not Just a Story

This is turning out to be more than just *another* story.

Which is a very surprising thing, as at no time did it ever occur to me that it would have a different purpose rather than just being another asset added to the stable- if it so may be called.

It didn't occur to me that there might be a distinct need for it, or that there might be a distinctive audience who will possibly see it beyond what an asset normally is created to be.

I'm talking in circles.

And deliberately so.

Because the time to step out of the closet has not yet come.

Because it is too premature to talk about it and I'm gladly leaving it to the hands of experts to descend upon it, dissect it, chop it up, rearrange it and then cook it, bake it, roast it and finally garnish it.

Yet, right now, at this very moment, I can safely say that out of the faceless, nameless group of people that will form one big reason why I have this task on hand (and am aiming to complete it by end this year, yes, I know), there is at least one group that is no longer faceless, and will be represented by someone who has, or had, a name.

How far this will go, how well this will carry an effect upon them, I don't know, but divine it really is, that the perception should come at a time when I was in a place that pretty much accepted these things.

And so, that being so, there is just that glimmer of hope that when it does finally come out of the closet, it will mean something to them, that this will awaken a realization in them, that this will perhaps, just perhaps be a sort of resource where they can at least alter their perception, spur on their courage, step out, and know that silence is not always necessary, that feeling safe and being safe is ultimately important, and that, if there be extremes, if there be more pain that one can bear, that there can be avenues of recourse, somehow, somewhere.

closer to Christmas

Christmas time!!!

 

And in lieu of it being the Christmas season...

 

Here're some Christmas trees that have made me, and still make me feel all warm and cozy and glowing and comfortable and luxurious and full of peace and serenity all at the same time.

 

Raffles Hotel

Conrad Centennial

Mandarin Oriental

Swissotel

Hilton

Intercontinental



one More Green spot

I got a different vibe this afternoon.

And I do not know whether it had anything to do with the meeting that I'd just finished prior to arriving at this spot right behind the bus stop.

Sometimes it might just be yourself, you know. It might just be the very present mood that you're in and which affects your perception of things, and has absolutely nothing to do with the surroundings.

But it just felt a little different this afternoon.

Was it me?

Was it just me?

Was it just me who felt like there were drifters in the midst of those leaves? Was it just me who felt like there were drifters dwelling in those leaves and bushes and who didn't come out until a stipulated time and who often stayed concealed, hidden and quiet until they were granted an opportunity, by whatever, by something which we do not know? Was it just me who felt like they were lurking there, just waiting?

Scary? No

They weren't waiting to pounce on humankind and living souls. They weren't waiting with gleaming eyes and evil smiles. They weren't anything either. Just being. Just Being There. Just moving. Moving amongst the leaves. Moving amongst the branches. Moving amongst the twigs. They were in their own separate world. They were there in whatever they were.

They didn't seem to care about the modernity of life. About the road that ran alongside it. And neither did they seem to be bothered by the cars trundling down that very same road or the buses that were stopping less than a meter from the green forested space.

As if... as if they lived in a different space and time.

all for Dreams so Sweet

I used to think that all I ever wanted for a restful time was a pillow, a bolster, a blankie and my teddy bear.

 

I still think that all I ever need and want for a restful time is a pillow, a bolster, a blankie and my teddy bear. 

 

But sometimes Life tosses me more pillows, more blankies, more plushies, and more soft, woolly, billowy, huggy, comfy stuff that make me just want to drop into them and zzzz....

 

And when Life does, I embrace the avalanche of space and atmosphere, I receive the bombardment of lovely huggy stuff with gusto, wholeheartedness, thankfulness, serenity and a whole attitude of snooze. :)

Plushies

Pillows

More Pillows

Warm huggy stuff

 

Space to Snooze

More Space to Snooze

I call this an Egg Bed

When Diffused Sunlight is Atmosphere

 

evenings at Tong Ah

They used to be at Keong Saik Road.

They're still at Keong Saik Road.

