Dribble~ Nibble.. Scribble!!!

My favourites in Singapore~

2008-06-11T10:04:00.020+08:00

Time sure zoomed by.. before i realised it, i have to go.. and i realised this blog has been so under utilised and neglected.. no one reads it anymore! so i have decided to write one last entry for all the yummy stuff i really like to eat in Singapore..

Tori Q http://www.tori-q.com/index.html
These Yakitori has been haunting me for the past 2 nights.. take a look at the website and you'll know why.. the photos doesnt justify the taste, really.. Tori Q tastes much better than it looks on this site.. the Chicken is good.. but my favourite is the Chicken Balls!!! The Unagi is a little too salty for me.. has to go with the yummy Japanese rice.. and the Pork was a little tough the other day.. but pay attention to the sauce!~ *slurp*

Sushi Tei http://www.sushitei.com.sg
I have given up on Sakae Sushi after eating Sushi Tei.. and have never looked back since.. just a pity that i'm not staying near any of the outlets! The Rainbow Roll from their Winter promotion is a winner!!! It's from February to April, so for those who missed it, you'll have to wait for the next round! Their Salmon Salad is very refreshing! Another dish not to be missed is the Hanasaki Tempura, which is the Squid Tempura.. absolutely wonderful.. served with Japanese mayonnaise..

Hanasaki Tempura

Salmon Salad

Thai Express http://www.thaiexpress.com.sg/index.htm
Not to be missed:

Phat Thai Talay (The most famous of all Thai Fried Noodles with Seafood)

Kway Teow Phad Gad Talay (Thai stir-fried ‘Chye-Poh” Seafood Kway Teow)
Kaeng Khiew Wan Talay (Green Curry with Seafood)
Man Cheam (Steamed Sweet Tapioca with Coconut Cream)

Most of their dishes are worth trying.. that's why i'm a member!!! wahaha..

Crystal Jade Kitchen http://www.crystaljade.com
Love them for their porridge, especially the Lean Meat with Century Egg Porridge..

Din Tai Fung http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/index.asp
They served very yummy dumplings.. not rice dumplings.. but little dumplings with soup on the inside.. the Steamed Pork Dumplings as well as the Steamed Crab Meat and Pork Dumplings are really delicious.. my second favourite there is their fried rice.. i normally go for their Fried Rice with Eggs or Fried Rice with Eggs and Shredded Pork.. their Pork Chop looks really good.. but hey, i'm a simple person looking for simple goodness~

New York New York http://www.newyorknewyork.com.sg
If anyone asks me where they can get good Carbonara, this is the place that i would definitely recommend! Their Tagliatelle Carbonara with Bacon and Mushrooms really never fails.. This is one dish i'll always order when i'm there! the BBQ Spare Ribs is good too.. and the Crunchy Mushrooms really live up to it's name, Crunchy! Interesting because it has 2 kinds of mushroom in it.. the Shitake Mushroom and Golden Needle Mushroom.. nice but a tad too oily for me.. i'm sure the rest of the dishes are worth trying..

Crunchy Mushrooms

Tagliatelle Carbonara with Bacon and Mushrooms

Mee Soto @ Bedok Interchange
Hidden in a corner in Bedok Interchange is a Malay stall that sells absolutely wonderful Mee Soto!!! I was never a soup person.. but this one got me hooked! and i dare say this is the only yummy dish i will miss sorely while away from Singapore.. i dont remember the name of the stall but you can see a queue waiting for it most of the time! it's only selling for S$1.50/bowl.. come on, you've got to try this!!! *slurp slurp*

Cottage Pies Cafe http://www.cottagepies.com/
Okie, so there is one other yum~ stuff i will miss sorely! It's the Chicken Pie from Cottage Pies Cafe!!! One is never enough! It is really heavenly~ The one and only outlet is in White Sands Shopping Centre.. they tried opening another outlet in Tampines Mall, just outside of NTUC but it didnt work out and they are back to one cafe.. their Chicken Pie is a must try, my second favourite is the Chicken Sausage Roll..

Alright, there you go.. these are the ones that i can remember from the top of my head.. meaning these are the really good ones.. hehez.. have fun trying!

The Japanese in me..

2008-01-20T11:27:00.000+09:00

It's the third week of the new year.. and another 2 weeks to CNY! haha.. i must say, it's been 'so far, so good' in the new year.. i certainly hope it will continue for the whole year.. haha.. that said, i have been having some glorious food this week..

Monday - i went to Ramen Ten with Honey Senpai.. hmmm.. moderate food, needless to go back.

Thursday - went to Genki Sushi with Fish.. pretty good sushi..

Friday - Teriyaki Chicken bento set with colleagues at this unknown place along Cecil Street.. really yummy..

Saturday - was at Sushi Tei at Vivocity.. having high tea with Non-Vegetarian.. this is my favourite Japanese hunt in Singapore at the moment..

yummy Japanese week..

Outrageous Service!!!

2008-01-06T16:34:00.000+09:00

Cafe Cartel at Raffles City Shopping Centre.

