Quest For Food

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House

August 31st, 2008 by oei-ster

Address: 200 Victoria Street, Bugis Junction #01-53/53A Singapore 188021
Date of visit: 14 August 2008

Japanese things are just so cute and in a way “cool”. Products and services seem to take on a different positive shine when they are branded as Japanese or Japan Inspired. You have a local electronic product maker calling themselves Akira - somehow the brand reminds me of the anime of the same name. And also various other establishments trying to brand themselves as from the land of the rising sun (hmm…our country should also get a similar tag…the land of the 81 members of parliament…or the land of ever rising costs…land of many ministers….land of inconsequential land mass).

This form of branding could have been adopted by Shokudo Japanese Coffee House. They have (1) a Japanese name and yes (2) they have included the word “Japanese” just in case you did not catch their drift.

The place was done up rather nicely. Bright, airy and chic furniture. It was located along the air conditioned indoor alley way of the Bugis Junction shopping centre - this afforded plenty of opportunities to people watch.

We started off with the Iced Yuzu Soda (S$4.80). Yuzu is apparently a type of ..yes..Japanese.. Citrus fruit. It was refreshing and quite unique compared to the normal calamari or lime based drinks.

Our starter came in the form of the Ebi Puri Puri Age (or fried batter prawn with wasabi sauce, S$7.80). This starter unfortunately came after our main course. So it could be said to be a non-starter…hahahah. It was quite tasty. I liked the wasabi sauce.

The wife had the Kinoko Wafu Aglio Olio Spaghetti (S$12.80). Sad to say it was decidedly normal.

We were unanimous in our preference for the Waraku Pasta version.

I had the Grilled Chicken Curry Omu (S$14.80). This dish I think is for the patrons who are unsure of what they want. To me, it felt too much like a hotch potch of stuff mashed together. It also felt like something I (with my rather limited culinary skills) would put together to try to impress a girl. In fact, I found commonalities between my neighbourhood coffeeshops mixed rice dish (S$2.50 - S$3.00 for 3 items) and Shokudo’s version.

Our day at the eatery took a turn for the worse when a shadow loomed over me and one of the waiters barked out the following in a rather aggressive tone:

“Hello”

“HELLO*”
* trust me, there was nothing friendly in his greeting…it is amazing how someone could turn hello into a pseudo swear world. It felt almost like being greeted in the army by a staff sergeant who had a vendetta against life in general.
“erm…yah,” my surprised answer at being greeted with such aggression.

“IS THIS YOUR DISH??” He evil eyed me while thrusting some food item towards my direction.

“NO,” I returned his evil eye and continued to stare at him while he marched off without apologizing.

Thus, this eatery’s attempt to disguise itself as a Japanese one was wrecked by the serious bad attitude of that one waiter. Sigh.

1 Comment » | Posted in Japanese

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery

August 27th, 2008 by oei-ster

Address: 204 East Coast Road, Singapore
Date of visit: 15 August 2008

Well I was one of the first few thousand to get the iPhone. Yup… I was there at twelve midnight… On a working weekday to queue for the launch of the phone in Singapore. I had the strange idea that I was one of the exclusive few invited to the launch. That I would be able to just waltz into the place, get my iPhone and be out of there in a jiffy.

Yeah right… I ended up queuing for 7 hours before I got the damn phone. This meant that I saw the night turn bright before my eyes, along with it the sinking realisation that I might have committed one of my most foolish acts ever. Also this meant being stuck in between 2 middle aged men in the queue. Their sourpuss faces did not do much for the experience.

My delusion extended to hopes that I would get some freebies or special offers just for the launch… You know things like t-shirts that say I was one of the first (”idiots” dumb enough to participate in the telco’s marketing exercise) … Cheap souvenirs… Anything. I got nothing… Nada… Zip.

My anguish was compounded by the realisation that the telco had instituted a more systematic way of distributing the iPhone after the initial launch day. They are now proudly proclaiming to the customers that the wait would be less than an hour!

