Melbourne Eats: Hunky Dory

After a long day of shopping at Chadstone (one of the biggest malls I've been to, with more than 500 stores!) everyone was dead tired and wanted to back to the hotel and rest.  It's a good thing that there were a couple of restaurants lining up the street near our hotel, so we picked one and gave it a try.  That lucky restaurant was Hunky Dory.  LOL.  Well not really.  It's probably because I've complained about not getting to eat fish and chips in Australia before, so this time, the family gave in.

Hunky Dory is actually a very simple, no frills self-service restaurant.  The menu was pretty straightforward too; it consists of mainly fish and seafood.

Salad

No one liked the salad.  Guess you really shouldn't order something that's not the restaurant specialty, eh?  Lesson learned.

Calamari

I personally thought the calamari batter lacked the crunch.  The calamari itself was soft and fresh though.

The Hunky Dory

Fish of the day, potato cake, dim sim, chips, lemon and tartare with an additional order of a piece of scallop

Whoa.  HUGE order.  Fish of the day was called flake, and it was tender although not as tender as dory (which is the most commonly used fish in fish and chips).  The scallop was so-so, they overcooked it and it wasn't as big as expected.  Dim Sim, on the other hand, was a nice surprise.  It's basically minced meat wrapped in thick dough.  And the potatoes?  Well.. they're.. err.. potatoes.

Overall Hunky Dory was fine, but it wasn't anything special.  Not really the best fish and chips I've tried.  That award still belongs to one of the restaurants here in Manila.  2.5 out of 5 stars.

Hunky Dory is at 670 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Eats: Gradi

For our first meal in Melbourne, we met up with Mom's goddaughter, VF.  VF has been living in Melbourne for quite some time now, and rarely goes back to Manila.  So we visited her instead and asked her to tour us around.  But first, lunch!  Initially, VF wanted to bring us to a steak place near our hotel, but sadly, it was closed for lunch.  So we opted to just go someplace near the outlets, since we were planning to shop afterwards.  We ended up at the Crowne Melbourne Casino.  It was already about 3PM when we got there, and among the restaurants in that stretch, the tables in Gradi were still full.  We figured it must be pretty good, so we chose Gradi.

Patate Fritte

Erm... not so found of how their version of fries tasted.  I couldn't quite put my finger into it, but somehow it tasted off.  

Tagliata di manzo con infuso di olio alle erbe aromatiche

Eye fillet marinated with herb infused oil, chargrilled and sliced to serve

Very tender.  Look at how well they cooked it!  Perfect doneness!  It was a good thing it came out great because this was what 4/6 of the table ordered.  It would be a bad thing to see 4 disappointed faces.  Lol!  

Tortelli emiliani di carne in salsa di tartufo, parmigiano asparagi

Four meat filled tortelli Emiliani in a truffle and parmesan sauce with asparagus

My order.  I was expecting great things.  But ended up wishing I ordered the steak too.  The meat inside tasted bland and dry.  And the sauce?  Lacked truffle smell!

Tortelli insides

See?  You could tell it was dry even from the pictures alone.  Boo.

Cotoletta di vitello

Crumbed and fried Sicilian style veal cutlet served on the bone

Tasted like... Err... Breaded porkchop?  They even mixed up the orders so this was the very last one to arrive, after everyone was already finished with their own meals.  So not worth the wait.


So the verdict?  The only thing we really liked was the steak.  I've had better versions of the other dishes we had, so this was not am impressive meal at all.  Oh well.  2 out of 5 stars.
  

Gradi is at the Ground Floor, Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank 3006, Melbourne, Australia

Art Series - The Olsen, Melbourne

Happy New Year Guys!!!  I know, I know, I've been AWOL lately from the blog.  Blame it on the holiday season.  It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the busiest!  But I'm back now, and boy do I have some stuff to share! 

So how was YOUR holiday?  Ours was spent in Australia.  3 days in Melbourne and 3 days in Sydney.  Since it was a really short trip, we decided to just hang out, eat and shop for the whole trip.  No sightseeing, no touristy stuff.  Besides, the whole Australia was closed during Christmas day so that's another day we had to slash off from our trip.

First up, is our hotel.  Do you guys remember my post about Sydney's QT Hotel last 2013?  Was really blown away with that one.  So we stayed at the QT again this time.  Funny thing is, they gave us the exact same room!  So no blog post about QT since everything was exactly the was we remembered it.  Let's go to the Melbourne hotel, shall we?

The Olsen was booked by my Dad.  He actually tasked me to book a hotel somewhere near CBD or someplace with a lot of shopping places, but I wasn't able to find one.  So he did the booking himself and sent me the confirmation email.  I briefly researched about the hotel, and found it ok.  It looked nice enough, but somehow didn't interest me as much as the QT did.  So I didn't think much of it until the moment I set foot at The Olsen. 

First look at the room

Working table and Kitchen

That's a fully working kitchen complete with a mini refrigerator, sink, microwave, induction cooker, plates, cups and utensils.  You could easily get food from the supermarket and cook it yourself.  Oh what convenience!

Master's Bed

Couch and Dining Area

Notice the small entry way beside the working area?  It leads you to...

