Food is our Religion

Malta

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 22:20:00 +0000

Helllo fellow humans! Malta is a place you should certainly visit at least once in your life time. Malta takes their beaches very seriously. It is a country filled with one of the most cleanest beaches within Europe and it has a website (whichbeach.com.mt, literally) dedicated to pin pointing you to the beach of the day. Malta can be described using all the key buzz words such a "hidden gem", an "untouched territory", an "emerging holiday destination", etc etc etc etc etc.

If you are planning on making a trip to Malta, I would highly recommend a few things:
1. Hire a car because trust me, you life would be so much easier. Yes, the island is small but public transport in Malta is not entirely reliable and it is best to travel from point to point in the comfort of your reliable vehicle. It is also insanely cheap to hire a car in Malta.

2. Explore Malta over a bare minimum of 4 days so you cover enough surface area and visit places properly without rushing around everywhere.

3. Dedicate at least a day to visit / drive around Gozo. Things in Gozo are much less touristy, the beaches are way nicer and things you much cheaper than the main island of Malta. As soon as you drive off the ferry, you will instantly notice that the vibe in Gozo is much more laid back and you naturally shift a couple of gears back into slow motion. If I had an extra day, I would have loved to stay a night in Gozo. Ramla Bay on Gozo is also must when you go - there is a beautiful short hike where you can get a view of the beach from high up inside a cave. It is quite breathtaking.

4. Last but not least, you obviously have to visit the blue lagoon of Comino in Malta. I think it is probably the number 1 thing to do in Malta, particularly in the warmer months. Now, there are two main options to get there. Option 1: You can take a tour but be stuck with thousands of tourists (albeit this may be a great option if you don't have a car or run of time to organise anything). Alternatively, Option 2: You can drive to the ferry port (near the Gozo Ferry Port) and park your car there then take a short ferry across. The only catch is that you need to go early to shot gun a parking spot, which is located behind a hotel (there is only one main hotel next the ferry port). There will be signs directing you to the car park. It can be a pain to head there early but believe me, you will be one of the first few people to get there and it feels like you have the whole place to yourself. Serenity.

Over and out,
SSTL

Lapland, Finland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:51:00 +0000

Lapland, a bucket list destination, I have been lusting to visit for ages. Finally, the day came and it was like winter wonderland but in real life. Trees are literally dressed in snow from top to bottom, powder white snow everywhere and of course, it was freezing. Like try minus 26 degrees and current feels becomes minus 30... #yolo

DC and I started from Santa Clause village and snowmobiled for 70 KMs with some pit stops to sled with the cutest huskies, attempted to go ice fishing on a frozen lake, bbq'ed in minus 30. DC and I also tried bear at Restaurant Nili, which tasted like kangaroo but a lot more gamey. Lastly, we headed up north for 3 hours and finally reached our igloo hotel at the Kakaslauttanen Arctic Resort. Although we didn't see strong northern lights, I highly recommend visiting Lapland in winter as I will guarantee it is an experience you will never forget. The snow covering the whole region makes you feel like you have stepped onto another planet.

Rasoun, Jerash, Dead sea, Wadi Rum & Petra, Jordan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 16:55:00 +0000

Visiting Jordan is like stepping foot onto Mars.. just without a field of potatoes. The scenery is unreal, the food hits the soul and best of all, the locals welcome you with their arms wide open. Everyone in Jordan was so kind hearted.

We travelled across the country over 10 days where we hiked through luscious greenery in Rasoun in the north with a local home stay family, retraced the roman steps in Jerash, drove down the country where we floated on the dead sea, hiked through Dana and the water streams of Jordan Valley and of course, Petra. We also did some glamping ~~camped~~ at some of beautiful camp sites with some seriously tasty eats e.g. they roasted some chicken and lamb in an underground "oven" using the heat from underneath!

A huge shout out to Discover Jordan Tours - they made the organisation effortless and the trip so fun. We had the best driver / hiking and tour guide / photographer, Abdullah, where he made it so much fun!

Southern Iceland, Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 23:07:00 +0000

Where do I even start with any of this.

Iceland is literally like a virtual postcard in HQ quality. No matter where you turn or where you look, everything looks stunning.

Iceland is a country filled with gushing waterfalls, insane rock formations, mountain valleys, ice caves and glaciers as blue as the sky, landscapes covered in masses of moss, rainbows, sunsets filled with every shade of orange and yellow that you can think of and of course, the northern lights dancing in the sky.

Iceland is a place where all the natural sceneries feel larger than life. For every moment that you are there, you will find yourself with a chill trickling down your back, pinching yourself whilst wondering how is all of this so real and incredible beautiful.

Thank you for an amazing trip Iceland.

Brussels, Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 12:05:00 +0000

Belgium, a country filled with loads of beer, chocolate, mussels and frites. Alas, the country is small but its culinary offering will be sure to whet your appetite. For seafood lovers in particular, one of my favourite pit stops was lunch at Noordzee - Mer Du Nord in Brussels where you make your picks from a large selection of fresh seafood.

Oh, and don't forget to visit the main square of Brussels at night. All the buildings in the square light up, making it feel even more grand than it already is. If you ask me, it is a pretty spectacular 360 view.

Finally, if you are visit Brussels by the Eurostar and if you can spare an extra day (or even two) then I would encourage you to make the most of your journey by making a day visit to Bruges and / or Ghent. Unfortunately I was only there for a weekend and ran out of time. Nevertheless, these two destinations have been added on my travel wish list.

- Memories in Brussels -

Lisbon, Belem and Lagos / Algarve, Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 18:58:00 +0000

Before visiting Portugal, I continuously heard loads of great things from friends but at the back of my mind, I was wondering exactly how amazing can this place be? So after visiting Portugal myself, l can verify that the place is bloody awesome. The food, the culture and the sea caves. Oh my lord. What I would give just to be back there in a heart beat.

Benagil sea cave - another bucket list item ticked off

First stop in Portugal was Lisbon. The first Portugese was the classic peri peri chicken. I thought I knew what peri peri chicken was but no (and it certainly isn't close to whatever Nando's serves). Did you know peri peri sauce is actually an oil based sauce where you literally brush it onto the chicken?? At first, the peri peri oil seems subtle but a few seconds later, the chilli really kicks in.

No trip to Portugal is complete without some peri peri chicken

The first meal in Lisbon was the classic peri peri chicken. I thought I knew what peri peri chicken was but no (and it certainly isn't close to whatever Nando's serves). Did you know peri peri sauce is actually an oil based sauce where you literally brush it onto the chicken?? The chicken was tender, with a decent amount of charcoal aroma. The peri peri oil gave it a good kick; at first, the chilli seems subtle but a few seconds later, the chilli really kicks in.

Goooooo Portugal

When DC and I were in Lisbon, Portugal was playing in the Euros 2016. No doubt, there were crowds of people gathering around the bars, restaurants and on the streets in anticipation for Portugal to win. Luckily Portugal won and man, the crowds went wild. Excitement soared through the roof, people in their cars starting honking non-stop. Everybody was going nuts with so much joy.

Pastéis de Belém

Portuguese tart for life

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The Belem Tower

From Lisbon, we also did a day trip out to Belem (which is only a short train ride away). Besides checking out the touristy statues on our sightseeing list, the ultimate reason why we ventured out to Belem is to eat at Pastéis de Belém. Queen of Portuguese tarts.

Before you even see the pasty shop, you will most likely see the mass amount of people queuing up outside but I can assure you, the tarts are worth the wait. Their tarts are out of this world. The pastry is buttery and super crispy and flakey whilst the innards has the right amount of caramelisation without too much custard or sugar. F*cking delicious.

Tivoli Hotel

Next up in Portugal was Lagos (approx. 3 hour drive from Lisbon). Alternatively, you can fly into Faro from Lisbon but getting around Lagos / Algarve is easier with a car. We stayed at the Tivoli Hotel, which includes access to a semi private beach. Absolute bliss!

Lagos was definitely one of the highlights of my entire summer European trip. The sea caves, particularly the Benagil sea cave, were completely and utterly out of this world. There is nothing quite like it.

Benagil sea cave

Benagil Beach

To actually get to Benagil sea cave, DC and I drove to Benagil beach (approx. 40 mins drive from Tivoli Hotel) and got a 1.5 hour sea cave tour (approx. 25 euros pp), which included time for you to get off and step foot inside the Benagil sea cave. When I first saw a photo of the Benagil sea cave, I immediately had to add it to my bucket list. I was completely speechless when the boat drove inside. The cave felt like it was larger than life. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever encountered. The more I think about it, the more I want to go back.

The sea cave tour gives you about 30 minutes inside the cave but we actually spent over an hour inside the cave to really take it all in. All you do is just take the next boat that comes in (approx. every 15 minutes). The cave is really close to Benagil beach but unless you canoe your way in, it can be dangerous to swim across as the strong waves could smash you into the rocks.

Sea cave tour in Lagos

Sea caves around Lagos

So much natural beauty - sea cave tour at Benagil Beach

Around Lagos, there were also a lot of other sea caves which you can visit on a 1.5 hour to 2 hour tour for approx. the same price. There are loads of tours available around Lagos with different companies and at different times of the day. I would recommend trying to find a tour which has a smaller boat - the smaller the boat, the more you will be able to squeeze into the tighter sea caves.

Praia do Camilo

Chargrilled squid

One of the popular and probably, the more iconic beaches in Lagos is Praia do Camilo. The beach is surrounded with many beautiful sea caves and rocks, including ones where you can even go through and take you to another beach right next door.

Above the Praia do Camilo beach is Restaurante O Camilo - best to book a table if you want to get a spot outdoors that has an awesome view of Algarve.

Cataplana de Marisco

Last but not least is one of my favourite Portugese dishes and more specifically, a local dish of the southern end of the country, cataplana de marisco. The best way to describe it, is that it is like the Portugese version of the seafood paella except replace the crusty rice base with mini potato pillows. This dish was bloody amaaaazzzinnnngggggg - so so so so soo flavoursome and great for one if you are a huge seafood lover like myself. It is approx. a 40 minute wait for the dish to be made, unless you order the dish in advance before arriving. DC and I waited and it was worth every minute. The dish had loads of seafood and even between us two, we struggled to finish the entire dish.

Needless to say, Portugal has stolen a huge chunk of my heart, particularly Lagos / Algarve. The natural beauty of the sea caves just took my mind away. For those that have been, I totally get what you are on about now. For those that haven't, hurry up and jump on a plane to get your butt there.

