapore worker is only $2,400 monthly compared to a junior minister who can expect to take home more than $160,000 in the same period of time.

PAP ministers and MPs are expected to get a hefty 8.8 percent or more pay hike at the end of the year on the back of an improving economy.

http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/07/06/singapore-pm-lee-has-highest-salary-among-world-leaders/

Tags: 싱가포르정보 // Add Comment »

City of London Corporation 에서 실시하는 Global Financial Centres Index에 따르면 싱가포르 금융센터 경쟁력 순위가 영국(런던), 미국(뉴욕), 홍콩을 이어 세계 4위로 나타났습니다. 이번 조사는 People, Business Environment, Market Access, Infrastructure 카테고리를 중심으로 조사되었으며 TOP 10 순위는 아래와 같습니다.

금융센터 경쟁력 TOP 10

1. London, United Kingdom
2. New York City, United States
3. Hong Kong
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo, Japan
6. Chicago, United States
7. Zurich, Switzerland
8. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Shenzhen, China
10. Sydney, Australia

* Global Financial Centres Index is a ranking of the competitiveness of financial centres based on 26,629 financial centre assessments from an online questionnaire together with over 60 indices. It is compiled by Z/Yen Group and published twice a year by the City of London Corporation

Tags: 창업 // Comments Off

Much has been made of the role of ‘Independent Directors’ in Singapore. Differing opinions have emerged regarding the responsibility of an ‘Independent Director’ but there has been little or no discussion surrounding the fundamental question of whether the concept of the ‘Independent Director’ is a legal reality or a myth. In order to settle the legitimacy of the office of the ‘Independent Director’, this question
needs to be considered.

THE COMPANIES ACT AND COMPARABLE LEGISLATION
The Companies Act makes no distinction between Independent, Non-Executive, or Executive Directors with regard to their responsibility as a Director. The Act merely states that ‘a Director shall at all times act honestly and use reasonable diligence in the discharge of the duties of his office’. It neither defines nor indicates the existence of the position of an ‘Independent Director’. Therefore, there is no formal recognition of ‘Independent Director’ by the local laws. The relevant laws in the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong offer the same definition of Directors’ duties, following the common law principle that ‘Directors must act bona fide in the interests of the company’. It should be noted, however, that the Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission hasrecognised that’ there is a growing general expectation by market commentators that independent non-executive directors are appointed to the board to represent the minority shareholders’. This is the stance that minority shareholders have taken in Singapore.

ORIGIN OF THE NOTION OF THE ‘INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR’ IN SINGAPORE
The Code of Corporate Governance (‘the Code’), which lacks the force of law, introduced the notion of the ‘Independent Director’ in Singapore. Clause 2 of the Code, entitled ‘Board Composition and Balance’, advocates ‘a strong and independent element’ on the Board. It defines an Independent Director as ‘one who has no relationship with the company, its related companies or its officers that could interfere, or reasonably perceived to interfere, with the exercise of the Director’s independent business judgement with the view to the best interests of the company’. It illustrates four relationships as examples of situations which would deem a director to lack independence. The Code promotes independence on the Board by stipulating that an ‘Independent Director’ should be able to exercise objective judgment on corporate affairs, in particular, independent of management. It further declares, ‘No individual or small group of individuals should be allowed to dominate the Board’s decision making.’ The Code falls short, however, of expressly mentioning independence from majority shareholders. Whilst it seeks to preserve the independence of ‘Independent Directors’, there is nothing in the Code to ensure the successful implementation of this noble objective. Further, the Code does not provide any mechanism to achieve its objective.

LACK OF ‘INDEPENDENCE’ IN THE OFFICE OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
As the law stands, the majority shareholder(s) can dictate the composition of the Board. Although all shareholders can vote on the appointment of Directors, the dominance of the majority ensures that their nominees prevail. This undermines the implied objective of the Code. To be truly ‘Independent’, a Director cannot be, nor perceived to be, controlled. It is fallacious to expect an ‘Independent Director’ to exercise his or her mind impartially against the wishes or interest/s of the majority shareholder(s), when the tenure of his or her office depends on their appointment by the majority shareholder(s). If the authors of the Code were serious about practically ensuring a’strong and independent element on the Board’, then the Code should stipulate that the appointment of Independent Directors should be made by an independent party and not by the majority shareholder(s).

