Blog 18th Anniversary - Relative Advantage of Singapore

 Singapore is surrounded by a peninsular, islands big and small, trading routes, channels and seas. It is an island itself, albeit with reclaimed land fringes, but it is also an island beyond the geographical meaning of the term.

Singapore thrives on differentiation.  Its dynamics, governance drivers and ability to grow thrive on offering something which its neighbours cannot, to the same degree.

Most of Myanmar is still under military rule, despite the emergence of varying successful rebellions. Vietnam is communist, together with Laos.  The Phillippines and Kampuchea have had more tumultous experiences in politics.  Thailand and Malaysia are technically constitutional monarchies.  Timur-Leste and Papua New Guinea became fledging democracies after independence, but have not reached maturity in governance.  Indonesia is a federation of several cultural regions that has so much land size and population in comparison to the city state of Singapore.

So what captivates the rest of South-east Asia to offerings by Singapore?  Reassurance, relative stability, better reliance and constant progress - just like Switzerland to Europe.  Not just in being a transport hub, infrastructure provider, banker, shipping safety harbour, medical and education excellence provider, a place with good social cohesion structure,  technology facilitator, military capability displayer and strategic planning thinker - Singapore is ever the middleman, broker and trader.  As long there are transactions to be churned and there are problems elsewhere,  there is commission, value add and profit to be made, as Singapore beckons the talented, the visionary and the adventurer.

Both Indian and Chinese cultures have significantly infused the South-east Asian make up for umpteen years, before the arrival of Islam and Colonialism added further layers of social and political influences.  Today's Singapore can be said to be a microcosm of this historical accumulation and interaction - and yet the thinking and actions of its leaders and society stand apart.

So what abhors its neighbours about Singapore?   Perhaps the very same things that attracts them -  the better quality of life, its persistently stronger currency, its First World economic prowess.   Its sheer dependence on migrant labour in construction, house help and jobs its citizens will not do can cause an Achilles heel which makes it vulnerable to supply forces from its neighbours.

Singapore, small as it is, buys more arms than Australia, Indonesia or New Zealand.

Singapore has no royalty aristocrats to pander to.   It has maintained to a higher intensity the use of the English language and promoted the prominence of Mandarin spoken amongst its population.  Its leaders impose a strict political discipline for its citizens, resulting in a social order that contrasts with the waves of political instability of its neighbours.   Singapore's ensuing ability to hugely attract international business and talent belies its absence of natural resources.

Likewise, Australia and New Zealand can also empathise with how contemporary Singapore feels.
Both these two Antipodes countries find themselves different from their neighbours in the Asia- Pacific hinterland and ocean backyard.


The three nations have a Westminster based systen of government.   They are the outcomes of British trading, military and expansionist initiatives from the 18th to the 20th centuries.   They have attained an economic status which is the envy of their neighbours, short of China, Japan and South Korea.   Each of these three nations of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore were also built on the contributions of historical migrants.

They all offer a high measure of social stability, governance and economic wealth, but Singapore has the lowest taxes.

One lacks land size, another has too much and the third can be so remote from rhe rest of the world.  Both New Zealand and Singapore governments dare to stake our more independent positions in contemporary geopolitics. The Australian government continues to not seize an opportunity to assert its own refreshing values in international diplomacy and political moves.

In terms of wartime risks, Singapore geographically lies in a highly likely flashpoint, while Australia is most vulnerable in its exposed northern coasts and its affiliation with the South Pacific.

Nww Zealand has taken huge consistent steps to embrace its Indigenous heritage ( recent domestic politics are challenging that), when compared with its cross-Tasman neighbour.  Singapore is most conscious of balancing the implications of its multiracial population.

Singapore is what it is today, despite not having any natural resources.  Australia is blessed with many natural resources and yet its financial centres are behind that of Singapore.   All three countries utilise high levels of immigration to supplant population growth (at least before Covid 19).

Australia and New Zealand have proved to be bastions of relative stability, governance and reliability like Singapore.  They have attracted investors as places to park excess funds in search of higher returns, buy properties as back up refuges and place children for higher education.  Where people originate from nations with political instability but higher economic opportunities, all  three countries can be heaven sent as lower risk alternatives for escape to in the worst of times.

