The River by Jalan Kukoh

At a weekend breather not too long ago at Robertson Quay I found myself making a rather interesting observation. 

You know how it's often said that Singapore as a small country of land size tends to cobble her people together regardless of where we come from, who we are, and what we do?

Sure, we've worked (hard) to keep the two separate- in one way or another- but from time to time one finds two distinct strata of society muddled up together. 

You don't feel it so much in the suburbs, but on occasion you'll come upon places like Ghim Moh and (old) Queenstown, and you'll wonder why a single road, or a single stone-paved path can be such an allegoric wall.

At Robertson Quay it wasn't a path, but, if I may say, a river, and a road, maybe. 

It's a little puzzling, because on one side of the river you have landscaped trees, beautiful red walking paths and all these condominiums, restaurants, wine places and cafes, yet on the other side atop a very high hill (I must add) you have blocks of flats whose shops are on the other side, and whose kitchens look down over the flow of the river, the space of the condominiums and scattered flowers blown off the branches of the flowering trees. 

I'm not sure if there're pretty flowering trees up here on the hill. 

Maybe they're not in season.

But there're little trees, little shrubs, and lots of potted plants. 

It was my intention to come this side of the river this time.

Not so much for the convenience of it, but because it seemed a bit of a pity to not explore further there.

Climbing up this hill wasn't fun, I assure you, and quietly I had to admire those who made it a daily thing. 

They must have strong calves, strong thighs, and fit exercise. 

I'm far lacking in that, I'm afraid. 

The view from the top of Jalan Kukoh housing estate is an interesting one.

It's one of those views that stump you because in one glance you're seeing the country's development of her society, her people and her economic worth, whilst at the same time you look around you and wonder what it is in between that makes the difference. 

From the corridors one looks over the parapet to the neighbors opposite, the roofed shelter, the open space activity area, the sheltered walkways and the playground. 

From the same corridors too one looks across to the trees of Pearl's Hill opposite, as well as the towering structures of Wallich Tower, International Plaza and all those in the CBD, plus Shenton Way. 

It's a contrasting sight.

Because what was the view like way back in the 70s when this estate of Jalan Kukoh (and York Hill) were built? 

What was it that they saw then? 

And what is it that they see now that (somehow) have made them one of the most unusual housing estates in this country?

This is a view that- if you care to- will make you think. 

I'm not sure how those who dwell here perceive themselves in relation to this view.

There may be those with a sense of contentment and gratefulness.

Or there may be those who cannot contain their free-spiritedness. 

It's all very individualistic, and it depends very much on how you perceive yourself, your surroundings, who you want to be, and how you'll get there. 

I had intended to find my way to the Jalan Kukoh hawker center this particular afternoon.

But then there came a need for a Thai brand (medicated oil) and so forwent the plan.

Maybe I'll hunt for the hawker center from the Chin Swee Road side next time. 

I've heard there's pretty good food there. 

Lunch at Soi 47 Orchard Central

It's not wise, I tell you, to go for a (late) lunch at Soi 47 when your last meal was an (early) breakfast of soft boiled eggs, coffee and berry smoothie at the start of the same day.

You'll tend to overorder when you're at Soi 47, and it takes a good deal of determination to ensure you don't order everything you want to have that's on the menu. 

There was so much I wanted to have.

Like their salt baked fish, which honestly, I cannot remember now whether or not they grill it, bake it, or fry it, but it's a huge fish they use, it tastes like it's fried, and has these huge crystals of salt all over the fish that I like dabbing at before I place the morsel of soft, tender fish in my mouth. 

I wanted their fried spring rolls, their Moo Ping, their pineapple fried rice, fried kuay teow, and their Tom Kha too. 

But one cannot eat so much, even at lunch time, so we limited our dishes for the day to just four. 

Having to decide between all the appetizers offered on the menu, especially the spring rolls and the Moo Ping, was difficult- I take a great fancy to both- but in the end we decided to go for the latter. 

Maybe because we often make this order at their Central outlet and we know that Soi 47 really does make their pieces thick, chonky and sweet. 

There's no compromise on the sauce when they place it on the grill- each piece is glistening seductively when they bring the plate out- and in their bright, cheerful place filled with natural light, you can appreciate the smooth, sticky shine at first bite. 