Second Room

...this!  A second room!  Just as we were thinking we'd have to sleep on the floor... surprise, surprise!   

Closet

Bathroom

The view from our window

The Olsen's Hotel Lobby

Hats off to my Dad.  I have no words - Australians really know their hotels!  First was QT Hotel, and now this.  QT might be aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but this one wins as the most complete.  They even had a washing and drying room right next to our room.  Plus, they offer Smart cars for rent.  As if that's not enough, The Olsen's location is quite fantastic too - lots of small boutiques/restaurants around the area and a Big W (superstore somewhat similar to Target/Kmart) plus a huge supermarket is just right across it!  How awesome is that?!  5 out of 5 stars!  I love it!  

Art Series - The Olsen is at 637-641 Chapel Street, Melbourne, Australia

Stockedia Philippines

Every person has their own unique love story.  It might sound cliche, but I knew Hubby was the one for me after a few months of dating.  Apparently, he felt the same because he proposed 9 months after we got together.  Talk about whirlwind romance!  But hey, as I always tell my single/heartbroken friends, if a person really is meant for you, then the whole universe will conspire to make it work, no matter what happens.  

From the moment you know you've find "the one", what's the next step?  Get married, of course!  But of course, there's no getting married without a proposal right?  A proposal that will knock the socks off your girl and make her say "yes, yes yes!" am I right, guys?  In order for that to happen, the very first step is to find the right ring.  But what's a guy to do when you've found your girl but the money is a bit tight?  That's where Stockedia comes in.

Who or what is Stockedia?  Stockedia Philippines is the country's most liked online jewelry store which sells affordable yet fabulous titanium and tungsten carbide engegement rings and wedding bands.  Whereas most of us are familiar with gold, titanium and tungsten carbide is new.  So I did the liberty of researching and here's what I came up with: 
 

Titanium, (according to Wikipedia) is a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density and high strength. It is highly resistant to corrosion in sea water, aqua regia and chlorine. The two most useful properties of the metal are corrosion resistance and the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element.  In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels, but less dense.

Tungsten Carbide, on the other hand, (according to Wikipedia), is a chemical compound (specifically, a carbide) containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. In its most basic form, tungsten carbide is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes for use in industrial machinery, cutting tools, abrasives, armor-piercing rounds, other tools and instruments, and jewelry. Tungsten carbide is approximately two times stiffer than steel, and is much denser than steel or titanium. 

As strong and stronger than steel?  Whoa.  This just means that these Titanium and Tungsten Carbide rings will last you a lifetime.  And if it's love we're talking about, then a lifetime is definitely what we are going for, right? (wink, wink)

Here are some of my favorites from their collection:

Engagement rings:

Flared heart titanium engagement ring with swarovski

Swirl titanium engagement ring with swarovski crystals

Ribbon cut halo swarovski titanium engagement ring

 Wedding Rings:

Smooth two tone gold plated titanium wedding bands

Black titanium wedding ring

Heartbeat in silver titanium wedding rings

Multi-faceted tungsten ring in rose gold wedding bands

These are some amazing looking rings huh?  Not only that, Stockedia Philippines offers lifetime warranty, free shipping worldwide and they also do meet ups if you want to see the ring in person!  If you think that's great, then you'd want to hear the best part:  Stockedia Philippines is on sale now and  most of these are less than Php 5000!  YES, Php 5000!  And no, I did not forget to put the additional zero. :)

Tis the season to be jolly!  With Christmas only a few days away, have you gotten all your gifts sorted out?  If you're the last minute shopper like I am, then the answer would probably be "still working on it!".  These rings are so affordable that you can also give them out as gifts for loved ones and friends.  So stop whatever you're doing right now, go over to the Stockedia website and shop, shop, shop!

For more information about Stockedia Philippines, visit their website here.

Like their Facebook Page and also follow them on Instagram (@stockedia.philippines) for more of these great jewelry finds!

Hong Kong Eats: Gough 40

If you think my past two food posts about Hong Kong Eats were good, then prepare to get your mind blown with this one.  Yes, I saved the best for last!

Gough 70, tucked in the quiet part of Central, is not actually part of my food itinerary.  It just so happens that Mom's good friend Auntie EL and her husband Uncle PL knew of it, loved it, and wanted to share this gem of a restaurant with  us.  I can only be too happy when you tell me we're eating steak.  Yup, this girl loves her meat!

The outside of Gough 70

I loved how the place, with their outside seating and all, reminds me the nice, quaint restaurants in Paris.  

Garlic Bread

First up, was the garlic bread.  Auntie EL was telling us how delicious it was, and from the moment it gave me that cruuuuch sound, I knew she was right.

Oysters

Sadly, raw oysters aren't my thing.  But judging from the slurps of everyone else in the table and the words "fresh" and "delicious" coming from them, I'd say they loved it.

Seared Scallops with Lemon Coriander Vinaigrette Salad

Being the vegetable-hater that I am, I ate the salad then saved the scallops for last.  The salad did nothing for me, but the scallops?  Oh.  Dear.  Possibly one of the best scallops I've had!

