Saizeriya's Quick Bites

The first time I ate at Saizeriya was many years ago.

It is a meal I particularly remember, not so much for the friend whom I was with (and whom I don't meet anymore), but for the pasta carbonara that I'd ordered, and which, have not yet forgotten. 

I remember the pasta being well cooked.

I also remember the sauce being creamy and heavy and thick. 

It's interesting how they've managed to keep standards of their food so consistent over all these years. 

Not only have they not deteriorated, in fact, I think they've gotten better. 

For those who don't know, Saizeriya is one of those diners you go to whenever you want a quick, delicious meal from a menu that offers plenty of variety. 

I don't know whether it is because you can get free-flow drinks for an additional $2.90, but this place is popular with youth, young people, families and couples alike. 

I've seen Japanese students from international schools having their dinner before heading off home. 

I've seen office workers having a birthday party meal- complete with wine- at a large table setting. 

This is the kind of place where you don't have to think too hard about costs to have a good meal, and there's more than enough for one to have the full set of soup, salad, main and dessert without breaking the bank.

Appetizers, soups and salads are surprisingly some of the most popular eats here in this place. Whether it be the mushroom soup, or corn cream soup, whether it be the egg salad, chicken salad, or even the salmon salad, they're all really popular. I've seen people happily dig into their plate of lettuce and vegetables whilst sipping a cup of coffee. I've also seen people having their soups whilst chatting, and waiting for their main to come. 

Sauteed spinach with bacon, sauteed broccoli, and chicken wings make for great appetizers, in particular, the first, where it makes for a good addition should you be on a no-carb, less-carb type of diet. 

Perhaps one day I should try the escargots- just for fun- and see how they taste like. 

Most of the time, however, we go for the pizza.

It is a dish quick, fast, easy to eat, easy to share. 

We've tried the Pineapple and Bacon, we've also tried the Margherita but today there was a special item of a Parma Ham pizza, so we got that instead. 

Me and my dining partner do, after all, love a good slice of parma ham from the supermarket, and this one came with huge slices of the ham gently laid over the crust of the pizza.

I can't remember whether there was cheese underneath it. 

i think there was. 

There might have. 

Only thing about this pizza is that I didn't manage to get a good picture.

We had been hungry and so begun eating before I'd snapped a nice picture. 

No matter, I'll get it another time.

I'll also have to get a better picture of the risotto as well. 

The one this evening didn't turn out as pretty as I hoped. 

Maybe I should have had the bacon slices laid out in a prettier manner, or dug the mushrooms out from under the heap of risotto, but, what with it being hungry and wanting to eat finish and go home, the picture turned out this way.

Guess I'll have to order this Bacon and Mushroom Risotto again next time. 

Or I just might have the Spinach Chicken Gratin- the picture looks interesting- or the Pesto Genovese, which is, literally, pesto sauce with bacon and cheese. 

The one thing I haven't really thought of having, however, is the Grill, even though it is extremely popular, and more often than not I've seen diners having the Tuscan Lamb Chop, or the Cheese Chicken, or the Grilled Salmon that comes with Cream Sauce and Spinach. 

The Cheese Chicken is, especially, a very popular dish.

More than once I've seen diners happily cutting up the piece of chicken and munching it with their sides of potato and kernel corn. 

Perhaps I'll give it a try one time. 

But one thing I'll want to go for whenever I'm here is their dessert.

It might be just $5 per piece, but their dessert is surprisingly good. 

We've taken to their Tiramisu, but their Hazelnut Semifreddo, their Salted Caramel Semifreddo, and their Oreo Cheese Cake seem pretty good too. 

Plus, I want to have the Apple Crumble Ice Cream.

It looks too good not to have!

The Flower(s) of Steppyhouse

Don't laugh, but on and off for the past two years I've been trying to come up with ways to soften what I call the Builder's Yard.

Ideas have come and go, yes, but all in all, what with all the traveling I did last year, whatever I'm doing and everything in between, honestly, it's been no avail. 

But now I have this. 