Was there on Friday, 4th of January 2008, slightly after 9pm.. went there after dinner..

1. the place looked like a total mess.. the table was not wiped after the last customer.. we had to get a waiter to clean it twice.. there was no order pad on the table, the two miserable pieces of paper left from the previous order pad had gravy on it! yucks! there were two pens on the table.. one was without ink! duh~ finally made our order and proceeded to get ice water.. but..

2. there were no glasses on the water and bread table.. we had to ask various waiters for glasses, but to no avail.. in the end, we had to get the manager on duty to get us glasses.. poor guy had to get us the coffee cups on the coffee machine in the end.. sadly, before we got our ice water.. my Ice Double Shake has arrived!!! Geez.. so much for the trouble.. after some wait, our food arrived.. but..

3. there were no cutlery.. we had to ask for cutlery everytime a dish arrived.. gosh~ the particular waiter who was serving us the waffle spilled the honey syrup down his front and cursed loudly.. he quickly dropped us the waffle and went to clean up his shirt.. well, what about the honey syrup? we are supposed to eat the waffle without it? and the rest of the waiters were 'helping' him clean up.. someone could have seen the greater picture and serve us the honey syrup instead? talk about bad service~

reading this entry, you would have thought that the place was busy like crazy? to be honest, that was not really the case.. there is something wrong with the system in that place.. i saw waiters serving food to the wrong tables.. ours was sent somewhere else and cakes from some other table was served to us.. it was only based on the customers' honesty that food and drinks were not given out for free~

my dear friend was really quite pissed.. and gave names to a few of the waiters.. NOTE here.. there were no waitresses on duty that night.. is that the reason why that place is a total chaos? okie, i shall not go into a debate on gender here..

1. Blind waiter - pretends not to see you when you raise your hand to get his attention..
2. Deaf waiter - pretends not to hear you when you call him..
3. 'Busy' waiter - pretends to be extremely busy, but all in slow motion..

at the end of the evening, the only person who was busy was the manager on duty.. honestly, that really makes me wonder what did he do to deserve all that.. geez.. open yours eyes when you hire employees, people..

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T13:07:00.001+09:00

Gosh! 2007 is gone! I'm honestly sorry for not updating this blog.. 2008 is already here, even though it certainly doesnt felt like it! To end 2007 on this blog, i do have some yummy stuff from yesterday evening.. hehez..

-Cha Soba Salad

i'm not too sure what the above dish is.. it's really yummy though..

-Tonkatsu Set

Ma Maison Restaurant
6 Eu Tong Sen Street @ CENTRAL
#03-096 Singapore 059817

Tel: 65-6327 8122
Website: www.ma-maison.co.jp

Dim Sum!

2007-07-22T22:27:00.000+08:00

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

2007-07-21T22:27:00.000+08:00

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..

2007-07-21T14:17:00.000+08:00

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!

2007-07-20T22:07:00.001+08:00

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..

2007-07-19T22:49:00.001+08:00

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!

2007-07-16T23:32:00.000+08:00

** 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~

2007-07-16T12:40:00.000+08:00

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!

2007-07-12T23:07:00.001+08:00

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)

Thai, Japanese & Italian!

2007-07-08T23:51:00.000+08:00

5 July 2007 (Thursday)
after too much good food (again!), we had a rest and went for fast food today! wahaha.. we had Chicken Treat at Westfield Carousel.. i had my favourite Hot and Spicy Boom Burger, Honey Senpai had the Real Bacon Burger.. we also ordered the Cheesy Potato Balls.. very filling..

6 July 2007 (Friday)
i brought Honey Senpai to King's Park.. a must-see when in Perth.. not that there were much to see.. but it's a must-go.. and not mention taking advantage of the good weather finally~ after King's Park, we had lunch in West Perth.. i have never took the Red Cat before and hence didnt know that West Perth is quite an interesting place.. lunch was at Tim's Thai Cafe/Restaurant.. we had:

- Phad Thai (Thai fried noodles with traditional Thai sauce)

- Red Curry (cooked with Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, basil, mixed vegetables)

- Tom Yum [Prawn] (traditional Thai spicy and sour soup, with Thai herbs, mushrooms)

Results - Tim's Thai Cafe/Restaurant - Honey Senpai
1. Phad Thai = 3.3/5 (66%)
2. Red Curry = 3.9/5 (78%)
3. Tom Yum = 3.35/5 (67%)

Results - Tim's Thai Cafe/Restaurant - Coffee Queen
1. Phad Thai = 3.1/5 (62%)
2. Red Curry = 3.75/5 (75%)
3. Tom Yum = 3.35/5 (67%)

i'm impressed with the Red Curry and the Tom Yum Soup.. even though my favourite of all Thai food is the Phad Thai.. this Phad Thai has not yet met my standards though..

Ambiance: not at all impressive.. i guess there's none.. except for the 3 tables in the alfresco dining area..

Service: there's a nice waitress there.. the chef forgot to put lemon juice in our Tom Yum soup and she brought it for us..

Prices: pretty reasonable.. relatively more expensive for dinner..

