The Social Place ; 6 Feb 2021 Forum Shopping Centre

Crispy Crackling Seafood Soup with Rice 

Yesterday we went to try out this new 'Fusion' Dim Dum restaurant at Forum Shopping Center. Called the Social Place, it originated in Hong Kong 2 Floor, Queens Road. It did so well they opened an outlet in Singapore at the Forum Shopping Mall. Here are some of the dishes we tried, and my review is below.

Top 3 dishes  

1. DouFu with Century Egg and Sesame Sauce Seasoning. The DouFu is cold, smooth, thin in slice, with the fusion of Century Egg, and a dash of spring onions. Its an excellent 'cold dish' and great for starters.  

2. Crackling Mala Chicken with Mango PuddingAnother superb twist to the tale, the chicken is fragrant, fried to a crisp like Popcorn Chicken. The mango pudding looks exactly like an egg yolk, the viscosity, the texture,the color everything. Amazing taste.

Chinese Vegetable with Wine 

3. Crackling Seafood Soup

For comfort food, this is a must eat. I will bet my last Ren Ming Bi, this will taste even better in the cold climates up in North Asia. However, as it is in sultry humid Singapore, this dish is 98% out of 100% comforting and tasty. The crackling taste of the shallots / small carckers gives it a unique twist to the seafood rice soup. 

Service 

Pefunctory, nothing to write home and tell Grandma about how warm and friendly the place is.  The wait staff are rather curt, like in Hong Kong, and it is best to reserve the restaurant at least a couple of days in advance.

Price 

Pricey for Chinese food. Most dishes are above S$25 and the soft drinks (we had Pear Juice) are $3 to $4 

Review 

Social Place Singapore

FORUM The Shopping Mall

#01-22. 583 Orchard Road

Singapore 238884 

Food : 4.8 out of 5 

Ambience : 3.5 out of 5 (chop chop eat and go ; no cosy dining)

Service     : 3.5 out of 5

Price         : Above Average 

Total : 11.8 out of 15. 

            3.9  * out of 5 *

Good for : Company 'goodbye' dinners ; casual friends gatherings, ex-

                  colleagues  

Debates '86 - My teammates

 

from left : Me,Richard Pereira, Philip Lim, Reserve Sukhdeep, Jaspal Sidhu 

This is the victorious NTI debating team which garnered 1st Runner Up at the 1986 Tertiary Institutions Televised Debates (on SBC channel 12) . We had triumphed in the QuaterFinals, beating the National Institute of Education (NIE, now the teachers faculty of NUS). In the Semi-Finals, we beat the NUS Team 1 debating team (comprising of 4 law undergraduates) and we faced the NUS Team 2, the 'star' team of the National University of Singapore - again featuring 4 star undergraduate lawyers.

Our team comprised of yours truly, Richard Pereira, Philip Lim Feng, and Jaspal Singh Sidhu.

For the record, we were the First Runner Up in the entire series, and Philip Lim was the Best Speaker of the Night and Jaspal Singh, the best speaker of the entire series !. 

Recently I had a check on how my ex-team mates were doing and I was pleasantly surprised that they are all very successful in their own spheres. I am considered the 'underperformer" !

Richard Pereira - he was an SAF Air Force Scholar, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General and now runs a vibrant consultancy firm advising the aerospace industry.     

Philip Lim Feng - he also was an SAF scholar, rose to the rank of Brigadier General, became the head of Singapore Foods Industry and is now CEO of Exploit Teachnologies, an AStar company dedicated to commercialising AStar developed pantented products.

Jaspal Singh Sidhu - he is currently the CEO of SIS International School in Jakarta, and the largest private International School in whole of Indonesia.

My heartiest congratulations to my ex-debating mates !

I am so motivated to make a name for myself too ! I hope I am not too late.  

Basic Military Training 1981 Charlie Company Platoon 4

 A good friend of mine Dr Chan Yue Meng, sent me this photo today. This was taken 40 years ago ! 

This is Section 3 of Platoon 4, led by LTA Chua Tee, 2LT Phua in Terror Barracks, in Marsiling area.

