Short answer is: No.
From the list below, if I have to, I would only ever consider the last 2 (#8 & #9).
Apart from that, no way! Certainly not $15,000 for meat pie. That's just obscene!! Heck, I won't even pay $150 for meat pie.

Article:

Would you pay $15,000 for a meat pie?

The global economy may be in the midst of a recession, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of these heftily priced menu items. How does a $1000 omelette sound? Or perhaps a $15,000 beef pie? Get set for some fine-dining experiences that neither you, nor your credit card bill, are likely to forget.



#1 The $1156 caviar omelette

Norma's of New York's Le Parker Meridien hotel has done a wonderful job of naming its deluxe omelette The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata, adding a postscript on the menu at Norma's restaurant, "Norma dares you to Expense this". Forget eggs with a few mushies thrown in for brekkie. Get set for chef Emilio Castillo's lobster and 283gm of sevruga caviar as the ultimate egg add-ons. Where: Norma's, Le Parker Meridien Hotel, New York.



#2 The $193 chicken club sandwich

Made up of Iberico ham (air-cured for 30 months), poulet de Bresse, white truffles, quail eggs, semi-dried Italian tomatoes and 24-hour fermented sourdough bread, the triple-decker von Essen Platinum Club Sandwich, weighing in at 530gm, isn't an ordinary sandwich. And you'd better hope so, with its price tag of almost $200. But rest assured that you'll be eating like a king, literally! Back in the 16th century, France's Henry IV demanded the inclusion of the chicken of Bourg-en-Bresse on his courtly menu. The French now know the poulet de Bresse as the "fourth gastronomic wonder of the world".

Where: Cliveden, London.

Reservation: 24 hours' notice.

#3 The $15,820 Wagyu beef pie

In 2005, an English restaurant made headlines when it offered the world's most expensive pie. Constituting the £1000 ($1930) a slice price tag was famed Japanese Wagyu beef (worth $965 a kilo), black truffles and Chinese mushrooms so rare they're picked under armed guard. The sauce recipe also called for two bottles of 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild red wine (costing more than $7722) and a 24-carat gold-leaf garnish. The pie was sold and enjoyed by eight unnamed locals of the restaurant, Fence Gate Inn in Lancashire. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, owner Kevin Berkins said you can really taste the difference. "It started as a bit of silliness and quickly got out of control."



#4 The $1,156 ice-cream sundae

Not satisfied with a killer expensive meal, how about topping it all off with a dessert that costs about the same as a mortgage repayment? New York restaurant Serendipity 3 has the aptly named Golden Opulence Sundae, made of Tahitian vanilla ice-cream infused with Madagascar vanilla beans and rare Venezuelan Chuao chocolate. The whole creation is covered with 23-carat edible gold leaf, with a serving of sweet Grande Passion caviar just to up the price. Note: the sundae is served in a Baccarat crystal goblet which is yours to keep!

Where: Serendipity 3, New York.

Reservation: 48 hours' notice.



#5 The $289 truffle chocolate

At the centrepiece of what is probably the world's most expensive chocolate is a rare French Perigord truffle. And perhaps the ingredients list of 70 percent Valrhona dark chocolate, heavy cream, fine cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla might have you justifying the whopping price of $289. And that's not for a box, but for a single piece!

Where: Knipschildt, Connecticut.

Reservation: made to order.



#6 The $10,000 diamond martini

We can't help but think that there was a bit of cheating with this one. Because though this cocktail may set you back a cool 10 grand, you do walk away with a sparkling new diamond found at the bottom of the glass. Hotel officials of Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel told National Public Radio that it's the ultimate way to propose or mark a special occasion with your loved one. Just hope that your partner doesn't chug the drink too quickly, and along with it what must be the world's most expensive drink garnish!

Where: Algonquin Hotel, New York.

Reservation: 72 hours' notice and a personal visit to the hotel's jeweller.



#7 The $46 bottle of water

You may complain about $6 bottles of water at music festivals, but how about adding an extra $40 for a 750ml Swarovski crystal-encrusted, frosted-glass Bling H2O bottle of Tennessee spring water? Promoted as the water of choice for celebrities, Bling H2O must surely know that selling ludicrously priced drinking water is a bit of a marketing gimmick. Hence limited-edition bottles like "The Blondie", "Purple Rain" and "The 'OMG' Faded Chrome" bottles.

Where: worldwide shipping from the US.



#8 The $8 Big Mac

Back in 1986, The Economist published an article comparing the price of a Big Mac, that classic McDonald's burger, from around the world. It was a humorous attempt to compare the purchasing power of different currencies, but proved so popular it's been revived annually in the magazine. On January 30, 2009, the world's most expensive Big Mac could be found in Norway at 40 kroner (about $8). The Australian Big Mac was listed at $3.45.

