Covid-19 Restaurant Restrictions Eased
The Tanglin Club restaurants in Singapore were closed in early June 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions. When the restaurants reopened it was only for tables for two. As soon as the previous restrictions were lifted the available bookings were snapped up. We spent ages changing days and trying different times which we didn't want to be sure the restaurants really were fully booked at the popular times and not showing fully booked due to a glitch or the booking site not being updated.
Time and Space
In the end, we booked for 6.30 although we wanted to eat at 7, reckoning that by the time we ordered drinks it would be getting on for seven. On the night in the large Churchill Room restaurant the tables were widely spaced out and all set for two, very different from the usual layout. The restaurant was never completely full. We guessed that the bookings were limited not because of too many diners, but because of too few staff.
Entry
Your taxi drops you outside the front entrance. Up a flight of red carpeted steps. Temperature control past an automatic machine. In the olden days doorman used to open the front door. Now your credentials are checked carefully.
The Churchill Room restaurant has a picture of Winston Churchill by the doorway.
Decor Of Orchids
The Tanglin has an orchid display outside in the hallway. The centre of the Churchill Room has another orchid display. A third orchid display was at the side.
Set Menu Choices
The menu online was not the same as offered in the restaurant, but gives you an idea.
We started by ordering drinks. I had a glass of Prosecco. My husband ordered a reasonably priced Champagne.Then a glass of red wine.
Complimentary Bread
We were brought a little bowl of breads. The white bread roll with seeds was hot. Melted the butter. The black bread I saved for later.
The crisp in a tall triangle contained blackened sesame seeds and was delicious, very more-ish. Crispy, salty, tasty.
Complimentary Amuse Guele
Dice size vegetarian mousse with contrasting green peas.
We chose two different starters and main courses and desserts.
Choices included
Starter
Salmon mousse. Mushroom soup. Foie gras.
I liked the salmon. That was my choice.
I was disappointed in the foie gras. Just another smooth pate and less flavour than chicken liver pate. If I had to pay extra for it, I would not.
Main Course
Beef.
Barramundi Fish.
Pork - excellent.
Vegetarian option.
Main course - Served Under Domes
Served smartly under domes which are lifted simultaneously. No serving one person who has to wait feeling frustrated for the other person to be served. Nor one person starting and being told off for not waiting.
Dessert
I chose the mango mousse dessert, with ice cream. I thought the fruit was a healthier option. Mango - excellent choice, looked great.
Why not the chocolate desserts? I admit I hesitated. Mango was a change from chocolate, which we eat a lot of at home and are offered at almost every restaurant and coffee shop location. Chocolate we could eat later at home.
One of the options was salted chocolate. That must be very tasty, and salt is an ingredient of savoury chocolate dishes featured in a film about France. Sugar and salt does not sound healthy.
Vanilla ice cream, often tastes of nothing. Or it is drowned by the chocolate flavour.
Nonetheless, I was hoping my husband would opt for one of the chocolate desserts. I told him so.
He retorted, "It's my birthday dinner. I want to choose what I want to eat."
My husband chose the cheese board. It looked great. Wooden platter. Several cheeses, hard and soft, including a blue cheese. Circular crackers. Some grapes.
He said the cheeses were a bit industrial. He is a connoisseur when it comes to cheeses. He buys from speciality cheese shops such as the Cheese Arc. He looks online.
My dessert came up with the happy birthday words written in chocolate and a candle in a blue candle-holder.
More Photos will be added shortly.
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About the Author
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is Vice President Public Relations of Braddell Heights Advanced, and Tampines Changkat Advanced, speakers' training club which are part of Toastmasters International. The USA has several Spanish speaking as well as the English speaking clubs. You can pick up Spanish from buying or reading online their Spanish clubs welcome pages and manuals.
In The USA, UK, Singapore and worldwide, there are many clubs which are English speaking, as well as Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, French, Tamil, Malay.
The inauguration of Tampines Changkat Advanced was Tuesday 29th 2021, online on zoom. Their meetings are on the fourth Tuesday evening of the month. They hope to hold meetings with a few people meeting physically, the others online, as soon as the Covid-19 conditions allow.
You can find the club through their Facebook page as well as through Toastmasters International find a club.
https://www.facebook.com/tampineschangkatadvTMC
The meetings are free for visitors. Visitors can watch, and join in speaking by introducing themselves and volunteering to do a 2 minutes impromptu speech in table topics.
If you wish to join for a year, it costs about 190 US dollars, to have monthly meetings online, a mentor, a magazine, and one of the 11 Pathways, consisting of 14 projects. Each project starts with 3 speeches of your choice of subject, lasting 4 to 6 minutes, then 5 to 7 minutes. The Pathways include the most popular Presentation Mastery. I chose humorous speaking as my second Pathway, costing 20 dollars. Then my third was a leadership course. Come and see for free.
The club also has meetings in person in Singapore
You can also contact my other club, smaller Braddell Heights Advanced, which is a cosy little club with more chances to speak.
Login through bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha
That will link you through to Zoom or googlemeet. 2 pm to 5 pm.
BHA meets the first Wednesday evening each month, starting at 7 pm Singapore time.
Then an extra meeting on the 3rd Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 pm Singapore time.
To check your time zone,
https://24timezones.com/difference/singapore/
Meetings will be on Wed July 7th and Saturday July 17th.
Contact either of these or other clubs through Toastmasters International Find a Club.
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