Dear Portugal, this isn't a good bye as I will definitely be back.

Over and out,

#SSTL

For more of Portugal, head over to instagram #shananddennisportugal

Barcelona, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 23:45:00 +0000

Ahhh Barcelona. You are seriously such a fun and vibrant city. The energy thriving throughout Barcelona is very contagious.

Stained glass for days

One of the highlights of Barcelona is definitely the architecture created by Mr Guadí. Absolutely breathtaking. There is really nothing quite like it. I still remember the moment I walked out of the metro station, turned around and got the first glimpse of the Sagrada Familia. I was completely speechless and my mind just shat itself from being so taken back. The building was larger than life yet you could still see the intricate details on the building. Incredibly surreal.

The Sagrada Familia

The interior of Sagrada Familia was equally just as stunning as its exterior. All the stained glass were so pretty and it was so beautiful to see Mother Nature shining its rays through the temple, which created such a warm and calm atmosphere.

Climbing the towers of Sagrada Familia

DC and I opted for a package entry (29 euros) which included an 'express pass', guided audio and access to the towers. Since the building was still a work in progress, there wasn't much of a view after climbing all the way up there. Nevertheless, it was still an experience and definitely a work out climbing all those stairs.

Park Güell

Another Guadí landmark which we were able to squeeze in was Park Güell (entry fee of 25 euros) and of course, it was uh-mazing. Plus it was a great way to see the city whilst having getting comfy on those artist ceramic seats.

I'd recommend for you to go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds but more importantly, you get to enter the museum without lining up as there is a limited entry of 400 visitors every 30 minutes.

Casa Batlló

Casa Milà

Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to visit every Guadi museum as we were tight on time and the average entry fee for each museum was approx 25 euros pp. I guess we will just have to come back to Barca to tick a few more Guadi museums next time.

El Xampanyet

Order everythang off the menu

When you visit Barca, I don't care how long or short you are there for because if there is one place you but eat at, it is El Xampanyet. Hands bloody down, best restaurant in Barcelona and also one of the best meals I had throughout my 6 week trip in Europe.

The restaurant gives off an old school Spanish bar where you stand around, have a drink and enjoy tapas. The food is so authentic and the flavours were spot on. Nothing was too rich, salty or sweet. Unfortunately the restaurant does not take bookings so I recommend for you to arrive 15 mins before they open their doors. DC and I went for dinner, and within 5 minutes of the restaurant opening, the entire place was c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y packed out from the tables to the bars to the free standing areas.

I don't want to hype this place up too much for you but.. SERIOUSLY dude, you need to give this place a go. If the restaurant is full, you can go next door to another bar where there is generally more seating available and the food is also meant to be quite good too.

Oh jamon, come to momma

How cute are these mini paellas!

Eat ALL the tapas when one is in Spain

Another must have no matter where you are in Spain is of course tapasssssssss. A really (dangerously) fun restaurant is El Nacional in Barcelona, which is also nicely situated near Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. Oh man, it's basically a gigantic and beautifully decorated room filled with four different bars and restaurants. Who needs to go on a bar crawl when you can just move from bar to bar at the same place, especially when the food at El Nacional is so dam delicious. Tapas game, strong.

Braised pork rib with gravy and mashed potatoes

Whilst we are on the topic of food (because what else is there to possibly talk about), back in the old days, the King believed that everyone should have the right to feast like a king irrespective of whether you are wealthy or poor. Due to this, restaurants back then offered a 3 course lunch special with a glass of wine for a very cheap price. Fast forward to the present, although this is no longer a law, a lot of restaurants in Barcelona still carry on this tradition. You can find the same lunch special for 6 to 15 euros pp, depending on where you go. Obviously, the more you pay, the more value you will get.

We went El Casal which had the 3 course lunch special with wine for 12 euros and dam.... we struggled to finish all the good food. Originally we thought that because of the lunch special, the size of the dishes would not be that big. Oh how famous those last words became. Each dish was a proper size and the main, was a real main. So if you are in Barcelona, you would be doing yourself a injustice if you don't give these lunch specials a go.

Another city in Spain, another day filled with jamon...

La Boqueria Food Market

As mentioned in my post of Madrid, food markets across Europe is a must. One of these includes La Boqueria in Barcelona. No matter which way you turn, you will see loads of different food, fresh and cheap fresh produce, so many inviting colours, and an endless amount of food stalls. It is definitely one of the best food markets I have been too because the variety at La Boqueria is just endless.

So unfortunately we have come to the end of this post as well as an end to my travels around Spain. Cant wait to explore other areas of Spain - please let me know if you have any recommendations on where to go next in Spain, would love to adventure out to more regions across Spain.

Next up - Portugal.

Until then, gotta go eat!!

#SSTL

Madrid, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Ola. ¡buenos días. cómo estás?

Jamon for breakfast? Sure, why not.

Where do I even begin with Spain. All I can think about is all the mouth watering jamon and all the tinto de verano DC and I consumed when we were travelling through Spain. Good food and booze followed by daily siestas.. now that is what life is all about.

Eat all the Jamon

First stop in Spain is Madrid. One of the very first things you will notice when in Madrid is that the Spanish sure love their iberia jamon. It is everywhereeeee and it tastes so bloody amazing. I used to be someone who wasn't too crazy about cured meat but that was until Spain. The country that changed it all. The jamon on the other side of the world are to die for. There is just the right amount of saltiness and fattiness; it just melts right in your mouth, especially you have it with a slightly toasted bread roll...

A trip to Spain is not complete without some paella

The other must have in Spain is of course, paella for lunch (not dinner, unless you want to make it even more obvious that you are a tourist). DC and I checked out La Barraca as it seemed to have quite a long history of serving up paella since 1935.

The moment the paella arrived, my eyeballs were rolled so far back from being so gobsmacked by the smell of all saffron. With your first mouthful, you are guaranteed to get a strong aroma of the seafood, the zestiness from the lemon together with the crunchy rice grains. Sadly it didn't have a crunch base but at least all the flavours were bang on. Madrid isn't the home of paella in Spain so I can't really comment on how "authentic" it was but nevertheless, it was a mind blowing experience.

dark chocolate for the win

Another item to add to the eating list is the famous churros from Chocolateria San Gines, which are like no other churros I've ever had before. They have a warm fluffy centre with a super crispy outer, which you then dip into the rich dark chocolate. It was a sweltering 40 degrees that day and even in the heat, those churros were still dam delicious.

how cool is this caved restaurant!

If you have some extra time in Madrid, you should also check out El Restaurante Botín, the oldest restaurant in the world that opened their doors in 1725. If you do go, I would highly recommend booking a table so you have the true experience of dining in the original decor (i.e. the 'cave restaurant') located downstairs. Otherwise, you will get a walk-in table which are located on the ground floor and looks like a typical European restaurant.

Insanely crispy suckling pig

The suckling pig is Botin's signature dish. After taking your first bite, you will definitely understand and hear why. You can hear the crunch of the crackling echo through the restaurant. Ok that is probably a bit exaggerated but the peeps on your table would certainly be able to hear it. The other dishes however were unfortunately fairly salty which made it difficult to finish everything. In saying that though, dining in the world's oldest restaurant is certainly a bucket list item in the food spectrum of life and I am glad I was able to tick that one off the list as it isn't something we can do everyday.

Mercado de la Paz

Last but not least are the food markets in Madrid (and all of Europe). We are talking cheap, real authentic, hearty food. The best part about these food markets is that they open till late so after many tinto de verano's and after the munchies, the food market is going to be your place of glory.

DC and I checked out Mercado San Anton which is more like a food court styled food market, Mercado de San Miguel, one of the liveliest culinary spots in Madrid and of course, Mercado de la Paz, one of the oldest food markets in Madrid. If time is of essence, checking out a food market is the best way to give yourself the opportunity try as many of the local eats as possible. If you are also going during the day and want to avoid the crowds, try and go before noon. Shortly after noon, the definition of personal space cease to exist.

On a different note, I thought it was worth while sharing a couple of minor tips:

Madrid is split into two parts; the modern part (Grand Via) and the old historic centre (slightly off Plaza Mayor). DC and I stayed in Grand Via - to travel to this area from the airport, you can either catch the metro however there are endless amounts of stairs which could be fairly difficult if you have a lot of pieces of luggage. Alternatively, if you want to avoid all the stairs, you can catch the Aeroshuffle, which is much easier (9 euros pp plus 3 euros for additional baggage in excess of a check in luggage + handbag).

Spain in general is one of the countries that is infamous for pick pocketing (ranked second after Czech Republic). We were luckily enough for not to be pick-pocketed in Spain but we did have a few sly glances throughout our time there so just be smart. Keep jewellery to a minimum and try to get a bag that has several layers of fabric so even if they do slit the first layer, its more difficult for them to get to your personal belongings.

As Madrid is located in the heart of Spain, it can get pretty dam hot. It got so hot for us that both DC and I got heat strokes. So if you can, avoid going to Madrid in July and definitely August because you will be in for one heck of a heat wave, particularly where all the heat is trapped between all the buildings.

Finally, please check out my video of Spain! Would love any feed back about the video or simply share your experience of Spain and whether there are any places you can recommend going?

Next up, Barcelona.

Until then, gotta go eat!!

#SSTL

#shananddennis wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:04:00 +0000

The story all began on 25 October 2008. After 6 years, DC finally popped the question after following the bread crumbs at Sculptures by the Sea on 25 October 2014. We celebrated our engagement with our closets friends and family 6 months after and finally, on 20 March 2016, DC and I finally made it official!

welcome to the #shananddennis wedding
photographer: Katherine Williams of Something Blue

its official!

the new family portrait

trying to walk through all that mud gracefully and without stacking it
bridal dress by Peter Trend Bridals
custom made head piece by Summer Blossom
suits and shirts by M J Bale and shoes by Florishem
BM's dresses by the Peppy Studio and shoes from the Spurr

After a year and a half of preparation and procrastination, the big day was finally here. The wedding was held at Margan Restaurant in Broke Fordwich on Sunday, 20 March 2016.

After finishing up work on the Friday before the big day, we all drove up to the Hunter Valley on Saturday morning, checked in at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley hotel, pigged out on pizza and then tried to sleep.

A few of us popped some sleeping pills but they failed to work. At 3.30 am the next day (yes, you read right), the ladies from CJ Artistries arrived to work their magic while the guys just rolled out of bed and put on a suit a few hours later, just like every other working day.

