After our lunch at 328 Katong Laksa (Address: 51 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428770), we took a walk to our first destination: Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs
When we were near, we noticed a few groups there, waiting to interview the boss of the shop. After some discussion, we decided to hang around the area, specifically at the 328 Katong Laksa main branch at 216 E Coast Road which was around the corner (literally!)
While waiting, we discussed further on whether we should interview the customers of 328 Katong Laksa, which was somewhat empty at that time (as the peak hour was ending). As we ‘debated’ on whether we should ask the boss if we could do so and if it was logical, another SPICE group from 110 walked by. We asked the 110 group for their opinions, and they said that asking the boss for permission would not be logical when we were interviewing the customers. Just when we explained to them that we were there because we wanted to kill time, they also told us that they were intending to interview the boss of Soon Soon Huat!
discussion in progress
The 110 group said that they also intended to interview the boss of 328 Katong Laksa, but our group wanted to interview both the boss and the customers, and both groups discussed on a joint interview, the boss as our interviewer, to save time.
Right at that moment, the boss came out of the shop, reminding us to gather and discuss at a corner if we weren’t eating there. The perfect moment to request for the interview!
behind the interview
We conducted the joint interview with the friendly boss of 328 Katong Laksa, successfully ending our first interview on a good note. 😀
Later, both groups walked together, heading over to Soon Soon Huat together. Lucky for us, there weren’t any groups conducting the interview with the boss!
Before that, we heard that the boss had accepted at least 3 interviews already! We decided to give her a break while we sat in the store. After a while, she noticed that we were there to request an interview, and kindly accepted it.
Once again, both groups had a joint interview. During our interview, the boss only allowed us to voice record our interview, but it was alright! We were grateful that she had accepted the interview request. The boss was very friendly and was very patient with us, voicing out her opinions very honestly with a slight tone of tiredness in her voice.
After the interview, we thanked her for it, which concluded our group’s interview sessions! We didn’t forget to say our goodbyes to the 110 group!
Right before we left, we made sure to repay the boss by buying some curry puffs which we all enjoyed! One of our group members had bought 6 of them (one was $1.70) and everyone awed at her filial act (she was buying them for her family). We awed even more when one of the staff kindly gave her a freebie – a green bean pastry – to show his gratitude.
It was of no surprise that we were all nervous and anxious on how to start of the interviews at first as none of us had done it before, but the feeling after it was so relaxing! We enjoyed this trip greatly😉
(bonus! we lost our directions for a few timesbut with the help our memory from the tour, we managed to get to the right placeshehe)
Contents: – Kim Choo Kueh Chang: bite and gallery visit – East Coast Road Shophouses – Church of the Holy Family – Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs: bite – Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple + Udipi Ganesh Vilas: bite – Red House Bakery
Kim Choo Kueh Chang
When we entered, we went to the gallery first, but before we explored, our tour guide gave us an introduction to the Peranakan culture.
She started off with explaining the meaning behind ‘Katong’. In the past, the current Katong area was near the sea. At that time, a species of sea turtles called Katong that had not been extinct then was present at that beach. Fishermen decided to name this area after the turtle, hence the name. Before Raffles’s arrival, an explorer from China named Cheng Ho came to explore Singapore. Amidst that, some of his men fell in love with the locals who were mainly Malays or Indonesians. This is the reason why another term for Peranakans is “straits-born Chinese”.
The men who came with Cheng Ho were wealthy, and because the land in Singapore then were suitable for plantation grounds so these men bought land to develop into coconut plantations. While the poor families squeezed into shophouses, the rich ones lived in villas by the beach.
