Boat Quay and Shenton Way

It was one of those afternoons where, after having a most wonderful brunch at one of the nicest brunch places in town, I decided it a kind of waste to just head home straight. 

So, what with us being in the heart of Raffles Place, what with it being a quiet weekend during the annual end-year holiday season, I thought it cool to just take a lovely gander around the 'hood. 

You know, it's interesting how a place can feel entirely different when filled with alternate energies, and since I'd been curious about Raffles Place- and her surroundings- minus the (endless) rushing and the crowds for a very long time, today was an opportunity I didn't want to miss.

There was no definite destination where I wanted to go, so, coming out the lift from CapitaSpring, we simply strolled along the length of the airy ground floor lobby towards Chulia Street separating Market Street Hawker Center with the towers of UOB opposite.  

It wasn't my plan to walk along Chulia Street- I'm pretty much familiar with where it goes- so along Circular Road I went, happily standing in the middle of the nearly empty road for a couple of pictures which on busier days I would never have done.

It isn't every day I have the freedom to stand in the middle of this road, turn 360 degrees to take pictures of my surroundings and have no vehicle honk its horn at me. 

So, yes, glad I was to see the row of shop houses looking so vintage after the short burst of rains, glad I was to see the towers of United Overseas Bank rise high above the same (heritage) shop houses, and glad I was to take pictures of what I feel Circular Road is really like. 

Over here we had to decide.

Ought we to walk down towards South Bridge Road then Clarke Quay, or ought we to make a U-turn and go further down towards Raffles Place and the Singapore River?

The latter won. 

Perhaps it felt apt (somehow) that on the last day of the year 2023 I should stop by the waters of the Singapore River (and smile).

So we did. 

Again this might be a very familiar sight to those who work in the area or whom often pass by, but all this (thank God) is still somewhat fresh to me and today, away from the people and the passersby, I thought she seemed quieter.

Very much like how the Singapore River- when seen in her full natural force- ought to be.  

I don't know how it is, though.

It might have been the wide ripples of water streaking across her surface. 

It might also have been the color of the waters today that surprisingly were an algae green. 

I decided not to stay too long here, however. 

There's a limit to how contemplative a person makes themselves out to be.

So, back up towards the entrance of Raffles Place MRT we went, across the open space with the pigeons and the swings, and towards the corner where I took a picture of a classic-looking building yet ironically whose name I do not know. 

It might have been One Finlayson Green. 

It might have been AIA Singapore or the Asia Insurance Building or something within the block.

But it wasn't the building that holds present-day Ascott.

That much I knew. 

Was it a kind of a farewell that I was saying? 

Maybe. 

But also with a breath of thankfulness because, regardless of what it were, there had been the place, there had been the resources, there had been the resource to pay the resources and there had been the arguments that finally settled it all. 

There were a good number of things to be thankful for. 

To have come through the year, for instance, even though my memory very clearly still saw January's me sitting at the bench outside this Prudential Tower listening to John Denver's Take Me Home Country Road. 

Perhaps thinking of a person who lived 70 over years of age put me in a bit of a timeless mood.

But onwards I decided to admire the heritage buildings of Robinson Road,  so right opposite the Prudential Tower across the road, I took a picture of this building (it used to be a restaurant called Swan something) and further down, past Lau Pa Sat, the old Cable & Wireless Building that is now Hotel Telegraph and whose name I think suits the place well. 

A New Year's OUMI

You know, out of all the things that I can be thankful for in the year of 2023 (besides the fact that I survived), a meal here at OUMI most certainly does count as one of them. 

It had been a very pleasant surprise when told several months ago that we'd be having a weekend brunch at this restaurant atop the 51st floor of the CapitaSpring Tower downtown. 

Back then, as with every first visit that I make- I hadn't known what to expect.

But then I fell in love.

I fell in love with the view.

I fell in love with the food. 

Best of all I fell in love with the entire experience that a meal at OUMI brings. 

It's a little hard for me right now to put into words just exactly what that entire experience is. 

So let me just say that much of it revolves around a single pair of chopsticks. 

And that is all you really need. 

We were seated at, I think, the same table that we had the last time. 

Might have been one table before, one table after, doesn't matter. 

The view was gorgeous. 

It's not every day that one gets to look across (and down) at Marina Bay Sands on the opposite side of the water.

Neither is it every day that one gets to look down (and across) at some of the offices which I might have visited but don't really remember. 

From where we sat we could see along the entire south east coast, which was so different from this height I found my eyes drifting to the coast where East Coast Park lay, towards the line where Marina Barrage stood, wondering if there were more families today out on their bicycles compared to any other day.

Up here at OUMI this afternoon we were each served a glass of complimentary champagne. 

