Sentosa Sandsation 2017

As part of the island's 45th anniversary celebrations, Sentosa will be hosting Southeast Asia's largest sand festival "Sentosa Sandsation 2017" at Siloso Beach.

Spreading over 2,400 square metres, Sentosa Sandsation 2017 will feature more than 30 larger-than-life sand sculptures with some measuring over 5 metres.

The exhibition have three zones, each offering a different experience.

Yong Kee Fish Ball Noodle @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

Located directly opposite Fatty Cheong is another famous stall called Yong Kee Famous Fish Ball Noodle which is famed for it's handmade fish balls.

Other than fish ball noodle ($3/$4/$5),  they also serve mushroom minced meat noodle aka bak chor mee ($4/$5) and canned abalone noodle ($12).

Since the stall is revered by foodies, I had to give it a try.

While queuing to place my order, I heard a commotion between the lady boss and the customer in front of me. Apparently, the customer wanted the $3 bowl but did not inform the lady boss who had already prepared the $4 serving.

Fatty Cheong Wanton Noodle @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

A week ago, I visited ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre specifically aiming for the wanton noodle from a roast stall called Fatty Cheong because I have heard so much about their bu jian tian char siew which is actually BBQ pork made from the pig's arm pit.

In order to avoid the lunch crowd, I intentionally arrive slightly after 11am - their stipulated opening hour listed on hungrygowhere and burpple.

To my dismay, they seem far from ready for business as the lights are not on and there are no roasts hanging on the racks. 

I did not want to waste any time so I went through my food list and decided to go for the next available stall opened at that time which is Wow Wow West.

The plan was to wait for Fatty Cheong to get ready while having my chicken chop but as fate would have it, I am too full from my western food to have anything else.

Furthermore, by the time I finished, it was nearing noon and Fatty Cheong is still not opened yet.

I have to leave in disappointment and plan another trip back soon.

Wow Wow West Western Food - Chicken Chop @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

I have long heard of this western stall called Wow Wow West that serves big portions of western food for reasonable prices at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.

Even though I go to the nearby IKEA Alexandra quite frequently, I was often too lazy to make a detour to the food centre.

Wow Wow West used to be located at the school canteen of Raffles Institution (RI) however, the school holidays meant that income would be badly affected so they had no choice but to relocate first to Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre before finally settling down at the current location.

I was full of anticipation for their chicken chop after reading many raving reviews about them online.

Furthermore, I feel there is a need to support the stall because they support the Yellow Ribbon Project by hiring ex-offenders. I personally think it is awesome of them to give the ex-offenders a second chance to set their lives straight and contribute to society.

Fuzhou Poh Hwa Oyster Cake @ Berseh Food Centre

If memory does not fail me, I was first acquainted with the Fuzhou oyster cake more than two decades ago in a coffeeshop next to the Commonwealth Theater which is one of the two cinemas (the other being Empress Cineplex) in Clementi.

Commonwealth Theater has since been torn down and redeveloped into the current Cityvibe. The oyster cake stall has also closed down before the destruction of Commonwealth Theater began.

Its new location or whether it is even in operations for that matter, remains unknown.

Those were the days when the age of internet (and mobile phones) were still not as widespread therefore I have no means to track it down.

And that, was last time that I had had any oyster cake.

Shin-Chan: Urban Legend Series

Shinnosuke, or Shin Chan, the annoying yet lovable five-year-old is no stranger to all. I was first introduced to this perverted little boy via manga a long time ago and I have watched countless of the anime however, it was not until a few days ago that I found out there is actually a horror series of this anime known as 蜡笔小新都市传说系列.

Loosely translated as "Crayon Shin-chan Urban Legend Series", the anime in this series are a little dark and macabre - very different from the usual slapstick comedy I know. 

I have to admit some are quite disturbing but there are also some which are downright hilarious. I have included the links to a few of my favorite ones here for your viewing pleasure. 

"Set A" 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle @ Blk 164 Stirling Road

Update: 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

A while back, I went to a nondescript coffeeshop in Stirling Road for the special "Set A" wanton noodle but due to my oversight while ordering, I had the 'normal' wanton noodle instead.

I returned to Stirling Road again, determined to have the special "Set A" wanton noodle. This time, I pointed to the photo by the side of the stall, making sure that the lady inside saw me doing that.

The normal wanton noodle came with only char siew and boiled wantons but the 'special' had additional braised mushrooms and fried wantons.

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty at Mei Ling Market & Food Centre serves the Ipoh-styled hor fun which is another one of my favorite food. 

