Chik's Crib

18 February 2018

A Week in Guangzhou Part 1 - Roast Geese, Shopping and Dim Sum Wonderland!

Guangzhou February 18, 2018 4

Roast Goose, 海韵烧鹅海鲜酒家

吃在广州 ("Eat in Guangzhou") is a familiar saying in China, but strangely, few in the English-speaking world thinks of Guangzhou as a food destination. It's a shame, considering that Guangzhou is the birthplace of dim sum and yum cha. Singapore has excellent dim sum restaurants, but Guangzhou's quality left me astonished. Being from in a Chinese-majority country, I thought there were few surprises left for me in Chinese cuisine, but yet, somehow every dinner in Guangzhou was spectacular, and some of those dishes were completely novel to me, incorporating ingredients, cooking styles or presentations that I'd never seen before. And I can't speak about Guangzhou cuisine without mentioning their roast geese. I still remember my first bite of roast goose; it's been several years, but I remember it perfectly, clear as if it was yesterday. It was the moment I knew I have to return to Guangzhou one day just for it.

As good as the food is, shopping is just as magnificent. Being a port city, Guangzhou serves as an entrepôt connecting China's factories to the world. Vast amounts of China-produced goods flow from every part of China through Guangzhou before being shipped internationally. Whatever it is that you're looking for, no matter how niche, you can probably find it here, selling at wholesale prices. We spent seven whole days in Guangzhou, but still, I left reluctantly with the vague notion that my holiday wasn't quite long enough.

This is Guangzhou in a nut-shell: if you can't speak Mandarin or Cantonese, Hong Kong is more tourist-friendly. But if you do speak passable Mandarin/Cantonese, Guangzhou offers a better dining and shopping experience.

2D1N Johor Bahru Trip: For a Stress-free Experience, Take Public Transport

zichar February 13, 2018 0

Yes, you've read that right.

I usually go to JB about twice a year over the last few years during the hols (here's a breakdown of attractions I love, one if you're coming through Tuas, and one for Woodsland. We're no stranger to the traffic conditions in JB, but it's never a pleasant affair to have to circle around the parking compound praying for someone to leave soon, or to take a wrong turn on the highway, or to have to join in the horde of cars at the causeway. But c'est la vie... right?

But I recently concluded a trip to JB with my friends in the final week of 2017, which was also the peak season for Singaporeans traveling to Malaysia, using nothing more than bus rides and Grab rides. I can finally for certain now: public transport is the way to go for a stress-free JB experience!

For about $1.50, you can take SMRT buses 160, 170 and 170X across the causeway. The buses can be boarded at Jurong East Interchange, or at the bus stop opposite Kranji MRT Station ("Opp Kranji Stn"). We advise Kranji station, because it's 20 minutes to the causeway, as opposed to 40 minutes at Jurong East. We reached Kranji station about 7.30 in the morning and made it through customs in good time. The buses run impressively frequent: at least one 160, 170 or 170X will pull up to the bus stop every 3 to 4 minutes. The dedicated bus lane in the causeway also meant that we sped past the lines of cars queuing in regular lanes. We were a lot less stressed about the causeway experience on a bus, and probably crossed into Malaysia in better time. The bus wasn't packed too, like I feared. At one point, it was only the five of us in the bus. We did have to get off the bus at the Singapore and Malaysia customs and reboard afterwards, but for a day trip (or even for two days like we did), you really don't have a lot of luggage.

The only delay occurred at the Malaysian Checkpoint, where you should check with the bus conductor to confirm that the bus you're boarding will go to JB Sentral (Buses at certain frequencies may not!). But the buses arrive frequently even on the Malaysian side, and we waited perhaps 5 minutes for the next bus. Once arrived at JB Sentral, take the escalator up to the second floor (there is also a cellphone store where you can also get data plans from as low as RM10), and cross over the connecting bridge to JB City Square. From there, it's a 15-minute walk to the hip area where Ya Wang, Chaiwalla, and an assortment of brunch places are located. Or you can simply Grab your way over in inclement weather.