Just that they've moved further down than where they used to be. Their old place still retains the carved name on its walls, large enough where you can see it from Kreta Ayer Road. Potato Head might be there, but nothing looks like those Chinese characters are going to be erased anytime soon.

Tong Ah

I used to have breakfast at this coffee shop. Kopi, eggs, kaya toast, the works. Then there came a time when I couldn't get there in time for breakfast anymore. Then one day when I did manage to go there, they told me they'd be shifting, "but don't worry! Down the road only! Somewhere in the middle! Very easy to find us one!"

I still haven't been back there for breakfast. -_-

But that doesn't mean they've forgotten who we are.

Hoh, no...

Because me and my dining companion were there not too long ago for dinner and the lady jokingly mentioned that we hadn't come for eggs in quite a long while.

Ummm.. yeahhh.... -_-

Which makes it a good thing that we're likely going to go there for dinner whenever I'm in the area. The atmosphere is interesting. The service is lovely and the food is good.

I don't tend to make beef a first choice when it comes to zi char, but there's just one dish that I'm going straight for when I'm here, and it is the beef fried rice. Tong Ah doesn't just chuck pieces of tender beef together with the rice. They actually fry the rice and the beef in the stock of beef, which makes the rice doubly fragrant, yet surprisingly not as oily as one might expect.

The rice is moist, not dry. There's a distinct roundedness of beef flavor in the rice grains, the beef slices are done just right, and all in all, it's a fantastic portion to share.

Beef Fried Rice

I go for the fish maw soup too.

Where restaurants will have it, I'm pretty sure, here it comes served in a large bowl and ladle that reminds me of a home cooked meal. Not that there's anything lacking though. There's enough texture to make it feel thick enough. There's bits of egg swirling around in the soup as they do with sharks' fins, and then there's the fish maw sliced thick enough that is chewy made just right.

Then there's the prawn omelet.

Fresh, succulent prawns arranged prettily over a light, fluffy, moist omelet which is neither too oily nor too cloying nor dry and where you have the pleasant mix of the sea and the land together on your plate.

Prawn Omelet

It's a pleasant time dining here. They don't rush you to finish your food. They serve your order as fast as they can, which makes it very satisfying for hungry people. And they're very friendly about it.

Plus, their coffee has got to be one of the best I've ever had.

It's fragrant, thick, sweet, rich, caffeine boosting (immediately!) and priced fairly for the regular coffee shop rate of $1.30.

gym with a View

I got curious this afternoon.

 

Curious enough to want to head up a building of what is one example of present-day skyscraper architecture. Short of having plants cascading down their glassy exteriors, they've got, I think, shrubs in the middle of their high-up open space that grants the impression of a suspended garden and which can be seen from far away.

Okay lar, actually I was just looking for the toilet.

Because, see, I was downstairs on the ground floor at Starbucks, which is where I'm usually are if I'm in this building, and then I needed to use the restroom and so I asked and they said I had to go to this place and then go up to the seventh floor.

 

So I went lor.
 

And after that I got curious so I hung about the open space, looking at the plants, the benches, the surrounding buildings close by... and discovered a gym that had such, and such, a view. :)

 

"Neh neh neh neh neh"

I See You

Whew. Wow. Oh. Okay.

So this is what going to a gym Downtown was all about.

Never mind the prestige of being in a premium gym with other PMETs or C-suites (hey, who knows?) like yourself..

You actually got a view like the one above when you were spinning. You actually got to plunge into the nice cool clear waters of the swimming pool and do laps with a view of the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay and even the sea in the distance, which, frankly, made me realize how much of a plus point having a gym in the Downtown area was.

 

It wasn't just about the matter of convenience, or the fact that you could exercise with your colleagues or that you could squeeze in a quick crossfit during lunch hour. It wasn't just about the fact that you had membership in a gym near the office that you could escape to in the middle of the day before returning back to respond properly to emails. Neither was it the fact that you could integrate it into your corporate lifestyle.

