Kim San Leng @ Bedok Central

This coffee next to Sheng Siong Supermarket has become, in recent months, one of my favorite places to eat whenever I'm in Bedok Central.

I don't know how I came to find out about it. 

Neither do I know when it was that I began to want to dine there. 

A lot of it, I suppose, had to do with the proximity of the coffee shop, and of course, the chap cai png stall. 

People tend to underestimate the strength of a chap cai png stall- it's every day food, they say, nobody cares, let's just do whatever needs to be done- but then, that is the whole point. 

It is every day food. 

And because it is every day food, it is the stall that diners generally look out for first before they look at anything else. 

It used to be the case that people decided on a coffee shop based on, say, the quality of their kopi. 

Maybe it still is.

But these days people also cast judgment based on the variety, and amount of food at the coffee shop's chap cai png stall. 

It doesn't matter whether they will choose it or not.

But it will help them decide whether they buy from the other stalls in the same coffee shop or not. 

It's like, if a coffee shop can't do their chap cai png well- if the food doesn't have variety, if the food doesn't have quantity, or if the food isn't enticing- it's assumed (sometimes wrongly) the wanton mee stall, the fishball noodle stall, the chicken rice stall and the roast meat stall all won't be doing well either. 

This Kim San Leng, fortunately, has what I feel is a fairly good chap cai png stall. 

Never mind what time I come- 11am, 3pm, 530pm, 830pm- the stall is always brightly lit, and there's always sufficient variety, and amount, of food in the dishes at the stall.

It isn't always that I have the chap cai png though- in all this while, maybe a couple of times, all of which I dabaoed and brought back to the void decks nearer home to eat. 

But because this be such a decisive stall, I know the others be just as good and I order more from the other stalls as well.

Like this afternoon where we looked about and around and decided we'd have two plates of cheong fun from the cheong fun stall, a bowl of wanton soup, and a selection of dim sum from the dim sum stall. 

I was so glad for all this, I tell you. 

Sometimes some of the nicest foods are those that you can have at unexpected places, like the cheong fun at this coffee shop that is, if I'm not wrong, pretty famous, with the chef having hailed from a five-star restaurant (I forget which one) before opening up this stall here at Kim San Leng. 

What I love about the cheong fun is its smooth, silky texture that, surprisingly, gives you a bit of chew. The chew's not in the thickness of the rice roll sheet. It is in the number of rolls the sheet has been spun, and because one eats the cheong fun as a piece, what you get is a smooth texture of rice roll that has that chew because there're at least four spins in each piece. 

Not just that, there's also the sauce, and the filling, which is substantial when it comes to the prawn, and the char siew. We take a special liking for the prawn- it's small but not tiny- and there's chunks of chonky char siew cut the right size nestled within the pillowy rice roll. 

I like the fact that the sauce isn't too salty. 

Same too can be said of the dim sum. 

Yes, it does look a wee bit ordinary in the pictures, but the salted egg lava buns are filling- you have a fair bit of chew in the bun- and you know you have to be careful with the filling when you accidentally take too large a bite and it comes flowing out. 

Salted egg lava buns are one of my favorite paus to have, and here they do it pretty well. There's a hint of sweetness to the filling, and you don't get jerlak even if you eat two. 

I liked the char siew fan cai too. 

Perhaps the magic of it lies in how long they take to steam. 

I have had fan cais where the rice, although soft and tasty, was soft to such a degree where the grains all stuck together and had the same texture as would the lor mai kai, except that it somehow doesn't feel as right when it comes to fan cai.

Then I have had fan cais where the rice was cold, the char siew was cold, everything was cold, and it was so unappetizing that it became a chore to eat it all up. 

Thankfully there was none of that here.

Not with the siew mais, which were firm and full of meat even after we'd left them alone for a while. 

I can't say which of which these dishes I like best- looking at them now they're all very appetizing to me- but let's just say I'm glad we ordered the wanton soup.