Overall: quite yum~ would be a good place for luncheons if the outlook of the restaurant is not a great deal.. an interesting find in West Perth..

Tim's Thai Cafe/Restaurant
Shop 1, 1297 Hay Street
West Perth WA 6005

7 July 2007 (Saturday)
went shopping at Harbour Town today as the weather's grumpy again.. had a late lunch at Shimizu.. we ordered the Tuna Roll and the Tori karaage Don to share between us.. i forgot to take photos again~ hehez..

the highlight was dinner.. i booked a table at Shige Sushi Bar and invited Dessert Queen.. we ordered heaps!

- Sashimi Combination [small]
- California Roll with Salmon Roe
- Gyoza
- Agedashi
- Torikara (fried chicken marinated ginger sauce)
- Jibuni
- Salad [large]
- Zaru Soba (buckwheat noodles served with cold soup)

geez.. the list now look scary! wahaha.. but we enjoyed it very much! i've only got the photos for the following because i was too busy eating:

- Sashimi Combination

-California Roll with Salmon Roe

- Zaru Soba

Results -Shige Sushi Bar - Honey Senpai
1. Sashimi Combination [small] = 3.35/4 (83.8%)
2. California Roll with Salmon Roe = 3.05/4 (76.3%)
3. Gyoza = 3.7/5 (74%)
4. Agedashi = 3.5/5 (70%)
5. Torikara = 3.7/5 (74%)
6. Jibuni = 3.7/5 (74%)
7. Salad [large] = 2.95/4 (73.4%)
8. Zaru Soba = 3.3/4 (82.5%) "the quail's egg is ingenious~"

Results - Shige Sushi Bar - Dessert Queen
"all 5 star! i especially like the Jibuni!"
Ambiance: 3 star.. the restaurant is too small.. which we all agree..
Service: 5 star.. it wasnt too busy when we were there for dinner.. so service was good..
Prices: value for money because of the quality of the food..
Overall: would definitely go back there again.. and introduce it to more people!

Results - Shige Sushi Bar - Coffee Queen
1. Sashimi Combination [small] = 3.3/4 (82.5%)
2. California Roll with Salmon Roe = 3/4 (75%)
3. Gyoza = 3.5/5 (70%)
4. Agedashi = 3.5/5 (70%)
5. Torikara = 3.7/5 (74%)
6. Jibuni = 3.6/5 (72%)
7. Salad [large] = 2.8/4 (70%)
8. Zaru Soba = "tasted only a tiny bit.."

high scores for Shige Sushi Bar! and it's really worth it! Shige-san made his own Salad Dressing and Teriyaki Sauce and he sells them for A$5 a bottle! so try the salad! also, the Teriyaki Beef is just amazing!!! if are you not sure what you want, or if you would like to try everything, get the Reef & Beef or the Chilli Prawn & Squid.. so you can have best of both worlds.. hehez..

Shige Sushi Bar
Shop 13/ 19-21 Mends Street
South Perth WA 6151

8 July 2007 (Sunday)
it's raining on Sunday again! and we went Freo again!!! cant believe it.. what kind of luck do we have? anyway, by the time we got to Cicerello's, i was half wet, as in the front half of me was wet.. actually, i think drenched would be a better description.. my back half was dry as the wind was blowing in our faces.. good thing was that we have our sweaters on.. i cant imagine being wet from top to bottom! due to the rain, or should i say storm? anyway, the place was packed!! i have never seen Cicerello's this packed throughout my 3 and 1/2 years here.. never..

we had to wait for a table.. standing next to one that looked like the people are almost done.. it was a table with 2 women and their respective kids.. and one woman actually make it quite audible that they are not moving their butt yet since they've got wine and beer to finish, in a very impatient mood.. i wasnt even impatient.. we were just standing there waiting and we kept our distance.. we didnt stare.. i understand the situation perfectly.. and she has to be hostile? whatever~ anyway, the table next to them was a family of 5.. and they were very kind.. the Mum said to me that they will be done in another 5mins and i said my thank you.. i really appreciate it.. geez.. see the difference between well-mannered and impolite people?

anyway, i didnt let ill-mannered people spoil my mood.. we got our table and i went to make our order of a Seafood Tray and a Chilli Mussels! yum~

- Seafood Tray

- Chilli Mussels

yummy yum~

Results - Cicerello's - Honey Senpai
1. Chilli Mussels = 3.7/5 (74%)
2. Seafood Tray = 3.45/5 (69%)

Results - Cicerello's - Coffee Queen

1. Chilli Mussels = 3.6/5 (72%)

2. Seafood Tray = 3.3/5 (66%)

Ambiance: large area dining in.. and an even larger area for alfresco dining.. near to the sea.. very relaxing when the weather's superb.. beware of the seagulls though.. if not, they will S.O.Y~ *wink*

Service: self-service..

Prices: reasonable as food is good..

Overall: "definitely worth the wait for a table.. and the Calamari is exceptionally good.. can be eaten on its own and not be sick of it.." [Honey Senpai]

Cicerello's Fremantle
Fisherman's Wharf
44 Mews Road
Fremantle 6160

Taka! Tra Vinh~ Nando's..

