Last Day Of Firsts

It was the last day we were down in the Margaret River region and we visited a few more places on our way back. We started out by having breakfast at Morries and that was where I tried my first Kombucha. It was served in a small glass with a slice of lime and a slice ginger on the side. I was not sure how to drink it as all I know about it was that it is a fermented tea. Sipping the tea, I was surprised that it did not taste like a vinegar, and tasted more like a light lemon green tea. I then decide to add both lime and ginger to it, giving it a rather subtle kick to the drink. I would say it was a really nice first experience for a weird sounding drink. 

We then head out to Colonial Brewery to get some wings that was a special order from Jackie but found that we were thirty minutes too early. We ended up heading down the road to 34 Degrees South Olive Oil to have a look and bide our time. After tasting some really yummy olive oils and marinated olives, we head out to car park that had quite a few animals doing their daily thing. The area surrounding had some chickens walking around, was patrolled by a little grumpy dog, and had two alpacas behind a wire fence that did not seem like it would work to prevent them jumping over. One of the alpacas was a little more curious and took a little sniff of us while we were taking photos, while the other was more interested in chewing grass. This brown alpaca had a really warm nose and sniffed my whole arm, and good thing it did not decide to have a taste. It also was really happy to pose for close up photos, which then got the other one to get up and pose for a few as well. This was a first for really friendly alpacas, and getting sniffed by one. 

After getting the awesome chicken wings from Colonial, we were heading towards Millers Ice Cream when we spotted a group of mailboxes at the junction. The other mailboxes looked quite nice and rustic, but the one at the end really caught our eyes. It was the most unique mailbox we have seen while driving around, and definitely a good recycling effort as well. The microwave oven mailbox was not only good as a big mailbox, with an easy door to open, it would also keep the rain out. Definitely the first recycled microwave oven mailbox I have seen, and it really made all of us laugh too much. 

After visits to a few more places along the route home, we finally stopped at Clancy's Fish Pub to have a late lunch before continuing on the long ride home. As I head up to order and pay for our food, I saw a few jars on the counter which got me salivating for some odd reason. I then spot what look like pickled eggs and ordered one after confirming that it was indeed pickled eggs. The pickled onions and dill pickled in the other jars did look tasty, but I just wasn't interested in them. The egg was served to the table before I got back and my dad and sister were already staring at it as if it was some alien/ Then their faces turned more horrified when I took the first bite, and my sis was quick to decline my offer for them to have a try. Dad had a few seconds to think before he declined, but I think he would have enjoyed it too much if he did take a bite. It tasted like a slightly more tart version of an egg that was cooked in the Vinegared Pork Trotter dish that is served to mums during their confinement periods. Surprisingly, the egg was set like the marinated eggs in ramens, still gooey yolk within the solid firm white. I would say it was a really nice first pickled egg when I was thinking of getting a second one but had to hold back as I had more food coming my way. 

What a way to finish the trip down south. 

Picking Our Own Fruit

While searching for things to do in Margaret River (no wines or caves again), I managed to find that there was a place called Wonky Windmill Farm that offered fruit picking as one of the activities. Since I do not like strawberries, picking them was never high on my list. However, at Wonky Windmill, the season was right for oranges, lemons, mandarins and a hybrid fruit called the Lemonade fruit. Since I have never known about the fruit, picking it myself was a big bonus to my first fruit picking experience here. 

We drove up to the farm and the signs tell you to follow the path from the car park, which leads to the main shop and cafe. Along the way, we were greeted by a rather hoarse and gravelly baa-ing sheep, and some inquisitive cows. Once in the store, dad and I paid for our fruit picking tour and headed in with our guide (think it was Bev) while my sister decided to go hunt for something she wanted online. It was a short walk past the car park and their family home, picking up a nosey little dog along the way. 

Bev started us out with some lemons, but my sis had a few at home and we decided to take a few that looked rather odd for souvenirs, as well as to get some photos. Next was the lemonade fruit, which looked a little like rotten lemons but that is the way they look when ripe. She started to tempt us by cutting into one and let us have a taste of the juicy lemonade-flavoured fruit. It felt like I was eating a  sweet pomelo with a lemon scent. Bev then continued by advising us on how the ripe fruits should feel and look like, and how to pick them properly without damaging the trees. 

After we got lemonades, we head on to the mandarins, which were slightly tart and I did not want too many of them as we already had sweet ones at home. However, when it came to the orange, I took a few more than I initially wanted to as it was so sweet and juicy. We still had a few oranges from our last trip to Midlands market, but after tasting the orange from the tree, I wanted a few more. Well, I need the vitamin C to keep the flu away anyway. 

Their dog then came in right as we had picked enough and head back to weigh our pickings. Now I need to find a good way to the keep the lemonade fruit for the trip back to Singapore. 

First Night In Margaret River

Dad, sis and I left on a five-hour drive down to Margaret River this afternoon with a box of prawn vadai, pork patties and lots of water. By the time we got a few supplies for the weekend, then finding the Beach Barnacle (our accommodation for the next two nights), we were all ready for a good proper meal. I managed to find a few good eating spots near the Beach Barnacle and we decided to try Gnarabar.

Gnarabar is located right next to a beach resort, but it seems that quite a few Margaret River locals have also made the effort to head there for a meal. Looking through the menu, I felt like getting the whole list of appetisers as they all seemed really interesting. In the end, we decided to share the Masterstock Braised Pork Belly and Chilli Salted Calamari. Dad went for the Porterhouse Steak, while my sis decided to have Nasi Goreng, and I chose a special which was a Bacon and Chicken Pasta. 