I was probably thinking, what on earth am I going to do with this dress after the day was over lol

30 minutes after rolling out of bed, they were all ready to jet

Once the entire bridal party was ready, we all headed out for the first look in Broke Fordwich and thank you mother nature for not raining!! After using all my data in constantly refresh the weather app whilst being stuck in the horrendous rain during the lead up to the big day, everyone was so relieved not a single drop of rain came down until.. the end of the day.

waiting for the first look whilst the BM's were "guarding" the entrance

thank you guys for being such an awesome bridal partay

Half way through the morning, we bumped into a bunch of old school bikies who looked like they drove out of a sons of anarchy film set. Thick beards, dust guards, leather from top to bottom, tattoos extended to their finger tips, the full shebang. Pulling up to the old school petrol station and bumping into these bikies was certainly one of my favourite moments of the day.

LOVE this old school petrol station

highlight of the day

When all the initial photography session was finished, it was time to walk down the aisle. Holy shitballs. Heck man, I didn't realise how full on this process was going to feel. I went from feeling blasé to a nervous wreck which is usually unheard of for someone who isn't at all a romantic and never dreamt about their wedding when since they were five years old.

ceremony area styled by Peonies
welcome signage created by Suely Lu

Florals styled by Peonies

dun dun dadunnnn

its official!

Next up after the official ceremony, it was time for the tea ceremony which basically involves the elderly relatives sipping the most expensive tea of their lives, lawls.

tea ceremony

Finally, when all the ceremonies were completed, it was time to begin the reception inside the barrel room, which was also styled by Peonies. When I first looked up Margans online, the first thing I fell in love with was their barrel room especially with all those barrels stacked across the entire wall. Walking in there with the room smelling of wine just made me fall in love with it even more.

drink all the wine from all the barrels
candy bar items by Hello Naomi and My Sweeties

our wedding cake, designed by the Hello Naomi

Custom made guest book / art frame by Rebecca Rees Designs
(FYI, for those that are interested, she does do international shipping)

Stationery designed by Suely Lu

top: Make you feel my love, Adele Adkins
bottom: Summer, Calvin Harris
choreograph by Jaye of Crossover Dance Studios

the first dance
make you feel my love, Adele Adkins
choreograph by Jaye of Crossover Dance Studios
dress by Lover the label and shoes by Siren

summer, Calvin Harris
choreograph by Jaye of Crossover Dance Studios
can't believe this was actually pulled off by the entire BM party

Overall, the day was a success and basically everything went according to plan which was a sigh of relief for any bride. If someone asked me to go back in time and do it all over again, heck I sure would but perhaps I would probably choose a dress which I could actually walk in rather than topple over every 5 seconds.

Finally, DC and I want to thank all our friends and family for coming, eating, dancing and being part of our big day. Your presence meant a lot to us and especially as everyone travelled all the way to Broke Fordewich just to be there. It would not have been the same without each and every one of you.

the crew

signing off, DC and SL

Uluru Ayers Rock, Northern Territory (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 11:44:00 +0000

So one of the most "random" places I have ever been to has got to be Uluru, aka the red desert smack bang in the middle of Australia. In saying that, after being there, I would definitely say it is a must-visit during your lifetime, especially as an Aussie. Although you may think it is just a couple of large rocks, it is pretty different unique and even more of a must-go if you are into hiking.

Uluru, Ayers Rock

The sunset at Uluru

Return plane tickets from Sydney is approximately $150 to $250 ish, depending on when you go. The weather in Uluru is always hot throughout the year. However in winter, it gets extremely cold at night (4 degrees) while in summer, it gets drastically hold during the day (40 degrees plus). When I went, it had just rained so despite the summer, it only got to about 37 to 40 degrees until the last day of our trip which then sky rocketed beyond 40 degrees.

WELCOME TO THE GREAT AUSSIE OUTBACK MATE

When purchasing your plane ticket, a tip is to try and grab a seat on the right on the way there from Sydney and on the way back, try and get a seat on the left. Reason being is you basically score an awesome aerial view of Uluru whilst saving yourself a few hundred bucks instead of getting a helicopter ride of the national park. I assure you that the first thing you will do when you see it from above is, "oh.. is that it?" but just wait till you land and take a drive around.

Uluru viewing point from Ayers Resort Campground

After picking up our car rental, stocking up from the local IGA (which is pretty much opened 99% of the year) and checking into our hotel, we took a mini hike near the resort (approx. 30 to 40 mins away) to one of the viewing points. To get around, there is a free shuttle bus which goes around the 5 hotel resorts in the town centre of Uluru and comes every 20 minutes.

The view isn't the best but it is decent enough for being so close to the resort with minimal effort. After watching the sunset, MC and I headed to dinner at Walpa Lobby Bar, located inside at Sails.

Cold meat platter, including kangaroo meat

Good old spaghetti napoli - $15

After getting some rest, MC and I woke up earlier the next day, fuelled up and drove out to Uluru (20 minutes) to accomplish the base walk.

Breakfast at Desert Garden hotel

Start of the Uluru base walk / Mala walk

Base walk accomplished

The base walk takes approximately 3.5 hours (10 kms) so it is best to start early but definitely no later than 9 am as it gets pretty dam hot. There are also shorter free guided tours which start at 8 AM but since we wanted to do the base walk, we just went on our own.

Make sure you bring PLENTY of water and stay hydrated. I packed houseful of Hydralyte with me to calm my paranoia about my body overheating.

Chicken fillet burger and fries

Meat lovers pizza

After the base walk, MC and I stuffed our faces with lunch at the Gecko Cafe back at the town centre. The food as a whole, isn't anything mind blowing but given you are in the middle of a desert, it is surprisingly not bad. On average, the food at Gecko Cafe was approximately $15 per main which I thought was fairly cheap, especially as the entire resort / town centre is monopolised and it is a small yet touristy town centre.

The crew in the red desert

Kuniya walk

After lunch, the rest of the crew flew in and together, we took a visit to the other areas of Uluru-Kata National park and hiked the Kuniya trail (1km, 45 mins).

cheering at the end of the base walk

The base walk was seriously such an accomplishment! It was one the trail that started getting me into hiking. For those that are into hiking, then I would highly highly recommend this. There are quite a few sections where you can't talk photos or video but you can at least notice the different animal shapes that are formed by the rocks. It was indeed a pretty cool experience.

Remember to slip, slop slap.. or else this happens.

Next up, Valley of the winds and Kings Canyon.

From where you would rather be.

Shifen and Jiufen, Taiwan (Part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 10:45:00 +0000

When one visits Taiwan, one must visit Shifen and Jiufen. Two places that one can never forget. Light up an old school lantern in one hand and take a trip down memory lane to Spirited Away on the other hand.

Way too excited...

Up up andddd away

Since both districts are both west of Taipei, I'd recommend to start super early and visit the two places in the same day, unless of course you are staying overnight. To get to Shifen from Taipei, take the train to Ruifang and then take a connecting train to Shifen using the Pingxi line. MC and I didn't realise that part of Jiufen closes early so if you want to take your time in Shifen, then you are best of going to Jiufen first. But if you want the stunning night view of Jiufen with all the lights lit, then either start the day super early or cut short your trip at Shifen.

MC's and my lantern

The most popular activity in Shifen is to pick a blank lantern, write your wishes all over it and then let it up in the air whilst standing on the railway tracks. Each lantern is approximately AUD6 to AUD10 so they are quite fun and inexpensive. If you can't write in Chinese like me, or if you don't feel like writing then there is always the option of drawing heh. The people selling these lanterns are also super nice as they help you take a photo next to the lantern at every side / angle so ladies, there is no need to panic and feel FOMO.

Shifen station

Shallot "crepe" and nougats in all the flavours you can possibly think of

There is also a popular waterfall in Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, which is also one of the most famous waterfalls in Taiwan. The only downside is that it is a 20 min walk to the waterfall each way. Unfortunately, we were running short on time so MC and I decided to head back to Ruifang and start to make our way to Jiufen.

Welcome back to Ruifang

Food court stalls near Ruifang station

Freshly made buns

dem buns

To get to Jiufen from Shifen, you need to take the train back to Ruifang. Once you are out of the station, cross the road and head left for about 5 minutes until you see the police station. Bus routes 788 or 825 will take you right outside the alley ways to Jiufen. The bus ride isn't long so if you have 20 to 30 mins spare or feeling a bit peckish, I would highly recommend checking out their food court that directly faces the station.

If your hungry then you got to get their freshly made buns. Not only is it made fresh in front of you but it is baked the old school ways. You can literally see them sticking them into an old school oven using their bare hands. Things like this takes the heart of food to another level, especially when they are so rare to find these days.

View from Jiufen tea house

Jiufen Tea House
Photo credit: MC

Tradition tea at the tea house

A must do in Jiufen is to check out the tea houses. MC and I went to the Jiufen Tea House which has a traditional decor and also, an outdoor seating area which overlooks part of city. The tea houses aren't that cheap compared to the things you can get from the street food vendors but the quality of their tea is seriously top notch. They even teach you the process of how often you should be string and changing your tea to really taste the true flavours of the tea leaves.

We purposely went in the late afternoon so we could see all the pretty lights and really take in the whole experience. All the warm lighting with the traditional decor really reminded me of my childhood days of when I was sitting in front of an old television and glued to watching Spirited Away again and again.

Yam Balls

A must must must have in Jiufen is their signature traditional dish, yam balls, which is effectively taro and sweet potato balls made from gluttony goodness. You can't avoid them - there are so many of these dessert vendors as you stroll through the alley ways of Jiufen. The yam balls aren't really sweet as the bulk of the sweetness comes the syrup but they are pretty filling so I would recommend sharing a bowl between two. But as a tip, don't make the same mistake as I did and eat this earlier in the afternoon rather than the evening as all the street food vendors tend to close early than all the proper restaurants in Jiufen.

Alley ways of Jiufen

So for those who are travelling to Taiwan, Jiufen is a must visit. It is definitely one of my favourite places in Asia which I have travelled to and will definitely go back. MC and I were only there for half a day but that was barely enough. If you can, try to venture out early so you can spend an entire day there (including Shifen). It is such a magical place that you just want to spend every minute of your day taking it a lllllll in.

Gotta go eat!!

Hualien Country feat. Taroko National Park, Taiwan (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 10:13:00 +0000

omg yes it has been a while and am finally back... so as a continuation of my trip to Taiwan, Part 3 is all about Hualien Country. If you are thinking of making a trip to Taiwan, then visiting Haulien is an absolute must and can be easily done within a day.

