Places That I Grew Up In (Part 4/5)

Ang Mo Kio - Tomato or Red Hair Man’s Bridge?

Towns in Singapore are all named after people, terms and places.

 

Ang Mo Kio is no exception but I was surprised when I realized that it means ‘Red Hair Man’s Bridge’ instead of the one I have always thought it was – Tomato!

Cheng San Village where Ang Mo Kio New Town now stands was once a huge rubber plantation. The 1922 to 1932 world slump in rubber prices made many tappers and labourers turn to pig and poultry farming or market gardening. During World War II when Singapore was occupied, more people moved to Ang Mo Kio to take up farming.

This is a town I have always been acquainted with because I spent much of my childhood here staying with my late maternal grandmother during weekdays before I spent the weekend with my late paternal grandfather and grandmother.

Many have become memories because it has ceased to exist due to many reasons including modernization.

At the town centre, there used to be an A&W Restaurant where I always had Ice Cream Waffle, Curly Fries and Root beer Float after taking a bicycle ride at the track beside it.  I remember I always looked forward to going there during the weekend with the library at the back of my head.

Sadly, neither A&W nor the bicycle track is around anymore but only memories and photos from the past.

Another of my favourite has to be a Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun stall at the coffee shop beside the Broadway Plaza. I always dropped by there with my parents and used to wait up to 1 hour just to get the delicious plate with a cup of honeydew milkshake. Both stalls are also no longer around.

As I walked down towards the place I grew up in, I passed by the iconic KFC and the Mosque before I saw the big open space car park that led me to…the Community Centre.

I spent many hours playing basketball with my cousin during the late 90’s when I bunked in for a couple of years. I was told that this community centre was the first few with television in the main courtyard beside the main road.

Right beside the community centre is the mini town central of this area and you are right, I am walking towards the hawker centre and talk food!

I grew up eating Chicken Rice and remember clearly that there used to be 2 chicken rice stalls side by side ‘fighting’ customers on a daily basis. As I prefer the easy way out, I chose 226 Boneless Chicken Rice stall and has not turned back since.

As I ordered my ‘usual’ – Chicken Drumstick Rice with Braised Egg, I could not help but also looked towards my favourite indian coffee stall adjacent to the chicken rice stall. The kopi tarik has not changed much over the years (except for the white hair of the indian uncle!).

 

This is also the place I suspected I started my coffee experience around my life (leading up to the Starbucks experience) after my maternal grandmother mixed my milk with black coffee at the tender age of 3.

As I looked around me in slow motion, I realized nothing much has changed over the last 20 years even though people and events happening resulting in emotional changes.

Ang Mo Kio will always have a place in my heart as it brought me through the tender years of my life with wholehearted care from my late grandmother.

I am thankful to this town and the people that built my memories over the years. Do drop by this town and reminisce with me along this trail in history.

As I approach the final part of this series, it will also be a place that brought me through the later part of my childhood. Keep a lookout!

Ang Mo Kio – Where Memories all come together in a swirl
 

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe

Food ‘K’ Maestro  


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Holiday Experiences: Back to Surfers Paradise, the only place to be

This trip is of significant importance because it is the place where it always makes me feel at ease and at home.

It has been a long five years since I last stepped into Surfers Paradise due to many reasons but I am glad I am back to my ‘spiritual home’.

This time round, I decided to take Etihad Airways instead of Singapore Airlines to feel a different experience all together.

After travelling for 8 hours on the air, I arrived at Brisbane International Airport. It was at this very moment that I took a deep breath of relief and felt happy that I finally ‘reached home’.

 

As I didn’t manage to get up the airport shuttle (I have been taking that every time I dropped by), I was recommended to take the AIRTRAIN followed by a pickup from the train station, Nerang. Although it took me two hours to reach Gold Coast via Brisbane City, it gave me an insight into how the locals live and it further affirmed my dream to leave Singapore and migrate to Brisbane if conditions allow in the next decade or so.