Where: McDonald's, Norway.



#9 Australia's $150+ seafood dishes

For a taste of Australia's own high-end culinary dining, head to Silks, one of Melbourne's Cantonese restaurants. There you can order braised abalone with duck's feet webbing. But be prepared to be charged $150 per 100g! Or if you really want to blow the budget, how about indulging in a $160 whole rock lobster roasted with herb butter from Sydney's Rockpool Bar & Grill.

Where: Silks, Melbourne and Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney.

Would you scoff down any of the items above? Or do you think this is just putting the 'greedy fat celebrities' into the 'GFC'?

http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/world/863900/would-you-pay-15000-for-a-meat-pie

Alcohol & chocolate - great combination!

After Christmas lunch, I managed to remind myself again that alcohol & chocolate makes a great combination. And no, I am not talking about liqueur chocolate either. What I am talking about is taking some alcohol & chocolate, putting it in your mouth at the same time, enjoying the taste of both together, then gulping everything down.

More specifically, what I had after Christmas lunch were some Orlando Trilogy sparking rose wine & Lindt chocolate. I put the Lindt in my mouth & chew for a bit. While still chewing, I took a sip of the Orlando Trilogy wine (which on its own has a mild & balanced taste) & enjoyed the alcohol & chocolate combination. It was superb. The Orlando rose wine tasted even better with the Lindt. Or was it a case of the Lindt tasting better with the Orlando rose wine??? Ooohhhh well, let's just say I enjoyed the combination.

That wasn't the first time I combined alcohol & chocolate at the same time. A long time ago, I had Heineken beer & a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. I put the Ferrero Rocher in my mouth, then gulped down some Heineken & then chewed on the chocolate while the beer was also in my mouth. It was superb.

Alcohol & chocolate....I must do this again sometime!

Article - curry kills cancer cells

My friend posted this article on Facebook. I checked it out & really liked it, coz I'm a big big fan of curry. So I thought I'd post it on my blog. Here it is. If what it says is true, then perhaps it's another reason to consume curry. Not that I need another reason to indulge in it :)


Curry kills cancer cells

LONDON - A MOLECULE found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday.

Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland treated oesophageal cancer cells with curcumin - a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curries a distinctive yellow colour - and found it started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours. The cells also began to digest themselves, they said in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Previous scientific studies have suggested curcumin can suppress tumours and that people who eat lots of curry may be less prone to the disease, although curcumin loses its anti-cancer attributes quickly when ingested. But Sharon McKenna, lead author of the Irish study, said her study suggested a potential for scientists to develop curcumin as an anti-cancer drug to treat oesophageal cancer.

Cancers of the oesophagus kill more than 500,000 people across the world each year. The tumours are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of just 12 to 31 per cent. Ms McKenna said the study showed curcumin caused the cancer cells to die 'using an unexpected system of cell messages'.

Normally, faulty cells die by committing programmed suicide, or apoptosis, which occurs when proteins called caspases are 'switched on' in cells, the researchers said.

But these cells showed no evidence of suicide, and the addition of a molecule that inhibits caspases and stops this 'switch being flicked' made no difference to the number of cells that died, suggesting curcumin attacked the cancer cells using an alternative cell signalling system. -- REUTERS




A molecule found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment, scientists said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: AP


Link:http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Tech+and+Science/Story/STIStory_447509.html?vgnmr=1

Junk food - 6 rules you must obey

And continuing on the food theme, I saw this article via a link somewhere on NineMSN website.

The 6 rules of indulgence

1. Control cravings: Complete deprivation is not the solution. A denied craving can quickly spiral out of control, leading to bingeing or overeating. If you're craving fries or chips, for example, eat a small serving of fries, or buy the mini 150-calorie bag of chips and be done with it.

2. Indulge sensibly: Splurging on occasion is acceptable -- just don't get carried away!

3. Avoid stocking treats in your cabinets or fridge: Buy something only when the craving hits and enjoy a small quantity. Then share or trash the rest.

4. Mix it up: Try eating something healthier thing along with the less-nutritious food, like a piece of fruit with your cheesecake. By eating the fruit first, you'll dull your appetite and be less likely to wolf down a second slice of the cheesecake.

5. Count calories: Compare the amount of fat and calories found in healthy, filling snacks vs. less-healthful foods. For instance, a medium apple contains just 338 kilojoules and no fat; and a container of low-fat fruit yogurt provides 966 kilojoules and 2 grams of fat.

6. Focus on fat: Take extra care to read labels, there are lots of hidden bad fats in packaged foods. Take extra care with hidden processed fats which have been shown to raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. The Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of processed (trans) fat you eat to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories. To maintain your weight, no more than 25 percent of daily calories should come from fat.


