Sugar's Sweet Blog

Sugarpuffi's Spring Clean

2012-08-28T17:21:00.003+10:00

Sooo....I have a lot of stuff at home.

Spring starts this week so I'm going to have a massive spring clean and this is part of the stuff I need to get rid of.

Starting with....

A Brand New Nikon Coolpix S9100! SOLD!!

I only took out the camera to take photos otherwise it is still sealed and unopened in box.

The package comes with the following:

Nikon Coolpix S9100 Compact Camera - in Black
Rechargeable Battery
Battery Charger
USB Cable
AV Cable
Handstrap

I can either pickup anywhere in the CBD (free) or mail this as Registered Post.

Please visit the Nikon website for product specs ~> here

Nikon Coolpix S9100 SOLD!

Perfumes

I have a crazy perfume collection and I just have absolutely no place to put them anymore! I'm selling part of my collection and all of them have never been used (unless otherwise specified).

Some are not 100% full and is due to vaporization. I have kept all of them in my glass cabinet since bought and are looked after very carefully.

**I have a HUGE perfume minis collection and if you see them on ebay, they're usually $8+ each and some are $30 for rare ones but I'm selling them all for $6ea.**

I can do combine shipping but of course pick up anywhere in the CBD area is free. :)

All still sealed

Glam by Versace 75mL EDT Spray (RRP $135) SOLD

L'eau D'Issey: A Touch of Cloud by Issey Miyake 100mL EDT Spray SOLD

Touch by Burberry 100mL EDP Spray (RRP $150) - Selling for $40

Brit Red: Special Edition by Burberry 100mL EDP Spray (RRP $124) - Selling for $70

Top two are sealed, bottom two have never been opened and used

Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker 100mL EDP Spray (RRP $125) SOLD

Fahrenheit by Dior 100mL EDT Spray (RRP $105) - Selling for $70

J'adore by Dior 30mL EDP Spray (RRP $120) SOLD

Pleasures by Estee Lauder 50mL EDP Spray (RRP $135) - Selling for $80

Have never been opened or used

Secret Wish Magic Romance by Anna Sui 50mL EDT Spray - Selling for $50

Duo by Hugo Boss 2x12.5mL EDT and EDP Spray - Selling for $30

I've used the J'adore and spilled a bit of the Dolce Vita when I tried to sniff it =.=

Versace has never been opened or used

Little Luxuries 4 piece set by Dior with Dune, J'adore, Dior Addict and Dolce Vita (also comes with acetate cover) (RRP $70) - Selling for $35

Blue Jeans, Red Jeans, Pink Jeans and Yellow Jeans by Versace EDT 7.5mL each - Selling for $6ea

JLo one I don't have the box anymore

Polo one I've spilt some

Allure Chanel have been used

Live by Jennifer Lopez 100mL EDP Spray (RRP $100) - Selling for $25

Cinema by Yves Saint Laurent 90mL EDP Spray (RRP $195) - Selling for $80

Polo Sport by Ralph Laurent 75mL EDT Spray (RRP $90) - Selling for $10

Allure by Chanel EDP Spray - Selling for $10

Have never been opened or used

Brit by Burberry 5mL EDT - Selling for $6

Energzing Fragrance by Shiseido 15mL EA - Selling for $6

Shi by Alfred Sung 7mL EDP - Selling for $6

Premier Jour by Nina Ricci 4mL EDP - Selling for $6

Have never been opened or used

Forfew EDT 5mL - Selling for $6

Echo by Davidoff EDP 5mL - Selling for $6
Weekend by Burberry EDP 5mL - Selling for $6
Couture! by Moschino EDP 4mL - Selling for $6

Have never been opened or used

L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci EDT 2.5mL - Selling for $6

Blonde by Versace EDT 5mL - Selling for $6

Island Kiss by Escada - EDT 4mL SOLD

Rockin' Rio by Escada - EDP 4mL - Selling for $6

Clinique Simply have been used

Other have never been opened or used

Simply by Clinique EDP Spray - Selling for $15

Cheap and Chic by Moschino EDT 4mL SOLD

Incanto by Salvatore Ferragamo EDP 5mL - Selling for $6

EDP II by Gucci EDP 5mL SOLD

Have never been opened or used

Parfumd'ete by Kenzo EDT 3.5mL - Selling for $6

Shell shaped perfume atomiser with pump - Selling for $12

4 piece set by Dior with Miss Dior Cherie, J'adore, Dior Addict 2 and Pure Poison in fabric box and leather bow - Selling for $60

These don't have original box

Pleasures by Estee Lauder EDP - Selling for $6

Aromatics Elixer - Selling for $3

Dior Me (Limited Edition) EDT 5mL - Selling for $6

Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder (empty bottle) - Selling for $3

Ralph by Ralph Laurent EDT 7mL - Selling for $6

Simply by Clinique EDP (used) - Selling for $3

If you're interested, please email me on sugarpuffi@sugarpuffi.com or leave a comment below.

