Birthday Weekend!

It isn't my birthday yet but I have already celebrated it trice! Wee!!!

Last week, it was celebration with my best frns at Togi @ Siglap! This Togi branch fails in comparison to that of the one at Mosque Street. 1 thing,the rice cake ramen its not as nice. It doesnt even have egg and dumplings! I was craving so much for it. Such a disappointment. The other dishes were so-so.

We did a little touring of Singapore that afternoon. ha! Long story! We then headed out to Cedele @ Wheelock. Haha! I had a craving for its chocolate cake previously so yx suggested to get that as my birthday cake! yumz yumz!! Wat an enjoyable birthday! Thanks everyone for the treat!! and for spending it with me!


Lucky to have so many pple to come and celebrate my birthday with me!


My cake! yummy yummy!


:)


And yesterday.... it was birthday lunch at The Line @ Shangri-la! hehe! Been wanting to try this ever since i heard it was like the best buffet in Singapore! Opted for lunch because I reckon it will be cheaper! haha! It was! The bill came up to $112 for the both of us! Meaning its around $48++ per person.

The food were not bad! They have a fantastic selection of cold appetisers. The oysters were huge and fresh! They have a wide variety of food for one to choose from. Some were good.. some were pretty ok. We tried to take abit of everything and was already stuffed by then. I think we are too old for buffet. I used to be able to eat much more. We reckoned we should continue to stick to ala carte.


Huge oysters! So huge.. that 2 is enuff! 4 me! Ha !Yummy scallop!


BC's artistic prawn pic. He say he is trying to bring out the "loneliness of the water lobster". Go figure!


Sashimi and California handroll! Yummy yum!!


Roast pork good! Duck.. so so..


Snapshot of the indian food... the indian food is not as nice as the asian kitchen buffet @ hyatt...


They have a counter where you can customised your own pasta. You jus point out the ingredients u wan and they will make it for u. Pretty much like those omelette counter when you go for those breakfast buffets. This is my sun-dried tomato, mushroom and bacon bits pasta tossed in olive oil! The waited added a bit too much garlic and oil. haha! But its a excellant combi! you should try at home!




intricate desserts...

They have an ice cream corner with a good selection of ice creams instead of the usual vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavours. And they have all sorts of toppings! you can even customise your own ice cream! They have all sorts of candies, chocolates and gummies for you to choose from! exciting eh~ They even have a crepe corner! amazing! the only challenge is how much can u stomach! I am quite sad that there were some dishes i had to forgo jus because I cant eat as much.

Then at night, we had a good dinner at Pu Tien @ Kitchener Road. The food there was pretty good but both of us were too stuffed to actually enjoy the food. I dunno the name of the type of cuisine they serve there. i guess its some part of china? hees! Its a really crowded place though. Amazing!


Jus a pic with my mischevous little gal~ We were both wearing polka dot dresses that night!

and the night was spent with some of my good frns singing ktv! It has been a long time since we last met up as a group! N a super long time I sang KTV!

I had a beautiful cake! I dunno the name of the cake but i do noe its from Rive Gauche! It has a amazing nutty chocolately bottom crust!

I also had a super long birthday song! and 2 pressies! Weee!! Thanks for the delicious cake and wonderful time my frns! Love you guys!!


Dun count the number of candles on the cake!! Forever 21!!! HAHA~ who am i kidding?!

Hua Ting @ Orchard Hotel.

It's mummy's birthday! Brought her to Hua Ting for dim sum! My friends love this place and frequent there often. A place I have always been eagered to try but never had the chance to.


Table setting...


Chee Chong Fun! We had 2! this was the "mei cai rou bing" one.... so unique!! and i liked it!! The other one was scallops. Pretty good too!


Fried beancurd skin prawn roll... Good! Good! too


Siew Mai! Dun u think their siew mais are very pretty?!! unique!! N its like filled with prawns mainly! Fresh and yumz!