The pork belly was a did not really look like a very impressive dish, but once I took a bite, it was absolute heaven. The pork was soft like a cloud but the little bit of skin on it was kept crisp, and paired with the caramel, the little bite sent fireworks to my head. The calamari was done simply, lightly battered and fried with a  little seasoning. The impressive part was the Thai chilli jam they served with it. It might have been a Thai inspiration for the chef, but that jam was pretty close to being the perfect Nasi Lemak chilli. 

My sister's Nasi Goreng was another surprise, tasting like the kind we get in Bali, and they paired it with a chilli that was close to the ones we get for the Hainanese Chicken Rice. I started to wonder who the chef is and where this person has travelled. Even the pasta from the specials board was awesome. The pasta had a cream and pesto base that was balanced so perfectly that the cream did not make it overly rich, and the pesto did not overwhelm the whole dish with a green herb flavour. 

Everything was so good, and satisfying, I was sad that I did not get to try their dessert. Think I will make this a place to visit if I come back again. 

Om Nom Nom....

Straying From The Usual

Went out with Aunty Nene for Dim Sum again today but we decided to try other dishes today, with only the chicken claws and congee as repeat orders. I wasn't feeling up to having the fried noodles again and found rather interesting list of steamed rice roll (cheong fun) dishes to try. I ended up picking the beef and coriander roll, the chicken and mushroom roll, and the pan-fried roll stuffed with  dried prawns. We all really loved the pan fried one as it was really tasty, and it was really nice how they panfried the roll so that it had a crispy shell that held a smooth and soft interior, peppered with bursts of flavour from the dried prawn.

Another new favourite is the deep fried almond prawn cake which would be loved by anyone who enjoys prawns. I do not think there was another meat involved in the dish as it tasted and looked like it was just a patty of prawns and spices, covered with slivered almonds, then deep fried. It was another simple dish that had so much flavour, no dipping sauce was needed. 

The last thing on the savoury list today was what they called a "soup dumpling". Somehow I expected something like Shanghai dumplings (xiao long bao) but I ended up getting a giant dumpling in a bowl of soup. I guess that's what I get for not being able to read Chinese. I would not say that it was a big disappointment as it was quite nice, but I am a little fussy with my dumplings and this did not hit the spot. 

Finally we ended lunch with a little bowl of soy bean curd which was really refreshing and started out smooth. However, it got a little powdery as you reach the bottom of the bowl. I wonder if there is any place here that makes fresh soy bean curd here. 

Mediterranean Inspiration

Another low-carb to no-carb lunch for my sis and today it was inspired by a Nicoise salad. It is one of the salads I like but there are so many variations, so this could be my own variation. There was some stuffed olives and peppers, and marinated sardines on hand. So I was just left with cooking some eggs for a little more protein and putting everything together. I didn't really bother with a dressing either as the flavoured oils from the marinated ingredients were just perfect with a squeeze of lemon juice and some pepper. Probably going to make a batch for my lunch!

Seafood Pasta

My sister was craving pasta and I just bought a nice batch of prawns, so she got a pack of mussels and we were set for tonight's dinner. She decided to make one of the simple dishes that had a nice amount of sauce for the pasta to sit in, the way dad seems to like it. Was a really quick dish with the prepared seafood, a little garlic and onion, a can of chopped tomatoes and some red wine. She then laid some baby spinach on the bowls before topping them with pasta and some sauce. and let them sit a while before calling everyone to grab a plate. Mine had the lovely addition of sliced bird's eye chillies. 

Om Nom Nom...

Breakfast For Lunch

I've been making lunch for my sister lately, especially on days that I want to take the car which would  leave her a little stranded during her lunch break. She usually takes a carbohydrate-free lunch and I try my best not to put any in it. 

Today, I thought of making pancakes for her, and good thing is I have managed to make rather nice ones with coconut flour. The part that got me thinking hard was what to pair with it. There was already a lot of eggs in the pancake mixture and I did not want the whole meal to taste like a giant omelette. 

Good thing there was some defrosted sausage, the ones we got from the time we went to the sausage-making event. There was also some nice mushrooms, and there were some Granny Smith apples. I was contemplating making a sugar-free apple sauce for the dish, but I was not sure if she would have liked it, and she had sugar-free maple syrup. So in the end the apples ended up as just pan-roasted buttered quarters.

In the end, I had a small portion for myself as well, and I think the apples would have been really nice as a sugar-free apple sauce accompaniment to the rich sausage. 

Om Nom Nom...

RIbs And Sides

Drovers had brought in quite a good selection of meats in July for some people who wanted to make "Christmas in July" parties, and one of them was nice slabs of pork ribs that were perfect for barbecues. During one of the meet ups with Alfred, we happen to discuss a possible rib party when my sister and Brendan came back from their trip, and it was set for today. 

Since we were going to be out quite last yesterday, we got dad to boil the potatoes and par-cook his Bak-Kwa-flavoured ribs. We then came home rather early and I finished making the potato salad, while my sister made the pear and walnut salad. Alfred had the other half of the ribs and did it with an Orange-flavoured barbecue marinade.  

It was a simple lunch, but absolutely satisfying. 

Om Nom Nom...

Jackie Turns Thirty

Let me start of by wishing a Happy National Day to all fellow Singaporeans. 

It also happens to be my one of my sister's best friend's birthday. Jackie turns thirty today and she opted to have a "gangster glam" theme for her party. We started off at Jamie's Italian and had a wonderful dinner, although I swear the portions have shrunk. The other time my sis and I ate here, we had the smaller portion for the pastas, and our order for the bigger portion tonight seem to be the same. Maybe it is a Saturday craziness thing. Well, what I really liked was the Crab and Avocado Bruschetta, which went really well with the non-boozy Refresher. 

