Cavalock and The Birthday Crustacean Cascade

Finally managed to enjoy me first dungeness crab and maine lobster dinner last Sunday (was me birthday!!!) at Cajun Kings. I had no idea where they were until we drove into this little enclave along Serangoon, not far from Nex shopping centre. It was pretty packed when we got there, fortunately we reserved a nice little table for four. Well, I liked how causal the whole dining experience was. No cutlery, all hands but you do get a bib before you start digging in.

When the food arrived, we couldn't wait to pour the crab, lobster, corn and mussels out of their plastic bags and onto the long wooden table. It was a crustacean cascade! Something new and messy although I was told that's how it's done in some restaurants back in the US. We had our seafood in the king's mix and garlic butter sauces. Much preferred the fragrant garlic butter. The crab and lobster meat were fresh and it all tasted fine. Now I already knew it was cost us an arm and a leg for a pincer and claw so I wasn't all that surprised when the cost of what you see here was over S$200. Good food at not-so-low prices, I'll be back but maybe not so soon.

There has been quite a lot of talk in the media bout the poor in this country. While I do believe there are some here that definitely need daily financial aid to get by, it is also my belief that the majority of them aren't really poor but just lacking in simple common sense on how to save money.

I have seen teenagers who live in one-room apartments armed with the latest smartphones. Young adults who spend hundreds of dollars every Friday night at nightspots, then complain they don't have a cent in their bank account before the end of the month. Couples who spend tens of thousands of dollars on their wedding and overseas honeymoon, then wonder why they can't afford an apartment the next day. When I see or hear true stories like that, it's so sad it makes me wanna laugh. Really.

Back when I was a kid, there was a compulsory savings program in primary school and all of us little kids had to put money into our bank account each week. I don't know if there's still such a program but young people today really should learn how to save some money before it's too late. And seriously, please don't borrow or take a loan out on anything besides an apartment, if you cant afford it, chances are you don't need it.

Cavalock and The Lure of The Mandarin

I was actually kinda hoping to be proven wrong and enjoy a mind-blowing dining experience at our local Jamie's Italian that Thursday afternoon alas, the online reviews were right. It was a decent enough meal at an almost exorbitant price. I have no real complaints about the taste or quality of the food except maybe the posh fries or rather truffle fries were a little too soggy.  That there is the wild mushroom ravioli that I had and below that is the calamari. All that you see below for about S$80.

As I also expected, it was nothing like my experience at his Canary Wharf restaurant. That was more rowdy and filled with working adults instead of our family joint version. A different kinda vibe that I rather missed. A similar vibe would be at one of those places along Shenton Way that's always filled with loud expats drinking after office hours. On second thought, maybe I don't miss it after all.

Well, another annual Singapore Toy Games & Comics Convention (STGCC) has just ended and as always, it was exhausting and fun. Like the last 3 pre-STGCC days over the years, we brought Marvel Comics' C.B. on another local food odyssey. You can check out his food blog here.

Yes, this year's STGCC was pretty much a Stark Industries affair as we see hundreds and hundreds of  Iron Man armor in all shapes (yes, shapes) and sizes. Look out for more STGCC pix at Here Be Geeks. Anyway, my best buy of STGCC weekend has got to be this comic pack starring Silver Centurion Iron Man and the Mandarin, the comic book version and not the movie one. Scored it on the first day and first hour of the convention, Great deal for only S$20 as they usually go for almost double that elsewhere and I only wanted the Mandarin figure. Fellow Marvel collectors will understand how difficult it is to find him in one of his classic costumes and at such a low price too.

Cavalock and The Bravest Pancake Breakfast

Saw this new joint in my neighborhood on my stroll back from dinner at Lavender food court one evening and figured it was worth checking out. Just opposite Jalan Besar Stadium, it's called the Bravery Cafe along Horne Road and I believe it's also by the same folks behind The Plain at Craig Road.

Now one of the good things bout this new place is they open at 8am and that means I finally get to have pancakes early! That there is S$15 hearty stack of 4 pancakes with bananas, ricotta cheese, honey and crushed pistachios. Pancakes were nice and fluffy, and I also liked how they offered honey instead of maple syrup. OK, that had me totally stuffed for the next 5 hours at least.

The poached eggs below were done perfectly too with a beautiful runny yolk. It was a pleasant Saturday morning breakfast and it wasn't crowded although I just heard that it was packed this Sunday afternoon. The only thing stopping me from dropping by on a regular basis is the price. I reckon a S$20 breakfast is something I can only afford once a month.

So my 79-year-old Dad's eagle pix was featured in the cover story of Saturday's Life! section of our local papers. The story was bout how a condo developer had to stop work cos of an eagle's nest in their way and while they waited for the little eagles to grow up, my Dad started snapping away for fun. There were two adult eagles and two little ones. Later my Dad made friends with the foreman or someone in charge and started showing them his pix. Think there were a couple hundred pix at the end of it all. They offered to buy the pix for a small fee and I made a CD which my Dad passed to them. Rather direct transaction really. I asked him if they made him sign anything and he said no.

I suppose they passed one of my Dad's pis to the papers for the story. It would had been cool if they mention his name or gave a credit but ... hey, I think there's a good human interest story in there bout an old guy using a digital camera for the first time in his life. Anyway, here are some of the other pix of the eagles growing up that my Dad took.

Cavalock and The Hawking of Haddon Hall

It's time for another sale of retro stuff from the old family home! This is a huge lot and really something that I don't think you can find easily elsewhere, at least not in such a large collection.

