Let’s face it: cleaning your makeup brushes can be such a drag, which is probably why many of us across the world have pink and brown stained bristles sitting in disarray on our dresser.
Well no longer! I’ve figured out one single, simple and quick secret to cleaning my brushes, every single time I do my makeup.
I remember when I first visited Korea with my parents – we had a tour guide explaining the nuances of the culture, and telling us little anecdotes and stories, to illustrate what makes Koreans, well, Korean. Fast forward 17 years (eep!) and I’m still utterly fascinated with the culture, and not only because the boys in Big Bang are so stylish and pretty!
I’ve always been a firm believer that food is a gateway into a culture and history of a country, and for that reason, the food needs to sometimes be varied in order to make it slightly more accessible, because you can’t always expect people to go straight for the fermented funky fish. Smokkim Modern Kitchen seems to be trying to achieve that, with a Korean style influenced menu set amongst casual dining surroundings. Located next to Oliver Brown in Top Ryde City, this cosy restaurant has lovely ambient lighting, and a large balcony area if you prefer al fresco dining.
Marinated Beef Bun – Soy marinated sirloin , ssamjang, kimchi
Crispy Soft Shell Crab Bun – cos lettuce, coriander, tobikko mayo
First order of the day – buns. Soft, sweet, milky white buns that are the cornerstone Asian pastries. There was a trio of them on the menu – Marinated Beef, Pork Belly, and Soft Shell Crab. The Marinated Beef – my favourite of the three – was generously filled to the brim with sweet soy cooked wafer thin slices of beef, and just the right amount of kimchi and greens to balance the kick of salt and sugar. Yum. The Pork Belly came a close second, but it really was much better in the Bossam (below), and for that I’d go for more beef buns if I had to order again. Not quite the standard of Pu’er or Belly Bao, but tasty enough to support the menu.
Deep Fried Stuffed Jalapeño – Premium pork neck mince, silky tofu, mixed vegies
The Deep Fried Stuffed Jalapeño is great as a bar option, and because, #fryday. Stuffed with pork mince and crumbed in panko, these give off a satisfying crunch followed by requisite juiciness upon the first bite. A very grown up Jalapeño popper, these bites bring a touch of sophistication to the urge to pair fried food with alcohol. Quite lovely, but needs more mayo.
Everything can always do with more mayo.
Bibimbap of the day – Rice dish reinterpreted by Smokkim, with spanner crab, dried seaweed, kohlrabi, egg custard
I was first introduced to bibimbap in its searing hot stone bowl by my dad at age 12, and the mix of rice, vegetable, egg, sauce and the delicious crust down the bottom of the bowl has been an expectation of bibimbap ever since. This however, was a cold version, with crab, seaweed, radish, and what looked like scrambled eggs. Like a chirashi almost. And while I can appreciate the concept of the interpretation, I can’t really say that I enjoyed this one. The sauce that came with it wasn’t quite enough to moisten the bowl, and the spanner crab was a little light on flavour. And it made me a little sad, because then I just wanted a chirashi bowl, but it wasn’t socially acceptable for me to have two lunches in a row. /sadface.
Bossam – Traditional Korean dish, slow cooked pork belly, radish and beetroot pickle, soy caramel sauce
But for what the Bibimbap gave in disappointment, the Bossam made up for it. Thick slices of braised, tender pork belly are laid on a plate with kale leaves, pickles and ssamjang – a fermented bean sauce that typically goes with the dish – and you’re meant to make little wraps that are mouthfuls of bliss. I especially enjoyed the structure that the kale gave to this, even though it isn’t a traditional choice of green, and the sticky sweet soy that coated the pork belly just had me licking my fingers. Favourite of the day, and so light on the belly too!
Wagyu Beef Burger
And of course, a burger, because Sam must order a burger when he sees it on the menu. It was a really nice burger, but again, not quite in the league of the burger giants in Sydney. The zucchini chips also provided a lovely crunch to me (Sam wasn’t a fan), but somehow it was sorely lacking a type of dipping sauce that usually goes with a side of chips. For me, anyway.
I think Smokkim is a fantastic first date option – you know that you’re getting decent food and attentive service (we were the only people sitting on the balcony and we still didn’t get neglected), with just enough culture to make it interesting, but not enough to potentially leave you smelling like smoke and hotpot while walking out of the restaurant. No, that, you leave for date 3 or 4. I much preferred the small bites to the large, although I can very well see me treating myself to a Bossam plate for a leisurely lunch.
Mmmm. Pork Belly.
I love it when challenges are designed to push the boundaries of creativity, and encourages you to think outside the box. The #FmsPhotoADay challenge is one of those challenges for me: Fat Mum Slim Chantelle Ellem sets up prompts for every day, and that would serve as inspiration for the photo that you take.
Clearly though, I’m not as determined/inspired/on the ball enough to keep on this everyday, but hey, three days out of 7 is better than none right? So here are my pictures for Week 15, and the stories that go along with them!
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You’d think that living in an area inundated with Korean restaurants means that I wouldn’t be as excited about yet another Korean Fried Chicken joint.