At the back L - R : Lau Wing Tai, Dr Chan Yew Meg, Sasi Kumar (those I can remember anyways)

At the front : Yeo Lay Wee (extreme left), Wee Liang Chee and myself. 

I wish I could remember the names of the gentlemen those 40 years ago.

This was such a long time ago. The guy next to me is a Dr Wee Liang Chee, who is a really established gentleman who has settled in the USA (Iowa I believe).

My friend reminded me of the days, when I was reed thin, had Nana Mouskouri spectacles and could run sub 9 minute 2.4 km runs !

Oh, the memories !

A Belated New Year's Post - My Raison D'ete.

2021 started off quite awfully for many people all over the world. The spectre of the COVID -19 is still above all our heads. We have to be mindful and adopt safe practices for all of our wellbeings and for our safety's sake.

On 20th Jan 2021, there will be the inaugartion of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the USA. There will be maximum security and the losing Trump supporters will surely be sulking not so quietly.

I pray for a peaceful transition of power.

On the business and personal front for me, I am grateful to be living in  the safe and secure Singapore, which after the first missteps in the early days of COVID, our 4G leaders seem to be putting numerous safety nets to trace and track, isolate and treat the COVID carriers who can be non-symptomatic or symptomatic. 

2021 started off uncertainly, but I am 110% determined to make the most of a rather uncomfortable year. I wish to state my Raison D'ete (reason for living) in this most public domain 

My cognitive success will be fuelled by setting and achieving goals,large and small as often as possible.

Simple day to day goals (for example) :

a) make my own bed

b) tidying up after myself (plates, utensils, glassed)

c) Proper time management ; setting and keeping proper appointment times 

d) Saying 'NO" effectively

:My business will be the extension of my universal and corporate persona. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will be the cornerstone. Profits coupled with an altruistic view. 

My personal life will be driven by maintaining a happy family, exercising frequently,eating wisely and maintaining a wide spectrum of  family, friends, business associates, classmates and acquaintences for the betterment of our collective experiences. 

 

  

Fast Run Pandan Reservoir 23rd Dec 2020 7.50 am

 

Wednesday 23rd Dec 2020, I did a run at Pandan Reservoir early morning (for me anyway), and the video above is testimony of an excellent run, averaging 6 minutes 17 seconds. A feat, for me never accomplished in the last 3 years. I am so pleased with this time, I am sharing with all the readers here.

The health supplements have given me a 10 year lease or boost of my life, as far as my running performance is concerned. No doubt, I am already in the young old category, but I believe with the following :

a) eating right

b) sleep enough

c) exercise plenty

d) water aplenty

e) stress under control

f) good relationships with the people that matter.

I am able to delay the effects of aging as much as possible.

In the next post, I will reveal the health supplements on this blog, for the purposes of sharing my program and journey thus far. 

Carpe Diem. 

  

Merry Christmas Family and Friends

 

The Journey is the Reward in Life

 

We do things which impact people either in a good or a bad way. I hope that my life will ultimately impact people in a positive way so that they themselves can be a good influence to the other people around them. Yesterday I received my coaching certificate from Hanshi Chia Kwek Fah, 8th Dan Shitoryu Karate sensei. With this Certificate, and together with the First Aid Certificate, in theory I (together with another karate practioner Jason Chua), can offer our services at Community Centers for the betterment of health, discipline, martial arts, and general well being of everyone young and old.

Karate is a way of life, a philosophy first and foremost, and secondly a means to conduct oneself honorably in everyday life, through respect for seniors, courtesy in executing defence and offensive moves and respect for the human spirit or 'Budo'. 

As each year passes by, I am humbled by the fact that I am so ignorant of so many things in this world. I can only play my small part to enrich the people around me, and I hope to leave a positive impact to the people that matter as my legacy.

The journey for me in life is the experience I gain and through all of life's sorrows, joys, excitement, anger, anguish, nervousness, I know that this life is to be experienced by me alone.  

Let me remember not to fall prey to the 7 deadly sins, rather work towards a goal of a better tomorrow for with hope, I can then face the future confidently.