Perfect a drink to go with the meal we were about to have, never mind that I'm not good with pairings, and in any case, what was supposed to go with what, and why, I didn't quite care.

We began our meal with a plate of truffle fries from its sister restaurant KAARLA (which I think is located in either the same place, or next door)

Served hot, fresh and crispy, we happily nibbled fry after fry whilst taking our time to look over the rest of the menu. 

There was a bit of challenge trying to decide. 

On one hand I was interested in some of the dishes that previously I hadn't had a chance to have.

Yet on the other hand I'm a creature of habit, I know what I love, and I really wanted to savor the same dishes I'd had had last time all over again.

On the other hand I'm a creature of habit and I really wanted to savor those dishes that I had previously had.

Let's just say that we (mostly) went for the familiar.

Like this Kajiki Tataki which we'd had the previous time and which we really liked because there was a charm to the lightly grilled squares of swordfish served with Tosaka Seaweed, White Onion and Roselle Leaf. 

To be honest I cannot remember just how the Roselle Leaf tasted like- it probably got overwhelmed with the flavors of the fish, and the (slightly chewy) texture of it. 

In that sense I remember the Momotaro Fruit Tomato better. 

This dish was a special order because cherry tomatoes are my thing and what better way to have it when there's a dollop of feta goat cheese, a hint of wasabi and fennel somewhere within?

We moved on to a couple of fish-based dishes after that, like this Salmon Butter Yaki which was Fried Salmon with Butter Shoyu and Tongarashi (that I've idea at all what it is), and this Smoked Salmon Crudo that had Dill Cream Cheese, Pickled Cucumber and Thyme Crouton. 

You know, there'll be those who will say that salmon's quite a commonplace thing, like who hasn't had fried salmon, what's the big deal, but theirs has a lovely blended flavor of savory shoyu and butter, plus that teeny weeny little hint of cream. 

The smoked salmon too might have seemed ordinary to some, but oy, I have a thing for smoked salmon (especially at Christmas and New Year) and this one came prettily served with the slices taking centre place on the plate and every other thing daintily scattered all over it.

Salmon wasn't the only fish-based dish that we ordered. 

There was a portion of Petite Beer Battered Fish and Chips which I'm really really glad we got to have because I wanted to try it the last time but then got too full. 

Then there was this.

The Fish Soup.

I love it, I tell you.

If there's one soup over here at OUMI which you want to have, it is this. 

At first look it seems ordinary, just like any other clear soup which you're accustomed to have, but one sip is all it takes for you to realize that this is, in fact, a very rich tasting broth bursting with the flavors of umami perfectly boiled inside. 

I don't think I've ever had such a rich-flavored clear-looking fish (broth) until I came here. 

So this afternoon we decided to order two bowls. 

After this we went for one more portion of the Kajiki Tataki- because swordfish prepared this way in neat rectangular slices is not the easiest to find- and then a Bara Chirashi bowl that today had salmon cut into cubes (as per Chef's choice) and a Food Forest Salad that consisted of tiny little leaves, tiny little flowers scattered all over the bright-looking, fresh-tasting fish. 

After this there was some Sushi, some Tempura and some Tori Karaage. 

Sounds commonplace, yes, but everyone has their favorites, and so do we. 

Don't underestimate the sushi and tempura that they serve here, though. 

It's not every place where you get a Salmon Cheese Rolith Sliced Salmon, Salmon Skin, Avocado, Cucumber and Housemade Miso Cheese on top of it. I didn't try to differentiate the flavors- what I did was to simply pop each piece into my mouth and chew it in a very non-elegant but shiok shiok kind of way. 

I loved their Tempura too. 

On the menu it said Assorted Vegetable Tempura, but far from the sort of tempura that I'm oft served even at (authentic) places, here at OUMI this was what they had. 

I can't remember what exactly were the vegetables served but from the looks of it, there was a favorite of mine- eggplant- there was long bean, sweet potato, seaweed, some kind of leaf- which I might not know its name, but cannot forget its crisp. 

In fact the Crisp of all their Tempura is impossible to forget. 

I don't know what the gold standard of tempura batter is, but this, I tell you, was exceptionally good. 

You know how we're more or less familiar with thick (sometimes cold) tempura batter? 

Here the batter wasn't a thick layer caked slipshodly over the vegetable (like some casual sushi places do). 

Neither was the quantity so scant that you couldn't taste the flavor of the batter nor its deep fried crunchy crisp.

Let's just say it felt like a pure vegetable cracker snack minus all the (biscuit) (snack) flour. 

Not going to deny, the Tori Karaage was just as fantastic too. 

Yes, it seems a bit ordinary, and perhaps it is familiar enough to most diners to not warrant a lengthy description in the menu, but each bite sized piece was done very well.

