Happy Birthday, Father!

Day 424

Happy Happy Birthday to my dearest Father!

Although I can't be there to celebrate it with you, I want you to know that you're always in my thoughts! We've been brainstorming about what to get you for your birthday for a week but we can't afford your dream present - Rolex King, yet. You've always said that you love money and so this year, we decided to give you an angbao! It's not much, but we do hope the number will bring you great health, good luck and prosperity. Huat ah!

To those outside of our family, Father is stern, fierce and bad-tempered
But he has never raised your voice at us
Occasionally, he throws a little tantrum, whines a little and shows us a black face
But he's never the fierce one at home, someone else beats him to the crown - Mama Goh

Over the years, Father has worked tirelessly to provide us with the best
He doesn't say he loves us every day, he doesn't hugs us every night
Instead,
He would wake up early in the morning to send us to school everyday
He would wake up in the middle of the night to check on us while we're mugging for exams
He would wait up for us when we're home late
He would secretly give us money when he thinks we're tight
I would say, he's a man of action

During my rebellious teenage years, Father never gave up on me
I quarrelled constantly with Mama
I neglected my studies
I did lots of things behind their backs
Tensions were high at home but Father never lost his temper at me
I was his little girl who just needed some time and patience

All my life, Father has been there for me
It doesn't matter which school I wanted to enter
It doesn't matter which course I wanted to study
It doesn't matter which job I wanted to do
Nothing matters so long as it's my choice
He would back me up and give me his full support

Father, thank you for being my angel..
I love you!

The few days that I hate being a woman

Day 424

Had to miss today's Body Combat class because of cramps. I hate being a woman on days like this. There is medicine out there to help ease the pain but I don't want to rely on them. Mr Tan readily agreed to accompany me to the gym in our apt so that I can do some cycling but when we got there, the bikes were taken. Sigh. I really want to exercise. I can see my double chin. It's tough being a woman.

Work Those Fats Off (5)

Day 422

My third Body Combat lesson - feeling good. :) Trying to get my jabs, hooks and kicks correct. Today's class was very crowded, there was just enough space for everyone to kick without kicking into each other. Anyway, after the class, I asked the counter staff about Thursday's class and he's certain it's an hour class. He looked puzzled when I told him my class last Thursday only lasted for 30 minutes. He said if it occurs again this Thursday, I should inform the staff at the counter. I'm thinking of going for 3 classes next week, or maybe I'll drag Mr Tan to go down to our apartment's gym. Do more, sweat more, lose those fats faster!

Gin's Kitchen - Crispy Salmon (Gordon Ramsay's Recipe)

Day 418

A really quick and easy salmon recipe that's perfect for lazy Sunday nights. The only difficult part of this recipe is having to cut through the salmon skin. Watching the way Gordon Ramsay does it in the Youtube video, I thought it would be effortless. What was I thinking? He's a famous chef, of course he has no problem cutting through a piece of fish. But me? I nearly destroyed the whole fillet!

Ingredients
- 1 salmon fillet
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt 

Directions
1. Round up the salmon fillet, with the skin side facing up
2. Take a very sharp knife to slit parallel lines halfway deep into the fillet, about 1 finger width apart
3. Sprinkle salt into each cut
4. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat
5. Once oil starts to smoke, put the fillet, skin side down, into the pan
6. Sprinkle the top of the fillet with salt and let it cook (don't touch it!) for a few minutes
7. Watch the salmon and flip it only when it's about 2/3 cooked
8. Once flipped, tilt the pan for the remaining olive oil to coat the bottom of the fillet
9. Cook until the whole fillet is cooked and remove pan from heat
10. Flip the salmon back to the skin side, let it rest for another minute and it's done!

