Hong Sheng Sliced Fish Soup (鴻升鱼汤) - It Has A Longer Queue! @ Block 448 Clementi Central Hawker Centre (金文泰448巴刹与熟食中心)

I arranged to meet up a friend at Clementi central hawker centre recently and was determined to satisfy my craving for fish soup at my usual stall that has a perpetually long queue.

However, when i saw that there was a new fish soup stall in the same hawker centre with an even longer queue, my determination waned. I finally decided to cast my vote with the new entrant for the following reason: many in the queue were elderly and they would likely be more particular about their food than me.

The lady manning the stall was not too happy to see me taking pictures and it was only after some clarification (i am quite bold nowadays) she told me that increased business translates into more work!

Guess this must be the weird scenario when the owner is not out to make money.

Nevertheless, i did deliberate on whether to post this. I totally respect the owner's decision BUT my review would probably result in lesser business for them; which is considered "good" in a bad sense.

The soup was nothing amazing at first sip and weighed heavily on the scale for being salty and peppery which was kind of surprising since the "healthier food" logo was brightly visible on the signboard.

As far as food is concerned, first impression can only last so long. Drowned within the soup were slices of bitter gourd that helped to negate its savoriness and add a healthier bitterness to the fish broth. 

Honestly, i would choose the other fish soup stall over this one; the sliced fish soup at the other stall provided a more flavorsome taste that was unique yet incredibly palatable! 

p.s. the elderly might have preferred the new stall due to its healthier branding.

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Location

Block 448, Clementi Food Centre,

(金文泰448熟食中心) Clementi Ave 3,

Stall No #01-47

Price

S$3.50 for the sliced fish soup.

S$0.50 for a bowl of rice

Additional Information
For my review on the other fish soup stall within the hawker centre, please click here. 

45-65: Liberation, Unrest... a New Nation @ Singapore National Museum [Stamford Gallery]

In the year 1945, the residents of Singapore, then a war-torn colony of the Great British Empire, were finally liberalised from the control of Japan and this also marked the official end of World War Two in Asia. 

This special exhibition in Singapore National Museum touched on the turbulent period from 1945 to 1965; an era filled with unhappiness and protests that eventually culminated in the independence of the little red dot in Asia.

There were many interesting photos on site with captions and commentaries that succinctly explained the difficulties faced in managing post-war Singapore; bad sanitary conditions, big population, high unemployment etc. 

Note: To really get the picture, you have to stay in there for an extended period of time! 

In summary, the path taken by the last generation in fighting for independence was not easy and we should not take our nationhood lightly. PAP is merely a political party; it's the citizens that make up a country! 

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Location

93 Stamford Road

Nearest MRT Station

Bras Basah [Circle Line]

Website

Visit http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/ for more information like ticketing charges.

Duration of Exhibition

Till 18 November 2012.

Additional Information

Free admission for this exhibition! 

Famous Geylang Braised Duck Rice - Sia Kee or Sean Kee [聲記卤鸭饭] @ Corner of Lorong 35 Geylang & Geylang Road [Sin Huat Eating House]

I am not very adventurous when it comes to food and once i have a favorite stall, you would seldom see me venturing out of my comfort zone by myself. 

The same goes for braised duck rice. I am aware that there is a really famous stall in Geylang that has frequently been featured in newspapers, food shows etc but i am not even motivated to source out its exact location! 

That's how anal i am.

Anyway, i have to thank my brother in law for this; he suggested Sean Kee (on the namecard, this was listed as Sia Kee instead) duck rice when the family was clueless on what to have for lunch!

Ordering was delegated to my sister and her husband since it was the first visit for the rest of us. 

The first thing that arrived was soup! 

Despite its almost transparent clarity, it was packed with a strong herbal taste that was embraced with love by the Teo family except me (i found it to be too salty and preferred Yu Kee's version). Best of all, you can refill it for free! 

Like chicken rice, braised rice (卤饭) is as important to stalls selling braised duck and i have to admit that this is easily one of the best braised rice i ever have; big grains, sticky with an intensively rich braised flavour! 

This was more for people who take innards! For me, i would take both the tofu and braised egg although i personally find it disgusting to mix innards with them! 

Finally; the big plate of braised duck meat that came with generous 'toppings' like braised peanuts, bean sprouts and shallots.

The meat was tender alright but what i really did enjoy was the incredibly light braised sauce. It wasn't as sweet or as salty as i expected yet i could not help but felt that it embodied the full 100% braised-ness! 

A snapshot (approved by the stall owners) of the braised sauce pot! 

Eat them together (meat and rice and sauce plus a slice of cucumber for visual effect) and prepare to be satisfied in an amazing, taste provoking way! 

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On a final note, i was thinking about the braised duck rice from Kent Ridge. 

Their sauce was slightly more unique given the more herbal flavour although their plain rice was simply not even up for comparison against the much much better braised rice at Sia Kee. 