So it's not the best- heck, it's artificial and even upcycled from the corner landing on the stairs- but oy, compare this to what the patio looks like with the huge glass table and two ladders, and I say this be an upgrade. 

Hey, the patio looks softer now. 

I find my eyes being drawn to this vase of plastic lavender blooms that I bought from Turtle when I first moved in here two years ago. At first glance it's not much- this lavender- but color really does make a lot of difference when you're seated here in the mornings doing a phone call you no longer like, and flowers really do make a difference when you turn your head to look at the patio whilst heading into the study, or the bathroom. 

It's a bit funny how come I don't have a better picture though.

Actually I do- I just haven't transferred to the computer yet.

Still, it has been refreshing. 

I am, after all, useless with soil, and so am not able to get potted plants or potted ferns or potted herbs (even though I considered all of them before). 

I don't know how to take care of plants that need caring.

I don't know if I should add fertilizer or anything to a potted basil herb or potted rosemary should I get one. 

Even for succulents. 

Yes, I had thought of them indoor plants before.

People said they were easy to take care of, no need too much sun, just a little watering will do. 

But what exactly is a little watering, and one can't get just a single small pot of succulent, can I? 

It looks so lonely and so I must get a few, but then when one gets a few, how does one know which pot to put where and which pot to water and which pot not? 

Where do I put them if I happen not to be in town? Can they go without water for a week?

So many questions.

So I didn't get them either.

There might come a day, and a place, where I might be able to get some sort of plants in water. 

They seem doable. 

But in the meantime I am thankful for this squish bouquet of fast-fading plastic lavender sprigs. 

And be glad that they're a blessing to me. 

Briyani @ IMAM Banana Leaf

You know, it's interesting, but I've come to like this place more and more.

When we first started coming here typical ol' me wasn't very sure. 

I mean, my head at that time had the notion that briyani places are a dime a dozen all around Singapore in nearly every housing estate and residential neighborhood. Why did we have to come all the way here to this (random) coffee shop at Geylang Lorong 1 for? 

Back then I didn't understand.

Now I do. 

Sometimes it isn't whether or not there're more than enough places to get a mutton briyani fix. 

It is whether or not the place is open for business, whether or not the food is consistent, whether or not it makes you want to eat more. 

One thing about Indian-Muslim places in Singapore is that they always seem to be open. 

If they're not open 24 hours, they're at least open every day. 

How it is they don't seem to take holidays, I don't know. 

Because it don't matter whether it is be Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, Labor Day or National Day, there's never a place that you'll find closed. 

Sure, some will close at 10pm or 11pm, but come daytime they'll still be open. 

To be sure, IMAM Banana Leaf here at Geylang Lorong 1 close to Kallang MRT has- in terms of aesthetics and quality of food- changed quite a bit over the years. 

At one time they seemed to cater more for Bangladeshi workers who preferred to tapao their food, so dining in their place felt cramped, less bright, with little ventilation, and somewhat humid.

In recent times however the lights are brighter, they've turned on more fans, there's a new addition of a huge rectangular mirror mounted high up on the wall- facing the counter- and everything's become cheerier and brighter. 

The main difference, however, is the food. 

The food here used to be leaning towards the oily side. 

Not so now.

I had thought the rice be coated in that sheen of oil that I once saw whilst eating here. 

But today the basmati rice felt light and fluffy, there was hardly any taste oi the oil, and best of all, the rice was dry. 

And the chonk of mutton, where once seemed to be coated with so much oil and so much chili that I got the odd, odd feeling in the tummy after eating it, this afternoon turned out to be not so spicy, nor so oily, nor so heavy as I thought it might be. 

I had my portion of rice with the sourish sweet refreshing pickled vegetables. 

My friend had the pappadum.

What's more, this wasn't the only dish we had this afternoon. 

So a part of me wanted to try their kuay teow goreng, but then we thought it might be too heavy for the tummy and the tongue, so we opted for two prata plasters, one each. 

