Moin Moin Gelato - Another Chillout Place in Yishun [Singapore] #moinmoingelato

Yishun is getting increasingly crowded with new housing blocks sprouting along the town's outskirts and the spike in population translates into more retail and dining options. In recent months, I did realize a proliferation of ice cream / gelato shops and today; let's talk about one of them.

Moin Moin Gelato. This shall be the most convenient for most Yishunians as it's located in the central area, in between Yishun bus interchange and Khoo Teck Puat hospital; albeit nearer to the former, with a sheltered walkway. 

Bright, spacious interior with white being a prominent feature and wood providing a comfortable contrast. I would say it gave a relaxed, chillout vibe, without the tight clutter common in neighbourhood shops. 

Forgot to share the list of gelato flavours available in the store; this document was pasted on the main door for ease of reference before you step in. There were unique ones like chocolate stout, osmanthus lychee; however, as some of you are aware, I am hardly adventurous. 

Let's choose! 

Tea selection to reduce the guilt of this sinful, gelato indulgence. I like it when Gryphon Tea (a local Singapore brand) is available, given their variety, quality and interesting flavours. Not interested in tea? There were other options in the cafe like hot / iced chocolate, milkshake. 

Chamomile Dream - came in a good-sized teapot! In many places, this would likely be for one person and I had encounters whereby I can't even refill with hot water. At Moin Moin, they automatically passed us two cups and were more than happy to help us refill! p.s. the tea dispensed a soothing aroma although taste wise, a tad too faint for my mom's liking.

Waffle with two scoops of ice cream! 

The Waffle first; costing just S$5.00, you can opt for it without the ice cream and I believe many might consider as this was one of the better waffles I have had in a long time! It was thick with a crispy shell yet didn't compromise on having an airy, fluffy inside. 

Classic gelato flavours; Blue Pea Vanilla and Black Sesame. Latter was liked a cold, thickened version of a classic Chinese dessert; black sesame paste! Mom loved it and it helped that each scoop was of substantial size and super satisfying in the hot weather we had recently. 

Blue pea vanilla was just your usual vanilla with a baby blue tinge due to the blue pea flowers, which I understood was used mainly as a source for natural colouring. Dotted with noticeable vanilla seeds, it's nevertheless still a delicious scoop of vanilla gelato that went perfectly with the waffle! 

Needless to say, I would be back with family and friends to check out the rest of the flavours! It's a pity that we can't sample, as was the case before COVID-19 hits us last year. 

Good message to take note that's displayed prominently on the wall at Moin Moin, even though you have to look closer, given the font style and glow. Message; Indulge Reasonably. 

 

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Address

930 Yishun Central 1, 

#01-125, Singapore 760930

(Near Yishun Bus Interchange)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Mondays - Closed

Tuesdays to Thursdays - 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm

Fridays - 2.00 pm to 12.00 am

Saturdays to Sundays - 12.00 pm to 12.00 am

Website

https://moin-moin-gelato.business.site/

Menu

As above. 

Pricing

Waffle - S$5.00

Chamomile Dream - S$4.50

Double Scoop (Classic Gelato) - S$7.00

(No GST, No Service Charge)

Jimmy People's Park Fried Kway Teow @ Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre [Singapore] #bedokinterchangehawkercentre

My intention was just to get some fried bananas from Lee Kee at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre but that irresistible aroma of char kway teow from the above stall enticed me to order a plate, even though I had already devoured a plate of wanton noodle from Tong Aik just 30 minutes earlier! 

One thing I didn't like; it was indicated on the signboard that a plate of char kway teow cost S$3.00 / S$4.00 but the person taking the order automatically asked to collect S$4.00, without even the slightest courtesy to ask if we want "big" or "small". 

Not a pushover nowadays; I clarified if the S$3.00 was unavailable and the reply was that I can still order the "small" portion. Serving size was expectedly little but my objection was just to try and not to overstuff my stretched tummy.

Verdict: it was enveloped with wok hei but lacked sweetness, which might not necessarily be a bad thing for those who can't stand sweet char kway teow. One thing I did enjoy was that the operator didn't stinge on the eggs. Worth a try if you are sharing with friends although I wouldn't count on it as a full meal.

