Just a few things…  Just a couple.  And I’ll leave it at that!

First thing this morning, I received an email from Estile about my (not-so)-recent Milk and Honey order…  Apparently, my beloved Stellar dress didn’t pass the quality check phase, and they had no more stock, so they issued a refund and credited $10 to my account for future use, all without my knowing.  While this sounds like a nice/noble thing to do (since I wouldn’t be happy to receive a poor quality dress anyway), there’s a couple of issues I had with this approach.

Well, the most obvious reason why I’m disappointed: I love the dress, and I was very excited about it! It was actually because of that dress that I had made my order in the first place…  So without my knowing, they’ve conveniently sent the other two items, and refunded me on the dress they didn’t have.  I just thought it would’ve been nice if they had asked whether I wanted to cancel my order instead (since they were in the wrong).  So yes, I got refunded, and even credited $10 to my account for my next purchase, which was nice… though I honestly don’t know when I would be ordering from them next (I’ve been a member for at least 6 months, this is my first order with them)!  Also, I’ve had my suspicions something like this might happen, but gave it the benefit of the doubt; I’ve read in a few places that especially with flash sales websites, this occurs a fair bit (telling customers that they don’t have the stock they’ve ordered).  That just screams out reliable!  Also, how long has it been now?  Over two weeks, and they’ve only just dispatched my items; had I ordered from the UK at the same time, I would be wearing my items by now.

Goodbye, gorgeous dress

After having those thoughts, I stepped out of the house to beautiful weather and a cancelled train, resulting in a 25 minute wait.  I got to the station at 9:47 am in order to catch the 9:57 am train, only to see that the next one would be at 10:12 am.  About 20 minutes in, the staff announced over the loudspeakers that “the 9:57 am train has been delayed”.  A fellow commuter looked at me and retorted, “well, who didn’t know that?”.

That aside, I’d also like to give special mention to my massive pimple (no exaggeration) residing right below my nose and above my Cupid’s bow, positioned smack bang in the middle… Not only is it very unsightly (and a bit embarrassing), it also hurts. A lot!!!  I hope it goes away before Saturday (breakfast with RC)!

/rant

I have seen many positive reviews on Gumshara (including an article from the Sydney Morning Herald a while back, and Grab Your Fork which features an elaborate review on Gumshara), and this place is often deemed as a hidden gem for some authentic Japanese ramen. So of course, Mr AG and I had to try it!

It wasn’t too hard to find, but I understood why it was “hidden” gem; it is tucked away in one of the food courts of China Town, which I admit to not normally visiting food courts. If elsewhere, it may have more potential.

We arrived at 3:30 PM, and apparently their famous thick soup wasn’t available until dinner (5 PM onwards; they needed to prepare new stock/soup), so we decided to wait it out, bumming around until then.

Came 5 PM, and I ordered a token tonkatsu ramen with soft boiled egg and a gyoza side, and Mr AG had a pork rib ramen (since they only made 20 a day), both ramen with thick soup.

Tonkatsu ramen with soft-boiled seasoned egg

Pork rib ramen

Gyoza

Before giving us our ramen, the chef tasted the ramen with disposable spoons to check out the flavour and threw out the spoons immediately. Also, written on a sign was that if our soups were too salty or thick, the chef can adjust it according to how we tell him to. That is customer care! =)

Anyway, we dug in. The ramen was nice and had a good texture, and the soup was indeed thick and flavoursome (both Mr AG and mine were the same flavour). My thin tonkatsu pork was very tender and lovely, but few (3 slices), I loved the seaweed and the egg. Mr AG’s pork ribs were a bit harder to get off the bone, but it was also lovely, and the fat just melted in your mouth!

I read that people found it difficult finishing the bowl of ramen, especially the thick soup since it was very filling. I guess I saw that as a challenge… so, challenge accepted!

And… yes, I finished it. I even beat Mr AG in finishing it faster at the end! Triumph!

Overall, I liked Gumshara, but I don’t think it can be a regular thing with me, especially with the soup (I know I can get bored of it easily, and it’s just a personal thing). However, I will definitely visit it again, or even have it every so often.

