Just Acia @ Downtown East ~ offers affordable Asian cuisine

1 Pasir Ris Close

#01-40 Downtown East
Singapore

Facade of Just Acia in Downtown East, Pasir Ris.

Ok, here I am again talking about food as if I am an expert about it (ahahaha!). I write this entry not to review the restaurant but just to have an input what do this restaurant has to offer. Am not a foodie myself as I am not really picky with any food that you serve on the table. My concern really is: as long as my palate is comfortable with the food (meaning edible!) then I am perfectly fine about it (ahahaha!)

Balong and I undecided of where to eat!

Here we go, let’s start our journey why we came up eating in Just Acia at Downtown East.

It's a relax diner type kind of restaurant.

After having a boy’s night out in Costa Sands Resort, we decided to take our dinner first before going straight to our hotel. We had our doughnuts earlier that we bought in White Sands Shopping Center but it is not enough as we already consumed all the sugars and carbohydrates  as we did several swimming race (naks! as if I know how to swim ~ ahahaha!).

There are so many menus to choose from. It's just that we are on a diet! (ahahaha!)

After freshen up, we roam around the vicinity then. We already visited most of the shops located in here, thus our focus is to find something to eat since it’s almost 9:oopm. 

We requested the friendly waiter to take a photo of us.

Here I am again thinking about the series of choices that maybe Balong is not into as he has allergies especially to seafoods. I don’t want to end up in the hospital queuing, you know (ahahaha~ just kidding baby.... mwaaaaaa ILOVEYOU!).

Mug is for unlimited softdrinks, while the other one is for unlimited ice cream! (perfect!)

At first, I don’t know what kind of food to eat really. I asked Balong what he prefer and as usual you can’t get any response from him instead ‘it’s up to you’ which is referring to me (sigghhhh!). That is always the norm every time we do have a problem in choosing which restaurant to eat so I asked Llowel instead. Llowel is based in Tampines and been working in Singapore for more than a year now, pretty sure he has some suggestions that is worth to try.

We passed through several restaurants in the area and it’s a jaw dropping, can’t help myself but salivate (ahahaha!). There is Yam’s Kitchen that offers fish head curry, steam fish tail and fried bean curd. There is Sarpino’s Pizzeria that serves wide variety of toppings for pizza lovers to choose from. Fat Fish Steamboat is the recommended restaurant of Llowel because of their steamboat buffet but since Balong has allergies to seafoods then we find somewhere else (sigh!!!!). 

Baby, is that a tomato?????? ahahahaha

Am so tired already of walking and swimming earlier and my stomach is already in agony as it yells like ‘Help!!!! I AM HUNGRY!!!!’ (ahahaha!). I thought Magic Wok is the answer of all the journey that we’ve been but we found out that it’s actually a Thai Restaurant as we’ve seen list of menus outside such as  Tom yam soup, steam garlic prawn etc etc etc!!!! (another seafood array! come on!!!!!)

Unlimited softdrinks counter, indulge yourself until you give up (hehehe!)

I came up with the idea that I guess it’s better if we try McDonald, Subway or KFC. That’s the least we can do tonight, they may serve huge amount of calories that is hard to digest but that comes to my mind after several minutes of wandering. However, Llowel refused to what I thought and made a stand decision to try Just Acia. First thing I asked him, ‘do they serve seafoods?’ (ahahaha!) Llowel replied, ‘They do, but hey we can order chicken you know’ (ahahaha!)

Rice set of Deep Fried Chicken set.

At last after several discussion, we resolute to try Just Acia. Yup, my spelling is correct it is not Asia but Acia. Just seeing the logo of the restaurant  outside (chopstick and noodles) it gives you the hint that they serve assorted noodles. I may sound correct but they have wide array of menus to choose from. I asked Balong if he is ok with it and he just simply replied ‘yes’ then we decided to go then. Llowel is already inside, seeing his face he is dayyymmmm hungry too (ahahaha!).

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with chicken and mushroom set.

