Madison's Crazy idea : White fungus agar-agar

White fungus agar-agar

I have been reading about agar-agar and the heath benefits that it brings to our body. It is good for weight loss and bowel irregularity. I also read about white fungus which is good for skin complexion and some believes that it will slow down the ageing process. If I combined these two ingredients into one recipe, it will be the ultimate recipe for youthful and beautiful skin. (It cost so much cheaper than a bottle of SKII Miracle Water ).

It is advisable to eat White fungus agar-agar before dinner. This is because the agar-agar increases in volume by absorbing water in the stomach which leads you to feel satiated faster. It also absorbs glucose which stop the body from retaining and storing excess fat.   

I made this white fungus agar-agar yesterday. (Spontaneously) I used the white fungus dessert that I made the day before and turn it into agar-agar. It was an experiment, I admit and it turns out not too bad. (The only regret is that I should have read the label on the agar-agar powder packet before I poured it into my white fungus dessert. It has artificial colouring (brown colour) and that is the reason why my white fungus agar-agar look brownish rather than whitish)

I used the agar-agar powder instead of the strand is because I couldn't find it in the Asian grocery store. Otherwise, I would prefer the strand more than the powder. I am just sceptical, probably there is not much different between the strand and the powder, but I always think that the strand is better.

Let's start from the scratch.

Ingredients

2 florets white fungus 

3 pieces Palm sugar

3 Pandan leaves

900ml of water (Please refer to the instruction on the label of the agar-agar powder)

1 packet of the agar-agar powder

20 moulds

Method

1. I soaked the white fungus in water for 2 to 3 hours.

2. When the florets are soft, I removed the hard part from the florets and placed the florets into the blender to diced it into smaller pieces.  (Do not throw away the hard part, you can use it as a face scrub) 

3.Next, I placed the diced white fungus, palm sugar, pandan leaves,  and the water into a pot. (If you like it sweeter, add more palm sugar) I boiled it for 15 minutes and simmered for another 15.  Then, I add the agar-agar powder. Stir the liquid gently and turn off the fire when you start to see bubbles.

4. Poured the liquid into a jug and divide it into the moulds.

5. Store it in the refrigerator to set.

 

Beautiful healthy skin - the old shool method

Recipe 1(Sweet): Rock sugar and white fungus soup dessert

According to PingMing's advice, this dessert can help to enhance lung function, beautify and moisten skin. White fungus is also known as the poor man bird nest and it contains high level of collagen. I will start eating this dessert twice a week and I will have beautiful skin in no time!

Don't you think it looks like the bird nest dessert?

Ingredients

2 florets white fungus 

3 pieces Palm sugar

3 Pandan leaves

3 cups of water

Method

1. I soaked the white fungus in water for 2 to 3 hours.

2. When the florets are soft, I removed the hard part from the florets and placed the florets into the blender to diced it into smaller pieces.  (Do not throw away the hard part, you can use it as a face scrub) 

3.Next, I placed the diced white fungus, palm sugar, pandan leaves and the water into a pot. (If you like it sweeter, add more palm sugar) I boiled it for 15 minutes and simmered for another 15.  Then, it is ready to serve. You can eat it either hot or cold.  I personally prefer to eat it hot but my husband likes it cold.

White fungus - poor man’s bird nest

Bird nest, the caviar of the east, cost as much as $10,000 per kilogram and is known as the most expensive food in the world. The edible bird's nest is believed to have health enhancing effects such as anti-aging and immune-enhancing properties.


We are in luck as some researchers found that the collagen content in the white fungus is comparable to the bird's nest. Instead of spending thousands of dollars in bird nest, we can buy the fungus at about HKD10 per tael (~38g). Therefore, white fungus is dubbed as ‘poor man’s bird nest’.


White fungus has been prized for its medicinal benefits, namely anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour. In Chinese families, it is commonly used in soups cooked for soothing purposes like nourishing the bodies, healing dry coughs and clearing heat in the lungs. It is also said that eating white fungus could help keep our skin young due to the collagen content in it.


