Yu Sheng (鱼生) Lo Hei "Huat Huat Huat" with Fraser Centrepoint Malls

People who know me personally, knows that I have a very unique tradition in my own family, started by none other than yours truly. Every year my family will partake in the raising of chopsticks as we indulge in Yu Sheng, or Lo Hei during the Chinese New Year period. Our family, including the 4 kiddos will have it from the eve till the 15th day of CNY without missing a single day, believing that it brings good luck for the whole family! 

Although the dish was really meant to be consumed on the 7th Day of Chinese New Year Day or what is commonly known as Ren Ri (人日), it was not long before Singaporeans and Malaysians started having it every other day during the festive period! Who would mind having more luck anyway?

One should be able to find Yu Sheng from any reputable Chinese restaurant or "Zhi Char" stall all the way through to the 15th day of CNY (if they are open for business). But I am sure you are aware that Yu Sheng is also readily available at your favourite restaurant chains, be it Japanese or Western cuisine right? In any case, I have compiled some that you can readily find in some of the Fraser Centrepoint Malls -

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The Centrepoint, #03-43

Crystal Jade Kitchen

Reunion Baby Abalone Yu Sheng - A classic rendition of the traditional dish but with fresh baby abalones instead. Salmon option is also available if you would prefer.

Price: $42.80 (suitable for 5 pax) | $68.80 (suitable for 10 pax)

Available for takeaway, order 3 days in advance online here but collection is not available from 28 – 31 Jan 201.

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The Centrepoint, #02-55

Din Tai Fung

Prosperity Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng - Embellishing the traditional delicacy for an extra boost of success and strength are roasted chestnuts, together with twirls of crispy yam, fresh pomelo pulp and white radish that signify luck and longevity. Finally, the dish is finished with a drizzle of Din Tai Fung’s sweet and tangy plum sauce for a refreshing hit!

Price: $32.80 (suitable for 2-3 pax) | $48.80 (suitable for 4-6 pax)

Available from till 11 Feb 2017, for both dine-in and takeaway. Check here for more info.

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Causeway Point, #05-06/07 | Waterway Point East Wing, #B1-19

Ichiban Boshi

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng - Uses fresh Norwegian Salmon with refreshing Yuzu Yu Sheng Sauce drizzled over your usual vegetable strips.

Price: $26.80 (12 pieces salmon, takeaway not available) | $39.80 (18 pieces salmon) | $49.80 (24 pieces salmon)

Available till 11 Feb 2017, for both dine-in and takeaway. Check website for more info.

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The Centrepoint, #04-17/18

Kyoaji Japanese Dining

Kyoaji Yu Sheng - Kyoaji means "taste from Kyoto" and they take pride in serving the freshest seafood. Their Japanese Yu Sheng is a healthier version with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond and sesame seeds that adds to the crunchiness, and not forgetting fresh salmon too.

Price: $68.00 (suitable 4-6 pax)

Available till 11 Feb 2017, for both dine-in and takeaway. Check website for restaurant info.

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The Centrepoint, #02-53/54

MOF の My Izakaya

Prosperity Yu Sheng - Another traditional Yu Sheng with the various pickled vegetable and fresh vegetable strips topped with fresh salmon sashimi. 

Price: $28.88++ (suitable 1-3 pax) | $40.88++ (suitable 4-6 pax) | $58.88++ (suitable 7-10 pax)

Available for both dine-in and takeaway (only GST applies).  Check out website for restaurant info.

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Waterway Point West Wing, #01-23

London Fat Duck

Best know for their fat duck of course, but they do have the traditional Yu Sheng with salmon sashimi too! You will be expecting duck meat right?

Price: $28.80++

Available for both dine-in and takeaway ($2+ extra).  Check out website for restaurant info.

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Anchorpoint, #01-32/33

Fish Mart SAKURAYA

Prosperity Yu Sheng Platter - This platter looks more like a big plate of sashimi rather than your typical Yu Sheng and would surely please any seafood lover with its generous portions of Amberjack, Swordfish, Baby Octopus and Jellyfish!

Price: $68.00 (M) | $88.00 (L)

Valid till 12 Feb 2017, for both dine-in and takeaway and delivery with $100 minimum purchase. Check website for  info.

