A Follow Up Review of Happy Call Pan

I've been using the Happy Call Pan for a few months now. While I'm not a great experimenter like some  users who not only cook their meals with the pan, but are happily using it to make cakes and breads and so forth. Nonetheless I've gotten myself busier now as I ended up taking over the helper's role in the kitchen! Even then, I would say this is one of the best buys I've gotten for the kitchen.

In this post, I'm sharing more of my experience in using the pan:

1. Cooking vegetables
Depending on the amount you cook and especially the leafy ones, you will probably end up adding the vegetables in over a few rounds (after the vegetables have shrunk enough for you to add more in). This is due to the size of the pan, and I'm already using the deeper pan, which is bigger.

2. Fry fish (a whole fish)
Frying fish is probably the hardest to do, especially in trying to get crispy skin. You need to first make sure the fish is pat very dry, then at the advise of some other Happy Call users, to rub salt and corn flour on the skin before cooking. Still, I couldn't get it as crispy as frying in a wok. I suspect it might be because I'm using  the deeper pan and there's more space around the fish, hence it does take quite a while to get the fish thoroughly cooked.

3. Grill Salmon
Whenever I grill salmon, which is a very oily fish, the kitchen becomes oily and by the time it's done (which took quite a while), I end up with a pan full of oil - which ALL comes from the fish. Perhaps I've cooked it a tad too long so all the oil  came out? But I don't have as much problem with cooking cod fish.

4. Frying chicken wings
Just like with frying fish, I could never get crispy skin with the chicken wings. Not sure if it's the cooking method or simply because of the pan. They turned out more like braised chicken wings, minus the gravy. The floor is also more oily than when I cook other items (but much less than frying salmon).

5. Scratches
I'm not sure if it's just me, but there's already a few scratches on the bottom of the pan despite being very careful with it (that;s also why I don't let the helper use the pan; she's really rough with things). Thankfully they are not very deep scratches, so I continue using the pan. I suppose maybe the edges of the wooden spatula isn't smooth enough. So be very selective of the spatula you use. By the way, does anyone know if it's harmful to health to continue using the pan after scratches have appeared?

6. Weight
Depending on how much food you're cooking, it can get a bit too heavy sometimes. But I'm not a strong woman to begin with. So this is not actually a problem. Anyway, in most cases, it's not necessary to keep flipping the pan, especially not when you're cooking something with more liquid.


Overall, I'm pleased with the Happy Call pan. I've also been cooking lots of pasta and fried noodles and fried rice because I don't have to worry about greasy fumes or lingering smell in the kitchen from the cooking. It's also healthier since I use lesser amount of oil because of the non-stick property of the pan.

How's your Happy Call experience? Do you think it's one of the best investment you've made for the kitchen? 

After Happy Call, This Is What I Am Experimenting With....

After using Happy Call pan for a few months, I've began looking around for other kitchen gadgets that either cooks faster or saves me effort and energy (electricity/gas).

I remembered having two Endo brand thermal magic cookers (5L and 2.5L) stored away at the top kitchen cabinet and decided to take them out and give it another try.

I purchased the pots more than a year ago from Metro during a special promotion. If I'm not wrong, I paid about $80 for them.

Pic source

How the Endo thermal cooker works

The thermal cooker comes with an inner pot and an outer/thermal pot.

According to the manual, you just need to place ingredients in the inner pot, put on stove and cook for about 10 minutes (start timing after water boils). Then transfer inner pot into the outer pot and cover lid. The food will continue cooking using heat retention technology (to read more about the technology, go to here and here).

Benefits of thermal cooker

• No monitoring required
• Saves electricity/gas
• Helps keep food warm for a few hours

The Endo cooker also comes with a small 'saucepan' so you can cook two things at the same time e.g. boil soup in pot and steam tofu in the saucepan.

For full-time working moms, you can cook your food in the morning and by the time you're home, dinner is ready.

My experience with Endo thermal cooker

The reason I stopped using the thermal cooker was that I found the food wasn't as tasty as compared to cooking on the stove or using slow cooker.