Eat Out - Old Town Kopitiam & Sushi Sushi

Day 418

Sometime last week, Mr Tan came home excitedly to say that he has found another place that sells Fish Head Curry - Old Town Kopitiam and it was decided immediately that we're going to head there for it this Saturday. I miss Fish Head Curry dearly, to be specific, the Fish Head Curry from Muthu's Curry. That was the first time I had Fish Head Curry and the rest is history. Ever since we came here last year, we've been trying to find a place that serves decent Fish Head Curry. The problem is, quite a number of places have it on their menu but they actually don't serve it anymore, like Red Bean Kitchen, Jalan Alor and as we found out today, Old Town Kopitiam. The only place we know that stills serves it is Red Hot Wok but its Fish Head Curry is more like fish bones and veggies curry, it just doesn't satisfy me. Mr Tan suggested that I cook it myself, well, I did try the last time but something is lacking. I think it's time to shift the search to Indian restaurants.

 

Anyway, after learning that Old Town doesn't serve Fish Head Curry, we ordered Roasted Chicken and Char Siew Rice and a Chicken Curry Laska. I didn't like the rice, it was flavourful but it was too sticky. There were only 4 miserable pieces of chicken and 6 pieces of char siew (yes, I counted as the serving was a little pathetic) and that means it's almost $1 for each piece of meat. The roasted chicken tasted ok but the char siew was 50% fat. Definitely not something I would order again. The chicken curry laksa was tasty but could be a more satisfying meal if there's more chicken.

After lunch, Mr Tan went for his haircut at Sui2. The appointment was initially set for 6pm but since we were in city, we thought why not? Sui2 was the salon that transformed his centre-parting hair into something young and trendy. It took him a while to get used to it but now he actually blows dry his hair to style it. Of course, I love his new hairstyle, no longer stuck in the eighties - the era of centre-parting hairstyles. I'm so tempted to change my look. I think I'm going to try and ask the hairstylist to cut it short for me again, this time, regardless of what he says.

For some reasons, both of us weren't hungry and decided to have a light dinner. A really light one, 15 pieces of sashimi, 1 seafood salad and 4 pieces of sushi. Sushi and sashimi are already packed in boxes and it caters more for takeaways rather than dine-ins. But there are plenty of tables and chairs if you choose to dine-in, like us. Sushi sushi is the place that we visit for cheap and decent sashimi. Yum!

Eat Out - Hallah (Living Social Deals)

Day 417

It's freezing cold again today. The weather's really crazy but it's much better than last year, at least I get to see the sun more often this spring. Spring was non-existent last year. 

Ever since I began subscribing to Groupon, Living Social, Cudo etc, I've been enjoying some really good deals, like the 3 month gym membership at Re-Creation Health Club, Krispy Creme doughnuts and the Japanese Bento at Okonomiyaki but 1 of the restaurant totally pissed me off. It took me months and 6 emails before I finally managed to secure a booking and even that isn't on my preferred date but I'm simply too pissed and just want to get rid of the stupid coupon. I can't wait to visit the restaurant in October (yes, the booking was made weeks in advance because they are always FULL on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings) to see what makes it so damn popular. Anyway, tonight's dinner was at Hallah - using a Living Social deal I bought for $29. Not only was it value for money, the place was quiet and clean and the service was great (we weren't treated differently just because we paid less, though they got 1 of our order wrong). The only thing that bugged me was that they didn't serve us any of the side dishes. :(

Living Social Deal

Dinner for Two @ Hallah ($29)

2 entrees (Seafood Pancake, Kimchi Pancake, Jab-chae or Korean Dumplings)

1 full serve of Crispy Fried Chicken (Original, Marinated, Garlic or Soy)

1 bottle of house wine

We had dined at Hallah previously and I fell in love with its Jab-chae. Chewy sweet potato noodles stir-fried in sesame oil and pepper with onions, carrots, and spring onions. The Jab-chae we had tonight was slightly different from the one we had previously, it's a little dry and they replaced mushrooms with black fungus. *sad* I want my mushrooms. The dumplings were crispy and tasted ok. We ordered half serve of marinated and half serve of original flavours for our Crispy Fried Chicken but the order came out wrongly. I was a little suspicious when it first arrived as I thought I had remembered vaguely that the marinated chicken was red. But we've been to so many Korean restaurants that I thought perhaps I might have remembered wrongly so we tucked in. By the time the waitress realised that she had given us soy instead of marinated, Mr Tan was already biting into one of them. Haha. Every trip to a Korean restaurant is never complete without some Korean soup and Hallah is really very generous with its ingredients in its Kimchi Stew! We just wanted the soup actually. 

