MOOKATA (New Udon Thai Food)

Mookata has became increasingly popular among Singaporeans in the past couple of years. I was a bit bewildered, thinking why in the world were people eating their BBQ food coated in PORK LARD! Every single inch of meat is coated in that...that...that...(imagining all the fats forming around my tummy now). The soup is lined with the fats that drizzled down the charred-grilled pan...

Yet, i was blown away when i placed that first piece of meat into my mouth. I still remember that moment, 2 months back, on a carefree Friday night, with a bunch of hungry soldiers. The aroma of the marination, the sesame seed, the unique and signature chilli sauce.ohhhhh....soooo good. 

So, i visited the place with my family today. 

The place is called New Udon Thai Food, located on the first floor of Golden Mile Complex. I was lost when i came the first time, because of the mix between Golden Mile "Complex" and "Tower". The Tower is not unfamiliar to me, as i had been frequenting the place since young for the Hainanese Steamboat Restaurant, "Thien Kee Steamboat". The place served super delicious chicken rice, char siew, satay, sweet and sour pork, fried baby squid. In fact, everything is AWESOME!!!

Okok, back to today's topic on MOOKATA. 

Yes, it looks freaking shiok right! However, i was super disappointed!!! 

After queuing for half an hr (even though i arrived at 645pm), and the memory of my first experience still lingering, today's meal was a complete letdown :( 

The soup wasn't as tasty anymore. The meat wasn't as delectable anymore. And, the price wasn't the same anymore!!! Just 2 months ago, it was $39/set, which would serve 2 comfortably. However, it rose to $45/set now. 15% spike in price?! The waiter lamented that everything also increase in price, only pay remain the same. How can they not increase their price also. I checked out another MOOKATA stall just 30m away, and it was still $39/set. 

I hope that the stall still stay true to its roots and deliver delectable MOOKATA to customers, and not fluctuate its standards. It has a string of loyal customers, and i hope it is not an opportunist act of using the excuse of increase in price of condiments to mark up their meals. I am already searching for a new MOOKATA place..


Oh Yes, before i forget, Hooray that it rained today after 2 months of drought! 

Weekend Hotspots (Kith Cafe + Pasir Ris Park)

Had a catch-up session with my secondary 3/4 class at Kith Cafe yesterday. It was great to see the rest, less the usual clique i was out with. It was good that Mr Hamdan was doing well! He isn't the most conventional teacher, where they would try and portray themselves as if they were still in a 'role-model' situation, and that is not being yourself! Instead, he is very damn comfortable being his true blue self, sharing with us his stories(and worries). It was great to be able to chat comfortably, and the atmosphere and topics more than made up for the mediocre food! Frankly speaking, he smoked duck sandwich really wasn't well that day, and the quality was far worse than my first visit few months ago. That may well spell out why there wasn't a queue at all even though it was a Saturday night? 

Hung around till 10pm before the few of us headed back to the East, and went to Simpang for supper! Everyone ordered a round 2 (Fried Rice, Roti John, Maggi Goreng, Prata Bomb) HAHAHAHA. It was super satisfying. But of course not to the body and stomach... Thus i quickly arranged for a morning run today with Rosh!

Pasir Ris Park

After ending the morning run with Rosh, I met my uncle and auntie at a cross-junction. Hopped on their car before we headed to Pasir Ris Park for a walk along the coastal beach!

We were strolling along the running paths and saw 5 men which were around 30m into the sea, pails in hands. Even though they were so far out, the tide was low, and the sea level barely reached their waist. Curious, we headed towards their other gang that were on the shore and we were amazed by what we saw.

Yes, what you see above are oysters, mussels and flower crabs! These were dug out from the mud/sand in Pasir Ris Park! It was amazing to see how the guy above pried open the oysters,which were all big and succulent (The 3rd pic shows the meat being the size of his palm!), using a rock! He would pry until there is a small opening, before using both thumbs to tear the shell apart. Next, he will remove the organs, before "pushing'' the meat into a plastic bag that would be used to fry omelette and vegetables!

It was surprising how foreigners were able to find out about these surprising places better than us locals! 

While strolling, we were greeted with tents after tents, with mostly Bangladeshi workers with a female (probably domestic workers) having a cheap date along the sea. 