2007-07-04T23:51:00.000+08:00

2 July 2007 (Monday)
we woke up late today and decided to stay home for the day.. it was too rainy to head anywhere.. took time to note down these yum~ stuff here and to recover from too much good food.. in order to take up more challenges from tomorrow onwards.. wahaha!

3 July 2007 (Tuesday)
we met up with Sinnie for lunch in the city today.. she's leaving for Japan coming Friday.. she'll be there for 3 weeks to teach English.. how cool is that! she'll be doing some travelling in Malaysia and Singapore after that.. i may be able to meet her there..

lunch was at Taka's Kitchen and we ordered loads of yum~ stuff.. we had:

- Miso Katsu (my current favourite!)

- Japanese Curry with Karaage

- Teriyaki Toufu

- Teriyaki Fish

i ordered the California Roll as well.. theirs had fresh prawns in it instead of the usual crabstick.. feels like a Prawn Roll instead.. but i forgot to take a photo of it.. i was too hungry! wahaha.. and to be honest, you are not missing much if you didnt know about their sushi..

Results - Taka's Kitchen - Honey Senpai
1. Miso Katsu = 3.6/5 (72%)
2. Japanese Curry with Karaage = 3.85/5 (77%)
3. Teriyaki Toufu = 3.15/5 (63%)
4. Teriyaki Fish = NIL
5. California Roll = 2.45/4 [Smell section was strike off] (61.3%)

Honey Senpai commented that the Miso sauce of the Miso Katsu was a little too salty.. it was too salty to be eaten on its own.. with some rice, it's just right.. also, Honey Senpai only took a small piece of the Teriyaki Fish.. "not enough to comment", he said..

Results - Taka's Kitchen - Coffee Queen
1. Miso Katsu = 3.75/5 (75%)
2. Japanese Curry with Karaage = 3.6/5 (72%)
3. Teriyaki Toufu = 3.2/5 (64%)
4. Teriyaki Fish = 3.3/5 (66%)
5. California Roll = 2.3/4 (57.5%)

i love Miso Katsu~! haha.. i've been eating a fair bit of the Teriyaki Fish and Toufu before i switched to the Japanese Curry.. until i discover Miso Katsu.. you know, love at first bite? hehez.. the California Roll feels more like a Prawn Roll, really.. i wonder if they mixed up my order with someone else.. anyway, the sushi's not at all impressive.. better stick to my Miso Katsu!

Ambiance: a place where you can get value-for-money food real quick.. big servings that leaves you very satisfied indeed.. can be very noisy during lunch hours.. with heaps of people and the 'notifiers' (di-di-di-di~!) going off here and there!

Service: self-service.

Prices: very reasonble! that is why there's loads of students over there.. and even the office crowd favours Taka's kitchen for it's low prices..

Overall: a place i would go with friends and on my own.. and when in doubt, stick to Taka's Kitchen.. difficult to go wrong..

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

*Sidetracking in progress: Transformers was the highlight of the day and we really enjoyed it!

Dinner was at Tra Vinh.. we initially went to Kim Chee House but it's closed on Tuesday!! oh well, we switched to Tra Vinh as Honey Senpai wanted to try Vietnamese food.. but the food there disappointed him after he ate it~ we ordered:

- Braised Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onion

i cant give this dish any other credit other than that the chicken is soft, really.. there's heaps of ginger strips but there's no hint of ginger at all when i ate the chicken on its own..

- Pork Spare Rib with Peking Sauce

Honey Senpai said this dish tasted like it's done Sweet and Sour.. i think i'm eating Pork Spare Rib with Plum Sauce.. i wonder if the order-taker took my order wrongly.. the Pork pieces are quite over done and looked charred to me.. credit is given for being served on a hot plate~ and i quite like the unknown sauce though~ haha..

- Fried Rice

the Fried Rice tasted bland and wasnt even mixed well with the soy sauce.. cant be given much credit..

Results - Tra Vinh - Honey Senpai
1. Braised Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onion = 2.55/4 (63.8%)
2. Pork Spare Ribs with Peking Sauce = 2.55/4 (63.8%)
3. Fried Rice = 1.9/4 (47.5%! this is the first red mark on this blog!))

Results - Tra Vinh - Coffee Queen
1. Braised Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onion = 2.3/4 (57.5%)
2. Pork Spare Ribs with Peking Sauce = 2.7/4 (67.5%)
3. Fried Rice = 1.9/4 (47.5%!)

Results are based on 4 instead of the normal 5 because the Presentation section has been taken off.. there's no presentation whatsoever.. so it would be better to strike it off..

Ambiance
Honey Senpai: "a lot of cheesy music videos.."
Coffee Queen: "yucky music videos.."

Service
Honey Senpai: "practically equivalent to self-service.."
Coffee Queen: "order-taking + serving = service?"

Prices
Honey Senpai: "a bit over-priced with regards to the overall feeling.."
Coffee Queen: "food's not worth the prices.."

