Eat Out - Hunky Dory

Day 455

I went for Spin class today as the gym is closed tomorrow because of Melbourne Cup. Spin is now my regular class and I really hope it'll help me lose some weight. And dear Mr Tan is having a super looooong weekend as he was "asked" to take leave today since he wasn't booked on any jobs. According to him, his firm's Melbourne office isn't doing too well and is trying to cut costs. One of the measures they've put in place is to encourage employees to take voluntary leave which Mr Tan is only too happy to oblige. Less work and more food is making Mr Tan into a teddy bear!

Dinner @ Hunky Dory

Port Pack - 1 battered fish of the day, 2 prawn cutlets, 1 seafood stick & chips

Grilled Dory

 

 

The Port Pack was a disappointment. The fish and the prawns were huge but the batter was soggy and bland. The tartare sauce tasted kinda weird and I didn't like it at all. But the grilled dory was amazing, it was delish! So flavourful and yummy. As we looked around, we realised that many of the diners were having grilled fish and seafood rather than the battered ones. Ah......now we know why.

Eat Out - Taiwan Cafe

Day 452

The weather was glorious this afternoon and all was well until it was time to me to meet Mr Tan for dinner. It started to rain and I hate rainy days, especially when I have to take the tram. The windows are slammed shut and with everyone getting onto the tram to avoid the rain, it's stuffy, smelly and crowded on the tram. But I can't complain actually because I'm the one who didn't want to buy a car. 

Tonight's dinner was at the new Taiwan Cafe. It's probably the only Taiwan Cafe in Melbourne and since it opened its doors a few weeks back, it has been packed and there's always a queue at its door. We don't usually visit such places because Mr Tan doesn't like to wait and when it's so packed, you are barely 10cm away from the other diners which makes it really uncomfortable but this time round, he's willing to wait and squeeze because he's craving for its 台湾炸鸡排!

We waited for about 15 minutes before we got a table and the distance between our table and the tables beside us is no more than 5cm. It was ridiculously cramped and noisy in the cafe but anything for 炸鸡排!

Tonight's Menu

炸鸡排

蚝仔面线

红油炒手

炸鸡排, 炸鸡排, 炸鸡排! The one thing that has been on Mr Tan's mind for the last few weeks. It was crispy, flavourful and juicy but it costs $7.50, kinda expensive for a piece of 炸鸡排 so I'm going to try cooking it at home! Mr Tan was expecting it to be crispier and spicier so he was a little disappointed with it. Now, who's the picky eater?

 

There was a huge chunk of starch in the 蚝仔面线 which was kinda yucky but other than that, I found the taste to be very similar to the ones that we have in SG, which to me, is delicious! Mr Tan loves it to bits and he finished every bit of it. 4 thumbs up! 

The most disappointing dish was the 红油炒手. There was hardly any trace of vinegar or chilli oil in the dish and the worst part, it was SWEET and DRY!!! The wanton skin was sweet and it tasted horrible. Yuckssssssss!! The WORST I've ever had!!!

How can the meal be complele without Taiwanese bubble tea? Thankfully we didn't order any at the Cafe as it was crap. The guy sitting at the next table actually told the staff that his bubble tea was bland like water and the staff was stumped. They went, "err, erm..maybe we can add some sugar to it." Sugar? Seriously? It's bubble tea, not bubble syrup! Wrong answer! We went Chatime for our bubble tea fix instead. I miss Utopia and Koi!!

Spin Those Fats Off (13 & 14)

Day 451

Went for lunchtime's Spin classes yesterday and today. Seems like the instructors work you harder during lunchtime! More resistance, more sprints, more climbs. However, I don't seem to be aching as much or sweating as much as compared to my first 2 classes. Am I not working hard enough? Is there not enough resistance? I need to work harder. I went for Abs class after Spin but I think I'm not really getting the exercises right as I don't feel much pain. Shall go for another Abs class next Tuesday before Body Combat and hopefully I'll feel more pain in my abs. Fats, fats, go away! Don't ever come again!

