Entree Kibbles

Cafe hopping is a trend i could not grasp for the following reasons; i am hardly considered as a trendy person among my peers and i seriously could have better uses for the money i am handling out to those cafe operators.

Having said that, i am perfectly fine with the occasional indulgence (as i do with restaurants) and hence, followed my NUS colleagues to this cafe in the western side of Singapore; W.39 Bistro and Bakery.

The name, W.39, came about (i am guessing over here) likely due to the address which is 39 Jalan Mas Puteh and the fact that it resides in the western part of Singapore, where cafe setups are less common.

Every cafe tries to differentiate from their competitors by instilling its own style and decoration and this has contributed to the popularity of cafe hopping. W.39 is no exception and you could find vintage looking furnishings coupled with placement of sweets i often had when i was a kid. The erasers (we knew it as rubber then) with flags were particularly memorable.

W.39 is also a dog-friendly cafe and you are welcome to bring along your beloved canines! Complimentary dog treats are available in a big glass container located at the counter should there be a need to arrest your pet's restlessness.

Other offerings included the sale of freshly baked breads! Unfortunately, most of them were wiped out by the time we were done with our lunch. Anyway, our purpose was actually to try out their breakfast which sadly was only available on weekends and public holidays. :(

We had to make do with either the ala carte items on the menu or the executive set lunch that comes with a main, a bowl of soup and a glass of drink.

Before making a decision on the main, something else caught my attention! The aesthetically cheerful rainbow cake that i have had heard so much about! So, let's begin with dessert first!

Rainbow Cake

With its six layers of vibrancy, it's no doubt that everyone's eyes would be drawn to the rainbow cake; there was that somewhat childish yet immensely chirpy aura surrounding it! Okay, enough has been said and it's finally time to check it out!

Texture was too hard; butter cream had an aftertaste that didn't quite sit well with me; honestly, pretty normal with none of the initial hype. If all rainbow cakes are to taste like this, i would not see any point to order again.

Drink and Soup

(part of executive set lunch)

All four of us had the executive lunch set and i requested for the ice honey lemon which was a thirst quencher in that bloody hot day we visited.

Soup was potato and leek. Satisfying would be my conclusion as the consistency was generously thick with a rich, delicious flavouring!

My friends had the above with their comments in brackets; pan-fried salmon (the sauce was overly salty), penne pasta (normal and didn't quite justify the price it commanded) and mini beef striploin (overcooked) respectively. I did quite like the striploin for its addition of herb butter!

Pan-fried Chicken Thigh

This was my order and the first thing that came to mind as my teeth came upon the crispy skin was its similarity to the French dish; duck confit!

Other than the sinful cackling skin, i quite enjoyed the juicy chicken thigh which wasn't excessively seasoned although i had to add that this dish, in its totality, still fell short of being impressive.

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Location

39 Jalan Mas Puteh

(Near Clementi Stadium)

Map

As above

Website

http://www.w39bistro.com/

Reservation

Reservation is strongly recommended if you require air-conditioned seating. You may check out the reservation tab on the website which would auto generate an email template for you to fill up.

Opening Hours

Tuesdays - Fridays - 11am to 10pm

Weekends and P.H - 9am to 10.30pm

[Closed on Mondays unless it is a P.H]

Price

Rainbow Cake - S$6.80 a slice

Pan-fried Salmon (Set) - S$21.90

Penne Pasta (Set) - S$18.90

Mini Beef Striploin (Set) - S$24.90

Pan-fried Chicken Thigh (Set) - S$22.90

[Subject to Service Charge only]

Additional Information

If you can bear with the recent heat wave, outdoor seating with ceiling fans is available.

Besides the executive set lunch, there is also the tea set promotion on weekdays between 3 and 6pm.

Dove Desserts was in the news a few years ago for their authentic Malaccan style cendol with unbeatable gula melaka that was imported all the way from Malacca!

The few attempts i specially made to give it a try ended in great disappointment as i kept forgetting the stall is closed on Sundays!

And when Jin Jin power cendol came into the picture, i kind of let "dove desserts" go until the Lau sisters tried it one Saturday and came back with rave reviews that temped me to visit the very next week!

I gradually came to the realisation that there are two extremes when it comes to chendol lovers; for example, my affection is towards the gula melaka while i have friends who impose a higher weightage on the red beans and the green stuff (which is in fact the chendol).

Compared to Jin Jin which offered much more gula melaka that literally sat on a snowy bed of fine ice, i was honestly not very impressed with Dove Dessert's offering. However, my younger sister expressed the same opinion as the Lau sisters; she actually enjoyed this less sweet version which came with authentic chendol that didn't feel at all artificial.

I am putting this down as a matter of differences in taste preferences!

As Ms Bun ever said before, one man's meat is another man's poison!

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Location

Block 22, Lorong 7 Toa Payoh,

#01-21, Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre

Opening Hours

Mondays to Thursdays - 11am to 8pm

Fridays - 11am to 5pm

Saturdays - 11am to 8pm

Sundays - Closed

Price

Chendol - S$1.50

I was in a dilemma as i was waiting to buy the signature Malacca-style chendol at Dove Desserts. The stall next door, selling fishball noodles, had such a long queue; it just didn't make sense for us not to order!

After a wait of roughly twenty minutes (thanks to the younger sister who was "arrowed" to queue up while the older brother was digging into the chendol), the above were placed on the table. First thought - doesn't this look familiar?! Well, i could not quite put my finger to it at that moment but figured it would eventually come to me.

Anyway, it was obvious at one glance that the fishballs were handmade! However, it sure didn't compromise on texture and taste; the former being soft and QQ while the latter was so rich in seafood goodness (to the extent that it was just a super thin line crossing over to the territory of fishiness).

