Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Melbourne - To Eat (West Lake Chinese Restaurant)

Melbourne - To Stay
Melbourne - To Do
Melbourne - To Eat
Melbourne - To Eat
29Jul2014
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West Lake Chinese Restaurant
(Yum Cha)500m walk from Hyatt Hotel

 Open Mon-Fri 11am-5pm
Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Dinner and Supper till 2am
Open 7 days with Licensed and B.Y.O wine only.
Introduced by Kelvin Yeow (pictured left)
Located in China Town amongst a myriad of Asian Cuisine options, West Lake is a relatively, reasonably-priced Dim Sum joint which serves up decently-good dim sum till late. The place has a comfortable dining environment, with adequate seating both upstairs and down. The push carts start rolling out when customers start rolling in.

Small AUD4.80
Delux AUD5.80
Super Delux AUD6.80

Ordered:on 29July2014BBQ Char Siew Puff Pastry

*A light crispy and fluffy pastry, encompasses a sweet marinated pork interior thats not soggy. Solid appetizer to start the meal.*

Beef Tripe Bowl Mix
 
*Thumbs up if you're a fan. Comes with the beef briskest, tripe and even blood cubes. The sauce/soup base was full flavored, not overly thick and was sweetened with the addition of white radish.*

Phoenix Claws(Chicken Feet) & stewed pork
*Chicken feet were more like chicken drumlets! The largest, portioned chicken feet I've seen. A good, value order. Their stewed pork was superbly tender and delectable.*

Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun

*Definately to standard without having too thick a rice flour coating and sauce slightly sweet and not
overtly salty.*

Unknown/Har Gao/Xiu MaiPictured from Left to Right
 
*Standard farie. There's only so much lenghty description one can give for run of the meal eats. They are large, man sized-portions though.

Lotus leaf gluttonous rice

*An order comes with two lotus leaf packets with a descent serving of filling. Freshly steamed is always the best. Thumbs up.*

Total AUD59.20
Fed3 Total
Its wall of celebrity pictures and accolades aren't just for show. The place delivers both on flavor and value for money, largely attributed to their larger portioned Dim Sum servings. 

It may not be that much cheaper than back in Singapore, but quality may beat or at least match some of the better Dim Sum Joints similarly priced.
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Monday, July 21, 2014

Beijing - To Do (19July2014Yashow Clothing Market, Hooters)

Beijing - To Stay
Beijing - To Do
Beijing - To Eat
Beijing, To Do
19July2014
Click here to see our Facebook page 
 Yashow Clothing Market
(Located right beside Sanlitun shopping)
Click here for Review on Sanlitun Shopping Center
Click here for ABBA location for Yashow Clothing Market
Go to "Sanlitun Yashow Clothing Market" for a bargain hunt and replica products, similar to "Silk Street Market" Shops closes at 2030hrs. It's literally beside the North Shopping village. From ultra posh architecture, full priced items, straight to knockoffs by crossing a narrow alleyway.
Getting There
Via taxi at RMB37one way. Approximately 20min journey from V
Continent hotel.
A reasonable spread of quickly repeating products. However with similar products
available at every turn, puts bargaining leverage in your favor. The place stock piles
shoes and luggages in the basement floor, to clothing on the next two, and in upper
levels, tailoring services and misc items for including some toy shops, electronics and
various table placements and embroideries.

A rough idea of what we paid for products on this journey.
2 lighting charging cables for RMB30
1 Multi travel plug adaptor RMB50
1 Leather belt RMB50
ABBATIP: Testing is allowed and encouraged. Sometimes the simplest of things like
charging wires do not work on your mobile phones/tablets.
Click here for ABBA location for Yashow Clothing Market

Hooters (Beijing)
Hooter girls give a mini performance hourly and are relatively proficient in conversing in
English.



Hooter girls on hand were friendly. Our wait (name) staff went to the extent of providing,
de-crabing services on request. She later shuddered when we teasingly queried her on
how the crab was, mind you after she having just spent the last half an hour de-crabing,
She claimed having not tried them before.
 

