VIDEO OF THE WEEK

If you're thinking of having a burger anytime this week, make it a big one. Bigger is always better. Thanks Connie from Lancashire. I definitely know your preferences. Have a super week ahead.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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NO APPLAUSE

No doubt us gals will face challenging issues when we age but as this cartoon implies, so too will you guys. But cheer up! It doesn't mean that fun can't be had when we are older, it just takes a little more effort and understanding from both parties. Thanks Carlo for this great cartoon.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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At 131 metres above sea level, the air-conditioned cabin of the

At 131 metres above sea level, the air-conditioned cabin of the Tiger Sky Tower allows you to catch a 360 degree panoramic view of Sentosa, rain or shine. This shot was done during a passing shower as I’m kept comfortable and dry inside.

http://www.singaporevr.com/vrs/sentosa/SkyTower.html

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Here is this week's video of the week. Featuring the HUMAN PENIS SHOW! Have a good week my peeps and keep your wonderful emails, jokes, cartoons and confessions cumming.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Here is this week's video of the week. Featuring the HUMAN PENIS SHOW! Have a good week my peeps and keep your wonderful emails, jokes, cartoons and confessions cumming.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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MAKE IT HAPPEN

There was a debate the other day between a girlfriend and myself about how sex works best in a relationship. She subscribes to the idea of having sex for the sake of sex. Don’t make an event of it of you will get you man expecting it all the time, which will eventually lead to exhaustion, she says.

Essentially, her idea of sex is to get it over with as soon as possible and spend time on other aspects of the relationship. She also feels that it just takes too much energy to ‘train’ her man to please her. Besides, she indicates that sex toys are there to do the trick. That, she feels is the recipe for a long-lasting and solid relationship.

I agreed with her that time should be spent on building other aspects of the relationship. However, I am not in agreement with her on how she ‘dispenses’ sex to her partner. I feel that sex is an important part in building bonds between couples, not the only one but definitely an important one.

Undoubtedly, bonds can be built with other activities, but replicating the level of intimacy that can be reached during sex – that is pretty difficult to do. I’m not saying that you have to let emotions run the show with each sexual encounter (I still enjoy my spontaneous quickies and mindless bonking) but just an occasional outlet of passion during sex can do wonders for the relationship.

In any case, both parties should be in the same groove and if not, they should make an effort to learn how to get their partners in the groove. Otherwise, don’t force it. A game of checkers under these circumstances would probably achieve more for your relationship.

While I also agree that sex toys are fun (especially when there is a range like what Edenfantasys offers), they should not always be played solo. In fact, by playing with your partner, it can certainly be quite arousing.

It’s all part and parcel of exploring alternative ways to reach an orgasm. At the same time, it can be a learning experience for your partner to see what it takes to please you. If not, hell, it’s still a show I’m sure he would be thrilled to watch. You just got to make it happen for both of you.

The jury is still out on who won the debate but just to note that I’m still deeply in love with my man after over 20 years of marriage, while she has just entered a relationship, her sixth in nine years, including a failed three-year marriage.

Missus Singapore out!


This post was sponsored by Edenfantasys.com.

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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A MENU LIKE NO OTHER

Here is an interesting menu that will tickle the fancies of many of you men out there. While stree-walkers can still be found, very often, you can 'book' a hooker online and make arrangments for her 'special' services. But this menu shows what it was like in the early days. Thanks for this James. Have a good weekend y'all. Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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THURSDAY TEASE

This week's Thursday Tease photo is something I took in October last year. A close friend had just returned from Europe and bought us (two other gfs and myself) some lingerie as presents.

We all posed for some shots and had lots of fun doing it but I gather my Significant Other must have had the most fun snapping us. I hope you enjoy it.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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DOWNSIDE OF PUBLIC BREASTFEEDING

I am all for breastfeeding in public but not when it begins to affect traffic the way this photo demonstrates. I'm not sure who sent this so I apologise if I don't mention you but I'd appreciate if you could email me to let me know.

Personally, I've never breastfed in public. Those were the days when I would have probably been arrested for it. I 've seen several mothers do it here in recent times and hope more come out and do it to make a statement that breastmilk is still the best for baby!

