Midtown Cafe - Sydney

A chic cafe located just next to the George St. cinemas. The main appeal of this place is its convenient location and they open till quite late, so if I'm feeling peckish after watching such blockbusters as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen or Eatlikeacow: the Movie (oh, ha ha very funny. I'm soo creative), you can bet that I'll drop by.



Oh, wow. What a cool effect, huh?

It's actually a photo of chandeliers in the cafe taken with a very, very shaky camera. How did I achieve this cool effect? I won't reveal how. Sorry. Amateur photographer's code. (note to self: it's not like I'm a magician with magician's code). Oh, okay - I'll speak, I'll speak.
Actually, my camera was broken and it vibrated a lot. So, when it vibrated like crazy, I used the opportunity to take this like, totally super awesome shot.

Okay - enough randomness and let's get to the food ASAP!




Okay. Maybe a couple more non-food photos and THEN I'll get to the food!!

Bruschetta

-> This is simply the BEST bruschetta I've tasted in a long time (time to go to Italy, I guess?) LOL. Anyway, it has a kick-arse avocado salsa and very high butter content (which equals total yum-ness). It's such a satisfying treat

(BTW, "kick-arse"?? "yum-ness"?? what happened to my vocabulary? A few months of not writing a blog really takes a toll on my fantabulous vocabulary. Oh my. How utterly derisory and farcical. THERE! I can still remember a few big words!)

Rating: 7/10

The artworks and posters on this cafe is so delightful and amusing. It's really my kind of stuff. Just look at this poster by Mauzan. Impressive! Very 1920s. Very Art Deco.





-> My oh my. I don't even remember what this dish is called. Okay, let me explain it to you instead. It's basically a firm-fleshed fish (Barramundi or John Dory) baked inside layers of mashed potato, mozzarella, and what tastes like either Bearnaise sauce or slightly savory Bechamel. This is a VERY piping hot dish (because it's baked, duhh). The texture is a delight, but taste-wise it's a tad bland because as you can see there's no strongly-flavoured ingredient in this dish. After a few bites, this dish does get a little bit tedious on the stomach.

Rating: 6/10

Guylian Cafe - The Rocks, Sydney

Hello, world!

After a gazillion months living in seclusion (no, not in a deserted yet uber-luxurious resort 300 miles north of Bora Bora), I'm making a soft comeback! Anyway, it's partially because I hate seeing Cla so lonely being the only contributing contributor at eatlikeacow and I realize it's time I start bringing cameras back to restaurants and snap some pics for you nice people to ooh and ahh and look at (hopefully).

...just FYI, taking a break off from eatlikeacow was like a vacation for me. I really enjoyed not lugging my camera to restaurants and having nice dinners with my friends without yelling "HEY! DON'T TOUCH THAT YET! I HAVEN'T TAKEN THE PICS YET!" to my friends every now and then.

Okay, back to the subject at hand. Guylian Cafe at The Rocks.




As far as I know, Guylian Cafe at The Rocks is still one of the top 10 posh patisserie-slash-coffeehouse in Sydney. It really has that European feel to it. Plus, I love Guylian. It's kind of the affordable alternative to Godiva or Valrhona, LOL. Let's face it, unless you're a Greek shipping magnate, who can afford to stock up on Godiva pralines in your big fridge?



The good thing about Guylian Cafe is, you can get fancy schmancy desserts that they serve in three-star restaurants without having to pay $200 for the preceding junks they serve (ha ha just kidding)

Mango Catalonia

-> This was their special of the day thing so I'm not sure if I get the name right. This thing looks pretty (reminds me of my late turtle Tupples, may he rest in peace), but rather hard to enjoy. The crust is very attractive, but it isn't the easiest thing to swallow. However, on the up-side, the mango mousse is to die for.

Rating: 7/10

Enjoy In

-> Hazelnut dacquoise enveloped with raspberry mousse. What can be better than that? Simply stunning. It's food like these that made me really really want to become a patissier (although I might end up flunking the course and become a patisserie eater, instead)

Rating: 8/10

Guylian Original Belgian Chocolate Praline Spread

-> The takeaway. This thing is crazy delicious. Think Nutella but much better texture, slightly less sweet, and infused with that magical Guylian aroma. This thing is supposed to be used as a spread for your sandwich, toast, cakes, etc...but I said to myself, screw it - I'm eating it straight from the jar.

Rating: 8.5/10

Novus - National Museum of Singapore

Went to the museum and had lunch dessert before Karesansui class..


'Love Tank' by S. Teddy Darmawan


Pear + Apple + Mint


Orange


Skinny Cappuccino


Aglio Olio


Tiramisu


and later in class...


Genmaicha

Pierre Herme

in case some of you were not aware that the selby featured Pierre Herme house a while ago...





click here



and i've just bought ...

recipes are relatively simple... but i've just realized i have nothing to bake with other than an oven.... ( anyone wants to donate a Kitchenaid?? :p ) for now, it will just serve as a coffee table book

Congee for idiots

1/2 cup rice
4 cup water
thinly sliced pork rib (boneless)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
crushed ginger
crushed garlic
cracked black pepper to taste
dunk everything in the rice cooker put on porridge setting... 1 hour later... voila!
(stir in between if you like the thicker consistency)
slice some spring onion to top it off

note: still cant chew... *tear

Sun with Moon - Wheelock Place

Iced Yuzu Tea



Seafood Kamameshi





Skin nourishing Collagen Hot Pot & chicken cucumber ume salad
that white blob is the collagen ball!