Overall
Honey Senpai: "there are better alternatives for dinner.. eg, Sparrow.."
Coffee Queen: "it's all Kim Chee House's fault?"

there was only 3 tables that were occupied during dinner time.. i think that speaks for itself.. i'll stick to my Duck Noodles next time round.. if there's a next time..

Tra Vinh Vietnamese & Chinese Special Noodle House
149A Brisbane Street
Northbridge WA 6003

4 July 2007 (Wednesday)
Lunch was at Nando's in Karawara.. we ordered:

- Mixed Platter (half a chicken, 5 wings [not in photo] & 4 tenderloins)

- Coleslaw (large)
- Old-style Chips (large)

Results - Nando's - Honey Senpai
1. Mix Platter [Chicken + tenderloins] = 3.4/5 (68%)
2. Mix Platter [BBQ Wings] = 3.7/5 (74%)

Results - Nando's - Coffee Queen
1. Mix Platter [Chicken + tenderloins] = 3.3/5 (66%)
2. Mix Platter [BBQ Wings] = 3.4/5 (68%)

the Old-style chips and the Coleslaw tasted pretty normal, i supposed.. they are good, but not exceptionally impressive that i'll give them a write-up.. one thing to note though, the coleslaw tasted like the ones i can get at KFC.. i quite like them.. haha..

Ambiance: there's tables on both sides of the order taking counter.. facing the counter, the left side has a more cozy feel for people who may want to take a longer time to enjoy their meals.. ..on the right side, there's natural light shining through the glass doors.. which was more suitable for people like me, who want to take photos of their food.. haha..

Service: order-taking is at the counter.. and food's served to your table..

Prices: reasonable

Overall: a place i would pop back once in a while with a good friend/friends.. so we can order loads to share.. i wouldnt go there on my own as i'm not a great fan of chicken.. haha..

Nando's [Karawara]
Karawara Village Green Shopping Centre
Kent Street

Honey Senpai's holiday! (= Food Fest!)

2007-07-01T22:42:00.000+08:00

29 June (Friday)
My first Home Judge for this blog is Honey Senpai! a Home Judge is based permanently as a judge because this person will be participating actively in many of my yum~ adventures! haha.. Honey Senpai's taking a big break from work.. and i'm using this opportunity to introduce all the yum~ stuff in Perth! Honey Senpai arrived late Friday night, just before 11pm.. i bought take-away from Shige Sushi Bar (South Perth, Mends Street).. Teapot and i once had dinner there and Shige-san's food just blew us away.. and we felt that it's worth the prices on the menu.. i bought:

- Agedashi (fried bean curd in spiced sauce)
- Jibuni (braised chicken marinated spicy sauce)
- Gyoza (pork dumplings)
- California Roll (sushi with crabstick, avocado and cucumber) with Egg (what i wanted was salmon roe but Shige-san gave me the omelette instead~ haha..)

my apologies for the lack of photos for the above food.. Honey Senpai, Teapot and me finished every bit of the yummy stuff.. we were too hungry.. hehez..

Shige Sushi Bar
Shop 13/ 19-21 Mends Street
South Perth WA 6151

30 June (Saturday)
For lunch Honey Senpai and i went to Arirang, a Korean BBQ restaurant + cafe, located on Barrack Street. we ordered:

- Haemul Pajon (a delicate savoury Korean pancake comprising of fresh scallops, prawns + squid, pan fried in light batter over a bed of spring onions)

- Bokgum Bak (traditional Korean fried rice. fresh + seasoned vegetables, beef bulgogi strips, pan fried in light soy + sesame oil, topped with a paper thin omelettle)

- Dolsot Bibimbap (a rich layering of fresh and seasoned vegetables, slices of bulgogi + extra seasoning, served steaming hot in a stone bowl over a bed of steamed rice topped with fried egg + chilli + sesame oil sauce. served with kimchi + miso soup)

Results - Arirang - Honey Senpai
1. Haemul Pajon = 3.4/5
2. Bokgum Bak = Nil (blur Coffee Queen forgot that Honey Senpai cant eat beef due to religious reasons.. sorry~ Honey Senpai.. hehez..)
3. Dolsot Bibimbap = 3.7/5

Results - Arirang - Coffee Queen
1. Haemul Pajon = 3.55/5
2. Bokgum Bak = 3.3/5 (a bit too oily for me..)
3. Dolsot Bibimbap = 3.4/5

Arirang's interior.. and there's another floor upstairs for the dinner crowd..

Both Honey Senpai and i gave a 70% for Ambiance.. but the Service was a little lack.. 60%.. we ordered the Korean Herbal Barley Tea initially, only to be told that they have ran out of it.. so we switched to the Korean Green Tea instead.. but it didnt come to us at all.. maybe it apparated elsewhere.. and i had to tell them to take that off the bill when we paid.. the Prices were alright for a restaurant.. and on the Overall, i would go back for the Haemul Pajon.. and Honey Senpai would recommend it, "if you are super hungry, as it is nearest to the bus stop where we dropped~" wahaha..

