V loves steamboat, especially if it is buffet-style. He likes hot soup and he enjoys cooking his food slowly in the pot or grill pan, enjoying its aroma and eating them hot. He can spend a good two hours on it.

On the other hand, Little Edison is impatient with food. We can’t possibly confine him at the dining table for more than twenty minutes. He will make a lot of noise, threaten to climb down from the high chair and roam around the restaurant – which is very dangerous with hot pots everywhere.

Thus, every time when V suggest for steamboat buffet, my answer is a big NO unless we do it ourselves at home.

Recently, we stumbled upon this little eatery by chance. It’s located at a neighborhood mall named Hougang Green, just five minutes drive from my place. This Taiwanese restaurant is called Mun Ting Xiang Cha Xuan. They serve Taiwanese food, snacks and steamboat too (not buffet-style though).

It’s a good place for dining because it’s quiet, air-conditioned and not crowded. The steamboat is definitely good. It comes with two choices of soup, two servings of meat, vegetables and seafood, a plate of fried dumping, two bowl of rice and two drinks for just $29.90. Good for family of 2 or 3.

The lady boss is very friendly and nice. Every time we patronize her restaurant, she will warmly welcome us. She makes an effort to arrange an extra table with toys for Little Edison. As the restaurant is not crowded in the afternoon, it’s also safe for him to roam around.

While we enjoy our steamboat, our boy also eats his meal and play with the toys. It’s not easy to find such a quiet and nice eatery in Singapore, that’s why it’s worth blogging about today. It feels good to enjoy steamboat again…

If you’re staying around this area, you can check out this little eatery at Hougang Green. It’s definitely a nice place to sit down and have a relax meal with your family.

Restaurant Info:

Mun Ting Xiang Cha Xuan

• Hougang Green Shopping Mall, Hougang Green ST 51, #01-02 to #01-03

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I rang the clinic to make an appointment. Unfortunately, Dr. Ong’s Saturday schedule has been fully booked till August. I’ve no choice but to make an appointment on a weekday two weeks later. On the day itself, The Hubby and I took childcare leave to bring Little Edison to see Dr. Ong.

Our appointment was 10am, so we trundled down to the clinic at Camden Medical Centre immediately after breakfast. The clinic is new, modern and elegant too. There is a play area equipped with electronic games, a TV, books, toys and coloring materials for the children and a waiting room with refreshments, newspapers and magazines for the parents.

“Be prepared to pay a hefty bill today, dear”, I whispered to The Hubby. He looked around the first-class clinic, smiled and he said “Yes!”

We waited for less than five minutes before we get to see Dr. Ong. She is very pleasant and professional. Firstly, she wanted to know Little Edison’s diet, eating and tooth brushing habits. By the time we finished explaining, she already had an idea what is wrong with Little Edison’s teeth.

Basically, she is concerned that we’re feeding Little Edison with too many milk feeds and sweet drinks. Simply put, sugar equals cavities. At this age, he should be getting most of his nutrients through solid food. Sweet drinks, including formula milk, Yakult and fruit juices, should be restricted to only one feeding per day.

Well, this is tough for us. Little Edison is notorious for being picky with food, therefore we’re supplementing with formula milk. He needs Yakult and fruit juices to prevent constipation too.

These are some important advice from Dr. Ong to prevent dental cavities in our children. I really want to share with all of you:

1. Reduce frequency of sweetened or acid food.

2. Reduce the frequency of sweet drinks (including formula milk) to once a day.

3. Reduce snacks like sweets, ice-cream and chocolate and strictly limit them to certain “treat days” only, i.e. during parties or events when other children are also eating them.

4. Use normal adult toothpaste. Yes, you heard it right. Normal children’s toothpaste is not strong enough to prevent tooth decay due to low fluoride concentration.

5. Lastly, brushing before bedtime is important. Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss at least once a day and visit the dentist regularly.

…

Dr. Ong did a thorough examination and she confirmed that further treatment is necessary to fix the cavities. I was a little puzzled to hear that the treatment may progress under general anaesthetic. Concerned over the need for GA, coupled with high cost, we’ve decided not to pursue further treatment at Smilefocus.

To cut the story short, we went back to my dentist, Dr. Kevin Ong. I’m so glad to hear that he does fillings for young children too. Last weekend, we brought Little Edison to Dr. Kevin Ong’s clinic for his first filling. The decay is removed with an instrument, water and debris are then sucked way. The cavity is then filled with composite (tooth-colored filling). The whole process is completed within five minutes, without the use of a local anaesthetic.

Amazing, isn’t it? We’ll see Dr. Kevin Ong again next month for another filling. This should solve his dental problem for the time-being. Hopefully.

Useful Notes:

• This is a very useful article from The Asian Parent about keeping our children’s teeth healthy.
• And this one from the SmileFocus website on the Do’s and Don’ts of Your Child’s First Visit with the Dentist – for your reading pleasure.