New Zealand Trip Part 4 - Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar

2012-08-16T18:11:00.001+10:00

Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar

I managed to squeeze in a lot of eating which sadly had to span over 2 posts so look forward to the next post yeah?

I chose Depot Eatery as I see there was always a crowd even during non busy hours so this place must be good!

Being hungry, I chose a meat board, 2 small sharing plates and 1 large sharing plate between 2 people but the waiter had to stop me because he said they are actually quite big. In my mind, a small sharing plate would mean like 2 quail eggs in Sydney so I kept the menu in case I needed more food. All I can say is, food is very generous.

Old Mout Cider $7

Complimentary Tortilla Bread with Hummus

NZ Meat Board (Small) $20

Waikanae pork salami, wild rabbit rillette, paprika beef and beef bresaola served with a cherry relish and Olaf's fig and fennel crostini.

Quite a large serving of meats considering it was a small. I was already starting to panic about my surplus order of food.

Charcoal Roasted Aubergine with Sherry Vinegar, Olive Oil and Smoked Paprika $9

I love eggplants with vinegar so this was a must order for me on the menu. Eggplants are known to absorb oil so I'm glad it wasn't overly oily and had a nice smokey flavour with a hint of sourness.

Fergus' Bone Marrow - Wood Roasted with Parsley and Shallot Salad $20

I was quite overwhelmed by the amount of bone marrow they gave us. It also came with some toasted sourdough and a tiny fork to allow us to scoop out the marrow. If you haven't tried bone marrow before, it is like eating a big blob of fat (I know it's tissue) so this amount of marrow made me a bit sick and drinking water by the bucket.

Crisp Pork Hock with Apple and Horseradish Salsa Verde $29

A super big pile of meat was presented to me and I now understand what the waiter meant with over ordering. This looked like a feast for the biggest male and I was already full. I ate some of its delicious crackling and salad but luckily my brother polished off the rest.

We managed to eat most of the items apart from the marrow and I got 2 hours to digest before going to high tea...

Depot Eatery

Location: 86 Federal Street, Auckland 1010 New Zealand

Opening Hours: Daily from 7am

Phone: 09 363 7048

Website: http://www.eatatdepot.co.nz/

The Century - 金唐薈

2012-08-09T13:58:00.000+10:00

Gonna cut this post between my New Zealand Trip posts for a little change.

So, I was fortunate enough to be invited for a sneak peak banquet at the newly opened restaurant in The Star - The Century on 19 July...thats 3 days before anyone yo!

Since it was a VIP banquet, the food was served in small portioned plates rather than in communal dishes in Asian countries. I went again the following Wednesday and it was back to normal.

I was late so I missed the cocktails and canapes :( but don't worry, I got all the entree, mains and desserts so it's all good.

The Century

The entrance have massive tanks filled with crazy amounts of live seafood including head sized abalone and monster crabs.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

No night out is complete for me without drinks so a couple glasses of nice wine is great way to start dinner.

Chinese Tea

They had a little candle lit so it kept the tea warm!

Appetizers

Cantonese Style Barbequed Pork

Braised Bamboo Shoots

I love braised bamboo shoots as its got an unique crisp texture.

Eggplant Cubes Drizzled with House Made Sauce

Eggplant covered in a light batter, fried then covered in a drizzle of sweet home made sauce. It is slightly crunchy on the outside but moist and juicy on the inside.

Salt and Pepper Fried White Bait

Northern Style Cucumber with Garlic and Sesame Vinaigrette

The Northern China family's must have dish (sometimes it is mixed with shrimp). It's really easy to whip up but super healthy and delicious. It has the crunchy texture of the cucumber, the fragrance of sesame and a little punch on the taste buds from the garlic.

