My Thoughts for the Day: Calmness of Mind

"As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life."

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Food for Thought: Yong Lee Restaurant

Stepping into Yong Lee is like going back in time.  You'll be transported back to the sixties, when coffee shops had their stalls lined up at the shop-front and seating was provided at the 'back-of-shop'.  There are wooden tables and chairs, and enough old photographs, calendars and sponsored clocks (carrying different product names) to keep you busy while waiting for your food.

Although many such coffee shops still survive in Bangkok, particularly in Rattanakosin and Chinatown, Yong Lee (at the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 15) is much more accessible for tourists who depend largely on public transportation.  Located midway between Asoke and Nana, it is a mere 5-minute walk from either of these stations.

Looking in from outside, the restaurant doesn't look too inspiring.  Two sides of the corner shop are open to the pavement which means diners are exposed to the noise and fumes from the heavy vehicular traffic of Sukhumvit Road.  Lighting is poor, and the old rafters (don't look up) seem to not have been cleaned in ages!  The staff's attitude towards customers is brisk and no-nonsense but, thankfully, they are not outright rude.

However, the aroma wafting from its kitchen is tantalising enough to tempt anyone into venturing forth.  The serving at Yong Lee is quite ample.  Our afternoon snack of wonton noodle and a plate of steamed chicken with mushroom was really sufficient for a full meal.

Char siew wonton noodle

Although their wonton noodle is not the best in Bangkok, it is still good by comparison to many that I have eaten in Singapore.  It is prepared following 'old-tine' recipe handed down through the generations.  The noodle is soft, just the way that I like my noodles to be. But the best part about the dish is its soup and dumplings (wonton).  The soup is prepared using stock made from dried fish (tik por) which, is a very traditional method of preparing wonton noodle soup.  The dumpling's skin is thin and melts in your mouth.  Coarsely ground pork (mixture of lean and fat meat) is marinated with soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil, giving it a most delectable taste.  The fats adds smoothness to the texture.  Because the meat is not ground too fine, you can actually eat and taste the pork.  Many stalls, nowadays, tend to grind the meat too fine resulting in a paste-like texture.

Steamed chicken sauteed in oyster sauce and mushroom

The steamed chicken (pak chum kai) was sauteed in oyster sauce and a variety of mushroom.  It was a tasty dish and would have been even better had they not used mainly chicken breast meat (not my favourite part of a chicken).

Yong Lee's serving portions are generous beyond expectations.  They have also managed to maintain the standard of the food over the years, at the same time keeping prices reasonably low.  No wonder, it is always crowded during meal times.  Take note that they close for the day quite early (or as soon as the food is sold out), so arrive early if you are planning on having dinner here.

Yong Lee Restaurant
Corner of Soi 15 and Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 

Ambiance: 8 (for nostalgia)
Service: 6.5
Food: 6.75
Pricing: $
Recommended Dishes: Wonton Noodle

Food for Thought: Keng Sin Cooked Food

Keng Sin's signboard

Recently I stumbled upon a cze char stall at Teck Ghee (Ang Mo Kio) which serves what I consider 'comfort' food, just like what mum used to prepare when she has time for only a 'quick fix' meal.

White bait omelette

Their specialty is fish head done in different styles including curried and stir-fried. However, as both darling wife and I were really looking for something basic, we ordered 3 simple dishes, which to our delight, were very well executed by the chef.

The first dish was white bait in omelete. The omelete was thick and fluffy with just enough white bait to give it that full body flavour. Some may find it a tad too salty but this dish would be the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of porridge.

Prawn roll

The prawn roll (hei chor) was done in typical Teochew style with plenty of yam in it. The bean curd skin was fried till crispy (an important factor in determining the quality of a good prawn roll; at least to me it is). The ingredients were well mixed with the yam thus creating a very smooth texture. While the dish was tasty, we found that the taste of the yam sort of overshadowed the other ingredients. Still, I would grade the dish as 'good' and worth trying.

Fried kang kong

For vegetables, we ordered belachan kang kong which the waitress recommended. We were not disappointed. The first plus point was that it isn't as greasy as the ones we have eaten at some other cze char stalls. We liked it also because it didn't taste too sugary although I can't say for sure that none was added. And most importantly, the finished product was not wet and soggy. The leaves and stalks were still green and crisp when the dish arrived at our table.

It was our first time eating at Keng Sin and we walked away filled and happy. And yes, I should also mention that the tab was a mere $14.80 for three dishes and two servings of rice.

There are several other very popular stalls at the same food centre, the most famous being the braised duck stall that also serves fish.   I have made a mental note to go back and try this stall.

Another stall at the extreme corner facing AMK Avenue 1, cooks up a storm dishing out plates of braised fish head. Will write reviews about these stalls once I get the chance to try them out.


Keng Sin Cooked Food
Stall No. 01-22
Block 341 Ang Mo Kio Street 32
 
Ambiance: N/A
Service: 7.5
Food: 8.25
Pricing: $

Recommended Dishes: Belachan kang kong, white bait omelete, prawn roll

Food for Thought: Chong Pang Nasi Lemak

There has been so much hype about Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, I thought I should give it a try.  Especially so when it is located just 3 bus stops away from my flat.

It has been in business since 1973 and boasts a string of accolades. Among its accolades are The Green Book Best Food Award 2005/2006 and Top Winner of the Channel U Yummy King Award, plus many personal recommendations from friends and food blog reviewers.