You got no lingering oil taste whatsoever, and best of all, you didn't have the feels of MSG when you bit into each piece.

Only thing, I wish I knew what the dip was. 

It might have been some sort of a honey mustard that I imagine would complement the Karaage pieces very well. 

Perhaps next time I'll pay more attention to the details. 

But this afternoon we were getting a bit full, and even though I wish we could have ordered some of the other dishes, like the Tempura Futo Roll (I can't believe we missed out on this one again) or the Teppanyaki Tofu, we decided it the right time to go for their desserts. 

Which, no matter what, you must not miss. 

There're four on the menu which you can choose from. 

Today we decided to have just three. 

And so here are the Matcha, the Yuzu and the Chocolate Trifle. 

Out of all three I liked the Matcha and the Yuzu best. 

My companion, on the other hand, liked the Chocolate Trifle most, and no wonder too, because how often is it that one gets to have a cup of Vanilla Chantilly with 60% Caraibe, 40% Jivara and Pear Sponge?

Honestly I couldn't quite detect the taste of pear in the sponge- it seemed to have been overwhelmed by the chocolate. 

But I had the Yuzu, which, is one of the desserts here at OUMI that you live live die die must go for. 

Not only is it 3D-esque in the shape in a (big) Yuzu fruit, it's got Opalys at 33%, Yuzu Curd, and something called Wasabi-Yuzunama Chocolate. 

Perhaps one day (if I remember) I'll have the staff explain to me just what all these percentaged chocolates mean. 

But I guess, as can well be expected, that single-minded me be just concentrating on the desserts alone, even for something like the Matcha, which is actually a Matcha Panna Cotta with Azuki Red Bean and Black Sesame Brittle. 

I've said earlier that coming here to OUMI at CapitaSpring was one of the best dining experiences that I'd had in the year of 2023, and more so, yes, it is, I'm going to say again that a blessing it is to be here on the last day of the year, with a certain hope that there'll be more- and more- to come. 

May their brunch ala-carte buffet continue to be present, and may I have the space next time to have the Char Grilled Pork Belly, and the Bucatini Pasta too. 

I like pork belly. 

And I'm keen to try zucchini done pesto style, and zucchini charred. 

The OUMI View

One of the things that I wanted to do this time round (which I didn't get to do the last time I ate here at OUMI) was to take beautiful pictures of her sky-high scenery. 

Now it might not mean much to those who are familiar with such and such a view. 

But oy, it means a lot to me.

See, the last time I ate here, whilst I enjoyed the meal, in truth, my RGPs were hurting the s*** out of me and I couldn't really see. 

This time, however, with the joy of soft lens and everything, I am liberated.

I can claim victory in sight of my surroundings, and I am free. 

The view from our table this time round wasn't very different from the last. 

I think so. 

What did make a difference, however, was the light, and the angle, which made composition of the picture so much better. 

I wish (offhand) I could remember just what view it was that we got the last time, but it's been more than four months, and although I have better memories of the food, the view, well, not so much. 

That's not to say that I wasn't as impressed as I was the last time I came here.

Because, oy, how often is it that one can claim to be looking at Marina Bay Sands instead from Marina Bay Sands looking out? 

And how often is it that one can have a lovely meal whilst soaking in the magnificence of the view? 

I was reluctant to leave the place (and the view) when the time came for our dining turn to be over, so out to the drinks foyer I went- to admire the scenery, take more pictures, and to appreciate the view. 

It's one thing to just keep an eye on the structure of Marina Bay Sands. 

It's another thing however to look beyond the three towers towards the wide expanse of sea. 

You know how it's oft said that campfire light tends to mesmerize? 

That's what the sight of the sea does for me. 

Continually I found my eyes drifting towards the horizon, towards the distance where the line of sky met the blue waters of the sea. 

Maybe because I was in a kind of mood where I wanted to sail away. 

Maybe because I was tired of a few things that chained me to the land. 

I didn't dare to look the other side.

There were things I didn't want to think about.

There were things I didn't want to see. 

So I kept my eyes on the ships.

And I kept my eyes on the pale blue surface of the Singapore seas.

There is a lot to be seen in these pictures, really. 

I don't mean just the Marina Barrage or the Marina Bay Reservoir or the Singapore Flyer or even the Ritz. 

I mean the stretch where the park next to the water is- that big patch of green where the current Marina Bay Golf Course is and then East Coast Park as where the shore follows. 

Perhaps I feel more for the south-east coast these days more than I do the north-east. 

I've been happier this side of the island. 

Perhaps one day I'll find the courage to look towards the north-east where I'm (still) familiar with, but today, from the height of the 51st floor in Raffles Place in Japanese fusion restaurant called OUMI, I looked towards the horizon, I looked towards the sea, and I kept my eyes affixed there. 