Tasting Menu

Drunken Prawns

Marinated with fragrant Chinese rice wine, it has real alcohol content. Some light weight guests on my table was slightly flushing after this dish...WEAK!

Seafood Roll

Live Pipis Stir Fried with XO Sauce

One of my favourite and must order dish at the old Golden Century. I was slightly disappointed with the dish as I think they tried to alter the flavours a bit to try cater for Western customers on the day. I returned the following Wednesday to give this dish a second chance and it was back to its original deliciousness. Phew!

Peking Duck with Pancakes

Halved Live Lobster with Salt and Pepper

Interesting way to cook lobster this way as usually I have half lobsters with mornay - salt and pepper is usually served chopped up and in a huge bowl.

Steamed Live Coral Trout with Ginger and Shallots

The Century Fried Rice

I was so full and about to burst at this stage but fried rice is served for the still hungry...if there are any. I only ate the condiments on top which was some sort of deliciously crunchy fish? and roe.

Desserts

Black Sesame Sticky Rice Ball

Seasonal Fruit Platter

The glass fruit platter was brought out steaming with smoke and a carved watermelon feature. The fruit bowl consists of two layers; on the bottom, liquid nitrogen was poured then a plate with slits is placed on top to let the smoke seep through and fruit is laid on top to create the most impressive platter.

The Century - 金唐薈

Location: Harbourside - Entry on Pirrama Road, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Opening Hours: Lunch: 11.30am-3pm, 7 days Dinner: 5.30pm-11pm, 7 days Supper: 11pm-2am, Friday & Saturday only

Phone: 02 9566 2328

Website: http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/signature-fine-dining/Pages/the-century.aspx

New Zealand Trip Part 3 - Dine by Peter Gordon

2012-07-24T17:53:00.003+10:00

After a fun and crazy day at the cave/farm/geyser, a nice meal would be the perfect way to end the day. We chose to dine at 'Dine' by Peter Gordon who won Top 50 Restaurant of 2012 in New Zealand.

We had the degustation which was 5 courses with a palette cleanser and petits fours. It is NZD$185pp with matching wines but NZD$115pp (converts to around AUD$90) without it.

*PS: I have to apologise for the inconsistent lightning and sad quality of the photos. The place is filled with dim orange light and there's not much I could do about it. >-<

Dine by Peter Gordon:

Degustation with Matching Wines

The place serves a unique blend of Asian, Pacific and traditional European cuisine. This theme could be seen throughout the dishes served in the degustation.

Seared Yellowfin Tuna

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Reims-France NV

First course is a seared yellowfin tuna with yuzu, wakame, sesame and kelp, kumara, tahini miso salad and a deep fried quail's egg. A mainly Japanese inspired dish with a touch of European glamour.

Pyramid Valley, Savagnin Rose, Marlborough '10

Savagnin Rose is now relatively rare in cultivation but it is great to match with Asian food and fatty fish.

Matched with:

Prawn and Panko Crusted Hapuka

Prawn and panko crusted Hapuka with wok fried greens, wood ear fungus, urenika potato with red lentil pandan coconut broth and crisp curry leaves. The dish is filled with Southern Asian elements but tastes really good cooked Western style.

Waitaki Braids Pinot Noir, North Otago '08

Matched with:

5 Spice Roast Cambridge Duck Breast

Five spice roast cambridge duck breast with smoked kumara mash, bok choy, pickled shiitake mushroom spring roll, fig and orange chutney. I really liked this dish as it has a citrusy sweet and juicy meat and crispy skin with a hint of five spice.

Pasquale Limoncello and Feijoa Granita

A really refreshing palette cleanser with my feijoa fruit goodness! I really fell in love with this fruit as it is a more citrusy version of a custard apple and so readily available in NZ - they're everywhere!

Alpha Domus "The Aviator" Cabernet Blend, Hawkes Bay '09

Matched with:

300 Day Grain Finished Wakanui Angus Beef Fillet

300 day grain finished Wakanui angus beef fillet soft black olive polenta, buttered spinach, a crisp braised ox tail dumpling and roast capsicum salsa. Look at the pinkness on the inside! A perfect medium rare steak with all the nice frillings on the side.

Rene Mure "Clos St Landelin" Gewurztraminer VT, Alsace-France '07

I love dessert wines. I wish I could swap all of the above wines for 5 servings of sweetness. Gewurztraminer is a more fragrant version of the Savagnin Rose with a pungent lychee note.

