Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Singapore's 1st Cat Cafe ~ Neko no Niwa

Cat Cafes... I have heard of many in Japan and Korea, but I have never stepped into one when I was in Japan. That's because I was more of a dog lover rather than a cat lover. I realise how wrong I was when I visited Singapore's first cat cafe, out of curiosity...

Tucked along the street along Boat Quay, along with the seafood restaurants, stands Singapore's first cat cafe. It is located on the second floor of the shophouse unit. So do look up and watch out for the prominent metal signage at the shophouse, when you are looking for the cafe.



Cafe Cats, also known as Neko no Niwa 猫の庭, houses 13 cats. They were all adopted cats, saved from the streets and shelters. Under the care of Neko no Niwa, you won't be able to find a glimpse of their painful past. They are now healthy, fit and have a shiny smooth coat of fur.

The cafe is also very clean and well-kept. There are toys and structures for the cat residents to play with, and we can also brush their fur using the given brushes.

When we went over, it was 7pm. Some of the cats were just waking up from their naps. Some of the cuddly beings strutted around, stretched their lazy backs and approach the visitors warily.











Some are still half-awake and couldn't be bothered with our phone cameras, DSLRs stalking them and continued with their daily business.. or in some cases, their naps.





You might probably realise my favourite model at the cafe is Demi :P

For first-timers like us, we are given a booklet on the basic rules of the cafe.



The more prominent ones I remember is washing your hands before entering the cats' dormitories and not using flash when taking pictures. Actually, I stopped using my compact camera to take pictures of them too, as I realise when I try to focus my camera on them, it emits a red light, and the cats don't quite like them. So all the photos taken and posted here are via my trusty iPhone.

TIP
It is best to visit them during the late mornings or late evenings (like after 8pm), as the cats usually have afternoon naps. Since payment is by hours, it is better to visit when the cats are active.

It was therapeutic to hang around at the cafe, even though most of the time, I was stalking the cats, trying to take a good shot of them. But just watching them strut around, or jump up the shelves, or even just staring out the windows is surprisingly very relaxing...

Keen to pay a visit to Neko no Niwa too? Here are some things to note:

Payment structure
First hour at $12 per person, subsequent hour at $5 per person.

Food and drinks are sold too. Of course, payment for these are separate from the hourly charges. Take a peek at their menu.

They carry artwork and craftwork from other artists and crafters too. All revolving around the theme of cats. You can buy them too at the cafe.

TIP
Only cash payment accepted.

Where to find Neko no Niwa?

54A Boat Quay (Level 2)
Singapore 049843

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place Exit G, Clarke Quay Exit E


View Larger Map

And the most important of all... remember to call to make a reservation first! The cafe is very popular, hence it is best to book a place first before you go there, to avoid disappointment.

Telephone Number: 6536 5319

Hope to see you at Neko no Niwa! Can't wait to make a second visit... this time I will choose a timing when all cats are active!

Diving into the Global Teacher Status Index

Recently, a misleading headline has drawn sentiments across the education sector.

Now, let us take a deeper look into the Global Teacher Status Index by Varkey GEMS Foundation, to have a more comprehensive view of the comparison of the teachers across the world.

Do note, the survey respondents are randomly selected based on a certain quota in age, gender and region. Each country has 1000 responses via web survey. This also meant that there is a certain survey bias as respondents are more technical savvy and hence more highly educated, than should the survey be conducted traditionally using face-to-face approach. However, this bias is also noted in the report.

Firstly, let's zoom in on the teachers' wages segment. In the study, the researchers wanted to compare between the following 3 variables:

• Estimated teacher's wage (respondents estimate what the wage is)
• Perceived fair wage (respondents reveal what they think the fair wage should be)
• Actual wage (the actual starting wage)

Not indicated in the news report, the teacher's wage under scrutiny here is a secondary school teacher's starting wage. As it was omitted in the news article, it might have misled the public to think that they are comparing the average wage of a teacher (regardless of whether he/ she is teaching at a primary school or secondary school).

As many will know, the starting wage in Singapore, heavily depends on the qualifications of the entrant.

According to the press release (dated 2008, unfortunately I do not have access to updated numbers), "55% of our primary school teachers and 91% of our secondary school teachers are graduates". As such, by using a secondary school teacher's starting wage is not representative of that of an average teacher's wage. Given that almost all teachers entering secondary schools to teach are graduates, and that the wages are tied predominantly to qualification (since, it is a starting pay, hence with no prior working experience, remuneration based on experience here is irrelevant), the starting wage of a secondary school teacher will be higher than that of an average teacher's wage.

An annual wage of USD$37,144 (S$46,400), is predominantly a graduate's annual wage, which is not reflective of an average teacher's wage, which includes diploma graduates whose pay is significantly lesser.