We then head to Laneway Lounge that possibly had nice music, but it was too noisy to her the band unless you were in the toilet. I could say that the band did sound good while I visited the loo, but the thing that impressed me most was the list of interesting cocktails available. There was a list of cocktails, made with strange infusions that was most likely done in-house as well. Jackie also ordered the Love Bites Platter and some Fatty Fries for those who wanted something to nibble on while they drank the night away. It's a good thing we already had dinner, or I would have eaten all the Arancini that came with the platter. 

As Laneway closed a little too early for the party to end, we ended up at Devilles Pad for more drinking, and to loosen up all the muscles on the dance floor. It was Disco night and it happens to be Jackie's favourite kind. After getting some drinks, she was on the dance floor for the rest of the night, pulling everyone she could with her. I was laughing at all the strange decoration the place had, as well as the really old music videos being projected between two caged dancers. 

Somehow, staying the most sober ended up with me getting hungry at the end of the night. Thank goodness for Jackie's emergency frozen pizza! Good way to end night with everyone boozed out around you. Haha

Home Visit

My sister got invited to view the home and I thought that was part of her work with the community newspaper. It is the first time I was actually viewing a home in Australia, and it was an interesting experience to me. I was thinking that the house was for sale until my sister informed me that it was actually a prize for the MS Mega Home Lottery.

The home is situated in a nice-looking neighbourhood and it had quite a few little surprises hidden within the house. My favourite room was the bedroom that had the two arrows above the bed. I am not really sure why, but I found that room to be rather inviting due to the simplicity of the decoration. Another bit was the bell jars housing the herbs in the kitchen and the lovely-smelling things in the toilet. It was a little too dark to take a picture of the small garden area between the kitchen and front door, but that would be lovely to grow all the herbs for cooking I think.

The thing about this lottery is that you win everything in the show home and unless you're looking for a pool, the house has everything one would need in a home and possibly more. However, if you did get a ticket, and not win a thing, you did donate to a good cause.

Gotta Have Some Roo

Found this pack of Kangaroo sausages while shopping in the supermarket the other day and I thought it would be something nice to try other than the usual pork and beef ones. Kangaroo meat tastes like beef to me, just a lot leaner, and that makes it slightly more dry. The sausages were not too dry and they were well seasoned. Probably going to get more of these for breakfast. 

Om Nom Nom...

Ox Tongue Rendang

There are certain things in Singapore we usually do not find easily, and one of them is ox tongue. It might be that only certain butchers sell them and the ones in my area probably do not due to low demand, or perhaps no demand. Another reason might be someone always taking the lot to make for sale at their Nasi Padang stall. Well over here, there is so much ox tongue that it has to be frozen so they can be kept for a longer time. 

So since the recipes for most ox tongue recipes required a few hours of cooking, I asked dad if he could make an Ox Tongue Rendang for dinner. Using the $2 cookbook he got from Salvos the other day, he used a Trengganu-based recipe and after three hours, we had a really nice-smelling house. Dad was afraid the tongue might still be tough, but I guess the spices and long cooking time did their work on any tough muscles. 

I decided to have the rendang with the Cabe Hijau (green chilli sambal), fried eggs, and some pickles. Was a perfect combination. 

Om Nom Nom....

Gone Fishing

It looked like a good day out, and the weather forecast did not have any rain predicted, so dad and I went out to a little spot Alfred recommended to try see if we can catch anything. After a short stop at Bluewater Tackle World for some bait, we head off to Pinnaroo Point and got ourselves a nice little spot to cast off.

It was nice weather to fish, but the waves were not helping today as they just came crashing onto the beach, bringing the line in at the same time. There was a sign that something was eating the bait though, but dad believed it was just washed away by the currents. In the end, we had to go pick my sister up from work and reeled in the line, only to find the most probable culprit of the half eaten bait - a fat little puffer fish. They are greedy little things!

Well, going to have to try again when the waves are not that big.

From Salad To Burger

Was making my sister a salad for lunch when I decided to play with the ingredients. The two cakes of bean curd I bought had a rather round top and looked almost like buns when I cut them off, so that gave me the idea of making a burger. I was also slow cooking some really big mushrooms and they ended up looking like fried buns as well. 

In the end, I stuck with tofu buns, filled with baby spinach, a garlic mushroom and a slice of steak topped with cheese. Was a very wobbly burger though. 

Om Nom Nom...

Spanish Dinner

I asked my sister if she could make Paella a few days back as I got a nice bag of prawns, and we had some spicy salami from our time at the Good Food and Wine Show. We head to Drovers and managed to get some lovely mussels and chicken and it was all we needed for her to make dinner.

The recipe she uses seems rather simple, and the only important item is actually the paella pan as it "makes a HUGE difference" according to my sister. Another thing she uses is the paella spice mix from Providore, and I think the recipe might be the one stuck on the pack.

After a short time on the stove, the paella is done and all pretty.

Om Nom Nom....

Dim Sum Yum Yum

My sister and Brendan were craving for some dim sum and decided to head to their favourite spot this morning. When we got there, the place was apparently quiet for a Saturday morning as they usually have to join a line for a table, but today we managed to walk in and get a table straight away. Lucky us! Even better still was that they started us off with a nice plate of Salt & Pepper Squid. 

The servers then came along with trays of fried dishes, followed by one who pushed the whole trolley of steamed dishes. After picking off a few items, we were all tucking in except Brendan, who looked like he wanted to throw up. I guess that is what you get from your stomach when you drink too much the night before. 

