CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso Review

* Guest post by my husband, DD!

Last weekend we were very lucky to be lent the ALL-NEW CITROËN GRAND C4 PICASSO to review. (Woohoo!)



We were particularly excited to be test-driving this car as the All-New CITROËN GRAND C4 PICASSO 2014 is an update to the New CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso launched in 2006 which we currently own (and have affectionately named “Pablo”). Apparently, the 2014 release was necessary because the 2006 CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso has been so popular, it’s sold out!

Anyway, I predict that CITROËN will launch the Ultimate-Newest CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso only in 2020+ so if you buy the All-New 2014 version, fear not. I’m sure you’ll be driving the newest car around for quite some time.

But getting back to business: for the purpose of this review, our All New 2014 Grand C4 Picasso shall be called... Paul. For those of you who object because you say that Paul and Pablo are essentially the same name, I think you’ll see that “same-same-but-different” pretty much sums up our 2014 v. 2006 Grand C4 Picasso experience.

Introduction

So to begin with, here’s a short introduction to Paul:

Take note that the child featured in the picture above is a non-standard accessory.

Specs

Here's a simplified spec sheet which sets out the key headlines.


Pretty impressive. What really stands out is the Category A COE. Not many MPVs fall into this category. Also, this car is eligible for a S$15,000 CEVS rebate because it fits certain environmentally-friendly criteria and in fact has the lowest carbon emission rating in its class.

Review

Ok, so now on to the actual review. To begin with, let me just say it outright - this is seriously the best MPV in its class.

I'll let some facts do the talking:

• Roomiest MPV in its class
• Best fuel economy in its class
• Best electronic specs in its class
• Excellent visibility, best in its class
• Lowest carbon emissions in its class

Actually I can stop here because that's the review done and dusted.

But since the good folks at CITROËN were so kind to let us have Paul for three days, I think they must be expecting a little more... Heh.

So here goes.

Design

A review of the All New Grand C4 Picasso must begin with a word on its design.
In its press release the following is stated about Paul's design:

On the design-front, CITROËN C4 Picasso’s and Grand C4 Picasso’s strong, expressive designs are visible in the dynamic lines and high-tech headlights with LED 3D rear lights. The 5.7 square meters of glazing with the zenith windscreen and panoramic glass roof creates the CITROËN-signature loft-style interior with a bright, uncluttered ambience.

Ermm, did anyone really understand that? Me neither.

Actually, in my humble opinion, design is very simple.

Design only comes in 4 choices as follows:
(A) it looks great
(B) it is sort of nice
(C) I'm somewhat doubtful
(D) it sucks.

Most people whom I spoke to think that Paul's design was an unequivocal (A). Me too. Just as you cannot describe what an iphone actually looks like using words like "dynamic lines", I'll just let photos do the talking.







The above of course are the professionally taken brochure photos. Looks great, right? After having seen the car, I’m happy to report that it looks as good in person. You... just have to take my word for it.




Nice!

Drive

Now onto the drive.



Paul uses an All-New (hey that phrase again!) engine platform, wholly different from Pablo. Apparently the new engine cost CITROËN /Peugeot 630 million Euros to develop! Just to make sure that it wasn't wasted money, the new engine, amongst other things:

• consumes 22% less fuel than the old engine
• is lighter and has better weight/performance ratios than the old engine 
• is designed with tighter electronic integration with onboard electronics in mind

That's why it was 630 million Euros! And no, my inside sources confirmed that the cost was NOT because the smart and clever designers of the super-duper magic new engine conned their employers into giving them more money. It had something to do about developmental costs, materials research, etc*

(*I can't recall and share the exact details because I basically lost interest when my Dilbert-based theory was invalidated. Sorry!)

Anyway, the practical result of the improved engine platform is that driving Paul around was a nice and enjoyable experience. Steering was super light, even effortless. The car also offers good control and close handling with little body roll around corners. Acceleration was good; Paul is of course not a sports car, but it will do nicely whether in city traffic or cruising on a highway.
I did find auto shifting from 1st to 2nd gear slightly choppy but owners needn't worry – this should smoothen out once the engine figures out the driver's driving pattern. Alternatively you can use the paddle shifts to dictate gear changes to optimise your driving experience.

