soon kueh brunch // Reunion lunch preparation

Well hello there!! I'm currently blogging at this ungodly hour cause I'm still full from supper and napped too much during the afternoon HAHAH so yep here's a post on today!!

Kicked start the day with a yummilicious brunch at Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre 👅 Never had soon kueh before today and my virgin try was daebak. Soon kueh is like this dim sum thingy (?) that has turnips encased in a sticky, gelatinous, translucent but almost opaque grey skin (I'm trying my best to describe it HAAHAHH) I bought mine from the stall #02-02 Tiong Bahru Teochew Kueh as recommended online!!

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/critics-reviews/zoe-tay-s-favourite-teochew-kueh-*aid-b7d12c00/

They sold each for like $1.10 and their soon kuehs were served lightly pan-fried. I spammed chilli and drizzled dark sweet sauce before tucking in to that tempting plate of chewy goodness. 😍

Although I found the skin slightly too thick, it was still awesome nevertheless. The fact that it's pan-fried allows the mouth to have a varied texture to have a greater bite instead of just the chewy skin along with the crunchy turnips within. Together with the sweet sauce and slightly spicy chilli, it was harmony in my mouth. Maybe a bit exaggerated but I was really in bliss having brunch HAHAH

Also bought a cup of cold soya bean milk from stall #02-69 Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk to share with mum.

http://www.singa-pura.com/tiong-bahru-food-centre-a-culinary-heritage-of-singapore/

IT'S HUGE LOL but only for $1 omg. It's the best soya milk I've had man. To my surprise it actually came in like prepacked, sealed cup like those bubble tea kind but greater surprise was that at such a big cup it only cost $1?!?! Its sweetness level is like perfect man. Other soya bean milk are often overwhelmingly sweet that leaves my throat screaming for water after a few sips but that wasn't the case for this. It was sufficiently sweet and was refreshing at the same time, helping to wash my soon kueh down.

Mummy bought a plate of chee cheong fun and some pumpkin cake thingy. The pumpkin cake was not too bad but the chee cheong fun was just normal I guess. I have no idea which stall she bought it from though haha.

PS those were are thinking of visiting this food paradise (hahah soz I'm biased towards here), do try the soon kuehs yeah! And the chicken rice, sotong mee, char kway teow, lormee (never tried but heard it's good) and carrot cake hehe

Okay so after that satisfying and ultra full brunch, we headed to my Ahma's house where my aunts will annually come down to help prepare ingredients to make popiah during reunion lunches and CNY day 1. Our popiahs are the bomb okay hahahah can wrap as big as we want, put whatever ingredients we want and eat with our hands and just oh so good YUMZ.

Anyways, always wanted to come down help but the past few years never ever got the chance to since I will be preoccupied with school. Basically we had to cut up long beans, leeks, spring onions, carrots amd turnips in the afternoon and wash them at night. After afternoon's work were done, we got to have a break and during this break I took an hour's nap on the chair lmao. In the evening, my aunts, mummy and I went to the market to look at flowers and bought some back. Saw some blue baby's breath and omg they're so so pretty!!! 😍💕

After an early dinner upon returning from the market, we started on our night's work. My Third Aunt and I were in charge of washing the cut vegetables and passing them to the other 3 women in the kitchen in charge of cooking them haah. Quite a lot of work actually although this year's work load is supposedly lesser.

Felt glad to have been able to help out and spend some time with my aunts wew. As I was helping in the afternoon, I had a thought: this tradition might not be passed down man, like how many of us actually stayed to help and learn how to prepare these ingredients? Will we still even be able to eat our popiah few years later when all our mums grew older and no longer have the stamina to prepare all these? :(( Mehh.

Anyways, super stoked for this year's CNY heheh. No more schooling makes life more to look forward to HAHHA. Gonna celebrate 初二 with Soph and Ki then 初六 find Pua they all, and hopefully 初八 can find the dancers wew. Omg it's like 4:30am now and I'm still here typing hahah oops. Okie bye have a great CNY everyone!!! 新年快乐 🎉🍊🍊