Cavalock and The Chwee Kueh Impersonation

A pleasant but rather warm dinner at Bistro du Vin and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of our starter when it arrived at the table. Doesn't this look like a serving of our traditional chwee kueh? Kinda like how you would imagine they would look like if served in a fancy restaurant. Hah! Have you figured out what it is yet? Answer at the end of the post!

Well, I was back clearing out the old family home again. No surprise that there aren't really much vintage "treasures" left to uncover but I thought these kitchen finds were worth at least a pix or two. Now the green table mat is one that I have rather fond memories of cos I really liked how deep and green it was, and of cos savouring all those home-cooked meals off it when I was in kindergarten. As for the retro glasses, I recall they only making an appearance when there are guests around which unfortunately wasn't very often.

A part of me freaked out when I found these old comic books earlier this week. They are English translations of the popular Chinese myth Journey to The West that I was furiously devouring as way back as when I was in kindergarten. They were only 70 cents per copy back then and I got issues 1 to 16, but that ain't the last issue cos at the end of that, they are still traveling to the West. Enjoyed reading them a lot and the clean detailed artwork really caught my eye. Partly to blame for getting me hooked on comics, them and Jack Kirby.

Answer: They are escargots served in little white individual bowls, topped with Italian parsley. 

Cavalock and The Lego Food Trail

I may never get to own my own restaurant but building these tiny Lego food sets does allow me to indulge in a little culinary creativity. These are a couple of original Lego packs I got last year but never really got around to building them until I bought this cheap but fake Lego floor plate a week ago, which came in the ideal size that I was looking for. The shop had the bootleg plates in different sizes and colours that I don't think are available in a regular Lego store.

The hot dog vendor cart is everything you would hope it to be. Check out the hot dog grill as well as ketchup and mustard bottles. The vendor even comes with a 'worried' expression which is perfect when you set him up with the cats from the picnic table set! By the way, I created a Lego section here if anyone wants to look at my previous Lego posts. Oh, but if you wanna look at real Lego food, check this out.

My Dad told me while he was taking these pix at the Botanic Gardens, the agents from the National Environment Agency were chasing away photographers which I think is ridiculous. I really don't think an 80-year-old man is any threat to the wildlife there. Anyway, here are some of his latest pix.

Cavalock and One Week in Sillypore 9

Several years ago, I did a buncha posts called under the "One Week in Sillypore" banner which is kinda like a collection of random weird pix I took over the week (give or take a couple days!) while at work. Well, since I stopped working and became a full-time caregiver I noticed that my posts have been more or less bout the same topics. So I figured I'll just revive it just this one time and see if anyone likes it or not.

Wonderful but pricey chirashi lunch at Aoki Restaurant. I really like how the rice and sashimi are separated instead of putting them all in a bowl like how most other places do. That little mushroom, cod roe in a clear soup and dip was a separate deal, and it was amazing too. Dessert was a excellent combination of melon ice-cream, green tea mousse and Japanese jelly which I think is yuzu. A perfect complement to a flawless main course.

Every gamer in the world is talking about it. The online collectible card game Hearstone is one of the ways I de-stress these days. I actually started playing it on the desktop several months ago when it was first out on Beta. Stopped for awhile then returned to it when it was released on the iPad and all my friends started playing it again too. If you know the game, you'll know what an awesome setup I got going on below. Strung him out and deck-death the guy.

I really love Liang Court and it's not just cos of Meidi-ya supermarket. Here we have a seemingly normal-looking men's tailor shop. I'm sure am curious to see who actually purchases that. Cosplayers maybe? Y'know that anime with that king in that castle and that thing he does while wearing that robe ...?

Then there's always this to look forward to in Meidi-ya. Stuff you most likely can't find in our regular supermarkets. A brand of boorish cereals and ice-cream soda by the same folks behind the famous root beer float.

