Fashion & Gossip - Fashion News from China and Japan

getting fat in florida, the all you can eat feast, the feeling ill on thrill rides and the FLOOR SHOWS!

2009-07-23T21:23:55+08:00

Let me just advise. When you come to Florida Dinsey parks, dont bring those 'breathe in and lie on the bed with talc on your thighs' jeans

Florida is the fat capital of the world, I fully accept another dress size will occur whilst here. Not that there arent wonderful seafood and salad options to keep you lean and mean. Just after 3 years in Shanghai Im not interested. I want the USA buffet monster to gorge me into a comotose state.

Please observe below a STARTER tuna salad from the Universal Hardrock Hotel. Isnt it gorgeous?! Amazing quality and the dressing was beautiful. but who could eat all of that ($12.49) and thrn have a burger? Well, obviously their usual clientel?

Now here please observe my favourite sight in the Sand Lake road area. Yes. The Boston Lobster Feast sign at the Florida Mall. This my dear friends, is my death row meal venue of choice. Funny since, my family used to bring me here when I was 6 or 7 and couldnt bear the sight smell or taste of seafood, and would wish with all my might we could just go to Wendys.

This is the amazing aray, early 6pm birds get all this for $19.99. As much lobster as you can scoff...but not just that. Lump crab, crab cakes, 3 type of chowde, sushi, seafood pasta, baked salmon, seared salon, salmon smoked, roll mops, steak, lasagne, seafood salad, raw prawns, baked prawns, oysters naked, baked and rockerfella, crab claws, seafood bake......

THREE CHOWDERS!!
and heres the 'before' picture.... href="http://wfn.typepad.com/.a/6a0105364cdc73970c01157138d268970c-pi">
Since i began blogging for "im not a famous blogger" i've realised, there is simply no reasona why my service shouldnt be amazing as should my food and decor. After all Im a PICKY reviewer, and a lot of people read my blog for the restaurant advice! So here it is, the un-obvious gourmet guide to Disney.
well almost, I shll do that tomorrow x

YANKS DONT SPEAK ENGLISH FOOD, but BEAUTIFUL BOBBY BLACKMON AT BBKINGS GOT US TO EAT A 'PO BOY'

2009-07-22T21:07:16+08:00

Tuna Nicole? whats that? A Tuna Nicoise but instead of olives it has like cheesy poofs, and instead of seared ahi its pre mixed tunamayo from a can? instead of fresh boiled new potatoes youve got french fries and 'lays'?

I am more baffled by America menus than Chinese ones.

Words all English diners should be weary of:

CILANTRO: corriander

CHIPS: not lovely chunky deep friend in goose fat chips but potato crisps or 'walkers' as we call em, and no salt and vinegar in sight

FRIES: chips only not so good, skinny, no animal fat no vinegar, and lots of salt

CHICKEN TENDERS: last time i checked a tender was a boat but hey, here this means chicken nuggets but they are huge, and served with an odd bright yellow sauce which calls itslef honey mustard yet tastes of neither.

this amazing feast was made up of ingredients my british dining companions and i could not fathom, and yet we were in a country 'speaking' our mother tongue.

A 'broiler' (still not sure what this is) of shrimp (supposed to be the small ones, these were huge langoustine sized prawns) a 'po boy' (?!?) some 'catfish', 'pulled pork'? a Biscuit? not a sugar digestive out here! OH NO! and the hot sauce is not a joke.

I have my MAC firmly set to UK spell check! I believe in schools all children in the USA should have to do the same! ITS TOO CONFUSING!? Al-u-min-ium!! how HARD is that! words have consonants too! Or maybe since theres so fewer of us pommes, we should all get one of these

a new MAC translator, only $200 and you can correctly write and spell. Since as you may have noticed my spelling even in my mother tongue is appauling I really should! why spend thousands on a decent education, just a couple a hundred on a computer which makes you SEEM well educated!

If going to a real yankee restaurant, bring a translator! We went to BB Kings to see our favourite florida star BEAUTIFUL BOBBY BLACKMON at BBKINGS meant we HAD to take the drive down IDRIVE (away from the safety of the magic kingdom!!) to see hom, we have ALL his albums and he ROCKS the blues.

here he is serenading my mum! (not MOM) be careful dad...se what happens when you let mother out with the LUSH SISTERS SCARROTT!! ahahahahah!

ponderosa. Kind to budgets, cruel to waistlines. utterly amazing buffet challenge!

