Cavalock and The Food Street Swerve

Was extremely honoured that to be one of the select few to dine with Gordon Ramsey at his new restaurant Bread Street Kitchen. To finally be welcomed as a primer food blogger is truly a dream come true. Rammy's (he luvs it when people call him that) masterpiece is this seemingly simple dish of basil chicken.

HAH!!! I'm just yanking yer chain! I was never invited to Bread Street Kitchen nor any restaurant for that matter! I still anxiously await the day that I shall be bestowed the title of local food blogger like so many out there, and be overwhelmed with invites to every other restaurant and cafe on the island. No, I don't, I honestly don't. Heh! By the way, the above is in fact a delicious home-cooked basil chicken dish by the baker-at-home.

So my 82-year-old Dad is still spending his mornings stalking birds all across the island. Am thinking of putting together another little book on his photographs, just for fun. Self-publish it like the last time. Gawd knows I got enough material for at least half a dozen books.

Cavalock and The Eclair Exposition

I suppose it would be very unpatriotic of me to say that I'm not really into all this SG50 celebrations. It started alright then when it got plastered all over anything and everything, that's when I checked out of this overblown national chest beating circus. However over the weekend, I stumbled upon this little SG50 tribute that certainly earned my approval. It's Two Baker's Ondeh Ondeh Eclair. So you got your regular French choux pastry but it's filled with crazy good gula melaka and topped with some coconut. You take that bite and it's all sweet-ass gula melaka goodness, then that heavenly pandan and coconut glazed layering kicks in. Next to it, the salted caramel eclair came out like some ugly cousin. Nah, I jest, it was alright but the Ondeh Ondeh Eclair stole the limelight.

I know I'm a little late for the party but I have just discovered the joys of Amazon free shipping. Most of my haul have been boardgames and they are just so cheap or rather reasonably priced compared to the local shops. I have said it before that the game shops here are just committing daylight robbery by charging waaaaaaay above the suggested retail price. Plus shipping (so far) only took about a week and a half for my package to get here!

With Amazon free shipping, it's easy to go over US$125 with just three or four decent boardgames. Over the last month, I got the above Cacao, Colt Express, Castles of Mad King Ludwig and Five Tribes boardgames. Last I checked each is going for around double the suggested retail price at our local game stores. Talk about profiteering!

Another cool deal I got outta Amazon is The Ultimate Star Wars, a massive hardcover guide to the official 'canon' Star Wars universe. None of that Expended Universe crap. Kinokuniya selling it for about S$65, Amazon sells it for .... drumroll ... US$25!

Cavalock and The Return of The Lost Hoover

Once again, it was time to explore my neighbourhood hipster joints. And so we found ourselves having dinner at The Refinery that's just a five-minute stroll from our tiny apartment along Jalan Besar. Nice ambience if you are into the industrial deco look. Some hits and misses. The "Onsen" style signature quail eggs below we like as well as the yakitori chicken thigh. Not so crazy about their chicken wings which were too greasy and salty. Anyway the place on a weekday night is less crowded and a little cozier than I expected. So I'm looking forward to a return visit soon and maybe sampling their drinks menu.

Alright, I gotta do a little sales pitch now as I'm trying to sell this honest-to-goodness retro Hoover vacuum cleaner from the 1960s. Am clearing out my late uncle's apartment (not to be confused with the old family home) and this is something I remember 'playing' with back in the old family home. I honestly thought my aunts or uncles threw it away until I found it in his apartment. All the original parts are still there and in surprisingly clean condition. Hey, Mad Men may be over but that doesn't mean you can't continue reliving the 60s! It's a great conversation piece too! ;) I have no idea what something like this costs so name a price if you are interested.

So my 83-year-old Dad was one of the photographers who managed to snap this pied fantail nest at Pasir Ris Park recently. He had to stake the site out for a couple of weeks, observing the nestlings as they grow and learn to fly. Hope you all like the shots. And there's a more detailed write-up bout it here by the Nature Society.

Cavalock and The Mad Max Lego Collaboration

One thing I realise that I hardly write about here is how much I enjoy Indian food. Perhaps it's cos I know very little about the cuisine, well, and then again that never stopped me from writing bout other stuff. So... hmmmm... maybe I'm just making excuses and being lazy. I'm not exactly into the spicy dishes but everything else I really like. Anyway, was having dinner several months ago at Tandoor restaurant at the Holiday Inn when I ordered a glass of cold lassi after my meal. But the waiter politely but rather firmly advised me against it as it doesn't aid digestion at night. Well, this was the first time I'm hearing this. He suggested I have a cup of hot masala tea instead which was fine.

These days or nites when I'm at home I do tend to make a cup of masala tea but brewing one from scratch ain't easy cos we tried and it's a hassle to start rounding up the necessary spices and all. Fortunately I found these instant masala tea mixes from Muji. Made in Japan but they do come pretty close to the real deal with that familiar spicy aroma, I mean as real a deal as you can get if you were in an Indian restaurant I guess.

So I watched this little movie called Mad Max: Fury Road. I know there are lotsa other pix online showcasing some really cool Lego Mad Max models but I decided to try my hand with the pieces lying around in the apartment. Good thing bout the world of Mad Max is anything goes and there really is no method to the madness involved in the vehicle designs. ...