Blue Dungeness Crab Pasta

The Boston lobster linguine in Cafe Landmark might be the pasta love of my life, but this one comes at a close second.  So rich and so flavorful!

Panfried Fish 

The fish was cooked perfectly; it was very very moist and tender, with just the right amount of saltiness to it.

And of course, the highlight of the night:

Steak (raw)

Steak (cooked)

...and more steak!

Drooling yet?  I know I am.  How I wish I could transport myself back to the night we had these and savor that moment over and over again.  This piece of steak was huge.  Might not look much from the photos, but I think it's close to 2 kilos.  And did you notice how the insides are just the right pink without all the blood?  Perfection.  Gough 70 really know their steaks.  I don't really know how, but the steak was really, really tender, yet it wasn't oily at all!  

Sides

Apple Pie

Uncle PL loved the apple pie in Gough 70.  I got to take a forkful of it, and it's not bad.  I guess the steak somehow overshadowed everything else.

Molten Chocolate Cake

I was stuffed to the brim by the time the meal was over, but the server mentioned molten cake and I just could not pass it up!  So here it is.  'Twas good, but I've had even better ones.

So the verdict?  Do I even need to say it?  Auntie EL and Uncle PL are foodies themselves, and when they say something is good, then you bet it's good.  Everyone had a great time that night, even Dad who is not a huge fan of anything else but Chinese cuisine.  LOL.  5 out of 5 stars!  Thank you Auntie EL and Uncle PL!

Gough 40 is at G/F, 40 Gough Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Eats: Cafe Landmark

During a late night group chat while I was in Hong Kong, I mentioned to two of my friends that I was running out of new places to try in Hong Kong.  Sure, there are about a billion restaurants out there, but I don't want to risk trying something that doesn't come highly recommended.  After all, a few days is all I've got and some meals were already blocked off by my dad's Chinese food cravings!  My friend SL then suggested that I try Cafe Landmark.  They have pretty good lobster pasta, she said.  And that was all it took for me to march to Cafe Landmark and try it for myself.

View from Cafe Landmark

Check out the view!  If you love people watching, then it's a must that you get the tables on the sides.  It gives an amazing view of the entire Landmark Mall.

Complimentary Bread

I don't think I've enjoyed complimentary bread this good in a long, long time.  Cafe Landmark serves three kinds of complimentary bread.  One's fruity, one's herb-y and the other one... Shoot I actually forgot.  (sorry!) 

Boston Lobster Linguine

Grilled half lobster and lobster cream sauce

I actually arrived during tea time.  They had a number of yummy sounding dishes on their tea time menu, but since I went there for the lobster pasta and the lobster pasta only, I went ahead and ordered it.  Good thing their lunch and dinner menu is available all day long.

A closer view of the lobster pasta

I don't think the photo does enough justice as to how good the lobster pasta actually is...

The verdict?  My friend SL is absolutely right!  The lobster pasta is really delicious!  The lobster was succulent, and the sauce was creamy without going over-the-top creamy.  Crazy good.  Shame I wasn't able to order more dishes since I was all alone, but I'm definitely going back for more on my next trip to Hong Kong!  5 out of 5 stars!

Cafe Landmark is at 107-108, 1/F, Landmark Atrium, 16 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Eats: la vache!

la vache!  The mere mention of the name already sounds so posh.  And what made it more intriguing was seeing two of my friends' drool-worthy posts on two separate occasions.  So I made it a point to schedule a la vache! visit on my trip to Hong Kong this time.  Alone.  Yup, time for some me-time.  

Trekking (yes, trekking!) to la vache! is no easy task.  If not for my ever-so-reliable mobile data connection, I don't think I'll ever find this place.  It's not located in any of my usual familiar territory, so halfway through, a sweaty and grumpy 'ol me was already cursing my gluttonous self for venturing into the unknown.  But hey, life is nothing but an adventure, right?  Might as well make the most of it!   

la vache! Finally!

...and finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, this sign greeted me.

  

Menu

See the "menu" above?  This is actually the ONLY thing they serve.  I was hoping for more options but was mildly surprised when the server told me that they don't really have anything else.  Vegetarians, beware!

Got a bit bored while waiting for my food, so I did a bit of utensil photography.  LOL.

Bread

Nothing special.  Zzzzz....

Salad

If you must know, vegetables are my absolute enemy.  So it takes a really good salad for me to actually eat it.  And this, is definitely not one of them.

Steak!

Finally, the main entree.  Looks pretty good huh?

Steak and fries

More steak!!!

Would you take a look at that!  Oooh... take me back!!!

Warmer

Loved the fact that they served the steak on this plate complete with the warmer at the bottom to keep the steak hot.  Because the last thing you'd want is a cold steak.

Dessert

Nope, didn't even bother to finish the dessert.  It's not as good as it looks.

So what was my impression of la vache?  It was the bomb!  Forget everything else, the steak is everything you need.  Next to wagyu, this is the juiciest piece of steak I've ever tasted.  Sooooo good!  And for HK$258, I'd stay this is such a steal!  On my next trip, I'll make sure to bring the whole clan here.  LOL.  5 out of 5 stars! (at least, for the steak)

la vache! is at 48 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong