One Farrer Hotel

It was quite a delight coming back here to this place after having been away for so long. 

I was glad to see that nothing (much) had changed- One Farrer Hotel more or less still looked the same- except maybe the buffet restaurant that used to be on the ground floor was now no more, replaced, instead, by a Chinese cuisine restaurant, which, judging by the groups standing by the entrance outside, looked popular with families and friends alike. 

We were given a room on one of the upper floors this time. 

I'd have loved to have the room with the longish foyer like what we had before, but we didn't get that one. 

Instead we got a room that had a nice wooden ledge right by the window next to my side of the bed.

I loved it. 

There was enough space for me to sit cross-legged, I could lean against the wall and write, and I could chuck my overnight bag onto the ledge and lay everything out.

Best part was that I could take pictures of the view outside with ease.

The view was marvelous, by the way. 

From where I stood on the upper floors of One Farrer, the buildings from the road below the hotel (Race Course Road? Tessensohn Road?), Owen Road, Starlight Road, Rangoon Road, Dorset Road, and the flats of Pek Kio Market at the back. 

It also covered the flats of Farrer Park, and Dorset, all the way to the CTE and beyond. 

From our window we could see the distinctive building of TTSH in the distance, and further beyond, the high rise condos of Moulmein and Novena. 

I found myself especially fascinated by the sight of this school building right below our window. 

I don't quite know which era it is- I should think it's probably the 50s or the 60s- and it made me wonder, because I know for a fact that this was a residential estate that time as much as it is now, and was this school already there back then? 

It's not every day that I get to be in such close proximity with a school of such architecture, and from a birds eye view, to boot. 

So, next day after a lunch of briyani mutton and butter chicken at Sakuntala's along Race Course Road, I went to take a closer look. 

But I didn't go in.

The building now houses the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and it's not wise to intrude on artists in midst of rehearsal, even if all you want to do is to take a picture of the staircases, the stairwells, the school corridor, the old school tuckshop and maybe an old classroom or two. 

That opportunity shall have to wait for another day (if ever there be one)

Honestly, it doesn't matter whether I get to see the school or not. 

I'm pretty content to take a wander around this area.

Because there's a lot to see. 

Yet, at the same time it's difficult to know where to start. 

It's a little embarrassing, but despite having a rough perspective of the area. I actually had no idea where to go after walking out from Starlight Road where the school was. 

So I simply made a right and turned onto Owen Road. 

From there I made another right onto Dorset Road (with her charming apartments) then went onto Rangoon Road. 

It might have been better had I started from the public housing blocks at the Farrer Park side. 

It might have been even better had I gone all the way to the back where the flats near the CTE expressway are. 

But I was curious about Owen Road. 

Not so much for the coffee shops, the trading companies and the eating houses that line along the shop houses there, but the plot of land where a VWO organization/school once used to be. 

It's long gone now, this school for handicapped children.

But I remember the place.

And I remember some of them. 

I sometimes wonder whether the girl with Down Syndrome continues to read her books as enthusiastically the way she did do when she was in the classroom at school. 

I also wonder about the girl with muscular dystrophy and whether she still has someone's arm to grip (tightly) on whilst she concentrates on brushing her teeth. 

I had thought I knew what the shops in the shop houses along Rangoon Road and Owen Road were. 

But no, I didn't. 

I didn't know what they were.

So, yes, it gave me a bit of surprise when I saw (import-export) trading companies, equipment trading companies, and even electrical hardware companies tucked between random cafes offering espressos, lattes, cold brews, smoothies, brunch plates and even, cake. 

Not to mention, there were a fair number of vehicle workshops (or something) too. 

It's a bit of interesting juxtaposition seeing these shops reflect the different eras. 

Especially when you consider that this estate has been around for a fairly long time. 

How long exactly she has been here, I don't know, but I estimate it must be for more than 70 years, because The Parent had lived here as a child and had even gone to school here. 

Which house it was that The Parent lived, I'm not sure, but there are some houses that look distinctly familiar, and there're many others that have rather quaint architecture.

I was drawn to this particular building that had sturdy rectangular balconies on both floors, and shutters for windows, open on all sides. 

There were some houses with very interesting gates. 

And I caught sight of an L-shaped street that reminded me  of this stretch near Bendeemer Road and MacPherson Road. 

I really wish I had had the time to explore a bit further beyond Owen Road, Rangoon Road and Dorset Road. 

Or that I had had the time to go eat at some of the popular stalls in Pek Kio Market and Hawker Center. 

But I couldn't. 

Pek Kio seems to be a sort of breakfast-brunch place, and we didn't have time. 

That's not to mean that we didn't have lots of delicious food though. 

On the contrary, I felt like we ate a lot. 

Like this surprise hotpot and grill buffet at a place right next to Chinatown MRT at Pagoda Street. 

Like the mutton briyani and butter chicken which we had at Sakunthala's on Race Course Road.

Like this deliciously breaded pork fillet and this amazing dessert of mochi waffle and honeycomb ice cream at Bugis Plus.

And breakfast of kaya toast, coffee and eggs, at Ya Kun Kaya Toast in City Square Shopping Mall opposite Serangoon Road. 

I don't have many pictures of One Farrer Hotel herself (this time)

But I have one of the pool. 

And yes, despite it not being very fancy, was comfortable, quiet, and restful. 

Donburi at Aperia

You know, if there's something about life that I've learnt all these years, it is to 'never say never'.

Doesn't matter what it is.

It might be something bombastic- like an experience which you thought you wouldn't have, a person you'd never meet- or it might be something simple- like entering a mall for a meal which you previously thought you'd never would.

I never thought I'd go to Aperia Mall on Lavender Street for a meal.

But then came Valentine's Day this year and I've since happily changed my mind. 

No matter if I don't wish to have McDonalds, Tim Ho Wan or Ya Kun Kaya Toast. 

There's a Ichiho Donburi & Sushi- on the second floor- that I'll make a special trip for, and will go to.

The food there's pretty good. 

Shall I say that it came as quite a surprise? 

That I hadn't been expecting such a quantity and quality, or even this level of detail, but everything turned out otherwise?

You see, instead of a poorly-breaded, overly-fried, dry, hard piece of katsu dumped on top of cold, ill-comforting rice, I got a thick piece of very well-breaded pork filet that contained a flavor and a crisp so on point that I could feel, and hear the crunch of the breaded skin over every bite. 

I loved how juicy and tender the pork was.

I also loved the contrast of textures that this particular dish gave me. 

It wasn't just on the filet itself.

Mixed between the slice of pork filet was the very soft, mushy scrambled which gave off a lovely, moist feel that sank into each breaded slice and slid comfortably over your tongue. 

They'd taken effort with the spring onions and the seaweed too.

So good it was that we ordered a separate piece of katsu ala carte, and munched happily through it just the same.

Katsu, however, wasn't all that we had for Valentine's Day. 

There was another bowl of salmon don for my friend, and whilst I don't have pictures of this bowl, we were impressed by the charming way the thick, cold, fresh slices of salmon sashimi had been arranged over the warm, fluffy rice, and the smooth, chewy texture of the fish itself.

I think the generous portion of fish roe made him extra happy. 

Perhaps the best thing about the food here at Ichiho was just how fresh all of them were. 

None of it made me feel like they'd been half-heartedly done. 

None of it made me feel like it was microwaved or hurriedly thrown into the pan.

And the quality wasn't only present with the mains.

It was with the sides too. 

Like the two cute slices of sashimi that came with the salmon don set, the fresh salad of vegetables, sliced cucumber and red cherry tomato, the pile of shredded cabbage that came with the ala carte katsu, and the crispy, hot dish of deep-fried salmon skin that we'd specially ordered as an appetizer. 

All About Hair at BRANCHE

It seems ridiculous, silly even, but I've been struggling to write this article like six times now, and I don't know why. 

I don't know why it is I can't seem to talk (or write) properly about hair salon BRANCHE that's centrally located in the basement of Capitol Piazza along Stamford Road.

Because, in all honesty, how difficult can it be?

How difficult can it be talking about Japanese-style head massages, Japanese-style hair cuts, and Japanese-style hair spas in a salon that has Japanese roots staffed by people who hail straight from Japan?

Yet, here I am, struggling- for the umpteenth time.

It's very irritating.

By all means it should be easy to talk about. 

Might it be, I wonder, that there's so much to talk about I don't know where to start?

Like, I want to tell you about the lobby of the spa side that's been so carefully calibrated to the sense that the cool, comfortable light makes the place look like it's washed in shades of gold, camel bronze, elegant black and forest green. 

And that the room which the lady brought me to was small and cozy with a wash basin (I think), a single recliner chair placed against the wall, and the softest, fluffiest full-sized blanket I had ever felt or seen.

I loved the blanket so much I spent the entire session clutching parts of it in my hands with my arms tucked underneath.

I wish I knew how to describe the head massage that she gave me. 

But (despite watching all the videos on Youtube channel ASMR Twix) the technical terms are still baffling. 

All I can tell you is that she worked her fingers over various parts of my head.

There were some points she pressed down.

There were other points she massaged.

