[Saturday, January 23, 2010]

 
Further adventures in kitchenland.
I made scones again.

Left, raisins and fruit peel scones, right, cheese scones.

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[Wednesday, June 24, 2009]

 

Wednesday is free museum day for some of HK's museums. What a brilliant idea. Went to the Ceramics exhibit at the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the one with Chinese art.

Felt a bit under the weather and went back for an hour's nap before heading out again. The thing about the city centre on HK island is that it is quite walkable. I almost got lost, but managed to find my way again.

Had dinner at Mak's Noodles (wanton and dumpling noodles) and She Wang Fun (claypot rice and seasonal snake dishes) with kit, who made some time in her schedule to entertain me. I did not touch the snake soup. Not that I am squeamish, but it's not even winter yet and the need for warming soups is not very high.

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[Tuesday, June 23, 2009]

 

Took the ferry to Macau for sightseeing and to meet up with parents. That's three countries this holiday.

Made it to Macau and took a free shuttle to the Lisboa--or rather the giant golden mutant offspring of a pineapple and a turnip next door to the Lisboa. It's casino-centre here in downtown Macau--not my kind of thing.

So I didn't get to go to Robuchon a Galera (due to a fully-booked lunch room), but my parents are going for lunch there tomorrow. I missed a Michelin Star restaurant by a hair--ah well.

We had pretty good dim sum at the Lisboa's restaurant instead.

Dear Lonely Planet,

The shopping arcades of the Lisboa are still seedy post-renovation. My dad was propositioned by a few ladies of the afternoon while we were on the way to lunch--with my mum and I standing less than two metres away. Mum and I told my dad that we trusted that he had enought judgement to do the right thing. But later, when my mum caught sight some of the ladies , she grabbed my dad's arm post-haste . . .

*must remember that parents do not move very fast* *must remember that parents never moved very fast*

And Mum lost her handphone sometime after buying souvenir cookies. Blamed it on me as usual. *sigh*

A Filipina at the small park behind the church offered to walk around with me. She had just been laid off and had nothing to do. Nice of her to offer, but I was in a hurry and not in that great a mood. Limited time, limited patience . . .

I did most of the suggested route on my own, having lost the parents somewhere around the Leal Senado.

Made it for my ferry by catching a cab once I hit the main road down at the Leal Senado. Was so hungry that I ate at the Macdonald's at the ferry terminal building.

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[Monday, June 22, 2009]

 

Mildly stressed out by presence of the parental units. Make that very stressed out by the P.U.s.

Had dim sum for breakfast with kit at a restaurant near her place. They still push around the large metal carts with fried carrot cake and other dishes. According to kit, they don't do that in many restaurant back at home anymore as it is potentially painful and dangerous work.

As it turned out, my parents had not had breakfast and were a bit put out by the fact that I had good dim sum. (Communication, we all fail at it.) After breakfast at a nearby McDonald's--I know, I know--and a quick run to a Watson's to buy a brolly and some water for my mum we made our way through the rain to the church and sought sanctuary for a while. After a while, the rain slackened off and we went on to the Peak Tram terminal.

The sales person was trying to sell us combination tickets to Madam Tussuad's, but we were not interested in wax figures. ("No, Dad, a wax figure of Tiger Woods/Bruce Lee/Barrack Obama is still not the real thing . . . ") As it was a cloudy day, the view from the Peak could have been better.

Lunch at a dim sum place kit recommended us. Urp. That was a bit indulgent. Had to walk a bit after that so we went window shopping in Wan Chai.

Went up the Midlevels with the 'rents by escalator and on foot. Dad stopped for foot reflexology while Mum and I moved on to the Catholic church. It was a bit difficult to find, but we got there in the end.

After the excesses of lunch, we all were more than okay to eat pho at a Vietnamese place on the slope under the escalators.

Shuffled back to kit's place. I have dan tat!

Edit: I opened my work email and I am terrified by the new load of stuff waiting to fall on my head when I get home. *stress stress stress*

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[Saturday, June 20, 2009]

 
It's shopping time! Frankly, I'm not that kind of person who likes to spend more than 3 hours shopping, but the others are.

So we went to Harajuku in the morning. In Takashita Dori, it was very easy to feel old. My friends went into the stores selling the Korean-style cloths (fluffy layers are in) and the pharmacies (of course) before we hit H&M.

It was crowded in there. But not as bad as Forever-21 next door, which had a queue snaking out the front door. I went on walk-about along Omote-sando before rejoining them inside. To my surprise, at the end of it all, J's friend and I bought the most pieces. (I only bought 3 pieces--two tops and a dress.)

We walked up Omote-sando to look for a lunch venue. Found one in the side-lanes and had a good lunch before going back to Ikebukuro for a short rest before the evening.