White Fungus Uses and Health Benefits:

• In Chinese medicine, white fungus nourishes and moistens the lungs, as well as improves skin complexion.
• It removes what Chinese medicine calls dryness and heat in the body by moistening and increasing body fluids. White fungus eases physical symptoms like dry skin, chapped lips, thirst, dry nose and throat, constipation, and dry coughs.
• Some clinical data have shown that white fungus has the potential of lowering elevated blood sugar, and an inhibitory effect on cholesterol levels.
• According to a report by Cancer Research UK, white fungus is also used as an immune tonic and for treating debility and exhaustion.

(source from: http://www.chinesesouppot.com/2-common-ingredients/257-white-fungus)


How to choose good quality white fungus?
High quality snow fungus should have a surface in yellowish-white with a hard yellow centre. Do not buy those pure white ones as they might be bleached.


Preparation:

• Rinse and soak the whole white fungus in cold water.
• Soaking time depends on how tightly packed the fungus florets are. Dense white fungus can be soaked in cold water overnight. Lose white fungus florets can be soaked as fast as 15 – 30 minutes.
• To speed up the soaking process, soak the white fungus for 30 minutes. Cut it into quarters and soak again for another 2 hours, or until soft. The yellow centre will still be a little hard, but this shortened soaking process is fine if the white fungus will be used in a long boil (e.g. 2 – 3 hours cooking time). The long cooking time will help to soften the hard centre.
• The core of the white fungus will remain firm even after soaked. So trim this part out.

Using it as a facial scrub?The firm core in the centre of the white fungus, supposedly to be trashed, can be used as facial and body scrub.


I found these super easy recipes
source: http://www.pingminghealth.com/article/773/white-fungus-and-lung-immune-function/

Recipe 1(Sweet): Rock sugar and white fungus soup dessert

Soak 1 or 2 white fungus in water for 2 to 3 hours. Chop them into small pieces and remove the hard part in the middle. Place into a saucepan with a thumb-sized piece of rock sugar and 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
If you cannot eat sugar please don’t use this recipe, or cook the white fungus without sugar.
Effects of this recipe: This is a very popular recipe in Chinese culture. It can help lung function, beautify and moisten skin. You can have it two times a week, especially in very dry or very hot weather.

Recipe 2(Savoury): White fungus and pear soup

Soak 1 or 2 white fungus in water for 2 to 3 hours. Chop them into small pieces and remove the hard part in the middle. Boil the white fungus together with a chopped whole pear, including the pear seeds in 3 cups of water. Boil together and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the seeds before you drink the soup and eat the pear.
Effects of this recipe: Help to stop a dry cough, bowel movement and balance lung function. You can have this two times a week.

Recipe 3: White fungus porridge

Soak 1 or 2 white fungus in water for 2 to 3 hours. Chop them into small pieces and remove the hard part in the middle. Boil with three tablespoons of oats and three cups of water and simmer for 5 minutes. This can be part of your breakfast.
Effects of this recipe: strengthen lung function and help bowel movement.






If you love Chinese soup, there are some good recipes from Chinesesouppot

Bon Appetit!

Simple rose syrup agar agar

FINALLY, SOMETHING THAT I ENJOY EATING BUT WON'T MAKE ME FAT!

FACTS ABOUT AGAR-AGAR 

The Nutrients in Agar

Agar is a good source of calcium and iron, and is very high in fiber. It contains no sugar, no fat and no carbohydrates. It is known for its ability to aid in digestion and weight loss. It carries toxic waste out of the body. It is also used in some parts of the world to treat haemorrhoids.

Other benefits associated with agar are its ability to reduce inflammation, calm the liver, and bring relief to the lungs. It is also considered a mild laxative and not recommended for those with weak digestion or loose stools.

Source from : http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-agar.html

I grew up eating agar-agar as my staple breakfast. I still remember the excitement in me as my school bus pulled over my school yard, I jumped off from my school bus and rushed to my school canteen. I headed straight to the Makcik's stall. I eagerly handed my precious 20 cent to her. (My precious 20 cent is the 1/3 of my daily allowance. Every penny spent is crucially important) Makcik will carefully scoped out 2 delicious rose syrup agar-agar from her container, placed it in a plastic bag and handed it to me. I remembered the fragrant of the rose syrup and the sweetness of the agar-agar. Such a simple delicacy, yet it can be so amazing.