Here's how I have been enjoying my Japanese maple honey. Brought it out with me whenever I'm having a pancake breakfast meal at McDonald's. Way better than that overly sweet syrup they give out.

A random pix that opens the door to numerous awesome culinary possibilities and another that'll sure to drive some churches ape-shit crazy. You are welcome!

Cavalock and The Izakaya Authentication

In an old commercial building with a not-so-innocent reputation of housing dubious massage parlours and shops offering otherworldly services, we found this gem of an izakaya tucked away inconspicuously on the ground floor of the one and only Fortune Centre. Now you would probably have strolled past Nobu-ya if you weren't exactly looking out for it. To be fair, that big red noren or Japanese door curtain in the front does kinda obscure any sign of a restaurant.

But make no mistake, this is a real drinking joint or izakaya as the Japanese would call it. Sitting at the counter near the entrance, I saw more than a couple of potential customers getting turned away cos they either didn't make a dinner reservation or said they won't be ordering any booze when asked if they were gonna be drinking.

Almost everything we ordered on as well as off the menu turned out amazing. After all we are talking about a couple of Japanese chefs who used to work at a fancy joint like Fairmont's Mikuni so really, this is seriously good Japanese pub food. I loved the above beef stew so much that I ordered a second serving, and the sashimi wasn't actually on the menu but we requested for half of the grilled fish to be served raw instead. That turned out great too. Sure can't wait to try this place again.

Now instead of showcasing all the fake Legos that I have been buying over the last few months, I thought maybe I ought to share some new genuine purchases. Been a huge Simpsons fan since their early days at the Tracy Ullman Show. Anyone remember how we can could only get to watch Tracy Ullman over Malaysia's TV3 channel? Been drooling over these Simpsons Lego minifigures and house set since they were announced months ago. Finally got them all including the new Parisian Restaurant so now all I need is more space, and I'm taking bout a LOT more space to set them up.

Shared that box of Simpsons minifigures below with two other friends as you get three complete sets of 16 minifigures each in there plus a handful of extras. I like the figures as the sculpts are closer to the animated characters than the typical Lego ones especially the heads. 

Cavalock and The Fatty Medical Anxiety

Ever since I went for my full (manly) medical check-up last week, I have been on pins and needles waiting for my results. And that finally came early yesterday morning. It was really no big surprise, to me at least, that the results revealed that I had way too much fats in me as well as a serve lack of "good cholesterol". Now if we have met in real life, I'm probably the last person you would expect to be called 'fat' but unfortunately it's all under this skinny little frame.

The reason why I wasn't surprised by this is because ever since I became a full-time caregiver about two years ago, I have pretty much stopped working out. After a day of taking care of the sick and elderly, the last time I wanna do is exercise. I'm just too mentally and emotionally exhausted to do anything else except to go home and de-stress.

But like I said, this wasn't the thing that I was most concerned about. It was all the other extensive blood tests, scans and x-rays that came with the full medical examination that had my imagination in overdrive. Well, glad to announce that everything else turned out alright. No STDs, no cancer markers, normal blood pressure, normal this and normal that, just need to eat right and work out a whole lot more.

Looking back I definitely don't regret going through the check-up even though it ain't exactly cheap, at about S$800. Last week's tests took only a couple of hours to complete, including waiting time. First up, the nurses took vials of blood, checked my eyes, took my stats (+1 Dexterity, -2 Strength), before I met the doc for a chat. Then it's off to get my stomach scanned and chest x-rayed in another part of the building. When all that's done, it's back to the same clinic to role-play a hamster on the treadmill. It was quite an interesting morning and oh, they had a small breakfast spread in the waiting room that was much appreciated for those of us who had to fast the night before.

