Joan Bowen - The Special Culinary Centre

lo-hei - lo- hei

2012-01-21T16:03:00.007+08:00

the girls picking their ang-pows

happily lo-hei everyone - huat ah!

Renyi adds the peanuts

Pei Ni adds the carrots

Richard & Ronald - our philipino colleagues enjoys reading the script before putting in the pamelos

daddy's girl - Joan pouring the abalone to start the lo-hei !

Wee Yong created the slips of paper for everyone to read ou! GONG XI FA CAI!

Thank you for the FAT Ang Pow tip $200

2012-01-21T15:42:00.002+08:00

Just another customer that came for lunch this afternoon. He did not give us his name but he left a $200 tip when he saw the crew Lo-hei-ing" . What a wonderful start to the new year - again I give thanks for the daily miracles we see in our daily life.

All things are possible if we continue to believe that God will grant us plenty of favors.

we look forward to a break during CNY

2012-01-20T20:38:00.004+08:00

Echo takes her leave as she leaves for Sabah to visit her family for the CNY holidays.

We have been busy entertaining ourselves with handmade bingo games since 7pm. The night is quiet and we have sent some of the crew home early at 5pm.
The senior ones continue to keep themselves busy -

Eating love letters and enjoying a few rounds of bingo..

We decorated the counter and hang out the angpows ready for the crew on Saturday when we intend to lo-hei and celebrate. Thank you lord for a wonderful year to come.

21 Feb Saturday - The Village takes a break for SPRING CLEANING

2012-01-16T17:52:00.002+08:00

Everyone will be taking a long holiday for the lunar new year - the crew at the village will take their break to spring clean the village before they close for 4 DAYS - 21 jan - 22 Jan 23 Jan and 24 Jan. We will reopen business on Wednesday 25 Jan 2012.

9 Jln Wangi will stay open on Saturday till 930pm..come and support us!

GONG XI FA CAI and may the lord bless one and all a healthy 2012.

New prinicpal from Delta Senior School

2012-01-16T14:01:00.005+08:00

Michelle Liau - New Principal from Delta Senior School came to see us at Joan Bowen cafe. She was accompanied by her JPOs - Anthony - Raymond and Mike. It is good to share our cafe and what we believed in - Raymond comes often to visit his students - thank you and a happy new year. Thank you for the cookies and oranges as well.

Yu Sheng toss last night

2012-01-14T13:57:00.009+08:00

Thank you tow-kay for hosting dinner at Joan Bowen.

A happy noisey tossing yu-sheng ..

cong xi fa cai.....good start to welcome the lunar new year!

Spring (春) is coming

2012-01-12T20:32:00.005+08:00

Julie practising chinese strokes - to write 春 spring onto the red mazipan. Echo is giving them lessons in decoration..

Joan with her completed 春 to decorate the CNY ckaes for her popo in KL. She will be bringing boxes of cookies and cakes to visit her popo in KL this Saturday.

more cookies for the lunar new year

2012-01-11T18:59:00.004+08:00

Yifang is the best for the ribbons work.

Our lotus cake CNY cake

Wee Yong and Joan busy making the oranges..

Julie and Selene dressing up the cakes..

Star anise and the orange looks real

Echo teaching them the tricks to making good looking oranges...

Gong Xi Fa Cai - Long Ma Cing Shen

2012-01-10T19:21:00.002+08:00

Wishing one and all - a healthy and blessed new year 2012!

Elaine and Daryl wishing all customers a happy dragon year!

Joan & Julie in the kitchen

2012-01-10T19:11:00.003+08:00

Tonight - Joan and Julie takes over in the kitchen , of course with Pei Ni (WEP Yr4) and Ren Yi (WEP Yr5) to assist and buddy. Pei Ni - salad * Ren Yi - Fish & Chips * Because the evening is slower and less busy - I took a chance to let Soon Hock and Guang Hwa off. Both Joan and Julie has been busy at the village evevry morning assisting the chef cooking for 170 students at SABH. They work like clockwork as a team and with Pei Ni and Ren Yi tonight, they are thrilled to handle the kitchen themselves without the chef and the guys. Cheers to the crew tonight!

Village crew checks out chinatown today

2012-01-08T21:53:00.005+08:00

The village crew had a big tip $100 from a client on Saturday. So they decided to go check out chinatown this morning. It is good they planned their own itinerary and took photos for me to blog so that their parents will know where they went. The crew that worked late on Saturday - Hong Chen - Yifang - Sharon - Julie and Joan had a good time just walking around Chinatown and lunching at Burger King. Thank you Celia and your friends for the tip.

PAMPERS peace connect

2012-01-05T17:39:00.003+08:00

This afternoon at 4pm - Wee Yong - Julie - Sharon - Selene delivered 6 boxes of pamper for the elderly in Crawford. We spent $230 from the generous christmas present from the TRENDMICRO guests from Christmas 2011.

CUTTING SKILLS

2012-01-05T12:42:00.003+08:00

Cutting skills - to keep their motor skills consistent - we find ways to help them As such - cutting carrots into all shapes helps a lot. At the end - we have a lot of vegetables for our crew meals.

R I C E

2012-01-05T12:06:00.007+08:00

Carrying 8 medium size cookers and 1 large size cooker - so amazing to see them smiling and enjoying the experience. It was another task that I am so proud of the special crew. Sharing the load..

Showing how a cup of rice should be measured

our own check to weigh each other's pot of rice before it is washed and cooked

scopping rice using the cups provided...

RICE - most important staple for all asians and we take it for granted that all will know how to cook a fluffy pot of rice. And with the "kitchen helper" like the rice cooker - it is almost impossible to make a mistake. But for our special crew - it is amazing to know that 50% of them do not know how to measure and cook rice. We have been training them before christmas - and again the higher function crew manages a lot faster and better. They are able to understand and grasp the task a lot faster and good enough to show the slower colleagues how to do it.

