Wet Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (炒福建虾面) @ Sembawang [Fu Chan Food Paradise 富城美食]

When a secondary school classmate, whom i have not met for ages, responded to my Facebook status that i should try out this damn nice fried Hokkien prawn noodles in Sembawang, i was skeptical.

C'mon, the Northern region in Singapore is by right my 'territory' and besides the one in Yishun Central, i have yet to hear of any good stall selling Hokkien mee. Plus, i happen to count this hokkien style noodles as one of my favourite local dishes! 

It took a while of planning before i eventually met up with my classmate, Tang Chee Hoe and his wife. To think about it, i have known him for twenty years!! And he looked as young and as slim as before! 

Blooody! 

Anyway, the stall was located within this coffee shop by the name of Fu Chan Food Paradise; a place i passed by countless times on the train and on the numerous occasions i have to send my dad for his religious group prayers. 

When this plate of Hokkien Mee was served on my table, the thought that flashed through my mind was something like "okay, it looked normal with a fragrance that wasn't exactly that potent to whet my appetite". 

But it did have more chu mi fen (known as thick bee hoon) than yellow noodles; a combination that would sit well with my mother who thinks yellow noodles are the most fattening type of noodles. 

It's only upon having a spoonful that i was taken aback; despite the plain outlook, the noodles were enveloped in a rich prawn stock that could only be described as simply, flavourful. 

One likely reason was the high "wet" content of the hokkien mee. For better results, i would recommend that you request for takeaway - this would allow the noodles to fully absorb the broth and make them even better tasting! 

The only ingredient that was lacking?

CRISPY PORK LARDS!!!

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Location

Block 505, Canberra Link

Map

As above.

Price

S$3.00 for a small plate

S$4.00 for a medium plate

S$5.00 for a big plate

[Chee Hoe actually cleaned up the S$5.00 big plate!!!! How could he remain so thin with such heavy and filling meal at 8pm?!?!?] 

Diablo3 - Scheduled Server Maintenance

Despite reaching home earlier today, i only managed to find time at 10pm to begin my quest to level up my demon hunter character in Diablo 3; honestly, i have been thinking about the game since i woke up early this morning! 

Hence, imagine the frustration when i keep receiving an error message for server connection! It took me less than a minute to realise that the server is undergoing a scheduled maintenance for 10 long hours from 3am PDT!!!!!

That's the reason why i took so long to purchase the game; I don't see why i have to subject myself to server maintenance when i merely want to play the game alone with no interference from other online characters. 

It's only 8.15am PDT now.

Guess i finally have to sleep early today. 

String Puppet Show for Chinese Hungry Ghosts Month (农历七月) @ 开山庙 [Singapore]

The Hungry Ghost Month is believed to be a period when the hell gates to the mortal world are left open for ghosts and spirits to freely roam and partake in enjoyable activities like eating. 

Unlike the Western concept, hell, in the eyes of the Chinese is not controlled by Satan. Instead, there are courts of justice to determine how "good" a person has been when he/she is alive and whether the person deserves to ascend to heaven or remain in hell to receive punishment for his/her bad deeds. 

There are various entertainments for these roaming ghosts and a traditional one is the string puppet show, which is known to be a dying trade in Singapore. 

However, there is still a demand - i presume it is cheaper to host a puppet show as compared to a Chinese opera since you would not need a lot of people and the temporary stage does not require a big setup space.  

I counted only five persons doing the show - three puppeteers and two musicians.

With so many strings affecting the puppets' movement, i am sure only a person with good dexterity can control them with precision. Leave them with me and i guarantee it would be a matter of time before i cut off all the strings! *no disrespect intended*

Chairs were placed in front of the stage for the ghosts to sit and enjoy the show and in some cases, there will be an additional table laid with food for the wandering ghosts to satisfy their hunger. 

They (无主孤魂) are either spirits without families or even if they have, their family members and/or descendants might have stopped making offerings to them. Hence, the need to cloth, feed and entertain them during this month.

Like many others, i am skeptical. There are just too many question marks when it comes to the cultural practices for the 7th lunar month. 

Anyway, the offerings on the floor piqued my interest; sweets, jellies, biscuits, toys, yakult drinks, children clothing etc. I had to approach the temple manager for more information!

My question was stupid! The section right in front of the stage was of course reserved for the child spirits. It should have make sense to me given that in the past, children loved to sit on the floor right in front of the stage! 

The performance was in the Teochew dialect and given my poor grasp of the language, i could vaguely make out the lady puppet was complaining about something. 

Each story was meticulously memorized and recited by the puppeteer and you don't see any of them referring to any kind of script! As i mentioned to Kon, technology has made our life convenient and at the same time, it is making our brains lazy. 

With the younger generation who are even less trained in Chinese dialects, there are only two future paths for such traditional performances. Either they fall into oblivion or the conversation has to be in English (this would sound damn weird) and/or Mandarin. 

Having said that, i am aware the future looks bleak for the trade. 

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Location

Kai-Shan Temple (开山庙)

1300, Jalan Bukit Merah

[next to the epic char kway two stall]

The Royals Cafe (Grandma's Chocolate & Mee Siam) @ City Square Mall [Singapore]

My department recently celebrated its 80th anniversary and to commemorate the joyous occasion, the Organizing Committee especially ordered a big Halal cake for almost 300 guests! 