This time round, I tried letting the food cook longer on the stove before transferring to the thermal pot, and also let it cook longer in the pot and the taste turns out better (not as bland; more concentrated). But I would still prefer the food cooked the 'traditional' ways or maybe I just need to experiment a bit more.

So far, I've only used the pot for cooking porridge, soup and making desserts.

I would say I'm a happier thermal cooker user now because the food taste better than when I first used the cooker.

The helper is also happy with using the cooker. She would make porridge in the morning, then concentrate on doing other chores. When lunch time comes, our food is ready. Or she makes soup in the afternoon and it will be ready for dinner. Meanwhile, we save on gas and electricity.

By the way, one tip I read from a local forum is that you can take out the soup/stew about an hour later to boil again and then put it back into the thermal cooker. I believe the food will definitely taste more concentrated/stronger done this way. Will try this out.

Besides Endo, there are also other brands available in the market. What I know of is Tiger and La Gourmet (sometimes I wonder if the results would be different if I use one of these more expensive brands).

By the way, it seems that thermal cookers can be used to make cake and bread loaf. Now, this begins to sound like a good addition to the kitchen, doesn't it?


Thermal cooker recipes

Bubur Terigu the healthy version (dessert) - by Ellena Guan
Red bean soup - by Ellena Guan
The thermal cooker thermal cooking weblog
DreamPot Recipes


Are you also using a thermal cooker? How do you like it? Do you know of other time-saving or energy-saving kitchen ware?

Happy Call Pan - The Latest Rave in Singapore Homes

If you are living opposite my apartment, you would have noticed something different going in our kitchen the last few weeks. Instead of the helper doing the cooking, this mistress of the house has taken over!

Thanks (or no thanks) to my latest kitchen 'toy' - the Happy Call Pan (a Korean innovation), I'm now possibly on my way to becoming a domestic goddess, at least in the culinary department.

I was first introduced to the pan through a review on my friend Pauline's blog.

Then I watched its TV ad on Channel U and was so amazed by what I saw that I immediately went online to order one (you can also watch a video about the pan here).

So what are the advantages of cooking with the Happy Call Pan?

• Cooks faster than normal wok or pan because of its patented heat retention technology as well as the fact that it's coated with titanium and ceramic (making it a non-stick pan as well)
• Because you cover the pan when cooking (there's a magnetic clip at the end of the handle that keeps the pan tightly closed), there's not the usual smoke and odor, thus leaving the kitchen almost grease-free
• Healthier cooking because you only need to use minimal amount of oil, or none at all if you prefer
• You can also cook on both sides with an easy flip of the pan, so some thing like frying fish becomes much easier
• Cleaning the pan is easier because of its non-stick property

When I ordered the pan, their newest product, the Ocher Deeper Pan has just been launched. Since I originally wanted a deeper pan, I went ahead and bought the Ocher pan.

My Ocher pan - came with a pack of free sealer and manuals (original manual in Korean, and a translated English version)

So how was my experience with the pan? I'm happy with the shorter cooking time; more importantly, I'm pleased with having a cleaner kitchen since there's no spattering oil and the pan doesn't emit any smoke like the wok does.

Here's a small sampling of what I've cooked over the weeks...

Top: Grilled BBQ ribs (doesn't look that appealing but it tastes good) - this was such a chore to prepare previously because when the caramelised ribs are finally cooked, the wok would be so sticky that it's hard to wash; what's worse was the strong odor lingering in the air and the kitchen left in a greasy state. But with the Happy Call Pan, I no longer have such problems! Bottom: Making french toast is a real breeze now! It takes no more than five minutes to get them all done.

