Alvin Lai

Happy birthday Yingli and Xinyi! My JC classmates of CG25 decided to celebrate with crab this fine Saturday evening.

I was initially puzzled having to meet at 1730 for dinner. Upon reaching I understood why.

And mind you, it’s not a restaurant or anything. It’s a KOPI TIAM (COFFEE SHOP)! We started queueing at 1800 and the kopitiam auntie was like broadcasting a 60 to 90 minute wait for a table, even suggesting to try out a rival kopitiam just across the carpark!

Eventually the queue spilled onto the carpark and they had to redirect it.

I can’t resist Xinyi’s expression here

They even take orders while we queue to ensure that our crabbies arrive promptly when we get a table!

The birthday girls beaming when we’re finally next in line for a table. Notice the sign at the background, it reads: Please Q For Table N Order, Thank You.

Interesting!

Just look at the queue that formed behind us! Singaporeans will die for food.

A group of a while later, we learnt that a group of expatriates came by and unknowingly occupied a table was meant for us, without realizing that you actually had to queue to eat at this kopitiam.

Additional waiting time..

We got a table! Look at the happy girls.

And a hungry Bingxiong Joel looks like he’s wielding a light saber on his head :/ We finally got the table at 1910 – a 70minute wait!

Here comes the food!

Fried bread to go with the crab sauces..

Playboy Chicken. Serious! That’s what it’s called! It tastes damn good too!

Paper wrapped ribs.

Wok egg toufu. This is the bomb I tell you.

I can’t resist a nice closeup!

Front shot of the first crab. Butter crab! This is just sinfully delectable man.

Rear shot! They use fresh lettuce which goes so well with the sauce! Ohhh!

Frontal shot of the black pepper crab. Apologies for the unfocused picture.. Didn’t have many clean fingers left after the butter crab :p

Rear shot.. Thank you everyone for patiently waiting for me to take a shot before attacking the crab haha..

Damn solid the meat I tell you!

The flesh would like fray out like sea anemones!

The butter beehoon (thick vermicelli) crab is their signature dish. It doesn’t look much but I tell you the soup is.. you gotta try it out for yourself man. Butter and crab goodness!

Satistied tummies.

Marvelling at Bingxiong’s big bike..

A failed attempt for an artistic night shot at some random bushes..

Before finally leaving for AMK Central..

for supper at MOS Burger..

Wonderful night! Happy birthday Xinyi and Yingli!

Ah, nice dinner outings with the family. Dad discovered a newly opened food store just across the street, and off we went!

Simple delectable foodfare such as..

Fried Hokkien Mee and..

Oyster Omelete.

In a separate dinner outing the next evening, we went to try out satay at kopi tiam (coffee shop) near Serangoon central.

Heavenly I tell you.

I will so miss them in America. For a whole year too. Sigh

After that feast of stingray, blachan kang kong and pig trotters, we proceeded to the supermarket to get groceries and snacks for the World Cup.

After reaching home and settling down for a while..

“Eh cook shark’s fin liao! Want to take picture?”

“Okay!”

Here you are, more pictures of in progress cooking!

The ingredients

3 cans of Rabbit brand sharks fin soup base

Freshly chopped GARLIC (yum!) and just 1 beaten egg. Dad emphasizes just one egg here, unless you want to sample shark’s fin porridge haha..

From this angle, Dad reflected that it would be better if the garlic were chopped up into tinier chunks.

The Chef Works

Emptying the last drops of cooking oil – just nice.

Fuuu! Sizzling garlic!

Cooking under a medium flame like this.

Looking at this, yea the garlic chunks would be better, smaller.

Pouring in the first can.

Adding water, followed by the other 2 cans.

Waiting for it to boil.

Irresistible close up shots

Dad told me to look out for this, where most of the bubbles would accumulate at the middle, where it’s time to add egg.

Adding egg. As this step is critical to the texture of the soup, it was essential that it was done in a prompt manner, which explains the unfocused picture.

See the clear streaks of egg emerging? Oishi!

After turning off the stove, I once again had time to take another nice close up macro shot.

Served up nicely in a delectable orange melanin soup bowl.

Four bowls with more left in the wok for seconds. This was taken under florescent lighting, maybe this is why Steve said my pictures look disgusting :p

Shark’s Fin soup, XO Brandy and black vinegar. Another lip smacking family feast!

With an uneventful day comprising of creating powerpoint slides for a client and a few games of DOTA, things turned out for a change when Dad suggested eating out.

That means…

Stingray!

Maybe rice just looks extra yummy on green plates. Maybe I’m just hungry.

Blachan Chilli Kang Kong! Fuuu!

This is THE bomb I tell you! Mom even had to instruct the stingray lady to go easy on the blachan :p

And as though that’s not enough, Dad ordered Tur Kah! (Pig trotters)

Bought Mom’s favourite chinese pastries from the famous Thye Lee

They’ve been consistently yummylicious, with the thin crisp outer skin
and rich sweet inner lotus paste. Absolutely fabulous.

Then Mom returned with a red bundle of suprise.

I took one up, examined its texture.

The slightly moist reflective skin indicated ripeness.
It felt a little squishy too!

I couldn’t resist squeezing..

Splat! Squeezed a little too hard, sending bits of durian cream
on my face and all over in the vicinity of 1 meter.

Joking.. I simply took a bite.

It really felt like custard pie, only creamier and sweeter!

The durian season is here!