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Sep 23, 2013

Old Street Bak Kut Teh. Zesty Soup Crispy You Tiao Near at Hand

Sometimes I work overtime and knock off late. If I am not resigned to just heading back home with an empty stomach after a long day of fierce battle with time, I will find food somewhere nearby to stuff myself up. Fortunately or not, there is an Old Street Bak Kut Teh, just opposite my workplace, across the main road of Upper Payar Road.



A hot spicy peppery Bak Kut Teh soup, accompanied by big crispy You Tiao, after a long exhausting day is sinful yet warming enough to somehow melt my mental fatique. I do not have an epicure's tongue. To me, the peppery soup here is just as good as that of the famous Founder Bak Kut Teh. Tasty and zesty! The plus point. Old Street has thumbs-up You Tiao. Ha. It looks so big and fluffy, yet so crispy. Well, just my personal preference, and I admit that I may be a bit biased as it is really too near to my office :)






Old Street Bak Kut Teh 老街肉骨茶
129 Upper Payar Lebar Road, Singapore 534840   |   Mon to Sun 7am - 1am

Sep 22, 2013

居鑾. 摩達咖喱麵. 老妈喜歡的咖喱湯

從小在老家居鑾,如果在外面吃麵的話,主要就三種:乾撈麵、清湯麵和咖喱麵。

長大後到了新加坡,發現這裡好像比較少有“乾撈麵”,反而到處都是肉挫麵、魚圓麵等等的。要吃乾的,通常就跟老闆說你要“乾的”就好,不用特別點說“乾撈面”。普遍上,新加坡的“乾麵”應該都是這種潮州式的“醋加辣椒”型,和我從小吃的黑色“乾撈麵”當然就風味各異了——但也算各有千秋啦。

“清湯麵”也一樣。剛來新加坡的時候,我會想到肉挫麵檔或板麵檔說“清湯麵一碗”,但老闆通常給我一張“有點疑惑的臉”。然後我會馬上改口說:我要“湯的”。

我老媽最喜歡的食物絕對是“咖喱麵”。但這樣的“咖喱麵”,新加坡也少有。我覺得類似而可代之的大概是“叻沙”Laksa吧。但如果你叫我老媽來吃新加坡的“叻沙”,她是幾萬個不能適應的。新加坡的“叻沙”,椰漿濃重;我從小吃的“咖喱麵”,則是那種狀態較為稀釋,而口味卻依然香辣的咖喱湯。


回到居鑾,有時會去回味這樣的“咖喱麵”。例如和老爸老媽去吃“Botak摩達咖喱麵”——我老媽最愛最愛的“咖喱麵”之一。

我也很喜歡吃“Botak咖喱麵“,不僅僅因為是六十年以上的老字號、是老鄉的味道,更因為它香濃夠味卻又順喉非常的咖喱湯 :) 我老媽吃的時候,還勢必要加上一勺勺的sambal辣椒,整碗湯變得紅紅濁濁的,她才能盡興。

椰漿很濃的Laksa,湯汁喝上幾口可能就膩了。“Botak咖喱麵”香香辣辣的咖喱湯比較稀,你通常會有點欲罷不能,想直接乾了整碗——啊..... 好喝 :)


Botak的“乾撈麵”當然也是家鄉的黑麵。豬油、叉燒汁、黑醬油加上豆芽、魚餅、叉燒和肉碎,撈一撈便成就了簡單的好。小時候,老媽都為我們的“乾撈麵”淋上機勺她的咖喱湯汁。撈和在一起,是老家的味道

那是放學后的時光,我和老媽、老妹就在舊加冕戲院后的摩達咖喱麵檔吃著麵,一人一碗.....