Taroko National Park

From Taipei, you can either fly down to Hualien or catch a bullet train. There were also guided tours for about AU$300 to AU$400 pp which included flying down to Haulien and training it back to Taipei main station on the same day. MC and I decided catch an express train (NT440) to Haulien and back ourselves (approx. 2 hours each way or 3 hours for normal train (NT160)). From there, we hopped in a taxi which drove us around Haulien all day like a personal tour guide (approx. 5 to 6 hours) (approx NT3000). So basically after doing the maths, it is a lot cheaper to do it yourself and even more so if you are in a group of 4. There are also plenty of taxi's there and a lot of tourists in Haulien / Taroko National Park so it is quite safe to venture round yourself with a taxi.

Gongzheng Baozi

So after waking up at the crack of dawn, MC and I arrived in Haulien Country at approx 10.30 am. First stop was breakfast at a dumpling stall, Gongzheng Baozi (199-2 Zhongshan Road). You can't miss it. It isn't far from Gongzheng Street (one of the main streets of the town centre) and you should be able to spot many of their bamboo steamers stacked on top of each other from afar. Definitely one of the more popular dumplings spots in Haulien.

Buns and dumplings for breakfast

Given the travel time, we were in a bit of a rush so the taxi driver was nice enough to let us eat in the car. The buns and dumplings were piping hot so take caution when eating. Their dumplings and buns were ridiculously cheap, hearty and delicious but there were many large chunks of pork fat within them, especially the buns. Unfortunately, that was a turn off for me because I can't deal with eating too much pork fat (or barely any really), especially when I can see huge chunks of it. Good thing is that at least, the soy sauce was packed separately and surprisingly, it wasn't messy to eat despite them being packed in bags and eating in a cab.

Shakadang bridge (aka the big red bridge)

A bridge filled with so many different lion expressions

Shakadang and Toroko National Park

Not far after driving from the town centre of Hualien is the Shakadang trail. We didn't have time to finish the entire trail but we did the bulk of it which took about an hour-ish. The hike was beautiful and so tranquil. All you heard was the sound of the Shakadang river flowing through the rocks and the birds flapping around from time to time.

Taroko Gorge

Taroko National Park

Next up was Taroko National Park - the whole point of visiting Hualien is really to visit Taroko National Park. It is recommended that during certain parts of the hike you wear a helmet to protect against random falling rocks but we took the chances and just wore a hat. Taroko Gorge was definitely the highlight of the trail. The cliffs, the marble and limestone rocks together with the white-ish blue river was something you just can't forget. Absolutely stunning.

Towards the end of the Taroko trail

Towards the end of the Taroko Gorge trail, there is a cave which you will need to enter. It is only for a couple of meters but it is pitch black dark so if you think you are going to get freaked out, make sure the flash light on your phone works. It really isn't freaky and perfectly safe, it basically just a dark cave for the lol's.

Freshly made mochi

Literally made right in front of you..

Green tea and red bean mochi

Finally, after all the hike, we headed back to the station. About a 10 minute walk from the station are a couple of shops and one of them makes and sells freshly made mochi. Oh dear sweet baby jesus, these were the most amazing mochi I have ever had. They were soooooo pillowy soft and the outer part of the mochi was a bit stretchy when you bit into it. You can really taste the freshness of the mochi, unlike all the packed and preserved mochi's you find at a local supermarket. I wanted to buy every single one of those flavours but unfortunately, I didn't have enough change on me that day. So remember, when you make a visit to Hualien, make sure you have enough muleh to buy ALL the mochi. A decision that you will certainly not regret!

Next stop: Shifen, Taiwan (Part 4).

To read more of Taiwan, click here (Part 1 - Yanmingshan, Beitou and Ximendin) and here (Part 2 - Alishan).

Gotta go eat!!

Sydney to Wollongong (Hungry Wolf Kitchen)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 11:59:00 +0000

I heart road trips, even if it means just driving for an hour or two to get out of Sydney for a quick break from all the hustle and bustle in our lives. Mostly because the opportunity to do so is rare. Anyways, so after hibernating in all my books, a short road trip was well beyond overdue and was decided that DC and I should road trip it down to Wollongong.

Korean fried chicken sandwich po' boys - $10

We left a bit after 10.30 in the morning, cruised along the M4 followed by the M1 and arrived in the city centre of the Gong at around midday. Needless to say that by the time we arrived, we were hungry and had to fuel up.

First stop was lunch at the Hungry Wolf Kitchen (53-61 Crown Street, Wollongong). A cute little cafe tucked away on Crown Street but right opposite is their whiskey bar and restaurant where the lights turn on at night.

Howlin' Wolf Whiskey Bar, Wollongong

Wild rice and avocado - $10

The wild rice made my taste buds go so wild as it was definitely not shy of any flavour. Loved how there was a decent serve coriander which made it refreshing as one can never have too much coriander. The kick of the chilli, the creaminess of the avocado and the crunchy delight from the skin of the generous amount of pork belly was such a good combination. It was indeed a unique dish and definitely became one of my favourite dishes I have had in a while.

The Korean fried chicken 'sandwich' (shown earlier) reminded me of an Asian take on a chicken schnitzel roll. The guys at Hungry Wolf Kitchen make their own hot sauce to add their own twist. There was a kick to the sauce and went well with the pickles and slaw. The chicken was moist and although I would of preferred it to have a crunchier coating like the fried chicken at Naruone, Red Pepper and so forth, it was easily forgiven mostly because of addictive home made sauce and their fries.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and homies, let me tell you about these fries. We all know how much I am madly obsessed with potato. Normally at most places, you either get served crunchy french fries or much larger strips filled with fluffy potato. I don't know about you but I have never been able to choose between the two.

These chips were the same size as your french fries and although they didn't have the same element of crunch, it was slightly fluffy inside and very well seasoned. If you are strictly either a french fries or a chunky potato person then I am not sure if this is for you. But I secretly wanted to order another bag for the ride home. They were so freaking delicious and dangerously addictive.

Zucchini Ribbons and fried tofu - $10 + $3

As it was only DC and I, the serving size of the zucchini ribbons was slightly made smaller. It was deliberately so we wouldn't waste any food but still got to try a few things on the menu so this is not the actual size of the dish. The lemon helped made it refreshing and the pumpkin seeds gave it an extra element of crunch.

By the end, DC and I had two very happy bellies. The wild rice was still our all time favourite ~~+ the chips for me~~. It is just going to have to be something we have each time we road trip it down to the Gong.

Wollongong Harbour and Lighthouse

Next stop was to soak up some vitamin D in the sun at the harbour and lighthouse. The sun had came out to play and it was sooooooo nice to bask in all that sunlight. Unlike Sydney, it was warm even whilst being so close to the beach. Who needs layers and layers of thermal wear and trench coats when you can you take in all that warmth from the sun. A mental note was made then and there to come down more often, especially during winter.

Mount Keira look out

On the drive back, DC and I stopped by the look out at Mount Keira to capture a breath taking view of Wollongong whilst surrounded by the sounds of nature.

Finally, I made my first ever video clip. It is super short (by that, I really mean less than 30 seconds lol) and yes, I made the mistake of filming it in portrait but whatever. But I would really really really appreciate your thoughts or feedback of the clip as it is something I am hoping to make more of whenever I go on a trip.

Gotta go eat!!

Food is our religion dined as a guest of Hungry Wolf Kitchen and Wasamedia. All opinions and views expressed are of my own.

Mala Spicy Hot Pot - Ximending, Taiwan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 11:10:00 +0000

Oh hey there stranger, it has certainly been a while. Apologies for the absence over the past few months but I do hope to be back for good. ~~I know I said that a couple of times in the past but I really mean it this time, I swear!~~ Anyways, during this period of time I have given some thought and have officially decided to shift the focus of this blog to eateries outside of Sydney, plus interstate and overseas locations. But don't worry Sydney siders, there will still be a few Sydney cafes and restaurants popping up here.

So given the freezing temperatures these days, I thought it would be best to kick off today's post about hot pot. I am a sucker for hot pot all year round but my appetite for hot pot seems to double during winter. Who else has this problem? If you are ever in Taiwan then I would highly highly highly recommend Mala Spicy Hot Pot.

Mala Spicy Hot Pot

For two hours, you can literally eat and drink your heart out. Two hours is also definitely enough to fill up your stomachs, even if you are a bottomless pit like myself. Lunch is NTD545 (AUD23) and dinner is NTD635 (AUD27). Although it is considered pricey in Taiwan, the AUD conversion makes it fairly affordable for us Aussies, especially given that it is a buffet.

Choose your soup base

And just in case you needed a condiment or two or... 10 more other flavours

Fancier cuts of meat

Not only is it an all you can eat buffet but they also have a menu of the more "premium" cuts of meat for you to choose from (which is included in the pricing). There was the America short plate, New Zealand loin, American angus beef, bacon slabs and the boston shoulder. For $26, not only is there a huge range of food / ingredients but the quality of the meat available was pretty dam impressive! No way would you be able to find this quality of meat for the same price in Sydney.

Crabs, scallops, mussel, fish balls, scallops, fish, shrimps, mushrooms, etc

At the back of the restaurant was an open fridge filled with endless amounts of trays of seafood, fish and meat balls of every possible kind you can think of, chicken, mushrooms, tofu and various types of vegetables and so forth. This section is monitored and stocked regularly so you don't have to fear of ingredients running out. Rest assured people, rest assured.

Left: Taiwan Beer
Top right: Coconut tea with milk and calpis
Bottom right: Herbal tea and lemon tea

One of the sections of the herb teas

There is also a selection of beer on the menu but they also have Taiwan Beer for you to pour away till your bowel and liver are content. For the non-alcoholics, there is also a generous selection of teas, juices, more teas and other drinks.

There is always a room for dessert

How pretty is this mango!

I know the pictures above don't show much of a selection of dessert but there was actually a decent range, including some Taiwanese desserts and fruit plus a freezer filled with all the different flavours of Häagen-dazs ice cream. I obviously did not leave until I tried e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. heh

There are a few Mala Spicy Hot Pot restaurants around Taiwan (Zhongshan, Fuxing, Nanjing, Xinyi, Zhongxiao, Ximen and Gongguan) and they all open till late. I would recommend making a reservation but if not, you can just place your name down on the waiting list, roam around and have a late dinner and eat and drink till midnight like MC and I did!