If you are curious like me, you can compare the gross monthly wage of the said teacher's wage S$3867 with the other graduate starting pay according to the MOE Graduate Employment Survey 2012.

It then brings us to another point, in the report, there is no mention of the qualifications of the teacher, which they have tagged the actual wage/ estimated wage/ perceived fair wage to, which I think is a crucial piece of information which can help respondents may a fairer judgement. They should conduct a more intensive research on the qualifications of the teachers across the countries. Hence, it may not be a fair comparison of the wages across countries in this study.

As a sidenote, the wages have already been PPP adjusted, where PPP stands for Purchasing Power Parity. Hence they have considered the relative value across relative currencies.

The average teacher's wage is estimated to rise, and one of the reasons is that the qualifications of teachers are to be upgraded. Back in 2008, in the same article, the Ministry of Education (MOE) had plans to upgrade teachers' qualifications. In 2011, MOE announced they target to convert all teachers to graduates by 2020.

No doubt our government believes that a good education is the door to opportunities in life, hence a great emphasis is placed on the education sector. It translates to about 21.9% of the budget (based on FY2013 estimates via Singapore Budget 2013 [pdf, pg 4]) Intuitively, one will think the budget will trigger to high pay of the teachers to attract the best talents to the job. Reports like this also support the claim.

It will be interesting if the research has also delved into what the public perceive the job scope of a teacher and also the working hours of the teacher, and then compared it to the actual job scope and working hours of a teacher across countries. That would enlighten us better when analyzing the correlating factors of a teacher's status.

Personally, I think the perceived job scope and working hours will be directly correlated with a teacher's status.

Increasingly, a teacher's job stretches beyond teaching. It would be interesting to find out how other countries provide an all-rounder education for their children via teachers.

Other nuggets about Singapore in the report not mentioned in the news article:

Student's Academic Success and the Teacher's Status Index
PISA (OCED Programme for International Student Assessment) score aims to measure the student's success, with 1 being the highest score and 20 being the lowest score. Singapore has a score of 1. Yeah!



Hypothetically, a teacher's status should be correlated with a student's academic success, right? Unfortunately, according to this survey, they are unable to find a correlation between PISA and the Teacher's Status Index, they have derived. [Global Teacher Status Index, GTSI, pg 14]

Comparing Status Amongst Teachers
In ascending order, the average status ranking of teachers against other professions is: Primary School Teacher, Secondary School Teacher and Head Teacher. [GTSI pg 16]

Comparing Teacher's Status with Other Occupations
Amongst the 14 occupations, the top 5 occupations which respondents worldwide have selected that they find most similar in terms of status of a teacher are doctor, librarian, social worker, nurse and local government manager. Like 14 other countries (out of 21 countries), the respondents in Singapore relate a local teacher's status to that of a social worker. It is interesting to note the how the public view a teacher's status in the following countries (I've only picked those whereby there is a huge proportion of respondents selecting that option, hence a clearcut option):

• China- Doctor
• Japan- Local Government Manager
• USA- Librarian

[GTSI, pg 19]

Perceived Pupil's Respect for Teachers
The respondents also rated whether they think pupils respect their teachers. Singapore has the 3rd highest percentage of respondents who tend to agree or strongly agree that pupils respect their teachers.

It would be interesting to find out direct from the horses' mouths though, from the pupils, on whether they respect their teachers instead of adults' view of them, which might be skewed by other variables. [GTSI, pg 20]

How Much Do You Trust Teachers to Deliver a Good Education?
Based on the above surveyed question, 12 countries out of 21, scored higher than the international average score of 6.3. And Singapore is one of them. Brazil and Finland leads in this segment. [GTSI, pg 24]

How Good is the Education System?
With 1 as the lowest rating and 10 as the highest rating, Singapore is rated 6.66 amongst the 21 countries, coming in 3rd place, after Finland (1st, 7,72) and Switzerland (2nd, 6.69). [GTSI, pg 25; GTSI Interactive Data]

Teacher Union and Her Influence
Interesting to note, this comment is compiled under the individual report for Singapore:

"More people in Singapore (almost 50%) urged for greater union influence on pay and conditions than less influence (6%)." [GTSI, pg 43]

By the way, from the Singapore's Teacher Union website, it seems that membership is only for trained teachers. Hence untrained teachers and NIE trainee teachers will have to wait for their first official posting before applying.

Teacher Status Index
Overall, Singapore is ranked 7th with a score of 46.3. The highest score of 100, goes to China.

