The Best and Worst (Chinese Restaurant Edition)

Hei peeps!!!

I know I know, I MIA-ed for like eon years! You know there's a bug called the "blogging bug" - which tend to infect me in certain time of the year. That's why I don't blog often! *reasons reasons....I have a 1mil of them!*

Right, since I am Malaysia Chinese (DOH~) I think I have quite a good taste bud family on my tongue! I am gonna write this column dedicated to those in Adelaide looking for AWESOME Chinese food. (Disclaimer: This is solely the authors honest opinion, no disrespect to the restaurant and do not hold any credits)

The worst I have eaten, thus far ---> J restaurant (chinatown)

Man, this restaurant don't have great service but suffice. However, the food is horrible. As a Chinese, I feel bad >.< I think that my home cook food is far better than it. Among the 9 of us dining last Friday, we all have a unified opinion that out of the 7 dishes that we ordered, only 1's good. That's like 14.29% out of a total 100%....a FAIL grade...sheeh..but still the reviews on the net gave them a 70% HOW CAN THAT POSSIBLY HAPPEN? Oh...I forgot something, the tea has BUGS in them. Well, this is to show they have stored the tea incorrectly! All in all a total disaster! I/we will never go and dine in there again!! 

Atmosphere: 3/5 *quite grand looking*
Food: 1/5
Service: 2/5
Price: 2/5 *quite cheap BUT I don't think its worth the price*

The best I have eaten, thus far ---> Walkerville Chinese Restaurant (vale park)
Oh Mee GOD!!! Best food EVER..........Chinese/Malaysian/Asian whatever you wanna call it. It's freaking awesome..I just can't say how awesome awesome AWESOME the food here is..YUMMO!!! Must try the Belacan vege, nyonya curry chicken, chilly prawns......etc etc etc SO GOOD.....Malaysians --> hey you are gonna miss home food so much more now!! The service is a little slow cuz it's a family business BUT the owners are really nice!!!! So fun to talk with and give great recommendations^^ We're heading in tonight for chilly crab ^^ *the season is ending soon...those who wanna try please pre-book the crabs...oh and the table too..* I definitely give them 100% ...eating there had been so much fun!! To eat and enjoy is a great satisfaction *love love*

Atmosphere: 4/5 *kinda small but welcoming*
Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5 *1 point off for a tad bit slow*
Price: 4/5 *worth the food...so worth it....sound like loreal's adv "because you are worth it" hahahaha*

Great.....signing off now ^^

p/s: still not feeling 100% in health yet.....i am gonna be so dead tomorrow >.^

Egg in a Basket

I was just having some spare time to browse through some blogs that I follow and a recipe caught my eye

EGG IN A BASKET

Looks kinda difficult but it's definitely NOT! I saw this from cloverbeautyinn. I looks so yummy and I had to send it to Mr.CK. 

So, this morning we decided to try and make it. Mr.CK did 90% of the job ^^ See, guys can do a good job ^^

cloverbeautyinn have a pictorial guide to make this but I will do mine too. It will be shown below, if you want a more detailed one, go to cloverbeautyinn ^^

First, cut the bread with a cookie cutter, but we just use a wine glass to cut. I don't suppose it matters as long as it's round
Then, generously place some butter on top.

Place the buttered side down on to a pan (flat) and crack an egg in the hole. Add some more butter on the topside of the bread. When it's almost done, flip it! 

Cook for a few seconds and place it onto a plate (Just because we all love to eat half cooked egg....the runny yolk^^) If you want a cooked egg, then cook it for longer ~1 minute.

Then, serve with you other sides for a full breakfast! Our's continental version ^^

Hope that you guys will try it and enjoy ^^

My first Valentine

Since I haven't been blogging for some time, THIS will be a super long blog with pictures ^^ Mainly for my own diary and record purpose^^

After 24 years of celebrating Valentines alone, this is the 1st Valentine that I've celebrated!! *not that I am desperate. It's just very memorable despite it was just yesterday*

What have I received for present??
In actual fact, I received presentS!! I got a Pandora bracelet with 5 charms; 20 stalks of roses (suppose to be 19 as it meant something special to the both of us) and a fine dinning meal at Namaste Nepalese Restaurant!! Speaking of something different, the food is somewhat a combination of Indian and Chinese. I'll show you what we've got (all descriptions are obtained from Namaste Nepalese Restaurant) :

Entree: Mismaas - Mixed Platter
Combination of Momo, Tareko Machha, Samosa, Sekewa and Phulaura served with a mint and yoghurt sauce and a tomato (achar) sauce.