The tray of desserts came when we were almost done, and my sister chose her favourite mango pudding, while I went with the ones which looked very different from the typical dim sum desserts. I chose a chrysanthemum tea jelly, which was really refreshing with white fungus and wolf berries in it, and a coconut milk jelly, which looked like silken tofu but was just a rich coconut milk cube. 

Going to have to come back when Brendan is not hungover. I'm hoping we will be able to bring Aunty Nene here too as I'm sure she'll enjoy it if she hasn't already. 

Om Nom Nom..

Friday Night Hawkers Market

Was looking at things to do and found a write up about the TGIF Hawkers Market and I asked my sister if she would be interested to head there for dinner tonight. Brendan had a boys night out and after dropping him off, we head over to Victoria Park to have a look. 

It was easy to spot while driving past to look for a parking lot as the last food truck was right at the end of the lane way, almost sticking out to the main road. As we were walking towards the lane, the delicious smells coming from all the stalls just lead you all the way through to look at what is on offer. 

There were about fifteen stalls there, and it was not a very big range on offer, but there was a lot of people enjoying themselves, getting their stomachs warmed with the hot food. Dad ended up getting some Moroccan curried meat and couscous from Shak Shuka. I had some jerk chicken and corn from Kazz's Caribbean Kitchen, Spanish Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta from The Tapas Man, and Nutella Poffertjes from Perfect Poffertjes. My sister did not see anything she wanted as she was already aiming for roast duck and pork noodles once she spotted the new Good Fortune Roast Duck House. 

I think I might go back to the market to try some of the American offerings from Cocktail Gastronomy. 

Om Nom Nom...

Feels Like A Mexican Day

Went out with Aunty Nene today and I needed something to eat, but it was already past lunch time for Aunty Nene and Dad, so they only wanted ice cream. After looking at all the food available in the food court, I found the menu at Salsas calling to me. The last time I had Mexican food here was on my last trip. So this would be the first for this trip, and apparently the first of the day as well. 

I couldn't really decide what to try and ended up getting a meal with three tacos, Mexicrinkles (crinkle fries with seasoning) and an orange juice, as well as a Esquites (corn in a cup). The Esquites was a cup corn with a thick creamy, topping and a bit of spicy seasoning. It's very different from any cup of corn I've tasted so far, but it is not the best as the corn was a little overdone. The tacos were alright and I went with soft tacos with the Carnitas, Chicken Chipotle and Habanero Steak for my fillings. I wish there was a little more veggies in my tacos, but the flavours are well balanced. Really loved the Habanero Steak, not only because it's spicy, but the red cabbage balanced all the flavours well, and the beef was not over cooked. Least favourite was the Carnitas as the pineapple was a bit overwhelming, but a little lettuce could have cut through the sweetness. 

Later that night, my sister head to Zambrero for some tacos, as well as to get Brendan his favourite burrito. I got to try their beef, chicken and lamb tacos and I'd say that the fresh veggies definitely make a difference. 

Om Nom Nom....

Quiz Night Score

My sister's workplace has an adopted charity and they hold events often to raise funds. Tonight they are holding a quiz night along with a silent auction, a raffle and a coin toss game to help raise funds for Cancer Council. My sis and I bought a set of six raffle tickets and we hoped that we might be able to win something interesting. The night started off with two sets of quizzes, followed by a raffle draw, then another two quizzes and a raffle, then it was a set of quizzes and the live auction. Following that was the coin toss for a bottle of vodka or a bottle of bourbon. The two who won the drinks in the coin toss were rather lucky. They both threw about $4 (two $2 coins) and ended up the closest to their respective bottles. The real winner were actually the charity as there were quite a few people trying, and some even tried a few times only to have their coin picked up. By the end of the toss, the lady seriously needed help holding the coins she was picking up.

The night then continued with another set of quizzes and a raffle. After the first two rounds of the raffle giveaway, I was quite sure all the good stuff had been taken. My sister and I we both called in the final raffle draw, with me getting called first. I went up tot he prize counter and they told me to just grab what I liked. All I saw was wine, wine I was not even sure about. Then I saw the strangest bottle of wine, the one with the Dome label on it, and it was a bottle of sparkling wine. I had such hysterical laughter going on in my head, I just HAD to grab that bottle as my prize. My sister was called just after I returned and she got her prize, which was literally shoved to her by her colleague. Apparently the bag with the spa vouchers was the one that was the "best prize of the lot", but I guess people were just happy with bottle of wine instead. She then realised what I chose and had a good laugh and started telling her colleagues about my past work life. 

The night ends with the last set of quizzes and the announcement of silent auction winners and the overall winners for the quiz. It was a first quiz night for me and it was actually quite fun, and I would not mind doing something like this again. 

Fuel Watch

Dad and I realised, after a week here, that fuel prices differ between area and companies, and the difference can be quite huge. We also noticed that prices go up on Friday, all the way through the weekend. Today was another day that we scouted out for the cheapest fuel on the fuel watch website, and it's usually close to a place we wanted to go. Once in a while you do get a really good deal at one particular pump for some unknown reason and you see the lines that we joined. Most petrol station have a deal that gives a further four cents discount for spending at their supermarkets, so the really low fuel price still gets a further discount. It's no wonder the lines here were so long, we were stuck waiting on the road leading to the petrol station. 

Must Be Something In The Water Here

The must be something about the water in Australia as everything seems to be extra large compared to the things you get in Singapore. We've got oranges that you had to stretch your fingers over to pick up, cauliflower bigger than dad's stomach, watermelons bigger than my thighs and lemons larger than a can of soda. Even green leafy vegetables are much larger than the ones we usually get back home. I'm not complaining though, they all still taste real good. 

Om Nom Nom...

