DBS Asia Treasures Lounge, Terminal 3, Changi Airport
We last visited this lounge in December 2019, just before Covid-19 took over the world. The lounge has since undergone a revamp, and its seating capacity has increased. Although the massage chair no longer exists, they now have ice-cream on their menu; a treat which used to be available only at the DBS Asia Treasures Lounge at Terminal 2.
The a la carte menu had ginseng chicken soup, Thai basil chicken with egg, nonya laksa, roti prata, nasi lemak, fried carrot cake and a selection of bread. For dessert, there was ondeh cake, royal chocolate crunch hazelnut cake, and 3 types of vegan ice-cream - almond brittle fudge, black forest, and salted chocolate chip.
Drinks-wise, I didn't see a menu. So far, we've always been able to order anything which came to mind and they'd bring it to us.
We arrived at 1130 hrs, and basically, our group of 6 made up the handful of people who was there. The servers got very busy when we swooped in for our feeding frenzy! I had given everyone the (utterly wrong) impression that there'd be nothing to eat in Cambodia and this would be our last chance at some decent food, so multiple servings of everything was ordered. Everyone's favourite was the laksa, by far the best of all the lounges I've tried.
SATS Premier Lounge, Terminal 3, Changi Airport
This lounge was just opposite the DBS Asia Treasures Lounge, so I dropped by for a few minutes to see what they were serving for lunch. It was fairly busy when I got there, and all the massage chairs were in use.
If you're a fan of Indian food, you might like this lounge, as there were several Indian dishes at the hot food section. There was also a selection of bread, cereal, salad and sandwiches, and a self-service kiosk for making laksa and cup noodles.
I was already very full from eating at DBS Asia Treasures Lounge, so I poured myself a glass of wine and relaxed for a few minutes before my flight.
Plaza Premium Lounge, Siem Reap International Airport
Siem Reap had one last surprise for us just before our departure - a great airport lounge. We used our complimentary Dragon Passes to enter the lounge. I couldn't sign my daughter in for free with my pass, but they offered a USD12.00 meal deal which I could pay for at the counter.
I ordered a bowl of fishball noodle soup and it was delicious and comforting. Heaped it with coriander, spring onion and fried garlic bits, and couldn't get enough of it.
The Hot Food kiosk had some spring rolls, potato and taro fritters, Khmer vegetarian curry with rice, as well as a live cooking station with Asian, Pasta and Vegetarian options. The chef made me some spicy fried rice with chicken and basil, as well as some spaghetti alfredo. The fried rice had a nice kick and was especially good.
The chilled section had salad, fruits, coconut panna cotta, sandwiches, and cold beverages. I really enjoyed the panna cotta. Not too sweet, just perfect. The canned drink selection may seem scanty, but they had a bar where the bartender would be happy to pour you more drinks.
Compared to this Plaza Premium Lounge, the one we have in Terminal 1 of Changi Airport is just sad. I've been to the Plaza Premium Lounges at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei and Vancouver International Airport, and to my surprise, the one in Siem Reap actually has tastier food.
Flight SQ166 from Singapore to Siem Reap
The decision to visit Siem Reap during the September school holidays was made on a whim, and the flight bookings were made just 3 weeks before the trip. Each return Singapore Airlines ticket in Economy cost us S$435.50, which was the priciest part of our trip.
The flight time to Siem Reap was 2 hrs 15 mins. As Krisflyer members, we had complimentary inflight wifi, which I made full use of. Food was served in biodegradable boxes, but the Chicken a la King was piping hot and tasted pretty good.
Flight SQ165 from Siem Reap to Singapore
On the way back to Singapore, I had the laksa, which was pretty decent for something which came out of a box on board an aircraft. The portion was perfect as well.
After reading about the series of Boeing 737 Max crashes, I had my fears about flying them, but our trip to Siem Reap put those fears to rest. Both our flights were uneventful and we landed safely. They've given me the confidence to fly them again.