Swinging Bowl Satay

A place which reminds me of home. A place which has been in Adelaide for years now. A place which I have never been to until now. I fail. 

Fried squid, sambal egg and ayam masak merah. I would go there just for the ayam masak merah- which they have named it as 'sweet chilli chicken'. NO WHERE CLOSE by name, but definitely by flavour! 

My company ordered the ayam masak merah too, and lamb! 

I have been told that the prices have gone up heaps ever since they opened. They do have special prices for students but I personally find it expensive. I am looking forward to try their beef rendang as I have been told its amazing. Dodgy seating by the way, but I guess it is all about the food. =)

18 Stephens Place

Adelaide SA 5000

Mmm...cupcakes!

Pretty. 

That's the first thing which came to mind when I saw the colourful variety at Bella's Cupcake World.

My friend and I were on our way to do some errands when we walked past the stall and got distracted by the prettiness of these cupcakes.


After spending a few minutes circling the stall like vultures, we decided that we just had to buy the cupcakes for afternoon tea! There were so many flavours to choose from and it took me ages to pick. A box of 6 costs $20 (if I am not wrong) and it was worth it!

Clockwise from left: Passionfruit, Choc Mint, Cookies and Cream and Vanilla.

Bella's Cupcake World 

Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre 

Curry luncheon

It's been ages since my last post. I do apologise for the hiatus - we had lots going on in our professional and personal lives.

It has also been more than a year since I've eaten at here at Royal India. My previous review was just before I relocated to the CBD for work. Now back at West Perth with a new team, I'm ready for new adventures and renew my love for the vegetarian thali!

Clockwise: Chickpea Curry, Eggplant Curry, Vegetable Curry, Dhal, Raita, Naan and Rice. Centre: Indian Dessert (sorry, I still have no idea what this is called! This time, this dessert tasted so much nicer than my previous trip.)

The food here is still as delicious and the service here is fantastic. Our pre-ordered food was delivered to our table within 5 to 10 minutes of our arrival. And there was plenty of papadums for the table! Even though it's a tad expensive to dine-in, it's definitely worth it. 

Royal India 

1134 Hay Street, West Perth

www.royalindia.com.au 

Friday arvo lunch!

Reuben Sandwich @ Grace The Establishment

I never knew weekday lunches outdoors can make me feel so goooood. 

*hearts*

Reception @ Petaluma's

I had the privilege to attend the wedding reception of  this couple whom I know before they got together till the day they say ''I do!''. One of the many exciting bits obviously include dinner at Petaluma's winery. =D

Entree: Organic chicken, Kanmantoo bacon, almond and confit onion pie, sherry glaze. 

It was a huge portion for an entree, it actually filled us up. Oh! It smelt and tasted like the siew paus we have in Malaysia too. 

Main: Beef fillet with potato croquette, romesco and parmesan. 

I like!

Main: Pan fried Atlantic salmon with nicoise salad and olive tapenade

Nicely cooked salmon. Personally didn't enjoy the olive tapenade that much. 

Served with caramelised pumpkin, pinenuts and chorizo

I was full to the brim at this stage, but just couldn't pass this up. 

Dessert: Steamed chocolate and toasted almond pudding with dark chocolate sauce

Sad to say, this was overcooked. Despite that, I actually did quite well and finished this off. 

Throughout the night, we were offered bottomless drinks (not that we are alcoholics!). 

After all, we are very civilised guests. =)

Season of lamb

Back to do some cooking (finally, I know). 

We started with every intention to cook our lamb shanks in the oven. It was so spontaneous! We planned for roast veggies (pumpkin, carrots, red onions-yummm) and obviously the beautiful meat-off-bones lamb shanks for dinner. =) To be honest, both of us are at a health condition where we shouldn't be near lamb at all.

After much nagging from parents, we made it into a stew on the stove. It didn't turn out bad, but definitely oily from all the fat from the lamb. I am not a big fan of lamb, I have to say, due to the high content in it but I love the tomato based stew with all that flavour. Simple flavours of cherry tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, herbs, garlic, onion and of course, LAMB (or to be specific, fat from the lamb) ! Stewed for so long, it is meat off bones too!

Spring has sprung. Time for lamb?

1 and only ?!

Yes, we have been MIA. I couldn't believe my eyes, it is almost a month since our last post. =( Here's an apology to anyone with a sweet tooth- peanut butter cup with chocolate based cookie? White chocolate was possibly somewhere in between. Edited: One pack comes with 2 creations; the first is a chocolate chip cookie with a peanut butter cup which is made with mini M&M's. The second one (the one I had) is a chocolate sandwich cookie (Oreo style) with a white chocolate chip peanut butter cup on the top.

To be honest, I think this little cup was almost a bit too much.

Our place is the place for you: TGIF

 Who would have thought I'll be excited with TGIF being in town? The first TGIF in Adelaide, along with 6 other Fridays operating only in Victoria. How exciting is that!

