putu bola: a sweet way to celebrate National Day

Prior to researching and writing my desserts article on inSing, I had never heard of the Putu Bola, which was apparently an extremely popular dessert in the 1970s. Thankfully, Anu and James of Fulford PR, and Mr Nadarajan, Managing Partner of Ananda Bhavan, were kind enough to host two friends (Eswandy & Shawn) and I at Ananda Bhavan, where we got to try the Putu Bola and many other Indian vegetarian dishes and desserts.

So stoked by our welcome garlands of fresh, fragrant jasmine and all the colours around!

The event began with a speech by Mr K. Nadarajan, who shared with us the history of Ananda Bhavan. I’ve been here once with my friends Adrian and Siew Cheng, but didn’t know that the restaurant has been around since 1924, which is really quite a long time ago! Mr Nadarajan told us some pre-war stories and how the restaurant had grown. I liked his anecdotes because I generally enjoy pre-1965 stories, especially since I can’t visualise what Singapore was like back then.

There was also a ‘live’ Putu Bola (plus Putu Mayam and Kopi Tarik) demonstration, where some of the other media got their hands “dirty” by kneading and rolling the mixture into balls. Mr Nadarajan also explained that the Putu Bola began as a “side-product” of Putu Mayam; when there was not enough space on the baskets in the steamer for the Putu Mayam, the creators used the leftover flour mixture to roll them into balls.

Despite the popularity of the Putu Bola (it was always the first to be sold out), Mr Nadarajan quipped that it was prosperity that “killed” the Putu Bola, as loaves of bread became readily available (as compared to back when they could only eat them at the coffeeshops), plus the locals could gradually afford to eat other types of food. I was rather intrigued by this, and tried to imagine those days when my grandma would prepare those Chinese kuehs and my mum would cycle around selling them, which seemed like such a distant past from the bread, cereal and fast-food breakfasts we have been spoilt with. I think this was Mr Nadarajan’s intention: to make us reconnect with the past and to experience a piece of heritage that has been long forgotten.

And back to the Putu Bola, which we finally got to sink our teeth into, in addition to a scrumptious spread of Indian dishes (including Naan, Malai Kofta, Mini Samosa, Mini Spring Roll [like!], Vegetable Bullet and a few others). Desserts included Badam Roll, Gova Laddu, Nei Urundai, Jangiri [like! though it's reeeeally sweet], Gulab Jamun, Kesar Peda, Pista Burfi, Special Mysore Pak, Chocolate Burfi and Orrisa Halwa, though I didn’t get to try all of them [was feeling a little full by then].

But hey, don’t be fooled by the Putu Bola’s humble looks, because this is one hell of a delicious dessert! The soft and fluffy ball somehow reminded me of the famous Kueh Tutu and Fatt Gou/Huat Kueh/Kueh Mangkok (you know, those pink or green steamed cupcakes). The Putu Bola tasted great on its own (flaky, chewy mouthfuls of dough) and even better with its accompanying grated coconut and red sugar. Yum!

My biggest grouse? The Putu Bola is available only on 8th and 9th August to reminisce Singapore’s past and to celebrate our National Day. From this tasting session, I can safely say that we want more! Thank you to Ananda Bhavan and Fulford PR for serving Rasmalai too – Love it!

*Putu Bola will be available at all five Ananda Bhavan outlets at $1.20 on 8 & 9 Aug.
95 Syed Alwi Road (open 24-hours)
221 Selegie Road (5.30am to 10pm)
58 Serangoon Road (7am to 10.30pm)
Block 663 Buffalo Road #01-10 (7am to 10pm)
#036-056 Changi Airport Terminal 2 (open 24-hours)

ginvera natural bath anti-bacteria cooling shower foam: (bath)time to cool off

After I had written one of my articles for SHAPE (Singapore) magazine ["Beat The Heat", May 2010, about products that keep you cool and dry, especially during sports], I had subconsciously purchased the Ginvera Natural Bath Anti-Bacteria Cooling Shower Foam from Giant at VivoCity. I can’t recall exactly when I got it (April?) or for how much… all I remember is that it was on promotion and the “cooling” part really sealed the decision for me. I have since swiped these off the nearby NTUC and Shop & Save shelves for my personal stash, and had to travel down to Mustafa Centre for more!

