Monday, November 21, 2005

What makes me happy?

Taking a breather

Write something more ditsy and chick-like instead of the melancholic prose that I tend toward, perhaps a tendency to look at blogging as an venting outlet.
Its been a time of contemplating and thinking but haven't really been voicing it out, just perhaps in my room, with only One who truly understands, furious scribbling in my journal and recently acquired scrapbook an attempt to be creative?

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

I'm a person that gets easily satisfied with the most simple things. Will start with things instead of people that make me happy or rather a certain small round and cute rodent furiously protested when I proposed writing such an entry.

FIRST UP.... Drum roll please...

COFFEE

This picture features one of the best coffee I've tried, thanks to a new-found music nut and slopping friend since a Brooke Fraser (up& coming christian singer) gig, Miss " I am the best" Belle. We went to this place called the book kitchen in surry hills, 5mins walk from her place that served the BEST Coffee in Sydney beating even CAMPOS coffee in Newtown.

This is my usual: skim flat white, hers? Soy Mocha.. atmosphere perfect, warehouse converted to hippy cafe, shelves stocked with what? COOK BOOKS!!! Food! I'm in heaven, PLUS Belle spotted a certain very attractive gentleman who took our orders.

Next! Presenting Roma Coffee from Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne

Queen Victoria Market boasts a variety of goodies to try, I get good loose leaf english breakfast tea from there, no tea bags stuff for me please! The deli an assortment of pesto olive, garlic dips perfect with crostinis and canapes; 100s of cheeses; cold cuts straussberg, salami, pastrami; smoked meats and fish.. and of course coffee stalls.. U have to go there to experience it

Affogato! Italian vanilla gelato topped with fresh-brewed espresso.. where else but Brunetti's in Melbourne, Lygon street, the Italian street of Melbourne


Had many a query in regards to this pict since I used it as an MSN picture as in where to get the affogato =)
Pop over there if, the trip is definitely worth the effort, its not too far =) Lucky Melbourne uni students, only a 10min walk from uni.


Coffee in the neighbourhood? Across the street on Glebe point road..

Skim flat white at Badde Manors (get the pun? unless u read it as Bad day Manos)

Score, not too bad, coffee's pretty strong tasting sometimes a bit bitter, lacks smoothness..

Head there if you're in for the atmosphere or vegetarian organic fare for the matter..


For express chain store coffee, there's none like hudson's coffee.. what's so good about it? Its smooth.. however its a rare sight in Sydney unfortunately, a corner shop near Martin's place and 110 George street parramatta.. Melbourne does a lot better having a scatter of them every where, first touch down to melb during my October trip? Hudson's regular skim flat white with hazelnut syrup.. Yum.. No one to scold me too.. hehe


Coffee makes me happy... but its dehydrating, not too good for the voice. Especially now that I'm supposed to be resting it.


What is my favourite coffee?

Hazelnut flat white with skim milk

Flat white? what's that,its 1/4 espresso topped with 3/4 milk, very little foam. Compared to a latte its 1/4 espresso, 1/2 milk, 1/foam, I don't like foam, Wils and Michael my 2 buddies usually eats it up for me if the barrista does not do it like its supposed to.

No hazelnut syrup? Well 1.5 teaspoon brown sugar will do. IF not I'll have it sugarless.

Man I should be a coffee-critic. Cafe shopping

Next on the list, given my profession as a paid foodie aka Dietitian.

Things that make me happy: FOOD!

I love FOOD, and what better excuse than to make it a life profession.

Hobby: to try out different cafes in Sydney, done plenty of that in Melbourne, recently tried a few great stuff at the book kitchen. Taste, work out the ingredients, condiments and of course TAKE A PICTURE, much to the chagrin of many a lunch companion and most recently I love this: embarass Belle who scolds me for acting like a typical asian tourist at the chic surry hills where the hip-boho people hang out.

Secret ambition: Food journalist (Jack our unit leader did say I left him drooling when I described to him the Book Kitchen)

My masterpieces: Firstly Brunettis: I believe this beauty was called the "Opera", last on the shelf that day when Audrey and I chose it to grace our arvo that day. Its a light flaky filo filled with hazelnut creme and I could taste a tad of grand marnier.. Behind it is a cannoli, cream cheese filled rolled italian pastry with almond flakes and chocolate tipped.




