The Playhouse @ Rochester: All-new & Up-sized!

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Parents can never get enough of kids-friendly dining places, especially if one has a huge play area plonked right beside it. So after undergoing a round of refurbishment since the beginning of this year, The Playhouse @ Rochester House has re-opened... with its awesome play haven for kids AND MORE.

Housed in a grand colonial bungalow, The Playhouse @ Rochester House is unlike your usual indoor playground. As parents get the chance to relax and dine in the Rochester Cafe, the real action for children takes place in The Playhouse right beside the Cafe.

And the contents of The Playhouse were enough to make the Diva go wild with excitement.

If you are expecting tall spiraling slides or giant foam ball gun machines, then perhaps this indoor playground is probably not your cup of tea. But if you are looking for a day's worth of indoor (and air-conditioned) fun for the kids to play dress up, dabble in crafts and indulge in some role-play, then they will not be disappointed.

One hour of fun at The Playhouse starts from $8 per child (or $15 for unlimited play) but trust me when I say one hour is never enough for the entire play area is peppered with loads of toys in every corner - a make-believe cooking kitchen play area, an area where dress-up play is encouraged, a table with lots of building blocks and trains to keep those tiny hands occupied, as well as a craft area where kids can opt to do some quiet colouring or handiwork.

For toddlers and younger children, there is a separate soft play area which comes complete with a slide and ball pit. 

As you can probably tell, even the older kids could not resist sliding into a pit full of balls! I initially thought that the 2 older boys would get utterly bored inside The Playhouse but as things turned out, the wifey and I had the luxury of enjoying our food while the three monkies were wrecking havoc inside the indoor playground.

On our last visit to Rochester House more than 2 years back, the boys had fond memories of bouncing on a certain trampoline beside the dining area. So they were delighted to see that it was still around after the makeover.

Speaking of makeover, the biggest transformation of The Playhouse has got to be its outdoor play area. While the pre-makeover Rochester House only featured the trampoline as the only outdoor entertainment for children, the new outdoor play area now boasts a fantastic play area filled with toys and more toys!

Quite simply, pure heaven for every single kid. And for parents too, since the outdoor play area is located just beside the dining area.

Besides the usual outdoor playground equipment, kids can put their driving skills to the test by driving around the AstroTurf 'road' too!

And did I mention water play as well?

Too little water, you say? How about a mini water play pool then?

For those who are planning to stay dry, there is even a mini garden where kids can learn more about plants.

Be warned though, all those playing and running around burns up a huge amount of energy so it will probably a good idea to order food for the kids in advance, courtesy of Rochester Cafe's Kids Menu options.

Sure, the usual suspects of Fish & Chips and Chicken Nuggets are there but the people at Rochester Cafe wanted to offer healthy food options for the little ones, such as such as steamed fish and veggies or meat loaf, as well.

Ale had the Poached Dory ($9.90), and this must have been one of the rare times that I have seen her devour her meal in record time. I could be wrong, but I figure The Playhouse might have something to do with it.

Ever the burger person, Ash settled for the Wagyu Beef Burger ($21.90) which turned out to be a rather huge portion.

But any thoughts of me hoping to try the burger evaporated the moment Ash sank his teeth into the burger. Yes, he managed to finish the entire burger on his own!

Ayd, on the other hand, is a pasta person so there was no surprise when he opted for the Carbonara ($16.90).

Yet another one who polished off everything off his plate.

The wifey had the Prawn Aglio Olio ($18.90) which didn't disappoint. The taste of the roasted garlic and fine chillies brought out the flavour of the dish which to our surprise, even had Ayd wanting to try it!

As for me, I had the Rib-Eye Steak ($29.90), which came topped with pepper sauce and served with cajun fries and summer vegetables. Not the best I had, but pretty decent.

For the monkies though, the main attraction of Rochester House was clearly not the food. This must have been one of the rare moments that the wifey and I got to slowly savour our food - and even had time to sip our coffee - while the monkies went for countless rounds of fun at both the Indoor and Outdoor play areas.

But just how much fun? I suppose the icky perspiration-laden head of Ayd said it all.

Luckily for him, there is the cooling down option of picking a book from The Playhouse's bookshelf as well.

One great thing about The Playhouse is that its staff are always present within the indoor playground, helping to engage and keep an eye on the kids. Perfect opportunity for parents to just sit back and chill!

Granted that the Playhouse isn't exactly in the same league as those massive Indoor Playgrounds, but it is still the best bet for friends with young children in tow to get together, have a meal together and make decent conversations without being rudely interjected by a 'Can we go home now?'.

Because with The Playhouse @ Rochester House, it is playground and cafe heaven all rolled into one for both kids and parents.

[GIVEAWAY] (ENDED)

Thanks to The Playhouse @ Rochester House, I have THREE Chop Chop Cards worth $150 each to give away! Each Chop Chop Card allows for TEN Unlimited Free Plays, has no expiry date and can be shared among different children!

To take part, simply follow the following steps:

1. LIKE The Playhouse's Facebook Page HERE.

2.  Leave a comment either in THIS blog post or on our Cheekiemonkies' Facebook corresponding post HERE to let me know once you have done so.

Simple right? 3 lucky winners will be picked! This giveaway is open to all residents in Singapore. Giveaway ends on 20 October 2014, 2359 hours. Good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS! The THREE winners have been picked:

1. Jane Chua

2. Audra

3. Yvonne Lim

Kindly email me at kelvin(at)cheekiemonkie,net before the end of 26 Oct 2014 for your prize collection details. If I do not hear from you by then, I will have to pick another winner.

Thanks everyone for your participation!

Useful Information

The Playhouse @ Rochester House

7 Rochester Park, Singapore 139218

Rochester Cafe Opening Hours: Tues - Fri 11am - 8pm | Sat & Sun 10am - 8pm

The Playhouse Opening Hours: Tues - Fri 11am - 7pm | Sat & Sun 10am - 8pm

Play Rates: 1 hour Play-pass $8 | 2 hours Play-pass  @ $10 | Unlimited Play-pass @ $15

*Socks are COMPULSORY

Tel: 67731312 (Rochester Cafe) | 67766683 (The Playhouse)
Website: www.rochesterhouse.com.sg