Some Christmas cheer to end the year!

Have recently attended a few Christmas gatherings with lovely company and I think this has to be one of my longest blog posts in 2011!

Sister's place

Red wine to start the meal!

Cheesy pancetta pasta~

Simple salad with balsamic dressing~

Turkey~ the leftovers were still flavourful even after a few days in the fridge.

Friend's place

Capsicum, cucumber and carrot sticks with crackers and a cheesy dip as appetizers~

Potato and pork dumpling~ Potato dumpling wasn't too bad but it probably would be better with some soy sauce:)

Beef~ I love the marinade! No idea what was in it but I think some oil, herbs and garlic? Really nice :D

Honey soy chicken~ Yummy:D

Truffles and shortbread cookies~ We also had tiramisu, fruitcake and an ice-cream cake, mango pudding and fruit punch for dessert. So much food that we could hardly finish! xD

Ex-collegian's place

The final place to complete my Christmas weekend:)

My homemade chilli paste/ sauce~ didn't make it too spicy :) Better than someone's chilli paste, indeed hahahaha ;D

Beehoon noodles~

Vegetarian dhal~

Stewed pork belly and anchovy fried rice~

Tofu sumbat!! Wasn't really as good as I have liked it to be (had it in primary school, a really really long time ago...could hardly remember how it tasted like:/). Overall, everyone liked it but I'm not sure if the guests are being nice -.-'

Cookies~ not bad :)

Mango pudding~ the finale of almost every party. Have a joyous New Year and best of luck with preparing your new year's resolution list. I know what's mine ;)

Blue and white Cafe

I used to frequent this place back in my college days as it was the most convenient place to grab a quick bite, especially prior to those crazy exams! When I first arrived in Adelaide back in 2008, my sister was raving (and possibly drooling) so much about this place during the flight that I just had to try it!

True to word, this place serves on of the best snack food in North Adelaide and is a must try especially for visitors and students living in nearby colleges.

Butterfish with tartar sauce~

Tony's quarter pounder burger~ Not your ordinary fast food burger. Stuffed with a juicy beef patty, onion relish, fried sunrise egg, pineapple, lettuce pieces and topped with barbeque sauce, this is not for the small eaters but still, very tasty:D

AB~ pieces of lamb on a bed of chips and topped with barbeque, garlic and chilli sauce (cheese topping is optional). Although it is slightly more expensive than other ABs, the meat is guaranteed to be juicy, succulent and tender! A must try, especially with friends.

Brings back good memories of my earlier years here;) I would miss this place heaps next year!!

Kefi

Coming from a very Asian background, Greek food is something that we rarely have during gatherings. As much as we Asians love having a splendid array of dishes on our dining table, Greek food is comparable to ours in terms of quality and quantity.

This outlet is located at the residential area of Glenelg and it is usually packed full of customers. Hence, I would recommend booking in advance:)

Pita bread with feta cheese and olives~ appetizers. Pita bread had a fantastic puffiness and aroma to it.

Meatballs with cheese~ this particular dish is rather costly for it's size (think it's around $19?) although it is well-prepared by the chefs:x

Seafood platter~ comes with a bed of chips, Greek salad and some tartar dipping sauce. Very huge portions, definitely worthwhile for sharing:)

Meat platter (lamb, pork, chicken, beef)~ also another worth for sharing dish but rather than tartar sauce, it comes with tzatziki (yoghurt dipping sauce).

Dessert~ I can't recall the name of this dish but I know it starts with a "G" and it's basically custard between filo pastry layers, dusted with cinnamon. Not overly sweet:)

Overall, excellent food served and service was welcoming. Fresh ingredients were sourced for their dishes and they certainly don't hold back in terms of portions. The 5 of us ordered 3 mains and we were super stuffed for the night ^^

Mamak Corner

Mamak food is defined as a Malaysian fast food option for those wanting to chillax (chill + relax) or watch a football game with friends. These outlets spawn around Kuala Lumpur like mushrooms and are usually open up until the wee hours of the morning.