Thank you Hallah and Living Social for the great deal!

Work Those Fats Off (4)

Day 416

My arms are still aching a little after Tues class but I decided to push on and go for another class today. I was surprised to see that there were only 3 of us in the class. Quoting the instructor, "When the sun is out, people disappear." Then came another surprise, the class only lasted for 30 mins! I checked the timetable given by the club and the timetable posted on their website, both mentioned nothing about this being a 30min class. They do indicate on the timetable when classes are less than 60mins. Even their app on iphone states that the class is for 60 mins. *confused* I do hope it's a 60min class, otherwise I would have to go for another class. 30min classes are too short, I don't sweat enough!

Work Those Fats Off (3)

Day 414

1 week of pigging out in Perth = FAT. I feel fat, not just feel, I know I'm fat. Hate it when you try on clothes and you feel tight in your usual size, worse, you can't fit into them anymore! 

Of course, it's always a struggle to drag myself out of the house to go for the exercise class, especially when it's cold. But I'm glad I went for the Body Combat class today. I enjoyed myself, it's like the kickboxing classes that I used to go, just minus the fun. I used to have this great kickboxing instructor and he was the one who got me hooked on kickboxing but he left and KB was never the same again. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he's muscular, humourous, rides a bike and has this bad boy attitude. Who can resist a bad boy, right? Anyway, Body Combat is surprisingly less tiring when compared to Body Attack or even Body Step. I still sweat buckets but I'm not sure if my whole body got a good workout, probably only my arms. Still, this shall be one of my regular class! :)

Gin's Kitchen - Steamed Tofu with Minced Pork and Mushrooms

Day 413

After one week of eating out in Perth where the food is mostly unsatisfying (except for my Utopia bubble tea), I needed some comfort food. Followed a recipe I found online and will definitely be cooking this again. Simple to cook but full of flavours.

Ingredients

- 1 block of silky tofu

- 50g of minced pork

- 5 button mushrooms (chopped coarsely)

- 2 shitake mushrooms (chopped coarsely)

- 1 stalk of spring onion (sliced)

- 1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes

- 1/4 carrot (diced)

- 1 tablespoon of oil

- 1/2 clove of garlic (chopped) 

Sauce

- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

- 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder

- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

- 80ml of water

Marinate for minced pork

- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon of corn flour

Directions

1. Marinate minced pork and set aside

2. Steam tofu for about 5 minutes and drain excess water

3. Heat oil in wok over high heat and saute garlic till browned

4. Add minced pork and stir fry for 2 minutes till they are almost cooked

5. Add mushrooms, carrots, spring onions and continue to stir fry for 1 minute

6. Add sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, chicken powder, water and bring it to boil

7. Add red chilli flakes and stir fry for another 30 seconds

8. Pour toppings over tofu and voila!

Perth - Day 7

Day 410
16 Sept 2011

We're going home tomorrow. Yippie! I've had enough of Murray and Hay Street Malls. The only thing that I'll miss is my Utopia Bubble Tea! I bought a large one today, the first time I've bought a large bubble tea in Australia. Utopia, please come to Melbourne. I'm so in ♥ with you. I succumbed to my denim obsession today but I only bought 1 item, I managed to control myself though I think I might buy the denim dresses when I return to Mel as I can't stop thinking about them!