I'd like to say that it was familiar the way I always remember my prata to be, and in a way it was, there was a bit of chew in the flour crepe, and the egg was well fried, but it was hot when brought to our table, and so controlled had the prata been that I watched with delight as the yolk flowed all down over the crepe after I cut into it, and it was as savory as I anticipated it to be. 

Sin Heng Kee Porridge

You know you've reached a season in your life when the single most exciting things to happen to you is a bowl of porridge from a very nice porridge place in Toa Payoh Central. 

Up until now I had not known just how popular Sin Heng Kee Porridge was. 

I mean, I had heard of it, but I hadn't known of their many outlets all around the island in Tampines, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands, Hougang, and Toa Payoh. 

Neither had I known that the Sin Heng Kee Porridge in Toa Payoh Lorong 6 was in fact the estate area in Toa Payoh Central close to the HDB Hub a short walk away. 

But I happen to be in and around Toa Payoh more these days, and so I have become a wee bit more familiar with Toa Payoh Central and all the shops that are there. 

Sin Heng Kee Porridge was crowded that afternoon when we got to the place.

So full of people there were in this cozy little diner that afternoon that there was a queue to get a table. 

Fortunately it wasn't too long a wait- and after a bit of a squeeze- we got ourselves a table with a family on one side, and a couple on the other. 

Sin Heng Kee Porridge has an extensive menu, no joke. 

They have, first of all, a Signature Porridge. 

What it has, I don't know, but one presumes it has a little bit of everything that's available on the menu, so there might be meatballs, sliced pork, pig liver, mixed pig organs, intestines, century egg, and even more. 

The porridge that grabs my eye is the Century Egg range.

Century Egg porridge has been one of my favorites for a very long time. Yes, the taste is squeamish to some, but nope, not for me, and whilst I prefer it with hot porridge rather than eating it cold raw, it is the porridge I go for whenever I can. 

Over here the Century Egg Porridge comes with other ingredients like sliced pork, or meatball. You can have it with peanuts, chicken, or fish. If none of those catch your fancy, you can have it with cuttlefish, or mix organs too. 

This afternoon I had a bowl of Century Egg & Meatball Porridge.

My friend had chosen it for me. 

And I think I'll be sticking to this porridge for a long time to come. 

Not because the other varieties aren't good. 

Just that everybody has their own preferences, and just as there will be someone (like my friend) who prefers pure meat over the addition of century egg, there will be those who want their Sliced Fish porridge, or their Sliced Fish & Cuttlefish porridge. 

Maybe someone who is vegetarian will go for the Peanut porridge.

And maybe someone who wants a lighter meal could have the Minced Chicken porridge. 

The seafood range of porridge here seems to be quite the star, I have to say. 

There's one of Hokkaido Scallops porridge.

There's one of Sliced Abalone porridge. 

There's one of Fresh Prawn porridge.

And then there's one of Seafood porridge that looks like it has a little bit of everything inside it. 

Some of their porridges get served in claypots, like the Dried Chili Frog porridge, the Ginger Onion Frog porridge, and the Wild-Caught Red Grouper porridge, all of which are quite popular, even in the heat of the daytime. 

I'm not sure which of these the customers around me were having. 

It might well have been the Ginger Onion Cuttlefish porridge. 

It might also well have been the New Dish Pomfret porridge. 

What charms customers very much, however, I think, are the side dishes, where, out of the Fry Pomfret, the Fried Premium Dumplings, and the Fried Intestines, the most popular would be the youtiao.

Youtiao in porridge is common- we see it all the time- but youtiao as big a chonk as this dough fritter- now, that doesn't happen very often- and for this reason it is, I'm sure, that every table seems to have at least one. 

The youtiao comes uncut (so you can see its portion and size) but there're scissors at the counter, and customers cut it up by themselves into spare small little bowls. 

It is a joy eating here, really. 

There's something special about sitting together with fellow diners, some wondering why the place is so crowded, some waiting for their porridge, some trying to make up their minds, some dipping the youtiao into their bowls, some steadily scooping up spoonful after spoonful of piping hot porridge into their mouths as they chat or look at their phones. 

What I love about this brand new discovery is the porridge itself.

