Dim Sum!

Teapot and i woke up and decided to go for breakfast before going to Harbour Town.. we finally decided on Joy Garden Seafood Restaurant.. we had a bad experience there the other time, due to bad service.. and havent been back ever since.. today we decided to give it another go.. when we reached, there was already a queue outside.. i went in to take a number for two.. and then we waited..

there was a family of 5 that grew impatient and irritated because of the wait.. and the man asked the lady at the counter to address the question that he had just asked her.. and we heard the lady explaining to him.. not that politely though, i must add.. and the man just nodded and said, "we'll take our business elsewhere than.." and they walked away.. the lady didnt bother apologising and went back to her work.. i guess all of us waiting outside the restaurant were a little bit shock at the the commotion.. but it past not long after..

the wait wasnt too long, actually.. because the restaurant was quite big.. the photo below only managed to capture the front of the restaurant.. there's more space on the inside..

the interior of Joy Garden Seafood Restaurant..

the only - Seaweed Roll left after Teapot and i took one each..

- Fried Dumplings with mayonnaise

- Chilli and Pepper Squid

- Prawn Dumplings (steamed)

- Xiu Mai~

- Char Siu Cheong Fun~

- Custard Bun

honestly, the Dim Sum here beat the ones at Luk Fuk, hands down! and Teapot says that it's the best that she has eaten in Perth.. well, that's self-explanatory, right? hence, no need for results.. haha.. and i apologise for the photos.. they are kind of dark.. we were seated on the inside and the lighting wasnt too good..

one thing that Joy Garden need to improve on is their Service attitude.. Ambiance is just like any other Dim Sim place.. Prices were normal.. and on the Overall, this is where you can get good Dim Sum.. but the service is sub-standard!

Joy Garden Seafood Restaurant
65 Francis Street
Northbridge

Kido's Japanese Cuisine

Shabu Shabu finally!!! this time round, Young Coconut and i were more careful.. we confirmed the time and date earlier on with Strawberry Shortcake to avoid anymore funny incidents! it took us some time to find the restaurant though.. since none of us have been there before.. it looked really small on the outside and we werent sure if that was the restaurant.. but the interior looked so different from the exterior! and it's a much bigger restaurant than Shige Sushi Bar..

i quite like these seats.. but we were not seated in them though..

we ordered quite a fair bit.. and it turned out that Young Coconut doesnt eat beef.. due to religious purposes.. same as Honey Senpai.. but he didnt say anything at all when we were ordering.. it was only after the Shabu Shabu arrived, when the vegetables are cooked and we have started putting the beef into the stock, when Strawberry Shortcake and i kept asking him to eat, that he finally told us he doesnt eat beef~ but we had other yum~ stuff for him..

- Sashimi Combination

i like it.. but i still prefer Shige-san's..

- Sushi Combination (13 pieces: Tuna, Octopus, Hamachi, Egg, Prawn, Tuna Roll)

it's not bad.. Strawberry Shortcake ate the Egg Sushi and it had too much wasabi in it!

- Tori Kara-age (crisp deep-fried chicken marinated in a special sauce)

this felt like normal fried chicken.. nice nevertheless.. BUT Shige-san's Torikara rules!!!

- Shabu Shabu (sliced beef boiled with vegetables, Japanese yam noodles and tofu, in a light beef stock served with seasoned dipping sauces)

this was obviously the highlight.. this is what we came for! Shabu Shabu! yup, it turned out that Young Coconut cant eat beef.. so we shoved him heaps of vegetables instead! we were provided with 2 sauces.. one was a sour tasting sauce, like vinegar.. the other one was kind of salty.. with a peanut base.. i've never tried Shabu Shabu my whole life.. so i have nothing to compare against.. it was not bad.. no complains.. just that i'm not a soup person.. hehez.. we also ordered 2 more dishes after we knew that Young Coconut cant eat beef.. so he can have more to eat..

this is what's left of our Shabu Shabu ingredients after the first round.. the waitress helped us put in the vegetables, etc.. and she asked us to dip the beef in after the stock has boiled.. we followed obediently.. hehez..

- Kushi Katsu (cubed pork and onion on bamboo skewers, bread crumbed and deep fried, served with dipping sauce)

- Avocado Suisho-age [KIDO's special] (fried avocado served in a light ginger-flavoured sauce)

this is like Agedashi tofu, except that the tofu's being replaced by avocado.. very unique.. but it would be too rich to finish the whole bowl alone.. just nice to share..