The place got a more relax ambiance though a bit full of foodie inside. Prime colors of red is apparent in the interior and exterior of the restaurant that really grab my attention. There are few  lanterns around as well that is too common in any Asian countries.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Chicken Teriyaki

A friendly waiter in all black with red ‘tapis’ greeted us and asked what we want to order. We told him to give us some time to think first and we will just call him back later on. However, he smiled and said that he is willing to wait. 

Llowel, do you mind set that phone aside??? grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

When I look at their list of menu’s they  offer several famous Asian cuisine like the Herbal Chicken Tofu Soup, Bulgogi Ramen, and Kimchi Beancurd Soup which I tried before in a Korean Restaurant, and Tom Yam Kai with Fluffy Thai Rice which i tried in Phuket Cafe in Saudi Arabia.

I said, put that aside!!! hmmmppp ok since it's your treat then it's ok! ahahaha!

Since we don’t want to let him linger further, when I saw that they have ‘pasta set’ which is not really an ‘Asian’ cuisine, I ordered Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Chicken Teriyaki set for SGD9.50 around PHP300 or USD 7. I love pasta especially ‘cabonara’ and ‘fettucini’ serve it even everyday and I will eat it without any hesitation!!!! Balong as usual ordered his favorite ‘Deep Fried Chicken’ in a set for SGD 8.80 around PHP 290 or USD 6.50. Am waiting for Llowel to order and he favor the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Mushroom set for SGD 9.50.

Take it slow Balong, hehehehe

As we wait for our orders, I asked the waiter what is it for the ‘semi bowl’ he put in our table along with chopstick and utensils. He said that all the sets they have like the Rice Set, Noodles Set, Pasta Set, do come up with unlimited flow of ice cream, cappuccino and soft drink float. 

I forgot if it's kimchi or pickled radish...

He gave us this mug which I thought for water but it’s actually for their unlimited offer of soft drink float just behind the counter. As usual, I love mixing different cola flavor, like coke, mirinda, orange, and 7 up into one. Try it for yourself, they may have that strange flavor but it’s cool, you know! (hahaha!)

see how easy for me to finish a plate of pasta!!! That's how i love it! (ahahaha!)

Their service here is quite fast, I don’t know if they have food ready for serving but I know they usually cook the food first. If am not mistaken the wait is less than 10 minutes only and voila our order is ready. Their food plating is quite appealing too, I asked Llowel what is the ‘pink thing’ in our plate and he said that it’s a Lotus root. Say what???? My apology for my ignorance but this is the first time I’ve seen such ‘vegetable’ HONESTLY!!! (ahahaha!). I don’t know if it’s color is really pink or they add food color to it to be more appetizing. When I tasted it, it has this mild distinct flavor quite similar to artichoke (ahahaha!).

This is the soup accompanied if you order a rice set.

The food we order is simply ok, am not choosy in eating anything as long as my taste buds agreed to it. What we order is not really a typical Singaporean dish but we already experience that to different hawkers that we’ve been too especially the “Malaysian Food Street’ in Universal Studios in Sentosa.

There are lots of flavour to choose from, avocado, chocolate, mango, strawberry, coffee

I love the combination of coffee and chocolate.

Just Acia is a treasure trove for me personally amidst the bustling city area. It offers affordable delights with set meals starting from SGD 6 to SGD 15. All the set meals you order includes unlimited ice cream that is available in the entrance. They have several flavors to choose from like chocolate and mango. Aside from ice cream, they do have free flow of softdrinks too from iced tea to root beer! A truly satisfying complete meal that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

I've seen these sculpted beautiful ladies outside of a Thai restaurant.

I don’t know if they have branches somewhere but if you happen to pass-by along Pasir Ris especially in Downtown East then a visit to this place is a must. I assure you more than what you pay for, great food and fast service.

We suppose to have our dinner here, but Balong is allergic to seafood especially prawns.

Ahahahaha, another reminder to be aware of...

That's it for now guys, have a great day/night to you.

Cheerrrrrrrrrrioosss!!!!

Enan signing off..........

