Sunday, August 29, 2010

KIMCHI and its many uses...

It was one of those days when your craving for a good wholesome meal only to find yourself stranded alone at home with a near empty fridge. It's times like this when you just have to throw whatever food you find together in hopes of making a decent meal.
So today I found kimchi, cheese, spam and a few eggs.......and together its makes kimchi fried rice with cheese and a kimchi omelette!!

Heres my omelette with a few bits of kimchi in it.


and heres my fried rice mixed with kimchi, grated cheese and lots of spam pieces!!



Friday, August 27, 2010

BAGEL!

Cafe: The Great Bagel & Coffee
Location: Shop 444, Level 4, Macquarie Centre, Cnr Waterloo and Herring Roads
Website: http://www.greatbagel.com.au/
Price range: $5-$15
Overall Rating: 7

I think there was a vital point in my life that added a very important goal on to my life list, and it was whilst I was watching 'Devil Wears Prada' during the introduction scene (probably the first five minutes of the movie) where Anne Hathaway bought a bagel for breakfast. Yes guys, a bagel. I had always thought that bagels were just like the ones you can find in Starbucks: plain or blueberry and then you cream cheese it up! But no.. Apparently people shove things in there to spice it up, so you can imagine that that scene completely changed my life. I was a woman on a mission.
It's probably both convenient and perhaps destined for me to be a Macquarie uni student, because there's a little bagel cafe on the top level of Macquarie Centre.


I quite enjoyed their wallpaper :)



Their coffee.



Thai beef bagel.

Honestly, yes it was delicious. But I'm going to need to try more bagels in my life to judge!

Side note: While I was taking these pictures, I was asked by the man who approached me as to why I'm taking photos of my bagel. I feel awkward enough to take out my camera and take pictures of my food. It was even more awkward when somebody asked me about it. Hahaha.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

DESSERT FEAST on a budget!


Sooo... another blog.. so soon? i know...


BUT Yesterday!!! AMAZING dessert that feeds 3-12 people... depending how much each person eats... LOL
ALL FOR UNDER $15!!!!! 
and it tasted AMAZING!

But don't just take my word for it! see what others said!!!
"Yummm! This dessert is AMAZING" 
- Lorraine M.                

PEOPLE ARE RAVING ABOUT IT!!


I'm an idiot.. haha i know.. but it was really good. hit the craving right on target and on a budget! Here are the pics from my phone :) Rouse Hill Town Center (all bought at woolworths)






Price Breakdown: *(pricing subject to change depending on supermarket and sales)
Tim Tams (chewy caramel) - $1.85
M&M Cookies - $3.45
Bulla C&C Ice Cream - $4.00
Mini Cheesecake Bits - $2.99
Plastic SPOOOOONS - $0.89
TOTAL: $13.18
ICE CREAM SANDWICH!! Best idea ever! cookies were sooo soft.. but still firm enough. (well done Woolies.)



Food Experiment: Meat Chai Pie and Roll

The wonders of Procrastination and Inspiration mixed together.. who knew it equaled PIE!?



Sooo.. I experimented with pie right :) I'm actually quite proud. I had some mince in the fridge and just.. really felt like cooking something more. something a bit fancy. Originally i thought it was pork. How wrong i was when it was defrosted. LOL. ^__^ I made up the pie filling recipe. and i added like.. potato and stuff aswell

Made the dough from scratch and found the recipe here: http://www.ivillage.com/homemade-croutons/3-a-168918  and made abit'o'adaptations.

see the images below


With leftover mince, mash potato and puff pastry i also made a roll.


I personally feel it was even yummier than the pie!
steps below. 



and now.. i'm procrastinating again -_-" story of my life really.. haha i'm at uni at the moment... supposed to be doing an assignment... GAH!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Kit's Review: Cake anyone?

Celebrating my 22nd birthday with the family
it has become a tradition to buy a cake from a small patisserie located in North Sydney Greenwood Plaza(directly connected to North Sydney Station)

Name: Red Mango Patisserie

For my 22nd birthday, the cake chosen for tasting was Mars Bar Cheesecake

The cake has a biscuit base layer,large cheesecake layer topped with chocolate and covered with a generous layer of caramel and large chucks of chocolate pieces.

I warn you, this is not for the faint hearted. Caramel is thick and sticky and chocolate is very rich!


For those with a major sweet tooth, this is definitely one you MUST try :)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Cafe/ Restaurant review: Nina edition.

