Feb 26 2009

Save Our Char Kway Teow!

There is particular topic that has came up quite a few times in my conversations with KKNN; the possible death of delicious hawker food.

This topic is close to KKNN’s heart as her Dad & Mum runs a prawn noodle stall at Whampoa. The receipe has been passed down for 3 generations so far and like many other hawker businesses in Singapore, we feel that they face extinction.

The level of education in Singapore has improved by leaps and bounds for the last decade or so and the pursuit of acadamic qualifications has made other interests like cooking a tertiary skill. Most of the people around my age or so (myself included) probably have the culinary skills to ruin instant noodles. Not that people like us have no interest in good food; we still want awesome food but preparing it ourselves is a place where we seldom thread.

I am sure all of you guys have favorite hawker stalls littered all over Singapore like some of mine: roti prata at The Prata House @ Thomson Road and the carrot cake in Changi Village. Go look at the people who are running the stalls now and don’t you realize that these cooks are almost all of the older generation and has no hints of a younger generation taking over. It also doesn’t help that most of them would only pass on their recipes to close members of the family.

I think it is rather safe of me to assume that most delicious hawker food will die off in my generation and the rest will also go by the next.

There is still some ray of hope for hawker families like KKNN’s as she is more than willing to take over her Dad’s stall due to her strong interest in cooking. Her dad isn’t willing to pass on the ladle to her as he wants her to experience the world first before deciding if she wants to walk in his path.

In Singlish terms he is saying, “WAH LAU EH! Spend so much money to let you study and you want to sell HEI MEE after you get your degree? YOU SIAO AH!

I hate to say this when I can’t help the situation myself but for those who has an interest in cooking and has a family hawker business, why not consider taking over it? If you have a hawker business but have nobody to pass it on to, why not find a disciple? Getting a person with love for cooking sure beats passing the business to a son/daughter with no interest or bringing your recipes to the grave.

Save our Char Kway Teow! (So that I can still eat em..)


Apr 29 2008

The Things You Will Discover at Lower Peirce Reservoir!

KuKuNehNeh and I woke up to a lazy Saturday and she decided that she wanted to eat prata. We settled for Casuarina Curry Restaurant (Casuarina Road). After eating at the highly acclaimed prata joint for the 2nd time, I dare say that the prata at The Roti Prata House (Upper Thompson Road) is much better!

Feeling fat and adventurous, KuKuNehNeh suggested that we should take a walk at Lower Peirce Reservoir. Half sleepy and filled with fattening prata in my belly, I agreed to her suggestion and promptly ignored that the weather was crazily, scorching hot at 1pm.

lower peirce trail

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We saw a couple walk into the start of the trail about 200m ahead of us and disappeared. Don’t know where they went to hanky panky. Anyway, the Lower Peirce Trail that we took was pretty much shaded most of the way and we stayed cool under the foliage and the nice scenery.

peirce reservoir2

peirce reservoir

krisandro kukunehneh legs

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We started to take some pictures with my Nokia N95 and decided not to cam-whore ourselves as we both look like shit. Hardly any grooming after waking up and we were wearing our nerdy spectacles. So, this is all you can get of us.

kukunehneh back view
KuKuNehNeh says that she got nice butt

krisandro back view
I say, mine nicer lor

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As we were walking on the trail and surrounded by nature, I suddenly had a better idea on how to catch Mas Selamat. Why use so much manpower to comb areas such as Lower Peirce Reservoir? No need to ask NSFs to use sticks to prod at bushes lar!

Remember the saying,

Ask and you will be given, seek and you shall find.”

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calling for mas selamat

tree

mas selamat in hiding

Yah right. If only it be THAT easy.

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Did you know that certain parts of the trail have names? The names are all pretty cool! I might use them for my future children. I always wanted to name my child ‘Sun’, but unfortunately my surname is ‘Tan’.

hevea trail

‘Hevea Tan’ if it’s a she!

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oncospermum trail

‘Oncospermum Tan’ if it’s a he!

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Nice right? Until the dirty quick minded KuKuNehNeh said,

“Dear! Dear! You see carefully!”

“Oh yah hor!”

sperm trail
SPERM TRAIL!

WAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

this way to the egg

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After leaving the trail and onto the roads, the dirty quick minded KuKuNehNeh called for me sexcitedly again,

“DEAR!! DEAR!!! LOOK AT THAT ON THE GRASS!”

whats that

durex together
Durex – Together

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Whoever left the box there, I have this to ask you.

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“That HORNY MEH? Traffic junction also can DO AH?”

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