KONGKONG SEAFOOD

A NEW SEA FOOD HAUNT

A friend of ours introduced a new eating place for seafood lovers - at Kongkong, Masai. The near an hour journey from Stulang brought us through roads lined with oil palm plantations and roadside stalls selling durians. Tried hinting to my husband to stop the car for a taste of the kampung durians but it fell on deaf ears. Not being a durian lover, he hates the smell of the king of the fruits emitting from the boot.

Syed Mustapha Al-Atas introuduced us to a Kong Kong sea food restaurant.
The drive that evening was pretty quiet and the roads deserted and dark. It had rained and that worsened the conditions of the roads. Fortunately we were in two cars so I did not feel that fearful. At one stage, we were the only cars on the road heading for Kongkong.

A lobster for our table. Cholestrol? Ooopssss....
There is only one Chinese restaurant selling all sorts of sea creatures. It faces the Straits of Johor where many speed boats were moored. Floating fish farms or aquaculture could be seen form where we sat. The restaurant also provides a chalet service for those who love fishing.

Me holding an Indonesian kupang/mussel. The flesh sticks out long from the shell
A pair of about six feet arowana swimming in a tiled pond greeted us at the entrance. They were gigantic - much bigger than my bolster. We had fish, crab, fried rice, vegetables and squid. The price was reasonable and I found it cheaper than what is being usually charged at Senibong. The taste? Not too bad, only less spicy and more suitable for the Caucasian palate for there were several of them that night. I bet you could request for more 'oomph' if you prefer the dishes to be hotter and spicy for your taste buds.

I asked one of the waiters why the place was called 'Kongkong'. He said, according to the village chief, there used to be a lot of dogs around the village and their barking of 'Kong! Kong!' disturbed the villagers. Since then, the village was named after the barking noise made by the stray dogs.

Yusuf and family came with us. At Banafe Cafe.
We did not hear any barking during our dinner. Even if there was any that night, we were too busy cracking the pincers of the crab to dig out the meat and scraping the flesh of the sea bass fish clean of its bones.

For our late supper, we tried Banafe Cafe opposite New York Hotel. The ambience was inviting and relaxing. There are some tables on top of trees too. Should try the place if you need to feel the tummy if other places have closed for the night. Light entertainment is also availabe from a two-man piece band.

Had Banana Split while at Banafe Cafe

Nadine Ramelb painting of her koi paradise

DINING OUT UNDER THE STARS

IN SEARCH OF MAKAN - FROM BEACH ROAD TO CLARKE QUAY TO KTM

Mazy, Burnie, Emma and Zac received no mercy whenever they stayed with us for their summer holidays. They would be extracted and vacuumed till the last drop of their energy is left when they leave the house for outings. We would bring them out and and they would only get to lay their heads on the pillow at 3 or 4 am. So where on earth do you think in Singapore can we offer them all these family nightouts till the graveyard hours?

It was another nite out again for the foursome. We started by having light dinner at Beach Road where Nasi Penyet, Dry Beefsteak and Satay were the top choice for chewing and swallowing. Without fail I would order the freshest sugar cane juice in town from my favourite stall. It used to be manned by the present owner's parents, but after their death, the son who used to give a helping hand in his younger days had taken over. No compromise in quality though business had changed hands. This chap is guaranteed of one loyal customer from Yishun.

Fearing that our shirts and blouses would be bloodied by the thumping and whacking of the gruesome red coloured Soup Tulang for its bone marrow, we ordered two packets of $10/- of the bone to be brought home for tomorrow's breakfast. Call it strategic planning for my lazy bones - so that I did not have to wake up early to prepare breakfast the next day, since the Mamak had prepared for us.

Clarke Quay, compromising of five blocks of restored warehouses where you can shop, eat and be entertained by the riverside, was the next spot we went. Named after Sir Andrew Clarke, Singapore's second governor, Clarke Quay had been the commercial centre, where an unending stream of lighters would transport their goods upriver to the warehouses and godowns. It's an alternative way of mainstream shopping and nite-out experiences for you can find second-hand antique shops and dining at alfresco restaurants with an array of cuisine options under the stars. Clarke Quay gets more crowded and noisier as the moon takes centre stage in the sky. The pubs and night spots vibrate the place with evergreen music to the top charts that are hitting the radio stations. With the new makeover ,this place is now also drawing new flock of crowds - yuppies, families and business associates.

We chose a restaurant, formerly called Whampoa's Ice House, which belonged to Hoo Ah Kay, an early immigrant from Whampoa, China who imported ice from Boston in the mid-1800s before ice-making facilities were available in Singapore. That was how the Chinese and European merchants brought their own architectural styles to the area. Thinking that this place is tucked away from the main traffic flow we got a table for us enjoy our conversation more. But we were dead wrong! Blood curdling screams sliced through the night, jolting us from our seats. Were we surrounded by vampires or Van Helsing and such creatures of the night?