Arirang Korean BBQ Restaurant + Cafe
91-93 Barrack Street, Perth

After the shops in the city closed, we went to Icy Ice Snow Ice, the one that i went with Dessert Queen before.. we ordered:

- Coffee Ice for Coffee Queen!

- Green Tea Ice with an extra topping of Red Bean Paste..

yum~ stuff you can never get enough of.. hehez..

Results - Icey Ice Snow Ice - Honey Senpai
1. Coffee Ice = 3/4 (75%)
2. Green Tea Ice with Red Bean Paste = 2.95/4 (73.8%)

Results - Icey Ice Snow Ice - Coffee Queen
1. Coffee Ice = 2.95/4 (73.8%)
2. Green Tea Ice with Red Bean Paste = 2.9/4 (72.5%)

the Smell section was removed as we cant really smell the Snow Ices.. maybe it's cold and doesnt quite emit any smell.. and to include it would do injustice to the final results.. the Texture of the Snow Ices are really unique (!!!) and contributed to the high scores..

Icey Ice Snow Ice
297 William Street
Northbridge

For dinner, we went to Sparrow, an Indonesian restaurant.. when we got there, it was quite packed.. and we didnt book a table.. the boss asked if we were okie to share a large table for 10 with another group of 4.. i was hesitant as it might be awkward.. i guess the boss saw it and said that we would get a 10% discount for sharing tables! wahaha.. no complains then~ it's been a long long time since i ate at Sparrow.. and i'm glad to say that the food has kept it standards! we ordered:

- Ice Cendol

- Nasi Kuning (yellow coconut rice)

- Ayam Bali (chicken in Balinese curry sauce)

- Ikan Bakar (grilled fish in special sauce)

- Terong Semur (egg plant and dried shrimps in spicy soya sauce)

Results - Sparrow - Honey Senpai
1. Ice Cendol = 3.15/5
2. Nasi Kuning = 3.5/5
3. Ayam Bali = 3.55/5
4. Ikan Bakar = 3.3/5
5. Terong Semur = 2.75/5

Results - Sparrow - Coffee Queen
1. Ice Cendol = 3.1/5
2. Nasi Kuning = 3.5/5
3. Ayam Bali = 3.3/5
4. Ikan Bakar = 3.3/5
5. Terong Semur = 2.95/5

the final results may seemed low for Sparrow, but that's because the presentation part of the food was a just pass, thus pulling down the overall score.. but most of the dishes are definitely worth distinctions in taste.. the disappointing part would be the Terong Semur.. it lacked of much flavour except for a spicy feeling at the back of my throat after i swallowed it..

Sparrow's interior..

the Ambiance section for Sparrow would be a mere pass of 50% as well.. but what it lacked in decorations, it was replaced with the enthusiasm from the boss.. he is a quite a funny man, always smiling.. when he saw us taking photos, he said, "no photos, please!" i was taken aback and apologised.. but he quickly smile and said he was just joking.. haha.. there was also a little boy who was celebrating his birthday there at the restaurant.. and the boss actually whistled to get everyone's attention to sing him a birthday song.. Honey Senpai said it was like "a huge reunion" and i said it's like "a happy marketplace"!

Service was fast and efficient.. a 70%..

Prices were reasonable.. portions were small so we could try a variety of dishes..

on the Overall, Coffee Queen felt that it is definitely worth the walk from Wellington Street train station all the way into Northbridge.. and Honey Senpai says the restaurant reminded him of "a rowdy but cozy home reunion".. nice put.. we went home feeling very satisfied indeed..

Sparrow Indonesian Restaurant
434A William Street
Northbridge WA 6003

1 July 2007 (Sunday)
we decided to go against the weather and went to Fremantle.. it was raining and extremely windy.. we decided to have crepes for lunch at Michele's Crepe Suzette and stayed in the market to avoid the grumpy weather outside.. and these crepes never fail to impress, i guess..

Honey Senpai making his debut appearance on this blog! and no, you dont need tickets to enter the Freo markets.. Honey Senpai received some brochures from some guy, that's all.. haha..

yummy stuff, these are..

L'aquilla Chicken with fresh mushrooms, spring onion, melted cheese~

Mushroom, Spinach, Cheese, Tomato

Michele's Crepe Suzette!

Results - Michele's Crepe Suzette - Honey Senpai
1. L'aquilla Chicken = 3.6/5 (72%)
2. Mushroom, Spinach, Cheese, Tomato = 3.7/5 (74%)

Results - Michele's Crepe Suzette - Coffee Queen
1. L'aquilla Chicken = 3.5/5 (70%)
2. Mushroom, Spinach, Cheese, Tomato = 3.55/5 (71%)

really yum~ crepes, these are.. if you happen to be in Freo, head to the Fremantle Markets! remember to try them! Please note that the Fremantle Markets are only open from Fridays to Sundays!!!

Michele's Crepe Suzette
Fremantle Markets
Cappuccino Strip
South Terrace

Potluck session!