Having had an awkward service during one of my visits here (the particular staff member was probably having a not-so-good day), I do not lie when it comes down to taste and service. Service is efficient and some of the staff members do try their best to make you feel very much at ease whilst dining.

Food tastes good and although some people have complained that the food is not authentic etc etc, it does depend on the particular individual's expectations. This is the place to satisfy your cravings for Malaysian food, not where you would expect fine dining tasting dishes. Please do be mindful of this regardless of where you dine:)

Prices do range depending on what you order but it is considered average for a lunch meal in Adelaide.

Ice kacang~ shaved ice with rose syrup, nuts, beans, corn and a dollop of ice cream. A good way to embrace the incoming heat waves.

Air syrup (red) and air limau (lemon and lime drink)~ I prefer the air syrup (rose syrup drink) as I'm more of a sweet-tooth person :) Air limau is recommended if you would like to feel refreshed after a hot/ stressful day.

Roti canai~ I like the dahl curry served here. Quite good, considering that the cooks are probably amateur chefs:)

Roti telur~

Curry beef with rice~ the portion is certainly generous for this dish. I can barely finish all my rice when I ordered this. Recommended for the hungry diners. Curry is not too spicy for me but to be sure, do check with the cashier/ waiter when placing your orders.

In summary, this place has an ideal location and opens till late everyday (closed on Sundays). It can get crowded during peak hours, so do come before/ after the lunch crowd unless if you intend on doing take-aways. With time and improvements, this place would soon be a favourite among foodies around Adelaide:)

Chinese dumplings

A little random on my behalf as I had this strange urge to prepare my own dumplings! I did not use an recipe for this nor did I accurately measure out each ingredient. Thankfully, everything turned out well despite me not being too well-prepared about it.

Dumpling skins from Chinatown~ I know I should be practicing my dough-making skills but I can't be too bothered at that moment! Besides, at $2.10 for a packet of 50 pieces, it saved me heaps of time:)

Minced pork mixed with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, salt, pepper, some sugar, finely chopped garlic and ginger, fresh coriander and spring onions. And yes, a little dash of sesame oil. Basic marinating essentials in a Chinese kitchen!:)

Wrapped and boiled until meat was cooked. Probably around 5 minutes in boiling water or before the skin layer starts to break out.

Dumplings in chicken soup garnished with spring onions and garlic oil. Craving satisfied:)

My brother also made some bolognese pasta with beef meatballs for dinner. In short, I had a very heavy dinner-.-" But it was goooooooood :p

Cafe Brunelli

Was here today for dinner with the family and friends. As we couldn't decide where to have a quick bite, we randomly came up here as no reservations were required and there's ample of seating space.

Service was a tad confusing as we were supposed to take our own menus, seat ourselves wherever we like and order at the counter. I am fine with all this but I would be much more happier if I was guided around a bit by the waiting staff:/

The vast variety of sweets at the counter~

Complimentary bread, butter and grated cheese~

Meatlover's pizza~ My sister was craving for something meat-y and hence, she ordered this. There were generous portions of ham slices but could do a lot better with some extra seasoning. Was a bit bland, in my opinion.

Chicken Parmiagana~ Large portion of chicken served with fries and a side of salad, considering that you do pay extra for it to be "really really big". Not too bad overall but could do with some sauce:)

Seafood pasta~ ermm...not exactly something that I would recommend diners to have. Lots of pasta but not proportional to the amount of broccoli and prawns added:( This dish also lacked seasoning.

Con Pollo pasta~ hrmm..where should I start.. it wasn't too bad but I have tried others which are better elsewhere. Wouldn't recommend this. Also needs more seasoning.

Overall, I am assuming that I have ordered the wrong items on the menu. I was not extremely satisfied as most of the dishes lack seasoning :( If you do plan to come here, do check with the staff on what's good to have/ ask your friends whom are familiar with this outlet. This place is ideal if you just plan to go somewhere on a rainy day for a gossip session over a cup of steaming hot chocolate:)