J's friend has a friend whose family has a Vietnamese restaurant. So we went to Saigon in Ikebukuro after shopping at Loft for dinner. It was great--rice rolls, squid, pho and dessert.

The time has come for us to part ways. Woe is I. Parting is such sweet sorrow. It has been good--good food and good company. Great company in fact. T___T

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[Friday, June 19, 2009]

 

Ueno and Asakusa today with Ikebukuro to follow.

The Ameyokocho Arcade was a haven for my friends as they found a pharmacy right off and started browsing. (Shiseido products for under 1000yen!)

The pig-out continues. Then the waitress brought out a platter with three different types of tonkatsu on top of shredded lettuce and spaghetti bolognese. Cheese, miso and shiso--yikes. The second platter came out and there was even gyoza tonkatsu.

We tried our best to finish them, but there were two slices left. The staff bagged them in foil--they do not believe in wasting good tonkatsu, so good for them.

Still feeling the tonkatsu form lunch, we headed over to Le Maison for dinner and dessert--dessert being the thing girls have the auxiliary stomach for. (True fact--even the Japanese girls.)

Had the Mont Blanc cake. (I always have one when I'm in Japan.) And it was fabulous.


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[Thursday, June 18, 2009]

 

Tsukiji in the morning and I was planning to have a go at the queue outside Daiwa Sushi. *rubs hands in anticipation*

J left her huge pro-camera at the hotel because Tsukiji was going to be crowded and cramp. ML went to visit her company office in Tokyo halfway through the walk around the outer market while the others bought dried seafood. Played dodge with the vehicles across parking lot--one of the few places in Japan where no-one cares about pedestrians--and I suspect SX and J were terrified throughout it all. Saw the warehouses and shuffled off quickly towards the inner market where Daiwa Sushi still maintains a three row queue just a shop or two down from the rows in front of Sushi Dai. After half and hour, we were in!

Nomnomnomnomnom . . .

There's not much else to say. Really.

Ginza in the afternoon. It's a bit out of our price range, but there was the 100% Chocolate Cafe (Kiyobashi Station, Exit 5) by Meiji. With 56 types of chocolate!

J had an unfortunate reaction to that one raw shrimp on the sushi--she's allergic to them, poor thing--and we retired back to Ikebukuro for her to rest and detox. It got much better after a lot of water and a short nap.

J's Japanese friend joined us at dinner and we had dessert at Denny's afterwards because it's the only place that opens late (24 hours a day). Pancakes at 10pm! Girl talk is something very different, when done in groups like this. I tried my best, but it's not really my thing.

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[Monday, June 15, 2009]

 
This holiday is going to be the one where I might gain weight despite the walking. Went to the Yokohama Ramen Museum and had two bowls of ramen. Mini-bowls, they were labelled. Still filling though. The Sapporo ramen shop Eki was the best--with an inch of oil floating above the soup and springy, almost al dente noodles. (Slightly better than the bankara last night when the lard was floating on top of the stock. Delicious and warming.)

Yokohama's Chinatown is still a touristy tourist trap. We had to be the only tourists who were there and did not eat Chinese food or buy a large nikku-man. (Teh irony.)

PSA: The Curry Museum closed last year, but not all guidebooks are up to date--like my friend's guidebook. (Make your own--it's always better.) The walk was not wasted as we went to the nearest Uniqlo and Daiso to shop.

Got a bit damp today. It rained when we were going back to the hotel and I shared my brolly with my friend who forggot her own. This has been the rainiest season I have spent in Japan.

Hakone tomorrow.

(I doubt I will find any tigers for my aunt. Those things are made for the new year.)

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[Tuesday, November 11, 2008]

 

I made chocs. Followed and modified the recipe from Crepes of Wrath. Used a ginger cake as well as a standard yellow cake.

Clockwise from far left: Ginger and chestnut paste, Nutella, ginger and whiskey, peanut butter, ginger and honey.

Crunchy peanut butter really makes a difference.

Candied ginger bits are good decorations. As is cinnamon sugar.

Must try to do more alcoholic varieties.

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[Saturday, June 19, 2004]

 

Kanazawa, Freaks Cybercafe in Katamachi (Cos I will be a freak until the day until the dawn . . .):

Met Ange and Sabrina in Tokyo. Have been touring smaller towns between Tokyo and Osaka. Scenery is gorgeous, food is amazing and most people were kind to us confused foreigners.

Hida beef--Sabrina and I have waxed lyrical over you. No beef can ever compare. The shabu-shabu dinner was a tad expensive but it was worth in the end.

Watching Ange as a Travel Nazi makes life interesting. ^^

(Yahoo! has upgraded my mail. Whoo-hoo! More space for the spammers to fill up with crap about enlarging my non-existent schlong.)

Buggering off now until I can get to the cheaper cafe in Osaka again . . . and hopefully less smoky.

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