April-May mobile updates

Past few months have whizzed by so quickly and alas, we have already passed the half way mark of the year. Having finally been able to settle myself comfortably, it's time to catch up on long overdue phone updates, in no particular order :)

Let's take a moment to appreciate my gym commitment - no job or male counterpart can ever distract me from smashing out my usual routine to the point where I am usually scrambling to prep myself before heading out. No time for make up or second thoughts on outfits haha.

The biggest dim sum portions can be found at Gold Leaf in Burwood, all tasting reasonably good as well:)

Homemade yam cake by WL's mum. I managed to finish half the box despite having had dinner prior.

The day the sister decided it was a good idea to purchase two dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. My sugar levels sky rocketed through the roof that week.

Macarons, a favourite of mine, as reminded by WL.

Also more favourites - soya bean with grass jelly and ice blended red bean smoothie.

I have a very guilty addiction towards toasted bread and found it hard to stop at just one piece of this kaya toast that has been generously slathered in pandan kaya and cubes of butter. Peanut butter toast was decent and probably something I could easily whip up at home.

The day WL regretted bringing me food shopping. I spoilt myself with my favourite Ben & Jerry's and Magnum ice cream hehe.

Easter was celebrated with my discovery of Baker's Delight cinnamon and raisin toast and hot cross buns. I have been addicted to them ever since and am abashed by it.

My most symmetrical shaped matcha biscuits. Very impressed was I at my keen eye for detail *pats self on the back*

Lychee white chocolate flavoured macarons - a failed attempt as shells were too dry and filling was pathetically runny.

Cake was part of my weekly diet in autumn and one that I slightly regretted now that we are approaching spring.

The French edition of Adidas superstars. Am a big fan of this colour combination and am over the moon when it was gifted to me:)

WL's homemade porridge to fuel me through my cold.

Always do feel special whenever I get surprised by roses. #suchasucker

Homemade curry noodles from cafe 68.

Stir fry beef hor fun in the making - another failed attempt and one that I had to reattempt a bit later.

Kit kat chocolatory goods (a scaled down version), available at supermarkets. Favourite flavour would be the espresso one. Worth the hype? I might stick to my usual Cadbury bars.

Coming home to a takeaway plate of food. Happiness staring back at me.

Because Starbucks is such a fundamental part of my life and I cannot help by reincarnate those travelling moments spent at their cafe.

A big bowl of okonomiyaki mix, ready to sizzle on the frying pan.

Workshop Brothers, Glen Waverley MELB

Another Monday thus begins and seeing that a long week is anticipated, a slow paced dinner out seemed feasible at that point. The bunch of us walked along Kingsway before settling down for the newly opened Workshop Bros, an Asian fusion themed cafe turned restaurant at night.

Service is very attentive and in terms of atmosphere, we rather enjoyed the laid back mood, unlike in some restaurants that have music blaring out of their speakers, attempting to add an upbeat aura.

Worthwhile noting that they do have a decent, albeit limited, selection of wines that covers just about every taste bud be it savoury or sweet, strong or mild.

Beef tartare - steak mixed with coriander, mint, chilli, fried garlic and shallots. A very refreshing way to start our meal.

Bro bao buns - diners have the option of choosing from chicken or pork belly. Both equally delicious and got us craving for more.

Green duck curry - a little disappointed when this came out as I was under the impression that the duck breast would have been already simmered in the curry for some time and thereby attaining a softer, robust aromatic flavour. Not much curry to go around and no, it was not spicy at all.

Thit Kho - one of our favourites despite already having had a sliver of pork belly for our entree. There is something very enticing about cutting into a caramelized piece of protein and dipping it into a pool of thick, sticky gravy.

Mellow yellow curry - another orthodox curry dish that does taste lovely although again, would have been much better had it been simmered in the curry for some time.

Braised turnip with minced pork recipe

A random recipe that I have put together to literally feed my sudden craving for radish. Not a common ingredient in my household and having paired it with minced meat, it became a very easy dish to digest. Do give this a try for a quick, simple fix:)

Ingredients:
1 turnip, cubed
500g minced pork
8 dry shittake mushrooms, soaked in water and cubed
5 cloves of garlic, minced
Ginger, minced
Spring onions

Marinade:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
sesame oil
pepper

1. Mix the meat and mushrooms together with the marinade and allow to sit for at least 3 hours.
2. Fry the minced garlic and ginger in sesame oil until it appears to be golden in colour before tossing in the minced meat mix.
3. Fry until the meat appears to be almost cooked before adding in the turnip pieces.
4. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth and allow to simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. Add a splash of dark soy sauce to the mix and give it a good stir.
6. Thicken the mixture with some good ol' cornflour solution.
7. Serve with warm rice.

Hudadak, Clayton MELB

Having lived in Glen Waverley for more than 2 years, I do get excited at the idea of feeding myself in a different suburb. Might get lucky and find a hidden gem before the paparazzi takes over.

Also worthwhile to find a place that is convenient for having long conversations with a long lost friend. Lost would best describe this particular friend of mine.

Service is rather efficient in this small eatery and food arrived at our table in good time after placing our order.

Seafood pancake - would have liked a little more seafood bits in it tho. Not the prettiest looking pancake in the neighbourhood but it does taste decent.

Bulgogi stew - to accommodate my non-spicy companions, I made the executive decision of ordering this dish. Filled with an assortment of vegetables, the only let down was that the stew "bowl" was not actually a bowl but rather, a pan. Henceforth, we didn't get much broth in the stew due to the flat design of the "bowl" it was difficult to scoop out the broth without creating a mess.

Fried chicken - Hudadak was no exception to this new trend taking over many Korean eateries in Melbourne. Chicken was not covered in grease, a common error from most restaurants, and it was freshly fried to order. Would have liked it to be a little more crispy but still good nonetheless.

MALAYSIA: Sweet Inn Restaurant, KL

Second last dinner in Malaysia was spent ushering in dad’s birthday with a traditional Chinese feast. Hard to come across in Australia and possibly other foreign countries, each individual dish has a significant meaning.

To kick start our appetite, we shared a small plate of pickled fruit and vegetables which was balanced in terms of acidity, sweetness and spiciness. Next up was a clay pot dish with sea cucumber fillets, abalone, broccoli and shitake mushroom, stewed and thickened with the addition of potentially corn flour.

Second dish served was a four seasons plate – deep fried, crispy squid tentacles dressed in a citrus concoction, savoury fried spring rolls, jelly fish salad topped with finely sliced purple onions, chilli and coriander and a serve of fried roll stuffed with imitation crab roll, taro and sweet potato. One of my favourite dishes of the night albeit costing about RM128. 

The fried roll stuffed with tuber and crab meat was delish, the addition of tubers had absorbed any excess oil from the frying process and thus, retaining the roll’s overall crispness. Not a big fan of jelly fish but found this to be refreshing, especially when mixed with the sweet and sour dressing.

Lastly, a plate of sang har mee (big prawns with noodles) arrived at our table. Diners can choose between being served larger prawns or the average sized prawns. With larger prawns, more flavour can be extracted from it, lending more fragrance to the overall dish. Pretty good in my opinion, again, costing quite a fair bit as well.

Finding food in uncommon grounds is a tedious process, sometimes bearing drool worthy results and sometimes, questionable outcomes after foraging for that place.

MALAYSIA: Eido Ichi restaurant, KL

Very rarely do I get to celebrate birthdays with my parents and now that I am able to visit Malaysia more frequently, any opportunity to be festive is always welcomed. The father suggested a Japanese restaurant that seemingly is packed full of patrons every day.

Thankfully, without any reservations, we were able to be seated quickly and service wise, was efficient. First up was chawan mushi aka steamed Japanese egg custard filled with thin slices of fishcake, small bits of crustacean and shitake mushroom. Tasted decent, could possibly improve with a bit more seasoning.

Both the father and sister ordered set meals which worked out to be quite economical for its quality and quantity.  Both came with a decent serve of salmon, tuna and kingfish sashimi slices, a couple of teriyaki chicken rolls, a bowl of miso soup, lettuce, a bowl of rice and a couple of slices of orange. Dad had a plate of tempura prawns and a few different types of vegetables whilst sister had a plate of grilled and glazed unagi.

My bowl of salmon sashimi don topped with roe, was surprisingly quite filling. The cuts used, in my opinion, were not the highest quality ones, which obviously were reflected in its price but still fresh nevertheless.  An excellent meal, packed with protein.

Also pictured were two different types of rolls, both packed with an assortment of greens.