Noodles wise, i found the texture to be on the tough side, possibly a result of overcooking and i knew it could not survive a 30-minute ride home to Yishun for Alex, who has shamelessly proclaimed himself to be a fishball noodle guru.

Despite my initial misgivings, it was only after thoroughly mixing the noodles with that oily chilli-tomato sauce condiments that i realised i almost had to eat my words; the amalgamated flavour was delicious and totally irresistible!

It didn't take me long to clean up the bowl, literally.

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The memory came back!

The presentation was somewhat similar to this pricier fishball noodles stall at Food Opera in ION Orchard; Li Xin Teochew Fish Ball Noodles. In my opinion, Li Xin seemed to serve better tasting fishballs!

Location

Block 22, Lorong 7 Toa Payoh, #01-20,

Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre

Price

S$3 a bowl

Even though Lunar New Year is long over, i personally thought this would be the right time to publish the photographs i took over the eve and the first two days; with life getting back to norm, don't you think it would be nice to reminisce the festive celebration!?

Let's start with my family new year's eve dinner! Korean cuisine at Ju Shin Jung opposite Haw Par Villa for the wide array of side dishes, tasty marinated meats and fresh veggies that were miraculously approved by the health conscious patriarch of the family.

I chose Ju Shin Jung for a simpler reason; the indoor kids' playground which would help to keep my niece and nephew occupied while us adults could have a disturbance-free meal.

My elder sister and brother in law! By the way, it is Johnny's birthday today! Let's all wish him a happy happy birthday!

You wouldn't believe it; i woke up close to 10am on the very first day of the Lunar New Year! In the past, my parents would drag me up at 7am so that we could prepare to visit my paternal grandparents. With both sets of grandparents in heaven now, i guess mom is more flexible with the timing now.

However, as grandparents themselves, it means my sister and brother in law would bring their two kids over to "pai nian"! Thankfully, my elder sister is known to be worse of a sleepyhead and i am so glad i have not had the "misfortune" to have the two buggers climbing over my head as i continue to be in a deep slumber on the first day of CNY.

Younger sister and Jovyn! Both of them are super duper close and honestly, Jovyn does look like my younger sister when she was a toddler 30 years ago!

They were so close; Jovyn was tearing like a mad woman when we separated after a long day of visitations in Upper Thomson, where most of my grandparents' siblings reside.

First day was reserved for the paternal side while the second day was solely spent at my uncle's place (maternal side) which has been the longstanding custom for my family! When we missed it last year due to an overseas trip to Bintan, it was like a huge chunk of festive mood has been taken away.

Food, food, food. This little brother of my mother is an extreme foodie and should be considered as the initial ignition for my glutton state now.

Mom with her second sister and my cousin! Such gatherings are so much fun and there was so much catching up to do; how's your job, have a girlfriend already are common questions i faced.

To evade those questions, i had to escape to the ground floor, where Jovyn and Jerald were enjoying the playground under the insanely hot sun, and forced them to pose for me!

I didn't ask them to strike this pose!!! I could have photoshop in a few piles of shit but i am a nice uncle. I would do that when they are much older and publish it on their social wall. :P

The two of them again!

Television was showing 'Despicable Me' and this managed to hold the attention of the two brats since they both knew the uber cute minions!! Watching television is the favourite pastime for children during this period as they could not participate in the adult conversation.

Last look of the cheeky brat before i end the post.

Ever since Changi Village hawker centre reopened for business after a terribly long renovation, i had been trying to find out the fate of the Gang of Four's favourite seafood stall.

Would they be back, have they moved, the owners have decided to call it quits etc were unanswered questions constantly floating on my mind; it was only a month or so ago that i finally got my answer.

I have not really noticed this stall in the few times i was at Changi Village since its reopening. And the reason why i especially took notice was because i had a terribly bad sambal stingray from another stall in the same hawker centre!

Hence, imagine the shock when i saw the above on the menu panel; this was the 0172 BBQ Seafood that i had been searching all this while?!?!?!!? Kaoz, why change the name?!?!?!

To keep the story short, we had to visit specially on another day to satisfy our craving for 0172 epic seafood omelette! What i didn't expect was when the Great Kon bought chicken chop horfun for all of us!!! Guess what's the time then. Almost 10pm!!!! Blooooooooody! *grumble grumble*

Seafood Omelette

Although this remained top on my list for the best omelette ever, i could not help but wonder if there have been changes, for the worse. To put it simply, it wasn't as lip smacking oily as before.

BBQ Sambal Stingray

The only good thing for this sambal stingray was its chunkiness! Other than that, i would still prefer to make my way down to Chomp Chomp for its stingray.

Sambal Sotong

I was marvelling about the perfect combination of sotong and sambal chilli in my post back in May 2012. It wasn't that long ago yet this dish turned out to be quite disappointing with rubbery pieces of squids that didn't quite have that sweet, tasty seafood flavour.

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Till now, i could not quite understand how we almost managed to clear everything! Were we really that hungry?! Sigh.... how to lose weight like that...

Location

Block 2, Changi Village Rd,

#01-09, Changi Village Hawker Centre

Price

Seafood Omelette - S$9

BBQ Sambal Stingray - S$12

Sambal Sotong - S$12

Late last year, our beloved Mrs Kon got all four of us free entries to the Singapore Zoo and although we have been there countless times, that was the very first time we checked out the pretty new exhibit; Frozen Tundra!

Some of you might be aware that Frozen Tundra is the new home for Inuka, our local-born polar bear who is also the first polar bear to be born in the tropics! And boy was the facility so much bigger than his last dwelling!

