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LABRADOR PARK
LABRADOR NATURE RESERVE
Labrador villa Road (3ix-minute walk from the station)
HAW PAR VILLA
PASIR PANJANG WHOLESALE CENTRE
1 - 26, wholesale Centre (1hree-minute walk
from the station)
HAW PAR VILLA
HUA SONG MUSEUM
aw Par villa, 262 Pasir Panjang Road (1en-minute walk from the station's Lxit A)
LABRADOR Nature Reserve is sur-
rounded by ofce buildings and
ports which seem to detach it from
the rest of world.
But the opening of Labrador
Park station will mean that the park
will soon be a short walk away from
the station. Adding to the conve-
nience is a pathway expected to be
complete in November, which will
link the station and the park.
History buffs will delight in
the areas rich past. A replica of
the Dragons Teeth Gate is all that
remains of the unique rock forma-
tion that Chinese voyager Zheng
He used as a navigational aid
when sailing in the waters round
Singapore. The original rock was
blown up in 1848 to widen the en-
trance to the harbour. Though the
area has seen little action of late, the
site of the rock formation provides
a stunning view of Keppel Harbour
and cable cars in the distance.
While you are there, look out
for a nearby tunnel opening. It is
rumoured to be the entrance to
an underwater link between Fort
Pasir Panjang and neighbouring
Fort Siloso on Sentosa. The narrow
opening is carved out of the side of
the hill and is blocked by bricks and
rubble, but in the daylight, you can
see a few metres into the tunnel.
Visitors can also climb the
Coastal Path, a steep ight of steps
to the top of the hill. On the way
up, you might catch a glimpse of
resident squirrels and other birds
that forage for food in the area.
If you decide to visit, bring your
picnic basket as affordable food
and drink options are limited, save
for a few vending machines and
water coolers scattered throughout
the park.
EVER wondered where restaurants
and supermarkets get their sup-
ply of food? Look no further than
Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre.
The compound houses 26 blocks
of warehouses that sell fruits,
vegetables and dried goods such as
nuts and tidbits at wholesale prices.
Even if you are not prepared to
lug home a few kilogram of sup-
plies, the friendly shopkeepers will
welcome you even if you only wish
to buy small quantities for personal
consumption.
In fact, shopkeepers hope the
opening of nearby Haw Par Villa
station will encourage shoppers to
get their groceries here.
Were very excited here in the
shop because this is an area thats
very difcult to get to unless you
have your own vehicle. With the
circle line in operation its just go-
ing to be a ten minute walk from
the shop so people can come and
get their organic vegetables very
easily, said Ceridwen Wolf. The
57-year-old is the Product Manager
at Zenxin Organic Food Singapore
which supplies organic produce
from farms in Malaysia to retailers
island-wide.
And even if youre not looking
to buy anything, the sights and
sounds of the lively night market
alone will make it worth the trip.
The wholesale centre operates
round the clock, but things at the
auction hall start to heat up after
7pm when the vendors are ready
for business.
Come after 8pm to catch the
auction bustle in full swing. You
can also see how workers on fork-
lifts weave their way around rows
of crates and baskets of fresh pro-
duce. It is an eye-opening experi-
ence to witness how things are done
here as they have for over twenty
years.
HUA SONG means in praise of the
Chinese, and the Hua Song Museum
is one of the few places which casts
a spotlight on the colourful culture
of the seven Chinese dialect groups
in Singapore. It is located within
Haw Par Villa, a theme park on
mythical Chinese characters, which
has seen better days.
Opened ve years ago, the for-
mer cinema houses eight galleries
which chronicle the journey of
Chinese immigrants from China to
Chinatown in Singapore.
The area is mostly quiet, save
for a handful of tourists and three
local tours per month. A free guid-
ing tour is conducted by the lone
guide, Richard.
The museum begins with the
portraits of Li Yanbai and Madam
Tian, the founding ancestors of the
Lee families in Guangdong, China.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who belongs to
the Hakka dialect group, is a ninth
generation descendant.
