Strolling Sights: a Quieter Raffles Place

Raffles Place has gotten much quieter these days. 

I was in the area a couple of weeks ago, and as much as it wasn't the first time since Phase Two began, I have to admit the quiet and silence were more deafening than I expected it to be. 

A Raffles Place devoid of people, especially during noontime, is not something one gets easily used to.

Especially if you're familiar with the typical office worker lunchtime crowd.

This place used to be packed with people. 

From the Robinson Road side to the Circular Road side, from the Change Alley/Clifford Centre/Hitachi Tower side to the UOB Plaza side, this place used to be filled with footfall criss-crossing all directions. Add to that the newspaper vendors, the ice-cream vendors, the roadshow people and the people giving out flyers, there was never a time (on weekdays) that this place was silent.

Office workers would come out in droves of groups in four or five armed with umbrellas and purses, sipping away at cups of boba tea they held in their hands. 

The courier guys, the delivery guys, the support staff, the visitors- they added to the mix. 

They're still out and about today- the courier guys, the delivery guys, the visitors, the support staff, and the like- but you'd be glad to find a group of two, or three heading out for their meals.

Everyone's mostly alone. 

And everyone seems to prefer a takeaway. 

I see paper bags holding plastic food containers dangling from their hands. 

I see sandwiches and wraps and those tapao paper packet meals through the thin plastic of the plastic bags they hold carefully in their hands.

Even the groups- no more do they stand around discussing where they should go for their meal. No more do they hang around at corners chatting leisurely with each other whilst waiting for a tardy colleague to arrive. Now they walk with speed and purpose to their pre-decided destination for their meal, and with the same speed and purpose, walk back.

It's all changed very much, I have to say, and a very different sight from that which I once used to see. 

There was a time I used to hang out at the Starbucks near Chulia Street, and the place was always full of people during midday. Mostly the lanyard-wearing office workers heading out for lunch or errands, but there were people out and about in Raffles Place for whatever purpose as well. 

But the Starbucks today has gotten way, way quieter than what it used to be. Those who used to come for a solo cuppa at the alfresco seating area aren't coming to the office anymore, those who used to have their meetings or do their work at the cafe aren't here anymore, and because Starbucks no longer does those 1-for-1 Venti-sized deals, the snaking queues for Frappuccinos and to-go macchiatos are also gone. 

Even the Maison Kayser next door- the one that sells healthy meals, clean foods, greens, salads, interesting breads, really huge quiches and large-sized puffs- is seeing much lesser footfall. 

Yep, the whole area's changed. 

And it is unfortunate, make no doubt about it, but as the commerce of Raffles Place and Shenton Way has seen the country through two centuries, whether it be a quiet place at midday, or a quiet place at evening peak rush hour, the finance, the trade, and the business, will still stand. 

xo duck and fatty char siew

I may have written about this before. 

But no matter, I don't mind writing about it again. 

Because You Kee XO Restaurant- at the junction of Joo Chiat Place and Tembeling Road- has to be one of the best places I know for roasted meats, roasted meat rice, and the like. 

Hailing from Johor Bahru, the restaurant may not be the kind of grand-grand place we often see featured on the television or in the press, but they are a family-friendly, homestyle sort of place that will remind you of heritage shophouses nestled in small towns, and whose decor will enhance your meal with a heartwarming, homecooked, familial vibe.

This restaurant is a great place to bring people to. 

For the simple reason that they've placed so much heart in everything that they do. 

It is in their service. 

It is also in their food.

They have an extensive menu- soups, appetizers, steamed fish, steamed meats, tofu, vegetables- dishes that you'd likely find on the dining table in your grandmother's home.

Their signature dish, however, is the XO roasted duck, and a very popular one it is too. 

Beautifully plated with a little serving of lettuce and cucumber on the side, the skin of the duck is crisp, has a hint of herbal on the tongue, and glistens with the right balance of duck fat and oil whilst the meat, tender and moist, is tinged with the flavors of duck wrapped snugly inside.

No less savory than their roasted duck is the char siew- and can I say how unusual it is one that they have here?