Matched with:

Frangelico Panna Cotta

Frangelico panna cotta with white chocolate and hazelnut powder, toffeed feijoa, polenta tuile and maple sherry ice cream.

Selection of Petits Fours

Dine by Peter Gordon

Location: Skycity Grand Hotel, 90 Federal Street, Auckland

Opening Hours: Daily 5.30pm - 10.30pm

Phone: +64 9 363 7030

Website: http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/Restaurants/dine.html

New Zealand Trip Part 2 - Waitomo, Agrodome and Rotorua Tour

2012-07-18T15:34:00.000+10:00

This is NOT a sponsored post

On the second day in New Zealand, I booked a day tour to Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Agrodome Organic Farm and Rotorua Te Puia for NZD$315pp via Greatsights. Some sites offer tours at $280ish but it's AUD so when converted, it is actually more so watch out for the payment currency before forking out your money!

Prince of Wales Feather Geyser

The tour includes complimentary pick-up and drop offer service, luxury coach, all entry tickets, performances, breakfast, lunch and snack.

I must say, New Zealand is the land of the rainbows because being there for 3days, I saw no less than 15 rainbows. The place rains for 5 minutes every freakin half an hour but then, a beautiful rainbow appears.

Rainbows, rainbows, everywhere!

The bus came to pick me up at 7am at Sky Tower Hotel. Little do I know that their bus depot was on the other side of the building and it took less than 20 seconds to arrive at the main pickup spot =.=///

Everyone on the bus received a bottle of water and a muffin to start off the day and the friendly bus driver made commentary all the way to our destination.

Waitomo Glowworm Cave

First stop was Waitomo Glowworm Cave where we got to walk through a limestone cave and hop on a boat to see spectacular glowworms. It was truely magical as I saw thousands of greenish-blue light flickering through the darkness just meters above your head.

As the glowworms are very fragile beings, no photography nor noises are allowed so sadly, I couldn't take any photos of them.

Maori Wood Carving

Waitomo Glowworm Cave Limestones

Glowworm Nests

(Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzhannah/317619300/)

Glowworm Lights

(Photo Source: http://www.glowworm.co.nz/gallery/images/lg-photo4.jpg)

Lunch and Snack

After the glowworm tour, we were given another bottle of water, chicken, mayo, rocket and cheese sandwich, chocolate cake, raspberry pastry and an apple. Although it doesnt look too appealing in a plastic container, the chocolate cake was uber moist and probably the best I've ever had!

At the end of the tours, we were given yet another bottle of water and a ham sandwich to eat on the way home.

Agrodome Organic Farm

Look! Another Rainbow!

Seriously, rainbows everywhere! I can finally see the end of a rainbow :D

I didn't have high expectations for this part of the tour as you know, there's sheep and cows everywhere in Australia too but gee, the New Zealanders sure know how to make it interesting.

We started off with a little herd dog demonstration where the dog strategically chases sheep to go back to it's pen then, we saw how to shear a sheep. I've seen this numerous times at the Easter Show but never this close. The shearer was less than 1m away from me and we got to feel the sheared sheep and wool after.

We got on a humongous tractor and it dragged us across the farm. As it is an organic farm, all the animals grazes happily in the hills then comes back to it's barn to sleep at night.

When our tractor stopped in the middle of a hill top, flocks of sheep ran towards us for a little snack.

Video of a mountain of sheep charging at us for food! (video by me)

Alpaca

I patted an alpaca and was amazed at how soft its wool is compared to a sheep - literally like touching a cloud!

Moo....

Deer!

This cow's name is called Lovely :)

Emu, Bull, Ducks and Rooster

As our tractor stopped, all the chickens and ducks waddled over to get a feed.

Kiwi Wine and Juice

The place also plants organic kiwi, olives and feijoa (an awesome fruit that tastes like a more citrusy achacha).

Te Puia, Rotorua

The last place of the tour is Rotorua where we got to see some Maori culture.

Karanga (Traditional Maori Welcoming Dance)

Hakka

After some great performances, we got a guided tour of Te Puia's geothermal valley, woodcarving and weaving schools.

There is also a kiwi (the bird) shelter but they're nocturnal animals so all I saw was their butt as they slept :(

Ngamokaiakoko Mud Pool

Video of the Ngamokaiakoko Mud Pool (video by me)

The mud pool was pretty cool as you can see the mud bubbling away at 80C and making 'bloop bloop' sounds.