Has anyone else been here? Would love to know your thoughts if you have or have any other hot pot in Taiwan to recommend!

Gotta go eat!!

Together like cookies & cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 09:47:00 +0000

Herrrooo peeps! Yes it has been way too long. Apologies for my recent absence, the definition of busy doesn't even come close to describing my life over the past month. Nevertheless, I am back and here to share the day of DC's and my engagement partay.

After DC proposed back in October last year, we decided to hold our engagement party at DC's crib earlier this year. Holding a party at a house for 75 people was definitely an interesting experience but luckily mother nature sure held up her part of the deal.

Inhale all the helium!

With thanks to Spotlight, I managed to get a hold of over 100 helium balloons ($1/balloon, excluding the balloon itself) to cover the main entrance. I regrettably didn't end up inhaling any of them.

And of course, then came the food:

Sushi platters, spring rolls, curry puffs, apply puffs, sicilian olives, sundried tomatoes and of course cheese.

More food including prawns, bbq pork buns and my fav rice paper rolls

My babies
Plate from the Kit Source

So umm those were the starters. I actually discovered the BBQ pork buns on a random trip to Costco one day. They had a demo of their kits which basically has the marinated pork, buns and garnishes. Pretty much everything you need to prepare your beautiful babies in 20 to 30 mins. Considering that the meat was "pre made" and it was a"frozen" kit, it was surprisingly quite decent. The meat was flavoursome and the buns (even after heating them up in the microwave) was also slightly fluffy. Not as fluffy as if it was a steamed bun but still quite decent.

After those starters, the mains from the food society arrived:

I like big buns and I cannot lie

Canapés from the food society

The team at the food society helped me put together a canapé menu which also included complimentary taste testing. The chicken crepe was served cold and we all know I don't like cold food but oh maiiii gosh, turns out it was one of my favourites of the day. It was the bomb diggity bomb. The sauce had a massive whack of flavour and the cucumber with the chicken, made it slightly refreshing. Pretty sure I smashed at least 10 of those lol...

The pulled pork sliders and chicken dollar buns were of a generous size, especially for a canapé. Definitely not complaining when you are presented with trays and trays of big beautiful buns. There was so much food that was enough to feed an entire army!

Then of course, there was dessert:

Dessert platter made by Tina Huynh + chocolate kisses, chocolate wafflers and buttered caramel popcorn

Macaron tower of 150 pieces

A cake for the boys

And one for the ladies

Plus a shimmer of gold for all

We all know that it doesn't matter how full you are because there is always room for desserts. Thank you Tina Huynh for helping me put together the gorgeous dessert platter that fitted in with the colour palette.

The fancy party kit set

And speaking of colour palette, you may have also noticed that some of the plates used also fitted in with my colour palette. With thanks to the Kit Source, they helped supplied the cups, cutlery, plates, straws, serviettes for the day. I went with the large party kit plus an extra 100 silver plates from the fancy party kit selection and man, I cannot emphasise how durable the quality of cutlery is - I have never came across such good quality disposable cutlery in my entire life. Perhaps I have been shopping at all the wrong places?

The pricing of the kits are definitely on the steeper end of town but you get what you pay for. These are not your packet of 10 knives by no frills for $1.99. The cutlery was strong, it didn't feel like it was going to break as soon as picked it up. For disposable cutlery, there was a considerable amount of detail on each of the plates - they were indeed fit for a party when you put on your fancy pants.

LOVED the floating effect from all those balloons

Finally after all the eating and drinking, it was pretty safe to say that most of our guests were in massive food comas. The balloons also appeared to be suffering some a coma because by the ltd afternoon, they seemed to be unable to hold up all the polariods properly. So we decided it was time to release all the balloons from all that heavy lifting and up, up and away they went.

Thank you to everyone who came and those that were also there in spirit. DC and I had a great time catching up with everyone. Needless to be said, I am sure everyone was full from the crazy amounts of food and takeaway boxes. Special thanks to those that travelled lengthy distances just for the celebration. Shouts out to Chad, Kevin, Danny, Winnie, MC and C&R for your help, it was over and beyond - we couldn't of done it without you guys, thanks again.

Photo credit to Chad and MC.

Finally before signing off today, I wanted to mention that my posts will no longer be on a weekly basis. Unfortunately as I am quite time poor over the next couple of months, they will be uploaded on a 3 to 4 weekly basis and hopefully things will eventually pick up. So this isn't a goodbye but rather, stay tuned because I will still be hanging around.

Gotta go eat!!

Taiwan - Part 2 (Alishan) + Smoking Panda giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:06:00 +0000

Hellooooo! So if time permits whilst you are in Taiwan, one of the places you must visit is Alishan. By far is it no where close to Taipei and easy to get to but it is certainly is worth the trek. Most people go to Alishan to witness the sunrise amongst the mountains even if it means you need to wake up at 3 am in the morning. My trip to Alishan was one of my most memorable moments of my life to date but it wasn't the sunrise that made it so memorable.

Hotpot-ing at Alishan

Welcome to Alishan town centre!

To get to Alishan, you basically need to get the HSR (high speed rail) from Taipei to Chiayi HSR station. From there, you need to quickly hop onto a bus to get Chiayi Train station followed by hopping onto another bus to take you up the mountain. This usually takes about a couple of hours and the buses don't come as frequent as you would hope so I would highly recommend getting your bus ticket immediately once you get there to secure yourself a seat on the bus. There is an alternative route up to Alishan and it does include a scenic train ride up the forest and mountains but based on MC's research and mine, part of the route was destroyed due to a storm and has yet to be repaired. If you take this route, it does take longer and you still need to change between different modes of transport.

So after many hours of trekking it to Alishan, MC and I had finally arrived! We decided to stay one night at the Alishan House (approx AUD150 to AUD200 per night). For Taiwan standards, the rates are slightly steeper but man it was soooo worth it. It was this decision that made our trip to Alishan so memorable.

Beef soup noodles

Chicken and rice served with soy

There is also a shuttle bus that takes you up and down the mountain to the hotel so you don't need to worry about transport. After checking in, MC and I went back down to the town centre in search of lunch and man, we sure learnt our lesson. Instead of buying food from 7/11, we decided to check out this "open food stall" which appeared to be very, very rustic. We thought "hey since it looks rustic and since there are people eating there, it must be good" but unfortunately, we struggled to finish the meals. The food wasn't inedible or dirty so you don't need to worry about that. It more because it tasted too foreign for us. Not sure if they added bamboo to their food but Perhaps it might suit your taste buds but unfortunately, even after a couple of tries, it just didn't work for us and found ourselves back at 7/11 :(

Sunset at Alishan House

After lunch, we roamed around the town centre and settled into our hotel room properly. Shortly after it was sunset so MC and I headed to the roof top of our hotel to watch the sun set amongst the mountains.

Watching the sunset

Local made mochi with tea

Winning!

The clouds were floating below the tip of the mountains, the sun rays were glistening on my face whilst you could still feel a slight chill in the air. That with some local made mochi and a cup of warm tea was the highlight of my trip. The sun setting amongst all the clouds in the mountains was what I have always dreamt of seeing and this was when all the effort in trekking to Alishan House paid off. Alishan House is the main hotel in the centre (and probably the one up there, I didn't notice any other ones near the town centre) but the price was completely justified after witness such a sunset.

Inside Alishan house

Hotpot at Alishan town centre

Dinner on the menu that night was a large comforting bowl of hotpot shared with MC at one of the proper restaurants in the town centre. The vegetables were so fresh which added more flavours for the soup but unfortunately I think there was still bamboo in the soup base which again had a strange taste to it. Nevertheless, it was better than lunch and much more hearty.

Catching the train up the mountain

The next morning, MC and I woke up at 3 am to catch the famous sunrise of Alishan. The Alishan train station (which is a short walk from the town centre) was completely packed with soooooo many humans. It was super cold but that didn't stop anyone from waking up before the dusk of dawn. This is the reason why people visit Alishan.

The famous sunrise at Alishan

After arriving up the mountain, the sun eventually came out to play. It was fun and exciting to watch the sun quickly shoot through the clouds. As pretty as it was, I still thought sunset was much more breath taking. Hence another reason to stay at the Alishan House.

Breakfast served up in the mountains

There were also some food stalls near the sunrise look out in the mountains. Who couldn't resist a freshly made egg omelette followed with some fresh toast whilst standing in the cold. omg, yes.

Cherry blossoms!

Hiking through the forest in Alishan

Street food in Alishan

Round II of breakfast was back at the hotel and after properly fuelling up our bodies, we headed back out to hike through the forest of Alishan. MC and I were lucky enough to catch the last remaining part of the cherry blossom season. There was barely any left but it was still quite pretty to see the some of the flowers hanging off the branches as it was my first time seeing them. Walking through the forest with just MC and myself was quite relaxing. When there was nobody around, it became forest of tranquility. So peaceful and smoothing.

So as said earlier on, if you have the luxury of time during your visit to Taiwan, I strongly suggest for you to take a visit to Alishan to view both the sunset and sunrise. It truly is an unforgettable experience.

Finally, before signing off today, the last part of my 5 year anno giveaway with thanks to Wasamedia is a $100 voucher to the Smoking Panda, one of the new cool kids in Sydney.

Smoking Panda's nibbles - how cute do they look
Photo credit: Wasamedia

Now that is what I called a drink that is smoking!
Photo credit: Wasamedia

Smoking Panda's dim sum nibbles
Photo credit: Wasamedia

To enter, simply just let me know below what you would love to try from the Smoking Panda if you won the $100 voucher. Competition closes 9 pm AEST on the 5th of January 2015.

Good luck and gotta go eat!

Taiwan - Part 1 (Yanmingshan, Beitou and Ximending) + Alpha giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 03:42:00 +0000

Herrroo y'all! Yes, yes. I know. My posts about Taiwan are way overdue. So before the year comes to an end and whilst I am currently on break, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to start my series of posts on my trip to Taiwan earlier this year.

Egg crepes for breakfast

Here it is and fyi, it is a lengthy post but I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed eating my way around Taiwan.

Mos burger including a bulgogi burger on a rice bun

So the first thing I literally ate as soon as I landed in Taiwan was a burger. I know but hey in my defence, it was my first time checking out a Mos burger. It was late, I was tired, not much else was opened around that time and I was hungry. The burgers were good (especially the chips and fried chicken heh) but I thought the burgers were slightly overrated. Maybe I just didn't order the right flavour? Am I the only crazy person that thinks this?