Gone are my days as a lean, mean stabbing machine. But seriously I'm grateful that the rest of the results came out alright, but I do have an uphill task ahead. Trying to find time and energy to work out while still being a 24/7 caregiver ain't gonna be easy. Oh, did I mention that I'm STD-free? ;)

Cavalock and The Vintage Revisitation

It's the crazy house that keeps on giving! Nah, it's not as creepy as it sounds but just when I thought there's aren't any vintage stuff left to uncover in the old family home, I found more last month. Some of them have already found new homes with friends, others are still looking. The six old unused glass whiskey or cognac bottles below were snapped up within a day after I posted them on my Facebook!

Now these are some dining table cloth mats that I have no idea where they were from. Found neatly folded up in a drawer and like most of the stuff, never been used. I'm guessing they are at least 40 years old or more. The design looks kinda middle-easten but as far as I know no one in my family has ever been to that part of the world. Maybe they were a gift? Anyway, if anyone is interested in them, just name a price and we'll see. ;)

Here's another piece of vintage oddity I found. Well, it's not the first time I came across these. I actually discovered about five or six of these old flour sacks earlier last year. Now these aren't dirty old sacks, they are incredibly clean, dried and neatly folded away for decades. I swear they look and feel brand new! I asked my 92-year-old aunt last year about them, and she told me how she washed and sunned them out to dry. Friends and neighbours would ask her for them, it just sounds so strange! The first batch I found, I passed them all to a friend who said she wanted to make cushions outta them. I'm thinking this new five sacks would look pretty cool hanging on the wall of some hipster joint.

While going through the old place, I found a hard cardboard cylinder tucked in a corner of my late uncle's bedroom. Opened the top, and out rolled these old retro posters from the 1960s. You got Chicago's Old Town, Washington and San Francisco. My late uncle spent most of the 60s and 70s working in the US so these meant a lot to him. They look alright, a little yellow around the edges cos they are after all almost 50 years old. I don't think they were ever pasted on any walls so if you want any of them, l'm giving them for free.

Time to turn on the ‘geek rant font’ so turn back if you aren’t a geek. I’m probably one of the very few Star Wars fan out there who greeted the news that the Expanded Universe won’t be part of the official Star Wars Universe with a huge sigh of relief. For the record, I HATE the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

I have many reasons to hate the Expanded Universe and here’s one of the main causes. When one of the early Expanded Universe novels Heir to The Empire appeared on the shelves, I devoured it earnestly. I thought it was all right even though there were bits in the story and characterizations that I found bumpy. The main uneasy part being the lead villain wasn’t exactly human. Now there is a reason why the evil Galactic Empire, as seen in Episodes 4 to 6, consisted mostly of white males. Lucas has mentioned in past interviews that he fashioned the Empire after the fascist and racist Nazi regime of WWII. Just about everything from the slick black uniforms to the name “stormtroppers” are reminiscent of Hitler’s SS and the German army. Then you have the good guys in the Rebellion that consists of male and female humans as well as aliens. The heroes practice diversity while the villains don’t, that’s a pretty simple point to follow.

I thought casting a non-human in the role of an Empire officer in that novel was a one-off fluke. But then I noticed aliens and even female officers popping up in other Expanded Universe materials like comics and video games. In subsequent novels, they were almost as diversified as the Rebellion! Well, if they wanna crap all over the Lucas’ original vision, then count me out.

It’s like an upstart movie director who wants to make a WWII movie but decides to cast all Asians, blacks or women as Nazi officers just for the sake of diversity. You can’t portray an evil chauvinistic, fascist Empire by doing that. Well, maybe for a small art house movie you can but that’s not the point.

Well, another reason why I don’t like the Expanded Universe stories is how emo most of them were or are. No one was emo in Episodes 4 to 6. There was only one love story and that was kept direct and to the point. In the Expanded Universe, I remember relationship discussions between Luke and Mara Jade taking waaaay too many pages. Then when the Han and Leia had kids, geez, kid-parent relationship topics reared its ugly pimpled-riddled head. Why am I suddenly reading about groups of rebellious teens, angry parents and love-triangles in a Star Wars adventure?!? To me, the original Star Wars is about action and adventure in space, not all that emo shenanigans!