Prince of Wales Feather Geyser

When in full eruption, this geyer is similar in shape to the feather that appear on the Prince of Wales coat of arms. It was given the name after Prince of Wales Edward Albert visited here in the 1900s.

This geyser is known as the indicator geyser as it lets you know when Phoutu Geyser will next erupt.

It erupts up to 7 meters high.

Video of the Prince of Wales Feather Geyser (video by me)

So Beautiful!

I was particularly upset that I didn't manage to see it erupt as our coach was leaving. The tour guide said we can see it's true beauty if we could just wait another 10-15minutes. :(

Waitomo and Rotorua Experience - Great Sights

http://www.greatsights.co.nz/waitomo/waitomo-rotorua-experience/

Waitomo

http://www.waitomo.com/

Agrodome Organic Farm

http://www.agrodome.co.nz/

Te Puia, Rotorua

http://www.tepuia.com/

New Zealand Trip Part 1 - Jade Dragon

2012-07-03T16:25:00.000+10:00

Kia Ora!

Last month, I took a quick trip to New Zealand during the long weekend and spent almost my entire time grazing on food and jamming a bit of sight seeing in between.

As all good food bloggers do, we have to start with plane food. I flew with Emirates in the morning so we had the breakfast menu.

Breakfast Grill

Grilled beef patties served with chicken sausage, sautee button mushroom, roasted potato wedges with parsley and grilled tomato. Croissant, fruit salad, bread roll, orange juice and butter as sides.

Jade Dragon 怡龙阁

I checked into Skycity Hotel and took a quick rest before ushering to dinner at Jade Dragon 怡龙阁.

Pretty Plates

We had the VIP Banquet with a slight variation in the menu (I didn't take photos of all the dishes).

Braised Superior Soup

Braised superior soup with fish maw, dried scallops, abalone, sea cucumber, prawn, fish, squid and Chinese mushrooms.

Peking Duck (Two Ways)

Peking duck skin wrapped with pancakes, cucumber, spring onions and hoisen sauce.

Lobster

Braised lobster with yee mee noodles. Admit it, most of you order the dish for the noodles.

Stir Fried Sliced Abalone with Snow Peas

Usually when I eat sliced abalone, it is cooked for a few seconds in broth. I'm afraid stir frying it would make it overcooked and chewy but surprisingly, it's really tender and delicious!

Imperial Beef

Sauteed beef eye fillet in Szechuan sauce and macadamia nuts.

Kampong Chicken

Poached chicken served with a zesty ginger, garlic and spring onion sauce. I love poached chickens because the skin tastes like 'jelly' and it's not as fatty as other variations.

Sauteed Seasonal Chinese Green Vegetables

Assorted Fresh Fruit Platter

Bottle Wrappers

Saw these cute little bottle wrappers when coming out of the restaurant. Aren't they adorable? :D

I'm off to China from 05/07-10/07 so bye bye social media *weeps* but you can still contact me via glorious Instagram @sugarpuffi yo~the only thing not blocked by the Great Firewall of China.

More trips of New Zealand next week peeps!

Jade Dragon

Location: Skycity Atrium, Level 1, Corner of Federal and Victoria Street, Auckland, New Zealand

Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:30am - 2pm, Daily 5:30pm - 9:30pm

Phone: +64 9 363 6000

Website: http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/Restaurants/Jade-Dragon.html

Lantern by Wagaya

2012-06-26T16:36:00.000+10:00

Lantern is the latest 'Izakaya' (type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks) styled restaurant by Wagaya. It features little booths with touch screen menus or you can book a karaoke room so you can sing and eat at the same time.

I was lucky enough to get sponsored by Food Morning and got a $200 coupon to spend at Lantern by Wagaya~ so off I go to get a feast on Japanese food.

We started off with some drinks. The drink menu features drinks named with various gem stones for mocktails.

Garnet $5.90

Mango, kiwi, pineapple juice and grapefruit juice. I thought garnets are red in colour but with a quick google, I soon realised they come in colours of the rainbow with red being the most common. The drink itself was quite sour due to the grapefruit juice but goes quite well with sushi/sashimi.

Blue Lemonade $5.90

Blue Curaco, lemon juice and soda. A drink is found commonly at Japanese restaurants and the taste resembles Ramune.

