Friday, October 2, 2009

9 candles for Andre

It's Andre's birthday! My little imp turns 9 today, would you believe it. Since yesterday was a school holiday (Children's Day), it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate his special day. He told us explicitly how he wanted to spend it - have a Japanese buffet lunch and visit the Science Centre. Feed the tummy and feed the mind. Why not?

So off we went!

Lunch was at Hoshi Restaurant at IMM, recommended by Lilian. There's an ala carte buffet promotion there now, $28.50++ for adults and $15.50++ for children. They charged Lesley-Anne the child price even though she's above the 140cm height limit, so that was a bonus.

It was excellent value for money. Nothing gets my attention faster than the phrase "free-flow sashimi". Quality wise, I actually differed in opinion with Lilian on quite a few items. The sashimi was fresh but somehow, we felt the quality lost out to some other ala carte buffets we've tried. The tuna was a little mincey and not as firm. Having said that, it didn't stop us from having 6 platters of mixed sashimi and 7 extra plates of salmon sashimi...

I thought the highlight was the ebi tempura. I'm usually not a fan but these were super light and crispy - excellent! The soft shell crab was pretty good too and Lesley-Anne loved the yakitori. The tepanyaki items looked better than they tasted - ok but nothing special. Food pics here:

Can you tell he's satisfied?
Then we headed to the Science Centre, just around the corner. (Yes, we planned it that way). I haven't been to the Science Centre in quite a few years so I was pleasantly surprised to find that they have added some new and more interactive sections. I thought some of the previous exhibits were looking a little run down. The pic on the left is of an old display but always a favourite optical illusion with my kids.

One of the temporary exhibitions currently running is the F1 exhibition, which showcases the technology behind the uber cool sport. There's an actual F1 car on display and here's Andre trying out the position of an F1 driver.

A relatively new section at the Science Centre is the I-Space area which showcases IT in all its glory. Tons of interactive displays including RFID tags, 3-D games and home applications - all great fun for this little boy who loves trying out gadgets. Taking centrestage in the I-Space section is a neon-lit tree-like structure made out of optic fibres. It's pretty neat.

There was also this giant electronic soft board (sorry for bad description, I'm no techie!) where you could sms a message and see it float on display. I imagine Andre thought it was magical that the Science Centre knew it was his birthday.

We didn't visit the Omni-theatre but there's a Van Gogh show currently being screened and I thought this promotional exhibit was very interesting. You may recognise the scene below from one of Van Gogh's very famous paintings but what you may not realise is that it's an actual physical exhibit. The way the room and furniture has been painted makes the scene look uncannily like a picture. Amazing stuff.

To top off that fabulous day, Andre went home to his pile of presents and to his delight, he got everything he wanted (he made no secret of his birthday wishlist) - a couple of new Beast Quest books, a badminton shirt, more toy cars and his favourite - two boxes of Lego Power Miners. What can I say, he has very nice family members!

And of course, what's a birthday without cake? Happy birthday Andre! You'll always be my lovable, huggable, cutie pie.

13 comments:

Lilian said...

HAPPY 9th birthday Andre! May you always remain as adorable, fun-loving and cute as you are today.

Mon: I don't know any other ala-carte Japanese buffet, so can't compare. Point a good one my way so I don't have to go all the way to IMM!

monlim said...

Lilian, it's still a good rec! Good call to go early so we didn't have to wait too long for our food. I haven't tried many but Minori is pretty good, though may be more expensive. They have some very interesting items like a pumpkin chawanmushi that I love. Try it before you go back to Moscow!

Lilian said...

Thanks for the rec. Will check it out if not too pricey...Brian's paying adult prices :(

Anonymous said...

Happy 9th Birthday Andre!
Looks like you have had great fun...so blessed! The green truck thing is built from the Lego Power miners? If it is...wow you are fast in building!

qx

monlim said...

Thanks QX! Re: Lego, yes the contraption is from Power miners. He had some help from his sister :) I must say that the intricacy and perfect fit of Lego is just super. No wonder they can keep their price premium for so many decades!

breve1970 said...

Happy birthday, Andre! Hope you had great fun!

Haven't been to Minori. Sounds good. Our usual haunts are Sushi Tei and Kuriya. Will make it a point to go there.:)

Alcovelet said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDRE!! Every year is a special year for your loved ones because you bring such joy to them.

"...it didn't stop us from having 6 platters of mixed sashimi and 7 extra plates of salmon sashimi..." Hahaha, Mon, you guys are value eaters! The food looks fab though. I'll certainly look up Minori. can't wait!

Ahh Lego ... Don't know how I can find any time to myself if it weren't for Lego!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, Andre! Wishing you another wonderful year of happiness and joy!

Chris

Anonymous said...

Mon, now you re-ignite my interest in Lego again. I always visit this Lego store but could never decide what to get cos there is just simply not enough time to do it if she is only a novice player. I love to STARE at the Star Wars set. If she can assemble so fast like your kid, then it is probably more exciting. Anyway, Andre is closer to becoming a space vehicle designer for sure! :)

qx

monlim said...

Andre says thanks for all the birthday wishes!

QX: Lego is so attractive, I also love staring at all the different sets like Indiana Jones and the pirate sets! If only it wasn't so tough on the wallet. I don't think Andre assembled it quickly, it took him and L-A a couple of hours to do it together. Anyway, building it is half the fun, I think!

Anonymous said...

LOL...Mon, we are definitely in different league for Lego. I thought it would take a few days!
:)

qx

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Andre!

SC

monlim said...

Thanks SC!

Nolah QX, the instructions are very good, step by step. If you get the age appropriate ones, shouldn't take that long I think :)

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