We ask for blessings for all @ Joan Bowen 2012

2012-01-03T07:01:00.003+08:00

Today is the new 2012 at JoanBowen. I ask for God's blessings and protection for each and every crew - grant them good health and cheerfullness and love for each of their colleagues. May they continue to learn and expand their knowledge and develop their own potential. I also ask for God's strength and wisdom to continue with the challenging road ahead.

New Begining

2012-01-02T11:47:00.004+08:00

our garden needs cleaning and sprucing up as well...continue to weed out the old ones and kept the babies for new life and beginings like all things.

It has been a great 2 days of holidays for my 2 boys - here you see Beckham enjoying the company of 3 men doing up the garden. He just wants to be around the action - like playing dead and complicating our workflow and getting dirty again.

the crew was super great - teamwork was just right

2012-01-02T01:34:00.007+08:00

We ended 31 december with our own games and prizes galore! Selene with abottle of water and Guang HWa with a bigger conatiner of water. Pei Ni wins a pack of chocolates!

See the plates of greens ? - Julie Joan and Soon Hock cooking for dinner at the village.

preparation of mashed potatoes.

re-training - kitchen equipments at the village - all the crew has to go through the equipment especially the team that will return to the village come 3 Jan 2012.

It was quite tough going for the crew without chef - but as parents we are proud of the special crew who did not complain but went ahead - wholeheartedly to cook - serve and it was GREAT TEAMWORK indeed ! They take upon themselves to concentrate and focus on what to do - yet at the same time - honestly share their skills with another crew. It is also Mou Sheng 1st Christmas with the Joan Bowen crew - and we thank him for his tenacity to work alongside with us - he will leave us for e-sunrise after CNY 2012
Soon Hock teaching Yifang how to weigh pasta and packing them accordingly....

Soon Hock Joan Guang Hwa and Julie very busy in the kitchen cooking for about 50 guests that turned up for 31 December dinner..
The kitchen came alive on 31 December with God's blessings - we enjoyed working and we enjoyed having friends - we are indeed God's special crew
we roasted our own pork for the diners..
We also had time to celebrate Samy's birthday ..
Echo made an unusual cake - angry bird ......ha ha enjoying Echo's company in the kitchen -she helped the crew in the kitchen
2 teams posing for the memories - cafe @9 vs the village for dinner on 30 Dec

it sure looks good for the memories - Soon Hock with his 2 babes Joan and Julie in the kitchen
Wee Yong looks after the service and training Yifang, Felicia and Hong Chen

Selene has to brief her service team for the cafe at 9 Jl Wangi....while Guang Hwa and Samy with Pei Ni and Mou SHeng takes over the kitchen

chef wenfu became a father to a baby girl on 30 December

2012-01-02T01:16:00.003+08:00

Yes we were very busy since chef wenfu went on leave after christmas 24. The crew with Echo began creating baby cupcakes - and they were delivered to him on 31 december. Congratulations and best wishes to the family and baby.

we were kept busy 30 december

2012-01-02T01:06:00.003+08:00

Wee Yong had to help out at the Bingo when our guest Serene hosted a dinner for her friends and family.

We played some simple games for the children and they enjoyed themselves having to guess what is the volume - what is the weight - how many pieces..

Serene is one of our regular customers and the crew cooked and served at the village.

we enjoyed our december - celebration for joan and her friends

2012-01-01T23:04:00.017+08:00

What a special day for Joan and her grandmother who flew in from KL just to celebrate her 21st birthday. I must also thank Lyn, Joanne, Jia Ying and C Ling for their help and presents. Richard was another great help to make the party "philipino" and party fun!

The cake is also a special request and Echo and the crew from Joan Bowen spent many hours to complete the decorations. Some made the flowers - the roof and the key.

I think it was a happy day both for myself and my husband - most of all, Joan's friends and the crew from the cafe.

Thank you Yoon Loong - Joan's uncle from Penang, who sent the flowers & teddy bear . It was a pleasant surprise when we returned at 5pm. Her aunties came in full support for Joan.

Joanne and Jia Ying has seen Joan growing up.... thank you fro coming.

Her cousin Christopher and auntie Hung Ling and Koo Koo Richard - thank you for your angpow

Julie brought along her cousins - and they enjoyed themselves as well.

Cheng Meng and mother who brought him to the party - Hong Chen came herslef and had fun.

My beautiful crew at Joan Bowen. Echo looked beautiful without her chef's outfit.

Soon Hock collecting his prize from lyn

Benjamin has grown and looked sharp and stylish - he enjoys dancing and performing

Hokkien songs - LOVe, Soon Hock's favorite and Guang Hwa chips in as well..they are a team both in the kitchen and singing as well...

Renyi and Julie collecting their prize from Popo - which they both guessed correctly

I am so proud of them - Julie and Renyi shared the prize with their table friends...

Joanne and Lyn helping Popo to give out prizes... it was fun and exciting seeing the guests enjoy the simple games being played

Cheryl and parents Gerald and Ann came to support Joan as well. Thank you for coming.

Karaoke to get them singing..

Everyone loves to sing...

Sharon is a good singer

Raymond and Vincent from Delta Senior School came to support their students - thank you!

Felicia and mum Mdm Bok supported with their presence and presents.

They were 21 a couple of months earlier - Serene played birthday girl and Julie enjoyed playing princess. Even Sharon still looks 21...
.....C Ling , Jia Ying and Joanne looks 21....with Joan

We give our thanks for a wonderful day and the friendship that comes out of it. May our loving God continue to focus on strenghtening their friendship and build their characters with all the goodness from heaven.

