Niigata Ishikawa Fair At Isetan Scotts

Niigata Ishikawa (新潟石川) Fair
Isetan Scotts
Orchard, Singapore
19-28 October 2012

 

Merlion Wayfarer was an early bird on the first day of the Niigata Ishikawa (新潟石川) Fair. As most of the Japanese stallholders had just arrived, they were very enthusiastic and full of rah-rah when promoting their wares. There was an absence of cheesecake and milk products this round. Instead, there were many other exotic products...

(Source : Isetan)

Adorable decorated mini-pumpkins at S$6.90 each....

 

 Long-legged crabs accompanied with a "I Love Crab" cartoon notice...

 

"Gold Pork Cutlet Curry" and "Gold Omelet Curry" at S$16.50 and S$14.50 respectively. Nothing discernibly "gold" though...

 

The most popular stall there with a queue for bar seats at for ramen...

 

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Not-Romantic Katsu

Romankan Yokohama (浪漫館横滨) Cafe
Takashimaya Food Court, Ngee Ann City
Orchard, Singapore
September 2012

 



There was a limited choice of bentos to choose from - Fillet Katsu Bento (S$13) and Ebi Fry Bento (S$16.50) are displayed here, together with add-ons like Fillet Katsu (S$3.40), Ebi Katsu (S$4.20), and Rose Katsu (S$6.70).

 

Merlion Wayfarer chose the Fillet Katsu Bento. The batter was not as flaky as she preferred, and the dish came with fries and rice - too filling for most. A little touch of seaweed or sesame sprinkled atop the rice will be nice.  

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Seen & Heard - The Red Baron In Singapore!

Ngee Ann City
Orchard
Central, Singapore
September 2012

 

Merlion Wayfarer spotted the Red Baron in Singapore!

 

The Red Baron referred Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I. He is considered the top ace of that war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories, more than any other pilot at that time. His title of nobility, combined with the fact that he had his aircraft painted red, led to Richthofen being called "The Red Baron" both inside and outside Germany.

 

And guess who was riding in that fire engine red aircraft?

 

Another adorable display spotted...

 

 

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :
Seen & Heard

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Spoilt By MSG

Hao Xiang Seafood Garden
Punggol Plaza, Punggol Field
Singapore
October 2012
 

Merlion Wayfarer settled for a zichar dinner recently. She was at Punggol Plaza's Hao Xiang. Choosing simple fare, she ordered a hor fun. Now, hor fun is a basic dish that is very hard to go wrong. And she was glad that Hao Xiang's version tasted just right.

 

In the mood for soup in this cold weather, she also ordered a Fish Maw Soup. For those who are not used to this delicacy, fish maw or the swim/gas/air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming.

 

 

Sounds kinda gross, but the soup served on her table was surprisingly sweet and surprisingly delicious. There were huge chunks of fish slices and a few token slices of fish maw. It was only after a few unbelievably tasty spoonfuls that it dawned on Merlion Wayfarer that the sweetness could have come from MSG lacing. And yeah, she was right. Soon after her meal, she was gulping down mouthfuls of water to quench her thirst.

 

Sigh, no more soups from zichar stalls...

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A Herculean Task To Shift The River

Singapore River
River Valley, Singapore
October 2012

 

 



On a KLKK (walk here walk there) trip, Merlion Wayfarer was surprised to find a big part of the river near Liang Court and Riverside Point cordoned off. The entire pedestrian path at Ord Bridge, which lies between the two buildings was diverted, and part of the walkway towards Robertson Quay was closed. What is happening?

 

A bit of research revealed that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction were digging a bow-shaped canal to divert the river so that a part of the river can be drained.
 

 

The drained portion will then be cleared and filled with stabilising material. Two train tunnels will be bored under it. These tunnels, which will form the new Fort Canning Station, which is part of Downtown Line 3, will be just 4m below the river bed and close to the Central Expressway.  Costing $255 million, the original path of the waterway will be reinstated after the tunnels are completed. Oh wow...
 

(Source : Public Utilities Board, Singapore)

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The full album is available at:
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Sources

• "Notices - Singapore River Diversion Works" (26 September 2012), Public Utilities Board, Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.pub.gov.sg/marina/AllAnnouncements/Pages/SingaporeRiverDiversionWorks.aspx
  (Expired as of 2014).
   
• "Singapore River to be diverted for MRT tunnels" by (28 April 2012) by Paul Lim, AsiaOneMotoring. Retrieved from http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Transport/Story/A1Story20120428-342609.html (Expired as of 2014).
   