2009-07-22T11:47:00+08:00

My sister stands and salutes a Scarrott family institution! The International drive is home to the PONDOROSA STEAK HOUSE. This is the first venue at which I ever experienced the American phenomenon of the buffet. A dining marathon where all kinds of foods which should never really ever touch each other on the same plate or at the same time of day are piled as high as the spoons will allow, and shoveled at speed into families eager gobs. It is utterly wrong, and oh so very right.

Approximately a 20 minute drive from any Disney hotel, you can get a buffet breakfast, for $3.99. CAN I REPEAT THREE DOLLARS NINETY NINE CENTS. THAT IS LESS THAN MY MORNING LATTE! They dont just do breakfast, for lunch the buffet just gets bigger, and for dinner you are encouraged to add an entre like shrimp, lamb chops, pork belly or a huge steak to your ridiculous mountain of endless beef, stews, lasagne, chicken, creamy pasta, bbq beans, any type of potatoes, massive salad bar, vegies, jelly, cakes and pastries, pancakes and an ice cream fountain with all kinds of toppings. This is about $10.99-$12. That is the price of my cocktails.

I remember so clearly my first buffet experience, I must have been 5 years old, it was at this very restaurant. It was about 8am. Breakfast to me meant a bowl of cornflakes with a spoon of sugar and skimmed milk. Or on Saturdays a slice of bacon OR an egg with some toast. I had no idea breakfast took on other food stuffs.
Then we found ponderosa.
Salad, grits, pancakes, syrup, icecream, chicken nuggets, barbequed beans, biscuits (which are crumpets) waffles, any kind of eggs, cakes, an icing fountain and the final amazing addition.

jelly.

mountains of rainbow colors of jelly.

and sausage is shaped like burgers, not sausages, and bacon is not like bacon it is like bacon flavoured crisps, all friend to death and crispy. And chips means crisps and crisps is not crisps, french fries is chips....I was very confused, and had to try EVERYTHING, then felt violently ill on Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom.

I have heard if you are stealthy, and/or REALLY hungry you can combined 2 meals...I'm not sure anyone could eat 3 meals there, maybe someone really really obese could. But if you stay from 9-11.30 you CAN eat lunch (extra soups, salads and entres like salmon and shrimp) for the same price as just lunch. WOW. Do they order the ambulance for you?

For further explanation of how very wrong this dining style is, just look at what I have on my plate. You see? Diners should not be left in charge of their food like some pleasure island reprebates. We need chefs to stop us putting cake, blue jelly and red currant syrup on the same breakfast plate!

Or...maybe just once a year for vacation we can go to ponderosa. But you can tell the people who go every day...they cant get out the door.

Universal old skool park. The original and the mighty.

2009-07-21T22:08:12+08:00

This one takes some planning. Universal Studios is a large and amazing theme park, you have to juggle a number of things. SHOW times are very important, check your map for the times. You want to plan your attack to see EVERYTHING. Also you must understand the LONG LINE RIDES. There's a lot of headliners all over the park. LONG LINES ARE NOT FOR MISS LUSH.
Heres the plan of attack, read and take notes.

E.T is a classic and must be done, but do not be tempted to do it first just because it is there, terminator doesnt open til 10 so you have to come back that way anyways, go straight to the new SIMPSONS ride, it gets a big line quickly. Do this and do MEN IN BLACK first,
TIPS: on E.T NEVER give your real name, make up a dumb name, its hillarious to hear E>T say "goodbye miss divine lush one, goodbye bexstar, goodbye dopey" etc. In MEN IN BLACK dont shoot the obvious aliens, shoot the smaller ones, and shoot the green traffic lights, thats how you get a high score, and GET THE SUIT, you need an average of 200,000 per car so dont sit with anyone who looks dumb!

Now you are in time to see BLUES BROTHERS show at 11.30, they are amazing! SEE IT! Aretha Franklin was just awesome, and they arrive in the car...love it. THEY ARE ON A MISSION FROM GOD

We then like to stop for a cheeky midday cocktail at the Irish pub since it gets very hot and sweaty watching and dancing yourself silly with the brothers in the hot sunshine! So a quick refresher is needed, check out this pub, how funny is this irish menu? SCOTCH EGG cobb salad?!