Refined Interior

What also makes Paul stand out is the fact that everything in the interior has been upgraded from Pablo and especially its electronics. Its interior looks really, really nice! And the middle row is noticeably roomier than Pablo.






Paul features, among other things:

• a 7" touchscreen main control panel
• Factory-fitted bluetooth connectivity
• Factory-fitted USB socket with iPod/iPhone/iPad connectivity

All main settings are controlled via the touch screen interface. Air con, radio/bluetooth, GPS, phone, etc. And it's done in a refined and intuitive manner too.

I desperately tried to press as many buttons on the touchscreen interface as quickly as possible to try to make it hang, and see whether a voice would come up and lecture me about that, but there was no success there. So yes, the interface is steady and reliable – not to mention that it also looks great!

Boot Space

I didn't take too many pictures of the boot but don't worry, it is a class leading 537 litres. That means you can put in ALOT of stuff. The tailgate is also automatic! Press a button to open and press a button to close. This is pretty standard issue for the likes of the BMW 5 and 7 series, but for a mid-range MPV this is cool! The only bad thing about the automatic tailgate is that if you're angry with your boss or kids you gotta slam the passenger doors instead.

Comparison with Pablo


Honestly there is no comparison between Pablo and Paul. Paul is in every way, a total, truly All-New, upgrade to Pablo. From the engine/chassis, to the electronics, to the interior ("CITROËN -signature loft styled", remember?), everything has been upgraded. Just to name a few things:

• Longer wheelbase = roomier interior 
• New engine = better performance and fuel consumption 
• All electronic controls

If, like me, you're also driving a 2006 Grand C4 Picasso, you'll definitely be tempted to upgrade. As a measure of what sort of impression Paul made on the kids, they were so reluctant to return Paul they promised to be good for a week!



Areas For Improvement
Ok, so with that said, one gets the impression that this is the perfect family car. With so many features that are in fact class-leading, it certainly might be.

But no car is absolutely absolutely perfect, and the one thing I thought could be improved upon was the Eco Drive. I understand that it comes as a standard on all models sold in Asiapac. So if you've never driven a vehicle with Eco Drive before, you have to get used to the engine switching off when the car halts. But that aside, I found that the Eco Drive implementation on Paul was not as refined as it could be. Once, while I was travelling very (very) slowly up a twisty carpark ramp, Eco Drive kicked in and switched off the engine. Luckily nothing happened. I wasn't able to find out how to turn Eco Drive off but the representatives at CITROËN have told me that it is possible to turn this setting off as part of the car settings.

Closing Note

Here are more gratuitous pics of Paul.








Basically, if you're looking to buy a mid-range MPV, you should really consider this vehicle. You might find, as I did, that the 2014 CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso blows away all its same-class competitors on all counts. Perhaps, among its competition, only the Volkwagen Touran runs the CITROËN close. The Volks has more power, similar fit and finish but less space and poorer fuel economy. In particular, space-wise, the Touran is much smaller and the third row is for very occasional use, whereas the CITROËN's third row is reasonably comfortable.

Personally, I also wouldn't really consider the Japanese MPVs to be close competition for the CITROËN. First of all, for some reason, the Japanese manufacturers favour using big engines to deliver the same sort of ride - this is sort of okay and I don't want to get into the naturally aspirated vs turbo engine debate but what it means, at a very practical level, is that bigger engines mean higher COE, higher road taxes and poorer fuel economy. Second of all to get to the same level of fit and finish that the CITROËN has - well you're looking at a large-ish jump of $20-30K at least, so whether this is ok with you is your call.

For me, there is no question that among the mid-range MPV class, the 2014 CITROËN Grand C4 Picasso ticks all the right boxes.

* This post and our weekend test-drive were sponsored by Citroën for the purposes of this review.

Serving Up Love on a (New) Plate

This dish is one of our family favourites. It's honey roasted chicken and it's super yummy as the chicken cooks in a pan in its own juices with honey, lemon, garlic and oregano. I serve this with chicken rice and the kids just hoover it up. It is one of the easiest dishes to feed them.

However, this post is not about the food, good as it is.

(Incidentally, if you're keen to try this recipe, my friend Pam has shared her version of this dish on A Dollop Of Me as part of the Kitchen Exploits Family Favourites series. You might want to check it out at this link: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.)

