Three Bags Full, Melbourne for Brunch

Yet another day eating out. This time, it's for brunch - my very favorite meal of the day :)

My friends and I decided to go to the well-known 'Three Bags Full' in Abbottsford. By the time we got there, it was already noon, plus it's Sunday, so I was mentally prepared for the fact that we were definitely going to have to wait a while to be seated. And having done research prior to going, there's a bit of a hype surrounding this place and so waiting for 30 minutes for a table is something which is frequently done and no one seems to mind.

And 30 minutes it was. [There were 5 of us (myself included) so it took longer to be seated] By the time I sat down, I already knew exactly what I wanted. Well, to be honest I was debating in my mind while waiting for a table.

The Menu

And decided to get the daily special - Eggs in Hell. I wanted to see how well they poach those eggs given how extremely busy they were on a Sunday brunch time. I figured that if they can't make their signature poached eggs and hollandaise - the brunch classic - well, then this 'hype' needs to be toned down a bit. So it was a test.

And of course, I will not leave without not having ordered coffee, so I went for a long macchiato.

Long Macchiato

And it was a wonderful choice. I really needed a full-on kick to jump start the day, so this was strong enough to do so! I drank this without adding any sugar, as I've recently just been eating sweet things non-stop. Plus I usually like my coffee without sugar. But for once, if I were to go back (and I think I certainly will), this time I'll be adding just a pinch of sugar. But the crema of this brew is quite nice, and I enjoyed this overall!

My friend had a cappucino, which had some latte art on it. She said that it was good. Mental reminder to also try this out some time when I'm downtown.

Cappucino

Now for the highlight. Eggs in Hell. I actually ordered an extra side of spinach to cut down on the salt and spice from the chorizo, so the actual dish on its own would be spinach-less. Did this turn out to be a smart move? Why yes, indeed.

Ready?

Eggs in Hell (with extra Spinach)

Oh my word, will you just look at that? Beautiful.

My two cents:

The chorizo is definitely good quality. It was savory, spicy and tangy on the tongue. Some pieces were a tad bit chewy, but isn't that how it's supposed to be? However, I thought that it should have been cut and fried into smaller or thinner slices, or even have less of them per serve. It was great - don't get me wrong - but at the end of the meal, the sausage was the only thing I couldn't finish because the strong taste of the sausage was overpowering the delicate yolk. It was just so salty ;(

Here's another look:

The sourdough toast underneath was absolutely wonderful. You'd think it shouldn't matter, but it does. The texture had just the right amount of crunch, 'fluff' and chewiness, and the slight sourness played in line with the tang from the chorizo sausage. Especially when the yolk and oils from the roasted peppers coat the toast...hmmm!

The spinach was nothing special, just something to cleanse the palate a bit after the heavy chorizo. The grilled red pepper on the other hand, was perfect. It was the perfect amount of 'smoke' and sweetness, which created an amazing balance with the other ingredients on the plate. Just give me more of the red peppers, the toast, the eggs and hollandaise, and I'm a happy camper.

Now for the ultimate test. The poached eggs and hollandaise. Cross-section!!

Poached Egg + Hol. Sauce cross-section

Yes, yes, yes. They were beautiful. The consistency of both poached eggs were beautiful, the hollandaise itself creamy and tangy. Just the way I like it.

The verdict? A-

It would've been an A had the chorizo been less overpowering (way too salty since half-way through the meal - not a good sign). The ambiance was great, coffee was good (though not life-changing). 'Will definitely re-visit. Next on the list? Beetroot Salmon. Or Ricotta Hotcakes.

Looking forward to my next visit!

xoxo

Spiga Cafe Restaurant for a late lunch and San Churro for dessert (+late night meal)

So I went for a late lunch with a friend from high school today! It was pouring so we were pretty much stuck in Melbourne Central, which led to this impromptu lunch at Spiga.

My friend ordered a pizza, but I can't recall the name of it, other than that it was something along the lines of Cappricio? Maybe.













I ordered a risotto with mushrooms and dill and shaved Parmesan on top. Loved the salty Parmesan in contrast to the risotto. As for the rice itself, it was okay. I was pretty hungry at that point though, so it didn't really matter lol













Then it stopped raining - thank goodness. So we decided to go for dessert at San Churro.  My friend chose a hot milk chocolate whilst I chose the flat white. Yay for my daily coffee fix!















 My friend's Hot Milk Chocolate which came with marshmallows!

 Yay for my daily coffee fix :)

We had the churros for two set, which was really yummy! It was cold outside too, so having something warm was a plus. My friend chose the milk chocolate cup as the dipping sauce for the churros. As for me, of course no hesitation whatsoever- the dark chocolate.

 Here's a close-up of 'my side' lol

















We were on our way back to the station when we saw this rainbow right near the state library! Beautiful :)

After 6-6.5 hrs of work (standing, cooking, serving, cleaning tables etc), the boss treated us to some awesome late night at a Chinese restaurant in Box Hill. We were tired as it was already 12:30am and ordered quite a bit of food including a mixed claypot dish (not pictured), a century and pork congee (not pictured, but absolutely delicious) as well as roasted duck and crispy pork belly.





