Wall Mural By Mural Artist Yip Yew Chong @ Thian Hock Keng Temple

After my visit to the Fuk Tak Chi Temple, I proceeded to Thian Hock Keng Temple which is situated along the same street. 

I was not too happy with my shots at the 178 years old temple that day as my new lenses were not suited for wide angle shots. As I figured what to do, I took a walk around the perimeter of the temple when I realized that mural artiste Yip Yew Chong has been commissioned by the Hokkien Huay Kuan to draw a 40m mural at the rear wall behind the temple. 

For the uninitiated, Thian Hock Keng Temple is managed by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (Huay Kuan = Clan Association).

I thought I could take photos of the mural instead since my shots of the temple were not satisfactory. However, my view of the murals were obstructed by the vehicles parked alongside the wall.

Fuk Tak Chi Temple @ Telok Ayer Street

During my search for Nam Seng Wanton Mee, I accidentally stumbled upon this Fuk Tak Chi Temple (福德祠) along Telok Ayer Street. If you exit Telok Ayer MRT Station via Exit B, this temple is just right across the road on your left.

According to the plaque at the entrance, this temple is one of the oldest around since the 1820s. The temple, founded by the Hakka and Cantonese immigrants, served as a place of worship and a social meeting place for the two communities. The temple was closed in 1994 and has since been converted into a museum.

Inside, you can find a diorama depicting a street scene outside the temple with the early immigrants going about their daily lives. If you are wondering why there is a pier with bum boats docking along it, that is because this place used to be a coastal area. Much of Telok Ayer is built on reclaimed land.

In fact, the name Telok Ayer actually means "Water Bay".

Nam Seng - Old National Library Wanton Mee @ 25 China Street

Update: Nam Seng is permanently closed.

Recently, misstamchiak posted on her instagram about this Nam Seng Wanton Mee which used to be from the hut under the big tree beside the old National Library at Stamford Road.

Well, the old National Library is no stranger to all Singaporeans since it was, if I am not mistaken, our very first public library that has been around since the 1960s. I have a direct bus from my place to Orchard Road which passes by Stamford Road so I have passed by the library with its iconic red bricks countless of times.

However, watching the library and the hut pass me by from inside the bus is all there is of the memories I have had of them. I have not stepped into the library or eaten at the hut before and I will never have the chance to since both have already been torn down for redevelopment in 2004.

As I am a ardent fan of old school wanton mee, I thought why not pay a visit to the stall at its current location at 25 China Street? 

You know, for nostalgia's sake?

Tai Cheong Bakery @ 31 Lorong Liput

Following the success of two pop-up stores and a takeaway kiosk at Takashimaya, Tai Cheong Bakery has finally opened a 60-seat eatery that consisted of both indoor and outdoor seats.

My visit to the bakery was an impromptu one; I was lying in bed one day when my brother called to meet up for lunch. With the Mum in tow, we met up and took the circle line to Holland Village MRT Station.

There was no one in the queue when we reached but we waited about ten minutes for a indoor seat. If you do not mind sitting outside, you might be able to get a table faster. 

We can literally feel the heatwave while queuing by the roadside so a outdoor seat is a no-no for us. The thoughtful Tai Cheong Bakery has provided a chilled water dispenser along the queue which we can help ourselves to if we wanted.

As we were shown to our seats, the air-con that hits our face brought some much needed relief from the scorching heat outside.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee @ Hong Lim Food Centre

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee is one of the two better-known stalls for selling the same dish at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.

While Ah Heng is located on the second level, the other competing stall - Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee - is located directly downstairs on the first level.

What both stalls are selling here is not curry chicken with mee but Hainanese-styled poached chicken with curry mee. (Hope I am not confusing anyone here)

Having eaten at Ah Heng a number of times, I always tell myself that I will try the other stall the next time I come here however, when that time arrive, I will instinctively go up to the second level, bypassing the first level. Again.

And the cycle repeats itself.

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee @ Blk 130 Jurong Gateway Road

Update: Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee has relocated. It's new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

Two years ago, I learned of a certain Thai-styled wanton mee setting up shop at the Ang Mo Kio area and being the avid wanton mee lover that I am, how could I not give it a try?

However, the mere thought of getting there just for a bowl of noodles convinced me otherwise and I ended up procrastinating for the longest time.

When I found out that they have a new outlet at Jurong East, it got me excited since the location is very much closer to me now.

Unfortunately, I have been to the coffeeshop no lesser than five times but each time I have to turn back in disappointment as they are always closed when I got there.

Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant @ Alexandra Village

Keng Eng Kee started out selling Hainanese Chicken Rice in a small coffeeshop at Havelock Road in the 1950s. During the 70s, they expanded their operations to the tze char business and moved to the current location after the closure of the former Havelock Road Hawker Centre.

Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant (or KEK for short) operates out of an entire coffeeshop with the outside seating arrangement spilling over to the next block where a small air-conditioned room is available upon booking.

We were there around 6pm on a Saturday and the place is jam-packed with customers. I noticed that a short queue of walk-in customers waiting for a table is already forming by the side.

Business is brisk and it is hard to get a table for a large group without reservations. Thankfully, my brother has already called them the day before to reserve a table for five as well as a crab.

Syonan Gallery: War And Its Legacies

After a year-long revamp, the former Ford Motor Factory along Upper Bukit Timah Road has finally reopened its doors to a closed-door opening ceremony for invited guests on 15 February 2017.

Renamed Syonan Gallery, its opening was aptly timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

A highlight of the private event was a weapon presentation ceremony, where recruits from the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR) received their Singapore Assault Rifle (SAR) 21.

I think there is a significant meaning for our own army to take up arms at the very site where the British put down theirs. It is a dark chapter, but one that we must always remember; we can rely on no one except ourselves to defend our land.

We have come a long way and while we treasure the peace we have now, let us not forget the atrocities of the war that our ancestors had to go through.

With a heavy heart, I visited the museum on the next day when it is opened to the public.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I have long heard of Hill Street Fried Kway Teow but what I did not know is it's location. After some digging online, I found out that there are apparently two fried kway teow stalls which originated from the now-demolished Hill Street Food Centre.

One has moved to Bedok while the other one is at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre. Although sporting similar name on their signboards, both stalls are unrelated and each have their own supporters.

I decided to try the one at Chinatown since Bedok is far too inconvenient for me. Unfortunately, the stall was closed the first two times of my visit. It was only during my third visit did I managed to catch them opened for business.

「大白鯊」鲁芬今晨肺部衰竭离世！

今早醒来在床上滑手机时竟传来噩耗！

专演恶人及丑角的香港女演员鲁芬因皮肌炎导致肺部衰竭离世，终年63岁。

鲁芬是我还蛮喜欢的演员之一。尤其是她所主演的一些滑稽，搞笑的角色如《九品芝麻官》里的烈火奶奶和《整蛊专家》的大白鲨等等。

但最深入铭心的莫过于《女子监狱》里的山东婆。

也就是这个角色让我认识了鲁芬这个人。

River Hong Bao 2017 春到河畔 2017

CHOY SUN DOU!

It is the Lunar New Year and do you know what that means?

River Hongbao - the annual event which everyone has been looking forward to - is back for it's 31st year! Just like the previous years, it is once again being held at the Floating Platform at Marina Bay.

As the folks are hosting guests at home in the afternoon, I would not want to be caught dead in the "line of fire" (interrogation), therefore, I made an excuse to slip out of the house to visit River Hongbao before the 姨妈姑姐s (blood-related or otherwise) arrive.

One Day Trip To Muar, Johor, Malaysia

It was a chilly Sunday morning. 

While most people are still warmly curled-up in their beds at 5.45am, a small congregation had already gathered at a dark, secluded corner of the neighborhood. 

My Aunt's department had organized a one day trip to Muar, Johor, Malaysia and she has asked my parents and I along. It was considered a 'blind' trip for me because I do not know the itinerary nor know where we will be going to. 

We set off on board a luxurious coach heading for Tuas checkpoint and were met with by our Malaysian tour guide after clearing the Malaysian side of the customs. 

Animal Corner At Farmart Centre

Farmart Centre is a farmers' market of sorts where one can buy fresh produces such as eggs, live seafood and vegetables. During my schooling days, I go there quite often and I even brought my classmates there a couple of times during the school holidays.

Although the farm is near to where I stay, its location at Sungei Tengah is rather inaccessible if you do not drive.

Thankfully, Farmart Centre provides daily shuttle bus service and I remember the fare used to cost 50 cents. When we alight from the shuttle bus, the driver would hand everyone some discount coupons which we could utilize at the shops.

Those were the days and in the twinkling of an eye, 19 years has passed since my last visit. As the second day of 2017 is a public holiday, I decided to make a trip there for old times sake.

From their Facebook page, I learned that from 2017 onward, the shuttle bus service will only be available during the weekends but the ride will be complimentary.

