Moonshine, or illicitly-distilled alcohol beverages, is not a common word you’d hear here in Singapore – the name refers to American whiskey smugglers who did their illegal work ‘by the light of the moon’. But there were illegal distilleries in Singapore back in the day, a rice liquor called ‘samsu’.
cc image by icedbuddha
In recent years, a few boutique hotels have sprouted in Tiong Bahru, the oldest estate in Singapore. Amongst them are Link Hotel, Wangz Hotel and the charming Nostalgia Hotel.
At Nostalgia Hotel, the vibe of Singapore in the yesteryear never seems too far away. To tie in with the overall nostalgia theme, the lobby bar exhibits some antiques such as colorful tiffin containers and an old jukebox.
If you are a history buff and happen to be in the neighbourhood, this bar may just be the perfect place to hang out!
Check out more pictures at Sparklette‘s review of the Nostalgia Hotel bar.
It’s funny for a place as small as Singapore, a number of our eating establishments stake their reputation on the name of a particular location – usually the name of a hawker centre or street. When you think about it, aren’t most restaurants named after the chef, owner or perhaps even theme? But it’s only in Singapore that you can find places being named for their former premises, such as this one:
In the news yesterday (3 March), MP Baey Yam Keng suggested that a food musem should be set up. He felt that food makes up another component of our rich heritage – apart from our historical architecture and iconic landmarks which help create shared memories. He strongly believes that a food museum will allow citizens to bond and the variety of food here will also “highlight our links to the world”.
Hear, hear.
Singaporeans live to eat. We love our char kway teow, chicken rice, satay, laksa…and the list goes on! All too often I’ve been guilty of having nasi lemak for breakfast and prata for supper. It truly drives the work blues away! So why not a food museum? Not only will we be able to learn what makes our local delicacy so good, this national effort to preserve its rich cultural heritage will better educate us on the history and evolution of our local cuisines.
Mad About Singapore Unique Passions
Saturday, 6 March 2010 | 10 am – 12 pm | The POD, Level 16, National Library Building
Do you believe that strange professions exist in Singapore? Are you curious to find out how the famous Number 1 Costume shop started & peek into the daily routine of a professional funeral embalmer? What made sociology graduate chose a path off the beaten track to be the driving force behind Singapore’s pioneer frog farm? Join us in this session to meet with the people who have unique passions or work in unique industries in Singapore. Registration Details
Mad About Singapore’s Collectors
Saturday, 13 March 2010 | 10 am – 12 pm | Imagination Room, Level 5, National Library Building
Do you know some of the unspoken rules & intrinsic values that special collectors look out for in their collectible items? Why do some people collect things that others deem as junks such as tyres, old banners and the likes of it? What are the nostalgic values behind some of the oldest toys ever collected in Singapore & find out the stories behind the production of vintage toys – some of which reflects the economic situation in various eras. Registration Details
Mad About Singapore Food
Saturday, 27 March 2010 | 10 am – 12 pm | Possibility Room, Level 5, National Library Building
In the second part of our food discussion, we dig up the stories that uncover the origins of Singapore food, our food feud & ask Singaporeans to talk about their favourite Singapore dishes. Find out the criteria that make a particular dish totally Singaporean & those that best represent Singapore! Registration Details
For more information on Mad About Singapore, check out http://blogs.nlb.gov.sg/sg101/mad-about-singapore .
It’s the run-up to Chinese New Year and I’m sure many readers would be looking forward to munching on some great new year goodies. Store-bought is great and adds a touch of convenience – but I’m sure that many will agree with me that nothing beats home-cooked!
Nin Gao - cc image by Ju-x
This gem from youtube entitled HMS Centaur shows us Singapore in 1959, with many familiar names and locations – although they look totally different today!
I found the observation about streets specialising only in one kind of product (fish and lanterns) quite interesting – does anybody know where these streets were? They remind me a little of the ’36 Lanes’ in Hanoi’s Old Quarter – where historically each street specialised in selling one kind of product (some of which still persist on to today). I didn’t realise we might have had an equivalent in Singapore.
One of the world’s most influential spices, nutmeg is a native of the Banda Islands in Indonesia. But there was a time when Singapore grew some nutmeg as well. Today, we don’t grow any nutmeg for export any more, but it turns out that we’re one of the largest re-exporters of nutmeg in the world. yg introduces us this fascinating fruit that is really two spices in one.
The familiar whiff of herbs, pepper and home-made goodness laid in the form of bak kut teh soup, rice and stir-fry vegetables. My mouth watered, and so did my eyes. Four long years.
It then dawned upon me how much I missed home-cooked food, and how I long for a simple meal with white rice, steamed fish and vegetables and the ocassional bowl of clear soup. Chinese fare can be exceedingly simple, yet terribly comforting. Mum used to tease me, saying she could not imagine how I could eat the same thing everyday – but to me, it was goodness in the simplest form imaginable, simple in taste, low in calories, and full of comfort.
While I summoned every bit of control within me not to woffle the food down, I relished the joy of heaping rice onto a spoon I could never find elsewhere. Cutlery special only to the home, never to be found in fancy restaurants nor the cheap metalware symbolic of the foodcourts. I carefully scraped the last bit of meat against porcelain plates and bowls unique only to the home, unlike the common plastic plates and bowls that I am so used to in the foodcourt. For a moment, I forgot about the styrofoam and plastic boxes I am used to eating out from, for that moment I taste each grain of rice slowly without the feel of cheap plastic against my tongue.
Many younger Singaporeans will be hard pressed to remember the Satay Club, and even less will remember the Queen Elizabeth Walk. These two places were part of a recreational strip right in the heart of the city, at a place called the Esplanade. Today, when we think of the Esplanade, we think of the bustling performing arts hub that hosts the latest in theatre and arts festivals. Go back a generation, and you’ll find that the Esplanade was much quieter, but no less a place for people to kick back after a long week.
