Address: Suntec Mall, Singapore

What’s with the transport system in Singapore! It is a bane of my existence in this country- whether taking the bus, taxi, train or driving.

Part 1: For bus trips, commuters have to put up with:

1. Buses that are not on time. What makes it even more infuriating is that when the bus finally arrives, there is bunching. Bunching is the bloody phenomenon of the same numbered bus arriving in 2s (and something 3s) at the bus stop at close intervals. The bus company attributes the official reason for bunching to traffic conditions. This reason is obviously flawed when I see bunching of buses leaving the terminals.

2. The bloody campaigns that the bus company puts up. A few that I can recall are the “wave your hand early so that the bus driver can see you if not it is not his business to stop for you at the bus-stop” campaign; “please don’t beat up bus drivers because they are also human” campaign and the “please move to the rear so that people can get on” campaign. Ok the last one seems reasonable enough you say. But consider this, I have been in buses where we are already packed like sardines and the bus driver still persists in asking people to squeeze and move to the back. Please…shouldn’t the bus company increase the frequency of the buses then? Aren’t commuters paying good money to deserve a seat?

3. The bloody noise from the mobile TV installed in the bus. Blaring out bloody programmes and super irritating advertisements. Isn’t the bus company profitable already? Aren’t commuters entitled to some peace and quiet on the bus??

4. The bloody advertisements that are placed on the bus windows thus blocking out a significant amount of light and thus making me miss bus stops at night due to my now inability to see said bus stops. WHY!! WHY!!

Anyway, I used to commute to Suntec via bus. This statement has no other use other than to link the above paragraphs to my experience dining there.

My colleague had offered to treat us here. It was a steamboat buffet where we get to order unlimited flow of dishes from a select section of the ala carte menu. The soup stocks available were the clear soup and the Ma La (or spicy) soup.I do not really like Ma La soup in general. I find it too spicy and strong tasting on the tongue.

We were served oodles of food for the steamboat from quail’s eggs, beef balls, fish balls, sotong balls, beef, chicken, mutton, pork, toufu, crab legs, prawns, vegetables etc etc. This was augmented by cooked dishes like prawn dumpling, bao, spring rolls, assorted other dim sum and sweet dishes for dessert.

I must say the portions were generous and the food was generally of ok/fresh quality. I wasn’t into the Ma La though and that tempered the attraction of this place. For about S$25-30 per head for the buffet, others may be more tempted by the food on offer.