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Causeway Point, #02-08/09 | Waterway Point, #02-35 | Northpoint, #02-12

Swensen's

Fortune 18 Yu Sheng - Consists of 18 auspicious ingredients and thick succulent smoked salmon. Beside your usual carrot julienne, Chinese lettuce and Chinese celery, this dish also includes ingredients like shimeji mushrooms, sweet pomelo, crispy wanton skins and Swensen’s very own secret recipe sweet and sour plum sauce to inject a refreshing spin of flavours into this classic lunar new year dish.

Price: $23.80++ (Dine-in), $32.80+ (takeaway, good for 8 pax)

Available till 11 Feb 2017, for both dine-in and takeaway. You can order online here before 07 Feb 2017 for last collection on 11 Feb 2017. Visit any outlets direct for orders after 07 Feb 2017.

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China Square Central, #01-56(part)/57/58/59/ 60/61/62

Mouth Restaurant

Mouth's Abalone Yu Sheng - Uses Australian baby abalone, olive oil and special home-blended sweet sauce for the oomph! Besides abalone, the restaurant also has a special Duo Fish version that uses Crispy Fish Skin (Dace fish) and Silver Fish (White Bait Fish).

(Mouth's Abalone Yu Sheng) Price: $52.80++ (M) | $68.80++ (L)



(Prosperity Duo Fish Yu Sheng) Price: $38.80++ (M) | $48.80++ (L)

Available till 11 Feb 2017. Check out website for restaurant info.

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The Centrepoint, #05-15/16

Beauty in The Pot

Prosperity Abalone Yu Sheng - A traditional Yu Sheng rendition with strips of cucumber, carrots, radish, paired with tangy condiments and whole abalones which symbolises abundance or surplus of wealth!



Price: $39.80++ (Dine-in, up to 6 pax) | $59.80++ (Dine-in, up to 10 pax) | $45.80+ (Takeaway, up to 8 pax)

Available till 12 Feb 2017 and available in one size for takeaways. Check out website for restaurant info.

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The Centrepoint, #B1-11/12

Royal London Duck

Prosperity Duck Lo Hei - OMG really use duck meat! A modern take on the traditional Yu Sheng (Lo Hei), this dish features their signature roasted duck shredded and mixed with a variety of meat and vegetables that gives it a unique fragrance. Other ingredients includes shredded carrot, white radish, preserved melon strips, preserved ginger strips, egg crepes, shredded duck and shredded clam, paired with a special marinade sauce that enhances the dish with its refreshing fruity taste.



Price: $28.00 

Only one size available for takeaways. Check out FB page for restaurant info.

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Changi City Point, #01-26/27

Tung Lok Signatures

Prosperity Yu Sheng - Made of luxurious fresh vegetables, mushrooms, homemade yam, sweet potato shreds, and topped with TungLok’s special plum sauce. Do note that fresh Norwegian Salmon is only used for dine-in orders, while smoked Norwegian Salmon will be used for takeaways .



Price: $48.00+ (suitable for 6 pax) | $78.00+ (suitable for 10 pax)

Check out website for restaurant info.

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All information accurate at the time of publishing, and every effort was made to indicate if the service charges or GST were included (although I had probably missed out some, my bad!)

The true enjoyment of having Lo Hei, is eating it together with your friends and family, and shouting out loud "huat ah!" as you toss the ingredients high up in the air. Having delicious Lo Hei would be a bonus! The smiles, the laughter and the positive energy, is what makes everyone lucky, and make this a truly special dish indeed. And with this, I wish everyone and all, a PROSPEROUS and WONDERFUL new year ahead! HUAT AH!

Benefits of Gardening with Kids

When we ask the kiddos about their hobbies or activities after school hours, chances are they would answer enrichment classes or playing on their mobile devices. Technology is a huge part of our lives these days, so much so that almost everything that we used to enjoy, has a virtual side to it. While we may have physically shopped for products and services in the past, these days we shop online. In the past, we used to often meet up and have fun with our friends and family but now we follow each other on social media and interact through likes and comments. Gardening has even been replaced with the “Farmville” app! 