Yah, there are other reasons why I hate the Expanded Universe but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate all the work and effort that went into it, hey, I did enjoy playing the old Dark Forces shooter game immensely. To me, the whole Expanded Universe is more like a giant corporate fanfic machine with no single creative direction. It's not the real Star Wars universe. Come on, if it's that good why didn't Lucas annex it? 

Ok, rant over for now! Live long and prosper! :P

Cavalock and The Winning Meatball Formulation

So after walking pass this Italian restaurant for over a dozen times over the last couple of months, I finally managed to find a reason to grab a table at Cicheti. Well, reason being I finally managed to squirrel away enough for a fancy dinner. Read a lot of good things online about this joint, like how authentic and good it is. And guess what, it is all that and more! It's definitely advisable to call for a reservation cos the place was pretty even on a weekday.

Just about everything we had met our expectations. Started with the Duo Caprese below, where you got fried mozzarella cheese served with semi-dried tomatoes Capri-styled salad. There's the sweet tomatoes mixed in with all that cheesy goodness and you got a winner right here.

Always wanted to enjoy a "traditional" pizza with homemade tomato sauce and topped with bufala and parmesan cheese. Yah, I think I had at least one while in Italy but don't think I had one here till now. It felt almost deliciously enticing, picking up and folding each slice then with all that tomato sauce and gorgeous cheese dripping away. But the highlight of the night were the above tasty sautéed beef meatballs that came with the fresh homemade tagliatelle. A truly unforgettable dinner experience set in a nice and cozy little shophouse along Kandahar Street.

Thought I'll just share some more of my 80-year-old Dad's latest bird shots since it has been like a month since I posted any of his pix. As usual, he has been travelling by himself all over the island almost every single day. Really makes me worry when he's taking public transport alone and carrying all his gear, then I see other younger seniors sitting aimlessly in the arcades or in the nursing home, and I don't complain anymore. Anyway, some of these shots were taken Gardens by the Bay and Pasir Ris. Hope you guys enjoy them.

Oh, and here's a crazy little lizard to end the post! <^;^>

Cavalock and The Secret of The Real Iced Lemon Tea

Now here's a little secret on how you can get the healthiest drink in your local kopi tiam or coffee shop. You know how when you ask for iced lemon tea, most places would serve you a pre-made sickly sweet syrupy drink that only remotely tastes like lemon or even tea? Well, here's how you can get REAL iced lemon tea. Just order 'teh O peng' that's plain iced tea. And ask for a slice of lemon in it. There you go, iced lemon tea the natural way at your neighbourhood kopi tiam.

Another drink I really really like is a foamy tall glass of teh chino which is pretty much just hot milk that's "pulled" with a layer of tea added on top. The most puzzling thing bout the drink is why in the world would anyone serve a piping hot drink with a straw??? Do you know how crazy it is to suck hot fluids through a straw???

I know some of you may be sick and tired of my fake Lego purchases but I love them and for like less than S$2 each, I'll keep buying them. They even have the fake New 52 DC statues by Jim Lee like Green Lantern, Flash and Superman, and they certainly look tempting. You still have to be careful when buying the fake Legos as not all brands are the same. Some like the Decool and S brands are closer to the real deal. I can almost find no faults in the newer ones I bought a few days ago, like Catwoman that came with a cool whip and diamond accessories, and the paint job on the Joker was amazing.

Yes, I swapped Aquaman's head on Cap's body. :P

Something I picked up at the Sunday flea market at China Square Central recently which is really THE place to get all your fake Legos these days but not necessary the cheapest. It's a fake Lego chamber for the Batman costumes or armor. Like how in the movies and comics, Bruce Wayne would have his costumes hanging in special chambers, well, here's the fake Lego version of it, for only S$5. But I guess technically, you can put any costume in there. ;)