 I'm sorry let me repeat that. Holy Macarony we had Crispy Pork Belly for late night :D (somebody hit the 'pause' button for my so-called DIET, please) lol













It was definitely a great day spent (eating). Had a great time catching up with my friend as well as work and the late night meal :)

Gotta go to bed now- it's 3:34 am already!

xoxo

Dinner at work

Dinner at work is almost always yummy. Here's what we ate yesterday (of course everything is accompanied with Thai Jasmine Rice - we are Thai after all):

Golden Stir-fry with Mixed Seafood, Veggies and Chicken! The sauce is composed of curry powder, unsweetened condensed milk and eggs (among other seasonings), which makes this dish savory and slightly creamy at the same time. Hmm!

Son-in-law Eggs. Eggs that were hard-boiled then deep-fried again and served with a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce, crispy shallots and dry chillies as garnish.













Alright, it's almost 2am in Melbourne which means time to wash up and hit the sheets!

xoxo

Another day in the life and some Priceline goodies

So it has been raining cats and dogs for the entire day, and as the weather forecast says, it might damn well continue to do so well into next week. Noooooooooo.. I think drizzling rain is refreshing "in moderation" and I do love the smell of the air right before a rainstorm, but that doesn't mean I'm a fan of this perpetual heavy, freezing rain accompanied by gusts of cold wind.

Bueno. Hasta este momento no acaba de llover. Dios mío. ¿Por qué? Porque se dice que seguirá lloviendo hasta la próxima semana. ¡Ay, noooooooo! Por favor, no. A mi me gusta la llovizna y también el olor del aire antes de una tormenta de lluvia. Pero eso no es decir que me fascina esa lluvia perpetua y helada, la cual está casi siempre acompañado por las ráfagas de viento frío.   

I went to Priceline again - they had another sale going on, I just couldn't stop my feet from dragging me in there. But restricted myself and kept things just at AUS 19.95 total. It was tempting to get a whole bunch of stuff for 50 bucks and get a goodie bag with skincare and haircare products in there, but I really don't need to spend $50 on skincare right now. It would probably be better if I were to spend that amount on something I really need, such as a heater. Which I will buy some time this weekend.

Yo fui a Priceline - una farmacia que también tiene productos de belleza y cosas tal - y hubo un "SALE". Esa palabra pequeña pero a la misma vez peligrosa. Peligrosa porque me atrae y entonces hoy no pude para mis pies y entré en la tienda. Compré algunas cosas pero dado que tengo un "make-up ban" tuve que restringirme y gasté un total de 19.95 dólares. ¿Debo sentir orgullosa? Un poquito, pero sería ideal si no hubiese comprado nada. La campaña fue lo siguiente -comprar productos para cuidado de la piel de un total de 50 dólares y recibir una bolsa llena de productos de valor de 220 dólares. Pero es que no tengo tanto dinero de comprar productos de cuidado de la piel. Sería mejor si usara esa misma cantidad de dinero para algo que necesito, como por ejemplo, un calentador.

So with that 19.95...
Entonces, con 19.95 dólares..

Australis Mineral Powder Brush. This was on sale for $2.99. And with good reason, since it sheds like crazy and the bristles were a bit scratchy despite being densely-packed. But because of this "scratchiness", it'd be good to use for picking up powder blushes that are packed or heavily pressed (does that make sense? lol) I would put this on my face only for depositing color, but definitely use a different brush to blend it out.

The handle itself is quite sturdy, easy to hold in general. Just the scratchiness of the bristles is what bugs me.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Hand/Elbow/Feet/Knees Concentrated Cream (Travel-size) for $3.39. I bought this to keep in my handbag, as winter's here and I work in a restaurant, so my hands do get dry patches, especially near my knuckles. This stuff smells amazing!!! I tried it on today and the cocoa smell really does linger for hours. It's a concentrated formula, so a little goes a long way. So far, I've only used it once, so I'm not quite sure how it will perform in the long run, but so far, I am definitely loving it.

Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream for $10.39. I cannot wait to try this. The skin on my cheeks has been acting up with redness and rashes lately, so hopefully this will save the day. I've heard many good things about this brand too, so if this helps with troubled and sensitive skin like mine, I will definitely be re-purchasing again. If it really works, then chances are I might even keep one in my handbag, as I almost always get random redness or rashes that appear out of the blue. I wanted to try a higher-end product which would not be too steep in price, and I still have loads of my usual moisturizer at home, so no need to buy more just yet.



And last but not least,

Softlips Vanilla SPF 20 for $3.19. One can never have too many lip balms, especially in this cold weather. Not to mention the dryness in Australia in general, plus the wind. So I always need a lip balm within reach. I've currently got four - an EOS one (used 75% already), two Burt's Bees ones, and this is my fourth and last for a month or two at least. I bought this one because of the SPF. None of my other ones have SPF, and I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop, so this should hypothetically help protect the lips even more.And because it's vanilla flavor. I do have a weakness for cocoa and vanilla smells. haha.