Link: http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/six_rules_junk_food.htm

Article: Thai tops the 'fat' takeaway food list over pizza

I saw this article a while ago on NineMSN. I must say I'm surprised. I mean, come on, is pad thai noodles really that bad?? But I really like it! And it also said Chinese dishes were the healthiest. Really?? I am assuming the writer means beef in black bean sauce ranks highly in terms of having less fat & salt content compared to other dishes. Not surprised with what they say about pasta Napoletana, though.

After a long day at work, with the kids stressing you out, the last thing you feel like doing is cooking. Takeaway food offers a quick and easy option for satisfying the hunger pangs — but at what cost to your health?

On average, Australians spend a whopping 10 percent of their food budget on takeaway food and, despite the global economic crisis — that figure is rising. Many takeaway foods are lacking in essential nutrients and are packed full of hidden nasties, such as fat (in particular, artery-clogging saturated fat), salt and even sugar.

If you opt for Thai you'll be at least picking a healthy option, right? Wrong! A recent survey conducted by consumer group Choice has revealed that Thai dishes such as pad Thai are worse for your waistline and heart than pizza. A serving of pad Thai contains 11.3g of fat per 100g, excessive amounts of salt which increases our risk of high blood pressure and has a high sugar content.

So what dishes should we be grabbing if we can't resist the temptation of that convenient takeaway? Overall, the survey found Chinese dishes were the healthiest option with beef in black bean sauce ranking highly in terms of overall fat and salt content. But the classic Italian dish, pasta Napoletana, contained the least amount of fat with just 3g per 100g.

Also remember there are plenty of quick healthy options to choose from in your local supermarket. Throw together a quick stir-fry and your body will be thanking you as well as your pocket.

And if you simply must indulge, then make sure you put away plenty of time at the gym to work off those excesses. A 300g portion of lamb korma could set you back about 160 minutes of hard cycling, while a portion of sweet and sour pork roughly 170 minutes and half a supreme pizza may take you up to an astounding 190 minutes to work off.


Link: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/healthnews/825667/thai-tops-the-fat-takeaway-food-list-over-pizza

It's official - junk food IS addictive

Here's an article I just stumbled across via NineMSN (called "Sugar high"). It's very true & not surprising, really - junkfood is definitely addictive. Well, speaking for myself anyway, it's true. Once u start consuming, u just want more, & u just keep going. Try opening a can of Pringles, for instance. Remember the Pringles punchline "once you pop you can't stop". Well, it's so true isn't it, if u know what I mean ;)


***********************************************
Sugar high

In news that's hardly eyebrow-raising (but is a little depressing)...junk food is addictive.

A study at the University of South Australia examined the effects of junk food on rats. The rats allowed to eat diets high in sugar and fat not only put on weight, but also became anxious when the junk food was replaced with healthier options. The lead researcher, Zhi Yi Ong, also discovered that the rats would often prefer to go hungry than to eat the healthier alternatives.

The rationale behind the results is that foods high in sugar and fat can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain's central reward pathway - the same area affected by illegal drugs.

"We're speculating junk food can down-regulate (desensitise) the reward pathway in our brains," Ms Ong said.

"So if you have consumed too much, you have to consume more and more in order to feel the same happy feeling."

My overseas trip (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei)

Just got back from my overseas trip a couple of days ago. I was away for almost 3 weeks - most of which was spent in Klang Valley (i.e. KL & the surrounding metropolitan areas), but I also spent some time in Singapore & very briefly Brunei. It was one heck of a vacation. Fantastic, memorable, & unforgettable.

The main highlight was my brother's wedding celebration near the end of last month (see the next 2 blog posts). It was a grand day for the families & friends of both bride & bridegroom. Personally, it is a day I will savour forever. And it made the overseas trip such a memorable one! Praise the Lord for that!

Besides my brother's wedding, there were also other things of note from the trip:

- The people I came to visit; I enjoyed the catching up with relatives & friends - the chats & laughs, etc.
- Making some new friends from the Lai cousins' church, e.g. Frederick Tan who supports Man Utd. There's also Emerick & his brother Adriel, who supports Real Madrid, & I gave him a bit of "grief" when reminding him of Barcelona's recent 2-0 win over Madrid in December's El Clasico).
- Lots of Malays in Malaysia.
- Being woken up by cousin's "Sponge Bob Square Pants" alarm ringtone almost every morning!
- Watching UEFA Champions League second round draw live from hotel in Brunei (which I stayed overnight en route to KL).
- Watching "Transformers The Movie" on the bus trip from KL to Singapore.
- New Year's Day fireworks in Singapore.
- Touching a live snake on Sentosa Island, Singapore.
- Visit to Singapore Zoo on New Year's evening (unfortunately, it was at night & unfortunately, I never got to see some wild animals that I was hoping to see like tiger & Nile crocodile).
- The mega-sized shopping malls in Klang Valley & Singapore, though some of the things are expensive. It seems everytime I visit Malaysia, new shopping malls sprout up.
- The shopping I did in shopping malls & street markets. (Andrew & Val say I bought a lot of things, but I would beg to differ!)
- Malays, Malays, & more Malays.
- The food!!