 

It was more like you were near the office, yet you weren't. It's like you were having a different sort of experience in the middle of the workday and separated yourself from your work clothes, your electronic gear, your desk, your inbox, your in tray, your pending tasks, your boss, your annoying colleague, your office pantry, your meetings, your deadlines.

 

It was like you took a vacay from work and got to live a completely different way for all of an hour before heading back to the shirt, the dress, the coat and the tie.

 

Like a staycation, yup, that's exactly it, cos' no way will you ever be soaking yourself in a pool, get to be this near to the office and still get to bask your mind, soul and body surrounded by such an awesome view.

Strolling Sights: Crane Road

Once in a while, I get myself into one of these terraced house, bungalow type suburbs where the homes are pretty, the lawns are cute and the lanes and alleys have a special charm of their own.

To be sure, I hadn't quite heard of Crane Road and her sister lanes in some years. Someone whom I know knew of someone who lived in the zone, but any visits that were made had been made a long, long time ago and we didn't quite speak of that these days very much anymore.

But here I was, on this bright, lovely day, hot as summery hot as it could be, wandering about in the zone where Crane, Onan, Ceylon and Carpmael intersect, and so...



Carpmael



Crane

Crane

Trees

Onan

Ceylon

Crane Ceylon Carpmael

 

a Deepavali drop-in

one little elephant

one little elephant at night

 

The first picture I took one early evening when I happened to find myself at the Tekka side of Little India and was standing at the junction right under the elephant and it looked so chubby and cute and lifelike I decided I'd snap a quick one.

 

The second picture I took one late evening when the day had turned to night and I was again, at the Tekka side of Little India and with the elephant looking so beautiful and magical being completely lit up, I decided I'd snap a picture.

 

Think I'd do better to adjust the settings on my camera- before I take the picture.

 

But here's the thing, when you're in the middle of what is a very colorful fiesta, a very vibrant celebration of Light over Darkness and Good over Evil, and it is the eve of that very special day, you really just have to snap the pic and go.

 

Because there's much more else to see.

 

Mind, the stretch of Little India is a fairly long one that stretches out two sides, one end leading to Race Course Road and the blocks behind, the other side leading out towards Jalan Besar and Rochor River, and if there's the intention to go to Mustafa....

 

You go on.

 

You dive through the crowds, side step here and there, resist as many stares as you can, tip toe on the pavements,  jostle around elbows with plastic bags and handbags and feet pattering whilst trying to grab pictures of whatever catches your fancy and of course, the cars and the tourists who are there to soak up just that lil bit of the Indian cultural experience.

 

It is not every day I get to see a Caucasian with a bindi on her forehead. Neither is it every day where a mother and daughter pose at the side of the road to grab a shot of the beautiful, beautiful arch with their Polaroid camera.

 

The arch!

The arch again..

And again, from the other side...

 

It is not every day too that I decide to plunge right into the bustling, shoulder to shoulder crowds of the second floor of Tekka Market on the eve of Deepavali just so that I can look (only look!) at some of the saris and the tops and the lovely bangles on sale.

 

But that's what I did. :)

 

Trad tops!!

 Quite an experience, I should say, for the sake of a photo.. and very much like Chinatown during the Chinese New Year Bazaar. I really squished and squashed my way past all the chattering ladies and the happy, excited children, first stopping at one shop to look at their aquamarine tunics and emerald green saris, then another shop for their bangles. I didn't know the shop owner would have to measure the size of your wrist with a set of bangles before selecting the size for you. I thought you could simply pick and choose.. :)

 

We came out near the escalators after slugging our way through two narrow lanes of body traffic, breathed a little from the stuffiness that comes with the presence of crowds, and spent time getting curious about the wet market on the first floor, which was still open, and had a fishmonger busy with a couple of customers.

 

The wet market downstairs

 From where we stood, we could look across the road to the bazaar opposite at Campbell Lane, and because I love bazaars, we zipped across the road, dodging cars, lorries, staying sane and in one piece by just following the guy in front.