Each of us have our own way of eating Moo Ping. 

My companion likes tugging it off the stick with his fork.

I, on the other hand, prefer munching it off the stick a la street food style. 

There was a bit of discussion when it came to the soup, however. 

Me, I wanted Tom Kha- the coconut cream soup ubiquitous to Thai (Chinese) cuisine, and one of my favorites in the genre. 

But my friend wanted something spicier for the afternoon. 

So we compromised.

He got a pot of Clear Tom Yum soup.

I got a bowl of very green-looking Green Curry Chicken.

As it turns out, I was glad for the soup.

Filled to the brim with a heap load of vegetables and chicken pieces, it was, to my surprise, very refreshing. 

I had thought (quite mistakenly) that there would be the overwhelming taste of the tom yum spices but there was just only a slight fiery burn lingering on the palate, which affected nothing my pleasure of enjoying the green curry, or the beef fried kuay teow that I had also desired to try. 

It was fun picking out all the ingredients from my bowl using my chopsticks. 

There were lettuce leaves, soft lettuce stems, some sort of green leafy vegetables, various kinds of mushrooms, and a couple of tomato wedges bobbing about in the soup. 

The Clear Tom Yum Soup helped straighten out my senses, but it was the Green Curry Chicken that really stimulated it. 

Yes, seriously.

I'm not joking.

I don't know whether it's the lemongrass or the basil or the spices in the curry itself but I felt more energetic and alive after a couple of spoonfuls. 

It didn't even matter that there was  (on purpose) no rice to go with the curry. 

We simply drank it as if it were a thick, creamy broth, straight from the bowl itself. 

Our meal today saw the curry and our order of beef fried kuay teow come to the table around the same time, so happily I alternated between both dishes, enjoying the rounded warmth of the curry together with the delicious chewy texture of the noodles (fried dry style) at the same time. 

Special mention has to be made of this plate of beef kuay teow. 

It's one of the best I've ever had. 

You might say that I like it because I favor the dry type over the wet type.

You might also say that I'm biased because it's served at a non-local, diner-type place.

But it's really nice la. 

Okay, so it does look kind of ordinary (some will say it is)- a bit similar to what nearly every hawker center and zichar stall around the country sells, but oy, not every plate served comes in the style I like- not too oily, fried dry with sticky, chewy texture, with lots of noodles, plenty of ingredients, yet full of taste and wok hei feels as well. 

What made this dish even more special were the additional pieces of chicken scooped over from the green curry side.

Extra ingredients on the plate, as we often say. 

The only thing I wished I had for this meal but didn't get to have (too much carbs!) was the mango sticky rice. 

It's something I've been wanting to try for quite a while now but somehow haven't had much of a chance to have. 

Perhaps I should make dessert an important point as a post-dinner treat the next time I am there. 

Why not, if diet permits, and I can? 

Nikon's Peck Seah Street

Several months ago I was in the vicinity of Tanjong Pagar, Wallich Street, Peck Seah Street and Tras Street.

And because I happened to have Nikon Pink with me, out she came of her pink case on my trundles around the area, 

It wasn't the entire Tanjong Pagar area that Nikon Pink took that day, however. 

In fact she was very specific.

So, instead of capturing the housing blocks of Tanjong Pagar Plaza in her memory, she decided it more worthwhile to take picture of this century-old Chinese temple Seng Wong Gong that sits solidly on the its own plot of land at the junction of Peck Seah Street and Gopeng Street. 

There're a couple of stories associated (exclusively) with this Chinese Taoist temple and although I won't recount them here, I'm sure they will resonate with anyone who's interested in Chinese supernatural folklore.

Nikon Pink also decided to take picture of the entire Peck Seah Street looking towards Chinatown, and in particular, the site where a former Workers' Quarters used to be. 

It's really interesting how architecture and infrastructure can transform a place entirely from how one remembers it to be. 

It used to be much darker and dimmer here during those times when there was a large field and a large tree. 

It also used to be a series of staircases that led four stories up from the ground floor leading to (spacious) apartments on either side. 

That entire building, of course, is long gone now.     