Dinner @ 達記好吃店

Headed to Hawker's Cuisine, spent $8 on the ridiculously expensive parking and didn't manage to eat there because it was so crowded that the wait was at least 30 minutes. Wasted $8 for nothing! *not happy* Went to Tak Chee House next and again it was crowded but at least the wait was shorter. Average food, nothing to shout about but the service was friendly and fast. Time to pack my bags and head home tomorrow! :)

Perth - Day 6

Day 409
15 Sept 2011

Perth was the first city in Australia that we visited and many couldn't understand why we wanted to visit Perth. Mr Tan and I can't remember the reasons too, maybe it's because it's the nearest to SG. Perth has its reputation as a retirement city and it's evident when we boarded the plane. The elderly made up more than 50% of the passengers on the flight and everything kinda moves at a much slower pace. But we had a wonderful time the last time we visited Perth. We went on our very first road trip and fell in love with Margaret River region and Cape Leeuwin. Awesome views and so so relaxing. Sadly, we weren't able to revisit these places this time round as Mr Tan is on official business. So I spent all my time around Murray and Hay Street Malls and I think the sales people are beginning to recognise me! Haha. Bought something from Esprit and I think I'm slightly obsessed with denim. My eyes will automatically zoom in onto the denim items whenever I enter a shop, it's my new 
obsession!

I found something to love about this otherwise boring Perth trip today - Utopia Bubble Tea! I love love love love Bubble Tea, not those pre-made kind that are placed in metal tubs and scooped into your cups but those made on the spot. The taste between the 2 is distinctly different (at least to me). Those pre-made bubble tea tends to have a stronger milk taste and is sweeter but those made on the spot have a more distinct tea flavour and you can request for a lower sugar level which means it's not as sweet. Utopia's bubble teas are prepared on the spot and they are cheaper too. I'm in love! ♥

Dinner was at Tony Roma's - ribs!!

Kickin' Prawns were delish! Crunchy, succulent with a tinge of spiciness. Simply YUM!

Fire Wings were fiery and finger lickin' good. Nom-nom-nom

Original Baby Back Ribs were good but not as good as Meat & Wine. Ordered the regular size and the serving wasn't huge. I finished it all by mysellf. The meat doesn't fall off the bone and the sauce was a little overpowering but it was all still good, just not excellent.

The sides were a little disappointing, especially the fresh vegetables. The broccoli was over-overcooked.

According to Mr Tan, the Filet Medallions were juicy and nicely done and I like the fried prawns. Crunchy!

A good and satisfying meal. Thumbs up! :)

Perth - Day 5

Day 408
14 Sept 2011

I decided to shop at Myers and David Jones today, with the aim of buying something and I did! I seriously need to go for the exercise classes when I get back to Melbourne. I'm getting FATTER and FATTER. and I hate it.

Other than shopping, I was on the lookout for Japanese takeaway places to satisfy my sashimi craving but I didn't manage to find any. They sell sushi, they sell bento, they sell rolls but they don't sell sashimi. Sad. In the end, I settled for Subway. Shall continue my hunt for sashimi tomorrow. I have all the time in the world. 

Mo didn't join us for dinner tonight as he has to attend his CA class and we decided to do takeaway at Taka Japanese Cuisine. 85% positive ratings on Urbanspoon but the dinner couldn't be more disastrous. I'm beginning to lose faith in Urbanspoon. Most of the places we've visited based on Urbanspoon's reviews turned out to be rather disappointing. The moment Mr Tan knows we're going to a restaurant based on Urbanspoon's reviews, he would shake his head and say, "Again?" He doesn't trust the reviews and I'm beginning to feel the same too, especially after tonight's dinner. 

Ebi Prawn Curry with Rice - Batter was thick and flour-y, curry was salty
Karaage with Rice - Chicken was tough and overcooked, tasted like they've been fried before, not freshly fried
Tempura Prawns - Soggy
Sashimi - NOT fresh! This has to be the worse sashimi I've had. Tuna and salmon were mashy and totally inedible. YUCKS!!!!!!!!

