Chinatown buzz

With Chinese New Year just round the corner, I couldn't resist a visit to Chinatown. Besides, I had every reason to go there last Sunday since I was playing tour guide to Urzsula and Janet. Both girls are international exchange students I met at SMU. Urzsula's from Poland, while Janet reigns from Holland. They were so much fun and I pretended to be a tourist and started snapping some photos. It's nice to capture the Chinatown spirit during Chinese New Year.

Though crowded, the buzz at Chinatown provided for a truly local experience. Both girls got a glimpse of the huge appetites and 'patience' of Singaporeans - the long queue for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa (barbecued minced pork) said it all. What entrances me every time I visit Chinatown during this festive period is the splash of colours that line the countless makeshift stalls. You almost feel as if you're in another part of Asia. Or perhaps it's just that I'm very much a visual person and can't resist taking in the rainbow that stands before me.



Sweets are a common sight at Chinatown. There's no shortage of mochi sweets, preserved fruits & chocolates. Sold by the grams, it's just so tempting to grab every single colour and every type. I had to stop myself from picking too much. In the end, I bought $5 worth of those Japanese mochi sweets. They're really chewy and come in so many flavours - durian, honeydew, chocolate, yam, strawberry, green tea, etc. I love the green tea one.



After much exploring and squeezing through the crowds, us trigger happy girls decided to drop by People's Park Food Centre to appease our tummies.

This is where I let the pictures to do the talking:



That chee cheong fun 'sushi' roll was the most interesting fusion thing I have eaten so far. It wasn't my first time trying it. Thing is, everytime I ate it, I forgot to take a photo of it. So now I shall share this piece of goodness with you. Urzsula and Janet loved it. They were rather amused I must say!

Urzsula tried the Almond Soya Milk from Mr. Bean and I think she liked it. Okay, here's the thing, I've been telling her how wonderful the soya milk here is. The soya milk she's tasted before were not so fantastic I guess! But here, soya milk's everywhere and I guess she got curious. Anyway she thinks that the Almond one is tasty.

Janet and I had the popular duck rice (didn't copy down the name of the stall but it's quite obvious - check out the one with long queue and many certificates from Makansutra, Green Book Awards etc)



I think it was yummy. The rice was pretty ordinary I guess. Maybe I'm used to eating duck served with brown coloured rice. Anyway this stall is known for it's char siew and roasted duck. Not so much for the rice. haha. The duck didn't disappoint and I loved their sauce. Mmmm...

It was a really breezy evening and the three of us took a walk after dinner and snapped more shots of the beautiful light-up. Beautiful end to the week I think. I've invited Urzsula for a homecooked meal some time soon and will definitely post about it.

Anyway pardon my lack of posts - the school term at SMU is pretty heavy these few weeks. Can't wait for Chinese New Year! I wanted to hold a bake sale but my current busy schedule didn't allow me to. Maybe during the holidays I will. :)