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Address

207 New Upper Changi Rd, #01-47, 

Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre,

Singapore 460207

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Fried Kway Teow - S$3.00 

Tong Aik Wanton Noodle (东益云吞面) @ Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre [Singapore]

I heard that Bedok town has a lot of hawker centres and even though I had been to quite a few; I didn't realize there are more that I didn't even know exist! I chanced upon one of them recently; Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre. p.s. it's not even near Kaki Bukit MRT station! 

It's a pretty small food centre and after circling the stalls twice; I decided to go with something safe. Wanton noodle it shall be and Tong Aik Wanton Noodle gave an old-school vibe that pulled me towards it. 

Frankly, this was exactly how wanton mee looked like when I was a kid; simple with a few stalks of green vegetables, the bed of thin strands of yellow noodle (known as mee kia) and lean char siew that wouldn't generate that much interest given the preference for fattier, slightly charred cuts. 

Wantons were normal. I always wonder why the dish is called wanton noodle when the dumplings were, more often than not, not the star and focus, and it's rare to find wanton mee with great wantons! 

The char siew, despite its unappetizing look, had a flavour that's more like Cantonese waxed sausage (lap cheong), minus the oil. Not too bad actually. 

Coming to the all-important noodle now; at first bite, I didn't enjoy the texture which was a bit hard. The oily sauce that the strands of noodle were soaked in, however, was the real essence. Give the noodle a good toss in the palatable sauce before you slurp it down your throat. 

While not on the same level as Kok Kee; I must give it credit for the mere fact that it managed to enhance the palatability of the noodle by so much! From what I read on google reviews, the stall did seem quite popular, with loyal customers from as far back as 30 years ago. 

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Address 

511 Bedok North Street, 3, 

#01-09, Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre,

Singapore 460511

Map

As above.

Pricing

Wanton Noodle - S$3.00

Mom's Birthday 2021

Mom's birthday was about a week ago but we took the opportunity of celebrating her lunar birthday (usually later) to return home for a small family gathering, given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and that social gatherings are limited to "5 distinct visitors per household per day."

A photograph to commemorate the occasion! Alex did help to take some pictures with me in the frame but he didn't realize that I was in boxers and the photographs looked weird with me wearing a shirt and pair of ghastly looking boxers! 

Mom and dad; ever since my sister moved out to her own place, it's just my parents staying in the house. The only saving grace is that I live pretty near and could occasionally pop by for free food. I bet it gets lonely sometimes and I did contemplate getting them a dog or cat for company; a suggestion that didn't sit well with my mother. 

Birthday girl with her longevity buns! She seemed happier with the buns as cakes are generally not her cup of tea; given the sheer amount of fattening cream and butter. Well, that's the reason why I asked Alex to buy the pandan layer cake from Bengawan Solo as it's more jelly like, than cream. 

Without the kids, who were unable to join given the visitor limit, the birthday song was limited to just the Chinese version! Mom took a long while to wish and knowing her; it's likely related to fortune, prosperity, good health to the family and maybe individual wish for each of her kids and grandkids. 

Hope her wishes will be granted since I am a likely beneficiary!

Some friends commented I am a filial son but I always think I am not doing enough. With my parents getting older, and me getting crankier with age; I can only hope I can be more understanding towards their needs, with greater empathy when conversing with them. They gave their best to us when we were young, and it's only right for us to accord them a fair equivalence at this stage of their life. 

Wei Tuo Fa Gong Temple (韋陀法宮) @ Pulau Ubin [Singapore]

I had been to Pulau Ubin countless times since I was a teenager and had even served as a tour guide to fellow friends who had never been to this idyllic oasis outside the concrete jungle that almost all of Singaporeans live in. 

However, there are still hidden corners yet to be explored and I decided to "jio" a friend to take on a quiet track I cycled past very often, with a sign that pointed towards a place of worship; Wei Tuo Fa Gong Temple. 

After a ride of just over 200 meters, we reached the temple that had strings of fluttering prayer flags that attracted us with their bright colors. Unlike temples on mainland Singapore, the design here was nondescript and appeared more like it was converted from a typical kampong house.