This post is about that plate, which my dinner is sitting pretty on. Plates that my dear husband lugged back from Australia when he had to make a quick business trip over a weekend a couple of weeks ago. My husband knows I love pretty crockery as much as he thinks it is completely pointless. So I was really touched that he bothered to go shop for a dining set and lug it home for me as a gift. I've got to admit that the design is more his taste than mine, but hey, the man carried home a heavy and bulky gift that he actually thinks is rather pointless because he thought I would like it, so love it, I do.

Our marriage, like all marriages, isn't perfect. There are many many days where we take each other for granted or get annoyed with each other (reasonably or otherwise). For me, there are many instances where I ignore my husband's needs in favour of meeting the kids'. It's not something I'm proud of, and lately, I've been thinking up and putting into practice ways in which to shift the balance. Like cooking his favourite food more regularly, or making the time to be together, or simply not begrudging him his need to rest.

I think on the question of whether my husband or my children should come first in my life (after God, that is), the answer is clear: it should be my husband. We chose to be together and it is on the foundation of our marriage that our family has been built. But I can also tell you that it can be very difficult to do so, especially when the kids are young and demand a lot of attention, and practically suck the life out of you. One of the reasons I found the first year after birth difficult was because it is so consuming that my relationship with my husband had to take a backseat. No, make that a very-last-row-on-the-bus seat. Which is bad, because on top of being tired, I was also lonely. Now that the kids are a bit older, it's still too easy to get stuck in the daily grind of their needs, especially when I'm home with them nearly 24/7. But I realise that I must make the time and consciously choose my priorities.

This plate serves as a reminder to me of the need to think about my husband, and on its part, reminds me that my husband is thinking of me too.

Total Smackdown! Volkswagen Sharan v Citroen C4 Grand Picasso Review

*Guest post by my husband, DD!

As some of you might know, my wife's office is currently our trusty 3+ year old Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. We bought him in 2012 off the second-hand market just before little Nomi’s 1st birthday, and were really rather pleased with the purchase. Apart from the intermittent problem of Unresponsive-Power-Windows-Surfacing-At-Inconvenient-Moments, our C4 Grand Picasso -- let’s call him Pablo -- has served our family well. And, although we are not in the market for a new car to replace good ol' Pablo (notwithstanding aforesaid Problem), we were very grateful for Volkswagen’s offer to let us have the Sharan for a week.

By the way:

• You may already have read some reviews of the Volkswagen Sharan here or here or here. 
• You can also read the technical specifications of the Sharan at Volkswagen’s website (and can I just say at this time, these are mighty impressive specs! 8.5 secs 0-100kph, amongst other things). 

So this review will offer something different – a review of the Sharan (let’s call her Sandy) compared with Pablo.

The Cars

Here are the cars, side by side.

Both are happy cars.

Sandy the Sharan looks a little smaller here but that is because of my cunning photography. Actually, side by side, Sandy is quite a bit longer and a fair bit wider than Pablo. As you will see in the next pic, there is a bit more space in the middle rows for the kids in Sandy than in Pablo:

For comparison, here are the kids in their usual positions in Pablo

Here they are in Sandy. Plenty of room for the person in the middle, even when hemmed in by two car seats.

Note the sliding doors, which creates space.

Comfortable amount of leg room too, even when the seats are not fully pushed back. Enough for Naomi to mess around anyway.

One of the best features of Sandy is its OPENING SUNROOF! The kids of course loved this feature.

Standing tall.

I received, but did not grant, Noey’s many many many requests to allow him to poke his head out of the sunroof while the car is in motion. But if you can’t actually do that (to feel like a tank commander in make believe land) then what good is an opening sunroof? This got me thinking – is an opening sunroof better than a regular one? The answer is, probably yes. Here are the reasons:

Advantages of Opening Sunroof:

• Good ventilation while car is moving.
• Allows hot air to escape faster if parked under the sun for a while.

Disadvantages of Opening Sunroof:

• If you’re unlucky birds might poop right into your cabin.
• It creates unnecessary feelings of longing for poking one’s head out while car is in motion.

Soooooo… it’s very clear that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages…. Right?

