Lunar New Year 2016 from February 8 – 22 2016
Hey Everyone!
Happy Chinese New Year!!
Hope all’s well with you!
I’m just posting a few pictures of Landmark’s awesome public installation to welcome in the Year of the Monkey… To be honest, I was expecting an annual lunar floral arrangements of the new incoming Chinese zodiac, but anyway, the dolly monkey were quite amazing too!
Cheers!
[Pops out from behind wall 👻]…BOOH-YEAH! It’s been a seriously long time. Thanks for sticking around even though I seem to have died for the last few months… I have been kept very occupied in Malaysia, but I’ve also been fortunate to go back to Sydney for a quick break where I met my Beau!
Date: October 3 2015
Since Beau and I had nothing planned for the October long weekend, Beau suggested that we drive to the Bowral to see the tulips exhibition while at the same time show me where he spent most of his school holidays as a boy.
The tulip exhibition is in Corbett Gardens. Entrance fee is $10 per person, which I later found out is the only week that entrance fee is charged. Never mind that! The seas of tulips were stunning! 🌷🌷🌷
The rows and ROWS of tulips…in an amazing assortment of colours…
Different varietals of tulips were exhibited. Flaming Parrot is by far my favourite amongst the various varietals.
Flaming Parrot
Tulip with frayed edges
I am able to recall that black tulips were all the rage over a decade ago (if you can remember that, then you are old too!😜) – a single stem costs up to $100 – an obscene amount of money…
Black Tulip
Beau said that this cherry blossom tree is a century old. He could remember having picnics under that tree.
Some light entertainment under the rotunda…
Jazz under the Rotunda
As with all public fairs, there were several stalls selling fast food, drinks and gourmet produces.
1st Hotdog for Spring!😋
Poffertjes with maple syrup
Cider that we both enjoyed, which is also available at B&W liquor shops
We spent around an hour and a half in the Gardens, then continued with our road trip to Kangaroo Valley…
We stopped at Cambewarra Mountain Lookout for a quick break. This lookout is 678m above sea level. Some notable landmarks can be seen: Seven-mile Beach, Jervis Bay, Nowra bridge, Shoalhaven River mouth, St Georges head, St Gerges Basin, etc…
Cambewarra Mountain Lookout
We proceeded to drive back to Sydney on the Grand Pacific Drive via Kiama…
Date of Wedding: September 16 2015
A good friend of mine got married today. The lucky couple chose Newport Mirage to hold their wedding ceremony and lunch. It was a glorious spring day with the sun shining brightly. The ceremony itself was moving and romantic. The couple met 2 years ago; yet with age differences and many, many kms apart, they managed to continue developing their relationship to literally ‘sealing the deal’ today! 💞💞
Views from the terrace where the ceremony will be held towards the marina
We had a 3-course set menu with 2 options – straight-forward and fed us well. Here they are!
ENTREE
My choice was the Smoked Salmon Roulade with very briny capers.
Smoked Salmon Roulade: Tomato, Baby caper and Herb Salad, Horseradish sauce
Or
Confit Port Belly: Caramelised orange and Cardamon Reduction Fennel Salad
MAIN
I had the Herb crusted Beef Sirloin with a hard-as-cardboard polenta, otherwise the beef was good.
Herb crusted Beef Sirloin: Crispy Polenta, Wilted Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Shiraz Jus
Or
Oven Roasted Chicken Breast: Colcannon, Asparagus, Mushroom Sauce
Vegetarian Option
Grilled Capsicums, Eggplants, Zucchinis, Asparagus
DESSERT
I shared both desserts with another friend of mine. I preferred the Cherry Clafoutis because it is lighter and had a crispy shell.😋
Cherry Clafoutis Tart: Grand Marnier Reduction, Mascarpone Cream
And
Sticky Date Pudding: Butterscotch Sauce, Date Compote, Vanilla Bean Ice-cream
After some congratulatory speeches and dance, we were served the wedding cake as our final dessert.