After arriving at Nerang Train Station, one of the earliest towns in Gold Coast back in the mid-1960s, I hopped on the pickup under a rainy weather (OH NO, It is raining in Summer?!!) and took a short drive to the hotel.

Watermark Surfers Paradise is the hotel I have been staying since I first came to Gold Coast back in the mid-1990s. This hotel is slightly located away from the Central Business District and Shopping Area of Surfers Paradise but this is what I love because it gives me an opportunity to do short walks and enjoy the slow and undisturbed surroundings.

After putting down my luggage, I headed straight for the Beach – Surfers Paradise and do my spiritual walk along the coastal front with a cup of Venti Café Latte from Starbucks J

Spending the next eight days in Gold Coast looking for experiences had given me a greater insight into the life of a local and also prepares me for further annual visits (hopefully migration in the future!).

Visiting places like Dreamworld, Movieworld, Seaworld, Pacific Fair has brought my memories back and those were such fond ones. I also visited the newest marina front – Mariners’ Cove and the mall beside it – Marina Mirage which is beside the famed Palazzo Versace and opposite Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa.

 

Mariner's Cove & Marina Mirage

I also managed to hop on Aquaduck and dropped by Q1, Skypoint which is the highest residential tower in the world standing at 77 Floors!

 

 

This trip has been fruitful for both Food and Lifestyle ‘K’ Maestro but most importantly, for me on a personal and spiritual one.

Look out for my write ups on www.kmaestroexperience.com from December.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast Australia – Experience my Food and Lifestyle Partners!

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe

Food and Lifestyle ‘K’ Maestro

Simply Eunos

With Names of Towns and Roads in Singapore named after famous people back in the earlier part of Singapore’s history, I was not surprised to know that EUNOS, the town I am visiting was also named after the Chairman and co-founder of the Singapore Malay Union (Kesatuan Melayu Singapura).

His name - Mr Muhammad Eunos Abdullah whom was also the first Malay in the Legislative Council, the then governing body of Singapore.

 

I had a long way back with Eunos as a town that saw some parts of my childhood created here too!

I remembered that I visited Eunos at least once a month to catch up on Bak Kut Teh. The coffeeshop was situated beside the MRT station and I was surprised to see the stall after so many years!

The time spent at the coffeeshop having the bowl of Bak Kut Teh had brought me back to the days of mid-90s. Although being a simple dish, it brings out the peppery sensation and the meat is tender if you order the pork ribs and it makes a perfect pair with ‘You Tiao’ dipped in the soup. Complement with some braised pig trotters and a pot of tea makes a perfect meal.

It was only recently that I started visiting the hawker centre at the other side of the station. I was never a fan of Lor Mee but was caught off guard when I was recommended to a stall in the centre.

The stall name is FU CHUN and number is #01-25. I was surprised to see a very long queue and spotted a friend of mine. He told me that the ‘Chap’ was not salty and the meal balls was a must order. I was skeptical at first and I kept reservations while joining the queue.

I have never looked back since and religiously joins the queue whenever I am in the vicinity. What is special about this dish is undoubtly the meat balls which are very crispy on the outside with generous fillings. It is not very big in size and always makes me order just 1 plate alone.

 

Moving onwards in this series of Food ‘K’ Maestro visits Eunos, I will be heading by a couple of hawker stalls recommended by Simply Eunos.sg.

Keep a lookout in the upcoming weeks and feel free to drop me any recommendations before I embark on my next write-up. Lifestyle, Historical Landmarks are also welcome!

 

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe,

Food ‘K’ Maestro along with Lifestyle ‘K’ Maestro

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Old School Delights

Located at a small shophouse on Upper Thomson Road, I have failed to spot this café (at all!) which I regretted not dropping by earlier.

For Generation Y and Z, it might just be another concept or theme café but for someone like me from the 80s’, this place is an absolute gem! (Oh My! did I just mention how old I am?)