I could go on & on......but yeah, there were some really good memories which will remain with me forever :)

Anyway, on that last point above (food), of course, u can't go to Asia without sampling the wonderful food! Certainly, that applies to Malaysia & Singapore. I reckon I must have consumed ice kacang (my favourite dessert) at least 6 times during the 20 day trip. Anyway, here are pictures I took of some of the food I was fortunate enough to get to eat during this overseas trip:

AMW root beer & waffle

chicken & beef satay

dhosai with dhal & curry

forgot the exact name....i think it's Malay-style chicken with curry/chilli sauce (it goes with nasi kandar)

steamboat (in tom yum soup)

steamed fish

oar jien a.k.a. oyster omelette (in Singapore)

masala dhosai (in Singapore)

roti telur with fish curry (in Singapore)

Western breakfast (Grand Copthorne Hotel, Singapore)

oar jien (again - at same place hawker place in Singapore - it's so good i went back a second time!)

chee cheong fun (Cantonese steamed rice roll)

wu tau guo (Chinese yam cake)

mamak rojak/Indian rojak

kangkung (Malaysian vege) & clams

crabs

ice kacang (the tallest one i had on this trip!); on the right is steamed bun with curry puff filling

chwee kway a.k.a. pinyin (steamed rice cake)

banana leaf lunch

chicken rice & crispy skin pork

dinner at Chinese restaurant in Subang (too many dishes to name)

durian (very quintessentially Malaysian)

Riverfire 2008 - guys nite out (30/8/08)

In Brisbane, we got the annual Riverfestival thing that runs for a week (or a bit more than a week) around the start of September, to celebrate the Brisbane River. At the start of the Riverfestival is the Riverfire, which basically involves choreographed fireworks displays from the 3 big bridges on Brisbane River, from building rooftops & boats. There is also a flyover of jets performing the "dump & burn" where a trail of flames come out of the tail of the jets. (Have I described this correctly?). The Riverfire runs for 30 minutes.

Riverfestival 2008 runs from Friday 29/8/08 to Sunday 7/9/08. Riverfire 2008 happened yesterday evening (Saturday), at 7pm. A bunch of us (me, Ivan, Kwang, Ed, Jay, Sean, Wong) gathered at a studio apartment on Charlotte St, which is occupied by Ivan, to watch the Riverfire. Ivan's back in Brisbane for a while to work on a project for his company, & the company provides him with accommodation while in Brisbane (which is good for him). He normally occupies one of the apartments on the lower levels, but for this week, he booked level 41 so that we could get a better view of Riverfire. It was a "guys nite out".

Good move, Ivan. The views were pretty good, from the balcony of level 41. Jay (back in Brisbane for a few months before he & Mel heading overseas again) brought along his camera & took some nice pictures. Hopefully, he will put the pics on Facebook. I think 1-2 other guys also had their cameras, but Jay was the main camera man yesterday. I didn't bring my camera (even if I did, my pics wouldn't be great anyway - I'm a poor photographer). The Riverfire kicked off with 1 jet performing the "dump & burn", & that caused the buildings around us to be illuminated with a gold-orange glow. Then the fireworks displays began. Pop, pop, pop, they went, all sorts of shapes, sizes & colours. It was nice. Not quite the fireworks of Beijing, but hey, it was still alright. Meanwhile, the TV was left on to show the live telecast on Channel 7, & it showed us the view from the Story Bridge to the tune of the music from Triple M 104.5 FM. We couldn't see the Story Bridge from the balcony, because of the surrounding buildings. The balcony only allowed us to view the Botanical Gardens & the part of the river nearby. And then at some point, another jet flew past & did another "dump & burn" & the Brisbane CBD was once again glowing orange-gold momentarily. While we enjoyed the spectacular show (fireworks & all) from the balcony, we munched on some yummy snacks provided by Ivan (wasabe-coated peas, prawn crackers, seaweed-coated crackers). The Riverfire was good, & we enjoyed it.