Later on, right before we started to explore the gallery in Kim Choo Kueh Chang, our tour guide gave us a brief explanation behind wedding beds of Peranakans. It is prepared by the mother of the bride, and on it lies a few bowlsters, and at the side on the floor, a rooster, a symbol of good luck. She also mentioned about how a young boy up to 2 years old would roll on the bed in hopes of the first child to be a boy.
peranakan wedding bed
Kebaya, comprising of a tunic and a sarong. It did not have buttons and the richer ones would use European lace, which was a symbol of authority and wealth. They were usually made of batik or cotton.
traditional kebaya
As we explored later, we noticed metal containers with flowery designs stacked together, which were used to store meals. They are called “tingkat”.
tingkat
Their cutlery and plates were mostly ceramic with flowery designs or with peacocks.
peranakan cutlery
The tea set they used then was a mix of European and Chinese culture, but more of a Chinese influence on the the European culture.
tea set
As we explored deeper, we found embroidery made out of many small, colourful beads. They usually depicted flowers. The Peranakans usually used these pieces of art on their clothes or shoes.
peranakan embroidery
Right before we set off to our next destination, we had to chance to take a quick bite into jiu cheng gao ;D
jiu cheng gao
East Coast Road Shophouses
simpler designs and not as detailed as others – people were poor
more detailed and developed; multiracial shophouses: European and Chinese (flowers) decorations, Malay carpenters (wood elements and swinging door)
closer look of the multiracial design
Interior architecture of the shophouses – narrow staircase – a few rooms upstairs (for a few families) – 1 shared bathroom – 1 shared kitchen – Spiral stairs (back exit)
Must have for shophouses: 5 foot way – used for small businesses – protect pedestrians from hot tropical sun and rain
Uses of the shophouses – simpler or old-looking ones: family run businesses (3rd generation) – aesthetic or well maintained ones: beauty hotel, welfare shops, restaurants
Church of the Holy Family
This is a Roman Catholic Church, by far the one of the largest church and has the longest history in East Coast.
Officially known as the Church of the Holy Family, it is affectionally called the ‘Katong Church’ or ‘Katong Catholic Church’ by the older generations. It was the first church to be built along the eastern part of Singapore. As communities were mainly Peranakans and Eurasians, this church became a focal point for anyone to seek shelter.
In the 1820s, the Lasalle brothers started off in small huts. Later in 1902, Eurasian landowners who joined the Lasalle Brothers for mass at their timber houses mooted the idea of building a church. A wealthy Eurasian landowner, James Leonard Scheerder donated a piece of land to be used to build a chapel in Katong. He only allowed the land to be used for a chapel, if not so then the land would be passed down to the next generation. the number of people grew due to migration, and in 1933 Peranakan Chinese came, resulting in more people. Also in 1932, the church was finally built. In 1936, the first Peranakan mass was held. Later on, the church underwent renovations, which was completed in 1999.
Unlike other churches, this church would have mass on the Chinese New Year Eve as there were many Peranakans who attended the church. This makes the Church of the Holy Family unique from other churches in Singapore.
Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs
Currently, the 3rd generation boss is operating the shop. Her grandmother (tao kae ma which means ‘grandmother boss’ in hokkien) used to operate a hawker stall near geylang in the past because they lived there. At that time, they were poor. Most of their neighbours were Malay but a lot of Chinese lived with the Malays as well, and they made curry puffs by hand and sold it. At first, the grandmother made soon kueh, but she learnt how to make curry puffs later on and sold them. She adjusted her recipe through trial and error. The business went well and they shifted location. Although the curry puff and soon kueh became famous, the 2nd gen boss wanted to give up the business later as she was tired. The current boss, the 3rd gen, felt that it was a pity to give up the family business and decided to quit her job as a secretary, later taking over the business.
inside of the curry chicken puff
We got a chance to eat the curry chicken puffs here in Soon Soon Huat, and they were so delicious! Although it was slightly expensive, but it was worth it!
Aesthetic houses (not on the itinerary)
elevated european houses
As we walked to our next destination, we spotted these well-decorated houses! This area used to be near the sea before the government reclaimed the land, hence they were elevated so that the residents would be safe in their houses when the tide was high. Currently, these houses are rented out by Eurasians. Because of their uniqueness, they are worth more than 5 thousand dollars!
