I made my way down to Cornerstone for dinner one evening with my husband and two toddlers in tow. The green and brown interior of the restaurant provided a relaxing backdrop for dinner on a Saturday night. Business was brisk, with most of the indoor seating taken up. There is also al fresco dining for those who prefer to enjoy their food while listening to the birds and crickets sing their tunes.

A fusion of good flavours
After taking a quick scan of the menu, which consists of a wide range of Western fusion food, I was relieved to see that the restaurant offers a kid’s menu. The service staff was attentive enough to ask if I wanted to place the order for my children’s food first so that their food could be served earlier, which I gratefully agreed to. I ordered a Bambini (spaghetti with butter and cream) and chicken nuggets for the tots.

As for my husband and I, we ordered a couple of appetisers – Japanese Stewed Pork Buns (2 buns per serving) and the Mussel Pot – to share. Our mains comprised the Signature Lamb Rack with Garlic Crust and Juvenile Lobster Marinara.

The mussel pot and stewed pork buns did not disappoint. We could taste the white wine in the cream sauce that the mussels were cooked in, and the focaccia toast that was served on the side complemented the dish wonderfully. Secretly, I wished that more toast could be provided so that we did not have to let the remaining rich cream sauce go to waste.

My husband was more than satisfied with his rack of lamb. The herb-encrusted exterior was seared to perfection – the entire cut of lamb was moist and cooked to an impeccable medium pink. This was complemented with an ideal portion of potato mash and wine gravy. The spaghetti accompanying my Juvenile Lobster Marinara was cooked a perfect al dente and embedded with generous portions of fresh and sweet morsels of baby lobster.

A sight to behold, a heavenly dessert to savour
Surprisingly, we found space in our stomachs to order a dessert to share. The Flaming Bomb Alaska came highly recommended by the chef. My boys loved watching the meringue top burst into flame after bourbon was poured over it. It is a must-try if you are dining with curious children. They will be mesmerised by the lighted dessert. The dessert wasn’t just a thrill to watch – it tasted heavenly as well.

On the whole, dinner at Cornerstone was a delightful experience. My kids loved their food and had fun entertaining themselves at the play area located out in the restaurant’s patio. The child-friendly environment at the restaurant was a nice touch, as it gave my husband and me much-needed time to devour our food without having to entertain the children instead.

Oh yes, if you are a football enthusiast, you will be happy to hear that Cornerstone screens football matches live in its al fresco dining area. All you need is some beer and buffalo wings to keep you company as you watch the match. Although the restaurant takes its last order at 10.30pm, diners seated outside are free to stay till the wee hours of the morning if they wish, even after the restaurant has closed!

Word has it that the restaurant will start serving weekend brunch in time to come. I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for the announcement when that happens, as I would love to take my children to the park on a weekend morning..

Cornerstone Restaurant serves set lunches on weekdays at $18++ comprising a soup/salad, main course and dessert. It is open Sunday to Thursday, 12.30pm to 10.30pm, and Friday and Saturday, 12.30pm to 11pm. The restaurant is closed on Mondays You can visit their Facebook page for more information.

By Charmaine Lim
Photos of restaurant interior and dishes provided by Cornerstone.

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Nature is always underlooked as we pursue our busy life. When we rush around, we never know how our interpretation of nature will change if we pause to see and feel it.

“Before the field trip, I always thought that nature was all about ‘Oh look at that tall tree’ or ‘Yuck! Look at all that mud’, that kind of idea,” said Bryan Wijaya, a volunteer for the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS) of Singapore.

Bryan, who will be 15 this year, started volunteering in November last year. He has participated in one field survey and two lab studies so far.

“Now I think ‘inside that mud, there are many living things!’ and ‘Wow! Imagine what animals live on the tree!’ Now after witnessing the tiny organisms living in those beautiful or disgusting places, I feel more knowledgeable about nature,” he adds.

Getting muddy is part of the job
The field trip to Pulau Semakau in November last year was Bryan’s first experience volunteering for a nature group, as well as his favorite activity of the marine survey. His previous volunteering stints were as part of his school activities.

At Pulau Semakau, together with a small team of volunteers, Bryan sampled a patch of mudflats between the mangrove trees that had been planted on the island.

It was not easy to get to the location. Where the mud was very soft, the volunteers needed to walk on their knees to help spread out their weight so that they wouldn’t sink so much. If they got really stuck, they had to crawl out.

“Sometimes the mud gets really deep and people get stuck, it’s really funny just watching how hopeless they are when they attempt to get free,” said Bryan.

But Bryan quickly learnt it is never good to laugh too early at others – he stepped straight into the thickest spot of mud and coated himself with sludge. Soon, Bryan found himself stuck in the mud a second time when he tried to help a teammate trapped in the mud.

When he wasn’t mired in mud, Bryan trawled the mudflats for samples to take back to the lab – he was very excited when he pulled out a Horseshoe Crab using a fishing net, as well as separate worms in a container by their body shape and size.

After the field survey, Bryan also helped out at the laboratory. While he found laboratory work quite interesting, he very much prefers being out in the field.