Goodbye 2011 and Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T22:46:00.004+08:00

Welcome the new year - what a pretty ginger flower , what a miracle - took 2 years to bloom We said goodbye 2011 and spent the day cleaning up the garden this morning, quite refreshing. We thank the lord for this day and the time the family could enjoy together.

faith hope love and the greatest is LOVE

2011-12-27T23:15:00.003+08:00

Joan is 21 years old today. I have so much I wanted to say to you - teach you - show you things - like any normal relationship between a mother and daughter. let me wish you plenty of joy and hope all your dreams come true. Love you Joan - love you very much from mummy daddy and popo and all your aunties and uncles and friends. Remember your birthday today and the photos that I will blog for you. You are indeed a beautiful person....thank you God for giving me Joan!

the joanbowen cake specially designed by Echo for Joan....her favorite colors and the iconic red house

joan is the youngest member of the 21 years old cohort - great time to share the cake

thumbs up - Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:16:00.004+08:00

M E R R Y C H R I S T MA S 2011 - thank you and see you 27th December, tuesday

as we cleaned up the village before the christmas holidays 25 and 26 december - everyone partake in the food that chef prepared for us.

What I want for Christmas

2011-12-25T21:21:00.006+08:00

wishing you all the treasures of christmas and the best of holiday season. give us COURAGE so that with every step that joanbowen takes - will lead us to more PURPOSE and CONFIDENCE and with god's blessings - gives us PEACE and HOPE for the future

such rare moments - original kitchen crew Joan - Julie - Guang Hwa with their mentor chef wenfu. warmth and tenderness in their friendship
Echo is standing behind and she is hoping to teach them her pastry skills.

Sharon and Yifang - wishing you rich blessings and for God to keep you safe and sound elaine and daryl - courage and determination to improve and God to give you directions leading you to peace and hope for the future

timeless treasures of christmas 2011 - will keep the friendship forever

Cheng Meng and Hong Chen - may god bless you both with all the happiness you so deserve and continued blessings all year through

may your friendship be a blessed one - peace and love and hope be your gifts throughout the year - wee yong and renyi

Yifang and Felicia - warmest christmas wishes for you and your family , today and always

- every cup be a blessing and may it overflow with PEACE * JOY * LOVE * HOPE from our good god. bless them with warmth of home - love of family and company of good friends.

we really really love christmas - presents galore

2011-12-25T21:03:00.008+08:00

TREND MICRO - some of the staff came for lunch and they collected a big present for the crew on 16 Dec 2011.

Joan's father took the opportunity to give out the "presents" for the crew. Amounts ranging from $200 to $30 were given out to the each of them.

We all enjoyed ourselves very much just eating and collecting presents! Indeed it was agood breaktime at 4pm before the dinner crowd arrived.

JOY & PEACE - our 1st christmas in the village

2011-12-25T20:44:00.005+08:00

It has been a wonderful 2011 for Joan Bowen and also - our 1st Christmas in the village. Thank you for the Joy and Peace and HOPE you have given us. Merry Christmas !

Thanking Lyn for always being there for the children at Joan Bowen.

we love christmas

2011-12-25T20:22:00.005+08:00

Christmas is a time to love and give. Joan's Popo arrived in time for the dinner celebration with her grand daughter and her friends at the cafe.Happy faces as they await to receive presents from Popo. We love Christmas !

everything you need to celebrate christmas by lyn

2011-12-25T16:55:00.006+08:00

Christmas is a season to give - Lyn has been giving her time and love for the children since we opened Joan Bowen. Pure simple happy faces when receiving gifts from Lyn. And Lyn is happy - just to give. Thank you Lyn for your kindness and love for the children. Bless your heart.

cool heartfelt and cozy on christmas eve

2011-12-25T15:55:00.005+08:00

We thank our wonderful customers who braved the wet weather to come over to the village for dinner. It was a cool evening - sometimes wet - but still heartfelt and cozy. We took the opportunity to shut the 9 Jl Wangi outlet so that we could celebrate christmas eve as a whole family. Our sincere apologies if we had inconvenienced anyone who drove to jln wangi. We just wanted to be together. It was indeed a very good evening and the crew celebrated and worked till 1030pm...serving about 80 guests.

pretty sisters from mulberry avenue - near our jln wangi outlet.

yifang's sister came to celebrate dinner with her husband and family - coincidentally he is an old st andrews boy. thanking her mother for her support with yifang and our crew during the cookies project.

family gathering - enjoying a cozy dinner - exchanging presents.

Business Hours during Christmas/New Year Period

2011-12-23T20:59:00.006+08:00

OPENING HOURS DURING CHRISTMAS / NEW YEAR PERIOD

Our Jalan Wangi outlet will be closed on Christmas Eve as well as New Year's Eve. However, our St. Andrews Village outlet will be opened for business on both days - 24th Dec as well as 31st Dec. Please celebrate your Christmas dinner and New Year with us at The Village.
We offer a set menu on Christmas Eve comprising:

Choice of soups and a salad

Choice of Mains:
1. Roast Turkey
2. Roast Beef
3. Roast Pork
(our mains are served with mashed potatoes and salads)

An assortment of desserts made by the cafe

Coffee or Tea
Nett Price is $28 per pax.

For enquiries and reservations please call 62853641 or 62813629

Both our Jalan Wangi and St. Andrews Village outlets will be closed on 25 & 26 Dec and again on 1-2 Jan.

Thank you very much for your continued kind support in the past two years.

Joan Bowen wishes all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!
We look forward to serving you in 2012.

Philip remembers the crew at Joan Bowen

2011-12-23T18:07:00.003+08:00

Philip from Singapore Airlines - a customer and a friend , he remembers and brings presents since 2009, for the crew last night. Thank you Philip and may god bless you and your dad.
Wishing you a happy holiday and a blessed 2012.

christmas blessings at the village

2011-12-23T17:49:00.004+08:00

pumpkin reindeers - they add the magical display on the tabletops.

christmas blessings for pang cheng meng and kwang hong chen. both 34 years old and they are trying to belong and to find their friendship within the joan bowen family. you can see them smiling just being able to do something for themselves - helping around the cafe.

the stronger crew - wee yong and selene , smiling and cheerful at 8am this morning

OCBC Betty Sim brings her team and her presents

2011-12-23T17:27:00.007+08:00

OCBC Betty brings her team to lunch at the Joan Bowen and we thank God for her kindness and her presents she brings to the crew at the village. Betty is one of our regular customers and she comes all the way from Chulia Street.

