2013 Sydney Food Blogger Christmas Picnic

The yearly event for Sydney food bloggers is once again here, it is the Christmas picnic hosted by Helen from Grab your fork and Susan from Chocolatesuze. A corner of Centennial Park is full of joy and laughter, and of course, lots of food!!! The range of food brought in by the bloggers was amazing~~~

What I made for the picnic...Sushi with crab meat and cucumber XD

Note: The pork crackles were AWESOME!


The fun part of the whole day was the Kris Kringle, where we get to pick a present from the lovely pile, or...we steal someone else's present! Initially I got a cookie cutter and decoration squeeze thing from my pick, once that's stolen, I decided to steal the Canon lens cup (my favourite lens >3<)...until I got that stolen a couple of times and I had my gift switching from candle to donut cake kit to ice cream bowls, although in the last round the cup somehow got back to me LOL. Thank you and that was one of the most memorable Christmas gift ever! XD

Here's a video clip I've made of the event :)



Merry Christmasssss~~~ ^^

What does adventure mean to you? (Southern Cross Travel Insurance Photo competition)

Southern Cross Travel Insurance is hosting a photo competition with a grand prize of $2,000 and several category winner prizes of wonderful travel equipment. "My Hunger will go on" decided to participate in this competition and would like to share this with all the bloggers out there who loves travelling just as much as we do!

What does adventure mean to you?

"Adventure" is a word that lives inside our hearts and dreams, and for me, it is one of the greatest motivations in life. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be an explorer, where I dreamed of landing on all the continents on Earth. I was fascinated by the places where no human beings have ever gone to, and seeing the sceneries that only once appeared on TV. After I grew up, I was lucky to have found many ways to have my adventurous dreams come true with my loved ones. To me, adventure is like a hot air balloon ride, where I can anticipate the sunrise beyond the horizons. It's like a magic carpet ride into the Arabian nightfall, where I can travel with the wind and sing with the stars. Or perhaps it's like the excitement of winning that very first chip in the sin city, sailing across the endless oceans, or simply having that butterfly in my stomach from a ride in an amusement park. Adventure is all about seeing and experiencing something new and exploring the unknown. It can happen anytime and anywhere even near our homes. It's like when I try out a new dish at a restaurant, or discover a hidden spot. As long as we have a spirit for adventure, we will always find exciting surprises in the world around us!

I would like to nominate the following 2 bloggers to enter this competition:

*Grab your fork (http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com.au/)
*I ate my way through (http://www.iatemywaythrough.com/)



Interested in joining this competition too?

Here are the criteria for entering this competition:

Include a collage of 3-10 photographs images that represents what adventure means to you and;

Include 200-250 word answer to the question, “What does adventure mean to you?” and;

Nominate two other bloggers to take part in the Competition and;

Share the competition page so that others can take part and;

Open to Australian residents only and non-employees of SCTI

Then just submit the entry to the form on the link below!
(Competition closes on 30th November 2013)

For more information about the competition (entry form):
http://www.scti.com.au/southern-cross-travel-insurance-photo-competition
Terms and Conditions:
http://www.scti.com.au/southern-cross-travel-insurance-photo-competition-terms-and-conditions

 
GOOD LUCK!!!

Dog Dog Japon

We saw a cute lady standing outside the Skyview Shopping plaza the other day, waving a board with pictures of different hog dogs. This certainly caught our attention when we were having difficulties deciding what to eat at the time. So we walked into Skyview Shopping plaza where the other popular Japanese cuisines located such as Pepper lunch and Menya Mappen. Then we saw this small and colourful shop, presented almost like a doll house with the cute name of "Dog Dog Japon". Seeing how Japanese hot dogs eventually gained its popularity in USA, this new place in Sydney is definitely worth a try (Another place at Chanoma Café also had a small selection of hot dogs).

Dog Dog Japon had a small amount of tables and chairs for a quick meal or snack, although most probably prefer take away. We thought it was going to be easy to decide what to eat, until we saw the menu board and ended up seeing hallucinations of hot dogs swirling around in circles. The range of selection at Dog Dog Japon was absolutely great, we felt like trying out every single one of them!!! Reluctantly, I landed on Cheese hot dog while Bun had a Beef Hamburger dog, along with our chips with chilli tomato salsa topping and a coke.