Staycation at Naumi Liora

What's your criteria of a staycation? It mainly lies in the purpose of the staycation. If you were like me, who wishes to hide from the hustle and bustle of a quick-paced weekday life through a staycation, then stay with me, as I analyse my stay with Naumi Liora according to these criteria:

1. Checkout Time
This is one of the main draws of this hotel. Under a special corporate package with my company, they offered late checkout till 3pm. However, there was a minor hiccup at the checkin. In the system, my checkout time was still stated as the usual 12pm. Luckily, another receptionist staff did some quick service recovery and maintained my 3pm checkout. Of course, it helps that I came prepared (the email correspondence of my booking)

2. Cost
Under the package, it offers the usual one-night stay, basic amenities, breakfast and late checkout at 3pm. It costs $198++ for 2. Pretty economical for a 4-star boutique hotel.

3. Room
I don't actually require a big room, so I am not looking for the size of the room like those I have stayed at I-Hotel (Batam) or Sheraton (Macau). I would say, the concept is like the one I stayed in Taichung at CityInn. Very compact. Only the necessities, and no redundant space.



As seen, there is no cabinet, but a steel bar for us to hang our clothes, economical. :) They offer an ironing board too! (quite out of the ordinary, I would say.)

However, a big minus for me, would be that the room comes with a very small window which is shut (I can't open). So, I can't get any sunrays into my room. (=_=)

Oh, and a big no-no for me, noise! The walls are pretty thin here, everytime a fellow hotel guest open or close their doors, or someone moved their furniture or huge trolley luggage around, I can hear them. Thank god... when it enters night-time, all these quieten down. Thus, it kinda failed me as a relaxing staycation spot. (>_<)

4. Character
Usually, I don't look for character of a hotel, especially for business hotel, as they are quite similar. But as a boutique hotel, it has its charisma. For Naumi Liora, as it is located in Keong Siak Road, with a colourful history, it has a retro twist. At the lobby, they offered snacks, including our favourite biscuit snacks topped with sugary twists (snacks from our childhood), M&Ms, cookies, chips, tea, coffee and even ice-cream. The bar is open 24/7. There is no room service for food, but we have the snack bar, or just venture out, Keong Siak, Duxton, Bukit Pasoh or even Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, to settle midnight cravings.



5. Bath
The bath and toilet area is actually quite important, especially so when we are overseas, as the hotel stay is mainly for baths and sleep. As for staycation, I am looking forward to a nice leisure bath. Especially so, when the website has shown pictures of bathtubs for their rooms. I even prepared bath salts for my rare bubble bath experience. (I don't have a bathtub at home.) So, I was quite disappointed to find that I only had a shower head. Though actually on regular travel days, a shower head is all I need.

And the major big turnoff is the lack of a shower door. The shower room and toilet is shared. There is no glass pane to separate the two. And unfortunately, the floor titles for the toilet area is not slip-proof. So you can imagine the aftermath of a shower. Wet and slippery toilet, which is on raised ground, actually quite dangerous for guests, if we should slip and fall backwards and hit the cabinet.

6. Breakfast
People who know me, know that I like buffet breakfasts at hotels. I love the big spread. It is probably the only time I can stomach a sumptuous breakfast regardless of how early that is. At first, when I know the breakfast is provided by Keong Siak Snacks, which is helmed by Michelin star chefs, I was very very looking forward.

As the expectation gets bigger, the disappointment gets bigger too. Honestly, the spread is quite miserly. Luckily, the ambience made up for some of the short-fall.





Keong Siak Snacks' normal menu was not that bad though. Tried their seared scallops with crispy pig's cheeks, an item under their regular menu. I love how they did the scallops. The pig's cheeks in ball form, came as a surprise to me. Not a great fan of pig's cheeks, eating it alone, was a tad too much. But eating with the dressings, tasted pretty good.



7. Amenities
They advertised that they have big name brands for their toiletries on their website. Mmm.. sorry I don't really know about branded toiletries, but I like what they provide. A nice lavender-peppermint fragrance.



And for coffee lovers, you have nepresso machines in your room. All complimentary.



But another big drawback for me is the lack of a pair of disposable slippers. Maybe they are going eco, so they didn't include this item. But no worries, I brought my own.

8. Accessibility
For us, Singaporeans, accessibility is not that much of an issue. We don't need to lug our huge luggages around, and we know our transport systems inside-out, almost. Naumi Liora is within walking distance between Outram MRT and Chinatown MRT. Perhaps it might be a bit complicated for foreigners, as it involved cutting through a few alleys amongst the shophouses. But it is nothing a Google Map can't solve. The orange exterior helps hotel guests to locate it as well.



Hence, there are lots of makan, shopping and tourist attractions around. Lots of interesting restaurants around Duxton and Bt Pasoh districts. Actually, just next door, there is a very interesting spot, The Library, which I read on reviews, it doesn't really sell or rent books, it is a bar which requires a password (seems like you can get them from the Keong Siak Snacks) to enter. The bookcases are just a distraction, or rather a cover. A pretty interesting way to draw consumers. Using mystic. Nevertheless, I did not venture into The Library. Instead I had a great time doing touristy stuff in Chinatown instead. Half-day as a tourist.

