Flying Pan

Brunch today at the Flying Pan.

Spacious place. Inside looks like an American diner. The tables and couches are a bit rundown but fit the atmosphere just right. There are a million different types of eggs to choose from. Tasty all day breakfast type of dishes. Large servings. I give it 3.5/5. Points deducted for not serving real OJ (Let's be honest Mr Juice is water and artificial flavorings).

I love food too much to be a skinny girl. What a shame. Oh well :-/

Egg Ranchero

Egg Tapenade with Olive Spread and Feta Cheese

Rediscovering Pizza Express

I live in Wanchai. There is always a Pizza Express near me. I have been to both branches in Wanchai countless times and there's a period when I didn't want to go anymore. Then a few days ago, as I was wandering around aimlessly I walked pass the one on Ship Street and decided to go in for a long lunch by myself. The food has always been quite good, but I really enjoyed the service that day. As I told the waitress I wanted a table for one, she seated me in a quiet corner couch-seat (important - I didn't want my bottom on wooden chair for my relax day off long lunch). She cheerfully introduced herself, showed me the lunch menu, took my order and left me alone. I was playing with my iPhone while waiting; and when I looked up, there's my iced coffee along with a copy of "HK Magazine". That's thoughtful! Lunch was served quickly. The portion was bigger than I could handle (no problem, I tried my best). When I almost finished everything (while reading the mag) the same thoughtful waitress quietly put the dessert menu and toothpicks on my table. I couldn't eat anymore (though I would love the cake sampler) so I asked for the bill. Miss Nice Waitress asked me how was the food. I said excellent. I was so happy I filled in a customer survey for her voluntarily. 90 minutes lunch, less than $150, not bad :)

My coffee and my magazine

Appetizer: Stuffed mushroom with grill cheese and pesto

Main: Green salad; garlic bread; basil, olives, carpers and anchovies  spaghetti

The Escape Cat Artist

Boo Boo must be too used to being in Melbourne, living an in/outdoor cat life. Gone were the days when he sneaked out when I took the trash out; gone were the days when he jumped over the fence and stubbornly sat in the neighbor's garden; gone were the days when he sunbaked in the balcony / garden for hours. Now he lives in a small apartment in Hong Kong. But fear not! The clever Boo-ster decided to escape tonight when I got home and dropped in the corridor (filled with fluorescent lights) and showed that there is life outside the apartment!


*He also sniffed all the neighbors door and shoes and ALMOST marked his territory. I stopped him.*

*Stretch, streeeetch*

Boo Boo: I like it here, I ain't going back in!

Boo Boo: Mom! Go away and leave me alone now!

Update on Mia - the Chinese way

Two days ago Mia had an allergic reaction. She responded fairly well to conventional medicine (a shot of steroid followed with oral medication). However, the swelling comes and goes and this morning she flared up again. Repeated a dose of steroid, seemed to get the situation under control. But I want to target the source of her allergy.


Plan A - draw blood for allergen testing - gonna be pricy and the wait for result is long, but worth a try to get to the bottom of things; plan B - try traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Dr Angela had a look at Mia today, diagnosed her with 'blood deficiency and wind' (Note: blood deficiency in Chinese herbal medicine is not the same as anemia in conventional medicine) and prescribed Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin (四物消風飲) for Mia. Started the first dose tonight. Mixed the powder with her favorite turkey and chicken canned food - she hesitated for 3 seconds, chowed down, finished everything. No forcing needed. My good girl! :)


四物消風飲
功能主治
治素體血虛，風熱外客，皮膚游風，癮疹瘙癢；及勞傷冒風，身熱口燥。

Mia - Much Better But Still Slightly Swollen Around Eyelids and Lips

四物消風飲

Mia + Allergy = Swollen Face!

No idea what triggered an allergic reaction in Mia. Came home late last night, no doggie wagging tail to welcome me. Immediately I thought that was strange. Found my baby girl quietly laying on my bed sleeping. Something's definitely wrong. Woke her up, she lifted her face up and I saw these! Couldn't think of any inciting agents. I am going to blame either the cat or the housekeeper (maybe a new chemical cleaner?)

Absolutely broke my heart to see her like this. I rather I have an allergic reaction myself :'(

*Update: This morning she was much better and all swellings had gone down.*

Swollen Eyelids & Muzzle

Swollen Lips

Teary Red Eyes

Fake Apple Shops in China

China is a well known supplier of pirated and/or lookalike products, ranging from CDs, DVDs, electronics, household appliances, to software and other intellectual properties and ideas. Making a direct copy of movies / music is not hard. Even lookalike electronics (see Rasonic applicances) are not hard to make and don't require creativity / imagination. But recently China has surprised me.

