December 25, 2008
Dining at Jurong Point 2: What’s good what’s not
Part of the mural at entrance of Din Xiao Er
Din Xiao Er
This restaurant strikes the right note immediately with the colourful mural at the entrance, leading into a rustic-looking space. But the best part must be the food. We tried their signature dish, Herbal Duck, choosing the one with Angelica herbs, the Mongolian Spare Ribs, and Yu Mak in Fermented Sauce, and really enjoyed everything they laid out for us.
OldTown White Coffee
On the other end of the scale, mum tried the curry mee there, and could not eat it. Tasted like curry powder added to water! The icky part? the fish cakes were stale. And the staff just kept quiet when she made these observations while paying. Teething problems? Maybe. My mum had tried the food at another branch in KL, and rather enjoyed it.
Jia Xiang Mee
Noodles from Sarawak, or so they say. Service was fast, and their signature dish, jia xiang mee, was tasty. Ingredients were also fresh, another plus. But $6+ for what is essentially a bowl of wanton mee? hmmm…
Lai Lai Casual Dining
A neighbour of ours warned us not to eat the mee sua at this one. And she said that if we were to go, just try the beef dishes. She was not impressed.
Zhou’s Kitchen
We took a look at their lunch buffet spread, and honestly, it all looked very tempting. Good value if you’ve got a good appetite.
December 12, 2008
inSingapore: The Enlarged Jurong Point (Jurong Point 2)
The extension to Jurong Point was opened to the public a couple of days ago. I took a quick look-around, and wow, it’s so huge, with so many “names” setting up shop here.
Slightly surreal to me, to be sure, when I think of how, just slightly over ten years ago, when we started living in Jurong West, and it was such a backwoods.
Now, can find so many of the same shops you find in the city areas. Jurong West has suddenly become much more attractive to live in.
Not that the shops themselves are exciting or different. They are much the same stores you’d find in many shopping malls in Singapore, but for those of us in Jurong, it’s certainly convenient not to have to make our way all the way to the city to find familiar brands. And it’s certainly a plus to have a wider choice of restaurants as well.
- Shoppers checking out the extension to Jurong Point on opening day, Wednesday 10 December 200. It’s so large, it’s virtually another mall attached to the original structure (the space of the new “extension” is larger than the original Jurong Point)
What I like about the new extension is that it has the same sense of openness and light that you find in the older part. They’ll need to do something about the skylights over Starbucks and maybe a couple of other shops as well. At lunch-time, the sun makes certain areas HOT.
The only section I didn’t like — the part where they had a more Chinese theme. It feels too dark, closed and old-fashioned. Maybe the area will have a better ambience when Fairprice Xtra opens its doors.
If you’re planning to visit, though, be prepared for quite a few shops to be still in the process of setting up, with workers busily putting in furniture and fittings. It may be wise to wait a few days more before venturing to the shopping centre.
July 14, 2008
inSingapore: Crowds at opening week – Japanese Food Street at Jurong Point
Last week, a Japanese Food Street, Shokutsu-10, opened at Jurong Point… to huge crowds. Of course, Jurong Point is always really crowded anyway.
To think that when I first came to Jurong about 10 years ago, it was like the back of beyond. Now, it’s become a much more desirable place to live, with lots of new facilities!
July 4, 2008
inSingapore: bicycles everywhere, near Boon Lay MRT station
I remember discussing with my friend some years ago, that I never see people riding bicycles near Boon Lay MRT station. Ironic, because now they’re everywhere! Chained to convenient fencing/railings, seats for waiting passengers (as in photo below), lamp posts, and even trees!!!
This rise in the number of cyclists has kinda crept up on me. Guess it must have happened as more and more flats around the MRT station were completed, and people who moved in found it convenient to cycle to catch the MRT or Bus, or to shop at Jurong Point (the nearby shopping centre).
The way the bicycles are parked are starting to look a bit haphazard/messy. But I actually quite like seeing so many bicycles around. Makes the community seem more homely somehow. Guess I’m still a kampung girl at heart.
Crooked Turret 