Cafe: Yama Japanese Cafe Restaurant
Location: Queen Victoria Bldg, Level 2, Shop 4, Market St end
Price range: $15-$30
Overall Rating: 8

sign


I was told about this place about a year ago by my brother, but I completely forgot about it until a few months ago one of the waitresses strolled into our shop and gave us a 20% off discount card for all QVB staff! So I finally had a go at it and I must say I was completely satisfied! I will definitely go again because there were a couple of things on the menu that I was eager to try but I didn't want to spend too much money as well as not looking like too much of a pig. Some of the dishes was a fusion of traditional Japanese food with a hint of Western touch to it. I had a cherry tea(?) for my drink, and a teriyaki chicken wrap. There is also seafood green tea pancake on the menu that I was really itched to get, but there's always next times!

The little cute tea cup given with my Cherry tea
tea

The teriyaki chicken wrap
Teriyaki chicken wrap

And the inside.. Mmmmm
insides

The teriyaki chicken wrap was sprinkled by some sort of pickled radish that I wasn't a big fan of, only because I felt like it was too sour to tickle my fancy. But I just don't like sour. But other than that the dish was ravishing.

Restaurant Review: 3one7 (Chai. edition)


Restaurant: 3one7
Location: 317 Church St, Parramatta, NSW
Introduced to me by: Karam and Naomi =]
Price Range: Starters: $5-20 Mains: $12 - $30 Desserts: $10
Link: http://www.3one7.com.au/


Overall Rating: 7.5


Honestly, I believe I'm a tough critic when it comes to food, so this rating is actually quite high.


I base this review solely on my own personal experience of this restaurant. Nina was there too and she probs has a different view. :)


So a couple of Saturday's ago I went there for lunch with the girls from highschool. =] The company was amazing and the restaurant was alright.
Portion sizes were generally worth their price. 


We all shared food (best idea ever. I suggest everyone does this more often) and from the menu I was able to try; 
Bruchetta Pizza, Garlic and Cheese Pizza, Chicken 3one7,  Pesto Chicken Risotto, Pumpkin and crab Soup, Seeded Mustard Chicken, Veal Mushroom and Prawn, Garlic Chicken, Salt and Pepper Squid.


Highlights: 
Pesto Chicken Risotto was AMAZING. That dish alone brought the rating from the originally contemplated 7 for food ranking, to 8. Though very green, it was very rich, thick and creamy. My personal preference in risotto. 
Pumpkin and Crab soup was also quite nice. Not to bland and a nice, hearty texture.
Chicken 3one7 is a tough one. The accompanying sauce and combination of ingredients was drool worthy, however the chicken itself was a tad dry and the potatoes lacklustre. 


Lowlights: 
Salt and Pepper Squid (SAPS).... why did they add it to their menu. If you're going to offer SAPS on your menu, you have to get it right!!! This SAPS... was not right. I'm very passionate about my SAPS... let's leave it at that.
Some of their vegetables were slightly overcooked or dehydrated.


Other than that, my dining experience was pretty good. 
Below are some blurry photos taken from Nina's phone.
Enjoy. =]
Garlic and Cheese Pizza


Bruchetta Pizza

Chicken 3one7

Pesto Chicken Risotto =]

Seeded Mustard Chicken

Garlic Chicken

Veal mushroom and Prawn

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Cafe review: Nina edition. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

So I've been technologically challenged of late - my loyal iMac of 4 years crashed on me, my cameras were either not working, charger is missing, or borrowed for months by my dad, even my TV wasn't plugged in.. for months. But things are starting to change and I've got my camera back! So alas - my first post in Wanna-Spoon!
Anyways to get to the main point, I'm not usually a big breakfast person but today only seemed appropriate. I work in the QVB building so I've walked past the numerous cafes within the building and never actually sat in one.
We went to the Jet Cafe Bar located in the corner exit of QVB that faces Druit St.

Cafe: Jet Cafe Bar
Location: Queen Victoria Bldg, Level Ground, Shop 55, Druit St
Price range: $15-$20
Overall Rating: 5.5

The vegetarian omelette. And the inside of the omelette!Vegetarian omelette


Insides


Eggs and sausages
Eggs and sausages


Eggs and bacon
Eggs and bacon


My rating seems a little harsh, and although I'm no breakfast guru, the taste of my omelette was moderate... Toasted turkish bread is always good - we did a combination of butter and strawberry jam and I think that was the highlight of my breakfast. I just never really know what constitutes as a very delicious breakfast - they're always just eggs and a variety of meat? Perhaps I should try their lunch menu next time! But I guess this place is worth a try if you want to relax for a while, get away from the harsh cold of winter, and they were very comfortable seats - if you get the cushion side. The coffee was good! :)
In the next few weeks I'm going to try circulate all the cafes within the QVB building during my lunch breaks!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Churro Fiesta!


