Pappa Rich Doncaster, Round 2

As promised in my last post on PappaRich, I am back one month later to try the roti bread dishes!!! This time around we ordered more dishes, and I was extremely happy with ALL of them. The roti bread that was served with my meal was a bit broken up and not wholesome at all. I expected a bit more because it was just so flat! The crispy chicken skin MIGHT look unappealing and gross because it's so fried and oily but it was not one bit. It tasted like real chicken strips. I can't wait to give Gami a visit and try the chicken there!!! Greed ALL the chicken!

Fortunately there are tv screens in PappaRich Doncaster so we were able to watch the Olympics in the background. Judo was pretty intense but I don't really understand the objective of it. Watching men's judo is x10 better than watching the women's because it is more agressive and interesting. But lesbihonest, women are still better.

Two main dishes, one entree and two drinks for less than $35. 

What an absolute bargain for two people! Cheap eat$ for sure!!!

^ a plate for fried chicken skin nomnomnom i love chicken

^ BONELESS HAIANESE CHICKEN = FAVOURITE

^ teh tea beverages. sweet and smooth

^ Slice of hazelnut and Toblerone cake from Mocha Jo's

On another note, I finally watched The Dark Knight Rises on Sunday and it was AAAAAAAMMMMAAAZZZZINNGGG to say the least. My world was rocked. I hadn't felt that way (walking out of the cinema) since I watched the 12am screening of the last Harry Potter. I walked in not knowing that Joseph Gordon Levitt was in it, so my expectations were high and the movie just got better and better as it progressed. I had to hold onto my bladder because I did not want to miss a second of the movie. It's a shame that Alfred wasn't in most of the scenes because he is seriously a sweetheart. But the acting and storyline of the movie was excellent. Breath taking. Superb. I would pay to watch it again. But Tom Hardy's acting did not compare to Heath Ledger and his passion being ingrained as a joker.
Tom Hardy you're still a big babe in my eyes though.

Happy 2nd Birthday Ethan!

29th July 2010 marks the day my gorgeous nephew was born. 

Being the youngest of two, I was never blessed with a younger sibling to play pranks on and be protective of. I still remember the day Ethan was born. Coming home from a long day of year 12 classes, my dad and I were called into the hospital because my sister was due. The anticipation. The excitement. Was it a girl, or a boy? How was my sister doing? What do I do while waiting for two hours? I couldn't even concentrate in the hospital lobby room. Giving birth is seriously one of the most amazing wonders of the world. That a woman can carry a baby in her body for nine months and give the gift of life.

Ethan has certainly been a gift in our lives. His smile. His cheekiness. His clever reactions and observations. His parrot attitude, mimicking everything we do. Two years of his existence has not only brought my family closer together then we already were, but he has been like a little sibling I never had. I am extremely repulsed by baby vomit and poo, but being an aunty gives you the resilience and understanding of what it is like to take care of another human being. Having a younger sibling/niece/nephew and taking great care of them shows how much you should appreciate your parents and everything they have done for you to be healthy and for them allowing you to be where you are now. Happy birthday Ethan!!! I love you so much!!!

^ the cheeky bugger isn't even looking at the camera!!!

^ cutest baby everrrrr

^ Ethan sniffing and playing with this sock puppets and bubble gun.

Wooga Korean Restaurant

For the first time in four weeks, I had a quiet Friday night with two work colleagues/friends/lovers/partners in crime. It felt nice giving my liver a break this weekend, and it felt even nicer waking up in a normal state.... not having to nurse a raging hangover.

We went to Wooga, located near Queen Victoria Market, conveniently situated near our work. Even though we made a booking we still had to wait quite a fair bit to be seated. The boring wait was overturned as our food came out one after the other. It was like heaven in food form.

Combo A was $39 but being as hungry as we were, we opted for Combo B, which was fit for 3-4 people. At a good price of $65, you received four bowls of rice, a biggggg bowl of spicy spicy soup, and various types of meat that left us smelling prrrrretty delectable when we walked out. We also had side plates of delicious kimchi, onion, dry coleslaw and bean sprouts.

Compared to other Korean BBQ places I have been to, this had high quality service and the waiters were always attentive to us. I guess it was because we arrived an hour before their closing time, so it wasn't as busy as it would be if we had arrived at the traditional dinner time. I would definitely give this restaurant an 8/10 because the food was impeccable and so were the waiters and their hospitality. KOREAN BBQ IS SO FUN, SO ADD IT TO YOUR BUCKET LIST IF YOU ARE YET TO GO!!!

