Kovan's hawker centre and market was unfortunately closed for cleaning and my thundering stomach had to make do with a coffee shop located next block, which had a pretty heavy traffic flow.
When Cavin is unsure on what to order, he will usually check out the queue of each stall and what other customers have ordered based on the dishes on their table.
The roast duck stall was the popular choice that day and not waiting to have the typical duck rice, i opted for roast duck noodles instead.
First impression is very important! The shimmering roasted skin was a good sign and they did not disappoint with a deep charred flavour i prefer without being too burnt and too dry.
The dry looking noodles were an eyesore.... at first till i gave it a good mix! They were peculiarly springy and the secret sauce gave it that unbeatable flavour that will get me eating for a long period of time!
Too little noodles!!!
Block 106, Hougang Ave 1
#01-1239 (Fu Fa F&B)
Cannot remember but definitely between the range of S$3.00 and S$3.50 per plate.
Like any man, technological gadgets intrigue me and i always try to make it a point to visit the big computer fairs happening 4 times a year in Singapore!
The problem is; there's a BIG difference between need and want and not coming from a rich family means i have to control my expenses.... And the best way to curb my expenses is to stop myself from stepping into the exhibition halls (i hate the jams and crowds anyway).
I was thinking of doing exactly that for Sitex 2010 until Ms SaNeVa Tan sent me a link that has scanned copies of various pamphlets, brochures showing promotions, new gadgets etc from the vendors!!!
Still remember how stress i am whenever i sense that my baggage is going to be overweight while overseas? That's when the balanzza digital luggage scale is the right thing to bring overseas! It weighs up to 44 kilograms and is a featherweight 100 grams!
We all know that iPhone is a marvelous gadget! However it's not perfect; one shortcoming is the relatively short battery life. What happen when you are outside and will not be back home for another 6 hours and your iPhone has only 5% battery left?! Get the following!
I don't know about you but i do use Photoshop and is terrible in using the mouse to do my selection!! My trainer had advised us to use digital tablet (which is really precise (provided you have no parkinson disease) and expensive! Here's another brand besides Wacom and Bamboo.
Having a cordless phone is a great convenience for my mom while she is cooking! She hates to use her mobile phone unless you call her (free incoming). I have inherited her talkative-ness so you can imagine how helpful these gadgets can be!
Since i purchased my DSLR camera half a year ago, my need for hard disk has increased tremendously! I bought a 1 terabyte (TB) hard disk and it is reaching its maximum capacity!! An upgrade to the new baby-2 TB hard disk!
It was common to find hi-fi in many households 10 years back before iPod comes into play. Nowadays, with so many of us having iPod or iPhone or both, it's more convenient to have a mini system to sync your mp3 and enjoy the music directly!
For a comprehensive list for Sitex 2010, please click HERE. And get your butt going because this popular event in Singapore Expo is ending tomorrow (28 November 2011)!!!
No motorist will miss this unique structure when they drive along Clementi Road towards Ngee Ann Polytechnic. It is a restaurant amidst the greenery that should belong to the rural areas in the 1980s when kampongs (villages) were still very common!
Two signboards with Chinese characters right outside proudly proclaimed their signature dish; a pretty uncommon food by the name of Paper Wrapped Chicken (translated literally from 纸包鸡).
And of course, this dish was exactly the reason for the gang of four to stopover despite having 110% filled stomachs!
It was my first visit although i ate this famous paper wrapped chicken countless times; my mom always asked her friend to purchase it in bulk and send them to us.
The restaurant itself deserves to be preserved as a national heritage building as it has been a long, long time since i last saw such a restaurant setting in mainland Singapore!
Now coming back to the all-important food, it's rare to find only one dish on the table whenever the gang of four dines. More food is STRONGLY encouraged no matter how freaking bloated our stomachs are!
And in this case, we ordered an additional 4 cups of famous luohan longan drink and a small plate of fried rice simply named as fried rice!
Famous Luohan Longan Drink
This drink originated from Chinatown (Petaling Street) of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and it is damn famous there. The one in Union Farm was so far off from the original; it should be renamed infamous luohan longan drink!
not a good sign indeed.
