Recent Food Trips

I always say that when I count my blessings, there is always a photo of it. :-)




For some reason, this won't move the way I want it too. Fried chicken with garlic rice and
some clear broth.





Sushi !!!




It took me almost all afternoon to make this crunchy crispy crackling
roast pork, but it was oh so worth the wait. The homemade apple
sauce also made the difference. Photo with healthy fruits in the
background :-)




This is actually fried rice :-)




Oh Zumbo!




Northern Vietnamese style spring rolls. Delicious!




Whole snapper crispy fried. Oh lala




Sago and banana in coconut milk. I tried to make this and
it was a success. Scroll done and see :-)




I am weird because I refuse to eat lamb, do not like indian food and
not a fan of chocolates. But I eat offals and squid tentacles. Oy ve!





Deep fried lean pork chop. It is lean, but it is fried. Oh dear, but
so delicious!
 




I made this! Yay me!




buchi buchi ola la




Honey chicken, spring onion pan cake, soup and that buchi
Yum!




I always ask for clear broth on my Asian meals. Habit since young.
Sabaw. Bow.




Another serve of that duck that Rich loves. Quack.




Sticky black rice is hiding somewhere :-)




This is a salad with crispy roast pork. Delish!




I made this! Yay!




Checking out Roti Road menu




Still in the look out for the best char kwai teow. It has been a while so I
tried making my own and it is the best!




roti




fried chicken ribs and pickles




my fave beef meatballs soup with coriander and broth

Glad that I am able to get this gorgeous
wooden tray from Villa and Hut before they
close shop. Also here are some fruits - I eat healthy too!

Zoom, zoom Zumbo

We are Masterchef Australia biggest fans. We watch it regularly and gets very involved. Especially when the contestants do things they shouldn't (like poaching the fish before frying them into croquettes or drenching the pork rind with vinegar hoping they'd crackle - duh!). As if we can do better. Ha! Of course we can cook better, but in a stressful situation like that in the show - forget it. I'd rather call Chinese takeaway.

We play favourites not only with contestants but celebrity chefs as well. We love Curtis Stone, Shannon Bennet and Patissier extra-ordinaire Adriano Zumbo.

Zumbo's creations are amazing. Long before desserts got Mastercheffy fancy famous, he was already knee deep in flour, tempering chocolates and cracking croquembouche - and perfecting them.







Nasty comments out in the open! All wrong of course! Zumbo is the best!

When he opened a branch of his shop in Melbourne's Emporium he did something even more extra-ordinary. He turned the nasty comments on his desserts, his shop even his personality to a different level! Pardon my blurry pic this is from my Instagram, I couldn't find the originals, must have deleted it after posting.

It just shows how much negativity there is in the world! How can you be so bitter with desserts!

 

I have always been a big fan of desserts and their beauty, how they are presented is a big plus for me. BUT I do not enjoy eating them. I am not a sweet tooth. Never was and never will be I'm afraid, but for a sweet snob like me - I do like to nibble a bit here and there to test the hype. Zumbo is no hype, he is real deal.

 

I got myself and Rich some goodies yesterday at the Emporium. These are all not sickeningly sweet.

Tuesday is buy 2 tarts get the other half price :-)




I always cut my zumbarons in half and eat a tiny piece. The rest I give to
a friend who loves them more than anything :-)




So lemony and passionfruity these tarts!




While waiting for my ramen :-)

 

 Though I am not a fan of sugar I still manage to have high blood sugar. Having said this, might just as well have that tiny nibble. It is worth it. x

Dreaming of Billy...

If you haven't been yet - let me introduce you to a place where wonders are made.

We are big Kylie Kwong fans. Not only does she deliver the flavours, she uses fresh native produce and shows deep respect to the ingredients. Sustainability is also way up her restaurant's list of priorities.

I am partial to Asian cuisine. When I say I love food, it doesn't mean I love all food. I mainly eat Asian. Even in our trips to Europe, after a few days, I would crave the familiar, comforting taste of Asia.

I grew up in a household with a family who love feasts and Filipino-Chinese food. I shall continue my life savouring its deliciousness :-)Talk about luck when I married a Euro-Aussie who now loves rice more than I do. :-)

And that brings us to Billy Kwong. This place will never disappoint. If you live in NSW around the Sydney area, consider yourself lucky you do not have to travel hours to get there. If you are from Melbourne like me, a visit to BK from time to time is a must.

The food - well, OMG is not even gonna describe. :-)




Cantonese style fried rice. I love you long time. I can live on this, and on this alone.