We were ten minutes early for the 10am feeding show and decided to explore the surroundings.

Unlike the previous polar bear exhibit, there is now an indoor section where we can seek cool, air conditioned respite from the sunny weather! Yooooohooo!

If there is a bed, i would sleep just as comfortably as this raccoon dog in one of the exhibits. Besides Inuka and raccoon dogs, you can also wolverines (a weasel type animal) behind thick glass panels.

Most people's interest, however, was fixated on only one animal. Guess i don't need to tell you which one.

Inuka, who was basking under the hot sun in a position that could only be described as relaxing! Honestly, i have never felt so envious of an animal until then. Bloody bastard!

But, Inuka has a rather lonely life in this big enclosure. His father, Nanook, passed away in 1995 whereas the mother, Sheba, had to be put down in 2012. His only companions were zookeepers who had no idea how to speak polar bear language.

Sadness aside, it's time for the feeding show!

The now twenty-four year bear was mindful that it was "makan time" and plonked into the water to prepare himself for some visitor-needed interaction.

I can fully understand that enthusiastic parents would not want to miss the opportunity for their kids to get as close as possible to the water tan but do spare a thought for the rest of us!!! You would not want me to block your view as well right?

Being Asians, we are less likely to voice out our annoyance and would merely just grumble within ourselves. Thankfully, the presenter would firmly ask the parents (or any adult) to fall back to their seats!

She was more sympathetic towards young kids who had their faces plastered to the glass wall. Anyway, you could always have a more close up photography session with Inuka after the show! I would share with you shortly.

More pictures of Inuka during the show.

The star of the show sure knows how to work his charm and would briefly glance at the audience while he was underwater! I didn't manage to get those shots though, given my poor photography skill.

This is it; the close up photography session with a life sized replica of Inuka! You wouldn't really expect the real Inuka to take a picture with you, showing his full set of pointy white teeth right?!

By the way, you can also bring Inuka home! :)

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For more information (ticket price, exact location etc) on the Singapore Zoo, please visit http://www.zoo.com.sg/

The famous Holland Village XO fish head bee hoon was at the same time infamous for their incredibly horrible customer service and this was something my friend personally encountered a few years ago when we visited.

As i mentioned, it has been a few years and the stall in Holland Village is now over at another place nearer to Singapore Polytechnic; which wasn't that far from its original location. The address has changed but from what i read online, the bad attitude remains as it is.

XO Fish Bee Hoon

XO鱼肉米粉

The milky broth was as delightful as i remember, with a heavy infusion of cognac that was surprisingly quite appetising for a man who doesn't hold his liquor well. Maybe it helped to have slices of garlic enhancing the flavour.

Fish meat was chunky although i would have expected nothing less for S$7. On the topic of XO in soup, Ms Thng brought up an interesting point; wouldn't it be easier if we bring along our own bottle of XO and add as much as we want.

Prawn Paste Chicken

虾酱鸡

In my honest opinion, the har cheong kai here was a much bigger star than the XO bee hoon; the crispy skin broke easily, revealing steaming hot chicken flesh that was optimally cooked and tasted so yummy with that desirable prawn paste aroma that wasn't excessively salty like some places!

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Location

19A Dover Crescent, #01-05,

Jumbo Coffee Hub [next to Singapore Polytechnic]

Map

As above

Opening Hours

11.30am to 2.00pm

5.00pm to 11.00pm

Price

XO Fish Bee Hoon - S$7 (1-person)

Prawn Paste Chicken - S$12

I am hesitant to write of this food tasting session at Peony Jade as it was a done deal so long ago. Just to give you a small hint, i attended the wedding in September 2013 and the food tasting had to be much earlier than that!

Notwithstanding the above, i guess this post might still be beneficial for couples who are looking for venues to hold their wedding. I would have loved to blog about what i had on the actual day but the stress of being the emcee for the banquet made it impossible for me to concentrate on the food.

Sauteed Fresh Pawns with Salty Creamy Yolk

Creamy is the right word to describe the dish; this thick creaminess layered on the prawns set it apart from others competitors as it was infused with so much salted egg yolk flavour!

Braised Premier Shark's Fin Bouillon

with Dried Conpoy

Advocates of anti shark's fin soup would not be happy to see this but as i have mentioned to many, eating any living creature is cruel, even the hens who laid eggs are kept in horrendous conditions and they have to suffer all the way till the day they die!

Coming back to the dish, the broth was really quite appetising and there were many thick pieces of fins that would appeal to the older generation who sees shark's fins as one of the must-haves in wedding banquets.

Deep Fried Soon Hock Hong Kong style

I would have preferred the steamed version which could have easily brought out the freshness of the expensive fish even though this deep fried version was pretty good.

Braised Broccoli with Abalone Mushroom

Abalone is an expensive ingredient that didn't quite impress me and i would rather put my hands up for abalone mushrooms! Besides the tasty mushrooms, the braised broccoli was a godsend featuring a soft yet crunchy texture.

Roasted Crispy Free Range Chicken

Free range chickens would be what some farms tagged as "happy" chickens as they have a wider space to run about and hence, would not feel stressed compared to one living in a small hatch with hardly any room.

I, for one, loved the meat, the cracker and the thin, crispy layer of chicken fats! The rest found this quite normal; another piece of evidence to prove that i am in fact a very passive eater!

Chilled Cream of Sago with Honeydew

Disregarding the last sentence for the happy chicken, this was just too normal and unfitting for a wedding banquet! In the end, a request was put in to change it to red bean paste on the actual day.

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A survey form was passed to the "newly weds" for their comments and it was obvious the feedback was taken seriously. Do take note, however, that cooking for one table versus cooking for twenty tables at one go can be incredibly stressful for anyone; hence, give and take a bit lah.

