The Boiler, Tai Seng

The Boiler is housed in an unlikely location off the beaten path. Situated in the Tai Seng industrial estate, The Boiler takes up a unit on the first floor of the Novelty Bizcentre. Haven't heard of that building before? Well, neither have I until Google Maps brought us here and we bumped around trying to find the unit.

We made a reservation for a weekday night but it turned out that they were not too busy on weekdays (thankfully!). I kind of like places which are not insanely crowded, and which do not pressure me to gobble up my food at lightning speed and evacuate. I like to eat slowly, sit around, drink some beers, then stumble home happily.

The Boiler serves seafood in Cajun style, similar to Cajun Kings and the Dancing Crab, and I should say that The Boiler is definitely a fierce competitor.

Beer first. They have some pretty interesting craft beers, none of which I have heard before, so I picked one randomly. St Bernardus Prior 8 was creamy and heavy, with a distinct bitter after taste. 

We ordered Bacon Shrimps with Hickory BBQ sauce and Spam Fries to share. The Boiler was not strong in their side dishes. The Bacon Shrimp was yummy with salty bacon wrapped around crunchy prawns. But the fresh prawns were completely overpowered by the Hickory Sauce. Spam Fries were good, but, as my friend pointed out, you can't go wrong with spam. 

The highlight was definitely the seafood. We had the Boiler's Duo Bag which came with prawns, mussels, clams, sausages, corn in a big plastic bag. You could pick the sauce and we had the pepper butter sauce. The sauce was incredible. It was not too heavy and had just the right amount of pepper for a kick. The seafood was just so fresh. 

Food was served quickly and the staff was very attentive. They offered the usual bibs and even provided a small clear bag for me to keep my phone which was sitting on the table. When we were done with our food and were chatting over our drinks, the waiters appeared swiftly and cleared the table at once. 

The Boiler was so good that my friend returned the week after and reported that their beerita was awesome. I'm definitely ordering that when I return!

Tue to Thurs: 17:00 to 22:30

Fri to Sat: 17:00 to midnight

Sun: 17:00 to 22:30

Closed on Mondays

66351285

Pu Tien, Marina Square

My mum picked Pu Tien for her birthday dinner so we came by one weekend in January. We chose the branch at Marina Square because it was convenient, accessible, and, most importantly, had a gym shop which sold gym balls (and I bought one for her birthday!). I made a reservation and was thankful that I did since Pu Tien was rather crowded when we arrive.d 

I was generally not too fond of Pu Tien when I was younger because I found the food too light and bland. I guess my palate changed as I grew older and I actually prefer food with lighter sauces now. 

We picked a set for 4 people and it was really worth it! We had 7 dishes for a total cost of approximately $198, and I was pleasantly surprised that the quality was still really good. I have tasted some set dinners at other Chinese restaurants which were (slightly) cheaper than ala carte but which were way below standard.

We had a cold dish platter to start the meal, which was pretty tasty. Don't forget the chilli sauce if you are at Pu Tien. The chilli sauce is beyond amazing!

The chicken had a deliciously crispy skin, but was unfortunately rather dry inside.

Fish maw soup!

I generally prefer my fish steamed, but this fried fish was not bad! Crispy with just the right amount of sauce.

I love the Garlic Prawns. Fresh prawns steamed with a generous amount of garlic and sauce. It was so light and tasty!

The highlight was definitely the Pu Tien Lor Mee (Braised Noodles). Noodles in a thick broth with lots of fresh clams inside. We make it a point to order the Lor Mee every time we visit Pu Tien.

Desserts to complete the meal.

Pu Tien is a great place for family dinners, especially if you have family members who are fond of Chinese food. It was great for us to sit down at the end of the week and enjoy a good meal together as a family. I cannot stress enough how important family time is to me, and it is truly enjoyable to be able to sit down together with everybody and actually chat and eat together. Sure, we live in the same place, but I'm mostly asleep when I'm home or too tired on weekdays to engage in any meaningful conversations. 

Yay to more family dinners!

#02-205 Marina Square

Mon to Sun: 11:30 to 15:00, 17:30 to 22:00

63364068

Eight Cafe and Bar, Bukit Pasoh

Stef bought the Entertainer App which was seriously such a good investment! We picked Eight Cafe and Bar from a list of participating restaurants and cafes, and decided to drop by after work. I made a reservation although it was rather empty when we arrived. I guess it is safe to assume that you would be able to snag a table on a week day evening without a reservation!