摩達咖喱麵
49, Bawah Jalan Paya 1/3, Kampung Paya N/V, 86000 Kluang   |
Mon to Sun 7am - 2:30pm

Sep 21, 2013

居鑾. 老街. 回老街過中秋

“走,回老街過中秋!”——今天居鑾有一場這樣的中秋戶外活動。和家人一起去,感覺很舒服。


雖不是中秋正日,居鑾長大的我們,大概都會想去看看這是怎樣一回事。大概不主要爲了慶中秋,而是想到這條感覺已近乎人去樓空的老街——Jalan Ismail 依士邁街看看。

老實說,在我的年代里,我也不曾感覺這條老街曾經繁華、興盛過。我的小時候是二十幾到十幾年前。那時候的記憶裏,老街已經是沒什麼精彩的...... 只是當時,當然又不比現在靜默了。


小時候,確實不常到老街。不知道它曾經是鐵道通車後居鑾的誕生地,也不懂它曾經裝載著老店、老行業的生活情節和歷史。它對我來說,簡單、有點無關我痛癢得只是其中一條回家的路。我從小的居鑾,從來也不是老街。

因為是一條回家的路,依士邁街對我來說是那麼的習以為常,卻又沒有特別的熟悉。 甚至它什麽時候變得安靜了,我也不能說準。


小時候,偶爾到老街,是因為跟著爸媽到位於一排店屋角落,老媽稱之為“依士邁”的咖啡店,吃午餐或喝茶。老媽總是說:“去依士邁吃”,我連咖啡店的店名是什麽都不清楚。

其次就是偶爾的放學午後,老媽會帶我們到“大樹下”吃麵。當時最吸引我的,不是大樹下的麵,而是隔壁佈滿鳥籠的一間很老式的寵物店。


今天的老街,陳設了許多復古的兒時遊戲。有些老得,是我老媽年代的,我也沒玩過。

一進今天老街活動的入口,就是畫在地上的這片“蛇棋”。這不用說,大家都玩過。以前都用蛇棋、飛機棋、黑白棋什麽的打發時間。有和妹妹比賽的時候,也有自己和自己玩的時候。十幾二十年後的今天,Yoyo和Ethan 也在老街上玩得興奮。


折紙也是必做。衣服,青蛙什麽的...... 現在才想起,以前真的親手做這些玩具給自己。


今天一個很有趣的檔口,是“Tikam”。就是付錢抽獎,抽一張一毛。哈,我現在怎麼看,這都像是在賭博。不過印象中,我以前好像也不常有機會玩到這種直接以錢做禮物的“Tikam”。我老哥倒是很懷念,說他以前常常玩。


老街里還有一顆很老沉而漂亮的大樹。今天,讓不常有機會爬樹的小朋友爬一爬。有點畏高的玥瑤,易上難下,結果哭了。好可憐。可見今天的孩子真該多爬爬樹。


今天的老街,也有很多小動物。我突然想起老媽經常不厭其煩地重複告訴我們,我們小時候,她都在傍晚時分推著我和妹妹去看羊,邊看邊喂吃飯。想想,以前連吃個飯都那麼悠哉、那麼“自然” 。現在的孩子,應該都盯著iPad 吃飯的吧...... 這大概就是時間推移出的所謂進步。


再走下去,我還發現了一樣年代歷史久遠得讓我反而覺得新奇的玩意兒。不知道是我太“山龜”嗎?哈,我真的沒有玩過這個。我親手試“錘”了一個:錘得扁扁的瓶蓋,再加用鐵釘多錘出兩個洞,穿過繩子,就可以玩了。看著這個老媽很拿手駕馭的玩具,我蠻有感觸的。以前的玩具,就是這些親手為自己實現的簡單快樂 :)


食物方面,也是挺精彩的。氣勢重重地壓在老街前段的是一台現磨花生成醬的研磨機。


懷舊的零食,當然少不了一條兩毛的“雪條”。以前天真無邪的,也沒有什麽色素不色素的概念,反正就是什麽顏色都要試一下就對了。


再往下走,“叮叮叮”的聲音很響。一個很有型的Uncle在賣叮叮糖。“叮叮叮”地敲出一塊塊的叮叮糖。芝麻、花生加麥芽糖香,是古早的味道。還讓我想起了小時候常吃的麥芽糖。


很開心和家人走了這一趟;老街的老,頓時變成了許多想像。

Sep 17, 2013

My Mini Cupcakes. Two. Happy Birthday Y!



It's Y's 31st birthday. I baked him a "small heap" of mini cupcakes as birthday cake. Mini cupcakes were chosen because I thought it would be easier. But obviously, I couldn't have been more wrong! Making creams/icings of different types and colours from scratch, to a clumsy-handed like myself, was indeed effort-consuming.