Work Those Fats Off (12)

Day 449

I'm sweating lesser during Body Combat class as compared to Spin class and it didn't help that tonight's dinner made me feel extremely guilty......Curry chicken with fried bee hoon! Mr Tan loves hot spicy curry so I cook it once a week to satisfy his cravings and today, he was tasked with cooking it as I went for my class and he ruined it! He forgot to turn off the fire while he was doing his "big" business and the curry dried up. 越帮越忙！Anyway, I'm feeling so guilty after tonight's dinner that I'm thinking of going for lunchtime's spin class tomorrow. I need to fit into my jeans again!

Eat Out - Mekong

Day 446

Woke up to the rain and cold, dragged myself out of bed to get ready for lunch. Since it's cold and wet, we went Mekong to have some pho to warm our tummies. The first time I ate at Mekong was with Mrs Yeo when we came to Melbourne the year before. How time flies, I miss work, I miss school, I miss everyone. Asked Famous Amos if they are hiring yesterday and they said they are, but it's for the Christmas and New Year period which I'll be away. :( But I'll try again after the New Year. I just want to work. Anyway, back to lunch. Mr Tan doesn't like to eat at Mekong as he finds the place cramped and dirty and overrated. 

 

 

I ordered the chargrilled chicken and it's served with regular-sized pho which is way too much for me. I think I only managed to finish 1/3 of the serving. Even Mr Tan couldn't finish his small-sized pho. He isn't a fan of soup noodles and the only thing that can help to make it edible was chilli so he turned his soup into a bowl of red hot chilli soup. The spring rolls were crunchy and although I couldn't taste any prawn in it, it was still yummy. Nothing can go really wrong with deep fried food. Mama Goh will always say, "不要整天吃炸的，不好啊。" Sorry Mama Goh, but we're suckers for anything that's deep fried. Haha. Yummmmmm.

Then I experienced the most terrible terrible attitude from the cashier. I couldn't help but call her a b**** as we walked away. When asked for the bill, she merely uttered, "$30.50" and then turned away. We were pretty sure she had made a mistake so we POLITELY asked to verify the table number and she said, "12" which is obviously wrong. We were seated at table 3 and when we looked at table 12, it was occupied by 3 angmohs. We POLITELY told the cashier that our table is 3 and not 12 and then she printed the bill and slammed it on the table. !@#$%^ I asked Mr Tan if he told her our table number wrongly and he said no. B****!

Spin Those Fats Off (11) - Crabmeat Fried Rice

Day 444

A variation of my favourite 虾仁蛋饭. Easy, fast and yummy. Perfect for my exercise class nights!

Ingredients
- 100 of of crabmeat (sliced)
- 2 eggs (beaten)
-1 cup of cooked rice (refrigerated overnight)
- 2 stalks of spring onions (chopped)
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon of Knorr Chicken Powder
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- Black pepper and salt

Directions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok and saute garlic until they are slightly brown
2. Add in cooked rice, break the lumps, separate the grains and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes
3. Toss crabmeat into wok and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes
4. Push the rice to the side of the wok, add 2 tablespoons of the oil into wok and add beaten eggs into wok
5. Let eggs cook for a while and once they are almost cooked, mix it well with the rice
6. Add spring onion into wok and do some quick stirs
7. Add chicken powder, black pepper and salt and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes
8. Taste and add more pepper or salt if needed, otherwise, serve with 辣椒油. 开饭咯！

Work Those Fats Off (10) - 爱心叻沙拉面

Day 442

Another great Body Combat class although the instructor seems to be toning down the workout. He has been incorporating Tai Chi into the workout which is kinda slow and "impact-less". He uses it during cooling down but I would rather do more crunches and push-ups. I want more sweat, more, more, more!