Talking about that, I am very surprised to find out that there are actually many hotels in this district. So many hotels have sprouted in recent years. Ulu me only knew about Hotel 1929 and Majestic.

As such, I guess for my next staycation, I shall obediently choose what most of my peers will pick - MBS or W Hotel. Either go glam at MBS, or a nice getaway at W Hotel which is located at the scenic Sentosa Cove.

Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail ~ Udon 2

You might already know, the first udon stall that brought me memories of Japan in Singapore is already closed down. (=_=)

But not to worry, I have spotted the second one. This one came with a big splash, it even have a news coverage on Channel News Asia:



Brought from the land of udon, Kagawa Prefecture, Tamoya is famous for her sanuki udon, characterised by its squarish shape with flattened sides.

Just like any other udon stall in Japan, first you choose how you want your udon to be done (with soup? which type- kake (golden broth) or bukkake (thicker shoyu soup)? curry? hot or cold?)

Then pick a size. Regular? Large?

Next choose the sides to go with your udon. Mostly deep-fried though. They now offer kitsune (sweet beancurd skin) too, as a rare non-deep-fried item. You can have an onigiri too, if you're really hungry.

TIP

Go for their tempura prawn. Worth the $2.50. And if you order an additional egg, do note it is a raw egg, not a half boiled one that you usually get in Japan.

Now go for the free toppings and sides like extra soup, tempura sauce, more crunchy tempura bits, cut spring onions, even grated ginger or tapioca for your sauce.

TIP

Go for the Chinatown Point outlet, they have way more free toppings. (omg.. even umeboshi (preserved plum)?!)

And tada... my kake udon... All these for just $8.90?! I could have added more toppings if I wanted.



Trying out other toppings on another occasion:



Tamoya now has 2 outlets in Singapore, one in Liang Court and the other newly opened one in Chinatown Point. I've tried both, and both at non-peak hours. At 5 plus or 6 in the evening. Definitely before the dinner crowd. Because it is during non-peak hours, the deep-fried items tend to lose its crispyness and that is quite evident in the Liang Court branch. Hence, during non-peak hours, it is best to order tempura prawns, which they will deep-fry fresh for you.

Personally, I like my kake broth. Just the right tinge of saltiness and dashi.

There you go, authentic udon experience in Singapore.

Tamoya

133 New Bridge Road
Chinatown Point SC B1#48-49


View Larger Map

177 River Valley Road
Liang Court SC #01-32
Singapore 179030


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Other Finding Japan in Singapore recommendations:

• Cake
• Oden
• Sushi
• Udon Factory

Filming Sites of "After-Dinner Mysteries" 「謎解きはディナーのあとで」の撮影場所

Not enough of "After-Dinner Mysteries 謎解きはディナーのあとで (Nazotoki wa dina no atode)"? Then, catch up on the making of the movie:
あなたも「謎解きはディナーのあとで」のファンですか？じゃあ、映画のあとで、「謎解きはディナーのあとで」の特集をご覧ください。


「映画　謎解きはディナーのあとで」公開記念!“謎解きはディナーのまえに”!？in シンガポール... by PModel

Still not enough? Why not (re-)visit the places that the filming took place?
物足りないですか？たったら、自分で旅しましょうか？シンガポールの撮影ところへ。

Marina Bay Sands

Opening scenes with Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
最初は Marina Bay Sands (MBS)の撮影です。

In the day, like in the movie...
昼の MBS、映画のような…



At night, MBS lights up...
夜の MBS も素敵ね…





Probably, the first time that MBS is featured on Japan national television, would be the Softbank ad which starred SMAP:
多分この SMAP が参加するの Softbank CM は MBS が日本テレビをデビューのときでした。



Yup, MBS is the one with the infinity pool.
そうです、あのすごいプールは MBS にあります。

Packed with lavish hotel suites, loads of shops and eating options, theatre, even a museum, MBS has it all. It is also one of the best locations to observe fireworks displays for locals.
贅沢ホテルだけでわなく、いろな店やレストラン、劇場、博物館までがあります。

How to get there?　アクセスは？

Take the MRT to Bayfront Station. You won't miss the exits to MBS. (Yeah, there's more than one exit to MBS)
地下鉄(MRT という乗り物)を乗って、 Bayfront 駅まで。 MBS 入り口は一とつだけではない。見つけるは簡単だ。

View Larger Map

Superstar Virgo

And of course, the main filming site, the Superstar Virgo, luxurious ship. Like 北川景子 has described, it's like an island by itself.
もちろん、大部撮影がとるの場所は Superstar Virgo です。北川景子と言ったとおり、あの船は島みたいだ。いろな設備があります。

How to book? 予約は？

Book via the Star Cruises website.
Star Cruises ウェブサイトで予約ができます。

P.S: I have yet to try out any Star Cruise ride, do let me know how it was!


