I'm a self-confessed, unashamed Oprah fan. So naturally, I stayed up on the night the show tickets were drawn to see if I was lucky enough to score one.
Unfortunately I wasn't. I was devstated. I even moped along with other disappointed fans on the Vogue Forums.
At about 5.00pm the next day, I received a call from my cousin (whom I told about registration for these tickets) and she told me she actually got tickets!! Of course, I thought she was pulling my leg so it took a while for her to convince me.
I still can't believe my luck! I was squealing and carrying on at work, quite embarrassing really. You'd think I had won the $20 million oz lotto draw or something!
Flights and accommodation are booked, I'm all set. Will definitely blog behind-the-scenes reports and hopefully some pictures too!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Gunshop Cafe, West End
The Gunshop Cafe (http://www.thegunshopcafe.com/home) is one of those places that I have heard and read lots about, but never made the effort to venture to. I decided to change this fact and visit the breakfast institution for brunch this morning.
The place was chockers full of people - a great sign! We only waited about 5 minutes for our table which is much better than I had expected, going by peer reviews. The ambience and presentation of the place is very much "west end", with its eclectic mix of people and mis-matched furniture.
Mr Label Me ordered the Double smoked bacon, poached eggs, tomato, herbed hollandaise and sourdough ($15.50). He was rather underwhelmed with his dish - apparently the hollandaise was bland and the sourdough was over-toasted.
I ordered the Canadian brioche french toast with bacon, maple syrup, caramelised banana and pecans ($17.50). It was absolutely delicious! I even forgave them for the 35-minute wait for the food ;-)
Obviously my experience was far better than Mr Label Me's but we agreed that we should return and try the seemingly-popular potato fetta hash cakes. All in all, one of the best brunches I've had in Brissy and I love that they open for breakfast until 12.30pm on Sundays. A definite thumbs up from me!
The place was chockers full of people - a great sign! We only waited about 5 minutes for our table which is much better than I had expected, going by peer reviews. The ambience and presentation of the place is very much "west end", with its eclectic mix of people and mis-matched furniture.
 |
| The cafe slowed down at about noon. |
Mr Label Me ordered the Double smoked bacon, poached eggs, tomato, herbed hollandaise and sourdough ($15.50). He was rather underwhelmed with his dish - apparently the hollandaise was bland and the sourdough was over-toasted.
 |
| Looks appetising, but looks can be deceiving! |
I ordered the Canadian brioche french toast with bacon, maple syrup, caramelised banana and pecans ($17.50). It was absolutely delicious! I even forgave them for the 35-minute wait for the food ;-)
 |
| This makes the Sunday brunch worth living for. |
Obviously my experience was far better than Mr Label Me's but we agreed that we should return and try the seemingly-popular potato fetta hash cakes. All in all, one of the best brunches I've had in Brissy and I love that they open for breakfast until 12.30pm on Sundays. A definite thumbs up from me!
2010 Okay Food & Wine Show Brisbane
On Saturday Mr Label Me and I caught the bus to the Good Food & Wine show at the Brisbane Convention Centre. I attended last year with my bestie but this was a first for him.
Exhibitors
Lots of wineries showcasing their latest releases, this event is really good value for money if you love your wine and liquer. Samples are usually quite generous so the $22.50 entry fee for adults is definitely worth it ($5 off with an Entertainment Card). Unfortunately, we're not too fond of most wines (Mr Label Me is a beer drinker) and I can only drink the sickly sweet dessert wines (moscato, botrytis semillon, dolcetto syrah). Sad, I know. Add in the fact that we don't drink coffee either and you can understand why we'd feel like social outcasts sometimes! But that's getting off topic.
My favourite part of the Good Food & Wine show is discovering new products. Last year, I found a couple of wines I could drink; the Pitango line of organic soups; and the Tefal fryer which uses one tablespoon of oil to cook crispy chips, amongst other things my goldfish memory can't recall.
I felt that this year was a disappointment in comparison in terms of exhibitors, except for the debut of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (coming soon to Australia "in the near future") who gave out very generous scoops in four flavours (the choc chip cookie dough was to die for!).
The one very cool product I came across though, was the "Rice Cube". It was invented by Ross Patten for his Masterchef audition and of course, I got sucked in by the demonstration. Basically you can use different flavours of rice together with meats, vegies and the Rice Cube will shape it up into a very neat cube. You can also cube up bits of cake. Here is the website if you want to read more about it: http://ricecube.net/index.html The only con I can think of is that the process is time consuming considering you're only making one cube at a time. Great idea though!
