Leisure Farm

Sprawling Vistas With Varied Homestyles

 



Bungalow Homes with ready built swimming pools

Equestrian Club for the riding enthusiasts

In my previous posts I had featured some noteworthy properties which I thought you should look into if you are looking at properties in Malaysia, and specifically Johor.  You can read more on Forest City, East Ledang & Country Garden developments by clicking on them.

 

Leisure Farm must have been the first major developer who saw the potential of building an upscale residential cum golf resort near to Singapore in Nusajaya to attract the high net worth retirees and expatriate community to live and play in Malaysia, while working in Singapore.  In the last 20 odd years when I lived and worked in Singapore, we must have visited (and then contemplated buying a villa in Leisure Farm) the resort living development umpteenth times for its Leisure Farm villa stays - an initiative which we thought was very innovative in marketing its products to would-be buyers.  Alas, given that it is an upscale precinct, our bank account just was not fat enough to buy into Leisure Farm - but all's well that ended well - as we are very happy with our kampung home nearby.

 

What is different in Leisure Farm is it caters to the rich's varied home configuration preference - from acre-lot homes with sprawling backyard and flowing creek to townhomes with lake views.  We stayed in several of the model homes leased from our very friendly sales manager Ms Poreen - as we were then seriously contemplating living in Leisure Farm.  Our weekends were spent lounging by the poot or having teas at the Equestrian Club while the kids rode on Dolly the mare.

 Source: Leisure Farm

 Over the years, we had also organized many a gatherings and parties at the above facilities - from our anniversaries, birthdays to festive holiday get-togethers like Christmas and New Year's Eve coutdowns - at the upscale Bale clubhouse.  The staff mostly speak English as the expat community there is rather large - and they are very helpful and diligent in getting all the facilities and equipment in place within a short notice.  However, you would need to go to the venue at least once or twice before the event to ensure what they are offering tally with what you need and expect - email communication or phone conversation may not work so well in terms on both parties being on the same page.

 

USEFUL INFORMATION

Going there is best by driving your private car or rental vehicle.  From Singapore Woodslands Causeway, take the new Coastal Highway towards Nusajaya or Legoland.  Look for Gelang Petah and follow the "Leisure Farm" signs to destination. 

 

From Singapore Tuas 2nd Crossing, it is just 10 minutes' drive after the Malaysian toll.  Look for the Gelang Petah exit on your left (it will be just after the Rest Stop as you pass the toll) and then follow the "Leisure Farm" signs to destination.

 

If you are not buying into Leisure Farm - do go Jalan Jalan there, your idea of lux living will be sublimed by this haven.

 

Chicks Galore

KAWAN KAWAN means FRIEND FRIEND

If you chance to be staying or be around Good Hope Hotel - there is hope for good food just around the corner. Restoran Kawan -  just steps across from the old but quaint hotel - offers morning spread of local fried bee hoon with their famous home condiments such as runny & sunny side ups, bean curd skin, tofu, the nine yards. 

What we find different is that the condiments to go with the bee hoon are more fragrant and tasty - perhaps due to the stall's home-made ingredients and food being fresh-cooked in the kitchen out back. 

By 7am, local folks rushing to work are already making a bee line for the delicious fare, while those who have more time to enjoy a lazy morning cup of coffee and breakfast - could chow down their food al fresco at the shady and breezy sidewalk.

Whenever we visit this neighborhood, we have to pair our been hoon with the chicken, char siew and roast pork rice - sinful but you only live once!  The plates are just MR4 or S$1.40 each - how divine is that to find traditional fare cooked to perfection, and served quite appetisingly if I may add - at Singapore prices of yesteryears?

I had mentioned before that my mornings are never complete without a good local cup of kopi.  Here at Kawan Restoran they serve the Ipoh White Coffee which I had also learned to cherish - so each time we are here, I would pair the scrumptious food with their white coffee - served piping hot in a mid-size glass mug....sedap (delicious) !!!

Thank you Kopi Soh (I was told to call her that and it means Coffee Aunty) for making my mornings with that delicious mug of white coffee!

Go Makan & Jalan!

Kawan Restoran is opposite Good Hope Hotel on Jalan Ronggeng 11.
GPS Coordinates: 1.529863, 103,664882
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 7am until food runs out around early afternoon.

You can stay at Good Hope on a budget at Agoda or Booking.

Dim Sum Jolly

You Say Taro I say Yam

Many Singaporean and Malaysian friends of ours love their dim sum (I have heard some say Yum Cha which literally means Drink Tea) breakfast and we are no exception.

We would go for our early morning walk and then head straight for our dim sum hideout at Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru.  The location  is as local as can be - situated at a corner shophouse, just across from the Tasek Mall - another very local shopping center where you will not find tourists and where we love to go Jalan Jalan (roam around) or shop for groceries at The Store after our dim sum breakfast.

To me this place has the best fried yam balls - with juicy lean meat inside - just the way I like them.  Give me the balls, a good bowl of century egg porridge and local kopi C Siu Dai ( coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar) to wash down my chow, and I will be a happy camper.