Pork buns, steamed prawn wontons, caramelised Black Berkshire Pork belly with fresh Chinese dates and native Australian muntries,  and the in-house chili!!!

Deep fried fish wings, sticky pork, roast tomato and sea parsley



Cantonese-style Fried Rice with river school prawns

Steamed prawn wontons



Deep fried claw yabbies with chili, ginger, native finger lime and caramel pork!!! OMG

Deep fried Wallis Lakes Small School Prawn served with Cantonese dipping sauce of soy, ginger, spring onion, Chilli, sugar, sesame oil and hot peanut oil. Kylie - thank you for sharing us the combination of this
awesome, yummiest dipping sauce!

Steamed pork buns with in house chili. The most famous as it is always a sell-out in
the Eveleigh Market, Sydney on Saturdays 8-1pm

Might plan for another road trip soon!

See you at dinner time!

 

 

BILLY KWONG

Shop 1, 28 Macleay Street, 

Potts Point, NSW 2011

+61 2 9332 3300

Nando's Calling...

 

Have you tried the Tear & Share offer of Nando's? If not, what are you waiting for?

On Saturday, Rich and I had to run some errands and it got frantic so we rewarded ourselves with a visit to Nando's. We were supposed to go to Brunswick for a special lunch but we just decided to have some Nando's near our home and rest the rest of the afternoon.

What a great decision!

Flame-grilled Chicken, pita breads, African grain salad, cucumber, red capsicum, hummus dip with PERi-PERi drizzle. Oh la la

 

 

 

It can easily serve 2 adults and 2 children but I am equivalent to an adult + 2 children :-) This spread is so worth it and it still deliver that punch that is so Nando's.

I just love this grain salad, it is like tabouleh but has also has grains similar to mung beans. The slices of sweet and crunchy cucumber is a welcome touch. Love the red capsicum too.

This teeny tiny bottle is full of that kick that only a Peri-Peri sauce can give. Rich drizzled it in his hummus and he said that is was good

Trying to make some bokeh shots of my fave chicken hahahah

That is my hands ready to attack :-)

Oh Nando's you are our BFF xo

Vietnamese Dinner...

Rich and I met up for a quick bite after work at our local Vietnamese fave.
We had the usual and had a great Friday night dinner. Thanks Thien An!





This is my new fave soup...beef balls!



Rich's Wonton



cubed beef served with veggies and tomato rice



spicy crispy chicken ribs w fried rice and pickled veggies...



Rich's coconut smoothie



***

Eating Out...

 

As you know by now, food is very important to me :-) but believe it or not I am very picky with what I eat. For example I do not like lamb and Indian food. I do not care much about Mexican food, either. I am not a big dessert eater. I like the sugar cone more that the ice cream. I normally do not order desserts nor have alcohol with my meal. I do eat a lot of Asian Food and most of the choices are healthy.

 

With my handy pedometer, I also take at least 10K steps a day so I can sort of justify a lot of eating out. Thank you Lord for blessings! :-)



^ Crispy spring rolls and grilled pork  c/o our fave Vietnamese Restaurant  Hao Phung ♥




Pinoy Food: Lugaw, Pinakbet, Crispy Pata, Kare-kare




c/o my older brother - BBQ sa Pier, Pinirito na Buras, BBQ Pecho, Pasayan Sinigang




Grilled Pork with Asian Salad of Hao Phung




Singapore noodles, Prawn Rice Paper Roll, Spring rolls, Crispy & spicy chicken ribs
grilled pork and rice, Thien An




soft shell crab sushi with pickled ginger




Seafood inari, soft shell, grilled scallops, grilled salmon
prawn tempura of Sushi Sushi Altona Gate





Tonkatsu Ramen c/o Bento High Point




Scallops and chili caramel pork and Asian Salad, Tom Phat




c/o Billy Kwong




Prawn Wonton egg noodle soup Hao Phung, Footscray




prawn spring rolls and spicy fish sauce dip




gluten free food I made a few weeks ago: fried chicken
roast pumpkin, grilled corn, potato salad, fried rice, chicken popcorn w/ honey




Yum! c/o our fave Viet restaurant Thien An, Irving St. Footscray




Noodles in the Target Centre




Belly pork with rice, tofu and ginger gravy
of Charsiu House, Errol St. North Melbourne




Combination soup with the lot (chicken stock) Vic Market




Prawn and Pork Rice paper rolls




seafood stirfry with rice and crispy spicy chicken ribs




same old favourites but with the Vietnamese pancake this time

I also do not like Pizza and food with weird spices that makes me sneeze. If I like something I stick by it all the time. In fact I tend to order the same thing over and over again. ♥