In the recent case of Isetan, minority shareholders attempted to unseat three non-executive directors whom they referred to as ‘Independent Directors’. The move arose because of the alleged failure by these directors to ensure that the Board resolves to distribute the Section 44A tax credit to shareholders. This clearly demonstrates the expectations of minority shareholders that non-executive directors display independence in decision-making at Board level.

Although it is well accepted that the duty of all directors is to protect the interests of shareholders including minority shareholders, it is the so-called ‘Independent Directors’ who are entrusted by the minority shareholder(s) to protect their interests. In spite of their appointment by majority shareholder(s), ‘Independent Directors’ are expected to pay particular attention to the interests of the minority shareholder(s). It is this juxtaposition that diminishes the actual and perceived independence of ‘Independent Directors’. This is especially true when their interests may be compromised by the expectations of the majority shareholder(s). As a guiding principle, they should always act impartially, looking out for the best interest of the company, its shareholders and in particular its minority shareholders. ‘Independent Directors’ should discharge their duties without fear or favour.

Until such time that the appointment of ‘Independent Directors’ is made by an impartial source, it is questionable
whether there will ever be a ‘strong and independent element on the Board’. Securities Investors Association (Singapore) (SIAS), Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS) and the Law Society could together play a pivotal role here on behalf of minority shareholders. They could provide suitable candidates as ‘Independent Directors’ to corporate Boards. The ‘Nomination Committee’ could then invite the nominees from these institutions or from minority shareholders of the company directly to the Board.This would demonstrate a fundamental desire to promote independence. For this to eventuate, there must be momentum from legislative quarters and a similar ‘corporate will’ to adopt this position on their Board. Until such time, the concept of the ‘Independent Director’will remain a myth to the detriment of minority shareholders.

David Gerald
President & CEO
Securities Investors Association (Singapore)

(http://www.sias.org.sg/sites/sias.org.sg/CMS/File/singaporeInvestor/fa-davidgeraldMarch.html)

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중국이나 다른 여느 화교 국가처럼, 싱가포르의 추석(춘절, Mooncake Festival)도 월병(mooncake)을 나누는 것으로 지낸다.

우리의 송편과 비슷하지만… 초콜릿등이 들어간 서양식 디저트 같은 것도 있으면서…

짠 달걀이 들어있는 등 좀 이상하고 황당한 조합도 있긴하다…

12 Mooncakes You Don’t Want to Miss in 2009(http://sparklette.net/food/mooncakes-2009/)

1. Tung Lok

these gorgeous mooncakes belong to the new royale series from tung lok. when it is made by the tung lok group, you know it’s got to be good!

the pastry is first baked, before being chilled, a process that gives the skin a crunchy texture. sounds intriguing? this marks the debut of the first baked-and-chilled mooncakes in singapore!

they come in three flavors:
- green tea with chestnut lotus ( $42.80 for 8 )
- hokkaido milk with mocha ( $42.80 for 8 )
- custard ( $44.94 for 8 )

i must also highlight the adorable bite-size mooncakes that are even smaller than your usual mini mooncakes. they come in eight flavors such as pomelo white lotus, strawberry, purple potato and longan red date. ($47.08 for 16; two of each flavor)

besides the convenience, i think that these dainty pastries may actually help reduce overeating! well, unless people start popping them like popcorn, of course.

Tung Lok
Mooncake hotline: (65) 9088 8008
www.tunglok.com

2. Peony Jade
fruits have made a foray into our favorite pastry this time of the year. durian, the king of fruits, is undoubtedly the most commonly used fruit. almost every merchant has a d24 durian mooncake on its menu.

now, it looks like the “lesser” fruits are putting up a good fight, too! check out the range of fruity mooncakes by peony jade restaurant.

The alcoholic lychee-tini and ganache flavor really takes the cake! this is a limited edition offering that features a liquorice truffle at its core, filled with the taste of what happens to be my favorite cocktail, the lychee martini! ($45 for 9)

Peony Jade
- 3A Clarke Quay #02-02
- Keppel Club, Bukit Chermin Road, Singapore 109918
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6375 5562 / 6276 8327
Mooncake website: www.peonyjade.com

3. InterContinental Singapore
man fu yuan chinese restaurant at the intercontinental singapore has a range of beautiful and meticulously-created mooncakes. back by popular demand is their mini snowskin mooncake filled with japanese sweet potato paste and champagne chocolate. ( $42.80 for 8 )

what’s new this year?

