Wagamama - Canberra

Despite hearing about how bad the food in Wagamama (Canberra Centre, 125 Bundah St) is, i still ended up there for lunch during a work training session. I must say that the decor is quite modern, very neat and clean (which i like). The staff was overly friendly or just extremely motivated to work because the waitress that served us, literally sat beside us while taking our order - not to mention the endless smile on her face. I ordered the Teriyaki Salmon ($22.20) and an 'Apple, Mint & Lime' juice ($4.70). The juice was a bit weird because it had this thick layer of lime foam at the top with a hint of mint but i have to say that it was quite refreshing for a hot day! The salmon was cooked nicely and i liked the crispy nori on top of it. However, the rice was a bit too wet and the sauce was a bit overpowering for the salmon. It was a really relaxed lunch and the overall experience was pleasant.

Sorry for the blurry photos, they were taken with my humble mobile phone!

Pão de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Puffs

Recently, I've been craving so much for Brazilian food. I guess it was ever since i had the priviledge to eat feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew) at one of the Brazilian restaurants in Sydney: Favela. It was so good and quite authentic and now it makes me miss Brazilian food even more...every single bit of it - from main dishes to snacks! Been thinking of going back to my roots and start making some Brazilian dishes...soh pra matar a saudade! At first, i was determined to make feijoada, but gave up on the idea because i found out that it isn't easy to get the ingredients here, at least not in Canberra. Thus i decided to make something easy and that brings back good memories of my childhood: Pao de queijo! I still remember the days in middle school when i would line up in canteen queues just to get a hot and deliciously soft pao de queijo during recess. Awww.

So here is the recipe:

- 300ml of milk

- 125g of unsalted butter, melted

- 1 tbsp of salt

- 450g of tapioca starch

- 2 large eggs or 3 small eggs

- 150g of parmesan cheese (the ones that you sprinkle on top of your pasta)

Method:

1) Bring the milk, melted unsalted butter and the salt to boil

2) Remove the pot from the fire and add the tapioca starch in portions, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition. It will eventually form something that look like a 'semi-dough'

3) Leave it to cool

4) Add one egg at a time and a portion of the parmesan cheese to the 'semi-dough' and knead it. Repeat the process until you get a smooth dough (something that resembles to a bread dough)

5) Make small/medium balls with the dough

6) Pre-heat oven to 180C and bake the cheese balls for around 20 minutes or until they are slightly brown on the top.

Enjoy!

A 'hello'!

Been wanting to blog so badly but due to the Canon competition, i've been negleting my lil' beloved blog and focusing on taking photos for the competition. Technically, i've submitted 4 photos but for some strange reason, only 3 photos show up in the Canon website. Weird.

Well...i hope that a photo of Snowie will keep you all happy for now =)

See you soon =)

Jazz Apple Cafe & Cupcake Emporium

Boasting an amazing range of 30+ different flavours (selling 9 different flavours every week, $4 each), Jazz Apple Cafe (222 City Walk, City) seems to be the latest most talked about thing in Canberra, even though it has only been in business for around 7 weeks. Located just a few steps from my work place, i clearly had to go and check it out. You can't miss JAC, because it has a big sign written 'Best Cupcakes' right in front of it! I wonder...best cupcakes in Canberra? NSW? Australia? Well, it doesn't matter...i'm happy if it's just The Best Cupcakes in Canberra since we never actually had a proper place that sold cupcakes. As i walk in, my attention is immediately drawn towards the multitude of pretty, colourful and scrumptious cupcakes all awaiting in line to be readily devoured (by me). To my amazement, i managed to suppress the inner me (who desperately wanted to buy 9 different flavours of cupcakes) and ended up buying one...yes, O-N-E cupcake! It was hard to make a decision because i wanted to try everything but mainly the Triple Chocolate Mud, Strawberry & White Chocolate, Moist Vanilla, Lemon & Poppyseed! I ended up choosing the Moist Vanilla as i remember that it was quoted in the Canberra 'Food & Wine' Magazine as one of the favourite picks (including Triple Chocolate Mud and Jersey Caramel Mud). Moist Vanilla is a pretty cupcake with a very moist vanilla base topped with a lilac coloured butter cream icing and finished with a cute violet flower on top.

Taste-wise? Very nice and moist vanilla base and the icing was fluffy and soft...good balance of sweetness too! Definately coming back for more since there are so many flavours that i have yet to try! *Eargely awaiting for the Key Lime & Cococut cupcake =9

Moist Vanilla Cupcake, $4 (i ruined a bit of the icing, sorry cupcake!)

The Flute Bakery

In Fyshwick (8 Barrier Street), a little gem you find. It's odd to find it in such a location because everything else you see in Fyshwick is factory outlets, motorcars repair centres, furniture shops and warehouses enfin, the last place you'd expect to find a nice bakery as such. The first thing you'll see is a big board with the bakery's logo and it's opening times...and guess what? It's only opens from Monday to Friday (8am - 3pm).

Anyways, there i was with my camera and ready for some food snapping! It is a pretty small bakery with some French posters on the walls. To your right is a few simple tables and chairs, on your left is where the bread and artisan cakes are and right in front of you is where the oh-so-good pies and quiches are.

Since i hadn't had lunch, i wanted some savory food before devouring all the delicious cakes in the cake display (not that i managed to...). I tried the Beef Pie and the Lamb Curry Pie ($4 each). Honestly, the pies are simply awesome! A-W-E-S-O-M-E. The beef pie had a lovely oozing sauce which didn't leave any after-taste and the meat was chunky and soft. I will have to admit that the Lamb Curry Pie was really good and this is coming from a person that doesn't like lamb (AT ALL). If this was the first time I had ever tasted lamb, perhaps i woudn't be so critical and against it afterall. OK...i'll make an exception for this Lamb Curry Pie then.

Now comes my favorite part...the cakes ($5.50 each). Unfortunately for the first one that i tried, didn't have a name next to it so until my next visit, this cake shall remain without a name. It was a 2-layered mousse (the first layer was a hazelnut chocolate mousse and the second layer was a white chocolate mousse) set on top of a chocolate wafer crunch with a 'river' of chocolate running on top of the cake and decorated with some caramel crunch.

After that, i was so full that i couldn't fit another cake (as much as i wanted to), thus PLAN B: Takeaway! I took away 2 cakes: the 'Passionfruit Mousse & Pistachio Cake' and the 'Raspberry Tart with Vanilla Bean Custard'. The uniqueness of the pistachio cake was the little chocolate case filled with strawberry jam but what i really liked about the cake was the passionfruit mouse. It was light, aromatic and yummy-ly (weird invented word) soft. I quite enjoyed the combination of fresh rasberries with the vanilla bean custard, they blended well with the custard offsetting some of its sweetness.

Beef/Lamb Curry Pie ($4)

Hazelnut Mousse Cake (Temporary Name)

Passionfruit Mousse & Pistachio Cake

Rasberry Tart with Vanilla Bean Custard