www.Go To The Mountain - Musings of a Potential Guru

Mee Siam. What is Mee Siam? As you know Siam is the former name for Thailand but many of you are familiar with Thailand but at no time have I tasted Mee Siam in Thailand and yet it seems to suggest that it could originally be 'Siamese Noodles'. Commonly known to us, it is basically rice vermicelli popular in Singapore and Malaysia. It could have originated from Malay or Peranakan communities or could it be just have been inspired by or simply adapted from Thai flavours and it captures the essence of spicy, sweet and sour in a light gravy. The gravy is made from ''rempah'' ( the core ingredients of rempah are chilli, shallots and garlic with other spices and rempah actually means spice paste).  In our multi-racial food paradise, even Mee Siam is varied. The Malays even have a dry version which is essentially stir-fried rice vermicelli using the same ingredients. Some may garnish it with chives, omelette strips, bean spouts and lime. Some may ...

Singapore is developing so fast that one by one my childhood memories and places are being wiped out. Old memories are good and future ones may not be so we had better treasure it. The names of the roads and places are still there but everything or most have been transformed.  I decided I wanted a bit of nostalgia so I came to Balestier/Kim Keat and Whampoa. Balestier is the main road and Kim Keat and Whampoa are parallel to each other. You get further down and you will reach Jalan Bahagia and Jalan Tenteram and across the highway of PIE Jalan Toa Payoh on the opposite side was where my paternal grandparents lived. My now defunct Kim Keat Primary School at Kim Keat Road was within walking distance to all neighbour children from all the above named places. My maternal grandparents lived in Jalan Kemaman (along Balestier Road)  and this is where I grew up during the formative years.  My first stop took me the Whampoa as I was thinking through my stomach as it was l...

When you recently felt that the morning and evening air was chilled did you feel a welcome relief especially in the morning? We should really have more of such weather where the sun is up, bright and shining but windy indicating that Spring is near. It is also particularly good for golf. I just love blue skies. When I was a child, by this time the noise and smell of fire crackers and fireworks would let everybody know of the impending new year. A few families could be living under one roof and some weeks before the Lunar New Year, all the aunts would start preparing to bake all kinds of new year cookies. The sight and aroma of love letters, pineapple tarts, Kueh Bangkit, Kueh Bahuru would fill the air and lends much more to the festive activities.  Fruits like pomelo, mandarin oranges are everywhere. Time to prep the house. Shoppers throng the streets. Celebrate with all things red. Wise sayings and good wishes in calligraphy. ...