Gumshara
209/25-29 Dixon St
Haymarket New South Wales 2000

Map:

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A big-ish early weekend for me… Much of a catch up with friends, many things were done, and much were consumed… Spent Thursday night with my RC buddies, Friday night with my girls, and today was another big day.

First stop, dragged Mr AG accompanied me to feel more groomed (aka threading my eyebrows and upper lip) before heading to the City for lunch at Gumshara. On the way, I met a person in a giant bear suit! Like the many kids lining up, I ended up taking a photo with him! =]

Me with cute bear!

After lunch, despite our headaches, I dragged Mr AG we headed to Nevermind nightclub at Oxford Street to watch a pole competition hosted by the Pole Dance Academy. Naughty or Nice was the theme. I took shots and videos, but I’m not sure if I can post them up, so here’s a pic of the empty(ish) stage! =P

 It was a fun but long night, with many naughty and nice and fantastic pole dance performances! ♥

A meetup with my girls was due a while back, though it kept getting rescheduled due to unexpected things coming up. Finally, we decided on having dinner tonight, and quickly made up our mind to dine at an Indonesian restaurant called Delima due to good reviews. Princess FR said she’d bring her guy friend along, so Princess KZ and I decided to bring ours as well. And then FR had an emergency work shift, resulting her not being able to make it. So then it was Princess KZ (and DC), Princess NM, Mr AG and I.

Rushing from uni, Mr AG and I found it a tiny bit confusing to find (so we took the easy way out and phoned KZ to ask for directions). Apparently, it’s in the alleyway of China Town, in one of the shops, upstairs. Inside was ambient and looked very nice (with some nice decors). My first thought was that this place was perhaps one of those a hidden gem. As we approached, the waiter asked, and we told him we had a table with KZ, and he led us to our table… this was funny because apparently, KZ had not made reservations under her name (or told them her name when she got a table)… So how they guessed (and so sure about it), I did not know.

Hellos were exchanged when we arrived. Our table (and surrounding ones) had a thin layer of tassel-like curtain (not sure what they’re called)… you can see through it completely, but because it was segregated by a physical barrier, it felt discreet (which I enjoyed; I like feeling like I can put my bag down without someone coming and stepping on it).

Because Mr AG and I were late, they already had ideas on which dishes to order… and since we weren’t too fussed (as long as there’s no lactose, I’m game… and Indonesian food should be pretty safe with that), we just went with whatever they ordered. In the end, we got these 5 dishes, and had rice with them.

Coconut Rice ($4 per person)

Ayam Kari

Old times favorite Sumatran curry chicken ($15.95)

Garlic Shoot Cah Sapi

Stir-fry garlic shoots with beef tenderloin, salty fish, and chili shrimp paste ($15.95)

Ikan Bakar Bali

Grilled whole fish with Balinese sauce ($29.95)

Ayam Panggang Kalasan

Grilled chicken with sweet and soy-based Javanese style sauce ($15.95)

Kwetiaw Goreng

Stir fry flat rice noodle with seafood ($14.95)

I honestly didn’t think I’d like the ayam kari (I’m not too big on curries), but I liked the flavour of this one, though I couldn’t have too much of it at once. The garlic shoot cah sapi was nice; I really liked the beef tenderloin. The shoots also had a different flavour to the beef, which was interesting. The fish had a good flavour, but we thought it was slightly dry (fair enough, it is a dry dish); we should have tried one with a sauce or something. The fried chicken was pretty good, and I guess it was the easiest to fit into the palate of someone who isn’t too used to Indonesian food. I really liked the noodles as well, and it actually reminds a lot of us of Thai pad see ewe (noodles like that can’t go wrong for me). Being Asian, we had our dishes with coconut rice; it smelt really fragrant, it was quite nice, but methinks $4 per person is a bit much, especially compared to the other dishes we ordered. Apart from that, I thought the food was reasonably priced for what it was.

Overall, Mr AG and I enjoyed the food moderately and would go again… NM thought it was okay but wouldn’t personally make effort to dine here again (unless friends requested). I think we feel the way we do about the food because we’re actually not used to the taste as much. I’ve only had Indonesian food about twice… and my palate needs to adjust accordingly, so I am definitely willing to try more Indonesian food in general.