THEN watch beetlejuice show at 12.30 (see how well it times out!) Then go BACK and do JAWS, (be aware...i think the driver might have engine failure...and drive to the old boat shed....duh da...duh da...duh da duh da...you know the rest)
THEN do the FASTPASS for the MUMMY, do TWISTER, grab lunch in the MONSTERS PLACE or in ITALY where they have pizza and STARBUCKS! then make yourself feel very sick as your fastpass return is up for the mumy ride whch is HELLA scary!!
then back to do T2 ride (sit in the front section) and E.T and your DONE! Phew! WELL DONE

heres E.T to say BYEEEEEEEEEEE! after this you need a good dinner, I reccomend PONDEROSA which is an amazing buffet. I shall tell more about that later....love and lushness to you all.

How to remain stylish at theme parks

2009-07-21T05:42:47+08:00

Florida Theme Parks. Not the most lavishly Lush of locations for fashion. One could say quite the opposit. They are hot and sweaty. The humdidity of Orlando means any hairstyle is immediately turned to haystack. If it isnt raining, then the water rides will soak you..(when it says, "you may get wet on this ride" they MEAN you are about to have a shower with 20 other strangers)

Here see how Bex and I substitute our usual stylish ways to the evils of Floridian theme parks. There are no explanations for some of these fashion crimes. I simply shall not atempt it. I shall apologise and promise I will be back to my usual self when in London...if they will have me back after what I have done......

3D glasses. Not mature, not sexy...not even on correctly.

Dressing up the same as your sister. AND the same as Disney characters. Not sexy. Although the poses are genius

What is it about theme parks that makes my sister and I morph into vaudville child stars with 'spirit fingers' flapping?

This is Bex and I finding it hillarious how much she resembled the polar bear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear....but it get worse, the final insult.

Matching Minnie mouse tops, matching rain ponchos. Audience, I am truly sorry, I do not deserve your forgiveness, but please try to forget this dark time.

HARD ROCKIN NIGHTS AT MARGHERITAVILLE UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

2009-07-20T20:04:18+08:00

Citywalk is the best place to go at night in Universal Studios, because theres loads of nice food, live music and most importantly strong and sexy cocktails!

Emerils is the post nosh gaff. Here you get the full works...waiters dressed in the penguin suits and the food is always presented in interesting shapes and with 'jus' of stuff.

We werent in the mood for that after a long day at the park so we opted for Margheritaville! (the name suggests good things.

When you ask for a table they will tell you an impossibly long wait time, like 90 minutes. Dont listeb. This is just to put off people who dont really want margheritas and those people with children, who should be kept at home in general (worst thing about theme parks, they should leave childrens rides to people who can appreciate it properly...adults)

Take the buzzer and go to the outside cocktal bar. Its a beach bar overlooking both the beautiful parks and the lake twinkles with all the lights, the staff are great, quick, and its just a lovely place to sip a hurricane drink. (Florida's best cocktail if done right)

Check out those names!?!

So we selected our beverages and I ordered gorgeous spicy shrimp (shrimp are supposed to be small, these are monsters) the food is lovely, fast to the table and HUGE! I usually order starter sized main courses as Florida is simply made for bigger bellied people (you can see by their size)

The band starts at 10, but to be honest we were too tired. Back to the HARD ROCK HOTEL to swim off some of those cocktail calories in the late night pool! OPEN TILL MIDNIGHT! another hard rocking night in Orlando. Jesus I love this town.

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURES!! The schedule and HOW to lushciously avoid lagging and achieve maximum theme park pleasure!

2009-07-18T20:07:08+08:00

Islands of Adventure is Universal studios newest and most advanced theme park. Although it doesnt contain the nostalgic 'magic' of a theme park such as the Magic Kingdom, it is absolutely packed with terrifying rides. This is probably my second favourite theme park in Orlando, and thats really quite a stunning claim, since they are all bloomin marvelous. (EPCOT still number 1)

Firstly, you MUST STAY AT ONE OF THE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOTEL otherwise you dont stand a chance. Staying at a Universal Hotel means you get FRONT OF LINE PASSES so you dont queue for any of the rides. Queuing for rides sucks, my general mantra of themeparking, Lush doesnt wait in line. Secondly you arrive in style, by boat. Boat is definitely my transportation of choice for themepark arrival.
Secondly arrive EARLY. Usually not a Lush mantra, but in terms of park, its cooler (temperature and attitude) and if it says 9am opening, get there at 8.30am....the rides will be going!
The first land is the hardest. Start by hitting HULK, DR DOOM and SPIDERMAN. You will certainly be awake.
HULK is insane, it makes your knees wobbly afterwards. It makes your breakfast bagel reconsider staying in your belly. The beginning is the best. You are not only thrown directly downwards on a punishing incline, but you are literally 'shot' into the dive in a tunnel which is esentially a human catapult. AND though I know this is going to happen to me I end up doing the same thing again and again?!

