The BEST Lamington.

In the past, I've never been too big a fan of anything that had coconut desiccated coconut. But OH BOY, times have indeed changed. Living in Sydney has changed my preferences towards certain things.. like DESICCATED COCONUT, duh. 

Lamingtons are a BIG THING in the land down under. I've had my fair share of them, they're usually just a dry piece of sponge to me. But NO, not this one. 

The Best Brownie

Y'all gotta try this recipe. It is LIFE CHANGING because:
A. It is very easy to make (4 INGREDIENTS ONLY)
B. It is good for you (non-cancer causing!!!!!!!!!!!) as it is RAW and full of ANTIOXIDANTS

You will need:

Chat Thai, Haymarket

Chat Thai on Campbell Street

View from the second floor.
Got to love high ceilings!

Well, if you've read the about Thai Dara, you'd know that I'm really starting to like Thai food. They've got fresh salads mostly hit by sour notes in the form of green mangoes, and on the other hand,  they've also got savoury rich thick curries which I'd love to have on a cold winter day.* There's such a great range of food, and I'm sure you're bound to like something even if it's just dessert. Chat Thai makes awesome ones!

Fresh Spring Rolls $10
Filled with smoked fish sausage, shredded poached chicken,
cucumbers and shallots wrapped in rice paper.
Dressed with a sweet tamarind sauce.

Fresh spring rolls are one of my favorite things. I never skip them whenever I'm in a Vietnamese restaurant. And they had it on the menu, I decided that it was only fitting to give it a try. The Thai version had a flavorful cured fish that imparted great smokiness, there was tofu**, and your usual vermicelli. The rice wrapper had a bite to it! Thank God it wasn't one of those flimsy ones- those are just annoying cause everything just starts popping out after your first bite.

Figs with Ricotta and Honey

There hasn't been a lot of posting action on the blog lately, and no, the blog isn't dying or coming to an end. Daryl is travelling to distant countries and I have absolutely been swamped with schoolwork. Other than that, I've been on a cleanse which is intended to detox my system, clean my insides, and spew out the junk. So there's not a ton of eating going on. More on that next time, once I've actually completed the whole course of the cleanse.

Would you believe me if I said it's the first time for me to have real fresh figs? This was one of my meals while I was on my 7 day cleanse.* It's simple, uncomplicated, straight to the point. Glorious! I just planned this dish out of thin air since I saw some gorgeous figs while I was at the market.

Meet Fresh Taiwanese Dessert House, Chinatown

Hi, hello, there has been a ton on my mind lately- cycling, the Beatles, cardboard models, Ferran Adria, bathrooms, running, and the infamous new iPad. It's quite the range of stuff, yeah? I'm listening to Beatles right now, and I think they're fabulous! I say that in the most non-gay way! With regard to the bathroom, we're designing one, fixtures and the works!:)

Isn't that a hilarious name?
You'd prolly think it's a supermarket or something else in that category!

I've been out so much lately which obviously leads to eating out and other stuff. So after a crazy indulgent and filling lunch at Happy Chef, you'd think that there's not going to be any more food calories! Why don't you guess again? Late last year, there was this lucrative dessert store that has the longest lines. Seriously, it was crazy and there were times that it would go around the block. And since the fad has faded (a tad), it was time to check it out!*

You see, the staff is talented, she makes the desserts too,
on top of that, she cleans the tables!
Talk about Asians being stingy with employment.

For me, it's a bit reminiscent of the dessert shacks in Hong Kong.** This one happens to be Taiwanese, it's also a cleaner and more refined version. Well, not that I'm trying to be all racist, but there weren't a lot of white people in view cause I reckon it was a bit intimidating. I'm Chinese and even I it's intimidating, what more for the whites? It all starts with the menu, they basically have the same core thing (taro balls, herbal jelly, crushed ice, tofu pudding, whipped cream tea) with the slightest variations aka the toppings.