Colors captivated me and it's no doubt that this striking yellow pavilion, with its carefully arranged prayer flags hanging down from the ceiling, would be our first destination to check out. 

Beautiful colors right?

The prayer flags and rotating prayer wheels were signs of what appeared to be Tibetan Buddhism. I may be Buddhist but I am honestly quite ignorant of the different branches. To me, Buddhism is always about doing good, and reduce whatever harm to people, society and environment., if possible. 

No idea about the language for the words on the tiles. I was more amused by the placement of the icon of South Korea's Jeju Island; dol hareubang (grandfather stone statue)! Seemed like an international community here. 

There's also a large pond with a rickety wooden bridge. It just feel very un-Singapore as things were not as proper, although there's a great deal of charm to being unkempt, unplanned.

Main support for the prayer flags adorning the temple! In the eyes of many from the younger generation; it's very instagrammable! Just that weather can be a major dampener for any selfie.

A lot of fishes in the pond with signs of overcrowding. Given that it's a religious area, I doubt anglers would be welcome to catch the fish. Amitabh. 

The main temple would have to wait as there were more things further down the path. As someone who has had the opportunity to live in the village when he was young; the structures were remnants of childhood memory. 

Another photo angle for the main prayer flag support. The sight was spectacular in the daytime; can't say it would be the same at night. Kind of reminded me of a scene in the Thai supernatural movie; Phobia 2. 

Building seemed rundown although there were statues of Laughing Buddha appearing to 'guard' the place. Again, unlike most properly planned temples, the statues, of which had peeling paint, were likely unwanted and donated.

Known also as Maitreya, the laughing buddha is also said to be the future buddha "who will descend to earth to preach anew the dharma". God knows if I will still be around but judging from the human technological advances and increasing mistrust in the past few decades, I can only say "good luck" to the future buddha.

I always wonder; what's within the stupa? 

In typical explanation, the stupas contain relics. 

Finally, the main temple! Greeting us is a statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who is most renowned for his vow to "attain the final enlightenment only after the hell realm is emptied". That's an impossible feat given human nature. 

This should be Gautama Buddha; founder of Buddhism. It's common to have his statue at Buddhist temples; in Singapore's context, however, Chinese temples can be a mix of both Taoism and Buddhism.

It's the same case here; above was a typical Taoist altar for the Master Tiger, which is more a guardian spirit even though it is revered as a deity for its ability to curse your enemies! Compared to other gods, its "altar" is always more the ground and shaped like a cave, since tigers live in caves. The offerings are also different as you can sometimes find raw meat.

Octagon-shaped pond.

Another version of the laughing buddha which goes by many names; less flattering ones include fat buddha and the one above is the buddha with a cloth sack.

More statues. From what I read online, the temple has been around since the 1950s even though it evolved from a private altar in a residential house. 

Pretty spacious temple and it helped that not many people are aware about it; I did see a van unloading some devotees but it's nowhere near the popularity of Wat Siam before it moved over to mainland Singapore from Ubin. 

As there are many deities in Taoism, some of whom could be country specific, I am only aware of the selected few who were more prominent in Singapore; like tua pek kong, city god, jade emperor etc. For the one above, I am drawing a question mark. 

This should be the hall for the main deity since it bears the name of the temple. From the name, I can't infer which deities / gods were being honored. Hence, let's step in for a closer look.

From the statues on display, my guess is that they were from the underworld, also known as hell. I can recognize Heibai Wuchang (黑白无常), the hell deities dressed in black and white, respectively, whose main role is to escort the deceased to hell. 

Earlier, I mentioned about deities that could be found in some countries. One deity found only in Malaysia and Singapore is Dato God, also known as Na Du Gong.

The creepy thing about this specific shrine is the life-sized statue which looked like an embalmed person! Can't imagine bumping into it at night.

Coming to the end of my short tour. To be frank, it's quite an interesting temple and I would definitely add it as a point of attraction the next time I organized a Pulau Ubin tour. 

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Location Map

As above.