Turning into a convert
While Bryan now says that his favourite part of volunteering is “just the joy of being with nature”, he admits he is not a self-motivated volunteer. His parents felt he was wasting his time just sleeping or playing the occasional online game, so they searched the Internet and found him a volunteer position with CMBS.

But after his experience at Semakau, he has now turned into a nature volunteer enthusiast. When his mother came to pick him up from the ferry terminal, he said he rambled on non-stop about how great volunteering was and how much he wanted to do more of it.

If his friends are willing to get down and dirty, Bryan would definitely ask them to give it a shot. So far, while he has spoken to some of them, their responses had been “yuck!”, but a few did think the work was cool. He hasn’t converted any of them yet to join him on future CMBS field trips, but he’s not going to give up.

By Erin Wang
Pictures by Ria Tan

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And the records back me up.  My planting experiments have included a Spanish mint, a spearmint, a pineapple mint, a peppermint, three orchids and a pot of fittonias. Even the plants in the terrarium that I created at a DIY terrarium workshop started to wilt after five weeks.

While some may have died due to my lack of interest in them, others probably died from my enthusiasm – death by drowning was the usual verdict. Till today, I do not know the exact reasons for the “murder spree”, but the reasons, as I postulate, are plentiful and different each time. They died due to lack of water, poor air circulation, lack of sunlight, too much sunlight, too much water, and the list goes on……

It was with much reluctance that I agreed to participate in this experiment.  I had read that Cath Lim, who started “The Plant Story”, was once a plant killer herself . However, she now calls herself an urban gardener. Her range of products included “aesthetically pleasing plants/landscaping that are kind enough for serial plant killers”.

Now, that attracted my attention.

The solution was a terrarium Starter T, targeted at beginner gardeners like me.  After sharing my failed terrarium experience with Cath, she gave me some tips, “Terrariums thrive on neglect. Leave them alone. Don’t water them, in fact, you probably don’t need to water them until six months later.”

With that, I set my terrarium on my workdesk and departed for a vacation. Two weeks later, the plants still looked bright and alive. And so I thought, there is hope after all for them to survive past two months under my care.

And now, more than four months later, the fittonia in my terrarium is doing so well, they are threatening to pop the cover off my container. I’m looking forward to celebrating their 6-month anniversary.

By Eta Lauw

The Plant Story is now at HortPark!  
The Plant Story is opened from 12noon to 7pm on weekdays, 11am to 7pm on weekends and public holidays, and closed on Wednesday. It also conducts group workshops upon request. It has a cafe within its premises, too, offering healthy bites and refreshments. Visit the website, Facebook, or the shop at HortPark to find out more.

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Since the National Parks Board started its public engagement for the City in a Garden exercise in August 2011, many members of the public have raised the idea of having a green corridor that would run round Singapore. Thus, the Round Island Route was announced in late February 2012. Covering much of the coast, the 150km-long RIR promises to connect nature, historical, cultural and recreational sites, linking communities together.

Similarly, the idea of Destination Parks is to create distinctive regional parks that will bring people together for recreation and enjoyment. Some of the park features suggested were from the 4,000 ideas gathered at the City in a Garden public engagement exercise that started in August 2011.

Currently, three parks from regions in the north, east and west – Admiralty Park, East Coast Park and Jurong Lake Park, have been identified for redevelopment as Destination Parks. These parks will have recreational elements not usually found in public parks.

Starting from March 2012, NParks has been going on the road to seek the views of the public on what features they wish to see along the Round Island Route. Now, we would also like the public to share what features they would like to have at each of the Destination Park. So, look out for the roadshows on the following dates:

14 and 15 April (Sat and Sun), 11am to 7pm
HDB Hub, Level 1, Mall area

21 to 22 April (Sat and Sun), 11am to 7pm
Downtown East, Level 1, the Alley

28 to 29 April (Sat and Sun), 11am to 7pm
Jurong Point, walkway from Boon Lay MRT station to Jurong Point Mall entrance

1 May to 30 June (Tue to Sun), 11am to 7pm
HortPark

Alternatively, you can submit your ideas online. We would love to hear your views.

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A new art studio cum gallery has opened at Istana Park at Dhoby Ghaut. Nestled among the greenery, facing a reflecting pool, Myartspace offers young and old opportunities to experience the joy of art. Introductory courses are available for those with  little experience, while art lovers can look out for the occasional exhibitions. There is also a café for those who wish to meditate on their next masterpiece!

In the month of April, you can sign up for Painting (Oil/Acrylic) Introductory Workshops for people above 16 years of age. This workshops are suitable for beginners and amateur artists:

14 April (Sat)
9.30am to 12.30pm

17 April (Tue)
7 to 10pm

21 April (Sat)
9.30pm to 12.30pm

24 April (Tue)
7pm to 12.30pm

25 April (Wed)
9.30am to 12.30pm

28 April (Sat)
9.30am to 12.30pm

Each workshop costs $50 per person (U.P. $100), and includes all materials and tools used in the class. Each session is three hours long, and participants will learn fundamental hands-on techniques and relevant theories, as well as basic drawing and creative perception skills.

For more information, visit Myartspace online.