It's cheap but I would gladly pay more for freshly prepared food. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes but everything we had tonight was horrible. Disappointing and unsatisfying.

Perth - Day 4

Day 407
13 Sept 2011

Shopping without buying anything is a tiring affair so I set out today with the aim of buying something, anything. And yes, I did buy something today. I strive to buy something everyday until I leave Perth. Too bad my fave brand doesn't have a store here. :(

Lunch - Takeaway from Jaws Sushi + Easyway Bubble Tea + KFC Wicked Wings! YUM~

Dinner - Waterfront dining @ The Royal

Starters - Salt & Pepper Squid, Seared Scallops, Garlic Bread

Mains - Reef & Beef, Duo Lambs, Seafood Marinara

Average food with a hefty price tag because it's waterfront dining! Salt & Pepper Squid and Garlic Bread were yum but scallops were bland and tasteless. Seafood Marinara without tomato sauce but with lots of olive oil was a little weird but it had lots of prawns. Serving was enough to feed 2 people. Not sure about the Reef and Beef but I'm pretty sure it's good as Mo polished off his plate! Mr Tan found the lamb to be ok, not fantastic. No desserts tonight, only fruits. I'm still feeling full from dinner. I think it can last me till tomorrow's dinner.

 

Perth - Day 3

Day 406
12 Sept 2011

Happy Birthday Ah Jie! Bro, Mei and I gave her a pleasant surprise when we ordered flowers to be delivered to her office today! We couldn't have done it without our absolutely adorable Jiefu. Thank YOU for helping us make it happen! 

Mr Tan's phone was down for the past few days and his alarm didn't ring this morning! He was supposed to meet Mo - his staff, at 755 this morning and he only woke up when his staff msg him at 815! Thankfully his phone is now working again. I lazed around in bed and only left for Harbourtown in the afternoon for some retail therapy. Nothing caught my eye and I decided to head to the city. It was a good 15 minute walk and I started to sweat a little! It's pretty warm in the afternoon and I've definitely packed the wrong clothes for this trip. 

Went for Thai food with Mo and Mr Tan after they knocked off. Tom Yum Goong was great with crunchy prawns, lots of mushrooms and tasty soup. Red curry chicken was spicy and delicious. But the stir-fried mixed vegetables was too salty and the rice was dry and cold. And now it's dessert time! Tonight's dessert - Mooncakes of course! 

祝老爸，老妈，姑妈，小姑，阿姐，姐夫，妹，弟和小坏蛋中秋节快乐！

September 11

Day 405
11 Sept 2011

Was watching the live telecast of the 9/11 remembrance on ABC News. It's tragic and sad that so many perished and their families have nothing to bury or cremate. It's difficult to accept that your loved one has passed away and it's even more difficult when you don't get to see their bodies. Listening to the families read their messages to the dead brought tears to my eyes. Finally, after 10 long years, they will have a place to grieve for their loved ones. Where the twin towers once stood now lies 2 granite pools bordered by bronze panels where the names of all those who perished on that day are inscribed. Many cried as they touched the names of their loved ones, many planted American flags on the names of their loved ones, many stencilled the names of their loved ones. I hope this brings some form of closure for them.

Memorial services were also held at Pennsylvania and Pentagon to remember those who perished on that fateful day. It is a day that I wish will never ever come again. So many innocent lives were lost on that day and in the war that followed. May those who lost their lives rest in peace and may those who have lost their loved ones find some closure and live strong.

Perth - Day 2

Day 405
11 Sept 2011

Well, we missed breakfast and I blame it on the bed and pillows. The poor pillows and bad bed caused me to have a sleepless night. Felt so tired and woke up with dark circles. Decided to have dim sum for lunch and made our way to Golden Century @ Northbridge. There was a long queue when we got there so we were given a number. Not sure how long the wait might be, we walked down the street to grab something light to munch on. Settled for a waffle and ice cream at Gelare. I thought it was kinda weird that the waffle tasted kinda salty, I was expecting it to be sweet. Thankfully there was ice cream to go with it. We walked back to Golden Century after the waffle and the table was ready.