With our Sherlock Holmes's magnifying glass, we snooped and sourced for what had distracted us from our moonlight chat. Target spotted! The culprits or screamers were getting their dose of adrenaline rush with the G-Max Reverse Bungee which was just beside the Whampoa's Ice House! Designed and developed in New Zealand eight years ago, the G-Max is Singapore’s first extreme ride. It involves up to three people being seated in a specially designed open air steel reinforced capsule, attached by US-approved bungee cords to two towers. The cords are tightened and then released, catapulting the capsule up to 60m in the air at speeds of 200kph. The faint and weak hearted were screaming throughout the 5 minutes ride.

Past midnight, some wise guy mentioned having supper at KTM - the hawker stalls at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Before I could say, "Yes, let's go", everyone had flown into the cars with jaws hanging loose waiting for food to go in. Entry to the KTM carpark was $2/-. Stalls used to line the stretch of roads inside the premise but they were gone now because of the din created that annoyed the nearby residents.

Only the stalls operated by KTM were opened when we reached there at 1am. Most of us ordered the nasi lemak while the youngsters opted for Ramly Burger. The nasi lemak was just average while the side order had seen better state of its days. What a disappoint it had been for us to keep our eyes opened for the trip but to be greeted by the sorry looking state of the dishes.

Emma was tricked into believing that we had crossed the border into Malaysia because all the signboards found were in Malay. She only found the truth when she checked with the hawker where she was before we headed for home. It was another night of fun with the family.

LATTE AT MAYUNI OMAR MUSIC CAFE

The cafe is located at 7 Jalan Pinang

The Roti Mike - something like Roti John

Mahyuni being interrogated by the gang

So how do you manage your time, Mahyuni?

Hubby with an old friend - Mahani Mohamed

Mahani with me

Good company, good food and good music

Behind a successful man are many strong women - Mahyuni's mum and aunties helping him at the cafe

The logo on the menu with the red and black theme

ROTI MIKE MEETS MUSIC HALAL

Looking for supper last Sunday night, we drove to Arab Street area to check out the scene that had been a strong magnetism pull with the young crowd. Many of the old but conserved shop houses had been converted to eating spots, boutiques, offices and Javanese traditional massage units. The food hunters are faced with many choices of cuisines from Mediterranean to Indian, from Malay to Western all in very informal setting under the street or the moon light.

We ended up at Jalan Pinang and settled on the high chairs of Mahyuni Cafe, a red and black deco joint. The place is cosy and has a family-oriented setting for a gathering. There are high stools, normal restaurant tables and a L-shaped sofa unit for you to sit on. Mahyuni is a young and budding composer. He had converted his music studio Soundlinks Production with a $60 000 capital into a cafe where budding and experienced artistes congregate to play and sing pop/traditional songs or do stand up comedy.

With assistance from his family members as cooks and waiters, Mahyuni who plays the keyboard, has run the cafe for the past ten months. The food served is categorised under different types of music - the bread and burger comes under rock n roll or jazzy sandwich, while the traditional menu of mee and rice is grouped under 'Dondang Sayang'. For those with a big appetite, you may want to order the 'Heavy Metal Burger.'

While enjoying the food and the music, let your eyes roam along the walls of the cafe where write-ups on Mahyuni's achievements and music records adorned the perimeter of the shop-house-turned cafe. Don't forget to scan the customers in the cafe too for you may find some Malay artistes giving their support to this young man's modest establishment. We met Alias Kadir (a comedian) and Mahani Mohamed (a Malay singer) while there that night.

Thumbs up for the Roti Mike we decided upon that night - generous amount of pasta sauce with beef, onions and capsicum is spread on Italian bread and baked for a few minutes. We were given personalised service from Mahyuni and we discovered that this entrepreneurial young man handled four jobs in a day.

If you like easy listening music and not-too-heavy food, Mahyuni Music Cafe can be your 'where-next-to-go' place. Price is very reasonable. Wi-fi services is available.

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Thursday & Sunday: 8am till 11pm

Friday & Saturday: 8am till 1am

Contact/Fax No.: 63966635

MUM, I 'BELANJA' YOU MAKAN

With Cik Gu Zaharah, Chef Bob's mum

The three guys who were my dinner dates

Mango and pineapple smoothies for us

Relax Mambo after a heavy meal

Dining outside the restaurant

The ever beautiful Cik Gu Zaharah

The humble Tom Yam is also served.