Rating: 9/10
this place is my new "tonkichi"...

The White Rabbit - Dempsey

a renovated chapel on the hill




What's Up, Doc?
Carrot and Orange Juice + Ginger
mum loves it but me hate ginger


Mixed Berry Smoothies
ugh, brain freezeeee!!!!!
wanted another rhubarb drink, but waiter said the rhubarb went rotten... :S

The White Rabbit Mac & Cheese
served with spring vegetables and an indulgent truffle sauce
looks small, but really quite filling. and that truffle sauce is making me sick by the end of it... sauce is too thick and lumpy? need to be more smooth~


Grilled Salmon
served with seasonal vegetables and orange Maltaise sauce
too normal... overcooked by my standard and mum hate the sauce...


Eggs Benedict
standard, salad has a nice dressing though...


Rating: 6/10
I really want to like the place (have a thing for anything rabbit, being my chinese zodiac explains my spoilt nature perfectly) but seriously, it's very disappointing and insignificant...

visit the website instead! its beyond cute!!! very Alice in Wonderland and typical Asylum...
click here

Azur - Crown Plaza Hotel, Changi Airport

went to the new (but not that new) airport hotel to have brekky and raid the room...

Rating: 6/10
other than the waffle, nothing else stands out and definitely lacking both in quantity and quality...

Mango Tree - Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok

last meal at the airport




Iced Coffee

Spicy Grilled Chicken Strip

Beef Ball Noodle

Vegetarian Pad Thai

Tom Yam Noodle

Mango Sticky Rica
they finally got stingy with the mangoes...

Rating: 8/10

thai food taste pretty much the same all over bangkok...mouth watering! in fact, the uglier and cheaper the place, the better it taste... the swankier ones are usually catered to foreigners and less authentic, i guess... still, after 8 straight days, i havnt had thai since and that was more than 4 months ago...

Hua Hin Beach

spent the day at the beach...
we're no beach people (my mum went fully covered head to toe plus wide rimmed hats) but it seems the thai isnt either...
the beach is super crowded with beach chair and no sand left uncovered, yet there's about ten measly people in the water.... XD







i expected to get sick from the food, but didnt.. so that's a good thing...

Thomson - Rama 1, Bangkok

If you dont like to do the touristy thing in Thailand, at least come see the Jim Thomson house (beautiful traditional house + intriguing missing person tale + antiques) !
If you cant be bothered with museums, then you still have to come for a meal in the restaurant...
If you cant make it to Thailand, they just opened in Dempsey, Singapore... how convenient... :D









Rosella Iced & w/o
the latest anti-oxidant craze...


Iced Lemongrass


Iced Coffee
what coffee is it that the thai used?? a lil different from vietnamese coffee, a lil like japanese iced coffee...




Grapefruit Salad
whenever in Thomson, you have to order the salad!




Chicken Curry


Salmon Spring Roll


Tom Yum


Ice Cream
its like a chendol ice cream... with jackfruit, chendol and coconut... yum yum


Rating: 8/10

Floating Market - Damnoen Saduak

"floating market = floating tourist rubbish" (LUXE city guides)
XD

well, if anything, you get to sit on the James Bond - that long tail boat (not recommended of you have a bad back), see how their village people lives & see how they juggle a tray from the middle of the canal all the way to land... (but it is quite a long way from the city and you have to set off before the sun rises...)

with all the food there, am not going to complain....

Parking Lot Snacks

we see food, we see steam, we drool, we wantttt!!!!!
our day guide buys us a whole bundle of these stuff because we look super excited and interested... but one bite and we all turn silent... XD... its practically sticky rice + black bean and that's it............................ not sweet, not salty. ??!?!??!?!?!??!?!

Ban Khun Mae - Siam Square

*as recommended by Sa's colleague

Siam Square is very happening at night; walking around in the evening there was probably about 3-4 different live performance going on... pity the shops were closed :(



Larb
spicy glass noodle salad
most people are more familiar with som tum/ papaya salad when it comes to thai salad... this is spicy glass noodle usually with a choice of meat/seafood... very very spicy. it's awesome... i tried my first one in sydney (that crocodile thai place on the chinatown end of george st!) have been hooked since... :D~~~~

Mixed stir fried veggies
nothing special, we simply need the fiber... we each put on 3kgs from the week long stay... :P

Chicken in Pandan Leaves

Tom Yum
there's 2 type of tom yum, red and white... white despite looking safer, is much more potent so proceed with caution! its less spicy, more sour and tongue-burning....

Fried Fish with tamarind and spice

Yam ball with coconut milk served warm
this is that thai desert that came with egg yolk... we ordered ours without, for obvious reasons... its really nice this way..i dont think i have the stomach to try one with eggs...

Steamed Cassava with coconut milk

Mango with Sticky rice

Rating: 8.5/10
i believe this is more northern thailand cuisine, much like Chat Thai in Sydney

ps. i've noticed they're really stingy with the sticky rice

Cafe de Tu - Siam Paragon

simply needed a place to rest the feet and people watch, and they had cute chairs...