Fried chicken wing

It is my habit to give a quick scan of the food display before I place my order. CP's display does nothing to whet my appetite - I shall not venture to describe in detail. As I have said many times, food enjoyment is not just about taste, it is also about display and presentation.

Nasi lemak with curry vegetable, ikan bilis, sunny-side-up and otak otak

A quick scan also detected dishes which I won't, beyond my wildest imagination, link to nasi lemak. I am talking stuff like sweet and sour pork, stir-fried mixed mushroom, Chinese sausages, Hash Brown and a plethora of other dishes not commonly thought of as condiments or accompaniment to traditional nasi lemak.

Nasi lemak with fried chicken drumstick, mixed vegetables and tauhu

As the saying goes, 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'.  Alas, all four members in our dinner party agreed that the food was sub-standard. The curry vegetable was tasteless, as was the fried chicken wing and fried chicken drumstick. The deep-fried chicken parts were crispy (living up to its claim) but lacked taste or flavour.

I ordered otah which I found to be completely devoid of any fragrance of herbs or spices - it was reduced to nothing more than a pulp of ground buah keras. Even the sambal wasn't robust enough and lacked the oomph.

All of us left the place in wonderment as to why and how they could have won those awards! This is one place I would not lend my personal recommendation.

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak
447 Sembawang Road
(near Yishun Avenue 5)

Ambiance: N/A

Service: 6

Food: 1

Pricing: $

Recommended Dishes: Honestly, none.

My Thoughts for the Day: Give Thanks

Standing on the escalator step at the MRT station, I was staring straight ahead of me, thinking of nothing in particular, more like looking into emptiness, my mind a total blank - completely shagged from a day of sheer hard work.

Suddenly, the poster caught my attention and the famous quote by Ralph H Blum stared right back at me - "There is a calmness to life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

These words kept ringing in my mind as I walked from the station to my flat which, is but a stone's throw away. I couldn't comprehend myself at the moment. Why I couldn't shake loose those words from my head; neither did I understand their significance in my life.

I pondered on those words through the night. Even as I sat on my well-used and worn settee listening to Earl Klugh plucking on his acoustic guitar, those words kept flashing across my mind, to the point of irritation. Blum was messing with my music and it was annoying me!

I can't enjoy music unless I give it my 100% concentration which, explains why I 'sit in music' only past midnight when the rest of the world is asleep.

I had to admit defeat, turned off the music and retired to bed. Blum won and those same words rang through my ears incessantly, until I finally fell asleep.

Peace at last.

The next morning I awoke to the tune of Henry Smith's Give Thanks running repeatedly through my mind. I didn't think very much of it at first. I got out of bed and dove straight into the rhythm of my morning ritual - brushing teeth, dressing up and getting ready, in earnest, to face the new day.

On the train, on the way to the office, (at this stage I am normally already out of my morning stupor), I recalled the opening line of the song which is, 'Give thanks with a grateful heart'.

That was when I asked myself, "how often do I give thanks?"

Frankly, not often enough.

I am quite sure I am not alone in this.

At that moment, I resolved to myself that I will give thanks every day of my life. Henceforth, I shall live my life in gratitude.

Individually by themselves, these words were nothing more than just ordinary, used everyday by so many, perhaps without giving much thought to their real underlying meaning.

But put together, they are so dynamic, they possess the power to touch and transform lives.

People and Places: Bangkok's Nai Lert Park Fertility Shrine

Swissotel Nai Lert Park is one of the few hotels within the city of Bangkok that sits on a large estate - 8 acres of lush tropical gardens to be exact. This is the estate of one of Bangkok's millionaire philanthropists, the late Mr Nai Lert.

A bronze statue of Mr Nai Lert, with a leopard by his side, stands majestically in front of the hotel's main entrance. The following words are inscribed on the brass plaque placed in front of the statue:

"Nai Lert Sreshthaputra (1872 -1945) was Thailand's first and foremost developer, inventor, as well as preserver of Bangkok's green environment. He introduced ice, modernized sea-going vessels, and initiated white boats, trams, and metropolitan white buses."

The memorial to Nai Lert Sreshthaputra

For all of his good deeds and contributions to the community as philanthropist, inventor and nature conservationist, Mr Nai Lert was royally bestowed the title of "Praya Bhakdinorasreth" (Beloved Millionaire). His legacy continues to live on at Nai Lert Park, where he lived.

Tucked away in an obscure corner of the hotel's expansive compound is one of Bangkok's surprises. I am referring to the very old private shrine, (believed to be more than a hundred years old), which contains hundreds of wooden models of the male genitalia. They are respectfully placed there by women seeking to be pregnant.


The centerpiece is a small spirit house, placed on a high pole covered in colourful cloth. Placed in front of the spirit house are candles and other forms of offerings such as fragrant snow-white Jasmine and pink and white lotus buds. Beside the spirit house, which embodies the goddess Phra Mae Tuptim, stands a 3 meter (10 feet) tall wooden penis, draped in colourful banners. Small ceramic figures, known to the local Thais as "Lords of the Land", are placed in front of the spirit house.



There is very little known about the beginnings of the shrine. The only documentation points to the fact that Mr Nai Lert built a spirit house for the spirit who was believed to reside in the large Sai (Ficus) trees. Over the years, it has evolved into a fertility shrine and its reputation for granting the wishes of women who desired to become pregnant spread wide across the country.

Not usually promoted as a sightseeing attraction, it is not documented in most tourist guidebooks. Neither are there signs at the hotel directing guests to it. However, if you ask the hotel staff, they will politely show you its location.