And that comes to $19.95! Hopefully it was well-spent. We'll have to see ;)


xoxo

Niko Cafe in Oakleigh - Two visits

So when I said the post for Niko is coming right up, I really did mean it lol

I went to Niko (or is it Niko's?) for dessert/ afternoon meal with my friends on two separate occasions, and although I did enjoy the dessert and coffee I chose from the first visit more, I still love to try new food, so I really didn't mind as much :)

From the first visit: Short macchiato, I think. Strong but absolutely wonderful. A perfect accompaniment for...

This wonderful Greek dessert!! Hm... Cinnamon dusted walnuts, fresh cream, (vanilla) chanitlilly cream (not sure if it was custard since the consistency would have been a bit thicker), then at the bottom there were these crispy strands - almost like "mee krob" drenched in syrup. The crispy texture of the bottom layer and the walnuts contrasted well against the two soft and creamy layers. Ugh I want more..








From the second visit -

Cappucino on a chilly afternoon was perfect. It was a good cappucino, but I must say the dusting on top was a tiny bit messy. Would have enjoyed a dusting in a specific shape or drawing like my bf had in Japan!

My friend and I were really hungry, so we decided to give this a try. It was not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary. Because of my Asian tongue, I personally found this to be slightly under-seasoned, to be honest. Eggplant stuffed with minced meat topped with Bechemel sauce and grilled. The salad on the side was fresh though! Love the feta cheese on top, since it was a nice punch against the crisp and refreshing veggies.

I couldn't stop myself... and got the Pistachio macaron. Didn't like this very much. Way too sweet and not much of the pistachio smell. They had creme crulee flavored ones too.. But then again. The only flavor macaron I have ever loved is green tea, which I have yet to find here in Melbourne.

This is a fruit and cream-topped cake with cream in the middle and encrusted with almond slices. It looked really yummy in the display, and the flavors were good, but again nothing to come back for. Mental note to try their Bailey's cheesecake next time. I have been eyeing that since the first visit, but always got distracted. Next time!!










All in all, both visits were pleasant! The greek dessert with the walnuts was memorable since it was something completely new for me, and the coffee is great! The vibe and atmosphere is nice, so I'm definitely going to go back to try more things ;)

xoxo

Randomness - a few pics in the life, some things I am craving and missing..

My Hubby Babe!! She's a wonderful dog and I have been really, really missing her lots as of late. Look how my sister's old shirts no longer fits her 'cuz Hubby gained weight!! lol awwwww


















Asahi Beer :) Yummmm I saw this while walking on the street in BKK near my old office. Wouldn't it be nice to have one of these (especially if they magically re-fill themselves for free?) at home?

Garlic Fried Rice. I believe this was from a Korean Grill restaurant back in BKK. Maybe Gyu Gyu Tei. But I remember distinctly that it was delicious! 

My attempt at a whatever's-left-in-the-fridge risotto. It turned out quite well actually! I was in hungry mode and just put anything I had into the dish, which resulted in a white wine risotto with bacon and eggplant, topped with creamed cottage cheese and a mystery sauce (simply because I cannot remember what it was hehe).

Anzac Biscuits! I actually liked these. They served as my studying snack lol Not the healthiest, but it got me through the rough nights. I still prefer moist cookies with chocolate chips and nuts or buttery shortbread over crispy cookies in general though.

6) And speaking of studying...the Pym. I am so glad to be done with one semester! woo hoo :)

I recently went to a Conference downtown at the Exhibition Hall in Melbourne as part of my internship. Great experience in general!

Here's another view inside the hall

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Thai beer being advertised in Australia! pretty cool, eh! I wonder what it'd be like to see Canadian Molson or Moosehead advertised here in Oz!














Another post about my Saturday afternoon visit to Niko's Cafe in Oakleigh is coming right up!

xo

So I haven't really been a good girl :( Well, I mean in terms of spending, that is. Last week as a celebratory thing for the end of exams, I ended up hauling a lot more than I should've. Considering I only earn approx AUD 120 - 160/week, this isn't good. Which is why I will officially be on a make up ban until mid July the earliest! But I might stop by Target to see the Essence cosmetics counter as a final farewell (I think the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs collection is coming out next month? I am really anticipating the red polish for that - I still need a good classic red in my collection, as well as a nude. I did want to try their waterproof eyeliner pen perhaps in a dark brown but this depends on the applicator - otherwise I am considering Dolly Wink up next), and maybe purchase the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream first. I just might. Gah... I really do seem to have a makeup addiction. I don't really use them as much, (because I am already usually running late haha - something I also need to work on) but I love collecting makeup. Especially lip products oh my goodness, don't even get me started on that. And shoes. Sigh...

Oh, and diet will officially start tomorrow. I've been feeling sluggish lately, so I need to get cracking on a healthier eating and exercise routine! I guess we'll see how that goes.

Coming up soon = Revlon Color Burst Lip Butters Review and Swatches/ Burt's Bees Lip Balm Haul/ Australis Nail Polish Mini Haul, Review and Swatches/ More BYS Nail Polish/ Australia Brush On Lip and Cheek Tine Review and Swatches

Is this not a sufficient indicator of how much hauling I've been doing lately? -__-'