Example 1: I witnessed a man's iPhone 4 rang in the MTR, he pulled out the phone, then from the top right corner of the phone, pulled out an 3 inch long antenna. Totally solved the "Antennagate" problem. Example 2: A while ago my dad bought what's called an "Apple Peel" that converted his iPod Touch into an iPhone with GPRS internet, SMS and phone calling ability (there's a SIM card slot in the "peel"). That didn't work too well as Apple frequently updates the iOS, disabling / crashing the "peel's" OS. Example 3: an iPhone 4 lookalike that runs on Android - "Gooapple"

But this is a whole other level: chains of fake apple stores in Kunming. Even the staffs there were fooled, thinking they actually worked for Apple. That's some clever opportunistic evil businessmen out there in China for sure!

Related News: China inspects electronics stores after fake Apple shops report

Sugar Nice - it's nice!

Newly opened dessert place Sugar Nice

Desserts were nice, but service needed improvement

Banana with pastry and sesame ice-cream

Apple Crumble

Hot Pot Dinner - from a doggie point of view

Spicy Chicken Pot - People Point of View

Yunnan Chicken Pot - People Point of View

What you see if you were a Chihuahua

Mia looks BIG next to GuGu Jai

Mia and her new best friend

Mia & GuGu Jai: We can look but we can't touch :(

A Dog Called Brad Pitt *Seriously?*

Meet Brad Pitt the Pug

Fat Boy

Even when he closed his mouth shut his tongue still hung out...

Kung Fu Panda... 3? (may contain spoilers)

Watched Kung Fu Panda 2 earlier this week. As childish as I am, instead of normal coke and popcorn, I got the collectible KF Panda set :)

On Storyline: I was surprised they didn't address the Goose Daddy / Panda Son issue in KFP 1. Now the reason's obvious - they were gonna make KFP 2. Po is, obviously, adopted. But I am guessing they are gonna make a KFP 3, because in the absolutely last minute of the movie, Po's biological panda-dad appears (for the first time ever) and says "My son is still alive..." I am excited and annoyed at the same time. What does that imply? I love Goose Daddy though, he is one of the best supporting characters, I love him more than the Furious Five. His love for noodle and Po is so pure and simple. I am actually glad that KFP 2 doesn't elaborate on the Po / Tigress friendship. Be awkward if a Panda and a Tiger falls in love.

On cinematic reference: Two scenes in KFP 2 (I think) make strong references to Chinese martial art movies. #1: Po's first encounter with the evil peacock Lord Shen is in a pagoda, where Po runs up a flight of stairs and fights Shen. This scene reminds me of Bruce Lee's "Game of Death", in which the whole movie is about fighting through and ascending to different levels in a pagoda. #2: The critical moment of the movie - Po uses his feet to draw the Tai Chi sign, finds inner peace, then catches and deflects firing cannonballs and subsequently defeating Lord Shen. This scene really resemble the last match in Shaolin Soccer, when Mui (Vicki Zhao) use Tai-Chi to slow down and catch a fiery exploding soccer ball. Even the special effects look similar (even though KFP 2 is a cartoon and Shaolin Soccer is not).

On entertainment value: I watched both KFP 1 & 2 in 3D. I watched KFP 1 in IMAX, and honestly, I was a bit dizzy afterwards. I am glad there are just enough but not too much 3D effects in KFP 2. The movie's funny, I laughed most of the 90 minutes. Definitely worth watching.





Kung Fu Fighting...



Kung Fu - Yeah!

Spice-crusted Tuna Steaks with Cilantro and Basil

Had a quiet night in on a Friday night. Went to supermarket, saw some beautiful tuna steaks, decided to make a dish I haven't done in a while.



Instead of grinding with a mortar, I just used a food processor. Literally took 30 seconds.



Rubbing the aromatic paste in



Fish-shaped tuna steak





I like my tuna rare, almost raw.




I swear it looked better in real life. I need a better camera!

 Spice-Crusted Tuna Steaks with Cilantro and Basil


1 small dried red chile, stemmed
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Four 8-ounce tuna steaks about 1/2-inch thick

 In a mortar, coarsely grind the chile with the coriander seeds. Add the garlic and mash to a paste. Stir in the basil, cilantro and lemon juice. Season the herb paste with salt and pepper.
Lightly brush a grill pan with vegetable oil and set it over moderately high heat until very hot but not smoking. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper and rub the herb paste all over both sides. Sear the tuna steaks for 1 minute per side for rare or until cooked to desired doneness. Serve at once.