Tonight's dinner is courtesy of my 宝贝姑妈. 姑妈 bought these 叻沙拉面 for me on my last trip home and they are so freaking expensive! Each pack costs $2.50 and for that price in SG, I could have a bowl of piping hot laksa at the kopitiam without the hassle of cooking and cleaning up, not to mention that they don't taste fantastic either. It's probably a good-to-have when you are overseas and can't find laksa easily but if I'm in SG, there's absolutely no way that I'll buy it. But tonight, they taste wonderful because they are filled with lots of love from my darling 姑妈! 谢谢姑妈！超爱你哦！

 

Gin's Kitchen - 脆皮炸鸡块

Day 450

Another easy way to have crispy fried chicken bites. The marinate was flavourful, no need for any additional seasonings and it was crispy and yum!

Ingredients
- 2 chicken thigh fillets
- 1 pack of 廟口小吃脆皮炸雞粉
*(Each pack contains 2 sachets of marinating mix, 2 sachets of salt and pepper seasoning and 1 packet of frying powder. I only used 1/2 of the portion)
- 1 beaten egg
- Oil for frying

Directions
1. Remove fats from fillets and cut into bite-sized pieces
2. Marinate the chicken with the marinating mix for at least 30 minutes
3. Dip marinated chicken pieces into the egg and coat evenly with the frying powder
4. Heat oil and deep dry each piece for 3 minutes over medium low heat or until they are golden brown
5. Sprinkle 1 sachet of the salt and pepper seasoning over the fried chicken pieces and it's done!

老妈，生日快快快快乐！

Day 439

 最親愛的老媽，

生日快快快快樂哦！

祝您身體健康，心想事成，

笑口常開，青春永駐！

你最美！

雖然我們都不善於表達我們對彼此的關心與愛護，
但我想讓您知道，從您的身上，我學了很多。
您很獨立，從不喜歡依賴其他人，總是勇敢地面對問題。
您堅持自己想辦法解決問題，不是一種固執，
是因為對自己有所要求。
因為您的影響，
我喜歡獨立，自己解決問題，對自己設了一定的要求。
您無論在工作上遇到任何難題，您都盡心盡力處理，
不求回報，不求名利，一心隻想把工作做得好。
雖然您沒把小學念完，但您憑著努力和實力，
取得他人的尊敬與信任。
您對工作的熱忱，認真和努力，是我最好的榜樣。
您的成就是我的驕傲。

老媽, 謝謝您這些年來的養育，

謝謝您這些年來的努力，

謝謝您這些年來的愛。

Eat Out - Oriental Spoon

Day 438

The weather is finally warming up.
Upside: I can finally go out in my shorts, singlets and birkis. No more chilly winds and thick clothing.
Downside: My flabby arms and fat thighs are wobbling for all to see. The trams smell and the irritating flies are out to in full force.
I prefer winters.

Our initial destination was Ajisen Ramen but I changed my mind on the tram to have Korean food instead. Wanted something spicy, wanted something bursting with flavours. We reached Oriental Spoon around 745, hoping to avoid the dinner crowd but it was still packed when we got there! Luckily we didn't have to wait long for a table. The place is so popular that diners were still streaming in at 830pm. Service was fast and friendly and the staff serving us actually came to our table twice to ask if the food was ok. I like him! :)

Chicken bulgogi - We opted for the spicy version but dear Mr Tan still found it sweet. It was mild spicy not spicy spicy and I think it goes really well with rice.






 




Ddeokbokki - I have a weakness for starchy stuff like rice cakes, mochi and sago pearls. It was a toss-up between Ddeokbokki and Jab-chae but because the Jab-chae at Oriental Spoon contains beef, we went with Ddeokbokki. I ♥ ♥ ♥ the chewy rice cakes! The chewy rice cakes were stir-fried with fish cakes, ramen noodles and lots of vegetables in Gochujang sauce. It was chopsticks-licking good!





Portions were large and we couldn't even finish the 2 dishes but I probably ordered the wrong dish combi. It's not that the food or the sauce wasn't good, but too much of the same taste doesn't work for us. 太腻了. But the Ddeokbokki was so good that I can't bear to let it go to waste so I packed the leftovers! Hopefully they'll still taste as good when I heat them up for lunch.