Service was quick and friendly but sadly, the dim sum sucks. Har Gau - skin too thick. Siew Mai - too much meat. Law Ba Gou - too much flour, too little radish. Har Cheong Fun - shrimp has a funny taste. Xiao Long Bao - skin too thick. The only nice item was the Lau Sha Bao.

Went Subiaco after our grocery shopping but nothing much to do there except to eat and shop. Decided to head to Fremantle instead. Dinner at Kaili's was ok. We ordered the BBQ seafood platter, expensive and not fantastic. Not satisfied with what we had, we headed to Cicerello's - the iconic Fish & Chips eatery at Fremantle. We were there 4 years ago and the huge battered fish left an impression on us. After the grilled stuff at Kaili's, we decided to have the battered stuff here. We ordered battered fish, battered oyster, battered prawn and battered scallops. Yes, everything battered. F-A-T! The battered fish were half the size of what we had 4 years ago although the batter was still light and crispy. Full, fat, fat.

 

Perth - Day 1

Day 404
10 Sept 2011

Time to fly again! I'm so happy that I'm flying again. Being away from Melbourne means no cooking and no housework! Althought I'll have a mountain of laundry to do when I return, at least I won't have to cook. Yeah! :) 

Perth is 4 hours away from Melbourne, it's nearer to SG than it is to Melbourne. I'm sooooooooo tempted to fly back to SG from here! It was so uncomfortable sitting in the small plane for 4 hours. Thankfully we're flying on a bigger plane for the return leg. 

Deluxe room with a king bed. Complimentary fruit plate and drinks. Free internet access. Everything was great except for the TV. Reception said there's a problem with the reception and they aren't able to fix the problem tonight. This is the first time I've stayed in a hotel with such a problem. Total disbelief. They said it'll be fixed tomorrow but it's Sunday tomorrow so I'm not optimistic.

Wanted to have roasted duck for dinner and went to the supposingly best roasted duck restaurant in Perth - Golden Fortune. It was full when we got there and we stood at the door for a good 10 minute but NO ONE came to greet or even acknowledge our presence. Not even a nod or eye contact. *angry* Goodbye Golden Fortune. We headed over to Phong Vinh - a popular vietnamese restaurant on Urbanspoon.

I don't usually have vietnamese food so I can't tell if the food is good but I did enjoy my grilled pork chop with pho. The grilled pork chop was juicy and tender. Yums! The best thing I love about vietnamese food is the huge portion of bean sprouts that come with pho. Crunchy and refreshing. Mr Tan loves his beef balls and said the soup has a herbal taste. He prefers the soup from Mekong though but I didn't try so can't comment. I also had this fried stuff on top of my pho and it was very tasty. It tasted like wanton skin but I'm not sure what it is. Tasty and cheap meal. :)

Wanted to go Woolworths or Coles to grab some water and snacks but they were closed. No grocery shopping. Sad. There was nothing else to do and no TV to watch, we decided to check out Burswood Entertainment Centre. Clubs, restaurants, theatres and casino all at one location. Sounds like a great place to hang out. BUT, we were denied entry because we didn't bring our passports! Driver's licenses aren't accepted! *ANGRY* *ANGRY* *ANGRY*

Decided to pack some KFC back to our hotel in case Mr Bottomless-Pit-Tan is hungry later tonight and guess what? KFC was closed! It was not even 10pm! In the end, we had to settle for Maccas. Shall sleep early tonight and wake up for breakfast tomorrow. A tall order but I shall try. :P

Eat Out - Jalan Alor

Day 403

It's a really cold Friday, thanks to chilly wind and rain. It was actually warming up last week but looks like it's gonna be cold for the next few days again, luckily we'll be in Perth next week, it should be warmer there.