Egg crepes

After dinner at Mos Burgers, MC and I headed back to the hotel for some solid sleep to recharge our exhausted bodies. The next morning, we felt completely refreshed and was finally ready to start our holiday. We asked the people at the hotel for some breakfast recommendations and they recommended some traditional egg crepe. OMG! THIS was one of the BEST things I had eaten in that entire trip. MC and I loved it so much to the point that we had the same thing again for breakfast the next morning.

These pancakes were freshly made and were super hearty. You can get different types of filling and they are all as good as each other. The crepe was light, slight crispy and went well with the vegetarian fillings. This is a must get when in Taiwan and are very inexpensive.

Calla Lilies

Calla Lily Festival

After fuelling up for the morning, we started to make our way to the Calla Lily festival at Yangminshan National Park (Beitou District of Taipei) which is around March and April each year. After walking along the brown wooden bridge, you would soon find yourself standing amongst endless number of lily fields with calla lilies standing tall and strong everywhere.

If you want to take home some lilies, you can either have the novelty of choosing and plucking out your own or you can simply just purchase the ones already plucked. MC and I wanted to take some back to the hotel room but unfortunately, we were going to be checking out the next day so the opportunity wasn't really there for us. Plus it also meant we would have to lug it around all day.

Next to the entrance of the lily fields are these food stalls that are spreader along the street filled with lots of street food.

Yangminshan isn't the easiest to get to. Depending on where you are located in Taipei, you would most likely have to catch two buses. I thought the lilies were pretty but didn't think it was worth all the effort to travel up there. I would say that if you have the time then yeah it is worth checking it out but after going and seeing it myself, I wouldn't prioritise it as highly. Don't also forget that the national park is HUGE and there are other places to check out, we just didn't have the time.

Hot Thermal valley

Hot spring river - open to the public

After Yangminshan, MC and I headed down to the Beitou district aka the valley of hot springs. First up was a visit to the hot thermal valley (by hot, I mean 100 degrees). It was so dam hot that you could feel the heat from afar. Look at all the steam coming right off the water! Imagine all the eggs you could cook in it! On our way back down to the main part of Beitou, you will pass by a river where the locals and tourists dip their feet into the water that flows from the hot thermal valley. Obviously it isn't 100 degrees but it certainly is still warm. Such a natural zen environment.

We also took a dip at the hot springs but unfortunately no cameras were allowed in there. It is a public hot spring but it was definitely worth ever cent.

Beef noodles

The line up + other small side dishes

Pork balls with noodles

After having a dip in the hot springs, MC and I were starvinggggggggggg. We found this noodle "restaurant" not far from Beitou's main station (when you tap out of the station, head right, cross the main road and continue heading in that direction - it isn't far from a bubble tea shop). I believe the noodles were less than AUD3 each, including one side dish. This was the cheapest meal I had during my entire trip in Taiwan. Unbelievable. The best thing was also the beef broth which tasted out of this world - so authentic and packed with loads of flavour without it being overly salty. You could tell that the broth had been boiled for hours.

Beach view from Danshui

Danshui night market

Grilled squid

Grilled shallots wrapped with bacon

After Beitou, we headed to Danshui for some more food at the Danshui night markets. We got there around 5 pm which had a bit of a crowd but a couple of hours later, the entire place was packed out. There were humans everywhere.

There was soooo much food to choose from but we had to choose wisely because we wanted to try as much as possible without wasting valuable stomach space. One of the couple of things we tried was the spicy grilled squid and grilled shallots wrapped with bacon. I quite enjoyed the grilled squid, was one of my favourite foods from the market. It wasn't too heavy and had quite a bit of bbq flav. The grilled shallots weren't really my thing, way too my shallots.. even if it did have bacon on it.

Ding Tai Fung

So one of the big questions when one travels to Taiwan is whether the Ding Tai Fung in Taipei is better than the one in Sydney? Does it taste the same? Is it worth the queue? Well, before I answer all those questions, I have to say that MC and I were pretty lucky. We had a late lunch and there was still a queue but it was only approx. a 20 minute wait at the one in Taipei 101. Not that bad considering that I have heard of people waiting for up to an hour or more for it.

After trying it, personally I wouldn't wait more than 20 or so minutes for it. Yes the menu has a much bigger variety than the one in Sydney but taste wise, it is pretty much the same! Might as well save your stomach space for a different restaurant or the markets.

Traditional taiwanese breakfast

Left: Egg with radish cake
Right: Omelette roll

Another popular area of Taipei is Ximending (Wanhua District) which is where MC and I stayed for our final leg of our Taiwan trip. Imagine strips and strips of streets like Pitt Street mall. It is where all the cool young kids hang out or go to do their shopping. At Ximending, you can pretty much find anything.

One of the things I fell in love with whilst in Taiwan was their traditional breakfasts. For egg lovers like myself, you will come across the issue of deciding what you want to choose from because there are so many options. One of the popular breakfast joins in Ximending is Hong He Soya Milk (obviously famous for their soya milk, duh) on Hankou Street. You can't miss it because there is always a massive crowd waiting around. If you are looking for a super hearty breakfast then this is the place to go and of course, you must get yourself a cup of their famous soya milk served either hot or cold. The other best thing is that these meals are really inexpensive. It is like around 5 bucks pp for a dish and a drink. Winning.

Traditional taiwanese breakfast including oyster egg omelettes and more radish cake

Goose from Goose Cuisine - another must have when in Taiwan

Threaded noodles with pig intestines

Another popular place in Ximending is flour rice noodle soup, Ay-Chung Flour rice noodle which is another famous must-eat street food dish. When I stumbled across this place, I saw this massive line and though oh wow, it must be good (but then again, I have been told the Taiwanese love the queue up for things). It is essentially specialises in one thing, threaded noodles served in a vinegary soup, bamboo shoots and.. pieces of pig intestines. I actually didn't know it had pig intestines until after I got it but that is a whole another story. For those that are curious pig intestines tastes like mussels.

Making taro ice cream wraps on the streets

Taro and peanut butter ice cream wraps

Shaved mango ice

Another popular dishes / must have's when in Taiwan is the taro and peanut butter ice cream wraps and shaved mango ice. The taro and peanut butter ice cream wraps can be found mostly at Jiufen but they also have it around Taipei. The taro ice cream wrap is essentially a thin crepe wrapped around taro and peanut butter ice cream, coriander and shaved peanuts. I know, it sounds completely weird right? Coriander with ice cream??? really?? MC and I heard heaps of people rave on about this so we had to give it a go and surprisingly, it worked. The sweetness of the ice cream went well with the peanuts and the coriander added a refreshing touch. Perfect for a hot summer day. I do not think this is a dessert for everyone but I would strongly suggest trying it before judging it.

Stay tuned for more posts about Taiwan as MC and I eat our way through the country but before then, I am also giving away a $50 voucher to Alpha as part of my 5 year anniversary giveaway with thanks to Wasamedia.

Feasting at Alpha
Photo credit to Wasamedia

The gorgeous decor at Alpha
Photo credit to Wasamedia

More feasting at Alpha
Photo credit to Wasamedia

All you have to do to enter is simply share some love by letting me know in the comments section what would you order if you won the $50 Alpha voucher. For me, I would to get my hands into that spinach cheese pie.. so heavenly..

Competition closes 9 pm AEST on the 29 of December 2014.

Good luck y'all and gotta go eat!!

Bowery Lane, Sydney and giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 06:30:00 +0000

So you might have seen burgers, lamb ribs, sliders and ginormous sharing plates all over your instagram feed lately, THAT my friends is Bowery Lane, one of the coolest restaurant on the block right now. The place has a diverse menu so choosing what you want really becomes a first world problem. Like I mean how can you honestly decide between the classic cheeseburger vs the hearty lamb ribs!!

Char grilled lamb ribs - $14

And speaking of lamb ribs, this baby was definitely the signature dish. The soft and tender meat fell off the bone so easily. On top of that, there was a generous serve of the chimichurri which added even more flavour to these succulent ribs.

Tuna sliders

Tuna sliders - $16

These sliders were one of the biggest I had in a while. Within each slider contained a thick slab of seared tuna and was really refreshing as you bit into it with the pickled cucumber and guacamole. I loved these sliders because I am a huge fan of "raw" seafood but for those that aren't big on sashimi or semi raw seafood, this might not be your type of dish. However since there are many different types of sliders, you should be able to find one up your alley.

Milkshakes - including cookies and cream + reese's buttercup - $7 each

Manchego croquettes - $14

The manchego croquettes are made of potato and manchego cheese. These croquettes were super duper fluffy and I loved the kick in the smoked chilli aioli. It was definitely a lot more unique than most other croquettes I've had.

House smoked hickory salmon - $17

So my ultimate favourite dish of the night had got to be the house smoked hickory salmon. I love my salmon regardless of how it is made however I normally find that smoked salmon, especially the ones purchased at a supermarket, have such a strong and overpowering smokey flavour. Sometimes it is so strong that it becomes too intense for me. That was until I tried the smoked salmon at Bowery Lane. Yes it is slightly pricey for three pieces of salmon but it was smoked so well and by well, I mean it was lightly smoked but it wasn't so faint to the point where you couldn't taste anything.

As soon as you take the first bite, the salmon just melts in your mouth, the coriander adds a refreshing touch to it and the thin crispy biscuit also helps give it some texture. If you love your salmon, then I highly recommend this dish.

Master Kobe Wagyu - $16

Another winning dish was the master kobe wagyu which had a marble scoring of 9+. How the heck do I even start to describe this dish? Gobsmacking is an understatement. This was one of the best wagyu dishes I have had in a very long time. Each bite just melts in your mouth because of how tender and succulent it is and cooked to perfection (medium rare). Words cannot describe how amazing this dish was, you just have to try it yourself.

Tempura soft shell crab burger - $22

This tempura soft shell crab burger is almost impossible to fit it in your mouth all at once. That is how epic it is. Who doesn't love tempura soft shell crab? The bread was a tad dry but the coriander and slaw helped balance out the heaviness of the crab. Served with some miso mayo, it definitely is more than just your average burger. not your average burger.

Whole BBQ organic chicken - $52

1 kg of braised wagyu short rib - $58

One of the things I enjoy about Bowery Lane is the menu variety but I am not just talking about variety in terms of different meats and entree's. It is more about how you can go and have your own dish but at the same time, you can go in a group and order these huge sharing plate and by huge, I mean like 1 KG worth of meat... Perfect place to feed a group of hungry boys.