It is time we expose our kiddos to real gardening, lest they turn into adults with only hazy ideas of where the produce in the supermarkets come from, and not even knowing the basics for growing some greens for survival. And exposing Steffi to the basics of gardening was my first step in getting her interested in what I love doing when I have the free time too. I always find that keeping plants has a very therapeutic effect on me. Some what are the benefits of gardening with the kiddos?

Educational 

One can read about all the different types of plants and the way they can be propagated. But nothing beats having hands on experience and growing your own plants from seeds, through cuttings and even division and marvel at the miracle of life itself! Through gardening, they can learn about science too! 

Fun Bonding 

In the near future, I would imagine visiting nurseries with Steffi and having a discussion with her on the type of ornamental plants we would both like to grow in our home. We may even try growing some melons or herbs too! But for now, it is already enjoyable teaching her how to prepare suitable substrates for the seeds, or how deep to stick the plant cuttings into and to see that she thoroughly enjoys the bonding sessions. 

Inculcate Patience 

As mentioned earlier, technology may have made everything more efficient but it also drastically reduced the attention span of the kiddos, who now craves instant gratifications. Gardening on the other hand, requires lots of responsibility and patience. Waiting for the seedlings to sprout and grow, or for the plants to mature and flower takes time and makes the end result something to look forward to. I would say that is a good way to reverse the negative effects that technology had on our growing kiddos. 

Love For Nature 

We are all but guests on this planet we share with all the other living creatures, but we had been carelessly causing harm to Earth because of our greed. It is good that we teach our kiddos from young, how to care properly care for plants (and other creatures too), and who knows it may jolly well be a survival skill too! 

As a parent, you can help your children grow up to be stronger physically, mentally and emotionally, so that they will be better equipped to discover and experience the world around them. Read more here. 

Note: This blog post is in collaboration with Friso. Kids learn from experiences whether big or small, good or bad. That’s why Friso provides the right nutrition for your child to be strong inside to take on challenges. For more information on Friso, follow them on their Website, Facebook or Instagram.

Camp Ecotopia

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Camp Ecotopia is a 3-day camp organized by Camp Chartwell that lucky Steffi, Leroy and Stacci got to attend last December holidays. In all honestly, I had no inkling of what they will be going through in the camp, but I reckoned that they will be properly taken care of. I also know for a fact that it sure beats having them "wasting" their time at home (often on their individual devices), while the two of us work during the school holidays. 

My first impression on the first day of camp was "wow... machiam no adults one ah? Only students taking care of kids?", because all the Camp Chartwell peeps looked really young, like JC or poly students! But when I got home from work that evening, my wife exclaimed that the kiddos were really enjoying their time there, so much so that they didn't even want to leave when she went to pick them up after her work. A stark contrast from how the kiddos get upset at times when we were late at picking them up from the childcare or school, and it seems that the "students' must be working some real magic on them. I know, because even when I asked the kiddos if they would forgo their electronic devices just to go to the camp, they all gave a resounding yes!

Since we had to leave the kids in the care of the facilitators (and we had to work anyway), we were none the wiser about what exactly went on at the camp as we worked. But as I reviewed the photos given to us, it was quite evident that they were enjoying their time during the 3-day camp. I loved it that the kiddos were given the room to explore and exercise their imagination building all sorts of stuff from recycled materials. And also how they were exposed to nature during their outing to Gardens By The Bay on the second day, where they learnt about the different plants parts, as well as the other beautiful shapes of nature (such as shells) that they used for the beautiful structures they built.

The kiddos also let in that they loved the dramatic performances of their very animated "Captains" as they shared the story of Chartwell Land with them. Besides thoroughly enjoying the dance rehearsals, the other highlight of their camp would have to be the tea breaks, which Steffi exclaimed, was way better than their lunch!

At the end of the 3-day camp, the thoughtful Captains also put together an entertaining and meaningful performance for us parents, that revolved around the theme of sustainability and loving of our planet. It was amazing to see how all the kiddos enjoyed putting up the performance, which showed in their smiles. I am sure many of them would have had to overcome their own fears to put up the performance. Steffi and Leroy were super excited after their second day at the camp, and had to remind me numerous time to come watch them on the third day!