Celebrity Chef Theatre
This year's line up of celebrity chefs for the cooking demonstrations included Matt Moran, George & Gary (surnames can be dispensed with when they are named together), Manu Fieldel and Janella Purcell. We saw Matt Moran and thoroughly enjoyed the session. Matt actually brought out a whole lamb and cut it into sections for his dish, which was unusual to say the least. He mentioned that he will be opening another restaurant in Sydney next year with its own vegetable garden, and will also be part of Masterchef again next season. Side note is that one of the geeks from Beauty & the Geek was spotted in the audience and I thought he scrubbed up pretty well haha! Matt was a real charmer so we couldn't resist buying one of his books for him to sign.
Restaurant
There was a restaurant at the show where Gary & George, Manu and Janella had a three-course menu you could purchase from. Again the menu was disappointing compared to last year, so we shared Gary's main of bastilla of lamb, olives and pine nuts (came with a glass of Oxford Landing Estates Merlot or Sav Blanc, good value for $24) and 2 x Manu's vanilla creme-brulee ($8 each). The bastilla was quite good, with crispy pastry. However the creme brulee was not caramelised so we returned them, after which we were told the top had gone soft from "sitting there for too long". So they re-caramelised them for us. I remember loving the beef cheek main I chose from last year with an equally amazing dessert so again, a let down this year.
Overall
The show seemed to be more crowded this year; and we were virtually touching people as we walked through some aisles. Apart from the Rice Cube, we also came home with punnets of deliciously plump blueberries (only $3!), Dolcetto Syrah wine by De Bertoli and the Matt Moran cookbook. Although last year's show was better, I still intend to go next year and do it all over again!
Exhibitors
Lots of wineries showcasing their latest releases, this event is really good value for money if you love your wine and liquer. Samples are usually quite generous so the $22.50 entry fee for adults is definitely worth it ($5 off with an Entertainment Card). Unfortunately, we're not too fond of most wines (Mr Label Me is a beer drinker) and I can only drink the sickly sweet dessert wines (moscato, botrytis semillon, dolcetto syrah). Sad, I know. Add in the fact that we don't drink coffee either and you can understand why we'd feel like social outcasts sometimes! But that's getting off topic.
My favourite part of the Good Food & Wine show is discovering new products. Last year, I found a couple of wines I could drink; the Pitango line of organic soups; and the Tefal fryer which uses one tablespoon of oil to cook crispy chips, amongst other things my goldfish memory can't recall.
I felt that this year was a disappointment in comparison in terms of exhibitors, except for the debut of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (coming soon to Australia "in the near future") who gave out very generous scoops in four flavours (the choc chip cookie dough was to die for!).
The one very cool product I came across though, was the "Rice Cube". It was invented by Ross Patten for his Masterchef audition and of course, I got sucked in by the demonstration. Basically you can use different flavours of rice together with meats, vegies and the Rice Cube will shape it up into a very neat cube. You can also cube up bits of cake. Here is the website if you want to read more about it: http://ricecube.net/index.html The only con I can think of is that the process is time consuming considering you're only making one cube at a time. Great idea though!
 |
| How to use the Rice Cube. From http://ricecube.net/techniques.html |
 |
| Rice Cube creations. Image from http://ricecube.net/index.html |
Celebrity Chef Theatre
This year's line up of celebrity chefs for the cooking demonstrations included Matt Moran, George & Gary (surnames can be dispensed with when they are named together), Manu Fieldel and Janella Purcell. We saw Matt Moran and thoroughly enjoyed the session. Matt actually brought out a whole lamb and cut it into sections for his dish, which was unusual to say the least. He mentioned that he will be opening another restaurant in Sydney next year with its own vegetable garden, and will also be part of Masterchef again next season. Side note is that one of the geeks from Beauty & the Geek was spotted in the audience and I thought he scrubbed up pretty well haha! Matt was a real charmer so we couldn't resist buying one of his books for him to sign.
Restaurant
There was a restaurant at the show where Gary & George, Manu and Janella had a three-course menu you could purchase from. Again the menu was disappointing compared to last year, so we shared Gary's main of bastilla of lamb, olives and pine nuts (came with a glass of Oxford Landing Estates Merlot or Sav Blanc, good value for $24) and 2 x Manu's vanilla creme-brulee ($8 each). The bastilla was quite good, with crispy pastry. However the creme brulee was not caramelised so we returned them, after which we were told the top had gone soft from "sitting there for too long". So they re-caramelised them for us. I remember loving the beef cheek main I chose from last year with an equally amazing dessert so again, a let down this year.
 |
Gary Mehigan's Bastilla of Lamb, Olives & Pinenuts  |
Overall
The show seemed to be more crowded this year; and we were virtually touching people as we walked through some aisles. Apart from the Rice Cube, we also came home with punnets of deliciously plump blueberries (only $3!), Dolcetto Syrah wine by De Bertoli and the Matt Moran cookbook. Although last year's show was better, I still intend to go next year and do it all over again!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
My Pie Face
The Pie Face is a relatively new food franchise to Queensland Sydney
It’s a nice store, with a neat courtyard at the rear of the store. They were sold out of all their chunky steak pies, so I decided to try a cheese & spinach roll ($3.45) instead, and also a mini chunky steak pie ($2.50).