Surf and Turf for a whale's appetite

Sweet sour fish with rice

Till we meet again for another makan episode

Some gila time with the straws

Drink your milk - untainted with melamine

Waiting for restaurants to come up with this idea

A memory card holder

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WHEN MAMAK MEETS MAMA MIA

While doing some typing at school last Tuesday, my phone rang. The school holidays had already begun yet you would find me scuttling to school in between my shopping trip to JB. Call that passion for the job.

"I belanja you makan, mum", my son Nizar announced over the headset. My body went limp and my tongue hanged loose, nearly touching my neck. Not only was I already hungry, having skipped my lunch in order to maintain my figure after the birth of two sons but to hear his voice and asking me to join him for a makansutra outing is another ball game. I know.... some of you are laughing behind my back.... but to hear that invitation from your son who is serving Singapore faithfully and with full dedication and putting his life above everything else made my heart melt and ooze with love. My other son, Muhd Thaqif is also serving the country with full committment at Tekong, taking charge of new recruits everytime they cross the sea from Changi to Tekong. He is my other love, very quiet but always deep in thoughts.

I also know my son Nizar too well. If he says "I belanja' (spend) you makan", either his dad or I would have to fork out 50% of the bill. Father, son and nephew Hazim picked me up from school at 6.00pm. We decided to try out Chef Bob Scooter 'Asian Fare and Grill' at Simpang Bedok for a change. Instead of venturing to Beach Road and creating a din with the thumping of the sup tulang on the table, we orientated our car to travel east instead.

Bob used to be a TV star during his childhood and was often seen dancing and clowning in the Mat Yoyo episodes. Unfortunately on that day, he was out shooting for his cooking shows so we missed out on having his photos taken with us. We met his mum, Cik Gu Zaharah Salleh. She was behind the poetic voice of 'Ilham Pujangga' with Ismail Harun. She also happened to be a family friend and we got talking of some people whom we know in common. Click link to listen to the song.

http://www.imeem.com/bakawali/music/jULDErT6/ismail_haron_ilhampujangga/

The place was spacious and you can dine in or out. As I was having that unmentionable word the 'flu', I decided to sit outside, facing the road and watching the cars pass by and families streaming in for their dinner. My son tried the sea food platter, husband ordered the sweer sour fish with rice while the nephew was comfortable with cheese chicken macaroni.

There were other Asian fare you could choose from - Vietnamese Pho to Fried Rice or Mee. The great dame who initially wanted to look after her girth after giving birth, succumbed to a huge order of 'surf and turf' - steak with prawns, cuttlefish, wedges and salad. My diet plans had gone out of the window and I stubbornly refused to catch it.

The smoothies were authentic - jackfruit, mango and pineapple. Thick and delicious. The food was fresh and scored well in presentation. The taste was good too as I could see everyone ended up with cleaned plates. The price is another factor though. So as not to waste the food with the price on the mocca coloured menu cover, we stuffed ourselves till every morsel on the plate disappeared. I was struggling to devour mine. My strong pearly white canine weren't doing justice to the meat - a bit tough and dry so I offered my steak to everyone to help me finish my $26 worth of food.

I fell head over hill with the moss-green topping of Putri Salat - the topping was so lemak, creamy, soft and evil for the arteries. I scooped it with the spoon and it just slid down my throat smoothly. Sensational and heavenly delicious that my eyes rolled over, leaving me looking like Linda's Blair pupilless eyes in 'The Exorcist." The base of glutinous rice was also soft and sinfully 'lemak' - thanks to the fresh coconut milk generously used in the steaming of this traditional Malay dessert. It was served in a champange glass! Priced at $3.60.

The bill for four came to a whopping $100.80. A bit high for us cheapskates.....but if the son is paying 50%, why not? Anyway I felt like a true dame because the Filipina waitress kept addressing me as "Yes maam", "What would you like maam?" and "May I be of service to you, maam?". Won't your knees become wobbly and head swell triple its size? You hardly hear our local chaps in the service line muttering those words, do you? It is no wonder than our service industry is being replaced with a lot of foreign workers if our youngsters do not have the patience, determination, resillence and the GEMS quality to retain their customers and clients.

You want to know if we would make a come back? I think we would. I would like to try the Vietnamese Pho because I did not try this out while in HCMC (they use pork there) and I would definitely try their toast served with a difference. What's the difference you may ask? That's for you to find out and try. So if you need to pamper yourself or celebrate an occassion with your loved ones, head to Simpang Bedok and roost at Asian Fare and Grill for an unhurried dinner. It's best to go on weekdays so that the waitress can address you as "Maam" or if her mood is high "Your Royal Highness" too!