Yes, it was a bit of a surprise, but I do have a love for the soup, and the wantons from this particular (brand) stall, and I always like ordering a bowl when I'm here. 

It isn't just the soup which is clear and flavorful and has the balance of (warm-feeling) meat, but also the wantons which have smooth, thick, yet silky skin, are of the perfect bite-size easy to pick up with chopsticks and easy to bite, and are stuffed so full of soft, perfectly boiled minced meat that every bite simply mushes inside your mouth, filling it with taste, texture and homecooked Asian warmth all at the same time. 

Macau: The Journey There

Couple of days ago I looked through some of the posts I had from 2024 and realized, to my surprise, that I hadn't written anything specific about Macau, or even the journey there. 

The thing about going to Macau isn't merely about being there.

It is also about the journey getting there. 

Maybe one wouldn't feel so much if one had flown there- Macau does have an international airport after all, but one feels more when taking the land, or sea transport over from Hong Kong. 

Taking the ferry is a scenic (if rocky) experience. 

Taking the bus, however, is a whole new experience altogether. 

I'm talking about the view. 

Never had I known that the land route to Macau via the New Territories would be so scenic. 

And never had I known that the sight of rolling hills falling into the sea would have such an impact on me. 

It's one thing to know about the hills on the Kowloon side leading to the New Territories. 

It's another thing, however, to experience them through the windows of a moving bus driving you from a little shop counter space in Jordan to the Venetian Macau. 

The view was breathtaking. 

What made it more interesting, though, was the contrast between Hong Kong and Macau that you saw right after you emerged from the undersea bridge. 

It's as if the sea became your connection from untouched elements of nature to the elements of urban. 

Because right after the blue of the sea, after your bus had passed a jetty and a car park everything, you landed yourself the sight of a petrol station, an overhead bridge, and a hotel. 

Pretty much the regular day to day feels of Macau. 

You could practically imagine a motorcycle stopping at the petrol station to pump fuel. 

Or a group of people walking intently across the overhead bridge, taking shelter from the mid-day sun. 

Seeing the structures of their everyday life fascinated me. 

Akin it was to getting a glimpse into their styles, their lives, their (seemingly) ordinary day to day. 

Subsequently, as I went around on the bus to the other side of Macau (where the Tower was), out the bus window, I'd get to see more, and may I just say, I'm so glad. 

They might not be the best colors- the bus windows were tinted and I didn't want to adjust- and they might not look glittery or glamorous, but there is a sense of solidness to them that refuses to be ignored. 

Big, huge, towering, sturdy, some say too concrete-y and brutalist, but they are a sight of Macau oft not featured, oft not talked about, oft set aside. 

And in all honesty I don't know why they should be. 

People do live there, sleep there, work there, shop there, eat there, after all. 

Bus Sights: Changi-Geylang

You know, there was a time when I would take lots and lots of pictures whenever I got on a bus, or went out on a bus ride. 

But they've decreased in the last few years.

Not because there's nothing of interest to take. 

Not because the scenery outside the bus window doesn't appeal to me. 

But because in the last few years I've become more prone to falling asleep on the bus and Chonkycam ends up back in the bag after a while. 

A pity it is, but that's how it has been, even this particular afternoon on Bus 51 where we'd boarded from the Jalan Awang bus stop to head into town. 

For some reason Chonkycam came out only when the bus was approaching Joo Chiat Complex and Joo Chiat Road.

The entrance of this road is familiar to me. 

The driveway of this building is also familiar to me. 

Much wider the drop off point is now, much more spacious too. 

And one no longer needs to squeeze through people standing about and around the taxi stand anymore. 

I wonder if the Mr. Vadai shop is still opposite though. 

Onwards the bus went, stopping at the Haig Road Market and Food Center where I unfortunately didn't get to take picture of anything else but the roof of the bus stop, and the residential condo above KINEX behind. 

