a weekend in batam

Coming home before I knew it... But while I was there,

Kueh Lapis from Batam Layer Cake. Their factory is just located across from the Golden Prawn 933 Restaurant that many tour groups frequent. The food at that restaurant, when inclusive in the tour package leaves much to be desired. Just to fill the stomach. Where you eat to basically live. But I recall a time not so long ago- three years back? When we went there on our own accord and placed our own ala carte orders. It was good. I suppose there's a difference between the food cooked for the masses and those cooked upon order. But that's enough for my so-called lunch. No memories of the food. 

Lapis was a lot better. They have a wide range of flavours listed on their store's order form ranging from cheese to pandan. However, perhaps owing to the fact that it was a weekend with high influx of tourists, they only had four choices of prune, chocolate (both $29 each) original and rempah (spiced) (both $25 each). I was hardpressed to decide between original and rempah. If you like the taste of cinnamon spice as in most kueh lapis, you probably would want to go for rempah. I picked original just to be on the safe side for family. It's sweet without being too cloyingly so and has a distinct buttery/ eggy taste. I liked it but of course i like those made at home even more. :) Watching my aunt sit by the oven, layering the cake for hours taught me well about the amount of effort that goes into making a homebaked lapis. She used to sell them during Chinese New Year, together with butter/ marble cakes and pineapple tarts. Now she's usually away on tours during that peak period and age is catching up. We just make enough for our own consumption. And consume it well, we do! :) 

  

There are lots of these kiosks around. I spotted one at Nagoya Hill, one at Batam City Square and another at the Batam Centre Shopping Mall just across from the ferry terminal. I wasn't in the mood for anything oily but it was my last few minutes on the island after my meal so I figured this would do well for a dessert after a dessert. ;) It was made to order. These small soft mounds that the lady picks up and gently coaxes a hole in the middle using the pair of chopsticks and shallow fried them. The oil is drained and the donut is tossed into icing sugar for a quick coat. It's a good way to keep the oil from seeping through the paperbag. I only ate it after the one hour feery ride and it wasn't as oily as I feared. Light and airy, it was a right treat! These kiosk also sell other potato related items like potato curry puffs, veggie/ potato stuffed pockets. Little snacks for a quick takeaway.

And then there was... A&W. Reminiscient of my childhood all the way to their last outlet at Clementi during my jc days. The curly fries and the float. Signatures. There was a noticeable absence of the coney dog at this outlet so we had an order of their 2 pc chicken set. Piping hot, freshly fried. The meal set us back about SGD $7 which is pretty decent considering that a side order of curly fries would already cost you about SGD $3. Prices have increased much. Times a-changing.

And of course, how could I leave without this! SGD $3 as well. This was my actual dessert. :)

Choose your poison.

If you had enough for only curly fries or waffles- which would you choose?

Suffice to say, I left Batam with a happy tummy. :)

Where do you frequent when you go to Batam? Places off the beaten track? I've heard tales of the impressive bak chor mee at one of the small streets in the Nagoya Hill area but didn't have the time to explore this round.