Amethyst $5.90

Strawberry, calpis, mint and milk. The drink is like a strawberry milkshake with a refreshing tingle as it has a hint of mint. I really liked this drink and it was finished quite quickly.

Renkon Chips $6.50

I can never go past a crispy renkon chip. The menu had a little chili symbol next to this but I assure you it's not spicy at all.

Beef Tataki $9.90

Six slices of lightly seared beef tataki with a lemon soy on a bed of red onions.

Salmon Skin Age $5.50

I'm not a great fan of oily deep fried stuff but my family munched it up in no time. The salmon skin was earth shattering crunchy and a plate of it only costs $5.50.

Scampi $7.50

Scampi!! My favourite sashimi that's closely followed by cuttlefish. Too bad my brother is allergic to crustaceans so both of them are mineeeeeeee!!

Wagyu Beef $11.50

Charcoal grilled wagyu beef skewers with a shio (salt) base.

Ox Tongue $6.30

Thickly cut ox tongue was grilled to a perfect golden brown with the insides tender and succulent. I wanted to order another serving but resisted since I want to cover as much variety of food as possible so I had to save room for others! :(

Lightly Grilled Salmon and Scallop Box Sushi $13.50

The sushi is topped half with salmon and half with scallop then drizzled with Japanese mayo and garnished with roe.

Oyster with Mentaiko Gratin $15.50

One of the nicest grilled oysters I've tried. It may look ordinary on the outside but once you bite into the oozey cheese top, you'll find a generous scoop of mentaiko (marintated pollock roe) gratin along side with the oyster. For under $4 a pop, it's definitely worth your buck.

Assorted Sashimi and Sushi Roll (Large) $46.50

With $200 in hand and only 3 people to gobble, I went for the more expensive items on the menu. The large sushi/sashimi box seemed like a nice option. The box came out fairly quickly with super fresh ingredients.

The box had 2 tuna, 2 kingfish, 2 scallop, 2 prawn and 3 vegetarian sushi. Several slices of tuna, salmon, scallop sashimi, 2 prawns and egg rolls.

Assorted Sashimi and Sushi Roll (Large)

Green Tea Cheesecake and Green Tea Icecream $7.50

Home made green tea cheesecake was a bit dry and crumbly. I didn't really like it but the green tea ice cream was nice.

Creme Brulee and Ice Cream $7.50

The creme brulee had a slightly thicker glass than the average brulees' I've had. It is accompanied with a scoop of vanilla icecream and a squirt of cream.

It was an extremely difficult task to spend $200 between 3 people at Lantern. The food was fresh, fast, tasty and value for money. I was eating till belly up and only managed to spend just under $170.

Sugarpuffi dine as a guest of Lantern by Wagaya courtesy of Food Morning.

Lantern by Wagaya

Location: Level 2 Sun Tower, 591 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: 02 9283 8828

Website: http://lantern-wagaya.com/

Tokonoma Degustation

2012-06-13T14:00:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Spreets, I was invited to dine at Tokonoma for their degustation. I was given a voucher and it includes a 12 course Tasting Menu for 2 and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for only $99 instead of the original $200!

I'm no stranger to voucher buying and could get quite obsessive with them. I've bought countless food/beauty vouchers and about 7~8 from Spreets. The quality of their vouchers seems to be quite consistently good.

Marlborough Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc 2011

I was promptly seated and the bottle of wine quickly brought to our table.

The food came out really quickly and a bowl of edamame was placed at our table before the wine was even poured out.

Steamed Edamame with Maldon Sea Salt

Salmon Tartare

The salmon tartare came out with a canape like presentation. The salmon is perfectly balanced with mayo, balls of roe and micro herbs to decorate.

Seared Beef

Four delicately sliced beef with pickled onions, mizuna and garlic chips was quick to disappear into our stomachs. The meat was lightly seared with a slight sour taste from the pickled onions and a little crunch of the chips was just perfect.

Soft Shell Crab

Soft shell crab with wasabi mayonnaise was covered in a light batter and a generous amount of crab. My brother is allergic to most crustaceans so his was changed to a salad. Bwahahahaha!

Rocket Salad

A light salad of rocket, avocado, onion and cucumber drizzled with wafu sauce.

Nigiri Selection

A cooked 'fish' (sorry I couldn't make out what it was) on a bed of rice and wrapped in lettuce was very subtle and light.