To relive my childhood, I decided to try this make this rose syrup agar-agar.

Thanks to Google, I managed to find this agar-agar recipe that uses agar-agar strand cause I was thinking I want to go all out -the traditional style. (http://www.mummyicancook.com/2013/03/naturally-coloured-agar-agar-jelly.html)

I love this recipe as it uses natural colouring from beetroot instead of using food colouring. But, I have to sacrifice the natural colouring for my rose syrup craving.
 

Calories per jelly for 20 moulds - 24.15 approx.
Ingredients

14g agar agar strands 

1 bowl of water (this is used to soak the agar-agar strand)

1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar (adjust to taste) - 387 calories according to https://www.fatsecret.com

2 table spoon of rose syrup - 96 calories

2 pandan leaves , tied into a knot

800ml water

20 Jelly moulds

Method

1. Soaked the 14g of agar-agar strands in a bowl of water at room temperature for 20 minutes. (The key ingredient to smooth agar-agar is the soaking- remember to spend some time on the soaking to make sure the strands are soft like jelly fish)

2. Once the agar-agar is soften, drained the strands and placed it into a pot. Then, add the 800ml water, 2 pandan leaves, 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 table spoon of rose syrup. Turn on the gas and bring it to boil.  Constantly stirred the mixture until the agar-agar strips have completely melted and you see no lumps.

3.Remove the pot from heat and pour the liquid into a jug. If you have a steady hand you can skipped this step and pour the liquid straight into the moulds.

4. I am quite a clumsy person so I used a jug to divide the liquid into the moulds.

5. Then, I refrigerated the moulds until the agar agar is fully set. 

6. I removed the agar-agar from the moulds and I gently placed one of the agar-agar into my mouth.

Bon Appétit



Bikram yoga sweat it all

After finishing 5 classes, I have already see result.  The torture that I went through really pays off. I will definitely recommend it to all mummies to try bikram yoga to lose those "baby fat". Better than signing up to all these slimming courses that cost thousands.
I was quite worried that the it is going to affect my breast milk supply.   But thank God,  it is all good.  
I have to admit it is not easy an easy journey. It is dreadful to walk into the yoga class aka torture chamber. The heat and the postures are seriously tough. I have done this before.  But, with extra few pounds on my body really makes it tougher.  Now I know why the biggest loser contestants cry so much. 
I am really happy and I will mot give up until I reached my goal weight.  I am so thankful that I have a very supportive mum that helps me to take care of my baby while I went for my yoga class.  She make sure I never miss a class and she even packed my yoga bag for me. Lovw you mummy.  You are the best!

Nuts bout smoke salmon salad

I cant go on a full on salad diet as I still need to breastfeed my 2 months old baby. Therefore,  I have to make sure whatever I am eating contain a lot of protein and nutritious.
Salmon, eggs and nuts are great source of protein and packed with nutrition. I am using all these ingredients in my salad. My salad will be packed with goodness.

My salad recipe
- mixed salad from Coles
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- boiled eggs
- smoked salmon
- roast walnuts
-salt and pepper for seasoning

Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga and with a good diet might just do the trick.  Losing those "baby fat" is not easy especially my family has the fat gene.
Hmmm... well, I have to admit it is partly my fault too. I have been craving for hot chocolate (milo) and I down at least 3 cups a day. Maybe it is because of the cold weather or it is just me tempted to the devilicious chocolate.
Well, this might be the reason why I am still not getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  Always submit to temptation.  Food is my weakness. 
Bikram has been well known for the torturous room temperature and the demanding stretching positions that make me sweat like a pig.  I think that's why my bikram yoga instructor kept on saying it is good for detoxifying.  That's why I jave to drink a lot of water before, during and after the class to replenish what I have lost. I have been "googling" about yoga positions and it supposedly strengthen my core muscles.  Well, I am not so sure about that but the guys in my class (except for the fat ones) has eight packs, I think this has proven the theory. 
But, I did yoga before and I have seen the result. That is the reason I am not trying anything else and straight jump back to yoga when I can.