It got torn down about a decade ago.

I'm not sure if it's accurate, but the actual site of that building might today be the driveway entrance of Sofitel City Center, a hotel brand that brings to mind convenience, (luxury) ambience and business-like atmosphere, and which, at Peck Seah Street forms part of Wallich Tower.

That wasn't all the pictures that Nikon Pink took. 

There was one (for nostalgia's sake) of International Plaza too- taken precisely because the building still holds a 70s vibe, and which will soon be en-bloc as well.

Sometimes I wonder what International Building was before it became International Building, but there probably aren't many who know. 

Or at least I so think. 

From this street- Gopeng? I walked along the car park behind the old ROV that would have been very familiar with everyone and anyone who ever had to come take their driving tests there. 

The Grandparent did.(Maybe)

The Parents did, too. 

If this building was known as the old ROV (I'm not really sure what it is now) then right across it was the lesser known but just as significant Custom House at Maxwell Road. 

An information plaque- courtesy of National Heritage Board- now stands at the front of the building, and a very good thing it is too, because it didn't leave out the presence of the Film Censor's Office nor the Maxwell Road Post Office either. 

Perhaps it might not be so important in the grand scale of things. 

Like, hardly anyone talks about the Film Censorship Department (in those days) and the role they played, but then again, times change, and who knows, of what importance it one day might be, and the influence there might be, too?

Laptop Decor

So, sometime earlier this year the Company held what we call a regular equipment upgrade/reshuffle, and I found myself the inheritor of my colleague's reformatted laptop. 

Not that it's a big deal- Company policy assigns gear on an as-needs basis according to the tasks required of the employee, and what with it not being hierarchy-driven, a junior employee might actually get a newer (faster) piece of gear (with better graphic cards) compared to, say, their senior colleagues from another department. 

I didn't mind that the gear was inherited.

It's Company policy, which I won't argue. 

But I did mind, however, the uniformity- as in, it wasn't me to leave it looking like it could belong to just about anybody in the Company- so I decided to customize it.

It turned out to be a bigger challenge than I thought. 

Because whilst the manner of things was to be 'as professional as possible', I was using this for both professional, and personal purposes, and given one who (strives) to integrate both (as much as possible) together in her life, I wasn't contented to leave my laptop looking boring aka professional. 

It needed shapes.

It needed color. 

And I wanted it to display a bit of my quirks and my personality as well

There was an idea of getting die-cut stickers from the booths in some of the shopping malls, but they turned out to be too pop-ish and too colorful for (upper management) me, plus therewas no time to rummage through the piles, so I threw that idea away, and eventually came to this.

Doesn't look too bad, does it?

It's not as fun as some of the millennial laptops are, but it doesn't look as severe as some of the work laptops are, either.

It takes quite a bit of balance, I assure you, to figure out what it is that suits the work you do, and what it is that suits the person that is you. 

That being said, first thing up, of course, was the SkinCalories label.

I knew I wanted that. 

Subsequently, everything else, including the border of the label itself, came after.

Originally I was going to put only the square shaped mood stickers (from Daiso) around the label, but then afterwards I decided that it needed a bit more shape, so out came the so calming but so hard to find chill-looking blue stickers that were a precise reflection of my mood at the start of this year.

We're in June right now. 

But it's still my mood. 

Will it continue to be my mood still? 

I don't know- maybe, maybe not- but after all this while, there is indeed a part of me that yearns for the serenity of space, the calmness of mind, and the solitude that mood images like these can bring. 

Putting contemplation aside, I actually love how it looks. 

Not just because SkinCalories means more than just a skincare company (and brand) to me, not just because I've made the colors of purple, lavender and lilac signature, but also because the images are mature enough that bring out a smile from the serenity-loving soul in me. 

Itacho and... me

Friends familiar with me and my blog will know that I favor Itacho Sushi as one of my favorite sushi joints.

It isn't just the (extensive) menu that speaks to me.

There is the consistency too. 

It's like I know that I'll get the same efficient service, and the same standards of food never mind which outlet I go. 

So I might be at Bugis one day and at Star Vista the next.

Or I might be at Novena one day, and at Bedok the next. 