Yet, they are not exactly Ipoh-styled as their sauce are made with about thirty kinds of herbs.

Apparently, the hor fun is so good, it was included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand List 2016 and 2017.

Prior to my visit, I have read the story about the elderly couple running the stall. 

Unfortunately, the auntie suffered from a stroke so the daughter started coming to help out. Even though the auntie had to be in a wheelchair, she would be sitting near the stall everyday giving her husband and daughter moral support.

My heart goes out to them after knowing their plight. Perhaps due to auntie's ailment, they were only able to open for business four days a week.

I was expecting to see them in person when I was there however, all I see were two middle-aged men and a elderly man inside the stall. Is the elderly man the uncle? Where is the auntie and their daughter then? And who are these middle-aged men?

Xin Lu Teochew Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee Soup @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Not far from 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle is Mei Ling Market & Food Centre. It is a two-storey building where residents can do their marketing on the ground floor before going for their breakfast at the food centre upstairs.

As Stirling Road is a mature estate, my initial thoughts about the food centre is that it would be badly maintained, dirty and with bad air-circulation as well.

My first visit to the food centre last week, however, painted a very different picture. The food centre is extremely clean with no litter on the floor, illumination is bright, there is no buildup of dirty bowls on the tables, and the area is spacious and airy with the high ceiling. You will not leave the food centre smelling like char kway teow or fried carrot cake.

This is all thanks to a upgrading program which I just found out was completed about eight years ago. Even though it has been years since the upgrading, its condition is as good as new.

I must say this is by far the most well-maintained food centre I had ever seen.

164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle @ Blk 164 Stirling Road

Update: 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

For years, a nameless wanton noodle stall has been dishing out delicious wanton noodle in a dingy-looking coffee shop at Stirling Road - one of Singapore's oldest estate - in Queenstown.

Fronted by an aged signboard with a generic "wanton noodle" written in both English and Chinese, the fading photos on it bear witness to the years they have toiled in the stall, faithfully serving the residents in this neighborhood.

According to my research, the stall used to be called Chun Ji (春记) however, the name is not on the signboard anymore. It is now more commonly known as "164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle" with reference to its location under block 164.

I came to learn about this noodle stall while reading up on the must-eats at Meiling Market & Food Centre which is only a few minutes walk away. As photos of the wanton noodle looked so enticing, I decided that a visit to the stall is a must.

Long Kee Wanton Noodle @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre has no lack of wanton noodle stalls. Based on my memory, there are at least four of them but there could be more though as I did not really go and count.

Apart from Kok Kee Wanton Noodle, the other notable one with a perpetual queue is Long Kee Wanton Noodles.

I have tried their chicken feet noodle before which is not too bad. The chicken feet were well-braised and tender and I remember liking it very much then. This time, I tried their wanton noodle which comes in two different sizes at $3 and $4.

Kok Kee Wanton Noodle @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

Update:  Kok Kee Wanton Noodle has rebranded as Wai Kee Wanton Noodle.

I have long heard of the notoriety of Kok Kee Wanton Noodle from the now-defunct Lavender Food Square that overcharges for its small portions however, I have heard even more regarding its grumpy elderly owners who had offended quite a bit of customers (go snoop around the food forums and you'll see what I mean).

Yet, despite the less than favorable reputation, the stall still attract quite a queue daily.

Meanwhile, over at Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre, there is a wanton noodle stall bearing the same name (also claiming to be from Bugis), charging the same higher-than-usual price, and does not serve green pickled chili just like the one at Lavender. 

There were rumors that the young couple running this stall were the nephew and niece of the older couple who had since retired.

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this information but, I am still very excited to try a plate of this "legendary" wanton noodle that I have heard so much about.

Soh Kee Cooked Food @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

And so, Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre has finally reopen after three grueling months of renovation works. The food centre section is now cleaner and brighter but contrary to expectations, there are no increase in seating capacity so finding a clean table is still as difficult.

Anyway, three months is too long a time to keep me away from having my favorite porridge at Soh Kee Cooked Food. 

This stall offer the usual chicken porridge ($2), fish porridge ($3), cuttlefish porridge ($3) and mixed porridge ($3) but what most people ordered here is actually their plain porridge with poached chicken.

RAWR! Dinosaurs Unearthed @ Plaza Singapura!

Great news for all you dinosaur fanatics out there! 

Dinosaurs have been sighted at Plaza Singapura and if you like these prehistoric creatures as much as I do, then do not give this exhibition a miss! 

In collaboration with Sceince Centre Singapore, Plaza Singapura has brought in five animatronic dinosaurs for this mid-year school holidays.