Pic 1: Stir-fried green marrow (or 'hairy melon' as some call it) with carrots, prawns and eggs, Pic 2: Stir-fried cauliflower with carrots, tomatoes and beancurd, Pic 3: Fried rice - cooked the ingredients using Happy Call then transferred to wok and fried together with rice (too much rice to be cooked in the pan), Pic 4: Stir-fried broccoli with prawns

One thing I've yet to master is frying a whole fish. I couldn't really make the skin crispy, guess I'll just have to keep experimenting till I get it right. But I could make teriyaki cod fish easily with the pan:

By the way, I also make muah chee with the pan. Yes, you heard it right - muah chee! But we were so excited with eating it that I forgot to take a picture. Oh well, the next time.

And there's now also a Facebook page for sharing of Happy Call recipes, which even include creations like cakes and breads - yes, you can bake using the Happy Call pan! 

So are you tempted to get one as well?

More about Happy Call pans:

• Mamabliss' Treasured Moments - review of Happy Call Pan, recipes and even videos showing you how to cook with Happy Call!
• Superb Mothers - include recipes and a FAQ about Happy Call Pan as well as organising Happy Call spree 
• KiasuParents.com - forum thread about Happy Call pans
• Singaporemotherhood.com - forum thread about Happy Call pans

Update (21 Feb 2012):
Check out the Munch Ministry website and Facebook page for more Happy Call recipes and more!

Not Sure Where to Go this Weekend? Try the Animal Resort

Do you know that besides the zoo and bird park, there are other places in Singapore where children can have a close encounter with animals? Well, I surely didn't, not until friends started sharing with me about them. The latest that we've discovered is The Animal Resort.

The Animal Resort, whose core business is actually pet business, is located at Seletar West, near Jalan Kayu which is famous for its prata shops, otah and durian/chocolate cake from Jane's Cake Station). 

What You Can See and Do

Stepping into the resort, we were immediately greeted by smell of animal dung - now, how much more 'kampong' can it get? 

While some animals like chicken, peacock, horse and goat were behind fence, there were others roaming freely on the sprawling grounds. We spent about an hour there feeding small animals and exploring the place.

The goat and the horse - I wish they have their own kind for company, they looked so lonely!

Getting to know some feathered friends... as you can see, some of them were roaming freely!

Top pic: Kenan feeding the rabbits. Bottom pic: We put the carrot at the cage and the guinea pig happily gnawed away at it.

Top pic: There were a variety of feeds for the different animals; we bought carrots ($1/pack), which can feed the horse, goat, rabbit and guinea pig. Bottom pic: The shed which holds the rabbits and guinea pigs.

Top pic: Kenan was amused by the talking parrot, which said "hello" to us. Bottom pic: Looking at fishes in the pond.

Our verdict: The resort is rustic but some people may find it run down. Overall quite a good place for young children to be introduced to animals and have close encounters with them. After you're done, you can hop over to Jalan Kayu for some prata and otah! 

The Animal Resort

T81 Seletar West Farmway 5 

Singapore 798061

Tel: 6338 7665

Email: ricted@singnet.com.sg

Free admission

Another similar place that you may like to visit is the Pasir Ris Kid's Kampong. Read about it here. 

Hope your little ones will have a fun weekend!

Hong Kong Trip: The Hotels (Part 3)

After a 20 minute taxi ride from the Grand Hyatt, we arrived at the last hotel of our Hong Kong trip - the Disneyland Hotel!

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the hotel felt like being in a world of its own, one in which we were brought back to the Victorian era, except that everywhere we turned, there would be something to remind us that we were in the magical land of Disney.

For our stay, we booked a room with a garden view (we ended up having a full view of the main entrance, but I don't know where's the garden). The room came with a 'double' bed (it's smaller than a queen bed but bigger than a super single) and a double sofa bed, which was already opened when we arrived. We didn't request for a cot and our boy was happy to sleep on the sofa bed.

The bathroom - the toiletries are so cute right?

Mickey mouse door card and signage with Disney characters

Pic 1: High tea at the Grand salon seems very popular with hotel guests; Pic 2: The main lift lobby - the decor emanates Victorian elegance; Pic 3: the TV area near the front desk - children can be entertained while parents do the check-in/out;  Pic 4: Photo time - even adults are as delighted as the little ones.

