San Katong Laksa & San Holland Village Nasi Lemak

Often enough, we do get lost. Those long hours of geography can only equip one with the knowledge to read maps. But not a sense of direction. Or the ability to read minds. The harder you try, the more lost you'll get. And here's when assumptions seep into the minds of the lost through the countless veins of curiosity. One wrong turn will lead to another and before you know it, a missile has been launched in a remote area in central Asia. Reality (in) television at its most tragic.

Here's what I think. Don't ask for a trust of guts. Nor believe in unscaled maps. Landmarks can deceiving as well. So, is there hope for the lost anymore?

And as stereotypical as windmills can get, this is not Zaanse Schans. It's Holland Village in Singapore. And the most shocking revelation comes from the fact that it was named after an architect by the name of Hugh Holland and is in no way, related to the Dutch. What a surprise, isn't it? And all it takes is a little understanding and effort to know.

And efforts to find good food we certainly made, here in this cosy enclave of eateries, including a personal favourite bakery.

And example of a good discovery is San Katong Laksa. Without having to travel to Telok Blangah and Geylang Road, one is now able to savour a taste of the Peranakan style laksa, al fresco if rain doesn't pour, while watching the windmill spin to the song of the wind.

S$3.50 for a bowl of Katong Laksa, consisted of fishcake slices, cockles and prawns, was a good deal. The broth was light on coconut milk and there was a jar of chilli paste on every table for some extra heat in the bowl of goodness. And while spooning (laksa) might not everyone's cup of tea, it may be your next best practice as the thick rice vermicelli strands are cut to the length of about 5 to 6 centimetres, which prove too short for the chopsticks. Unless one is a Kung Fu graduate from the ShaoLin Monastery who is able to catch a fly using a pair of the most convenient cooking/dining utensil in the world. There's also an approximately half a spoonful of laksa leaves to add a refreshing taste and aroma (similar to kafir lime leaves) to the dish.

Apparently, the Otak-Otak is a good accompaniment to the laksa. Made of spiced fish paste and wrapped in banana leaf, the portion was good at S$1.00 per piece. The grilled banana leaves added a nice aroma to the Otak-Otak. The flavours of the lemongrass and turmeric were rather evident, which was good.

The array of dishes displayed to go with the nasi lemak was colourful. For S$5.10, a plate of the famous San Holland Village Nasi Lemak may consist of crimson chilli paste laced anchovies, stir-fried greens, golden brown chicken cutlet and vermilion, chillied dried shrimp. As far as taste could peak, it merely parred at average. The anchovies were rather tough while the chicken cutlet batter tasted like the ready-made ones available at the nearest NTUC supermarket. The sambal was too sweet as well. But perhaps that's the taste that garnered the stall its legion of fans. Tastes vary.

So do opinions, no matter how absurd diversed they can be.

Back to the earlier question. What do you do when you are lost? Nothing. You shouldn't assume. Just keep walking for the world is spherical. You'll complete a cycle as a wiser being. That's the cycle of life. And along the way, you are sure to meet a bowl of delicious laksa. And a good nasi lemak as well, if you are lucky.

San Katong Laksa & San Holland Village Nasi Lemak
1, Lorong Mambong #01-05
(Holland Village Market)
Singapore 277700
Tel: (+65) 6468 5415