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| Cheese & spinach roll: this tasted as good as it looks awful. |
 |
| The mini chunky steak pie. |
Verdict
The mini pie was disappointing. The filling was very average and the pastry was not crisp at all. I’m hoping the big pies will be a different story.
The cheese & spinach roll made up for the mini pie, because it was the best cheese & spinach roll I’ve ever had! This is probably because I was eating layers and layers of puff pastry. The only negative is that I felt so so guilty after eating the whole thing. My “pie face”, therefore, was actually a big sad, ashamed face. I don’t exercise enough to have a smile plastered on my face after eating a pie!
 |
| This wasn't my pie face! |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Exciting websites for the Bargain Hunter
I am an unashamed, self-confessed bargain hunter. I love sales, I love Entertainment cards, I love coupons! During the past several months, it seems the hottest way to be accessing awesome deals is via daily coupon websites.
Examples of deals that I have scored:
- Any pizza or salad AND dessert at Freestyle Tout, Emporium for $15 (if you’ve never heard of this place, it’s the premier dessert bar in
Brisbane - Facial, body wrap, one-hour Swedish massage and pedicure at Beautiful Beings, Kangaroo Point for $89.
- $60 worth of anything in Perfume Connection for only $30 (I used this the other day and ended up getting a black Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume set for $54!!)
- Three-hour beauty package (facial, one-hour massage, full body exfoliation and wrap, pedicure/spray tan plus $50 voucher for next time) at Toowong for $89
I bet I've got your interest now!
If you haven’t heard of this online coupon system, this is how it works:
- You subscribe to the website by entering in your email details;
- You receive a daily email from the website with their deal of the day;
- You see a deal you would like to purchase, so you enter your credit card details;
- A certain number of people need to sign up to this deal of the day in order for it to be “tipped” or activated. E.g. A deal may require 20 people to activate the deal, so if only 18 people sign up for it, the deal won’t go ahead and your credit card isn’t charged. If 30 people sign up for it, then your credit card will be charged and at the end of the promotion period, the website will email you a voucher for the deal.
- Read the terms of the voucher to redeem it. Most places will require you to call ahead and quote the voucher code to make a booking.
My tips on using this system:
- You can subscribe to more than one city, so if you’re like me and have travel plans to other cities in Australia, sign up for their deals so you can use it on your trip
- Read the terms carefully, especially with restaurant deals. For example, if it is a “$30 voucher for $60 worth of food” – does that include drinks? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Is the deal only available at certain times?
- Google the company offering the product/service to read reviews. Be cautious of the fact that it may be less successful companies that are offering these deals in an attempt to improve business. But sometimes, there are some gems too.
- Refer your friends to the site and receive $10 credit once they make a purchase.
- If you’re not sure of something, call up the company offering the product/service for a clarification. I previously purchased a supercar drive day deal but wasn’t sure if as a passenger I had to pay the same amount as a driver. So I called to ask and scored myself an extra discount plus gift bags thrown in with the deal :-)
- Be aware of the fact that some of the better beauty vouchers are bought by 1000+ people which is why they usually have a one year expiration date (because it will take ages to get the appointment!)
So where are these websites I've been yapping on about? The ones listed below are the ones I currently know of and subscribe to. If you know of any other sites not on the list, please do share!
- www.livingsocial.com (due to launch in
Australia
Stay tuned because I also subscribe to websites that offer fashion and homewares at a fabulous price, amongst other things. Examples include Ralph Lauren men’s t-shirts for $14.95 and the Vera Wang “Love Knots” silver jewellery tray for $19.95. I’ll blog about this very soon!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
(Now) Funny Childhood Memories
Just this afternoon I overheard a mother talking about her child's sand shoes and this reminded me of a childhood memory I'll never forget. I can tell the story and laugh about it now, but back in the day, it was embarrassing beyond words.
At this point I should mention that English is my second language which I began learning in pre-school. My Mum, although quite fluent in English at the time, doesn't have a clue when it comes to some everyday Aussie terms. And after this story, I'm sure you'll agree with me!