After the sumptuous dinner, it was time to choose wedding favours!

Selection was limited and i guess it would not surprise many that my pick was of course the uber cute piggies coin bank that came in bride and bridegroom outfit!

It was a breezy Saturday morning at 9am and instead of lazing on my bed as i usually do on weekends, i was already standing right in front of the ancient gates of Bukit Brown Cemetery!

Our destination today was once again, a place i would unlikely venture to without proper guidance. See that red circle? That's where we were supposed to go and it was so deep in!

The 'landmarks' would have to be these two Guanyin statues. Walk further in and you would reach the place where the four of us would be toiling our morning away.

When i saw the patch of overgrown shrubs ahead of me, i thought it would not take too long for us to clear the area and i would likely be able to get back home comfortably by 12 noon.

Sadly, the facade was so deceiving! It was a few meters deep and after 30 minutes of hard labour, i honestly felt it was a mammoth task that bordered on the fringe of impossibility!

Time to rest and enjoy the surrounding scenery!

After another 1 hour of continuous chopping, sawing and snipping, we managed to uncover more tombstones in lines of two at the back. Was this a cluster burial? There was also something very intriguing; the two words 皇清 on positions that would normally indicate the hometown of the deceased.

Ee-hoon called her friend to check out the tombs and before long, he came equipped with his trusty notebook, camera and chalk to record the newly exposed findings.

The chalk helped a lot to clarify the words! Anyway, i just checked the internet and there was in fact a post on the two words i mentioned earlier (in Chinese though; click here if you are interested). I was under the assumption 皇清 referred to the royal descendants of the deposed Qing dynasty but according to the post, it merely meant the citizens of the Qing dynasty.

Anyway, it was another round of clearing and boy did we manage to clear a lot! To me, i thought this was way better than gym and in a way, more meaningful.

Found a liana that was shaped like a snake; my ultimate nemesis! It was so freaky to see it "bleeding" when i severed it. If it was a real snake, you would me scrambling far far away!

More tombstones at the back!

Ee-hoon striking a post! She loves to take our photographs even though we are very camera shy people and it was payback time! Not that it mattered much to her since she is a very sporty person.

Contrast this to the original picture i posted in the beginning of this post. Look so different right?!?!!? This was not even the "done" picture as I had to leave earlier due to a prior agreement to return home by 12 noon to return the car! The rest actually continued for another one more hour, i heard.

Their commitment is really quite remarkable!

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Location of Tombs

Block 4, Division C

When Japanese ramen started gaining popularity a few years ago, i had the good fortune to try quite a number of reputable ramen restaurants that were specially brought in from Japan.

The one that eventually caught my heart was Ippudo Ramen at Mandarin Gallery. Four years have passed since and today, i am going to blog on Ippudo's newest branch in Singapore's latest shopping centre; Westgate!

You may refer to my original review here as i realised the items we ordered in Wesgate's Ippudo were exactly the same as what we had then. For example, the Hakata gyozas were as delicious, and as TINY as i remember.

Tori Karaage was hot and juicy with a marvellous crunch; other than that, i could not find much flavour excitement in what was essentially a piece of deep fried chicken.

Akamaru Shinaji - with miso paste and garlic oil, this tasted plain yet had a smooth savouriness that totally appealed to my middle-aged palate. It was a tad too oily initially although i eventually came to the conclusion i didn't mix as vigorously as i should from the start.

Noodles, surprisingly, didn't appeal to me. You could actually choose the texture you want (soft, medium, hard or very hard) and i guess i made the wrong choice; my fault, my responsibility.

I didn't show the picture here but the main star for that day was definitely the two pieces of pork belly! The beginning dullness of the meat was quickly replaced with bursts of wonderful, succulent flavour as i slowly chewed through! Absolute bliss!

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Location

3, Gateway Drive, #03-03, Westgate

[Next to Jurong East MRT Station]

Price

Hakata Gyozas (5s) - S$7.00

Tori Karaage - S$8.00

Akamaru Shinaji - S$15.00

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Website (including menu)

http://www.ippudo.com.sg/

Additional Information

There seems to be more rules now; besides the common practice of not allowing you to be seated unless all members are present, you are not supposed to celebrate birthday in their premises and there is no such thing as takeaways or packing of leftover food!

I took offence with the last one since i have a high tendency to over-order! And i don't see the point of wasting food i PAID for.

Some of my old-time readers might be recall this post back in 2011 when i wrote about this unique mille (i previously thought it was spelled as millie) crepes at Classic Cakes [Sunset Way].

The mille crepes' popularity in the world actually spiked due to the success of a confectionery in New York known as Lady M. And as luck has it, that same confectionery has now opened its very first overseas store right here in Singapore!

I was a few months late in trying but hey, better late than never right? Furthermore, the initial hype always means a long queue that could be very frustrating when the shop is still working out its local procedures / processes.

My visit two days ago was the second as i lost quite a number of pictures taken in the first visit due to a faulty SD card. So, do note that all photographs published in this post were taken over two separate visits.

With over ten cakes to choose from; each of them with an appearance as mouth-watering as the other, we were in fact very focused on what we wanted. The mille crepe of course!

Signature Mille Crepes

Compared to Classic Cake's version, there was one thing that stood out from Lady M's mille crepes; the thicker layer of light pastry cream in between each piece of skin-thin crepe (there were twenty of those crepes, if you need to know).

Taste wise, i was primarily taken aback by the yummy lusciousness yet delicately scented vanilla paste with that irresistible hint of caramelised sugar!

It was only towards the end that i concluded that there was simply too much cream and i would very much prefer the more 'solid' texture by Classic Cake's mille crepes.

