me and takeout dinners.

I'm still trying to make my first post in a long time but when all I eat is take-out these days, I'm not so sure that's going to happen soon.

*sigh*

coming up.

I was back in Sydney again recently and had so much fun.
It's time I started writing my notes again after so long.
Now... where do I begin?

sadness.

I was shocked when I heard the news about the passing of Aunty L's and Uncle A's son today when I got into the office. I think my parents also could not register the news at the time when I told them about it over the phone this morning. Then I got busy at work so I did not have the time to dwell on this so much.

Now that I'm sitting in front of my comp typing this out after reading the papers, I feel sad. I never got to know him personally but I feel sad that a young man who was talented and smart had left his loved ones so early in his life. My heart aches knowing that his parents and siblings have to suffer the pain of losing a precious one.

RIP Allan.

This really hasn't been a good week.

a great cny.

Today marks the last day of the Lunar New Year festivities. I'm a little sad that the celebrations are over since CNY is my favourite festival and is also the most celebrated for me. I love the flowers that brighten up the house, the decorations that are hung on the walls and new year plants and the traditions that go along with the celebrations. Most of all, I love the family get-togethers where everyone indulges in good food, catching up and collecting ang pows!














I had my 10th and final yusheng of the year in the office today to mark the end of the festivities and it was in the company of people that I really like being around with. That made it all the more meaningful I guess.

I had a great time this Chinese New Year and I hope you did too.
All the best in the Year of the Ox!

good bye 2008. hello 2009

It's scary that time passes so quickly these days. It didn't seem so long ago when I was bade farewell to 2007 then 2008 came and went. In all honesty, too many unfortunate things happened this year so I'm sort of glad that we're going into a new year with hope that things would get better.

Well, it wasn't all gloom in 2008. I had my good moments too.
I am thankful that I got to visit a few good establishments this year around the region.

My first trip of 2008 was to Taiwan. Although D & I didn't make it to La Petite Cuisine in Taipei as we had planned, we still found great local delicacies to feast on. In Australia, I had the privilege of meeting and talking to Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya's. It was amazing to hear him talk about an inspiration he had when he tried Hainanese Chicken Rice on one of his visits to Singapore. I also had an enjoyable time at Universal Restaurant where I got to taste the interesting creations of Christine Manfield. Bistro Vue by Shannon Bennett was definitely a highlight of the year as well. On the local front, I had my first ever WCG dinner which featured Kiyomi Mikuni. Thanks to my childhood friend, I also had the chance to attend a Charlie Trotter's dinner at the Sun Festival.

I'm looking forward to more foodie adventures, more smiles and less heartbreaking moments in 2009. I hope the same for everyone too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

in hong kong . macau restaurant

Macau Restaurant
G/F 25 - 27 Lock Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
Tel: 852 2366 8148

The family made a short visit to Hong Kong over the long weekend to celebrate Bro's birthday. It wasn't like he hit a milestone age or anything. I think it was just a good excuse to have a short break. I had a great time; just as I always do when I'm in HK. It was a welcomed break anyway since it's been quite chaotic at work recently.

We tried a couple of new places this time. We definitely didn't forget the family favourites as well. I've been to the Macau Restaurant at least twice before and both times I tried different things. I knew I had to visit for a third time when Bro started raving about this dish which I can only describe as pure comfort food.

Imagine this.

Minced Beef. Sauteed Onions & Potatoes. Luncheon Meat. Sunny Side-Up.













Mix all of the above in a BIG bowl with rice then plant yourself on the sofa in front of the TV whilst hugging the bowl.













I didn't do that of course even though I wished I did. It was still delicious even though I was seated at a little table in the cha chan teng. I would definitely order this again on my next visit. Next time though, I'd been having one to myself.

We also ordered the Grilled Sardines on Mom's request as she really enjoyed this dish on her last visit. They really do quite a good job with the grilling I must say. The fish was still kept very moist and tender. The sauteed garlic and a splash of lemon juice added a good fragrance to the dish and made it complete.















We also had the Portuguese Chicken which was excellent too. The chicken was tender and the sauce resembled a mild curry but yet it doesn't seem to have any curry powder in it. I could only tell that coconut milk went into the dish to make it rich and creamy. It was really hard to pinpoint what else was in the sauce so I gave up midway and decided to just enjoy its good flavours.














The meal was satisfying even though we didn't have much. We couldn't anyway since it was already 11pm and I had finished my dinner at another cha chan teng just 2 hours earlier. That explains why I couldn't order the Deep Fried Squid even though it's a dish that I adore deeply. The squid is never overcooked and is great with the wasabi mayonnaise that comes with it.

More on that cha chan teng dinner later.