Kwok Doo Chinese Restaurant, Burwood

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Being a good little girl, I went out with my parents and grandpa to Burwood today.  We wandered around the shops, and browsed clothes, boring my grandpa in the process.  I bought a cropped tee from Target (Free Fusion) to go with my maxi, and mum and I bought a couple of Giordano basics for $10 each!

Mum had an appointment, so grandpa headed off while I went to mum’s appointed place to accompany her.  However, we got there 45 minute early (sigh, early birds!), and I got bored within 10 minutes of waiting…  So mum asked dad to take me to a place to have lunch.

So we wandered into Kwok Doo half an hour before they closed up to prepare for the dinner session.  It was a very quiet restaurant with background music.  We received great service; the lady there was lovely and always made sure we were okay.

We ordered two dishes and a lemonade (which wasn’t super awesome; I thought it’d be Sprite).

The first dish was a stir fried rice noodle dish (Cantonese: Wat dan har kou gai kou chow hor).  Though a smallish plate, it was very lovely, we enjoyed it, and I would have it again.

The second was the century egg porridge/congee (the photo looks ghastly since it is so white).  This one lacked flavour and ingredients (so I had to mass season it with salt and pepper), but taste wise wasn’t bad.  I guess I wouldn’t order this dish again if I can help it.

Chicken and prawn stir fried rice noodles with egg gravy

Century egg porridge

Overall, it’s an average place for lunch; I left feeling full but light and comfy.


Kwok Doo
185C Burwood Rd
Burwood NSW 2134
Phone: (02) 9747 3592

Map:


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Dinner At Din Tai Fung… Seated Next To Busybodies

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It shouldn’t have been like this! Thinking about it makes my blood boil!!!

Mr AG and I had a relatively okay day (apart from the busybodies on the Ferris wheel) up until being seated for dinner. We went to Din Tai Fung, a restaurant we were very satisfied with the first time we went.

So, what happened?

Din Tai Fung is usually very busy, so when we arrived there, we had to wait for a table. The lady gave us the option to have our own table, or to share. Getting our own table would’ve been double the time, so we opt for sharing.

Never again!!!

Mr AG and I got seated next to a man and a woman. The lady seemed alright, but the man was seriously a super loudmouthed busybody… That man spoke about everyone and everything all through dinner, in CHINESE! Mr AG couldn’t understand, and I was left to hear all the things… It shouldn’t have, but that man really made my blood boil!

Some examples of what he was saying about me/us:

There she is, taking pictures of all the food.

They order so much food *rolls eyes* We order the least amount *blah blah blah*.

And what he was saying about everyone else:

Wow, look at those two, they’re having 2 soft drinks each.

They eat so much. Look at all they’ve ordered.

*Pretending to be posh, after a waitstaff covered his jacket with a protective bag* Whoever can make me happy will get my liking.

I mean, what the hell? What’s it to him?

Okay, this may sound a little hypocritical, because arguably, what’s it to me that he’s saying all these things… But I was there to enjoy my dinner, not listen to this loudmouth! It was seriously distracting, and irritating!

I was that close to losing it… actually, I did, I slammed something down, and “whispered” something to Mr AG in a not-so-subtle manner. I regretted it immediately after, because I think my response have given him the satisfaction of knowing that he sent me in a bout of fury.

But once again, I couldn’t help but let it get the better of me!

So, without criticising the restaurant at all in any way (because the waitstaff were impeccable), I possibly had the worst dinner out tonight! I lost my appetite completely, ate the minimal, and just wanted to be out of there. ASAP! I even cancelled my sorbet (which they were only so happy to comply) I was really looking forward to!

Anyway, here are some snaps of my uneventful dinner. I didn’t even have a good taste of the food to even comment on it (in case I don’t give it justice).

Lychee mint juice

Pork dumpling

Prawn pork shao mai

Vegetable pork jiaoze

Vegetarian jiaoze

Cha jiang noodles

(Ok, I know for a fact that I did not like this one! It was very bland…)

Hot sour soup

Phew, rant’s over… that made me feel better!

Anyway, after tonight’s experience, Mr AG and I decided not to go out to restaurants for a while… But I don’t know how long that’d last…


Din Tai Fung
644 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9264 6010

Map:


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Pole Dancing, Yum Cha, & Shopping!