The most recent mother breastfeeding her child was at a park. What pleased me most was that joggers, passing couples and playing kids just went about their business without so much as staring or blinking an eye. Maybe it was a rare thing but it does give me hope that maybe, just maybe, Singaporeans are finally wising (and opening) up.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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TASTY TIPS

In this installment of Tasty Sex Tips, I've decided to post something an avid reader of Missus Singapore wrote in to share. She's MonicaA. We actually met personally late last year when she approached me whilst I was doing my Christmas Shopping. She offered to buy me a cup of coffee and we spoke for hours.

Anyway, she comes from a conservative background and shares that since she hit her 30s, she has had an uncontrollable urge to 'break out' from the norm and embrace her true inner sexuality. I admire her because she is brave enough to live the life that she has always wanted to, and her rewards are that she's enjoying it more than ever before, apparently with one special man.

So to best convey her tips, I'm posting an extract of what she wrote to me.

"Men seem to be in the mood for sex more than us women so we are often left to work harder than them to get into the mood. Like many women, I feel a lot sexier when I slip into a silk slip and relaxing in a room filled with my favourite scent.

"However, I have also discovered that it's the little things I do that get me ready for a session of wild passion.  Believe it or not, even when I am in the car or strolling down the mall during lunch time, Kegels get me going. The exercise just sends blood in the right areas of my body and they do surprisingly remain for a long time. Five or ten minutes every few hours is all I need to have me all moist and ready for action later.

The best part is that since I started doing it in January this year, I've noticed that I am tighter and toner within. My partner has also noticed it. In fact, he was the one who brought it up! So these days, Kegels have become a daily ritual for me. Even when sex is not on the cards at the end of the day for me, I know it makes me feel good inside and out."

MS: I swear by Kegels too! My gynae actually recommended it to me over 20 years ago! You can never have too much strength in your vaginal muscles, especially when you enjoy 'milking' a man!

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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Shiromi dane: Tai, Kinmedai and Hirame

Tai

Tai (Sea Bream)

Tai is considered one of the most exquisite of the Shiromi dane.  Among the more than 200 species of Tai but there is only one which is considered special and that is the Madai.   The Japanese use the prefix "Ma" 真 which means "true" to mean the proper fish to use for sushi.  Madai is very expensive in Japan because, like sharks fins, it is the one fish that should always be served during happy events like Weddings, New Year and the birth of a new baby because the name "Madai" sounds like "Medetai" which is the Japanese word for "Celebratory" and "Auspicious".  Have you ever eaten those Japanese fish shaped pancakes?  Well they are called Tai yaki and they are made in the shape of the Madai.

Since Madai is the most sought after Tai in the sushi bar, it pays to make sure that the fish you are being served is a Madai rather than one of the cheaper Tai.  The Madai is said to have 11 to 13 spines on the dorsal fin and there are some blue spots on the dorsal half of the fish.  It is quite large, usually around 50cm.  Nowadays, most of the Madai served at Sushi bars is farmed, so you can get Madai all year round.  The farmed Madai look different from the wild version.  It's darker in colour and the tail is more rounded whereas the tail of the wild Madai (Tennen Tai) has sharp pointed ends. (Link to photo here). 


Farmed Madai, Red Sea Bream, Pagrus Major/Chrysophrys major

The Tane
Madai is one of those fish that are often served ikizukuri style.  This is when the fish is killed live and its flesh sliced into bite sized pieces while the mouth is still moving.  Fish that is eaten this fresh is often very chewy but not as flavourful as when it is left to mature for a while.  In Singapore we often only get to eat it nojime (after rigor mortis) since it takes a few days for the fish to be flown here after it is slaughtered.  Madai is often slaughtered ikejime style which is a special way of slaughtering the fish so that its flesh will retain its freshness as long as possible.

Sometimes, the chef will serve Madai with its skin on.  This way of preparation is known as matsukawa-zukuri (pine bark) and what happens is that the skin surface is covered with a piece of cloth before hot water is poured over it and then the whole fillet is immediately cooled in ice.  This causes the skin to pucker up to look like pine bark but at the same time tenderizes it.  This preserves that layer of fat under the skin which makes it more flavourful.



Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) 

This fish is easily recogized by its huge eyes and bright red colour.  The name Kinmedai means "Golden Eye" Tai in Japanese and the reason the eyes are so huge is because they live in very deep water where it is very dark, so the big eyes allow more light to be detected.  It is best from December to March when the fish gets very oily and tasty.


Kinmedai, Splendid Alfonsino, Golden eye snapper, Beryx splendens
Season: End Winter

The Tane
This is probably the easiest of the Shiromi-dane to recognize as it is always betrayed by its pink translucent flesh.  Being a deep water fish, its flesh is oilier than the Madai and most Sushi Tsus would look out for it when it is in season at the end of winter.

Hirame

There are more than 500 types of flat fish and even in the English speaking world their names are confusing.  Halibut, Sole, Flounder and Turbot are all bottom dwelling fish which start life looking very much like a normal fish but as they mature they undergo as Salvador Dali like transformation when its face is "smeared" towards one side.  The Japanese broadly categorize the ones that face to the left Hirame whiles the ones that face to the right, Karei.

The Tokyo Bay used to be flourishing with these flatfish which is typically best eaten during winter. (Season: Sep to Mar) The Olive Flounder (paralichythys olivaceus) is commonly found in the waters surrounding Japan and Korea and is usually what is served when you order Hirame.  This fish is quite a predator and has large mouth with fiercesome teeth. During winter, the fish puts on a nice layer of fat under the skin and it is the expert Itamae who would be able to remove the skin while preserving that layer of fat. 

During the Summer months (Apr-Sep) Mako-Garei (Marble Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae) is often served when shiromi dane is ordered.  This fish has a smaller mouth than the Olive Flounder so the fish appears less fearsome.  The flesh is less fat during the summer months but it is no less tasty.  Top sushi restaurants might serve Hoshi-Garei (Spotted Halibut) which is traditionally considered to be the tastiest Karei.  But this fish is not very common, so if your itamae tells you that he managed to get his hand on some Hoshi-Garei, then make sure you try it!


Engawa

In Singapore, Hirame and Karei can refer to any species of flatfish as they can be sourced from all round the world. So, if they still have a whole fish lying on the ice, you can try to see if you can identify it as Olive or Marbled Flounder.  However, it is said that most of the other species of flounders taste almost the same and indeed, unless you eat a lot of Hirame, you probably won't be able to tell the difference.  The sushi is usually served with just a sprinkling of salt and a dash of citrus in order to bring out the natural fresh flavour of the fish. The better sushi places might wrap the fillet with Konbu to allow the fish to mature and develop flavour.



Now, if you have been visiting a certain Sushi Bar one day the Itamae offers you a piece of Engawa, then it shows that you have achieved a certain status in that restaurant. The Engawa is that bit of hardworking muscle next to the fins and each fish has only four strips (eight servings) of it, so the Itamae won't offer it to just anyone. This tane is as prized as otoro and is considered the prime Shiromi dane. Because it is a hardworking muscle, it is quite chewy and it is during the process of mastication that glycogen is released from the muscles which in turn start to turn into simpler sugars as it mixes with the saliva in your mouth. Thus this is a sushi which you need to chew slowly in order to savour!

The photos are made possible through the help of my friends at:


Hokkaido Sushi
M Hotel, Level 9
81 Anson Road
Tel: +65 6500 6121

References:

1.  Edomae Sushi, Kikuo Shimizu, Kodansha International, 2011
2.  The Sushi Menu Book, Ikeda Publishing, K.K. Ikeda . Shoten 2008
3.  Sushi, Kazuo Nagayama, PIE International, 2011

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Lomography Gallery Store Singapore

Welcome to the Lomography Gallery Store. You’ll find the complete range of cameras and accessories for all your lomographic needs.

http://www.singaporevr.com/vrs/lomography/

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Lai Kee Dim Sum: Novel bits and bites