The cut-up 2-tier Weddding Cake: Orange poppy seed, chocolate fudge, lots of cream and thick fondant
As part of custom, all the single ladies were invited to catch the wedding bouquet. I caught it together with another girl, but decided to let her have it instead. 😇 (I figured, she has better luck!😜)
Wedding Bouquet
Surprise, surprise..The surprising ‘hero’ of the day was the humble piping hot bread roll! 😅
Humble roll…
Date of Visit: September 13, 2015
So I’m back in Sydney again – this time for around 2 weeks. The trip from Borneo to Sydney was truly an expedition in itself, taking me a-day-and-a-half! I transited for around 9 hours in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I had the privilege of using the Golden Lounge, but unfortunately, MAS being a near bankrupt airline is undergoing cost-cutting measures: alcohols are served in tiny Barbie-doll play-sized goblets, and I had to trek to Burger King for my Diet Cokes…with no temptations in sight, I’m on track with my ‘diet’ *win!* 🙌 (Although I did gorged 5 bread rolls to dull my hunger pangs! 😂)
Perhaps, the stars were not aligned for my red-eye flight. After boarding, there was a delay meaning that we were made to sit on the plane for over an hour…when we finally arrived Sydney, we were 45 minutes delayed…meaning that I only had time to drop my bags at home, then drive to Bondi Junction for lunch with the Ladies.
Ever so efficient, the Ladies had already ordered, I happily await for the food to arrive…
The complimentary Roasted Crickets really made our day! Oohs and Aahs all round with phones out a-clicking. The Chapulines: Roasted crickets in chilli, garlic and lime are popular Mexican street snacks. Sour-spicy-salty, I preferred the accompanying garlic chips instead of the crickets themselves! The crickets were bland and tasteless…similar to eating charred leaves?
Chapulines: Roasted crickets
Chapulines: Roasted crickets
Up and personal with Jimmy The Cricket 😋
Prawns were so-so…forgettable…
School of deep-fried Prawns
Scallop ceviche with cucumber, charred corn, tomato, chilli and lime juice in a pot with fried crisps was nice.
Scallop ceviche
We each ordered a Tacos. I had the Gemfish Tacos which was good…
Soft-shell crab Taco
Gemfish Taco
Quesadillas were another typical Mexican fare… I had a forgettable taste of each.
Mexican Truffles and Mushrooms Quesadillas
Zucchini flower, Quinoa Cheesy Quesadillas
The 12-hours beef short ribs with pickled cabbage and baby onions was amazing! Tender soft meat in overly tasty BBQ sauce, hence my favourite of the day was the pickled baby onions.
12-hours beef short ribs with pickled cabbage and baby onions
We also had the tasty Whole grilled Spatchcock with back beans and corn.
Whole grilled Spatchcock with back beans and corn
For dessert, we ordered the Buńuelos Con Chocolate: Mexican doughnuts & chocolate sauce. The Ladies all loved the fluffy doughnut balls…
Mexican doughnuts & chocolate sauce.
It was a beautifully perfect afternoon lunching with the Ladies on the terrace under the blue skies, talking about lipsticks! While in KLIA, to kill time, I did MAC true-red lipstick runs – Ruby Woo to be specific! A devaluation of the Ringgit meant that RM74 is equivalent to A$25 – a substantial price difference of A$11! *Bargain*
Blue Skies
Colourful drinks…
Rooftop terrace
Murals along the wall
Muncha Gratias
Date of Visit: August 31, 2015
Getting good sushi outside of Japan is hard. So I was very happy to find out that Hanaya at the Grand Millennium in KL serves an excellent Sushi Set Lunch.
Hanaya
Thoughts have been put into the privacy concerns of the clients, that the tables are set further apart, and with privacy screens. The one major drawback was the irritating background music.😞
Glass privacy screens
Assorted Sushi , TAKE (RM60): Types of sushi as listed on the menu are – Tuna, Salmon, Trevaly, Boiled Prawns (I think I had a Alfonsino as substitute), Boiled Octopus, Scallop, Mackerel, Salmon roe, Squid, Kappa Roll: Cucumber Small Roll, Tekka Roll: Tuna Small Roll
Pictures of my Sushi Platter! Fishes flown in from Japan and prepared by Japanese chef! Absolutely delectable sushi!
Beautifully crafted
Kappa Roll: Cucumber Small Roll, Tekka Roll: Tuna Small Roll
The other set worth mentioning is the Special Kaisen Don (RM88): Assorted sashimi served on a bed of sushi rice.