Sri Senpaga Vinayagar temple + Udipi Ganesh Vilas
Sri Senpaga Vinayagar temple
We learnt more about gods in the Indian culture as well as the architecture of this temple. Elephants are used as the god of protection has the head of an elephant, hence they use elephants to protect the temple from danger. Also, the doors of the entrance is built at a high height. This is because in India, when the king visits the temple, he would be carried on a seat to enter the temple; with the high doors, the king will not be affected when entering.
Have you ever wondered why the rooftops of temples are so high? Well, that’s because in India, a relatively big country, people have to travel long distances daily to go to the temple for their prayer which was not convenient for those living very far. With a high rooftop, these people would be able to pray to the god statues located at the rooftop which could be seen from afar, making it easier for them to pray without travelling long distances. Fun fact: this temple’s rooftop is 21m high!
Before we headed off to Udipi Ganesh Vilas, we learnt more about the differences between Northern and Southern India regarding food.
North India: Spicy but still tolerable, eat with fork and spoon, usually use wheat in their cooking, serve food in steel plates with compartments
South India: Chilli hot (not tolerable), eat with hand, usually use rice in their cooking, serve food with banana leaves, eat curry fish head
When we were at Udipi Ganesh Vilas, we got the chance to try a traditional Indian snack! We guessed that it contained condensed milk, raisins and nuts. Most of us didn’t really like it was it was too sweet for us but it was an interesting experience trying it!
Red House Bakery
the original sign in red
The name Red House Bakery was derived from the façade of the two-storey shophouse that was painted red. It was originally known as Katong Bakery and Confectionery Co., started by Jim Baker, before it was taken over by Heavenly Wang. But thankfully, the original sign is still hanging till this day. The place was famous for its traditional cakes and pastries such as its curry puffs and soft swiss rolls. It was also known as a favourite hangout for local bands during the 1960s.
Not only that, it was also the space for casual meetings for families who wanted to matchmake their children to suitable partners. There were even ‘matchmaker’s screens’ where prospective couples were introduced, had tea, before going off to the nearby theatres for a movie. As the bakery was located within an active retail, entertainment and community hub in the 1950s, the bakery was located in what was “often considered the ‘traditional’ heart of Katong. “
That concludes the end of our tour in Katong/Joo Chiat! We discovered so much of Katong and Joo Chiat during this learning journey despite the heat. 😀
Curious on how our interviews went? Check it out here!
LUNCH !! (bonus)
328 Katong Laksa
328 Katong Laksa was so delicious!! Sadly Jamie couldn’t take spice so only 4 of us ate it. However, it sure SPICE-D our learning journey!
cup of coke
At some point of time, we couldn’t take the spicyness of the laksa, and we decided to get one cup of coke and share it! We’ve never seen so many people share a cup of coke before! Surely, it was empty after a short period of time ;D
Background information about it: (taken from https://ordinarypatrons.com/2018/06/13/kim-choo-kueh-chang/) Not many family businesses survive into the third generation, but the owners of Kim Choo Kueh Chang, a traditional rice dumpling and snacks specialist, have beaten the odds to continue the legacy.
Kim Choo Kueh Chang has been operating out of a shophouse in Joo Chiat since 1945. It is most famous for its Nyonya Rice Dumpling (or Nyonya chang) and Traditional Salty Dumpling (or bak chang) but it also has a wide range of Nyonya kuehs, cookies and other snacks. Kim Choo Kueh Chang may also be the subject of another food feud in the East – like the Katong Laksa saga and the mee pok war.
It all started with Ms Lee Kim Choo, who first sold Nyonya (Straits-Chinese Peranakan women) rice dumplings under a banyak tree along Joo Chiat Place. Her eldest son, took over the business and helped her. Now, her grandson is continuing the family’s legacy.