Main: Machha Tarkari - Fish Curry
Aromatic fish curry (Barramundi) cooked with onion and tomatoes infused with the flavours of green chilli, ginger, garlic, fresh coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, fresh curry leaves, yoghurt, vinegar and coconut milk.

Main: Kukhura Ko Masu - Mild Chicken Curry
Traditional Nepalese country cuisine (boneless chicken) prepared in aromatic Nepalese spices with ground cashew nuts.

Dessert: Namaste Ice Cream
Chef's special ice cream made from pistachio nuts and flavoured with cardamom and blended with full cream milk.

Nepalese Tea

The atmosphere of the restaurant is fairly nice. It has thoughtful decorations and very nice hosts! The food's good and something out of the norm. Mr. CK thought that we should get something different that the normal Western or Italian ^^. Apparently, this restaurant is very popular!! We dine in there on the Saturday before Valentines and it's a full house. I can't imagine it on the very day! Well, if you would like something different, that's a restaurant to try ^^ BUT, bear in mind that they don't do entertainment card discounts....still worth it. Nonetheless, it would be best if it does it ^^

Alrighty, I better put this post up and update my home made valentine dinner later ^^

Phore Season Restaurant

CK decided to give me a surprise 3 month anniversary dinner without letting me know where we are heading for dinner. I was only given the notice/ instruction to “wear nicely” = alternatively means we're heading for a fine dine OR normally I just don't dress up enough *which i am not...wakakakaka*

Apparently, CK as always, did his research and found out that the restaurant has achieved the “Finalist Status in the ITALIAN category 2010 of the Restaurant & Catering SA Natural Gas Awards for Excellence”, not to mention their other achievements throughout the years.

We had decided to go full on with the dinner à which mean a 3 course meal!! I read through the menu and order food that caught my eye and "sounds" delicious *I know you can't hear food....but trust me, they are yelling at YOU---not literally! XD* We wanted to order dessert at the beginning, but the waiter was like "have a go at your food and you can order the dessert later when you know how much space you have left!". THANK GOODNESS we listened to him...hahaha....we were BLOATED! So, we only ordered one dessert to share ^^v

Entrée 

Seared Scallops with Salsa Verde
~see how jiucy and succulent the scallops are?? ^^ Totally awesome~

Main

MINE:  'Golden Plains' Pork Belly
~the pork belly is so so tasty with the Italian Spices. The stuffed apple was GOOD STUFF...totally balances off the
fatty-ness of the pork~ 

CK's:  Duck Ragu Bianco Farfalle
~the chef is really REALLY generous with the meat....you'll feel like you are eating more duck than the pasta ^^~

Dessert

Some chocolate mouse like thing dessert - Forgot the name
~SOOOOOooooo YummY!! It's not too sweet but with a hint of bitter -- exactly the way I like my chocolate desserts to be ^^v~

Wine

2009 Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ)
~very soothing wine, easy to drink with a fresh taste~

Some random pictures taken in the restaurant

Beautiful chandelier

~got "tomamo-ey" face after wine >.^~

Restaurant Information:
114 Semaphore Road Semaphore SA
http://www.phoreseasons.com.au/

Opening Hours
Lunch

Friday – Sunday   12:00pm – 2:30pm

Dinner

Wednesday – Sunday   6:00pm - late

Piggy's Verdict:
Ambience   : 4/5  *no sea view but great atmosphere*
Food          : 5/5
Price           : 5/5 *DEFINATELY worth it!!*           Side note: Entertainment card is usable

My FIRST ever BEER

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!! *exclaimed!!*

I have my 1st ever EVER beer in my entire 24 years *shocked?* Don't be shocked, I am just a typical GOOD girl ^^ *hehehehe*

I had my 1st every beer *see....I kept stressing that it's my FIRST beer XD* at Belgium Beer Bar on the 9/8/2010 with a bunch of buddies. The beers was 9% in alcohol level and the name is....*drum rolls....* WESTMALLE TRIPLE!

Westmalle Triple

What's my two cents worth of thoughts:-
(a) OMG.......I still don't like the taste of beer but this is far far far better then Carlsberg
(b) I reacted funnily towards that glass of beer.....I felt like my head is gonna start spinning BUT having said that
     I react much better with wine with like what 13-15% of alcohol! *I think I should classify myself as part beer
     allergic >.<*
(c) Wines are FAR better than beer....but some beers can be quiet easy drinking!

