Behind the flat across the carpark is a school which was vacated some time last year. On the grounds there used to be a sweet little garden with herbs like gingers and pandan as well as fruit trees like bananas, palms and a few larger baums to provide shade. I never took a photograph as the garden was such an ubiquitous feature of the neighbourhood. But sadly it's too late now, as the small plot has just been reduced to a featureless lawn. The 4-5 fairly mature trees are now barely visible stumps cut all the way to the soil and virtually all traces of the once lush shrubs and fragrant greenery have vanished into the blackhole of some bureaucrat's masterplan. Whatever they hope to do with the premises, it certainly doesn't involve retaining utterly useless bits of vegetation that require periodic watering, pruning, fertilising and harvesting.
For some reason, I had never managed to take a picture of Ken's ramen until last week, despite frequenting the joint (thanks to the TGWTTIHS who introduced the place) and the nearby health centre – the rich double-boiled broth and perfectly al dente noodles with crunchy bamboo shoots, a boiled egg with succulent runny yolk and fat slabs of char siew are becoming a ducky comfort food. A savoury bowl of Gemütlichkeit costs $12 and the resulting sense of warm umaminess is best capped with a mug of draught Asahi. They also have bottled Sapporo, which is similarly crisp but somewhat less gassy. Besides the house favourite stewed boiled egg ramen, there's also cold hiyashi noodles, a few spicier bowls and juicy gyozas. The selection isn't mindboggling like Ajisen's but it's more than enough to keep hungry ducks coming back. Noodle House Ken is located on the left flank of Orchard Plaza (that seedy shopping centre fronted by electronics and luggage shops) in a ground floor unit by the pavement overlooking Orchard Point (home to OG and Spotlight) and is flanked by dingy looking tourist traps. You can squeeze into the narrow ledge of the original hole-in-the-wall outfit and dine to the kitchen whiff or request a less authentic experience in an extension two doors down the corridor. Apparently, there's a stash of hentai somewhere but my randy duck hasn't found it yet! And for those who'd appreciate the information *ahem* the building offers a wholesome selection of after-dinner entertainment and relaxation facilities that will rub you the right way...
Early (late, depending on how you see it) on Sunday, my duck got a call to try a fairly unknown eatery in a half-forgotten part of the city where Tyrwhitt Road meets Kitchener Road. Nowadays, this sleepy corner close to Jalan Besar is roused only when there are football matches at the eponymous stadium. Behind the sports centre lie the mouldy remains of the Victoria School, and right across the decaying institution is an elevated coffeeshop unit with poor lighting and retro tiles. Besides the drinks stand, there is a halal stall, but the main draw here is an establishment serving Northern Thai cuisine. The usual cohort of pineapple rice and seafood tom yum are on the menu, but we wanted to try the highly recommended fish fritter tom yum soup. Sleepyhead resisted three wake-up calls so my starving duck ordered an entrée of fried ngoh hiang with a sweet and spicy dip. The house specialty is a tangy tom yum soup with a heady swirl of sour notes (in the best possible way) and the creamy richness of laksa long gone from the streets of sanitised Singapore. The munjen asked for an extra spicy bowl (which my duck attempted to hoard before the switch was noticed) with the power to loosen blocked bowels punch through nasal congestion. Frolicking in the soup are generous portions of fried fish fritters with tender meat that manages to resist being overwhelmed by the surrounding heat, probably thanks to the firm batter coating. Now, if they'd also serve some special Thai massage Thai-style milk tea or tamarind juice to go with the food, it'd be all so perfect....
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