My partner loves their homemade char siew pao and turnip pancakes too.  They have a wide array of paos - from sweet to savory,  and a host of other fried and steam dim sum delights which my Singaporean relatives went berserk in ordering whenever we bring them.

All items are made fresh by the shop owner family whose members - from the grandparents to the grandchildren - all help at serving and running the morning-only business.  It is also very heart-warming to see a family happy and friendly at work - even when it is 7am in the morning!

YEW YEE Dim Sum 
is along Jalan Tun Aminah
GPS Coordinates: 1.517002, 103.658352

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Our Helpful Server's Name is Tiffany

With increasing frequency, we are encountering "foreign labor" of a different kind in Malaysia.  When we are in Kuala Lumpur, we were very often served by staff from Pakistan and India.  Over in Penang and Melacca, we believe most F&B staff were recruited from Nepal or the Philippines who speak good English for the sake of the tourists.

TONG SENG EATERY

Over in Johor Bahru, we find more and more service industry employees are from far flung states of Malaysia like East Malaysia.  They may be Christian Malaysians who look Malay, since they go by Anglo names.  We were served by Tiffany this morning when we went for our favorite morning Wonton Noodles and freshed rolled Chee Cheong Fun at Jalan Perwira 3 corner coffee shop, I believe it is called TONG SENG kopitiam.

The place is non descript so please do not expect bells and whistles.  But the flurry of local folks in their work clothes and jammies makes you feel nostalgic and that you have chosen the right spot for great steaming local fare - not the pre-cooked air-conditioned Food Court fare.

Wonton or Wan Tan - just as delicious!

The wonton noodles is one of the best in this vicinity.  The roast pork is of the lean kind, unlike some I tried in Singapore and Malaysia who use fatty pieces.  They provide five generous dollops of wonton in a bowl of soup.  Just like I like my spaghetti al dente, my noodles must be like what my partner said "kew kew" for springy.  SLURP!

Fast Disappearing Craft of Fresh Rolled Chee Cheong Fun

Another favorite of mine is the fresh hand rolled chee cheong fun (steamed rice flour rolls).  You can order plain or rolled with roast pork or prawns.  The samba chilli is not my cup of tea, but according to my ascerbic tongued partner - it is to die for!  Rarely can you find these fresh rolled delicacy in fast-pace Singapore as hand rolling the dish takes time.  But this gentleman makes it an art and the steaming velvety rolls make it well worth the short wait.

Tong Seng eatery can be found at junction of Jalan Perwira 4 and Jalan Perwira 3. GPS coordinates: 1.523891, 103.664137.  They are closed by the early afternoons.

What's Going On Singapore?

Ode To Tiong Bahru Charm

Recently a relative from Wisconsin arrived in Asia for his 6-month rediscovery vacation.  Being a distant relative, I was averse to inquire deeper exactly what he was trying to rediscover about himself.  But the fact that he gave me a good reason to go back to Singapore and be his guide while he was on the S E Asia leg of his rediscovery tour, I was a happy non-nosey parker fellow.

 

I helped him book his stay at The Plot Hostel  @ Tiong Bahru where he can mingle with fellow travellers and not be too lonely should I not be able to pick him up for a some days.  For days on end he was raving on Singapore and his "hotel" cum "home" for the next few weeks were nothing short of being fabulous.

The Plot Hostel is cosy and promotes travellers to mingle and network

I am not unfamiliar to the old world charm of Tiong Bahru with its recent renaissance as a hip F&B hangout, I was nevertheless pleasantly surprised by the number of up-market condos are sprouting in the vicinity.  And with expats and trendy young locals moving into this "art deco" styled preccinct (its building archhitecture is protected by Singapore's conservation law) - the old world of Tiong Bahru has been given a new edge. Antique shops and other home decor galleries are occupying up the ground level of what used to be government-subsidized apartment housing, which are one of the largest - and most expensive - real estate in Central Singapore

 I am very glad effort has been taken to preserve the authencity of the neighborhood, such as the covered "5 foot way" of yonder years, the birdcage corner for the feathered ones and their owners to enjoy each other, and of course the ever popular Tiong Bahru wet market and its mega hawker center on the 2nd floor. 



Bunking In Syle

 

Just around the corner of the hotel is a myriad of local and western dining options which I will feature in my next post.  If you are visiting the Tiong Bahru area and would like to roam its safe streets until wee hours of the morning, why not stay the night at The Plot?  This would allow you to sauter over to the famous Tiong Bahru market for a very local breakfast spread, and visit its wet market on the ground level.

  The hostel is quaintly situated at:

 

259 OUTRAM ROAD, SINGAPORE 169056 / TEL: +65 6223 5866 / FAX: +65 6223 9626

CENTRAL RESERVATION
TEL: +65 6298 8889 / FAX: +65 6396 8356 / EMAIL: reservation@theplothostels.com

 

Or you may find promotional rates for The Plot on Booking.com or Agoda

Johor Late Night Eats

RM27 Family Supper

I know I know....what would an Asing in Asia know about late night supper from street hawkers of Johor Bahru, Malaysia? Well I lived in Singapore long enough and triapsed the Asia Pacific region's street food stalls of Thailand  for years on end that my partner has grown to respect my foodie recommendations...Disclaimer: At least for cheap and good grubs for the soul!