When the Riverfire finished at 7:30pm, we had 1 hour to kill because Ivan booked our dinner table for 8:30pm at Little Singapore City Restaurant, further up Charlotte St (website: http://www.littlesingapore.com.au/). So we played the Wii for a bit before heading to Little Singapore. It's my first time there (I haven't been to the one in Sunnybank, either). The place was packed! There were people waiting outside the restaurant to get in. Almost all the diners were Oriental Asians - Jay was one of a handful of non-Orientals. For appetisers, we shared tofu goreng & lobak. We ordered drinks as well. I can't remember what everyone else ordered, but I had the rose milk tea, & I found it a bit diluted for my liking (they didn't put in enough rose syrup). The rose milk tea was distinctively light pink. (a colour that I like....hehe).
For main meals, Sean & myself ordered mee goreng. Ed, Kwang & Wong ordered the laksa. Ivan ordered the Hainanese chicken with butter rice, & Jay ordered the roti curry lamb (he previously told me he loves the roti.....I can so understand why). By way of meal size, Ivan's dish was the smallest, but then I think he eats the least among us guys. But the size of the laksa bowls really shocked me. It's the biggest I've ever seen - like a pot. It's so huge, & I urged the 3 laksa guys to consume the whole meal, including drinking all the laksa gravy. They didn't. Ed & Kwang got their laksas first before the gravy ran out, causing poor Wong to wait for at least 10 minutes. One of the guys said the food at Little Singapore City is more expensive than Little Singapore Sunnybank (some by about $1). I'm thinking one of the reasons for that must be the rent in the CBD....

We all enjoyed our meals, although Wong said his body was sweating from the laksa gravy. Only Sean & myself had dessert - he had the deep fried durian, while I ordered ice kacang. I think Sean enjoyed his dessert more than I did mine. I didn't think the ice kacang was that great, & would not recommend it to others - it's overpriced at $5.90! The ice kacang had too much evaporated milk, not enough syrup, not enough gula melaka (a.k.a. palm sugar), & not enough ingredients (attap chee, red beans, sweet corn etc). Because of the quantity of evaporated milk relative to syrup, the ice kacang soon looked like pink porridge (second time I saw pink). I downed it with the help of a straw. By the time the dessert came, Maria, Jennifer & Jeannie (who already had dinner elsewhere) arrived. Suzanne & Chi also dropped in to say hello before taking off. We had a group photo taken by Maria's mum, who had also coincidentally happened to be in the restaurant at another table!

Anyway, after paying off the dinner (I forked out $25 for my stash, although the exact cost would have been a bit under that), us 7 guys plus the 3 girls went back to Ivan's apartment. Some of us played cards (big 2), while others continued with the Wii. I was very bad at Wii, being soundly thrashed at just about every game, regardless of whether I played Ivan, Jay, Ed or Wong. The Wii educational trivia game (forgot the exact name) was a different story - Ed & myself narrowly beat Ivan & Jay in a 2 on 2 contest. It was so so close.

I was the first among the gang to leave, calling it a nite at just after 11pm, retrieved my car from the Comalco Place car park, & parted with $15 (the standard Riverfire parking fee charged by Wilson Parking for the Comalco Place) to let myself out. I enjoyed the evening. It was a very good nite of hanging out, enjoying the show & enjoying each other's company. Praise God for the nite.


PS: There were only a few floors over level 41. My goodness, when I looked down from the balcony, level 41 was so high up, it's scary.....maybe I'm slowly starting to develop a fear of heights.....

Sofitel food was good

Fresh from watching the Champions League final this morning, I left home (not feeling great because of the result) & headed for a whole-day seminar at Sofitel Brisbane. I attended the seminar as a very last-minute replacement for a colleague who was originally scheduled to attend, but couldn't due to illness (it's the Christian colleague, JC, whose workstation is next to mine). I didn't want to attend, but felt compelled to because no one else seemed willing to. Huh, I really need to learn to say "no" to people's faces, or at least people at work. Next time, next time......

The seminar? It was the second of a 2-part seminar. A different colleague attended the first part the previous day. It was a financial accounting workshop, so it covered financial accounting, financial reporting, audit, ASIC's new developments (the corporate regulators in Australia)....all of which made me feel zzzzzzz. Both speakers were reasonably good (first one more so than the second); I had no issues with them, & they seem obviously knowledgable. It's the seminar content that I didn't enjoy. The workshop had nothing to do with tax (income tax, GST, FBT etc), which I prefer to that financial reporting, audit, ASIC regulatory mumbo jumbo.

Anyway, the brightest thing today was lunch (which came as part of the cost of the seminar, which work paid for) - the food was pretty good. We had lunch at the Thyme Restaurant within Sofitel. It was a buffet. I was told before seminar started that the buffet was good & I would really love it if I love my food. And so it proved.

