Embark on an adventure to uncover Yishun's hidden treasures with our curious host and a long-term resident of Yishun! Discover what makes this vibrant neighborhood bring out its ‘kampung’ spirit and is truly special to its residents far and wide.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 Oh my god, that is like a Pokemon, I swear. That is huge.
00:03 Hi everyone, my name is Le En and today we are in the heart of Nisun,
00:16 better known as Yishun, to find the answer to this burning question.
00:19 Is Yishun as weird as people claim it to be or is it simply misunderstood?
00:24 It's actually my very first time here exploring the neighbourhood.
00:27 I'm very excited.
00:28 I've heard that you can find Singapore's first and sharp intriguing gelato flavours
00:32 and a strong kampong spirit.
00:34 Follow me as we uncover hidden gems and the charm of Yishun
00:38 in this episode of Discovering Hidden Gems.
00:42 Let's go!
00:44 Our journey starts here in the heart of Yishun at Block 605.
00:49 It may look like nothing out of the ordinary,
00:51 but it's actually a special place for the residents here.
00:55 It's where they gather to chit-chat over good food
00:57 and a place that truly encapsulates the kampong spirit.
01:01 Okay guys, I have Miss Siti here with me.
01:06 Thank you for having me.
01:07 So how long have you been living in Yishun though?
01:09 It's more than 40 years.
01:11 Wow, okay, okay.
01:13 Since I was in primary school.
01:14 What does Yishun mean to you?
01:16 Yishun is my homeland.
01:18 Oh!
01:19 May I know what's your inspiration behind these morning gatherings, brunch gatherings?
01:23 My inspiration for this is to get along with all the Yishun people,
01:27 to know each other.
01:29 So it's like a bunch of friends just gathering.
01:31 What do you guys usually talk about?
01:33 Sometimes it's family matters,
01:35 sometimes because we also have some news,
01:39 we have the sympathy.
01:40 Sometimes we do the collection and also we contribute
01:43 wherever the association is needed.
01:45 Kampong spirit, what does it mean to you?
01:47 Oh, kampong spirit is to recall our old memories.
01:52 Last time when we were staying in kampong,
01:54 whatever small matter, we get along together.
01:56 Solve the problem, eat together,
01:59 sadness, happiness, come into the kampong areas.
02:02 Do you have any recommendations on what to do?
02:04 Oh yes, there's ants, the ant shop.
02:06 Ant shop?
02:07 Yes, different type of ants.
02:09 Oh, the ants also can have chit chat with you.
02:13 They know how to chit chat.
02:15 You go and see.
02:16 Okay, I'll go and see.
02:17 Thank you so much for the invite, okay, bye bye.
02:20 Oh, ant shop.
02:22 In the bustling neighbourhood of Yishun,
02:24 we have this super cool and unique shop,
02:27 just ants.
02:28 Singapore's first and only ant shop.
02:31 Oh my gosh, I'm so excited, come on.
02:33 Hi John, thank you for having me.
02:37 Thank you for dropping by.
02:38 This place is so cool.
02:40 How long have you been staying in Yishun?
02:41 I've been staying in Yishun since 1986.
02:44 Why ants though?
02:45 How did you get into ants?
02:46 Since I was very, very young,
02:48 you know, I would go out, explore places
02:50 where there are a lot of ants,
02:52 and passion just built on.
02:54 What's your favourite thing about ants?
02:56 They impart valuable life lessons,
02:58 like being selfless,
02:59 they are very loyal,
03:00 a very strong sense of community.
03:03 Okay, okay.
03:04 I'm not sure if you know this,
03:05 but we have the most ant species.
03:07 We are the ant capital of the world.
03:09 That's impressive.
03:11 And some are unrecorded.
03:12 So would you like to look at some of our ant colonies?
03:14 Yes, introduce to me that ant.
03:17 Hi Anthony.
03:18 Oh my god, that is an ant.
03:19 I thought it was a spider.
03:21 NS people, they go outfield,
03:23 then you see this kind of ant.
03:24 Yes, if you have been to NS,
03:25 you would definitely see.
03:27 This is the queen.
03:28 Oh my gosh.
03:30 Oh my god, that is like a Pokemon,
03:32 I swear, that is huge.
03:33 She is the very rare Pokemon.
03:35 But then you keep their dead bodies.
03:37 So whenever an ant queen dies,
03:39 I will try to actually preserve her body.
03:40 Okay.
03:41 To like, you know, remind myself why I failed.
03:44 Oh.
03:45 I mean, it's not because you failed,
03:46 it could be just long,
03:48 old age right?
03:49 Old age, stress,
03:50 you know, ants can be very sensitive.
03:52 Okay, I can imagine.
03:54 What's your favourite thing about Yishun?
03:57 Everyone is so warm,
03:59 very supportive.
04:00 The kampong spirit is really high over here.
04:03 I'm so jealous.
04:04 My kampong not really.
04:05 No spirit there.
04:07 Yeah, I think you should move to Yishun.
04:09 Good idea.
04:10 Good idea in future maybe.
