Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Batam 2014


Went to Batam with the folks last Saturday. We woke up at five in the morning and the skies were still dark when we reached the Cruise Centre at Harbourfront.

I was actually not too keen to go as our last trip to Batam was just a few days short to a year

However, with the lure of A&W, I decided to go anyway.

Batam 2013: One Day Tour


It has been close to twenty years since I last visited Batam with my secondary school friends. At that time, we went to Waterfront City and the chalet bungalows had only just been completed.

When I learn that my brother had booked us a one day trip to Batam on Labour Day, I was elated to revisit this slow-paced city again!

Early that morning, I brought my folks to meetup with my brother and his in-laws for breakfast at Habourfront where the Singapore Cruise Centre is located on the second floor.

After breakfast, we went up to check in to board the ferry but was told that the gate has already been closed even though we arrived at the stipulated time as told by the tour agency.

The personnel spoke to someone via the walkie walkie and we were given the green light to proceed as the ferry have not departed yet.

We hurried in and was just in time to hear our names being announced over the PA system.

Hong Kong Street Jen Poo Kee XO Bee Hoon @ Clementi West Street 2

UPDATES (8th June 2014): Hong Kong Street Jen Poo Kee has moved location. New address is updated at the end of this post.

XO Fish Head Bee Hoon

Clementi West, also known as "West Coast", is where I frequent as a kid because Mum used to do her marketing here at the West Coast Market. As Grandma also lived here with her eldest son, coming here is almost a weekly routine for us.

I remember coming to the market here for breakfast and I, in particular, loved the Pig's Organ Soup especially the chili. Alas, I could not remember which stall it is and I doubt the stall is even there now.

We stopped coming after Grandma and uncle's family moved to another estate.

That was many years ago.

吃在台北 Eat At Taipei @ JCUBE


座落于裕廊东的 JCUBE (Jurong Entertainment Centre 的前生) 在今年四月就已隆重开幕。由于讨厌人挤人的缘故,到那闲逛的计划一拖再拖,迟迟没能实现。

直到几天前受大哥之托携带家中两老到JCUBE三楼的「吃在台北」品尝台湾小吃我才有借口説服自己到那兜两圈。

Cook For Family


With our hectic lifestyle, family dinners are not happening for many of us as much as we had wanted. We would get so caught up with our lives that we tend to neglect our loved ones. 

When Daniel of DanielFoodDiary emailed me about this #CookForFamily initiative started by him, I knew I had to take part.

His objective is simple: To get more bloggers, and hopefully their fans and followers, to start cooking and bond with their families. 

Recipe: Coca Cola Chicken Wings

I have long heard about this weird way of cooking chicken wings with Coca Cola but I have not attempt this recipe till today.

I am surprised that this recipe is so easy and the end product can be so good! My Mum, in particular like it so much that she asked me how it was done.

One thing I find about this recipe is that the combined 400ml liquid of Coca Cola and water may be a little too much because it takes roughly 20 minutes for the liquids to be reduced.

Though the taste is nice, I find the meat texture a little too overcooked for my liking. I think I will reduce the water to 100ml and see how it turns out next time.

Try this out and let me know how you like it?

Bon appetit!

Recipe: Seaweed Soup With Tofu

Unlike my other 老火汤 recipes which require long hours of simmering, this is a relatively no-frills soup which can be done in a jiffy.

So, if you are pressed for time yet craving for soup, this is the recipe for you.

This is quite a light soup as the main ingredients are just Tofu and Seaweed. You may like to add some seafood, meatballs or even Yong Tau Foo to make the taste more robust.

I happened to have some Prawns and Fish Maw lying around in the fridge so I added those into the soup as well.

Here are some benefits of Seaweed:

- Prevents fat absorbtion
- Reduces water retention
- Promotes mental youthfulness

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Recipe: Stir Fry Spinach With Salted Egg

I was at the supermarket choosing Spinach for this recipe when I noticed that it was labeled as 笕菜 on the packaging.

This confuses me as I always thought that Spinach is 菠菜 in Chinese?

Can someone enlighten me whether 笕菜 and 菠菜 are the same?

Anyway, here are some benefits of the Spinach:

- Loaded with flavonoids which protects the body from free radicals
- Contains anti-inflammatory properties which acts against Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Migraine and Asthma

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Recipe: 豉汁蒸排骨 Steamed Spare Ribs In Black Bean Paste

If you are a Dim Sum lover, this Steamed Spare Ribs in Black Bean Paste (豉汁蒸排骨) would be no stranger to you.

We would definitely order a steamer of this whenever we have Dim Sum.

If we cook this at home, we love to drench the sauce over white rice and the plate would be polished so clean that we could see our reflection in it!