 

The stalls extended out from the shops beneath a tent all the way to the back. I caught sight of peacock feathers tucked into an elongated vase, and from there right through to the back, there were plenty of earthenware pots, sparklers, henna artists, religious artworks, jars and jars of cookies and sweets and a couple of shops selling beautiful, shimmering pieces of traditional wear. 

 

And I nearly bought a pair of rose red wide flare pants. :)

 

Sadly, I didn't. I couldn't. But I remember the shop.

 

The same way I remember the time a friend introduced me to all the different shops here and showed me where she got her tops from and how you could have them tailored and you could mix and match this together and there were these shops filled with shelves and shelves of textiles and this really big piece of cloth transformed a person from ordinary tee-shirt and jeans to glamorous, shimmering sari and all.

 

We had a lovely time that day, my friend and I, for which is something I'm super duper thankful about. She showed me the jewelry shops. She showed me the shops where there were sundresses and tops and bags and strongly scented incense sticks and she brought me to a shop somewhere along Campbell Lane (or the street next to it) that sold all the necessary items for prayers.

 

Alongside Ayurvedic skin care cosmetics, facial washes and lotions.

 

Me and my walking companion made a quick stop into this store this time. Just to take a look, to sniff at the incense sticks and to introduce everything else. :)

 

Then to dinner, and it being Deepavali, we gravitated to the Sakunthala outlet at Dunlop Street- the one that my friend had introduced me to months before. We could have chose Ananda Bhavan or Komala's as well, but someone desired mutton briyani, so....

 

mutton briyani

Accompanied with iced Milo and masala tea,

 

Let's just say that whilst I was attracted by the mountain of briyani rice and the abundance of yogurt vegetables, someone else was attracted by the pappadum.

 

And I remembered to take some of those mint-tasting little herbal beads at the counter which are good for digestion. :)

it was Mid Autumn

I don't have a lot of pictures of Mid-Autumn this year.

 

Actually I've not had any for a long time now.

 

Nothing much of significance, anyway, cos' Mid-Autumn often comes after what is, to me, the most chugging time of the year and by then any mood for celebration has dropped down by the wayside.

 

Not that I'm completely out of it.

 

Just that... well... it's either very familial, which means you've got the elders in the family, or children, or nieces and nephews who get thrilled with lanterns both traditional and battery operated, and who want mooncakes of varying types, or if not, the celebration is very corporatized, by which I think of the row of bags arranged neatly on the floor of an office I dropped by in, each holding one box of mooncakes from Fullerton Hotel.

 

And because I'm not quite either... so... :)

 

Still, I'm not entirely without the fun.

 

I hate letting any sort of celebration pass by me.

 

So I dropped by Ngee Ann City over two weekends to soak in the atmosphere of their Mid-Autumn Festival fair (and to sample some of the more interesting ones, hee...) whilst watching people arm themselves with order sheets and compare between the mooncakes of one hotel to the other.

 

I think I fell in love with the lychee martini ones and I'm forever in love with the traditional baked kind with sweet, sweet lotus and salted eggs within. How one can get the feels of mooncake without any salted egg inside kind of boggles me.

 

And I swung by Chinatown somewhere in the middle of the season to admire the lanterns hanging across Eu Tong Sen Street and take a picture.

 

So for Mid Autumn 2017 I got this. :)

 

From across the Road

And right below

 

Plus two really little mooncakes courtesy of Starbucks that we cut up into even tinier pieces and which are still sitting in the fridge.



my Old HP Mini white

Oh, hai!

 

I found this in one of the drawers the other day and I'm telling you, I'm still grappling with the fact that this laptop of mine is only six years old. Okay, that might not mean anything to some of us, but let me try put it in my perspective and maybe we just might see it a lil differently.

 

Being all of six years old means that if she were a person, she'd just have graduated from her K2 Kindergarten, performed in the end year concert, snapped her graduation photo, and be getting all excited to go to Primary One next year.