Breakfast was Restoran Ya Wang, to which I'd cultivated an unhealthy sense of love for. Unlike past experiences, this time was different: there were no stress over parking, or of the weaving and dodging I associated with the area's crowded narrow streets. It seemed strange to my friends to have a full roast duck for breakfast, but no one complained as the food arrived. We loved the Special Beancurd Pot and the signature Herbal Roasted Duck.

I really wanted to bring my friends to Chaiwalla. As it only opens 11.30am, we cooled our heels in the interim at Faculty of Caffeine. There were numerous cafes within walking distance to one another, but FOC was the only one that opens in the morning. (We couldn't help feel that it's a little ironic that most brunch places here aren't open for brunch.) It turned out for the best, because the lattes here were the best I've had in Malaysia and rivaled even what we could have found in Melbourne. In a country where most lattes and iced lattes come pre-sweetened with sugar, it's a rare joy to find such a good strong cuppa. I don't know if they double-shot our lattes, but I approve of the strength. Good for them and their world-class barista.

Pic by R

After marveling at Galleria @ Kotaraya, the new shopping mall that opened up along Jalan Trus, we doubled back to pick up our drinks at Chaiwalla before calling a Grab ride to KSL mall, and a 20 minutes ride costed ... wait for it ... RM8. I picked up a nifty tempered-glass iphone screen protector for RM5, and an assorted range of car accessories. The prices were so reasonable, even N, who's from Thailand, couldn't help but purchase some iPhone accessories too.

Chaiwalla

Taman Sutera Utama was where we decided to stay for a night. We headed to J Hotel, an affordable adobe with one of the best reviews of all hotels in the area, and we had a pretty comfortable stay there. Taman Sutera Utama seemed like quite a happening area, with most restaurants, bars and cafes within a comfortable walking distance, and two malls in close proximity: Sutera Mall, and Paradigm Mall. Paradigm Mall is the newest addition to the area, and I hear there's a cinema as well as indoor skating rinks. (I'm keen to explore more on my next visit!)

The biggest draw of staying at J Hotel for us was its walking proximity to Escape Room Johor Sutera Mall: located on the top floor of said mall, it costs RM33.80 per pax for a 45-minute game. I've written a review of the escape room here. The escape room opens from 11am to 11pm, and we certainly went for as many as our brains could handle in the two days that we were there.

Another big attraction in the area was Restoran Pekin, where we enjoyed a grand dinner. The best gauge of a restaurant is being able to execute simple dishes well, and Restoran Pekin shined that day. The food was just as good as I remembered. The vegetable dish 清炒奶白 (plain stir-fried bok choy) was brimming with smoky wok hei, and the unassuming-looking Crabmeat Tofu came with generous chunks of crabmeat over a savoury sauce, and I couldn't get enough of it over plain rice.

The skin of the Suckling Pork was crackly and crisp, and I half-wished we sprung for the full sized one instead of half...

Even the traditional Chinese dessert 芋泥 (Yam Paste) was spectacular. The presentation was unlike any I'd seen; it was shaped to look solid, with a glistening surface that made it looked like jelly, and surrounded by a pool of interlacing milk-colored and transparent liquid. But taste-wise, the dessert was as traditional as they come, and richer than any that I'd had.

Post-dinner, we went to Thai Massage and Spa, and the massage place was luckily able to accommodate three of us without having to make a prior booking. It was good, and it'll be interesting to compare with the many others in the area.

Foo Soon Bak Kut Teh is located just a stone's throw away from the massage area, and based on the good reviews online, we had it for breakfast the next day. We adored the Dry Bak Kut Teh, the Minced Meat Tofu, and the Sambal Kangkong. The Bak Kut Teh Soup, on the other hand, would probably give it a miss. It wasn't as herbal or as fragrant as we thought it should be. Maybe it'll be better in the evening, when the pork ribs have been simmering in the soup for the better part of the day.

And perhaps we had ordered too much for breakfast? Mea culpa. This is a chronic problem with me.

Because we were so stuffed from breakfast and had time to spare for the morning, we ended up going back to the escape room two more times before wistfully departing from Utama Sutera. Best customers of the month? Almost, but not quite, because our stellar success rate stands at a stellar 33%, and the wall of fame is chocked-full with winners that looked half our age. Darn it.