Chips with chilli tomato salsa topping ($4.90)

It seems like we have seen a lot of chips with topping these days, such as Lord of the Fries and Batch Burger & Espresso. Both of us really liked this one at Dog Dog Japon as we love Mexican style toppings. It wasn't as chilli as we thought, but rather with that bits and pieces of sourness and sweetness from the tomato.

Coke $2.50, Cheese hot dog $6.60, Beef Hamburger dog $6.90

I was staring at the melting cheese, lying lazily on the top, smiling right back at me. I loved everything about this, although I do find it a little bit hard to eat at first due to the size and width LOL. It was very satisfying to swallow every bit of it, and the ingredients were fresh and tasty. The Beef Hamburger was less complex in its flavour, and Bun loved the juicy Beef Hamburger as always.


Dog Dog Japon is somewhere we will definitely go back to, and it might be a good idea to drag more friends next time and share the flavours. There are just way too many choices, and we are totally going to try them all! (This is like when you played Pokémon and you have that mission to accomplish...*grin*)


Address:
Shop 6, 545 - 551 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (Skyview Shopping plaza)

Phone number:
02 9261 8814


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Rekorderlig Cider's new flavour for summer: Apple-Guava

As the leading fruit cider brand in Australia, Rekorderlig continues to delight the public with their selection of flavours. We still remembered the launch of the Mango-Raspberry flavour at Sparkle Cupcakery 2012, and the Passionfruit flavour at Taste of Sydney 2013. Our families and friends gave a lot of compliments and they loved the range of refreshing flavours :) Personally, my favourite from Rekorderlig is the Strawberry-Lime flavour, I just simply couldn't resist the sweetness that's almost like candy, and the flavour reminded me of the precious childhood times.

Recently, "My Hunger will go on" was very excited to hear that Rekorderlig is releasing a new and innovative flavour for the summer ahead! A sample was sent to us in this bright red package which arrived yesterday, we couldn't wait to try this out :D

"Rekorderlig Apple-Guava Cider deliciously blends crisp apple cider with a luscious burst of tropical guava. For the ultimate refreshment; serve over ice with a squeeze of lime."

With that description in mind, we can almost imagine the flavour before we tasted it. I inhaled the faint scent of apple, and watched the bubbles sank to the bottom. The initial sip was just as refreshing as all other Rekorderlig flavours, yet the sourness definitely overtook any hints of sweetness. There was a slight dry sensation, almost like a cooling beer, along with the Guava flavour continues to circulate in your mouth. For those who prefer something not so sweet like the Strawberry-Lime flavour, this may be a brilliant choice! When I drank this, I didn't picture any beach, crazy party, childhood or love. But instead, an image of a bunch of friends gathered for a BBQ on a hot summer day, followed by them chatting, joking, laughing, and enjoying good times together with a sip of this. I wondered if this flavour will attract an older crowd. We felt this flavour from Rekorderlig was rather quite low-key, yet it brings just as much joy.

Thank you very much for letting "My Hunger will go on" experience this wonderful new flavour of Apple-Guava from Rekorderlig, we are really looking forward for more exciting flavours from Rekorderlig in the future :)


For more flavours from Rekorderlig, check out:
http://www.rekorderlig.com/au/

Waitan - Media Launch Party Oct 2013 (含中文简介)

WAITAN: A NEW CONCEPT IN LUXE ASIAN DINNING WHERE EAST MEETS WEST AND OLD MEETS NEW LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Located at the heart of Sydney Chinatown, Waitan has emerged in Oct 2013 with a promise to deliver the ultimate Asian foodie experience. Waitan is the first Australian venture for Asian hospitality groups, Xiang Er Qing and Tung Lok, with Patrick Tian as the local managing director and Aaron Ching as the Chief operating officer. Together with over $10 million spending and a stunning 2,500sqm venue, Waitan has certainly set its impression to bring a new and exciting vibe to the old Chinatown.

"My Hunger will go on" was really grateful to be invited to this party at Waitan, and we knew what we were going to see on the night would be amazing and memorable. We arrived just before the sun went down, and there we saw the colourful Lamborghinis sitting glamorously at the entrance and attracting many attentions from the public. At that instant, we couldn't wait to walk up the red carpet and check out this new giant inside Chinatown.