By the way, for those of you who are interested in measuring things: Sandy the Sharan’s sunroof measures approx 115cm X 70cm, while Pablo Picasso’s sunroof measures 85cm X 80 cm. That said, both sunroofs are huge, and both let in large amounts of light into the cabin.

Next feature of the Sharan is… Automatic Everything

Seriously, the Sharan has Automatic Everything. Automatic keyless entry, automatic sliding doors, automatic boot, automatic volume regulation (music volume is moderated to engine ambient sound so that the volume is always just right – impressive!), automatic parking, automatic child lock, automatic side/curve lighting, and automatic almost anything else you can think of. The car even automatically parks itself with Park Assist if you really need it to.

Automatic everything except one thing… Sandy does not come equipped with an automatic fuel door. On Pablo, a button is pressed to open the fuel compartment. I was trying to look for the same thing on Sandy but to no avail. Not one of the 56 buttons and 6 control dials could open the fuel door. I had to SMS my friend (a happy owner of a Sharan as well) to ask whether one had to use a screwdriver to pry open the fuel compartment! After some dismissive words from my friend I was educated on the oh-so-simple push-release mechanism.

Button heaven for Automatic Operation of Everything Conceivable.

Nice sleek Driver-side door panel

Dashboard. Notice the steering wheel conveniently has buttons too.

Start and stop the car with, yes, the push of a button.

There's even a button to automatically close the rear door. No need for slamming here.

The Drive

Speaking of my good friend who also owns a Sharan (erm, let’s call him… Jeep), when Mummybean told me that we would be getting Sandy on loan for a week, I asked him for some tips on handling the Sharan. You know, whether it had any particular handling characteristics, eg. whether there was body roll when turning corners.

Jeep (excellent lawyer he is, by the way) excitedly told me that he was very ^{(to the power of 100)} happy with the Sharan and that it was a great upgrade from the Touran. As for turning corners, his immortal words were “I take corners at 80kmh, no problem!”. My other colleagues who were there and overheard these words couldn’t believe it – either Jeep (excellent lawyer) was bluffing or worse, a crazy driver. Both were unthinkable. Anyway if anyone sees a chestnut brown Sharan take the Telok Kurau exit at 80kmh, that’s my friend Jeep. Say hi to him for me.

My experience is that the Sharan’s drive is impeccable. It feels very planted and solid but yet ultra responsive. That said, I didn’t try any corners at 80kmh (or higher) and I will have to connect you to my good friend Jeep if you want an opinion on that. For the corners that I did take, handling was impeccable and precise and it is not necessary to make steering micro-adjustments while turning corners which is a common problem on many cars including Pablo.

And Sandy has lots of power too. 0-100kmh in 8.5 seconds, max torque of 280Nm at 1700rpm, with an engine churning out power of 200 finely tuned horses.

So the Sharan is really no slouch. In fact, if one floors the pedals from a stationary position, power is transmitted so aggressively that the wheels spin before traction is obtained and the car spears forward leaving the other mortal cars behind.

And yet, Sandy’s drive is remarkably quiet compared to Pablo. The cabin is well insulated from engine buzz and external ambient sound and one does not have to compete with them to speak or be heard. In Pablo it is a slightly different story because engine noise is noticeable though not loud, and all in all Sandy delivers a more refined driving experience.

As for fuel consumption, for the time I had Sandy, her 2.0l engine delivered similar numbers to 1.6l Pablo at around 7-8km per litre. My friend Jeep however reports lower fuel efficiency on his Sharan (around 5-6 km/l) and the difference could be that I did have several relatively long cruising journeys with Sandy, otherwise normal city traffic would have been far less fuel efficient.

The cons

So, having said all that, does Sandy the Sharan trump Pablo Picasso in every respect? The answer is no, and I’ll just give 2 examples.

First, on the comfort front, Sandy lacks armrests for the driver and front passenger seats.

No armrest for driver’s left arm/front passenger’s right arm. Said arms will be in limbo (ahem couldn’t resist)

This might not seem like much but armrests are actually quite useful and comfortable. It would have been better if Sandy had them.

Also, Pablo’s front seats are also a bit more comfortable than Sandy’s, being contoured better to the shape of the human body than Sandy’s.