snowskin mooncakes filled with cempedak, or avocado and mango mousse. another fruit-inspired creation! the fresh fruits are blended and made into a paste, with mini cubes and pulp of the fruits thrown in for good measure.

the whole pastry is entirely made of fruity goodness with no extra additives. oh, except for the fact that chocolate pearls are included, too. good stuff! ($42.80 for 8; four of each flavor)

InterContinental Singapore
Man Fu Yuan
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6825 8519 / 8520
Mooncake website: www.singapore.intercontinental.com

4. The Fullerton
from the ultra posh fullerton hotel, we would expect nothing less. aside from their bestselling chocolate baileys snowskin mooncake ($52 for 4), they also have the 15 treasures premium gift set.

this lavish set contains 14 blocks of assorted baked mooncakes, all with varying fillings. what’s the 15th treasure, you ask? well, it’s the centerpiece of a 6-inch-wide mooncake with 8 yolks. 8 yolks! now, THAT is a full moon. ($168)

then, they also have these milky-colored snowskin mooncakes.

do not mistake them for bars of soap. available in cranberry, blueberry and green apple flavors, these mooncakes are the hotel’s new offerings for 2009. the shape looks really exquisite, too, especially with that depression in the middle. ($52 for 4)

The Fullerton
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6877 8188
Mooncake website: www.fullertonhotel.com

5. Kia Hiang Restaurant
not to be outdone by the east-meets-west creations of the big players, the more than 30 year old kia hiang restaurant has whipped up several creative new flavors. bak kwa mooncake, anyone? yep, yep, they have it.

more tantalising flavors include durian, chocolate with rum and raisin, green tea, and the creamy blueberry and cheese. for more, check out my full review of kia hiang mooncakes with pictures, ratings and prices.

Kia Hiang Restaurant
201 Kim Tian Road #01-400
Singapore 160201
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6273 7352 / 6272 0087
Mooncake website: www.kiahiang.com.sg

6. Carlton Hotel
carlton hotel has introduced three new snowskin mooncakes: lavender, wheatgrass & melon seed, and hazelnut & nata de coco ($47.08 for 8). of these, lavender has got to stir the most curiosity!

Photo credit: sgdessert

when i think of lavender, aromatherapy and air fresheners come to mind. having this floral scent in a mooncake is definitely unusual! in this case, the aroma is subtle, infused perfectly with the white lotus paste. any stronger, i’m not sure if it could remain as appetising.

Carlton Hotel
76 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189558
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6349 1292
Mooncake website: www.carltonhotel.sg

7. Fairmont Singapore
year after year, szechuan court at fairmont singapore never fails to wow its fans. this year, the restaurant continues its tradition of bringing impressive flavors to the table with the new pretty in pink feuilletine-hazelnut mooncake with wafer crunch nuts.

in place of the usual lotus paste, you get a velvety smooth hazelnut filling. at its center is a white chocolate ball filled with swiss chocolate and bits of wafer and hazelnut nuts. looks like this little beauty is all good on the inside, too! ( $45 for 8 )

like raffles hotel, szechuan court has a champagne truffle and ganache mooncake ($48 for 8). peony jade also has it this year. does anyone know who first came up with this bestselling flavor?

other flavors featuring liquor to bring a little high are rum and raisin chocolate truffle and baileys chocolate. what takes my breath away is the latter. that truffle simply screams of seduction! ( $46 for 8 )

Fairmont Singapore
Szechuan Court
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189560
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6338 8785
Mooncake website: www.fsfestiveorders.com

8. Concorde Hotel
for muslim friends, check out the mooncakes of concorde hotel (formerly le meridien). they are all halal certified!

like kia hiang, the hotel has specially baked low sugar mooncakes that come with white lotus filling and yolk. great for the health-conscious ($39/40 for 4)

if you’re not too concerned about the calories, go for the sumptuous chocolate omochi. with the soft and chewy mochi and all the rich chocolaty deliciousness, it’s hard to resist this one! ($38 for 4)

Concorde Hotel
Spices Cafe
100 Orchard Road
Singapore 238840
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6739 8370
Mooncake website: www.concordehotel.com.sg

Mooncakes are halal certified.

