Free Food - Arduous Journey Ahead

I read somewhere that a restaurant is offering free food for anyone who can reach them, physically that is.

Being a person who loves to try new eateries but lack the financial means to do so, this is a godsend~!

We shall plan the journey now.

First to come is a very easy task: take the cable trams to the beginning of the trail to gluttony!

Next to come is the challenging part. Walking on planks of wood with moveable interlocked metal rings as railings!! Cool!!

And it's a horrific death if you ever miss your footing or "handling" or BOTH!!! So exciting just to have a free meal!!

The best thing?

It's two-way traffic.

See those rat holes look-a-like cavities? They are for your feet to heave yourself to a higher elevation!!

Once you reached a trail with proper steps, the worst is over.

And finally, here's the restaurant perched on top of a mountain.

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It's difficult to check the authenticity of this restaurant and i am doubtful of its operation with a free food theme since a lot of temples (in China that is) were built on top of mountains and loads of Buddhist temples do offer free food and even lodging to devotees.

Disregarding its true identity, i am not risking my life for the food! And i am hypsophobic!

If anyone's going, please take some pictures and let me know if it's good.

Cavin will be grateful.

Puppy Mills (Singapore) - Circulation of SMS

Known also as puppy farms, this particular facility has been attracting a lot of news (albeit bad news) recently.

Supplementary to the two articles above, i received multiple messages (via emails, mobile and on facebook) that were something like the following.

"Puppy mill breeder/owner @Pasir Ris has abandoned his breeding stock &puppies. Many breeds of various ages. Cavalier king charles, chihuahua, maltese, mini schnauzer, shih tzu, pomeranian, jack russell terrier, whippet, sheltie, golden retriever, labrador, silky, yorkie, poodle, beagle, british bull, cairn terrier. Pls help these dogs by passing tis msg ard to as pple asap or go to Pasir Ris XXXX to hav a look for yrself(look for volunteer XXX).Pls help as these poor doggies hav only 2 weeks(fr 3/5/10) for a chance to live otherwise they'll be put to slp."

Contrary to the content of these messages, i got hold of another one that advises everyone not to go down to the farm! Instead, they are encouraged to make an appointment so as not to overwhelm the volunteers.

Please visit http://dogmilllrehomers.blogspot.com/ or you may add them on facebook via HERE.

According to the webpage, they are seriously in need of certain supplies that range from medical to transportation.  

Let's hope that the matter blows up and the government (namely Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore aka AVA) will finally do something about it!!! 

Not only towards the puppy mills, but also to the hundred odd pet shops in Singapore. 

My nine months stint in a pet food company taught me a lot about puppy mills (i had to handle them on an almost daily basis).

Though some of them take really great care of the dogs' health and environment, most have a nonchalant attitude, with continual breeding as the sole purpose.

To them, output is important.

The more puppies, the better.

You would have the bitches (female dogs) giving birth every few months with no rest whatsoever. Mothers can imagine how painful, how stress, how tiring it can be to have a new born child every 10 months.

And having your new born taken away at a mere 8 weeks old (okay, a bit of anthropomorphism here).

Fair enough, this is their main source of income and productivity, as always, is of topmost priority. Ironically, we eat eggs, beef, mutton, pork and we cannot claim that we are not guilty of contributing to this food production cycle.

Coming back to adoption, always remember that having a dog or any animal is a life-long commitment. Most likely, you will have to sacrifice your time to take care of him/her (feed, walk, clear the shit etc) and even your money for sudden medical emergencies.

Based on personal experiences, the whole family cannot go on a trip together because pet boarding companies are not entirely trustable and i ever spent S$1,200 (spread over 4 days) on an acute medical emergency for my rubee!

Baseline

Think Responsibly, Act Responsibly.

Genting Highlands (Malaysia) - Top of the Clouds

Being Singaporeans, it's a BIG embarrassment if you don't even know the existence of this place in Malaysia.

Used-to-be-the-only legalised gambling zone in Southeast Asia, Singaporean Chinese love to throng this place on weekends and public holidays!

Two reasons:

1) It's the nearest place (then) to place bets on gambling tables without breaking any law.

2) A weather that hovers on average 18-22 degrees celcius.

Never ever will i consider gambling as a pull factor for going to Genting.

Besides having buildings that should be condemned to the 1970s, the casino service seriously needs an entire revamp!

I ever had an unhappy experience with a grouchy-faced croupier that spoiled my day early in the morning!

And the Hong Kong (H.K) couple i knew from Cameron Highlands told me the service was so bad in Genting, they don't understand why it is so popular with Singaporeans.

Macau, being the Las Vegas of Asia, has so many casinos with elaborate, extravagant designs and excellent customer service, it is of no major surprise that Genting is not comparable in their eyes.

That horrible service is not limited to just the casinos.

Operators' service for some of the theme park rides (Viking etc) can be equally appalling! Fortunately, we finally have Universal Studios in Singapore.

But......

Same owner hor.

=_=|||

 Another downside of Genting concerns the basic needs of human; food. It's not downright digusting but with the price paid, i will have a much more delicious and worth-it meal in Singapore. I do have my favorites in Genting; the Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Tea Leaves Eggs!!

This entry was drafted middle of last year and my impression of their food has changed positively (click here and here) since then! 