#yongkevthoughts

Immediate Response to SQ 321 22 May 2024

 

A 16 year old  Boeing 777 ER on flight at 37000 feet on 21 May 2024 over the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar experienced a sudden encounter with a clear air turbulence.  The aircraft tilted up and then fell dramatically for a very short time, causing spinal and head injuries to 53 passengers and one crew member who were not belted up.  A British subject unfortunately had a heart attack and died.

The injured were thrown up in dramatic fashion against overhead lockers or projected upwards while walking in the aisle or using the toilets.

The plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok.  SQ231 was flying from London enroute to Changi.   Breakfast was served on board when the plane encountered the severe turbulence on a route used by several airlines.

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport rose to the occasion by offering interim triage to injured passengers on the tarmac once the affected plane landed.

All eyes are on SQ now as to how they handle the aftermath for passengers, crew, airline reputation, aircraft safety and more.

One of the five key pillars for the nation of Singapore is air travel and  SQ.

I reckon the others are the vibrancy of its financial hub,
shipping port, innovation and good governance.This incident can be described as s black swan in risk management speak.

Such a black swan is seen as an unlikely event but when it happens, creates a significant impact.

For passengers and crew, is it covered by air travel insurance? The CEO of SQ immediately offered
an apology on Facebook.

Both the President of the island Republic and its newly sworn in Prime Minister also provided clear unconditional apologies in public as well.

Effective and timely open communication is a hallmark of good businesses and governance.

The official Singapore response and tone from the top is immediately not to get into any blame game, not to push underlings to speak and not to keep quiet in the first critical hours after the incident.  SQ and the Government of the Red Dot moved fast to navigate a business like yet caring response.

The official communication given soon after this event was not just aimed at the passengers and crew aboard this flight, but also for the whole cohort of other existing and potential members of its world wide market.

A quarter of the passengers on the flight hold Australian passports, another almost quarter are Singaporean.  Many boarded SQ231 to ultimately head to Australia.

I noticed the efficient transfer by 22 May on charter flight of uninjured passengers from Bangkok to Changi.

Although there was some uncertainty from the incident, SQ worked on the facts, concentrated on taking care of passengers plus cabin crew and methodically mopped up.

No cabin crew or pilot, aboard the SQ 231 flight from London scheduled to Singapore, spoke or wrote on social media.

SQ ensured any speculation on public media was minimised.

As usual, so called air travel experts appeared on broadcasted media overseas chatting of the possible why and how.

SBS free to air in Australia mentioned that Singapore Airlines had a record of only 3 fatalities during operations  in the past 25 years.

#yongkevthoughts

Thoughts on Singapore - On the Cusp of the Future

 

Every society has its
downs and ups. Do we recognise, sharpen and utilise our inherent advantages - and do we counter our disadvantages?

Size of territory, the lack of available natural resources and geopolitical risks can be set off by strategic planning and implementation, quality education for the public, technological value add and having an embedded practical vision for a nation.

Governance can be betrayed by divisive politics, short term manipulation, obsessive diversions, pervasive corruption and undue foreign influence.

Does your goverment cloud you with petty issues, falling standards, band aid solutions and lack of initiative?

Singapore is not just economically rich, but has societal attitudes borne out of its unavoidable deficiencies.
It has developed as a beacon of refuge from instability and as a captivator of talent ignored or under appreciated in other places. 

Singapore does walk on a tightrope between competing interests.  Its colonial heritage, future socio-political development and dependence on an open market are all two edged swords of opportunity and crisis.

Taxes can be low but costs of car ownership and properties prohibitively high.  Spatial freedom can be a challenge for visitors with loads of open space and lower populations from nations with too much land.   Singapore is a world critical transport hub by air and shipping, due partly to its location.
Will it be caught up in a war not of its making but due to its geographical and trading eminence?

#yongkevthoughts

October 2021 - Singapore Embraces Covid

 

In transition between different and significant approaches in managing Covid, Singapore is at the cross roads. The journey so far for Europe is swinging from lockdowns to freedom and now back to lockdowns. No economy can endure lockdowns on and off, especially for one like Singapore, but the question is "at what price?". Here are key quotes from a televised address by the Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien-loong, to his nation on 3 October 2021. "Singapore cannot stay locked down indefinitely." "We are shifting to home recovery" "No more complicated flow charts." "Knowing what to do makes Covid not a scary disease." "Sooner or later, everyone of us will meet the virus." "Keeping connected to supply chains will help ensure Singapore's hub status." "We must ensure for Singapore's health systen and health workers, which is our last line of defence." "We must be our nation's first line of defence, to help protect our health system." "We may yet have to tap on the brakes, in order not to free up too fast." "How will we know when we have arrived at the New Normal?"