SMILE

:)

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Costa Sands Resort ~ quick getaway from the busy mundane city life

1 Pasir Ris,

Downtown East

Singapore

That is Balong and I to the entrance of Costa Sands Resort, am supposed to have a full shot of the place but Balong interrupted me with the doughnut (ahahaha!)

Two days before we leave the beautiful country of Singapore, our friend Llowel who lived in Tampines invited us to have some fun at Costa Sands Resort. I did ask BFF Lemwuel if he wants to join us but he extend his excuse as he has an afternoon duty till midnight in the ward, thus we didn’t persuade him then. Just the three of us ended up being together (Balong, Llowel and myself), and we decided to meet before 4:oopm. Since we have nothing to do as we already visited most of the tourist spot here in Singapore, we informed Llowel to pick us up in Tampines MRT Station (EW 2). From our hotel near Kallang MRT Station (EW 10), we traveled less than 30 minutes and we arrived a bit early as we agreed. 

Just on our way out from Pasir Ris MRt Station.

While waiting for Llowel, we roam around the place first. Thanks God because Llowel let Balong borrowed one of his phone including the sim card during our stay here. We texted him that when he arrived in Tampines, he just give us a call then. We waited not any longer as after 20 minutes of waiting Llowel arrived and invited us to his apartment and took our siesta in there. What’s good is that most of the tenants in the flat are Filipinos so we enjoyed it bigtime communicating with them. It feels like we were in Philippines being here in Singapore. We stayed only for an hour and leave immediately as it is getting late.

The huge signage signaling that you are already in Downtown East!

There are so many ways to locate the Downtown East, you can take the train to Pasir Ris MRT Station or you can take the bus number 12, 17, 89 and 358. I don’t know how many buses do pass in here but those are the bus numbers I’ve seen along the area. If you want to take the car then better ask someone else as we haven’t tried it though (ahahaha! ~ sorry!). 

One of the many directions i found in the area.

But anyway, for us to reach the resort fast and easy, we took the MRT to Pasir Ris Station (EW1) from Tampines (EW2). Please don’t get confused with Pasir Panjang Station as this is located way far from here. At first, I thought both station are near to each other just to find out that they both have separate directions (ahahaha!). Llowel said that in the morning usually there is a free shuttle bus service from Pasir Ris MRT Station to Costa Sands Resorts which is available at 8:45am.

To keep fit and healthy, why not try renting a bicycle? I don't know how much per hour but it's effective to lose weight though.

There is a 7/11 store but there were lots of customer lining up, we then change the plan and visited the nearby White Sands Shopping Centre just a few walks away from the station. We bought some doughnuts as we haven’t brought any ‘chichiria’s with us.  The resort is not too far from the train station, it took us only less than 10 minutes of walking and voila we reach our destination. You’ll not get lost as many direction signage can be found in here.

Stairs to the swimming area.

One of the thing that interest me most wherever we go roaming around Singapore, lots and lots of ‘reminders’ can be found in each corner! ‘No bicycling, no pets allowed, no swimming, no etc etc etc’, no wonder for the past 7 days of staying here I haven’t seen anyone violating the rules. It’s a great ordinance though, as it makes the whole country in order. Please note that once you break the law  and caught like spitting or throwing cigarette butts then expect yourself to be in the hot seat because they imposed extensive amount of penalty for you to learn the hard way (BIGTIME! ~ ahahaha!) So better follow the rules than sorry, you know (ahahaha!).

Rules and Regulation to follow once you use the pool.

We arrived at Downtown East around 6:oopm and we didn’t waste any more time. First thing we did is roam around and makes me wonder because it is really huge! It’s like the same size as Clark Quay (ahahaha!). There are lots of shopping and dining outlets too that surrounds the place. The difference is, it is more like a family friendly environment unlike Clarke Quay which is much more on the hyper, nighlife mood.

View of the whole swimming pool.

Balong and Llowel can't take it anymore, they jump to the water right away.