Do not steam the Spare Ribs for too long or the meat would 'toughen' and depending on the saltiness of your Black Bean Paste, adjust accordingly how much to put in.

Just experiment abit to get the taste you prefer!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Recipe: Taro & Sago In Coconut Milk

Mum and I loved both Taro and Sago so I thought I would make us this dessert!

To be honest, I did not follow the recipe exactly.

I first divided the Taro into three equal parts. I cubed 2/3 of it, then steamed it for approximately 20 minutes together with the remaining 1/3.

After the steaming was done, I mashed the 1/3 with the back of a wooden spatula as I wanted a more creamy dessert.

The water and Coconut Milk were brought to a boil and I added in the cubed and smashed Taro while preparing to cook the Sago in a separate pot of water.

While waiting for the Sago to be cooked, I realised that the cubed Taro keeps sticking to the bottom of the pot so I have to keep stirring it.

In the end, the cubed Taro was way too overcooked and most of it has disintegrated due to the constant stirring.

Therefore, my advice is to cook the Sago first before putting the steamed Taro AND cooked Sago into the Coconut Milk at the same time.

My dessert still taste fine only that it is way too creamy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Siam Kitchen @ Lot One


We had an early Father's Day celebration dinner over at Siam Kitchen's Lot One outlet two nights ago.

The fragrance of Lemongrass greeted our noses the moment we walked into the restaurant and it instantly reminded me of a... foot massage palour! Haha!

The ambience is quite pleasant and I am attracted to those large window panes.

Although the restaurant is not very spacious, I do not feel very cram in there. Or maybe it's because we were early (about 6pm)?

Recipe: 仙人掌鸡汤 Cactus Soup


Today's main ingredient is a little prickly.

I did not know that the Cactus could be eaten, much less turned into a soup, and a nutritious one at that.

I was at my sister's place the other day when she asked me to stay for dinner as she is making this soup.

My jaw dropped when I heard that.

Never before in my life have I ever heard of "Cactus Soup".

I did not stay for dinner that day although it did pique my curiousity for the next few days.

Thus, when I saw Cactus pads for sale at the supermarket this morning, I decided to buy a piece home to try it out.

Cactus Soup is really fuss-free and easy to make but most of all, it is very affordable and nutritious.

Did you know that the Cactus contain beta carotene, iron, some B vitamins and are good sources of both vitamin C and calcium?

Here are more benefits of the Catcus:

- Reduces swelling
- Expels heatiness
- Strengthens immunity

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

三盅两件 Soup Restaurant @ Jurong Point


Within a matter of days, I had already celebrated Mother's Day twice.

The first was big brother's treat at Penang Place Restaurant while the second was big sister's treat at the Soup Restaurant.

Penang Place Restaurant @ Fusionopolis

Penang Place Restaurant

With Mother's Day just round the corner, big brother brought us to Penang Place Restaurant for it's buffet dinner as part of our early celebration.

The restaurant seemed spacious enough but strangely, the tables were all squeezed to one side which I find too cramp for comfort as I have to make detours just to get to the food.

The waiting staff were attentive initially but as diners began filling up the place, their responsiveness began to wane.

[CLOSED]李貴(亞蟹)席館 Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant @ Mosque Street

Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant



Famed for their cold steamed crabs, Lee Kui - or better known as Ah Hoi (Crab in Teochew) - is a forty years old Teochew Restaurant that dishes out traditional Teochew cuisine.

When we arrived during the evening, the restaurant was already teeming with people and we had to wait for a good twenty minutes, even though we had already made a reservation.

The walls at the holding area were adorned with pictures of their menu so patrons could check out what they wanna eat before they get a table. Good strategy to keep patrons occupied so the wait does not seem that long.

As the waitress showed us to our table, a wave of nostalgia sets in. The nondescript deco instantly reminds one of a chinese restaurant from the 80s.

莆田菜馆 Putien @ Jurong Point

The Dead Cockroach

A very Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

We celebrated Father's Day two days ago at Putien over at their Jurong Point branch.

My parents and I were only informed by my sis about this dinner for Dads at the very last minute!

Pre-Mother's Day Dinner At First Thai Food Purvis Street

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The Menu
With a sibling in the service industry, we would often have to accomodate his schedule which is often quite the opposite from everybody else. 

Therefore, whenever there are any birthdays or celebratory events in the family, we would often have to hold it earlier.

三盅两件 Soup Restaurant @ Jurong Point

Soup Restaurant at Jurong Point
Having walked past the Soup Restaurant so many times, I still have yet to try their food. Since Dad's birthday was round the corner, we decided to hold his birthday luncheon here last Saturday.

I called and booked a table for ten at their Jurong Point branch.