Threesomes with a Difference

 

Singapore is surrounded by a peninsular, islands big and small, trading routes, channels and seas. It is an island itself, albeit with reclaimed land fringes, but it is also an island beyond the geographical meaning of the term.

Singapore thrives on differentiation.  Its dynamics, governance drivers and ability to grow thrive on offering something which its neighbours cannot, to the same degree.

Myanmar just had a military coup.  Vietnam is communist, together with Laos.  The Phillippines and Kampuchea have had more tumultous experiences in politics.  Thailand and Malaysia are technically constitutional monarchies in varying forms.  Timur-Leste and Papua New Guinea became fledging democracies after independence, but have not reached maturity in governance.  Indonesia is a federation of several cultural regions that has so much land size and population in comparison to the city state of Singapore.

So what captivates the rest of South-east Asia to offerings by Singapore?  Reassurance, relative stability, better reliance and constant progress - just like Switzerland to Europe.  Not just in being a transport hub, infrastructure provider, banker, shipping safety harbour, medical and education excellence provider, a place with good social cohesion structure,  technology facilitator, military capability displayer and strategic planning thinker - Singapore is ever the middleman, broker and trader.  As long there are transactions to be churned and there are problems elsewhere,  there is commission, value add and profit to be made, as Singapore beckons the talented, the visionary and the adventurer.

Both Indian and Chinese cultures have significantly infused the South-east Asian make up for umpteen years, before the arrival of Islam and Colonialism added further layers of social and political influences.  Today's Singapore can be said to be a microcosm of this historical accumulation and interaction - and yet the thinking and actions of its leaders and society stand apart.

So what abhors its neighbours about Singapore?   Perhaps the very same things that attracts them -  the better quality of life, its persistently stronger currency, its First World economic prowess.   Its sheer dependence on migrant labour in construction, house help and jobs its citizens will not do can cause an Achilles heel which makes it vulnerable to supply forces from its neighbours.

Singapore, small as it is, buys more arms than Australia, Indonesia or New Zealand.

Singapore has no home grown traditional royalty aristocrats to pander to.   It has maintained to a higher intensity the use of the English language and promoted the prominence of Mandarin spoken amongst its population.  Its leaders impose a strict political discipline for its citizens, resulting in a social order that contrasts with the waves of political instability of its neighbours.   Singapore's ensuing ability to hugely attract international business and talent belies its absence of natural resources.

Likewise, Australia and New Zealand can also empathise with how contemporary Singapore feels.
Both these two Antipodean countries find themselves different from their neighbours in the Asia-Pacific hinterland and ocean backyard.

The three nations have a Westminster based system of government.   They are the outcomes of British trading, military and expansionist initiatives from the 18th to the 20th centuries.   They have attained an economic status which is the envy of their neighbours, short of China, Japan and South Korea.   Each of these three nations were also built on the contributions of historical migrants.
They all offer a high measure of social stability, governance and economic wealth, but Singapore has the lowest taxes.

One lacks land size, another has too much and the third can be so remote from the rest of the world.  Both New Zealand and Singapore governments dare to stake their more independent positions in contemporary geopolitics. The Australian government continues to not seize an opportunity to assert its own refreshing values in international diplomacy and political moves.

In terms of wartime risks, Singapore geographically lies in a highly likely flashpoint, while Australia is most vulnerable in its exposed northern coasts and its affiliation with the South Pacific.

Nww Zealand has taken huge consistent steps to embrace its Indigenous heritage, when compared with its cross-Tasman neighbour.  Singapore is most conscious of balancing the implications of its multiracial population.

Singapore is what it is today, despite not having any natural resources.  Australia is blessed with many natural resources and yet its financial centres are behind that of Singapore.   All three countries utilise high levels of immigration to supplant population growth (before Covid 19).

Australia and New Zealand have proved to be bastions of relative stability, governance and reliability like Singapore.  They have attracted investors as places to park excess funds in search of higher returns, buy properties as back up refuges and place children for higher education.  Where people originate from nations with political instability but varying levels of economic opportunities, all  three countries can be heaven sent as lower risk alternatives for escape to in the worst of times.