Dim Sum $1.80 to $2 per basket

There are several hawker genres that should do well in Singapore and Dim Sum is one of them.  The reason is very simple.  Every customer will spend more than $3-4 per pax.  If you survey the current hawker scene, you will see Bak Kut Teh stalls springing up all over the place.  That is because people expect to pay $5-6 at least when they eat Bak Kut Teh.  So that is going to ensure the survival of Bak Kut Teh as a Hawker dish.  Things like Char Kway Teow which can only sell for $3 a plate is less attractive for any aspiring hawker to take on so unless something happens and a Char Kway Teow emerges that people are willing to pay $6 for, then it really is "The End of Char Kway Teow" as we know it.

But today we talk about an emerging Hawker dish.  I guess Dim Sum is not really what people will consider a traditional Hawker food, but with increasing affluence, stalls which were initially selling only Paus would invariably be attracted to increasing their revenue by offering other Dim Sum dishes.  With Dim Sum at the restaurants now averaging around $4-$5++ a basket, I see a big opportunity for more hawkers to offer a cheaper alternative in a coffeeshop setting.

The other good thing about Dim Sum is that the food can be standardized and prepared in a central kitchen beforehand and steamed fresh at the premises when you order.  So that allows for opportunities to expand.  At $2 a basket, the average spend for a customer would be at least $8-$10 which essentially triples what you would earn if you sell Char Kway Teow!

With more hawker Dim Sum emerging and restaurant Dim Sum getting ridiculously expensive, I am hoping to see more stalls such as Lai Kee emerging so that we can all spend a lazy morning drinking eating Dim Sum and drinking Teh C without having to pay for peanuts and ++.   So, if you know of any good hawker Dim Sum stalls, please do write in and let me know so that I can build a list good Dim Sum stalls to visit.


Variety of Dim Sum

The man who started Lai Kee, Ah Lai started off helping to make Dim Sum with  relatives in Malaysia before coming out to Singapore to start his own stall.  His first stall was at Clementi and has now expanded to four branches.  He tells me that Dim Sum might be more lucrative but it is a lot of hard work.  Now that he has four stalls, he has hired a few Dim Sum chefs to help hand make the Dim Sum every day at the stalls while he prepares the meat, prawn and fish pastes centrally.

What I like about Lai Kee is their variety of unusual Dim Sum.  The standard fare of Siew Mai and Har Kau are of course available and judging from the Siew Mai, the basic meat filling is very good and well marinated.  Ah Lai pays special attention to this and uses only fresh Indonesian pork instead of frozen meat to ensure quality.  But he has spent a lot of time thinking up new dishes as well and the wonderful thing about eating there is that you get to try something new instead of the same-o same-o.

I was drawn immediately to the Century Egg dumplings because they reminded me of the marvelous breakfast I had at Sim Sim Pier in Sandakan.  Then there are other permutations and combinations of tasty morsels made from tofu, bean curd skin, meat, prawn and fish filling.  I can't say that it tastes as exquisite as the Dim Sum you get at the restaurants, but the affordability, variety and pretty decent food quality certainly makes it a compelling candidate for a quick Dim Sum fix. 4/5



鸡窝包 Ji Wo Pau (Chicken Nest Pau)$3

Conclusion

With prices of Dim Sum in restaurants going through the roof, coffeeshop Dim Sum places like Lai Kee are offering us an attractive, affordable alternative.  I do hope to blog more such stalls, so do write in if you know of any stalls that are serving up good, affordable Dim Sum!

Lai Kee Pau
Blk 69 Bedok South Ave 3
6.30am and 9.30pm
90261698
Branches:  Clementi St 12, Blk 107
Bukit Batok St 21 Ave 6, Blk 207

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Sentosa – Fort Siloso

Fort Siloso holds a large collection memorabilia, original guns and cannons of World War II. It is opened 10am – 6pm daily with the last entry at 5.30pm. That’s good as I’m pretty sure the old WWII tunnels will feel a little creepy at nightfall. It can get a quite hot up there in the humid Singapore weather so be prepared to work up a sweat wandering around the place.

http://www.singaporevr.com/vrs/sentosa/FortSiloso.html

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Here is this week's video of the week. Featuring the HUMAN PENIS SHOW! Have a good week my peeps and keep your wonderful emails, jokes, cartoons and confessions cumming.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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The Island that was

It is a sad day for Singapore.

