Kerabu by Arang @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre [Singapore] #yishunparkhawkercentre

As a proud Yishunian who loves the eccentricities of the infamous town, it's embarrassing when a friend, who lives in the faraway town of Jurong (and known by some as my evil, non-blood-relation twin), expressed her surprised that I wasn't aware of this amazing stall; Kerabu by Arang at Yishun Park Hawker Centre! 

I had to check it out to save face! Knowing the stall closes by 3pm on a Sunday, I arrived at about 1pm; only to find a notice "we are sold out"! My brother in law went to enquire and lo and behold; we managed to secure the last two nasi kerabu sets. That's some luck from my brother in law.

The two sets that took almost twenty minutes; Nasi Kerabu Whole Chicken Leg and Nasi Kerabu Lamb Ribs. Yishun Park Hawker Centre is not known for being a cheap hawker centre but even then; these two sets were pricey! I shall share the prices at the end of this post.

Nasi Kerabu Lamb Ribs - where possible, I would go for lamb / mutton but in this case, I didn't have any choice since there were just the last two sets. And given my purpose to review this stall, I guess it's right to go for the signature, the chicken, and the most expensive, the lamb. 

Aside from the rice and vegetables on the side, there were fish crackers and strangely, a segment of salted egg! The vegetables were actually salad as I recalled the following words from the pretty lady when I picked up the two sets: "remember to mix the rice with the salad". 

Thankfully, I did follow her advice and the salad turned out to be a uniquely fascinating mix of finely diced raw wing bean with pomegranate and pomelo! Starting with bites of freshness mixed with a light bitterness, it gave way almost immediately to another layer of sweetness! p.s. I absolutely adore long grain rice! 

My three lamb ribs that were slathered with a viscous gravy that was unlike anything I have tasted before; slightly sweet and with hints of curry, nuts and coconut. 

Meat slipped easily off the bones and it was delicious! In addition to being tender, with a layer of deletable fats, the meat was grilled perfectly as evidenced by the smokiness as I bit through, without being overly charred. The sambal didn't disappoint as well for its spiciness packed with the rich flavor of shrimp paste! p.s. some would likely it's a tad sweet; not an issue for me. 

Nasi Kerabu Whole Chicken Leg - you can't deny that the plating was eye catching, to the extent that it almost looked fake! I did lament that there appeared to be more of the gravy on the chicken! 

While it was juicy and nice, the lamb ribs are definitely the winners! Personally, I find the chicken a bit too normal, comparable to a good ayam bakar. To be fair, the real winners had to be the interesting salad, the unique gravy and the sambal! 

Cleaned up everything! So wonderous was my experience that I quickly shared this with the Greatest Kon; guess I would be back very soon.

=====

Address

51 Yishun Ave 11, #01-04, 

Yishun Park Hawker Centre,

Singapore 768867

Map

As above. 

Menu

As above. p.s. that's the young and capable chef on the left, Mr Nurl Asyraffie Bin Mohamed Shukor.

Pricing

Whole Chicken Leg Set - S$13.00

Lamb Ribs Set - S$23.00

(10% discount via Timbre App)

Cam Thanh Commune Cemetery @ Hoi An in Vietnam

It's no secret I have a fascination with cemeteries although my travel companions don't share the same interest. Most, if not all, are not keen when I suggested a cemetery tour. :(

But in Hoi An, I was blessed to chance upon two local cemeteries while we were undertaking Hoi An Village Experience Cycling Day Tour! According to our funny guide, they were commonly known as "local hotels", and this kind would be best as you would have an eternal sleep under the stars! 

Known as Cam Thanh Commune Cemetery on Google Map, it might not appear huge when see with my naked eyes (with progressive lens), but it was almost 200 meters by 100 meters big.

We had a water buffalo riding item for the tour which was located right next to the cemetery. Hence, although we were there for more than half an hour, I didn't dare venture too far. 

I just explored the near vicinity and noted that while some tombs had photos of the deceased, many didn't. This was quite different from Singapore, unless the tombs were very old. 

The ones above were in the 70s and 90s, when photos on tombs were pretty common. Not sure if it is a Vietnamese thing or maybe village specific. Given the scarcity of space in Singapore, you would also likely see tombs in the same zone from the same era but I guess things are not as rigid in countries with the luxury of space, like Vietnam! 

This tomb was even newer; less than 10 years! Google translate was a failure in translating Vietnamese as the resulting English failed to make any sense. So, did the person die in 2015 or 2016? 

Another thing I noticed from this cemetery was the sheer amount of tombs with what appeared to be coffins above ground, encased with stone. In Singapore, the coffins were underground with a green mound above it. 

There were exceptions, like the above.

It's always sad to see tombs like the above. Given the size, I would assume buried under would be kids, likely infants and toddlers. Death is an eventuality but when it hits someone so young, the pain lingers and lasts for the living. 