#yongkevthoughts

George Town and more - February 2016

The Kai Tan San - Cantonese ribbon twist egg dough biscuits.  Green Lane, Penang. 
Photo credit : S.K.Teoh

Call this the Bubur Chacha or the Pungat, it is a vegetarian dessert only made to celebrate the close of the Lunar New Year festivities.  Baulkham Hills, north-west Sydney.

Baked Fujian biscuits and snacks - the Chinese providers and bakers from Penang and Perak now do face competition, have adapted to modern technological processes and have consumers at every age. 

Changi Singapore Airport knows how to captivate for the Lunar New Year of the Red Monkey.

Barista cafes are sprouting up in the colonial quarter of George Town, Penang.

A mate and I anticipate over our natural banana leaf plates, as the restaurant crew place dollops of pickled vegetables and spicy condiments.   The Kerala Restaurant, New World Park, George Town.

Valentines often fall close by to the start of Lunar New Year.

Pork jerky on display - popular amongst the southern Chinese, it is a treasured gift for families and relatives during the festive period.

Mass movements of people occur preceding and after the start of the Lunar New Year in East Asia.

Possibly not so healthy, but hell of yummy - the Choon Pniah or deep fried spring rolls.  

Mee Jawa, simmered in a spicy gravy with potatoes, tofu cubes, prawns and a squeeze of lime.

Typical coffee shop scene in Penang Island - for breakfast, brunch or lunch, you can have your choice of several street food offerings, each priced under one American dollar.

Not for the uninitiated - the Chee Cheong Fun, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and accompanied by tasty Hoi Sin and chili sauces.

Soy sauce stirred egg noodles with Char Siew cuts, veg, pork dumplings and a serve of vinegar infused green chili rings.

Wide flat rice noodles are cooked on a hot wok and garnished with meat cuts, eggs, prawns, veg and a corn starch finish.

Busy, busy.

This young kid knows how to multi-tasks in taking care of Daddy's food stall and catch up on his Smart phone.

Making fresh pastry on the spot.

Making Roti filled with love.

Nothing like a reunion over an eight course Chinese dinner.  The Tropicana Chinese Restaurant, Klang Valley outside Kuala Lumpur.   
Photo credit: Not determined

Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve - Singapore

The Bridge over a river intense wetlands area.

We were already most conscious of the potential presence of salt water crocodiles as the well posted signs did emphasise this.   Mona had driven us across Singapore Island to reach this rather hitherto unknown site, past near the Tuas Causeway on the north-eastern side of the Republic but arriving closer to Woodlands.  We had gone past scenery that is reminiscent of most peninsular towns to the north in the sixties - the dust from trucks, the shop houses in a style that had been frozen in time and the smells of a light industrial area.

These wetlands have been preserved to attract a variety of bird life - like the Chinese Egrets, Greater Spotted Terns, Greater Spotted Eagles,  Marsh Sandpipers, Cinnamon Bitterns, Pacific Golden Plovers, Whimbrels, Common Redshanks and Common Greenshanks.   Harder to spot are the otters, Whistling Ducks and Milky Storks.  There is a user friendly track between the banks of the water but our eyes and ears were alert to any possible sudden movement from the marshes.  It was a cloudy afternoon and yes there were already some visitors even on a week day!  Easier to come across are mud lobsters, crabs, Plantain Squirrels, the Malayan Water Monitor and mud skippers prancing around the calm waters of the mangrove swamps.

The swamps on each side attract migratory birds from northern Asia.

An identified resource for education, conservation and research,  the Ministry of Education in Singapore has teamed up with other parties like iCell Network, the British Council and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore to make plans for further improving this site.  The migratory season runs from September to March.   Visitors will find at least two hours is required for a leisurely stroll to cover the size of the wetlands.   Photography is encouraged.  One of the best blog write ups on flora and fauna in this Wetlands Reserve is joyloh.com.

http://joyloh.com/blog/?p=3222

Signs of built up areas are not that far away though.

The Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve is located at 301 Neo Tiew Crescent and is around 15 minutes by bus from the nearest MRT station at Kranji.  The Visitor centre is at 60 Kranji Way.   It is a declared ASEAN water heritage site and is included in the network of Australasian Shorebird Sites.

Changi Point - Singapore

The wharf at Changi Point, with idyllic waters on a lazy afternoon.