Kaiseki Don
Same side dishes for all the Set Meals: Comprising miso soup, salad and grilled vegetables
Miso Soup
Grilled Vegs
Complimentary dessert for the ladies: Black sesame gelato with chopped mixed fruits
And Coffee or Tea to finish up! Fab food, service and great value! I shall be back! 😍
Date of Visit: August 24 2015
When I discovered that a 3 Michelin Star chef is opening a pop-up in Kuala Lumpur, I was very excited! Perfect timing for a birthday celebration! The pop-up is only in operation for 88 days. thus it’s called Aziamendi88👍. It occupies the Mandarin Grill at the Mandarin Oriental, KL (my review of a prior visit here).
Eneko Atxa is Spain’s youngest ever 3 Michelin Star Chef and has recently been voted 19th Top Chef in the World by San Pellegrino. Mind you, he designed the menu at the pop-up, but not the actual cook!
Well-advertised: Basque chef Eneko Atxa
Unfortunately, dinner slots on the day we wanted were booked solid, so we had lunch instead – after a lot of annoying phone calls from the restaurant to confirm our reservation, we rocked up promptly to secure our lunch at noon, to find the restaurant was not yet opened! 😁 It was also the first time I have been asked by a restaurant if I am sure about my 8-course lunch menu! Pfftt…
Whatever…Naturally, I had a high expectation of the the chef’s creativity and the MO’s service!
When we finally accessed the restaurant, we were led to a mock garden where we were served some amuse bouches before entering the main dining room. (The jungle feel of the waiting area brought memories of the now defunct ‘Rainforest Cafe’ in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong where we used to go very often when I was little😄).
Mock-garden: Loved the sensory experience as well…smell of fresh of hay..😃
Mock garden
Once seated on the park bench, we were handed a 8-course Dinner Menu 😳. Caught by surprise with the mistake, I queried the waitress, apparently the 8-course dinner menu is same as 8-course lunch – so hence recycling of the dinner menu for lunch! Join the green crusades, dudes! 🌳🌳 👏
Pre-Lunch: Picnic
Amuse Bouches, aptly called ‘Picnic‘ on the Menu was served in the Picnic Basket while we waited. There were 3 types of amuse bouches: Anchovy Mille Feuille, Corn Toast & Caviar and Mojito Bon Bon.
Picnic basket
We were advised to start with the Anchovy Mille Feuille: Crisp crackers sandwiched with the briny tang of anchovy paste decorated with red local pine leaves, looking cute like little butterflies. Then moving onto Corn Toast: Black corn toast with caviar, fish roe and mayonnaise whipped with sea urchin.
Anchovy Mille Feuille, Corn Toast and Caviar
For the finale, the fragile Mojito Bon Bon literally pops in the mouth giving an alcoholic rush of minty-tangy enjoyment.
Mojito Bon Bon: Can’t remember the dusting on top 😟
1: Bonsai Tree
A huge Bonsai Tree was waiting at our table, hmm… the presentation looks familiar, our minds race to Aronia Takazawa where we had the pleasure of dining in Toyko a couple of years ago. (review here)
Bonsai Tree
Hanging on the tree were 3 cherry tomatoes, one for each of us. The firm tomatoes flooded our mouths with juicy sweet liquid flood. It was clever to take out the inside of the cherry tomato to replace it with a mixture of tomato and fruit juices. It was absolutely delightful! By far, the best cherry tomato I had ever tasted! 🙌
We finished off the 1st course with brown crackers with a sweet-earthy-savoury chew akin to beef jerky – ‘wood bark chip‘.
Cherry Tomato
2: Truffled Egg
First the egg yolk was removed. The yolk then infused with hot truffle jus then re-injected into the original membrane, hence cooking the egg inside out. We swooped it in one mouthful, expecting a warm burst of truffled yolky flavour, but it was cold and gamey…no hint of truffles…hmmm…
Truffled Egg
More to our expectation was the steamed milk bun served from a dimsum bamboo basket. it was hot, fluffy and very delicious especially with the dense and aromatic spanish olive oil.