With the exception of the factors stated above, i still enjoy going "up" to Genting for the simple feeling of being overseas and the constant sucking of fresh, cold air at 1,800 meters.

Another activity i love to do in the highlands is to catch a movie or two or maybe three, depending on many blockbusters i haven't watch. Not only is the ticket cheaper than Singapore, it offers warm, crunchy caramel popcorn that only cost roughly RM3.50.

Other attractions worth noting are the the Chin Swee Caves temple (which i blogged long time ago) and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, showcasing collections of oddities by this guy called Ripley. Informative and interactive, my folks enjoyed this place when I brought them there.

For thrill seekers, you can try the Haunted Adventure and the Sky Venture.

Another thing i like is the cable car ride! At RM 10 per pax for two-ways, you will be rewarded with a bird's eyes view of the hills and valleys.

If you are unlucky, there's always the possibility of touching the slow moving clouds and wondering hysterically if a plane will zoom by, causing the cables to snap.

Morbid, i know.

But life is unpredictable.

Wild Honey - A Truly International Breakfast @ Mandarin Gallery (Orchard)

Having breakfast at 8pm can be rather disturbing since mummy taught me from young that breakfast should be taken at 8am, not 8pm!!!

That said, Cavin never reject a free meal, especially in times like this. My deepest appreciation for Mr Pek (and Dr Oh for his treat at the Heaven's Loft, which i will reserve for a later posting).

In addition to various types of bread and limited selection of pastries, the specialty here is the range of national breakfasts; English, Canadian, Mexican, Japanese, Tunisian, Swiss, Belgian etc etc etc.

The English

Typical of an English morning meal, there were sausage, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, toast, mashed eggs, potatoes and beans.

This was a pretty rich offering and i found it to be generally better than the others (which unfortunately were limited to the one in Hans). The only exception was the hard, overcooked bacon!

The Tunisian  

A combined stew of chopped up onions, dices of tomatoes, segments of sausages and eggs served in a hot pan with two slices of thick toast and a mini cup of..... eh.... chopped up vegetables. 

This mixture was perfect!

The gravy reminded me of a way better version of the spaghetti sauce and the plain toasted bread completed this dish. By itself, the stew will be too savoury for the taste buds. 

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Location
#03-02, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Road

Price

On the high side with the English being S$22.00 and the Tunisian at S18.00. Plain water was served with no additional charge.

Additional Information

Though the portions might look little, they do serve the purpose of filling up.............. and fattening us!!!

I am supposed to be on a non carbo diet after 6pm!!!

Helmed by two ang mohs, the ambience of the cafe focused on the homely theme, resulting in a more relaxed dining environment for patrons.

By the way, no reservation! 
So, be prepared to queue!

Merlions in Singapore - The Iconic Family

The Merlion has generated much interest on its authenticity. Though imaginary, it is no doubt one of the most recognisable trademarks for Singapore.

It was said that there is a family of merlions living right here in Singapore!

The Father

This magnificent structure is 37 meters tall.

Like Cyclops, it has the optic blast.

Unlike him, he can activate it as and when he likes it

Location: Sentosa

The Mother

At 8.6 meters tall, this is the original statue,

The problem is, she is always vomiting.

Location: The Merlion Park

The Baby

This is the toddler of the family at 2 meters tall.

Like the mother, it is ill.

Location: The Merlion Park

The Illegitimate Child

Located at the top of Mount Faber, this 3 meter high structure (gender unknown after intensive check) is supposedly the result of a one night stand. 

It should be the love child of the father merlion since it is back to back with the father merlion; just like the mother merlion with the baby merlion.

Birth mother: unknown.

There's a fifth merlion in Singapore.

Guess where it is.

Mayim Chinese Cuisine (天乐里精品食馆) @ Northpoint

My close friends know how much i adore mayim! From its first outlet in West Mall to the second outlet in Northpoint, i have always been a strong supporter!!

Truth is, my mom loves mayim and hinting works very well for her.
*shrugs*

Pictorial Entry!!

Pickled cabbage! 
Compared to Kimchi, this was a tad sweeter (which i prefer)

Roast Duck with Peanuts!
Love this for the additional plum sauce!

Spanish Fried Rice!
Surprisingly, this very plain looking fried rice was in fact very very good!

Fried Chicken in Sweet Sauce!

An everytime order. Meat was soft, tender with a very addictive sweet sauce.

Prawn Chee Cheong Fun!

Besides having bigger prawns, the sauce made all the difference to this dish.

Pan-fried Dumplings!

Filled with chunks of meat, these were pretty good but the taste was a bit overbearing after two servings.

Chee Cheong Fun with Spring Rolls!

A fabulous creation that had the additional 'crunch'!

Red Bean Paste Pancake with Banana!
Look at that overflowing red bean paste! Eat it while it's hot. The taste will alter once it's cold!

This group of stuff no nice; pan fried bun, golden fried pastry with chicken and pork and deep fried prawn dumpling (respectively).  

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Location

Yishun (Northpoint): #02-01

Bukit Batok (West Mall): #02-04

Additional Information

Queues are the norm during peak dining hours and it will be better to make a reservation first (northpoint: 6758-3168, westmall: 6794-1590).

The pricing is really economical depending on what you order. Rule of thumb; order only one item of each dish!! Don't be greedy!!