Honestly, I think this is one of the better drugstore-brand shower gels I’ve had in a while. I know, I know, the “Vinegar” word on the front is quite intimidating and repulsive, but truth be told, the gel smells nothing like vinegar. In fact, it kinda smells fresh+pepperminty+powdery. When lathering, my skin feels perked up/energized/minty, sort of like when I used a Dettol shower product some years ago, albeit minus the “sanitized” Dettol feeling and smell.

I don’t care much for the anti-bacterial properties, so I haven’t paid attention to whether I’ve had lesser skin irritations or fallen sick less often. However, I did notice that my skin is softer and more supple than before. Of course, that too is debatable, since I don’t believe a single product can change something (water intake, diet, exercise, lifestyle, weather and stress levels should all be key factors too, right?).

But… my point is that this product does somehow lower my body temperature and keep me cool on a hot day. And if it makes me feel good and does its job (i.e. clean), then why not? After all, isn’t that what a basic shower is supposed to do?

Pedro End-of-Season Sale

If you are looking for swanky dress shoes, heels or accessories at affordable prices, head on down to the Pedro End-of-Season Sale today. From now until 25 July, enjoy discounts of up to 50% on selected items on the Men’s, Women’s and Accessories collections. Wheee!

Pedro is available at 313@Somerset, Bugis Junction, Citylink Mall, ION Orchard, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Plaza Singapura, Singapore Changi Airport T3, VivoCity, Wisma Atria and Anchorpoint (factory outlet).

new to the family: neko the kitty

Ok so I haven’t been updating coz we recently picked up a kitten along the streets (on 9 Jun 2010 to be exact). We would have left her there if not for her dashing across the busy roads and me insisting we adopt her.

Turns out, we decided to name her Neko (which means “cat” in Japanese), though on hindsight, it’s kinda silly. My cousin asked why we didn’t name her Kuching (“cat” in Malay) or “Mao” (“cat” in Mandarin), and our Japanese friends Ichiro and Yuko asked whether Neko was a girl or boy coz they couldn’t tell from her name!

Neko is sucha tiny sweetie though [the vet said she's about two months old when we took her there], so here are some introductory photos

Day 1 when we first met

Day 1 at home

Day 2 at home

u.d.d.e.r.s ice cream: “so fresh it’s almost straight from the udder”

Finally got the chance to try the often talked about u.d.d.e.r.s ice-cream today. I was in the area with the boyfriend and our close friend Shawn, so we popped by here for some dessert.

The decor and concept are kept minimal, with spurts of humour in the form of funny animal jokes and one-liners printed on several display t-shirts. Patrons were also invited to write messages on several mounted boards.

There were two rows of three flavour-categories of ice-cream to choose from: liqueur, asian-inspired and cosmopolitan flavours. Among the flavours, there are also “tiers”, which determine the price of your purchase.

We opted for two Classic flavours (the cheaper ones) and two Premium ones (the mid-range ones):

1. Gila Melaka, Classic Range
   (A crazy to-die-for combination of gula melaka (palm sugar) with chewy bits of attap chee (palm seeds))

2. Snickers Mars Honeycomb Vanilla, Classic Range
   (Exactly what the name says! A fantastic combination loved by many…)

3. Awesomely Chocolate, Premium Range
   (Blend of two dark chocolates plus dark chocolate shavings. Designed for the dark chocolate lover…)

4. Bailey’s & Bourbon, Premium Range
   (Enjoy Bailey’s Irish Cream seductively combined with bourbon… bound to please)

The three of us agreed that the Gila Melaka had a “surprising taste”, where we enjoyed the bits of chewy attap chee amidst ultra sweet gula melaka ice-cream. This was the bf’s and shawn’s favourite! But even for a sweet tooth like me, this was too sweet after several spoonfuls, and we quickly got jelak (where your taste buds are saturated or overwhelmed and you don’t want more).