Merlion Park

How can we forget Merlion, the icon of Singapore?



P.S: The above advertisment never fails to tickle me. :P

Merlion Park is located at the heart of Singapore, near many tourist attractions such as MBS, the Singapore Flyer, Singapore River. Unfortunately when the crew was filming the K-Lion ceremony scene, the Merlion was under renovation, as 椎名桔平 has shared in the making-of-the-movie video. Seriously, in all my life as a Singaporean, I have only seen the Merlion being boarded once, in my own eyes, and that was for the Art Installation of the Merlion Hotel. Hence, it is actually pretty lucky for the crew to see the Merlion-on-holiday, as it's very rare!

Merlion Park はシンガポールの中心であって、近くはいろな観光名所があります。例えば MBS とか Singapore Flyer とか Singapore River があります。一年前、 K-Lion の式を撮影のとき、Merlion　が修復工事をしました。椎名桔平も特集で残念の気持ちを伝われました。でも、シンガポール人の私も、一回だけMerlionの休み中の姿が見ました。あれは、日本人アーティストの西野達氏のシンガポールビエンナーレの参加作品- Merlion Hotel の立った時だけです。だから、 Merlion の休み中の姿が見えれることもらーキと思いませんか？すこく、珍しいだから。

How to get there?　アクセスは？
Take MRT to Raffles Place MRT, and use Exit H.
地下鉄(MRT という乗り物)を乗って、Raffles Place 駅まで。H 出口を使ってください。

View Larger Map

Water Taxi Along Singapore River

Can't forget the "I'm flying!" scene from "After-Dinner Mysteries"? Here's your chance to try it yourself on the water taxi, which cruises along the Singapore River. Soak in the cityscape view as you romance with your partner.

あの「謎解きはディナーのあとで」の"I'm flying!"シンが忘れない？じゃあ、今回は Singapore River に water taxi の上で自分でやって見ましょう！ロマンの時も、シンガポールの景色をたっぶり見ましょう。

How to book? 予約は？
Book via the Singapore River Cruise website.
Singapore River Cruise ウェブサイトで予約ができます。

Raffles Hotel

Lastly, the filming site for the ending scene, Raffles Hotel. Seems like 桜井翔 and other casts have stayed here during their movie shoot too.
最後の撮影場所は Raffles Hotel です。桜井翔とほかのカスト皆さんはあそこ泊まれたらしい。

Do not forget to visit the Hall of Fame when you are there. 桜井翔's photograph is also displayed there!
Raffles Hotel へ行ったとき、あそこの Hall of Fame も行ってみよ。桜井翔の写真もあそこで飾れました。

How to get there?　アクセスは？

Take MRT to City Hall MRT, and use Exit A.
地下鉄(MRT という乗り物)を乗って、City Hall 駅まで。A 出口を使ってください。

View Larger Map

And that concludes the "After-Dinner Mysteries" Tour. Hope to see you in Singapore!
以上は「謎解きはディナーのあとで」の旅です。シンガポールへ、ようこそ！

Other related posts:
- After-Dinner Mysteries World Movie Premiere in Singapore

Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail ~ Sushi

Sushi is probably one of the first foods that comes to your mind when you think of Japanese cuisine.

Today, let me introduce you to a 回転すし (kaiten sushi, sushi served on conveyor belt) place in Singapore, which reminds me very much of the kaiten sushi outlets in Japan. It's especially similar to the カッパ寿司　Kappa Sushi chain, which offers affordable 100 yen sushi.

Located in Liang Court, a mall that specializes in Japanese cuisine and shops, 漁師寿司活けいけ丸　Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru, is probably no surprise to local Japanese or Japanese culture lovers.





What differs from our local kaiten sushi chains like Sakae, Ichiban Sushi/ Boshi and Sushi Tei, is the variety of dishes that Ryoshi Sushi offers.

I am particularly drawn to this variety of salmon sashimi sushi. Being a big fan of salmon, I have practically tried all varieties of salmon sushi whenever I visit Kappa Sushi in Japan.


Kappa Sushi

I found it interesting that a typical salmon sushi is actually with onions and mayonnaise! Of course, Kappa Sushi also offers the one without toppings サーモン(玉ねぎ無).

The toppings actually complement very well with the salmon sashimi.

And yes, Ryoshi Sushi, offers that! It is the first restaurant that I can find in Singapore that offers this salmon sushi:


Salmon sushi with onion and mayonnaise topping

Like all kaiten sushi, Ryoshi Sushi dishes are colour coded. Prices range from $1.80 to $6.80 (before tax and service charge) per plate, depending on the colours. Green is the cheapest, while black is the most expensive. In this case, yellow plates (salmon sushi) cost $2.80.

Have you also noticed that the sashimi are usually longer than the length of the sushi rice? This is also a typical feature of sashimi sushi in Japan. But somehow, in local kaiten sushi outlets, sashimi are usually much shorter.