LOOK AT IT!
Then use that momentary madness caused by increased adrenalin and lost brain cells to get yourself onto DR DOOMS FEAR FALL, another HORRIBLE eperience where you get strapped into another human catapult and this time thrown directly upwards and sucked back down to earth, not once, not twice, but a number of bile heaving times. However, the view at the top is beautiful, and educational if you want to map out the park....thats if you can keep your eyes open!!

The park itself is gorgeous now, your dizzy and overjoyed to have those rides out the way!! The adrenalin makes you as childish as a 7 year old after an entire kg of skittles and 4 red bulls. Your hair is ruined by this point, but hey, your in a theme park, the attire is of a generally frightening level. Its time for SPIDERMAN. But more on that next time!!

HARD ROCK HOTEL ORLANDO-Lush line jumping and living

2009-07-17T04:32:12+08:00

To queue is not lush.
To pay for 5pm cocktails (until 7.30) is not lush

Skipping all the lines at Universal studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks Florida is very very lush. Free wine beer soft drinks and CD library with 'beck and call smiley' concierge staff and lovely snack buffet, thats lavishly lush.

This is the very aerosmith concierge level of the HARD ROCK HOTEL orlando. This hotel is the only way to stay at Universal studios. You dont have to wait in line. You simply show your room key at rides and go staright to the front of the line. Apart from that theres loads of other perks.

The room is lovely, lush enough for 3 Scarrott ladies, I dont mind sleeping in the same bed as my sister, she only mumbles a bit in her sleep...mum however snores like a trooper, but then Im coughing up a lung every night so we are as bad as each other!

The transportation is awesome. River busses take you to each park, dining area, nightclub and bar all day every day for free, they are prompt and fun, and I love arriving to look at the amazing parks twinkling lights over your own private water way!

And the final lush lifestyle activity is watersliding and hot tubs in the dark with cocktails!! Hard rock understands a girls need for an apple martini and some hot bubbly water after a hard days enjoying yourself and doing rollercoaters! Honestly, the things I do to write an entertaining blog...So thankfully the HARDROCK HOTEL has cocktail waitresses tending to the hot tub till midnight every night, and the food is also amazing, have the hot dog, its perfect for stopping the hangover before it starts! AND DO THE WATER SLIDE. DO IT. NO ITS NOT CHILDISH....ok it is, but Lush likeeee! WHEEEEE!

Scarrott sister vacation 2009! Lush lounge, Lush location, Lush Life!

2009-07-16T03:04:40+08:00

Rebecca, Joanna, and the original Jocelyn (big mumma) Scarrott are returning to our second home, Orlando Florida....well really we mean Disney world and Universal Studios.

When I mention 'vacation' do not be decieved. An Orlando trip is a battle plan. There are one million and one things to do, and the Scarrott ladies are adept at attempting one million and two. Relaxing? no, but satisfying. Add enough cocktails and Starbucks stops to any 14 hour day holiday schedule and you get our ideal experience. Of course, Jojo is the Lush of the group. I dont mind what we do....as long as its luxury.

I must admit we didnt have the fighting chance we usually have. As you can see we have injuries in the team. I had suspected swine flu, and a motorcycle burn, Becky has a broken foot in a cast, and mother (usually our weak link) is now promoted to team captain. On the flip side I got to ride in one of those cool disabled buggies at Gatwick, now thats Lush...walk through terminals dahrling? not if I can ride.

Secondly Ive heard tell of this dull economic thingy...yawn. All I know is I dont fly first class any more. I thought it would be the end of my life, I didnt know one COULD turn right on a plane. Did you know on some flights you have people sit either side of you! Perfect starngers! its awful...

