Bus Ride Sights: Ubi-Circuit Road

This is one bus route that continues to be very new to me. 

I don't know where it was we were going on this particular afternoon but if I'm not wrong, I think we were heading to Serangoon Central from Steppyhouse and so took Bus 22 from the bus stop opposite the road. 

I've gone past the estate of Ubi pretty much often, but have never had a chance to wander about inside there. 

So a pleasant eye-opener it was to look out the window and see the view of (what I think is) Ubi Avenue 2 pass me by. 

I'm not very, very sure if this is Ubi Avenue 2, to be honest, but I don't remember the bus turning into any other road, and so this has to be it. 

What's interesting about this area is that the flats and factories are nearly side by side, very close together, almost enmeshed together like the most natural thing as if, like Taman Jurong once upon a time, they were supposed to be. 

There are a lot- A LOT- of factories this side of the road. 

Don't ask me who they belong to, or what they are- I've no idea- but if I'm not wrong, they're part of the industries we call as hardware supply, engineering, technical, mechanical, transport, and small medium enterprise. 

This is a place where on the shop floor you'll find heavy machinery of steel and other metals clanking away against each other.

This is a place where workers, clad in work overalls and heavy chunky work boots, take their skills to use with a set of well-used tools. 

There is a sense of camaraderie amongst the people here. 

Whether it be you see them at the coffee shops or at the back of the shops with their cigarettes during a smoke break, it's a community with mutual understanding between themselves, and everyone in the zone. 

Be not surprised to find well-worn work bicycles parked randomly here and there. 

Be not surprised too if everyone here has a backpack large enough to carry lots of stuff on their own. 

This is a place to expect good, hearty, tummy-satisfying food, however, and more often than not, the shiok factor of the food sold in the coffee shops here will be unparalleled. 

Meals here are a sort of reward, I should imagine, something that everyone looks forward to when the hour comes, and it's easy to anticipate takeaway boxes packed to the full. 

Seeing all these pictures I really have no idea what it is behind all these doors and windows. 

Some might be offices.

Some might be shop floors. 

Whichever it might be, the view's brightened somewhat with the presence of all these trees. 

After Ubi Avenue 2 the bus approached the junction of Paya Lebar Road, and zipped right across, entering the estate we call MacPherson, or some might say, Circuit Road. 

It's a whole range of roads that one goes through here, beginning from Circuit Road, then Pipit Road, then back to Circuit Road on the other side, after which it turns left into (a very short section of) Merpati Road, then finally Mattar Road.

For a long time now I hadn't known that there were that many roads in this small little estate here. 

Neither had I known that there were different flats of different designs from different eras clustered around this medium-sized housing estate with only the river, and the Circuit Road Hawker Center as her anchor. 

It's a bit of a pity that some of the country's oldest housing blocks in this estate have since been demolished. 

But that's how it is. 

And anyway the world's changed, no longer the same. 

These ten-storeyed flats so high above the ground on Merpati Road might have had at one time feel like a testimony of success and of hope, but in their last leg they were unfortunately much further down the status ladder than what they once used to be. 

Fortunately the flats of Circuit Road and Pipit Road are still going strong there.

As do the flats of Balam Road. 

Brunch @ OSCARS

Would you believe me if I told you that this is presently my sixth attempt to write this post, and that for the last five times I'd actually had quite a couple of paragraphs before I got pissed and deleted the whole thing off? 

It's ridiculous.

It's frustrating.

It's mind boggling, even.

I could understand if if there were, say, a lack of pictures, a lack of content or a lack of impressions, whatever.

But that's not the case.

I guess sometimes the words just won't flow.

And I don't know why. 

Might it be that I'm a little more tired than usual?

Might it be that so many things have taken place between now and then that I'm a little hazy about it all?

I doubt so.

Indeed, this was brunch at OSCARS during Chinese New Year season, and it might have been that lots of things have happened in between, but surely, a meal like this I would not soon forget.

How does one forget something as good as this? 