=====

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam

Knots Cafe & Living @ Pasir Panjang in Singapore

"Here it is." My friend said. I looked at the industrial building and wondered if we were at the correct place. The answer was affirmative as my friends had checked out the area the weekend before to ensure the driving route! 

Stepping in, I was again in doubt. Departing from most eateries in Singapore, my immediate thought was this doesn't look like a cafe filled with tables and chairs, to make full use of the expensive real estate. Don't you think it was like an office with discussion table and chairs?

Turned right after entering and the above image was more correct; more tables and chairs for diners although again, it did feel more like a mini trade show for business conversations. 

And the whole place was filled with plants! Turned out the cafe was related to Xpressflower, a local florist, and you can even buy those plants if they appeal to your eyes! I have a few favorites but I am hesitant given my penchant to kill, rather than nurture, plants. 

You can even book the cafe for special occasions like birthday parties, weddings etc. There are packages you can consider and you may refer to the website here. 

Wi-Fi password as provided for you to order your food online. Look out for the smaller poster underneath; water isn't complimentary but 50 cents for refillable, distilled iced / warm water, with a slice of lemon, aren't that expensive.

Scan to order! 

Requesting for serving plates since our group had the tendency to order and share so that we can try everything! A few of us in the group, including me, are greedy! Haha. Here's what we had! 

Osmanthus Sencha Artisanal Tea - I noted it was this was listed under artisanal tea and totally didn't expect it to be in the bottled form by Gryphon Tea Co! To be fair, I do enjoy the tea under that brand but was expecting more aesthetic "plating" than just being handed the bottled, with a cup of ice.

Nevertheless, the general verdict was that the bottled cold brew tea was super nice even though I am having second thoughts if I would still pay S$8 for bottled tea. My traditional Singaporean Chinese upbringing will highlight that the same price could get me two plates of wanton mee in a hawker centre. The 50 cents refillable, distilled iced water sounds like a better option! 

Camembert Cheese Board - nowadays I don't reject cheese boards and are more than happy when companions suggest ordering a cheese board for sharing! Should I be with Alex, it's impossible for him to share with me.

Crusty piece of warm French baguette, slapped with a slice of camembert cheese and topped with a dollop of raspberry jam and honey - mmmmmm, loving it! 

Fruits & Spinach Salad - well, no complaint about this but personally, I am not really into fresh fruits in salad, preferring nuts and dried fruits. Of course, having avocado in salad is always a great addition. 

10" Pepperoni - six types to choose from, including the Italian-frowned-upon Hawaiian pizza! For Singaporeans, Hawaiian and Pepperoni pizzas are always safe choices. 

Thick of melty, mozzarella cheese with thinly sliced pepperoni that was almost crunchy, and a base of fluffy, lightly crisp pizza dough; I am so glad we ordered this for sharing! p.s. don't wait to long to eat it! 

Fish and Chips - I would think of Alex whenever he orders fish and chips. Aside from the fact that he likes fish and chip, I was faced with a question from him recently when he asked what's breaded and battered! To be honest, I was dumbfounded as I thought he would know for someone who loves fish and chip.

The above was breaded. While I always prefer battered fish and chips, there were two things that stood out from this fish and chips from knots; it wasn't thickly breaded, and the fish was satisfyingly chunky and juicy! p.s. topping up the fries to truffle was the best option; the aroma was to die-for! 

Tomahawk Pork Chop - I had heard of tomahawk beef and this was definitely the first time I am seeing tomahawk pork chop! Imported from Japan, it was a large chunk and since pork had to be eaten 100% cooked, I am wondering if the thickness would affect the juiciness of the meat. 

Interestingly, the juiciness wasn't compromised, although tomahawk in beef form was definitely better than pork as you definitely get more meat juice for a medium-doneness beef in comparison to a well-done pork. 

Lychee Rose Cake - amongst our orders, this was the most disappointing! It was icy, tasted more like red velvet cake with no inkling of lychee. And I think the rose referred to the mini sprinkling of crushed rose petals topping the cake. 

=====

Address

102E Pasir Panjang Rd, #01-08,

Citilink Warehouse Complex, Singapore 118529

Map

As above. 

Operating Hours

Mondays - 10.30 am to 9.00 pm

Tuesdays - Closed

Wednesdays - 10.30 am to 9.00 pm

Thursdays - 10.30 am to 9.00 pm

Fridays - 10.30 am to 9.00 pm 

Saturdays - 9.00 am to 9.00 pm

Sundays - 9.00 am to 9.00 pm

Website

https://www.knotscafeandliving.com/pasir-panjang

Pricing

Osmanthus Sencha Artisanal Tea - S$8.10

Camembert Cheese Board - S$19.30

Fruits & Spinach Salad - S$14.20

Tomahawk Pork Chop - S$32.50

10" Pepperoni - S$24.40

Fish and Chip - S$17.25

Top Up Truffle Fries - S$2.00

Lychee Rose Cake - S$9.10

(No Service Charge and Inclusive of GST)