Melbourne

Had the chance to go to Melbourne for the weekend, this is the 4th time I've visited Melbourne and it is as beautiful as ever, except for the weather which hovered around 12 degrees. On the last night there was a event called "White Night" which is kinda like "Vivid Sydney", basically buildings are transformed with lights and projections and there's also live performances and other artsy stuff. But man, was there a crowd! Didn't end up seeing most of the stuff and just went back to the hotel so I didn't take any photos :(

Cumulus Inc.

A friend who lives in Melbourne had suggested this place for dinner, according to him, if a restaurant doesn't take bookings for under 6 people then that means it's a awesome place to eat, apparently. So we decided to give this place a go, went in at 7 and was told that a table won't be ready till 9. I guess most people would not wait for 2 hours but they have a very nice bar area where you can drink and eat as well so we decided to just sit at the bar. The bartenders really knew their stuff when it came to drinks and cocktails as well as the food. So we got:
Baked chilli mussels, Roast new season potatoes, confit garlic & sage, Corn-fed chicken breast, confit leg, puffed rice, avocado & sorrel, Flounder (I can't remember the full name as it was a special).

The mussels were delicious, baked in a tomato and chilli based sauce, chilli enough to feel a slight sting which was just right. The potatoes were crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, the sage was panfried with the potatoes and give it that really nice aroma. The flounder was a big hit with the group, it was tender and moist, the sauce which was also tomato based with corn (and some other stuff which I have forgotten lol) really held the dish together, be careful of bones though. Then came the chicken which I must say was my favourite of the night, chicken breast can be tricky to cook as they can be quite dry but it came out a perfect 10. The puffed rice was a really pleasant texture, it just seemed to work in perfect harmony with the avocado. We did not have room for desserts unfortunately, it's funny how really good food fills you up even though it's in very small portions.

 

Hot Star Chicken

When I saw that blue sign when I was walking past my heart skipped a beat. I had experienced the awesomeness that is "Hot Star Chicken" in Shanghai when I went back last year but here in Australia?! My word!! For those of you who don't know the brand, they sell fried chicken the size of your face (ok, maybe even bigger than your face). You can choose different flavours (chilli, salt & pepper, plum, seaweed) and there are also sides like curly fries and fried sweet potato. After you had your first taste you'll want to keep going back for more. Just saw on their facebook that they're opening a store in Sydney in March, hooray for fried chicken! :D

The White Shirt

Every woman should have at least one good white shirt in her closet, it's one of those things that never goes out of style. Versatile and classy, they come in different shades of white, collar shapes, embellishments. Oversized boyfriend shirts paired with light blue jeans and flats is the perfect outfit for a relaxed Sunday date while a fitted shirt goes with any kind of bottom for the office look. I like to pair a flowy chiffon shirt with taylored shorts or pants and gold accessories. You can also tuck your favourite statement necklace under the collar for that instant chic and polished look. It's one of those pieces that are worth investing in as you can pretty much incorporate them into any outfit and any season. 

For all the items and prices I've used in the collage below just click on the image.

Created using Polyvore.

 

House of Crabs

There seems to be a lot of these American style restaurants popping up around Sydney, I got to try one of these in Surry Hills/Redfern called "House of Crabs". I must admit, I giggled a bit when I first heard the name, it sounded more like a brothel rather than a restaurant (a terrible one too).

Positioned above the Norfolk hotel on Cleveland St, it would be a good place to go for some late night snacking that's for sure. The first thing I noticed when we sat down was the paddle boat on the ceiling, the cutlery holder which is a cardboard Budweiser 6 pack holder and the very distinct southern American style music that was playing. Decked out with nautical themed booths and decor, it has a very laid back atmosphere and the service were friendly and prompt.

So we got: 

Lobster fries, fried chicken, Little Neck Clams in oriental sauce, Blue Swimmer Crabs in Cajun sauce, Neapolitan ice-cream waffle sandwich.

The Lobster fries were great, real flavourful and came real fast too. The corn on top was actually cut from a cob instead of the canned version! The lobster sauce was thick and creamy, the perfect consistency to go on top of the fries. We were given bibs and gloves because apparently things will start to get messy from here. The fried chicken came next, oh the excitement! We tear into the chicken, regardless of the fact that it's piping hot. The coating was crunchy with a mild spiciness to it while the chicken stayed perfectly moist and juicy on the inside. The sauces were a nice touch although the chicken would've been fine without them either. The seafood comes in bags of 500g with your choice of sauces, we got the clams and the Blue Swimmer crabs. If you feel like splurging you can go for the King Crab which costs $45 per 500g. When the bags arrive, the bib and the gloves comes into play, and a lot of paper towels! For those who love crab like me, you'll know the struggles of trying to get the meat out of those shells. The crabs were cooked perfectly, thrown in the bag with the Cajun sauce which was aromatic and spicy. The meat was sweet and succulent, worth all the effort I'd say. The clams were a bit of a let down though, the oriental sauce didn't really taste like anything and it just didn't feel as satisfying as the crabs were. For dessert they only have the one choice which was good enough for me, who doesn't like ice-cream and waffles right? I liked the fact that it had a bite to it thanks to the almonds, the flavours were balanced and wasn't too sweet which is what you want after such a big meal. 

For those who fancy a drink or two, I recommend the Peach Cobbler cocktail. I really enjoyed this place, just remember not to wear your sunday best here because things will get crazy and messy very fast (as you can see in the last photo), with or without the bibs. If you like comfort food then this place is a must try, when you're not on a diet.

http://houseofcrabs.com.au/

 

Seedlings!!

So Jules have given me this Shippon animal planter thing for Christmas last year, I've only taken it out and planted the seeds a few days ago and now they're sprouting like crazy! It's actually quite interesting the rate that they're growing, It's given me something to do during the working day, staring at plants lol. I think watching them grow is making me more excited than I should be, maybe it's due to the fact that all the plants that I've had all died on me in the past....

Stay tuned for the progress of these little seedlings! Grow my pretty, grow! :D