 

When I first stepped in, I was immediately drawn by that all so familiar feeling that brought me through childhood especially the fan that I saw right at the entrance and the old school metal robot on the shelf

 

 

Can you imagine scribbling my order on an old school whiteboard? That already had caught my attention, not to mention the food that I grew up eating over the Retro ages.

Food Menu

I started by ordering Kueh Pie Ti, an all-time favourite of mine whenever I dropped by any popiah stall. Crispy on the outside with a mixture of sweet and sour taste along with the star of the dish; Turnip, which brought me plenty of memories during my school days with friends.

Kueh Pie Ti

Did I forget to say that I ordered a Kopi O Gao? What I like is definitely the cup and saucer although many of the coffee shops out there also serve the same , I still find it more addictive because of the ambience.

Kopi O Gao

Growing up eating Curry Chicken cooked from that pair of magical hands that my grandmother had, I never had a chance to eat after she passed away in the fall of 1992. Even though the taste is not similar but having this bowl of chicken curry on a table I have eaten during those days in Mandai was still heartwarming. (I remember vividly those kampong days)

Curry Rice

When I was on my way to the restroom, I noticed something I just couldn’t miss…a Ghostbusters DVD and an old school TV (Like those that was first launched in Community Clubs when it was considered a main attraction!) Just listening to the ‘Majullah Singapura’ in Black and White Color is really heartwarming and full of memories (even though i was already watching colour television in the 80's)

How can I miss out Chendol, one of my most beloved dessert (other than ICE BALL)? The wholesome of the coconut taste and milky sensation in my mouth cured my thirst after all the savoury food I had earlier (but i am not complaining!)

Chendol

Before I headed out, I noticed a full range of games I played during school days right at the counter (remember five stones, snakes and ladders, old maid etc)

Remember to drop by Old School Delights, a place where memories are relived and friendship rekindled.

P/S: You wont see the last of me here at Old School Delights...When something's OLD in the neighbourhood, who you call? Food 'K' Maestro!!

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe

Food ‘K’ Maestro

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Lik Ming Toa Payoh Laksa

Looking back at the past 47 years, it is hard to imagine that a legacy is quietly brewing in a town called Toa Payoh.

Just as everyone from Singapore to Terengganu were debating about the Island’s independence from the Malay Peninsula in 1965, a humble man from Swatow; Tan Teck had only one thing in mind; how to feed his family of five and to escape the police from catching him and his pushcart.

47 years on when Modern Singapore are concerned about whether the country will still prosper in the next 50 years, this humble laksa stall had been passed on to the next generation whom is the eldest son and has settled down in its current home, Block 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4.

 

Singapore has seen its fair share of new, created, recreated laksa stalls popping all over town but 1 thing for sure is Lik Ming has not changed the way they make the gravy and the friendliness expressed by the owners over the years.

My first contact with this laksa stall went back to the year 1999. I dropped by this food centre which does not have many well-known stalls but I was informed of this stall. As I was never a fan of laksa, I was quite skeptical when introduced to this stall but I have never looked back since.

What makes me love this particular stall over the many out there? The Gravy…because it is not too thick and does not overwhelm me with usual over dosage of coconut milk in many of the laksa I have eaten.

The stall owner is very generous with their ‘tau pok’ and cockles with plenty of bean sprouts all over. With the ‘tau pok’ soaked in the savory gravy rested on top of my spoonful of ‘chor bee hoon, I wasted no time! In less than a second, the mouthful has gone all over my senses and without me realizing, I was into the second spoonful of laksa!

In less than 3 years’ time, Lik Ming Toa Payoh Laksa will be celebrating 50 years along with our Nation and with hawkers of historical legacy dwindling by the numbers, do drop by this stall and enjoy the history of this stall.
If you manage to catch Tan Teck and his wife who are into their 80s’, don’t hesitate to stop for a chat as they reminisced 50 years of what has and could have been.

 

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe,

Food ‘K’ Maestro


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