 

That means that if she were a person, she'd be thrilled about books and toys and games and dolls and cartoons and computer games and wanting to watch Shopkins and My Little Pony and Barbie dolls or she might be interested in Star Wars and Marvel's Avengers and DC's Wonder Woman.

 

That means also that if she were a person, she'd be dressed in clothes, shoes and accessories suitable for her age, and if she'd choose toys and games, she'd be ready for those that say '6 and Above'.

 

She wouldn't be clad in age-inappropriate outfits and neither would she be riding bicycles that are too big for her.

 

In other words, if my HP Mini White were personified, she'd be no more than a child, no different from any other kid you see with her parents on the bus, the train, the beach, the park or the shopping mall.

 

A kid.

 

A little girl.

 

But because she is not a person, because she is a piece if electronic gear, my poor HP Mini has reached the age of... frankly I don't know what she has reached the age of, given that she is considered outdated and unless is upgraded, is of no use to anyone whatsoever.

 

How did the world move so quickly in the last six years?

 

When I first received her, this lovely restaurant with the best French onion soup ever (I only know the name of the owner as Tony) was at the second floor of Funan The IT Mall, and I happened to having a meal of soup and duck that day at the very place, and where there was an introductory meal for a group of visitors about to head onto a cruise, which is why I remember it.

 

When I first used her, everyone used electronic gear that was twice her screen size, so much so that strangers thought I was doing something insignificant, like watching Youtube videos and nothing else. Laptops were 13-15"" minimum and anything smaller than that automatically got categorized into either a touchscreen phone, or a big-sized tablet.

 

Surface Pro with the physical keyboard?

 

If it were around, I didn't know about it.  

 

And neither did the countless people who curiously peeked over my shoulder to see what I was doing- as if what I were typing were information free-for-all, which, of course, absolutely was not- and who looked at me surprised when I indicated that I was uncomfortable with their prying eyes.

But the world has evolved since then.

Today we've got corporate people who work on the go attaching keyboards to their tablets, making presentations on it like it is no big deal. We've got insurance and financial representatives and bloggers and influencers armed with tablets and keyboards at Starbucks plugging away.

Today our laptops have lightened and thinned down so much that the weight comparison of this HP Mini to my current Lenovo 100S is differentiated at nearly 1.5 times heavier, and a few inches thinner. 

Today that restaurant with the great French onion soup is no more. The owner closed it down.

And Funan right now is just one really big hole.

Everything moves on, I understand, and whilst I accept that it is for the better, you know, like how my laptop is slimmer and lighter and has longer battery life and has brighter screen resolution, there's a part of me that wishes it wouldn't move on this quickly.

After all, some of us do grow an affection towards our electronic gear, and we wish that it would grant us just that one more chance, that one more memory, that one more reminiscence, just before it shuts down and says her final goodbye. :)

The Last Voice

Two months.

 

Two months is all I've got to finish it, edit it, summarize it, set out the various settings in as much detail as possible, and clean it up.

 

I've made it through a couple of voices and I'm now down to the last.

 

She's turning out to be the most challenging of the lot. I thought the second one was difficult. I thought the third one had actually nothing to tell me. And I thought that this one, the last one, had plenty to share with me.

 

She does have plenty to share with me.

 

But it seems like she has so much to share that after several paragraphs, she's still hovering round and round the same circle.

 

And I don't know whether I should tell her to stop.

 

What happens if I do? What happens if I don't? What happens if I decide that I don't want to listen to her anymore and go off to someone else? Will she hate me? Will she still reach out to me and tell me what I need to hear, what I want to hear? Will she still be the one with the most to share because that's just how she is and that's just who she is?

 

I'm in a dilemma. A good one. But one that I gotta get down and solve real quick.

 

Because I'm in the middle of November and it looks like it is gonna be a busy month ahead and a busier month still afterward. 

the Tonkichi hire

 

Sesame Seeeeeds!