Betty is happy paying her bill as well. We are looking forward to her support - wishing her a happy blessed christmas and a properous 2012 - OCBC huat ah!

Sorry this photo isn't as pretty as it should. But I can tell you the crew is absoutely thrilled with the attention and presents they have been receiving.

730am - breakfast for gerry and friends

2011-12-23T17:02:00.003+08:00

Selene serving panetone and wee yong dishes the jam with Gerry smiling.

18 of them spent an hour playing christmas games after breakfast....exchanging gifts and having a good time. We thank them for arranging an early breakfast at our cafe this morning. Wishing you a blessed christmas.

what a downpour this afternoon

2011-12-23T16:50:00.003+08:00

Stuck in the village - we all had a good snooze - waiting for the rain to stop...some of the crew cannot get out to the main road to catch their transport back home. So they went to sleep!

We thank you for the rain that fills the reservoir for our water consumption - but we also ask that lord you stop the rain soon because there are many people out there that depend on a good weather to survive. The business people taxi - retail - F&B - constuction , we all need to work before christmas comes in 2 days.

I pray lord for accident free in this wet weather Singapore.

what a night!

2011-12-19T00:22:00.005+08:00

Jingle Bells -

Thank you for the wonderful gifts - we love them all.

6 good men

2011-12-19T00:06:00.005+08:00

christmas dinner for 6 good men..

good wine and good food and plenty of food....

Lyn has to helped at this point - the crew was too stretched out - 9 crew without the chef at 9 Jln Wangi...while the balance of 7 worked at the village. We had 3 crew taken off for their holidays.

reindeers and tay hwee boon

2011-12-18T23:36:00.006+08:00

Mr Tay Hwee Boon hosted a dinner for his company staff. He is one of our regular supporters at the cafe and he wanted to introduce the cafe to his staff.

It was raining reindeers and the spirit of christmas has indeed arrived at the village..

And rain it did....may the water bring more sweet success and prosperity to Mr Tay and his team.

Reindeers and pretty ones too!

Lots of presents to share as well... Mr Tay came with lots of gifts for the crew as well.
Thank you and wishing you a blessed holidays with family and friends.

the crew loved the reindeer outfits - but they were happy with their simple christmissy hairclips

I love their smiles - genuine and pure. This christmas - my wish is still the same - God grant them favors that only you can give. Protect them and keep them safe and may you teach them to ask you for gifts - the best for each of them.

As dusk sets in - the weather changes ....the wonderful colors of balloons really sets the mood to match the food...

Thank you for your wonderful support Mr Tay. We at Joan Bowen will like to send you our warmest christmas wishes to you and family . May Peace and Love be your gifts at christmas.

the magic of christmas

2011-12-18T22:03:00.003+08:00

it is time to be merry - warmth of home - love of family - and the company of good friends - love the magic of christmas at the village ....

the crew when they have 10 minutes to spare to enjoy the decorations

my wonderful crew - beautiful and sincere because god made them !

TRENDMICRO - we thank you

2011-12-18T20:54:00.008+08:00

Everyone was so happy with the big christmas present - we have decided to put aside $200 - buy food items to give to an old age home. Thank you so much Alan for organizing the lunch and the cheer and happiness you brought to the crew.

May the magic of christmas bring you love - hope and peace. Merry Christmas..ho...ho..ho..

they came me to support us by arranging lunch for their company - but they came with a big collection from their own personal pockets - Wee Yong represented Joan Bowen to receive the BIG Present!
Some brought their children - and one did them proud - she entertained with her violin.

It was casual and and family warmth - they came to support Joan Bowen and the crew was happy to serve.

Behind the scene in the kitchen - my "hot babes" pei Ni - Joan _ Selene and Julie all helped to prep and serve at the same time. See their serious look on their faces

The weather was cool at 1030 am when the guests arrive for their cocktails.

we served on sunday december 11

2011-12-18T20:29:00.006+08:00

prayers before a meal

Chef Wen Fu has to explain the menu in mandarin -

The crew was happy to be part of the whole arrangement - came in early to prepare and set the cutlery and helped to serve as well.

Bethel Presbyterian church Women fellowship - the christmas party - some 80 of them came for an early christmas celebration. 10 of crew came back to cook and serve under chef wen fu.

hymns in thanksgiving

WEP Students taking leave from Joan Bowen

2011-12-09T20:03:00.003+08:00

- Benjamin - Alice and Pei Ni, the year 3 WEP students from Delta Senior School has completed their training attachment with us. Benjamin and Alice will take time off to try their hands learning something different from F & B. Benjamin hopes for an attachment in a child care centre while Alice wants an opportunity with a pastry attachment. Pei Ni will continue learning and training with us inside the kitchen. We are looking forward to welcome them back anytime. Wishing them a blessed christmas and hope they enjoy their early presents. I ask for God to grant them favors and bless them always.

Christmas party break for the crew

2011-12-09T19:37:00.005+08:00

Faith Community Baptist Church came to share christmas with the crew. They brought KFC - food and - Jesus does go together. We had fun from the photos that I have .captured

Cheng Meng choosing his presents

Tony - Charmaine - Samuel - Ben - Edwin - Kah Yee - Rachel - Sarah - Andrea - Tammy

Jesus in a manger - shephareds and angels... story of Jesus and what the real Christmas is all about. Pastor Asher and Wendy group.

1st christmas present

2011-12-07T17:37:00.003+08:00

Evan goes off to USA tomorrow for his family holiday. He collects his xmas present before he went off at 3.30pm this afternoon. We will see him back next year. Good luck and wishing him and family a happy blessed holiday.

happy baking ascendas cookies

2011-12-07T15:36:00.006+08:00

ascendas beautiful in blue - we have completed about 350 cookie jars and another 350 brownies

elaine has to cut 1000 of ascendas blue ribbons - each measuring 32 inches..