Pic 1: Wanted to have breakfast at the Enchanted Garden Restaurant but the queue was too long (but if you can wait, it's will be really fun for the kids); Pic 2: the  nice area just outside the Enchanted Garden Restaurant; Pic 3: Indoor swimming  

Chanced upon the Prince Eric play room when we were roaming the hotel grounds - too bad Kenan didn't get to go as there was a private party going on. 

I like the Disneyland Hotel, though the hubby didn't quite appreciate the Victorian decor (laughs). I felt it was a pity we didn't have enough time to enjoy all of the facilities. If you do visit Disneyland with your family, I would highly recommend this hotel as it's really great for the children! Do factor in time and not miss out enjoying the facilities and dining experiences the hotel has to offer!

Father's Day Staycation, Part 1: The Hotel (Movenpick Heritage Hotel)

Last year's Father's Day, I was still struggling as a first-time mom and didn't have the energy and time to do anything special for the husband. So this year, to make up for it, I planned a staycation at Sentosa. I had wanted to stay at Resorts World but to my disappointment, all the rooms in the RWS hotels were fully booked. Lesson learnt: book hotel room way in advance during school holidays. So I opted for the next best option, location wise - the Movenpick Heritage Hotel.

Bye Playhouse Disney, Hello Disney Junior!

Moms and dads, have you heard the news yet? Come 11 July, kids will get a brand new Disney channel! Playhouse Disney, now 10 years old, will be rebranded and replaced by Disney Junior, a new 24-hour channel dedicated to a wider audience of children ages 2-7 years old (previously 2-5 years old).

 

Copyrighted © Disney

Thanks to the invitation from the wonderful people from Disney, I got a sneak peek of Disney Junior at an event hosted for mom and dad bloggers last week and I’m really excited with the line up(and what better place to reveal what Disney is hatching than at Hatched restaurant).

Interesting Finds at Daiso Part One: A Handy Toy to Have In Your Bag

I chanced upon this magic drawing board at Daiso a while ago and bought it for Kenan.

At that time, he had just turned 13 months and didn't quite fancy it. Recently, I took it out again for him to play with and he got hooked.

I initially wanted to get a bigger one for him from places like Kiddy Palace but when I saw this, I decided it would be a better choice, because I really don't know if he will like it and I don't want to waste the money. So at only $2, this is a steal.

It's also a handy size - at about 20cm x 15cm in dimension, it's a great toy to carry around in your bag. It keeps my boy entertained on the highchair when we are eating out.

But watch out for the two small red magnets - one in heart-shape and the other a triangle (see the left of the magic board in photo). I only let him play with them under close supervision as they can end up as choking hazards.

Punggol Promenade Riverside Walk

A friend living in Punggol told me about the Punggol Promenade Riverside Walk recently and we decided to check out the place on one of the nights when my hubby happened to come home early.

Introducing Punggol Promenade

Located on the western bank of the Serangoon reservoir, the Riverside Walk is part of the 4.9km Punggol Promenade designed for sports, recreational and leisure activities for residents in the north-eastern part of Singapore.

The Promenade comprises three thematic zones: Punggol Point Walk, Nature Walk, and Riverside Walk.

• Punggol Point Walk - will have a 0.6ha park which serves as a gateway to the Promenade and is supposed to have an elevated viewing deck that offers breathtaking view of the sea and Coney Island.
• Nature Walk - offers a walk in nature; there are also fishing points and rest stops along the way.
• Riverside Walk - designed with fitness stations, dedicated cycling and jogging tracks, as well as lookout points so visitors can get close to the water's edge.

The Promenade is still undergoing construction and is expected to complete by the end of the year.

By the way, the Promenade is linked by a bridge to the Lorong Halus Wetland that is on the eastern side of the Serangoon reservoir. The Wetland, formerly a landfill, is transformed into an educational site and biodiversity haven for plants, animals and other wildlife.