Certain parts at my head's crown I know she pressed down. 

Then certain parts behind my ears, and the back left, back right of my head she massaged a couple of minutes too.

I can't remember whether she pressed down on the center top of my head.

I also can't remember whether she massaged the back center of my head all the way down to my neck. 

The much-calmed and slightly stoned me was half asleep by then.

But I can tell you I'll be coming back for the head massage. 

And I can tell you I'll be coming back for the hair cut, wash, and blow dry too. 

Because if there's anything that means something to me, it is that they've brought their expertise from home country all the way here for individuals who haven't had the chance to experience them first-hand yet. 

It isn't just in the brand name or the skill or the training. 

It's in the way they design your hair according to your face frame. 

It's in the way they make sure you somehow end up looking Japanese even though you didn't intend to. 

And it's in the way they apply cooling gel onto your hair and your head after your shiatsu-style head massage is over. 

CNY @ HH

So it might come as a shock, or a surprise (depending on how you see it) that, when comparing the pictures below, we appear to have very distinct celebrations for Chinese New Year this year. 

That's right. 

We did have two very different celebrations during the Chinese New Year season this year. 

But that's how it is, and shall I just say that these two plain, almost sad-looking Filet O Fish burgers from McDonalds were not all that we had for our celebratory meal this year. 

No, no, there were hash browns.

Four of them.

And we had two coffees, both of which we chose to have the thick thick kind.

You know, it wasn't a planned thing that we would have McDonalds for the second day of Chinese New Year, but then we didn't have much of a choice, what with fast food, Malay food and Indian food being the only options available. 

It might've been better (I suppose) if we'd thrown the burgers into the rice cooker like for other dishes we normally do. 

But neither one of us wanted to take out the rice cooker from the cupboard.

So we didn't. 

That didn't mean we didn't have a nice, heartwarming meal featuring our favorite foods for this Chinese New Year.

Just that we had it slightly earlier. 

Like the bowl of noodles which we prepared using the rice cooker and which had cuttlefish balls, meat balls, hot dogs, seafood wantons, big juicy tomatoes and a mountain of veggies. 

Like the nice (and newly discovered) Hainanese chicken rice pau and fan choy which The Parents bought from the supermarket and which we steamed inside the rice cooker. 

And the jar of cookies which we bought from one of the shops downstairs because we were too lazy to go far. 

It's become a norm that we don't buy big jars of pineapple tarts, bags of cashews to toast in the oven or even tins of love letters anymore. 

But that doesn't mean we don't keep traditions or that we don't stick to them. 

We just modulate. 

Like how this year we had the addition of bling-wrapped chocolate and apples and pears, but we brought out the red candy tray, the red tissues, the red ang pows and the little golden streamers. 

The one thing that's been around for the longest time is the red candy tray. 

It's a decor we've always had. 

No doubt we don't have snacks and tidbits inside the tray as much as we used to, but there was a time when we had melon seeds in the middle of the tray with preserved fruits of variety arranged all around. 

I always asked for preserved mango and sugared winter melon. 

Perhaps it's now a little out of our league how we want to celebrate Chinese New Year- life changes- but hey, who knows. 

Maybe next year I'll have the tray filled with cookies of all sorts and pineapple tarts and sugee (which I really like). 

Maybe I'll stick to preserved mango and sugared winter melon and preserved lotus roots with the addition of kiwi and papaya. 

Or I may leave it empty, but bring out new ang pows. 

Everything Christmas 2022

Christmas 2022 was, in all honesty, admittedly one of the quietest Christmases I'd had in a long time.

It wasn't that I didn't intend to celebrate it.

I just felt slightly less enthusiasm for it. 

Don't ask me why.

It's a pity- I find- because there was a time in my life when, geared up by the Toffee Nut Lattes and the Peppermint Mochas of Starbucks, I'd be all excited for the festive season as soon as November arrived.

But it hasn't been like this for a couple of years now.

Still, I'm someone who never likes to miss a festive occasion, no matter how big or small the celebration may be. 

So it was that I began the Christmas season with a couple of shopping mall style Christmas trees.

Like this one here at Citilink Mall, Ngee Ann City and Wilkie near Sophia. 

After that there was one little cosy-looking tabletop Christmas tree that The Parent and I bought from a department store several years ago and have kept it beautifully maintained since.

There was, of course, a meal with my regular favorites- steamed noodles, steamed siew mais, zichar and ice cream.  

(I don't know when it is that I'll have it back again)

But as of this season it was lovely to have cups of coffee, cups of warm vanilla ice cream, and fried rice topped with loads of lettuce, seafood balls, and sausage. 