Food: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Value: 7/10

Delima Restaurant
69/1 Dixon Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9267 7045

Map:

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Met up with two RC buddies (Ag buddy and Mr ZW) for dinner. After a long time wandering around and deciding, we went for a cafeteria-like Japanese restaurant called Menya Mappen. They serve udon/soba/don (which are apparently hand-made?), side dishes such as seaweed salad and various tempura, and drinks too.  They carry a simple concept, offer convenient value meals (udon from $3.90!), and are efficient/have a high turnover rate of customers (a policy of theirs is that you can’t take seats before ordering).

Hungry, I made up my mind on what to order when I saw this beauty on the menu…

That’s right, I wanted a “large hot bukkake udon”.

Because this was my first time, I had Ag buddy lead my in the self service line. When it was my turn to order, I just couldn’t be mature and order my bukkake straight, so I pointed to the menu. Moving along the self-service aisle of goodies (I took a chicken breast tempura, 2 seaweed salads, and a soft-boiled egg), we got to the end where the guy at the counter calculated the price (mine was $8.80 all up!). It was then that was when I realised I had forgotten to order my udon in the large size! At the end, I was right; if I hadn’t messed up and remembered to order the larger udon, it would’ve been a filling meal. Nevertheless, it was tasty and affordable, and I would definitely go there again (perhaps to try a kake next time… with pics).

Menya Mappen Noodle Bar
11/537-551 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9283 5525

Map:

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Next stop was dessert! We headed to LNC Dessert House for a proper catch up (since it Menya Mappen wasn’t quite the place for such things), and to fill any excess space in the stomach (which I had a bit of).

I ended up ordering a scoop of green tea sorbet and a mango sorbet… which I enjoyed but I won’t order together in the future (they didn’t go well together on the same plate… though I doubt many would go with green tea sorbet!). ZW’s tofu wasn’t as soft and fluffy as it appeared (which I remembered when I had this last time), and Ag buddy ordered a milk dessert (we joked that it was heated milk), which was apparently like custard and was light and fluffy. It sounded yummy!

Tofu with mango sorbet (Mr ZW’s)

Green tea and mango sorbet (mine)

LNC Dessert House:
12/339 Sussex Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9283 3823

Map:

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We ended the night but not before taking sticker photos (purikura). As always, that was pretty fun! ♥

They are totally gonna bruise tomorrow! Pole dancing hurts… But that was totally worth it!!!

It’s been just after a week since the RHCP released their latest album, I’m With You.  To be honest, I thought this album wouldn’t be for me, especially since my first impression of their first single “…Rain Dance Maggie” was not very memorable (which has now changed).  And, I knew I was going to miss Frusciante’s guitar/vocals (he was love).  Though, I was still interested to hear what they sound like, especially with a new guitarist, and since it was such a long time from Stadium Arcadium (2006).

I’ve had the album playing more than a handful of times (more like 10 times, actually), and I must say, it is growing on me.  While there is a lot of funk and rap, and the style distinct from their previous stuff/old favourites (e.g. Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication and By The Way), it is catchy and clearly Kiedis, and after a few times of spinning it, I couldn’t help but bop along.  I guess it really is a “rebirth” from the old Chili Peppers as Flea put it in the Stereogum progress report.  Another thing that stood out was the falsetto that appeared quite frequently, which I hadn’t anticipated (post-Frusciante).

My first impressions (Disclaimer: not a review, just my personal thoughts):