So, the next time I visit Belgium Beer Cafe again....I WANT TO TRY the Chocolate Beer--> Floris Chocolate (4.2% alc) ^.^v

Wirra Wirra - Church Block - 2008

Had the feeling of getting a bottle of red during the cool weathers to warm myself up. Been thinking about that for the past 2 years. Finally, today I got a bottle Wirra Wirra's Church Block 2008 wine. It's a blend of reds. I have been told by my colleague that if you wanna know if a winery is good, you got to try their blends. I was also given the information that Church Block is a MUST TRY, so I coincidently saw it and I just bought it. 

My critic:
*NOTE: Disclaimer, I am not good/experience wine taster....am a noob that just enjoy low amount of wine in my own way*

- The wine is very well blend
- Smooth
- It's a fruity wine
- Since, it's a blend it's not dry like Shiraz *which I like anyway*

It's a good wine for starters to try, nothing too heavy! Personally, I am loving the wine just like how I fell in love with pinot gris the 1st time I drink it!

Uyghur Restaurant

Today, lay sim and I went to Uyghur Restaurant on Prospect Road approximately bus stop 20 to have our dinner. It's a small family run business. However, they have alot of customers mainly people for XinJiang P.R.C. *Well, normally if you see locals-as in their own people, eating at their own hometown restaurant then it should be good right?!!*

This is our second time there and we ordered the Uyghur Kebab, homemade noodle dish with capsicum and chicken (forgot what's the name- start with a g) and uyghur milk tea.

OMG--->> the kebab was ABSOLUTELY delicious!!! Once you eat it you will be hit by the spices, yummy!!!!! Can't stop smiling while eating!

The noodles was great as well! The homemade laghman was so Q...YUMM!!

On the table, they provide a lil pot of chili and the chili was SO GOOD....maybe cuz I love LOVE the garlic taste in it...OMPH!

The milk tea (top picture)--> Initially, I though it was just a normal milk that you and I can even brew it at home. After drinking half the pot, I tasted some sourness in it. I thought I was the only one and suspect it was the taste of my sweat. During the trip home, lay sim and I were both discussing and then it hit us that it was the tea which is sour. The taste is like the Aryan (bottom picture) *homemade Uyghur yogurt drink* which we orders the 1st time we went *in which they sold out today! >.<>

So, the most important think is how do I score the food and the restaurant:

atmosphere: 7/10 *it's kinda uyghur looking but not too sophisticated*

food: 9/10

service: 9/10

Will I recommend it to my friends?

HELL YEA!!

Cornflake Cookies

During CNY I made cornflake cookies, as it was the tradition at home that we make new year biscuits for new year~ The process of make the cornflake cookies was funny as Lay sim was baking as well so we got 6 blocks of butter...a holly 6 blocks!! Never ate or bought that many in one go in 23 years of my life! I got this idea of writing the recipe up here by sumin *arigato!!* Since many were asking for it...will post up the lemon cheese cake recipy later!

Ingredients:

Plain flour 400g

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Butter 350g

Caster sugar 200g

Egg 2

Vanilla essence 2 drops

Cornflake lightly crushed accordingly (a medium size box will be more than enough)

Things that you need:

Baking sheets *if you don't you will have to line your baking tray with butter*

Baking trays

*remember to get the ones that would suit the size of your oven.....just got to know recently that there are different sizes of ovens and different sizes of trays to suit. CUZ I got a larger tray

thinking that I can back faster......sigh...it was too big for my oven!! So, the new tray is currently sitting in the pantry doing nothing.*

Mixer

Balance

Measuring cups/spoons

Mixing bowl

Spatula

Container/bowl *to put crushed cornflakes...personally, I prefer a box with flat bottom*

Sieve

Protocol (XD)

1. Cream Butter and sugar till light and fluffy

2. Add in the eggs and vanilla essence and continue beating till blend

3. Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder *this means: you have to use your hand to mix the flour and batter light handedly*

Now you have the dough. Mind you that the dough will not be as hard as a cake dough!

4. Roll the dough into lil balls *approximately the size of a 20 cents(Oz size)*

5. Then, roll the ball dough into the crushed cornflakes coating the batter.

6. Place the dough onto the baking tray *pre-lined* and flat it out a little. Remember to leave some space in between the dough as it will get bigger during baking.

7. Bake at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes *the backing time vary with the type of oven

you have. DO NOT use too high a temperature as the cookie will not be cooked and

it will burn!!!!!!!*

TADAAA.....you now have your cookies!!! Let it cool before placing the cookies into containers ^.^

Hope you enjoy the recipe!!