Chinese New Year Stories.

We all have our family traditions designed especially for the Chinese New Year. From the wearing of new clothes to usher in a prosperous new year, to the serving of tea to our parents (or you won't get your Ang Pow - red packet with money that signifies good fortune luck and promotes the sharing of wealth among family and friends), to the preparation of the reunion dinner by the eldest member of the family who volunteered to cook!

Every year, we'd look forward to the same few favourites, like the Puck Cheet Kai (Poached Chicken), and many other dishes, with recipes passed down by our mother, our mother's mother, and so on.

Another must-have as we celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year is the appetiser dish Yee Sang (Raw Fish Salad). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusheng

Some also call it Lo Hei (loosely translated as Prosperity Toss). And it is normally served on the 7th (of 15) day(s) of the Chinese New Year - that's the day known to us as Yan Yat (People's/Everybody's Birthday). But it is now commercially consumed almost one month before the festive season starts.

And it gets even more colourful - The Emperor's dish, or what the Chinese call it, Choy Kiok.

There's a story that comes with this one. Back in the olden China days, a Emperor returns victorious from one of his many battles, and demands for a feast. The Royal Chef was surprised by the sudden decision that he was caught without fresh supply of meat and vegetable in the palace kitchen.

So he had to think on his feet. His solution: Get Gai Choy (Mustard Greens), a vegetable that's difficult to stir fry and tasteless to eat on its own, throw it into the pot along with the leftovers from the night before – the roasted duck, the roasted pork leg, the mushrooms etc, then add in the tamarind peels (flavour enhancing) and dried chillies (appetising appeal).

The Emperor tasted it and, to the Royal Chef's relief, gave a standing ovation for the ingenuous dish. And that's how it came to be.

More New Year favourites? There's Tong Yuen. This is the same dessert we have during the Winter Solstice. It is glutinous rice balls with sesame or red bean paste fillings, served in sweet, ginger soup. The egg-like roundness of the glutinous rice balls signifies 'birth'.

In my mother's words: "We grow a year older with every bowl of Tong Yuen."

Last but not least, the batter-fried Nian Gao (Sticky New Year's Cake) – a 'bribe' that ensures the Kitchen God returns to heaven with a favourable annual report.

Or so the story goes.

The Grandmother Stock.

If there's one thing you need to have in your fridge at any one time, it's this tub of magic.

This is especially useful for you who live on your own – without your mum to cook that special dish for you.

The 'Grandmother Stock', or 'Stock Base', is the original sauce for your meats, the leftover stock from your stew, which you keep frozen.

To re-use for your next pot of stew, all you have to do is taw it, add on to spices and meat of your choice, each time. Then, collect it again by filling it onto the tub.

This not only saves you the trouble of cumbersome preparations, but it also maintains a consistent taste and flavour that just gets better with time.

Penang A1 Chendol in Tampines.

If you are to unearth gems, obviously you'd have to dig for 'em.

Discovering the good stuff in Singapore, especially within residential townships, you'd just have to keep your eyes opened when you're in a car, riding on a bus, or taking a walk. And be brave enough to actually walk up to the store and actually try some.

There may be more than one shop along the same street, serving more or less the same desserts; but they somehow never tastes the same.

This gem of a traditional Chendol, served in a plastic takeaway bowl, can be found on Tampines St 81. http://foursquare.com/venue/3465950

This reminded me of the Chendol in Taman O.U.G, Old Klang Road, KL. And it's loaded with a massive dollop of fresh durian mash, complementing the usual serving of shaved ice with coconut milk, gula Melaka (palm sugar), the green Chendol bits and kidney beans. All for the price of S$3.50 only.

This is will have you, or anyone, coming back for more. Especially on a hot, scorching Singaporean day.

(For the anti-durian people, you get the option of Avocado puree topping. Or go without either.)

Honestly, it's to die for.

(Think I'm gonna walk over and get some now...)

Prawn Mee a.k.a. Har Meen.

Just when you're about to lose hope on hawker food in Singapore, something special always turns up around the corner.

Like this Har Meen, at Tampines St 82, for example.

Honestly, it's not great. But the broth and the 'sambal' are nostalgically – KL. And that means the world to me.

The prawns are fresh. And the egg, hard-boiled and sliced.

The pork ribs. Ah, the pork ribs. You can be 100% sure they're higher quality than any pork ribs across Malaysia. If you don't believe me, you can just drop by most wet markets across Singapore, and tastes the difference.

But back to Har Meen - the Singaporean bowl of prawn broth noodles laced with spicy chili-based sauce reminded me of a similar bowl of Har Meen I had in Taman Yulek, Cheras, back in good old Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It looks the same, and tastes almost the same.

But the elusive bowl of Har Meen I truly miss, is the one by Ah Keong, at Lorong Jugra, off Old Klang Road. And it looks a little like this:

See the difference? http://foursquare.com/venue/9808096

Alice in Sugarloaf.

"Why is a raven like the writing desk?"

You will ask for a hilarious solution to this riddle, but in all honesty, I do not have one.