Green Tea Mille Crepes

I am deferring my comment to the Great Kon since i have never been a fan of green tea related foodstuff and in his professional judgment (as the main instigator for most, if not all, of our food expeditions), this would be very well-liked by green tea lovers.

For me, the tardiness and bitterness of green tea put me off. Likewise with the signature mille crepes, there was way too much cream and if you take too long, it would melt; making it extremely depressing to enjoy it further.

Strawberry Shortcake

When i talked to friends about strawberry shortcake, the ones at Gobi Dessert never failed to pop up in the conversation. Now, i would add in the one from Lady M which seemed to be more generous with strawberries!

Tarte Aux Fruits

This was so pretty; it's hard not to get this! I admit i have had better (and maybe fresher) fruit tarts in Drips bakery but the shortbread crust in this tarte was definitely more flavorful.

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Location

No 6, Raffles Boulevard,

#02-103, Marina Square Shopping Mall

Website

http://ladym.com.sg/

Price

Signature Mille Crepes - $8.00

Green Tea Mille Crepes - $8.50

Strawberry Shortcake - $8.50

Tarte Aux Fruits - $10.00

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Menu

As above

Additional Information

Hungry for more than just dessert? Get your pick from the soups, salads and sandwiches available from the above tabletop menu.

For a relaxing afternoon after a heavy lunch, i would most likely order tea and refill the pot the moment it runs low. That should have been the case in Lady M. Unfortunately, there was no tea sachet and hence, no way for me to refill unless i order another pot. Bloody.

One of the last few items i did before my annual pass lapsed was to check out the 'Hollywood Dreams' parade available only on Saturdays, Sundays and selected public holidays, if weather permits.

With the unpredictable weather we have in Singapore, a good way of confirming that the parade is going to proceed ahead is through the putting up of temporary posts along the sides of the wide passageway.

Another indication is the white tape that acts the same way as yellow line does in train platforms; stay behind the bloody line!

The parade starts from "Waterworld"! Station yourself and your family at this point if you wish to be the very first group to catch the themed procession.

I needed a place with an elevated view since my sole purpose was simply to take photographs to commemorate my last few days as a Fun Pass member in Universal Studios Singapore.

This stone statue at the "Ancient Egypt" with a raised platform was chosen although i was banished soon after to the opposite side. USS employees were fully aware of my intention and kindly informed me that visitors have to clear THAT chosen side.

'Hollywood Dreams' was divided into different theme sections synonymous with the various zones in the theme park; first up was "New York" zone.

Vehicles and floats were used; hence the reason why visitors were limited to areas behind the white line. We wouldn't want to see an accident right?

Beetlejuice! Honestly, i doubt any of the younger generation would know who he is when the first and only movie of this character was way back in 1988! Even my memory of him was fuzzy!

Woody Woodpecker! Now, where's that pretty girlfriend of his?

I would have loved to catch Elmo and the Cookie Monster but they were conspicuously missing from the parade. Guess you can always catch them in action at the Sesame Street Stage Shows.

Madagascar was next!

Alex and King Julien respectively.

These flightless birds in tuxedos were the gems of the movie franchise and added much laughter to the shows! King Julien, though funny, was a tad too irritating in my opinion. Anyway, the penguins were once again up to no good!

Melman, the sickly giraffe, who became a witch doctor in the second installment of the Madagascar. Not a character i like; too weak.

And he sprayed water while i was taking pictures! Thank god i managed to protect my DSLR in time! $%@#$@#$@$@$ [up to individuals to decipher what the symbols represent in my vulgar dictionary]

Gloria the Hippo! Anyone still remembers her infatuation with Alex two years ago?

Marty, the talkative zebra! Is it a mere coincidence that both Marty in Madagascar and Donkey in Shrek share many similar traits?

Anyway, here are the characters from Far Far Away!

I absolutely, absolutely adore the fairy godmother! There were a number of persons who would masquerade as her but this lady here perfected the task!

The majestic dragon with super long eye lashes that fluttered uncontrollably in the presence of the Donkey.

Look at that svelte, gracious body! Pity there wasn't any dronkeys... :(

Three little pigs, three blind mice and a miniature portrayal of the Dragon's Keep where Princess Fiona used to be locked up in the tower!

Puss! I still prefer him in his "awwwww, that's such a sweet little cat" look.

Now's the turn for the grand arrival of the king of the zone where i was in fact situated; Lost World!

Frankly, i think it was a big failed attempt to have humans controlling the pteranodons and giving that obvious fake impression that they were flying! Nonetheless, hats off to these employees who continued to give their best smile!

I am no paleontologist but is this a baby tyrannosaurus?

No wonder the adult one had a pissed look!

I think it would be fantastic to add a few touches to make the T-rex more realistic! For one, give it a few strings of saliva and a deafening roar!!!

Ancient Egypt!

Everything i see such nicely sculpted abs, i feel so self conscious of the lump i have! It doesn't help that i am a renowned glutton and this is making it extremely difficult for me to achieve that bodily aim!!! :(

On a happier note, it did seem a bit funny to have the "mummy" out in the open!

Last part - the glamourous Hollywood!

When did Marilyn Monroe get so chunky!? Maybe it was the angle of my camera...

Betty Boop was right behind this pair of dancing couple! It's a pity i didn't manage to catch her in my pictures. Either that or i have lost those pictures in the "SD card was spoiled" incident.

Jovyn and Jerald would totally love the amount of bubbles generated by the last float of the parade!

This parade was dated in 2011?? Time to give it a change and add in Sesame Street, Kungfu Panda and even the minions that seemed to be appearing in USS for photo-taking sessions with visitors!