Both the wagyu short rib and BBQ chicken were great but surprisingly, the chicken was my preferred choice of meat. I know chicken is such a stock standard type of meat but man! the way it was bbq-ed and cooked was really well. Not at all dry and had loads of flavour. Definitely an unexpected great dish.

Barramundi fillet - $29

Left: Pork cotoletta - $27
Top right: Duck ragyu - $26
Bottom right: Pork crackling

Last but not least are the individual main dishes. Overall, they were pretty good but I thought it could of done with a touch of seasoning or salt. The barramundi was soft and tender with a crispy skin, the pork cotoletta aka a giant schnitzel couldn't of gotten any bigger and wasn't very oil and finally, the duck ragu was cooked to al dente.

Annnnndddddddd as part of my 5 year anno giveaway, I will be giving away a $100 voucher to Bowery Lane, with thanks to Wasamedia. To enter, simply just let me know below what you would love to try or have again at Bowery Lane. Competition closes at 9 pm AEST on the 21st of December 2014.

Good luck y'all and gotta go eat!!

Sydney food bloggers Xmas Picnic 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 09:51:00 +0000

Herrro! Yes it is that time of the year again where all the food bloggers catch up over a huge feasting followed by evil secret santa, ho ho ho. Luckily we were under a man made shade this year despite the stinking hot heat! And so without further ado, here comes the food..

Staring lunch with some savouries

Yes! Finally got my hands on a lemper after so many years!

Then came the dessert...

And everyone always has a second stomach for dessert right?

The mac's that went in 10 seconds, literally

What another great picnic it was, especially with playing secret santa where it became a war of tea pots, animal waffle machine, cheese boards and of course, hipster mason jars. Thank you Chocolatesuze and Grab your fork for organising a fab day!

Brioche french toast from Three Williams

Also before signing off today, part two of my 5 year anniversary giveaway is a chance to win a $50 voucher to Three Williams in Redfern with thanks to Wasamedia. To enter, simply either retweet this link on twitter or give this link a thumbs up on Facebook. Competition closes 9 pm AEST 7th of December 2014.

COMPETITION HAS CLOSED AND WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY IS TINA TRAN.

Good luck y'all and gotta go eat!!

Billu's, Harris Park

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 10:14:00 +0000

So Billu's in Harris Park has been on my "to-eat" list for years even though it is only less than a 15 minute drive from my crib. Nevertheless, I finally got my hands on my long anticipated giant dosa after discovering it from Chocolatesuze.

Dosa vs Shan

I ordered one of Billu's popular dosa and it was giant as. It was like bigger than my face. I was struggling to fit the entire dosa into the photo and my stomach. First world problem much?

Ghee roast masala dosa - $13.90

The edges of the dosa were crispy while the centre reminded me of a crepe. The "filling" of the dosa was made of loads and loads of fluffy mashed potato mixed in with a chilli chutney which went so with the chickpea curry garnished in coriander. The dosa was a tad too buttery for me but you can order ones that are less buttery if you think it might be too heavy for you.

Channa bhatura - $11.90

Who can ever say no to two deep fried puffs of hearty goodness? I loved tearing apart the large piece of hallow bread with my bare hands and dipping it into the spicy chickpea curry. The deep fried bread was soft and thick but oh so fluffy. The curry wasn't as heavy as anticipated but if you want it more spicy, simply just add more chilli paste like I did. This was definitely my favourite dish of the night.

Left: Butter chicken - $17.90
Right: Garlic naan - $5

The butter chicken might appear to be a small bowl especially for its price but as I have said many times, never judge a book by its cover cos dayum, this was one heck of a meaty and filling dish. One of the best things about ordering butter chicken with naan bread is that you are always guaranteed to have extra curry / sauce remaining which you can then wipe it all up with that bread. One hearty dish that is guaranteed to always hit the spot.

Mango kulfi - $3.50

Last but not least was of course, dessert which we all know has a stomach of its own. I just couldn't leave without ending the night with some sweet mango ice cream deliciousness. It was a lot sweeter than expected and by that stage, I was beyond stuffed so as tempting as it is to have your own, I would not recommend sharing as im the selfish type.

Devon by night giveaway

Finallyyyyyyyyyy, as mentioned in my last blogpost, I will be giving out five cafe / restaurant vouchers with thanks to Wasamedia as a way of saying thank you for supporting this little foodie project over the past five years.

For this week, I will be giving away a $50 voucher to Devon Cafe to one lucky winner.

All you have to do is simply drop a comment below so I know you are in the running for this week's giveaway, it is that easy. Competition is only open to Australian residents and will close on 9 pm AEST on the 23rd of November 2014.

Good luck y'all!

Gotta go eat!!

Celebrating 5 years with the blog and 6 years with the boy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 06:16:00 +0000

I know I always start off saying in one of these posts with "wow" but honestly.. I cannot believe we have gone on this food journey together for 5 freaking years.. 5 years!? that's like, half a decade! Wow.

This post turned out to be super duper long but I promise, it will not be a waste of your time as we head back in time together.

Popped my food blogging cherry with this photo of Madang

Till this day, I still clearly remember uploading my first ever official blogpost on here as I recall saying to myself, "this is going to be first ever official blogpost so it has gotta be my favourite restaurant". After uploading the photos taken by my trusty old $150-$200 Olympus point and shoot, my review of Madang was live in October 2009.

2010 eats

In 2010, my little baby blog continued to grow as my friends and I ate our way through the streets of Sydney. By then, everyone had learnt that I had to say my prayer before eating by letting the camera "eat" first.

One of my first few shots using my DSLR

In 2011, I decided to take our food journeys to the next step. There is absolutely nothing wrong at all with a point and shoot but after saving up up for a bit and watching my bank balance grow, I was finally able to afford one of those hard core cameras. Yeah.. I felt like that camera was the entry ticket in joining the cool kids (I kid, really I do) little did I know, that it was such a biatch to learn and still learning to this very day.

HK eats

In 2012, more restaurants and cafes in NSW were ticked off. One of my favourite memories of 2012 was definitely growing a second stomach and eating my way through Hong Kong with Ms Ko. I have no idea how we were able to fit all that in...

Chants: U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A

In 2013, I went on an endless amount of Italian date nights with DC and also travelled to the other side of the world with momma bear.

Eat ALL the food in Taiwan

Finally, here we are in 2014 which has also been another great year. One of the highlights was travelling to Taiwan with MC where we ate our stomachs out.. as you do. (ps, blogpost to come)

Berowra Waters Inn

Also as some of you peeps may know, the blog's anniversary coincides with my anno with DC. Since the actual date landed on a Saturday, DC and I decided that we should make the most of the day by going on a mini "road trip" By "road trip", I really mean to drive about an hour away for our 6 year anno lunch at Bewora Waters Inn (blogpsot to come).

After an amazing and incredibly filling lunch, we decided to check out Sculptures by the sea. It is one of those events that I try to make every single year religiously. When we got there, I thought; right lets find parking and we will walk our way through sculptures together but no, DC instead tried to kick me out of the car. The stubborn Shan however wasn't going to be kicked out that easily or at all. Like wtf, why would you kick me out of your car? What makes you even think that I would say "oh yes dear, of course you can kick me out the car for no reason" in a sweet loving voice. C'mon guys, lets gets real here.

For those that don't know, I am the last person to ever give way to DC and I will do whatever it takes in a battle or race to win. I may fake cry, barter, or throw 10 million negotiations in his face just to win. The glory of winning against DC is absolutely thrilling. Yes, you may think I am crazy and yes you are completely right.

Anyways so after a countless number of disputes, DC stopped the car and literally kicked me out of the car. Relationship over. Jokessssss. Little did I know what was about to happen.

Sculptures by the sea

So I walked down to the pan and "co-incidentally" bumped into Ms Ko and RR where they took me back to February 2008. The reminded me that my first words in front of DC was "YES FREE FOOD" and later that year, DC finally plucked up the courage to ask me out. However my response was "ahhh can I think about it?'. Finally on the 25th of October 2008, I said yes.

After a visit at the pan, Ms Ko gave me a clue to find the next sculpture. Thank you Prada for giving my eyes the protection it needed from the public.

Thanks C. Lau for the photo

At Sculpture #83 (Coast Totem), I met another bunch of awesome peeps where they reminded me that I almost burnt down his kitchen in 2010 and it was also when DC discovered that he was pretty much dating a bottomless pitt. Shortly after, I was given a clue to be sent to Sculpture #73 (House of Mirrors).

At the House of Mirrors, I found MC who passed on a message from DC which was him regretting having me as a partner at rock climbing because it resulted in him dropping 3 meters followed by a painful wedge. There was also Warrior Dash in 2011 where somehow in our right minds thought running a race whilst covered in mud from head to toe was a superb idea.

Next stop was Sculpture #64 (Red and white chair) where I met Mr Greysuit and Four Red Cars who went back with me to 2012. The year that probably had the most "shan moments" where I said random silly things such as "fractions are difficult" and forgetting who Banjo Paternson was yet knowing he was famous.

Anyways, it was time to move onto year 2013 at Sculpture #21 (Save our souls - don't ask lol) where I met Electric Chu and Mr Paddy who reminded me of the public pranks which DC and I pulled and failed that lead to a lot of awkward moments in front of randoms. *Insert cricket sounds.....*

Photo taken by ElectricChu

Finally after the "amazing race", I found DC at Sculpture #47 in a rusty but comfortable place, where he popped the question in front of our BFF's. I attempted to say yes whilst freaking bawling my eyes out behind those tanned Prada shades and finally, he put a ring on it.

The crew
Photo taken by MC

So anyways, that is the long story short (ok, maybe not so short). I wanted to thank all the awesome peeps that came even though you guys were busy and despite the weather being cold and windy. It meant so much to me to see you guys there!!

And speaking of thank you's, I also want to thank each and everyone of you guys for stopping by my little food project whether it was for the past 5 years or even just yesterday. Your love and support means so much to me and if it wasn't for you guys, I probably wouldn't of continued this little foodie project to this very day.

So as a way of saying thank you and with thanks to Wasamedia for being an amazing helper, I will be giving away 5 prizes starting from next week. One for every anniversary year, so stay tuned peeps!

Here is to more and happy eating!

Gotta go eat!!

