Dennis gym @ kallang

I finally made a trip down to the Dennis gym at Kallang over the weekend to resume my workout. I've been stranded without a gym since forever and have started my weekly runs along Kallang river much to my irritation because my rashes flare up in that heat. So I was extremely happy and excited when Dennis gym started operations at the newly renovated Geylang West CC which is a mere five minutes walk from my house.

I reached the gym at about 1 plus after my sunday brunch and realized that there was only one other user in the gym. In fact in the whole hour I was there, I only saw two other gym users. It costs $5 per entry for the main gym and I was told that I wasn't allowed into the ladies gym unless I signed a membership with them. I didn't so I stayed in the main gym. However, senior citizens can enter the elderly gym with the $5 entry fee.

(Update 21 August 2012: There are slightly more users now, mostly male, but it's never so crowded that I have to queue for the equipment. Some of the staff are quite proactive and take the initiative to help you with the machines if you have any difficulty with them. They are all very nice and friendly, very willing to help.)

The gym is small but very clean. It does not have the large array of equipment that I'm used to back in my school gym or the Tampines ClubFitt gym and most of the equipment would be better suited for male users. On hindsight, I figured that is why the ladies gym is separated from the main gym as the equipment in the ladies gym is definitely more suited for us female users.

Location wise, I would say it's quite out of the way unless you live in the area (like me) and can simply walk over. The nearest mrt station is kallang mrt and the walk to the community center would take another 5 minutes or so. Not that bad if you consider it warming up. As I walked back home to bathe, I did not really notice if there were any shower facilities near the gym.

All in all, I'm glad that there is finally a gym near my house. It is twice as expensive as the per entry rate at Clubfitt and the suitable equipment remains lacking unless I sign up for their membership. However, if I compare the rates at other established gyms, I find the $5 per entry still acceptable.

To get to Dennis Gym by MRT, you can alight at Kallang MRT and take the left exit when you are leaving the station. Walk straight along the road and you will see a bus stop with buses like 31, 21, 26, 961, 985 and 853. Continue walking till you reach the road junction. Cross the road and turn right. Continue walking down along the road, past a row of shops and you will see the basketball court of the community centre. Dennis Gym is on the second floor.

Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh

Ventured deep into the bugis/haji lane area with my friend last week and we wanted to try the Blanco Court Fish Soup but it was closed on sundays! So we proceeded to have the Bak Kut Teh next door.

The claypot bak kut teh for two is a large portion with huge chunks of pork ribs, mushrooms and beancurd skin. The soup base was full of flavour and tasted very different from the usual white or black ones that I'm used to. This particular soup base is kind of salty with a distinct bean paste flavour without the peppery punch that the usual bak kut teh has. However the soup base was a little oily. The pork ribs were soft and tender and the meat could be easily bitten off from the bone. The pork was very fresh without the typical "freezer taste" that comes with pork that has been kept in the freezer for an exceedingly long time. 

To get there, we stopped at Bugis Mrt Station and walked over to Haji Lane after which we continued walking down along Beach Road. You would see Leong Kee in a coffee shop facing Concourse.

321 Beach Road

Wasabi Tei

So long before I visited Chikuwa Tei, I've been an ardent fan of Wasabi Tei at Far East Plaza. I liked that it's yummy, affordable and fuss-free. The salmon sashimi slices were always thick, juicy and extremely fresh! That's 10 slices for us and we were oh-so-contented after the meal we were practically oozing happiness.

My visits to Wasabi Tei were always on Saturdays and I make it a point to get in during the first seating when they open at 530pm. As the restaurant is a small tiny unit with only 16 seats, the queue outside always get incredibly long after 6pm or so. It's quite an experience to watch everybody sitting around the counter and eating together in a small cozy environment with the radio playing in the background. Don't visit this place if you mind the occasional squeeze. I'm pretty fine with shifting around to allow others to enter or leave since this is truly part of the charm of this place.

I like their grill dishes as well especially their grilled chicken and grilled salmon sets. I usually alternate between these two sets when I visit and the sets come with an appetizer at the start. I can't quite figure out what the appetizer is but it tastes great! There are bits of chicken, wakame and beancurd skin braised in a dark sauce.

I've also taken a fancy for their Cod Fish Pot recently. The soup is sweet and light with a very generous serving of vegetables, tofu and cod fish slices inside. The cod fish slices are fresh and very juicy. Dip them into the bowl of chili and shoyu provided and it is really a delight to have!

Every seat at Wasabi Tei costs $2 which includes a drink and you would have to order something else for each seat that you occupy. That means you cant have two people sharing just one item and occupying 2 seats which makes sense since there are only 16 seats inside.

All in all, it's a very different dining experience with great food!

Far east plaza #05-70

Chikuwa Tei

I came here for my early Valentine's day dinner and boy was I glad that I made a reservation in advance! The place was crowded and almost every table was occupied. We were ushered into a small table for two and went about excitedly placing our orders.

Our salmon sashimi was served first and it was $10 for 5 pieces. The sashimi was very fresh and I liked the wakame that came with it. Thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness of the fresh salmon sashimi.

I ordered the cod fish claypot set which was $24. The slices of cod fish were very fresh as well and the soup was clear and refreshing. The portion was massive and I had a very hearty meal. If you do not have a large appetite, you can consider sharing the claypot with your friend!

The location of chikuwa tei is my only grouse. It is not exactly a convenient location and the nearest mrt station (Clarke quay) was a considerable distance away. We drove there for our dinner and had to wait a while before getting a lot along the street in front of chikuwa tei. Oh yes, the parking lots situated in front of chikuwa tei are all parallel parking lots so if your parallel parking skills aren't exactly perfect, you should park at UE square or robertson quay and walk over!:D

9 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01