Further on was the junction of Tanjong Katong Road, City Plaza in front, KINEX behind. I'll always think of this stretch as the part with the coffee house. 

Even though I haven't had the chance to eat there, I've seen a stall offering some sort of fried bananas and kueh kueh and I have been charmed. 

After this junction, the bus stopped at the bus stop outside City Plaza where thankfully I managed to get a couple more pictures of the bus stop, the exterior of the shopping center, and the mobile phone shops looking out towards the road. 

It is up to anyone's thought (what with the attempt to enbloc and all) just how long this plaza will continue to be. 

Or whether- should the attempt succeed- this field, this park will still remain. 

Running alongside the canal by the curve of Guillemard Road, the park looks quiet and empty now, but come Sunday and the grass will be dotted with picnicker groups on their mats sitting about, lying down, eating, snacking, dancing, relaxing, chatting with each other. 

From here the bus entered the stretch commonly known as Geylang, first passing by the junction of Guillemard Road, and the wholesale shop that sells Christmas trees as early as October, then further down, after a salon called Mary-something, after another salon of the Vietnamese style,  there's the mobile phone shop and the restaurant that, if I'm not wrong, sells evening zichar. 

SKOSH's Rosti @ NAFA

I had been a little surprised the other day when my colleague suggested lunch at this cafe on Bencoolen Street near Sunshine Plaza where we had gone to get a couple of materials printed. 

I hadn't known that there was such and such a cafe in NAFA. 

All along I had thought there were a Toast Box and that be it. 

But no, there was this cafe called SKOSH, my colleague said, it was on the ground floor facing the main road, and it served what they called Japanese fusion cuisine. 

I'm no foodie enough to define what exactly Japanese fusion cuisine is. 

But if it's anything like the menu here at SKOSH, well, I'm all for it. 

There're not many places that offer food as clean-tasting as this one. 

Then again, if there are, I'm not familiar where they be. 

The menu here at SKOSH is predominantly brunch, and dinner, and offerings for both are not the same. 

Which menu is better, I don't know, it depends on your appetite, but it is rather enticing to get to choose between, say, a Tsukune Don, a Beef Shabu Shabu Pizza, a Crab & Ikura Fettucine, or a Mentaiko Rosti- all on the dinner menu. 

It does not make easy choice as well when on the brunch menu they have Chicken Katsu & Waffle, Truffled Cream Mushroom Linguine, Grilled Salmon Don and Big Breakfast, not to mention the selection of sandos and onigiris. 

I considered having a Chicken Katsu Sando.

But, to tell the truth, the Big Breakfast sounded rather appetizing. 

Who wouldn't like, for instance, a plate with Egg, Chicken Ham Steak, Yuzu Kombu Butter Toast, and Tater Tots along with Baked Beans and a salad of Cherry Tomatoes and Lettuce with Roasted Sesame Dressing?

The Yuzu Kombu Butter Toast and the Tater Tots were especially attractive. 

But the appetite this afternoon wasn't quite there.

So, instead of the Big Breakfast, the Oyakodon, or the Chicken Katsu with Waffle, we shared a bowl of Chunky Mushroom Soup, then got an order of Mentaiko Rosti where we added on a Grilled Chicken Chop. 

The Chunky Mushroom Soup was really good. 

It had a hint of creaminess and a What charmed me most wasn't just how perfectly shredded the potatoes were, how well-fried the rosti was, or even the presence of bonito flakes and nori on top. 

It were the bits of tempura crunch, tossed ever so casually all over the chop and the accompanying salad. 

That feel, that bite, that gentle yet satisfying crunch, made for the best surprise when chewing through the delicious soft mush of the potato, the firm of the chicken chop, and the creamy melt of the mayonnaise sliding around with the Mentaiko sauce.   

If the main of potato and chop and sauce felt savory and solid and reassuring, the salad was undoubtedly refreshing. 

In the bowl was Romaine lettuce- one of my favorite vegetables of all time- sliced onions and a small but cute cherry tomato- plus the salad dressing (it felt like Yuzu) and then there were the little balls of tempura crunch which made this salad a coveted one. 