Popped champagne that appeared suspiciously like popcorn to me!

- End of the Hollywood Dreams Parade -

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Location

From "Waterworld" of Lost World Zone to New York Zone at Universal Studios Singapore!

Additional Information

The crowd was immense towards the end of the parade! So, i would still recommend those with young families to catch the parade from the very beginning outside "Waterworld"

So, i guess this is it.

It's goodbye to USS for now!

I knew i was too early for the volunteer meetup at Bukit Brown and hence, decided to explore the nearby residential area in the comfort of my air-conditioned car.

As i maneuvered a 3-point turn at the end of a short road, my eyes caught the above; an open, rusty-looking gate right next to a posh-looking bungalow!

Despite my fear of snakes, i chose to check it out since i knew help would come quickly should anything happen. I just have to remember to SCREAM!

What appeared right ahead was nothing except tonnes of dried leaves and a sudden drop into thick foliage that would moving forward, in a safer manner, impossible.

It was as if an earthquake had split the road apart and i was very curious to know what has exactly happened to have resulted in its abandonment.

Was it a private road that led to a house? Or was it a road that connect to the bukit brown cemetery in the old days? What was the history?

For a tree to have attached itself tightly to the barrier, i guess it must have been a while since anyone remembers this place. Having said that, the road didn't appear to be cluttered with rubbish as in the case with places of similar setting.

Anyone can enlighten the significance, if any, of such black / yellow barrier?

My suspicion told me this disused road could be related to this house right next to the barrier although this would mean that its land area would be huge in Singapore's standard! One unique element about the house is its easy accessibility from the back where there is literally no fence to keep outsiders away!

It was over a whatsapp group chat that Mr Kon excitedly informed us a fellow friend had recommended a place in Singapore that serves good yet affordable handmade dim sum!

I am a sucker when it comes to such deals, especially when dim sum is not really that cheap when you compare to typical hawker fare that could fill your stomach with just one serving.

Therefore, it didn't take us long to arrange for a weekend to check it out. Why weekend? Not because Saturdays and Sundays are my off days. Truth is, business was brisk enough for the eatery to open for business ONLY on weekends!

Business ends at 5pm. Even though we reached at around 3pm last Sunday, some of the items were already sold out and we had to make do with whatever that was still available for our late lunch. p.s. those in the picture was only about 75% of what we actually stuffed into our tummies.

The problem with most dim sum establishments is that there are hits and misses when it comes to the food. In the case here, i would say the review was relatively neutral since none was actually bad-tasting.

Even the worst was considered average tasting in my opinion (maybe, we were lucky)! The four baskets of dim sum shown before this paragraph were placed in the "average" category.

Both dishes (one steamed, another deep fried) above featured beancurd skin and although the meat filling was pretty generous (a plus obviously), i could not help but comment that the unique flavour of beancurd skin seemed to be lacking.

Lotus leaf rice was definitely one of the better ones i have so far, with the simple fragrance of lotus leaves absorbed into every single grain! Sorry, i forgot to take a picture after unwrapping it.

The chee cheong fun should have been tagged under "average"! However, i was very smitten with the delicious sauce that was drenched over the steamed flour! It was a bit heavy on the salty side yet the consistency was light enough for me to drink it like water!

I think this was called swallow dumplings (yan jiao zi) and i can draw a similar comparison to the epic hong you chao shou 红油抄手 sold in selected crystal jade restaurants. Personally, i prefer the ones from crystal jade but Mrs Kon loved it enough to order a second basket.

What's dim sum without buns?! Let's have char siew bao!

Fluffy texture, savoury filling and they only cost us S$1.60! I think my younger sister would have enjoyed the bao here! Guess i should bring my parents and siblings here for a yum cha session that wouldn't cost me a hand and leg.

This was left to the last for a reason. Known as Ham Sui Gok, i have seen them around yet i had never tried them out (appearance wise, they just didn't appeal to me). Honestly, what have i been doing for the past 33 years?!

The seemingly hard cover totally betrayed its actual sticky texture and the surprise continued when i realised the skin was sweet rather than savoury (or bland in most cases)! The filling, usually accorded equal or higher importance in dim sum, was relegated to a role as a mere taste enhancer to the overall "package".

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Location

Block 119, Aljunied Avenue 2,

#01-06 [note, Aljunied Crescent is incorrect]

Map

As above. The block is situated in between Paya Lebar and Aljunied MRT Stations.

Opening Hours

Closed on Mondays to Fridays.

Saturdays and Sundays - 7am to 5pm

Price and Menu

As above. There wasn't any GST and service charge to the bill although you may wish to note that there could be special items not on the menu. Don't be afraid to ask the friendly staff!

The great Kon was insistent that i have gone to the wrong place when i blogged about this supposedly authentic KL hokkien mee at Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur known as Kim Lian Kee.

He remembered clearly the shop he went to was extremely dirty and the environment was far from being a "restaurant" concept. I thought he could have recollected wrongly until a reader commented the same thing as well!

Hence, in my most recent trip, i was determined to find out the actual location of this original KL hokkien mee shop and came upon Lian Bee after checking with a few friendly locals in the Chinatown vicinity.

At first glance, i admit i was almost hesitant to step further.

It was nestled in the back lane, sandwiched between two rows of shophouses; one of which housed an eatery. That should not pose a problem; if not for the fact that i was nearly splashed with dirty water by one of the kitchen staff from that eatery! There were also quite a couple of black flies that seemed to have made the street stall their home.

Thankfully, Dad didn't complain (a rarity) and i happily plonked myself onto the plastic chair after ordering two items; the signature KL hokkien mee and bee hoon.