Nigiri Selection

Two prettily wrapped rolls of tuna salad with micro herbs.

Sashimi Selection

Amazingly fresh slices of salmon and kingfish sashimi with white radish on bed of ice. I loved the presentation on this dish! Everything looks so well balanced and 'zen'.

Grilled Scallop Mentaiko

A perfectly grilled scallop with mentaiko (marinated pollock roe). I'm addicted to them and have it every time with my udon. To cater for my brother's allergies, it only came with one scallop.

Grilled Sticky Rice with Mushrooms Skewer

An replacement for the scallop. Poor thing. I actually quite enjoyed this skewer as the rice was soft on the inside with a crisp, golden brown outer. I have a thing for crispy shells and gooey insides...I'm really not that weird...

Grilled Beef Skewer

Another replacement dish? I'm quite lost now as we just had 3 single portioned dishes but oh well, I'm not complaining!

Squid Tempura

Grilled Zucchini Skewers

Grilled zucchini skewers with wafu sauce and sprinkled with sesame. With vegetables presented this way, even my brother, the most carnivorous of carnivores ate some.

Scotch Fillet

Strips of tender and juicy scotch fillet stacked up like jenga then topped with smoked miso and a dab of wasabi on the side. I really enjoyed this dish but was a tad sad that the portion looked a bit small for two.

Miso Soup

Dessert Tasting Plate

I say plate, but it was more of a box. The desserts were presented similarly to the sashimi, It had an apricot creme brulee, slices of fresh fruits and a ball of miso and raspberry sorbet served on a carved piece of ice.

The miso sorbet is not something you would see everyday. I've tried it before at Momofuku Seibo but it was way too salty. I liked this version better.

Remember that bottle of wine? I drank like 80% of it and I was skipping and laughing all the way home. Oh the embarrassment!!

Overall, I'd say this is a great voucher by Spreets. The servings were small but there were many dishes so it evens out. I'm the type that likes to try a little bit of everything on the menu rather than big plates of one thing.

Sugarpuffi dined as a guest of Spreets.

Tokonoma

Location: 490 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Phone: 02 9357 6100

Opening Hours: Tue - Sat 6pm first seating, 8pm second seating

Website: http://www.toko.com.au/surry_hills/tokonoma_lounge.cfm

Subway's Moroccan Lamb Sub

2012-06-06T17:02:00.000+10:00

Hai all! Subway Restaurants has invited me to have a taste of their new Limited Edition Moroccan Lamb Sub. To celebrate the Moroccan theme, the event is held at Moroccan Feast.

In the sprit of Subway's 'doing it your own way' the chef has designed a special menu with each dish containing a component of the Moroccan Lamb Sub. Smart aye?

Moroccan Lamb Foot Long Sub

Subway White Bread, SUBlime Peach Cocktail

To start, we had some Moroccan dips on white bread. Everyone just loved the soft, fluffy bread and my stomach was half filled with them before the meal even started! I only knew much later on that the bread was from Subway! I used to be a honey oat person but I'll give the original white a go next time I visit Subway!

Moroccan Dips

From top:

Roasted aubergine with home made ailo.

Green olives in tomato and chilli jam.

Slow-roasted Matbouha.

Chardonnay

Vegetarian Pastiles

I really enjoyed the vegetarian pastiles as I loved the flakey pastry and the word 'vegetarian' made me feel less guilty but most people went against me and said the lamb cigars were better. Maybe because I couldn't get past the idea of it looking like a spring roll.

Cigars with Moroccan Lamb Drizzled in Mint Yoghurt Dressing

Now don't get me wrong, I liked the lamb cigars as well (just not as much as the pastiles). I liked the filling with exotic Moroccan spiced lamb and it wasn't gamey at all which was great.

Belly Dancer

In between the entree and the main, music started and out comes a belly dancer! I've seen several belly dances before but she is one of the best. She really know how to move her abs and also dangled a knife on her head while dancing to the music...insane!

**To those that have photo(s) of me, PLEASE DELETE! kthnxbai :) **

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Aubergine Tagine

The lamb meatballs were sandwiched between slices of spiced aubergine. The lamb is the same lamb used in the Lamb Sub. It is perfectly spiced, flavoursome and juicy. The whole thing reminds me of fried aubergine pastry '茄盒' my grandma used to make when I was small where you have mince between two slices of aubergine, coated with flour then fried...*drools*.