04:11 Just curious, where are you going next?
04:13 Actually, I don't know.
04:14 They just like, dump me here,
04:15 and then like, ask me to walk around.
04:17 How about I take you out on a little tour
04:20 around Yishun?
04:20 Oh, what's good around here?
04:22 I'm not sure if you like old school flavours and all that.
04:24 I love, I love.
04:25 So, why not we go take a look at the bakery?
04:27 Really, you're going to bring me there?
04:28 Let's go.
04:29 If you've got a love for old school bakeries
04:33 and giant servings,
04:35 man, you won't want to miss Hao Pang.
04:37 So John, I'm really curious,
04:41 what makes Hao Pang so special to the residents here?
04:44 One thing's for sure,
04:45 they are the oldest bakery in Yishun.
04:47 Older than me?
04:48 Of course.
04:48 Oh, okay.
04:49 And they are most famous for their chicken floss bread.
04:53 Wow, I see it.
04:54 Yeah.
04:55 Hello, uncle.
04:55 Hi, boss.
04:57 When did you start this special bread?
05:00 It was 21 years ago.
05:03 I was making bread myself at the time.
05:05 I kept making it and thinking about it.
05:08 It was the same as everyone else out there.
05:10 It didn't seem to improve.
05:13 We wanted to make something special
05:15 to attract customers.
05:17 You need to be creative.
05:18 Yes, yes, yes.
05:19 You really need to be creative.
05:20 Don't just make coffee cake.
05:21 Coffee cake.
05:23 When we make things,
05:23 we have to create them ourselves.
05:26 It's a sense of satisfaction.
05:27 So this is special.
05:28 Hao Pang.
05:30 Floss bread.
05:30 Hao Pang.
05:33 Hao Pang, with its decades of history,
05:35 stands testament to Yishun's enduring culinary tradition.
05:39 So if you're craving for this slice of nostalgia,
05:42 head on down to Hao Pang.
05:44 Thank you, uncle.
05:45 Sorry to bother you.
05:46 Bye bye.
05:48 Oh, okay.
05:49 So, John, where are we heading to next?
05:50 I'll be taking you to the most popular
05:53 Cai Dao Gui stall in Yishun.
05:55 I love Cai Dao Gui!
05:56 It's crispy and with a hint of Cai Po.
05:59 Oh, that sounds amazing.
06:01 Let's go.
06:01 Okay.
06:02 Known for its incredibly tasty carrot cake,
06:09 this eatery is tucked away at 618 Yishun Ring Road.
06:13 Stanley, the second generation owner and part-time musician,
06:17 brings his special touch to this iconic delight.
06:20 Oh, hi Stanley!
06:22 Hello.
06:23 Thank you so much for letting us try this super delicious carrot cake.
06:26 No problem.
06:27 Can you share with us the secret?
06:29 If I tell you, I will kill you.
06:31 I guess we will not find out the secret then.
06:33 It just tastes so good.
06:34 What is so different about it compared to the carrot cake outside?
06:37 Because what I noticed is that it's actually not as oily as the ones you get outside.
06:41 So traditional big chunks of carrot cake,
06:43 they are more oily than this because they need to put more oil
06:46 to make everything more crispy.
06:49 All the sides more crispy.
06:50 This one only needs to pan-fry the egg part.
06:52 Maybe that is the secret.
06:53 No, actually the secret is even bigger right?
06:55 Yeah, yeah.
06:55 I will kill you.
06:56 Have you been staying in Yishun for very long already?
06:58 I think I'm the first generation for the Min Town planning.
07:01 My family school, secondary school, my college planning,
07:05 my first job in Yishun.
07:07 Wah, you invite me even more Yishun-er than him.
07:10 Yes.
07:11 The neighbourhood in Yishun is very vibrant.
07:15 Okay.
07:15 Wherever you go, anywhere right,
07:17 you can see people chatting, you can see a lot of things going on.
07:21 Like the great kampong spirit right?
07:22 Yeah.
07:23 I really love this kind of environment, this kind of atmosphere.
07:26 So you really have friends all over Yishun?
07:28 Almost my whole family are in Yishun.
07:30 Okay, okay.
07:30 Even my relatives.
07:32 I know the descendants of Lin Yishun and Lin Fengfang.
07:36 Wow.
07:36 Raph, if you are looking at this, hello.
07:39 So if you guys are visiting Yishun right,
07:43 do give Stanley a visit at 618 Sim Carrot Cake.
07:47 It's open from 7am to 2pm, closed on Tuesdays.
07:50 But you should probably come down earlier because today they sold out quite early.
07:53 Yes.
07:54 Yeah.
07:55 So please, do give Stanley a visit.
07:57 Heng Hua Restaurant offers an authentic Fujian Zi Cha
08:04 and they've been serving up Putian delights for over a decade.
08:08 This place is a true gem.
08:09 Hope you're still hungry because we have three dishes for Meiheng Hua.
08:14 First up, we have the Heng Hua style lor mee,
08:17 the Heng Hua fried bee hoon.