Bee Hoon

I have no doubt the wok essence was intensely infused into the vermicelli but at the back of my tongue, it was a tad too dry for my liking. Most tze char stalls in Singapore would make it wetter coupled with a savouriness that was more irresistible!

KL Hokkien Mee

This was just EPIC!!!!!!

The noodles didn't feature that overwhelming alkaline taste detested by many friends, the texture complemented perfectly with the thick glossy black sauce and the wok hei was obviously a key player in upping the taste / smell factor!

I did complain about the pathetic serving of crispy pork lard in Kim Lian Kee. It was another story altogether in Lian Bee; i had the good fortune that day to bite into many enormous pieces of extremely yummy yet terribly sinful pork lard! Maybe that's why the mee tasted so so so so so good!

The best KL hokkien mee so far!

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Location

Along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Map

As above. It's actually very easy to find; just remember Lian Bee is opposite the Chinese style arch along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok; cross the traffic light (if you are at the main entrance of Petaling street) and turn to your left.

Opening Hours
Open daily from 4.30 till 10.30pm.
Closed on Tuesdays.

Menu

As above

Price

Small - RM 6.50

Medium - RM 11.00

Large - RM 13.00

I don't remember much about Gillman Village along Alexandra Road but i could definitely recall that attractive harley davidson bike-themed bar known as Handlebar!

While many thought handlebar is no longer operating with the inevitable development of Gillman Village, i had the fortune to chance upon it in one of the days that i aimlessly drive my car all over Singapore.

Once i stepped in, i was hesitant to proceed further; the area was a bit too quiet without the rowdiness we often associated with bikers and i could not exactly pinpoint where the restaurant was.

Fret not, walk towards the direction of the red-white communication tower!

Here we are! I could not remember how the structure in Gillman Village looked like as i visited at night when visibility was super low and that was also the period when pictures taken by camera phones sucked big time and owning a DSLR was unimaginable given the exorbitant price tag.

Honestly, that visit was a long time ago when i was still driving the old Toyota Corolla without any air-conditioning! I couldn't even remember if handlebar has an outdoor kitchen as it has in its new location at Sembawang now.

There were fond memories of the decorations though and how each and every one of them was related to the bikers theme.

Traces of those memorable decors could be found although sadly, i didn't quite get that impressive excitement as i did in the past.

Nevertheless, this was one cool pool table i would love to get for my future house!

Furthermore, the new location has a natural advantage; its close proximity to the Straits of Johor where sea breeze is a given! A perfect chill out place with your close friends!

Blossom Onion

Since i don't drink, food would be my topmost priority! And for an onion lover, the blossom onion in Handlebar was the one food i had that remained so vividly impressed in the back of my memory.

Look at it; the presentation itself was already a spectacular sight! Even Alex was speechless for a split moment when the waiter placed it in front of him!

It was a godsend for me of course as i totally love deep fried stuff and this dish heavily featured the one ingredient i immensely enjoyed in almost any forms! Do take note that the blossom is best eaten when hot and crispy. Once it turns cold, the taste was quite unappetising.

Steak and Egg

Thinking back, i should have been more adventurous in my choice. Why a simple steak and egg when i could have a more ~~sadistic~~ unique dish known as "Silence of the Lamb"?

For some, the 250-gram steak would be considered as beautifully grilled with a marvelous looking shine! I like mine a bit more charred, if i could have my way.

The medium done-ness i requested was perfectly executed even though i do find the price tag of S$30 a tad too high for my scrooge-like personality. Sigh, i should have gotten that silence of the lamb!

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Location

57 Jalan Menpurong

[Near Sembawang Park]

Map and Driving Directions

As above (red star).

Motorists should turn in to Andrews Avenues from Sembawang Road and just drive all the way straight! For those taking public transport, do take note you would have to walk 10-15 minutes from the bus stop and the road is known to be very eerie when night falls.

Motorcycle / Bike Parking

Available as above.

Operation Hours

Closed on Monday!

Tuesday to Friday: 17:00 - 01:00

Saturday and Sunday: 15:00 - 01:00

Menu

As above

Pricing

Blossom Onion - S$12

Steak and Egg - S$30

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Right above People's Park Complex Food Centre, where you get the insanely famous yong xiang xing yong tau foo stall with a 40-person queue that i have personally encountered, are two levels of shops seldom patronised by many except the regulars.

I am one of 'those' regulars.

And my favourite shop is none other than "Swanston"!

Frankly, i wonder if i should even be blogging about this since there is a potential risk that i am just adding to the list and i absolutely detest the fact that the place seems to be getting more crowded recently!

Nevertheless, i simply could not resist not sharing this good find, especially when i have a "stingy consumer" label tagged to this blog and the toiletries sold in Swanston are so cheap; i have severely cut down on trips to Metro / John Little expo sales!

Baby Johnson shower foam for only S$5.50 when competitors were selling them for as high as S$8.00 each! Reputable hair dye that could be gotten for less than S$10.00! Oral B toothbrush that was priced at a bargain!

Every trip was a guaranteed basket of toiletries that seldom get past the S$50 mark! Saw that Darlie toothpastes? They only cost me S$3.90 for a pack of three (160g x 2 + 90g x 1)! The 580ml milk bath could be had for S$4.20 for two bags!

For the regulars, don't get yourself frustrated when there are just way too many people! You should consider walking one level up (on the third floor) where there are similar establishments selling the toiletries at mostly the same price!

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Location of Swanston

32 New Market Road

(Beside OG Chinatown)

Map

As above.

Sorry, i have been lazy...

No thanks to "Juice Cubes" where i have been trying to clear the level 223 for the past 3 hours! Most of my free time nowadays has been spent on completing the levels so that i can advance to the next map.