Yifang's mother Amy came to support her daughter teaching her and pushing her along.

Joan Julie Yifang (and her mother Amy) with Evan - learning how to tie a ribbon onto the cookie jar! It was hard work but the crew enjoyed every minute ..working through 2 weekends and late into the night.

Our first complete set of 150 jars..all ready to be delivered to ascendas. Thank you Thank you

Last Sunday - we worked from 1030 am to 7.30pm.... the steamboat dinner helped a lot at 8pm

Sticking ascendas stickers and putting the blue ribbons...

yummy cookies from the mixing bowl...

tray of cookies ready for the oven..

Thank you ascendas for ypur wonderful support. God Bless

Xiang Siong turns 21 tomorrow

2011-12-01T20:57:00.002+08:00

Xiang Siong will be 21 tomorrow but we celebrated his birthday with a logcake this afternoon because he is taking time off tomorrow. It was great that Ms Soh joined in the birthday wishes for Xiang Siong. It was only last December 2010 - that Xiang Siong joined us with Ms Soh intervention. Bless her kind heart. We pray for good tidings and protection for Xiang Siong .

A visit by Ms Soh Mee choo

2011-12-01T20:38:00.004+08:00

The crew welcoming Ms Soh Mee Choo - their principal from Delta Senior School. Actually Ms Soh will be leaving delta school and returning to MOE come 2012.

Joan and Julie

Benjamin , Guang Hwa and Renyi

They invited Ms Soh for some cakes that Echo made.

We love the Christmas tree effect on the picture - the crew ex- delta and present delta students. They have come to love their principal and for most - they have come to associate Ms Soh with their school. I guess their growing up years - when they could finally understand things was because Ms Soh personally took an interest in them. Wishing and blessing Ms Soh as she move on to another challenging role at MOE. We will look forward to work with her in another capacity.

Missing a friend

2011-11-30T19:38:00.002+08:00

100 days gone by - missing a customer who loves our pork belly. I am sure God knows why he has taken David home early -

You have angels as your friends now - but you have friends and family who missed you here.

reflections for 11 months gone by

2011-11-30T18:56:00.002+08:00

It has been a tremendous tiring adventure for my family since Joan Bowen opened 2 years ago.
I have not given up, yet, the thoughts have been there lately. I never seem to have the time for myself - husband - my house - my own hobbies. Everything seems to be centered on Joan and her crew in the cafe. There are times I am so helpless - not sure how and where and what to do for them.

In a month Joan will be 21 - in the last 24 months - she has grown and the cafe has given her confidence and a purpose. I thank God everyday for Joan's well being. She is truly a child of God, she has no hidden agenda - just simple requests for her simple needs.

I ask for God's protection for Joan - teach her - open her eyes to know what and who is good and bad.

I ask for God's direction with the cafe both at 9 jl wangi and the village. I need spiritual strength to continue your work because physically I am pretty exhausted.

I thank God for the people he sent to help me - I am always grateful. Most of all - my husband who is the best support - financially and all. Bless him always.

taking time to string some decor for xmas

2011-11-30T18:44:00.003+08:00

Stringing some colors to the cafe - Ben and Selene with Bryan and Xiang Siong at work during the afternoon rest break this afternoon. I love Christmas - the feeling of Jesus and why he came to this world for us.

Cutting skills

2011-11-30T18:23:00.003+08:00

We spent two hours cutting carrots - turnips - bitter gourds - french beans - bean sprouts - chinese spinach. Some of them was cooked for their dinner.

We had to keep them occupied as the village is closed for 3 weeks for the "cookie with love" project given to us by ascendas. The other crew is busy cooking and baking cookies with echo and chef.

Potong Pasir Wet Market

2011-11-30T18:10:00.003+08:00

Since the village is temporarily "closed " - some of the crew has no "service work" to do. So we decided to show them the wet market and identify some vegetables. We wanted to teach them some vegetable cutting skills.

Cookies with love

2011-11-30T18:03:00.002+08:00

We took 2 days - Saturday and Sunday to wash and sanitize the cookie jars. They are all ready for storing the cookies and we have already accomplished 100 jars since Monday. Echo and chef with Soon Hock and some other crew has been pretty busy just working at the bakery.

We pray for god's hand to be with us guiding the crew and protecting our tools and our hands.

And the cookies taste great!

Christmas countdown

2011-11-26T13:52:00.003+08:00

Fresh Christmas tree arrived this morning both the cafes. We are looking forward to putting up the decorations and lights.... 25 days to Christmas! Wow ! To day we welcome Bryan - 18 year old boy who will spend some time with us during the holidays. He is also from Delta (Yr 2- going Yr3 next year) and the parents came to know of us through the media. He just sail right through because he knows some of the Yr 4 students like Ben and Ren Yi

Evan is 20 yesterday

2011-11-26T13:38:00.004+08:00

God is great - the changes that we see in Evan is fantastic. He is quiet and hardworking - completes the task accordingly and ever willing to help when approached. Cheerful and happy - we wish him happy birthday and more importantly God's coverage always.

Evan giving thanks to God before cutting the cake...bless the special children and grant them favors as they grow and meet the daily challenges ahead. May the road be less difficult and more forgiving ..

Cookies Break at The Village

2011-11-25T22:04:00.003+08:00

As of tomorrow 26 Nov - we will take 3 weeks off from the The Village - the cafe will only be opened for private parties and functions.We will not beable to entertain walk-in customers.

We have 6 staff taking off for their holidays with their families during the November / December holidays. But, what's exciting is that we are working on a number of new things for the coming new year.

We are very,very thankful to our corporate supporters that have given us some huge Christmas orders that our crew would need to work double time to fuilfill.

Cookies with love from ascendas!

GRaduation day @ Delta Senior

2011-11-18T08:02:00.003+08:00

Joan's friends from Year5 @ Delta will be graduating today. Unfortunately Joan will not be attending the graduating ceremony as both the cafes have to open for business.