They've been a stalwart on the fourth floor of Shaw Lido for what must be a very long time. After all, we're talking them being right next to one of Isetan's largest department stores along the stretch of Orchard Road.

But somehow, despite having always seen it there, I've always tended to miss it. Until a few years ago when my dining companion and I decided that we'd do a good meal instead of chowing down fast food before the movie upstairs.

We've been back frequently ever since. No longer just on Thursday afternoons, but as and when we wish to. More on those days when the desire for hire katsu grows strong... :)
 

The environment of Tonkichi is a lovely one. Far from the formal etiquette required of formal Japanese restaurants, it is a diner casual enough for a relaxed lunch with girlfriends, fun enough for a pre-movie meal, or a getting-to-know-you first time date between new-found friends. I've seen colleagues come together with their laptops and handbags. I've seen families come by with their kids. I've seen couples drop in and solo diners having a set by themselves.

Whichever it may be, there's only one reason that we're all here for.

To have a very solid, very satisfying, very attractive meal.

 

One that is prepared with heart, executed with finesse and presented perfectly to the customer.

 

I've never quite gotten down to take a picture of the whole set meal in its entirety. Because I'm usually pretty hungry by the time when i get here, and so what happens is that we quickly place our orders, get cups of Hojicha and once the tray arrives- which we share- right away we divide up the pieces, like okay, you get this, I get this, you want this part or this part, anything also can lar, can we just eat...

 

So I don't really get to take a picture.

 

And by the time I remember that I do have a camera with me, half the dishes on the tray are gone. Like the sashimi, which we split the three pieces into one and a half because the princess in me refuses to give up a more than equal portion. And the appetizer, which I get most of the time cos' pickles are so great to start a meal with, the chawanmushi, which I dig around for the gingko nut and grumble if it's not there, the miso soup, which my companion takes, and the rice. :)

 

But, hey, I've got this.

 

A very good piece of Hire

The hire.

 

Which is so, so good.

We usually have four pieces; two that come with the set, two ala carte.

Each size is a large friendly chunk that whets the appetite on sight. Each piece has a batter that is delicate and light that doesn't distract from the flavor in the meat and which is so gorgeously fried that I don't get any aftertaste. Not only is it beautiful to look at, each piece is delicately crumbled on the outside, absolutely tender on the inside. :)

 

And you know what's the most magical thing about it?

Each piece of hire has actually made me slow down.

Like how life is meant to be lived in the singular present moment, like how life is not meant to be lived in the past, or in the future, each piece of hire reminds me to concentrate and place my energies on what I'm doing right here and right now and just immerse myself in the moment, not caring about what I've just done, or what I'm going to do afterward.

It is good food when you find yourself actually stopping to pay attention to what you're eating instead of yammering on about other stuff. It is good food when you find yourself nibbling on each piece, hoping to savor the taste just that bit longer and make it last further.

It is good food that in and of itself, surreptitiously, quietly, becomes your sensei, teaching you the philosophy of what it is, who you are, and what you should and can be. That as long as you have this moment, as long as you are wrapped up in this moment- this action of chewing and savoring and tasting the hire- you are living. And in the next moment, in the next bite, you are living all over again.

Living, and living, and living. :)
  

But hey, it's not all philosophical and reflective and contemplative and deep. It's fun too.

Pounding the sesame seeds is fun. I like hearing the crunch crunch sound. :) Testing my chopstick skill as I pick up individual grains of rice is fun. Swirling the chilled lettuce in a sea of salad dressing- roasted sesame dressing, I think- is fun.

And so is trying to pick up each ball of fish roe. Without having it burst on me. :)
 

Pounding away

Graphical Patterns on my Rice

 



pretty foods: Mee Goreng

Shiok sia!

Once in a while I do something as random as this.

 

Take a picture of whatever I'm eating, keep the memory and then try to write an article about it. :)

 

And then when there's nothing coming in the head, well, leave it and let the picture speak for itself.