So clean and refreshing the salad was that I felt like having it all on its own, but interestingly, for all its clean feels, save for a Small Bite Miso Caesar Salad, a plate of vegetables was something that SKOSH didn't provide.

Instead they had dessert, and drinks. 

There'll be another time when I come back to try their Matcha Tiramisu, or their Houjicha Brownie with ice cream. 

There'll be another time when I come back to have their Earl Grey Lavender Cheesecake (because, why not?)

And maybe their drinks. 

They've a Taro Latte, a Coconut Latte, even a Biscoff Latte. 

Biscoff should be an interesting drink to have. 

And an sweet, stimulating drink to take on the road. 

Marketing: PETE- A New/Not So New Strategy

We live in a world that is remarkably familiar with the 4Ps of Marketing. 

Whether it be from New York to Kansas to San Francisco to Delhi to Jakarta to Berlin, to Taipei, London, Israel, Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur, no mistake, everyone and anyone who has ever done an academic pursuit in Business Management or Marketing or even any specialty related to the world of business, they no doubt would have come across these fundamentals of Marketing in what most likely was the very first lecture of the term. 

I would know. 

I should know. 

Understanding the 4Ps got me through the module of a diploma-level group project that involved amateurish marketing research into the branding of instant noodles. 

Application of the 4Ps in a thesis about a social service program earned me my bachelor's degree. 

I had thought I knew (more or less) what the whole business of these 4Ps were about. 

But then life came, I moved around, saw different things, and now I know- not all theories work best for everywhere. 

No doubt it is a good theory, one that guides well when it comes to bringing a product out to market but primarily it works best when there're foundations in place, when those foundations have already been applied, or when there's simulation practice in one way or another. 

What if then there are territories where the foundations and fundamentals have been (for whatever reason) somewhat difficult to apply in the regular context of Trade, Business and/or Marketing, or where parameters for the simulations are constantly evolving?

The world is a big place.

And not every place is the same. 

What works for one market might not necessarily work most effective for another. 

And what doesn't work for one market might in fact be the optimal solution for another. 

Let's say, for example, that there be a territory whose people aren't always at hand to apply the fundamentals- let's say it's a big place, or it's a place with some sort of happenings that do not permit easy learning of the fundamentals, or they might have their expertise in other areas besides applying these theories.

What happens then? 

In this somewhat linear formula of MBA-style 4Ps, will they then never be able to bring their products to market?

Or, let's say they do manage to pick up the fundamentals, how long will it take? 

These were questions that came to mind the more I looked about and looked around. 

But somewhere along the way there came opportunities where parts of the puzzle came together, and now, there is, I think, a roadmap that gives room in such territories for products to go to market without having to pay too much attention to the 4Ps. 

In business lingo this roadmap is known as Entertainment Commerce, or Entertainment Marketing. 

In easy lingo, let's just call it PETE, which, coincidentally, is an acronym for the four components that this solution constitutes. They're not linear, by the way, these components. Rather, they work in a sort of cyclical manner where one leads to another and where one cannot do without the other. 

Are they of equal importance?

Yes, and no. 

Yes, because they harmonize and balance each other out perfectly. 

No, because two components form the bedrock for the other two to work. 

Let's begin with the first bedrock component.

PRODUCT. 

This is a no-brainer.

Without Product, we have nothing to talk about. 

There's nothing to market.

There's nothing to sell. 

To apply this puzzle, the product must be ready to be presented to the market. Meaning that it cannot be 'in development', it cannot be a 'prototype' and neither can it be 'an MVP'. 

It has to be ready to be sold.

It has to be ready to be marketed. 

It has to be ready to be used. 