Other less commonly found sushi varieties which you must try are:

Queen's Crab Sushi


Probably boiled or steamed, it still retains the sweetness of the crab. There are two pieces per plate, by the way. The sushi were too tempting so I ate one, before I caught it on film. :P It is on the slightly higher end of the range, costing $5.80 per plate.

Next, do give this sakura prawns a try:

Raw Sakura Prawns


Characterised by the reddish pink flesh, these prawns are named after the sakura. Sakura prawns are one of the specialties in Izu, where Ryoshi Sushi imported most of the seafood supplies from. (沼津 Numazu is a city in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture)

I have tried to order their tamago series, but they are always sold out on the occasions I went. Do let me know how they taste like if you have tried. I bet they must be really good.

Queues are quite long on weekends though. Do be prepared.

How to get there?
177 River Valley Road
Basement 1 Liang Court
(opposite Mediya Supermarket)


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Other Finding Japan in Singapore recommendations:

• Cake
• Oden
• Tamoya Udon
• Udon Factory

Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail ~ Oden

Sorry for the hiatus from this series: Finding Japan in Singapore. ごめね！

Recently, I found this new spot tucked in a little corner in town, which sells authentic oden! Oden is somewhat like the Japanese version of Singapore's Yong Tau Foo.

This common street food in Japan is very readily available everywhere in Japan. Especially in winter, almost all convenience shops will serve oden. However, Oden is quite hard to find in Singapore. Unlike its counterparts like sushi and ramen, there aren't that many restaurants that serve Oden.

DO YOU KNOW?
Oden is known as 關東煮 (guan tong zhu) in Taiwan.

Hence, I was quite surprised to find an izakaya (Japanese drinking bar) in Singapore that actually serves mouth-watering oden, which reminds me of Japan's.

There are lots of different choices for Oden. My favourite is the daikon. :)




And here's where you can have a bowl of piping hot oden, Orihara Shoten 折原商店. It is within 5-minutes strolling distance from the shopping mall, UE Square. (Oh, by the way, the 7-11 at UE Square is serving Oden now too. Though I have yet to try theirs.)

Address: 11 Unity Street #01-02 Robertson Walk Singapore 237995

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Their main business is selling sakes, both in store and take-away. Lots of varieties here. :P Being an umeshu fan, I love their series, as they have such a wide variety! My personal favourite is the yuzu umeshu.

Other than oden, I would also recommend these sides to go with your sake: grilled stingray and grilled prawns. They also serve yakitori which is supplied by the yakitori restaurant next-door.

TIP
There are very few seats indoor. Most of us stand around the bar. But you can request for foldable chairs, which they call "Priority Seats". We have to give up our seats to the disable, elderly and pregnant ladies when they step in. There are lots of outdoor seats though.

Don't forget to drop by Orihara Shoten for your 二次会 (second round of makan session)~

Other Finding Japan in Singapore recommendations:

• Cake
• Sushi
• Tamoya Udon
• Udon Factory

Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail ~ Cakes at Kki

Thank you for your patience, fellow foodies!

Here's the second installment of the "Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail". :)

This time, let's go for some sweet treats- cakes!

When I was in Japan, I often go on bike rides to track down cafes, as I simply love Japanese cakes. Somehow the cream they use is lighter, and it is relatively less sweet. And of course not forgetting, they can be so cute at times!


Sorry! This is not available in Singapore. It's from Sugarpot in Hamamatsu. Nevertheless, I am still on a lookout for similar cafes in Singapore.

Kki is a nice little, zen cake shop nestled at Ang Siang Hill. It is owned by a Japanese-Singaporean couple. The pâtissier is a true blue Japanese pastry chef, hence the authentic sweet treats from Japan.

"Kki" is probably inspired by the word ケーキ (ke-ki) which means cake in Japanese.


Mont Blanc- the classic


Little Red Riding Hood (there's a raspberry filling inside!)


Fromage Melon = Melon Cheese Cake


Antoinette ~ White chocolate with a tinge of mango

Like the shop decor, the cakes' decor is at a minimal, very classic, very zen.

Prizes range from $6+ to $8+.

They serve tea as well. But there are limited seats in the cafe, as they co-share the space with The Little Drom Store, a nice shop selling retro knick-knacks.

A nice hangout for afternoon tea while you are in the vicinity:

View Larger Map

Address: 7 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069791

It's Kki time!

Other Finding Japan in Singapore recommendations:

• Oden
• Sushi
• Tamoya Udon
• Udon Factory

Finding Japan in Singapore ~ Makan trail ~ Udon

Time flies! It's already 2 months back home! :)

But I still have this naggy homesickness feeling... missing my 2nd home... Japan. Like when I first went over, I first missed the people, now the food, and next the environment and my life there. But that's a whole other reverse culture shock story to tell another day.