I really enjoyed the fragrant vanilla in the Snickers Mars Honeycomb Vanilla, especially so because it was an extremely pleasant blend with chunks of chewy chocolate bars. Awesomely Chocolate was great too. If you like rich dark chocolate or the Swensen’s Sticky Chewy Chocolate, you’ll like this too! Personally, while I enjoy the alcohol on its own, I didn’t quite fancy the Bailey’s & Bourbon flavour because of its bitter aftertaste. I think Shawn enjoyed it though, so all in all, we were really pleased with our dessert

*Located at 17 Lorong Kilat, #01-08 Kilat Court, S(598139)
“Milking hours”: 12 noon to 11pm (Sun-Thurs) and 12noon to 12midnight (Fri, Sat & eve of public holidays)
We spent $4.90 for a Classic Double (two scoops of the Classic range: Gila Melaka, and Snickers Mars Honeycomb Vanilla) and $5.90 for a Premium Double (two scoops of the Premium range: Bailey’s & Bourbon, and Awesomely Chocolate).

glowing Singapore skies

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Watch on posterous

This is scary. The Singapore sky is glowing orange.

drinks at the selegie area

Yesterday the bf and I caught Alice in Wonderland at The Cathay. Awesome! Really like what Tim Burton did.

After that, we headed to Mr Bean’s Cafe along Selegie Road and sat there for light snacks and drinks with our close friend, Shawn. He’s a really great friend and we had quite an interesting conversation about politics, sociology, religion, faith and the fight for Truth. Shawn asked, If it were really the truth, what’s there to fight about? Or is it a fight to defend one’s interpretation of the truth? Interesting, questioning the very definition of the word Truth.

After that we headed to Night&Day bar for Mugic and drinks. I wasn’t used to the fact that there were so many foreigners there; the last time I was there it was so quiet and “off the beaten track”. But yesterday it felt like Clarke Quay, not that I’m against them. Strange in a cool way that they too have discovered the gem in Night&Day bar

Photos: Black Cow (root beer float) at Mr Bean’s Cafe and small bar at Night&Day Bar.

delicious duo

Does anyone else love this? Nestle classic duo. It’s cheap and yummeh. $2.50 from ValuDollar. Mmmmm.

old but gold

Today, when I was out running some errands and buying some groceries (yes, finally restocked my fruits!), I met the loveliest of senior citizens.

Hang on. I have to explain that this is not a common sight in Singapore because everyone is always in a hurry, always rushing about in a grumpy mood. I’m guilty of this too, but mostly on the MRT trains because that’s where this mad rush is most obvious – people pushing their way through to snatch a seat, not waiting for others to alight before boarding and many who are oblivious to the concept of personal space.

But I digress. Now back to the nice people.

First, it was the Bubble Tea lady at SweetTalk. She was all smiles and was extremely polite. She didn’t need to yell “$1.50″ when others usually do, maybe because she knew that I was listening and smiling back at her. It made me feel happy that she was happy and it was a pleasant start to my morning Next was when I was at the nearby coffee shop. I was checking out what to takeaway for lunch, standing in front of a stall where the owner was at the back preparing for the day’s meals.

Nearby were two elderly men seated and having a chat over their coffees. One of them suddenly approached me and explained to me nicely that if I wanted to get her attention, I should press the bell (which was hidden behind a container of spring onions). He didn’t need to stand up to tell and show me, but he did. (He was actually sitting just in front of the stall). So nice of him! I thanked him profusely and pressed the bell.

Then it was the woman tending the stall. She greeted me politely and asked what my order was. (This is a coffee shop, mind you, where yelling and shouting over the counter is the norm). I ordered a packet of dumpling noodles and asked if I could add more vegetables. She said in mandarin, all smiles too, “You want more vegetables? Of course can!” She was also very polite after I paid up and I remember saying “Thank you, auntie!” to her… twice. When I reached home to tuck into lunch, I realised she had doubled the usual amount of vegetables

I know, this post seems contrived because being polite is part of customer service or any form of courtesy, and it’s so common to see such kindness everywhere, especially in countries like Australia and Thailand where everyone smiles at strangers on the streets, or greets each other with a warm “Hello!” But not here in Singapore.

So, I am very thankful for the lovely seniors I met today. They have truly made my day and as I’m filled with such warmth (and dumpling noodles and bubble tea), it will take lesser effort for me to be nicer to the next person I meet later on today. Thank you for letting me pass this on!

p.s. Will post up the Haw Par Villa pictures as soon as I can – trying to clear lots of work this week!

tutti fruity

Yay! Bought more fruits for today and tomorrow. Didn’t pick up my strawberries today, but I’ve got blueberries, cherry tomatoes, grapes, bananas and oranges. Yum!