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So so excited to write about this!! I went for my first beginners pole dancing class at Pole Dance Academy (Bondi Junction) this afternoon!

The instructor got straight into the warm up when the hour started. The stretches were already so tiring, and that was when I started to feel really unfit and inflexible! It got so tiring that I couldn’t even do some of the warm up exercises… Even worse, everyone continued doing the warm up without giving up while I was idle, watching the instructor. So unfit! :(

Anyway, she told us to grab a pole and started showing us some moves, asking us whether we remembered it from last class. That confused me, as this was meant to be my absolute first class… I wondered whether I got into the wrong class (elementary and beginners was on simultaneously).

After not being able to do one of the moves at all (spinning on the pole and sliding down… I just kept spinning and got stuck up there while everyone was on the floor), I made a remark to hopefully clarify whether or not I was in the wrong class; “I feel I don’t belong in this class”. The instructor assured me that it’s okay if I couldn’t do some moves, and that I’m definitely in the right class for the sympathy points. Ok, it does sound like I was in the right place, though I was still wary.

She left briefly, and I quickly had a chat to the other girls; apparently, this was in fact only the second class, so they’re only one class ahead. When the instructor came back, we started on our routine… the class only got tougher from here on. We kept practicing our routine up to what we’ve learnt, and then had a cool down session (which was, in fact, more like a warm up for me! Another girl and I exchanged looks of pain… So I know I’m not the only one!).

But yeah, pole dancing was so tiring and hard, but it was sooo fun! I loved it so much I signed up for the beginners class (8 weeks). Can’t wait to learn more!

Mr AG felt like having yum cha, even though it was 2:30, and the yum cha finishes at 3… so yum cha it was.

Tropical fruit mocktail

Tropical and fruity, it’s nice in small doses

Pork dumplings (siu mai)

Average tasting

Prawn dim sim (har gow)

Too prawny, a little unfresh

Calamari

Too salty. We didn’t end up touching this too much

Har cheung fun

Just not very great

Peiking duck

A few things about this one.

Firstly, the pancake is a bit stiff… In all fairness, it could be that they’ve been sitting there since morning, or it could just be made that way. Either way, not soft and doughy at all… and I did not enjoy this.

Secondly, the cucumber. I know cucumbers are very expensive at the moment (currently not in season), so that’s probably why they were a bit stingy on the cucumber… but I paid $13.80 for this, so I did expect a little more in return.

Thirdly, there was’t much sauce. However, it was so bland I gave it up to Mr AG after a few bites, so I probably didn’t get far down enough.

Soft shell mud crab

This tasted alright, but a bit greasy.

Mango pancakes

Mr AG had them both. It’s just pancake filled with cream (with a bit of mango pieces here and there)… and apparently was quite enjoyable.

Food was very average actually, and very overpriced! Mr AG and I ordered the above and a fanta, coming to a little over $83, whereas when I eat at Hurstville (much fresher and tastier) with my family doesn’t even amount to this price (and my family is notorious for eating a lot!) . But Mr AG wanted it, and we’ve tried it now, and now we know not to eat here… so I’m just counting this as an experience.


Kam Fook
500 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Phone: (02) 9386 9889

Map:


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So afterwards, we went shopping for a bit. First stop was Chanel; I went to the sunnies area and spotted my beloved 5171′s. Gorgeous!

I tried it on and really liked it, and wanted to try on the 5170′s for comparison before I make a decision. I went to ask the saleslady whether she had “the bow pair, 5170″, and she took a pair out of the draws that looked exactly like the 5171′s. So I told her, “but they look like 5171, not 5170″ to which she stated as a matter of factly, “I don’t remember all the numbers of everything.”

Okay, that’s fair enough. BUT, the number was right on the box she just took out, clearly stating it was “5171″… was that so hard?

Anyway, I began to explain to her the difference since it seems she wasn’t aware, and she just stood there and said, “that’s all we have here.”

Then some exchanges happened and I walked out empty-handed…

Next stop was David Jones, and I spotted them both! Score! I asked a nearby lady whether I can try it, and she informed that she wasn’t in charge of that department and that I had to ask somebody else… so I was going to, but that somebody else was serving another customer, for a tad longer than I wanted so we just left.

