Lorong Halus Wetland - An Exploration!

Given my two posts on Serangoon Tidal Gates and Lorong Halus pedestrian bridge, it would just be a matter of time that i have to get my butt going on writing an entry for Lorong Halus Wetland.

Anyway, the main reason i was in those places on a weather-perfect Sunday afternoon is actually to visit the wetland and it is contradicting to have this post so much later than the other two!

First point of contact should be this sheltered building (otherwise known as Halus Wetland Kiosk) where you would have a better understanding of this man made wetland. Gaining the knowledge is essential before you start the walking trail.

Lorong Halus was a landfill from 1970 till 1999 (after which waste is sent to Pulau Semakau) but there lies a serious problem when the government decides to expand the water catchment area in Singapore.

The existence of leachate, a liquid that moves through landfills and can be toxic when added to drinking water. Not exactly the component you want for a reservoir.

I am going to spare you the boring information which is not as impressive as reading them while being surrounded by the impressive wetland.

After digesting the information, i began my walk. A lack of sheltered areas (only two) along the trail means that the risk of being struck by lightning has increased significantly.

To be honest, lorong halus wetland has a really uninteresting vibe to it and it's hard not to compare it to a park filled with towering trees, vibrant clusters of flowers, bbq pits, benches, swings, playgrounds, splashes of colours etc.

Okay, there are flowers - to be specific, water lilies.

Except all of them are located within the ponds known as polishing ponds.

Unlike many ponds we see in gardens and parks, the five polishing ponds in Lorong Halus have a similar installation that looks like a draining funnel.

Curiousity can be good at times to increase the knowledge of a layman who knows plants as merely plants - this bright blue panel seeks your curious mind to seek out the eight species of plants found in the polishing ponds!

Time to go into the reed beds zone. I was a bit apprehensive to go in for two reasons; one, the plants can be taller than me in some areas and two, i am dead alone in my exploration despite an article in The Sunday Times that very day promoting the wetland.

Loneliness is not necessarily a bad thing. If Alex is with me, i can bet he would resist stepping out from the air-conditioned car and declaring immediately he has a life-threatening headache.

Could you recognise this plant? Known appropriately as cattails, they are common features in children story books whenever a pond, marsh or lake is concerned.

What about this? This is a cattail as well although the sausage thingy has now disintegrated into a cotton-like material.

Devoid of humans. Any slight rustling can be unnerving even though it could likely be the work of a gentle breeze. Frankly, i am more scared that a snake might cross my path.

This structure (and a few restricted-access tanks and lagoons behind), are the first of three stages for the removal of leachate. Reed beds are the second while polishing ponds are the third.

Most of us are aware that ancient Egyptians invented a paper like material known as papyrus from a plant. I was feeling the papyrus plant for the first time in my life!

To a certain extent, a dried stalk of papyrus does appear to be the horsewhip used by Chinese gods (normally the ones with a full head of white hair and beard).

One question that ran through my brain as i trekked along the reed beds - how come i don't see any water at the base of the reed beds?

Because the water flows underneath the gravel where the roots of the plants take in nutrients from the leachate, thus purifying the water further.

Halfway through the trail - Ponggol town right ahead and you can also catch glimpses of the pedestrian bridge. As i was seriously dehydrated from all the walks, i quickly returned back to the kiosk!

Damn, no bloody vending machine!

For a while, i was contemplating if i should just drink the water from the polishing ponds to quench my thirst and moisture my parched throat.

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Location

As above. For motorists, you may exit at Lorong Halus from Tampines Expressway (towards Pan Island Expressway) and continue until you see a green sign showing Lorong Halus Wetland to the left and Serangoon Tidal Gates to the right.

Parking

Only six parking lots are available within the premise of the wetland.

Cakes [Carrot, Chocolate, Bluberry Cheese] in Cedele @ The Rail Mall [Upper Bukit Timah Road]

When someone mentioned carrot cake to any true blue Singaporean, the replies would likely be nothing like the typical cakes you see on display in bakeries.

This ignorance explains my astonishment when a friend suggested buying a carrot cake birthday cake for a fellow colleague who loves the one from Cedele [not sure if it is pronounced as C-dell or C-D-Li].