Quick and easy - chicken salad

My breakfast has to be nutritious, fast and easy. This is because my baby might wake up at anytime amd I have to be ready for him. So, this chicken recipe is quick and easy, and ready in 5 minutes amd plus 5 minutes shoving it into my mouth so I will be done in 10 minutes.  Welcome to motherhood. .. everything has to be fast and convenient. 
All these ingredients I purchased it from Coles.  Simple and easy

- Packet salad is all washed and clean
- Heinz chicken mayo lite
- 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
(Olive oil is really nutritious and taste real good in salad)
- 2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 cubes of fetta cheese
(The great thing about Atkins is that you can eat cheese and not afraid of oily food)
- Season with salt and pepper

Normally I make one big bowl and eat it throughout the day cause taking care of a baby is a full time job and I have to make sure I eat healthy and enough to breastfeed.

The whole 9 months and after

I was just married for about 3 months when I found out that I was pregnant. I was overjoyed and I was so thankful to God for such a precious little gift. I broke the news to my husband that night and he was so excited that he called the whole world to tell them of the good news.

Other than the morning sickness, feeling tired all the time (partly because I have to give up my coffee) and the roller coaster mood swing, the first three months was a bliss.

Then I started to realise that I can't fit into some of my clothes and the doctor told me that I have to give up my 6 inch shoes. That is just the first crack of my perfect little life that I have been living. The cracks branched out pretty quick, my body was changing dramatically too. I started from a petite body figure of size 6 and  my body gradually swelled into a size 10. My nightmare did not just end there, my feet were growing too and they swelled so much I hardly can see my toes anymore. I have to pack and kiss all my beautiful clothes and shoes goodbye. I hated my body and I stopped looking in the mirror. I was depressed at myself. The only thing that can cheered me up was knowing that all this is for a good course. There is something beautiful growing inside me. I told myself that I have to give up being a selfish little girl and learn to grow up. I am going to be a mother soon. It is no longer just "ME" in my life, I have to learn to use the word "WE". My little baby is coming into this world pretty soon.  

The labour process was difficult, I was exhausted battling the 36 hours contraction phase but my cervical just refused to dilate further from the 7cm. The mid wife tried all the tricks up her sleeves but my cervical just wouldn't give in. Then, the doctor decided to move me from the labour room to the operating theatre to perform the emergency caesarean. To be honest, I was terrified at that time as it was my first visit to the operating theatre. It might be a simple surgical operation for the gynaecologist, but I was so scared that I will not be able to see my baby. My precious little baby was born on the 12th of April 2013 at 8pm. Even though I was shivering hysterically from the side effect of the epidural, I was eager to see my little one. He looked really angry, he was crying very loudly and his face was all red, nothing like those peaceful little baby wrapped in the eiderdown that showed on the television.

My nightmare did not just end there, I did not expect what was coming next. I heard a lot of stories from other mummies talking about the pregnancy period was the easy part and the real nightmares starts when the baby drew their first breath. There are so many things that I have to learn. I am no longer a little girl anymore, I have to learn to take care of others now. I have to learn to be strong to protect my precious little one. I really struggled. I was not used to waking up at nights and breast feeding was a nightmare. I unable to provide him fully as my production was low. But, I did not give up, I gave what I could. I supplemented with formula. Sometimes, I feel really bad as failed to breastfeed him fully. I am so glad that God has blessed me with two wonderful helpers, my mum and my husband. They have been there to support me through this journey. It is not an easy road to travel. But, it is worth it.

 

Dinner @ Ezard

http://www.ezard.com.au/

Tel:  +61 3 9639 6811187

Flinders Lane,
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Lunch Mon - Fri, 12pm - 2:30pm
Dinner Mon - Sat, 6pm - 10:30pm

Ezard wins The Age Good Food Guide 2013 Diners' Choice Award

Rating:
Customer service: average, leaning to poor
Comments:
Reason I rated this restaurant service is not up to expectation is because I was not allowed to use the washroom at 5.55pm because the restaurant is only open at 6.00pm, and I was about 5 months pregnant at that moment and I really need to use the washroom.
However, they were quite considerate and they did change some of their menu to suit me as I was pregnant at that time.