It has been here since Nov 2011 and I know, I have been a bit slow lately at discovering things. I HAD TO GO there after a long day at work as I totally deserved a 'happy hour'! Hurricane (rum, sweet and sour, grenadine, passionfruit and orange juice) and my all time favourite buffalo wings, YAY! I'm glad to say this branch has not disappoint me with their buffalo wings  The Hurricane, on the other hand, tasted like a yummy cough syrup. Hmmm...

I was there early and avoided the crowd as the place was totally packed when I left. To be honest, their food aren't mind-blowing yummilicious but I have this feeling I'll be back.

TGIF Adelaide
1 Sturt Road, Oaklands Park,
South Australia 5042.
08 8296 5777

Late night musings...

My final semester commenced recently and even though night classes are great for those of us who work during office hours, I am often famished by 9pm each week! This is why I am so grateful that there is a Fast Eddys outlet near campus.

For me, Fast Eddys feels like an Australian version of a 24-7 American diner. You can order whatever you like anytime of the day! The categories 'breakfast', 'lunch' or 'dinner' do not apply here. And I note that they serve sundaes too!

I've made two trips within the last month (after much deliberation each time but hunger won) and have been regretting over the amount of calories I consumed. They were good trips each time, though. Anything to cure the late night hunger pangs.

 

Chai latte! Yes, I drink this stuff...

  

 Nachos (I apologise for the not so terrific photo). It needs more salsa!

  

 'Lord of the Rings' apparently. Seriously disappointed. There was nothing lordly about these squid rings. >.<

 

 Iced Chocolate (with ice cream!) during my second trip. Oh sugar overload.

 

Now, this was yummy. Squid and salad. Ok, the menu said 'Asian salad' but I reckon there was nothing Asian about the salad. It was still just salad. 

The food isn't that brilliant, at least not for its price. As Perth does not have that many late night places, let alone 24-7 restaurants, I was still excited about Fast Eddys. However, during my second visit, we were told that it was not longer 24 hours. What a disappointment! Now, where am I to go for supper after class for the rest of my semester? *sigh* 

Fast Eddys Cafe (Carousel) 

Shop 103R

Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre

1382 Albany Highway

Cannington WA 3107

Chilling out with bubble tea!

It has been a busy few weeks with the prospect of becoming busier in months to come. However, I finally managed to make time to catch up with a long lost friend from college last weekend. While walking around looking for a good place to sit and chat, we found a new place in the hidden corners of Northbridge.

The funkiness and bright colours of the shop intrigued us. The comfortable couches and atmosphere were perfect for us. The best of all, it sold a variety of Asian desserts and of course, my favourite drink, bubble tea! Like it's name, it was a great place to get a little sweet fix and chill out. The only problem was though, when the place got packed, it turned really stuffy and just a tad too noisy for us.

My friend and I decided that the next time we visit Sweet Fix, we would try their desserts. And on my list 'to try' are the soya bean custard (I am assuming this is 'tau fu fah') and the ever so popular mango pudding! <3 

Note: Maybe don't bother with the Mango Green Milk Tea unless your tastes buds can handle the complicated flavour. The initial sip of mango flavour followed by an aftertaste of green tea. I was smart enough to stick to my usual Oolong Tea. 

*Sweet Fix is located on James Street, Northbridge (on the Ground Floor, below Utopia)*

Weekend Brunch: Japan in Adelaide

Hot ramen on a cold wintery day!

Ramen served with kimchi, chasyu, egg and vegetables. I have to say, I am not a big fan of chasyu (Japanese BBQ pork marinated and boiled in a mixture of soy and spices) but I felt like kimchi. *hearts*

It is definitely not authentic Japanese ramen but then again, it's a hot bowl of ramen on a cold wintery day!

Ajisen Ramen 

Shop 35 Regent Arcade

Rundle Mall.

Weekend Brunch: Another Asian Invasion

There's a new kid in town! And he's Asian! 

Ok, Bing Boy has been around for a year now. It is just me falling behind the fad. Just a quick intro, it is a food concept which attempts to bring in Chinese street food onto Australian shores, beginning in Adelaide! 

To quote from the menu, "it is a thin wheat omelette wrap with egg, green onions, coriander, sesame seeds and crispy wonton pieces made hot and fresh with fillings of your choice." They currently have 8 different fillings for you to choose from, however, you may add any extra bits (at additional costs).

I chose the Smoking Salmon: Tasmanian smoked salmon, avocado, mixed pickled vegetable, baby spinach and mayonnaise. I was sceptical initially. How would cold smoked salmon taste when wrapped in a warm crepe-like omelette? (Gosh, please bear with my descriptive words).

I didn't mind it at all! The wrap was not as hot as I thought it would be and I am not a fan of mayonnaise, but that's okay. It would also be a good grab-n-go lunch but I obviously sat down to enjoy while attempting to take shots. Definitely a better option than other Asian takeaways in a food court, I would say.

Bing Boy is now open in three different locations around Adelaide CBD; Southern Cross Arcade, Myers Centre and Renaissance Arcade.