There are many cafes in the area, but we had Lequa cafe's cakes, which we knew was a mistake as soon as we took our first bite. They were stale, and contrary to their Tripadvisor reviews, we can't in good conscious recommend this to anybody.

We finally made our way to Restoran Tian Lai for lunch. Out of everything we ate over these two days, this restaurant was unanimously everybody's favourite. I ordered my usual selection of dishes, all of them as impressive as I remembered. The crowd favourite remained the Salted Egg Crab, so don't miss out on that!

Bukit Indah Aeon Mall is about 20 minutes away by car, and we spent a relaxing afternoon there. There's a cinema, as well as several other shops and restaurants in the area. The bus stop to Singapore is the one across Blackball (at this exact coordinate as a matter of fact... you're welcome!) This is the bus schedule for the buses that bring you back to Singapore (either to Jurong East or Boon Lay), and I recommend catching no later than the 840pm bus, which would deposit you in Jurong East around 10.30pm. One dinner at Dragon-I (get the liu sa bao!) later, and our holiday has officially ended.

07 February 2018

Sun Lok Noodle House (321 Clementi)

Singaporean food February 07, 2018 0

I love this place! Like Miss XS's friend said, Sun Lok's food is Crystal Jade at half price.

This place serves up some darn good wok hei. I've had only three dishes, but I'm a full-fledged convert.

There's loads of zichar places boasting good online reviews of their wok hei poweress, but usually, wok hei eludes me on my visit. But it shouldn't be a fluffy concept, and the (angmoh) team at Serious Eats had tackled the concept of wok hei and broke it down into an exact science. The takeaway lesson: you need a big fire. A fire-from-the-depths-of-hell, roaring flames. So hot, Kenji from Serious Eats warned that attempting to reach such wok hei temperature at home isn't the safest cooking method (He almost set his wok's wooden handle aflame from the heat.) One restaurant in Melbourne churns out Chinese cooking with dependable wok hei presence, and they have a constant stream of water running from a tap over the metal stoves as cooks frantically stir-fries the orders, singed eyebrows be damned. Por Kee Eating House is my favourite zichar haunt, solely for their Beef Hor Fun with Black Bean Sauce that singes with wok hei. (Ha get it?) But Por Kee aside, every other zichar place has been a bust. Darn those fire safety regulations!

Anyho, I digress. Now, Sun Lok Noodle House has joined my short list of Places With Wok Hei column. Don't leave this place without trying the Fried Hor Fun with Egg (滑蛋河粉 - see above), with wok hei imbibing every bite. At the price point, they were generous with the seafood portions, and we enjoyed large scallops and prawns that were indulgently mixed in.

Congee with Century Egg and Lean Meat is really impressive: it's smooth, thick, and like the generosity with the hor fun, the century eggs are in cut into huge chunks and liberally strewn into the porridge. For $6, the quality of the porridge and quantity of the ingredients is admirable. I also enjoyed the You Tiao, which were crunchy all the way through

Har Gao is another hit, with huge chunks of juicy, succulent prawns seasoned lightly with salt.

The one thing we don't dig are the desserts - we had the Black Sesame Seed Cream and the Red Bean Cream ($2.50 each). The portion size is unimpressive straight off the bat, with a runny, watery consistency and lacked the richness found in traditional Chinese desserts. Come here for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but go for desserts elsewhere perhaps.

Update!
Barely a week from my first visit, I returned with my family. A return visit in a larger group lets me sample more of their wares, and sort out how I feel about prior dishes that I may have *ahem* self-hyped in the intervening days between visits. The porridge and hor fun was both just as good as I remembered, and my memory was also sufficiently intact to remember to avoid the desserts.

We like the Cheong Fun; the thick-cut rice noodles imparts an almost-chewy texture, yet soft enough so as to not overwhelm the inner filling in the mouth.

The Fried Carrot Cake doesn't feature heavily in my memories when I think of this place, but it was decent enough: soft in the middle, crisp in the outer edges.

I'll avoid the Siew Mai on my next visit though. The meat was oversalted, and overwhelmed all other nuances of the dish. Maybe it's bad luck, and someone didn't stir the salt in as well as they should have during prep time.

We still didn't manage to try their renowned Beef Brisket Noodles, so perhaps third time's the charm?