I know... they looked a bit funny (My Laoba who saw me decorating the cakes, even called one of them the "Tumour Cake"). Ha... But I was happy with the results, for which I had not intentionally used any artificial dye or colouring (of course, this did not apply to the colourful sprinkles and decorations that I bought ;p). Y doesn't have a sweet tooth. So he was so forced to like and try all four flavours: Cheesy Choco, Raspberry Choco, Cocoa Vanilla and the weirdly-invented Sweet-Potato Vanilla. Anyway, taste 'yes' or taste 'no', it's the heart that counts, rrrrrrrrright?



Happy Birthday, Y!

Sep 13, 2013

最近挺忙的

前言
最近……真的
最愛的偷閑時間只從指縫的份


此刻
機緣巧合地賺到了一點無所事事咖啡座的時
小感動得要流淚
打開了咖啡座的公用電腦,開始稍稍游走在最讓我鬆懈的文字記述間


跳脫
感覺鋼琴底子對我打字的速度與節奏,還是有一些造就的
間歇,喝一喝這裏的Chocolate Paradise


目的
爲了一點宣洩
讓煩躁的摸索有一點釋懷


定義
想定義忙碌;背景是工作

忙碌是,電郵不能被鐳射式地一眼掃過清
電郵伏擊郵箱的速度,永遠大於我幾經思考而解決掉一個難題的速度的多多

忙碌是,沒有閒暇為一個完成或兩個突破而高
滿腦子只是接下來的N-1個任務的長龍

忙碌是,口渴想尿尿的衝突感
那是自我吝嗇了補水的時間,又自我剝削了放水的人權

忙碌是,忍不住覺得上帝已經悄悄地把世界的鐘調快
此時此刻的歲月如梭,和10年前讀書苦差的度日如年,格格不入得讓人無所適從

忙碌是無法如期完成的窒息感……
是食物總有些太遲入肚的胃脹感……
晚上入睡和早上醒來嘴角都好像難以上揚的失落……


發洩完就沒事了
感恩

Aug 19, 2013

Hoshino Coffee. A Leisurely Lunch with Hand-Drip Coffee

It was again a Sunday noon after church service. Y and I were at Hoshino Coffee with my Big Sis, Haoye (bro-in-law) and darling Ethan, for lunch. I believe many are smitten with Hoshino hand-drip coffee and its fluffy Pancake Souffle, so there's always a stunningly long queue at Hoshino Coffee which I always have visions of just whisking away. Yes, I don't like spending too much time queuing for food (;p). This time, if it wasn't because we were early and that the destined long queue was not fully formed yet, we wouldn't have been there enjoying the Hoshino Blended Coffee, Matcha Latte, Fuwa-Fuwa Hoshino Souffle and Omu Rice while leisurely flipping through Japanese fashion magazines.


We enjoyed the lunch, and so did Ethan! Guess what! He bottomed up the three little cups of milk which were meant for the hand-drip coffee. How cute :)


Hoshino Coffee
68 Orchard Road, #03-84, Singapore 238839   |   (65) 6338 3277
Mon to Sun 11:30am - 9pm

Aug 18, 2013

My Mini Cupcakes. One. Cheesy Choco


I really quite enjoy baking, for no reason. Just feel happy and satisfied when I make something good-looking and good-taste (self-graded ;p). Not known to many, this is actually a little passion since young. I used to watch baking TV programmes and read recipes. I only bake occasionally though, especially ever since I came to Singapore years ago. Staying in hostels or rented rooms, baking is really an only-in-my-dream thing. Anyway, whenever there's a chance or occasion, I still bake happily. 

I tried a self-invented Cheesy Choco Mini Cupcake this time, while my Lao Ba kept shaking his head at me and giving me the 'I-really-don't-know-what-you're-doing' look. Nevertheless, I swear by it; it tasted good! Ha...

Jul 27, 2013

有感歷史

中學時讀了三年的歷史。讀過兩河流域的發源、讀過埃及文明、讀過希臘帝國、也讀過羅馬的盛衰。歷史課本里有過耶穌、有過十字軍東征……今天這些都只在我腦中留下薄紗印象沒有細節可尋。

縱使我歷史科的考試成績也還可以,也對一些歷史事件很感興趣,但大概是文字太多的關係,我沒有太喜歡歷史。當時我看歷史,就是某個時間、在某個空間發生的一些事情的記載。即使以時間的順序將之串聯、即使認同歷史作為借鑒的意義,我看不到歷史的本質。