Another Big Score

We made an appointment with Aunty Nene last week to head to the Old Perth Road Markets today. We had a nice walk round but didn't find any thing of interest to us at the time, and I suggested we head on to Canning Vale Markets. Aunty Nene had been to the Canning Vale Markets long ago and remembered it as more of a market with cheap household items, second-hand items and other odds and ends. She was really happy to see that it has expanded to having fresh food and cooked food stalls now set up, and was enjoying the country music being played. I pointed out the stall selling Kaya Balls as she loves that eggy coconut jam, and she immediately jumped the line to get a pack. There was also a stall selling Nasi Lemak and Satay and she managed to bargain down the price of the Nasi Lemak. I guess since it was about time to close, the stall owner also wanted less to bring back and gave in to her offer. 

We then head to the fresh fruit and vegetable stall to get some supplies and saw some nice green tomatoes in the boxes. We managed to get enough and Aunty Nene said she would pay for them and the bag of chillies as she wanted my dad to make her a batch of the green chilli sambal that she has grown to love. While they were paying, I walked around to find some of the items that my sister and Brendan wanted for the week ahead and spotted a bargain. They were offering a box of persimmons for $12. The persimmons didn't look too nice, but they were still firm and we decided to take a chance on them. Either way, we could still make use of them should they not turn out sweet. That was about all we could carry, and we were out of there right after. 

We managed to count out the persimmons and we actually got sixty-two persimmons for $12, and they seemed like they got frostbite, yet they were just at the point of ripening. Just a little warmth and they should be perfect. 

Woot!

Target Spotted

Went out with dad to have a look at fishing spots as my sister and Brendan recuperated from jet lag. We headed to Mosman Park and looked around The Coombe and some spots that Alfred recommended the other night. We spotted the sandbank he talked about and made it our final destination for the day. We got there and found a nice jetty to fish off but spotted something nicer instead - some fat mussels. There we loads of them all over the pylons around the jetty and I wondered how easy they would dislodge. This would be one place to revisit with Brendan and some tools. 

Sweet End To A Day Of Delays

Left the house at about 6.20 am today to head to the airport to pick my sis and Brendan up. They were supposed to land at 6.am and the last I checked at 3 am, the flight was on time. We head on to Mitchell Freeway and were cruising along when suddenly we had to slow down and saw a long line of break lights ahead of us. We were afraid we might get caught in rush-hour traffic, and at first, we thought we were. However, after crawling for about five minutes, the answer finally came on the radio - there was an accident on the first lane. 

With traffic coming in and merging onto a two-lane part of freeway, we were in for quite a crawl. We ended up getting stuck in that jam for about and hour and we were still about fifteen minutes away when we got to our exit. Then it was another crawl and this was the one due to everyone heading to work. 

We ended up reaching the airport at 8 am and I wondered why my sister has not called to grumble about why we were taking so long. We then try to call them both and only got messages telling us that they were both unavailable. Wondering if their phones might be dead due to the long flights, I asked dad to head in and have a look if they might be sitting in there just waiting. Dad came out telling me that their flight had been delayed and that they should be here in about half an hour. 

Finally when they landed, Brendan needed his junk food fix and headed straight to McDonalds to get his coffee and McMuffin. I called out a Hot Cakes as I've never tried it over here. We get back home and I finally get a nice buttery sweet breakfast to end the frustrating day that started with a lack of sleep. 

Om Nom Nom...

Another First For Dad

After yesterday's meal at McDonalds, dad now wanted to give Hungry Jacks a try. Burger King in Singapore is the equivalent and it has better, but not the best, burgers in the Singapore fast food scene. Today, it Hungry Jacks for a late lunch and dad is set on comparing their burgers to McDonalds. I just wanted to try anything new and found it in their Angry Onions and the Quad Stacker Burger. Dad went the regular route of a Whopper with Onion Rings. 

The burgers here are definitely done better than the ones back in Singapore as the beef patties are juicy enough that you can taste the fatty beefy goodness. However compared to the burgers we had yesterday, the cheese here tasted a bit gummy and felt a little gummy. Given that there are a lot of quality cheese producers here, and even the cheapest cheese are really nice, I'd say the cheese Hungry Jacks uses needs to be changed. 

What does not need any changing is their Angry Onions. They are just battered onion pieces tossed with something spicy (most likely chilli powder) seasoning. They taste like the onion rings, with a much gentler bite as it is not crumbed, and with a nice kick at the end. I'd probably come back to Hungry Jacks just for these. 

Om Nom Nom...

Dad's First McDonalds Meal

Dad is not a big fan of fast food, especially since the fast food in Singapore isn't the best and there was always better local food to try in the countries he has travelled to. This trip has been the one where he has been trying a lot of fast food while we are exploring, and do not want to sit down at a cafe waiting for food, or pay too much for a meal we most likely can't finish. 

Today, I was craving for a burger and it so happened that a McDonalds was along the way home. I asked him to give the burgers here a try as they are totally different from the ones we get in Singapore and he finally gave in when he saw something with bacon in it. We tried the Grand Angus, and the Mighty Angus, together with a Crunchy Noodle Chicken Salad. The burgers were great, nice and juicy, and the cheese did not taste too fake. Best thing of all was that the bacon was actually from a pig and not made from turkey or a cow. 

The salad had a bit of a problem right from the start. The counter staff kept asking the kitchen crew to pass it to her, and it took about 4 requests before it happened. Then upon opening it, I find no noodle! I honestly couldn't be bothered to wait through another four hollers from the staff to get the fried noodles and ate it anyway. I think they gave me the Asian soy dressing and it went really well with everything in the bowl that was missing the crunchy noodles. 