First plate was seafood - oysters, mussels, prawns, raw fish (similar to sashimi, or maybe it was sashimi). Nice, loved it, fantastic - although a bit saltier than similar seafood that I had at other places. Never mind. So walked to the bar to grab some more, but then I noticed the Indian food on offer. So, forgetting the seafood, I filled my second plate completely with papadum, garlic naan breads, Bombay potatoes, pork vindaloo, & some chutneys. I also took a small bowl of French onion soup. I heard one of the chefs telling another patron that the vindaloo was spicy. The patron was deterred on hearing that. But not me - I just smiled, because that is how I love my curries. The Indian food was delicious. The naan was soft & nice. Rubbing it with the chutneys, potatoes & vindaloo gave something really tasty. Onion soup was good, too. For third plate, I had a roasted lamb skewer, char siew pao (Chinese pork bun).....& more Indian! (this time, minus the papadum, & with different chutneys from previous plate). Yep, I really love Indian food, that I went for more instead of trying other dishes.

Then onto dessert, where I filled a plate with orange & chocolate truffle, caramel & macadamia tart, & chocolate fudge cake. I also had 2 bowls of chocolate ice cream, oreo cookie ice cream & fruit salad with mint sauce. Dessert was good, too - though I couldn't really taste the mint sauce, as it was probably muffled by both ice cream flavours.

So yeah, I did have quite a bit for lunch. And on top of that, I had stuff for morning tea & afternoon tea, too. I liked the food at Sofitel/Thyme Restaurant. Hmmm, it would be good if all seminars could be held at Sofitel......

Chinese New Year banquet with friends

I went to a Chinese New Year banquet with BT, Terence & Catherine last nite (Saturday nite) at Shangrila Restaurant in Sunnybank. The banquet was organised by Catherine's cousin Sue, who invited her workmates (a mixture of Caucasians, Oriental Asians & Indians), & brought along her partner Ken. The place is new, & it's actually my first time at the restaurant. Terence said he's been there for yum cha, & he found it rather good. He suggested we have yum cha there one day, & I agreed.

The banquet cost $60 per head. The food was ok; I'd say definitely passable, but not absolutely great & nothing that is really out of this world. One good thing I can say was that the portions were quite decent, certainly enough to go around. In fact, we were full at the end of the dinner. Sue doggy bagged the leftovers. Overall, the night was pretty satisfactory.

The restaurant was big & bright, & the furnishing seem quite posh. It so happened that half of the place was sealed off for the night for a wedding reception dinner. Our half was quite noisy, thanks to patrons from the other tables. The patrons at the tables behind me had their own Chinese NY dinner; there was a speech given by a lady before presents were given out (which made it look like Christmas). There was also a table distantly to my left where the men were boisterously toasting a few glasses; one elderly guy in particular looked like he had a bit too much wine. Overall, the atmosphere sounded like a Hong Kong fish market. Not that I had any issues with that.

Some dishes were definitely nicer than others. I particularly liked:

the sashimi (consumed with wasabe & kikoman/soy sauce);
the soup with various ingredients (including mushroom, dried scallop, quail eggs);
the roast duck (always love duck);
the steamed fish, "7 stars" cod (so tasty with the gravy).

For dessert, we had a fruit platter consisting of watermelon, rockmelon & longan, & a Taiwanese-style ice kacang (though decent, it's not as nice as Malaysian ice kacang, in my biased opinion coz I'm from Malaysia).

As for the other dishes:

the seafood resembling mussels (maybe it was in fact mussels) was not bad;
noodles with lobster was ok if a bit bland - not excessively tasty;
ginger shallot scallop did not tickle my fancy;
sea cucumber & mushroom abalones also did not tickle my fancy;
the chilli salt pepper mud crabs were ok, but a bit underwhelming & not fantastic - couldn't really taste the crab.

The biggest disappointment was that the soup was missing shark fin. It was meant to be included in the soup, & I had been so looking forward to it. Make no mistake, I actually liked soup, but wished they could have also included shark fin.

Anyway, below are some pictures of the dishes I liked. I will put all the pics (the ones below & others I took) up on Multiply when I have the chance.






sashimi - very nice arrangements














the soup











roast duck - just look at that!











steamed fish, "7 star" cod - so tasty, especially in that gravy

My take on "7 Foods to Keep You Young"

That "7 Foods to Keep You Young" article was pretty interesting, I thought - which is why I blogged it ;)
So I thought I'd comment a bit on it, partly in view of the comment that my friend posted. Excuse any ignorance or silliness that I may display in my comments!

To make things a bit more "weird & wonderful", I'd also give a "frequency of consumption" rating out of 10 for each of the foods, just to give some idea of how frequent I currently consume these foods (of course, ratings may change in the future, depending on my food intake). As you will see, the 3 that I consume most regularly out of the group would be fish, chocolate & yoghurt.