Ordered: 
Onion Rings


10 Wings Breaded and Normal with spicy level of 3.
*My preference is for the breaded. Still crispy even with the hotsauce over, and juicier than the normal wings. Perhaps the only downside is the blue cheese dipping. More mayo than anything else.*

 BBQ Ribs
*Steamed then BBQed ribs. Pretty descent but could have used more time on the hot grill for the extra char.*

x3 Tsing Tao Beers
(Small on the left. Large on the right)

Total RMB470

Overall, the food was pretty much to standard and consistent with chains elsewhere, but
nothing really to scream about. Pricing wise, the place is reasonable for the
Restaurant I guess but edging on pricey. The place however was really warm, probably due to the use of halogen lights over head. We had requested for the air conditioning to be turned up but to little avail.
If you've never had the hooters experience, if and only if you're in the area for
shopping at Yashow Market and/or at San Li Tun. It may not be worth the visit just for
this place, and there are loads of other dinning bistros and pubs around San Li Tun for
future exploration that maybe offer a different experience.
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Thursday, July 17, 2014

Mile High Shot 16July2014 (PEK, HKG and Macau)



Gerard Neo ,"Best Camera is always the one you have in hand."
 So simple yet, so true.

Landing in PEK 35R
16Jul2014


Landing in PEK 35R
16Jul2014

Hong Kong from 36,000ft.16Jul2014

Macau from 36,000ft
16Jul2014
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Beijing - To Eat (16July2014Xiabu Xiabu)

Beijing - To Stay
Beijing - To Do
Beijing - To Eat
Xiabu Xiabu
(Chain brand found everywhere)
 ENGLISH MENU AVAILABLE!

Xiabu Xiabu is a chain establishment, serving hotpot sets and also provides A la carte dining. Choose your soup base, your mains and subsequently add-ons as well as dipping sauces.

Finally, after having heard so much about XiabuXiabu from the China crew, I've finally had the opportunity to try this place. After this meal, I can clearly see the attraction. Cheap, value for money and really good.

Ordered: 
19Jul2014
Fatty Beef Set RMB37
*Man the fatty beef set for that extra RMB2 may not be worth the health implications. The standard beef set has more than enough marbling of fat.*  
16Jul2014
Choice Beef Set RMB35
x1 set each
The sets come without drink.
Serving portion are huge! Set meals come with a mountain of vegetable varieties, consisting of mushrooms, carrots, turnip and noodles. Furthermore, the meat servings is also respectable, with cuts, not overtly laden with fat.
Their Sesame dipping Sauce, with fresh herbs (choice of garlic/shallots) was pleasant with the meal. The additional options of Peanut Chili paste, is a definite must ordered (pictured left). Sauce is somewhat similar to bean paste. Not overtly spicy or salty and blends perfectly with the meats and/or noodles. So good that we had to add another order!
(P.s. If you love the sauce here and Shabu shabu style dining, then you've got to try Shanghai's Dolar Shop. You'd go crazy with their range of, quality dipping sauces available there. Two thumbs up! Click here for ABBA details on Shanghai's Dollar Shop.)
Definitely, going for the set is the easiest, convenient and most value for money order! Ben Yo. "Very filling with the set meal order on its own and worth every penny."
Additional single order of
Lamb Slices RMB22
 
 Ben Yo, "Not value for money and the meat is a little gamey. Stick to the beef set."
Total with drink orders of Ice Lemon tea, approx RMB110+ for two pax.
Try the nearest chain near you. Am sure you'll make it your next go to joint, especially on a cold winters day.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Amsterdam - To Eat 03Jul2014 (Pannekoenhuis Pancake, Cafe T Gasthuys, Pantry, Cafe De Klos)

Amsterdam - To Stay
 Amsterdam - To Do
 Amsterdam - To Eat 
Amsterdam - To Eat
03July2014
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Cafe T Gasthuys
 03July2014 
 Last checked, ranked 587/2093 on trip advisory

Click here of ABBA location of Cafe T Gastuys, Grimburgwal 7 1012GA Amsterdam 0206248230
Located directly across the road from Pannenkoekenhuis Pancake Place, this backup location for a lunch in didn't fail to deliver. Cheap and good!
Ordered: 
 03July2014
Homemade 100% Beef Hamburger
 Cheese burger with Cheese, onion, pickles, tomato, whiskey sauce and pancetta
€6.75 with bread
*A super sized, hefty burger. Beautifully ground, unadulterated beef patty, with fresh toppings as advertised. It's got that great home-made feel and excellent flavor to it. Not overly greasy or heart clogging at all. Super value purchase at that price!*

Club Sandwich with chicken fillet
 Pancetta, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaisd
€6.50
*A very simple order hardly worth the cost. You're definitely better off ordering the burger.* Thomas Toh,"Too dry".