Spin Those Fats Off (9)

Day 437

I haven't heard from Re-Creation Health Club and decided to go for Spin class instead. It's a 45 min class and I went there early to familiarise myself with the bike. It's so uncomfortable sitting on that little bike seat. Even before the class started, I could hear my bum screaming for help, "I'm too big for this tiny seat!" So I pushed myself as far back into the seat as possible and finally managed to feel more comfortable. Once the class started, my bum's screams were drowned in the loud music. I never knew you can sweat so much! It was a good workout although it only targets the legs, hips and bum. I guess it's going to be my regular Thursday class unless I hear from RHC about their Thursday's Body Combat class. I peeped into the studio after the spin class and saw that there were only 2 or 3 participants in the Body Combat's class. I wonder how long the instructor will conduct the class for.

Work Those Fats Off (8)

Day 435

Tuesday's Body Combat class is now my regular class. I love the feeling of sweating it out. The more sweat there is, the better I feel. I've not heard from Re-Creation Health Club after emailing them last week about Thursday's Body Combat class, I wonder if they finally spoke to the instructor. I'm hoping that they'll replace her, otherwise, I'll be going for Spin class instead.

Going for exercise class means I don't have much time to cook dinner so dinners on these days are usually one-dish meals. Tried something new tonight..Herbal Bak Kut Teh! I prefer the peppery Bak Kut Teh while Mr Tan prefers the herbal kind but since I'm the one cooking, he has no say in what's being dished out on the dinner table. Haha. But tonight, I decided to indulge him by cooking the herbal version. It's my (really cheap) way of thanking him for the new bag! :P 
Verdict: I followed the instructions on the pack and added the seasonings accordingly but it turned out to be too salty and the herbal taste was not strong enough.
 

Gin's Kitchen - Easy Sambal Prawns

Day 434

I've been thinking about cooking Sambal Prawns for a long time but it takes time and effort to make the sambal chilli and the recipe usually calls for a blender or a mortar and pestle to blend the chillies, shallots and belacan which I don't have. So, the solution for me is to buy ready-made sambal chilli paste and the trial and error process of finding the best paste starts. This paste tasted ok although something is lacking in taste, not sure if it's the belacan or tamarind pulp juice. Not 100% satisfied, but will make do for the moment.

Ingredients
- 300g of prawn cutlets (shelled and deveined)
- 100g of Nasi Lemak Chilli
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 1/2 garlic (chopped)
- 100ml of water
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of oil

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a wok and saute garlic until it starts to brown
2. Add in sliced onion and continue to stir-fry till fragrant
3. Toss in chilli paste and fry it under medium heat for about 1 minute
4. Turn up the heat again and add in the prawns to cook until they turn pink
5. Add in water and water and bring it to a boil before letting it simmer for 2-3 minutes and tuck in! :)

Work Those Fats Off (7)

Day 430

Decided to give Thursday's Body Combat class another try after receiving confirmation from Re-creation Health Club that the class should last for 60 mins. Guess what? Today's class lasted for 45 mins! After the class ended, 1 of the girls actually asked the instructor about it and she said it's a 45-min class. I don't like this instructor at all. The first time I attended her class, there were only 3 of us and the class only lasted for 30 mins. There were 5 of us today and the class lasted for 45 mins. The attendance for her class is a stark contrast to Tuesday's class. The room was so packed on Tuesday that we barely had enough room to kick and move and she could probably be the reason why nobody wants to attend Thursday class. I love Body Combat classes but the instructor doesn't seem interested at all. I mean, how can the duration of the class change every week? I went to the staff manning the reception after the class to enquire and the part-time girl was clueless about what I was talking about. I sent another email the club and hope they'll sort it out with the instructor or change the instructor to someone who's serious about leading the class. Ridiculous! *super pissed*

张学友1/2世纪演唱会

Day 428
4 October 2011

上一次听学友的演唱会应该是2003年，已经好久好久了，我都记不起来了。 虽然已经五十岁了，但我还是觉得他笑起来很可爱！他唱了足足三小时，但还是觉得不够，可能是因为这里的演唱会是 scaled-down version, 总觉得他没能把想表演的，想唱的，都带来。 希望我们下一次的约会不会是 scaled-down version。。。不要让我等太久哦。。。

 

 

 

  

WHAT A WONDERFUL THIRD!