A noteworthy nd in the Food
Hall is little-known cuisine from
the minor dialect group, Foochow,
featuring dishes like the red wine
chicken.
The spacious Survivor Hall
bears an unspoken aura of spooki-
ness with realistic-looking wax
figurines. They depict the vari-
ous jobs, from Samsui women
to fortune-tellers that Chinese
immigrants took up in their new
homeland.
While galleries mostly con-
sist of word-based exhibits, some
provide realistic visualisations of
Chinese immigrants life in the past.
One such exhibit shows a gloomy
kitchen in the 1960s, which features
a cupboard for leftover food, and
its sides are made of wire gauze to
prevent insects from entering.
The Clan Hall is filled with
memorabilia from the yesteryears,
which are on loan from clan asso-
ciations. Some artifacts showcased
now-extinct social practices.
One of them is a silk cloth
depicting names of newlyweds in
mass wedding ceremonies organ-
ised by clan associations.
Up to 60 weddings can be
solemnized in such events, which
were seen as a means to cut wed-
ding costs. Other exhibits include
uniforms and f loral displays of
clan-based funeral rites.
FRESH PRODUCTS ONLY: Zenxin Organic Food Singapore is just one of the many
stalls at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre that offers fruits and vegetables at
wholesale prices.
A FORGOTTEN PAST: Experience the rich history of Singapores early Chinese immigrants at Hua Song Museum.
A LUSH ESCAPE: With the opening of Labrador Park station, this hidden park,
which is also rich in history, will now be more accessible than ever.
when the remaining 12 stations on the Cirole Line open on 0otober 8, it will bring with
it shops and eateries previously tuoked away from overt sight. Avril ong and Kenneth
0oh show you what is worth visiting around the new stations.
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ONE NORTH
VERVE PIZZERIA
11 3lim Barraoks Rise (3even-minute walk
from the station's Lxit C)
5
FARRER ROAD
WESTLAKE
Blk 4 ueen's Road #02-139 (live-minute walk
from the station's Lxit B)
6
BOTANIC GARDENS
IMPRESSIONS ART STUDIO
#02-25 Cluny Court 501 Bukit 1imah Road (1wo-minute walk from the station's Lxit A)
THIS Italian restaurant recently
shifted from its original premises in
Gilman Village, but fans of Verve
Pizzeria should rejoice. The new
Vespa-themed restaurants chic
dcor showcases restored vintage
scooter parts and a glassed wine
cellar.
I suggest you go in the day-
time because you would be able to
bask in the sunlight streaming in
through the full-length windows,
which also offers a fantastic view
of the lush greenery surrounding it.
Large enough to hold 120 custom-
ers, this place is perfect for events
as they also provide a screen projec-
tor on request.
But the real show-stealers
are their cocktails. Try the Blue
Bikini, a well-balanced blend of
Lychee, Bombay Sapphire gin and
other secret brews the management
declined to reveal. The best part is
that patrons can order a cocktail
during happy hour and be entitled
to a free slice of pizza every 20
minutes.
The F&B manager, Jason,
stressed that everything on the
menu is made from scratch. He
recommended the Alto Bello pizza
baked with spicy minced beef, bell
peppers and topped with mozza-
rella. Also on the menu are their
Enzo or Peking Duck Pizza; a simple
topping of roasted duck, spring on-
ions, Japanese cucumber and Hoisin
sauce. And dont worry if you and
your friends are split on which top-
ping to choose - just ask for a pizza
with two different toppings.
It is a tad pricey for students
though. An 8-inch costs $19 and a
12-inch will put you back $26. But
go with friends and share a pizza, as
a 12-inch is good for two to three.
Get 10% off when you ash
your NTU Alumni Club member-
ship card.
INNOCUOUSLY Innocuously nes-
tled within a typical public housing
estate at Queens Road is one of the
pioneering eateries which brought
braised pork buns to Singapore in
1976.
