I started taking on part time jobs in Singapore at the age of 16 under tremendous pressure (constant nagging) from my father. He never failed to emphasise on the importance of work experience and the benefits that it'll bring to my future. Well, I've got to thank him profusely for getting my lazy ass to start working cause it did much for my knowledge and personal growth.

For Singapore's 50th birthday, the aptly-named STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar is launching a special Golden Jubilee all-day a la carte menu, putting a local spin on popular global cuisines and churning out an array of over 50 gastronomic delights and beverages!


Fisherman's Soup (S$8.90)
The broth was a little too light and lacked the flavourful seafood punch I was hoping for. Oh, and the prawn… No.


Snow Crab Salad (S$9.90)
A refreshing dish with the undeniable tasty combination of crab and salmon roe. The amount of soy and sesame dressing added was just right and left the vegetables moist enough for easy consumption.


Otah by the Bay (S$8.90)
I personally like otah quite a fair bit and was pretty impressed with this dish. Crowned with clams, octopus, scallops and garoupa, it's basically a seafood buffet on a plate! Worth an order. I do have to point out on the tough texture of the fish though.


Bay's Spring Chicken (S$14.90)
I wasn't expecting much from this seemingly ordinary dish till I had a bite of the chicken. The breast meat was so tender and juicy! Contrasting it well were the crispy skin and fries.


Satay Un-skewered (S$19.90)
The lamb chop was really succulent and the flavourful satay marinate definitely made this dish a star. A must-order!


Satay Bay-Hoon (S$14.90)
Unlike the usual satay bee hoon, theirs are topped with a variety of ingredients like octopus, clams, kang kong, chicken, tau pok and quail eggs! Not forgetting the lovable satay sauce, of course.


Sambal Saba (S$16.90)
The Saba had too much of a fishy taste to it, even when eaten together with the sambal.


Hazelnut Escargots Half Dozen (S$9.90)
The taste of the escargots were quite overpowered by the tangy dressing, which I didn't mind much because it was that addictive.


Veal Cheek Rendang (S$19.90)
The tenderness of the veal cheek was absolutely delectable and the savoury Rendang sauce spiced the dish up very well. Definitely another must-order!


Garoupa Popiah (S$18.90)
The crisp popiah pastry and dressing were delightful, although the tough texture of the fish did make the dish a little of a downer.


Bubur Cha Cha Crème Brûlée (S$9.90)
A dessert that managed to taste better than it sounds. The humble bubur cha cha was drizzled with black sugar and coconut pandan foam to give a sweeter kick. I enjoyed it a lot. Worth an order.


Durian Pengat (S$8.90)
A dessert for those to crave a stronger taste. I liked the pairing of the aromatic durian pengat with the light note of the pandan jelly.

Now, for the special promotion! Enjoy a complimentary Bay's Spring Chicken when you dine at STREET 50 in a group of 4 and have ordered at least 3 main courses. Simply cite "KeefeKayvan"! This promotion will be valid till 31 August 2015.

STREET 50
Address: Bay Hotel Singapore, 50 Telok Blangah Road Singapore 098828
Opening Hours: 06:00AM – 04:00AM (Daily)

Rustic Fries (S$8)
The combination of fries and a dip is probably the oldest trick in the book. I liked that cut potatoes were used for the fries and the smokey and tangy touch to the sauce. This was quite addictive and it would be good if the portion was bigger.


1855 Wings (S$8)
I found the savoury garlic-soy teriyaki glaze tasty, but I do have to point out on the dryness of the flesh of the chicken. They were a little too tough.


Cheese Platter (S$23)
I love cheese! I was satisfied with the variety of cheese served and it provided a good break from all the savoury flavours.


Crispy Pork Belly (S$10)
It's tasty, much like any other chinese sio bak, but there wasn't anything special to this dish.


Duck Confit (S$20)
Perhaps the star dish of the night, the duck was roasted really well with the skin crisp and flesh tender. The marinate was adequately sweet and it's clear that effort was put into the presentation. Worth a try.

There are many VIP rooms of varied sizes available for different purposes at Fu Lin Men Dou Lao to promote a "Work and Dine" culture, including a function room with a capacity of 36 people fully equipped with an AV system.

I personally like the interior design of the restaurant. There are many detailed textures and furniture that brings about a classy ambience and ample lighting for photography. Oh, and there are charging ports beneath the tables!