Har gow.. yummy too. loads of prawns again!


Yam cake & chicken feet! both i dun eat. Heard the yam was something unique.. but the chicken feet a bit salty.


so-so..... not the kind i like. i think even the one i had at melbourne was nicer. The traditional cantonese kind.


Some fried ramen. Din eat. heard it was so-so.


egg tarts. I think china teahouse ones are nicer. My mum and aunt found it a bit too sweet.


mango chicken tart... bleahz... sweet and wierd.


the xiao long bao. THis dish totally spoilt it for me. The "tang" inside the xiao long bao was so oily makes me feel kinda sick. Wat a way to end my lunch!!

The dishes are rather pricey like 1 siew mai cost about $1.60 kind of price. I thot the overall bill will be costly but it turned out pretty okay. Even cheaper than if we were to eat at china teahouse. I think at china teahouse we tend to over order and we always order like the more expensive dim sum (like $6.50 per plate kind). N i had citibank 10% discount! Wee!!

I find the dimsum there are exquisite and yummy but must avoid a selected few.. esp the xiao long bao. I still like crystal jade's xiao long bao! and din tai feng's xie fen xiao long bao (din tai feng's normal one are not as nice as crystal's jade)

Went parkway after that and got myself a little treat from cedele!


Chocolate banana cake! 1 of my favourite chocolate cake! yummy yumz! I think awfully chocolate not so nice nowadays. I had a slice ydae. Cake feels a bit dry.


Sun dried tomato foccacia!! taking pic for fun! haven eat yet... haha!

Kimchi soup!

My colleague who is into korean culture taught me how to make kimchi soup. I really liked the kimchi soup we had @ Togi. Also, the kimchi soup we had at the korean bbq place at Melbourne was kinda yummy.

My colleague told me that she did it in a really easy way. All you have to do is to fry some onion and the kimchi, then add a little water and bring it to a boil...and then some of the kimchi "water" (the kimchi 'gives out' water the longer u keep them) and some canned tuna.

She even told me to use those kimchi are about to spoil. The stronger the flavour the better...adds more flavour to the soup... she sae that's what most shop did with their leftover kimchis.


Onions and some leftover kimchi in my fridge...


frying onions and then the kimchi....


Add a some water.. else the soup will be too diluted.... and then pour in the kimchi water...



I was lazy to open a can of tuna so i added meatballs instead... and bring it to a boil.

The soup was not bad... there was the kimchi flavour.. except i find the soup lack a certain sweetness. I think if i added the tuna, i think it will taste quite good! my Home-made kimchi soup!

A yummy way to use my kimchi leftovers!

The trip ends... Day 10..

Day 10 was simple...

We had a couple of hours before our domestic flight back to Melbourne and then back to singapore.

We visited the Swiss Village. It was like a small resort with loads of activities. It looked really relaxing and fun to stay in. We wished we could have been there earlier but it will also mean we would have missed out a good day in our itinery to enjoy its facilities. So we thot maybe we should visit the french village at cameron highlands 1 of these days. It should be similar than this. N moreover, its so much more cheaper and nearer.. hehe.















we even had our brunch at its cute little cafe...





an interesting view from the top of the plane....


I finally finished blogging abt my trip!! I AM SO HAPPY!! DONE!!! Weeee~~~
I think i am too freee.... blogging takes up so much time manz...

Tasmania Day 4 - Trip Day 9

Day 9... almost the end of our trip...

Its easier to start the day when you dun have to pack in the morning. We were staying put in Launceston.

We were supposed to go to cradle mountain on this day! But unfortunately, once again, we deferred from our itinery. After speaking to some colleagues who have been to Tasmania before, it seems like it was a sight we should nt have missed. Dammit!

We first went to the Evandale Flea Market... it only happens every once a month. I think its the first sunday of every month? Cant rem now. Nothing much for me... they sell everything from kitchen ware to dining china to honey to dolls. Its a flea market. Somehow second stuffs dun seem to interest me. I dunno how to appreciate good stuffs.


blackberry... Extremely sour. i think normally pple dun eat them straight.. maybe use them for cakes or jams...