What happens when you've got 3 very hungry and very stressed yayas.....?

You get 18 churros with 6 different (...and very sweet) dipping sauces!!

That... was a GREAT day!! :)

(Sorry about the bluriness its taken from my phone)


Dipping sauces from the left: dark chocolate, white choclate, milk chocolate, whipped cream, caramel, vanilla ice-cream

Monday, August 9, 2010

Food Update: Chobib Edition

In a place in Haymarket, Prince Centre. I think it's called the Chinese Noodle House - or something like that. And they serve Northern China -style food.


(Sweet & Sour Pork - Albert's order)


(Handmade Noodles with Wontons)


(Pan fried Pork & Chives dumplings)


(inside the dumplings)>


Thursday, August 5, 2010

Food Update: Chobib Edition



(White rice mixed with creamed corn, chopped onions, salt and pepper)

Home-made

Who? What? Where? Why? and..... wanna spoon????

We have decided to make a food blog for the people, by the people. But, before we get down and dig deeply with our trusted spoons. I believe it's only suitable that we introduce ourselves.


The WHO:
Collectively we are a group of 5 young women who share a most passionate and overwhelming appreciation of food.
Originating from one of Sydney's leading cities in cultural sophistication, Blacktown, the 5 of us united together in 2006 at the peak of our Secondary Education doom, known in NSW as the HSC.
Our friendship began as a means of procrastination, stress-relief and cheap entertainment, but now, (deeply rooted in the ultimate glory of food) has blossomed into an indissoluble and unseperable bond.
As a group, we are known as the "YAYA'S". 
We roam the streets of Sydney and abroad, buying, cooking, trying, tasting, eating and consuming foods of all kinds (and alot of it) Be it entree, main or dessert. After grazing for hours on food fit for 20 or more, often you will hear the suggestion for dessert, followed swiftly by "It's okay... Dessert is in a seperate stomach".


Our motto is "We eat... don't judge us"


Come and get to know us. Here's an inner look into the characters involved in the YAYA'S:


 [Y] Chai - Often the instigator of many of the YAYA'S food Escapades and food experimentations. As a result of an abundance of free time, Chai often rally's the gang for random, spur of the moment, food adventures.
  Most distinguishable food habit or favour: Mixing and combining a multitude of sauces and dips to create new flavors.
Food talent or trick: "The chicken trick" (May blog about it in the future)

[A] Diane - The "ultimate Teeny-Bopper (TB) asian" of the YAYA'S, Diane is key to many asian snack and restaurant discoveries centralizing in the Sydney CBD. Her tertiary student lifestyle has enabled her to uncover little pockets of Gold hiding in the sidestreets and corners of Sydney. Smallest in Stature, it has to be said that Diane is most talented at packing away the most food in one sitting of all the YAYA's.
Most distinguishable food habit or favour: Favour's asian snacks such as pocky and choco pies. NOTE: Timer or frequent reminders, a must when baking with Diane.
 Food talent or trick: Ability to eat GREAT amounts of food (As pre-mentioned) and also able to provide Musical entertainment during the intake of beverages. Also her burp-ability is second to none. Highly gifted in producing charcoal cakes and pies.


[Y] Nina - Don't let her slow and steady pace, and lack of visible fat mislead you. Nina exhibits stamina in feasting. Of all the YAYA'S, Nina upholds the practice of whole day grazing the most. Nina once stated that she wants to be reincarnated as Wagyu stock, because they are just pampered and fed all day. Nina's random cravings and descriptive explanations of food are often the inspiration for food multi-stops in which we gather a variety of food items from different places. CAUTION: Do not feed her excessive amounts of dairy products, especially yoghurt.

  Most distinguishable food habit or favour: Nina is notably very much a texture person. Must have something crunchy as accompaniment. First choice is potato Chips.



  Food talent or trick: Alongside her grazing abilities, Nina displays quality spoon on nose balancing. Her deep-rooted east-asian heritage has given her impeccable chopstick technique, which is evident as she elegantly and skillfully plucks a specific, well thought-out and eyed, piece of fried flour or minuscule onion from a dish to receive the desired taste. Note also that Nina is, quite proudly, unbeatable in the release of both toxic and non-toxic gases into the atmosphere.