Steamed Milk Bun
There’s wine pairing available, but we opted to choose a bottle of red instead. We were happy with our choice of an easy to drink Tempranillo from Rueda within a reasonable price-point (RM268)
2009 Tempranillo
3: The Garden
Edible soil has been around for a while now, so nothing new for me. There are 2 parts to this creation: ‘Soil’ was made from dehydrated beetroots and later adorned with miniature carrot, sweet peas, tomato, cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini. ‘Earth’ was the sweet jelly tomato-orange emulsion. Very pretty presentation, which I ate gleefully with my spoon.
The Garden
Earth: Tomato Jelly
Paired with the soft sweet corn bread.
Corn Bread
4: Foie Gras Ashes from the Grill
A bit of ceremony here, first I was given a wet towel, then my place was set with a black napkin. I really loved the presentation of this course, although eating it was very messy. The frozen foie gras paste sits on top of a toasted brioche and covered with foie gras shavings possibly mixed with ashes or squid ink (my guess 😜) It was hard to eat because the brioche we hard and tough to chew. In the end I had to use the towel to wipe my face and fingers – I was really messy. 😝
Foie Gras Ashes from the Grill
Pretty… the local pine flowers made the grey lump looks like a dressed-up porcupine resting on a branch!
Accompanied with Spelt Bread.
Spelt Bread
5: Squid Noodles with its own Crunchy Juice
First came the dish with squid topped with 3 slices of pickled onions.
Then local fish roe and a croquette of squid ink and juice.
Squid ink and juice Croquettes and a teaspoonful of Local fish roe.
Then the unctuously thick broth was poured over the squid noodles.
We start with the fish roe, then move onto to squid noodles and then the croquettes. Nice dish, but the broth was too salty for me… plus it was cold.
6: Grilled Tuna, Fried Eggs, Marmitako and Flowers
I had no idea what ‘marmitako‘ was, so I googled – it’s basically a tuna pot or fish stew eaten by the fishermen in the Basque country. What we had was the modified version of a thick, salty soup.
Modified Marmitako with Tuna Sashimi and Crisp
The soup was followed by the cold grilled tuna, it was tough, salty and fishy … good thing is that it sits atop the sweet pureed cauliflower… I could use that to tone down the fishy saltiness! 😜. Although the 2 fried balls were fried egg yolks, i thought the runny centre was cauliflower pureé! Whatever… I liked the pretty pickled flower petals!
Grilled Tuna, Fried Eggs, Marmitako and Flowers
7: Lamb Shoulder, Pesto, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
The last savoury course was the very disappointing lamb shoulder sandwiched between 2 thin sheets of pastry with a micro salad garden on top. The lamb shoulder was tough, raising suspicions that it was reheated from last night’s dinner. In any regards, the liquid parmesan balls were delightful!
Lamb Shoulder, Pesto, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
8: Dulcey Chocolate and Peanut, Salted Caramel Ice-Cream
Beautifully presented – like a Japanese art! Basically a quenelle of salted caramel ice-cream that melts a bit too quickly and a peanut butter log coated in chocolate ganache dusted with some gold dust. Added to the plate, some cookie crumbs for textures and chocolate and caramel sauces for decoration.
Dulcey Chocolate and Peanut, Salted Caramel Ice-Cream
Petit Fours
The petit fours came in a perspex box with 4 compartments filled with: marshmallow sitting on a bed of sugar ( incidentally, this was my mom’s favorite), White chocolate on white cookie crumbs, Chocolate macaron on chocolate biscuit crumbs and Dark Chocolate on coco crumbs. My favourite was the Dark chocolate praline with a sour-sweet fruity filling. 😛
Petit Fours: Marshmallow, White Chocolate, Macaron, Dark Chocolate (L to R)
The rather underwhelming 8-course food only degustation lunch was priced at RM438 (inclusive of all surcharges). There’s also food and wine pairing at MYR698.