1. Monarchy of roses
   I’ve had a good feeling about this song from the beginning, and after a few plays, it became one of my favourites of the album.  So catchy, easy to sing along to, and just a great opening to the album, setting the mood.  Loving the backup singing in this one too!
2. Factory of faith
   Very funky bass at the start (love the beat), cut to Kiedis’ semi singing/rapping which I was initially partially against, but it was forgiving as it suited the song well.  Overlooked it so much that this has also become one of my favourites.  I liked how it ended with the little instrumental.
3. Brendan’s death song
   As soon as it started playing, this sounded like it was going to be the “ballad” of the album; a completely different feel from the first two songs.  Although about death (of a long-time friend, Brendan Mullen), it was described as a song of “celebration than a bummer”, and you can hear that with the lyrics and with the light high pitched vocals in the background nearing the end of the song (it sounds very liberating).  The lyrics are very sweet; I especially liked “It’s safe out there and now you’re everywhere, just like the sky. And you are love, you are the love supreme, you are the rye. And when you hear this, you know it’s your jam, it’s your goodbye.”  Anyway, another favourite, and often find myself singing an imaginary backup in the chorus.
4. Ethiopia
   Heard it first with Mr AG, and as soon as it went “EIOIEIA”, we looked at each other and cracked up.  For some odd reason, it was amusing hearing that for the first time… but now that I’ve gotten used to it, it’s not that funny anymore.  Instead, it has grown on me, and after finding out that it’s about being clean (from drugs) and reading the lyrics, I think it’s definitely a sweet one (“Tell my boy I love him so, tell him so he know. Lost in Ethiopia, walk out in that road.”).  Plus, I love how upbeat it is!
5. Annie wants a baby
   The first verse and bridge sounds really good (especially the guitar)… the verse actually reminds me a bit of “Hey” (from Stadium Arcadium).  But as the chorus hits us with, “Annie wants a baby any way she can”, it got a bit strange.  Nice sounding if I can look past baby thing, especially when you know an unsuiting Annie wanting a baby.
6. Look around.
   Apart from the rapping, this reminds me of an older Chili Peppers song, though I can’t pinpoint which, or what about it.  This song is okay.
7. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
   Very random title (how RHCPish)!  I wasn’t sure the first time listening to it, but now I think it is very fun and funky, especially the catchy bass (and later on, the guitar).  The only thing I’m still unsure about is the chorus; sounds a little awkward to me…
8. Did I let you know
   I really like this song!  It reminded me of “Hard to concentrate” (from Stadium Arcadium), but upon listening to the two, they don’t really resemble one another that much.  I think what made me group the two together is the subtle feeling of the songs… or perhaps some of the notes played.  Hard to describe, and I don’t even know if I’m the only one, but that’s how I feel anyway.
9. Goodbye hooray
   Heavier funk opening, the beginning reminds me of a faster version of “Ethiopia”, then you get a busy-ish chorus, and then there’s a sudden change of pace with some mysterious-sounding falsetto (I think it is?), going right back into that fast-paced chorus.  The fast bit isn’t that special to me, though I do like the slow paced part!
10. Happiness loves company
    Title alone reminds me of Good Charlotte’s “Misery loves company”, though the song absolutely does not!  Another one about being clean and loving family from what I can tell… I like the beat of this song, it makes one feel strong.
11. Police station
    Another slow one of the bunch, I like the riffs and vocals on this one, and the instrumentals between singing is just great!  Very nice song!
12. Even you Brutus?
    Every time I hear the rapping, I skip the song.  When I skipped those bits, I do find some RHCP familiarity.  But I think I’ll stick to skipping it. Perhaps one day, I’ll look/listen past it and appreciate the song.
13. Meet me at the corner
    I like it, but at the same time, feel a bit mixed about it.
14. Dance, dance, dance
    This reminds me more of Ethiopia actually.  It’s friendly, playful, and upbeat, just like the title suggests.

Finished lab unexpectedly late on Tuesday. I had to ask Mr AG to pick me up from uni, and because I was starved, we decided to look for food that will “fill me up to half full”. I didn’t want to have Thai again, so we were on the hunt for something else.

Alas, next to The Taste of Thai lived a humble restaurant called Sushi Fusion serving sushi train dishes as well as menu stuff.

Honestly though, I had never noticed this one…but I’m glad we caught on, especially if I ever needed a quick sushi fix in Randwick (happens a fair bit actually). And we went in a timely manner; Tuesday was the winter special night with a $3 deal on all sushi train dishes. Everything on the menu was between $3 and $5.50, so that proved a good deal for what it’s worth.