See, whilst there are many places that serve up their char siew tasteless, hard and dry, theirs is crisp at the edges, chewy on the inside, sweet (very sweet), with even a sprinkling of sesame seeds to give you that added crunch and bite. 

A meal at You Kee XO is always pleasant. 

And one day I'll tapao a whole roast duck, a chunk of roast pork, and the entire strip of that fatty, delicious char siew. 

Maybe at Chinese New Year.

After all, regardless the number of times I've eaten there, there's always the secret wish that the portion was just a little bit more.

birthday Brunch at Dan Ryan's

Steak- that's one of the things he said he wanted to have for his birthday this year.

And between the choices of CUT, Morton's, Ruth's Chris and Dan Ryan's, he chose the latter. 

At brunch. 

Several reasons, he explained- the selections were familiar, the time suited the weekend schedule, and best of all, he could have double portion of protein in the form of steak, plus eggs. 

Now, I don't know about other brunch places, but Steak and Eggs is one of the cool offerings on Dan Ryan's brunch menu, and a great one it is too. 

For a reasonable price, you get a medium sized portion of steak (200 grams?) done the way you like, you get two eggs done the way you like, there're seasonal vegetables and fries on the side, and to top all that, you've got a choice of toast that goes along with butter and jam. 

It wasn't hard for him to make up his mind. 

"Steak- medium rare. Eggs- sunny side up. Toast- rye, please. And can I change the fries to the sweet potato kind?"

Me, on the other hand, couldn't make up my mind. 

I wanted the Eggs Benedict, the blueberry pancakes, the plain pancakes, and the French toast as well. 

In the end- despite the very tempting American-sized pancakes made from buttermilk served with butter, maple syrup and jam, I went for the Eggs Benedict instead. 

The Hollandaise sauce. 

Blame the Hollandaise sauce. :) 

No regrets, however, it was a most lovely meal in which I got two beautifully poached eggs, two cute little slices of ham, two nicely toasted English muffins, and a serving of roasted peppers with potatoes by the side.

It was great to tap lightly on the egg and watch the thick, creamy yolk flow down the sides to the sliced ham and muffin below. 

It was great to cut the muffin up into smaller pieces, watch the yolk glistening in the tiny crevices and slather the whole thing with thick, creamy Hollandaise sauce. 

And it was fun to try soaking up the streaks of leftover yolk on the plate with the peppers, the potatoes and even the little bits of ham. 

Yes, very barbaric I know, but when it comes to finishing up delicious food when dining amongst close company? 

Etiquette can say goodbye.

Of course, this being a birthday, there can be no birthday meal at Dan Ryan's without the presence of a cake (any cake) and so we ordered their signature Chocolate Lava cake that takes twenty minutes to prepare, but is totally worth the wait. 

Crusty on the outside, lava-smooth liquid chocolate on the inside, the cake doesn't look much, as in, it's far from the bright, cheery looks we often see on IG, but simple, heartwarming, classic and cozy it is on the palate, and when paired with vanilla ice cream, a wonderful way it is to celebrate a birthday,  and a perfect end to a great afternoon meal.

Westward with Daffy

 

So clear and so blue were the skies on this particular afternoon that we decided to forgo our usual east-bound route and head towards the west instead. 

Honestly? 

I was excited- it had been a while- and I hoped I'd get to Jalan Bahar and New Tiew Estate today.

People often think that I don't do RI, or that I don't know how to do it. 

I do. 

Just that I do it at my own pace and I decide as and when I wish to. 

It isn't very often. 

But yes, I'm familiar with this route, and even though the last time I did a westbound ride was, umm, a year or two ago, hey, it is still a route I like, and one which I want to pick up when the time is right, again. 

There was a bit of anticipation when we set off- after all, roads do change- but I had Google Maps and I didn't think I'd lose my way very much anyway. 

We started from this eating place at Geylang Lorong 1 after finishing a lunch of mutton briyani, butter chicken and two glasses of teh o ais limau. 