There are hidden places and insights into Singapore that most visitors and perhaps residents as well do not see or venture into.  I am fortunate to have been able recently to be on such a site when Mona took me and my friends a long drive to soak our mindset, feet and awareness into Changi Point, at the  north eastern tip of the island Republic.  To me, it was like travelling back in time, when the rural areas resonated with a pace so lacking in today's modern and over built societies.  Life is about harmony and moderation -  and in today's Singapore, Changi Point cannot be under estimated as a national treasure.

True, the Singaporeans cannot help themselves by ensuring facilities like a ferry terminal, hawker centres, hotels and shopping, even in the quiet serenity of the Changi Point area.  These are all hubbed at Changi Village,  which started life naturally as an old styled village but now has been modernised.

More fascinating to me are all the Government run bungalows from British colonial days, together with the sprawling training College for the French bank Paribas.  There is also the Changi Coast Track for some outdoor fun and exercise nearby.  Pulau Ubin is not far away and another place to earmark for an out-of-Singapore experience.

The sea waters have a shallow tropical hue, echoing quiet bays with the Straits of Johor and gentle laps of water current.  The sandy beaches have undisturbed yellow coloured sand.  Modern yachts do not change the character of some thing that has been left natural for a long time.   A sleepy setting?  Maybe, but I feel reinvigorated with the salty fresh air, the slightly warm embrace of what has been left much untouched and a lack of sense of rush and time.   Several individuals hang around the pier to wait for fish and fishing.

There were groups of youth seen in organised excursions visiting the Changi point area.  The colonial concept of bungalows, accessible to the public or families of its administrative or military service, has long gone - Singapore people gather at hotels, resorts of city spots instead of living for a few days together in more natural surroundings.  At times, I recollect the best times of my adolescence at such bungalow stays but always within the vicinity of camping, camp fire singing and trail walking possibilities.

Katong Singapore

Tanjung Katong in Singapore has had its original shoreline moved as a result of land reclamation.  It once fronted a seaside, has a distinguished history of settlement by an eclectic mix of races from both Europe and Asia and is now touted as a hub of the surviving Eurasian and Straits Chinese culture and tradition in the modern day Republic. Not far from Changi Airport, on the eastern side of Singapre Island, Katong offers a cuisine and culture that stands out depute the multiculturalism and fusion that is today's Singapore.

Who does recognise these very intimate items from a hair dressing table from  20th century Singapore?

Front beaded slip-ons.   The stitching is an art form that requires patience, a good eye and a creative sense of patterns.

Variety of snacks that echo fusion in preparation styles and use of local ingredients, drawing from on practices and recipes from South-east Asia, Southern China, Portugal, Holland and Britain.  There are baked, steamed, deep fried and bamboo leaf wrapped food, many using coconut milk, chestnuts, mung beans and Pandanus flavours.

Typical ware in a Straits Chinese kitchen, ranging from tiffin carriers to enamel coated pots and a Thai-styled steamed rice container.

Cantonese styled mooncakes and pig shaped biscuits.

The bridal chamber.

Peranakan curry laksa, with a more creamy soup and a variation of the multitude of laksas found in south-east Asia.
The version affectionately related to Katong originated from the Joo Chiat area by a vendor known as Janggut by the local Straits Chinese community - Mr Ng Juat Swee.   Such laksa is often best accompanied by the otak-otak, a fish mousse steamed with pandanus leaves (background to the upper right).

An outlet of Awfully Chocolate is located in Katong.
This has one of the most uplifting and flavoursome ice creams, cakes and sorbets in Singapore.

Suggested influences from China, Arabia and Thailand.

Mr. Francis Bernard, the son-in-law of the First British Resident of Singapore, Lt. Colonel William Farquhar, built a coconut plantation here in Katong.    This was followed by land purchases and developments by a series of characters now well embedded in Singaporean history -  Mr. Chew Joo Chiat, Mr. Thomas Dunman, Mr. Whampoa Hoo Ah Kay, the Little family and Mr. Thomas Crane.

The character of Katong transformed to that of large seaside bungalows and a wealthy suburb.. Ornate Straits Chinese mansions particularly were sited along Meyer and Mountbatten Roads.  Another significant group, the Eurasians, congregated in the Joo Chiat side of Katong after the Depression in the 1930s.   The forebears of the founder of the Republic of Singapore, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and those of former Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Thong, have also resided in the Katong area.  