Date of Visit: December 26 2014
So I am back at RyuGin Hong Kong again…this time with my Bro to celebrate his birthday. My last visit with mom was enjoyable (here), so I thought I should splurge again for my Bro’s special occasion! The 3 of us had been to Ryugin Tokyo earlier in the year too (here)
Place setting
We didn’t order the signature RyuGin Sake this time, but instead opted for a more ‘competitively’ priced hot sake. 😆
Hot sake
COURSE 1
Monkfish liver from Hokkaido and ‘aka’ clam with spring onion in mustard miso sauce
COURSE 2
Simmered abalone with winter vegetables served with grated radish sauce
Love the presentation!
COURSE 3
Shiitake mushroom egg custard topped with Matsubagani crab
Whilst I had the substitute without crustaceans, due to my allergy
Shiitake mushroom egg custard topped with simmered scallop
COURSE 4
Poached oyster and mashed turnip soup in winter style
COURSE 5
Assortment of Sashimi
Fishes flown in directly from Japan! Try as I want to, I can never recognise the fishes – except tuna (pink) and salmon (stripey orange)! 😁
Loved how the chef plated the course: Using salt to draw a mountain scenery
I really like this, I think it might be razor clam (?)
COURSE 6
Charcoal grilled Alfonsino served with crispy scales.
Yes, the citrus is from a province in Japan!
The crispy scales were the highlight
The lump in the middle is the salty preserved yuzu peel
COURSE 7
Wagyu ribeye sukiyaki with onset tamago
The egg is from Japan as well…😆
Thinly sliced beef hidden under the simmered carrots, leeks and onions
Brilliant gooey orange colour – double yums 😋
COURSE 8
Sea-urchin rice with pickled vegetables and miso soup
This is the traditional set denoting the end of the savoury course in a Japanese degustation meal.
COURSE 9
Pear
Being spoilt with the theatrics of desserts, needless to say, I am quite disappointed with the rather under-whelming presentation…no theatrics of dry-ice…
Pear
Powdered sorbet pear
Cooked pear added after I cracking open the miniature pear
COURSE 10
Deep-fried sticky rice spring-roll with ice-cream
Quite a traditional dessert
Matcha, personally prepared by the maitre-d to finish off our meal.
Matcha
Overall, the meal was good – utilising the freshest ingredients ALL air-flown from different regions in Japan – as expected of a 3-starred Michelin Restaurant 😗, but unfortunately a rather straight-forward text-book execution with not much of a ‘wow’ factor after a couple of visits.
But what is a birthday without a cake? So off we went to Robuchon for our 3rd dessert…😗
Date of Visit: July 19 2015
I had a good Sunday lunch today – which was a surprise – considering, it’s a small unassuming ‘restaurant’ (if you can call it that) in a mall, with a prominent display case of cakes and pastries! It’s tiny with only 30 seats! (Psst… here’s its digits for reservations: +852 3188 8086 ☺️)
The Royal Touch is a brand created by Carolyn Robb, former executive chef to Prince Charles and Lady Diana, so without doubt, this cafe features some royal dishes! Those following the Royal Family will know that Ms Robb is also famous for being the creator of Prince William’s Chocolate Biscuit Groom’s Cake!
Without further ado…
We had the Set Lunch Menu – simple British fare but really special!
APPETISER
Seasonal Fresh Fruit Salad with Raspberry & Passion Fruit Dressing
or
Avocado & Papaya Salad with Papaya Dressing
I had the Avocado Papaya Salad which was very different to the salads I have had. The combination is unusual – papaya and avocado (?), but very flavourful – slightly tart and not overly sweet.
Avocado & Papaya Salad with Papaya Dressing
SOUP
Asparagus and New Potato Soup
or
Soup of the Day
I opted for Carrot Cream Soup was the Soup of The Day. Normally, soups featuring carrots in Hong Kong is sweet, Ms Robb’s carrot soup is creamy and savoury.
Carrot Cream Soup
MAINS
We decided on different items for our Mains. The price of the Set Lunch is dependent on the Main course one chooses:
My bro got Corned Beef Potato Cake with Black Truffle Scrambled Eggs (HK$218). The creamy eggs with truffles were highly recommended.
Corned Beef Potato Cake with Black Truffle Scrambled Eggs
I had the Slow Cooked UK Dingley Dell Pork Collar with Wild Berry Jam (HK$288). I ordered it medium, but parts of it was a little bit undercooked, but nevertheless not bloody and tasted good. What I especially liked was the cute Romanesco Brocoli or Buzzy Broc, the potato mash with truffles was divine!