Food: Japanese Thai fusion (Good , but not outstanding)
Comments:
Overall, the food is very Thai influence and I did not see much of the Japanese side of it.
If I to compare the food to other Thai restaurant, we can get better Thai food somewhere else. However, the dessert was really the highlight of the night.

Some of the dishes were replaced by other ingredient due to

 Japanese inspired oyster shooter
 (replace by tafu shooter)
The shooter taste good like what an oyster shooter should taste like. However, there is nothing outstanding about this entree.
Score: 6/10

Steamed spanner crab dumpling with yarra valley salmon roe, chervil cress and tom kha
I think this is the best dish of the night. The dumpling was juicy and it goes very well with the tom kha. I find that this dish taste good, but I was hoping for something different, something more creative. Overall, it is a dumpling dish with soup.
Score: 7/10

Crispy skin baby barramundi with caramelised eggplant, tomato and lime salad, yellow curry dressing                                           This is the most disappointing dish of the night. It is a fried barramundi with rice and curry. It is a very sinple dish and you don't need to go to a restaurant to have this dish. I was very dissappointed with this dish. It did not show any creativity at all. However, I must give them credit on the baramundi as it is cooked as described- crispy skin barramundi. Other than that, I was not amazed. Score : 5/10                                         

 

 

 

 

 

Slow cooked pork belly, five spice pear pudding, fennel salad, pressed apple, pedro ximenez jusAnother Asian dish, it is similar to the pork belly dish you can get from ChinChin (http://www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au/) except that at this restaurant you only get one pice of the pork belly whereas in ChinChin you can get more of it. However, I have to compliment on the pork belly is cooked to perfection. It melts in your mouth. Score: 6/10

However, I am looking for something outstanding from this restaurant. Not just about the food being cooked well, but something that can differentiate this resstaurant from others. Something that I can share with my friend and tell them that they only can get this from Ezard. But, so far none of the dishes really amazed me.

Eight score sher wagyu beef, white polenta, morels, red wine jam, sticky shallot jus and mache saladThe beef is well cooked,(well, you cant go wrong with an eight score wagyu beef, can you) the sauce is good. The best dish of the night. This is the last dish before we moved on to desset. However, this dish did not wow me at all. But, still a good decent dish. Score: 7/10

 

Ezard dessert tasting plate to share



I have to admit this is the best dish of the night. The dessert. This really wow me! I never been to any restaurant that serve such varieties. Not Jacque, not even Vue. I have to say I am pretty impressed with the dessert. It looks nice and it tasted great! Score: 9/10

Overall, I cant recommend my friend to go Ezard just for dessert, can I?

I have to comment, after all the awards and talks about this restaurant, in my opinion, it does not live up to my expectation.

Gypsy & Pig (Japanese restaurant), Melbourne

Gypsy & Pig (Japanese) Restaurant
Shop 3 391 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel : 03- 9640 0731

This is a Japanese restaurant that specialised in Kurobuta. Kurobuta, sometimes refer as black pig, is bred in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Unlike commercial pork, which lends itself favorably to a variety of sauces, kurobuta has its own intrinsic and distinctive sweetness.
Sweetness and juiciness are two factors that distinguish kurobuta from run-of-the-mill pork. This sweetness and rich flavor come from the high levels of intramuscular marbled fat – the very thing that pork producers have dramatically removed to produce pork that can be marketed as "the other white meat" for the health-conscious.This high degree of subcutaneous marbling is a result of special breeding techniques that are not very different from those applied to raising wagyu cattle. The only difference, perhaps, is that there is no massaging of the pig with sake as is the case with wagyu.

I think that should be enough for the "Kurobuta" history and what type of flavour and texture you are looking for when eating this meat. To be honest, what attracts me to this restaurant is the "black pig" as I never tried this meat before. I was suprised when I was served a white meat instead of a black one! Well, after further reading about Kurobuta, it is only the pig hair is black in coulour, and if the pig is bred in England, it will be called Berkshire pig instead of Kurobuta.