前些日子有機會上了《遍覽聖經》的課。謝慶福牧師分享了許多聖經里的歷史地理背景。打著問號的拼圖,一片片地被放到了正確的位置上。那是一種恍然大悟的感覺。

我突然很後悔,我之前把整個世界歷史的大環境讀了就忘;但我又突然感覺有趣,上帝在我腦海中種下的大大小小對歷史事件的單薄印象,像種子開始要發芽。

歷史是這個世界初始到末了中不同的部份,是整個世界時間進程中上帝不同的鋪排當歷史不僅是時間與空間排列組合的巧合時,當希臘的文字和羅馬的道路都可能是一種預備的時候,一切實在變得很微妙。我想,它的本質是計劃的各種實現。

Jul 14, 2013

Loysel's Toy. Just Another Ought-to-be-Relaxing Sunday Afternoon

I wondered what Loysel is and tried to google. There was only answer from Loysel's Toy and I took it. In 1855, there was an Edward Loysel de Santais having developed the world's first coffee machine. The pioneer's work with steam pressure became the embryo of the espresso machines today :)


This is a nice laid-back place beside Kallang River. Tucked away in a secluded corner, it can be quite perfectly divorced from the hustle and bustle of Sunday crowds. I am not a coffee lover, yet I enjoyed the coffee -- so smooth and nice, with the touch of sunlight and the pinch of breeze.


I loved the gigantic old tree opposite Loysel's Toy. You feel so refreshed standing under its big spread of shade.


Loysel's Toy
66 Kampong Bugis, Ture, #01-02, Singapore 338987   |   (65) 6292 2306
Tue to Fri 9am - 6pm   |   Sat to Sun 9am - 7:30pm

感恩事奉

自小學一年級開始便有了在臺上説話的機會。這樣,也就一路從求學時的賽場,說到今天的工作舞臺。老實說,我不是外向的人。我看我自己,是内斂的;但是這些説話機會,矛盾地讓我成爲一個可以在臺上自然説話的人。我有時不太清楚這种既非專業、又非追求的能力究竟於我何用?但我想,一切都是上帝鋪排與計劃中的零星。

今天我幸運地把説話用在了我卑微的事奉當中——真的感恩。錄製的過程,發我深省。説話向來是“鏗鏘有力、字字清晰”,哈,家事報告要求的溫柔,實在和我的本能表達有點差距。幾經嘗試用降低百倍的音量融合氣音來努力詮釋后,親善指數才終不負所望有所回升;任務在喜樂的學習中完成。感謝主,讓我在不同的服事中有美好的份。

Jul 5, 2013

Canelé Patisserie Chocolaterie. 不只是Macarons

因爲很不喜歡排隊,機緣巧合之下來到Canelé Patisserie Chocolaterie。近期内踏入Plaza Singapura, 若要找吃的,首先你要熱愛排隊,否則沒耐性又不懂苟同如我,你會難以説服自己爲了一餐而在那人龍之中,為其不可理喻的長度獻上綿力。

話説Canelé,也許因爲是晚餐時間,沒有那令人煩躁的隊伍。但我一踏入館内倒也帶旺了場子,人龍隨即不敵宿命地快速成形。我為我的時機喝彩。


Canelé Patisserie Chocolaterie ,顧其名思其義,主打的應該是法式甜點和巧克力。Macarons沒錯長得艷麗、可愛無比。但老實說我目前還未能領會Macaron的魅力所在。所以我點了Strawberry Shortcake為主食;配菜方面,畢竟還是為晚餐而來,於是選了Wild Pumpkin Soup,Wagyu Beef Burger和我個人到cafe都幾乎必點的Hot Chocolate。




Pumpkim Soup很好喝、Wagyu Beef Burger很好吃、Hot Chocolate好喝、Strawberry Shortcake好吃,是我對這一餐忠實而又簡單的概括。

我好奇Canelé究竟什麽意思,所以搜了一下。原來是一種法式糕點——内裏是軟軟的蛋白牛奶軟凍,外層是厚厚的深褐色焦糖脆殼。也就是說店名它很明確地組合起了:法式、法式、法式!讓我突然不自禁想起了我在大學時代學無所成的初級法文。

Au Revoir!

Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie
Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #01-55, Singapore 238839
(65) 6837 2252   |   Mon to Sun 10am - 10pm