Olive oil:
My olive oil consumption is almost negligible. Not because I don't like olive oil. It's just that it never crossed my mind to actively seek out anything with olive oil. That might change - perhaps it's time to up my consumption of Mediterranean cuisine? Then again, some of the food that I eat out might have olive oil content without me knowing it.
Frequency of consumption: 1/10

Yoghurt:
Yes, I like yoghurt. I used to consume yoghurt more regularly than I do now. And it's always the ones in containers with fruit. I prefer yoghurt with tropical fruit to yoghurt with berries. Now that we're on this topic, I suddenly feel like some yoghurt. So, guess what will be going into the basket when I go to the shops in a few days time?!!
Frequency of consumption: 6/10

Fish:
The article doesn't specify what type of fish or how the fish should be cooked. Perhaps it is fish in general that keeps us young. Hmm, dunno. Anyhow, I consume fish a few times a week, whether boiled, steamed or fried. And that does not count fish & chip takeaway!
Frequency of consumption: 8/10

Chocolate:
The article doesn't say what type of chocolate would be more conducive to keeping us young. Could it be be dark chocs? Possibly, because the article mentioned "cocoa". If I hear correctly, dark chocs contain more cocoa than milk chocs or white chocs. And also, I hear that dark chocs are better for your health than milk chocs or white chocs. I used to consume chocs every day, because social club at work used to sell snack-sized chocs (Mars, Snickers etc), & I'd be notorious at work for my choc consumption. Social club stopped selling snacks months ago, but all that could be back very soon. Woo hoo!
Frequency of consumption: 7/10 (would have been 10/10 when social club sold all those chocs!)

Nuts:
Article doesn't specify what sort of nuts are good for keeping us young. Off & on, I would eat salt-dried peanuts that I get from the Asian grocery shops (e.g. Formosa Asian Market, Yuen's Market). That's pretty much it. Otherwise, the other nuts I consume would be the almonds in the chicken & almond dish, or the nuts that go with chocolates.
Frequency of consumption: 5/10

Wine:
I don't drink wine that often. I tend to drink wine on certain occasions like wedding receptions or parties. I definitely drink beer more regularly. Oh, speaking of wine, I still haven't opened that bottle of Riccadonna (Italian red wine) that I got as a Secret Santa present last year. That might happen this Christmas.
Frequency of consumption: 3/10

Blueberries:
I eat fruits regularly. But that doesn't include blueberries. I can't remember the last time I ate blueberries on its own. I can only remember taking blueberry jam, but that doesn't really count, does it?
Frequency of consumption: 1.5/10


Addendum 30/11/2007:- I should also mention that the ratings given do not represent consumption every 10-day period. So for example, 3/10 for wine doesn't mean I only drink wine 3 times/3 days every 10 days. The ratings are indicative & meant for guidance only.

(From MSN) 7 Foods to Keep You Young

7 Foods to Keep You Young

Olive Oil

Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

Yogurt

In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per capita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis and contains "good bacteria" that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.

Fish

Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.

Chocolate

The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

Nuts

Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They’re also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

Wine

Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits—and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.

Blueberries

In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University’s Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in "rat lives" is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits in memory and motor function.

Shiok!, Qld Roar v SuperSport Utd

Shiok apparently is a Singaporean (& possibly also Malaysian?) exclamation that is used to indicate an object as extremely good, often used in the case of food to exclaim that a particular food consumed is extremely tasty. It is presumably for this reason that a Chinese Malaysian restaurant at Eight Mile Plains is named Shiok!.

I had lunch at Shiok! today with some friends after attending Sunnybank District Baptist Church (a visit - left my car at New Farm & carpooled with Maria & Ivan). The place was packed when I arrived with Maria & Ivan (after the 3 of us shopped at JB-HiFi), so it meant we waited outside for a table - & we weren't the only ones waiting. We were still waiting when Jay (it was his idea that we lunch at Shiok!) & Melina arrived. But thankfully, we were then taken to our table.

I ordered the Shiok! combination laksa, & it was definitely shiok, i.e. tasty. The cost was $9.80, but the laksa came in such a huge bowl & there was a fair amount of ingredients. The gravy was thick, which is good as it meant there was a stronger curry flavour, which is how I like it (given my strong bias towards spicy food). I must say, though that all that handling of the laksa with the chopsticks left some stains on my shirt - more than on any other occasion that I had laksa. The others at my table kept looking at my laksa bowl, probably admiring the view! There was also another table filled with some people from CCCB St Lucia who came after church, & some of them (including Winston) came over to have a peek at my laksa, asked me how good it was & then decided to also order the same for lunch! Oh, I also bumped into Sharon who also happened to be there with a group from her church. So, quite a number of groups from different churches rocked up for lunch! I took a picture of the laksa on my mobile camera, & one day I might post the picture here (after figuring out how to get the pic from my mobile onto my PC - I'm so technology illiterate). It was great to catch up with Jay & Melina, especially Jay whom I last saw at my sister's wedding reception at the end of March!