Sun Lok Noodle House (321 Clementi)
321 Clementi Ave 3, #02-10, Singapore 129905
11 - 10pm daily

24 January 2018

Kia Ora, New Zealand (11-day) Part 2: The South Island

Travel January 24, 2018 0

Kia Ora, New Zealand (11-day) Part 1: The North Island

Travel January 17, 2018 0

Thou shalt... indeed pass and proceed on to duty-free shopping

Touring NZ in our final year of school had been on our minds for the longest time. But somehow or rather, the end of the year always seem distant, and there’s always the next weekend to start thinking about the finer details...

Everybody has an idea on what they wanted: J and R wanted to visit the Lord of the Rings' filming locations. EJ wanted hikes and long scenic drives. And me, I had a vague notion of wanting to hear a New Zealander say “Fush and chups!”, alongside a thought of eating cheese somewhere along the way.

Like all plans, the inertia was the strongest right before starting. Once EJ bit the bullet and hammered out a rough draft, inertia dissipated. Things started to snowball – plane tickets were booked, accommodations were settled, and most importantly, a final itinerary was produced. There was something for everyone: picturesque attractions alongside a fair amount of hiking, great local produces and enough Lord of the Ring attractions to salve J and R’s pinings. I’m not a fan of the movies, (and after our attempt to watch the first movie together ended in an unspoken arrangement to never get me to watch the rest of the trilogy), but I gotta admit: the LoTR film sites were nothing short of amazing.

The day that we flew to NZ was a bit of a snooze. We gave the day a good go, and set off bright and early for the 8am Melbourne-Auckland flight. But the 3-hour flight coupled with the 2-hour time difference meant that we touched down to NZ's afternoon sun. After clearing customs and handling rental car paperwork (hurray Apex and their ‘zero excess cover' - perfect for road trips bashing through unpaved roads), we ran right into the midst of Auckland's evening peak-hour traffic. We made several fruitless attempts to stop at Auckland CBD for food (I wanted to try Giapo and Federal Delicatessen), but the bad traffic and a lack of parking spaces led us to cut our losses short and drive on to Hamilton, where we'd be staying while in North Island. It was a toss-up between Hamilton and Cambridge, but thought a larger town would be more pleasant to dwell in.

Photo by R

We had a great dinner at Mexico right in Hamilton's town center, and their Smoky Chipotle and Agave Pork Ribs ($18) was delectable, with a rich, sticky sauce with mildly spicy undertones. And is there any meal that can’t be improved with a carafe of Rose Sangria ($28)?

Photo by R

Mexico

254 Victoria St, Hamilton 3204

Opening hours 12-11.30pm daily

And sated with dinner, we retired for an early night.

**************

We had an early breakfast at the Coffee and Food Establishment, which appears as popular with both the locals as with the tourists, before heading off to our first attraction: Mangaotaki Valley Farm (home to the Hobbiton Hairy Feet attraction).

Pic by EJ

It's one and a half hour from Hamilton, but the drive through rural New Zealand was exquisite: lush green peaked hills stretched as far as the eye can see, broken only by an occasional running river or canopy of woods. The farms of NZ stretch for miles in every direction and encompass tall imposing limestone cliffs and dense forestry. The estate of Mangaotaki Valley Farm has been in the family for four generations as farmland before a scouting team for the Hobbit movies found the place in 2010 and used some of its land as a filming site. It's easy to see why: even while wearing normal clothing, people look like they're in a movie scene.

Pic by EJ

Pic by R

The tour approximates one and a half hour, and the tour size was kept to a small number of eight. As we milled around the cottage waiting for the rest of the tour party to arrive, Suzie (the landowner and our tour guide for the day) enthusiastically trotted out her collection of LOTR replicas for us to pose with them. I was impressed with the heaviness of the swords – they must have costed a fortune!

