Desiree Koh:
February 5. The feasting officially began at this Indonesian Nasi Padang place on Haji Lane in Kampong Glam.
Desiree Koh:
Our spread.
Desiree Koh:
We washed all this down with teh alia, Malay ginger tea.
Desiree Koh:
A stop at Tom's Palette, one of my favourite local ice cream parlours.
Desiree Koh:
Finally, we got to have a Singapore Sling at the Writers Bar at Raffles Hotel, a must-do excursion for any Literary Brat.
Desiree Koh:
Singapore Sling, also the name of my fantasy baseball team.
Desiree Koh:
We met Mick and Shirley for dinner at Mellben Seafood.
Desiree Koh:
Black pepper prawns, for a new year full of laughter (the Chinese word for prawns is a homonym for "ha").
Desiree Koh:
Guinness ribs. So. Good.
Desiree Koh:
Stir-fried greens with abalone and some other shellfish.
Desiree Koh:
The famous butter crab, which Marylanders Mick and Shirley expertly plucked their way through.
Desiree Koh:
The even more famous crab bee hoon (rice vermicelli) soup, created by Mellben.
Desiree Koh:
February 6 (New Year's Eve). At Chinatown, lots of stalls already open to start selling off snacks, sweets and treats at discounts.
Desiree Koh:
Retro is cool -- handwritten auspicious signs used to be the de rigeur Chinese New Year decor back in the day.
Desiree Koh:
Our dim sum brunch at Yum Cha. Sadly, there were no carts that day.
Desiree Koh:
This guy rattled off attributes about his Taiwanese candy at rat-a-tat speed.
Desiree Koh:
This stuff was fo rizz.
Desiree Koh:
Jelly cups in the shape of auspicious fruits, like the pineapple. Jello shots?
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Sacks and sacks of peanuts.
Desiree Koh:
Despite carrying several bags and being laden with my obnoxious camera, this snack was so good I put everything down to take a picture of it.
Desiree Koh:
Looking up a Housing Development Board flat.
Desiree Koh:
At reunion dinner that night, Ah Ma made these delicious fried wontons.
Desiree Koh:
Hainanese pork chop by Aunt Wendy (sauce is somewhere to the side of the tray, not in picture).
Desiree Koh:
Nga ku from Mom -- I'm not really sure what it is, but it's available just once a year during the new year, so it's a delicacy for the Hakka ethnic group.
Desiree Koh:
Greens and clams by Aunt Alice.
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Chicken curry by Aunt Cindy and Irvin.
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Dumplings from the Kows.
Desiree Koh:
Roast lamb and steak from Dion.
Desiree Koh:
A stir-fry of kidney, liver and pork from Mom.
Desiree Koh:
The dinner spread.