Had dinner at Jalan Alor - a place that we've walked past countless times but never thought of stepping in, until last week. I was searching for places that serves fish head curry and came across a food blog that posted pictures of Jalan Alor's fish head curry! It instantly became the choice for our next eat-out. 

We got there early and there was no crowd. The place was small but very bright and clean. Love the clean wooden tables and friendly staff. Of course, I ordered the fish head curry BUT the waitress told me it's not available. Boohoohoo~ In the end, I ordered Char Kway Teow and Mr Tan ordered Har Mee and his fave Teh C Peng. 

The Char Kway Teow was tasty althought it tasted more like 干炒河粉. It was slightly spicy with a generous amount of egg, bean sprouts, fish cake, Chinese sausage and 2 giant prawns. Probably one of the better ones I've had in Melbourne. The best I've had in Australia is definitely the one from Singapore Shiok. I can't wait to go back in December!

Mr Tan's Har Mee was good. Although the prawn stock was a little lacking in prawn taste, it was still yum. Having said that, Mr Tan prefers Old Town's Har Mee and he complained that the prawns here weren't shelled. L-A-Z-Y-M-A-N.

Thank you, twin! :)

Day 402

My twin bought mooncakes for Papa, Mama and Guma Goh! Not just any mooncakes but the very popular, famous and always sold-out Pine Gardens mooncakes! 

She's simply THE best! I can't wait to go back and be her evil twin! 

♥ u so muchie~~

And to my Handsome, Charming and THE BEST Bro, Thank YOU for picking up the mooncakes! :)

Spotted on Virgin Blue's website..hahaha

Day 401

Was booking our flights for the year end holiday when I came across this on Virgin Blue's website. 

We all know airline food sucks but is it really so bad on VIrgin's flight that...you need to pay more to avoid eating the food?
We love in-flight entertainment, so what is it about Virgin's in-flight entertainment that....you need to pay more to not use it???

Seriously?!?!?! Hahahahahahaha.....

Oh, pls ignore that $289 red box..there's nothing wrong with it!

Work Those Fats Off (2)

Day 399

Went for Body Attack class with Jasmine and it was another great workout! This time round, the steps were easier to follow. Still, it was fast and heart pumping! I kept looking at the clock, praying that time will pass faster. Jasmine and I were trying our very best to keep up with the rest, everyone in the class was doing such a great job and it motivated us to keep going! Jiaqi and Emily went for yoga instead. I might try one session of yoga but it's really not my cup of tea. I love to sweat it out. Next class to try - Body Combat.

又是三号咯~

Day 397

The third of every month is always a special day for us. Decided to rent a car to pamper ourselves for the day. No trams, no walking, no more city food. 

First stop - Sashimi @ Tsukiji

Went there after reading all the rave reviews but was a little disappointed with what we had today. The best thing about Tsukiji is that trays of ready cut fish and other seafood such as octopus, sea urchins and scallops are neatly placed in the display cases for one to select. After you've made your selection, you can request for the fish and seafood to be sliced and have them in Tsukiji or takeaway. They are so much cheaper than what you usually pay in a Jap restaurant.

We went there primarily for its sashimi and sad to say, its sashimi didn't wow us. Mr Tan had the sashimi set which has risen in price (it's $14 now) and I had the tempura udon. The udon was EXPENSIVE. 3 small pieces of veg + 1 tempura prawn + udon cost me $10. I would love a slice of fish cake, a shitake mushroom or even some seaweed. Luckily the broth was flavourful and the tempura batter was light. The sashimi set didn't fill Mr Tan, he actually asked for some udon as he was still hungry. We chose a slab of salmon and requested for it to be sliced. It was sliced into approx 8 to 10 thick slices and we only paid $5 for it! It wasn't the best, but for the price we're paying, it was definitely value for money. 