- Dorayaki (Doraemon's favourite!)

i took a piece and it smelled like fish! see, there were 4 pieces.. and mine's the only one that smelled like fish! arghh~! it tasted good, when i dont smell it! hehez..

- Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Beans (super yum~!)

this is really super super yummy!

- Plum Wine

we ordered 2 glasses of Plum Wine.. Young Coconut cant have any.. he's driving! i only took a couple of sips and gave it to Strawberry Shortcake.. it's good.. but i cant drink much.. she gladly took it.. hehez..

on the overall, we really enjoyed ourselves and the food! we finally had Shabu Shabu!

Results - Strawberry Shortcake
1. Sashimi Combination = 2/4 (50%)
2. Sushi Combination = 2.3/4 (57.5%)
3. Tori Kara-age = 3.6/5 (72%)
4. Shabu Shabu = 3.6/5 (72)
5. Avocado Suisho-age = 2.9/5 (58%)
6. Kushi Katsu = 3.6/5 (72%)
7. Dorayaki = 3/4 (75%)
8. Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Beans = 3.2/4 (80%)

Results - Young Coconut
1. Sashimi Combination = 2.25/4 (56.3%)
2. Sushi Combination = 1.9/4 (47.5%)
3. Tori Kara-age = 2.4/5 (48%)
4. Shabu Shabu = 2.4/5 (48%)
5. Avocado Suisho-age = 2.35/5 (47%)
6. Kushi Katsu = 2.4/5 (48%)
7. Dorayaki = 2.2/4 (55%)
8. Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Beans = 3.4/4 (85%)

Results - Coffee Queen
1. Sashimi Combination = 2.5/4 (62.5%)
2. Sushi Combination = 2.5/4 (62.5%)
3. Tori Kara-age = 3.1/5 (62%)
4. Shabu Shabu = 3.2/5 (64%)
5. Avocado Suisho-age = 3/5 (60%)
6. Kushi Katsu = 3.1/5 (62%)
7. Dorayaki = 2.3/4 (57.5%)
8. Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Beans = 3/4 (75%)

i must say that Young Coconut is indeed quite a critic when it comes to food.. all that red marks seemed a bit scary.. but i reckon it wasnt too bad.. and Strawberry Shortcake passed all the food too.. the Ambiance of the restaurant was.. Japanese? haha.. there are shelves with Japanese comics and magazines.. and they actually provide karaoke sessions for guests staying after 9.30pm.. provided that each guest spends a minimum of A$20.. haha..the Service was alright.. Prices were okie.. and on the Overall.. it's worth a try..

Kido's Japanese Cuisine
1/126 Broadway
Nedlands WA 6009
(near Corner of Princess Road)

Secret Garden Cafe..

Teapot and i woke up extremely late today.. wahaha.. the weather was really great for slacking at home! we are both sick of cooking or whipping up random recipes.. so we opted for The Secret Garden Cafe just on our street.. Teapot had their Big Breakfast and i had their Secret Garden Beef Burger.. sounds deja vu? haha.. their beef burger's much better than Globe's! i have a tendency to try the stuff named after the cafe/restaurant..

Teapot's Big Breakfast..

My Secret Garden Beef Burger (according to the menu, the beef patty is homemade..)

much better than Globe's~

Results - Teapot
Big Breakfast = 3.1/5 (62%)

Results - Coffee Queen
Secret Garden Beef Burger = 3.5/5 (70%)

Ambiance: the cafe may look small on the outside.. but once you enter, you'll know that it's a different world on the inside, at the back.. they have a big alfresco area.. though we cant really use it today.. it was all wet from the rain.. but we still sat at the back.. some parts are covered by the rooftop of the cafe..

Service: order-taking from the front counter, where there are 2 cash registers.. food was served pretty quickly.. and nicely..

Prices: normal prices for a cafe.. though a little more and steep will be a more appropriate description..

Overall: "the unique part was that there's really a secret garden at the back!" - Teapot

The Secret Garden Cafe
64 Angelo Street
South Perth 6151

Taka's Kitchen 2!

Met up with Teapot in the city today.. for late night shopping.. Teapot has been deprived of shopping.. and she must seek retail therapy! hehez.. before we hit the shops, we filled ourselves with energy.. we went to Taka's Kitchen.. hehez..

introducing Teapot, my housemate for the second time!

it was already quite packed by the time we got there.. and it was still before 6pm.. we ordered a few dishes to share.. and to be honest, we didnt quite finish our rice.. it was too much.. hehez..