Bus Ride Sights: Jln Eunos-Geylang

Okay, so it's kind of funny, but I hadn't realized that there were that many pictures of this (rather short) bus ride until I pulled them out from Chonkycam and had them placed in the computer.

It might have been that I had been working the shutter button a little mindlessly that day and so didn't know that I had in fact taken more than four or five, but yep, here we are, with a lovely set of pictures of unexpected, and (new) sights along Jalan Eunos and Geylang Road. 

Actually, pictures of Geylang Road I have. 

It's Jalan Eunos that I don't have so much. 

That is, of course, until today. 

Our bus this afternoon took us from the bus stop around Jalan Awang, where, right after that we passed by a building that would have been non descript, and ignored, if not for the presence of VeganBurg- a vegan and vegetarian burger cafe known for their soy patties and pea protein patties this side of town. 

(I haven't been there- one day I will) 

It's a little fascinating, I now realize, that not too far after VeganBurg comes the Mangala Vihara Buddhist Temple at the junction of Sims Avenue East, and, right opposite it, the Thye Hua Kwan Home for Disabled. 

From here the bus made a right turn into Geylang Road, but not before granting me a quick glimpse of the new polyclinic and the Senior Care Center of the Methodist Welfare Services over here in Eunos. 

To be honest, I had not thought of Geylang Road as that long a road, but now that I'm looking at Google Maps, it really is.

Because it's the kind of road where on one end you have the junction of Still Road, which (in our minds) is literally the east coast, and on the other you have the banks of Kallang River, which I'd say is somewhere on the southeast.

It's a good long stretch down there. 

What's interesting though is how the vibe changes as one goes along. 

It's like how on this end of the Still Road junction side you have a couple of office buildings, one of which housed an Insurance company, then in the area there were those with stores here and there on the first floor, with offices above.

Everything passed me by so quickly that I didn't know what I was looking at, or looking for.

Somewhere after the office buildings (or was it in between) there was a row of shop houses that would have been familiar with their neighbors and the locals in the area, but were completely new to me. 

I didn't know there was a Hazmat Training place around here.

Neither did I know that there was a place that sold bike accessories, or that there was a branch of the famous MacKenzie REX restaurant here. 

I know somewhere along this stretch there used to be a Maybank but I'm not sure if it's still there. 

This area has certainly evolved. 

Where there once used to be a mix of retail along this stretch, now, leading up to Joo Chiat Complex, there were coffee shops, there was a pawnshop, there was a dental clinic, then there was Toko Warisan, a supplier offering what I think is frozen halal meat, and several small scale restaurants.

One of the most iconic signs to look out for when you're here is the 7-11. 

Because that's the stop you have to alight if you want to go to the Haig Road Market, that's the stop you have to alight if you're going to the shops in Joo Chiat Complex, and that's the stop you have to alight if you want to take a stroll along Joo Chiat Road.

There used to be a shop selling carpets and bags and everything cloth-related around here. 

I'm not sure if it's still there. 

But now  right behind the bus stop, there's a coffee shop where, if you get hungry, you'll have the choice of nasi kandar, as well as Thai seafood, Indian-Muslim food, and all the fried fritters that make for snacks ubiquitous this side of the world.

I'm a great fan of goreng pisang and goreng chempedak. 

And I don't give a hoot about the oil.

Right after this bus stop came a row of HDB shops, the Haig Road Market and Hawker Center, then KINEX mall known for her large supermarket and Starbucks and Burger King and DAISO.

City Plaza followed immediately after that, where, with all their snacks and clothes and food imports, caters much to the Indonesian (domestic helper) crowd, is also a place where you can get very affordable streetwear and styles that range from the white blouse and long skirt to the very short schoolgirl skirt and ruffles and bling. 

I've never really explored this shopping center.

I mean, I have, but not in depth as much as I should. 

Maybe because most of the time I'm here only for Ayam Goreng at Arnold's, which, by the way, in my opinion, serves one of the best fried chickens on this island.

At another time I might get down at this stop and head in for a meal, but today we stayed on the bus as it passed the canal next to the shopping center before trundling down into the district we call Geylang.

For some reason I didn't take a lot of pictures here this time. 

Guess I'd seen these shop houses and these buildings once too often, so I decided I'd take those that I hadn't manage to take before. 

Like the No Signboard Seafood restaurant, which I had thought of visiting at one time, but didn't- the prices were on the high side and I was on a budget at that time.

Like the junction of Aljunied Road and Geylang Road which I always associate with vegetable produce in their huge carton-sized baskets because of a particular shop that spreads out all the produce that they have there. 

And a pawnshop right behind the bus stop- for no special reason other than the fact that it was there.