So now, I turn to my comfort food, which has changed as well. I now go on a search for all-things Japanese. As authentic as possible.

For other fellow Japan-lovers, who miss Japan, this new series is for you. My Finding Japan in Singapore series. First to debut will be the makan series, as I share on the authentic Japanese makan places on our tiny red dot, Singapore.

Just newly opened at Lau Pa Sat, the Udon Factory 藤井製麺所 stall, is almost like any udon stall in the food court in Japan. The first authentic udon makan place I have encountered in Singapore!



So what's so special?

First, the Sanuki udon 讃岐うどん. Ingredients for the udon are imported from Kagawa Prefecture 香川県, which is also famous for their udon.

Secondly, the variety of udon selections. Unlike the usual shouyu udon, that we are so familiar with. This udon stall's selections are closer to the ones in Japan. For example: 釜揚げうどん Kamage udon, かけうどん Kakeudon,きつねうどん Kitsune udon and 釜玉うどん Kamatama udon. (read more on udon varieties)


My fave- 釜玉うどん Kamatama udon, topped with vegetable tempura ✿(｡◕‿◕｡)

Thirdly, the sale model is very much like the authentic one as well. First, customers decide on which udon they want. Then choose the size (normal or double). Next you can add other toppings, like prawn tempura, vegetable tempura, pumpkin tempura, onigiri, etc. Then finally, you pay at the cashier, which is at the end of the row.

Prices are very reasonable as well. My Kamatama udon with a vegetable tempura topping cost $5+, which is like what Singaporeans would say, foodcourt prices. Considerably cheap for an authentic udon meal.

Keen to give Udon Factory a try?

Here's how to get there:
Lau Pa Sat, Stall 32 (It has a size of 2 stalls), right behind Wendy's.


View Larger Map

TIP
The stall opens from 11am to 8pm. But before 12 noon, there is already a long queue forming. They will then close at 2pm and then open later during the day for dinner business. So do go earlier to beat the lunch crowd!

*-*-*-*

Unfortunately, the Udon Factory has closed down its only branch in Singapore. :(

Other Finding Japan in Singapore recommendations:

• Cake
• Sushi
• Oden
• Tamoya Udon

N.E.mation is here again!

Wow.. time flies.. It's now into the 6th season!

This year the theme of N.E.mation is "N.S.: From Father to Son". The team with the winning animation clip based on the former theme will win a trip to DreamWorks Animation in USA!

Very attractive indeed!

I want to swim in that skypool, too!

Gosh.. don't you wanna jump in that swimming pool and enjoy the skyview from there? Imagine a cityscape view from 55th storey! The Skypark swimming pool (I will calling it skypool, for short, here)... 良いなあ。行きたい！

Being away from Singapore, meant that I was quite behind in terms of Singapore news and updates. Mm.. which shouldn't be an issue if I have religiously kept myself updated :P I am pretty much unaware of news uncovered by news tweets and unmentioned by my Singapore friends on facebook.

So, when my Japanese colleague asked me about the skypool, pretty much out of the blue, I was really lost. Eh... you mean, we have a swimming pool on top of our Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel? Eh... really? I know we have a Skypark, which is opened for public viewing as well, with some sections closed, only exclusive to guests, too. Mmm.. so I assume he probably means the Skypark instead of a skypool.

So imagine my surprise, when I finally saw the SMAP TV ad on my Japanese TV set. How ignorant I was! There really is a skypool in Singapore!

And it reminds me very much like the pool in Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at Palms Las Vegas, which I saw from a Japanese TV program.

Very very posh...

Now back to MBS...



I so wanna visit the Infinity Pool (the name of the Skypool)! (◕ω◕❀) But I think it is likely (actually I am 99% sure) that it is only reserved for their hotel guests. Gotta book a one-night stay there!

When I am back in Singapore, I want to spend a day properly exploring the new facilities at MBS resort! Like a tourist. （✿◕‿◕)ﾉﾞ ♬♫

Where is the Merlion?

Can you spot what is different in this picture?



Where is the Merlion? And what is that red building in its place?

It's... The Merlion Hotel!

Yeah.. I was equally as surprised as you (if you are an overseas Singaporean/ tourist familiar with Singapore). Is this Merlion Hotel for real? A permanent fixture?

Well.. yes and no. Yes, this is real, and happening right now. The hotel consists of just one suite, but it is a fully functional 5-star suite, operated by Fullerton Hotel. It is available for booking from April 4 to May 5. But, it is already fully booked.

It is not a permanent fixture but is an art installation for Singapore Binennale (an annual art festival) 2011. This is designed by a Japanese artist, 西野達 Tatzu Nishi.

From 10am to 6.15pm (last admission), it is opened to public viewing. I decided that I have to visit it while I am home for this spring vacation.

