This truly was our last Mookata for the year.
Because we had it in the afternoon of the last day of the 2022 year.
I had been a little surprised when my friend told me we were going to a new place for Mookata.
I had thought we might be going to (some) of our regular ones.
But he had discovered this place, and he had said that it was a good deal.
So we went.
I don't know the name of this place.
But I know it sits in the food court of this office building we call CT Hub located somewhere between Kallang Industrial Estate and Lavender Road.
This place would've been crowded on weekdays, but what with today being a holiday, it was nearly empty, save for a senior couple, whom on account of the holiday, had dabaoed a small feast (from elsewhere) and were relishing their meal at one of the tables at the back.
The place, however, didn't stay quiet for long.
It began filling up just as the ingredients for the Mookata arrived at our table.
I was delighted at how pretty everything looked.
No haphazard, half-hearted toss anywhere- everything had its own little place on its own little tray, all thoughtfully dropped, all carefully arranged.
It being New Year's Eve, we ordered a lot of meat.
Lots and lots of meat.
To be honest I can't quite remember what they were, but I think we had pork, pork belly, chicken, beef(?) and some other meats marinated and unmarinated otherwise.
When it came to the seafood we decided not to go for the prawns, crayfish or even the mussels, but stuck to scallops and scallops alone.
There were quite a bit of veggies though.
And of course, the typical foods I call standard hotpot fare.
It was a lovely meal we had.
My friend worked the grill, continuously placing chunks of pork lard, crab sticks, and slices of meat.
I, on the other hand, dunked the sweet corn, the green leafy vegetables, the mushrooms and the cheese tofu into the moat.
For a while we considered dropping the scallops into the moat as well, but then decided it nicer to have them grilled instead.
I loved hearing the sound of meat sizzling on the grill.
I also loved seeing the colors of green, white and yellow contrast with the browns of the meats.
They made the Mookata look so fresh and pretty!
Perhaps some might say that I should set my expectations to glasses of champagne and red wine, that I am worth celebrating the new year in air-conditioned environments.
But, why must I, when the atmosphere here was friendly, the vibe was fun, and it felt great to be amongst like-minded diners sitting in the canteen-like food court, enjoying what can only be described as a shiok, shiok meal?