Oliving by Hans giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:09:00 +0000

Herrrooo peeps! Apologies for my absence over the past couple of weeks, it has a bit crazy on my end recently. Nevertheless, I am back and have been trying to get my nonna on in the kitchen. So with little time on my hands, I quickly decided to whip up a bacon and prawn pasta dish.

Bacon and prawn pasta dish

All you need is some pasta (two handfuls pp), bacon (two rashers pp), some prawns and about three to four cloves of garlic. One can never have too many garlic.

With thanks to Chef Luca Ciano in showing me the ropes of cooking whole grain pasta, I have learned to love cooking and eating whole grain pasta. I always thought whole grain pasta would taste like cardboard but surprisingly, its really really really good. It was much lighter than expected and not at all dense. I am a convert.

So to whip up this super easy dish for two people, you basically need:

Boil 1 litre of water and pour it into a large pot
Add four handfuls of pasta and a couple of pinches of salt to the pot. You want to boil it for about 9 minutes.
While that is bubbling away in the background, crush your garlic, peel your prawns and dice up your bacon.
Chuck the bacon into a large pan with some olive oil and cook until it is slightly brown.
Once the pasta is cooked, add it pan and stir away.
In a separate pan, add in your garlic and once it is turning brown, throw in your prawns.
Once all your prawns are cooked, add them to your large pan of pasta to combine it alllllllll together.

Bon appétit

I know this is probably a no brainer of a dish but I just love simple cooking, especially when time is so scarce these days. With little time, I also try to cook healthier meals. Anddddd speaking of healthy cooking, I was introduced to Oliving by Hans who replace some of the saturated fat in their products with olive oil as inspired by the Mediterranean diet. We all love bacon, because bacon but I am also a huge fan of olive oil so it is a win win situation.

Oliving by hans range of products

With thanks to Marmot Inc and Oliving by Hans for sponsoring today's giveaway, I will be giving away two $60 Coles gift vouchers to two readers to check out the healthier choice products by Oliving by Hans. For a chance to win, simply just show some love by dropping a comment below to tell what you would cook with any of the Oliving by Hans product.

Competition closes 9 pm AEST on the 2nd of November 2014 and is available to anyone within Australia.

Good luck everyone!

Ps - here is a short video of Jason from the Simple cooking channel of the night. Don't mind me errr nibbling away.. I couldn't help myself, it was like right in front of me....

Gotta go eat!!

Rum Diaries, Bondi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 11:22:00 +0000

So this restaurant has been on my "to-eat" list for years now and finally, the day had come for me to cross it off my list. Rum Diaries is a small bar / restaurant located on Bondi Road that can often be easily missed. As soon as you walk through their doors, you can sense how warm and cosy the place is from their decor and dim setting. An absolute hidden gem.

Cool menu's at the Rum Diaries

And of course, you can't visit a restaurant that specialises in rum without trying one or two ~~or several~~ of their drinks.

Drink ALL the rum

I absolutely fell in love with their mulled wine. I haven't had many to compare but in general, it was definitely one of the best drinks I have had in a while. It was slightly sweet, citrusy and yet you could still taste the spices that were infused in it. I mean we all know that a glass of alcohol is the solution to all but this just takes happiness to an extra level.

caramelised bacon popcorn - $6

When I saw the words bacon and popcorn, my mind was like uhhhh hello. Yes, me, I am right here. It smelt so good from the moment the waiter placed the mountain of popcorn on the table. Slightly sticky and cheesy. The mini bits of bacon also help added some crunch to it. The flavour of the bacon wasn't very strong and it isn't a dish for everyone but hey thats cool because it means for you and I.

Wild mushroom tartlet - $15

If you heart mushrooms as much as I do then you will love this dish. There were loads of different types of mushroom that were stacked onto the round piece of pastry. The pastry was flaky and crispy which worked well with the soft texture of all those mushrooms. I could happily have this any day, any time.

Glazed pork belly, honey and mustard - $16

Another dish I couldn't leave without trying was the pork belly. When it came out, I noticed that the skin wasn't your typical crunchy crackling but instead it was quite soft and glossy. The portion was small especially for its price but it was so freaking good. The pork was immensely tender and together with the sweet and salty skin, the entire thing just melted right in your mouth. Not a word was spoken during this moment.

Southern rock lobster risotto - $26

The last savoury dish was the lobster risotto and dayum, you could smell this dish form afar. It was so fragrant. The cheese net was filled with a lobster foam which was something different and interesting. The risotto really creamy - a bit too creamy and heavy for me but the rice itself was cooked well. I also thought that the fragrance of the lobster smelt stronger than it actually tasted.

Chocolate delice, peanut butter ice cream and cherry gel - $14

Finally, last but not least was the dessert. The chocolate delice was rich but even more rich with the peanut butter ice cream. It is definitely a dessert you would share but absolutely one you should order. The cherry gel was a great palate cleanser and the roasted rice added a fun element of crunch.

Overall, I thought that the menu had an interesting range of dishes on their menu. I can't wait to come back to try out their other items and of course, for a couple more glasses of their mulled wine.

Gotta go eat!!

GoodTime Burgers, Bondi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 10:56:00 +0000

So a couple of awesome peeps asked me one day if I wanted to go to check out some burgers that had cheese within their patties, I was likeeee.. heck yeah cos I like big buns and I cannot lie. GoodTime burgers, here I come to get my hands on your Juicy Lucy buns.

GoodTime's family portrait

So between the three of us, we ordered a feasting for five. Looking back, I have no idea how on earth we managed to fit it all in but it was hell worth the hours on the treadmill.

Half rack of pork ribs with coleslaw and chips - $26

These ribs reminded of the ones you could get at Hurricanes - sweet, saucy and ginormous! Even though they weren't the same as the ones you can get at Hurricanes, they were still finger licking good especially with the side serving of the extra BBQ sauce and the wedges that were cooked twice. Who can say no to some extra crunchy potato.

The cool decor decked out in red and white

Double Trouble - $15

When my eyes caught the words "double trouble", there was no way I was going to leave the place until I had tried to attack this humungous double patty burger. I honestly had trouble fitting this into my mouth. It was a mother of a burger and one that would definitely get you your bang for your buck. The aioli together with the melted cheese and all the healthy veggies helped break up it up so it wasn't such a meat overload.

Spiced smoked chicken wings - $10

For 10 bucks, there were heaps of wings but they were skinnier than expected. I really enjoyed the smokey flavour but it was a tad dry. Would of loved to seen a sauce to go with it or at least showered in a bunch of chilli and spices to give it that extra kick.

Juicy Lucy - $15

Look at all that cheese!

Last but not least is the Juicy Lucy burger. The hero dish of the day. It was the sole purpose of the entire trek and was it worth the effort? Abso-freaking-lutely. As soon as the burger was cut in half, all that cheese oozed right out. I know the picture is far from looking anything close to being delicious but man, it was was so glorious even for a non-cheese lover. The pattie was also juicy and packed full of flavour.

I am not always a burger person, it is one of those things that depends on my mood but this my friend, was probably one of the best burgers I have ever had in my entire life.

I cannot wait to come back to GoodTime for more of their Juicy Lucy!

Gotta go eat!!

West coast, USA - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 10:52:00 +0000

So as mentioned last week, I flew over to the West Coast after travelling around the East Coast to conclude my trip to the States. One of the cities I have been dying to check out is San Francisco. I have heard so, so, sooooo many great things about that city and I honestly could not wait to check it myself. First stop was the Golden Gate Bridge and of course, the entire Bay Area was covered by the famous fog.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Personally, I didn't mind the fog as I think it is one of those things that makes San Fran so famous. In my opinion, i think the fog makes the bridge even more stunning. If I could pick up my things and relocate, San Fran would definitely be one of the cities I would live in. One of my favourite moments out of the entire trip was actually just leaning over the fence in silence whilst watching the fog dance around the bridge as time swept by. Absolutely blissful.

Lombard Street

"Painted ladies"

Street Art in San Fran

Transamerica Pyramid

Seal Pier 39 - yes this is their own sun baking parlour

One of the other things I love about San Fran is that every few blocks look so different to each other. You could be walking down one street surrounded by Victorian architecture buildings and the next minute you could into another street filled with stunning graffiti artwork. However no matter where you turn, the entire city has this really cool chilled out vibe.

Margherita pasta

Crab Melt

Another area which I found in San Fran was "little Italy". You know you are little Italy straight away when you start seeing light poles that are marked with an Italian flag. It was such a cute little area. I couldn't go past the crab sandwich from Calzone's. It was only US$18 plus tip and it was not only the best crab sandwich I have ever had but also the cheapest.

My short in San Fran was way too short but I know for sure that I will definitely be back and to get more of that crab melt. Next stop Vegas baby!

On the way to Vegas - Calico Ghost Town

Stopped by for some old school candy at the Ghost Town

Night lights at Las Vegas

The old Las Vegas

After a couple of pit stops, I finally arrived in Vegas or more commonly known as Sin City. Vegas was exactly what I imagined it to be - the city was alive at night with music pumping out at every street corner and neon lights at every direction you turn. As I was there for a couple of nights, I managed to visit to the old Las Vegas as well. Personally, as much as I loved the hustle and bustle which the new Las Vegas had to offer, I actually preferred the old school Vegas. It was almost like taking a step back in time because of how "old school" it was. There was something about it that just make it so much more special.

The Grand Canyon

Eat ALL the food at any buffets in Vegas

Eat ALL the desserts at any buffets in Vegas

Two of my most breathtaking moments in Vegas was 1. their buffets and 2. the Grand Canyon.

I have heard so many things about the buffets in Vegas and man, they sure delivered. The amount food and choices available at these buffets is insane. I wasn't leaving until I tried everything. I forgot how many rounds I did but I just remembering leaving the buffet and heading straight up to my hotel room where I then passed out in a food coma.

The Grand Canyon was insane. It took five years to get there but it was hell worth it. You could literally sit on the edge of the Canyon and dangle your feet while looking down. One of the most epic things I have seen.

Herro Mickey

BBQ meat platter

Herro Disney

Last but not least was a trip to Universal Studios and good old Disneyland. I have to say, their BBQ meat platters at such touristy locations are still dam mind blowing. The beef brisket and ribs were super juicy and tender. I haven't been to Texas to compare but dam, the States sure know how to make good BBQ meat platters.

Laters USA - I'll definitely be back

So peeps, I hope you have enjoyed browsing through all my USA and Canada posts as much as I have enjoyed eating, drinking, shopping and flying from city to city.

Gotta go eat!!