08:19 And last but not least, we have the stir-fried sliced yam.
08:23 So which one do you want to try first?
08:24 I can't make up my mind.
08:26 Let's try the lor mee first.
08:28 Usually when you eat the lor mee, it's like the dark colour one right?
08:31 So this one is white, I don't know if you guys can see.
08:33 It looks different than traditional lor mee.
08:36 Right, the sauce is very thick.
08:38 Thick with three Cs.
08:39 Okay, that's a small spoon.
08:44 How is it?
08:45 It's lighter than the usual lor mee, right?
08:48 It's very deep.
08:49 It might be because of the clams.
08:51 Maybe you should just try the clams.
08:52 I think so.
08:52 Let's try the clams.
08:53 Wow, the clams are very fresh.
08:56 Oh wow!
08:57 They do have the raw seafood taste.
08:59 That's right.
09:00 They do have the bee hoon.
09:02 I'm going to try this first.
09:03 Oh you're trying this one? Okay, try the yam first.
09:06 Wow, oh it's sticky.
09:08 It's sticky to the plate.
09:09 Is it sticky?
09:10 Okay, I'll try to take a small piece.
09:12 The sauce is kind of like the sweet and sour pork.
09:15 I can taste the wok hay from the sauce.
09:18 Very crispy.
09:19 Now we try the bee hoon.
09:20 Wow, look at that.
09:24 Oh my gosh, okay.
09:25 It is a lot thinner than the normal bee hoon.
09:27 Yes, it's so fine.
09:28 It's because I'm eating hair.
09:30 This is so interesting.
09:32 The texture is really very different.
09:35 Heng Kwa Restaurant truly embodies Yi Xun's rich culinary landscape.
09:39 It's located at Yi Xun Street 72, Block 748
09:43 and opens daily from 11am to 11pm.
09:46 Yi Xun, a place getting buzzier with cool cafes.
09:54 We bring you to Moin Moin Gelato,
09:56 a minimalist white gelato cafe that's just 8 to 10 minutes from North Point City.
10:01 Moin means "hi" in German
10:03 and this place is sure to greet your taste buds with a "hello".
10:07 But what stands out are their ice cream flavours.
10:10 From classic black sesame to premium pistachio,
10:14 they've got something for everyone.
10:16 It's so good!
10:18 Oh my gosh, thank you Patrick for letting us try this.
10:21 I want to know what's the inspiration behind these flavours.
10:24 My inspiration comes from bubble tea.
10:26 Oh!
10:27 So I like to, you know, input some oriental flavours into my ice cream.
10:34 What do you think sets apart your shop from other shops outside?
10:37 Other gelato and ice cream shops?
10:39 We focus more on the tea-based flavours.
10:41 Okay, okay.
10:42 Like what you have over here, this is the Tie Kwa Ding, which is peach compote.
10:46 Okay.
10:47 And this will be the Osmanthus Lai Chee.
10:49 Yeah.
10:50 Maybe you'd like to try the ice cream first?
10:52 Wow, I can't wait to.
10:54 Good.
10:54 Wow.
10:55 I feel like I'm drinking tea but it's cold, it's weird.
11:01 You guys want to try, right?
11:03 You all want to try?
11:04 Er...
11:05 Mix up?
11:05 Taste the Yuzhu inside.
11:07 Can I get two, four, five?
11:10 Five bars?
11:10 Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
11:12 Yuzhu people are too generous at the end.
11:14 So Patrick, what do you like about Yuzhu?
11:17 The residents here are very friendly.
11:20 I find that they're a very close-knit community over here.
11:23 I feel that our MP over here, Prof Faizal, he's very caring.
11:29 It's like he's very genuine and he's able to remember most of the,
11:33 I would say, long-living residents by name.
11:37 Yeah, I totally agree.
11:38 That's amazing.
11:39 He has a very touching side.
11:42 In fact, I see him appearing in almost all the events in Yishun.
11:47 Thank you, Patrick, for letting us try your wonderful flavours.
11:51 If you guys love gelato, do come down to Yishun and visit.
11:55 Patrick, of course, say hi to him.
11:57 Hi!
11:57 Gelato lovers, you cannot miss this.
12:01 [Music]
12:07 The residents, business owners and the community as a whole
12:12 have poured their heart and soul into every corner of Yishun.
12:16 It's this spirit, this sense of camaraderie,
12:19 knowing and being known, that truly defines Yishun.
12:23 Now that we're done exploring Yishun,
12:25 we are left in awe at the amazing sights and sounds of this vibrant neighbourhood.
12:30 We've met the heartwarming community,
12:32 we've met the warm vendors running their own unique shops.
12:35 You can really feel the kampong spirit here.
12:38 And thank you so much, John, for being our tour guide for the day.
12:40 Thank you so much, you're welcome.
12:41 And thank you for joining us in this episode of Discovering Hidden Gems in Yishun.
12:47 Until then, stay curious and keep exploring, guys.
12:51 Bye bye!
12:52 [Music]
12:59 [Music]
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