Cavalock and The Tasty Treat Trinity

It's a luxury these days to be able to get out of the house and enjoy a pleasant meal somewhere or anywhere. Well, we were lucky enough to do just that last week, not once but three times! I just can't get enough of this traditional Teochew pork trotter jelly and shark's meat dish ever since I was a kid back in the old family home. Am rather fortunate that my current tiny apartment is just a stone's throw away from Jalan Berseh Food Centre where one can still find one of the last few stalls still serving this Teochew delicacy. That delicious collagen-turned-geletin is such a sinful pleasure. And once you dip that fresh shark's meat in that homemade plum sauce, the experience is just out of this world. All that below for only S$8.

And we managed to venture a little further too! Walked past this place at Millenia Walk numerous times but we finally decide to drop by for dessert at Patisserie G last Saturday nite. The S$8 caramel-glazed chouz puff is my favourite. Hey, it's better than my attempt a decade ago! Not the cheapest dessert joint around but good for the occasional sweet treat. Another restaurant or cafe on our visit list was Do.main Bakery along Tanjong Katong Road. Had the savoury oxtail stew pie which I really enjoyed but could definitely do with a larger piece.

So I was watching the Saturday Night Live season finale the other day and comedian host Louis C.K. was delivering the opening monologue which I thought was simply brilliant and of cos, hilarious. I could so totally relate to the "mild racism" bit and how people were less uptight bout stuff back in those days. Its like how everyone now is so concerned about being politically correct and not offending anyone that is driving folks today crazy. It's simply ridiculous to see people I know and admire wade through a "politically correct" minefield for fear of stepping on someone's toes. Just what kinda life are you living if you are so easily offended by so many things around you? Want to revive the old kampong spirit, then try to develop some thick skin. Growing up, we kids were calling each other names that would be considered politically incorrect or even offensive by today's standards but no cared, we all just laughed it off and remained friends. Try calling someone any of those names now and you'll have a lynch mob at your doorsteps or worse still, HR.

Cavalock and The Power Rice Equation

Rice. It's something we all had more than our share of since we were kids. I remember growing up whenever I could eat out, it was always either hotdogs or noodles, just to get away from the boring rice back home. Anyway recently we found a way to jazz up dinnertime with these packs of Rice Booster 15 from Japan. Filled with grains and seeds, it's supposed to be healthier and it definitely does make an otherwise plain bowl of rice a little tastier too. Just sprinkle a couple of tea-spoonfuls into the rice cooker. Damn! I wish someone is paying me for these 'endorsements'. But seriously, if you haven't tried it, it won't hurt to give this a shot. You can find them at, where else but Meidi-Ya supermarket.

Been a little busy with something I found online. This is sooooo cool. Since our dear government is such an advocate of lifelong learning, I figured I'd sign up for one of these. A whole selection of free online courses on Ancient and Medieval History. Hah, guess which one I signed up for. And yes, there are assignments and tests but it's always a good thing if you are studying something you are really passionate about. If only they had such courses here instead of Additional Maths when I was in school.

Cavalock and The Stereogram Singularity

Ever since I was a kid, I have always had a soft spot (methinks 'addiction' is too strong a word) for apple juices and I mean all kinds of apple juices, including cider in my later years. As a child, I would chuck away on them back in the old family home until I threw up and made all the adult folks worried. Hah! Good times!

So you can imagine how intrigued I was when I spotted these Japanese apple-flavoured booze at Meidi-Ya recently. Been awhile since I dropped by so I was pretty excited to see them on the booze aisle. Bought the above can and found it pretty good. Not too sweet and the fuji apple's definitely there. Some of the other Japanese fruity boozy drinks including this bottle of cider from Bali, Indonesia. Probably the last place I expect to find cider.

Couscous! I have never seen so many different brands of couscous in any local supermarket before! I think I have only had this rice dish once in a restaurant ages ago and wasn't terribly impressed by it. Not something you normally find in menus around here but I'm willing to give it another shot if anyone can recommend a joint that serves a decent one.

A couple months ago I sold the below vintage stereogram (or as you kids today would call it a "sound system"). It has been a part of the old family home before I was even born. So lotsa fond memories here. Well, it's a good thing I still got the original instruction manual in pristine condition too and I even managed to dig up an old Straits Times newspaper ad online.

So I'm glad to report that the new owners have managed to restore it to working order! It lights up, plays music and everything, just like it first did in the 1960s. Amazing restoration work! Heard that he had to make several trips to Sim Lim to acquire the necessary electronic components. I'm really really glad when something like this happens. When something from the old family home is given a new lease of life by someone who honestly appreciates it. <^;^>

Cavalock and The Lustrous London Loot

From Pierre Herme's famous macarons to the fabled honeyed truffles to the elusive terrine of wild boar, my fridge was stocked to the brim with these goodies that the baker at home brought back form her 2-week London vacation last month. The last time I checked I think we only managed to finish one-third of all that. We managed to cook up a bit of a storm over the next few days since her return, like pasta dishes with anchovies and olives from Borough Market followed by all kinds of fancy cheese dipped in honey.

And yup, I got pressies too! A Lego fan book, more Daleks to add to my collection and a ...er... 5-month(?) supply of Molton Brown.

While she was away last month, I also managed to download more pix that my 82-year-old Dad took with his new camera. I swear I have absolutely no idea how an elderly man can spend hours outdoors in this crazy weather. Anyway so he sold his old Canon body last month for the newer EOS 7DII and here are some shots he took with it.

And check out my favourite shot below!!! Yah, that definitely looks like a little pink mouse!!! <^;^>