As a mother - I came in early to ensure the cleaning - sweeping the floor - putting down the chairs and getting the service counter clean and ready by 1030am before the crew breaks for lunch. We need at least 2 hours to get things up and going - we are a special cafe after all. We do take a longer time to get things ready.

Joan is still asleep when I came to open the cafe. Both cafes will be short-handed for the lunch crowd as we also have a private lunch booking of 55 guests at the village cafe. Chef will work that arrangement leaving Joan to manage the 9 Jl Wangi cafe.

I am very proud of Joan to stay at the cafe today and giving the ceremony a miss. I must also admit - I do feel disappointed as well not atteending. This is and will be her proudest moment - and hopefully she understands that the cafe needs her - God give her strength and protect her when she is cooking in the kitchen. Protect Sharon and Mou Sheng as they work together with Joan as a team.Protect the service crew - this being a Friday and a busy day as well.

I ask for all good things upon them both at #9 and the Village.

Hilda and Greg Wedding Lunch

2011-11-17T20:14:00.003+08:00

The bride Hilda looking so pretty and happy -

David - officiating the wedding solemnization.

The private room seats 20 beautifully ...

Santa Tupperware

2011-11-17T12:44:00.002+08:00

One of the crew's parent is an agent for Tupperware. I love the look and feel and have sold 20 sets of X'mas gifts using the Santa Tupperware since we came up with the idea. The bottom container has the Fruit cake (780g) the middle size carries the STAR brownie and the top container is our chocolate cookies.

The total set sells for $75 and makes a very good X'mas Gift.

Emily and her fish & chips lunch

2011-11-15T14:56:00.003+08:00

Joan cooked a fish and chips lunch for her cousin Emily. A bowl of cauliflower soup completes the lunch meal before Emily leaves for the airport. Her flight takes off at 7pm.

Joan's cousin Emily drops in at 8am this morning

2011-11-15T09:41:00.002+08:00

Emily dropped in at the cafe this morning after a long flight from Auckland. Not too long ago - February this year, Emily went to Hamilton to study and she also visited Joan at the cafe enroute to NZ. She will be having her holidays until next year February when she will return to NZ.

It is indeed amazing to see the khong cousins growing up....
and I thank God for his bountiful blessings on the children.

Time to take a blog break today

2011-11-15T09:07:00.002+08:00

Joan's popo dropped in for a weekend stay and managed to try all the new cakes that Echo baked.

Of course - Khong's birthday cake was a chocolate whopper!

Doug Lawson came in for a surprise visit and shared a bottle of wine and longevity noodles - chef's signature dish as usual.

HEARTS AND BALLOONS

2011-11-04T19:30:00.004+08:00

The village comes alive tonight with another party.

We just love the magic it brings when the village is booked for a private function.

Learning journey to Joan Bowen this morning

2011-11-04T15:44:00.005+08:00

Ms Shih Pheng Peh requested a learning journey for her pupils with special needs from St Andrew's Jr School. Together with Jurong Ville Secondary School and Queenstown Secondary School - the children spent time to visit the cafe and have a lunch of soup - fish & chips and desserts.

They arrived at 1030 am and the teachers took time to explain and toured the facilities of the cafe.

Taking two long rectangular tables - they took time to decide which mains they will like before visiting the kitchen and dish washing area.

enjoying their fish and chips - squeezing lemons over the fish.

We shared some other desserts that the pastry chef made - the teachers helped to serve.... thank you for coming.

God bless them and grant them favors that only you can perform.

Chef's turn to have his birthday cake today

2011-11-01T21:27:00.003+08:00

Chef Wen fucutting his birthday cake - again specially baked in the cafe by Echo..

God bless and protect him always.

macaroons just matched the colors of the new walls

2011-10-31T15:52:00.003+08:00

My new wall matches the macaroons that Joan was learning today.

Joan spent all morning with Echo - learning how to bake while I continue to clean the cafe downstairs. The new display chiller is on the way and I am just so excited.

happy for a cleaner and fresher look

2011-10-31T15:43:00.004+08:00

Could't resist hanging the pictures of one of my favorite painters - Michael Tan...
thought a change of pictures will help brighten up the cafe...

We are still hard at work - painting and scrubbing the floor..the rain today helped as well....we could wash away the other dirt along the walkways..

today the cafe will take a day off for minor repairs

2011-10-31T07:21:00.004+08:00

Today - we will be closing both the cafes for simple repairs. Everyone working in the cafe will be looking forward to enjoytheir 1 day annual leave today and taking a good break before the November and December busy days ahead.
Work has started yesterday - paint job - the re-wiring - removing some kitchen equipment - purchase of a few new equipment - the list goes on.

I am looking forward to see our crew and most of all the customers tomorrow.

Halloween - Aliana and Friends

2011-10-30T17:08:00.004+08:00

Benjamin & Evan having fun serving the 14 ladies last night at the private room. Echo made "blood-shot looking eyes" cupcakes to blend in with the theme..

Aliana and her friends having fun...ladies nite al'right.

Wee Yong turn 21 yesterday

2011-10-29T14:47:00.004+08:00

Echo baked the birthday cake and Chef cooked the longevity noodles - Wee Yong is indeed blessed on his birthday....cheers and God bless you with love and protection always

Happy and surrounded by his friends at the cafe

Fresh from the oven..Echo made Wee Yong his birthday cake ...

Thank you Echo...the mango cake = yummy!

all his friends singing wee yong the birthday song

chef distributing the yummy goodies

The karaoke makes a difference @ The Village

2011-10-28T23:39:00.006+08:00

Desserts is a must for any party - Echo did the wonderful spread for the diners
as they continue to talent - compete - and eat their dinner/

Karaoke is a must - must thingy for all parties - the village really is having fun.
The crew enjoyed themselves as well. Thank you Wendy for your support - god bless your kind heart.