After some time of deep thinking, i guess Sia Kee is still the winner. 

Location

659/661 Geylang Road

[Sin Huat Eating House]

Map

As above [red star]

Opening Hours

11am till 7.30pm [Daily]

Price

S$46 for what we had [7 bowls of rice]

A normal plate would cost S$3.

Getai [歌台] - Live Entertainment for the Hungry Ghosts during the 7th Lunar Month (农历七月)

Getai, which literally means song stage in Mandarin, is a unique cultural evolution limited only to Singapore and Malaysia and its religious purpose is to provide contemporary live entertainment for those hungry ghosts.

My interest in getai (and Hokkien songs) was ignited after i caught the local movie, 881. I have been wanting to blog about this since i got my DSLR but fate always seemed to prevent me from doing so!

Until two days ago that is! This shall be a pictorial post to make it less tortuous for readers who could not stand my bad English or prefer to concentrate solely on photographs!

Location: Northlink building in Sembawang (near to the Sembawang God of Fortune temple). A big temporary tent-age and stage were set up for the one-day event.

Time: Officially, it should be 7.30pm. Unofficially, i reached at 8.30pm and it was impossible to get any seats near the stage! I am sure some people would reach as early as 5.30pm to ensure they get the best seats!

Note: The first row of seats is not where the BEST seats are! Since the show is primarily staged for the hungry ghosts, the first row is especially reserved for "them".

The company that was engaged to stage the show; 丽星娱乐.

Star hosts like Liu Ling Ling (known as Lak Kong Kong, which means 6-0-0 in Hokkien) are under its charge and with 6-0-0 around, you are guaranteed for a night of laughter! 

Provided you can understand the conversation, which is predominantly in Hokkien; my dialect! 

Singing songs are part and parcel of getai and it is quite common to hear Chinese classics like Teresa Teng's songs and popular Hokkien songs although nowadays, it could generally be any song so long the masses can relate to them! 

A live band is a must in getai as they provide quick and spontaneous special sound effects peppering the conversations between the hosts and performers.

Most of us would not mind standing; so long we can get closer to the stage for a better look. 

View of the stage and tent-age. I was late but people continued to stream in!

Random: Offerings for the dead spotted behind the stage. Besides the joss sticks and candles, you would usually find biscuits and packets of tea leaves; hardly palatable fare in my opinion.

The crowd at this side of the stage was massive when you compared to the other side; all because it is where the coffee shop was located (and the ground is also flatter). 

You would likely see numerous hawkers (some illegal) selling stuff like deep fried fish balls, muah chee, artificial bird's nest drink etc. In this case, i guess the close proximity to the coffee shop and that the getai is staged within a commercial property means only ice cream is allowed.  

Some candid shots of 6-0-0 and Wang Lei (another notable host in the industry) bantering with one another. 

They were a hilarious pair and some of their jokes were quite sexual, resulting in chortling laughter from the audience. One segment was on drinking milk and i don't need to elaborate more on which part they were referring to! 

I am bad in estimating the number of people just by looking but i thought the turnout was pretty good for a place in an industrial estate.  

Flashy glimmering outfits, often hovering in the range of gaudiness, are to be expected in getai. However, 6-0-0 took the worst-dressed prize for her attire which was tied with bundles of coloured straws!

A sweet-looking gal was interviewed by Wang Lei before she began singing. She looked so young but has been performing for quite a number of years. 

Given that i have to work the next day, i have to cut short my visit. Nonetheless, i hope to catch the getai the next time it is staged in the cemetery! That location is absolutely appropriate for its targeted audience! 

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For a list of getai schedules, please refer to the Chinese tabloid; Wan Bao (联合晚报).You may also check out the online listing here.

Queuing to Get Into The Trains? - It's Finally Happening (Limited to Certain Places in Singapore)!

When a citizen from the eastern side of USA moves to the western region, he/she would expect a big change in weather, culture, beliefs, food and even accent. 

When a resident from Changi moves to a new house in Jurong, which is only a mere 40 over kilometers away, it's hard to expect any change from the east side of Singapore he/she originally comes from. 

That's what we have always assumed to be true. 

Until i started transiting at Bishan MRT station last year and realised a strange phenomenon that seems to be unique to a town that used to be a huge cemetery. 

Most of the times (at Bishan), you would see commuters shunning the immediate area right outside the station's train doors! 

This is like a dream come true for many of us who could not exit the train in time due to excessive crowding and have to endure the subsequent pushing by inconsiderate assholes!

Furthermore, people are actually queuing to get into the train! As the basic efficiency theory tells us - let the people inside the train get out first before you go in!

Change is inevitable and i guess it is only a matter of time before residents in other areas get the theory right (just like the "keep to the left when you take the escalators"; which has been quite successful). 

There is a slight problem though; older stations at North-South and East-West lines don't really have the space to allow people to queue. Maybe that's why they have installed those big-ass fans to cool down those frustrated commuters. 

Like myself.