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As most of us are aware, once our child has a full set of teeth, usually around the age of two, we should start taking him/her to the dentist for twice-yearly check-ups.

Little Edison’s first visit to the dentist was in November last year (at the age of 3). I went for my twice-yearly check-up with my dentist and I brought him along. My dentist is Dr. Kevin Ong from The Dentist@Orchard. He’s the friendliest and the gentlest dentist that I’ve ever seen.

I used to dread going to the dentist due to the phobia I developed in the early years of my life. When I was a kid, there was only ONE dentist in my home town. I had several bad experiences with this Indian dentist. When I started school, my experience with the school dentist was another nightmare. The dentist and dental nurses were extremely unfriendly and rough.

When I started working, I looked for good and quality dental services as cost is no longer a concern. I’m glad to meet Dr. Kevin seven years ago and since then, I no longer dread visiting the dentist. His clinic has a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Most importantly, he is extremely gentle and has a great affinity with children too.

This is our boy at Dr. Kevin Ong’s clinic:

Little Edison’s first dental check-up turned out pretty well. Dr. Kevin spent the first few minutes getting him familiarized with the dentist’s chair, lamp, tools and environment. When he was seated comfortably and in a relaxed manner, Dr. Kevin examined his teeth and polished away the milk stains.

There is no major issue that requires further treatment, however, Dr. Kevin advised us to brush the chewing surface of the molar teeth properly as they are prone to cavities. So, we returned home happily with Little Edison’s teeth sparking clean and white.

About four months after the visit, we noticed two little black holes in his first molars. Omg. I can’t help but blame myself for not brushing his teeth properly. But he isn’t complaining of any toothache, so I really have no idea when the tooth decay actually began. I’ve to bring him to the dentist as soon as possible.

This post is to be continued…

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Fortunately, it’s not difficult to find such a family-friendly restaurant in Singapore. What’s more, there are even kids eat free deals available. Some restaurants even have entertainment corners for children.

Last weekend, we went to Sakae Sushi at Marina Square. After playing for almost an hour at the indoor playground (second floor, right outside Kiddy Palace), Little Edison was hungry and I thought it’s the best time to bring him for some healthy Japanese food.

This is the first time we visited the Marina Square outlet. We were delighted with the Japanese-styled cross table where we can either sit cross-legged or extend our legs out to the space below the table. There is a sturdy booster seat for young children too.

We ordered two adults meals and a mini udon with tempura kid’s meal for Little Edison. He wasn’t very impressed though. He ate half a bowl and left the remaining half for me. Luckily, the sushi on the conveyor belt attracts him. As he was seated just next to the conveyor belt, he can reach for the sushi that he likes very conveniently.

This is the mini udon with tempura kid’s meal for Little Edison. Excluding the Wasabi, that’s for sure.

Overall, the food is okay and the service is very prompt and attentive. I only wish that they have more varieties for kid’s meal. I give it a 3/5.

What about you? Do you like Sakae Sushi?

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Little Edison has been taking Scott’s Emulsion Cod Liver Oil (original flavour) since he was 18 months. It helps to build up his body’s resistance and it contains DHA that supports the brain and eye function in children. I do remember taking this cod liver oil when I was young too. Scott’s is a trusted brand for generations.

Little Edison is a fussy eater. Given a choice between a candy and an apple, he would choose a candy. He likes all sorts of snacks too. These snacks may look appealing, but their nutritional value does not. As a matter of fact, getting all of the nutrients only from his daily food intake is next to impossible. In addition, cooking may also alter the nutritional values of the food. For example, vitamins A, C and E are gradually destroyed by exposure to the air.

Supplemental multivitamins can answer our worries about our children’s nutritional intake. I look for supplements that taste good without being sugar-loaded, has the correct amount of key ingredients and no artificial flavour.

Scott’s Multivitamins & Minerals is a natural progression for children who grew up with Scott’s Emulsion. Armed with a chockfull of vitamins such as Vit. A, B, D, E and minerals such as Calcium, Iodine, Iron, Folic Acid and many more in every tablet, it complements daily diets to give our children a full day’s worth of the recommended amount.

Vit A has long been used for healthy eyes, Vit E aids in protecting cells in human body from free radicals and Vit D supports calcium absorption for the development of strong bones and teeth. Scott’s Multivitamins & Minerals comes in chewable star shaped tablet in tasty grape flavour. It is recommended for children aged 6 years and above.

Now, this antidote to healthy growth comes in a combo pack (a bottle each of 60s and 30s). it is available at Guardian, NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage outlet at a recommended retail price of SGD21.30 (U.P. SGD28.40). The recommended dosage is 2 tablets per day. This combo pack can lasts for 45 days, which costs only 47 cents per day!

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