Well, the good thing about this pork is that it does not have the "pork" smell. In my opinion, the pork in Australia and Malaysia is very different. Correct me if I am wrong, a little birdie once told me it is the method of killing the pig that cause the smell. Somehow, the way the Malaysian way removes the pork smell. (Well, if you are in Malaysia, please try some of the Malaysian pork, and vice versa)
Like wagyu beef, because of the intense marbling, the way to prepare juicy and succulent kurobuta pork is to not overcook it. The good news, however, is that unlike wagyu,kurobuta lends itself more favorably to heat.

Tonkatsu style filled with cheese sauce - yum!

With kurobuta pork, you don't need much seasoning or thick barbeque sauce, the best way to savor it is to eat it on its own, with perhaps a dash of salt and pepper.
A traditional Japanese favorite is to eat it tonkatsu style – sliced thin, breaded and deep-fried, for which Kagoshima kurobuta pork comes highly recommended by top chefs in the preparation of this dish.

We ordered the pork to be cooked in different style; deep fried; braised; boiled in kimchi soup, and kimchi fried rice. The best of all is just plain deep fried style (first picture from the second row). The pocket cheese tonkatsu style shown on the picture above is good too. I find that the kimchi soup and the braised pork did not show off the quality of the meat. In fact, it kind of masked the original texture and flavour of the meat. Don't get me wrong, the food still taste good, but just not what I expected. It tasted like ordinary dishes we had in other restaurant.

Breakfast @ Auction Rooms

Looks might be deceiving

http://www.auctionroomscafe.com.au/

103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne

Open Tues - Sun, 7am (8am weekends) - 4pm

Tel: 9326 7749

Auction room has been voted as one of the best cafe in Melbourne. They are famous for their coffee and they have a special counter with a barrista that serve their specialty coffee for all coffee lovers. I love food and I love coffee even more. Despite how busy this place is and how long I have to wait, I marched to Auction room to try out their food and coffee.

As Madison saying goes,

" Awesome breakfast will brighten up your day, and with a combination of a good cup of coffee, you will feel like paradise."



I went to Auction room on fine Saturday morning/afternoon, it was packed, I have to wait for 20 minutes to get a table. The customer service was alright, I heard rumours about their customer service, therefore, I did not expect much from them. Well, as I expected, their customer service on that day confirmed the rumours. (Unlike their neighbour, Fandango- my current favourite place, the customer service there is awesome. A friendly smile will really brighten up your morning). The floor staff looks so gloomy on a Saturday afternoon.

I ordered a cup of mocha. Well, it taste like a normal cup of mocha. It is not bad, but it did not make me jump up and down. It is really very normal standard cup of mocha that is not going to give you "paradise". (Unlike the one I had in Hardware Societe, just thinking about it makes me happy, they melted chocolate in the coffee tasted so good. It is like the combination of good and evil, the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitterness of the coffee, it explodes in your mouth)

I ordered the eggplant dish. It is like a grilled eggplant with chickpeas in tomato relish and topped with some "Kapai Puku".
Well, it really taste like how it looks. There is a lack of texture in this dish. It will be better if they could add a toast in it to contrast the texture. It leaves you feeling something is lacking and it is a really simple dish. If you asked me will I order this again. NNNNOOOOOO... not in a million years. Looks like ratatouille(Australia style). 

My husband ordered the duck eggs which he said it is alright. It really looks like fancy sausages on eggs with toast. It looks really simple and it taste like what it looks like. "Simple"
Nothing much can be commented on this as how hard is it to cook sausage and eggs with bread, even a 5 years old can do this. We saw this in Junior Masterchef, didnt we?











My friends, Cinvin ordered a chicken wrap and Tim ordered a pork dish. Cinvin dish looks like a normal chicken wrap that can be bought over the counter, nothing spectacular, not even worth to be post on a picture cause really, it just looks like a wrap from Mcdonalds cafe.
Poor Tim, he is a well built man and about 6 feet tall, ordered some pork dish. Well, we did read some blogs before ordering, and they did warn him about the portion. It was so small and I think he has to drive-thru Mcdonalds later to fill his stomach. Not just about the portion, but that dish look and taste weird too.