Wooga Korean Restaurant

270 Victoria Street

North Melbourne VIC 3051

(03)9328 1221

Choo Choo's

Work functions are always super fun, especially when you're trying to squish nine people in a little booth at Choo Choo's (located above Cookie on Swanston Street). I never have a problem with expensive meals, granted that what I'm ordering tastes effin delicious. I was pretty disappointed with the food and service. Long waits for our order, trashy looking waitresses and loud music. I will take into consideration that it was also a bar, but I couldn't even hear myself think with the loud music blasting through my ear drums.

If you like Thai food with a modern twist, then you should pay a visit. They even have alcoholic bubble cups which costed $12. I would have ordered if I wasn't driving that night. Never going back to Choo Choo's again, rating it a 3/10. (sorry harry)

^ me and my sexy associates taken with really bad iPhone 4 quality.

^ James giving the finger to our food.

^ porterhouse with shallots and chilli sauce 

^ finished porterhouse and asparagus with broccolini. 

Family Is Love

This blog has always insinuated that food is love... and my only love. But beyond my love for the amazing food that I have been privileged to eat, I have an undying appreciation and high regard for my FAMILY. I am pretty ashamed that I have had this food blog for several months now, and didn't even think twice about including my beautiful mother and sister. They are the most astonishing and compassionate women/chefs/carers in my life. I guess dad is too... but he doesn't cook much and mum likes to keep it that way because I inherited his lack of talent in the kitchen :(

The images that I have uploaded below are obviously a tiny fraction of the meals that they have actually cooked. It was hard sifting through iPhoto to find photos, but I tried my best to pick the best ones. Through my 19 years of breathing, both my sister and I went to the same primary school and high school, and have been constantly been commended by our peers about my mother's food. She's known for her delicious dumplings, spring rolls and fresh tasting fried rice. But that is not it. We used to receive calls at 8 in the morning... her friends trying to contact her asking her about what ingredients to buy for this meal and how to prepare that meal. If that doesn't scream out LEGEND IN THE KITCHEN then I don't know what will.

Put it this way: if mum could speak fluent English and entered Masterchef, the competition would be deemed over as soon as Matt Preston and the other two fatties tried her food. The series would be over in the first episode and my mother would be on the front page of every newspaper and book for being the best chef in the entire life of the Masterchef series. My beautiful mother IS the MASTERCHEF. I'm sure your mother is a great cook too, I guess.

As for my sister, when she moved out, both her and her husband became creative in the kitchen and fortunately I was always invited over to try the food. One day they'll call me over for risotto, another day they'll call me over for a steak sandwich. Whatever the meal may be, they know how to host a ridiculously good party. The hostest with the mostest = my sister.

^ seafood risotto w/ mussels and lipton peach tea

^ my beautiful mother about to fry the butter chicken for the rice paper rolls

^ the most exotic tasting toastie i have ever tasted. no joke.

^ steamed barramundi fish, my favvvvvvvourite!!!!!!!!!!!

^ blessed to have mum make me this for days that i'm not feeling top notch

^ vegetarian feast!!!!!!!!!!!! oh boy *drools*

^ le steak sandwich, the best!!!!!!!!!!!

^ hot pot bitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^ rice noodle soup with duck and roast pork.

^ last but not least, crispy salmon with sweet potato mash served with the freshest veggies. this one time I was at Mocha Jo's and had the salmon which was not at all on par with my sisters. Disappointing $30 meal. My sisters cost $35 to make three.

Mocha Jo's

Mocha Jo's is a great place for catching up with coffee and has an extensive yet delicious menu ranging from entree options to mains. Located on Kingsway (Glen Waverley), it's worth the travel because the coffee is so effin good! There is Zest 89 across the road but the coffee there is pretty bad tbh. I couldn't find any more images that I've taken at Mocha's on iPhoto (I really should clean out my folders) but the ones below show the type of servings that you would expect. The chips have always been fresh, and I guess it's safe to say that I have never been disappointed with my meal, ever. I am a food snob so that's a pretty big deal. 

The waiters/waitresses are really sweet, but they will constantly pester you and ask you if you want any more drinks which is rather annoying. Be sure to make a booking if you're intended to dine at night because it's always busy. 

^ calamari as a main and a chicken burger which was super delicious.

^ trio of dips and wedges hellz yes

^ lunch with my girls some time ago, wedges and calamari salad for four people

^ salmon with asparagus, sweet potato mash, eggplant paste and chili... damn the chili 

^ a really rich sticky date pudding that i did not enjoy one bit 

^ i love cheesecake with honeydew green tea mhhhmmm