Tosti's
"Italiano": Dutch cheese, salami, tomato and Italian herbs
€3.25
*It must be, by far the most value for money, cheap eat found. A simple, humble toast,
elevated to great heights with a marinara like sauce that compliments it beautifully. Comparing a random road hotdog, compared to this toasty, this wins hands down by way of river side atmosphere and flavor.*

Traditional Dutch Apple Pie
€3.50
*An amazing warm Apple Pie. Baked apples weren't too tart and balanced well with the sugar, cinnamon and raisins. The cool, fresh whip really brought the whole dish together. A dollop of ice-cream would have made it heaven.*

Dine alfresco, along the river side as you watch tourist pass by on their canal cruises. This alternate joint to Pannenkoekenhuis Pancake Place, really is the cheapest, and a value for money joint.

Located conveniently at the end of walking street and midway before the main train station, this place is the ideal pit-stop location for a lunch or break from sight seeing. The burger, toasties and desserts are Cheap and Great!

 Pantry 
 For a taste of traditional Dutch Food!
450m from AMS Marriott Hotel
 

 Click here for ABBA location of Pantry located Leideskruisstraat 21 1017 RE Amsterdam 0031-20-6200922
For a taste of traditional Dutch food, take a short walk to the Pantry. A small, cozy space with outdoor dining options. Due to dietary restrictions of no beef on this trip, below is a selection of very traditional dutch dishes (including the deserts).
ABBADetails:
Free Wifi Available.
Ordered:
03July2014
Typical Dutch Ham (400gm) , served warm
with a honey mustard sauce fries and salad.
€17.85
*A Solid piece of, fall of bone Dutch ham. The meat was succulent and the real star was
their unique honey mustard sauce. Herby, and more honey than mustard, which paired pleasantly with the meat. The star may have been the meat, but the show stopper, was that incredible, velvety sauce.*

Smoked Eel on toast €9.60
*A little salty but a great, delectable taste of smooth, oily eel. Thumbs up all around and I personally have been buying back the eel whenever possible. A hit both here and back home, microwaved or grilled.Worried about all that natural oils? Think of it as having
salmon belly, with all that rich, natural omega threes coating everything.*
Like to bring Smoked Eel back home? 
 Traditional Pea Soup
*Looks like it tastes. A chicken stock perhaps with pureed green peas. Nothing spectacular. Thick and almost porridge like in texture. A decent soup.*

Borenkool (Mashed potatoes mixed with Kale) €12.50
 *Although the presentation is something to be desired. Delicious bacon bits, generously sprinkled over this kale and mash mixture. The sausage was meaty and top quality. None of that over processed stuff. None the less, its definitely a hit with the girls, and MJ gives two thumbs up of approval! *

Zuurkoolstamppot (Mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut) €12.25
*Another classic dutch dish. Same concept as the Kale and Mash mix, but the sour nature of sauerkraut wasn't a great draw. In fact there was left overs at the end of the meal. Go for the Kale and Mash mixture instead.*

Poffertjes (Mini pancakes served with butter and powdered sugar) €5
*A doughy, minipancake with icing sugar coated over. Nothing to scream about.*

Vlapflip (Vanilla custard with yoghurt and fruit syrup) €4
 *A traditional dessert that Dutch have been taking since their childhoods days.It wasn't a hit amongst the crew, but to really describe in words, texturally and taste wise, it was probably closest to scott's emulsions.* 
 Total €74.80  Fed 6

For a real taste of traditional dutch food and flavors, take a short walk to this quaint diner, for a must order of Pork, smoked eel, and Kale and Mash.