SkinCalories applied this PRODUCT component in 2019 with the launch of its Active Glow Mist 100ml, followed a couple of years later by its Active Glow Mist in pocket size of 15ml. That's not the end of it, however, you don't do this with one product in two sizes. No, you have to have at least three, and so there's a Bubble Mask and a Beauty Balm BB Cream's coming along the way. 

In and of itself it's best of the product has the attributes to stand out on its own, especially if the market, like that of Skincare in which SkinCalories is in, is a highly competitive one. 

As such, the Active Glow Mist, manufactured in South Korea, is lavender scented, is made 100% out of organic ingredients, has an EWG certification, works for all ages, and can be used on sensitive skin as well. 

Now comes the second bedrock component.

TECHNOLOGY. 

This is fundamental. 

The whole system, the whole ring, needs this component to function, to work, to be applied effectively to all of the other components as well. 

But, mind, in this context the Technology component doesn't refer to merely Internet connection or Mobile connection or apps or communication tools, but it is the exemplar of technology both current and advanced demonstrated in a singular method: An Avatar. 

SkinCalories revealed the presence of the Technology component through the creation of MAGDA. 

In this avatar alone we have the current technologies of 2D software, 3D software, rendering, digital art, and everything that comes along with it. 

The image alone is a good representation of the current technology. 

SkinCalories has used the avatar of MAGDA on websites, decks, social media, and messaging apps. 

Very useful when creating banners like these to be used as greetings during festive occasions, I tell you. 

But is there all there is to technology? 

No. 

There is still the advanced technology, yes? 

So where does that get demonstrated? 

Say hello to the third component. 

The ENTERTAINMENT. 

Or, as I like to call it, the Character. 

It is the Character that celebrates the strength of advanced technology. 

It is the Character that- with his or her own story- does not drop the line when the campaign is over because she has her own (fictional) journey worthy to be funded as an entertainment franchise. 

It is the Character that enables a personality to shine through so much so that it can be an inspiration, it can be translated into various forms of mediums, it has multiple applications, and it centralizes the whole system in one form or another. 

If you're wondering what the interweave between Entertainment and Technology is, well, let's just keep in mind that the strength of advanced technologies lies in a distinctive function: Real-time Interaction.

What better way, then, to go one step further, and bring Entertainment into the picture, make the avatar into a Character- one that has a story worthy enough to be grown into an entertainment franchise- and through a medium that has the potential to show just what the strengths of said advanced technologies are. 

No more is Technology limited to the abilities of social interaction between person to person, even though we have that in the form of social media and messaging apps. 

Now there's AI. 

Machine-Learning.

Knowledge. 

Which in reality is mostly words until you communicate all that data through the visual of an avatar. 

It could be within an app, for instance- where, say, you make an enquiry about skincare to the avatar (MAGDA, of course), the AI system gathers all the information and knowledge for you, and the avatar MAGDA communicates that answer to you. 

But that's not all. 

Interaction, and real-time interaction are different. 

Plus, advanced tech covers the chips and the graphic cards and the Cores and the augmented reality. 

Technology is moving beyond that of words to that of visuals, and richly colored, realistic visuals at that. 

It is now a technology that pushes for real-time engagement, real-time interaction that combines the best of data from data servers and throws that out to you beyond the context of words into images that enhance and augment your reality. 

It is for this reason that SkinCalories built a universe around MAGDA, taking her beyond a name and an avatar image into one that has a backstory, a Character Bible, a story beyond, a personality, a growth journey and a developmental arc. 

And it is for this reason that she has a Manga, a Music Video (with SkinCalories's own song Vroom Vroom) and an upcoming Anime that forms the Entertainment component. 

Remember what I wrote earlier about the Product component including an Active Glow Mist in its collection, and that it was lavender scented? 

Well, let's just say that the story carries the theme of Hydration, the theme of Five Elements (harmony) and a lavender flower from the heavens that embodies crystal clear luminance and glistening glowing brilliance. 

Some of us might be wondering just why such mediums be chosen. 

Why not do a live?

Why not do a documentary?

Why not do a game? 

