Walking Along Jalan Kayu

Quiet dual one-lane road; Quaint; Prata enclave. Whatever you call it, Jalan Kayu has a very rich history. As I searched online, I found a photo on the internet that was taken in 1967. I've also included a photo that I'd taken today.

Courtesy of jalankayutrail.blogspot.com

You'd realise that the shop houses on the right remains as what they were more than 40 years ago. It looked like the entire place has been bubble-wrapped and placed in storage! It's also amazing for the fact that Singapore's always tearing down old buildings to make way for spanking brand new towers.

The entire Jalan Kayu community came alive in the 60s, thanks to the British Air Force base situated at the end of Jalan Kayu. The prata shops have been there a long time, dishing out prata and other Indian fare. If only they have a prata counter to tell you how many pratas they have served over the 40 years (Any Jalan Kayu prata shop owners reading this?). I might just be the 1million and 1 prata kosong eater. Do I win a prize?

Baba King: Sedap-ly Good!

Ok, there's no such word as sedap-ly (aka in malay, totally tasty), but since this restaurant have been raved about on this website, I just somehow had to give it a go. But what better way to put the restaurant to the test than to bring along my dad who's a true blue Peranakan, born and bred with the unadulterated food from the nonya kitchen.

Mr Philip Khoo, the owner of the restaurant warmly welcomed us to his restaurant. Knowing that we're Peranakans, he was quick to quip that the Peranakans are very "cherewet" or fussy about how the food tasted and that food from home is always better than anywhere else. Man with much foresight. To start us on the right track, he threw in the chlli padi and achah.

The food came at break-neck speed, pre-cooked. But that's usually the case for Peranakan food as it requires much preparation.

Ayam buah keluak was delicious and the chicken bits were tender and chewy, but it was the finer things such as the nut was not chunky that caught the attention of the patriach. Philip explained that this was prepared in view of the taste-bud of the general public.

Chap chye was not too bad, though I'd prefer that it would have come with "tau ki" and "black fungus".

Next, Ikan pari masak kuah lada - A dish that Philip said that we should try. The stingray was pretty tender and the kiam chye (Salted vegetable) was a nice addition to its taste.

The other two dishes we ordered were sambal kangkong with its big and fresh prawns, and ngo hiang.

My wife, who's a pure hokkien, enjoyed the food totally. While I, a Peranakan of the 21st century, felt that the food was pretty tasty but lacking in certain areas, while my dad, oh well, Philip will have to return to tradition to satisfy him. Mind you, I've not brought in my mother yet, who's away on a mission trip.

But overall, it was a good experience. I'm glad that Philip has kept the flag of the Peranakans flying. Totally proud of him and I truly wish him well.

Baba King Nonya Delicatessen Pte Ltd

1 Expo Drive, #01-31 Singapore Expo, Singapore 486150.

Tel/Fax: 67813128

http://www.babaking.com.sg

Quaint Japanese Restaurant in the Park

I was at first put off with the sign even though it was shouting out to me, "sushi for 99 cents!". What gimmick is this? I asked my wife.

But lo and behold, we found ourselves in that restaurant still. Why? For the sheer reason of being too lazy to search for another restaurant.

We were shown to our table and even before we warmed our seats, we were told that we had to head to the outside to pick our food. What happened to the tried and tested menu at the table?

Outside, we walked like 100 metres to pick our food. Ok, that's exaggeration! But you make a diner walk for their food, and then, we still have to fork out 10% for service charge? That's totally unpalatable!

So what helped to calm my jittery nerve of expecting the worst? Well, the food did come and I can say that the yakiniku beef ramen was delicious. The sashimi was also pretty fresh, though it could have been sliced a little more thinly. But having it thickly-sliced means it's value for money right? I'm such a cheapo!? But truly, it'll be much easier on the mouth if the slices are thinner.

The sushi, though was pretty attractive with row after row of coloured plates moving around the sushi train. What's more, it's 99 cents! Great draw for a hungry hippo like myself.

A point to note for the management, please don't make us walk for our food, unless your sole intention is to make us hungry again so that we can go for another round.

Hong Kong In A Mall

This is definitely hard to miss because it has been strategically located whereby in order to find a short cut to the escalator, you'd have to go past their seating area, cross the disposal bin, before reaching to the other side.

Thankfully, that's not the main reason why you should find yourself at the restaurant!

Well, for one, the food though not great, is still pretty decent. Maybe I'm a sucker for chinese sausages, but yes, I enjoyed their fare. Before I even move off to what else they offer, I must say that their green chilli is nice and crunchy. "That particular huh?", you might ask. But the smallest of details can make or break your enjoyment of certain dish. So yes, one tick for the restaurant.

The menu includes bake rice, wanton noodles and shrimp dumpling noodles. This time, I tried the chicken with sausage and black mushroom. Why? There's a bowl of free soup! Not true!

Anyway, no harm when the cost of the soup has already been absorbed in the price right from the start right?

The down side? no privacy as it's located along the main thorough-fare. The public will have full view of what you have ordered. What's more, they can possibly catch a whiff of the piping hot rice or noodles. Erm, definitely not a place for a hot date, unless you want are aiming to get your date to dump you!

The workers there were more of cleaners than waitress. You write down your own order, and do your own ordering at the counter. To top it all, it's self service. You'd get dumped for sure!

Seeking out Bak Kut Teh

I took part in a market survey awhile ago. The respondents and I had to pick out (Bak Kut) pork with bones that whet our tastbuds. What's more, we were paid S$50 each for our effort. Bak Kut Teh may not be my favourite, but when someone wants to feed you, why not right?

Fast forward to today. Where can we find a shop where we can get good bak kut teh? My wife and I drove to an obscure food centre in Ang Mo Kio. The place? Teck Ghee Court Market and Food Centre. The stall? Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh.

Now an expert after doing that market survey, I'd say that the meat is rather tender and it's also quite tasty. The soup's laden with pepper but my wife said that there are possibly some herbs in the soup as well. They have a host of award certificates that were pasted at the front of the stall.

One bowl of Bak Kut Teh costs S$6, and what's more, the stall also sells pig trotters. Many around me seemed to be eating that dish. (But that's so fattening!)

Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh
#01-04 Teck Ghee Court Mkt and Food Centre, Blk 341 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1

Ice Cream on The Go

Walking down Orchard Road, you'll bound to see a man with his motorcycle and his uniquely designed side carriage. These imodern-day ice cream man are licenced and are subjected to cleanliness checks. So if you're thinking, "India roadside stall", you don't have to fret.

In our cleanliness-conscious Singapore, we ourselves are concerned about ensuring that we do not fall prey to tummy aches. I can guarantee that the ice cream here is safe to eat.

There are different flavours and also, how you'd like your ice cream to be served - In a cup, a cone or wafer. Well, I like mine to be served on a loaf of bread. All this for just a dollar each.

So go ahead, try the Singapore way of savouring our ice cream.

Sugarcane Juice: A Must Try

In tropical Singapore, anything that keeps one cool naturally becomes the favourite of Singaporeans. I can definitely vouch for this drink - Sugarcane juice.

When I was much younger, I was shown the traditional way of extracting the juice. That was through your bare teeth crunching into the sugarcane. It's a risk to your teeth, but it raises your manlihood quotient, proving how strong your teeth are.

For the normal man on the street, my advice to you is to just visit the local hawker centre, look for a suagrcane stall, and order a glass of the sweet greenish liquid. Throw in the ice and lemon, and you'll get one of the best drink in the land.