Most importantly, dad enjoyed his burger, and actually found the chicken in the salad nice. Guess he finally found something good about McDonalds. 

Om Nom Nom...

New Hotdog Topping

Dad made Sambal Cabe Hijau (Green Chilli Sambal) the other day and Aunty Nene gave us another unique way to use it the other day when she made use some tacos and nachos topped with it. The sambal is widely used in Indonesia, served up as a side dish with the Padang dishes, tossed together with fried meats, or cook seafood with it. It is a slightly tart sambal due to the green tomatoes in it, and the spiciness depends on the green chillies. 

After Aunty Nene's interesting combination with Mexican-style dishes, I decided to try something out with the sausages that we bought at the sausage-making event. Due to the richness from the fat in the sausage, the sambal actually balanced it off with the tartness and made it much easier to eat all in one go. This is way better than mustard and ketchup any day!

Om Nom Nom...

Awesome Light Show

Got back from a long day out exploring with dad to find the weather turning really dark and lightning striking about every 15 seconds. We got to the house and while dad set up the camera, I whipped out my phone and tried to get a few shots. Was lucky enough to get these few lighted shots and they were actually four different strikes within a good amount of photos I randomly took within two minutes. Somehow the phone photos seems to look better than the ones on the camera as they were really far, and the strikes were nearly in total darkness. As it got nearer to the house, the street lights interfered with the strikes and most looked like big flashes of light instead of a nice electric streak. 

Oh Happy Day

I was reading the new on Yahoo when I saw the article pop up right at the top about a Italian Sausage-making event and knew dad would definitely want to visit the event as he is very interested in making his own sausages. It started at 8.30am and the sausage making was to start right at then, but we were lucky enough to still see them churning and tying the links off when we got there around 10am. Dad watched them make the sausage like a hawk, while I went around taking photos and asked questions about getting my hands on some cooked sausage to try. 

After getting a ticket, I told dad to wait for his sausage and bun while I went around getting more photos. Finally, the grill master releases the batch of sausages, and dad has a big smile on his face as he walked up to me. After tasting the sausage, I was sent back in line to pay for a pack of the fresh sausages AND the recipe. After getting the bag of fresh sausages, we realise the other table was just starting their sausage making and we waited a little bit to find out what they were making. In the end, we realised we got the southern recipe, while the next group was making a northern recipe. So back in the line again for another batch of raw sausages. Finally happy with all the sausages, we gave Aunty Nene a call and asked if she would be ready to head out to Midland Farmers Market.

Aunty Nene told us she used to head out to the markets when Shane was still young (almost thirty years ago?) to get her weekly groceries, and was shocked at how small it has become ever since. She told us how it was held in the area which is now housing the small shopping centre and its car park. I showed Aunty Nene the stall I got the nice biscuits from, the same stall I got the cannoli from, and she ended up buying quite a few items. We also got a nice big bag of oranges which were nicely balanced in their acidity and sweetness. Since it was early, we decided to head out to Swan Valley. 

Aunty Nene has not been to the Swan Valley for a long time, and apparently I was the last one to bring her there, and we did the Great Valley Rally. That was about 4 years back, when my sister haven't even bought her current home. It was definitely time for another trip to Swan Valley for Aunty Nene. Dad and I then remembered that we needed to pop into Cape Lavender to get the sugar-free lollies for mom. We had requested for a few bottles when we first arrived in Perth, and they called me a week ago to let me know of the stock and I forgot all about it. Guess the trip to the Swan Valley was a good idea. 

As it was a Sunday, any nice place to eat on the Swan Valley was packed full to the brim, and it was the same for Cape Lavender. It was so full we even had to park on the grass just to go in and get the lollies. Right after, we head out to check out a few places that our Singapore Airlines boarding pass had deals with. We ended up at Mondo Nougat and Morish Nuts as our first stop as we all weren't interested in having a big lunch or try any wines. We then head to Whistler's Chocolate as it was just down the road. 

We then decide to head to get some ice cream at but we ended up stopping midway as there was a temporary market set up in the a car park selling really beautiful fruits and veggies. They were so nice that we got more oranges and mandarins even though we already had a big bag of oranges earlier. Then after turning out, I spotted a sign indicating ice cream being sold about 50 metres away and followed it into a little nook off the road to the ice cream truck. Aunty Nene got excited when she saw the truck as she has not had that kind of ice cream for years and it probably made her feel like a young girl again. 

After our ice cream break, it was time to head back as most places were already starting to close and it was starting to get too cold for Aunty Nene to stay out. 

Looking Around Hillarys

It is the third Saturday of the month and the Hillarys Markets are on but the weather did not look too good for a day at the market. We head there anyway as dad could check out the fishing around the area, and I could get some food. The car park near Sorrento Quay was full and we ended up parking closer to AQWA, right next to a bunch of people fishing off the dock. Dad had a chat with a few of the people there and found out that the area didn't get much good catches, because the greedy pufferfish there just eat your bait before anything can come near. It was fun for two little girls who just wanted to catch something on their hooks, and almost brought up a few only to have the fish let go of the bait to drop back into the water. 

We head on to the market but found only a handful of stores set up, selling mainly hand-made items such as soaps, toys, candles, preserves, bags and beaded stuff. I think the week's bad weather forecast deterred some from setting up shop, and maybe some might have packed up and left already. The items on sale were not on my shopping list, but they did fit in with the atmosphere of the area that sold almost similar items along with beach-related products. 