All in all, despite this cafe being well-known famous, my personal opinion and experience, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. To be honest, I don't think I will be visiting this cafe again.Unless, it is by force.  Melbourne has tonnes of good brekkie places, why torture your wallet and your tummy on things that aren't worth it. But, dont get me wrong, the food is edible and the coffee is "averagely" good. It just that I personally think that it is not worth the money. Chinese doesn't mind spending, but it has to be worth spending.

 BREAKFAST @ FANDANGO

http://fandangocafe.com.au/fandango/fandango.html 

Address
97 Errol Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Telephone
03 9329 0693

Monday - Saturday  7:30am - 3pm

Sunday 9am - 2pm

I have heard about this place from my friends about how fabulous this place is. I finally manage to try this breakfast place yesterday, and I never looked back since then. It is the best breakfast joint I have eaten so far. I would rank this place above Tom Phat (http://www.tomphat.com.au/) to be my favourite breakfast place. (Btw, their roti omellete is my favourite - It is awesome too!!!) In my opinion, I prefer Fandango coffee to Tom Phat. Even though, their coffee art is not the best, but they taste good. Sometimes, we can't judge a book by its cover.



Vanilla pancakes with bacon

I ordered the vanila pancakes with bacon. The pancakes were served with fresh strawberries, raspberries, strawberry and plum jam (I think it is plum), instead of fresh cream, it is serve with honey cream cheese with sprinkle of icing sugar. I ordered add-ons with bacon. They serve with maple syrup on the side too.

It is the best pancake I ever taken in Melbourne. The pancake is so soft and fluffy. It just melt in your mouth. The best thing is when you combined the ham with the honey cream cheese and the strawberry jam on the pancake and fit all these into your mouth. The combination of the sweet and savoury flavour just exploded in your mouth.

I have compliment on the home made strawberry and plum jam. I am very particular about jam and this jam is one of the best I tasted so far. I like the way they kept some of the big chunk plum slice in the jam and it added extra texture to it. 

I would say, in my humble opinion, the chef really knows how to cook good food. This is a winning breakfast dish with good pancake and awesome jam. 



My partner ordered the beetroot eggs. It is toasted breads serve with 2 poached eggs, spinach, and the beetroot sauce. It is one of the popular selection in the menu.The beetroot eggs are awesome. It is not as good as my pancakes but it is a good dish. I would definitely recommend this dish for those who doesn't have sweet tooth. 

All in all, these are the two selection that is highly recommended by a lot of other bloggers and I definitely will recommend these two selections to all the first timer who is visiting this Fandango.

GETTING READY FOR THE SNOW

 

This winter is far worst than the last winter in Melbourne, it is freezing cold and I have to wear gloves almost eveyday to keep my hands warm. I kept 3 pairs of gloves in my bag for different circumstances.

 

 The fingerless gloves

 This type of gloves is good for indoor. I normally use this gloves when I am in my office or at home so that I can work and keep my fingers warm. Also, this is great when I am using my Android phone.

 

I also kept another pair of fingerless gloves, with sleeves, with me in case I am wearing short sleeves shirt. This will keep me warm throughtout the day.

These fingerless gloves are really good when you need to work as the tips of your fingers are expose.

However, one bad thing about fingerless gloves is that when you go outdoor, your fingertips will be freezing.

Therefore, I brought a third pair with me in case I am going outdoor. But, I find it very dificult when I am answering my phone. I have to remove my gloves to answer the phone. 

This amazing new invention has saved my life, the Amazing Winter Touch Screen Gloves, as the conductive material is woven onto tips of the fingers, it allows me to use touchscreen devices while keeping my hands warm. Therefore, when I am up at Mt. Buller, I will not be scared that my hands will get frozen. This pair of gloves looks awesome and it only cost me AUD7.00 from Catch of the day. What a bargain!

i Spicy - The Authentic and Exotic Taste of Thailand
http://ispicy.com.au/index.html

Last weekend my husband and I went to try this Thai restaurant in Richmond, i Spicy. We walked in without expecting a lot from the restaurant as we just want to fill our tummy before going to Ikea which is just around the corner. We were greeted by a pretty young Thai waitress and she ascorted us to our table. The restaurant looks chic, with cute grafitti of their signature dishes. It looks different from the other Thai restaurants, this restaurant has a cheeky side.     
The restaurant has 2 menus, lunch and dinner. But, I think it is because we arrived at about 3pm, the waitress gave us both menus. The menu is different from the other typical Thai restaurant menu. Some of the food they offered reminded me of the Thai restaurants I had in Penang, Malaysia. (eg: Deep fried Kang kung with Spicy sauce). I had search high and low in Melbourne for this dish, and finally I found it here. I was impressed!