Across the Merdeka Bridge at Kallang we went, then a left into the park that leads all the way towards Marina Bay Sands. 

From there we headed out past MBFC, onto Shenton Way and then a right onto Keppel Road. 

Along Keppel Road we went, passing by the old railway station all the way to Vivocity and Harborfront where we made a pit stop for a drink of water, bottles of green tea, and wet wipe time. 

After that it was onto Telok Blangah Road going past Labrador Park, an expressway exit and the Pasir Panjang Food Center before finally hitting West Coast Highway. 

You're halfway to the West side once you hit West Coast Highway.

It's an interesting route- the easiest, I think- to take if you want to cycle from Vivocity to Jurong and beyond. 

Sure, there're other routes, but this is the one that's the most straightforward, with little traffic, and even lesser traffic lights.

One thing about this route is that there are very few landmarks. 

At least I don't seem to notice any. 

Or rather, I don't bother to. 

Not with all the heavy vehicles trundling past me on my right. 

Somewhere along this road I came upon West Coast Park and then after that there was the junction that I know leads into Jalan Buroh and then after that still, the junction that leads to West Coast Road. 

A right I made here (following my co-rider in front) into Pandan Gardens, onto this narrow pedestrian path between two factory buildings, a left again, and suddenly I was at the junction facing Jurong Town Hall Road. 

Made a right here, and from there it was straight down towards the Jurong East side.

At Jurong East Central we took a breather, trying to make up our minds between forging ahead to Jalan Bahar and Neo Tiew, or going home. 

The latter won. 

It had been a hot day. 

And I was tired.

 

But, first, dinner. 

However, not at Jurong East- we didn't want fast food- so decided that we'd go down Commonwealth Avenue West where there were enough turns for us to make up our minds about where to have dinner all along the way. 

Commonwealth Avenue West is, essentially, a straight road. 

Takes you past a lot of trees, past a fire station, past Dover MRT at Singapore Polytechnic, past a lovely big river, and past the housing estate of Clementi. 

Over here we decided we'd make a turn at Holland V, so up one very long hill we went, going past the housing estate of Ghim Moh, and then a left into Holland V where we made a stop at Craftsmen for a waffle with butter, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, and strips of bacon. 

I took most of the scrambled eggs. 

My co-rider took most of the bacon. 

And it was back to the east side after that. 

Very straightforward- down Holland Road we went, passing by the Botanic Gardens before turning into (a fairly devoid of traffic) Orchard Road after which we turned left into Selegie Road, turned right into Middle Road, left again onto Victoria Street, then Bugis, Lavender, Kallang and finally, Old Airport Road. 

Miss Brown's Hangers

It is Miss Brown's birthday today. 

She turns 82. 

At this lovely age, we can say that she's seen pretty much, heard pretty much, and gone through pretty much as well. 

I'd like to say that she had a grand celebration surrounded by children and grandchildren with a platter of peach-shaped buns containing a filling of smooth, sweet lotus paste. 

I'd also like to say that she dressed up in her favorite outfits and headed out for a meal with her loved ones. 

But, no. 

She didn't have any of that.

She didn't dress up in her favorite outfits. 

She didn't go to a restaurant. 

And she has no grandchildren.

Not to mean that she went through her birthday alone. 

Oh no, not at all.

There were visitors who brought a mini tub of Haagen Dazc ice cream in her favorite flavor of strawberry (cheesecake)- even though she would have preferred just strawberry.

No matter, a birthday's a birthday, and it was a good thing to Miss Brown that she had something special for her special day.

To reach the age of eighty-two, in ordinary times, is no mean feat. 

To reach the age of eighty-two in a century that has seen two world wars, leaps in technological advancements, lifestyle alterations, political shifts and tremendous change, decade upon decade upon decade is a miracle. 

What makes this miracle even more significant is that Miss Brown lives in a place where timelessness and heritage is not a given, but instead must be sought for, and found. 

Sometimes you find them in the unlikeliest of places. 

Like a DIY store. 

Where colorful clothes hangers in the shape of the Infinity symbol hang on the shelves. 

See, Miss Brown had hangers like these once. 