Dad soon needed his lunch and since we're next to the sea, what better to have than fish and chips. Well dad had fish and chips, while I got a red velvet and a hazelnut chocolate triangle, and iced coffee. I had a bowl of oatmeal before we head out and it was still a lump in my belly, so only my dessert stomach was open to loading anything. Nino's Fish Bar & Cafe always serves huge portions of chips, and even dad couldn't finish his portion today. However, his dessert stomach was also up to load in the halves of cakes I left him. I'd come back here for the fish and chips and iced coffees (which is what I'm doing actually), but the cakes aren't the best in the area. 

We then head over to the breakwater to see if there was anything good fishing spots and instead found some lead weights someone either forgot or discarded. The dark clouds came rolling in just as we were about halfway to the end of the path and everyone was starting to pack up and run. We got a look at the end of the breakwater and walked back to the car right after, reaching it just as the rain came down on us. Overall, dad enjoyed his little trip there and that was most important. 

Dim Sum Treat

Yesterday, Aunty Nene asked us to come over again today as she wanted to go for some Dim Sum, and also because she was getting her "pay". This is the second time we're eating at Silver Seas Chinese Restaurant and since this was planned, dad and I came hungry. 

Aunty Nene started with her favourite item, the fried pork and crab dumpling and the sesame paste stuffed glutinous rice ball that's covered in sesame seeds. Dad had to get his braised chicken claws, congee and soft shell crab. Noodle-bin here had to have fried beef rice noodles and steamed tripe with ginger and spring onion. Then the lady with the desserts walked past and I had to try the egg tarts. 

The dim sum here is quite nice, but the egg tart was rather bland. Plus they actually charged extra for a small saucer of sliced green chilli. If you're in the Morley area, I'd suggest going to this place, but I know I've had better in Western Australia. 

Vadai Deliveries

Dad made Vadai today after Aunty Nene saw the picture of it on Facebook and was commenting that she haven't had it for years. Dad even arranged it nicely so I could take a picture and send it out. I think he's starting to like the attention he gets from my photo posts. 

Anyway, we ended up delivering some to Shane and Karmei, where we stayed for a while chatting to Karmei before she had to leave to get Shane from the train station. We then stayed with Aunty Nene for a while after sending her some. The vadai alone got her chatting about the good old days, telling us all her memories of the dearly departed. She put one down rather quickly and said that was enough for dinner.We then realise it was almost dinner time and head over to Alfred's place to send him some before it got too late. 

We actually thought that six pieces would be enough for him and his children, two pieces each, but it seems that six was not even enough for Alfred alone. We were there chatting about fishing spots and tips, and he already finished four by the time we were heading back. That's four pieces in about two hours, and it was after he had dinner as well. 

In the end dad and I got only one piece each to try, and coming back to find an order all the way from Paris from my sister to make some on the day we pick them up from the airport! 

Hot Topic

Read this article (originally by Ruby Browne) and reposted it on Facebook and it ended up being one of the quickest reposted link, and possibly the most reposted one on my feed. Other than the fact that I do have a lot of friends who are or were in the coffee industry, the real reason is that the article definitely hit every nail on the head. Although the article is written by someone who is basing the ten points on the culture in America, the issues seem like a worldwide problem, or perhaps a problem with people in first-world countries.

Point #5 and #7 are usually by people who try to act like they know everything about coffee as they transition from traditional coffeeshop-style coffee (kopitiam kopi). Kopitiam coffees are definitely cheaper as they firstly use cheaper beans, and they basically leave a giant sock of coffee that is slowly thickening in a pot throughout the day, diluting the coffee with scalding hot water when you order a cup. That's how you get your extra hot coffee at a relatively low price starting from one dollar. However, these set of people go into espresso-based coffee joints and hope they get the same thing but don't realise that even the milk used is different.

Point #10 is obviously something that has gotten worse in recent times. I understand sometimes someone happens to call just as you need to communicate with the counter staff, what I don't understand is why you can't ask the other person to wait for a minute. If you know what you want to order, you would have it down in less than thirty seconds, with only the staff asking for your name. Another way would be to tell the other party that you'll call them back or just let it be a missed call. You are taking a break with coffee, take a break from your phone too.

Point #6 is very common, and even though Starbucks is one of the bigger names, why would you think that Starbucks' drinks menus are copied by everyone. I did have fun when people came in ordering like they would usually do in a Starbucks and I'd just act like they were talking alien. There is a reason why every coffee joint has their own blend, and their own menu of drinks. Other than the standard coffee drinks, specials are suited to the cafe's own signature coffee blend. Even coffee shots are made differently and that is why some people are die-hard fans of only one coffee joint.

These are the few that got me giggling while reading the article, and I bet most of my friends as well. Every repost had a discussion as to which point was the most irritating, and it brought back loads of memories. If I ever get to start a cafe, I'd definitely print this article out really big and stick it on the wall.

Some Really Sweet Juice

As we were looking at the shops near Shane's place the other day, there were huge bottles of grape juice that looked more like wines. Looking at the label, it was actually juice from one of the varieties they made wine from. I decided to buy 2 different varieties and we opened one tonight while having some cheese instead of wine. The juice was really sweet. Sweeter than most juice boxes, but you don't get that sticky scratchy feeling you get when there's processed sugar in a drink. It's easy to realise why most sweet wines use this variety of grape as the base liquid. Now I'm wondering if I can get a sapling of this to grow back home. 

Test Kitchen 15

I was looking through Pinterest on Sunday for some ideas and it was such coincidence that Simon (my sister's ex colleague and really good friend) pinned a recipe for Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomato & Mozzarella. I happen to have a pack of gnocchi and was actually planning to make something with it this week, and the recipe just pushed me to make the dish and try it out as soon as possible. 