The celebrated "Singapore works" moniker is in danger of extinction. The erstwhile 'it just works' island is now an unreliable place to be, transport wise. How did we ever descend into this?

Commuters are so spooked that they pray and cross their fingers they will get to the office on time every morning. And students taking exams are now caught up in this worrisome phenomenon - of trains breaking down for hours. Come to think of it - Singapore students of one type or another are taking exams and tests throughout most of the year, except perhaps in June and December. I am beyond that, but I have children who may face this previously unthinkable prospect. If you are late, it is because you are late. Don't blame the bus or the train. You should have set off earlier to allow for heavy traffic. That's what we get told anyway.

Now, we can definitely say it was the train that was late. What can you do when you are stuck in a subterranean tunnel somewhere on the island for an extended period of time? There is really nowhere to go, nothing to do except wait for help. And given the mess that is likely taking place above ground, you can hunker down and wait, and wait and ....until the oxygen runs out or someone smashes the door with a fire extinguisher.

But we have become complacent, even arrogant in our perceived resiliency. We have gotten drunk on the praise that the international community has lavished on us for years that we have begun to believe in our own invincibility. Well, schools are going to have to craft out a new set of rules that govern these exceptions that are likely to occur to students taking exams. Our exam standards and processes will now get to a higher level. Yeah, you bet.

As the Committee of Inquiry (COI) on transport proceeds, we are hearing of lapses that reddens the face, and not least those earning millions whose job was to put in place people and processes precisely to prevent, and manage disasters. But no, the here and now matters more. The stockholders' interest is primary. If you can't cut cost and grow profit, you're just not good enough a CEO. You need to get one person to do two persons' job. That's promoting productivity. Isn't that what the government is advocating, nay, droning on and on these days?

The customer who? Oh those rats in the tunnels and holes. Well, consider themselves lucky that we charge them so little to zip from one hole in the ground to another, those vermins. For us, that Porshe is just fine.

City Hall, we have a problem here.

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MILK AND OREOS

This was an ad that was apparently banned for being too explicit. I personally feel it's a wonderful ad and shines a much-needed light on promoting breastfeeding. Of course I love my Oreos too but I'm sure men will now have an excuse to help their new-mum wives relief them of any excess load once junior is done with his meal.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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ASK THE BOLDER WOMAN

Queenie is a 32-year old mother of two girls. Married to her childhood sweetheart, she posted this question which echoes what many of you have asked over the years.

Q: I love my husband a lot. And although he does do a great job sexually, I have always wanted to explore sex with another woman with him. I am told I am quite the looker and he is no slouch either but over the years, this has been on my mind more and more. I would like to know your take on it.

MS: Thanks for your email Queenie. Well, the topic of threesomes has been commonplace amongst visitors to Missus Singapore so I have to say that its a subject that I'm quite familiar with. Also, my perspective comes from my own personal experiences in threesomes; both mine and that of many others I have spoken with or observed.

In my humble opinion, threesomes are a little more tricky as compared to a foursome with another couple. Emotions can run up against the wrong doors if not managed properly. The first question you should ask yourself and answer honestly is not if you love your husband or not but how jealous are you?

As far as I know, not many men are likely to vigourously turn down the opportunity to be involved in a threesome. Some will, but most won't. So persuading him might not be your problem. The problem is understanding your level of jealousy. Thinking about it and actually seeing it unfold before your eyes are completely two different things.

I know you said that you want to experience being with another woman but ultimately, when you husband joins in, you will have to deal with the sight. It can either be an arousing experience or an overwhelming one that triggers an explosive reaction to the cinder of jealousy that exists in all of us.

While some of us are able to keep it subdued, others may not. So take a step by step approach. Talk about it, visualise, try initiating some soft flirtation between your hubby and another woman just so that you get a feel of things.