There were pony rides... going for 3 dollars for 1 round around the flea market. Mainly for kids.


honeybear... 10cent for one.. sold at the honey stall...

the next destination was (supposedly) cradle mountain which was nearly 3 hours... so we decided... we should stop by any attractions we see on the way so we wun b so bored on the way..

We saw a salmon farm and decided to stop by. Basically, the farm is some high tech farm where they have to channel the water so as to make it suitable for salmon rearing. I really cant rem the details now. Anyway, they had a few activities you can do there. We jus chose to feed the salmon. It was so so fun!! throwing the feed into the pond and u can see loads of salmons jumping up. feel like catching them! took a video but not with me.. shall post it here when its uploaded.



we then bought some smoked salmon and order some salmon sandwiches for lunch! Yummy yum!! the smoked salmon tasted a bit like ham. hehe.


We love this salmon rilette the best!!! its like some sort of salmon pate... yum!! goes so well with sandwiches and cracker! Pity its can only last for a day when outside refrigeration meaning we cant bring back to singapore! Boo hoo!!




we were eating in the car... can see all the maps and brochures below the salad? hehe!

we noticed there was a wildlife park nearby and decided to go there. I mean we cant leave Tasmania without seeing the Tasmanian devil right? I think we saw some dead ones on the road but not really sure if its really the tasmanian devil.



We first went to see the Koalas! this time they were much nearer to me than not high up on the tree like that time in Melbourne! I even get to stroke one. No chance to carry though!


Eagle!!


Wombat! so cuddling looking!!! hehe!!


Awww.... jus look at its face!!


Tas devils!!! really violent creatures!! They apparently feed on only dead animals so they should not be attacking us. But still, the noises they make and their actions.. really violent! They kept ripping the zoo keeper's pants off when she was trying to feed them some kangaroo's meat. They even fight with each other. I took a video cause its hard to capture them clearing due to their fast movement. Again, will upload them again when i get the chance.


Sleeping Tas Devil...

After the zoo, all of us became a little tired and running late for cradle mountain. We were suppose to go to another place after that. So all of us decided to skip cradle mountain and head to our other destination. I think of us are getting weary by this day.


took a pic on the road of a mountain... in my heart hoping it was cradle mountain but i seriously doubt it... haha.. but still looks good wat..


our last stop! TasMAZIA! Yes.. its a maze. Again! haha! We went to 2 mazes in our previous trip. I think we really enjoy them.


A teatowel with an overview of the maze...

we spilt into 2 groups... we were challenging who will reach the goldilocks house smacked in the middle of the maze first!


We found something... but its not the house... this was some land in the corner of the maze.


"Promised Land". While walking... we heard shouts... the rest have reached "the promised land".... haha.. we could not get to them.. but after some instructions, we reached the promised land too.


Promise land is a tiny town... how cute!


a mini "step maze" in the maze.


trying to "action".

we were exhausted and decided to head out to the pancake parlour found at the entrance.




chocolate icecream pancake..... 1 word... SINFUL!


SCONES!!!


triple berry pancake!! the whipped cream makes it looks like banana split from the side though.. haha.


hot chocolate...


chocolate sundae!!


After the pancakes, we decided to give the maze one more chance. We wanna find the goldilocks house before we leave. We manage to find it. Thank goodness!

Then its a 2 hours ride back to Launceston. I think I was really tired for i slept throughout the whole journey back. No more map reading for me. We decided to do take outs for dinner. No cooking... no dining out. We were exhuasted and we still need to do some serious packing tat night.



We decided to do take-outs at this italian restaurent... looks impressive... but bleahz... we did not like a pizza a single bit... our last dinner at tasmania is extremely disappointing... haha.

that ends day 9...