With an overwhelming crowd, rows of red lanterns and the traditional antiques, we felt that we have been teleported immediately into the old Shanghai back in the 1930s where it was known as "The Paris of the East, the New York of the West".

If Shanghai in the 1930s represented an era of class, style, elegance, romance and the classics, this world-class interior designed by Thuan Teh (previous works including Chef's Gallery and boutique hotels of The Kirketon and The Diamante) has certainly brought it all back. Waitan consisted of main dining hall with an exhibition-style kitchen, intimate laneway, 14 private dining rooms, Waitan's O Lounge, and even member-only spaces like the Library.

On every corner of Waitan, you can find statues that resembled people from ancient China. With a combination of red and blue lighting shinning down on them, it almost felt like they were to come alive in any minute and enjoy a delightful meal with you.

Going into the bar inside Waitan and staring at this faux opium bed, it reminded me of all the movies and dramas I use to watch about old Shanghai when I was a kid. My impression of nights in Shanghai was full of neon lights, melody notes floating inside the Paramount nightclub, gangsters with money to burn on cigars and beautiful women, and wealthy ladies walking on the street with Qi Pao and short curly hair. The voice of the live music band has dragged me back to reality from the chain of thoughts, and I quickly took a snap of this dark, mysterious, yet addictive scene. I wondered if the illustration on the wall was to depict a deep sea, where people drown themselves into their most fascinating dreams.

With John Rankin (worked for Quay, Astral and Sean's kitchen) taking on the lead of the kitchen, Waitan will offer something different to the crowd, something that redefines your expectations, and bring back the "French Gourmand tasting menu with a unique eastern twist".

With these in mind, we took a journey around the kitchen area to find little surprises that Waitan seeks to offer, and we spotted fresh oysters, fried buns, spring rolls, prawn sticks, Wagyu beef buns and the famous Peking duck pancakes.

The master Peking duck chef Mr Yuejin Ma has been flown to Sydney for this special night at Waitan, and prepared these ducks pancakes from the signature oven to please the crowd. We constantly heard "Mmm this is really good!", "I love it!", "Absolutely amazing!" phrases from the crowd, I guess a bunch of exclamation marks just popped out of everyone's head.

We loved the traditional dark wooden tables and chairs, the silky cushions full of flower patterns, and the flawless dinnerware.

If these weren't exciting enough, an amount of $10,000 will buy you a VIP ticket to access the second floor members-only areas, where Sydney's largest circular table measuring 5.2m is located, and the $50k bottle of cognac will be available to indulge.

This venue at Sydney Chinatown will be the first of an international chain of Waitan restaurants, the second of which will open in New York next year. There are two more planned for Australia including another one in Sydney and one in Melbourne.


用了千万*资金打造的Waitan，2013年十月在悉尼中国城开幕了。Waitan拥有占地两千五百平方米的豪华场地，其中包括了十四间私人包间，展览厨房，酒吧以及VIP会员专区等等。主厨是曾在Quay, Astral, Sean's kitchen工作过的John Rankin, 这让人很期待Waitan会带给我们什么惊喜。当我们走进Waitan时，感觉像是穿越时空来到了三十年代的旧上海，每一个角落都散发着古典美与神秘的气息。 在酒吧里还摆设了模仿旧时代的鸦片床，不由让人想起了那个灯红酒绿，纸醉金迷的老上海。当晚我们品尝到了生蚝，炸虾棒，Wagyu牛肉包，北京烤鸭等等的精致派对美食，值得一提的是Waitan的特殊烤鸭炉和准备了三天的烤鸭，很让人惊叹不已。如果这些惊喜还不够，Waitan还有会员费一万块*的VIP专用区，包括图书馆和悉尼最大的圆饭桌，人们还可以品尝到Waitan价值五万块*的白兰地。然而，这只是Waitan的一个开始，第二家Waitan餐厅准备明年在纽约开幕。(*澳币)


Again we are really thankful to be invited to this great event, and we can't wait to visit here for a delicious meal soon!