Also known as Kong Bak Pau,
it is a stalwart on the restaurants
menu, with nine out of 10 custom-
ers ordering the dish on average.
Consisting of five luscious
pieces of pork belly served with
piping hot steamed buns on a bed of
lettuce leaves, this yummy delicacy
costs $12.
The key to making a good Kong
Bak Pau is to ensure that it is not
a greasy overkill, said Mr Robert
Lim, 62, Westlakes manager. He is
a second-generation member in the
family business.
An eight-hour process pains-
takingly shaves some of the fat
content. The pork belly is first
boiled, then deep-fried, and nally
marinated with dark soy sauce
before getting steamed to remove
excess oil. The result is a deliciously
soft slab of pork belly.
More than 200kg of pork is
used for each batch which is made
every two days to ensure freshness.
The tender piece of meat is per-
fectly sandwiched between springy
steamed buns, together with let-
tuce leaves and parsley to give it a
crunchy juxtaposition next to the
well-marbled pork. The ufness of
the buns is achieved by using Lye
water, instead of baking powder.
Westlake also serves an assort-
ment of Zi Char dishes. Popular
choices include the spicy Sze Chuan
hot and sour soup ($8) and yam
basket ($16).
The Circle Lines seven-year
long constr uction has caused
business to drop by 40 percent.
Construction block-ups and mas-
sive trafc jams along Farrer Road
made it inconvenient for diners to
visit the restaurant.
Although Mr Lim noted most
customers come by car, he is op-
timistic about being near the new
Farrer Road MRT station. We hope
that business will increase, as the
Circle Line will provide another
means of public transport for our
customers, he said.
GET an invigorating dose of art
therapy by expressing your creativ-
ity on canvas, ceramics and cloths.
The bare industrial-like palette of
the art studio allows vibrant shelves
of acrylic paint bottles, scrapbook
accessories, pottery sculptures and
paintings to stand out.
Co-owner Ms Anna Peterson,
45, wanted to create a space for
people to walk in and do art. Most
people need to set aside time to do a
whole course on art forms like ce-
ramic and Batik painting, she said.
Most popular among walk-in
customers is ceramic bisque paint-
ing. These palm-sized pieces come
in various shapes, such as dragony
and soccer ball. For something more
challenging, choose from a buffet of
ceramic sculptures to splash some
colours on. They include practi-
cal accessories like trinket boxes,
mugs, and piggy banks.
But dont get too excited about
bringing home and showing off
your artistic works after painting
them in underglaze (ceramic paint).
There is a two-week wait for the
staff to re the ceramics and add a
glossy layer. Prices range from $9
for a dog gurine to $45 for a plate.
Batik painting is another popu-
lar option. Customers colour the
cotton canvas bearing waxed out-
lines of designs with batik dyes.
The artwork can be transferred onto
pillowcases, bags, and placemats.
For those starved of artistic inspi-
rations, you can turn to folders of
images categorised by themes such
as animals and owers for ideas.
Besides do-it-yourself art ser-
vices, the one-year-old art studio
offers art workshops from anima-
tion drawing to pottery, which is
taught by acclaimed ceramicist
Winnie Go. With the opening of
Botanic Gardens MRT station,
Ms Peterson expects a 20 percent
increase in walk-in customers.
Hopefully, more people will drop
by this area, and it is also a good
place for parents to drop their kids
off before grocery shopping, she
said.
It is advisable to call beforehand
to check if there are spaces avail-
able if you are coming in a group
larger than six.
A PAMPERING TREAT: The tasty but pricey Alto Bello pizza, which features spicy beef, bell peppers, and mozzarella, is
highly recommended at Verve Pizzeria.
SINFULLY DELICIOUS: Since 1976, Westlake is well-known for their Kong Bak
Pau, which is pork belly sandwiched between steamed buns and lettuce.
PHOTOS| RONALD LOH AND LIM WEI TING
EXPERIMENT WITH ART: Amateurs can now get their hands dirty with ceramic painting and batik painting.