2 days before the learning journey (Tuesday, 22 May), we called the Kim Choo Kueh Chang branch, requesting for an interview at 1.15pm on the day of our learning journey, Thursday 24 May. At first, we had called the branch we intended to visit (the one at East Coast Road), but the staff there referred us to the main branch (the one at Joo Chiat PI). After calling the main branch, the staff member told us that they had to check if they were available for an interview at that time, ending the conversation by saying that they would call back.
However, our group member, Xin Ying, waited for the rest of the day, but the staff did not call back, and neither did they do so the next day. We were confused and latr decided to head down and request an interview on the spot on Thursday instead.
On Thursday, after our tour around Joo Chiat, we were told by the tour guide that the boss of Kim Choo Kueh Chang was not around. We finally decided to change our plans.
Background information: (taken from https://sethlui.com/soon-soon-huat-curry-puff-singapore/) Hidden in a corner along East Coast Road, Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff prides itself as one of Singapore’s pioneer curry puff makers.
Previously located at Blk 1A Eunos Crescent and formerly known as ‘1A Crispy Curry Puff’, the owners of Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff have been in the pastry industry for nearly three decades.
Every working day, the mother-daughter duo, 38-year-old Tay Mui Lan and 60-year-old Ow Siew Kheng, arrive early to prepare the ingredients and hand-make the curry puffs from scratch.
Mui Lan, who resigned from her previous job as a secretary, took over the family business in 2009 after hearing how her mother wanted to close shop.
When Mui Lan knew that her mother wanted to give up the business, she felt that she had to do something as it would be a pity because they would not able to continue spreading her grandmother’s love for making traditional food.
The recipe for the curry puffs is the brainchild of Mei Lan’s late grandmother, Lim Sai Hiong (known as Tae Kae Ma, which means ‘grandma boss’ in hokkien, who founded the original store in Eunos Crescent in 1992, starting the business as a form of livelihood.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: 1. How did the business start?
2. What made you interested in taking over the business?
3. Do you think it’s important to carry on the tradition? Why do you think so?
4. What do you think of the future of traditional food with the increasing number of people preferring fast food? Why do you think so?
5. What are your feelings as your third generation of this family business?
6. Do you recommend the younger generation to continue this business? Why?
7. Could you explain to us of your understanding of this family business?
328 Katong laksa Address: 216 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428914
Background information: (taken from http://thehungrygeek.com/2016/01/27/328-katong-laksa-twin-titans/) Back in 2013, SingTel organised the Hawker Heroes Challenge pitting the best hawker food in Singapore against Mr Gordon Ramsay, the famous Michelin-starred celebrity chef from the UK. The public poll selected chicken rice, chilli crab and laksa as the representative dishes of the Singpapore hawker culture. 328 Katong Laksa was shortlisted as the laksa representative. Mr Ramsay was given two days to master all three dishes as he learnt their preparation techniques from the local hawker masters.
Under the laksa category, 328 Katong laksa had 59.5% of all the votes, winning Gordon Ramsay in that particular category.
What sets Katong laksa apart from others is how you would only require a single spoon to eat it! The noodles are cut into small pieces so that we would be able to eat it easier. If the noodles are not spicy enough for you, don’t worry! A packet of extra chilli is provided, with 2 packets the maximum you can take.
As you can imagine, this is one of the best two laksas in Singapore. Honestly it is not even close. The key to making this delicious laksa is in the gravy’s coconut milk balance, and the folks over at 328 Katong Laksa have got it down to perfection. This concoction is so good and difficult to make that even Gordan Ramsay was not able to match it. On your first mouthful the laksa fragrance is overwhelming and delicious. The noodles are al dente and the ingredients are fresh, the taste is just perfect.
In week 8, we got the chance to be taught by our principal, Mdm Ng Chuen Yin, to make a traditional Hakka dish, Suan Pan Zi, which is also known as Yam Abacus seeds.