- Miso Katsu [large]

- Mexican Sushi Roll [5 pieces]

- Japanese Curry with Fish Katsu

- Eel Nigiri Sushi

Results - Teapot
1. Miso Katsu = 3.3/5 (66%)
2. Japanese Curry with Fish Katsu = 2.95/5 (59%)
3. Mexican Sushi Roll = 2.45/4 (61.3%)
4. Eel Nigiri Sushi = 2.15/4 (53.8%)

Results - Coffee Queen
1. Miso Katsu = 3.5/5 (70%)
2. Japanese Curry with Fish Katsu = 3.2/5 (64%)
3. Mexican Sushi Roll = 2.45/4 (61.3%)
4. Eel Nigiri Sushi = 2.2/4 (55%)

i'm still stuck with Miso Katsu! will miss it! i wanted to get them to separate the Japanese Curry and the Fish Katsu, knowing how they will drench the meat with a generous amount of curry.. but i forgot! hence, you cant see much of the Fish Katsu under all that Japanese Curry.. haha..

the Mexican Sushi Roll is like a California Roll with some chilli sauce added to it.. it was not bad.. normal.. and i have checked! the California Roll at Taka's Kitchen is really a sushi roll with prawns, avocado and cucumber.. so we were not served wrongly the other day.. oh well~

shall skip the Ambiance, Service and Prices section since i've already mentioned them in my previous post.. on the Overall, Teapot would recommend it to anyone who is looking for cheap food.. there's not much presentation of the food though.. so dont go looking for that! go for the Miso Katsu~!

Taka's Kitchen
150-152 Barrack Street
(Corner Wellington Street)
Perth WA 6000

Viet Hoa..

well, well.. it was meant to be Shabu Shabu night.. My new Guest Judge, Young Coconut, picked me up at 6.15pm.. 15mins earlier than the scheduled time.. luckily i was ready, if not, i'll be in a frenzy..

then we went to pick Strawberry Shortcake up at about 6.45pm.. we called her twice when we were waiting for her but she didnt answer.. hence we decided to text her.. after waiting for about 30mins.. i asked Young Coconut if he did tell Strawberry Shortcake that he will be picking her up at 6.45pm.. he said no.. he looked at me and asked me if i've called her.. i said no.. and Young Coconut practically jumped in his seat! there was only an "OH NO~" in my head.. wahaha.. we called Strawberry Shortcake for the last time and she didnt answer still.. Young Coconut and me ended up in Viet Hao..

- Cha Gio (fried spring roll)

- Goi Cuon (Vietnamese rice paper roll with Pork and Prawn)

- Front: Che Hot Sen (Lotus Seeds)
- Back: Dau Do Banh Lot (Ice Chendol)

- Mi Vit Tiem (braised duck rice noodles - dry)

My Guest Judge - Young Coconut.. with his:

- Mi Cari Ga (curry chicken and egg noodles - soup)

- Nuoc Dua Tuoi (Young Coconut)

this Guest Judge is really tough when it comes to judging food.. he failed his Mi Cari Ga, his Che Hot Sen, my Dau Do Banh Lot and the entree, Goi Cuon.. he barely pass the other entree, the Cha Gio and my Mi Vit Tiem.. the one only thing he praised was his Nuoc Dua Tuoi, hence his nickname on this blog~ oh ya, that thing he's holding in the above photo is not the egg noodles, it's a bean sprout! i guess it's been mutated~

as for me, i still prefer the Mi Vit Tiem at Tra Vinh! the Goi Cuon was on par with Tra Vinh's.. their Dau Do Banh Lot was better than Sparrow's.. and the rest were okie to eat, though nothing impressive..

the Ambiance of the restaurant.. pretty good.. pretty big as it's the corner lot.. the Service wasnt very friendly.. not a surprise, huh~ Prices were alright.. normal range.. and on the Overall, i would cross the road to Sparrow~ hehez..

Thanks for the treat, Young Coconut! haha!

Viet Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant
Unit 1, 349 William Street
Northbridge

Tookbegi Korean Restaurant!

