Corsica Hotel Kulai, Johor, Malaysia

Corsica hotel was our choice for a short weekend getaway to the town of Kulai in Johor, about an hour train ride from JB Central.

The hotel location is close to Aeon mall, STAGE container park and loads of new cafes and local eateries, SPAs and provision shops, and some car workshops. But it is a tad far from the train station (3km) though, luckily it was easy to call an Uber ride to get there.

Room was new and clean, with pleasing modern design. Has all basic amenities in place. Bathroom rain shower has very good water pressure. Bed linen and towels have a lovely floral scent which we liked. TV has Msian and SG channels, and some movie channels like FOX (both HD & SD) which was great. There's even a hot/cold water dispenser outside the room, so convenient!

The room rate includes daily breakfast at the Freesia restaurant. Breakfast spread was buffet style, food choices include American (toasts, baked beans, sausages, nuggets & scrambled eggs), local (Nasi lemak, fried rice/noodles & porridge), cereals, milk & juices, toast making machine, fruits & desserts etc. I would say, it is a very good spread for the room price we paid.

We enjoyed our stay at the Corsica hotel, the staffs were polite and prompt with their services, the room, the food and the location was great. Only downside was the WiFi, there is always a signal but unable to connect (always stuck at 'obtaining ip' stage). Not sure if there is a limit number of concurrent connections but we hope they rectify this soon. Overall, we would still recommend this hotel to Kulai visitors.

Corsica Hotel Kulai

150-151, Jalan Kenanga 29/6, Bandar Indahpura, 

81000 Kulai, Johor, Malaysia

Tel - +60 7-660 0011

The Bird Southern Table & Bar - Media Tasting

Marina Bay Sands has teamed up with 50 Eggs to unveil its first Asian venture, the James Beard nominated and award-winning Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, operating under the name The Bird Southern Table & Bar. Bringing authentic U.S. Southern cuisine and hospitality, the casual American diner boasts the use of farm-fresh ingredients in all its dishes. The 190-seater two-storey restaurant serves Southern classic dishes, including the famous 100-year-old recipe Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken, Shrimp 'N' Grits, Buttermilk Biscuits, and Butter Lettuce and Grilled Mango Salad.

Inspired by the Southern United States, The Bird incorporates modern-rustic design with industrial touches. The restaurant uses familiar textures and colors signature to its flagship location, including accents of reclaimed wood, recycled machinery parts and mason jars. The open-kitchen concept allows diners to peek at skillful chefs meticulously crafting out dishes using freshest of ingredients.

For this Media tasting, we sampled the "Prix Fixe Menu", a new 3 course set dinner for 2pax (coffee & tea included), for an attractive price of S$65++. The menu consists of 2 appetizers, 1 main course with 2 sides, and one choice of dessert.

While dinner was being prepared in the kitchen, the friendly host served us premium bottled water and Amuse-Bouche (fresh oysters topped with seasoned chopped apples). These were fabulous.

Appetizers

Deviled Eggs
dill, chives, smoked trout roe

Fried Green Tomato BLT
house smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, frisée, smoky tomato jam, lemon vinaigrette

Both were amazing to look at and tasted great too. The Tomato BLT was my fave dish of the day, I loved the smoky flavored and tender pork belly that combines excellently with the fresh crunchy tomato covered in crispy batter. Thumbs up!

Mains & Sides

Chicken ‘n’ Watermelon ‘n’ Waffles
chilled spiced watermelon, vermont sharp cheddar cheese waffle,
bourbon maple syrup, honey hot sauce

Macaroni & Cheese
torchio pasta, five artisan cheeses, crispy herb crust

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits
honey butter, house-made jam

Butter Lettuce & Grilled Mango Salad
char-grilled mango, smoked pecans, tomato, onions, benne seed dressing

The Buttermilk biscuits (not in the set menu) were served as I don't take cheese dishes (the waffles & Mac n' cheese). These are made fresh every 15mins and served hot straight from the kitchen. The Mango salad tasted pretty refreshing, and the gooey Mac & Cheese was well received by my friend who is a fan of everything cheesy.

The star dish of the restaurant, the 100-year-old recipe Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken, brined and marinated for 27 hours before frying in pressurized cooker, ensuring evenly cooked meat without losing its moisture. The chicken skin was super crispy and meat was tender and flavorful, it's delicious. The bourbon maple syrup was fairly potent too, with an evident kick of alcohol taste in it. This was supposed to compliment the savory cheese waffles but I had the buttermilk biscuits with it, I'm quite happy with the combination.

Desserts

Cafè Crème Brûlée
almond orange biscotti, orange gremolata

Banana Pudding
rum soaked banana cake, chantilly cream, fresh bananas, vanilla wafers

We got to try both the desserts. While the Creme brulee was good, I personally prefer the Banana pudding for its light-as-air chantilly cream topping and soft creamy bananas, a sweet conclusion to the 3 course meal. Last but not least, a cuppa coffee to end the enjoyable dinner.

Guests looking for a perfect spot to host intimate events can also choose between a private dining room that can be configured into two rooms for 6 to 10 people, and a 30-seater semi-private dining room.

If you like to chill over drinks after dinner, head to the alfresco bar by the waterfront (upper level) and be spoiled for choice with hand-crafted cocktails such as the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade and Watermelon Sling.

We had a wonderful evening trying out the Prix Fixe Menu, highlighting the most popular signature dishes from different categories on the Ala carte menu. These dishes, if ordered separately, could cost a bomb, so it makes sense to order the set dinner and pair it with side orders of smaller dishes to complete the meal. Highly recommended for folks who are fans of Southern American cuisine.


The Bird Southern Table & Bar
B1-07, Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Tel: +65 66889959

Opening Hours

LUNCH
Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 4:00pm

DINNER
Daily: 4:00pm - 11:00pm

DRINKS & LIGHT SNACKS
Thursday - Saturday: 11:00pm - 2:00am

WEEKEND BRUNCH
SAT & SUN: 8:00am - 4:00pm