Saturday's Superlative Meals

It is so delicious I could taste it in my mouth even before I reached my destination.

"Remember to bring along the Tupperware..." was my Mom's reminder. I was going to their place to give some monthly pocket money for their expenses.

Dad went to the market earlier to buy the ingredients and Mom cooked it and gave me a surprise since they know I was coming over. My parents are the best!

They cooked my favourite dish - sambal goreng and asked me to have the meal and take it home for Wifey and our son too. A childhood favourite dish that never fails to tempt me even today.

It was a pretty good Saturday, though it could have been better if both Wifey and our son could be there with my parents.

Wifey was at the shop in Bugis cashing-in on the Chinese New Year festive sale, while my son has his afternoon Malay tuition class in Kembangan.

The 40-minute bus journey on Service 168 from Tampines to Woodlands was extremely tranquil.

The long distance route cruising along Tampines Expressway was a welcomed reprieve for me.

Sat on the upper deck with my favourite MP3 songs playing on my Dopod C800 cell phone, the full view of a bright and sunny day, looking out of the window and lost in my thoughts. Ahh... heaven.

The simple pleasures...

Not wasting any time, I headed to the kitchen once I was at my parents'... where Mom had prepared an early dinner for me. Ooh, pineapple syrup drink too!

I did not realize that I actually finished the whole pot of rice with the sambal goreng she cooked, while I sat at her kitchen, chatting away with her.

I sinfully pigged-out this most wonderful dish... some anonymous, Malay ancestoral lady conjured-up in her kitchen decades ago maybe... but Mom's version is exceptionally special to me.

"I want to eat Yong Tau Foo for dinner..." Dad came to the kitchen from the room after his afternoon prayers, "we go to Banquet, OK?" He pointed to the direction of CausewayPoint Shopping Mall.

"Yes, why not! I would like to see the new place too." I answered, "Why don't you both get ready while I finish my meal here." I suggested.

They both went in to the room to change while I surreptitiously licking my fingers. Yes... still tasted heavenly as I have always remembered it. Heaven in Mom's kitchen.

We had dinner... well, they had dinner while I sipped coffee, at the newly opened Banquet food court on the 7th floor. The place was huge with a Malay village theme.

A halal food court was packed with the weekend diners where I saw mostly Malays; knowingly so as Woodlands is very near to the Singapore-Johor causeway to Malaysia.


Just as I enjoyed my sambal goreng, my parents were enjoying their Yong Tau Foo... they hardly spoke and by the look at the spilled chili sauce on the table... they were in heaven. Dad did not care at all, he enjoyed his favourite meal thoroughly.

Once at CausewayPoint, Dad's must-stop shop was the $Value store, where almost all items are sold at S$1.05.

He spent a good enough time browsing and getting items he "needed," like 8-in-one pack of pens, 4-in-one pack of Superglue, 10-in-one toothbrushes for the many unplanned guests that may stay overnight... a magnifying glass to help him look at minute items to fix around the house... hand towels, etc.

At about a dollar each, I guess why not! I joined-in too. Pens and magnifying glass for my son, Velcro-stickers for Wifey's shop deco ideas, hand towels and scrubs for the kitchen... and, a back-rest support for my blog chair.

We stopped by the Chinese New Year Bazaar erected at the open field just beside the mall and bought snacks and fruits to take home.

Before long, it was time to send them home and get to my home myself... of course not before Mom and Dad packed lots of stuff they cooked and stuff they already bought for me to take home.

I had so much stuff in tree carrier bags as though I just came back from grocery shopping. Wonderful folks these two.

I love them so dearly. We had a good outing together on Saturday. Hopefully Wifey and our son can join and enjoy their company next time.