What a good night - last night @ the Village

2011-10-28T20:07:00.004+08:00

Anita Mohd Sani - Radin Mas , National President supported Joan Bowen with a 40 paxs dinner using one of the private room. Our dessert chef Echo - made the cupcakes very special with the APEX logo on each cupcake. APEX - city and APEX - bukit timah got together for the special nite.

Ho Kok Hiang - APEX National Board - counting money - from the many "fines" throughout the evening. Thank you Kok Hiang for the plateful of tips and may god continue to bless the APEXians..for the social work that you do. Kok Hiang is also an old boy of St Andrew's.

They enjoyed a 3 course set dinner cum meeting and hopefully they will return soon.

The bak kut teh lunch ends the day trip

2011-10-26T23:48:00.002+08:00

Tired and hungry - waiting for the hot bowls of rice to arrive.

* a choice between fish head curry versus bak kut teh , pork ribs always win hands down! We just love the Ng Ah Sio pork ribs !

ponggol 21

2011-10-26T23:36:00.004+08:00

Ponggol END - i have always associated with the alfresco seafood restaurants in the 1980's..the whole place is so changed..absolutely stylish and very hip for all to spend a weekend .

Soon Hock remembers taking bus 82 - with his dad for overnight fishing trips to this part of Ponggol a few years ago..

Seeing Johor just across from this point..another good educational stop today..

black and white

2011-10-26T23:16:00.006+08:00

Just driving around Seletar - after breakfast PRATA.....
seeing the beautiful " black white " houses is actually an eyeopener for some of the crew...something we can learn about our heritage

Something new to learn - seletar airport

2011-10-26T23:10:00.002+08:00

After the pratas - the above canteen is not a draw..

But they were interested to make a stop at this exclusive place because they saw a private aircraft landing as we were driving in..

A must for breakfast at Seletar

2011-10-26T22:59:00.005+08:00

Either we were very hungry or it must be very good! Our plates were cleaned out!

Pratas of every flavor - honey - banana - eggs - garlic , we just eat them all.

Paper pratas - tissue pratas ..you name them - we ate them all.
8 glasses of teh tarik to wash them down helps as well.

So far so good - the weather is good and we still are raring to go!

where have all the monkeys gone?

2011-10-26T22:29:00.010+08:00

Spent 5 hours out this morning 'playing tourist" with Joan and my housekeepr Qin. Invited a few of the cafe crew - hired a minibus and had a wonderful public holiday. 1st stop - see my favorite monkeys at Upper Pierce Reservoir. They seem to be taking a deepavalli break as well! Not even one monkey to be seen.

Another crab crawl activity that Joan and I used to do when she was little... See the "charge" to crab crawl up the slope..

This is one of my favorite photo spots - singapore has its own X factor!

Long and winding road.....beautiful car ride

contentment

2011-10-26T22:09:00.005+08:00

There is no end to my cravings - so I guess contentment is another way to compensate for my happiness ..like the little smiling "boy" sitting in my garden

It is one of those mornings that I take time to enjoy listening to the running waters - watching CNA - having a cup of coffee and waiting for Joan to get ready.

Julie is 21 years old today

2011-10-26T20:54:00.005+08:00

Julie is 21 years old today - we celebrated the happy occasion with a beautiful chocolate cake baked specially for her by Echo.

the three wizard christopher pereira

2011-10-25T14:45:00.004+08:00

Welcome President - welcome to the cafe!

Christopher Pereira - the super modermaker dropped in for a cold drink a while ago.

Talking about the President having lunch at the cafe ? Not quite there but then he is standing on my favorite dining table...

Tina Hung - deputy chief executive officer/national council of social service

was having lunch at the cafe - i managed to capture her photo

yummy sweet little cakes to start the day

2011-10-25T12:24:00.003+08:00

yummy al'right! - the crew gets to taste each time a new flavor comes out! Echo is trying a few this morning.

Our proud chef Wen Fu with Echo...looks beautiful indeed..the cakes I mean

bacon bits over a sweet cupcake!

Love my plate too!

Sweet Cravings Patissiere

2011-10-24T22:40:00.003+08:00

Today, we welcome Echo to our Joan Bowen family. We thank God for his wonderful direction so that Echo will share and impart her pastry skills to us for the next 6 months. Struggling with his own workload - Chef Wen Fu has done his best to lead the kitchen crew to bake the desserts that is available for sale in the cafe. Echo will bring with her new " sweet cravings" and new challenges in the days ahead. - we are afraid we will put on weight and grow fat ...

Living a life with no regrets

2011-10-24T22:04:00.003+08:00

The article written by Dr Lee Wei Ling aka daughter of Lee Kuan Yew - the sunday times 23 Oct 2011
I have always enjoyed reading her articles - human and real!

I pray for God's protection and blessings in her daily work and walk with her dad " as he faces whatever remains of his life"

mangoes a plenty @ The Village

2011-10-24T21:02:00.004+08:00

Spent Sunday morning at the village with some workers to handle the neccessary repairs. Could not resist the mangoes growing in abundance right outside the cafe - was told to make mango salad when they grow bigger.

Missing Dad

2011-10-24T20:35:00.002+08:00

He is telling you a few things - missing dad because he has taken his suitcase and will be away for a while. He wants his hug and putting his head on my lap - he is very intelligient and macho ! It is as though he is telling you - please stay at home...

Thank God it is Saturday

2011-10-22T16:44:00.002+08:00

Joan and Soon Hock cooking staff meals - cooking but enjoying the work.

Thank God it is Saturday - a wet rainy week but we still have our many supporters come for lunch and dinner on Mondays to Fridays. Thank you Thank you so much! The Jalan Wangi outlet is always busy but we need to convince our customers to see the beauty of The Village and keep them busy as well.

We just took tome to have a quick break for dinner - only 2 tables outside but tonight our reservations have already given us about 25 customers. Thank you very much.

our afternoon break

2011-10-21T17:59:00.002+08:00

The weather was cool after the heavy downpour at noon time. So the crew took the time to chill out upstairs before dinner starts at 6.30pm later tonight.

