Overacted not Overrated

I was very hesitant about this entry because its about food again. But this one is unlike others its not another entry on restaurants. Overall, I really like this place, it has modern and hip interior, amiable atmosphere, outstanding food and great price! What more do I want? But… it can be better! (Not that anyone cares)

Located at the back of Granville Street at TST, the target market obviously lies within the locals around that area, therefore I assume that’s why they paid less attention on the delicate details. The menu has overacted the food, ordering a wasabi beef carpaccio with greens ended up serving thick slices of beef. I thought beef carpaccio was thin sliced beef? Maybe call it a beef salad will do? Waiters are young, hip and friendly but all were walking like rappers, they all seemed to have springs built in their sneakers bouncing around the restaurant. With a little bit more training, it can look more professional.

Yes I am thinking too much, that’s why I call myself a woman. Perfection is something women don’t believe in, when something seems perfect, we tend to scratch the dirt and dig out any imperfections there may be and that’s when we feel relieved. Agree?

K.

good things comes in small packages

this is a necklace designed by a talented bondi market creature.
it's so small, its the size of my nail on my little finger.
it came in a bigger size, too, but it was so big that it felt a bit blingy.
this one is just right.

there's a gold plaque inside the envelope with a message, too.
Isnt it just adorable?

All in a box !

Since I have been to cake classes and all (although never really made much success at home, only do well in classes) I never really buy pre-made cake mixes, its just different.

But I really have to say the Jap really has what it takes! Boxed cake mixes from Muji includes cake mix and various ingredients and even including the magical paper mould for baking (WOW!) I couldnt resist the conveniency and got not only one but 2 to try!

Will update with results or tastes of the cake when I've tried. Shouldn't be too hard .... (I guess?!)

K.

d's craft corner

picked up knitting again recently, I find it extremely relaxing and staisfying.
here's a scarf-in-progress for my old man, so to stop him wearing my mom's (he is too lazy to buy one).

the cushion was a successful craft project (also handed it as a project for an electives, keke...)
you might wander what size needle I was using?
you will be amazed...and the answer is (drum rolls...)

two broom sticks!

join me next time on d's craft corner....(if i can resurrect any of my crafty endeavours)

d.x

Who can tell me how to dress in a vintage look?

Hong Kong is said to be the city of shopping but yet I haven’t wrote a single article on clothes or shoes. I guess everyone knows well enough for my love of Zara and one of my so called “favourite shop” I wouldn’t need to write about it (don’t worry I will later)

As I went to Prince Edward to that well known Wedding Mall (this is not the place I wanna talk about) that mall has 4 levels of whatever you can think of in a wedding and they will sell it for "cheap AS" prices. As I said price=quality, I wont recommend. And NO I am not a bride to be, I was only bridesmaid to be

I went to garden street (that street for the cheapest things EVER even cheaper than china cheap) for accessories and with my boyfriend beside me there’s no way I can enjoy shopping. He actually guided me into this place and at first I was thinking “Oh my…. Lets NOT” I reckon he actually wanted to say lets not when he realized my arms has reeled around 5 hangers.

This shop sells vintage washed look tees. Its quality vintage wash look, its got all the details like faded colors and rip holes on edges and better more, the print is also a washed look. The tee print is on the back and front, and theres lots of varieties, one of them on the front is super man and on the back the print is “SAVE ME” I thought it was such a clever idea!!!

Last but not least the best is the tee is made in a lose fit and its ONLY 60 bucks!! That’s what you call cheaper-than-china-cheap!

I am not a vintage look person and I really need advice on how to match these tees with ! I dont just want tees with vintage jeans, not my style !

Please help!

Ko.