Eat, Drink and Relax

The Riverside Walk has a rustic, laid-back feel that is both refreshing and welcoming. Somehow, it reminded me of Dempsey. There are currently three restaurants with a fourth one coming up. The eateries include Popeyes, Xian (seafood) Restaurant & Bar, and Frienzie Bistro & Bar.

We had wanted to try Frienzie but it was packed - mainly with groups of working adults. We didn't see anyone with young kids there. So in the end, we found ourselves at Popeye's having a drink and some fries (we already had dinner, if not, the seafood restaurant would have been our choice). We also bought corn for Kenan in case he starts to get restless or worse, asks for the fries.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Xian Restaurant & Bar

Frienzie Bistro & Bar

My friend told me it's a great place to come during the day for walks and recreational activities. We will definitely be back again and bring Kenan for a walk; we hope to expose him to more of nature, which he really enjoys.


More reads:
Punggolians heart Punggol Promenade Riverside Walk
Lorong Halus Wetland and Riverside Walk of the Punggol Promenade
Frienzie Bistro & Bar - Dine along the riverbank

Project Nursing Rooms - BHG Bugis Junction

Last Saturday, I was shopping in Bugis Junction and needed to change Kenan's diaper. I first went to the nearest baby room, which was the one on the first floor near the ladies' toilet. But the room was so small, stuffy and stinky that I couldn't stay for another minute. I recalled seeing the baby room in BHG and decided to head there.

There are four changing tables, two on each side, and they are quite well spaced out. There are also two nursing rooms (covered by curtain and not a door) inside, as well as a sofa and a few chairs. There's also a hot and cold water dispenser and sink.

Two of the four changing tables - behind it is the sink and hot water dispenser

The nursing rooms

The sofa and chairs near the entrance

Ratings

Cleanliness: 4/5

Amenities: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5



I Can Brush My Teeth!

Kenan has seven teeth since he was close to 11 months old and many people were often amazed by the number of teeth he has.

However, it hasn't been easy for us to clean his teeth. He used to allow us to clean his teeth but these days, he struggles every time I attempt to put the toothbrush into his mouth. I got really worried that he may end up with tooth decay.

The toothbrush that Kenan was using

Then I chanced upon Brush-Baby's "soft chewable toothbrush" at Kiddy Palace recently (S$8.90).

Meant for children from 10 months to 3 years ago, it is made of BPA-free silicone and uses babies' innate tendency to chew to clean their top and bottom teeth. According to the text on the packaging, the soft, chewable bristles can also help massage babies' gums or be cooled in the fridge to soothe teething gums (you can apply teething gel on it too).

  

A view from the front: The toothbrush has upper and lower bristles,

as well as bristles on both sides

I am quite happy ever since I started letting Kenan use this toothbrush as he is quite ready to 'brush' his teeth with it. My only complaint is that the length of the toothbrush is a bit too long and it isn't easy to fit it fully into Kenan's mouth. And because of that, I only apply toothpaste at one end instead of the centre, which was how I used to do.

For more information on Brush-Baby's toothbrush, visit their website at:
http://www.brushbaby.co.uk/

Petit Bowl - Solution for a Quick Meal

Recently I discovered a solution to quickly and easily prepare my boy's meals - Petit Bowl at United Square.

Petit Bowl is a cafe that sells frozen meals for babies (four months onwards) and children. The food are "without added salt, sugar or artificial flavourings".

I first came across the cafe some months back but never thought of getting anything there as our old helper was still around and she cooked Kenan's meals for me.

But now that the new helper has yet to arrive and I'm getting really tired from doing all the housework, I thought why not get the frozen meals and make cooking for Kenan easier? But before that, we decided to let Kenan try out the food first.

Kenan playing with some of the toys in the cafe

As we've not cooked much red meat for him so far, we thought it would be great to give him either beef or lamb. We chose the pumpkin stewed beef (beef, pumpkin, apple) as suggested by the staff; it was marked as 'Chef's Recommendation' and smells really yummy. By the way, the cafe also let us tried two items and if I'm not wrong, different items are available for sampling everyday.