Well, Singaporeans are too caught up in catching up with society that we are forgoing Mother Nature. I am a victim of this harsh reality as well. However, my interest lies in all these amazing places, and i will definitely explore the wonders of the world not only in Singapore, but overseas too!

Black and White

Recapping what has happened the past week and so in pictures.

Went back to TJC the previous week for a leadership talk! It was a very good experience, and i have learnt many many things on that presentation alone! The jittery and anxious feeling was really something i haven't experienced in a long time! Even though i know i could have done better, it was nonetheless something which i don't regret!

This day was my previous OC's COC Parade. I went for dinner with my ex-company, and my heart forever remains there. Boat Company was the first place i had entered when i commissioned; The first company i served my PC tour; The first time i was Coy 2IC. I thank my OC for the tremendous trust he had placed on me, and the many lifelong lessons i have learned from him. 

Today is also the day where my pioneers and sergeants ORD! It was a pleasure to serve with all of you, and i sincerely hope we will all keep in touch and all the best in whatever you do; Be it studies, work, taking care of your new born child, taking charge of your new business!

Sent Jia Hui off for her Student Exchange Programme! Xue Qi left a month earlier on chu2 er4 of CNY. It definitely feels different without the girls around, but now the 4 of us guys are able to talk about army stuffs non-stop without being afraid of you girls getting bored! Take care and see the both of you in 6 months time!

Growing Old

After i got off the car at Pasir Ris Park, and doing some stretching exercise for warm-up, i was greeted by a thought provoking sight.

A group of 20 odd men were having a game of soccer, on the barren grass patch, amid the running tracks.

Their ages ranged from 20-60 yrs old? It was so fascinating to watch them play. The youngsters would exert discretion on the physical contact they used; The mature would laugh it off and use their "brittle" body as an advantage over them. 

It immediately brought me back to my secondary school years, where i had a weekly Basketball session with the "old people" in Anglican High. Most were coaches, ex-national players, teachers, ranging around 50yrs old. Some of their kids and nephews came as well. Lastly, it was the "little kids", which were us. 

I missed those days, where we would get scolded from the more experienced, while learning many of their tricks and skills at the same time. After a game, we would proceed to dinner, and the uncles and aunties were always generous enough to treat us to dinner. It was like a big Basketball family, where we all exercised, had fun, and chat about life over dinner.

I now have a weekly Basketball Session with my group of friends. We will go for lunch after a 3hr game, and talk about our daily lives. I hope to continue this until the day where my kids will come along to play!

Best Buddies ( National Service )

I am going to upload a post which i had written on my friend's blog as a guest blogger almost a year ago! 

This post is dedicated to my best buddy, wishing him a very Happy and Blessed 21st Birthday!

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Hi guys! I am a friend of XXX, and i am the guest blogger for today's post! 

I feel that National Service (NS) is of utmost importance in the growing up years of every male Singaporean. It is an amazing place where you can befriend new buddies, gain independence, challenge yourself to do things which you never knew you would be able to, and most importantly, to shape your character and attitude.

Many of my friends have the negative attitude that NS is a waste of time. Two years of time are removed from a youth's prime, where he could be doing many things. ( Most people proclaimed. ) I agree to an extent that getting a degree two years earlier would be advantageous in terms of revenue earned / experience gained in the working world. However, how many people do actually has their mind set on studying at 18 yrs old? Take a look at game shops, LAN shops and clubs. How many boys do you find hanging around everyday? MANY. If the two years is SO important, you would in fact see many NSFs studying instead. Of course, i am not a pro mugger ( a Singapore term to describe people who study non-stop day and night ). We must understand that Singapore is a highly competitive place to be in. The reason so is because we can only provide world class human resouce, the brains, due to our limited natural resources.

My foreign friends often lamented that they could sense the "pressure" when they are here on holidays. Reports have compared Singapore with Hong Kong regarding the fast-paced of living, and i sincerely do not wish to reach a day where people would comment that our competitiveness can be seen even by the pace we are walking. ( which is evident in Hong Kong today )

Thus, I feel that the two years of NS is actually a break from all the education from the past 14-15 years. Now, I shall elaborate on the above points from paragraph one to substantiate my statement.