I was in year 1 and the class was going on an excursion to the beach. A list of items for parents to pack on the day was sent home and amongst other things, "sand shoes" was listed. Mum and I had never heard of the term, but as it was a trip to the beach, we both assumed that sand shoes = flippers. On the morning of the excursion before school (last minute is my Mum's signature style), I remember rushing into the local Toyworld and buying bright blue flippers. I ended up arriving late to school so Mum came with me to class to apologise to the teacher and explain why we were late.
So there I was, flippers in hand - still in their plastic packaging, standing in front of the class... only for the teacher to tell us both that "sand shoes" actually means sports shoes! It was horrible at the time. So horrible. I ended up wearing normal school shoes to the beach. Eighteen years later... whenever I hear the term "sand shoes", it brings me back in time to that morning in year 1.
If only we had the internet in 1992 to google "flippers"!
At this point I should mention that English is my second language which I began learning in pre-school. My Mum, although quite fluent in English at the time, doesn't have a clue when it comes to some everyday Aussie terms. And after this story, I'm sure you'll agree with me!
I was in year 1 and the class was going on an excursion to the beach. A list of items for parents to pack on the day was sent home and amongst other things, "sand shoes" was listed. Mum and I had never heard of the term, but as it was a trip to the beach, we both assumed that sand shoes = flippers. On the morning of the excursion before school (last minute is my Mum's signature style), I remember rushing into the local Toyworld and buying bright blue flippers. I ended up arriving late to school so Mum came with me to class to apologise to the teacher and explain why we were late.
So there I was, flippers in hand - still in their plastic packaging, standing in front of the class... only for the teacher to tell us both that "sand shoes" actually means sports shoes! It was horrible at the time. So horrible. I ended up wearing normal school shoes to the beach. Eighteen years later... whenever I hear the term "sand shoes", it brings me back in time to that morning in year 1.
If only we had the internet in 1992 to google "flippers"!
Numero Uno
Welcome to my blog! This will be an outlet for sharing my thoughts on life and reviews on things/places I like or dislike.
Reflecting upon the past week, there have been a couple of events worth blogging about.
STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR TARGET 2010
First, the launch of the 2010 Stella McCartney for Target range. I was pretty excited about this, as I loved the lookbook shown on their website. The clothes this time around were much more suited to my style. So I arrived at 7.45am at the Brisbane CBD Target store with a colleague, ready to hunt down the styles I wanted. There were less people than I expected lining up, probably about 35 or so.
My #1 lemming was the Tulip Shaped Trench below but in navy. I'm travelling to Hong Kong in a few weeks' time so I thought this would be perfect for the weather over there. Unfortunately, the cut looked horrible on me. The shoulders were too big and it flared far too much from the hips. I knew it was going to be tulip-shaped, but didn't expect it to be that tulip-shaped. (Certainly doesn't look it from the photo). It was also unlined which I think is unreasonable for the price. No matter - I just saved myself $249!
I also came away with the very popular black lace tee, but I may return it or give it to a friend/relative because it feels scratchy against the skin.
What I absolutely hate about these Designers for Targets launches are the profiteers that come out and buy a trolley-full of items to sell at a ridiculously marked-up price on Ebay. I'm feeling quite satisfied that as of last night, none of these overpriced items listed had bids on them.
CONVICTION RESTAURANT, EMPORIUM
There is a steak restaurant at Emporium (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) I love called Three Bistro (same owners as Restaurant Two) which has been taken over for six weeks for the filming of a reality TV show on Channel 7 called "Conviction Kitchen". The concept involves 11 ex-criminals operating a restaurant under the direction of British-born Melbourne-based chef Ian Curley with all profits going to charity. More information can be found at http://www.ourbrisbane.com/food-and-drink/conviction-emporium
I wish I had read the review on the website above before visiting the restaurant last Wednesday night as I would've ordered the lamb instead of our steak for 2 dish.
If you look closely at the photo below, there is a camera man in the background filming the staff reception table.
I've never heard of Ian Curley but going by his food concepts, I'm not a fan. First of all, instead of serving butter with the bread, garlic aioli is provided instead. When I queried this to the waitress, she told me that the head chef doesn't like serving butter with anything. Hmm... Mr Curley needs to make a trip to Tetsuya's and try his truffled butter! Apparently he also refuses to cook meat well-done, which is something I've never understood about chefs. Yes, you may not think that well-done meat is the best way to enjoy it, but you should adopt to the customer's preferences at the end of the day.