l'Opera Grand Cafe
Click here for ABBA location of Grand Café l'Opera, Rembrandtplein 29, 1017 CT Amsterdam, Netherlands
We had picked this location, based solely on number of patrons at that time. Although at a prime spot which was a great place to people watch in the open field, it failed epicly to deliver on food and flavor. On the contrary, perhaps we had ordered wrongly, as tripadvisor reviewed this place quite highly and had even won an excellence award. Perhaps for dinner? However, just the lunch and Tapas menu weren't very encouraging of greater things. You be the judge.
Ordered:
04July2014
Tapas for 4 Total €17.50

 *An absolute con-job. Most of the items seem thrown together from a frozen food pack, with the Parma ham being more fat than anything else. Even the Chorizo was overtly oily and the olives and feta were left to be desired. A huge disappointment.

Veal Croquettes €6.50
Cheese Croquettes €6.50
Shrimp Croquettes €9.50
 
*Tastes like it looks. Unimpressive, starchy and a mess.*
Great location with many many other dining alternative located around the square. A great halfway point between shopping and sight seeing. There were other highly revered restaurants in the same area, but weren't open till late in the night.
Although food was a flop, the company was excellent. Having bumped into David and his family a neighbor from back home, along the streets of Amsterdam. A small world after all.

Cafe De Klos
Click here for ABBA location of Cafe De Klos located at Kerkstraat 41-43 1017 GB Amsterdam, Netherlands
A small space with mostly bar side/front dining available, a difficult setup for large groups, especially for dinner. Reminiscent of an English pub, this rustic, confined space is filled with the scents of cooking meats from the open charcoal grill top.
*Be warned that in the past, crew have reported that when they ordered to share, staff gave dirty looks and less than desirable dining experience. However to be fair, large group bookings need to be taken seriously with all parties turning up as with their small establishment, turn over of business is incredibly important and having only half a table turn up with only half ordering is detrimental to their business.*

Ordered:
18Oct23
Mixed Grill. Includes 4 giant ribs and feed 2Boys and 2 Girls well enough.


*Escargo always a pleaser with the bread.
The French Onion was amazing and to die for. Highly recommended. Nice thick base, with a cheesy and beautiful bread crust.*
*Avoid the chicken fillet. Its really on the salty side.*
Fed 4 at €20.20/pax
Smoked and slow cooked giant ribs are still on point even after all these years.

Ordered:
05Jul2014
 Mixed Grill
Spare Ribs and Smoked Spare Ribs
€21.25

*Huge portions. 6-8 bones each of the smoked and standard dry rub ribs. Definately, more than sufficient for two to share a meal where staff on hand were very friendly and helpful to accommodate.
Smoked ribs: A little more salty but with a deeper, obviously smokey flavor. It helps break the monotony of a single flavored rib, and I was going from Dry rub to smokey and back and forth all the way through the meal.
Pork Ribs: Amazing stuff. Super hot, with it having been fresh of the grill. Decadent, juicy, full flavored and excellent with the ranch and blue cheese dressing served along side. My personal vote would be the pork ribs here at Cafe De Klos over Castell's. Click here for ABBA review of Castell's Ribs and pls try the unsung Salmon served at Castell's. A pleasant surprise perhaps even better than the ribs served there.*
Ordered:
31Jul2013
Lamb Shoulder €27
*A massive amount of dry rubbed meat, slow roasted and served on the bone. Lamb pulls of the bone with absolute ease, with the best parts lingering around the joints and tendons. A very light-spiced blend, which can be enjoyed by all ages. The meat though flavorful was a little dry and needed the assistance of, what I assumed was a blue cheese sauce to compliment the lamb. Definitely too much for one to finish. A struggle to finish towards the end, hinting towards being a chore.*
Sirloin Steak €22.50
*A good steak, with nothing really to scream about.*
Special mention of their beer from tap: Served super cold and crisp, the way beer should be. Service did lack in that waiters didn't seem too interested in taking our beer or food orders and felt somewhat aloof. Little air circulation indoors and as mentioned a very small confined space. 
Click here for ABBA location of Cafe De Klos located at Kerkstraat 41-43 1017 GB Amsterdam, Netherlands
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