Food at Riang 2

I am procrastinating. One last para/table and I can send the last batch of stuff off to Aus. But I know myself - I procrastinate unpleasant tasks. There has to be a cure for this. But I am not about to find out.

At my feet, under the table, sits Owain fiddling with (what else) the little red car, working his way out of Level 36. He's stuck on it and has been stuck since yesterday. I can tell he is also not quite in the mood to figure things out - he gets frustrated, bored, more impatient, asking for help many times (which I cruelly do not give).

So here I sit thinking about food. Instead of checking my text for the web and sending it to acidprint. Instead of finishing that last table of needs analysis for my paper on prenatal classes. I promise myself to get down to it the minute I've indulged myself in this.

We went to Tiong Bahru market on Sat morning for breakfast. Parking is still a nightmare but slightly more manageable since they now have additional lots on top of the wet market/food centre. We were pleasantly surprised by how breezy and spacious the place was. There were queues of course, at the popular stall, but not so very long - and none at the famous chwee kueh stall!

I grew up on the chwee kueh sold there. I remember car rides in the early hours of the morning - either bringing my mum for her morning shift at the hospital or bringing her home after a night shift. She would smell of antiseptic and disinfectant (so I grew up loving the smell of hospitals). I enjoyed these rides in the quiet dark streets, the highlight of course being the chwee kueh from the market. Brown packets soaked through with orange oil, the fragrance of the chai-poh filling the car, making my mouth water in anticipation. I could polish off 20 pieces of chwee kueh at a go. Now you know why I am the size I am!

So on Sat, since there was no queue, I made a beeline for the chwee kueh stall, ordering the kids to stay put at the empty table we found. People in Singapore use packets of tissue paper to 'chope' their seats. I just use my kids - plant them on a stool with strict orders to NOT move or else.

And one more thing I liked about the new Tiong Bahru market - the large round tables with EIGHT stools! At last! A hawker centre with tables/stools enough for my large family. With a chair to spare too! I thought to myself - maybe one more baby to fill that last seat. I plan my family size in accordance with the number of seats I can find at a table in a hawker centre. I can see the disapproving frowns now - tsk tsk, they go. How haphazardly she plans her family. How irresponsible. So I've been told. :-)

We eat. I think the chwee kueh is not bad, but lost a bit of the standard. Gillian polishes off 8 at a time. Still a long way away from my old record. The wanton mee done HK style was 'not bad' according to my fellow connoiseur of wanton mee - Isaac Chong. Other stalls also looked promising but there was no time to linger and savour.

Looks like Tiong Bahru is now on the list of the Chong family's fave food places. Together with Maxwell market, Whampoa market, Toa Payoh market. One day I'll make a list of the places we like.

But for now, as I promised myself - back to the grindstone.