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

Follow me on my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/foodkmaestro.sg

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


Have you like my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/foodkmaestro.sg?

A Tribute to Yew Tee – My Home

I remember when I first heard Yew Tee; I was confused and wondered what does it actually meant because I only knew Choa Chu Kang at that time.

That Time was in the year of 1995 when I visited my friend in this small town where there was nothing but a MRT station and a small shopping centre more famous for its ‘Family Foodcourt’ and McDonald’s than anything else.

Never did I know that I will be moving into Yew Tee in the year 2000, where I have been staying for the past 12 years.

So what does Yew Tee actually means? It means "oil pond" in Teochew. The village was named like this because oil was being stored during the Japanese Occupation. It was once a bustling village with small time farmers that planted vegetables, ducks and chickens where it housed more than 300 families.

Despite being a small town; there is plenty to offer and just recently, a shopping mall Yew Tee Point was added at the heart of the town alongside Yee Tee Square.

 

Before the current foodcourt in Yew Tee Square, there was the now defunct Family foodcourt where I used to have my meals day in day out and I loved Fei Siong Fishball Noodles! Another stall not to be missed was Teck Lee Nasi Lemak (Currently at the Kopitiam located at the MRT Station).

 

Many have changed over the years and without noticing it, Yew Tee has turned into a town that has boomed with many new residents contributing to the warmth of this place I call Home.

 

With regular visits to NTUC Fairprice to get daily necessities and meals at Koufu foodcourt plus purchases of pastries at Crystal Jade and Four Leaves, Yew Tee Point have what I wanted to get all the time. Recently, Pastamania was added to the list of tenants (Did you hear me saying Triple Cheese Pizza)?

Just beside the mall is Yew Tee Square, a place that I am very familiar with for the past 12 years and although the foodcourt has been revamped with new stalls, it still serves a wide variety of food ranging from Korean to Taiwanese and even Japanese Teppanyaki!

Opposite my block lies a neighbouring coffeeshop which have seen its fair share in change of tenants. The only stall that did not change was the Zi Char Stall which is ever so popular with the local residents. The amazing part is, despite being a small coffeeshop – it is always packed to the brim.

 

 

What I like most about this town is Pang Sua Park Connector which is beside the area I am staying in. I spend many of my evenings jogging along this stretch of nature and gave me inspirations yet quiet moments on my own.

 

Recently, I always make short walks around Yew Tee especially the main stretch towards the heart of the town to reminisce the past 12 years of journey.

 

As I end my 12 years’ association with Yew Tee, I will never forget that this town has seen me through many events in my life. I will be moving on to another town soon but something will never change.

 

Yewtee -  A Better Home for All

 

 Signing Off

I Eat I Breathe

Lifestyle ‘K’ Maestro

 Have you liked my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/foodkmaestro.sg?

Woodlands – A Walk through Singapore’s Northern ‘Central’

Firstly, Thank You Edison Lim and Aimee Qiu for taking the time off for a walk through Woodlands and introduced me to three of their favourite dishes!

When Singapore was still in its infant stages of establishing as a trading port after Sir Stamford Raffles first landed in 1819, Woodlands connected the Malayan Peninsula to Singapore through the Johor Bahru-Singapore in 1924.

As a town that is still in constant development, Woodlands has given me a totally different feel as compared to more established towns like Choa Chu Kang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio. It has also a distinct style by having a more relaxed and off the beat environment as well.

As I was into the last page of Howard Schultz’s (CEO and Chairman of Starbucks) Pour your heart into it with a Venti Size Café Latte at Woodlands’ Civic Centre’s Starbucks ‘Home’ (Can Life gets any better with this book, this beverage and this environment), Edison and Aimee which are both polytechnic students approached me and we immediately hit it off!

I was told that 888 Plaza have one of the nicest hawker stalls in Woodlands and we headed there by hopping up 900 (a local feeder bus service).

As I was waiting for Edison to order Signature Bak Chor Mee from Ding Ji and Chicken Cutlet Rice from Golden Rooster in Wan Shun Food Court, I cannot help but noticed that Aimee has slipped off to get me her favourite Korean Ramen from Bai Sheng Food Court.

The first dish that was being brought to me is the Signature Bak Chor Mee which is dry in texture and the noodles are rather ‘Q’ with a generous piece of braised pork meat. With mixes of minced meat, braised mushrooms and dumplings complimented with the braised sauce, this has to be one of my favourite dishes in this food court!



Bak Chor Mee

Ever seen Chicken Cutlet Rice with the chicken in bite sizes? Look no further because it is the first time I have eaten Chicken Cutlet served this way.  What caught me by surprise was the moment I had that first mouth of bite in my mouth. Reason – The bite is crispy and the meat is tender but most importantly, I do not feel the oil ‘splashing’ all over my mouth.