Address:
405 Sussex Street Sydney

Phone number:
02 8218 1000

Opening time:
Mon - Sun 6pm - 12am


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How to make Takoyaki

Ingredients:
1 spring onion
3 crab sticks
200g of Takoyaki flour
2 eggs
3 cups of water
Takoyaki sauce
Mayonnaise (or Japanese Mayonnaise)
Bonito flakes

Serving:
About 24

Level:
Easy


I have always been a super fan of Japanese cuisine, and I always wanted to try to learn how to cook them. On this lazy afternoon, I decided to give a shot on cooking my very first set of Takoyaki. So I have got most of the ingredients from a Japanese grocery store in the city called Maruyu.




(Left to right: Bonito flakes, Takoyaki sauce, Takoyaki flour)


It's really hard to find a proper Takoyaki pan in Australia, so I bought this pop cake pan from Kmart instead.




I am only a beginner, so I have only included 2 very simple ingredients as fillings. That was 1 spring onion, and 3 crab sticks (proper ingredient is actually boiled octopus, but I ran out of them so I have decided to use crab sticks that I found in Asian grocery store instead) being chopped up to small pieces (I have seen many people adding tempura pieces and Japanese ginger into the fillings as well). I like to separate each ingredient into different bowls, that way makes it easier for me to pick them up and start cooking.




To start off, I have measured 200g of Takoyaki flour into a large bowl and cracked 2 eggs into it, then mix with 1/2 cup of water.




Afterwards you can add in 1/2 cup each time and mix well until it all finishes, then the mixture should turn into a watery state.




You can then get a brush to brush oil evenly into each hole on the pan, and then pour the mixture into each hole. Then quickly add on the chopped up spring onions (leave a little bit left for garnish later) and crab sticks into each Takoyaki. After the edge of the Takoyaki is cooked, use 2 sharp sticks (or tooth picks) to turn each of the Takoyaki about 90 degree. Repeat the rotating step until all Takoyaki are cooked (turning into golden brown colour).




Place each Takoyaki on a plate and squeeze on the Takoyaki sauce and Mayonnaise, then add on the Bonito flakes and the rest of the spring onion pieces (you can also choose to add on seaweed flakes instead).

TA-DA! It's all done and time to enjoy the Takoyaki!!


PS: Feel free to drop me any comments or suggestions on the recipe, I would love to learn from all of you guys :)

Pancakes on the Rocks - Canterbury

Situated at the busy intersection of Beverly Hills, Pancakes on the Rocks seemed to be forever popular here since its opening. The line usually started to built around 6pm, so we decided to arrive slightly earlier to avoid the crowd.

Potato wedges $6.95 (With sweet chilli sauce add $1.50, with sour cream add $1.50)

The wedges were cooked to the perfect golden brown colour with a crunchy edge and soft core. Every time we loved it as a little side dish, especially with the sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. They were chopped to the right size to just fit into the grasp of 2 fingers.

Mexicana $15.95

Our favourite savoury pancake from Pancakes on the Rocks has got to be this one, the Mexicana. As one of their top sellers, it contained the mouth-watering filling of Mexican style beef, tomato salsa, spicy tomato sauce, tasty cheese, guacamole, sour cream and shallots, together served on a bed of lettuce and 2 pieces of Nachos. The burning sensation from the chilli slowly crawls from the tip of your tongue down to your throat, and then you get a chance to cool it down with a satisfying gulp of guacamole.




Devils delight $14.95

As another one of the popular pancakes from Pancakes on the Rocks, the Devils delight consists of 2 spongy chocolate pancakes placed on the plate with surrounding strawberries. The scoop of chocolate ice cream sits comfortably on the layer of cream, along with the dancing patterns of chocolate sauce. It was a great dessert to share between 2 people, we loved every single bits of it.


For some reason, both me and Bun found the pancakes at this chain to be more fresh than all others. It also seemed that the staffs were more friendly and attentive, and the orders arrived at a reasonable timeframe. We loved the fact that Pancakes on the Rocks has always seemed to be full of energy, and the kids truly enjoyed their meals here with lots of smiles and laughter.


Address:
Cnr King Georges Road and Stoney Creek Road
Beverly Hills NSW 2209

Phone number:
02 9580 7200

Opening time:
Sun - Thu 7am - 12am
Fri - Sat 7am - 1am


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