** Tookbegi is a Korean traditional clay pot that is known to have been used since the Koryo Dynasty (916 - 1392AD) for both cooking and serving stew.

i met up with Yayoi and Satomi at Tookbeji Korean Restaurant.. the restaurant was obviously named after the traditional clay pot.. haha.. the scheduled meeting time was at 5.30pm.. i reached there on time and it was already full! not that it was a big restaurant.. it was rather small.. a tiny bit bigger than Shige Sushi Bar.. but for a restaurant to be already full at 5.30pm.. it sure says something.. *hmmm~*

Yayoi and Satomi! and loads of people waiting for tables outside the restaurant..

i waited for Yayoi and Satomi outside the restaurant and the waitress handled me a menu.. i was flipping through it when they arrived and we began to decide our dinner together.. it was a tough choice.. Satomi and i wanted to try everything! we waited for about 30mins before we were led to a table.. we ordered:

- Kimchee Jun (Korean style Kimchee pancake with seafood)

- Bulgogi Jungsik (cooked beef scotch fillet in a seasoned soy sauce marinated with vegetables served on a hot sizzling plate)

- Kimchee Jengol (Kimchee casserole with vegetables and tofu and pork, served in a hot pot cooked on your table)

look at the amount of food we have on our table!

we really enjoyed our food.. and the Kimchee Jengol was a little too spicy for Yayoi.. it was her limit! haha.. after Tookbegi, i can give up all thoughts of Kim Chee House and Arirang.. just stick to Tookbegi! when we were paying, Jina and her boyfriend just arrived at the restaurant for dinner.. even the Koreans favour this place and reckon the food is authentic.. guess i dont need to emphasize much, right?

Tookbegi Korean Restaurant
Shop 6/ 544 Hay Street
Perth WA 6000

after dinner, i brought Yayoi and Satomi to Icey Ice Snow Ice.. both Yayoi and i ordered the Beancurd while Satomi ordered a Yogurt Ice with Mango Sauce..

- Yogurt Ice

the interesting ice flakes..

- Beancurd (handmade)

honestly, the handmade Beancurd was really too rough! not smooth at all! so seriously, i would stick to the Snow Ices next time! Yogurt Ice is really yum~!

seriously, how many times do i have to advertise for them? wahaha.. it was fun having dinner and then dessert with Yayoi and Satomi! Thanks, Yayoi and Satomi! Keep in touch!

Icey Ice Snow Ice
297 William Street
Northbridge

Dome.. Kim Chee House.. Globe.. end of holidays~

13 July (Friday)
there's late night shopping today and shops doesnt close till 9pm.. we had brunch at home and went into the city in the late afternoon.. i was feeling peckish and we headed to Dome Cafe for a 'light' snack of wedges! Honey Senpai had a Honeycomb Goldrush Espreski while i had a large latte..

- our wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream..

dinner was at Kim Chee House.. i wanted to order steamboat to share but Honey Senpai pointed out that all of their steamboats are beef-based.. i asked the waitress if they could cook the steamboats with pork or chicken and the answer was a firm 'No'.. well, we ordered other things instead:

- Fried Dumpling

- Seafood Pancake

- Kimchee Jeegae (Kimchee & Pork soup with Tofu in a spicy stew, served with Rice, Korean salad and Kimchee)

Results - Kim Chee House - Honey Senpai
1. Fried Dumplings = 2/5 (40%)
2. Seafood Pancake = 2/5 (40%) "too much flour.. can barely feel the seafood.."
3. Kimchee Jeegae = 3/5 (60%)

Results - Kim Chee House - Coffee Queen
1. Fried Dumplings = 2.3/5 (46%) "over-fried.."
2. Seafood Pancake = 2.5/5 (50%) "after Arirang, you wont eat this~"
3. Kimchee Jeegae = 3.1/5 (62%)

Ambiance: the Koreans over there made it feel very 'Korean'.. hehez..
Service: just okie.. wish they could do better though~
Prices: reasonable..
Overall: i'm sure there are better alternatives out there..

Kim Chee House
Shop 5-66 Roe Street
Northbridge 6003 WA

15 July (Sunday)
it's Honey Senpai's last day in Perth.. we rest and relax for the day.. and went for brunch at Globe Coffee House.. it only opened this week.. after promising to open in April, then May, then June.. oh well, the food and beverage served was really quite disappointing..

- Globe Burger

- Big Breakfast

- my English Breakfast & Honey Senpai's Latte..

honestly, i dont know what went wrong.. but my instant coffee with cold milk tasted better than their latte.. and a Lipton teabag would score higher points than their Elmstock English Breakfast Tea..