This traditional dish is usually eaten during festivals as it signifies wealth.
It was an interesting experience making it, from mashing the yam to frying the “abacus seeds” with other ingredients like chicken, cuttlefish and mushrooms.
THOUGHTS?
JAMIE: Although i dont really like the yam but the process of making the suan pan zi was enjoyable especially when you can choose your friend to cook this dish with you. I used to think that Chinese food is just a combination of ingredients and stir frying them together but now i know that it is a tedious process and i also learned more about teamwork.
XIN YING: It was my first time in the school kitchens so it was an eye-opener for me. I used to think that it was all child’s play when it comes to the making of foods like the “abacus seed” but after this meaningful workshop, now i know that to be able to produce these delicious and delicate proportions, we have to go through a tedious process pod steaming the yam for quite a long time first. Nonetheless, i feel that this workshop was fun and worth a second go!
JOANNA: Since I am a higher music student, this was my first time in the school kitchen. I thought that making food but just fun and fun alone, I thought it was easy and like a Funtime with my friends, but I realised that it wasn’t always easy and there were harder processes and things my friends didn’t want to do, like cutting the squid. Also, I realised that when handling fire, we must be really careful as fire is a very dangerous thing.
CHAI RONG: Although I did not enjoy yam, which then suan pan zi was mainly made of, the process of making the dish was still very enjoyable! I used to think that Chinese cuisine is just random combination of ingredients. Through the workshop, I know know more about and was able to get an deeper understanding of Chinese cuisine such as the oftentimes used stir-frying method, and the use of sauces. Also, because this workshop required three students to work together, it taught me much more about teamwork and coordination, especially since cooking the dish was complicated and involved a lot of steps. In conclusion, I benefited a lot from this meaningful workshop!
XIN YI: I had never thought I would have the chance to make this dish, much less to be taught by our own principal! It was an eye-opening experience to make this dish as it took some time trying to get the dough to the right texture. However, it was fun moulding it to the abacus shape with my friends as we joked around when the abacus seeds we had moulded looked funny. I used to think that Chinese dishes were just steamed ingredients with soup, but it turns out that I was wrong! I now think that making Chinese dishes requires a lot of patience and time as it includes ingredients that are handmade, for example dumplings.
After the 3 days of NYConnects sessions, we definitely learnt more about cultural heritage through food, architecture and intangible heritage. What are our main takeaways from the sessions?
JAMIE: 3 ideas i found useful from NYConnects
I learned more about architecture, food models and others
I learnt more about how to interview people better and it may help me boost my confidence
I must be patient with the interviewee as they need some time to think of the answers.
2 ideas why i found these useful
I learnt how to conduct a good interview
I learnt about what type of questions to ask during the interveiw
1 application i have for these ideas
This encourages me to become an architect next time
XIN YING: 3 ideas I found useful from NYConnects -the conservation of the heritage of the different races in Singapore -the need for observing the interview targets beforehand -the contents of the video we are going to produce should trigger emotions from the audience
2 reasons why i found these ideas useful -these information are going to help us in deciding the content of our infographic board and video -i now know how to better conduct interview
1 application i have for these ideas These ideas can be used during the process of our SPICE Programme in our benefit.