Put it this way; i didn't expect carrot cake to be actually a cake (like so duh right?) yet it didn't have the taste of the normal cream and sponge filling i am well accustomed to!

Given the Gang of Four's penchant for desserts, it's just a matter of time before we step into any of Cedele 23 branches (mix of restaurants, cafes and bakeries) in Singapore.

Carrot Walnut Cake

Adding oil-rich nuts to any cake is usually a good move to enhance the flavour and provide a bite-tier touch - just like walnuts-filled brownies.

The combination of moist carrot, crunchy walnuts decked in cream cheese makes this carrot the best seller in Cedele although i find that the slice of carrot cake we had was not as flavourful as i remember it to be.

Blueberry Hazelnut Cheese Cake

I would not comment much on this as i always prefer original new york cheese than anything else. It was okay in my opinion but as i mentioned, i like new york cheese!

Chocolate Addiction

A new kid on the block, this would prove to be the key draw for anyone with a chocolate addiction! For someone who enjoys milk chocolate more than dark chocolate, i can only confirm i am not hooked on chocolate.

Mocha Affogato

Coffee and chocolate ice cream?!?! Euuwwwwww.... Guess i am pretty picky when it comes to what goes into my mouth.

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Location

398 Upper Bukit Timah Road

The Rail Mall

Price

Carrot Walnut Cake - S$6 a slice

Blueberry Hazelnut Cheese Cake - S$5.80 a slice

Chocolate Addiction - S$5 a slice

Mocha Affogato - S$5.80

Subject to GST.  No Service Charge

Opening Hours

Mon – Thur: 10.00am to 9:30pm

Fri: 10.00am to 10.00pm

Sat, Eve of PH/PH: 8.00am to 10.00pm

Sun: 8.00am to 9:30pm

Additional Information

The branch we visited serves more than just cakes and pastries. Most diners were in fact digging into main courses like pasta.

For me, this wall poster makes me realised how much i am craving for burgers with thick, juicy patty. Another trip is needed to review the burger!

Health Screening (2012) - Blood Pressure and Total Cholesterol

It's routine for me to have an annual health screening. Besides providing a more accurate picture of my health condition, i love that anticipation of not knowing what to expect; for better or for worse!

After eleven days of waiting (impatiently if i may add), the confidential medical docket finally arrived in my mailbox today.

The very first thing i checked was my BMI (Body Mass Index) as it is no secret i have ballooned in the last five years. My work in NUS has resulted in a ten-kilogram gain, which is a great deal when i am no taller than 1.65 meters!

*happy* i have cut down four kilograms over the past four years and my Asian BMI is finally in the normal range. Phew.... My goal is to reduce another five kilograms!

Next up is blood pressure - recorded as 134 / 73 mmHg. Categorised as "High Normal", this did not come as a surprise as i have been under great stress in my job since the fourth quarter of last year.

In fact, i half expected myself to be somewhere around "Grade 1 Hypertension". It could have been the case if someone took my blood pressure this morning.

Since i started health screening a few years ago, total cholesterol has always been noted as my biggest problem. From a high of 252 in year 2009, i managed to arrest it last year by scoring a healthy 198.

At 237 this year, my total cholesterol is now (sadly) in the second worst level in four years. On a happier note, i scored better results in HDL (known as good cholesterol) and reduced my triglycerides by almost 30%!

Well, it is still a worrying trend when my LDL (known as bad bad cholesterol) has spiked from 130 to 173 within a year. Sigh; guess i have to include more non-meat products in my diet....

Never mind, i have great affection for sweet potato soup, deep fried mushrooms and barbecued corns.

Special Chashao Lao Mian (特制叉烧捞面) & Sweet Sauce Fried Tofu (家常豆腐) @ Chopsticks by The Asian Kitchen (亚洲小厨), Iluma Bugis

Mom has heard so much from Alex about the roasted chicken rice in The Asian Kitchen (TAC) that it is imperative to bring her for a tasting session one day.

We need not wait too long as Mom frequently visits the nearby Guanyin Temple along Waterloo Street and i am THE designated driver for her almost weekly visit to the temples.

The mala roasted chicken rice was a definitie order although i eventually decided on a lao mian (some sort of a mixed noodles) due to a noodles craving that day.