2007-06-25T19:40:00.000+08:00

this Potluck session was meant to be on last Saturday but it was postponed to today as Del was held up with work.. my housemate, Teapot, didnt report for work today and joined us.. we ended up with:

.: Coffee Queen's pasta
.: Manami's sushi and apple pie
.: Good Fortune's Roast Pork and BBQ Pork (Del cheated! he didnt cook!)
.: Teapot's fried chicken

when Manami and Del arrived, i havent even started cooking! i have prepared all the ingredients but have to get some mushrooms from Coles.. i have only just got back from Coles and they have already arrived! and Teapot was still at Coles, shopping for her contribution.. haha.. the hostesses were late in the end~ anyway, we had a fun time cooking, eating and chatting.. it was great!

Manami's sushi..

there was Chicken/Cucumber Roll, Avocado/Cucumber Roll and Chicken/Omelette Roll.. i like it! Manami also brought soy sauce and wasabi for us..

Del's BBQ Pork and Roasted Pork..

Del cheated and bought his share from Northbridge before going to pick Manami up! *hmph* i was still waiting for my Tom Yam Soup and Phad Thai~ *dreams vanished!* haha.. the portions he bought were humongous and we cant even finish half of it!

Teapot's fried chicken..

this, i tell you, is not normal fried chicken! Teapot learned it from a Cambodian housemate she was living with before.. the chicken wings are fried in the 'normal' way.. coated with egg and then flour.. what's special about it is the sauce used for coating the chicken wings.. the chicken wings are dipped into the boiling sauce for coating once they are removed from the oil.. the sauce consists of:

- fish sauce
- white vinegar
- water
- sugar

the final step is to sprinkle a little bit of white pepper on the chicken wings once they are coated with the special sauce! and you'll have yummy~ chicken wings..

we had the apple pie with some of Teapot's ice cream.. i forgot to take photos of it~ i was busy eating, you see.. hehez.. and as for my own pasta.. i forgot about it too! but there will be photos of it soon, that's for sure..

Happy potluck session!

The first judging & Dessert Queen

2007-06-21T22:47:00.000+08:00

Harlow! i'm quite excited about today's posting! it's the first judging and the Guest Judge for today is.. *drums roll* Dessert Queen! wahaha! she was pretty quick in coming up with her nickname on this blog.. yes, she's all ready to name herself the "Dessert Queen"!

Before i go into details, i just want to say that this is all currently taking place in Perth, Western Australia! i have been here for 3 and a half years.. and half a year is spent in Europe last year.. and from August onwards, i'll be back in my hometown, Malaysia, for quite a few months.. but for now, i'll try my best to introduce some of my favourite yummy hunts in Perth.. alright, let's start!

Met up with Dessert Queen outside of Wellington Street train station, just before we cross over to Northbridge.. we were scheduled to meet at 2.30pm and i was late for 5mins.. and Dessert Queen was late for *ahem* 30mins!!! *ahem* hehez..

by the time she arrived, my stomach was growling loudly.. and i went for the first thing across the road.. Tra Vinh! that was what Dessert Queen initially wanted the day before but i suggested another Vietnamese restaurant (Viet Hoa) further down Northbridge, which we have never tried.. but by then i was too hungry and i think it's safer to stick to something familiar when i'm hungry.. if not, i'll get very grumpy if the food turn out otherwise! at least i can be guaranteed the food i like at Tra Vinh.. so Tra Vinh it was!

all that Dessert Queen ordered was the Cha Gio Tom (Prawn Spring Rolls) and i ordered my favourite, the Mi Vit Tiem (Egg Noodle Soup with Braised Duck).. i always have this dish dry (i'm not a very soup person) and changed the egg noodles to rice noodles..

Cha Gio Tom (Prawn Spring Rolls)

Mi Vit Tiem (Clear Noodle with Braised Duck - dry)

the Prawn Spring Rolls are crispy on the outside and you'll find one prawn on the inside.. i'm not a prawn person either.. so i only ate one of that.. i'll give credit to the Fish Sauce.. hehez.. without it, the Prawn Spring Rolls would be rather plain.. but Dessert Queen likes them.. she added the Fish Sauce with the Chilli Sauce (in the first photo on the right.. meant for my noodles) and Voila! she has her new dipping sauce for her Prawn Spring Rolls!

the Mi Vit Tiem was served separately on 3 dishes.. the noodles in a large white bowl, the duck drumstick on a plate and the soup in a bowl.. for convenience's sake, i dropped the duck drumstick onto the noodles and took the photo above.. the duck has been braised just about right.. very soft and yum~ there was a generous serving of bak choy, lettuce, bean sprouts, cashew nuts and pork lard on the noodles.. the noodles are served with this sweet sauce.. i have no idea what it is.. but i really enjoyed it!

Results - Tra Vinh - Dessert Queen
1. Prawn Spring Rolls

~Colour 0.7/1
~Smell 0.5/1
~Taste 0.6/1
~Texture 0.6/1
~Presentation 0.7/1

=Total 3.1/5

2. Braised Duck Noodles

~Colour 0.5/1
~Smell 0.5/1
~Taste 0.7/1
~Texture 0.7/1
~Presentation 0.7/1

=Total 3.1/5

Results - Tra Vinh - Coffee Queen
1. Prawn Spring Rolls
*My results for the Prawn Spring Rolls are exactly the same as Dessert Queen.

