Chinatown Street Light Up (Day Time) for Lunar New Year 2021 - Year of The Ox / Bull @ Singapore #yearoftheox #chinatownstreetlightup2021

It didn't seem that long ago when I blogged about the Chinatown light up for the Year of the Rat in 2020 and while it was expected that the festivities for the upcoming Year of the Ox would be cancelled; I was glad that the light up was given the green-lightb to proceed! 

Presenting to you; the charging ox! Photographs shown in this post were taken on 29 January 2021; apology for the delay as I had been so busy with baking.

Going up to my favorite spot to take pictures of the centrepiece stationed between Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road. Want to know where? Click here! 

There's a very good view on top too and I am surprised this spot hasn't been actively sourced as a backdrop for filming. For all you know, it could be become a famous spot like the rooftop location used for the Hong Kong movie "Infernal Affairs".

Anyway, the ox again. I think it would be more beautiful at night with the lights glowing from the inside. Note: the authorities have decided to switch off the lights for the decorations last weekend and on lunar new year's eve, in order to discourage people from flocking there and increasing the risk of transmission. 

Old buildings juxtaposed with new ones. 

10-m tall golden ox, standing on piles of gold coins! Prosperity is always a key highlight for the Chinese but this year's theme also focus on good health and happiness, especially the former given the unrelenting pandemic.

Ground level again; with across the streets, overhanging decorations that were customary four-word greetings we often dispensed to family members, friends and guests during the lunar new year; for example, happy new year, may all your wishes come true, may there be surplus every year, in Chinese of course. 

Close-up of the muscular ox! 

Checking out the sex of the ox; guess it's neither male or female since there wasn't any sign of the essential organs to determine. Maybe our society is still too conservative. Whatever the case, that water wheel did turn and it symbolizes the flow of wealth.

A few of the "eighty-eight ox lanterns illuminating Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road", surrounded by gold coins, gold ingots, firecrackers and trees adorned with golden mandarin oranges! 

Poor chap got bird shit on its nose. 

Frankly, whoever thought of choosing the cross-junction to place the centerpiece was absolutely brilliant; it's like the ox had a clear path to forge ahead and rid the pandemic so that the country can proceed on its journey to economic recovery! 

Photos from the passage bridge connecting both Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, including the rest of the "eighty-eight ox lanterns". 

Unlike past years, barricades were put up to prevent congregation of visitors. It's actually quite sad since many people used to rest at the pavilions / stone benches or take photographs with the decorations. No choice since it's unprecedented time; a sentence heard many times during this pandemic.

Iconic photograph from the bridge overlooking  Pagoda Street. It wasn't as crowded then but pictures / videos of the same area taken these few days were showing quite a lot of people, resulting in the authorities closing down the exit / entrance to the Chinatown train station.

First time ever; no queue outside Lim Chee Guan when it's so close to lunar new year! Turned out the popular bak kwa shop only allowed people to order online although I was recently updated via Facebook that they would resume shop purchases from today, while stocks last! 

More photographs of the oxen and lanterns along New Bridge road. As in the case for the past decade, "the lanterns were designed in collaboration with 12 undergraduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)". 

Departing from previous years, I don't remember reading about any major negativity pertaining to the designs this year. Personally, I thought the designs for the oxen were pretty realistic. 

In past years, temple street would be the main venue for the bazaar, with tentage lining up on both sides of the road. With the bazaar canned due to the pandemic, it's just a normal street with parked vehicles. Well, at least we have a closer look at what the shops are selling! 

Cute grandpa-granddaughter lanterns along Smith Street.

Even though the bazaar was called off, the festive atmosphere was still evident as some of the physical shophouses would usually convert their retail space to market festival items like decorations and food associated with the lunar new year. 

Some took it a step further by leasing out their spaces to operators that used to rent the stalls at the bazaar, selling stuff like the dried persimmons, waxed products! I was so afraid it would be harder for me to get stuff like king kong peanuts, phoenix eye melon seeds etc but it didn't seem to be the case! 

Prices for the peanuts and melon seeds appeared somewhat similar to last year and I am guessing they would start dropping in the coming few days as we inch closer towards lunar new year.

Another adorable lantern in the likeness of the god of fortune!

Street view for Trengganu Street and Sago Street. Again, not as crowded on a Friday afternoon; albeit views that taken late January and not last Friday. 

Good luck knots and they took up almost the whole shop! Were such knots popular in the past as I don't remember there were that many kinds?! 

Tai Chong Kok - in the past, you would see me haul back at least two of their delicious nian gao back for my mom. Not anymore as there's now a branch conveniently located at Yishun! 

Love seeing those cute red packets with unique designs! Nowadays, they are no longer limited to that rectangular shape although the government is trying to encourage us to consider e-red-packets! Hello, that kind no feel leh! 

Traditional paper cutouts were not that uncommon in Chinatown but this shop stood out since the designs were not conventional; some even featured elements of Christianity.