Slow Cooked UK Dingley Dell Pork Collar with Wild Berry Jam
My mom had the Royal Classic Cod Fish Pie (HK$228). it arrived piping hot, but not enough fish she said…😏
Royal Classic Cod Fish Pie
The mains are heavy in potatoes and all used campari tomatoes as garnish.
DESSERT
Dessert was chocolate cupcake with different butter cream frosting – I had the Earl Grey frosting, the others were Blueberry and Pistachio…
Chocolate Cupcake
COFFEE OR TEA
I also have to mention that the coffee (included in the Set Lunch) is very good – strong, not bitter – definitly better than those from the speciality coffee bars around… seriously!
A look at their menu says that we shall be back for their afternoon tea set! The waiters are very polite and attentive, and the price very reasonable, so pinkies up, everybody! ☕️👌🏻 Next time, Royal Afternoon Tea!
Where is The Royal Touch Bakery Café by Carolyn Robb?
Shop G02, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tin Hau Temple at Joss House Bay is the oldest and largest Tin Hau Temple in Hong Kong, built in 1266.
There are many Tin Hau Temples in Hong Kong because Hong Kong was originally a fishing village, and Tin Hau is the patron saint of the fishermen.
Who is Tin Hau? She is the Goddess of the Sea or Queen of Heaven. She was taught by a Taoist priest at 13 to predict the future and help those who were sick and weak. Legends had it that she travelled about the sea on a raft made of reed to save people from drowning in the sea. Hence, she was revered as the ‘Goddess for safety in the sea‘.
How We Got There: We boarded the private ferry at Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter (Exit A from Sai Wan Ho MTR, then walked to the Grand Promenande). The boat service is a round-trip service between Shau Kei Wan and Tung Lung Chau, only available during Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. We had made a separate alternative arrangement with the boat company for a drop-off and pick-up at Joss House Bay. (Handy info: info@boatpeople.com.hk; call +852 2337 6568 or call the captain directly: +852 5114 676)
Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter
Leaving the metropolis
Tung Lung Chau has 2 drop-off points on the island: Nam Tong Pier and Fat Tong Mun Pier
Fisheries in Tung Lung Chau
Fishing pontoons
Fishing pontoons
Tung Lung Chau is a pristine unspoilt island east of Hong Kong with beautiful scenery. It has an area of 2.42 sq km with only 100 inhabitants. As we travelled on the boat, we could see waves crashing into the rocks, steep cliffs and evergreen vegetation on rolling hills, which makes a very secluded place for camping hideaway.
Hen Hill, Tung Lung Chau
Beacon at the northern most tip of Tung Lung Chau
We arrived at Tin Hau Temple, Joss House Bay which is opposite to Tung Lung Chau after about 45minutes.
While not a fengshui expert, I can tell that Tin Hau Temple sits on a good fengshui spot at the foothills of the peaks. (Shall I also divulge that I was taught geomancy in uni by an Australian lady? How’s that for learning ‘sha chi‘ and ‘chi‘, from a foreigner? 😛)
Great Feng Shui spot: Tin Hau Temple
Why was the Temple built? Historical records noted that the Temple was built by 2 brothers from Fujian Province in the salt trading business. Whilst at sea one day, they were hit by strong winds and were swept from their boat. Struggling in the sea and desperate, they shouted to Tin Hau for help. They later drifted safety ashore to Joss House Bay. From then on, they built a temple in honour of Her.
Hong Kong’s biggest and oldest Tin Hau Temple, built 1266. Also called ‘the Big Temple’
External worship altar
Incinerator for burning offerings to Tin Hau
A second, smaller incinerator
Let’s take a tour inside the temple…
Main Entrance to the Temple
Elaborately craved Tin Hau’s vessel in front of the Main Portico
Hanging coiled incense
A model of Tin Hau’s boat which is taken out for procession every year
I didn’t take pictures of the Gods and Goddesses out of respect. I believe that they should have their privacy and moreover, it’s disrespectful to delete their pictures or misplace them… 😇
Interesting stuffs inside the temple: Joss sticks, incense sticks, cocks, wind mills… everything auspicious!