Now, at first sight it mightn't look much but this will mark as one of the most memorable dishes I've ever had at OSCARS thus far.

At the heart of this dish is a thick slice of warm brioche toast, over which there is a generous spread of avocado upon which then there is a piece of well-grilled foie gras, and finally, a smattering of pine nuts next to what I think is a slice of marinated cherry tomato.

Of course one must not be averse to carbohydrates, goose fat or the sensation of warm oil dripping down your throat as you bite.

You would not appreciate this otherwise. 

Then again there're lots of other offerings one can help themselves to. 

Amongst some of the other foods I tried that afternoon included this plate. 

This plate.

And this plate.

You'll see that there was quite a bit of salad. 

Oh, I don't mean the greens, which, come to think of it, I really should have tried, but then there were four different kinds of salad at the table there that day, and so instead of just pure lettuce, I took a serving of Prawn Salad with Clementine, a bit of Pasta from the Pasta salad, a couple spoonfuls of corn, a couple of sliced cherry tomatoes and cubes of feta cheese. 

Let's just say that I liked the corn so much I had it twice, first with the prawns from the prawn salad, the small cute little oranges and the quail eggs. After that I tried it with the roast beef topped with (my choice of) applesauce and surprise of surprise, it tasted pretty good. 

Looking back now I wonder why it was I didn't take more of the Chinese food.

I mean, they had fried rice and fried noodles and stewed vegetables and steamed fish all of that, and the only foods I took were a couple pieces of what I call Chinese Wine Chicken.

Next time I shall help myself to more. 

Would be a pity to miss out on some of their culinary skills otherwise. 

I'm glad I got to try out some of the kebabs and meat and sausage from the tandoori this time round. 

I'm also glad I got to try the laksa, which is, if you ask me, one of those dishes that you don't realize you have a craving for until you have it and then you want some more. 

I loved the noodles, the cockles, the taugey, the taupok, quail eggs, and rich gravy of coconut cream.

It was dessert time right after this gorgeous, delicious bowl of laksa that I added extra quail eggs into.

And straightaway I went to their dessert table, which, by the way, this year looked like this. 

Amazing, don't you think? 

You know, I'm generally not the kind who insists only on having desserts that are delicious and pretty to look at- usually I just eat- but coming here this time I learnt to appreciate the value of finesse, technique and detail.

I learnt to appreciate the beauty of a little mango mousse cake shaped like a golden pillow with a pretty yellow ladybird resting on top.

I learnt to admire the adorable charm of a small cute little orange mousse cake made in the shape of the kumquat fruit that I could only bear to look and not eat.

I learnt that it's possible to not devour everything even though you really, really want to.

I had a fine time admiring all these mochis modeled in the shape of fruits and flowers that reminded me of the snack sold in Thai street food stalls. 

And then there were all these little glass cups of vanilla mousse with cute little slices of clementines on top.

Seeing their display I began to understand the meaning behind color, shape, texture, and balance. 

Everything reminded me of a spring garden in bloom.

Best part, it weren't just the aesthetics that were so pretty to look at. 

The taste was lovely too. 

I wish I had gone for more of their cakes, their glass mousses, their warm desserts and their ice cream. 

But I was careful not to fill up, and so, instead of trying out one of everything, decided to have a couple of cookies, one slice of kueh lapis, a tiny little round of cheesecake, a really sweet red velvet mousse that had words of blessings on it, and two very sweet, very rich-tasting dark chocolate mousse rounds. 

Oh, and I had green tea. 

Full Course With Ce La Vi

A tad embarrassing it is, but I'd actually almost forgotten about the lovely meal that we'd had here.

And were it not for the fact that I was moving pictures around from one album to another on my phone, this  meal, and the gorgeous scenery, might have gotten left behind altogether. 

You know I always thought of Ce La Vi as a club, and nothing more. 

Which, she is. 

High up on the rooftop (aka ark) of the Marina Bay Sands, Ce La Vi is a clubbing hotspot for one to see, and be seen. 