Mister and I ordered steak for 2 ($77; I really can't recall the name of the steak, something unusual), and it was rather disappointing in terms of flavour. The steak was very tender, but no jus/sauce of any type was provided and there definitely was not enough flavour in the meat itself to leave that out. The bone marrow side was just strange and didn't seem to complement anything, the salad was sour and the lemon wrapped in fabric was also strange. Maybe I'm not a true foodie enough to appreciate this dish...
The kipler potatoes (I think were $8) we ordered as a separate side, on the other hand, were so delicious! So flavoursome and well-cooked. Probably the best kipler potatoes we've had at a restaurant.
Creme brulee is by far my favourite dessert of all time, so when it appears on the dessert menu, I don't bother reading the rest of the list :-) This one was served with green apple sorbet and tea cake ($16). It had a great caramelised crust and very creamy so it was a happy ending to the meal!
The service, although friendly and down-to-earth, was obviously amateur. Our waitress kept referring to customers as "youse" and totally forgot about serving bread until just before our mains arrived. But apart from that, I thought she was pretty good for someone with limited experience in her role.
The restaurant will be open for a few more weeks and you should definitely make a booking if you're interested in seeing behind-the-scenes of a restaurant reality TV show.
Reflecting upon the past week, there have been a couple of events worth blogging about.
STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR TARGET 2010
First, the launch of the 2010 Stella McCartney for Target range. I was pretty excited about this, as I loved the lookbook shown on their website. The clothes this time around were much more suited to my style. So I arrived at 7.45am at the Brisbane CBD Target store with a colleague, ready to hunt down the styles I wanted. There were less people than I expected lining up, probably about 35 or so.
My #1 lemming was the Tulip Shaped Trench below but in navy. I'm travelling to Hong Kong in a few weeks' time so I thought this would be perfect for the weather over there. Unfortunately, the cut looked horrible on me. The shoulders were too big and it flared far too much from the hips. I knew it was going to be tulip-shaped, but didn't expect it to be that tulip-shaped. (Certainly doesn't look it from the photo). It was also unlined which I think is unreasonable for the price. No matter - I just saved myself $249!
 |
| From http://www.target.com.au/ |
The other lemming I had were the wide-leg pants and these didn't disappoint. I ended up getting both the navy and black. |
| From http://www.target.com.au/ |
I also came away with the very popular black lace tee, but I may return it or give it to a friend/relative because it feels scratchy against the skin.
What I absolutely hate about these Designers for Targets launches are the profiteers that come out and buy a trolley-full of items to sell at a ridiculously marked-up price on Ebay. I'm feeling quite satisfied that as of last night, none of these overpriced items listed had bids on them.
CONVICTION RESTAURANT, EMPORIUM
There is a steak restaurant at Emporium (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) I love called Three Bistro (same owners as Restaurant Two) which has been taken over for six weeks for the filming of a reality TV show on Channel 7 called "Conviction Kitchen". The concept involves 11 ex-criminals operating a restaurant under the direction of British-born Melbourne-based chef Ian Curley with all profits going to charity. More information can be found at http://www.ourbrisbane.com/food-and-drink/conviction-emporium
I wish I had read the review on the website above before visiting the restaurant last Wednesday night as I would've ordered the lamb instead of our steak for 2 dish.
If you look closely at the photo below, there is a camera man in the background filming the staff reception table.
I've never heard of Ian Curley but going by his food concepts, I'm not a fan. First of all, instead of serving butter with the bread, garlic aioli is provided instead. When I queried this to the waitress, she told me that the head chef doesn't like serving butter with anything. Hmm... Mr Curley needs to make a trip to Tetsuya's and try his truffled butter! Apparently he also refuses to cook meat well-done, which is something I've never understood about chefs. Yes, you may not think that well-done meat is the best way to enjoy it, but you should adopt to the customer's preferences at the end of the day.
Mister and I ordered steak for 2 ($77; I really can't recall the name of the steak, something unusual), and it was rather disappointing in terms of flavour. The steak was very tender, but no jus/sauce of any type was provided and there definitely was not enough flavour in the meat itself to leave that out. The bone marrow side was just strange and didn't seem to complement anything, the salad was sour and the lemon wrapped in fabric was also strange. Maybe I'm not a true foodie enough to appreciate this dish...
Creme brulee is by far my favourite dessert of all time, so when it appears on the dessert menu, I don't bother reading the rest of the list :-) This one was served with green apple sorbet and tea cake ($16). It had a great caramelised crust and very creamy so it was a happy ending to the meal!
The restaurant will be open for a few more weeks and you should definitely make a booking if you're interested in seeing behind-the-scenes of a restaurant reality TV show.
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