I made a donation to the temple and prayed for good health for my family
I wonder why the cocks are considered auspicious 😏
Wind mills for Good Luck
Offerings to the Goddess
Ahem… I did take a picture of the Laughing Buddha…His altar is outside of the Main Temple, in the enclosure to the right. I certainly hope He’s OK with it!😊
Matreya Buddha (Laughing Buddha): Located on the left side hall
The temple also houses Lady Golden Flower (Patron of Pregnant Women) where pregnant women or women who want to fall pregnant comes worship.
Lady Golden Flower (Patron of Pregnant Women)
Guardians of the Temple
Architectural motifs made from Shiwan porcelains (Shiwan is now an extinct art)
Shiwan Tiger
Shiwan Fish
Carvings
Lunch was a seafood fest at Po Toi O village. The restaurant was a very basic timber structure but it was packed with people, speaking volume of its food!
View from the restaurant
One of the biggest fish ever! 😛
Dried seafood for sell
It was a perfect summer day out, away from the scorching heat and humidity in the city!
Contrast between fishing village and high-rises
Typical trawler
Alternate way to get there on weekdays: MTR Po Lam Station Exit A, take the green minibus route 16 (Po Lam to Po Toi O), get off at the Clearwater Bay golf & Country Club, walk for about 10 minutes down the steps nearby.
Date of Visit: July 2015
Lunch today was at Jamie’s Italian in Harbour City. Since it’s summer, the best thing to do is to hit the mall for free air-conditioning! The normally busy mall with trolley totting tourists is surprisingly quiet… I guess they are all queuing at LV and Channel at Champs-Élysées! 😜
I have been to Jamie’s Kitchen once when it first opened. There was a huge queue so I was surprised that my mom had scored a table without a reservation. As I was doing an errand, my mom and brother bombed me with texts urging me to drop everything as the wait time for guests is only 15mins and we can only have the table for 1.5hours max!
I’m no stranger to Jamie’s Italian as I’ve been to their Sydney branch many times – so it’s good to do a comparison between Sydney and Hong Kong…
My 1st experience with Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong…was their Superfood Salad. A mouth-wateringly tart plate of avocado, shaved fennel, candied beets, pulses, Italian sprouting broccoli, creamy cottage cheese, pomegranate, smashed nuts & seeds and served with a fennel blossom Sicilian harissa. I had also added beetroot-cured salmon. Lots of stuffs, but still not very filling.😁
SUPERFOOD SALAD WITH BEET-ROOT CURED SALMON Instagram:https://instagram.com/outforalonglunch/
Today we ordered…
Burger Italiano: Chargrilled beef burger with melted fontina cheese, sweet tomato salsa, schiacciata piccante, pickles, chilli, crispy fried onions & chips. The burger was good, but the chips was a tiny bit disappointing as I don’t think it’s been double-fried, hence did not retain the crunch.
BURGER ITALIANO
Mom ordered the Sausage Pappardelle: Braised fennel sausage ragù with incredible Chianti, Parmesan & crunchy, herby breadcrumbs. The sausage ragu were akin to minced meats…so it might be ‘deconstructed’ sausage!
SAUSAGE PAPPARDELLE
…and the pappardelle looks like instant noodles! Not the large, broad flat pasta noodles that we are accustomed to but ‘reengineered’ pappardelle! 😇
PAPPARDELLE = MAGGIE MEE 😶
I ordered the Fish in A Bag: Fish of the day with clams, mussels, fennel, chilli, anchovies & cracked wheat, topped with fiery arrabbiata sauce. It’s very simple dish that I can cook at home – all the seafood packed in butter-paper and foil! What I don’t like about my order is that it’s too tart? I like fresh lemon juices over my food, but not slices of lemon cooked with my food – and I don’t like an overkill of tomato sauce!
FISH IN A BAG
I guess Jamie’s recipes must have been tweaked to the local Hong Kong taste, as I find them quite ‘powerful’. Also, this is the first time that a customer is obligated to choose to tip their server 10%, 12.5% or 15% – pre-calculated on their docket!
Nevertheless as with any celebrity chef’s franchise it will surely be a tourist must-visit resto!
Out For a Long Lunch 