Nursery; even I was tempted to get a few pots for my house! On second thought, maybe not as I would likely add on to the number of 'victims' killed due to my lack of a green thumb.

3D art! Pity I was alone.

South Bridge Road, running parallel to Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, was adorned with lanterns of the 12 zodiac animals! Aren't they ultra cute with their round bodies?! 

Other end of Temple Street - refreshing sight with the parked cars. Of course I have seen the street before without the tentages but maybe due to the upcoming lunar new year, it's a rather depressed feeling as the street totally lacked the bustle of previous years without the festive street bazaar.

Something positive as a result of the bazaar that's not taking place; revealing the impressive wall mural that showcase a Chinese opera! 

Ox plushies! Just wondering if Jovyn would demand for one if she were with me. I recall one incident for which she cried for a new soft toy sold at the CNY bazaar even though her parents were adamant she had enough at home. Guess who came to her rescue? My mom, her grandmother! 

Found the pinwheels from Wong Tai Sin temple in Hong Kong.

For your viewing pleasure as there were just too many photographs taken! I think the key message is that Chinatown is definitely not "dead" with the bazaar being cancelled. There are still plenty of avenues for you to get your hands on the things needed for Chinese New Year.

Last look of the zodiac animals from the start of South Bridge Road. Should I make a trip in the next few days to take photographs of the lanterns at night? 

 

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Period for the Street Light-Up 

Until 12 March 2021

Website 

https://chinatownfestivals.sg/programmes/

New Toy - Apple Watch

A loyal apple user would frequently get anything that's Apple related and while I have an iPhone and a pair of Airpods Pro; I have never really considered the Apple Watch as its price point of at least S$400 is too high for stingy me to stomach and I honestly don't need all the fancy functions.

But I can't stop someone from gifting an Apple Watch to me! 

It's interesting to receive the longish box and I took a few seconds to figure out how to open it! Just remove the ear-loop like stuff on each side and the box shall miraculously unravel its content.

Mountain tortoise here as I was totally expecting just one box! There were two long boxes; one for the watch face and the other for the straps. Waste of packaging but can't deny how impressive I was with the presentation. 

Inside the watch face box.

Wireless charging cable which is quite the norm nowadays for these kind of watches. Even my Fitbit uses this kind of wireless dongle. Speaking of which, maybe I should give away my Fitbit Inspire HR. 

Watch face.

The straps; unlike some of the types I have seen, they were easy to slot in with a catch for quick removal. This function is nifty and there were plenty of Apple straps in the market if you choose to have a special strap for each day of the week and / or special occasions. 

Mesmerizing cosmic imagery for connection to your iPhone. Can you imagine if you could project the same image onto your ceiling every night before you sleep!?

Setting up which surprisingly took quite a while.

All ready for use! I actually got the Apple Watch a week ago and my experience so far has been more than positive as there are so many functions; I could use it as a walkie talkie to talk to fellow Apple Watch users who are friends on my contact list and even as a remote for my iPhone camera! More to explore in time to come!

June Bakery - Epic Yam Tart with Ginkgo Nuts at Only S$1.20 Each @ The Plaza [Beach Road, Singapore]

Right before circuit breaker started in April 2020, I remember there was a lot of sharing on Facebook of a hidden food gem selling epic orh nee tarts near Haji Lane, in a building (The Plaza) not known to many. 

I walked over after a late breakfast / early lunch at Eat 3 Bowls and although it was just a little past noon; the tarts were already sold out! Never one to give up when it comes to food; I tried again two weeks later on a Saturday and lo and behold, it's closed on weekends! 

So what did I do? I planned a staycation at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, which is just right next to The Plaza! Kidding; it's really coincidence rather than intentional. Whatever the case, there were plenty of tarts available for me to choose from when I was there at 8.00 am. 

Honestly, I regretted not buying more as it's hard to find me at this part of Singapore so early in the morning, on a weekday. Furthermore, the friendly owners (uncle and auntie) had notified me that they are usually sold-out by 10-11 am, sometimes earlier. 

Got the above (egg tart, cheese tart and yam tart) even though they have two other types of tarts that I didn't get since I am, in reality, not so much a tart lover and there's no way I can ingest so many in one day! Okay, technically I can but it would have a drastic effect on my weight and waistline! 

Yam Tart - the literal jewel of June Bakery. Yam, or orh nee, is considered to be something that the elder generation prefers. Even for me, I only fell in love with Yam, or more specifically, yam as a dessert when I was in my 20s. 

Took a bite off the pastry; thin, light and broke easily and totally contrasted with the smooth and soft yam paste which tasted just right, not overly sweet and most importantly, not cloying! The ginkgo nuts were nice additions; aside from the health benefits, their slightly bitter taste played an important role to balance out the sweetness of the yam paste. 