Eight Cafe and Bar was very laid back and homely. The cafe was bathed in warm dim light, and it was not too noisy which made chatting over dinner very comfortable. Everybody just seemed to be leaning back, enjoying some good food, and the precious company of friends.  

Truffle Fries did not seem to be on their dinner menu but we asked anyway and yes! We had our Truffle Fries. Deliciously fragrant, crispy, with a generous serving of cheese on top. 

We decided to order 2 mains to share. The French Duck Leg Confit ($26.80) in basil white wine peach sauce was good! Not mind-blowing, but pretty decent. The duck leg was surprisingly tender and juicy. 

The House Special Crispy Brown Rice Risotto ($26.80) was very special! It was served with fresh seafood and a creamy sauce.This was unlike any risotto I have ever tried before! The grains of rice were hard and crispy, like the charred remains of your clay pot rice. Together with the creamy sauce, the  brown rice was smooth yet crispy. Very interesting!

Service was incredibly attentive and I love the cozy nature of the cafe. It was not too crowded (many plus points from me) and it served good food. Together with the Entertainer App, this was definitely a steal!

8 Bukit Pasoh
Daily 11:00 to 15:00
Mon to Sat: 18:30 to 23:00
62204513

Hakone from Tokyo using the JR Pass and Hakone Freepass

The day trip to Hakone from Tokyo is partially covered by the JR Pass. We took the Shinkansen from Shinagawa to Odawara. From Odawara, we bought the Hakone Free Pass which gives us unlimited rides on any mode of transport in Hakone for 2 days. We were only heading to Hakone for 1 day but after some calculations, we found that it was still worth it to purchase the Hakone Free Pass. I would suggest purchasing the Hakone Free Pass from Odawara where it is cheaper as compared to a similar purchase in Shinjuku. 

From Odawara, take the Hakone Tozan Railway. This train will stop at Hakone Yumoto where you have to change trains to continue your journey to Gora. Your destination at the end of the Hakone Tozan Railway will be Gora, a small little town where many tourists stop for a meal before heading off again. We stopped here for our lunch too and had a simple meal of gyoza with rice at a small restaurant run by an elderly couple and their daughter. 

After lunch at Gora, we hopped on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car and continued on our way. Despite its name, this was not a cable car. Instead it was something like a tram which climbs up the side of a mountain. Grab a seat if you could or be prepared to tilt along with the tram as it ascends. The view was unfortunately not spectacular in the dead of winter.

The Hakone Tozan Cable Car ends at Sounzan where you will alight and take the Hakone Ropeway. Now this is a real cable car and offers wonderful views of Mount Fuji in the distance. You have to stop at Owakudani to transfer to another cable car to continue on your journey to Togendai. We wanted to take some pictures at Owakudani but we were running out of time so we simply alighted and joined the queue for the next cable car out of Owakudani. 

When your cable car enters and leaves Owakudani, the air is heavy with sulphur. Look down and you will see smoking pipes laced with yellowish sulphur. An interesting experience! I have not smelt sulphur since the days of chemistry back in school.

The Hakone Ropeway takes you to Togendai where you can board the sightseeing cruise which cuts across Lake Aishi. The cruise is supposed to stop at two piers namely the Hakone Machiko and the Moto-Hakone. When we reached Togendai, we were just in time for the last sightseeing cruise (thank god we did not stop at Owakudani for pictures!) which took us to Moto-Hakone. The cruise ship was decorated like a pirate ship and the journey across Lake Aishi was amazing. I strongly recommend climbing up to the top deck for the best views. It was freezing in winter and the strong winds of Lake Aishi caused my hands to tremble and my knees to buckle. But it was so worth it.

When we ended the sightseeing cruise, it was almost dark and the staff were anxious to pack us out of the freezing cold. We took the Hakone Tozan Bus back to Hakone Yumoto to catch the Hakone Tozan Train back to Odawara. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity to build such awesome memories with my family. It is not everyday that we get to pack up and go off on such trips. It requires a lot of cash, coordination, and cooperation. We laughed, we joked, we feast, we drank, we snoozed on long train rides, we lugged our luggage up and down stairs, we got lost in the middle of unknown cities, we encountered countless communication problems, we drank too much Starbucks for our own good, we annoyed each other, and we had a great time. <3

Read about our days in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Nagoya.