Chu- Chee prawns in young coconut
Creamy red curry paste with green bean, lemongrass, garlic, kaffir leaf and prawn placed inside the young coconut.

This is the winner! The curry was smooth and sweet, the sweetness of the coconut juice goes so well with the curry.Wow! It was like a curry smoothie. Thinking of it makes my mouth water.
 

Tom Yum (Prawn) Most famous traditional Thai soup cooked with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, coriander roots, flavored with fish sauce, lemon juice and chili.

Well, the tom yum is good. But, I wouldnt say it is great. But definitely better than Ying Thai (@ Laigon)   

Well, rice is a must for Asian especially when we are eating Asian food. ( Rice for Asian is like bread for Caucasian ) We ordered cocout rice to go with our delicious curry. Both of them compliment each other so well, they are like an old married couple. The coconut fragrant from both entites just burst out like I am tasting a real coconut. It tasted so fresh and the curry does not feel thick/creamy at all. It is just perfecto... light and smooth.  

BBQ Stuffed Calamari Marinated minced chicken, stuffed in calamari grilled served with ispicy lemon sauce

One word to describe this, YUM!!!!
The calamari, (fresh and bouncy), stuffed with the marinated minced chicken and a quick dap on the sweet chilli sauce, the flavours just burst in my mouth. WOW!!! This is awesome!!!

How we long for a big jug of  Thai Ice Milk Tea (Home Made Drinks). The milk tea tasted great and they did not stinnged on the milk at all. The milk tea tasted great.

MY OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
I would say, this is a place I will definitely recommend to my friends and families. Love it!

Chinese Laundry

Shoe Style: Hotline
Description: Achieve feminine elegance in the Chinese Laundry Hotline shoes. Team them with a flowing pleated dress and an envelope clutch for a special occasion. For a party appropriate look pair the Chinese Laundry Hotline shoes with a batwing blouse, bodycon skirt and statement bib necklace.

I bought this gorgeous pair from Iconic (http://www.theiconic.com.au/). The retail price is AUD74.95 and I received AUD25 discount from the original price. It was quite a bargain! I ordered it on Wednesday night and I received it yesterday.  I have to comment Iconic is a pretty good e-shop. Good service and value for money. The shoes's quality is good, not like some websites where the shoes looks top notch and when you received it, it looks cheap anf tacky. Will definitely shop @ Iconic again!!! 

Love this pair of shoes. It is a combination of ribbon and sparkles!

De Bortoli Wines

The vineyard scenery is breathtaking. This place speaks of serenity.

Restaurant Locale

The name Locale reflects not only the De Bortoli family's Italian heritage but also the restaurant's philosophy of sourcing the best local.

    Jien Loong and I went to De Bortolli last Saturday, 16 June 2012, and dine at Restaurant Locale. It is a beautiful restaurant and the seats arrangement are just rught, not too crowded. I always prefer a restaurant where you can have your own private space. (Enough space so that the table next to you can't eavesdrop on yout conversation). The menu looks lovely, I like the vibrant colour (red), it kind of open up my appetite. 

While waiting for our food, we are being served with the home made bread. The olive bread was delicious.

 The waitress paired a white, la boheme – act three pinot gris & friends, with my entree (primi), local flathead fritti with garlic aioli & baby fennel salad.

 

Then, I move on to my main(secondi),

15 hour slow cooked beef with wild pine mushrooms, farro & pinenut gremolata. The main was paired with the De Bortoli Shiraz.

 We ordered a side (contorni e verdure) to share, Italian fried potatoes with garden rosemary & garlic.It was as good as it looks.

 

For dessert, I ordered affogato con zeppole - vanilla gelato & italian doughnuts served with de bortoli black noble. The black noble fits perfectly with the vanilla gelato. Tghe black Noble deserves to be awarded the gold medal.