But then she's also a restaurant, and so what that means is that you'll see a whole variety of people from all walks of life dressed in all sorts of fashion lining up in the queue at the lobby of the hotel 47 (is it 47?) floors down. 

We were appropriately dressed- casual smart, that is- in T-shirt and cardigan for me, casual T-shirt and cargos for my friend. 

No one got denied entry because of dress, however. 

Not even with gym shorts and sport sneakers, as I found out after when a guest got seated at the table right next to me. 

Coming up here takes a bit of wait though. 

But with a view like this, well, no wonder. 

We were here for a sort of late dinner this evening, and because nearly every dish on the menu looked so interesting, we decided we ought to be (a bit) careful. 

It would be too big a waste to have an occasion spoiled simply because you embarked on an adventurous route and ordered a dish you didn't like. 

It wasn't easy.

Amongst all the offerings they had, there were familiar favorites like Prawn Toast, which over here they had it made with Crab Salad, Brioche and Calamansi. 

There were dishes like Avocado Sushi Roll which included Nori and Japanese cucumber.

I was interested in the Tempura Zucchini Flower, because there was this thing called Furikake (which I've heard of), and Kizami Wasabi (that I figured was, really, wasabi), but mostly because I was keen to know how battered zucchini flowers tasted like. 

But what we agreed to order was the A4 Miyazaki Wagyu Nigiri. 

And let me tell you, the wagyu, glistening prettily under the lights with its own beef oils, was just so good. 

It might have been the size, it might have been the way it was lightly torched, but mushed together with the super soft rice- also flavored with beef oils- the whole piece melted away at first bite. 

So delicious was it that we wished we could have ordered more. 

But then the Nagano Pork Chop arrived at our table.

Which was, by the way, a lovely surprise.

I had fully expected the pork chop to be served the way most pork chops are served- just the full piece of meat by itself. 

But, no, this came neatly cut, ready to be shared by a group of two, three, or even four. 

There was no need to concern ourselves over who would have to slice through the chop with knife and fork.

There were no awkward moments on who would do the slicing.

Both of us alternated, one slice to me, one slice to the other. 

The flavors of this Nagano Pork Chop were unexpected. 

I don't mean the pork itself- that was, well, pork- but it must have been of good quality, because it wasn't tough, it wasn't dry, it wasn't hard to chew. In fact, so easy it was to eat it that we simply forked it up and nibbled.  

And it wasn't even just the meat that was nice.

The pork chop had been served with Yuzu Jus, and best of all, a salad that at first glance I had thought was broccoli but turned out to be a combination of Fennel, and Green Apple. 

I never knew just how refreshing and tart the taste of yuzu with fresh green apple mixed with the warmth of meat could be. 

But if I loved the pork chop, let me just say that I loved the Miso Mashed Potato even more. 

The appearance might look simple, even non-descript, at first glance you may think what's so big a deal, but oh no, with the excellent balance of flavors between the buttered (I think it's buttered) potato and the amount of scallion oil, far from simplicity this dish of is. 

I loved the texture.

It was smooth; smooth enough that were I not be seated at Ce La Vi, I would have licked it off the spoon .

By this time we were beginning to feel a little full, but then there was still dessert, which my friend and dining companion said was recommended and which we had to have. 

So we ordered the Petit Four Box, and a perfect choice it turned out to be. 

No easy choice, I tell you. 

Amongst the choices we had to make included this rather appetising dessert called the Celebration Platter consisting of Tropical Mango, Strawberry Miso Tart, Madagascar vanilla ice cream, and Passion Fruit ice cream. 

Then there was the Balinese Chocolate, served with fermented strawberry and feuilletine. 

And there was a sorbet that sounded refreshing in the flavors of lime and salted lychee. 

But the Calamansi Bon Bons, and the Petit Four box were something else altogether. 

I was delighted by the Calamansi Bon Bons.

Shaped in the form of little round balls that reminded me of chocolate balls, these here were filled with a liquid core of lime zest and tangy citrus, so each bon bon gave you a refreshing burst onto your palate, as if you'd taken a huge gulp of frozen lime mixed with citrus juice at one go.