The Straits Chinese come from a long line of ancestors beginning in the Malayan Peninsular with migrants from both Fujian and Guangdong Provinces of China in the tenth century AD.  The 2015 world-wide gathering of Straits Chinese takes place in Singapore later this year - 6 to 8 November for the 28th Baba Nyonya Convention, as organised by the Pernanakan Association Singapore.

Eurasians in Singapore can be Kristang (of Portuguese and Spanish descent), of Dutch or British colonial origins or more recently, arise from the mixed marriages due to the city state being  hub of significant commerce and immigration.  I did not get an opportunity to visit places or homes of Eurasian culture on my recent visit to Katong - many have also migrated overseas like to Perth Australia.   Eurasians of note include Mr. Benjamin Henry Sheares, a former President of Singapore;  national swimmer Mr. Joseph Schooling; Ms. Jean Danker, radio personality; Mr. Leslie Charteris, author and creator of novels with the character of Simon Templar, aka The Saint; Mr. Edmund W. Barker, former Cabinet Minister; and Mr. Daniel Shen-Yi Critchley, UK Ambassador Model for the United Colors of Benetton and GAP.

Many of the above photographs taken by me on this visit to Katong Singapore were shot inside the Katong Antique House at 208 East Coast Road.  The staff were most helpful and friendly in explaining the many facets of Straits chinese culture, crafts and lifestyle.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee - Singapore

The transformation of heritage sites  and architecture into useful, business viable concerns remain a challenge and opportunity for many cities finding themselves making financial, cultural and community decisions as what to retain or change.  Urban landscapes require clever designs and ideas to avoid destruction of unique perspectives from the past to be replaced by the rather bland and harsh architecture that emphasises on business requirements more than those of the local culture.  We can have similar looking skyscrapers when we travel across the world but cities like Barcelona, Penang, Hobart, Mandalay, Prague, Budapest, Kyoto, Kunming and  and Kandy captivate our attention, for they combine perhaps the best of old and new in a rather charming way.

It was rather exciting when Julie introduced us to a barista cafe bar, roastery and coffee hub in an old part of Singapore that still retains early 20th century British colonial shophouse architectural feel.  Utilised for many years as a thriving hardware business site, the ceilings are high, the windows as practical as possible allowing much air flow (especially in the stifling equatorial afternoons) and the inside feeling rather shady.  On the ground floor coffee bar, there is a thriving buzz in contemporary tones of having a cuppa, hosting informal groups and providing a respite from the business pace of Singapore.   It could have still housed a traditional coffee shop with round marble tops, as you can still come across in much of current day South East Asia, but no, the modern owners have placed a work space rectangle in the middle of it all, where guests sitting on the side can watch strong and unique coffee blends being made into loving and appreciated cups of addiction.  

The cups we had were on the strong side but I also appreciated the creamy and flavourful undertones.  Papa Palheta.  Coffee is the theme here, even if there is a small interestingly named selection of snacks and cakes available.  Old School refers to a vanilla ice cream sandwich.  The meatball pasta and smoked duck salad are straight forward enough, but what is the "Huat" Breakfast?  To me it was akin to the Aussie Big Breakky - it is lavished with grilled tomato, chicken sausages, ham steak, potato salad and a choice of eggs on toasted brioche.

The upper floors are dedicated to other aspects of the coffee business - roasting, gadgets, etc.

You are not near any shopping centre, MRT station or easy parking.   It can be not that easy to even locate the place, they may be back packer's accommodation nearby and it looks like a gathering hole for coffee lovers.  Industrial lights, gallery spotlights and louvre windows shape the atmosphere as well.   Ceiling fans co-exist with air conditioning units.  There is ample outdoor seating, even if it means a mainly evening thing due to the weather in Singapore.   The commercial coffee blending machines are enormous, stark black and impressive.  The wall on the ground floor must be displaying the widest range of coffee related stuff I have seen in Singapore.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee is located at 150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore (Lavender / Farrer Park area).  The Hokkien name of the place CSH means to flourish again, and this is exactly what the CSHH is doing in terms of the roasting coffee scene in the island republic.

Opening hours are from 9am to 7pm every week day  except Mondays.
On weekends, the CSHH is open from 9am to 10pm.

Vehicle parking is best at the nearby Jalan Besar Stadium.   Incontrast to most Aussie cafes, this is one that is open for business till late night.