Second, and this was the ONLY thing that actually annoyed me about driving Sandy, is that Sandy has over-excited parking proximity sensors. They start beeping nervously from 10 feet away and increase in volume and pitch, reaching maximum calamity mode even if you have a safety distance of 10-12 inches between the side mirrors and next pillar.

And don’t even try parking within 6 inches of the side mirrors because the sensors will screech and scream and threaten immediate bomb detonation unless you BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP MOVE AWAY MOVE AWAY MOVE AWAY. Needless to say I found it not so enjoyable to park Sandy in narrow-ish lots.

Pictures!

Before I conclude, here are some more pictures of Sandy:

Ample boot space, with the last row of seats folded down.  

Absolutely Noey's favourite thing to do: slide the automatic doors close. And open. And close. And open...

Can we keep this car, please?

Our favourite Sharan!

Conclusion

Apart from the two minor issues above, Sandy is in all respects a more refined car than Pablo. To put it in perspective though, she does cost a cool 80 grand more than Pablo, so one would expect that measure of quality. Whether the 80 grand is worth it, however, is very much a subjective thing and each person’s mileage may vary.

I’ve heard from some sources that one of the reasons why the take up rate for the Sharan is slower than other similar cars is the pricing, and I am inclined to agree. However, you do get what you pay for and the Sharan in the MPV market really is second to none so there is a good reason for the price it commands. As for me, although Sandy is beyond my budget (warning: shameless plug coming!), I can certainly dream of owning one…. and if Volkswagen can give me a nice discount I’ll say thank you in advance! Hah. But seriously, thanks Volkswagen for letting us have the use of the Sharan.

If there are any queries on the Sharan I’ll be happy to do a Q&A/FAQs for fans of this blog, just leave a comment and I’ll add to this post to answer any questions you might have.

*Thanks to Volkswagen for the use of the Volkswagen Sharan TSI 2.0 for a week for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain strictly our own. 

5 years into Our Parenting Journey

I've heard it said that becoming a parent might be easy enough, but being a parent is probably the hardest job in the world.

Even as we celebrated Noey's 5th birthday two weeks ago, the husband and I marked a milestone of our own -- our 5th year of parenthood. Sometimes, I can't believe it's only been 5 years. I look at my two children and I feel like I've known them forever. And yet, I know we have come a long way these 5 years.

I still remember how on Noey's first night back home from the hospital, he woke up in the middle of the night and cried and fussed for more than an hour for no apparent reason, and totally freaked out his newbie parents. Over time we learnt to deal with it all. The breastfeeding, the sleep training (or lack thereof), and the handling a tot that just wasn't that interested in his food. The tantrums and the bouts of separation anxiety. The "whys" and now, the "why nots". We even threw another baby into the mix and had to learn a totally different way to parent.

To say that it's been challenging is an understatement that only another parent would understand.

And yet, if I could choose and re-live my life, I would choose them, my children, again and again.

So it was kind of apt that we marked this 5 year milestone by appearing in a couple of parenthood ads that are currently being screened on TV.

You might have seen us in our almost three-seconds of fame -- I've certainly gotten a few queries from friends with sharp eyes! Yes, that is me and my kids at 0:27-0:29 in the above clip, which features a Dad's parenting journey.

We didn't know what to expect of the final outcome since we only knew of our own segments, and I can tell you that my heart was in my mouth when I was given an unexpected preview of the ads at an informal discussion group that I attended. In front of some friends and a whole bunch of other people I didn't know, no less! But my fears were unfounded -- the ads were beautifully shot, capturing moments that every parent would be able to identify with. After all, we know that parenthood is not only made up of happy smiles and moments, but also the tears and the difficult moments. My favourite scenes in the ad above - aside from the one in which we appear, naturally - are the clips that show a boy crying while being made to do homework, and the other of a Dad juggling a fretful baby that he's trying to feed in one hand, using his chin to prop up the bottle while reaching for something else with the other hand. The first is an occurrence that still happens today, and the second, well, that really brought back memories.

There's also a different version that features the parenting journey from a Mum's perspective. We appear at 0:29-0:31 of this clip.

(We even appear on the thumbnail in this version, with narration.)