The Petit Four Box was a literal tower of three different boxes pivoted at one end on a stand.

First up on top was the Yuzu Meringue Tart, a set of 6 that came with the cutest looking tarts and a dollop of lightly sweet but very rich meringue that made me think I was eating fresh cream. 

To eat this one bit first into the meringue, finished it up, and then afterwards tried to nibble one's way into the yuzu custard-like paste filling below. 

After that came the Green Tea Passionfruit pate de fruit. 

Which, although it looked like Rowntree's sugared pastilles to me, were incredibly sweet to such an extent that it was impossible to pop into the mouth, and instead had to eat it at a very, very slow pace, with very, very small bites. 

The Pandan Choux- at the bottom of the box- held a better balance of sweet and savory though, and eating each piece made me feel like I was eating a small, cute, kid-size puff filled to the brim with rich, sweet pandan mixed with rich, slightly salty, coconut cream. 

One of the best things about this dessert was the fact that it had been prepared with the notion that one might order from room service, or choose to do a takeaway to eat in the comfort of their room. 

So that's what we did, ate three pieces of each, and had the wait staff put the rest in a takeaway plastic box which we then brought back home. 

And, for the record, I nearly wanted to bring the whole tower of red colored boxes along with me back home also. 

Pool of Mandarin Oriental

A very long time it has been since I last stayed here at Mandarin Oriental in Marina Bay Downtown, but if there be impressions that I still remember after all these years, it'd be their in-house spa music playing over the in-room channel, and their swimming pool. 

There's something about their pool that fosters a spa-like ambience. 

Be it the planters surrounding the circumference of the outdoor pool area, be it the potted ferns that they've strategically placed here and there, be it even, the flowers, the vines and the leaves that guide you as you make your way through the glass doors of the pool area towards the rest area at the back. 

I'd been curious about Oriental's swimming pool for quite a while. 

Especially since they'd just undergone an extensive half-year renovation and I wanted to see if they'd kept the pool same.

So one evening after a lovely buffet dinner at new International restaurant EMBU, I went upstairs to take a peek.

Thankfully nothing's changed. 

I couldn't see the little 'huts' that charmed me all those years ago- too focused was I trying to settle myself down at the back where this cozy, intimate, yet windy built-in patio was- but I'm pretty sure they were there. 

I mean, it wouldn't have made much sense to remove them away. 

They were really popular.

I'm not kidding.

So coveted were they that guests would come up straight after an early breakfast (like the 630am to 7am slot), chope the huts for themselves, and stay right there- sometimes for the entire day.

You knew who they were.

They were the guests who came down armed with a swimming bag and floats and all kinds of swim paraphernalia. 

They were the guests who had two swim towels for everyone, slippers askew right under the huts, cushions left astray over the mattress of the hut, and water bottles brought down from the room. 

On occasion you might find a hut with a cocktail on the table beside it, or a Coke ordered from the poolside bar. 

On other occasions however there were huts which had little plastic bags hidden surreptitiously here and there behind the small cushions, or little Ziploc bags stuffed between the casually laid out towels. 

There were the families who had procured their own snacks and drinks- maybe even sandwiches and packed lunches- from (somewhere, perhaps the shopping mall downstairs) and brought them along so they didn't have to leave the hut for lunch and could spend the entire day lounging on the comfortable mattress in the hut, hopping in and out of the pool, drying out in the sun as much as they wanted.

It wasn't that surprising a plan, really. 

The pool here at Mandarin Oriental does, after all, boast one of the best views for a Downtown Bay hotel where, over the shimmering blue of the pool water, you get a view of the skyscrapers on the other side of the water, a view of the skyscrapers on the Marina Bay Financial Center side, a view of Esplanade's famous 'durian' roof, a view of Marina Bay Sands, and a view of this gorgeous, Romanesque-looking architecture that once housed the General Post Office, and which now houses the Fullerton Hotel. 