However I was very very impressed with virgin premium economy. Being gold card members we still got to go to the virgin first lounge, which is lovely, though dissappointingly you can NEVER book into the spa any more!! ONE STYLIST on duty!! WHY! I need at least 2 just for myself!

The cocktails however are still awesome, the 'virgin redhead' was obviously created just for me, a berry liquer and champagne pick me up, who wouldnt at 9am?

The flight was dull. 9 hours, films I've seen, a measly meal (what happened to my first class open butler style menu!! Damn you economy thingy!!) and people who..well you would expect to be jostling shoulders with in primark.

The upside is of course its cheap as chips. Only £200 to upgrade! NOTHING! AND you fast pass all the queues at Gatwick and you get off the flight first so get your luggage first and get to the happy hours in plenty of time!

So we were nicely ushered through to our Dollar rent-a-pimp-ride (jeep, nice) after a small girly technological hitch with a satnav (the bitch wont speak to us, we keep getting salsa music instead of mileage and turns) we found the HARD ROCK HOTEL UNIVERSAL STUDIOS.

And...damn. This girl isnt easily impressed by a hotel, especially not a 'theme' hotel, but this place is the dog's swingers.

The standard room is huge

and any minibar stocked as well as this (margherita mix? hendricks gin? this isnt your half bottle of white and a can of Carslberg) makes me feel like Im rocking hard. I shall inform more about this amazing hotel tommorow as its just too cool to squeeze into one blog. Sorry Ive been away so long....pick your excuse, rehab, pregnant, boob job. Up to you. (truth is I've been working too hard, but thats just not lush) x

City diner turned City disaster

2009-04-26T08:33:44+08:00

Magic ingredients. Red couches, shiny surfaces, tall stools, 24 hour sign, jukebox, condiments for days, a menu that's stupidly 'takes 20 minutes to read' massive and unapproved by the heart foundation, and smiley kitsch uniformed waitresses who remember your orders time after time.
City diner in Shanghai has so many ticks, and so many crosses. I just dont know what happened to this place, I used to love it. It had so much going for it, and still could do. But as with any popular place in an overpopulated city in time of recession, details make the difference between opening and closing.
1. ANY TIME OF DAY ORDER ANYTHING!
woohoo! In a city where restaurants notoriously close early and people notoriously work late and party hard, I have no idea why more places dont open 24 hours. Plus its a city of international travelers. The stupid 13 hour time differences between the USA and Shanghai often mean Im left with a craving for chicken ceasar salad and barbeque beans at 3 am. And really, who doesnt want cheesy nachos with chili after a 5am night of whisky wine and women.
2. LOCATION
On Tongren Lu, smack in the middle of the bars, and minutes walk from my house and major expat compounds, the diner used to be a bright shiny beacon of bacon burgers and breakfast beer any time of day.
3. ENTERTAINMENT
free wireless, pretty awesome rock music playlist, crayons for kids and all the expat magazines. This is what I used to while away insomniac nights to at City Diner...sadly now this is a thing of the past.
4. FOOD
It used to be pretty darn convincing.
5. EX MANAGER
Now pinched by Azul Viva (great tapas place on Hengshan) this chick is one of the best waitresses in town. City diner were fools to let her go.
6. The cakes. I dont know where they get the flour or the ovens strong enough, but baking is a disaster generally in China, except for here...are they importing this stuff?

The diner itself is hardly shining like the chrysler building, on a dark rainy day 2 lamps were switched on, the place looks depressing and cold and dark. The whole point of diners is the happy good feeling you get walking in.

The chilli was even blander than the decor, once punchy and zesty, an award winning chilli in Shanghai once I believe, it now flounders in the normal to poor section of my grading.

And bizzarly was served with bread and jam.
But the real tragedy is the staff.
The restaurant was empty yet I was pretty much completely ignored. No offer of my abligatory free refills on my ice tea, direct dissmissal of my requests for no sugar in it when it did come. A 1 hour conversation about how I didnt want corn bread, involving having to call an external manager to ask what corn bread was (its on the menu served with chilli, I asjed to not have it, this obviously was baffling) the staff all stood in a corner chatting about me (I understand enough Chinese to know gossip and insults) and the final insult, when asking for the bill the waiter swanned around on his mobile and held a finger up to me to say he was busy talking and couldnt serve me.

City diner you are another of this cities disasters. I wish I could just be bitchy and happy about it as I usually am, but I really liked you, its such a darn shame.