Why!!! Why!!!

The good thing was that I am now a proud owner of a iPhone… The same one I am now using to compose my posting. Heh. Cool shit rite. (ok i cheated slightly. Only the text above this sentence was written on the iPhone…the rest of I was through my pc after I felt my hand start to go numb from poking the iPhone screen). However, this state of ecstasy will be short lived as more and more Singaporeans get their iPhones and I understand the full enormity of my stupidity in joining the launch date queue.

In keeping with the theme of breakfast (unfortunately, I did not have breakfast after I got my phone…I had to go to work..), Chin Mee Chin confectionary is an institution in Katong. It represents old school breakfast taking for Singapore. Our Singapore National Library board confirms the history of Chin Mee Chin by referencing it in their infopedia here:http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_618_2004-12-15.html

You know it is old school when the tables are the white marble kind and the chairs are wooden (like how my legs turned wooden and at the same time wobbly while I was queuing for the iPhone).

There is a huge steel cabinet where patrons can choose their choice of bread, both savoury and sweet.

And of course we had to have their Kaya Bread (on the right). Step aside Ya Kun, Chin Mee Chin stays true to the path of tradition (and poverty?). The sad little piece of bread on the left is our luncheon meat bun.

And what is bread without eggs.

Crack the egg on the saucer. Dump the contents.

Add liberal amounts of soy sauce and pepper to the mixture and slurp it all up - singapore style. The cost came up to S$7.70. Much less than the agony suffered by me when I had to queue 7 hours to pay $500 plus to the telco for a phone.

Leave Comment » | Posted in Hawker Fare

Of Katong Laksa & Durians (A National Day Post)

August 8th, 2008 by oei-ster

Well..it is our National Day tomorrow. I believe this will be our 43rd one. People living in Singapore will know the routine by now. We will have:

(1) our new set of national day songs. Truth be told, I do not care much for these national day compositions. They seem to lack soul and they fail to stir any patriotic feelings in me. It may be because I am getting more cynical as I age and that no fault should be attributed to the songs…who knows.

(2) our national day parade. The venue used to be either the Padang or the National Stadium. Some bright spark in our National Day organizing committee decided to try something different and thus a entirely new floating platform was constructed along the banks of our Singapore river for the purpose of hosting our National Day parade (this started last year). Each year high fliers from our military will be selected to coordinate the entire parade. Success (meaning no cock ups and the demonstration of marginal improvements and as they call it in Hokkien…the coming out of new patterns) will I think result in these people being even higher fliers. Sometimes I feel the most important day in the calendar for our military is not some mega combat exercise but the parade day. In fact, I get a sneaky feeling that some of the top brass are serial event coordinators.

The parade itself will normally consist of the march-in and out of the various military and civil organisation contingents; the welcoming of our ~~lords~~ government officials and the President, the singing of the anthem (a must), the fly past of our military hardware/planes, the parachute jumps, the running of young people dressed in gaudy customes and waving strange contraption while forming equally strange shapes and patterns on the parade ground, more running around of people trying to tell some form of story of the birth of our nation and how well we have done, big banners and signs/slogans going around the parade on the message of the year as determined by our ~~lords~~ government, and of course the fireworks (probably a few million dollars worth and the highlight of the day).

(3) our national day message by the Prime Minister. I don’t really listen to it. But I hear it is normally rather long and filled with some interjections of Hokkien jokes and spliced with very important messages and policy announcements for the people..

I would like to add my own item to the festival. Our National food.

Address: 328 Katong Laksa, Katong, Singapore
Date Of Visit: 8 August 2008

In Katong itself, there are many stores claiming to be the one serving the better Laksa. Up to like just 2-3 years ago, I was indifferent to laksa as a delicacy. I have since taken to the dish - bearing one or two incidents of food poisoning from bad milk used.

I do not think 328 Katong Laksa is the original. I remember the original store was located across the street from 328 Katong Laksa. My father frequented there when I was young. The stall is no longer there now and I think most people are hard put to pin point where it has relocated to.