We made our way through the grounds, pausing every few moments to take pictures of the scenic view. Suzie was pretty enthusiastic about the whole affair, regularly pointing out where filming has occurred, and even directing us on where to stand to achieve the same perspective in our pictures. Little treats, like concealing Sting under a blanket of fallen leaves at the spot where Bilbo unearthed Sting to fight the wargs off, added to the ambience of the scenery. As we stepped into the woods, the sudden contrast of the green hills and the dense canopy is quite startling; two steps in and it felt like we were in another land. As Suzie mentioned, the production team liked that the farm has such a wide variety of settings, as they could use them all for different shooting scenes without shipping their equipment throughout NZ. Out of the entire movie, this was the location which provided the most screen time (22 minutes!), which took 8 whole months to film. Yet, even with filming and a later conversion into a tourist attraction, much of the land is still retained for their original farming purposes. Domesticated sheep lop up and down the hills, and ducks and lambs scurry away from us as we approached. Amongst the herds, wild turkeys could be seen.

I love the intimate size of the tour, and the enthusiasm and patience of Suzie made the experience magical. She’d certainly done her LOTR research.

Looks familiar? Pic by R

Waitomo Hairy Feet (Mangaotaki Valley Farm)

1411 Mangaotaki Rd, Piopio 3971

Website

A quick lunch later, we made our way to Waitomo Glowworm Caves. It's pretty much the only other big attraction in the area, and it was a pleasant jolt of surprise to see most of our tour-mates from Hairy Feet here again. There are several companies vying for business in the area, although we had already booked tickets with one online. Most of the companies (like ours) run a strict-no pictures tour, as the flashes may hinder the glowworms' feeding. Sorry no pictures! Although, the cavern is so dimly lit, I don’t think a camera would yield any noteworthy shots.

Glowworms are native to NZ, and the caves were discovered by a local explorer together with a Maori tribe chieftain. As they started bringing tourists into the caves over the years, the glowworms have become a local attraction. The tour involves a 40-minute walk and cumulates in a 10-minute boat ride through the underground rivers of the caves. Stalactites drape from the ceilings (“Stalactites hang tight to the ceiling”) and stalagmites lay directly on the floor across them, formed by the erosion of minerals from the stone by the dripping water. Over centuries, the tour guide informed us, they'll eventually merge to form solid pillars extending from roof to floor. Until then, in accordance with the local tradition, getting dripped upon by an active stalactite is a mark of good fortune. As limestone walls are excellent for acoustic, a section of the cave with particularly high ceilings is often employed by the local community for festive performances.

As we walked through the cavern, pinpricks of green glow can be seen swaying over our heads in the dark, but the best tour begins as we piled into the boat. As we moved silently through the underground river, vast collections of glowworms opened up overhead to our sight. Shifting slightly with the cool breeze amongst the stalactites, and despite the green shade of the luminescence, they seemed like sun rays peeping through the canopy of a dense forest. No wonder insects and small spiders are drawn to the light in a field of darkness, where the glowworms lie in wait. The boat ride ends in a field of greenery alongside a moss-covered serrated cliff, because NZ is picturesque no matter where you are.

About an hour away from Hamilton is Waireinga (Bridal Veil Falls). 20 minutes of light trekking lies between the top and bottom viewing platform overlooking the 55-metre tall waterfall. We caught the waterfall in the strong mid-afternoon sun, where the sun rays hit the waterfall just-right to get the rainbow effect.

Pic by EJ

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Pic by R

Day three is a big day: we have tickets to the Hobbiton Movie Set, a highly-rated North Island destination for all LOTR fans touring NZ. The land on which the movie set stands on was formerly farmland from the 1250-acre Alexander farm, before 12 acres was used to build The Shire, home to the hobbits.

Tours run at regularly periods throughout the day, and we chose the first slot at 9am. Each tour brings about three dozen people, and the crowd surrounding each Hobbit hole can build up as people lag behind from previous tours, so arriving in the first slot is advantageous for a clear shot. We had to wake at an ungodly hour to make the timing but was rewarded with a minimal crowd surrounding each Hobbit hole. Ha!

Another reason to come early: the morning light is softer and you'll end up with pictures bathed in soft sunlight rather than the afternoon's harsh sunlight.

Pic by R

To create the perspective the hobbits are much slighter than Gandalf, identical sets were built in different scale, and the actors playing hobbits would be in a larger set while Gandalf would act in a smaller set. And for scenes where both Gandalf and the hobbits appear together, camera tricks were employed.