[A] Kit - Kit can often be found hibernating in her Mansion. Her eating habits whilst apart from the YAYA'S, remain somewhat of a  Mystery, much like the eating habits of the elusive Loch Ness, however it is fair to say that in the right company, Kit is more than able to hold her own. Her laid back and "i don't care what I'm eating, as long as it's food" attitude makes her the perfect meal companion, and when feasting YAYA'S styles, she eats with as much gusto and fervour as the rest. Kit is also the provider of Tuna Bake and Brownies, which since the beginning, are staples in ultimate YAYA'S feasting menu. 




Glimpses in her own environment have revealed a love of timtams and sweets, and often consumption of filo food and various pasta dishes, however further in-depth research required.






  Most distinguishable food habit or favour: From the limited information gathered on the eating habits of the enigma that is kit, it is evident that Kit has a preference of Asian ice-creams and often buys more variety than the others. Her choices include "fish ice cream", melon ice cream, the clear fruity or soda-y ones, etc... (Future blog planned to introduce public to these food items). CAUTION: Kit does not take excessive amounts of red meat very well. When dining with Kit a range of food groups is required
Food talent or trick: Kit often astounds the masses by her ability to continue eating even after the rest of us have raised the white flag of feast surrender. For that Kit, we salute you.

['S] Jen - Jen is the first to abandon the "it" streets of Blacktown, trading in Sydneys greater-west scene for the flashing lights and flurry of Sydney's CBD. Jen is the youngest, but undoubtedly the most sophisticated, high-roller and upper class of the bunch. Her migration to the big city opened wonderfood avenues to which we had experienced before. Though Jen lives the big life, she never forgets her roots. She documents her fine dining experiences, but still shares in the delights of creating food on a students budget, wonderful concoctions and has contributed her own set of food-experiments. Her excitement and pleasure in making strange mixes is encouraging and inspiring. 




Artist and designer to the core, Jen is the resident photographer of food when her camera is on hand. Though representing the "apostrophe S" of YAYA'S, Jen is no afterthought. 






  Most distinguishable food habit or favour: Jen, like Diane, has a strong appreciation for foods of the Asian persuasion. Being the token Chinese representative, she adds particular flavor to the YAYA'S mix. Jen is also the BREADHEAD of the YAYA'S. Note: Among Jen's many irritations and hates, 2 stand out more than any others; Mandarins and "mangoes", especially in trains.
  Food talent or trick: Jen is the Sensei in ancient art form of origami chopstick rests. She is also the mixer of the YAYA'S. Whether hot pot, easy bake goods, soups, bibimbap, japanese curry or chirashi, Jen is first to rhythmically and gracefully combine all the ingredients. This is possibly due to her past history in gymnastics.

And that is us...



The WHAT:
As recorded earlier, this blog is a food blog for the people, by the people.
It is an opportunity to share our discoveries, theories, experiences and loves in relation to all things FOOD CENTERED.
"Wanna Spoon" will include:


  • New food ideas that are ACCESSIBLE to the public. 
  • Things you can try in your own homes, options in your own budget, in your own comfort zones and areas.
  • Reviews on which restaurants are good and which are not worth your money.
  • Food on certain budgets
  • An opportunity for you to give input on your own food ideas, inspirations, escapades and restaurant reviews and thoughts


"BUT WHY!?!" you ask? 
Through our sharing with you of our various adventures, our answering of questions and queries, and most especially through your most valued suggestions, input, recommendations and criticisms, we hope to create and cultivate a positive, comfortable, laid-back place where real people can share, learn and truly appreciate food. 



A place of trust, where your secret passion will not be judged. 
A place of inspiration.
We're like masterchef... but not... 

  We are inviting you, your eyes, your mind, your tastebuds, to a place which after entering, there is no turning back... YOU are invited to change your life. Are you ready? Are you game? Do you have what it takes?            


WANNA SPOON????




If so please follow our blogs. DIG IN!!! 
Please Note: Because we also have lives (even though at times it may not seem like it), we can't promise the consistency and regularity of our posts, but we can promise that our hearts are in each and every item that appears on this blog. 


DISCLAIMER: NOOOO! we don't really talk this cheesy and sound this stupid all the time.. haha. I just did it, as this is the initial post and i believe it adds effect? don't you think :P ENJOY!!!! ^____________^"


Below is a montage of a couple of our foodtivities and feasts over the years. (don't mind the music.. it's the only music I had on my uni comp :P)


Monday, August 2, 2010

Food Update: Chobib Edition


Baked Pork Chop


Shredded Pork and Pickled Vegetable Rice Noodle Soup

(Hong Kong Kitchen, Chatswood)



Italian Sausage Pizza


Penne Chicken

(Mamma's on Liverpool St, Sydney)