2013 books read

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conversation #7 at Dandenong Market

 

 

 

On a hot Saturday at Dandenong Market, we were so thirsty we just had to have a drink.

Mr. C : What do you want to drink?

Me : Can I have the Immune Booster without the apple and lemon?

Mr. C : @_@"

Valentines at Monga Izakaya

All women wishes to be romanced at least, once in their lifetime. Even if she's a practical, down-to-earth gal, she would rarely, if ever, never turn down the opportunity to be wooed and wowed.

And if she does, she's not sane. Lol. Kidding. ;p

If you're a decent girl, chances are, you wouldn't want your man to over splurge on you especially on an over commercialised day when everyday, ideally, should be Valentines Day. Well, that's just my humble opinion.

However, it is nice if one's man makes the effort to show his appreciation and love.

Once upon a time, I wouldn't think so, but now, I can proudly say I am blessed to have Mr. C. We have come so far from 13 years.. heck, we've come so much more in just this past  2-3 years and now, we've settled comfortably into domesticity. He spoils me every once in awhile with nice outings to delish restaurants, flowers, choccies etc. 

So, what's so special about Valentines Day? *hehe* Another excuse to eat out! ;p

Mr. C (the self-deluded romantic) didn't make any reservations as we couldn't decide where to go. On the way back from work, we decided rather last minute to have an early dinner at Glen Waverley. After parking the car and walking about, we settled on Monga Izakaya.

We stumbled upon this shop in December and loved the dessert here. You would miss this Japanese restaurant if you weren't looking for it as it is situated above Hook, Line & Sinker with only a narrow staircase leading up to the eatery.

Today, we had dinner AND dessert. Naturally, we left the shop with a pretty filled up belly, grinning from ear to ear!

Japanese green tea

A few seating area at the front of the shop...

A kiss from my valentine

Attention to detail lends a Japanese ambiance which is really appropriate

Sakes and geisha

Japanese robot? lol

Mr. C's Cha Soba *thumbs up*

My Udon with poached eggs

 

Grilled salted, pepper pork belly

We were pretty stuffed from our overnight dinner cum lunch (Spaghetti Bolognaise). Hence, we went simple with Cha Soba and Udon. The cooling soba noodle was definitely a welcome reprieve to Mr. C from the heat. And my udon soaked in warm water tasted a tad bland but taste was perfectly balanced when one has it with the salted poached eggs, seawood and drenched in the Japanese soy sauce.

The pork belly was delish. Whenever is it possible not to be?? But for $14+ , I think it is more value for money to buy, marinate and cook it at home. Lol.

Loved the pictures well showcased in the menu 

and a no.1 menu is one that has pictures and descriptions of food

 

We went ahead ordering a dessert each. If you know Mr. C, you would know this is saying a lot about the dessert here as he is not big on sweet food especially desserts. The last time we were here, he enjoyed the green tea creme brulee and sesame that he was open for more this time.

This time, we had the creme brulee again that came with a petite serve of cheesecake. It was sweet but not too sweet. One serve wasn't enough and it keeps you wanting for more. Definitely a MUST HAVE if you're ever here.

Mr. C gave the brown sugar milk pudding a try and it was delectable. Despite having a sweet tooth, I was pleasantly surprised the brown sugar wasn't too sweet, just right. Coupled with the interesting milk pudding texture, at times, it felt like we were having tau fu fa, in a good way though.

Wasn't partial to the tiny cup of chocolate nor the love letter with a hint of mint that accompanied the dessert. Beside that, everything else was just beautiful.

The food was beautiful. The menu was beautiful. And the customer service, it was Superb! 5 star!

We would definitely be back again for more desserts, that's for sure!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to all you lovely people!! 

Appreciate the one by your side and cherish each and every moment together. Learn from the bad, remember the good.

 

Project Nemo

I've been wanting to do something with this sad looking pond since last year but decided to leave it whilst I focused on my first Christmas party. Disheartening news last week, however, spurred this project on. 

When I decided to go ahead with this project, Project Nemo just came to mind. Nemo, in reference to the cute clownish from the animated film 'Finding Nemo'. My mother is always telling me to do some project together with Mr. C and here was one.

Plus, I thought it would be a good distraction for Mr. C and bring a smile onto his face. After all, he loves fishies. And a smile, there was.

We first bought three gold fish and a pump that came along with a teensy light bulb for underwater. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Few days later, we went to Bunnings - a warehouse that sells everything you could possibly need for a home - to obtain pine bark to cover the ground for a more earthy look. One bag wasn't enough though which saw us going back a few days later for two more.

We also bought two water lettuce to provide shelter from preying birds. Water lilies were a bit too pricey and not conducive in our shallow pond. It's annoying how we have to scoop out bird feathers from the pond's surface every single day. Bird poo on the supporting rocks are a sight for sore eyes and the dull coloured basin, now that I think about it.

Meanwhile, day in, day out, we see three teensy, lonesome fishies in the pond. We had a ball and bought six more little swimmers. And it's a welcome sight to see them before and after work, swimming excitedly in their new home.

Have been thinking of getting a swing sort of chair or tables with chairs for us to sit and have occasional meals outside and enjoy the view. The cascading water is pretty soothing and I reckon, therapeutic. 

 

 

 

 

All in all, objective achieved. Mr. C smiled and bonus points, so, did I. :)