Second stop - Shopping!

Nothing caught my eye and we ended up at Coles. Every time we've a car, it's a must to do grocery shopping! Mr Tan can buy a whole trolley of stuff when he goes grocery shopping. His trolley is usually filled with soft drinks and more soft drinks. Heard from Jiaqi that the Asian Grocer in Richmond sells 猪油 and Mr Tan wanted to buy some. He loves loves loves loves them. We didn't see it but ended up buying frozen dim sum to have our own yum cha tomorrow.

Third stop - Redbean Kitchen

Was brainstorming about what to have for dinner when Mr Tan suggested fish head curry. We used to go to Red Hot Wok for its fish head curry but the last 2 times we went, it didn't satisfy us anymore. After searching the net for almost an hour, we decided to try Redbean Kitchen. It seems like Old Town Kopitiam, Jalan Alor, Chef Lagenda and Laska King has it on their menu too but I decided to go to the one furthest from us because we've a car today!

Imagine my disappointment when I saw on their menu that they've replaced fish head curry with fish fillets curry! Apparently, they couldn't find a supplier who could supply them with quality fish heads and thus decided to replace it with fish fillets. They agreed that the fish fillets curry isn't as flavourful as compared to fish head curry and they do hope they can bring fish head curry back soon. 

Chunks of deep fried fish fillets coupled with tau pok, eggplant and okra soaked in curry, yum! They were very generous with the ingredients and there must be at least 10 chunks of fish in it. The curry tasted a little sour and was a little lacking in flavour and spiciness. I miss the Fish Head Curry from Muthu's Curry!

According to the description on the menu, the soft shell crab is tossed with curry leaves, dried shrimps and chillies and finished with a butter egg yolk sauce but there was no sight of any curry leaves, dried shrimps of chillies in the dish. I assumed that the dish would be salty because of the butter egg yolk sauce and I couldn't be more wrong. The dish was actually sweet. Definitely won't be ordering this again.

The sambal kangkung was good but I think the one I cook is better. Haha. Even Mr Tan agreed. 

The food isn't great but the portion is big and they are generous with the ingredients but the main reason why we would come back is because of its service. This is the FIRST Chinese eatery we've been to where we actually feel welcomed. Everyone working there smiles, the servers walk around constantly to check on every table, they clear the dishes, change your plates, refill your water and tea WITHOUT you having to ask for it and they would even help to scoop your rice. After we finished our meal, a lady came over to our table and asked us how our meal was and chatted with us. That was how we found out about the curry fish head and what we need to do if we want to eat crabs there. Superb service. We were so pleased that we left tips for them. I can't wait to go back to try their chilli crabs!

Eat Out - Fishy Friday @ Bali Bagus

Day 396

Ever since Sabrina brought us to Blok M for its grilled fish, I've been hooked and we would go there for their grilled fish whenever my craving kicks in. That was until a cockroach crawled across our table while we were having our dinner! I'm terrified of cockroaches, they are disgusting. Actually, all bugs are disgusting and I totally totally hate them. Anyway, that was the last time I stepped into Blok M and I guess I would never be stepping in ever again. Enter Bali Bagus. Location wise, it's not as convenient as Blok M but it's brighter, quieter and seems cleaner and most importantly, there's no cockroach crawling across my table and I hope it stays that way.

 

Of course, I ordered the Ikan Bakar while Mr Tan ordered the beef balls soup. The portion for the beef balls soup was pathetic. 4 beef balls and perhaps 3 mouthfuls of noodles. Seriously, the noodles were only enough for a child. Thankfully it was delicious and this is coming from Mr Tan - the man who seldom compliments any food. He finds almost all the food he eats to be OK. The grilled fish was a big one but it was a little overcooked. It didn't taste like it was grilled, it tasted more like it was fried and grilled. Nonetheless, it was good. I would still prefer Blok M's version but I can't go back. Blame it on that cockroach.