Waffletown USA @ Balmoral Plaza

Update: Waffletown USA has permanently closed.

Waffletown USA is a family-owned business that had been serving American food such as burgers, fried chicken and Belgian waffles for the last thirty odd years in Singapore.

During the 1980s, it was situated at the basement of Bukit Timah Plaza before moving to its current location at Balmoral Plaza along Bukit Timah Road. It has been years since I last visited them and as I walked through its door today, a wave of nostalgia hits me in the face. 

Everything from the furnishings to the deco remained exactly how I remembered it to be when they were still at their previous address.

Nine Fresh Desserts Taiwan 九鲜 九份甜品 @ Jurong Point

I have never been to Taiwan before but thanks to the kind folks who brought in the Taiwan desserts chain stores to our shores, I am able to have my first taste of taro balls with beancurd/grass jelly about a year ago. 

As much as I like the dessert I had then, I was hesitant to go back again as the price is almost equivalent to a meal at the food court. 

However, I am happy to have found another brand of Taiwan dessert stall offering a similar concept but with a more wallet-friendly pricing.

Introducing, NINE FRESH DESSERTS TAIWAN! They offer a few combo of desserts featuring Taiwan-specified ingredients like taro balls and pearls. Or, if you prefer, you could also create your own by selecting one of the base (beancurd, grass jelly, ai-yu jelly) and choosing your favorite toppings.

Xin Long Fish Soup @ Kopitiam, Jurong Point

Update: Xin Long Fish Soup has permanently closed.

After my dental appointment today, I chanced upon this Xin Long Fish Soup stall located inside the Kopitiam Foodcourt on the third floor of Jurong Point Shopping Centre.

Fish soup is one of my favorite comfort food so I decided to order a bowl for lunch. (yes, I ate twenty minutes after my tooth extraction!)

When it comes to fish soup, I prefer to have it with fried fish and thick bee hoon (rice vermicelli) rather than with sliced fish and rice. I can have a hearty bowl of fish soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner consecutively without getting sick of it.

National Orchid Garden *Free Admission!*

I have always thought that the National Orchid Garden is simply a small scale garden showcasing its collection of Orchids and probably not worth the price of a ticket to go in.

When I learned that Singaporeans enjoy free entry from November 2016 till January 2017, I decided to take the opportunity to check it out if it is really the "go one round and we're out" kind of small like what I had thought.

By the end of my visit, however, I realized that the National Orchid Garden is anything but small. With over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids, the Garden is the largest display of Orchids in the world!

Delicious Fried Carrot Cake 日夜香菜头粿 @ Redhill Market & Food Centre

There are two rival fried carrot cake stalls at Redhill Food Centre but I decided to patronize the one called Delicious Fried Carrot Cake (日夜香菜头粿 #01-33) instead of Fu Ming Cooked Food (福明熟食 #01-49).

The reason why I picked one over the other is because I heard that they add taugeh (beansprouts) to their fried carrot cake. I have eaten fried carrot cake with beansprouts at Thailand before but it is still the first time I have heard of this combination in Singapore. I must admit, it did arouse my interest to give them a try.

Manned by an elderly couple, the uncle does all the frying while the auntie helps to take order, beat the eggs and receive payment.

Both the white and black versions of fried carrot cake are available here and you can opt for or without beansprouts.

Yan 焱 Fried Beehoon And Fried Chicken Wings @ Redhill Market & Food Centre

I have finally gotten the chance to try the fried bee hoon and fried chicken wings that Mr Lee Hsien Loong had personally stood 30 minutes in line for.

It caused quite a stir back then when photographs of the Prime Minister queuing went viral across all social networks.

That was two years ago.

Black Muah Chee @ Toa Payoh HDB Hub

I am quite surprised to know that there is a black version of muah chee! 

This stall called "Hougang Six Miles Famous Muah Chee" located inside Gourmet Paradise Food Court at Toa Payoh HDB Hub sells exactly that. The black element is actually due to the crushed black sesame seeds coating its exterior.

Of course, they do sell the usual crushed peanut version as well.

Here, the muah chee are individually hand pulled from a larger dough then dipped in shallot oil before being tossed into a bed of crushed peanuts or black sesame.

Compared to other vendors who simply place a blob of the dough into the tray of crushed peanuts and then snipping them into smaller pieces with scissors, Hougang Six Miles Famous Muah Chee's muah chee is way more chewy due to the extra stretching.