The unsurpassed richness of the Grandma's Chocolate cake lingered in my mind since then and i could help sharing it with the Gang of Four when we walked past The Royals Cafe this afternoon. 

Given the Gang's penchant for good food, it was suggested we purchased a slice just to try it out.  And despite having a full lunch at Saboten, it was also decided that we shared a Nonya-style mee siam set! 

*how not to get fat?!?!?!?!*

Grandma's Cake

It was obvious from the stale taste that this had been left outside for far too long; resulting in a harder, drier texture that was so way different from what i had 4 months ago! 

This was an embarrassment since i gave a very high rating for the grandma's chocolate cake. Having said that, i didn't remember my colleague complaining when she collected her order a month ago. So this could have been an isolated incident. 

Mee Siam Set

For S$8.80, we have our choice of coffee/tea/soft drink, a bowl of Royals' signature mee siam and selection of a slice of cake that must cost at most S$2.20 from the menu.

The cottony soft dark chocolate truffle was nicer than the grandma's cake even though it was still pretty much an average fare for typical chocolate cakes. 

I wasn't looking forward to the Nonya-style mee siam although it was published on the menu as recommended by The Sunday Times on 24 January 2010 (yes, they did include the specific date).

All members of the Gang loved the Nonya-style mee siam! So much so that the bowl was passed from one person to another for quite a number of cycles!

The gravy was addictive as mentioned on the menu and both Kon and I thought it was almost like laksa but with a strong hint of peanuts! Yummilicious! 

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Location

180 Kitchener Road, 

#02-K17/20, City Square Mall

[above Farrer Park MRT Station]

Price

Grandma's Chocolate - S$5.50

Mee Siam Set - S$8.80

[Subject to Service Charge Only]

My First "Salary" for Blogging - From Nuffnang Singapore

After blogging for almost eight years and registering with Nuffnang, a blog advertisement company, for three years, i finally received a white envelope that i had been anticipating since May 2012!

The delay (it should have taken less than a month) wasn't explained to me but i assumed someone up there must have forgotten to issue the payment to me. Nonetheless, it took merely a few emails to resolve the issue on non-payment. 

A cheque of S$204.72! 

It may not seem much yet it would still help in supplementing my upcoming travel expenses to China. And if my plan (which shall still remain secret) falls through, i might actually need additional cash to tide me in the near future. 

Lalalalalalalalla

*shall entertain no question on the plan*

Tyersall House (aka Istana Woodneuk) - An Unsuccessful Trip @ Tyersall Avenue (Near Botanic Gardens)

There is no better time to start the Chinese Ghost Month (otherwise known as the 7th Month) with a post related to paranormal activities!

Just a few weeks ago, i "psycho" my friends to accompany me for a photography exploration to an abandoned house i visited in year 2007. Why did i take so long for a revisit?

All the while, i had wanted to bypass the 3 to 4-meter long metal gate with that fierce looking pointy spikes but the perpetual sign of no-trespassing put me off. I had my brush with the police before and i am not willing to risk my reputation again.

However, the sign was missing when i drove past the area a month ago and it was with excitement when i found the gate to be unlocked! Frankly, the voice in my heart was screaming "Yipeeeeee" at that time!

Anyway, there is where we shall start the journey and hopefully, we would be able to take better quality pictures than the ones taken five years ago.

The path to the house was still visible and remained flanked by tall trees and undergrowth. Despite its off beaten look, the path used to be a road with a security post next to the main gate.

Be prepared to spend a few minutes walking in. 

For those who are unaware, the house i am intending to explore is popularly known as Tyersall House. It has another name, Istana Woodneuk, and was said to be a palace built for the 4th wife of the Sultan of Johor.

Disappointment seeped in when we came to a dead end. The pathway was supposed to be extended for at least a hundred meters or so before diverting to another hilly pathway to the side! :(

I was contemplating to enter through this illegal opening at the gate entrance but i could see my friends were not absolutely keen in making the move! And i am a scaredy cat when it comes to solitary expedition!

Plus, the red ants spared no expense in deterring us from venturing further.

We shall blame it on fate then!

Nonetheless, i guess this would be a good time to post some of the blurred pictures i took using my cannot-make-it phone back in 2007. And if fate has its way, i would make another trip to Istana Woodneuk soon.

Taken in Year 2007!

The pathway back then was a lot more untidy.

This was the hilly pathway and i remember it was damn muddy!!! There were a few heavy construction equipment lying around so i was actually expecting that the government had some ideas in mind to develop the surrounding; an assumption that was proven wrong in my recent visit.

My mud splattered shoe and pants!

Istana Woodneuk loomed in front of us.

The compound was huge for a private property and the main building was in serious state of disrepair; a good environment for thrill seekers. 

When i heard about this house in 2007 via SPI forum, it was said to be abandoned but the house remained to be quite a pretty sight and "explorable". But there was a big fire just before i made my official visit.

Blue roof tiles lying broken on the ground. The blue-tiled roof was noticeable from Google Earth before the inferno. 

Entrance to the main building. There was a professional photography session although i am not sure which magazine it was for (the model was half naked though). Haha.

We would have checked out the building but poor Vannie was waiting for us at the muddy pathway. She was not willing to sacrifice her new Birkenstock sandals for some houses!

*fingers pointing*

Yes, let's blame her!! =P

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Location

As above. Star denotes the gate where the red circle is location of the Istana Woodneuk.

Additional Information

Please check out the following:

http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/istana-woodneuk/