In the queue on a weekday afternoon, most of the visitors are either tourists or students on school excursions.

TIP

We have to remove our shoes before entering. We are given only about 7 minutes to explore the suite. We can take as many pictures/ videos as we like, but we cannot touch both the Merlion nor the furnishings in the room.

In the room...


Woaah.. this is the first time I am so close to the Merlion. It's huge!


Matching wallpaper




The bathroom with the Singapore river view

Great views...





I think you can watch the Marina Bay Sands weekend laser shows from the balcony, too.


Picture taken from the platform and not from the hotel balcony.

And a cheeky sign to remind hotel guests...



And with that, time's up... and I have to leave the Merlion Hotel. :(

I still miss the our iconic statue, the Merlion, though. It's seems so strange to see it boarded up. So, tourists, who visit Singapore during this period, will have to be contented with the smaller one, if you miss the visiting hours of The Merlion Hotel.

And here's the Merlion Hotel, whilst it last. After that, we will have our plan old merlion buddy back :)


大きな地図で見る

Eh! You are from Singapore? What Foreigners Think of Us

Decided to do a mini post on what the foreigners think of Singapore, during my one year stay in Japan (as a foreigner haha...). Foreigners in this post refer to the Japanese and other foreigners (non-Singaporeans) who come to work or study in Japan.

If they have some impression of Singapore...
They will usually start with.. Oh! Singapore! It's a very clean country. And you know where the conversation will lead to... You guys impose fines for people who litter right?

Ah. The infamous tidbit of Singapore's traits. Singapore is a fine country, as in fines, collecting money as punishment for certain offences. But, do note, we do impose corrective work order now too, in addition to just fines.

Or the other very famous one... You guys get fined for eating gum too, right? Or Is gum illegal in Singapore?

Umm... yes. This law was enacted in 1992, and is still remembered fondly by our foreigner friends. Actually, it bans the import and sale of chewing gum, and not really the actual consumption. But then, since you can't import nor sell it, then no one in Singapore in actual fact can eat it then. Allowances has been permitted to nicotine gum which helps smokers to quit smoking. You would need to show your IC to buy though.

Or on the brighter note... Singapore! Ah! I know, I know! Merlion! You have merlion, right?

This, I think STB and travel agencies have done a pretty good job. Yes, they remember our mascot, Merlion! :D Merlion is often featured in Japanese textbooks which has the topic on Singapore, too.

If they have no impression of Singapore...
Seeing that I am a Chinese, they will immediately link to... Is Singapore part of China? Which by all considerations, a very valid point, as I am a Chinese, and Singapore is a very tiny country, so if you have not been around Malaysia, Indonesia etc, you probably won't notice Singapore.

Or, they usually think... Is Singapore a city in Malaysia? Are you a Malaysian? Due to the close proximity of Singapore and Malaysia, often I am mistaken as a Malaysian as well.

Some are very surprised by Singapore's climate though... Eh! You don't have winter? Not even the four seasons? Even xxx has winter.

This is probably because they have not visited any tropical or sub-tropical countries, so they cannot imagine a place with summer all-year round, like Singapore. I am envious of them though, I would love to live in a place with 4 seasons. Then you would have autumn colours, blooming of cherry blossoms, and snow.

*I'll update more as I go along. :)

The NDP Parade Before I Set Off

Thanks to Darran, Huishan and I managed to get a pair of tickets for the NE Show of this year's National Day Parade.

Drawn by the varied designer totebags (credit to @molemole), I've wanted a chance to go for this year's NDP parade. The last one I went was last year's Combined Rehearsal, and enjoyed the musical version of NDP a lot. Wonder what's this year's NDP has in-store for us?

This was my first, watching NDP with school children, and the feel was quite different, as they were very active. They were so cute, that they actually repeated after the parade commander's commands, sentence by sentence!


Genki kids


懐かしい。I was formally from NPCC, too...

This year's parade was more of formations, somewhat similar to the past few years.





A highlight would be the appearances of Corrine May and Kit Chan to perform the following 2 songs:

Song for Singapore


Home


Kit Chan did not come for the NE Show though :( Nevertheless, "Home" got me teary. Maybe the entire atmosphere of the parade built up, and yup, I got teary. Words like "Singaporeans abroad", "overseas", "miss Singapore", etc, struck a chord with me, as I will be on my solo adventure to Japan for 1 year or more soon.

We were very lucky, as once every 5 years, NDP is held at Padang, and this year's is held at Padang. The Marina Floating Platform will be used for Youth Olympic Games rehearsals instead. With the lucky location, we managed to get superb views of the fireworks. Fireworks with the Marina Bay Sands and Esplanade as background.


Sorry, the image is a bit blurry. I didn't have a tripod with me then.

And that's the finale of the NDP NE Show 2010.

I will miss you, Singapore! お元気ね！