JOANNA:
3 ideas I found useful from NYConnects – Interview tips, tips of languages and dialogues to be used during interviews – The right ways to treat the interviewee properly – Thinking of the questions and how there are different types of questions for different audiences
2 reasons why I found these ideas useful – These ideas are helping me improve in my interview skills – These ideas develop my confidence when interviewing and speaking to the public whom I do not know
1 application I have for these ideas -It can be applied on the SPICE programme
CHAI RONG: 3 ideas I found useful from NYConnects -Research and think up of specific questions for the interviewee beforehand -Be patient with the interviewee (eg. When they need time to think up of an answer or when they do not understand your question) -Do not stress the interviewee on if they get emotional
2 reasons why I found these useful -It helps me to interview people better -It helps me to get as much information from the interviewee as possible
1 application I have for these ideas -When interviewing the people at Joo Chiat, I can get the information I targeted to get
XIN YI: 3 Ideas I found useful from NYConnects – When planning the interview, ensure the questions are direct and detailed. – Decide on who we want to interview beforehand – During the interview, give the interviewee personal space when necessary (example: when he/she feels emotional, do not ask the next question until he/she is ready)
2 reasons why I found these ideas useful – I learnt how to conduct an interview such that the interviewee feels comfortable sharing his/her opinions – I can get better responses when I ask direct and detailed questions
1 application I have for these ideas – When I conduct public surveys or interviews in the future, I know how to ask the right questions so that the interviewees are willing to share their opinions
NYConnects, which means Nanyang Connects, is a series of talks from speakers invited to our school. They work in one of the three industries: Food, Architecture or Intangible heritage.
Here are the speakers for the 3 days of NYConnects:
In the week 7, we were exposed to understanding cultural heritage through poetry. With the help of “Little Things”, we were able to have a better insight of tradition and culture through poetry, specifically the following:
After the Lion Dance – Chris Mooney-Singh
Initiation – Alvin Pang
Neighbours – Alfian Saat
Chai – Marc Daniel Nair
old house at ang siang hill – Arthur Yap
Excuse me, what is your race? – Esther Vincent
Before the cluster lecture, we were tasked to write a journal entry of the poem that appealed to us. Which poem appealed to our group members?
JAMIE: I like the ‘Excuse me, what is your race?’ There is more diversity of cultures and races in Singapore.
XIN YING: I personally find ‘Excuse me, What Is Your Race?’ more appealing as it portrays the diverse cultures and races in Singapore. The speaker is mixed, being Sinhalese and Chinese but she does not understand either of these cultures. At the end where she say excuse me, what race? shows that she is not of a race since she is made out of two different ones, which I find quite interesting.
JOANNA: I like ‘neighbours’ as it tells us about the basic relationships between neighbours and their different cultures just like our neighbours and us.
CHAI RONG: I like ‘Neighbours’, as it talks about how two neighbours, who hate each other, treat the other. This is also relatable in local context as it is quite often seen in Singapore.
XIN YI: ‘old house at ang siang hill’ appeals to me as the poem shows how unappreciated old traditional houses are by the younger generation. Although it has been standing for many years, but there is a lot of hidden stories and past in it. Despite this, the younger generation does not value this house full of heritage, culture and tradition. They even think that it is very outdated and want people to leave so that re-development can be done. This shows how much they look down on tradition.
During our cluster lecture, other than a recap on literally devices, we were given a detailed explanation of ‘chai’, intriguing everyone especially when the story slowly unfolded to become very complex and complicated. It was definitely more that meets the eye!
After the lecture, we were given the chance to reflect on each poem. Let’s see what each of us had to say!
After the Lion Dance:
We learnt that it takes 2 hands to clap and sometimes we can’t do things alone. We should also not judge a book by its cover.
Initiation:
We learnt about how to use our experiences to link it to life lessons. We also learnt about alliteration through this poem. Learning a skill fully takes time and practice as well.
Neighbours:
We should respect people from other races and we should be more considerate and understanding. We should also be more accepting towards others and not discriminate them as well.
Chai:
When we migrate, we should try to adapt to the culture there, but still remember our own roots. Chai is a symbol of culture of the hometown in this poem.
old house at ang siang hill:
We should preserve cultures and educate the younger generation on the importance of culture to prevent the old houses from fading away.
Excuse me, what is your race?
We should not discriminate or judge others’ race and religion. We should instead understand and respect the practices of the other cultures.
Summary We had a fun time unfolding the poems to further understand them, as well as being aware of the vast religions and races in Singapore. It was enjoyable learning through poetry! 😉
109 Group 2 