The recipe was relatively easy, and I was lucky enough to actually have all the required ingredients in the fridge. After about an hour, the dish was all put together and baked. The bacon gave a salty and smokey flavour that complimented the sweet and tart flavours from the tomatoes. I added a bit more vegetables from the leftover pasta we made earlier, and that added a little more sweetness to the dish. The gnocchi was quite light and fluffy, and I think making it in individual bowls with a bit more cheese and browning it more on top would be really great. 

Om Nom Nom...

Cheap Cherries

Tonight's snack is brought to you by IGA for $9.99 per kilogram. I found it while shopping for ingredients near Shane's place and I couldn't resist getting a big bag of it when the price everywhere else is around $14.99. Had to be careful of the tax department though, they love their cherries too!

Om Nom Nom...

First Cannoli

Dad and I checked out the Midland Farmers Market today as it was one of the few markets that opened long past noon. We were walking around looking at all the items they had to offer and I spotted a small table set up with a few trays of cookies. There was no one manning the table, and I decided to have a look at the rest of the fresh fruit and vegetables first as most of them were already packing up. 

On our way back, I head to the table to get a pack of cookies when the lady asked, rather softly like it was a secret, if I'd like a pack of Cannoli. She said she had a few packs left and proceeded to open a styrofoam box on her left that was hidden under a cloth (very secret stash!), and upon looking at the custard-filled tubes, I just said yes. 

That was one of the best decisions I made today! Crispy fired pastry tubes with smooth custard that was not too sweet, just a perfect pairing with the little sprinkle of icing sugar. 

Om Nom Nom....

He Actually Cooks!

Shane invited us over to his place for dinner as he had been craving his Chilli Chicken and Karmei's Portugese Chicken Rice ever since he was telling us about it the last time we were there. As they didn't want to make the food too early (as everything gets cold real fast in this weather), we got there in time for the 2nd tray casserole of the Portugese rice mix to be popped into the oven, and for Shane to start cooking his Chilli Chicken. It was a simple dish, just chicken chunks cooked in his mom's Sambal Belacan mix, so it was actually close to Sambal Chicken with no onions. 

This would actually be the first time Shane has cooked something for me to try, and make something that was not just popping a bag or box into the oven or microwave. Since we already used Aunty Nene's Sambal before, I knew the dish would be nice, unless he made a real big mess of seasoning. Good thing he did not mess with it too much, and it turned out to be a really simple and lovely dish that went perfect with the baked rice. 

Om Nom Nom...

Perth's Good Food & Wine Show

I had been aiming for Perth's Good Food and Wine Show for a while before I arrive in Austalia and even asked if my sister would have any access to free or discounted tickets. Unfortunately, she no longer works with the national newspaper and thus did not. Lucky for me, I waited quite a bit before buying my entry tickets for dad and myself and managed to get a 1-for-1 promotion, basically paying half-price for our entry tickets. The show already started well with me on that note. 

On the day itself, we got there just about 11am, which was about an hour after their doors opened, and saw a huge line at the entrance. I wondered if it was a line to enter, and was happy to find that it was just people getting last minute tickets to enter, while another was getting their own wine glass. I was wondering why there was a huge amount of people getting wine glasses with a lanyard, and hung them around their necks like it was their pass to enter. I soon found out after entering that they would use them to taste almost every wine on offer (probably more than 300 wines) and basically get quite tipsy, thus hanging it round your neck reduced the risk of losing it. 

The event took up a rather huge amount of space (3 Expo halls), yet it didn't feel too claustrophobic nor did it feel like it was lacking in anything. A third of the floor space was taken up by wineries alone so you can imagine how much wine some people were consuming. I would say for someone who loved drinking wines, the $35 entry fee was actually well worth it. Since I was driving, I kept my tastings to stuff I know I would most likely like, and we used a tiny plastic tasting cup we got from one of the booths. 

Another third of the space was taken up by demonstration kitchens and areas where they held talks. One of these demonstration areas was held by Barilla, which gave a hands-on class to make Italian Sausage and Winter Vegetables with Pasta in a Ricotta Tomato Sauce. Dad had a bite of one of the participant's dish and was raving about how nice it was, that the sauce was not tart and was quite well balanced. I suggested he should go for the class and was not interested until I told him that they gave away goodie bags and the recipe. We were lucky enough to be able to get into the next class which started in about thirty minutes. After getting his pasta on, dad had enough energy to walk and discovery more things without feeling too shy about tasting things. 

We got round to tasting some really great food from all over Australia, as well as some stuff that were produced in Western Australia. There were lovely cured meats by Salumi Australia, Connoisseur new Cuban Mocha ice cream samples, interesting WA Sandalwood nuts, Fremantle marinated sardines, and some really refreshing fruit juice & soda drinks from Nudie. We ended up getting more free stuff, bought some yummy wines, stinky cheeses, and even a pot of sardines. It then got a bit heavy and we got a trolley bag set, which included 2 wine glasses and lanyards, a cooler bag, and a trolley bag (the kind the smart old ladies were using). 

Dad was getting a bit tired, and his back was hurting due to the uneven flooring, and we finished exploring the whole place at the cheese alley. I told him to just have a seat while I had a blast tasting all the cheeses on offer, especially the one not made with cows milk. Grandvewe Cheeses got me going straight to their booth as every cheese was made with Sheep's milk! Moondarra Cheese had some interesting flavoured cheeses, one of which is chocolate hazelnut (this one I plan to taste with Adi). Sadly they didn't have a taster for that, but I took my chances on it, along with three other blocks that I did get to taste. The last booth I was stuck at had some nice buffalo cheese, and that was the last buy at the event. 

Good thing the trolley bag had wheels as it made it so much easier to cart the stuff to the bus stand as we parked at Aunty Nene's place to save on parking. Bigger bonus was getting a free bus ride back to the car!