While Kenan doesn't particularly like beef, the stewed beef and the two samplings smell so irresistably good that we just decided to go ahead and buy something for our boy. We bought the following:

• Lamb casserole (4oz for $6.90) - includes lamb, potato, carrot and tomato
• Chicken with tomato and rice (4oz for $5.90) - includes chicken, tomato, carrot, potato and brown rice
• Cod fish spinach and alphabet pasta (4oz for $6.90) - includes cod fish, spinach, milk, cheese and gulten-free pasta
• Buttenut risotto (4oz for $4.90) - includes butternut, tomato, brown rice and cheese

The frozen meals are packed neatly into a plastic box for taking away

The 4oz meals we bought were split into two 2oz cups (so you can use either half the portion of the full amount).  To heat up the food, remove the cover and either steam (recommended) or microwave the plastic cup. The frozen meals can be kept in the freezer compartment of the fridge for up to a month.

For the complete menu, see here. The options include baby starter pack (for babies four months onwards) that comes in a pack of nine capsules (can choose three flavours- mainly pureed fruits and vegetables) and blended/pureed meals like those we purchased. There are also desserts for babies nine months and older, and meals for children three years onwards.

The owner was very friendly and came to find out about Kenan's eating preferences to make appropriate recommendations. I mentioned that it appears that Kenan doesn't really seem to like chewing his food. So he suggested that we use the frozen meals as ingredients for the porridge.

And that was exactly what I did for the past few days where I steamed the frozen meals, add it to plain porridge, mix well and a wholesome, healthy meal is done. Sometimes, this kiasu mom would even put in additional ingredients.

By the way, the food Petit Bowl sells are more 'western' style; you can make it more Chinese or Asian by adding to porridge like the way we do.

However, it isn't a solution that is as easy on the pocket as it is to cook. Yet in desperate times as these, I'm more than happy to fork out the money!

Petit Bowl
101 Thomson Road, United Square #01-77/78
Tel: 6256 5359

Wicked Oven - Wickedly Good Creations

A while back, I was at a networking event and got to try some really delectable creations by mumpreneur Sam Leong, who runs a pastry business call Wicked Oven.

Being a new entrepreneur, Sam was there to let participants try out her yummy food in exchange for feedback. She sponsored four items for the event:

- Broccoli frittata bites
- Chocolate cream cheese muffins
- Chocolate ganache cupcakes
- Ham and cheese muffins

Of these, the chocolate cream cheese muffins were definitely my favourite! Rich, chocolatey and moist, the moment I sank my teeth into the muffin, I was smittened. The sweetness of the chocolate (just sweet enough) blended perfectly with the savoury cheese to offer a totally delightful bite.

I also like the size, it’s smaller than most cupcakes and muffins you find elsewhere and can be finished in a bite or two. They make wonderful snacks for networking events because you can eat gracefully and not have to open you mouth wide when taking a bite. Some other participants also said the food was great because they can eat more and try out different flavours, unlike the normal bigger cupcakes or muffins where they might be quite full after eating just one.

After the event, few of us even bought some of the cupcakes and muffins from Sam as they were so irresistably yummy!

I bought these home for my family and they enjoyed it

For Wicked Oven's full menu, click here. Sam doesn't have a shop yet. So if you want to order, please contact her via email or mobile.


Wicked Oven
email : sam@wickedoven.com
mobile : +65 9663 3051

A Safety Issue

Few weeks ago, I had a scare when changing Kenan's diaper at one of the malls.

I've just placed him on the changing table and turned around to take a clean diaper from the baby bag when he rolled around almost tumbled fell off the edge. Thankfully the spouse was around and stopped him in time.

Honestly, I'm still getting used to Kenan's newfound mobility and sometimes thought that he would stay still in whatever spot I've placed him.

Since this incident, it has opened my eyes to how well or poorly designed some of the baby rooms are.

Take for example the baby room at Harboufront Centre. I used to find the design of the changing table with a barrier at the front a bit cumbersome but now I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the designer -it's really to help prevent babies from falling off easily!