Peranakan Place - Straits Chinese in Auburn Sydney

Durian custard puff served with Choux pastry.

The outside of the restaurant may look unassuming and the location is more of light industry rather than a food hub.  Parramatta Road in near western Sydney can be confronting with passing traffic at times and yet can be a quiet neighbourhood otherwise.

We were looking for the traditional dishes of Straits Chinese cuisine - and there they were.  Peranakan is an Indonesian-Malay term for "descendant" and have two main streams, Indian and Chinese.  The cuisine here primarily refers to the Straits Chinese tradition, which is a major fusion development in south-east Asia for already a few hundred years.

I have not tried the Chicken Buah Keluak, a rather challenging dish to prepare.  Just like the Japanese art of getting ready the Fugu fish for sashimi.

First you have to source the fresh nuts, like what this restaurant does by importing them, from trees known as the Pangium Edule, native to Sumatra.  Treatment of the Buah Keluak is critical to obtain the edible washed kernels, which are ground up to become the rawon, used for gravies in beef, Sambal, chicken and rice recipes in the Spice Isles.  The fresh nuts are high in poisonous Hydrogen Cyanide, which is patiently removed by boiling in water and burying them in ash.   So a potentially dangerous ingredient is transformed to a safe to eat savoury must, rich in iron and Vitamin C for the body's nutrition, in this Straits Chinese offering.

Prawn and pineapple yellow curry.

I did dive into the Babi Pongteh, belly pork or trotters marinated in soy sauce and other ingredients ala Baba and Nyonya.  ( Baba refering to the gentlemen and Nyonya, the lady)  This appetising braised gravy dish goes well with steamed rice and Sambal - I was more than happy with the Pernanakan Place rendition of this unique item.    The chestnuts had been cooked properly and the Shitake mushrooms not over done.  The critical ingredient for Babi Pongteh I reckon is  the quality and right amount of the fermented soy bean paste ( Tau Cheong in Cantonese).  Potatoes are cut into bite sized chunks to soak in the gravy flavours whilst cooking.  Palm sugar (or the Gula Melaka), dark soy sauce and ground white pepper are added for taste.  I had been unclear what the difference between Hong Bak and Babi Pongteh is and now I know.  The Hong Bak utilises dark soy sauce, Cekur roots, coriander powder and lesser portions of the fermented soy bean paste.

Babi Pongteh is  a desired item for wedding festivities and in the past, an essential serving for the Tok Panjang, the long table laden with various food items of good omen and significance for wedded bliss.  Many a Straits Chinese maiden had to master to exacting standards the quality and presentation of several key dishes, as they count high in the evaluation scores by matchmakers, prospective in-laws and measures of general society expectations. 

To be fair, this meant many long and regular hours of practice and skills build up staying at home.  The world of the Peranakan meant the man ideally went out to earn fabulously and the woman focused on crafts, cuisine and family relationships.  One can now observe that this arrangement no longer applies in such distinct shades.

Mortar and pestle ready to unravel the Buah Keluak.

The menu offerings are not restricted to Straits Chinese in this restaurant.  The owner hails from Singapore.  Advance orders are required for specialties like the iconic Singapore chili or pepper crabs and two specific Teochew classics, the Chwee Kway steamed rice cakes and the traditional Teochew styled duck (the Lor Ark in Hokkien dialect).

Which Aussie cannot recall the pleasure of digging into fresh Singapore crabs on a sweaty afternoon on the East Coast and then having the pleasure of downing Tiger beer? 

Now we may be more familiar with Beijing duck, but this version found at the Peranakan is another that hails from Chaozhou province in southern China.  The latter has the outside of the duck marinated in a mixture of five spice powder (or the Ng Heong Fun in Cantonese).  The inside of the duck is rubbed with the ever popular fermented soy bean paste and placed with Galangal and garlic cloves for flavour.  Hmm, did they really use Galangal back in Chaozhou province? Spices in the Ng Heong Fun used include black peppercorn, star anise and cinnamon sticks.

The Chwee Kway ( literally meaning "water dish" so they are light on the palate) is popular amongst true blue Singaporean Chinese and it is consumed like a ready on the run snack, being easily available from food courts and hawker entertain the island republic.  Initially I did find these a bit plain but I cannot underestimate the delicacy about this creation, with preserved radish placed on top of a plain base when served.  This water dish started from less positive economic times in southern China, when rice holdings had to be sparingly and carefully used in consumption.  The migrants who then landed in Singapore carried the recipe for this snack to contemporary times.  Corn flour and shallot oil are used to enhance the rice dough and these snacks are best eaten fresh.