Day 427

I got a very very lovely surprise from Mr Tan today and I'm over over over the moon! Totally unexpected!

Jasmine went to London for a holiday and he actually asked her to buy something for me. He revealed that he wanted to get me a bag for our 1 1/2 year anniversary (weird timing I know but who cares? haha) and a wallet for my birthday but the wallet was OSS. His plan was to give me the bag as our 1 1/2 year anniversary and hide the wallet until my birthday because he has absolutely no way of hiding the bag at home. Then I told him that he could always pretend that there's no present for our 1 1/2 year anniversary since I wasn't expecting anything at all and get Jiaqi or Jasmine to help keep the bag at their place. Hmm..he didn't thought of that....haha..

Presenting my third (we just love the number 3!) Speedy! The official name is Bandouliere but we know it as Speedy with the strap. Love it! Love it! Love it! Thank you, Mr Tan!!! ♥

Eat Out - Sho Noodle Bar

Day 427

Because of the exercise class, our initial plan was to takeaway kfc and pizza but because of Mr Tan's meal vouchers, we decided to visit Sho Noodle Bar. It's an expensive Asian noodle place with beautiful lights and comfortable furniture. The place feels cosy and comfortable. All the staff were Asians and can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese well. Although service was a little slow, the staff were polite. Looking at how the staff serve the diners, it's obvious that they favoured the Angmohs to Asians. After witnessing how some of the Asian diners behave in the restaurant, I can't blame the staff for showing favouritism.

Tonight's menu

Udon noodles in Malaysian Laska Soup with Char Siew, Wontons and Assorted Seafood

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Mango Pudding with Mango Ice Cream

They were generous with the char siew but the wontons were probably those frozen ones and they weren't cooked properly, they were stuck together. As for the assorted seafood, there was 1 prawn, 1 scallop and a few calamari. The soup was spicy and tasty, I really like it. Mr Tan also liked the soup and commented that it tasted like a mixture of laksa and curry. His Hainanese Chicken Rice was also good, flavourful and not oily, the portion of the chicken was too small and the chicken was a little dry. The mango pudding and ice cream was a nice way to end the meal, especially after the spicy laksa soup. It would be even better if the pudding had mango in it! 

 

It has been a wonderful THIRD! :)

Work Those Fats Off (6)

Day 427

I'm going for Jacky Cheung's concert tomorrow and have to miss Body Combat class so I went for Body Attack today. It's not as tiring as the first time I went with Jasmine but I still managed to get a good sweat. I think my body is getting used to the workouts, I don't get body aches anymore so I'm trying to push myself harder to go for more classes. My 3 month Scoopon deal with Re-creation Health Club will expire at the end of November and I think I might sign on to be a regular member. I really like the Body Combat classes.

I DID IT!

Day 426

This is one of the most memorable days in my life. 

After 17 years, I finally took the plunge. I CUT MY HAIR. Well, it's not really a big deal for many people, they cut their hair short as and when they feel like it. But for me, cutting my hair short is a very very big deal. I have been keeping my hair long since I was 13. I cringe whenever I look at pictures with me in short hair. Short hair is an absolute no-no for me. I don't enjoy going to the hairdresser as I'm always fearful that they'll cut away too much of my hair or give me an ugly fringe. I always think that I look better before the haircut. But deep down, I always hope that one day, I would meet a hair stylist who can give me a haircut that makes me look pretty. But till now, I haven't found one. Perhaps the problem doesn't lie with the hair stylist, it lies with my face. I mean, if you have a pretty face, you can get away with any hairstyle. I don't have a pretty face, so I use my long hair to hide my fat and not so pretty face. People around me know that I only trim, never cut, my hair. So cutting my hair short is really a very very big deal for me.