Designed for baby's safety: a barrier at the front; huge changing table and the ends are against the walls so babies can have abit of space to roll yet they can't roll and fall onto the ground easily.

A really thoughtful design - well done!

Where changing table is concerned, I think by far, the one at Harbourfront Centre is the safest. Let me know if you see other well-designed changing areas - in Singapore or even overseas. It would be interesting to see how they are like!

Great Finds at Daiso

I know that Daiso has a myriad of products including household items, stationery, snacks, drinks, cosmetics, skincare, accessories and many more. Recently I discovered that they carry some useful baby stuff too. Here's what I found:

Corner guards to prevent crawling babies from knocking against

sharp edges of furniture

Edge guards/cushion tapes that you can stick around edges of tables, door frames etc.

to prevent babies from bumping into them

Door safety locks to prevent little ones from opening cupboards

and take out things that might be hurt them

Big ,small, red, white, blue, silver, gold... there's lots to choose from.

I bought a bag of 10 multi-coloured balls to keep Kenan entertained

Was wondering where I can find a pump for Kenan's swim float and here they are!

The label shows the pump can be used for balloons, balls and floats

Project Nursing Rooms - Marina Square

Not sure how many nursing rooms there are in Marina Square but I have an inkling this is probably the mall with the most number of them. I have already been to three - two on the first floor and one on the second and they are all conveniently situated near to the toilets. So it seems to me there is likely to be one nursing room next to every toilet - am I right?

The nursing room comes with just the basic amenities- a sofa bench, a diaper changing area and wash basin. There is no hot water here. The room is big enough for me to push in the stroller and I found it comfortable breastfeeding the baby here as it has a nice cushy sofa rather than some plastic chair. The air can be a bit still though. In one of the rooms I went, there was a slight stench coming from the dustbin. But overall, I'm satisfied with the condition.

A cosy nursing room for breastfeeding; the amenities are minimal though.

The lively design on the ceiling - I like it!

Ratings:

Cleanliness: 4/5

Amenities: 3/5

Ambience: 4/5

A Review on 'Rent That Toy'

I have been renting toys for Kenan from Rent That Toy since July and I must say I'm a satisfied customer so far. Here's why:

1. User-friendly website
The website allows customers to search for toys either by age groups or brands (I wish that it also has a search function that allows me to find toys by key words). If a certain toy is currently not available, it has a 'notify me' function.

Once the toy is available, you will receive an email notice. But this means you must check your email account regularly. From experience, popular items get rented out again very quickly - it's a first-come-first-serve!

2. Large selection of toys
The rental company has a large selection of toys and there are currently 19 brands available. There are also items like the Bumbo seat and play yard available.

3. Good service
Elaine, the owner of the company, provides really prompt service. Once, I made an email enquiry with another toy rental company about certain items and it took them a few day to reply! By then, I had already rented some alternative toys from another company (too bad for them).

And when you've confirmed your rental items, Elaine will contact you (either via sms or phone call) to arrange a delivery date and time that is convenient for you.

In addition, all the toys that require batteries to work, Elaine will provide (I've previously used another toy rental company which didn't provide the battery). Once, a few days after renting a toy, the battery went flat. I asked Elaine if she could change it for me and she did. Now, that's good customer service!

One of the exersaucers I've rented

A toy car that Kenan enjoys playing with

So far, I've rented mainly bulky toys like the jumperoo and exersaucer. I don't want to spend money on these items because I foresee storage being a problem later on. Furthermore, I don't even know if my boy will enjoy the toys, which are quite expensive, so I better let him have a try first.

However, don't expect the toys to be in brand new conditions and sometimes, part of the toy may not be functioning e.g. the music function of one toy on the exersaucer may not work. In such cases, usually Elaine will inform you. 

Also, it's rental fees are not one of the lowest around but taking into consideration the minimum amount needed to get a free delivery ($35, which is lower than some other companies) and the overall service, I'm happy being a Rent That Toy customer.

Is there a toy rental company that you like? I would really love to hear about it!