Classic motifs on Straits Chinese porcelain on display at the Peranakan Place.

Penang inspired Char Koay Teow.

There are two versions of Char Koay Teow in the menu, the Singapore and Penang variations, both of which I have yet to try.  What is the difference, can anyone please tell me.

The owner operator, Sam, is a gently sociable and experienced personality with lots to chat about, adds to the ambiance of this restaurant.  Sam is passionate about this cuisine and tells me he is doing this mainly to promote his heritage and culinary styles.  This does open the eye of the Sydney diners to another yummy branch of cuisine and culture from south-east Asia.  Even back in south-east Asia, such restaurants are few and far in between, with Singapore and Penang promoting much of this niche heritage.  A few diners find that orders come out not as fast when there is a crowd but the place does run on minimal staff.  The wife at times cooks in the kitchen, her husband engages with the customers and there are framed prints to check out on the walls.  A display shelf cupboard is devoted to Straits Chinese craft and cultural items.

Ngor Heang.

For those who loved their deep fried pork stuffed inside bean curd rolls from Penang or Malacca, there is this Straits Chinese twist  called the Ngor Heang.   Serving was small here but the taste passed the required test. Best of all, I fell in love with the durian custard puff tucked in Choux pastry buns for dessert.  The chicken satay was well marinated sufficiently and the accompanying gravy stood up to the palate, thick and peanut spicy.

To add to the confusion, Ngor Heang literally means 'five spices" in Hokkien dialect.  Concurrently it refers to this deep fried roll that is a cousin of the Penang Lobak. No surprises that the Ngor Heang requires use of Chinese five spice powder, but it also utilises finely cut up water chestnuts, potato starch, deveined chopped up prawns and diced carrots. Perhaps the common elements between Penang Lobak and Straits Chinese Ngor Heang are the the use of shoulder pork and the bean curd skin wraps.

A trove of Straits Chinese cultural icons for the display cupboard.  Tiffin carriers in red, woven baskets and beaded slippers are just some of the significant craft used especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries in colonial Malaya and Singapore.

Let-downs one evening on another visit were the Kueh Pie Tee and the prawn Nyonya curry cooked with pineapple.  The former did not remind me of those served at house parties back in Penang and Singapore, perhaps the slicing was not fine enough or there was just something missing.  

Kueh Pietee (or also known as "Top Hats") have daintily crafted crispy to the bite miniature casings,  holding tapas-like fillings of chopped and deveined/shelled prawn bites, julienned carrots, finely cut shallots and julienned Jicama.  To make the casings, you need a specialised mold.  The casings have to be just right freshly made on the bite,  having been shaped from lightly beaten egg contents, plain rice flour, a pinch of salt and water to form a mixture that is then deep fried.  They are best served for high tea or as starters to dinner courses. Each "top hat" is small and can be held by the fingers.

The lack of freshness that evening in the prawns used threatened to spoil the latter dish and I wanted the gravy to be stronger.

I did notice a few dishes from the Straits Chinese cuisine that were not served here.  The classic curry Kapitan, concocted by local cooks on board a ship run by a colonial master.   The deep fried chicken as in Inche Kabin, perfect as pub food, with a unique marinade as only traders, chefs and a certain Mr Cabin could conjure and make into reality.  I also did not find the Katong inspired Nyonya Laksa or the chicken Kerabu (cold entree mixture).

Perhaps I should just be content that in this restaurant, I can still have my Thai Otak Otak, Indian Muslim Nasi Briyani,  Malay-Indonesian chicken Rendang and Hainan styled pork or chicken chops.  It says a lot that the Straits Chinese mostly lived in harmony with the other ethnic groups in years past - and that dishes from other races and cultures are still offered in the Peranakan Place Restaurant in Australia.

Babi Pongteh - marinated pork belly from a traditional recipe.

The Peranakan Place is located at 139 Parramatta Road in Auburn, not far from the major intersection with St Hillier's Road and Costco.
Telephone: 02 9737 8989
Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays only, lunch from 1130am to 230pm and dinner from 530pm to 10pm.
Vehicle parking is best along the nearest cross street, Station Road.