Chicken Cutlet Rice

Now to Aimee’s Korean Ramen! Even though it was served in takeaway, the noodles are not soggy and the soup base is slightly spicy without the ‘Red and Hot’ Colour. The Noodles has been cooked along with the soup for a reasonable amount of time for the taste to compliment the whole dish. This is one of the healthier choice I have tasted so much and suit friends who cannot stand spiciness!

Korean Ramen

 

Among the eating and the chatting, I also come to know that Edison is actively involved in the local grassroots activities and definitely setting a good example to the many young adults out there. With a good IT background, he will be a valuable asset to the local community in this field and Aimee who majors in Photography and Marketing will look to bring a whole new light to Woodlands in the years to come.

Edison

 

Aimee

 

Well, all good things have to come to an end and with that, I bid farewell to Edison and Aimee after the whole experience and promised to catch up if an opportunity arises. As I slowly walked in the heart of Woodlands, it took me back to where it all started…Causeway Point Shopping Mall, Where it all started.

 

Woodlands – Unique in its own right.
 

Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe

Food ‘K’ Maestro


Have you like my Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/foodkmaestro.sg

Places That I Grew Up in (Part 3 of 5)

Bukit Batok

‘Coughing Hill’ has been the place where I spent almost 2 and half decades growing up in and is still part of this town that was once famous for granite in the 1950s.

Ever wondered why was it called ‘Coughing Hill’? Because the blasting noises from granite quarrying sounded very much as if the hill were coughing from far off. (Fun Fact)

My family moved into this part of the island in the year 1984 and there were only a few blocks of flats, unlike what I am seeing now – a town with everything needed without going out of it. If you remember ‘Ke Kou Duck Rice’, Part 2 of Food I Grew Up With, it was the only coffee shop visible in the vicinity at that time with no Mass Rapid Transit Stations (First Station started in 1987 at Bishan) and the only public buses were 852 and 157 (Numbers still running to Yishun and Toa Payoh respectively).

 

I remembered so clearly that my father used to bring us to the nearby swimming complex for an evening swim if he was back from work early enough before the operating hours were over. It was also at this very place that I choked on my first mouthful of water! But it was also here I learnt the basic ropes of swimming and it has followed me ever since.

If you are able to spot it, just beside Bukit Batok Central lies a tiny little hill where fitness facilities and a jogging track is located. I spent many years of my morning jogs around this track especially at 5am! Right down by the slope lies a basketball court where my brothers and I used to play basketball almost every evening but was gutted whenever we saw people playing soccer on a basketball court. Until today, I still feel frustrated by this act because I am still seeing people doing it at the same place when there is a soccer court just 50 metres away!
 

Sheltered Basketball Court



Jogging Path

I always feel that the little path that leads towards the block I used to stay ‘a walk down memory lane’. Reason? Because many of my friends who I have known over the years have accompanied me through this journey and as I was thinking of this part of the write-up, these friends came right through my mind.

Bukit Batok East was the place where I used to get the most delicious fish balls and also the place where my youngest brother got lost at 3 years old and when he was found, he asked why we were lost instead of him! (Phew…Glad we caught him if not he wouldn’t be the pride of the family now) Thinking back still brings fond and funny memories to us, especially my parents. Although the fish ball stall ceased to exit, I still drop by once in a while to have a coffee for some quiet moments before I head to Bukit Batok Nature Reserve for a breather and a walk too. Bukit Batok Nature Reserve is one of the biggest in Singapore with 36 Hectares of nature and I am always amazed to be around the history of the Japanese Occupation (Old Ford Motor Factory and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

At the heart of the town is West Mall where I used to hang out at the library and watching movies with my friends and family. For now, it has become a regular spot for me to have coffee and at times, drop by the library to get some books. The downside of it is that it doesn’t have a Starbucks for me to rest and relax but overall, it is still a mall that I can get almost what I need for daily necessities.

Mcdonald’s again? Yes, I am going to mention this fast food chain in this part of the series. Which kid does not have a history of loving Mcdonald’s? I am sure most of us spent much of our time there at some stages of our childhood and teenage years.

My Father loves the Filet O Fish and I was the one tasked to buy for the family every time we have a craving for it. Whenever my youngest brother wanted to eat, I will buy it for him and myself (I love double cheeseburger and McNuggets). This is also the place where I always study (I think tried is a better word) and chit-chat with friends after school or ECA (Extra Curriculum Activities – Our terms during school days). Nowadays, I will come by with my mother once in a while to catch her favourite mocha at McCafe and for me, a double shot café latte.

Looking back at the last 2 decades, there were good and bad memories but it all formed a part of this stage of my life. I cherish this town, this place which gave me my childhood, high school days and till now too.

Bukit Batok – ‘The Coughing Hill’ that brought me through the years

 
Signing Off,

I Eat I Breathe

Food ‘K’ Maestro

Related Links
Places that I Grew Up In (Part 1/5)
Places that I Grew Up In (Part 2/5)

Have you like my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/foodkmaestro.sg