I haven't been able to find a job since I got here and people have been telling me to use the time to do things that I've always wanted to do but never had the time to do. Well, this is something that I've always wanted to do. I've been asking myself the same question for years, will I look good with short hair? I never dared to do it in Singapore, if it turns out to be a disaster, I would probably be so depressed that I won't want to step out of my house. But over here, I don't have to face anyone so I guess this is the best time to do it. 

Comments I got from the family
Mama Goh: 剪了好像小妹妹。
Guma: 好看，好像 Ting Ting。
Xiaogu: 不像她 hor, 好像外国人，像韩剧里面的人。
Mei: You look younger.
Bro: You look like s****!
Papa Goh: 看了比较年轻。

Well, based on the above comments, I'm sure you can guess how my new hairstyle looks. At least I have a year's time to grow it back! For better or for worse, I'm just glad that I did it! And I know the answer to the question has bugged me for years. No, I don't look good with short hair. Haha. Now I'm going to grow it long and then perm it!

Eat Out - Hanumarn Thai Restaurant

Day 426

We finally went to Hanumarn Thai - the extremely popular restaurant. Is it really so popular that it's fully booked every weekend or is it because we're using the Scoopon voucher?  This is the most troublesome deal I've bought. First, they do not accept phone bookings for Scoopons, only emails and it took me 5 emails before I finally managed to secure a table. Second, every time I try to book for that particular week, it's full and I was told to try and book at least 2-3 weeks in advance. And then, you must bring along a copy of the printed voucher, you can't just show it on your phone. So much trouble for a meal!

The restaurant is spacious, clean and cosy but we were seated next to the balcony and we felt rather cold throughout the dinner. The restaurant is clearly understaffed. Many of the tables were not cleared and staff had no time to clear them as they were busying serving diners. We were ready to order after 10 mins but it took them another 10 mins to notice us and take our order. I think the menu that we were given was different and rather limited when compared to their online menu. Not sure if that's because we're there on a Scoopon deal or they've changed their menu.

Scoopon's deal

$39 for $100 worth of any food and drinks at Hanumarn Thai

Tonight's menu

Tom Yum Goong - 1 serve for each of us

Thai Fish Cake

Prawn Dumplings (I wanted Prawn Golden Bags but ordered wrongly)

Green Curry Chicken

Stir-fried vegetables

Prices are a little on the high side, these 5 dishes plus rice and 2 soft drinks already cost $93. Was it worth the price? No, the food was a little disappointing. All the dishes, except the fish cake, tasted sweet. Perhaps we should have requested for them to be spicy but we weren't asked about the level of spiciness when they took our orders so what we had is what they usually serve and they are all sweet. Mr Tan doesn't like the food at all as he's not a fan of sweet stuff, except chocolates. We weren't really full at the end of the meal and would gladly top up the difference if we exceed the value but sweet Thai food isn't our cup of tea, so farewell, Hanumarn, we'll never meet again.

Eat Out - Laksa House

Day 426

Today is THE day - I'm cutting my hair short. But before that, I need to fill my stomach, in case I'm too depressed to have my dinner after my haircut. The plan was to eat at Dessert House but we ended up at Laksa House - a new eatery opposite Dessert House. Well, it's a day for all things new!

The good - It's not noisy, it's not crowded so you don't have to shout to be heard. There's a promo going on - you get a free drink when you order any of the dishes on the special menu which include dishes like Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Curry Laksa, Salt and Pepper Chicken Ribs etc.

The bad - The food is not as tasty as Dessert House although you are paying almost the same price. I think Laksa House is slightly cheaper by a few cents for certain dishes.

Dessert House is still our fave cheap eat-and-get-out place.

 

Mr Tan's cooked breakfast

Day 426

Woke up today to find breakfast on the table! Thank you, Mr Tan! :)