 

I hope. :D

 

Anyway this day the light was good, the camera was with me, I was at Toast Box Esplanade where the sun shines so brightly in, so I took the picture. :) 

 

My plate of Mee Goreng.

 

Which isn't something I often choose. But since this day I didn't feel like having chicken curry with rice, or noodle soup or toast with kaya and butter, I decided on this for lunch instead.

 

Pretty great a choice I should say!

 

Well fried.. (goreng, see, goreng) with the right amount of spice, a dollop of well-mixed chili, a small little fish ball, a not so small little fish ball, a slice of luncheon meat and peas and carrots on the side.



fish, fish, fish @ Fish & Co

Me and this plate of Fish & Chips go back a long way.

 

Long enough to say that it's been over a decade? :)

 

Long enough to say that I've got an inkling of where some of my favorite outlets are, and where some of them used to be?

 

Long enough to say that there was an outlet once at Bugis Junction facing Victoria Street and which has moved across the road to Bugis+, and there was once an outlet at the Glass House of Penang Road and which isn't there any more, and that there didn't use to be an outlet at Vivo or NEX nor at Ang Mo Kio because the malls weren't yet built?

 

They haven't changed much over the years. 

 

There's still the same cheerful, vibrant, boisterous vibe in their restaurants that immerse you deep in the liveliness of seafood shacks and seafood diners that we find scattered along many a promenade of a dockside.

 

There's still the same Best Fish & Chips with its familiar batter, familiar sized chips, and familiar lemon butter sitting in its little blue cup. :)

 

They got Sweet Potato Fries Now

 

The lemon butter is a draw.

 

Always has been, always, I think, will be.

 

You could do lemon butter with a whole lot of other seafood. Lobster, crab, prawn, but there's a sense of familiarity, a sense of nostalgia having lemon butter with the Best Fish & Chips.

 

It's tangy. It's creamy. It's lightly citrusy.

 

And I love it so much with the well-battered fish served tender and soft and crunchy and crispy all at the same time that the other orders don't quite matter as much as this filet of fish does.

 

Not that I haven't tried the other offerings on the menu.

 

Someone introduced me to the joys of the seafood platter, laden with mussels, prawns, grilled fish, grilled calamari and rice, I fell in love with the grilled calamari, really so chewy with that burnt burnt taste, and I love it still.

 

Then, another introduced me to the rather barbaric looking pyramid of swordfish collar once. Scared me a lil, this huge chunk of fish bone sitting at the center of the table, made me wonder where the fish meat actually was, but after a couple bites of the tenderer still meat, I fell in love with the aiyerrr-how-to-eat-nice-meh swordfish collar anyways.  

 

And I still eat it from time to time.

 

More so these days, because now they've loaded swordfish collar onto their top-up offerings, so there's the choice of  a smaller-sized swordfish collar to be gained at half the main price.

 

They've loaded fried salmon skin too, accompanied with Thai chili sauce, and it makes for a great appetizer snack before the mains come. Fried, yes indeed, but so tasty and crunchy that when served to the table still bearing the heat from the flame, you easily reach out for a piece, and end up quickly nibbling your way through.  

 

Salmon Skin

And.. salmon skin!

They've loaded other things on the top-ups too. Offhand, I can't recall what they are- you'll just have to see it for yourself. :)

 

I'm reassured every time I'm at one of their outlets. Brings me back along a road of the years that have swung by, each one, with individual memories of sorts. There's one that reminds me of a first date. There's one that reminds me of a dinner I had with a great friend. There's one that I had a very late, late dinner and was tired and had to content with the live music band. There's one was where I had a birthday dinner. And there's one that reminds me of the beach and Universal Studios. 

 

I only wish they would bring back that after-dinner chewy mint sweet from South Africa. :)

pretty foods: Chap Cai Png

Mixed Vegetable Rice

The light was good that day, I had my gear, and I thought this made for a very pretty memory.