When reports emerged that threesomes had destroyed Demi Moore and Asthon Kutcher's marriage, all sorts of analysis were made, one of which I found most interesting but flawed in a general sense was from a so-called renowed psychotherapist who said was quoted as sayng, "Why would Demi — a beautiful, successful and worldly woman — agree to sharing her man?"

Well, for many women, they want it. Also, it can also be a turn on for a woman.

Of course Demi may have her demons of jealousy and insecurity haunting her that she felt it was necessary to 'please' her man to make him want her more. That, I have to agree is doing it for the absolutely wrong reasons. Any relationship is doomed to blow up in those circumstances.

When you have decided you are ready to take that step towards a threesome, lay the rules - the can dos and can't dos from the word go. I hope that helps Queenie.

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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Hold the money

Listen up, the identity of the whore who set up 44 men, and counting in sleepless Singapore is...

Cannot tell or I will be fined S$5,000. Serious.

I'd rather save it and pay the teenage whore that money...

Hey, last I heard, she is older than 18 now. That means a visit to her bordello wouldn't get you hauled up to Court. Now you don't need to squat in jail after squatting on... Its open season if her identity is revealed.

When you think of tainting (ahem) the witness, you'd understand why the Prosecutors and the Judge find it a horrifying prospect to reveal her identity in public at this time. Thus the gag order even for the public, I suppose.  Bad news travel fast. Bad and dirty news even faster.

There are many in Singapore who are still sleepless.

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Face it, PM

It's nothing new, really. Since Mr George Yeo went a blogging some YEARS ago, the trend for other government-types to go online was inevitable. For those who have read George Yeo's blog, it was, well, rather officious. It adopted the civil service style of writing - para 1, para 2, para 3...But it caught netizens' attention, nevertheless. The blogging Minister.

Now no less than Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, has taken to fronting his own FB page. That's great, though he is late to the game. Nevertheless, within a day (or less), his FB page has garnered more than 20,000 likes, though I don't know what there is about it to like at this point in time. Even the Wall Street Journal has seen fit to publish the event. I suppose power attracts, or you just want to be seen hobnobbing with the rich, the powerful, the famous/infamous and the politicians. PM Lee fits all of these descriptors so it is no wonder the overwhelming strength of the magnet of the man. As an aside, George Yeo's Facebook likes lead PM Lee's by a wide berth. But this is to be expected. George has had a head start.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about whether he's had his dinner, but apparently many in Singapore have no other past time than to kay-poh and boast to one and all about when he/she learnt that LHL has had his dinner. Now don't get me wrong. I am not belittling anyone, not least the PM. He has done himself a favour by engaging his stakeholders on the universe's most significant media. Not through a group of admins who pretend to speak on his behalf.

But, and this seems never too far away - the perceived threat of action against detractors and abusers of LHL's FB page. No, the law of the internet does not apply. Singapore's Laws do. Just read the House Rules on his FB page, reproduced below for your convenience.

I don't think those were LHL's words. Perhaps his lawyer's, or some smarts in the PMO. But you will agree with me that those words sound ominous.

Yes, Prime Minister! No dirty or abusive words. Otherwise...

OK, we get it.

Somehow these words just take away some of the personal feel of the page. I doubt any netizen puts up those kind of rules. It is live and let live on the internet. You want to join in, then you have to be prepared for the occasional abuse. I have been abused before, and called all manner of the most un-nice things when I took a position that basically agreed with the government's stand. You don't really have to send your lawyers after them. There is a certain intelligence of the crowd, or rather decency of the crowd. On balance, we look after each other. We will wack down anyone who is abusive, unfair, unreasonable and downright abnoxious, no expensive lawyers needed. You just have to trust the crowd, Prime Minister. Look at George. No threats. No House Rules. And he is doing just fine.

Welcome to Wild Wild Web.

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RAISING THE DEAD

Wonderful Cartoon Joyce! She sent this funny strip and describes her relationship with her husband of 35 years! After all her descriptions of her sex life with her husband, the most noteworthy part to me is what she ends off her email with by saying, 'But beyond all my frustrations, I am still truly in love with the bloke!' How sweet is that? See, sex and love does not have to be one in the same!