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When I arrived at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park River Plains (formerly Bishan Park 2) on a Sunday evening, we were amazed by the lovely scene of a river, set against the background of the towering HDB flats in the setting sun.

The canal turned river is now the focal point of the revamped park. All around the river was a hive of activity – joggers, brisk-walkers, cyclists, dog-walkers, families spending time with their children, people trying to launch their kites into the air from the open green space in the middle of the park.

Standing on the newly-built bridge that connects one side of the riverbank to the other, we soaked in the relaxing atmosphere of the park. There were many other park users who also found the same silent satisfaction from standing along the bridge to admire the beautiful sight.

The introduction of the river to the park has created favourable conditions for habitats to thrive, and we could see tiny fish swimming down the river as well as different types of flora growing along the riverbanks. I tried to look out for the purple herons, which have been said to make regular appearances at the river, but was disappointed that they did not make an appearance – I had hoped to point out the majestic birds to my children.

A playground for every child
The rejuvenated park features three new playgrounds to cater to children of different age groups. The Bubble Playground in River Plains was suitable for my two pre-school children, who tottered from rubber mound to rubber mound in the sand-filled playground.

In Pond Gardens, there is an Adventure Playground that features climbing ropes and structures for older children and teenagers who fancy a challenge, and a Water Playground which allows kids to interact with water.

Besides providing park users with more food and beverage - Cornerstone has opened up next to Canopy - the park also features more open spaces where people can hold their activities. There is a Riverside Promenade that has been constructed along the riverbank in River Plains, which would be an ideal setting for outdoor performances and functions.

The open green spaces provide a conducive environment for various activities. A number of people were in the field trying to launch their kites and I was surprised when my boy pointed out a penguin kite soaring high up in the sky – I had not realised it would be possible to fly a kite to such a height in the park!

A piece of art in the park
Park visitors who wish to get a good vantage point of River Plains should head towards Recycle Hill. The hill was made by stacking concrete slabs from what used to be the canal. Perched at the top of the hill is an interesting art sculpture by local sculptor Kelvin Lim Fun Kit, An Enclosure for a Swing, contributed by City Development Limited. Placing an art piece within a park is a wonderful way of allowing the public to appreciate art without having to go to an art gallery or art exhibition.

Eventually, we had to leave as it was close to dinner-time. I was a little sad to be unable to linger longer in the park. As we made our way home, I made a mental note to visit again, but perhaps in the morning.

I also resolved to bring my children nearer the river, so that they can get up close with the water and observe the wildlife thriving within. On this trip, my children were not game enough to venture down towards the riverbank. Hopefully, the purple herons will make an appearance the next time!

By Charmaine Lim

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I had visited Punggol Promenade previously, before it was officially launched as part of the NERL in February this year. But when I learnt that 80 per cent of the route parallels the waterways of Sungei Pinang, Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon, I became curious. Thus, I was happy to have been given the opportunity to check out the route even before it was launched.

However, it was an overcast afternoon as my colleague and I set off for our exploration of the loop. The long journey to Lorong Halus (our start point for the trip) seemed all for nought, as rain pelted down relentlessly, accompanied by rolls of thunder, all threatening to cancel our trip before it even began. But my colleague assured me that the rain would stop in time.

True enough, when we reached Lorong Halus, the heavy downpour was reduced to a mere drizzle, and practically non-existent by the time we set off on our cycle. As we pedalled our bikes, I was grateful for the change in weather, because the scenery was unlike any other places I have cycled before in Singapore.

A breathtaking exploration of the Northeast of Singapore
Cutting through the residential districts in Buangkok, Serangoon, Sengkang, Punggol, Hougang and into the rustic landscapes of Punggol Jetty, Punggol Promenade and Lorong Halus Wetland, the NERL is probably the most scenic loop within the 200-km Park Connector Network developed so far. 

Along the way, we heard bird calls amid the dense vegetation along the route – one can almost forget that we are in Singapore. The leaves of the African Fountain Grass swayed gracefully in the breeze as we cycled past, bringing forth a sense of nostalgia of a Singapore past.

Continuing along Punggol Promenade towards Sungei Serangoon Park Connector, I could not help but admire how the residential areas were integrated with the lush greenery and breathtaking coastline of northeast Singapore. The route really promised a view like none other.

As I cycled along, I saw many different people pursuing various recreational activities along the loop – cyclists, joggers, pet owners walking their dogs, kite flyers, as well as anglers.

Bicycle kiosks coming up!
Cycling along the route was easy – there were no demanding uphill rides, and at one of the stretches a laterite track had been laid. I can foresee the track being well-utilised for running or cycling events in the future.

Non-bike owners don’t have to despair. They can rent a bike – a bicycle rental shop has opened in Punggol Point Park, with possibly more mobile kiosks to be opened along the route in the near future.

It was near evening when we reached the end of our journey. It would have been nice if I could see some of the birds I was told that had been spotted along the river banks. But alas, perhaps it was the wrong time of the day, or because I zipped past too quickly on my bike, I saw none.

But nonetheless, it was a lovely cycle and I would definitely be back.

You can explore the North Eastern Riverine Loop yourself. Just download the guide before you set off.

By Eta Lauw

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