The Laksa (small bowl for S$3.50) served here is those that come served with just a spoon for your eating needs. This is because they have cut the thick noodles into lengths that can be easily spooned. Addition of the quantity of chili is up to the patron. I added a lot. It is good - original or not. One of our national dishes.

Address: Four Seasons Durians Cafe, Along Still Road, Bright Lights, can’t miss it, Singapore
Date Of Visit: 12 July 2008

I hate durians. I cannot stand the smell of it. I cannot stand the taste of it. I cannot stand the smell of burp from people who just had it. So it was a strange thing for me when I found myself at the Durian Cafe as my friends and wife wanted to eat the fruit - some say our National fruit.

People dine here Al Fresco. Cost of the fruit is at S$10 - 15 per kilo I think.

This was bacially hell on earth for non-durian lovers.

They have little tissue boxes on the tables. I could not help but think of the toilet when I saw them. I found the similarity between our WCs and this place stunning. What with the smell and the familiar shapes. I think I could be the only one…

Feedback on the durian was that it was not very “fragrant” and was rather bland in taste. Talk was that they could have chosen the wrong type of durian. I wouldn’t know…

Any hoot, Happy National Day. I will be away (hey…it rhymes).

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Cheung Mun Kee Pig’s Organ Soup King

July 13th, 2008 by oei-ster

Address: 24 Foch Road, (Off Beatty Lane, behind Eminent Plaza, across Lavender Food Market)
Date of visit: 6 July 2008, 29 Sept 2007

The first time we went to Cheung Mun Kee was when my friend brought me and my then girlfriend there.

Recently, my now spouse had a craving (a real compulsion) for the Pig Trotter Cooked In Vinegar. As you may know, the dish is known to be favored by either expectant mothers or those that had just given birth. This was not the case here for avoidance of doubt.

This was plebian town, in the heart of plebian-ness. Which thus explains the throngs of taxi driver uncles with their trophy PRC ladies residing demurely on their arms. Ahhh…the power of love…of money…bringing people from different worlds and age groups together.

Something that you will not find in your usual air conditioned eating outlet (or really…any other place) is your communal toothpicks located on the rather dingy pillar with instructions in Chinese characters that bear the hallmarks of calligraphy by a part-time loan shark runner/helper more used to scrawling on the walls on his debtors.

This theme of the place being in the tough neighbourhood was magnified by my encounter with the resident drink store helper/coffee boy (or rather old man/probably ex-convict). I had politely asked him to take my orders for 2 can drinks. I was ignored. I thus proceeded to try to retrieve the 2 can drinks from the refrigerated storage myself. I was stopped in my tracks but his death stare.

His stare was amazing. It was those that I had expected from a scene in prison. The message was communicated quite clearly: “You have somehow made me angry very suddenly. In the next few seconds, I will be going over to you to disembowel you with my pick knive that I have made out of my toothbrush. While you watch as your guts spill out (the irony being that I was at a pig organ soup stall..haha), I will get my Ah Kua friends to sodomise (sodomy being quite a popular topic these days) you. I will not take pleasure in all of these as I am hard as nails. It is just what I do.”

I backed away quickly. He turned away. I then returned to get the 2 cans of drinks (as I was rather thirsty) and paid the money to another drink store helper/coffee boy (probably less of an ex-convict).

Notwithstanding the atmosphere, we were quickly and efficiently served our food. Thus the Pig Trotter In Vinegar and a side of Vegetables for the wife. I must admit that I do not like the Vinegar taste. It was sweet and too vinegarish for my liking. It may stem from the fact that I am a full blooded male (chicken encounter with drink store helper/coffee boy does not count as the guy looked quite tough even though he was probably 3 decades older than me).

I had the famous Pig Organ Soup instead with a side of Steamed Minced Meat. I love the flavourful and savoury taste of the soup. The ingredients were rather fresh and there was no noticeably piggy smell. The Minced Meat was excellent too. Plebian fare at its best.