It doesn't matter- the quality of whatever I order will be just as good- and the same.

One of our favorites whenever we come here to Itacho is this sushi. 

I don't know what the name is in the menu- but I like to call it salmon maki with tempura bits.

It's a nice dish to have; you get a medium-thick slice of salmon on top of the maki, and another slice of salmon tucked snugly within. There's a bit of mayo, the maki has seaweed, of course, and the sushi rice which adheres easily to the seaweed.

I oft have this piece in one whole bite.

 What makes this dish extra appealing is the tempura. 

It adds a most lovely, (light) crunch to the sushi, and we oft find ourselves chasing  after the remaining bits of tempura from the plate after we've munched up the maki. 

Another favorite of ours is the roasted salmon belly. 

I've been having this sushi since I first started eating there a decade ago. 

And I continue to eat it still.

I like how they flambe the surface of the salmon just before they bring it to you.

I like how the oils of the salmon belly soak into the rice and make it all soft and mushy and tasty. 

And I like how tender (and fresh) the salmon belly is. 

More often than not the salmon simply melts in your mouth, and it's so light that, honestly, it's not difficult to have at least six, or thirteen. 

Having two of our regular favorites at Itacho doesn't mean that we don't order anything else or try anything new.

We do.

Like the sweet potato fries that come served with some sort of mayo.

Like the Kagoshima wagyu sushi whose beef oils always soak into the rice and make the grains taste as if they had been prepared with essence of beef.

And like the soy sauce salmon sushi that have two versions- one with cod roe sauce (I think)- that they offer at a most wonderful price if you're there at the meal time hour. 

Grill Test at One Farrer

Now, we don't always get to do new things whenever we go for weekend breathers, but we had just gotten one of those small portable grills, and we thought we might try it out this time. 

So we did. 

It wasn't hard bringing the grill- the thing is actually small, compact, and easy to pack.

What's hard, however, is trying to figure out the crockery, the cutlery, and even the condiments that one should bring there. 

I opted for four pairs of chopsticks, four disposable Chinese-style soup spoons, two microwaveable boxes, two small little plastic bowls, and a packet of wet tissue.

My friend, in charge of the condiments, opted for a tiny container of duck fat (made from some of the frozen foie gras which we'd bought), a bottle of olive oil, Himalayan pink salt, butter, and some pepper. 

I don't have pictures of our breakfast on the grill.

i do, however, have pictures of the food that we made using the grill. 

Let's just say it was as successful as it could be, and I had a most delightful time sitting cross-legged on the ledge munching on a piece of warm, crusty bread that had been heated on the grill, with two beautifully fried eggs sitting in one box, plus a perfectly cooked scrambled egg sitting in  the other. 

It wasn't hard to prepare.

It wasn't hard to clean up either. 

There was, of course, the concern about the smoke and the smell, but this grill didn't release much of either, and we'd come prepared.

So out with the glass lid it was whenever we saw a wisp of smoke rising up.

And body sprays make marvelous solutions when you're trying to hide the smell. 

One good thing about One Farrer Hotel is that it's very, very near to Mustafa- where a great variety of body sprays are- and although I can't remember whether or not I got Yardley this time, I think I probably brought my lavender body spray along. 

The view out the window here at One Farrer is not one you can forget, never mind how many times you've been here, and how long it's been since the last time you came. 

You'll just see it anyway. 

Perhaps it is the sight of condominiums along the road and in the Jalan Besar area beyond. 

Perhaps it is the east horizon.

Perhaps it might even be the flats of Rowell, and the shop houses in the enclave of Little India right below. 

I always find myself looking pensively outside the windows whenever I am here. 

Yet I don't know why. 

I wonder if it might be that I'm hoping for a day where I can keep looking outwards instead of inwards and downwards. 

I wonder if it might be because I'm yearning to be continuously on a higher plane where I'm looking out, and being out, instead of looking in, and being in. 

The pictures I've taken this time of One Farrer aren't the prettiest. 

Maybe they represent my sense of mood and heart.

Maybe they're just what they are because I haven't figured out the entire thing yet. 

I don't know. 

But it is a calming environment, this place, and I'm glad for the ease, gentle comfort, and general privacy that she brings. 