This unassuming fried rice with minimal seasoning will do well for you if your taste buds prefer something really plain and healthy (anything plain is categorised as healthy for me).
I have never eaten anything like this and sad to say, this photograph shall be included in the "Food (Detest)" album in my facebook profile.
Paper Wrapped Chicken (纸包鸡)
A plate filled with packets of disgusting-looking oily grey paper may not go well with people who are accustomed to have food that are pleasant to the eyes.
What's more important is that piece of meaty treasure wrapped tightly within the layer of translucent paper!
Due to its one-of-a-kind wrapping, the chicken meat was only gently crisp even though it was deep fried. The deep-fried monster in me would have preferred a crispier bite but i could satisfy the monster in Arnolds Chicken if need be.
The meat had that exact nectarous honey taste i love so much eons ago! They were a bit tougher than the past, which made no difference as my teeth can still withstand the toughness.
Frankly, i do not remember seeing such a thick layer of oil when i unwrapped my very first 纸包鸡 at home. *Shrugs* For all we know, the wrapper might have absorbed most of the oil in its journey to my house.
However, having a puddle of oil staring at you can be so unnerving; it's only a mere two months before i am scheduled to take the cholesterol test again.
Might be back for the Paper Wrapped Chicken (纸包鸡) and..... other dishes. I really want to know how bad the other dishes are. My "Food (Detest)" album has only a few pathetic pictures and it can do with more.
So what about this chee cheong fun from Amoy that make both sisters declare their absolute loyalty?
For one, it had a stronger tasting sauce that was indeed different from the typical sweet sauce. However, it was also more oily (even for me), leaving an aftertaste i personally dislike.
Turns out the sisters love chee cheong fun that is less sweet whereas i have always had a sweet tooth and definitely prefer the sweeter version from yishun!
Furthermore, instead of having nuggets-like rice flour that made eating this dish much easier, this chee cheong fun in Amoy was comparable to eating noodles; the broad based type we Singaporeans know as guo tiao!
Stall 01-30, Amoy Street Food Centre,
No 7, Maxwell Road
Only S$1.20 per plate, which was really cheap!!! That's another reason why the sisters love this dish.
Rubee is reaching an elderly dog age of 14 years old and with this comes symptoms that are part of the inevitable aging process.
His bloated stomach was attributed to the intake of food and countless snacks i am guilty of dispensing. His hearing has deteriorated to the extent of being deaf in recent months and his walking has slowed considerably.
All the above are signs of aging right?! There's however one slight problem that raised the red flag that a vet is needed.
As you can see from the picture, Rubee has three lumps at the same area and another one is developing right underneath the anus! It used to be only one lump and the problem was skillfully rectified (by me) by poking a needle and squeezing out the bloody mass.
My initial plan was to bring him to his usual vet clinic along Upper Serangoon Road and ask for a surgical removal for these lumps, thinking they were no more than common lumps.
But Dr Theo, the resident ang-moh vet, informed me he suspected that Rubee has Cushing Disease! He came to that conclusion after asking me a few questions. The key answer is that Rubee always seems to be hungry!!!
So what's Cushing Disease?
According to here, "Cushing's disease usually strikes older dogs with a bucket-full of symptoms that can mimic other diseases. Increased appetite, increased drinking and urination, panting, high blood pressure, bulging abdomen, skin lumps and discoloring, hair loss, muscle weakness, and nervous system disorders can occur with the disease"
In addition, "The danger signs of vomiting, diarrhea, pain, seizures, and bleeding do not occur; the pets do not appear to be critically ill. To the contrary, the symptoms often appear to be connected to normal aging. Muscle weakness also causes a reduced tolerance for exercise and lethargy, both of which are typical in aging dogs and cause no alarm in owners"
Only blood tests can confirm Dr Theo's suspicion and i personally took leave today so that Rubee can follow up on the necessary procedure!
He was excited to be out of the house although he had no inkling he will be caged!!! Hahaha. Rubee hates to be alone in a small area and he did what is usual for him; incessant barking!
I can imagine what a big relief it was for the vets and their assistants when i unlatched the cage. Rubee was happy to be out of course.
Anyway, there's nothing i can do except to wait for the result.... after paying S$290 for the blood tests! Haiz..... there are only more expenses to come after tomorrow.