Mamak Wannabe

What I miss about Malaysia is the ‘mamak’ food. ‘Mamak’ cuisine, which is influenced by the Indian Muslim culture, has proven to be quite popular amongst Malaysians. The food and beverages are usually cheap and the wide variety means that you can order a few different types of dishes and share amongst yourselves. This was why I was super excited when I heard that Spice Express served mamak-ish dishes.

 

Indian Rojak as an appetiser. 

 

*mmm* look at that delicious, rich sauce.

A very sad looking chicken briyani. It tasted alright, but there is better briyani out there.

I love 'dosa' (or 'thosai' as they call it in Malaysia). A tad disappointed with this, though. It might be because I'm a bit too fussy with dosas - I grew up eating home made ones.

A very sweet 'mee Siam' on the left; a not-so-tasty bowl of 'soto ayam' on the right.

 

Traditional 'nasi lemak'! Very sad looking, though. It tasted alright. Wished that there was more 'sambal' and a fried egg instead of that miserable piece of omelette!

Chicken wings and 'vadai'! Deep fried deliciousness.

So, my verdict? Hmm, it was ok, but I honestly doubt if my family and I will return for another meal. The 'rojak' and the 'vadai' were probably the highlights of our lunch that day. Other than that, I have had better 'mamak' food elsewhere in Australia.

Spice Express
41 Hulme Court
Myaree WA 6154

Travelogue Bangkok Day 3: Khup Koon Ka

Bottom clockwise: Somtum, seafood tomyum soup and salt crusted fish

We are such gluttons; we had to stuff our faces with more food for the last time - our last supper, so to say. We literally crossed the bridge from Pratunam heading towards Central / BigC - you really can't miss the street stalls just after the bridge. They are forever packed with people! We were literally sweating like pigs, squished together while eating. I have to say it was the least comfortable place to sit down for a meal but we wanted to do it merely for the experience.

'Khup Koon Ka', Bangkok! Thank you for having us!

I hope you have enjoyed this series of travelogue to the Land of Smiles. If it is not obvious enough, this is the last post to Travelogue Bangkok. =D

Note: In case you were wondering, we left the next afternoon after having one more round of beef noodles.

Travelogue Bangkok Day 3: Can you speak Chinese?

Finally, the chance to taste the real pad thai. How should I describe it? It wasn't as sweet as the ones we have in Oz. However, if I have to choose between the Malaysian Char Kuey Teow and Thailand's Pad Thai, I would have Char Kuey Teow at any given time. Anyway, it was an extremely funny experience which took place in Chinatown, Bangkok. There was such a huge communication barrier between us and the auntie, just the thought itself now makes me laugh.

We hunted for more yummy treats along the streets of Chinatown and stopped at this other Chinese shop which I believe is very popular among the locals. The soup was really peppery, it reminded me so much of the Malaysian pork tripe soup. I loved it! The owners, this time, were rather fluent in Mandarin which made the conversation more enjoyable. 

Remember, men need laughter sometimes more than food. 

Anna Fellows Johnston

We believe company makes the food taste much better. Now, throw in some laughter too!

Travelogue Bangkok Day 3: There is no end...

...to food and more franchise food. =D

 

Mum really wanted to try the Samurai Pork Burger. *ticks off her list of food to try* 

This is because we do not get pork burger in Malaysia.

We were so busy comparing the taste between ketchup/catsup and tomato sauce. They had both! 

We'll leave the burger to mum. 

Travelogue Bangkok Day 3: A local franchise

I never thought I would revisit a mall at Bangkok- but it happened. We were back at Indra Square, hunting for a specific blouse, and also saw a conman trying to chat up another stranger (obviously for some money). The one thing Indra Square has failed to offer me is good coffee. =(

But I truly needed coffee! We settled for a place located on the ground floor, a local franchise, known as 'Ninety-four coffee'. Apparently it is located centrally everywhere in Bangkok and Chiangmai. 

A pork curry lunch set which I thought wasn't bad but was overpriced. The serving was small; it doesn't help that I'm not a big fan of rice too. All in all, we are paying for franchise food which is often more expensive. 

How do you like the iPhone cover? =) Or do you not see it?

Ninety-four coffee
https://www.facebook.com/94coffee

Travelogue Bangkok Day 3: We're on a boat!

Remember the brekkie 'I do not bother posting about'? I managed to find a snapshot of it somehow, to justify my previous comment.  Enough said, we decided to join a half day tour to make our lives easier. 

Damnoensaduak Floating Market- Apologies as this is not the 'money shot'. 

Loved this cheerful old lady- I actually had trouble locating her after. I wanted to buy whatever she was selling because she was so pleasant!

I thought the mango sticky rice was better at Indra Square's foodcourt (that's if my memory serves me correctly). This was almost too creamy for my liking. 

Now, can I say I was literally forced to have a taste of this?!! This thin crepe was filled with coconut cream and grated carrots or something. It was definitely coconut cream! Mum loved it. 

 We literally pushed our luck with this- some spicy flavoured soup with kuay teow. The tour guide was already standing there as we were having our first mouthful. She called herself 'Miss Bangkok' and was waiting to take us up a speedboat she claimed as 'James Bond Boat'. We thought the flavours were different from the previous broths we had, and this was definitely full of heat.