It's thick, savory (I think it has egg inside) and smooth. 

The century eggs too have been prepared so well that the yolk literally blends into the porridge itself, and the meatballs- I think they're handmade- are soft, mushy, and so full of taste that they're good eaten together with the porridge, or eaten solo on their own. 

Bus Ride Sights: Geylang-Expo

You know, looking at these pictures now, I'm starting to think that there might come a day where I'll want to do this same bus route from point to point, beginning to end. 

There're many long haul bus routes that criss-cross all over the island day on day.

But there're some, like Bus 2, 197, 972, 174, 67, 5 and even 980 that bring you through so many different neighborhoods with all their different vibes that, once on, you actually find yourself taking a tour of the country in a way that you didn't anticipate before. 

I've not gone on the full bus route of Bus 2- I wish I have- I've not even been on the route from Chinatown to Changi Village, don't say Kampong Bahru (where it actually begins) but this afternoon I got on the bus from Geylang to Changi Village, and that, let me say, is something I am incredibly glad, and thankful for.

First off, the journey took longer than I thought. 

I had imagined it to be a straightforward, hour plus-long journey.

Turned out to be almost two hours long. 

Which, I must emphasize, I'm not complaining. 

Not when I had Chonkycam with me, and so took more than enough pictures to split the posts of this one single bus journey into two. 

I got up the bus at (if I'm not wrong) the bus stop on Sims Avenue near the HDB estate. What estate it's called, I don't know, but there's a coffee shop there, there's an NTUC there, and it's the bus stop you have to board the 33 before it turns right into Sims Way towards Mountbatten Road. 

From here the bus went straight all the way down the stretch we call Geylang, first passing by a row of shop houses that I always associate with HAO Mart, after which further down it went, passing by Lorong 19 at which junction I think is a fruit shop (of peace and harmony).

From there the bus went down, going past what is, I believe, a halfway house (with its charming coconut trees) and the Bee Cheng Hiang outlet.

Aljunied Road came on right after that, where the UNION Gas building stands, with a zichar coffee shop place on the first floor. 

Honestly, I don't recognize many of the buildings this side of Geylang. Most of the time my attention is on the left side of the bus, and somehow, even if I happen to be sitting on the right, I tend to stone, so much so that I only start paying attention when we're near certain condos, or signs, like the small single-storeyed shops, or the Moutai Store in one of the shop houses, or the low-rise condos with their classic-looking balconies and brightly painted fronts. 

One condo has units with balconies that look out over the road. 

I often see it when on the bus, and which I take notice of because the balconies, although beautiful, are often empty. There's no furniture, no plants, not even a clothes rail, much less laundry hanging out. 

The clean look piques my interest, but because I'm usually on the bus- as I was this afternoon- I don't get to see it further. 

Not far from this condo comes the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Sims Avenue, with PLQ Mall on one side, PLQ 3 on the other, and presently-renovating Tanjong Katong Complex after. 

A huge car park- crowded mostly on weekends- comes up next, followed by a little housing estate of a few standalone blocks, then a building which I think is a community center (I'm not sure), and which also marks the turn that public buses take to go into Eunos bus interchange. 

A condominium comes up next- they've got a Watsons and a Fairprice Express on the first floor- and then the junction leading to Sims Avenue East. 

It is into the neighborhood of Kembangan that one comes upon next. 

There is the condo that sits right across the MRT station.

Then there are these two houses, and the houses after, that sit on what I think is a very unique piece of land. It's difficult to describe- the position of these two houses- but they sit somewhat in the middle of two major roads, traffic trundling up and down front, and back. 

To be honest I don't know how they manage to keep their sense of serenity. 

Maybe it's the high wall they've erected.

Maybe it's the trees and shrubs that they have in the garden. 

It's not the quietest location (to me) but certainly, if you ask me, a very prime piece of land. 

Especially since it is from somewhere around here- right after the last house, I think- that the junction into Opera Estate begins, and a very interesting estate it is too. 

From here on all the way until the turn into Bedok Road there is- out my window- the view of the MRT line. 