All time favourite: Eggs Benedict

This one is from the Foodstore on Rathdowne street, yes its from melbourne

I love Eggs Benedict, its really fatty from the butter and eggyolk that's used to make the yellow hollandaise sauce but I wouldn't order a normal fry-up just cos I can do it at home, but I go caffe-hopping to find the best eggs benedict and coffee.

This is at Leichardt, Italian suburb of Sydney, I took Munkey my best buddy there for his birthday brekky.

We decided to go for smoked salmon eggs benedict, came with a side of a great salad, simple balsamic vinegar dressing, light on the palate to balance the rich oils of salmon & hollandaise sauce.



The following images are from the Book Kitchen, don't drool. I shall now attempt to describe them with the justice due to them, but that's pretty hard cos u actually have to go and try it for urself!

The first trip with Belle, she had a lamb tenderloin on polenta pancakes. Lamb done medium rare, perfect texture, balanced with a honey mustard like sauce with grilled tomatoes and fennel flakes.



For me, I chose a duck sandwich. What? Peking duck? Nah its a moist roast duck sandwhich on hazelnut and raisin toast with a garlic and herb sauce topped with a mesclun salad.

2 weeks later, we were back !

Check out our fare!

I decided to try the famous wagyu beef, heard heaps about it but never did try it. Its featured here on an open sandwich, thickly sliced baguette with fresh tomatos on the top, lettuce with olive oil side and a dollop of grain mustard in red wine vinegar..

Verdict of wagyu beef: Perfect texture, melt in your mouth feeling without traces of visible fat

Belle went for the day's special: pan-fried Jewfish on top of white and green asparagus combi, mixed greens & celeriac with a mango chutney on the side.

Others: Sushiten's (melbourne flinders street), chirashi bowl, its a warm rice bowl topped with thick slices of tuna and salmon sashimi, sliced cucumber, a generous serve of roe and a side of sweet "ba Hu" tasting jap meat

Last but not least, Harry Cafe deWheel's pies, my favourite? seafood pie, here you can catch a glimpse of the salmon chunk peeking out... yumz..

Last feature of the day... flowers... I love fresh flowers, been too busy to get them these few weeks but they do change the whole feel of a room. Favourites? can pin-point any really. All of God's creation is beautiful.

7 comments:

akira said...

Hello helloo, I know what else makes you happy! A comment from Lister on your blog =) ok, great last entry, something I can relate more with. Food!! haha.. silly dietician obsessed with food and coffee? Something is not quite right... Wld love to see you back home soon k?

Anonymous said...

Waaaaaaaaaah... is Brunetti's that really huge cake and dessert shop at the end of Lygon street? If it is, then that's the shop Zhiyi and I visited almost everyday we were in Melbourne. :D

There is also this gelato shop along Lygon Street that is frequented by a lot of students but I can't remember the name of that place...

Verny said...

Kai! Excellent blog on food....superb pictures...just looking at the food u described makes my stomach rumble....and i've just taken my breakfast! =)

Miss Brunetti!!! There's better coffee that Campos? Amazing! Coffee back here is mediocre and nothing beats a good cuppa coffee on a relaxing Sunday morning.

Kaidy said...

Wow this is the biggest response ever, perhaps its on a topic close to everyone's heart! Food

Lili: its DIETITIAN the one u have is american spelling, I'm coming back soon, 17th Jan, can't wait to see the family again!

Ink: Yah Brunetti's was revamped in 2003, and its HUGE off one lane on Lygon. Its assortment of cakes is simply amazing. If u went there everyday.. haha u'll have a belly the size of TY's now! She's due in Jan ay?

Verny: My fellow foodie. COME BACK!!! Yes Amazingly, Book Kitchen in surry hills, coffee flavour done just right, I think the hardest is to find coffee that's smooth, perhaps has to do with the grind of it all, just strong doesn't really do it for me =)

Verny said...

hey gal....u're coming back jan? wow..staying for CNY is it? pls contact us and book us (me and SH) a slot in ur super-busy schedule ya?

Tiger said...

in the middle of the night, looking at the pics of this posts made me soooooo hungry. Your fault..

Anonymous said...

hello dear! i am very free at work today and read your blog, and decided to start from the start, and ooooh! i just wanted to let u know that coffee makes me superduperhappy as well. do u like freshcream? i wanna bring u to a japanese freshcream fruit tart place when u are back :)

About Me

" One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple - Psalm 27:4