Cheese Tart - sorry, I forgot to take an individual picture for the cheese tart (right). It's delish by the way with a generous amount of cream cheese filling. As some of you are aware, cheese tarts were all the craze a year or two ago but I guarantee you wouldn't find a decent with a pricing like June Bakery; it's only S$1.20! Disclaimer; I am not a huge fan of cheese. 

Egg Tart - Unlike cheese, I do enjoy egg tarts and this just wasn't exceptional enough compared to Tong Heng or Tai Cheong. Furthermore, it has this excessive eggy flavour that I don't enjoy in egg tarts, despite my love for eggs in general. 

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Address

7500A Beach Rd, 

#B1-321, The Plaza,

Singapore 199591

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

7.00 am to 2.30 pm or while stocks last

(Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)

Pricing

Cheese Tart - S$1.20

Egg Tart - S$1.20

Yam Tart - S$1.20

Salaz Putu Piring - Same Coffee Shop as Happy Crab @ 13 Pahang Street (Near Haji Lane, Sultan Mosque) [Singapore]

One barbecued crab was all I could afford at Happy Crab the first time I visited but when I saw Salaz Putu Piring co-located in the same coffee shop; I thought the Malay dessert would help supplement the small crustacean meal.

The package reminded me so much of the one from Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring which is well known within Singapore for their irresistible Putu Piring! By the way, we got a free pack of Salaz Putu Piring when we ordered three crabs from Happy Crab yesterday!

I once had a discussion with my friends about the differences between putu piring and kueh tutu; to me, it's primarily the use of gula melaka as the only filling for putu piring and that kueh tutu doesn't usually come with grated coconut. 

At 4 pieces for S$2.00, I can't deny that the taste of gula melaka always has the tendency to melt my heart although the above from Salaz Putu Piring not as liquified as the ones from Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring. Even the grated coconut failed to make an impression and I could honestly do without them. 

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Address 

13 Pahang Street 

Singapore 198614

(Near Sultan Mosque)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Mondays to Saturdays - 4.00 pm to 9.00 pm

(Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays)

Pricing

Putu Piring - S$2.00

Happy Crab - Barbecued Deep Sea Sand Crabs Filled with Roes @ 13 Pahang Street (Near Haji Lane, Sultan Mosque) [Singapore]

I fail to comprehend why someone would name their stall "happy crab" when in reality, the humans are likely the ones who would be happy to eat while the crustaceans sacrifice their lives.

Whatever the case, I knew of Happy Crabs at their old address in Geylang and only got to try their signature grilled crabs recently as it's now located, within walking distance, from my staycation at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites (Beach Road). 

No service charge was imposed yet the operators would automatically lay your table with the crockeries, cutleries, a box of tissue and even the tools that would assist you in your crab-eating crusade; the cracker and the pick fork! 

Barbecued Crab - the area had so many dining establishments that we were actually not hungry when we arrived at the stall. Hence, it's just one crab to be shared among Alex and I. Price ranged from S$40-50 and the one above should be considered the smaller size one as we were charged S$40.

Look at the amount of roes! I am usually not keen in touching the roes but maybe because it's grilled; they had a smoky flavour that's pretty addictive! Not good for me as my cholesterol level has always been on the high side.

Aside from the generous amount of roes, I was darn happy with the meat. It's not Sri Lankan crab obviously so expectation would definitely have to be managed but for S$40; it was packed with crab meat that tasted sweet, fresh and texture wise, wasn't mushy! The crab also appeared to have been spread with a concoction of marmite and salt which was, strangely, kind of nice when you lick your fingers afterwards. 

Using the crab fork picker to get the most of your money although the friendly operator told us it's a waste that we didn't clean up the crab roes like his many crab-loving customers.

The claw; the part of the crab that's the most sought after! It just feel so blissful when you crack open the shell, secure the meat in one piece, pull the meat off in one go using your teeth and finally, enjoy that large chunk of juicy crab meat! 

Aftermath; the crab in bits and pieces.

How could the crab be happy?! 

Anyway, the diners were happy and that's the reason why we were back again today! This time, it's purely for dinner and we ordered one crab each (S$45 for one crab). Max satisfaction! 

Grilled Cuttlefish - just crabs would be insufficient for dinner; hence, let's supplement it with the cuttlefish that seemed popular with reviewers online. It was rubbery and I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that we ate it when it had already turned cold. 

Bee Hoon (Dry) - honestly, the portion was tiny for its S$10 price tag. However, there were a lot of seafood like squid, lala, prawns. Pity the taste wasn't up to expectation even though there's a noticeable wok-hei fragrance; overly bland and could have benefited with a bit more salt and maybe lime to enhance the taste. 

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Address 

13 Pahang Street 

Singapore 198614

(Near Sultan Mosque)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Mondays to Saturdays - 6.00 pm to 10.30 pm

(Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays)

Website

https://www.happycrab.com.sg/

Menu

As above. 

Pricing

Barbecued Crab - S$40.00-50.00

Grilled Cuttlefish - S$20.00

Bee Hoon (Dry) - S$10.00