Following this lovely meal were more visits to more Christmas trees. 

It's an annual pilgrimage of mine to look at the trees in the hotels of the Downtown Bay Area, and I wanted to continue seeing them still this year, so off it was to Ritz Carlton Millennia, and the gigantic Christmas tree that they've moved from inside the lobby to the entrance just up the driveway this year.

It wasn't just the Bay Area that I went to.

There were a couple of visits to see the trees over at Orchard Road too. 

Like this one here at 313 Somerset, this one here at Marriott Tang Plaza, this one here at Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway and this one here at Hilton Orchard too.

Perhaps the most significant thing about Christmas of this year wasn't merely for what it was, or what these lovely, cozy, glamorous, glittery Christmas trees are, but these two that I had for breakfast the day after.

Because for the longest time in my life, I have loved mince pies especially during this festive season, and in this Christmas of 2022, I finally got some. 

First Dim Sum 2023

You know, this is one meal at Swee Choon Tim Sum that I will be remembering for a very long time.

Not merely because it was our very first dim sum meal of the 2023 year, but also because I don't think we'd ordered a spread as large as this ever before. 

Really, I'm not joking.

Most of the time it's five or six dishes when we're here.

Today it was this. 

And it wasn't even all.

Maybe we were feeling particularly hungry this evening or something. 

Because aside from our usual favorites of mee sua kueh, char siew chee cheong fun and bean curd skin, we ordered two baskets of xiao long bao, one serving of siew mais, deep fried prawn puffs, fried tofu with pork floss, char siew baos, and Portuguese egg tarts as well.

I don't know how we finished it all.

Actually I don't think we did- if I'm nor wrong, we dabaoed some of the food back for breakfast next day.

Dim sum at Jalan Besar is always a charm for me.

There're many items on the menu that I like, and more often than not, it takes a bit of effort to try not to order them all. 

One of the things we always try to order is the mee sua kueh. 

I'm not sure if other places have it- they probably do- but I find this a signature dish here at Swee Choon, and I love it, what with its soft, chewy, mee sua centers bordered by crunchy, crispy edges. 

The other dish we have come to love is the xiao long baos.

It's interesting; we didn't use to order it before, but then we discovered the joy of having a wee bit of soup early in the meal, and we've ordered it every since.

Anyone who's ever eaten xiao long baos will know the instant gratification one gets upon taking the first bite.

Doesn't matter how you eat it, whether you bite into the firm, chewy skin and slurp the soup out, or whether you pop the whole dumpling into your mouth and let the soup burst out from its skin.

The brave ones choose the latter.

I prefer the former.

It lets me savor the flavors of the soup, the texture of the skin and the rich, meaty taste of the pork that slips out from the dumpling.

I had a great time eating the chee cheong fun, as well as the  char siew baos, the tofu with pork floss, and the deep fried prawn puffs. 

Different people have different tastes when it comes to chee cheong funs, I realize. 

Some people take a fancy to the silky, smooth, paper-thin type. 

Others, however, prefer the thicker, chewier type 

Swee Choon's chee cheong fun sits somewhere in the center. Their rice rolls aren't as translucent as some of the other thinner cheong funs, but neither are they the super thick and chewy kind that other dim sum places have.

I like their texture.

It's suitable enough for me.

In the same way too I like their tofu with pork floss. 

To some diners it's a very simple dish, nothing worth to shout about, not even worth ordering, but I find it light tasting with a contrast of textures and flavors. 

At first bite you get the crisp of the very, very thin batter (I think it's batter) on your tongue, but then because it's a small cube, almost immediately you get the soft of the tofu as well. 

That isn't all.

There's still the stringy bit of pork floss on top of the tofu which taste wraps itself round your tongue so that you have the flavors of salty, and faintly sweet. 

Generally I'm not a strong tofu eater, but I'm happy with this one. :)

When it came to the char siew baos I decided to try eating them with etiquette aka chopsticks, but I gave up halfway and resorted to using my hands instead. 

Same thing with the prawn puffs, which, by the way, are very well fried and have a single prawn inside, but you won't have much greasy, oily taste at all.

A couple of Swee Choon's fried offerings do leave you with a hint of the oil over your lips and tongue, like their yam puff, or their bean curd skin rolls, but it doesn't linger and disappears soon enough anyway. 

I'm glad for the siew mais, the bean curd skin rolls and the Portuguese egg tarts which we had this evening. 

I got to dabao one of each home, plus a char siew bao and a prawn puff which we couldn't finish.

Will we order less next time?

Maybe, maybe not.

If we do, well, we'll keep some for breakfast the next day. 

They taste good still after the microwave.