Thursday, July 24, 2008

Apple fever!

The new iPhone - better than guitar hero! We had crazy fun playing beer games and checking out the varied applications unique to iPhone... shazam! Emi, enjoy your new toy!

stormiii at 10:24 am

0cups of tea

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Daylesford, again :)

It appears that I would have to make Daylesford an annual getaway - I can't get enough of it! The lush forests, autumn colours and country charms plus rejuvenating hot springs are just an hour and half away :) I brought Danie there on her last visit and we also included a night's stay at the lovely Shizuka Ryokan. Our lunch at the deli cafe on Vincent St - prawn linguine lightly seasoned with cheese and lime zest.

Good ol' pumpkin and veggie soup with thick slices of garlic toast.

Shizuka Ryokan is an authentic and award winning Japanese guesthouse/day spa right in hot spring country :) A B&B package for two is at least $200 and all the 8 rooms are always sold out on weekends.

We were the only guests that Tuesday evening and we loved every minute of the silence as we flip flopped in our yukata and room slippers :) The tatami room is traditionally designed with a small garden, veranda and...

... a jacuzzi in the bathroom!!

A sweet Japanese girl called Michiyo showed us around and served us green tea and shortbread sakura cookies :)

The guestrooms surround a zen garden and is beautifully lit at night.

We ordered a 4 course kaiseki dinner served in our rooms - very Japan Hour! First course - a selection of sashimi, sushi and soba.

Second - tempura moriawase.

Third - beef sukiyaki set.

Fourth - dessert of green tea and azuki bean ice cream :D

During dessert, Michiyo prepared our futon beds. Sweet dreams!

We left Shizuka Ryokan, relaxed and full after a traditional Japanese breakfast and headed to the Convent Gallery. A former Catholic boarding school, the historical building was renovated and turned into a gorgeous art gallery, cafe and bar.

A lovely view of Daylesford from the attic window!

We loaded up on some yummy scones and decadent hot choc at Locarno before the drive back to crowded MEL!

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stormiii at 5:12 pm

2cups of tea

Friday, July 18, 2008

Hako!

Finally, the wild goose chase ends :D I joined Emi and her ex-TP coursemates for dinner at Hako Japanese (310 Flinders Lane, Melbourne). The single page menu lists the usual favourites, while the specials are pasted on the restaurant's windows. A must have, is their signature ebi tempura :D

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stormiii at 4:58 pm

0cups of tea

Monday, July 14, 2008

Wicked!

Emi and I indulged in a lovely dose of Broadway magic by catching "Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz" :D

The musical is showing at the gorgeous Regent Theatre on Collins St where every nook and cranny is reminiscent of the Moorish architecture in Andalusia :)

The stage was not very big but the views were good enough from where we sat in the cheapest category :P I loved the strong vocals of the lead actress who played Elfaba, the "wicked witch" and the way they weaved it's namesake movie into the story.

Back onto the cold streets of MEL in winter!



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stormiii at 9:16 pm

1cups of tea

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Ipoh Jaya

Do not be put off by Ipoh Jaya's (90 Queensberry St cnr Lygon St, Carlton) "eclectic" decor; for it is a Malaysian restaurant/hen's night party venue/karaoke lounge rolled into one :P If and when the place is open for dinner, one enters by a small door set under a dim signboard. Twin merlion statues decorate one wall while a disco ball, CDs and sequinned curtains hide what must be the hen's party set :D

But the food is simple, homecooked and amazing. The menu is limited to the usual local favourites and the auntie serving speaks gently; as though you are truly blood relatives :) We deduced that it is also possibly Chuckee who is the chef/cocktail mixer. Here's my special order of Seafood Mee Goreng in it's lip smacking kecap glory... YUM!

They also serve authentic Penang hawker dishes such as this delicious Penang laksa. Definitely a must try when in Lygon St!

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stormiii at 10:16 pm

0cups of tea

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The Miele Guide

The Miele Guide

No, it's not a manual for using Miele's range of products, but "Asia’s first truly independent regional restaurant guide when launched in October 2008". A little trivia for food bloggers, this publication is led by Chubby Hubby and his team. And they want to hear from you!

A short introduction from the Miele Guide's website:

"The Miele Guide will be Asia’s first truly independent regional restaurant guide when launched in October 2008, and also its most authoritative—we do not accept free meals or advertising from restaurants. Written by food lovers who know and love Asia, The Miele Guide will rank and profile restaurants across the region’s major cities, categorised by country, city and cuisine, in a slim, indispensable volume.

The 2008/2009 edition will evaluate restaurants in 16 Asian countries—Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Unlike most guides, there will be no arbitrary, secretive selection procedures, and your vote plays a big part. Now’s your chance to shape and mould culinary history. A shortlist has been drawn from the region’s top food critics and we want you to vote now and tell us which restaurants you think are the best. And if your favourite restaurant is not on the shortlist, you’ll have the option to nominate and vote for it too. From these results, a list of Asia’s top restaurants will be drawn. We will rank and profile in detail the top 20 in Asia. The rest will be categorised by country, city and cuisine.

Your participation, through voting and feedback, is important to The Miele Guide and we warmly invite you to vote now. When you register, please have a valid Visa card handy. Voting is open only to Visa cardholders."

Voting ends 31 July 2008 so be sure to support your favourite Asian restaurants!

stormiii at 11:20 pm

0cups of tea