Sadly, I took some poor effort iPhone pictures that night…

Chicken Schnitzel

Dragon Roll

Edamame

Jellyfish and shark fin nigiri

Mini Salmon Rolls

Scallop Aburi

Seaweed Salad Ship

Cooked Tuna

Mini Udon

Banana, Chocolate and Red Bean Roll

So we ended up having 11 plates (we doubled on some dishes) and a mini udon… and I was full by the end of it (so much for “half full; so couldn’t resist!)! I liked the food, though I didn’t have a couple of them in fear of lactose. So out of the ones I had, my favourites were the chicken schnitzel roll, dragon roll, seadweed salad nigiri, and the jellyfish nigiri. I wasn’t a big fan of the edamame and the mini salmon rolls; a bit lacking in flavour. Oh, and we were seated comfortably, unlike some sushi train places we’ve gone to, which is always good! Anyway, I enjoyed it, and would be happy to pop back for some more!

Sushi Fusion
7 Belmore Road
Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: 9399 5388

Map:

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So many cute pieces from the Milk and Honey Winter ’11 collection (Love and Chaos)! I seriously want them all! ♥ Just a couple I am eyeing…

Tallulah Skirt and Jacket

Tallulah Party Dress

Stellar Dress

Distressed Skirt, Distressed Jacket, Silver Heart Tee

Distressed Dress

Garden of Shadows Zip Dress

All Creatures Eyelet Dress

Scout Jacket

I ended up getting three things… The Tallulah Skirt, Stellar Dress, and Silver Heart Tee ♥ The colours on The Stellar Dress is just gorgeous! It kind of remind me of the purple Black Milk Galaxy Leggings (which I also want want)…

I’m really tempted to get more, but I’m worried about sizing as I’ve never bought from Milk and Honey before… I’ve eyed things from them before, but never managed to try them on. I really hope these fit well, so I can go on and order something else (perhaps the Distressed skirt)!

Images courtesy of I Love Milk and Honey

I made it through the month without purchasing too much from ASOS (only two orders, here and here)!

After buying with the 10% code, I resisted temptation for several others… from memory, it was a 20% off code for full priced items, followed by a 10% code for all items!  And then the 20% code after that for full or sale price items (that was very hard to resist but I did it!)!  To be fair, I did come close a couple times… and with one of my purchases, I received an email giving me an account-linked 10% code for a delay in delivery which I’m thinking of using (maybe)…

Anyway, I got 4 items this month including the burgundy OTK socks (not shown).

Firstly, the Oh My Love 60′s Lace Shift Dress With Fringed Sleeves. I got this in the cream colour in a size UK 8.  The cream colour actually is quite subtle; it looks more like off-white but definitely not white (which I’m happy about). For reference, I’m a size AU 8-10, and the size 8 is perfect.  It is flattering, but it is a little short for my liking (I’m 166 cm, and this dress reaches mid-thigh).  I think I’ll wear it with leggings or at least stockings underneath.  The dress material feels very soft with a cute floral lace pattern, is comfortable to wear, and doesn’t feel flimsy.  One thing I’m still rather in two minds about is the fringed sleeves… but overall, I’m quite happy with this dress.

Oh My Love 60′s Lace Shift Dress With Fringed Sleeves

Secondly, I got the ASOS Colour-Block Pleated Mini Skirt in white, size 8.  Out of the packaging, it needed an iron (see first pic… second pic is ironed, but I don’t think I did a good job on it; it still looks crinkled).  I really like the pleats and colours on this skirt (looks like on the website).  This skirt is actually a bit tight for me, so it sits rather high up on my waist (waistband is approximately 34.5 cm across, so double for size).  Because of that, it is a little short (again, mid-thigh).  Otherwise, it is a well-made skirt (thick cotton, unlined), and I think it’d be cute for spring =)

ASOS Colour-Block Pleated Mini Skirt

Then is the ASOS TIMBAD Spike Heel Boots.  I read somewhere that UK show sizing is two sizes less than Australian sizes, and since I’m an AU 7, I went for the UK 5.  With socks, the shoe is a bit too tight (the front is a tad narrow for my wide foot).  It looks like on the website, and is quite cute, but at a mere price of just 13 pounds, the quality is very average; you get what you pay for I guess.  I like it, but it’s not exactly what I’m looking for.

ASOS TIMBAD Spike Heel Boots