If you're wondering "Where's DD?", his hand is the one whipping off the blanket at the start of our scene.

It was certainly an interesting experience being involved in this shoot. The director (Royston Tan) and the crew were all extremely professional and friendly, and as an added bonus, I even bumped into an old church friend, who was the makeup artist for the day. We got changed - those were all our own clothes - and Mummy got some light makeup before the director called us aside to show us a short clip of what was expected. After that, we were up!

Our scene was simple: Noey, Meips and I were to hide under a blanket, DD would pull it away and we would all laugh. It was only 3 seconds. Shouldn't be difficult, no? Especially since the kids love peekaboo. To help get the kids chuckling, the crew provided DD with a whole bunch of different disguises and headgear, which he would swop for each take to surprise the kids. I actually expected Noey to give me some issues because he is my less accommodating child, but instead, it was he who really got into it. "Oh, this is going to be bad!" he giggled excitedly as we hid under the covers. And every time we whipped off the covers, there was no need to direct him -- he was always laughing away. 

Not so Meips. After we did it the first time, she frowned, gave her trademark "No!" followed by "It's not funny!" Oh dear. So, I was forced to tickle her. Yup, that was part of the movie magic! It still didn't go down so well with her but thankfully, we got a couple of takes that were good enough.

So there, that's the summary of what went on behind the scenes of our first-ever TV appearance. And you know what? I'm glad we got to do it as a family.

5 years of being a parent down, and many more to go. The challenges, they keep changing, with every age and with every child. At least, I know that we can do it, together, DD and I, by the grace of God. And we sure are going to try our best to enjoy, well, probably not every moment, but as much of it as we can. Being a Mummy has been a gift. Thank you my babies, for being mine.

Things We Make With Lego: Spectacles!

The last day of Term 3 is typically a celebration for Teachers' Day the next day, and this year, Noey's kindy decided that the theme for the day would be "Through the Looking Glass". The instructions: come in quirky spectacles and party clothes that can happen only in your dreams.

As usual I had forgotten about this, only to realise early in the week that we needed to put something together for Thursday. I was sighing to the husband about needing to get out materials to construct an interesting pair of spectacles for Noey, when he suggested that we make something out of "plastic construction toys" instead. (His words, not mine.) It took me a while to register that he was referring to Lego. 

"Are you sure you can make that? Wouldn't it break apart? He's got to wear them, you know?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yes, I'm sure I can do it," was his reply.

Well, guess what, he certainly did!

Super cute Lego specs, with the minifigs added by Noey himself.

I've really got to hand it to my husband -- he's a whizz with Lego!

As for Noey's outfit, since they asked for party clothes that only exist in dreams, I decided to make Noey's dream come true by letting him go to school in his pyjamas. This boy loves his PJs and has on several occasions asked me if he could go to school in his pyjamas when I am nagging him to change in the morning. I figured this was as good a day as any to fulfil that request, and boy, was he thrilled.

This was how we sent him off in the morning in the end.

All spec-ed out and in his beloved Star Wars PJs. The tagline on it says "A Rebel Never Sleeps". Sometimes I think I'm asking for it when Noey refuses to sleep!

Not too bad for a last minute job, I must say! 

I'm sure he was the only one who turned up in pyjamas but he didn't care. "They are soooo comfortable!" he said with a satisfied sigh. I was happy that he was happy.

It being Teachers' Day, we also prepped a few simple gifts for his teachers, principal and the school administrator. Hersey's kisses and, borrowing an idea from my friend MissusTay, GV gift cards for them to kick back and take a well-deserved break at the movies. I wanted to make something but just ran out of time. Nonetheless, I hope his teachers appreciate the gesture.

As for me, I have just been really tired and disorganised lately, and I hope I'll be able find some time to get the engines running properly again. But not this week though, since I'll have both kids on my hands the whole time. Then again, I'm also looking forward to a whole week long with my two, doing what we love best -- going out and exploring. And maybe enjoy some Lego time too.

 

Dinner at SEA at the Ocean Restaurant

Ever since I knew that there was a restaurant within the SEA Aquarium where you could dine while enjoying a full view of the largest tank in the place, I put it on my list of places to try. Of course it's gimmicky, no doubt about that. But I'm a sucker for such things and I figured it was worth trying at least once. DD's birthday presented the perfect opportunity.