Moroccan style Barramundi fillet with chickpeas

I shared half a plate each with Tammi so we'll get maximum coverage on all the dishes. The barramundi was moist with a thick spices reduction. The mint yoghurt was very smooth, minty and not too heavy. It is the same dressing as the Moroccan Lamb Sub and was present throughout the entrees and the mains.

Mixed Herbs and Rocket with Hazelnuts and Citrus Vinigarette

With fried, meat dishes everywhere, it was nice to see a touch of greenery on our table. The salad really helped to balance out the richness of the lamb.

Shredded Red Cabbage, Grilled Haloumi, Pomegranate and Coriander

A crispy and crunchy salad with a hint of popping pomegranate was adored by our table. I don't remember how many times I've scooped this into my bowl!

Fresh Figs with Date Sauce

Figs is one of my favourite fruits but it is so hard to find in Sydney. I was so happy when they had a surplus supply of figs and once again, took more than my fair share. *oh the shame!*

Piscachio Icecream with Crushed Subway Cookies

No meal is complete without dessert! The pisachio icecream was very nutty, creamy and overall great! It sits ontop of a bed of crushed cookies from Subway, raw tahini and drizzled with honey.

I have to thank the nice people from Subway and Hills+Knowlton Strategies for inviting me to such an event. It was definitely fun and unique in every way!

Sugarpuffi dined as a guest of Subway and Hills Knowlton Strategies.

Winners to the Cadbury's Marvellous Creations Giveaway on 29 May 2012.

Alicia, Michelle, Sophie, Vivian and Winston.

Congratulations all!

The winners will be notified by email.

Thank you all for participating and hope you could participate in future giveaways and events by Sugar's Sweet Blog.

Cadbury's Marvellous Creations Giveaway!

2012-05-29T16:00:00.000+10:00

Yes, I had an extended absence again but I am here to redeem you all back with....A GIVEAWAY!

Cadbury Marvellous Creations Giveaway Pack

The kind people from Royce and Cadbury has given me FIVE Marvellous Creations Pack for the lovely readers of Sugar's Sweet Blog.

Each prize pack includes:

1 x 300g block of Peanut Toffee Cookie Marvellous Creations

1 x 300g block of Jelly Crunchie Bits Marvellous Creations

1 x 300g block of Jelly Popping Candy Beanies Marvellous Creations

1 x Marvellously Marvellous Apron

I have already sampled the chocolates and they just...well, marvellous! 900g of chocolate only lasted 4 days in our household. Geeze!

Here is a better photo of it.

Marvellous Creations Range

If you haven't seen the ad yet, go look for it! The story is that Marvellous Creations is the first Cadbury Dairy Milk product to be delivered from the magical and mythical land of Joyville, a special place that lives in the imagination of chocolate lovers the world over, where Cadbury Dairy Milk is infused with joy and excitement. Cute yeah? I personally think it is.

Wrapped Chocolates with Apron

I received the chocolates wrapped in Cabury purple wrapping with Joyville ribbons and an apron cushioning it on the bottom.

Peanut Toffee Cookie Marvellous Creations

Mum's favourite as she is a crazy peanut fan. It is filled with honey roasted peanuts with melt in your mouth cookie bits matched with Cabury's velvety milk chocolate.

Jelly Crunchie Bits Marvellous Creations

This is my favourite as I loved the gummy jelly with crunchie! People that follows me on Instagram or Twitter should know that I just made honeycomb to show how much I love them.

Jelly Popping Candy Beanies Marvellous Creations

The quirkiest of the range. I totally relived my childhood memories with a mouth full of popping candy and competing with my brother on who can make the loudest sound. I know, I'm just so mature.

Inside of Jelly Popping Candy Beanies

Now, have I got everyone drooling and dying to try some? Here's how you can win.

To win, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment below telling me which flavour would you want to try the most and why (don't worry, you'll get all 3 flavours if you win)!

*PLEASE EMAIL me a copy of your comment to sugarpuffi@sugarpuffi.com Blogger does not let me see your emails so I cannot get back to you if you don't do this. *

2. Like Sugar's Sweet Blog on Facebook and/or follow me @sugarpuffi on Twitter. If you already do, excellent!

3. For extra entries, share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

4. Entries close on 11:59pm 05 June 2012 (Monday).

Remember, you gotta be in it to win it!