Night marketing cum Supper - love it!

 



The best carrot cake & wonton noodles here & more!



Family of 4 Supper @ RM27 - how great is that?

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Open to midnight
• Those fried goodies come with chee cheong fun rather than the usual bee hoon - but we love the combo.
• Our favorites are the carrot cake, wonton noodles (wet) and those fried goodies and chee cheong fun
• GPS location 1.4695801, 103.6469309
• Address is near 6 Jalan Indah 28/1, Taman Bukit Indah 2, Johor Bahru

Happy Makan & Jalan!

Tun Aminah Car Wash & Supper

Singaporeans will Love 1818 Car Wash

You will find most weekend visitors and weekday trippers flocking to Johor Bahru's old city center of Sentosa, KSL and City Square area - where they will shop and makan (eat) while their rides are being washed and detailed.

Well that's for the local city slikers and Singapore visitors who do not wish to venture from the beaten path.  For Asings like us who are living in JB for years now, we find the Tun Aminah neighborhood even more affordable, with service just as detailed and friendly - if not better than what you get in old JB and the ever-popular Bukit Indah neighborhood.

It's run by a group of Indian asings (foreigners) who operates 1818 Car wash from 10am to 10pm (or even later if the queue is long).  For just MYR10, I get snow wash, interior vacuum, tire shine and wipe down.  At other  popular car washes frequented by Singaporeans, I was charged MYR20 to MYR25 for similar quality of service, and sometimes worse when they rush the detailing as they are just too many cars waiting. 

At 1818, I  sometimes add another MYR10 for the wax pad with which  they use to bring the factory paint back to life again. I prefer that to the long tedious waxing process - as my patience is not one of my partner's virtue!



Did I mention scrumptious FOOD?

I know Singaporeans and Malaysian foodies with get a kick out of this.  While waiting for your ride to be washed and detailed, you can saunter over (it is literally right next door) to the street food haven - well to an Asing like me at least.  I do not have to fly to Bangkok to get my  authenticTom Yum Kung anymore! 

At Samira Seafood, the owners were Thai Muslims from Thailand's restive south, and they now run a very happening eatery - existing symbiotically with 1818 car wash and the rest of the stalls along the road.  There is a satay stall, rojak vendor, and halal zhi char (wok cooked dishes).  Locals bring their families (kids in their jammies) to have late night supper while their cars get washed.  The kampung spirit is well and alive here, we love it!

The GPS coordinates are 1.5249012, 103.6668544.  Drivers can take the Skudai highway and exit at Tun Aminah - and it is just 1 min from the exit.  It is on intersection of Jalan Tun Teja and Jalan Pahlawan 2, near 53 Jalan Laksamana 2.

Selemat Jalan and Makan!

Plastic Singapore

 

Non Invasive Singapore

Click Photo Above For Accurate Straits Times Report On The Case

There are several reports in Singapore news in recent years on botched plastic surgeries and aesthetic procedures gone awry.  While Singapore's reputation as one of the world's best  medical centers and medical tourism hubs is undisputable, one has to be sure of the doctor's experience and reputation.  The case of the CEO of a property firm in Singapore who died on the operation table while undergoing liposuction procedure is a clarion call not to throw caution to the wind - even if the clinic is in a hospital located in a top notch address - as it was in the case of this CEO. 

The Singapore Straits Times had done some investigative reporting and revealed that the doctors of the clinic had just set up shop recently in the upmarket hospital in Central Singapore to do liposuction. One beggars the question of how many years these young enterpreneurial doctors had in doing delicate operations such as liposuction. 

I am afraid I have not many plastic surgeons to recommend in Singapore, but perhaps non-invasive clinics at which my partner does her little maintenance touch ups and such. Being Thai, she would rather go back to her homeland for her spa pampering and beauty procedures.


Click Menu Above To Go To Kose Face & Hair Center

Our family unanimously votes for the Kose facials whenever the lady of the house wants some pampering.  She says the center is the only few who do not apply pressure tactics to sign up for a costly beauty package.  And of course she had been going to this Isetan Scotts branch for donkey years.  We vote for it because my kids and I could get my hair trimmed quickly and then head for Isetan shopping center browsing and finally wait for the lady at the F&B outlets in the basement - which had been recently renovated and the new layout gets my vote too.

As regards more "invasive" procedures than a facial, the lady requests that I bring her to Cosmopolitan Clinic to see her aesthetic doctors.  It is located just along Boat Quay at the Singapore River.  She has apparently been going there for nearly 10 years, and likes it since she knows both Dr Alan and Dr Bunn - which means whenever she needs a jab of botox or a flash of whatever light spectrum (IPL, Laser, the works!) - she could get the attention of one doctor if the other is away from the office. 

I know it sounds weird, but I look forward to her visit as the clinic is pretty cool, and so are the staff and doctors.  It is in a strip of conservation shophouses which I always enjoy admiring.  Besides, the kids could run along the riverwalk while I sip cold beer in one of the nice F&B outlets - which are a dime a dozen there.