Individual Soup Base (S$6-10)
I chose the tomato soup base. It was really flavourful just by itself so you can imagine how rich it got after a range of ingredients boiled in it.

Cold Black Fungus Salad (S$6)
It was pretty alright for an appetiser with a typical sourish and spicy touch to them.

Fried Fish Skin (S$8)
Pretty much a disappointment because of the hard texture. It was actually better after being dipped in the soup.

Assorted Vegetables (S$12)
The pricing for their vegetables are steep but they do have a wide variety. Green are after all essential to steamboats.

Assorted Mushrooms (S$14)
What steamboat would be complete without mushrooms? They offer six varieties of it.

Assorted Beancurd Platter (S$6)
I was pretty enticed when I was informed of the green tea flavoured beancurd. It does have a slight hint of it, but not noticeable if eaten together with the soup.

Homemade Assorted Treasure Balls (S$16)
We were served chicken, squid, pork and prawn balls. I tried all but the last and they were pretty good, having a springy texture to it.

Live Tiger Prawns (S$16)
I decided to snap a photo solely because of the unique presentation. I had them pushed aside immediately.

Fresh Live Red Snapper (S$55)
I definitely enjoyed the freshness of the snapper. It had a very soft but firm texture and you can taste the distinct seafood sweetness of the flesh even with the soup.

Majority of the students first experience internships in Singapore during the final year of their Polytechnic education. Some even get the opportunity to travel and serve theirs overseas! I, on the other hand, took a pretty different route. It was only after I got my diploma did I apply for a Singapore internship. I was pretty bumped that I was unsuccessful in applying for an internship Singapore opportunity which my Polytechnic encourages and had to settle for handling a final year project.

It's a known fact that interns are often given menial tasks (It's actually not an easy job photocopying mountains of paperwork!) to complete and are always under nitpicking superiors who never have a complement for you. Nonetheless, you'll learn skills (be it relevant to your speciality or not) that will benefit you in the future. It's not a waste of time! It's always good to have industrial knowledge and experience to enrich your portfolio.

I've learnt quite a number of humbling life skills from my time as an intern and because I am in need of some serious karma points, I'll share my thoughts on them with you.


1. First impressions stick!

Probably one of the most important lessons you'll ever learn in life and perhaps the the most useful. First impressions are crucial! While you can't possibly stop others from making judgments about you, you can make those decisions work in your favour. Non-verbal cues are way more impactful in making an impression than verbal ones. That's another guide altogether so go research on it! (Or maybe wait till I write one about it? Haha!)


2. (Act like) You don't know anything.

You may have straight As under your belt and boast a rock solid GPA but you are after all just 20(ish). On the grand scale of life, you're only just at the beginning. On the grand scale of your career path, you're only an intern who is scraping for knowledge at the bottom of the food chain. So, learn every little thing you possibly can! That includes knowing where to find those Milo sachets in the pantry and fixing the damned malfunctioning printing machine! Much like any story, the interesting parts only reveal themselves towards the end so do not act like a know-it-all cause well, you don't. That will just stun your growth and make the whole internship experience obsolete.


3. It's right to be wrong. (Don't overdo it!)

Sometimes you work on an assignment and it flips on you. Pick yourself back up and dust yourself off. Some (Most, if we're being honest…) lessons can only be learnt by falling face-flat on the cold hard ground and getting stomped by a Tyrannosaurus.


4. Listen!

Everyone wants to be acknowledged as a person, to have their thoughts and opinions voiced and listened to. It's up to ourselves to provide constructive inputs (The world already have too much negativity!), and the best way to do so is to first listen and learn. You can only experience so much in a lifetime, but other people's experiences can help you fill the gaps, and theirs, you. That is communication.


5. Everything is of value! (Eventually…)

It's only after you leave your internship and start your career journey when you realise that all the frivolous details and knowledge will come in handy one way or another. You just might get extra brownie points from your superiors for being able to change the toner cartridges of the fax machines efficiently.

If you have yet to experience serving an internship in Singapore, or wish to build up your portfolio further with more, you can head over to www.stroff.com to view all their latest listings.

Simply order your desired dim sum cravings at www.yumchaexpress.com.sg and wait for it to arrive piping hot! Operating hours are from 9:00AM – 9:00PM.

(Do visit www.yumchaexpress.com.sg for more information!)