Even though it was a weekday evening, I decided not to risk it and booked a table about two weeks before at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, asking that we be given a seat with a clear view of the tank. I was duly chuffed when we were seated right in front of the glass. Not only did it mean that we had an ever-changing view to admire through dinner, it also made for an interesting backdrop to shots.

Photobombed by a manta ray!

The menu was surprisingly limited. There were just four starters, four mains, and two desserts. In addition to this, there were two three-course set menus, one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian, comprising items that were already on the ala carte menu. And the prices were, well, really really high, especially once you see the tiny portions. The starters were $25-$30, the mains $55-$65 and the desserts $22-$25.

Still, it was a birthday celebration, so we just went for it anyway. We opted to go ala carte, since the set menu offered a paltry $4 saving on the combined price of the items. This later turned out to be a good decision because we discovered that there was a Mastercard promotion for a 10% discount on all ala carte items. That was certainly better value than the sets.

As I said, the portions are tiny. At least the food was really good.

We were served rolls individually, but they pretty much let us have as many as we wanted. The olive bread was my favourite. My kids, they wolfed the rolls down.

Helping himself to the bread and butter.

Alaskan Crab Salad ($30), with avocado, chilled corn soup and salmon roe. All the elements came together really well with the sweet crabmeat. Delicious, but you can see how small it is!

DD had the Braised Beef Short-Ribs & M6 Wagyu Striploin ($68), served with lemon mashed potato and sautéed vegetables. This was really melt-in-the-mouth good. You barely needed to cut the beef with a knife - it was so tender. I know DD enjoyed this very much and would have appreciated more!

My Baked Cod Fillet & Lobster Tempura ($68). When I ordered this, I didn't expect to only get two minuscule pieces of lobster! Personally thought there wasn't much special about the lobster tempura but the cod was delicious and cooked perfectly.

The Dark Chocolate Brownie Pistachio Puree & Ice Cream ($25). This was pretty good, though not the best I've had. The brownie had that mix of crumbly-ness and chewiness that I like, and it went well with the pistachio ice-cream. That little drop of chocolate espuma was happily lapped up by the kids.

The restaurant had a children's menu, which I appreciated. It came on a big activity sheet for kids, and colour pencils were also provided. It did help keep the kids occupied during the meal. Though really, the tank was a bigger draw.

Noey had the Chicken Fingers & Chips ($22). I realise I didn't try the chicken, though between both kids I think they finished most of it. The chips were great though. Both DD and I stole many pieces.

Meips had the Tomato Capellini ($22). Yummy, but then again, I love all tomato-based pastas.

It was a bit stressful dining with the kids in a fine-dining restaurant, especially when it was only the four of us. We've eaten out in nice restaurants before, but usually with my parents and siblings in tow, so there are plenty of willing parties ready to take the kids on their laps or outside when they get restless or difficult. Meips ate half her meal standing up on her chair and we had to remind both kids to keep their voices down at times. The staff were very accommodating, but I felt bad for folks who were there for a romantic night out.

It was an expensive dinner, but an experience worth having. The restaurant is a level up from the ground of the tank, so you actually brought to the level where you are eye-to-eye with the rays and fish as they swim by. You therefore get amazing views like this:

The giant manta ray swimming past literally right before our eyes.

It's really something else to have the huge manta ray, and also the giant grouper -- I think it looked at least 1.5m long -- swim right in front of you. Of course my camera had to run out of batts right at the moment the grouper swam by. We did however manage to catch it in a fairly memorable family shot.

Meips couldn't resist turning to look at the HUGE grouper. Check out the size of that thing!

It was a fun evening out, but I guess the best part for my husband was being able to spend time with his family. The kids enthusiastically sang happy birthday to Daddy and both just as enthusiastically blew out the candle without asking. Haha. Happy birthday to my husband, the one who takes all my nonsense, my need to always go out and do stuff and my poor housekeeping without complaint. At least most of the time. Thank you for being a wonderful Daddy and hubby!

Happy birthday!

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora
S.E.A Aquarium
Resorts World™ Sentosa
8 Sentosa Gateway
Singapore 098269
Tel: 6577 8888