So, no luck continued when I walked into Myer either; they didn’t even stock Chanel sunnies… And I thought, I give up for now…

And then I wandered mindlessly. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Until Lovisa. There were so many cute pieces there! *_* And ended up getting a few prettiful things!

Very cute bag, I thought. I also got a jewelry cleaning polish cloth…

Eiffel tower earrings

Ok, I don’t have ear holes, but I had to get these! I don’t know, maybe one day, I’ll get them ear holes! But for now, I’m just gonna look at them haha

Owl necklace

Ahhh, there were so many adorable owl items there!!! I really wanted them all! Thing is, a lot of them came in the gold colour, not many in silver… I just don’t suit gold, so I ended up choosing this one!

Owl ring

So hard to find rings that fit, and thanks to the stretchy band on this one, it fits quite nicely! Yay!!

Went to Dotti and resisted so many things there, for example, there was a very lovely looking skirt in the camel colour… just thought that maybe I’ll hold out for it. I did randomly pick up a simple waist belt… I think it’s because it was red.

Red waist belt

Anyway, did not buy much else… or anything else actually. Quite disappointed with this shopping trip to be honest!

Since Borders was having a closing down sale, and it was the last shop to be closed (it was about 6:30 by this stage), we decided to browse… Indeed, a big cut (60-70% off sale)…

Yes, everything was on sale (with small exceptions)

Even the fixtures

The Signs (there were also labels, price tags, eftpos rolls for sale)…

…and even pre-loved stationery!

This made me a little sad… and made me appreciate how much is invested into each and every thing in a store… Since even second hand fixtures cost that much, how much did a brand new one cost?

Anyway. My day didn’t go according to my grand plans (To Bondi Junction to shop, then pole dancing, shop a bit more, then go to the City to visit Zara and the other shops, and then go for a haircut and then Din Tai Fung)… and now that I reflect on it, it seems like a rather hectic plan! Oh well, there’s always next time!

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Din Tai Fung

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Mr AG has been hassling me to try this restaurant… So I gave in.

We got to the restaurant early, and saw people queue before it was opened.

So we figured we might do the same to secure our place.

Turned out it was necessary after all; this place is damn popular!

Efficient system (ordering by marking which ones you’d like, and waiters/waitresses delivering your food to your table). And most importantly, the food was yum.

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I like the decorative dumpling thingys on the wall!

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Our initial order

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Blue coral. Lychee mint juice.

The green one was very interesting; lychee and mint drink (very sweet but nice touch with the combination). The blue was just a soft drink of some sort…?

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Veg delight

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Prawn pork jiao ze

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Crab pork dumpling

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Prawn pork won tons

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Pork bun

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Fried pork chop noodle

I love that the dumplings had soup inside… totally makes it way enjoyable!

And the lychee mint drink is a tad sweet, but really yum!

Oh, and the lonesome bun looks hilarious XD

Would definitely visit there again!


Din Tai Fung
644 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9264 6010

Map:


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Dinner At Eaton, Ashfield

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Eaton Chinese Restaurant, Ashfield

Quite good =]

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Mother’s Day Dinner At Chan’s Garden

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Chan’s Garden, Burwood.

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Chinese Herbal King, Ultimo

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Chinese herbal king seafood restaurant, Ultimo.

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The meal was… interesting… in an okay way.

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Yum Cha At Sunny Harbour Seafood, Hurstville

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Sunny Harbour Seafood, Hurstville.

Delicious :)

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Chinese New Year Dinner, 2009

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Golden Century, City.

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My 21st Birthday

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  • 17.01.09

Morning/afternoon: Haircut at Armandi, Burwood.

Evening: Dinner with friends at Hooters, Parrmatta.

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Getting my Hooters tee signed ^_^

Night to late: Rock club at Trash SaturdaysAgincourt Hotel.

  • 18.01.09

Morning: Ritual birthday breakfast (clear vermicelli with hard boiled eggs). Vermicelli symbolising long life… don’t know what the egg is for, but I love eggs in all forms, so I enjoyed it immensely :)

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Evening: Dinner at Hurstville Chinese seafood restaurant, Hurstville.

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  • 19.01.09

Morning: Coffee with the lab for my birthday

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