Here we got a vintage collection of Haddon Hall plates and bowls from the UK that I discovered couple months ago. They don't make them in the UK anymore so these are pretty rare. All are still in excellent condition, never been used and I'm quite sure they are at least 30 years old. I hope this is a collection that folks today can really appreciate. Am selling the entire lot as a complete set so I'm not gonna be breaking them up.

I did a little online research and I believe there are some similar but cheaper one online. Now you can tell the difference by the illustrations. Seems like the illustrations on the cheaper ones cover the entire plate, has 'Haddon Hall' written over it and they also got a smoother circular rim. If you like what you see, drop me an email. Thanks for looking!

Price List for Haddon Hall Johnson Bros tableware:


A. Cup and saucer set: $25 x 4                      S$100

B. 20cm diameter plates: $25 x 4                  S$100

C. 22.5cm diameter plates: $25 x 4               S$100

D. 17cm diameter plates: $20 x 4                    S$80

E. 15.5cm diameter soup bowls: $20 x 4         S$80

F. 22.5cm diameter bowls: $35 x 2                  S$70

G. 25cm diameter plates: $30 x 4                  S$120

H. 28cm diameter oval plates: $35 x 2             S$70


                                                         Total: S$720

Cavalock and A Week of Pizza, Games and Red Bamboo

Well, this certainly turned out to be an interesting week! So I found myself back at my old stomping grounds around United Square where I lived and grew up during my secondary school daze. Was told that there's a (new?) pizza joint in the neighborhood Extra Virgin Pizza so naturally that's where we headed for dinner. Ordered the prosciutto and arugula pizza with a side order of oven-fried clams and glass of toasted pineapple and vanilla.

The pizza didn't blow me away but it wasn't bad. Preferred the clams to the pizza. The service was good and I would go back for a second visit cos there were a couple other items on the menu that seemed kinda interesting, but definitely not gonna be in a rush to do so. I guess if you are looking for a decent pizza joint in that area, Extra Virgin Pizza is pretty good choice after all.

Now here's something I found in my late uncle's room in the old family home that I won't be selling just yet. It's a 1961 hardcover edition of Red Bamboo and according to online sites, it's going for US$50 to US$100. All right, I know it ain't exactly the Necronomicon but still it's the oldest books I have found so far. I plan to take my time reading it and decide what to do with it later. Any suggestions?

This was also quite a big gaming week for me. The Star Wars Living Card game I ordered on Amazon finally arrived BUT only half of them showed up. We got a new addiction as we are playing the new iPad game Solforge. But one thing stood out! It has been ages since I won anything in gaming competition so it is with great relief that I present to you the prize I won in the Star Wars Living Card Game tourney. The special Luke Skywalker card. Yes, it's still cool to me even though it was just a lucky draw prize. ;)

Cavalock and The Chinese Garden Foto Foray

So my 79-year-old Dad has been hanging out at the Chinese Garden for awhile now and I thought these shots kinda showcase the diverse species of birds there. Not bad eh? And I'm still looking for any kind publisher who's interested in my Dad's photo book. ;)

Will always be grateful for friends who are fantastic cooks and who don't seem to mind having me over for dinner. Last month's home cooked meal by the pool was simply amazing. The cold soup corn with sour cream, kale salad, the dover sole and date cake for dessert followed by a home brewed cuppa Vietnamese coffee, it was just what the doctor ordered for a frequently stressed-out caregiver.

Funny thing bout this is whenever I'm there having dinner, the maids would come serve us, clear the plates and all that, and the first thing on my mind was southern plantation. Shades of Paula Deen in the deep south, it may not be the most politically correct thought to have but well, you know how when someone tells you not to think of the number '3', you can do nothing but think of the number '3'.

Cavalock and The Yakitori Decrement

Hey guess what, it's Nanbantei's 30th anniversary here! I didn't know that either until I stepped in for lunch a couple days ago and saw the staff wearing their anniversary t-shirts. Geez, I still remember how I was introduced to this place in the last century by a reporter colleague back when I was in my first real job at SPH, has it really been that long?

Well, for their cheap lunch bento set, it's still the best joint in town for yakitori. But standards have definitely dropped since the last decade. Let's see now ... No more wet towels. Way less rice in the bento box. For their asparagus maki, they used to wrap the bacon around the regular sized asparagus, now they use the really skinny asparagus instead. And the list goes on.

So why do I still head there for lunch? Like I said, their S$13.50 lunch bento is still the cheapest one around as far as I know. I also like the other items on their menu like the (oyster) kaki maki below, so I guess I'll still head there for lunch but anyone who knows any other good and cheap yakitori joints, let me know. ;)

July was also a neat month for all things geeky. Finally got the latest expansion Unseen Forces to one of my favorite Call of Cthulhu boardgames, Elder Sign. I have managed to put online most of my boardgame collection up at Collectibly. Drop me an email if anyone wants to play a game! I also spotted two of Spidey's super-villains Mysterio and Rhino on sale at Toys R Us, made a grab for them and hey, couldn't be happier. Then one July morning, I found these Superman and Batman treasures from the 1970s in one of my late uncle's luggage in the old family home! Still mint in their original packaging and according to online sources, the standees are worth over a hundred bucks each! If you are interested, drop me an email. Hmmm ... I wonder why my uncle didn't give them to me when I was little. Ah sure don't ask for much, just the simple things in life.