The animatronics were quite realistic with their movements and sounds. One kid started crying from far while another begged for mercy from her enthusiastic parents not to make her pose for photos with the big, scary monsters!

Hakka Lei Cha @ Volcano Coffee House, Kelapa Sawit, Kulai, Johor, Malaysia

In my previous post, I mentioned that we were at Kelapa Sawit checking out the wall murals. Before that, however, we had our breakfast at the local coffeeshop. 

There were a couple of very old coffeeshops offering the usual wanton noodle and porridge fare but, we were actually on the prowl for a very special dish associated with this Hakka neighborhood - the Hakka lei cha.

The word "Lei" （擂） refers to the action of grinding the tea but it sounds the same as the word "Thunder" （雷） so this dish is also known as the Thunder Tea.

My Mum is a Hakka so she got to have her bowl of lei cha which is actually a bowl of plain or brown rice topped with different vegetables and a bowl of soup made by grinding different types of herbs and tea leaves together. 

Wall Murals @ Kelapa Sawit, Johor, Malaysia!

Last week, the folks and I made a trip to Kelapa Sawit (otherwise known as 26 miles) which is a small village located at the north of Kulai. The name, meaning Palm Oil in Malay, is in reference to the plantation nearby that the villagers depended on for their livelihood in the early days.

The village used to be called "Chang An Village" and had a population of about ten thousand people made up predominantly by the Hakka community.

In 1949, the British, who are the Colonial master of Malaya at that time, relocated everyone living between 24 miles and 27 miles to 26 miles which is heavily guarded and barricaded with barbed wires. 

The move is to cut off any form of aid that the villagers might have been giving to the guerrillas who are hiding in the jungle. And that, is how the Kelapa Sawit New Village came about.

Back to the topic, we were there to visit the wall murals which is an initiative started by a local art group as part of Malaysia's birthday celebration in 2014.  

Actually, this is just one of the "attraction" for our one day tour to Johor. The other places, like Stingless Bee Farm, YOYO, Fuzhou noodle and biscuit factory have been blogged before in my earlier travel posts so I will not talk about them again.

You may read more about my previous day trip to Muar and Kluang.

Army Open House 2017 @ The City (F1 Pit Building)

After an absence of five years, the Army Open House (AOH) has finally made a return! And what better time to bring it back than now because 2017 marks the 50th year of National Service (NS) in Singapore.

I visited the open house held at the F1 Pit Building near the Singapore Flyer over the past weekend. The crowd was insane and there was heightened security as visitors had to undergo body and bag checks before being allowed entry.

Da Jie Famous Wanton Noodle @ 209 Jalan Besar

Update: Da Jie Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

When I was reading up on Hainan Chicken Rice Ball and Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice, I did not realize that there are so many good food to be found along the stretch of Jalan Besar which is somewhat out of my comfort zone.

However, I have already conquered half of it during my previous food trail to Hainan Chicken Rice Ball, Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice and Sungei Road Laksa.

It is a good thing that they are all within walking distances from one another so I only need to venture a little further during this visit to Da Jie Famous Wanton Noodle.

Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice @ Blk 638 Veerasamy Road

After an exasperating attempt to have Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice, I made a second visit the following weekend.

This time, I reached the coffeeshop at 11.40am instead, having learned a lesson the hard way previously. As I approached the stall, there is already a short queue of about five people in front of me but the queue is not moving at all.

I craned my neck and saw that the first customer is actually buying more than twenty packs of the chicken rice for the whole village. To my relief, she is already collecting the last few packs. After she is done, the queue finally starts moving.

Sungei Road Laksa @ Blk 27 Jalan Berseh

 
In my previous post, I visited Hainan Chicken Rice Ball at Dickson Road. I had also planned to visit Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice since they are about two streets away from each other.

Because Google and Burpple stated the opening hours of both stalls as 8.30am, I arranged my timing to reach there a little after 9am. However, when I reached Hainan Chicken Rice Ball, the stall owner is still preparing the stall for business (stall lights are off) thus, I went off in search of Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice only to find out that they too are not ready for business yet.

At that time, it did not occur to me that the timing I got from Google and Burpple could be outdated so I did not bother asking what time they are opening. I just thought that they might need an extra 10 to 20 minutes.

With that, I walked to and fro between both stalls for more than five times, thinking that by the time I reach the other side, they would be ready. However, that was not the case. I ended up feeling so frustrated that I ditched the plan and went for Sungei Road Laksa instead.

Why did these hawkers not put up their business hours in front of their stalls prominently for all to see, just like what Sungei Road Laksa did? (refer to photo below)