Let me start this post on western food in Singapore by giving a brief scene of how old school coffeeshop western food used to look like to true blue old school Singaporeans. I remember old school western food by the mini portions of "Anchor" butter which came with a small bun, old school no brand thick french fries, baked beans and the main piece of meat which was chicken chop or chicken cutlet with brown sauce as a default. The other mains that one would choose would be fish and chips, pork chops and the ever popular mixed grill which always came with sunny side up eggs, sausages and mixed grills. Burgers would be limited to chicken or fish patties with only a slice of cheese. Some stalls would also throw in fried or BBQ chicken wings for those who wanted rice or extras to go with their mains. All this for the price of $4.50 for chicken chops and $8 for mixed grills. Does this description bring back memories of how coffeeshop western food was to you? If it does sound no...

Now it seems like this review took a very long time to finally take hold in my blog but I hope it can be of use to you during your next vacation to Phuket. I've been to Phuket many years ago on a full package trip with my family and it was unforgettable because it was so pristine and untouched back then. The most memorable would be to see my grandfather ogle after the nude caucasian women on the beaches. Even more memorable would be the long tail boat offshore fishing that was fairly common in Phuket. In Singaporean fishing terms, it was the type of "Lo Jiak", "Bao Tong", "Tok Kong" fishing frenzy that one could ever experience. Now it's 2015 though and is Phuket still as evergreen and pristine? Tourism always brings pollution and commercialization but in the midst of it all, I found that you don't need to rely on a tour package now. Reliable travel information about Phuket can now be found online and with a little planning, all I did was t...

Well, my readers should know that I probably don't ever blog about food except for one post on Cacio E Pepe because they simply ranked too highly on my list of must try foods in Singapore... But when my old time friend Adrian reopened his western food stall, I simply have to blog about it! Adrian's western food is very big on authentic flavour and a very sincere effort on customer service. When I say authentic flavour, I really mean how he grills his steaks and the effort he makes into doing up his homemade sauces. It really is quite different from the off the shelf sauces of today... which seem overly flavorful. Other than the sauces, he offers some mean restaurant style cuisine which can include ribeye steaks, lamb shanks, grilled oven chicken, pastas, BBQ ribs and so on. We always wonder what is this guy doing a stall at a Coffeeshop! Do you know that I even had a 700g slab of ribeye once?! Yesterday, I had his grilled chicken with special BBQ sauce (which he proudly pr...

Many anglers in Singapore ask me why I do not go for my fishing & jigging trips at popular Malaysia fishing spots like Pekan, Rompin or even Desaru. Fishing at these productive and good jigging locations in Malaysia often produce wonderful game fish like the Ebek, Giant Trevally, Spanish Mackerals (Batang), Cobia and even the elusive coral trout. It's where most "sport fishing anglers" in Singapore get their fix. The truth is that I am looking more for relaxing fishing and a good easy going time with my fishing kakis these days. Gone are the days that I am furiously popping, jigging or casting a Jackson pintail or Duel hardcore minnow for my prized catch... So what is so special about Merchong? Well this video on a recent trip proves that during a fishing trip, it's often the friends, memories, food (yes food) and place that really matters to all anglers.  Featured in the video are my usual fishing kakis doing all kinds of fishing - Micro jigging, light jiggi...

We often get funny stares while launching our fishing kayaks in Singapore at Watercross. Bewildered onlookers or surfcasters (fishing from the beach) would often check in on us and ask us many questions. I have to admit, it sometime felt like we were like an elite bunch of fishermen - something like the Seals or Commandos of fishing especially with all our macho face buffs and arm socks. Jokes aside, what is it to really launch a kayak and go out to fish in Singapore waters? For a start, many of us store our kayaks at Watercross Pasir Ris and although it's just literally a stone's throw from the beach (where we launch), it's actually tiring work just to get to the water! That's where one fine day I decided to take some footage of what really happens. Many things happen but in general - We have to get the kayak out, rig it up, get it to the water and finally launch. Tough work just to get to fishing I would say! But that's how it is as we run out of good fishin...

Bring your loved ones out to experience something unique in Singapore! How often do we forage for food in Singapore? How often do we eat what we catch or grow? Do we go fishing, prawning, crabbing in Singapore? Where do we go in an urban and increasingly crowded Singapore? Well, the truth is that most of us Singaporeans buy what we need and our primary needs will be a wad of money instead of a good crop of plants or a trusty fishing set. But you can't eat money right? So I was glad when some folks from the Straits Times contacted me and they were keen in learning how to dig for clams at Kranji beach. Foraging will always be something that humankind does - the finding of food through primary means like digging, hunting or gathering is part of our survival instincts. Bring your folks out for some good old family time or it may even be a unique dating place for couples in Singapore! Have fun watching the video as the sporty Straits Times crew and Baktao trudge through th...

The below opinion was done up hastily in response to the article on plankton bloom in Pasir Ris . There will be no extensive research figures given to support this article as the author strongly believes that credible experiences that engage are far more reliable than figures in a modern world. In addition, figures on fishery and fishery research are fairly limited in Singapore waters. This opinion should not be taken as a scholarly article or reference but merely as an abrupt ranting with regards to a recent issue.  A beautiful sun sets over a lone fish farm in Pasir Ris After yet another plankton bloom which sent the fish farms reeling (pun intended), it’s clear that Fish Farming in Pasir Ris needs to be reviewed. How long does the government intend to nurture such a venture? In this opinion, I shall share some personal experiences (in the tiny shoes of an angler) that may come as a surprise to many whom are not on the ground.   We farm for demand and not hunger ...