Without further ado, let's begin with the review of the special chashao lao mian and the sweet sauce fried tofu (a side order).

Sweet Sauce Fried Tofu

家常豆腐

Anything with sweet sauce topped with fragrant peanut bits is rarely bad in my opinion and in this case, the sweet sauce fried tofu was great to have when it was delivered to you straight after its bath in the super hot oil.

To be honest, it did taste similar to the fried tofu we could get easily from wu xiang stalls located in hawker centres. You just need to request for the gooey sweet sauce (with sprinklers of peanut bits) and it would cost you a fraction of the cost we paid in TAC.

Special Chashao La Mian

特制叉烧捞面

It is impossible not to emit loud slurping noises when i ate the noodles! Unfortunately, it adopted the style of adding vinegar; a sauce i don't enjoy in normal circumstances except when it involves xiaolongbao.

The glistening, pretty fatty char siew was good but as usual, i have to draw comparison with Kay Lee, which obviously wins! Anyone has any good recommendation for cha shao in Singapore?

Nonetheless, although it could do with more charred bits, the flavour was robust enough to set it apart from normal competitors that offer chashao.

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Mom was disappointed with her mala chicken rice as she was given the drier chicken breast parts!

Location

Chopsticks by The Asian Kitchen

201, Victoria Street,

#04-07, Iluma

Price

Sweet Sauce Fried Tofu - S$4.70

Special Chashao La Mian - S$7.00

Subject to GST and Service Charge

Additional Information

For my review on the roasted chicken rice in TAC, please click HERE.

Sightseeing Pathway in The Works @ Shifou Mountain (石佛山), Hunan, China

Singaporeans are well known to be choosy when it comes to job application.

But in this particular case, you can pay me Singapore one million dollars to do just fifteen minutes of work and i would decline your offer right away without a nanosecond of consideration.

For any acrophobic, this is like the worst job ever!

The view may be breathtaking, the air might be crisp and fresh but there's no way i can walk on the wooden planks when a misstep would mean a few hundred meters down the mountain! Damn, just this thought is sufficient for me to feel a shiver down my spine.

The best thing? There's no bloody safety harness!!

At least not in the few pictures i have posted here.

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Basic Information

This three feet wide (around a meter) wooden pathway, when finished, would be China's longest sightseeing path at 2.89 kilometers.

Malaysia Style Hokkien Mee in Grandma's [it's so local] Restaurant @ Nex Mall

Ask any Singaporean to describe Hokkien Mee and it would likely involve yellow noodles with white beehoon stir fried with a mix of squid, egg and a few prawns.

The Hokkien Mee in Grandma's is unlike the above description, as far as colour is concerned.

"How come so black?" is the usual comment from a typical Singaporean who has never been to Malaysia (specifically Kuala Lumpur). Thankfully, i had this dark soy sauce based dish a few years ago in Kuala Lumpur and knew what to expect when i ordered it in Grandma's.

Another notable difference is the egg noodles; thick and fat, which according to mom is likely the king of carbohydrates! The nemesis of any dieting programme you have in mind.

Given the price of S$8.90, this recommended mee from Grandma's had more than the customary prawns and squids. I could also find pieces of chicken and no less than four pacific clams (known as baobei, 鲍贝)!

Taste wise; it bears no resemblance to Singapore style hokkien mee but i enjoyed the intensively rich wok-hei flavour that flowed out every time i loudly slurped in the oily strands of dark noodles.

It was yummy although it could be better with the addition of huge, crispy pork lards, which are standard condiments for the Hokkien Mee back in Malaysia.

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Location

23, Serangoon Central,

#B1-15, Serangoon Nex Mall

Price

Hokkien Mee - S$8.90

Subject to GST and Service Charge

Additional Information

Water available upon request at no additional cost.

The promotion of S$0.60 for selected desserts and drinks is still ongoing since my last visit in November last year. This time round, we chose two glasses of grass jelly!

For the last item, we decided to go ahead with Cendol even though i wasn't impressed with it the last time. Gula melaka was added this time. Unfortunately, all of us felt that it was still not up to standard.

For my post on Grandma's signature Nasi Lemak, please click HERE.