 

I had seen for myself how much the 3 kiddos enjoyed the camp, and also felt the confidence they gained and exuded in their final performance. It was really amazing how much they gained over the 3 short days, through music, dance, theatre and visual arts! No worries about different kiddos having different characters or learning capabilities, because the captains take all these into account and tweak the programme accordingly so that all are kept interested. No one will be left behind and everyone had their part to play, with the older kiddos even taking care of the younger ones at times!

Thank you so much for having the kiddos over for the awesome camp Camp Chartwell, and it was so awesome that they kept asking me about the next camp! As for all you parents out there, you can check out their official website for upcoming programmes!

Car Free Sunday Singapore

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Was never really interested in Car Free Sunday to be honest. Since I never had any car before, EVERYDAY was car-free for me ever since I got my driving license more than 2 decades ago. But this is different lah, since it's the roads that are car-free and not me! It so happens that I am also off this weekend and thought that it would be a great bonding time with the family. Well, I never thought that it was this eventful!

For the first time in my life, I got to try out peddling a trishaw, and ferried the whole family no less! Was told that the trishaws were really meant for volunteers to ferry the elderly and less-abled around, but we got to try it out for the experience. I will certainly volunteer my time the next time round and do my little part! But prior to that, I better start working on my pair of old legs!

The Car Free Sunday event is split into two sides, namely the Civic District and the Telok Ayer side, and you can get to both sides via wheels or by foot. The Civic District side was more geared towards healthy lifestyle, with ActiveSG having quite a lot of activities such as football, basketball and tennis for the kiddos to try. Even Central CDC Farmer's Market had several booths set up to promote healthy organic food and stuff!

On the other hand, Telok Ayer with its rich history, had lion dance performances and chinese orchestra playing, much to the excitement of the kiddos. And since I expanded quite a bit of energy peddling earlier, our trip to My Awesome Cafe was all the more appreciated! Along with other neighboring cafes and food establishments, they have special set menus just for Car Free Sunday too! A very unique cafe I would say, and very instagrammable too!

Now I did mention that it was an eventful day right? Well, as Stacci was joining her siblings in the bouncing castle over at Esplanade Park after our trishaw ride, she lost her balance, fell and somehow injured her left arm. Luckily the really helpful staff from National Parks Board who was manning the booths nearby, managed to get the first-aider to check her out (after hearing her horrid screams) and with everybody's swift actions, she was whisked to KKH in no time. It is always good to know that in events such as this, the organizers always ensure that the safety of participants are never compromised, And in the event of any emergencies, we can be assured that we are always in good hands! Thanks to all, Stacci is all ok now after getting her elbow "fixed"!

Never thought that Car Free Sunday would be so much fun for the whole family (save for Stacci's unfortunate incident). I really should have participated in the previous road closures back then, but I will definitely be showing up in the next few events scheduled on 26 February, 26 March and 30 April this year. I will recommend that you bring your bicycles,skates or other wheels along, and experience for yourself what riding on your grandfather road feels like! Oh, the beautiful scenery along the way is awesome too! Thanks for inviting us over Car Free Sunday SG and you can also check out URA's website for more information! 

School Tales Review

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The Thais are known for the their witty, and often touching commercials. But that's not all, they also produce some of the scariest horror movies, often with twists and turns that makes the entire experience enjoyable too. It will not be easy to replicate or to meet the expectations of movie-goers these days.

School Tales revolved around a group of band mates who had to stay late in school, presumably for some late night practices. And just like your typical teenager, they decided to scare the shit out of each other by retelling some purported true ghost stories that happened in their school. It does seem that the school is really haunted, with different ghosts occupying different places around the compound! There are ghosts in the music room, stairway, corridor and even the library. Makes me wonder how can the students study in peace. Oh wait, it's ok as long as they do not stay late in school!

The movie is rated PG-13 and is unfortunately not as scary as I would have loved it to be. With the sound effects, some of the chases were quite scary though! There were no need for any exorcism experts whatsoever as the youngsters were all able to placate the spirits somehow. I believe even my two older kiddos will be able to stomach it. It is now showing in the cinemas, you can go catch it during the weekdays, and the redeeming factors would be the pretty things / handsome faces you can oogle at.