Results - Globe Coffee House - Honey Senpai
Big Breakfast = 1.5/5 (30%)

Results - Globe Coffee House - Coffee Queen
Globe Burger = 2.5/5 (50%)

Ambiance: cosy.. very nicely set up.. with a few tables for alfresco dining..
Service: not bad.. one of the waiters was pretty friendly..
Prices: a little over priced, considering the competition they have down the street..
Overall: will not be going there again~

Globe Coffee House
76 Angelo Street
South Perth 6151

Mr Samurai, Zushi Bento, Miss Maud & Ciao Italia!

9 July (Monday)
Lunch was at Mr Samurai.. and it was packed by the time we got there.. Honey Senpai suggested going somewhere else, but my mind was already set on Mr Samurai! haha.. we waited for a table and got it not too long after.. Honey Senpai wanted the Oyaku Don while i got the Special Set C..

- Oyaku Don

- Special Set C (Teriyaki Chicken, Fried Chicken and Vegetable Tempura with Rice)

Results - Mr Samurai - Honey Senpai
on Oyaku Don: "too much eggs, too little chicken.. eggs were over cooked and the rice was too dry.. it was just passable.. but it was cheap, so it was acceptable.."

on Special Set C: "Fried Chicken was over fried, almost charred.. Teriyaki Chicken was passable.. Vegetable Tempura tasted like french fries~"

Ambiance: rowdy crowd..
Service: waitresses a little blur..
Prices: good value for money..
Overall: passable.

Results - Mr Samurai - Coffee Queen
the restaurant was pretty crowded and dimly lit.. i didnt use the flash button on my camera.. hence the low quality photos.. will do better next time! nevertheless, i quite enjoy my Special Set C.. but i was thinking that the portion seemed to have shrunk, as compared to 3 and a half years back.. or have my appetite grown larger?!

apparently, Honey Senpai doesnt like Mr Samurai too much.. wahaha.. he kept emphasizing that its only salvation was that it's value for money..

Mr Samurai
83 Barrack Street
Perth 6000

11 July (Wednesday)
we went to Garden City Shopping Centre at Booragoon.. lunch was at ZUSHIbento.. Honey Senpai had Chicken Katsu Don while i ordered a Karaage Bento Set..

- Chicken Katsu Don

- Karaage Bento Set

Results - ZUSHIbento - Honey Senpai
1. Chicken Katsu Don = 2.75/5 (55%)
2. Karaage Bento Set = 3.25/5 (65%)

Results - ZUSHIbento - Coffee Queen
2. Karaage Bento Set = 3.3/5 (66%)

Ambiance: set in food court..
Service: self-service..
Prices: a bit pricey.. Taka's Kitchen can do better..
Overall: not bad.. worth a try if you dont favour other food in the food court.. alternatively, Jesters Pie is just next to it~

ZUSHIbento
Garden City Shopping Centre
Booragoon (opposite Coles)

after some shopping, we went to rest at our legs at Miss Maud! it's time for high tea.. haha..

- Ice Coffee

- Mudcake

- Earl Grey Tea

nice and quiet place to catch up with a friend.. to replenish your caffeine and sugar intake.. wahaha..

Miss Maud
Garden City Shopping Centre
Booragoon (next to Priceline)

12 July (Thursday)
Dinner was at Ciao Italia, after watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.. the movie was disappointing~ but not the food at Ciao Italia!

- Ciao Italia (marinated tender free range chicken strips, sundried tomatoes, and spring onions in a creamy white sauce)

- Pizza Romana (whole peeled tomato sauce, Mozzarella cheese, leg ham, Fetta cheese, bacon and artichokes)

interior of Ciao Italia.. it's quite cramped in here..

Results - Ciao Italia - Honey Senpai
1. Ciao Italia = 3.5/5 (70%)
2. Pizza Romana = 3.6 (72%)

Results - Ciao Italia - Coffee Queen
1. Ciao Italia = 3.7/5 (74%)
2. Pizza Romana = 3.4 (68%)

Ambiance: can get quite rowdy and noisy when it's full house.. felt very Italian with the music they play over and over again.. haha.. and there's always someone who is celebrating his/her birthday over there (at least on those occasions when i'm there!).. they will play this loud booming old birthday song and everyone will start singing..

Service: good.. and one of the 'uncle' waiter is always jubilant.. haha..

Prices: you'll think prices are kind of steep.. but when you see the portion served, you'll know it's not!

Overall: food is definitely great.. i'm not sure if it's authentic Italian food because my Italian language teacher told me that it's not that authentic..

Ciao Italia
273 Mill Point Road, South Perth
(Corner of Douglas Avenue)