Although something tells me that this is not going to be the only picture of my day to day meal that I'm gonna take. :)

 

Then again, why should this be the only one when mealtime is one of the most treasured times in life and we could be just as blessed with whatever we have and whatever we're eating and taking a picture is as much as an expression of thanks as a prayer before meals?

 

So there you go.

 

Chap cai png from a random coffee shop. Two dishes, no curry and just half a plate of rice.

 

Sweet sour pork is nostalgic to me.

 

When my first taste was, I don't really remember, that was a long time ago, but it just might have been at this restaurant along Upper Serangoon Road called Sin Leong, something, and it was a birthday dinner.

 

Then there're the zichar dishes where they do it really crispy and well and serve it up with chopped pineapples and cucumbers and you can have it with rice.  

 

And of course, there's the daily version, which one finds at most stalls in coffee shops and food courts and wherever there is a mixed rice stall and perhaps is somewhere down the line in quality and taste but never mind lar. :) It's hard for me to not see it as a go-to, and whenever I see that it's good, whenever I can have it, I have it. :)

 

Same goes for the veggies on this plate.

 

Which hor, honestly, I have no idea what they are... -_- 

Roasted Duck- THE One

You know, when K.F Seetoh aka Makansutra says that something is good, chances are, it is really good. Same goes for Dr. Leslie Tay and his food blog.

So when K.F. Seetoh posted a video of this roast duck place that was said to be somewhere in Chinatown, *some* of us just had to go hunt it down.

Turns out that the roast duck place is at a very, very central location, which was a great surprise. I thought it would be nearer to where the traditional stalls are in the Smith Street Hawker Center and the Hong Lim Hawker Center, in which I've gone there a couple of times during Lunar New Year to make orders for full duck.

This place, oh dear, now I forget the name of the stall itself,  is right in the middle of People's Park Complex outside area there. Basically, you exit the Chinatown MRT on the People's Park Complex and OG side, the side where all the cobblers are that side, turn left to where all the permanent pop-up food stalls are, and then left again.

You won't miss the stall.

The lady's over there most of the time calling out about the duck. She's taking pre-orders whilst the ducks are being roasted in this glass-walled cylindrical-shaped oven and near the time when the ducks are ready for the taking, you'll see a queue there.

A queue that has both the young and the middling-aged.

A queue that has ladies and men.

A queue that has people calling up their families and saying something to the effect of, "Eh, I found the stall ley. It's at this.. ah, you know the money changer in People's Park Complex there, correct, correct, ah, down the escalator from the overhead bridge Lucky Complex that part lar... so, you want me to buy or not?"

One thing I'll say though, if you're someone who quivers at the undignified sight of those poor long-dead ducks hooked up by their necks, being hung up in the oven being slow-roasted for all the world to see, I suggest you do a turnaround right away and go elsewhere. 

Remember, you're in Chinatown where the diaspora of Chinese from the world over gathers cos' #Singapore, and local or migrant or whatever, some of us Chinese don't give a d*** when it comes to what we eat and how we cook it just so long as we desire the properties from it.

Which means that a slow-roasted long-dead duck is considered mild. :)

A Big Roast Duck

But if you are one, like me, who lurrrrves her roast duck, fat, skin and all, then this is worth a try. Particularly that it costs $15 and it is large enough where you can split it into two meals. Eat half and then save the meat for the microwave afterward. 

How we do it, my dining companion and I, is to spilt the duck into half. Half gets eaten first- skin and all. The other half gets saved and then later is hand shredded and pan fried with noodles, or cooked atop a large omelet.

Egg and Duck Meat

Whatever's left then goes to the street cat who lives in the officetel neighborhood.

Two meals, all beautifully planned out.

And this roast duck is as a roast duck should be.

Basically... very oily, a little fatty and extremely meaty- plus a bit extra of herbal stuff like cinnamon sticks and red dates stuffed inside.

Sure, it's not the healthiest of dishes- for human and for cat- and I think this duck comes under the heaty category, but so far the cat hasn't dashed away after taking a sniff of it, and one doesn't eat it every week anyway. :)