Cafe Corridor

Late coffee at Cafe Corridor after a movie. I must go to Causeway Bay three to four times a week, never noticed that small hidden entrance just opposite to Times Square. Small cafe, good service. Love the outdoor area in the back. I knew it's the back of a building, but the wall painting and plants made me forgot I was in the heart of Causeway Bay for a split second. Ordered a latte, smooth, but the coffee was a bit mild for my taste. Maybe should have asked for espresso. Ashtrays were actually coffee cups lined with used coffee - smokers could butt out safely, and the coffee eliminated any unpleasant odors. GREAT IDEA!

Kid VS Fork VS iPad 2

Had an excellent afternoon visiting an old friend and his family. His 2 years old daughter was a ball of pure energy and fun. We started with lunch in a nearby restaurant. Little girl was using a fork to eat the cream of corn soup - spilling it everywhere - then she used the fork to dip into the spilled soup on the table and started licking the fork. It was one of the funniest thing I seen lately. We then went to my friend's to watch Rio (the cartoon). Little girl wasn't too patient with the movie so I pulled out what everybody loves these days - an iPad 2. She was giggling non-stop with the Photobooth effects, ChocoboPanic, baby palm print, or simply just sliding the screen left and right. But the funniest moment was definitely when she LICKED my iPad! Too bad I couldn't get the camera out quickly enough to snap that perfect moment. Oh! And the Smart Cover - it's pink and it's magnetic - made the perfect folding toy for a toddler, or a hat. Oh children's imagination :)


*Babies and animals are well tolerated with iPad destruction, adults not so much*

Toddler VS Fork

Watching Rio (with foamy pad as kid collar)

Discovering the joy of magnets

Smart Cover new use - Kid Cover!

Doggie Food Channel #2 - Action

How can you not smile? 

Doggie Food Channel

Came home to a medium size but really heavy cardboard box - gotta love next day delivery online shopping. Immediately opened it - 10 cans of CORE grain free cat food, 10 cans for dog. My babies recognized the cans as soon as I took them out. Mia was running in circles and jumping up and down. The result - happy and content animals. :)

Stock Up!

*Nom Nom Nom*

Goodbye GiGi

I first met GiGi, a 16 years old Himalayan cat, September 2010. She was diagnosed with terminal renal failure and cautiously I told her owner she only had a month or two to live. But miracles do happen! GiGi had such a strong will to live; no matter how bad her blood results were, she never seemed to give up and was always happy to eat. With the help of her most dedicated owner, GiGi was able to enjoy quality life for another nine months before she passed away last month - just one month short of her 17th birthday. I received a thank-you card from her owner not long ago. Reading the card, I had tears in my eyes. I was once again reminded of why I became a vet and how strong the human-animal bond can be.

Barista Jam

Cafe Latte & Chicken Pesto Pasta

Mocha & Double Espresso

Barista Jam - one of the best coffee in Hong Kong. There were much seatings and the upstair seats were definitely more spacey. The place was decorated with lots of different coffee related objects - drip coffee machine, filters, pressers, antique style coffee machines and a lot more. Ordering the Barista Brew had a 15 minutes wait, but it was well worth it. It was very aromatic, mild, not too sour, not too strong. Depend on your taste you can either drink it black or with a bit of sugar. Cafe Latte and Mocha were nice, both smooth and the milk nicely frothed. But the highlight was definitely the Double Espresso. It was one of the strongest coffee I have ever had. The coffee itself was creamy, and one tiny lick sent shivers down my spine. The food was only average but honestly I was there for the coffee.

Jamtastic

 

   
My first art jamming experience in Jamtastic

Had a three hours session in Jamtastic today. The studio was located in a nice little walk-up building in Sheung Wan. The atmosphere in Jamtastic was nice, cozy, and relaxed. The session included fine porcelain mug painting and canvas painting. Naturally my babies (dogs and cats) became my subjects. Unfortunately it was too hard to paint a black Chihuahua with details on a mug, so I ended up devoting the whole mug to Boo Boo.

The canvas painting was a very good experience. I have always find drawing and painting help me express myself and sort out my emotions. For a long time I had this image in my head - a bench on a hill top, with a couple relaxing on the bench gazing at the stars (blueprint from Yarra Bend Park, Kew, Victoria). I always wanted to put it on canvas. I finally got the chance today. It came out pretty close to what I had in mind. It made me happy. The mug and the paintings are still drying in the studio. I can pick them up in 10 days time. I am very much looking forward to it.