However, the answer that I have for all the skeptics: There is no truth in saying that eating in Singapore is a total disaster compared to eating in Kuala Lumpur or Petaling Jaya, or Cheras for the matter. We have just got to get past that myth and begin discovering the different flavours, tastes, blends of spices, and more so, the unique experiences across this Lion City we know so little of.

To get ahead in Singapore on where to eat, what to eat, you'd have to always keep your ear to the ground, and your nose to the grindstone, for special places that satisfy beyond hunger. And Sugarloaf Cafe may just be one of those places where you can discover exciting experiences, every now and then, at truly value-for-money prices.

Located within the Culinary Academy of Temasek Polytechnic, Blk 31, Level 1, 21, Tampines Avenue 1, you'd find special one-day-only events like, on 17 February 2011, where the

graduating students of the Culinary & Catering Management course put together a themed event: Alice in Sugarloaf.

Here, the Mad Hatter greets you as you wait in line to make your orders. And gets a snapshot off you for their Facebook page: facebook.com/alice.in.sugarloaf

Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, serves you at the start of the counter. With smiles as cheerful as the spoonfuls of sugar, baked into muffins and cakes.

The choices are quality, not quantity. Just enough for one to enjoy picking out their preferred dessert and main course.

The Cheshire Cat, I believe, was behind the ice-cream stall. And I chose decisively – Vanilla ice-cream and Raspberry sorbet, a single scoop each, which I asked to serve only at the end, and you can all guess why.

There was also the White Queen at the cashbox recommending the 'Alice's Potion', and dared her customers to add a dash of 'poison' - which was really raspberry juice – to give that refreshing Drink of the Day that extra 'Zing!'

Next to the White Queen was who else but the Red Queen herself... she was neither formal nor strict, and definitely not unkindly.

As I have mentioned about the pricing earlier, it was simply fabulous. My plate of Bratwurst costs only S$4, or was it S$5, (who cares!). And that blue coloured drink is Alice's Potion, laced in full glory, with 'poison'.

My Raspberry Trifle - S$2.50 at worst!

Then the Mad Hatter returned midway through, and seated himself calmly at our table. The red haired clown with white creamed face was persistent in entertaining my little boy, who was simply terrified.

You may watch this video and have a laugh.

The Mad Hatter, however, had better luck in capturing some laughter at another table. So I'd say, a hearty congratulations to all the latest diploma graduates of Temasek Culinary Academy.

You can all be proud of a totally memorable afternoon.

Kuang Fei - The Original Tangkak Beef Noodles.

I've eaten and totally enjoyed The Tangkak Beef Noodles at Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. http://lunchexpeditions.blogspot.com/2009/03/tangkak-beef-noodles-off-jalan-imbi.html

Since then it has been at the back of my mind, like an itch I couldn't scratch, to visit the place of origin, to the spot where it all started.

On 27 November 2010, on one of my road trip back from Singapore, I turned off the North South Highway into Tangkak town, and finally found Kuang Fei – http://foursquare.com/venue/14648622

I ordered the largest bowl they had. And I was not disappointed. It was better than its branch, indefinitely. I'm guessing it's because their beef stock goes a longer way back...

And their white vinegar comes in a clear bottle. That's sheer class, haha. Add a spoonful to the soup and see how the flavours wake up and break into song and dance with your taste buds.

Then you'd wanna order an extra bowl of freshly made, succulent, beef balls. And savour each one of 'em cos you'd never know when you'll find your way back here, again.

Lorong Selamat.

Competition is stiff between the two Chow Koay Teow stalls at Lorong Selamat, Penang. In one corner is the lady with the strange cap, in the other is the man with the outrageous goggles. They both take over an hour to serve you your equally scrumptious charcoal-fired wok-fried noodles with giant fresh prawns, Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage), Kerang (Cockles) and Kow Choy (Slender Garlic Chives).

While you patiently wait for your famous plate of Chow Koay Teow to arrive, you'll be glad to know that you're encouraged to order and try out other available Penang delights along Lorong Selamat, like Asam Laksa (Fish-based Spicy & Sour Soup Noodles), Lobak (Malaysian Tapas) & Prawn Fritters, Oh Chien (Mini Oysters Omelet), Popiah (Spring Roll), White Curry Noodles and more.

And to keep your mind off the wait further, while your Chow Koay Teow is being painstakingly fried, one plate at a time due to quality control by either master chefs, guys can try your luck at spotting some lovely ladies who'll dress up for a hearty meal here. For ladies, bring along your PSP or spend quality time with your iPhone – because good looking male Penangites are as rare as Filipino pearls.

Two more tips while you're at Lorong Selamat, one, you may want to bring along a deck or two of playing cards. And two, don't forget to leave some stomach space for the infamous dessert of shaved-ice with rose syrup, palm sugar, evaporated milk, assortment of beans, corn, jelly bits and roasted groundnuts – Ice Kacang, with ice-cream topping.

While in Penang, you may also travel to isolated spots for various popular local dishes if you have the time. If not, you can find most of everything you've read up on Penang hawker cuisine, right here at Lorong Selamat.