After lunch, we headed back to New Farm as I had to attend the Qld Roar pre-season friendly against visiting South African club, SuperSport Utd. I went with Terence & Catherine to Suncorp Stadium to watch the match. The match kicked off the "Queensland Roars Against Racism" campaign, & spectators were given plastic red cards at the entrance of the stadium to symbolise giving racism the red card. Before the kick-off, there was the playing of the national anthems of South Africa (by a choir) & Australia (by James Blundell). I really like the South African anthem, both in Afrikaan & English.

The match itself (3pm kick-off) was fairly good, though I won't say outstanding. Final score was Queensland Roar 4 SuperSport Utd 1. Comprehensive win for Qld Roar. Qld played a reasonable game, at least in attack anyway, & all their 4 goals were scored on SuperSport keeper's left side. Qld must have noted that this was the keeper's weak side as he struggle a bit when diving to his left - hence why they often attack that side of the keeper. SuperSport were physically strong & they did create some good chances for their swift forwards (at least 3 chances), yet poor finishing meant they only managed to convert 1 of those chances. For that reason, they lost by a big margin. The final score could have been 5-4 or 6-4 to Qld. Overall, Qld were definitely the better performing side & did deserve the win. It's only a pre-season friendly, but Qld Roar overall played better than they have done in many A-League games. It is hoped that Qld will be able to draw maximum encouragement from their showing & spur themselves to good things in the A-League. It surely is time for Qld Roar to finish in the top 4.

The one feature of the game I didn't like was the disgraceful lunge by Qld's new recruit at left back, Tiatto, on one of the SuperSport players. The SuperSport player had to be stretchered off & could not continue the match. The SuperSport players didn't make a big deal about the incident (they seemed to be in vacation mode - perhaps this contributed to the scoreline). Yet, someone has to make a stand against such brutality. It has no place in football, & I condemn Tiatto for that. As Terence correctly remarked, it's only a pre-season game & so there's no need to go in so hard. SuperSport's own left back himself did some strong challenges during the match, but at least he played the ball. Tiatto, however, played the man.

The match aside, there was also some interesting half-time entertainment - some African drums (from Kenya & Ghana, apparently) & African music, the Aboriginal didgeridoo, Brazilian capoerira performers, Bolivian dancers. The African drums also were played on the sidelines during the match itself, giving the stadium lots of African beats. Good stuff. I dunno if all that entertainment will be around during the A-League season; I hope so! It would be fun. But entertainment or not, the main thing is for Qld Roar to have a good season. Go the Roar!

Spicy beef noodle soup

That's my favourite Vietnamese dish, spicy beef noodle soup. In fact, it's one of my favourite dishes of any ethnic type (hmm, this sentence doesn't sound totally right - bah, u know what I mean).

Apparently, the dish is also known as bún bò huế. Funny, I thought that's the name for another Vietnamese dish? *shrugs* Anyway, spicy beef noodle soup is very popular in Vietnam, & no wonder - it's so delicious. It's one heck of a dish. It tastes mainly of lemongrass, & as the name suggests, the soup is spicy. Here's a picture of what the dish looks like (taken from Wikipedia):


I had the dish yesterday for lunch (after church) at a Vietnamese place in Hawken Drive, called Chez Tessa. I was joined by BT, Winston, Pastor Steve, Keiyeng, Terence & Catherine. Only 1 other person besides me ordered the above dish. I think the last few times I visited Chez Tessa, I ordered spicy beef noodle soup. Each time, it tastes no less delicious than the previous visit. Now the dish at Chez Tessa had less greens than the above, & the soup looks less spicy than the above pic. But it was good.

Of course, I've also tasted the dish at various places, such as Quan Thanh, Kim Khanh, Cam Ranh, Market Square (forgot the name of that Vietnamese place), Queen St Mall. Out of these, Quan Thanh's spicy beef noodle soup is the best I have ever tasted - very very delicious. I wonder how the Vietnamese came up with this dish - it's great. Being my favourite Vietnamese dish, I invariably order this almost everytime I dine at a Vietnamese place. Of course, there would be lots of other tasty Vietnamese dishes, too, & I've tasted some of them. Just not nearly as often as the spicy beef noodle soup. Maybe I should venture into those other Vietnamese dishes. Oh well, there'll be plenty of time to do that...