Pic by R

We saw a lot of familiar scenes in Hobbiton as we traversed up and down the hills of the movie set. Though I have to say, nothing brought a cheer quite as loud as when the tour guide mentioned that the tour includes a complimentary alcoholic beverage at The Green Dragon Inn.

The Green Dragon Inn is a prominent setting in the lore. It was a popular stop amongst the hobbits, and in the plot for The Return of the King, the inn was razed to the ground. While filming this last movie of the trilogy, the production crew simply set fire to The Green Dragon set. Unbeknownst to them at the time, news came about a few years later that The Hobbit installments were going to be filmed, which meant they had to rebuild the inn... d'oh! This time around, instead of just building a front facade of the inn, they included a fully functional bar. There's stout, ale, apple cider and a non-alcoholic ginger beer, as well as a selection of hot food like pies, muffin and scones. (I'd always associated mead with fantasy novels, and had a half-formed idea that they would have some here... which unfortunately, they didn't. Maybe Hobbits don't drink mead?) Yes, yes, alcohol at ten in the morning may seem a little excessive, but as the tour guide offered: it's 5pm somewhere.

Another point in favour of taking the first tour: the inn was empty as our tour group trickled into the inn, and we got our drinks and table straight off the bat. As the inn filled up with people, we cut out early and had a few good shots of the outdoor scenery unencumbered by other tourists.

Pic by EJ

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Tour bookings

Post-Hobbiton, we made our way towards Putaruru, where Over The Moon, a celebrated local cheese company, has a factory. In the shopfront, we were walked through the various samples that they had. Most of the cheeses were so good, we were hard-pressed to decide which to pick, so we got them all (smiley face emoji).

We spotted their wee car outside the factory. Perhaps for delivery?

It's a cheese shop that doesn't serve food, but the store-hand gave a few suggestions on making Baked Camembert (recipe below!). It results in a warm, intensely flavored pool of melted cheese held together by the rind, reminiscent in the style of baked cheese that Milk the Cow serves. Perfect for dipping in lightly toasted bread, alongside a generous dollop of chutney.

Over the Moon
Website

Hamilton Gardens was something we added to the itinerary at the last minute (at the insistence of our airbnb host, who developed a scandalized expression on her face as she asked when we'll be going to the gardens and saw our blank faces.) Boy, were we glad we heeded her words, because it is one of the most spectacular gardens I had been to.

Fair warning: Hamilton Gardens encompasses a great plot of land, and we wandered around exploring the grounds all afternoon. It's divided into different sections, and each section is designed with a specific theme. The picture from above, with the architectural design of arches over pillars, and to the theme of symmetry, is of their Italian Renaissance Garden.

The Chinese Scholars' Garden is barely a minute's leisurely walk away, and they nailed the atmosphere. The winding path brought us across a bright red pavilion with the traditional sweeping gable roof. 甲骨文, the earliest form of Chinese writing, could be seen above the doors.

The Japanese Garden of Contemplation was one of my favourites: turning 180 degrees from the sand garden, the opposing scenery was a deep lake, its surface as still as a mirror, with its perimeter demarcated with large boulders and lush greenery. The swift playful contrast between the two scenery placed so close to each other sparked a sense of astonishment.

Work-in-progress: the Indian Char Bagh Garden in a riot of blooming colours

These gardens mentioned fall under their Paradise Collection, which comprises of a small part of their overall land. We also spent time exploring their Productive Collection, where numerous herbs and vegetables are cultivated, as well as their Rogers Rose Garden (where specimens from are flown in from all over the world vying for the top prize in their annual rose competition). It's worthwhile spending half a day here.

Hamilton Gardens
Website

Baked Camembert Recipe

INGREDIENTS
A wheel of soft cheese, such as brie or camembert
1-2 tablespoon of fruit chutney (or jam in a pinch)
Slices of bread, lightly toasted

STEPS
1) Preheat the oven to 160C.

2) In an oven-proof ramekin, bake the cheese for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese becomes softened and runny (the middle of the cheese should start to look a little sagged, and prodding the cheese with a spoon would leave an indentation).

3) Remove from oven, top with chutney and serve immediately alongside thick-cut slices of bread.