I don't have a problem

trust me, it does't look as bad as it looks. I took just ONE sip amongst like 16 coffees?

toby's estate coffee school, wooloomooloo

baby, monday is cheap

I been trying to buy jeans for ages now, just havent seen any skinny styles I like.
Until sunday, while I was lolling around bondi with no intention of shopping, somehow I wander into tuchuzy and left with two pairs of hot new jeans in my hands! it's often when you least expect it, you will find what you want. dun ya think?

cheap monday is from sweden, I bought the signature style "tight" in a girl blue wash and an unisex stone wash. I saw them at urban outfitters in london, I thought they'd be like tight tight tight for skinny skinny skinny girls. But no! they have a muffin top friendly not-so-high- but not s0-bum-crack-saying-hello-low (low low low waistbad are so so so tacky now).

these are not my legs (but I do wish it is)....it's from cheapmonday.com
loving the cute skull.

now in sydney at tuchuzy at bondi beach (AUD$90/pair come grab it girls and boys!)
not sure if hong kong has it yet, but if you got friends in europe or US....

D.

Perfecto!

Best tiramisu in town!
Whipped cream that is so silky smooth and light yet creamy and rich.
Just enough alcohol to lure your taste buds but doesn't overpower the cream.
Enough cocoa powder to indulge and enrich and not too much so that talking becomes puffing out cocoa! JUST PERFECT!

Best to go indulge with your best girl friends so that this tiramisu is appreciated and its not just a normal "piece of cake" as bf's would call it.

by Ko.

new favourite part 2

found the best "I just raided boyfriend's wardrobe" cardie. goes so well with my new favourite part 1

by D.

d.'s new favourite

bedtime stories

I don't seem to have any recollection of my parents reading me bedtime stories when I was growing up. Maybe I am deprived of it since childhood ( and i can never seem to finish a book!), I have developed an appreciation of children's books. (i even had this listed under my interests in my resume!).

I kinda came across this series of children's book by czech illustrator - Miroslav Sasek at ariel in the rocks. Ever since I bought my first one called "this is venice", I was hooked. I was looking forward to read more worldly adventures in the comforts of my bed. "this is Paris" followed. when i finally saw a copy of "this is hong kong" at the ariel window, I didnt think and just went in and bought it! I see the kind of hk back in the 50s, like in the shaw brother's movies. That is the time when my parents were growing up, rickshaws, queen pier, pedder st, ladies in cheong sam...it was very accurate account of sasek's travel, with witty remarks through it, too.

In every "this is..." series the inside cover and back inside cover will have Sasek enerting a country as himself and at the back, it will show him exiting the country and how he has been changed, say if it was paris, he will exit with a stripy top and of course, a beret.

How cute is that?

by D.

Colourful Sunday

Believe it or not this is Hong Kong, I guess nice places do exist in Hong Kong but we are too bombarded with the busy city life we never really notice such beautiful places. However one element is still missing to make it perfect and thats green grass

by Ko.

Beauty that lasts 4 days?

Thursday 5/4/07

These few weeks I had a taste of artificial beauty from gel nails and now doing lash extensions (dont ask me why I wanna waste anymore money). Anyhow, I had a taste of the happiness that comes from instant beauty.

I yearned for Lash extensions and this idea really impressed me, no make up needed because of the big bold eyes so that means no mascara no eyeliner, no curling, no crumbs, no smudged mascara + eyeliner look.

So there I go! See the difference?




There has been nothing but good comments, 9 out of 10 people asked me if I got make up, 10 out of 10 people said my eyes looked really big. Nothing else was in my mind except to continue lash extensions! LOVE IT !

Tuesday 9/4/07

Lash extensions removed ! (Before I even wrote a blog to say how wonderful it is) I understand why people actually remove their silicon boobs after a few weeks of getting it. I really understand....

THe lash extensions are convenient if the only intention of having it is so that you dont need to put on make up anymore.... but if you do... DISASTOR!

Describing it is a long story but believe me, having it caused so much inconveniency even after all those good comments!