9. Polar Puffs & Cakes
bet you didn’t expect to see this one here. the bakery chain of polar puffs & cakes continues its unique offering of cakes made in the shapes of cartoon characters.

say hello to hello kitty!

ahhh! aren’t these the sweetest things? perfect for families with little girls. even older girls. okay, girls. hello kitty comes in four flavors: white lotus, pumpkin taro, yam and white chocolate cheese. everybody say yum yum! ($30.80 for 6)

just when you thought that things can’t get any cuter, they even give you a free hello kitty lantern with every purchase of a box of kitty mooncakes! i think snowy would like that. meow!

oh yes, a reader highlighted that the bakery chain is also halal certified

Polar Puffs & Cakes
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.polarpuffs-cakes.com

10. Goodwood Park Hotel
obviously, when we’re on the topic of the best mooncakes, the good name of goodwood park hotel always comes up. the hotel is famed for its tropical fruit mooncakes like mango with pomelo, durian, and cempedak.

this year, goodwood park fans can welcome another new fruity flavor — soursop! we’re talking silky smooth puree and juicy pulp made from the freshest soursops. the tangy taste may not be everyone’s cup of tea, though, especially in a pastry that is traditionally sweet. but i know some adventurous people would take a liking to it.

all four flavors are available at $22 for two pieces and $40 for four pieces, except for durian that costs $26 for two pieces and $48 for four pieces.

Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6730 1867 / 1868
Mooncake website: www.goodwoodparkhotel.com

11. Bakerzin
have you ever seen a black mooncake? homegrown café chain bakerzin has created the fascinating midnight-colored mooncake, the sesame truffle.

this quirky mooncake gets its skin color from bamboo charcoal powder. the filling is a combination of lotus paste and black sesame paste. in the midst of the dark filling is a ball of white chocolate ganache. what does that resemble? (hint: look out the window!) ( $36 for 8 )

if black isn’t your color, go for lighter pastels. they have brandied cherry truffle, rum and raisin, pink champagne truffle, and malt whiskey truffle. ( $36 for 8 )

as you indulge in these exotic mooncakes, you may feel good about the fact that you are doing charity at the same time. for every box of mooncakes sold, bakerzin will donate $1 to the singapore make-a-wish foundation.

Bakerzin
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.bakerzin.com

12. Raffles Hotel
having raved about raffles hotel’s legendary snowskin mooncake with champagne truffle and ganache again and again, you know it will make it to this list somehow.

Photo credit: mehmeh

when friends seek my opinion for the best mooncakes to buy, this is the first that i would recommend. ’nuff said.

and oh, here’s my review on raffles’ delectable mooncakes.

Raffles Hotel
(North Bridge Road Entrance)
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6412 1122
Mooncake website: www.raffleshotelmooncakes.com

Bonus: Godiva
look! godiva chocolatier has launched a mid-autumn collection, too!

these belgian chocolates are packaged like mooncakes, with 4 large pieces to a box. they are filled with classic praline and crispy bits of roasted hazelnut. i can live with that

Godiva
(65) 6273 1611
Mooncake website: www.godiva.com.sg

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what a kaleidoscope of colors and flavors! these are, of course, my personal picks. i’m sure i have missed out many other excellent choices! add your own picks in the comments and we can all share!

so, have you bought your mooncakes yet?

Want more mooncakes?
bet you thought this was the end, didn’t you? nope, not quite

there is now a “remix” of this list! yes, after doing more mooncake scouting, i uncovered more mid-autumn gems! i have compiled a list of 12 more mooncakes you don’t want to miss.

check them out!

Tags: 싱가포르먹거리 // Comments Off

빈탄으로 가는 페리가 업그레이드 되었다. 새로 운행을 시작하는 두대의 페리는 기존 소요시간에서 15분을 단축해서, 타나메라 페리 터미널에서 45분이면 인도네시아 리조트 섬에 닿을 수 있게 된다.

또한, 최신 설비를 갖추고 있어 심한 파도에도 흔들림 없이 더욱 편안한 여행을 할 수 있도록 했다. 게다가 이전과 동일한 가격에 운행된다.

싱가포르-빈탄-싱가포르 왕복 티켓의 성수기 성인 요금은 $63.20이며, 비수기 요금은 $52.20 이다. $36을 추가하면 ‘비즈니스 클래스’를 이용할수 있다. 업그레이드된 페리는, 빈탄이 싱가포르 교외지역 역할을 할 수 있게 하려는 10여년에 걸친 종합계획의 하나이다.

Tags: 싱가포르정보 // Add Comment »