Best of all is the wind.

With nothing to obstruct the breezes coming in from the sea, the pool is refreshing, calming, relaxing even, under the hot tropical sun.

Me, I would have loved to chope one of those huts for myself to stone in for the entire day. 

In fact, a long while ago, when I did stay here for a day or two, I actually had a similar plan, or two. 

i would come here as early as I could- after breakfast, that is, around 930am because I can't do 630am brekkies- and if I'd managed to chope one of those huts, I'd bring along a stack of fiction paperbacks, a huge bottle of iced tea, a bagful of my favorite snacks, shut those fluttery white shade drapes around the hut, and, with my ears plugged in, spend the entire day reading away. 

Bus Ride Sights: Sembawang- Punggol

This was a long bus ride which I took somewhere in the latter part of last year.

If I remember rightly, it was probably around October, near the time of my birthday, because long bus rides are my thing, and going on two long bus rides (this being the second) were what I wanted to do. 

Getting here to Sembawang had taken us a long bus ride all the way from Kallang, and it were after wandering about Sun Plaza a little bit that we decided it were time to head back.

We weren't sure if we should take the train to Jurong East then switch to the East-West line, or if we should take a bus all the way back down until we reached familiar ground. 

The bus won.

Because Bus 117 had a rather intriguing route which I wanted to try.

So up we went, turning out first from Sembawang Bus Interchange then past Sun Plaza, and past the MRT before entering an area I'd like to call the Canberra zone. 

No mean intent, really, because this entire zone which the bus went along had stops along Canberra Street, Canberra Walk, Canberra Crescent, Canberra Link. 

Which of these pictures belonged to which, I can't tell- I'm not familiar with this area at all- but the sunset seemed especially peaceful, and I loved how the (wet) canal glistened beautifully in the orange glow of the setting.

They say that the north and the west hits different when it comes to the way light shines, and I have to agree. 

It isn't just how the light illuminates the housing blocks of the Yishun neighborhood or the Yishun Sports Hall (with its distinctive row of tall coconut trees) or even the blocks along Yishun Avenue 1.

It's the peace and the quiet which permeates through the area, especially when the bus passes by the place we call Yishun Dam which overlooks the Lower Seletar Reservoir. 

Is it the stillness that attracts me? 

Or may it be the calm of the waters?

Perhaps it's the latter. 

Whichever it might be, I found myself in a bit of contemplative mood where I felt strangely refreshed just gazing over the waters of the reservoir to the waters beyond. 

I wanted to drift away. 

I really did. 

But then the bus went along her way, and soon I found myself in the area of Seletar Airport, once Seletar Air Base. 

You know, I'm now kind of wondering whether it is only the waters of the reservoir and the sea that grants vibes of peace. 

Might it be also heritage and the history? 

Or the presence of timelessness as if there's something that still yearns to be said, and yet hasn't been said at all?

I soon realized that the serenity wasn't necessarily only at the waters of the Lower Seletar Reservoir, but the airport too. 

At another time this place might have been busy, but it was quiet this evening, and it was pleasant, I tell you, to see airport hangars up close, and buildings with the names of well-known airplane manufacturers mounted all in front. 

There was a vintage plane on display somewhere. 

As much as I liked seeing these buildings and the hangars all laid out so neatly, it were the sight of the airfields which charmed me. 

As if the years had never passed, as if they still were. 

What was it that here used to have, or here used to be? 

What was it that once existed before our population grew and the estates of Sengkang and Punggol and Hougang took over? 

There're hardly any stories I know.

Doesn't stop me wondering though, 

Like this waterway that today forms part of the Lorong Halus area but was it ever part of the Serangoon River?

Did it have any boat traffic? 

How many boats did there use to have, and where after that did they go? 

The area has transformed into a very calm and serene landscape now. 

Maybe a former boatman might take one look at this waterway and regale us blur ones of the days gone by. 

And maybe one day there'll be stories told of Kangkar and Hougang and Punggol and what this place a long time ago used to be.