 

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Seen & Heard - Walking Wooden Dinosaurs

Liang Court
River Valley
South, Singapore
October 2012
 

Merlion Wayfarer was surprised to chance upon these series of DIY assembly kits for dinosaurs by Tamiya. With pre-cut wooden parts and pre-built gear box, this kit is said to be easy-to-assemble and a great way to view the workings of a crank-arm gear box. The special link rod makes realistic movement of the legs, head and tail possible.

 

Apparently, there is a Japanese version of the T-Rex retailing at $45.90, and an American (GeniuSeries) version at S$39.90. Sounds fun!

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :
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Pecori's Original Omu Rice

Pecori (ﾍﾟｺﾘのオム)

Medi-Ya Food Court, Liang Court

River Valley, Singapore

October 2012

Merlion Wayfarer chanced upon this big poster as she was entering the supermarket and decided to venture within.

 

Pecori is a newly-opened stall in Medi-Ya Food Court. Located in the basement of Liang Court within the supermarket compound, it is opened by a Japanese gentleman with two Japanese helpers.

Comfortable seating in quiet surroundings, even on a Saturday night...

 

She opted for the Original Omu Rice at S$7.80. It was served with a huge amount of tomato sauce and some mashed potato mixd with cucumber. Initially thought to be a steal, Merlion Wayfarer was disappointed to find out that "Original" meant just plain tomato rice in an omelette. And with the excessive amount of tomato sauce, it was a bit hard to palate. Especially since the price tag meant that she could have gotten a don at a neighbouring stall with more ingredients.



 

This was the complimentary cake that came with any rice order as part of the opening promotion. It was a light custard cake on a fragrant pie crust.

 

Hmmm... If Merlion Wayfarer were asked to return for seconds for the rice, likely no, unless she tries the other Omu Rice options. But for the cake... Hey it was certainly worth considering!

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The Contrast Between Two Outlets

Trung Ngyuen Coffee, Liang Court
River Valley, Singapore
October 2012

 

Tucked in a little corner on the second floor, Trung Nguyen Coffee is a quiet place to chill out. In stark contrast to neighbouring (and noisy) Clarke Quay, the outlet here has cosy seats and fewer patrons.

 

Merlion Wayfarer ordered Creative 2. The service staff, a lady, was polite and professional, and served the order without questions.

 

This was unlike the experience Merlion Wayfarer experienced at the Katong 112 outlet. That outlet was also manned by a single lady staff. Merlion Wayfarer reached the outlet just before 2100 hours, and the staff insisted that the coffee be served in a paper cup. When Merlion Wayfarer said she preferred a porcelain cup (Who ever heard of a paper cup being used in a dine-in setting?), the staff ventured to ask further if she could serve it without the drip container. What audacity to dilute the product this way! Anyway, the version at Katong was too watery...

 

This was the cup that was served at Liang Court. Of course, the dripping took time, but that was all the fun in drinking a cup of Viet Coffee. When Merlion Wayfarer found the coffee too thick, she provided ice and extra condensed milk without question. Merlion Wayfarer certainly enjoyed the undisturbed and professional experience at Liang Court - where one small cup of thick hot coffee was enough to fill a huge mug with ice, and more...

 

 



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Big Enough For Two

Tian Tian Xiang Claypot Rice (天天香砂锅饭)
Aljunied 119 Food House
Aljunied Avenue 2
East, Singapore
August 2012

At $5 for the "small" portion, Merlion Wayfarer thought that this claypot rice was too expensive, especially since it was in kopitiam setting in a HDB neighbourhood.

 

When it arrived, she got a shock... The BIG pot that she saw at a neighbouring table was actually just the "small" size.

 

The whole depth of the pot was filled with rice. Merlion Wayfarer would have preferred that much more chicken and a little longer cooking time, as the taste of the chicekn and sausages was not fully-absorbed by the rice. Other than that, it was certainly a portion for two!

 



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Tender & Fragrant Heartland BBQ Stix

Huan Le Yuan (欢乐园) BBQ
Aljunied 119 Food House
Aljunied Avenue 2
East, Singapore
August 2012

 

Huan Le Yuan (欢乐园) BBQ serves one of the most fragrant satay that Merlion Wayfarer ever had for a long time! The 50c per stick satay served is succulent and juicy, being well-marinated to tenderness. Unlike many other stalls, there is no excessive amount of fat within the meat. Roasted to a light crisp, part of the exterior is fragrant. With a generous amount of onions and cucumber (Yeah, the owner does not stinge on those!), add a thick, peanut-laced satay sauce, and voila, an absolutely tasty satay dish!

 

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