Now back to normal with really short droopy lashes... sobsob...but happier

HKD300 bucks wasted ! DAMN!

by Ko.

how can i ever leave sydney?

how can i ever leave sydney, when the sky is blue and the seagulls are as laid back as the people.
here's a bunch of seagulls sitting down on the grass having a snooze and day dreamin abt where to find their next feed. hot chips, perhaps?

cupcakes

there is something nostalgic about cupcakes. reminds me the packets of little butter cupcakes i ate whe i was growing up in HK. even I try not to eat wheat, i just cannot resist a perfectly formed cupcake with yummy and pastel colour icing on top.

just near my office, there is a cupcake shop that I have been dying to try but never had the time to go in.
but if it is a whole shop dedciated to just cupcakes, it's got to be good and IT IS!

cupcakes on pitt street sells only cupcakes, either vanilla or chocolate base, but top with a super scrumptious buttery icing. I like old school classic like strawberry, they also have more unusual toppings like oreo, maltesers, jaffa orange and tiramisu.
notice, the icing they have is not hard and when it breaks it is like rubble. this is smooth creamy stuff, applied generously by staff and all of them looks identical, othe cupcakes looks like shrek to me now!

why not use any's friends birthday as an excuse to pick up a few (or more than a few) cupcakes! You can also stack cupcakes with 3 - tiers cardboard stand they sell at the shop.

or if you prefer to make this yourself, this a tried and tested receipe i ripped out from a woman's day (don't ask):
I like to make this with baby cupcakes mold.
this is a basic butter cake receipe, so it can be adapted to make into a varieties of cakes with different molds. Like a circular mold, so you can fill this with fresh cream and strawberries

2 cups self raising flour
pinch of salt
125g butter
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vaniila extract (extract pls, no fake stuff)
2 x 60g eggs
3/4 milk

1. preheat oven to 190 C
2. sift flour and salt onto a sheet of grease proof paper. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated
3. fold in the sifted flour with the milk
4. place paper cases in cupcake tins and only fill it 2/3 way up, it will rise during cooking.
5. bake in oven for 10-15mins until its risen and golden.

variations: add choc chips in the mixure during last stage of mixing. Or before going into the oven, top with flaked almonds.

ICING
since I know I cannot recreate the icing of the cupcakes on pitt and other recipe for icing are too sweet and with scary amount of butter in it, i prefer to use the following ganache recipe by nigella lawson.
melt equal amount of double cream and dark chooclate in a pan. Pour this onto the cupcakes once they are cool.

ENJOY!

Manicure special

Making decisions is one of the worst things when you are indecisive. Should I or should I not? This question will float around your head until your head burst. My question was: Should I do gel nails or not? Normally for making decisions come into this process and that is to think pros and cons.

Pros: beautiful nails, easy to manage, supposedly also used for staightening and lengthening nails for people who bite their nails (after a few months, the gel supposed help you stop biting and make your nails grow to the tip of your finger)
Cons: Look artificial and a very big investment considering its just NAILS!

I couldn’t decide, so I called up the nail salon and just got a quote, all of a sudden I just booked it. In the end, all that brainstorming was just waste of time! Impulse buying is every women’s enemy (no more likely every womens wallet’s enemy)

For people who really don’t care about their nails and doesn't know gel nails are, gel nails is similar to just putting nail polish on but then the nail polish is not removable, it’s actually an acrylic coating. So the process is they sand off your nails until it becomes a thin layer. After, they do around 5-6 think coatings of acrylic gel and the gel will become solid after placing in a cubicle of laser lighting.

For many people that are put off by gel nails, to be honest I wasn’t a fan of this idea either. I just thought it would be too artificial and inconvenient for people who really need to have their hands on work. But nope I was absolutely surprised of how much more convenient life becomes and things like opening up a packet of chips and zipping up zippers and later finding out half my nail is chipped off is not an issue to me anymore.

The biggest boost of confidence was when last night I was having dinner with my brother in law and out of the blue he asked me: “ did you do your nails?” Even a man noticed my nails? Were my nails previously that bad??? ( I guess they were pretty bad)

Prices for gel nails vary from place to place around HKD500-1000, obviously price = quality so really have to shop around. My tip is to just tell your nail salon you only want a natural look so think layer of gel is OK. This will give the best results. Refills will need to be done once every 2-3 weeks, if not it would look pretty disastrous.

Looking good is a very big investment indeed!!!

by Ko.