Tanjung Pinang Dragon Boat Race • Sembahyang Keselamatan Pelantar Laut

Tanjung Pinang has two annual dragon boat races - an international race organised by government bodies and another one, a lesser known century old inter-kampung (village) race organised by local communities. This post is about the traditional local inter-village race which I had the privilege to visit recently (in 2018).

Putri Minang Nasi Padang in Tanjung Pinang @ Jalan Bakar Batu

One of the must do things when visiting Indonesia is to eat at a Nasi Padang stall or shop. It is boiled white rice eaten with dozens of side dishes of fried meat, fish, seafood, rendang, vegetables, sauces, curries, and sambals. So far, we have eaten at 5 or 6 Nasi Padang shops in Tanjung Pinang, and the one I would recommend is Putri Minang.

Porcelain Tower Pagoda of Nanjing • Da Bao'en Temple of Great Gratitude • Emperor's Tribute to Mother Love 報恩寺.琉璃塔

One of the most memorable highlights from my visit to Nanjing in Jiangsu, China was Da Bao'en Temple 報恩寺 and the legendary Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing 琉璃塔. Well, not really - these are 2015 reincarnations of the originals which were sadly destroyed in 1856 during the Taiping Revolution.

Hong Kong Style Kitchen · HK Dai Pai Dong in Singapore📍93 Toa Payoh Lor 4 Market & Hawker Centre 大巴窑 · 港式小炒

✍️ 9 Apr 2026. Hong Kong Style Kitchen stall 港式小炒 has been in this dingy old food centre at Blk 93, Toa Payoh for over a decade. Still under the social media radar partly because of the humble dishes served and also because the stallholders are media shy.

Ah Tan Wings Har Cheong Gai Chicken Wings @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Ah Tan Har Cheong Gai Crispy Chicken Wings is extremely popular in Singapore. I stumbled upon the stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre, a couple of days ago. Having heard so much about the famous crispy chicken wings, naturally we ordered some to try.

Uncle Kun Suk (Gen Shu) Porridge Noodle Dim Sum📍Toa Payoh • Long Term Review 根叔美食世家•粥面点心 ☎ 97391318

✍️15 Jul 2026. Tucked away in one of Singapore's oldest hawker centres, is a little Hong Kong style dim sum, porridge and fried noodle stall near Toa Payoh Central (across the road).

Pak Kong Chicken Rice in Ipoh 怡保白宫鸡饭

One of the main things I wanted to score for this trip to Ipoh was a good chicken rice as Ipoh has the best reputation for chicken rice in Malaysia. Pak Kong Chicken Rice 白宫鸡饭 was recommended to me by Barry the owner of Mama Noodles Cafe (where I just had breakfast).

Eating Jalebi in Kuala Lumpur - A Happy Sweet Treat from Ancient Middle East

Exploring the gritty, dusty streets of Kuala Lumpur around Pudu Raya, I frequently stumbled upon stacks of attractive golden sugar glazed biscuits like these outside eateries and sundry shops. The shopkeepers told me that they are "jalebi", a sweet snack from India. Jalebi is ubiquitous in KL now but I remember seeing it only a couple of times in Singapore's Little India at Serangoon Road.

Best Singapore Roast Meat List · Mei Mei Roast Duck 妹妹李记烧腊 ☎ 88917629

It happens... you know, after trying a few stalls we found nothing very inspiring while stomach space hit ¾ full. We needed something to save the day. While nursing his kopi O siew tai pok, Seetoh suggested swinging over to Ubi Road 1, to Kay Lee Roast Meat's former roast chef's kopitiam stall. (Kay Lee Roast Meat was the legendary roasts shop sold to Aztech Group for S$4 million in 2014 - every Singapore foodie knows this story.)

Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant in Singapore Chinatown 老成都川菜馆

We were in Singapore's Chinatown for a preview of Chinatown Crossings, a memorable promenade theatre performance which I will write about soon 😄 Before the 2.5 hour show which involves walking the streets of Chinatown, eat first lah.... 😄 We popped into Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant 老成都川菜馆 at Pagoda Street. Having tried it in China, I have always been curious about Sichuan food in Singapore, so this was an opportune time to try it.