Actually... there is a game. 

There always is. 

But we do consider the presence of INTEL and NVIDIA, and of course, the ACG community which is, in fact, one of the largest and fastest growing communities worldwide. 

We have thus far talked about the three components of this PETE circle. 

Perhaps it is hard to understand how E and T can be so intertwined, but when you consider what the whole meaning of real-time interaction is about, when you consider what the upcoming gear of AR glasses and everything else is about, you'll see that it is T that takes the E to the interactive level, whilst the E celebrates the capabilities of the T. 

So in that sense the T interacts with the E, the E interacts with the T, and then there's the product itself- the P- which (through the AR avatar on her packaging) interacts with both the E and the T. 

But as with all things, in the system, even a harmonious one as this, there's always a climax, a high point, and in this case, it is the second E. 

EVENT. 

People have wondered just what the significance of having an Event is- in the context of PETE- and what the relevance is to the other three components are. 

Very simply put, this last E draws all three together and cements it as a complete system. 

We don't need to delve into discussion just how powerful festivals and events big and small. 

It goes without saying that an Event, in and of itself, is a crowd puller. 

It is an occasion that creates a purpose, unites the community, and serves as both a platform and a presence both at the same time. 

That's what Events are. 

In context of the PETE, however, the Event serves as a focal point when the other three components have begun their way. 

It is at this E (of an Event) that one can transform a product into related merchandise, not merely as a product giveaway as most brand sponsorships do, but as a connection point between the product and the nature of the Event itself. 

When it comes to T the Technology part, whether it be current, emerging or advanced, there is no stopping the stage from becoming a celebration of said Technology. 

And of course there's E the Entertainment, which is the crux of the Event, and what this whole thingmajig is organized for. 

There have been (interested) questions as to how the whole Event can come together

Like, how does it work? 

How can it be done?

It takes a bit of explanation but let's take a look at SkinCalories' upcoming event "Groove & Glow: Ultimate Freestyle War" . 

First of all, would you believe me if I told you that this event weaves the seemingly separate elements of dance, technology and culture seamlessly into a tapestry that celebrates sound, movement, and entertainment? 

Because whilst at first glance it seems to be that of a skincare company (Glow) being involved in dance (Groove) under the genre of freestyle (but which also includes hip hop, street, contemporary and the like), let's not forget the other three elements, namely, Technology, which is, if you ask me, the depth of what this whole event will be. 

But yes, for this Event, there is Technology in Dance.

There is Technology in the Technology.

And there's Technology in the Culture. 

It is expected that dance crews do their best choreography for a competition but Groove & Glow has a technological twist in the form of an (additional) member in their crew- MAGDA. Their moves will need to consider, and include digital character MAGDA in their crew, and by so doing, keep in mind the present capabilities of animation, and motion capture technology. 

It wouldn't be enough, of course, to incorporate motion capture technology and animation and not have a place to showcase it. 

Here's then the Technology part, which, in this context covers both the visual representation of it (MAGDA) and the technology of Unreal Engine that renders the character, and her moves, real-time. 

It is the kind of performance that augments the physical stage with that of a digital character who will be performing the same dance moves as her real life counterparts, bringing the presence of Mixed Reality to what would ordinarily be a regular dance competition. 

Now, if this be the Dance and the Technology covered, where then is the presence of said tech in the Culture?

The scenarios. 

The sets. 

The sets of Groove & Glow are not a blank canvas.

It wouldn't be Mixed Reality Immersive that way. 

So the organizers have planned that the scenarios take place in, say, an Alley, an Underground Fight Club, a Marketplace, a Rooftop... all crafted by Unreal. 

So, yes, there is Tech Tech in the core of this whole PETE system. 

But it isn't just in the hands of the participants. 

It's also in the hands of the attendees and those who are watching it livestreamed elsewhere. 

MAGDA's on the Product packaging, and given that it comes with each ticket, well, there you have it, the Product has turned into Event Merchandise.