I may not have liked some of the duties that I'd had to do whilst I was there, but at least the place- and her relative silence- helped me get through what it was I had to do. 

Mt Fuji Nabe @ Niku Kappo

Someone told me about this place, suggested I should go. 

As usual I had my regular bunch of questions. 

Because, see, I like variety in my meals, and this place- located on the 3rd basement of ION Orchard- seemed to be offering little else in the form of variety but... meat. 

But the idea seemed interesting, so we went. 

I had been expecting to see (only) meat on the menu, so you can imagine my surprise when there was not just meat on the menu, but a host of other dishes too. 

In fact so detailed are they that they've got four different kinds of menus for their dine-in. 

There's the Lunch menu, the Grand Menu, the Course Menu and the Special Menu. 

I didn't get to take a good look at the Lunch Menu, but there's a Gyu Don set, a Salmon and Ikura Rice in Stone Pot set, Teriyaki Chicken Pizza and even a Roasted Mackerel Set. 

There was, of course, much more on the Grand Menu, with Yaki Tetsu EDO Style and KOBE style taking the front page. What it really is, I don't know, but I think it looked like a hot grill of sorts, and whilst there was a lot of beef, the dish came served with vegetables, tofu, and gluten slices in sweet miso sauce. 

My attention, however, was distracted by all the sushi, and the picture of the Wagyu Roll Maki that seemed light, and fascinating.

To my surprise they also had a Salmon Carpet, which picture showed a block of thinly sliced salmon prepared two different styles, one lightly seasoned, one half grilled and topped with mayonnaise. 

The picture of the Wagyu Red Carpet with Uni Sauce also seemed interesting. Like the Salmon Carpet, there were all these beef sliced thinly carpaccio style and served with homemade uni sauce. 

For a while I wondered if we were going to go for the yakitori or even warm tapas like the Truffle Chawanmushi and the Mentai Tofu.

I also wondered if my friend was keen on the Potato Bacon Pizza, but no, straight to the Hot Pot page he went. 

There was a little tilt of the head on my part, but didn't take me long to see just why this Mt. Fuji Nabe was the exact dish that we had come to Niku Kappo for.

Because this is not only a delicious dish with freshly sliced beef, it is a visual feast. 

They aren't kidding when they call it Mt. Fuji.

It really comes to you looking like the mountain herself. 

Plus you get options- in the form of pork, beef and pork, or just beef alone. 

Our order today was beef, and can I say just how surprised I was when the wait staff brought it to our table? 

Yes, I had been expecting a hot pot of sorts, but certainly not this impressive-looking heap of meat standing tall and majestic on the table right in front of me. 

What charmed me even further was the sprig of vegetables (I don't know what they are) that they'd arranged on Mt Fuji Nabe's summit. 

It felt like spring. 

So charming was the Mt Fuji Nabe that for a while I actually wondered aloud just from where I ought to start. 

Eventually we began by eating from the top.

And thankfully, despite my fears, the mountain didn't come crashing down. 

I cannot remember now what it is that kept the structure of the mountain looking the way it did. 

It's either a bunch of skillfully arranged tougay or it might be something else altogether. 

Whatever it was, the structure held firm all the way until we came to the foot of the mountain, and then after that there were all the vegetables swimming away happily in the pot. 

There was tougay, there was cabbage and there was tofu. 

And the soup was a collagen-rich pork bone soy sauce broth with dashes of black sesame oil. 

Perhaps the best part of the dish was the broth. 

Between the both of us we nearly cleaned up the pot, and would have wanted an additional serving of the soup alone had they allowed us more. 

But today we weren't here just for the star dish of this meal.

We were here to have dinner, and so along with this masculine, nature-inspired dish of Mt Fuji Nabe, we ordered a Salmon Carpet, and a Mentai Tofu too. 

I think the idea of deep fried tofu with mentai mayonnaise and all that cheese was particularly enticing. 

I wanted to try the Wagyu Mozzarella Menchi too.

Maybe I'll save some space for this dish next time

Deep fried croquette balls filled with wagyu mince and mozzarella cheese sound like a great addition to the Mt Fuji Nabe meal, don't they?