Brought over from the family laundry shop below the shophouse where she used to stay, they were large, bulky metal things that looked like they had been roughly twisted between strong, bare hands. 

For a long time the hangers had been of use in her maisonette where she lived nearly forty years of her life. 

But came one day that she had to shift from that apartment to a much smaller, more compact place, and those hangers- as hard as she tried to use them and keep them close to her- were of practical use no more. 

There was just no where in the new place where she could hang them up.

There was just no where that she could space them out for all the pieces of laundry.

They, unfortunately, had to go.

I don't know if Miss Brown still remembers those hangers. 

She might, she might not. 

But one day perhaps she might just see this picture above and think about those hangers (from a bygone time) that she used to have. 

And if she is told from which store those hangers come from, why, she might even go all the way back to childhood days in the village in Kelantan when Malaysia was still Malaya.

The Daiso Shopper

One of the first few places I went after Phase Two started was to Daiso. 

I wanted a new mug. 

My old mug was in a shape that didn't bring out the best fragrance from my coffee. I wanted a new mug to see if it made any difference. 

So I went to get a new mug.

And along with the brand new mug I got a brand new notebook for a brand new journal. 

Coming back with my purchases I realized just how much I actually missed shopping at Daiso. 

It's been a long time since I started becoming a regular Daiso shopper- but I can't remember exactly when. . 

It might have been the time when they opened their first few stores on our shores. 

It might have been the time when they started rapid expansion into various malls all over the island. 

It might also have been the time when on their shelves I discovered a favorite caramel corn snack of mine which I used to buy from the bookshop in the polytechnic where I studied, and which, after graduation, I could no longer find. 

Let's just say that it has been a decade (at least) since I became a frequent shopper at their store- and as much as their products have increased substantially over the years, so has my individual collection. 

There is no way I can do an inventory. 

There is no way I can collate the number of receipts accumulated from the store(s) over the years (because, yeah, there's no Excel spreadsheet to track my individual spending). 

But suffice it to say that I'm using stuff purchased from Daiso at any one point in time.

The makeup pouch that I carry around every day in my bag comes from Daiso. 

The camera pouch that holds my compact camera and the strap attached to it also comes from Daiso. 

On the shelf behind me are tote bags that I bought a few years ago and which I haven't used, as well as a bright pink case that now holds little pieces of jewelry and the rest of my makeup. 

In the cupboard are several netted bags which at one time I used to store food on-the-go, and to hold travel-sized toiletries when I needed them for use in public bathrooms. 

That's not all.

Somewhere in the manicure kit is a Hello Kitty nail clipper which I bought from Daiso a few years ago when I had one of those d*** hangnail thingies and I thought the pink clipper looked pretty.

Outside in the living room are little cat cushions, little plushy cushions, cushion covers (matching colors!) and tablemats that liven up the place.

And right next to me on the desk are notebooks, notepapers, Post-it pads, journals, stickers, markers and labels that form part of my most frequent- and favorite- buys. 

It's not just my personal stuff that come from Daiso. 

There's also the kitchen. 

Three of my coffee mugs come from Daiso. 

My water bottles come from Daiso. 

And so do some of my lunchboxes, my containers, and my utensils. 

Daiso is a place for the single, the couple, as well as for the whole family. 

Doesn't matter whether you're young or old, doesn't matter what status in society you hold, what job you have or what personality you are, Daiso is not- and no longer is- a place only for the auntyish. 

These days they're starting to have more contemporary, cutesy offerings.

Last year they brought in THREEPY. 

And now, with their new stores opening in malls like Bugis Junction and Marina Square, it is apparent that, yeah, the Household Goods store selling stuff at the great price of two dollars and where existing customers always find something new, does bring in plenty of footfall. 

Because whether it is you want the manly looking stuff (hey my camera pouch is camo), whether it is you want notebooks with shiny covers in baby pink and baby blue, whether it is you want bottles of ITO EN branded unsweetened bold green tea, or whether it is you want to buy Christmas decorations in early September, well, Daiso it is, for you.