2. Braised Duck Noodles

~Colour 0.6/1
~Smell 0.6/1
~Taste 0.8/1
~Texture 0.7/1
~Presentation 0.6/1

=Total 3.3/5

For Tra Vinh, both Dessert Queen and Coffee Queen came to the conclusion that:

-Ambiance: 0.5/1
-Service: 0.5/1
-Pricing: Average
-Overall: 2 Stars

=> Recommendable if you can withstand non-existent service.

Tra Vinh
149A Brisbane Street
Northbridge WA 6003

after Tra Vinh, Dessert Queen went to get Bubble Tea at Tea Fusion.. she got the Lychee Green Tea with Lychee Jelly.. erm.. very lychee-like.. haha.. and by the time we reached Icey Ice Snow Ice.. she has already finished her green tea.. we are new at this place and the lady boss (Dessert Queen says she IS the lady boss; she looks like it!) was very friendly and introduced us her more popular products.. and we ended up getting the Peanut Ice with chocolate sauce and eatra peanut toppings as well as the Original Milk Ice with fresh mango and mango sauce..

Icey Ice Snow Ice's interior..

their serviettes and little take-away menu.. so cute~

Original Milk Ice with Fresh Mango and Mango sauce &
Peanut Ice with Chocolate sauce and extra Peanut toppings

Peanut Ice with extra peanut toppings..

as can be seen, Dessert Queen is a very happy girl indeed.. hehez..

the Snow Ice is really different to what we normally get for our 'Ice Kachang'.. and Dessert Queen was explaining to me how they did it.. she's the Food Nutritionist, you know~ but it was pretty technical about freezing the ice immediately at -40C? Sorry, Dessert Queen.. hehez.. i quite enjoy it.. even though it's kind of cold for me.. and Dessert Queen was really very happy with all the sweet stuff before her!

a very enjoyable day indeed.. all spent with food.. hehez.. now, now.. for the judging!

Results - Icey Ice Snow Ice - Dessert Queen
1. Peanut Ice with extra peanut topping

~Colour 0.7/1
~Smell 0.6/1
~Taste 0.9/1
~Texture 0.9/1
~Presentation 0.7/1

=Total 3.8/5

2. Original Milk Ice with Fresh Mango and Mango Sauce

~Colour 0.8/1
~Smell 0.6/1
~Taste 0.7/1
~Texture 0.9/1
~Presentation 0.9/1

=Total 3.9/5

Results - Icey Ice Snow Ice - Coffee Queen
1. Peanut Ice with extra peanut topping

~Colour 0.6/1
~Smell 0.6/1
~Taste 0.6/1
~Texture 0.8/1
~Presentation 0.6/1

=Total 3.2/5

2. Original Milk Ice with Fresh Mango and Mango Sauce

~Colour 0.7/1
~Smell 0.7/1
~Taste 0.8/1
~Texture 0.6/1
~Presentation 0.7/1

=Total 3.5/5

For Icey Ice Snow Ice, Dessert Queen was very happy with it:

-Ambiance: 0.8/1
-Service: 0.9/1
-Pricing: Very Reasonable
-Overall: 4 Stars

Coffee Queen was happy with the find too:

-Ambiance: 0.8/1
-Service: 0.8/1
-Pricing: Reasonable
-Overall: 3 Stars

=> Highly recommendable!!!

Icey Ice Snow Ice
297 William Street
Northbridge WA

Finally! the first judging is done! get a rough idea of how judging is done? for future postings, there will only be the total results for the individual dishes but the Ambiance, Service, Pricing and Overall results will still be posted for each category.. this is just to let you know how judging is done.. what a long post~ hehez..

Opening Ceremony!

2007-06-20T12:58:00.000+08:00

Harlow, harlow! Welcome to Dribble~ Nibble.. Scribble!! Today's the official opening ceremony of this food blog!

It's been a year since i came back from Europe (exactly a year!) and my fingers are getting itchy from not writing (typing) for too long! Tried and tested writing a few blogs but they didnt seemed to get anywhere and i gave them up! Wahaha! This time round, i have a new idea and goal for myself and for this blog!

I will be writing about places which i will visit with my various Guest Judges and post them up here with our reviews! Of course, this wouldnt be new as there are heaps of Food Blogs online, way before me. However, i will try to make this blog as interesting as i can and try to bring out my own style of recommending restaurants, cafes, etc, with the help of my Guest Judges, of course!

There will be photographs, definitely! Food judging will be based on 5 categories:

~ Colour
~ Smell
~ Taste
~ Texture
~ Presentation

There will also be the judging of the venue based on 4 categories:

- Prices
- Service
- Ambiance
- Overall

Last but not least, my Guest Judges will have to supply their own nicknames on this blog and their names must be food related! I cannot promise professional cookery skills or food knowledge.. but i reckon my taste buds are up to it, and so are the taste buds of my Guest Judges!

Will be back with more ideas!