To name the restaurants we’ve seen only few remains in my head (ahahaha!) like the KFC, subway, Magic Wok, Fatfish Steamboat, Old Chang Kee, Mr. Chicken Rice and Just Acia. With regards to shopping outlets we’ve seen Azro, Giordano, Just Lola and Cotton on. If you’re a fitness buff then a visit to Heath Matters and Celebrity Fitness is a try.

Am trying hard to submerged myself like what Balong does but i really can't, i keep on floating!!!! (ahahahaha!)

Ahahahaha..... That's Balong on the left while the one doing the jumping jack under the water is me (ammmmp!)

After roaming around the vicinity we headed straight to Costa Sands Resorts which is located in the southern part of Downtown East.  Our main purpose here really is to have a plunge in their swimming pool and have no plans to rent a chalet. We supposed to stay here for the rest of our stay here in Singapore because Llowel recommended this place; however, I already paid the one week hotel accommodation in Fragrance and am not eager to cancel it as I don’t to go on the process of cancelling then taking the refund procedure (ahahaha!).

The see through bottom of the swimming pool.

The admission fee here is only SGD 2 per person. There are so many free amenities to enjoy, you can bring your marinated chicken and beef as you can use their barbecue pits, they have a hot water dispenser, a 50 meter swimming pool including a smaller pool for children and what I fond the most is the free wi-fi access (ahahaha!).

free wi-fi access!!! Well, mostly in Singapore has that anyway.

We enjoyed our stay here and spent more than an hour. What’s interesting there is part of the swimming pool having a see through wall.  Balong and I even requested Llowel to take a photo of us in one of the viewing panel as it is visible in the entrance. I am not a swimmer and it’s quite hard to submerge. I did try several times with the help of Balong to go deeper but nah! I keep on floating (ahahaha!).

Wanna dive? hmmmmm don't try or else the life guard will come to you and throw you away (ahahaha ~ joke!)

The ambiance is perfect for quick getaway just to have a ‘me-time’ or ‘family-time’ moment away from the busy city life. I love the surroundings as the open space swimming pool is located in the 1^st floor of the building. There is a stairs in the corner that will lead you to the swimming area and there is a lifeguard on guard as always.

There are no cottages but lined up of inclining chair can be found everywhere.

There are so many inclining chair that surrounds the place and lined potted palm trees as well. Diving is not allowed as the depth is only around 5 feet. I did jump once and I’ve seen from the ‘eyes’ of the lifeguard saying ‘hey, stop that!’ (ahahaha!).

Again!!! No running, no diving!!!! gets?

Just beside the swimming pool is the ‘Wild Wild Wet’, Singapore’s largest water park. Unfortunately, it is closed when we get there. We’ve seen lots of slides around and seems full of excitement in there. We’ve seen a much wider pool and river like features with lots of inflatable balloon (whew!!!!). I checked the cost per person, it says SGD19 around PHP600 or USD15 per adult and SGD 14 around PHP 450 or USD10 per child.

wanna have some doughnuts?

The place is good if you brought your family and friends along, but personally there are much more swimming options in Singapore than coming in here. It’s way too far from the city center but very much accessible by MRT. I prefer going to Sentosa especially to Siloso and Palawan Beach as they have variety to offer. This is just a personal point of view, but thanks to Llowel for bringing us in here.

That's me and Balong.. hayssssssssss missing you baby... mwaaaaaaaa

Will I recommend the place to my friends? Hmmmm I guess so; but, if you stay in Singapore only for few days I guess better give it a pass. There are much more tourist spot to enjoy closer to the city center than to go here. What am saying is just what I perceived as to compare to all the attractions that we visited. The Wild Wild Wet is interesting but we haven’t tried it ourselves but am sure the whole family will enjoy such as we’ve seen lots of thrilling slides to it.

potted palm trees can be found everywhere.

So that’s it, don’t get me wrong about my conclusion, point is we enjoyed A LOT during the whole time we stayed here.

Ahahahahaha on our way to the dressing room.

Have a great day and night everyone. Coming up next our dinner in ‘Just Acia’

Cheerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsss!!!!

 

Enan signing off.

 

SMILE :)

 

 

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