Now i finally understand why people can be so hooked to "candy crush" which featured similar game play. And the person whom i should blame is none other than Alex!!!! That bloody ass tempted me!!!!!

To be fair, i have also started watching the most popular k-drama; My Love from the Star (Hangul: 별에서 온 그대) or You Who Came from the Stars. :(

STOP!!

Don't tell me the ending!!!

Mention the ondeh ondeh from Maxwell hawker centre and i bet many foodies would know it is a 'MUST' to go before lunch to avoid disappointment!

I did visit before lunch but according to the polite lady manning the stall, i need to wait for another agonising ninety minutes for that first batch of delicious ondeh ondeh! :(

When life gives you lemons, suck it!

So, i made do with the second and third best things available; the bouncy kueh kosui (as shown in the above picture) and squiggly tapioca cake. To complete the meal (three look better than two), i had to order Ubi Kayu!

The kueh kosui had a chewy texture that didn't irritate the teeth, wasn't cloyingly sweet like many in the market yet tasted extremely heavy with palm sugar! Same goes for the tapioca cake which was easily one of the best i ever had! Again, the sweetness was just right!

I absolutely do not know how to appreciate Ubi Kayu, which had hard pieces of unpalatable tapioca making up the base and a thin layer of sugar coated coconut shreds on top that thankfully made it slightly more edible.

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Location

1 Kadayanallur Street,

#01-31, Maxwell Food Centre

[Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station]

Map

As above

Price

Kueh Kosui - S$0.50 a piece

Tapioca Cake - S$0.40 a piece

Ubi Kayu - S$0.70 a piece

I have quite a number of Muslim friends and it was often a challenge in the past to find a place where i can dine with my Muslim friends other than fast food restaurants; more often than not, a food court would be our best bet.

Times have changed of course and it is increasingly easy to find dining establishments with a Halal logo displayed right outside the shop. One such eatery is Da Jie (Da Jie means big sister by the way) Niang Dou Fu.

Initially, i was quite amused to hear of halal niang dou fu since pork was freely used in quite a few items that you can choose to fill up the bowl and being the skeptical me, i was all prepared to be disappointed.

Having said that, i was very impressed with the wide array of ingredients on display that you can add to your niang dou fu! It was, metaphorically speaking, similar to seeing a luxurious display of pleasing cakes that beckon you to try every single one of them!

My eyes were definitely attracted to the deep fried items; there were so many to choose from, including sweet yam, prawns and even chicken nuggets!

Furthermore, unlike conventional non-Halal yong tau foo stalls / restaurants, Da Jie offered an incredible five basic styles; normal (soup), laksa, tomyam, hakka and ampang!

Not sure what they are? Check out the above explanation!

Ordering was fuss free; choose whatever you want (so long you have the monies to pay for it), inform the cashier the style you want and whether you want noodles, rice or kosong, pay, collect the number plate and then wait for your food to arrive!

My friends' order; soup and laksa.

Mine; Niang Dou Fu Ampang style! As you can see, close to 95% was my favourite deep fried stuff drenched in that savoury sauce that was said to be mildly spicy!

No complaint about the fried items; the assortment was already a plus point and the quality was in fact much better than many average ones in the market. Top on my list was the deep fried yam!!

Sauce wise, it wasn't that spicy and unfortunately, could not match the one i had at 922 Hakka Ampang Yong Tau Foo.

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Location

354, Clementi Avenue 2,

#01-253 (Behind the mosque)

Map

As above

Website

http://www.dajie.com.sg/

Price

I paid less than S$7.00 for my Ampang order but it really depends on what you choose. The items are priced on average S$0.60 per serving / piece.

W.39 Casual Dining - Bistro and Bakery @ 39 Jalan Mas Puteh (Near Clementi Stadium)

Dove Desserts Nyonya Cendol [Recipe from Malacca] @ 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh [Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre]

Chao Zhou Fishball Noodle (潮州鱼丸粿条面) @ 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh [Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre]

Chinese New Year 2014 - An Assortment of Pictures from the Eve andFirst Two Days

Changi V. BBQ House - Formerly 0172 BBQ Seafood @ Changi Village Hawker Centre

Frozen Tundra - The New Home for Inuka, World's First Polar Bear Born in the Tropics! @ Singapore Zoo

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon (荷兰村xo鱼头米粉) - The Infamous One @ Block 19A, Dover Crescent [Singapore]

Peony Jade Clarke Quay - Food Tasting for a Wedding Banquet

Volunteering at Bukit Brown Cemetery Again and the Significance of 皇清 on Tombstones

Hakata Ippudo SG (一风堂) @ Westgate [Next to Jurong East MRT Station]

Lady M Confections & her Signature Mille Crepes @ Marina Square[Singapore]

Hollywood Dreams Parade @ Universal Studios Singapore [USS]

An Open Gate that Piqued my Interest

Shi Wei Xiang Hongkong Tim Sum (食为先香港点心) - Open Only on Saturdays & Sundays! @ Aljunied Crescent [Between Aljunied & Paya Lebar MRT Stations]

Original KL Hokkien Mee - The Real Deal (Lian Bee Hokkien Mee 联美福建面) @ Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia]

Handlebar - The Original @ Sembawang [Jalan Menpurong]

Swanston - Your Essential Store for Cheap Toiletries! @ Chinatown [People's Park Complex Food Centre]

Bloody Game - Blame It for the Lack of Posts!

Tapioca Cake & Kueh Kosui @ Maxwell Road Hawker Centre [中国街興興China Street Xing Xing]!

Halal Certified Da Jie Niang Dou Fu (大姐酿豆腐) @ Clementi [Behind Masjid Darussalam]