Baby-sitter

2011-10-19T17:31:00.003+08:00

Must be the rain - the break-downs - repeating instructions over and over again - This is the day that I feel that I am just the baby-sitter, looking after this family of children and I am totally lost!

Lord - I pray for strength to carry on and faith that you will see me through.

Gratitude

2011-10-16T17:02:00.004+08:00

simple gratitude helps us experience God at work in every moment of the day.......Harriet Grosby

Thank you for a wonderful busy week at the cafe. The potential of each crew is growing - although physically it is very draining. That is why we need to hire the "physically normal strong hands " to really clean on some Sundays like today. Simple repairs to some kitchen equipment..or cleaning the aircondition..cleaning the dishwashing areas...super scrub the floor with commercial bleach....the list goes on

Busy week means busy weekends to really catch up on the cleaning which is so necessary for a cafe to keep clean.

Unique cafes in Singapore

2011-10-16T16:31:00.004+08:00

About the Author : Ebenezer Heng runs one of the most visited coffee site http://www.oncoffeemakers.com/ and has written various e-books on coffee related subjects. A strong believer in giving, Ebenezer provides many giveawaysto the coffee community.

Joan Bowen is included in his 24 acknowledgements. This print(dated 26 September 2011) is 54 pages and available in amazon.com.

Thank you for believing our cause - God Bless you and your family.

Pumpkins = Thanksgiving

2011-10-15T16:47:00.005+08:00

New Zealand versus USA grown pumpkins - aren't they all beautiful.

Add the red turnips (looks like beetroot) from China....defintely brightens up the cafe!

See the curves ....jade kiwi pumpkins against the brilliant orange CA pumpkin

Auntie Fei leaving for KL to see popo......we hope to see her in the US when we take a break from the cafe! Also to thank Popo for her 21st birthday present which Auntie Fei brought from the US.

Always so blessed - Joan's auntie Fei sharing an ice-mocha and a chilli crab pasta. Joan's spends many evenings - late in the night "skype - ing" with auntie Fei. Joan is at least opening up...sharing ..gossiping..all girls' stuff with another adult.

Grown in CA - USA Pamper'd Farms - Pumpkins

2011-10-15T16:07:00.003+08:00

Unpacked from her suitcase - this 6kg CA USA Grown pumpkin was carried by Joan's auntie Fei when she flew in from Fremont yesterday.

Such a beauty - I just love pumpkins - something magical about them.

Against the colourful breakfast fruits - yellow bananas - red dragon fruit - the size and shape of the orange pumpkin adds dimension to our dining table.

a faithful man will have many good things

2011-10-15T00:08:00.011+08:00

Richard spent an hour this afternoon to show the Joan Bowen crew the iPad2.

We have been very blessed since we started this adventure - the Joan Bowen Cafe.
For the last 24 months - we have all poured our heart and mind to work together - God kept his promise and the cafe sailed through the rocky waters. We made some money and for those who stayed the 24 months - we gave away 5 iPAD2. The winners are - Wee Yong, Joan, Guang Hwa, Soon Hock and chef.

The Gym is coming to The Village

2011-10-14T18:15:00.002+08:00

Joan Bowen @ The Village sees a new friend coming into the village. The huge crane was hauling and delivering the gym equipment into the huge workout room with a long mirror on the wall..stylish indeed!

A simple garden party @ The Village

2011-10-14T12:45:00.004+08:00

Thank you Emily Hu @APPLE who came for her team dinner at The Village.

This arrangement cannot be possible if not for your support. Although we do not serve dinner at the Village on a weekdays - we went ahead with the crew from 9 Jl Wangi cafe who was supposed to work half day. They wanted to work at the Village on "their time off" to experience the atmostphere. So instead of going out from 4pm - they went to the Village to help chef setup and serve. Great crew!

I am happy when they are happy

2011-10-14T11:54:00.003+08:00

SHARING - just love my daughter Joan - happy, smiling, giggling and laughing over a cup of ice-cream!

cheers MouSheng ! Samy and Renyi toasting with their cups of ice-cream. Again see that big smile from Renyi - always happy. God bless and protect tem.

Another birthday treat!

2011-10-14T11:13:00.007+08:00

Another of our crew - MouSheng celebrates his birthday with 16 tubs of UDDERS ice-cream ! He gives out "Kisses chocolates " to share as well.

MouSheng comes onboard as an apprentice after his NS stint 4 months ago. He will be leaving us for Sunrice when his application comes through. He has been a great help since he joined us and always obliging and willing to do his utmost best to learn and contribute his strength.. (his is very tall - so the crew uses him to take and put back things on the top shelf) Below they are distributing among themselves the ice-cream. The sharing is a very important trait that I want the crew to learn..

Of course - Chef will cook a good dinner meal for the crew to share as well.

Thank God for a wonderful meal - bless MouSheng and keep one and all in good health and sustain us in our daily work.

I wanna try

2011-10-08T18:48:00.002+08:00

Did you see her smiling ? We thank God for bringing her confidence and grace since she came to Joan Bowen 3 weeks ago.Today was an exceptionally quiet day - I think God again planned it that way. Yifang wanted to try her hands at the POS - and we said give it a go ! since it is quiet. Just love those beautiful smiles and quiet confidence. Thank you always for your faithfullness and love for your children. Pray you continue to protect everyone in Joan Bowen and grant them favors that only you can provide.

TGIF - thank god it's friday

2011-10-07T17:16:00.003+08:00

Benjamin Wong will be 19 years old tomorrow - we bought a BEngawan black forest cake to celebrate a while ago. We had the cake and a good dinner before taking a45 minutes break to rest. It has been a crazy lunch both at The Village and Jalan Wangi. The crew is really tired - myself and chef escpecially. Not only are we cooking and planning - we have to "push" some of the crew around to get things done! The slower crew at times pull the operations down but thankfully the customers are really so kind and forgiving. Bless their good heart!