Missus Singapore out!

Missus Singapore or Miss Us Singapore (at your own peril) - A married woman on the loose

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Sentosa – Heritage Tree

This 25m high Johor Fig is over 100 years old and has served as an iconic photo backdrop for many, many couples over its lifetime.

http://www.singaporevr.com/vrs/sentosa/HeritageTree.html

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Tom's Citizoom Mee Pok Tar: Passionate, Young Hawkers

Mee Pok with extra Fish Cake $2.50 + $1.20

There has been much talk lately about how we are going to be able to find enough hawkers to run the stalls in the new hawker centres that the NEA are planning to build.   There is a lot of concern, in particular, about how the younger generation of Singaporeans are not keen on being Hawker professionals.  This is such a shame.  Just last month, I met up with a group of Americans who came to Singapore on a study trip to learn about our Hawker Centres.  Their plan is to build such centres in the US where young aspiring chefs can rent a stall and start building a career for themselves.

Indeed the hawker centre is a great launch pad for enterprising hawkerpreneurs.  The recent news that Kay Lee is selling their recipe and business for $3.5m, might just be what it takes to spur some of the children of famous hawkers to take on the challenge of expanding the family brand to a multi-million dollar enterprises.  That would be a great development for our hawker culture, with the very important proviso that the food is still as good if not better than what it was before.



So where is this story heading?

Well, enter our protagonist, Tom, a 20 something polytechnic engineering graduate who gave up his cushy engineering job to dive into the hot and sweaty hawker business.  Why?  He likes Mee Pok.  In fact, he is passionate about Mee Pok!  That very love for our Singapore style flat noodles might be just what is needed to preserve our Mee Pok culture for another generation!

I must say that it was pretty weird to see this soft spoken young man making Mee Pok in a rather old and run down coffeeshop where you are more likely to find old men wearing singlets and pajama pants.  (That's just my imagination.  You can't find such old men around either!)  And if it weren't for the number of people bearing down and slurping on their bowls of Mee Pok, you might just walk past the coffeeshop without giving the stall a second look.  But look closer and you'd find a bowl of Mee Pok trying to stand out from the crowd!



One of the ways that he is trying to make his Mee Pok special is that he fries his fish cakes fresh and cuts them into slices just before he serves the Mee Pok.  The fish cakes are also handmade, not by himself, but by Citizoom noodles who runs a few stalls around the island.  Eaten piping hot, the fish cakes are still oozing with juices and the texture is light and bouncy!

One of the keys to great Mee Pok is the quality of the Mee Pok itself.  He sources his top quality Mee Pok from Lau Boon Heng which is one of the more reputable noodle makers in Singapore.  I spoke with the owners of Lau Boon Heng and, although I am under strict orders not to disclose names, I can say that they supply Mee Pok to some of the best known Mee Pok stalls in Singapore.  In fact, they also supply Hokkien Mee to one of the most famous Prawn Noodles stalls as well!

The key to cooking a great Mee Pok with that Al Dente, springy texture is that the water needs to be on a furious rolling boil.  So one of the keys to spotting a good Mee Pok is to look at that water in which the noodles are being cooked!




The other thing that Tom tries to innovate is the addition of crumbled fish crackers which he sprinkles on top of the noodles just before serving.  I have my reservations about this.  I think the idea of adding that crunchy texture is good, but I didn't think that the fish crackers blended well enough with the noodles.  A few slivers of crispy fried Ti Poh (Dried Sole Fish) would have been a more traditional and time tested way to go.  4/5

Conclusion

It is good to see young Hawkerpreneurs taking on traditional Hawker food and trying to add their own personality to it.  Tom's bowl of Mee Pok Tar has got a lot of potential to be one of the best in Singapore if he keeps working hard on it.  As of now, it is still a bowl I would recommend if you are in the area hankering for some steaming hot Mee Pok!

Tom's Citizoom Mee Pok Tar
Blk 57 Lengkok Bahru
Singapore
8.30am to 3pm
Closed Alt Sun/PH
97420865

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