One of my aims in life...

If i remember correctly, at the age of 13 i made a list of things that i wanted to achieve in life. I can't remember all the things in that list but i am sure that one of them was publishing my own book. As years went by, that dream never became reality. Despite of that, I still haven't given up the idea of having my own book (doesn't matter if i don't get to publish it) even if that means compiling and sewing the pages one by one all by myself.

I was so excited when i saw the blog post about the Nuffnang August Blogger Challenge in Nuffnang’s blog. The challenge was to answer this simple question “If the old saying is true, and everyone has one book in them, what would YOUR book be?” I was immediately very excited and i had all these sorts of ideas coming into my mind – personal photography book, cooking book, arts & crafts book, etc...but for some reason i couldn’t really focus on a particular category.

I wanted a book that i could relate to and that would be some sort of inspiration to those who read it. Thus, I tried focusing on questions like “what are the things that i enjoy doing?” “what are the things that i like?” “what are the things that make my day?” It was then that i realised that my life is always filled with so many little things that i do, that i see, that i hear, that i come across on a daily basis which all served as inspiration to what i do and what i am. Little things that inspired me but that i never had the chance to write them down, little things like a word, a quote or even a picture that made my day. These are the little things that sometimes kept me going and inspired me to pursue what i like. Thus, i decided that my book would focus on these little things, hoping that they would bring the same joy and some inspiration to those who read it.

My book would be titled “My Misc. – sometimes life is about the little things that make your day” and would contain some of my photography (of pretty and inspirational things that i encounter), photos of food that i enjoy eating, things that i like baking/cooking and some little craft ideas that i enjoy doing. There won’t be a particular order in which i want the contents of my book to be but my aim is that every time someone opens the book, there will be something in that page that would touch or inspire them.

I hope MY BOOK is creative enough to win one of the three chances to turn my book into reality through Blurb. Thanks for the opportunity, Nuffnang and Blurb! All the best to everyone who is participating in this competition too!

Here are a few sample pages, hope you will enjoy them and feel free to let me know what you think! Thanks.

HK: OWL Our Wonderland

I immediately loved OWL Our Wonderland (5/F, Tern Plaza, 5 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)from the very moment that i stepped out of the elevator - although i did struggle a bit to choose between this place and another Japanese restaurant (Japanese restaurants are my weakness, i have to confess). What i liked about Our Wonderland was its unique and fun decor - white walls with random drawings and graffitis here and there. They are so fun to look at that i think my head couldn't keep still during the whole meal.

Starters and some of the drawings

We decided to go for the Dinner Set for Two because it was pretty good value for money (HK$288 - AU$41.15)  and it had a few dishes that we wanted to try.

As starters, we got some Homemade Foccacia (accompanied with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil) and a bowl of Cream Chowder each. The foccacia didn't taste fresh and the chowder didn't have much taste. Next up was the entree which was Smoked Duck Breast Salad, it was alright but there was quite a bit of fat in the duck that i couldn't help but trim off some of it.

The service felt a bit rushed because we got our Seafood Homemade Ink Noodles in Tomato Sauce before we even finished our entree. The pasta dish was average since the noodles were a bit overcooked and the dish as a whole tasted a bit dry. The Mango and Crab Meat pizza, on the other hand, was something quite unique and different (especially when the other 2 choices were Hawaiian and Margarita Pizza), so i decided to give it a go. The pizza came out pipping hot and that melted cheese was so inviting. The thin crust was good and though the combination was rather unusual and 'very-Asian', i still liked it a lot! *maybe because i am Asian?

Seafood Homemade Ink Noodles in Tomato Sauce

Mango & Crab Meat Pizza

OWL Our Wonderland is definitely a place for people who would like to have a relaxed dinner surrounded by some cool graffiti and soothing background music. The food is alright but its decor is definitely something that would make me want to go there again.

SMB Canberra Food Blog turns 1!

Dear all readers,
SMB - Canberra Food Blog turns 1 today!
Thank you for all your support.

HK: 紅蔥頭 Cafe MED

Cafe MED (Shop 1M-1T, G/F, Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok) is just located at the sides of one of the busiest and most popular markets in Hong Kong: The Ladies' Market. It's a place where you can find a lot of different things such as souvenirs, clothing, stationary, watches, fake designer bags, DVDs...you get the point. Tip: Don't get there before 12pm as most of the stalls won't be open.

Sis and I decided to have dinner at Cafe MED because it looked quite cute on the outside and the menu looked more attractive than the other five or six restaurants ahead. The simple restaurant has a red-ish tone and a few small cute pictures hanging on walls. Judging by the prices (less than HK$100 per head - AUS14.30), i knew that i wouldn't be getting authentic Italian/French food but the Hong Kong version of Italian/French cuisine. It is a modified version which tends to be sweeter to suit the palate of many Hong Kongers. I just treat it as a unique 'cuisine'...something unique to Hong Kong!

I decided to order the Duck Breast in Tomato Sauce with Angel Hair and sis ordered a Smoked Salmon and Mushroom in Truffle Cream Sauce with Angel Hair. My main came with a Minestrone soup which was quite sweet for my liking and ended up not finishing it.

We also got a Baked Potato Skin as an entree. The potato was baked with cheese and looked very appertizing when it arrived. The only downside was that the potato used was not fresh because it tasted quite powdery and dry.

The portions were quite generous but somehow there was always more pasta than anything else. I think there was only five slices of duck breast in my pasta and two slices of smoked salmon in my sis' pasta. 

I liked the Salmon Pasta more than the Duck Breast Pasta maybe because the Truffle Cream Sauce tasted way better than the Tomato Sauce. It didn't taste like a 'normal' tomato sauce but one that has been sweetened and modified with soya sauce - if that makes sense. But then again, it's the Hong Kong version of Italian/French cuisine =P

The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff was friendly and the food was alright. If you would like to try the unique Hong Kong version of Italian/French cuisine, Cafe MED can be a choice on your next visit to Hong Kong!

HK: 翠華餐廳 Tsui Wah Restaurant

After the first round of shopping in Hong Kong, Mom and I decided to take a break and have lunch at Tsui Wah Restaurant (77-78 Parkes Street, Jordan). Tsui Wah used to be a very small tea house that was first  opened in 1967 and have now become a corporate group with 18 restaurants across Hong Kong and Shanghai. Mom told me that she used to come here after school and it was a popular destination for many Hong Kong celebrities.

Tsui Wah Restaurant is a Cha Chaan Teng; this is a common term used to describe Chinese Tea Restaurants found in Hong Kong that serves affordable meals from Hong Kong cuisine or Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. Tsui Wah has a simple yellow-themed decor and what stands out for me is the yellow and white jigsaw puzzle wall and the cute coffee cup. 

Mom ordered a Tender Pork Ribs with Vermicelli in Tom Yam Gong Soup (HKS32 - AU$4.50) and i ordered a Hainanese Chicken Rice (HK$50 - AU$7.15). The Tom Yam Gong soup tasted nice and it even came with prawns and fish cakes. The ribs were tender and loved chewing on the soft bones.  

I enjoyed my Hainanese Chicken and i think it was a pretty good value for money. The portion was pretty generous and the chicken was tender, soft and very tasty. The hot chilli sauce and the ginger sauce complemented well with the chicken and i also liked the picked vegetables (the ones that are marinated in vinegar). The meal also came with a bowl or rice and a traditional Chinese soup (not the msg kind!).

It was a lovely well-spent lunch with Mom and definitely got my energy bar 'maxed up' for the second round of shopping!