There aren't many pictures, but a very long stretch it is. 

From here on, the line includes not only the MRT stations of Bedok and Tanah Merah, it also includes the estates along New Upper Changi Road, beginning from somewhere at Chai Chee and continuing all the way down past the roads of Bedok South Avenue 2 and Bedok South Avenue 3. 

Along the way on one side you pass by Bedok Mall, Bedok Town Center, the Bedok Stadium, and a couple of condominiums (on one side).

On the other side, however, the view is more sparse, with the consistency being the single concrete MRT line. 

It is a big area, mind, with an ever changing view. 

At one moment you might be looking at the sweet cozy-looking terrace houses of Maria Avenue and Terang Bulan Avenue behind the concrete MRT line. 

In the next moment you find yourself staring up at the structure of Bedok MRT station. 

After that, trees and shrubs nestle by the concrete pillars and the concrete line, and all of a sudden, a housing block appears parallel to the road on the opposite side of the line even as the bus trundles along. 

Somewhere after this housing block the shrubs disappear- entirely- and you're greeted by construction and gigantic construction equipment. 

That's when you know you're in the vicinity of the Tanah Merah MRT station, and turning into Bedok Road soon after. 

I should like to know just how the Tanah Merah station will look like in the future, really. 

It's amazing to think just how this East-West Green Line will one day be converted to the Thomson-East Coast Brown Line and how it will connect to the airport right from here, at the edge of Bedok, heading into industrial territory and Xilin Avenue. 

That will come only in a couple of years time. 

Today the line is still green, and it is somewhere around here that the bus makes a left into the area that, if I'm not wrong, is often called Simpang Bedok, and houses the Bedok Shopping Complex of a Giant supermarket inside, and a hawker center. 

I'm not sure of this area- I haven't come here often- but there is a strong kampong vibe around this place- one that reminds me of Malaysia- enhanced further by the presence of the old post office, which I hope, has been retained, and will not be torn down. 

This is nice, quiet, little estate, mind. 

I'm not sure how the sounds are when night comes but even looking at the houses now, one can't help but feel like there're vibes which are countryside, and which cannot be erased. It isn't whether or not there are shop houses, or whether or not there are coffee places, brunch places, and cafe places in these shop houses. 

It is simply that there's a feel of quiet settlement around this place, that feel of calmness and reassurance that everything in life will be okay. 

I particularly liked the houses had such neat narrow facades and such spacious, block-shaped rectangular yards. There was nothing fanciful in the windows or the balconies, no rattan chairs facing the garden, or gargantuous pots of flowers.

But it felt simple, functional, pleasant. 

I thought of those B&W houses near Haig Road and Tanjong Katong. 

But of course, they were constructed in a different era and served a different community. 

I don't know if there are that many houses with such long driveways left around in Singapore. 

Or if there are such neat looking houses side by side sitting relaxedly on their own. 

Here the bus makes a right into Upper Changi Road, crosses a canal that I don't know its name of and then continues on by a couple of factories. 

There're a good number of factories this side of the road- all of which form the Changi South Lane area- then past Simei Road it goes, trundling on until you spot the campus of ITE College East, and before you know it, you're at the junction that will lead you into Changi Expo. 

Prata House @ Thomson

The last time I came to this place for a dinner/supper prata meal was probably more than two and a half years ago. 

I don't exactly remember when. 

But if at that time I had made a stopover here on the way home riding Daffy, this time I had come because, by the blessings of the Lord, there were meetings to be had at Thomson Plaza, and what better way to close off a weekday than a quick dinner at Prata House here not too far off from Thomson MRT Station of the TEL line. 

There're those amongst us who like their prata crispy. 

There're those amongst us who like their prata chewy. 

Me, it depends. 

I'm not very particular, Just so long as the prata's not too greasy, that it's satisfying and that it tastes good. 

This place here is remarkably popular. 

i had thought it would be quiet- what with it being a weekday evening of 530pm- but to my surprise, the place was crowded. There were people at the counter, there were people eating at the tables, there were people waiting for empty tables, and we had to squeeze a little through the tightly packed tables to get to the desired spot. 