Firstly, when you enlist and undergo Basic Military Training ( BMT ), it is a place of unfamiliar faces. You are forced to interact together with a new group of strangers. More importantly, you are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of your buddy. You must know of his whereabouts 24/7, and this is no laughing matter. There isn't a commander to recruit ratio of 1:1, and you are the link with higher authorities if something happens to your buddy. Furthermore, NS is a conscription for every Singapore male citizen. This brings together people from all walks of life, and under regimentation, everyone is "forced" to work together, or await punishment. Independence is also gained when most recruits are confined for the first 3 weeks in Pulau Tekong, not able to see their family members. This is also the time where you start to treasure the new found friendships, which goes a long way.

Secondly, NS is definitely not easy. Physically, it pushes one beyond your limit. An example would be the Standard Obstacle Course, with one station being the appex ladder. I am afraid of heights, and i literally stood at the top for 2mins. Even till today, more than a year since my BMT, i still recall the scene where my entire company, with my OC, cheering me on. I was especially weak in height stations, but my platoon mates kept encouraging me to climb the ladder over and over again. They did it together with me, and with their help, i completed the SOC test.

Thirdly, there was this exercise where my buddy and i had to dig a fire trench ( A 2.5m long, neck deep hole ) We were given barely a few hours to finish digging. However, the terrain was so terrible that it took us one day and one night to finish digging. The fatigue not only arise from digging, but also having to complete missions throughout the day and night. In that situation, i really relied on my buddy. I am very proud of my friendship with my buddy. Our friendship is so strong that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves just to let the other rest.

I recall the instance where we decided to dig in shifts, swapping every 15mins. It was my turn to rest first, but i woke up 30mins later, seeing him continuing digging. I asked him why hasn't he woken me up, and he said he saw me sleeping so peacefully, and did not want to disturb me. I quickly shoo-ed him to sleep and it was my turn. I continued for the next 30mins. At one point, i looked at him and went to check if he was awake. What greeted me was his tired face sleeping peacefully. I smiled to myself, glad that he is resting comfortably, and this gave me the strength to continue digging the next 15mins. Eventually, i became too tired and wanted to wake him up, but decided not to disturb him instead. I went to my area to rest, which became an hour of sleep. When i woke up, i saw him digging again. After questioning him, i realised he woke up when i just fell asleep. I scolded him about not waking me up when it was my shift, and he shouted back that i didn't wake him up when it was his shift either. Both of us just looked at each other, smiled, laughed it out and continued digging, now together at 0430hrs.

Really, i have found many bosom buddies in NS. It really is my biggest takeaway. The daily interactions with people from all walks of life also made me want to strive harder to achieve the standards of those high fliers;  the story of those who face family problems, but still possess a strong character, jovial attitude, really put myself to shame. It also made myself more humble, more understanding, and more grateful.

This post is not a propaganda about promoting NS. It is just what i had gained from NS. It may seem perfect, but i have decided to paint only the nice pictures. I do not want to taint this post with numerous bad encounters. The ill experiences are a good reminder for myself not to commit the same mistake as the other party. It also made me a stronger person by going through the tough times, making the tough decision. As the saying goes, tough times don't last, but tough men do.

Finally, just take what i say with a pinch of salt. Afterall, this is only MY personal experience!

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This buddy is non other than Churn Hoe. 

Stateland Cafe

This month-old cafe was opened by 3 of my ex-army mates!

" BE WARNED: OPENED BY 3 FUNNY GUYS" 

All 3 of them are very capable. One helms the kitchen as head chef; the Second is the cafe's barrista, and the Third as both the waiter and cashier. 

Mocha. ($4.90)

Finally saw how coffee art is done! It isn't an easy task and was really impressed!

Beef Bolognese ($10.90)

Eggs Benedict ($14.90)

Olive Egg with Toast ($13.90)

Belgian Waffles ($8.90)

The food were all nicely done, and a special mentioned especially for the Belgian Waffles! It was crispy on the outside, and was one of the fluffiest and lightest i have tasted on the inside. Not to forget, that wonderful scoop of ice-cream bliss added the finishing touch! 

The portions were rather decent, and price definitely reasonable, with no GST and service charge! On that note, there is no nets or visa payment, so remember to bring your cash along during your visit!

Till then!