All around me people were chatting, laughing, studying the menu, busy with their food. 

Service here turned out to be quite fast.

Never mind the crowd. 

No sooner had I taken a sip of the teh o air limau that both our orders arrived at our table.

One thing that kind of surprised me was just how crispy the murtabak was. 

I had thought it would be chewy. 

It was not. 

On the contrary it was crisp, light and the flour had its own light sweet of flavor. Like most murtabaks, the mutton inside consisted of grilled bits, and although small in size, were sufficient in portion and the spice was good. 

Today there was a lot of egg cooked omelet style layered on top and mixed in between. 

If I had thought the murtabak good, i liked the prata plaster better. 

It's quite a common crepe, really, nothing too fanciful, just a piece of prata kosong topped with a fried egg, but there is something comforting about having a mouthful of egg white and crepe prata together. 

I don't know if it's the flavors or the textures. 

It is a very clean feeling. 

Not just that, there's also the yolk, and there's also something reassuring about seeing it flow down into the flour crepe as you eat it together with a spoonful of hot, spicy curry. 

Noel's Gone :(

It is very, very difficult for me to write this post. 

Not because I believe that she's dead or gone or that she has crossed the rainbow bridge, but because I cannot fathom just how- just how- in the span of five hours- this cat- this adorable, affectionate, charming feline who had been around the compound for 6 whole months was just suddenly gone. 

In the morning she was around.

At noontime she was around. 

But when we came back in the evening, she was gone. 

At first we had thought she'd gone for her walk. 

But came morning next day, afternoon next day, evening next day, and she wasn't back. 

It's been over a month. 

I'm sad.

Really.

We had just bought a new bag of lamb snacks from the store for her.

And in the drawer there are still 3 cans of cat food we have yet to give her. 

I miss her.

I miss this cat more than I thought I would.

There were so many new experiences, so many new surprises that I had with her.

She was the first cat to wind herself around my leg and shed fur all over my pants.

She was the first cat to sit right next to me on the bench.

She was the first cat to make that soft 'rurrrrr' purring sound at me- which, I must add, for all my life I had never heard before.

All my life I have never thought of myself as a cat person.

And if you ask me, I still don't think I am. 

But Noel was the first one who made me think that perhaps, one day, I might get a cat, and who knows, I might become one. 

There has never been a cat who follows me around. 

Noel was the first. 

All the way to the shops in the late evening when she was hungry and wanted me to buy food. 

With her I learnt just what a blessing it was to have a pet by my side. 

There is something about walking through the gate, or the door, and seeing a cat looking back at you, watching out for you, even running over to greet you.

There is something also about seeing a cat stretch itself out comfortably on the bench, only moving when you prod her a little bit, and then barely leaving you a space to sit on. 

I have seen her behaving like a security guard sitting on top of the fire hydrant.

I have seen her excitedly chasing birds. 

I have also seen her sniffing at bicycle tires and peering curiously into drains. 

This is a cat with some of the cutest cat behaviors that I had never in other cats seen previously before. 

Endlessly cleaning herself- there's forever a spot somewhere to be cleaned. 

Going to the back of the compound to the trees to do personal business (whilst looking really hard at you as she does it).

Sleeping sprawled out on the bench.

Sleeping curled up on the bench.

Sleeping underneath the bench.

And slipping beneath the bench to hide behind your leg thinking she won't be seen by other residents who happen to be passing by. 

i miss seeing her sleep on top of the fire hydrant with her paw covering her eyes. 

I miss sneaking up on her with a lamb snack in hand whilst she sleeps and watching her little nose twitch. 

I miss the little biscuits she makes with her paws over my pants and my big Platinum Mall T-shirt.

She used to rest on my thigh. 

She used to meow loudly to us (and to anyone who played with her- we weren't the only ones who took care of her, by the way) every time we got near to her. 

I want to stroke her head again.

I want to stroke her cheeks again. 

And what wouldn't I wish to hear her meow loudly outside our door at 3am again.