BUT YOU’D BE WRONG.
When Simon from The Heart of Food suggested Seoul Orizin for our lunch catchup, my brain and body instantly went on fried chicken mode: hungry.
Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles, $10
Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung, $18
Grilled Beef Ribs, $16
Egg Hot Pot
We ordered a variety of things, including my favourite go to noodle dish: the bibim naeng myeon, a chewy stretchy spicy korean noodle that is served with crunchy pickles. My mouth is watering as I write this. Their noodles aren’t quite as good as The Mandoo for my taste – not as spicy and without that oomph that I love about this dish – but it’s a fantastic option for a CBD lunch.
The Spicy Prawn and Chicken Gangjung was literally, fried chicken and prawn coated in the spicy sticky sweet sauce that sticks to the back of your molar, and was quite nice, but nothingg groundbreaking.
It was one of those “not bad” experiences – nothing to complain about, but nothing that makes me scream from the rooftops unfortunately. Not sure whether if I stand outside those doors I’d go in for lunch, or take a step to the right and walk into Hana Hana instead!
The Norfolk used to be “that place under House Of Crabs” to me, where the food was decent, but not the main attraction. But now, there’s a whole new menu, and a few of us were lucky enough to get invited to feast!
Deep fried banana taco anyone?
Fried Chicken in Waffle on a stick
Monterey Cheese Burger, with EZ cheese and Jalapeño Salsa, $5
Asado beef tacos, with coffee, avocado cream, and arbol chilli salsa, $5.50
Jalepeno Popper Taco, with pumpkin mole, queso and salsa mojo, $5.50
Pulled Pork Taco, with smoked adobo pork, aji chilli and pineapple salsa, $5.50
Mole Fried Chicken Wings, with mole spices, crema and chilli vinegar, $14
Deep Fried Pickles, with ranch sauce, $9
Mac and Cheeseballs, with spiced ketchup, $14
San Jose Sang Choy Bow, with green papaya, lime, peanuts and salsa mojo, $14
BBQ Corn, with ancho mayo, bacon and pretzel furikake, $7
K-Town Burrito, with short rib, smoked frank and kimchi rice, $14
But before dessert, the bar menu. The corn with ancho mayo, bacon and pretzel furikake should be how all corn should ve had, with smoky crusty salty deliciousness to be had all around. If this is how all veggies are served, I’m sure you wouldn’t have issues making kids eat their veg. The Monterey Sliders were also pretty groovy, bringing all the cheesy comforts in every bite. There was an extra one floating around the table, and it was all I could do (and the belt that I was wearing) that stopped me from going for seconds.
And for tha Mac and Cheese lovers, The Norfolk is turning it up a notch with Mac and Cheese Balls. Finally, the perfect crumb to ooey gooey goodness ratio. This came with a dipping sauce, which was somewhat non-essential, since every ball of mac has the cheese to dress itself.
Deep Fried Banana Taco, with peanut butter ice cream, ice magic, peanuts, 100s and 1000s, and a fried corn taco, $12 for 2
The Deep Fried Banana Taco was the last dish of the night, and served with a flourish it was. It had all the hot/cold sweet/savoury things going on, but at that point I was so stuffed that I wasnt sure what I was really eating anymore. But I did finish the banana though, because, uh, deep fried fruit is good for you right?
I like to think that I’m a neat person generally, but when it comes to my kitchen – home is where the food is! – I’m an absolute stickler for keeping things organised.
And why not? An organised kitchen means a more efficient way to get the delicious food into your belly, and a reduction in food waste that means more dollars in your pocket!
So, anyone else a fan of Tetris?
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As someone with curly, coarse, combination hair – yes, you read it right: oily on the scalp and dry at the root – I get very particular about my choice of haircare products. It not only has to work on very difficult hair, but also needs to be at the right price point – I’ve to use quite a bit of product for the amount of hair that I have, which means all the money that I could be spending on food might literally get washed down the drain. Literally.
So how does an organic shampoo with wheat protein work on difficult hair? Is it any better than the drugstore brands?
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When I think about winter warmers, I always start with the carbs. Do I want potatoes, rice, noodles, bread or pastry? Soups get thickened with flour and potatoes, and the starch reigns supreme!
But that sometimes means that my coeliac friends miss out, and we can’t have that! So I’ve worked with Chang’s to create a winter warmer that I can share with them!
I’m a fairly clumsy walker. I think it’s mostly due to the fact that I’m constantly distracted by the menus of passing restaurants as I move. Sometimes it’s worth the bump and graze, and sometimes it’s not. But once in a while, you come past an eatery that can only be described as intriguing, and that beckons you inwards like a charming circus master crooking his finger at you.
And on a sunny Friday morning, Dr Faustus did just that.
Located on Cleveland Street, Dr Faustus is decked out like the apothecaries of days gone by, straight out of an old world where travelling freakshows captured the imaginations of American suburbia. Carved wood and glass showcase tall jars of psychedelic pickles, and jaunty music play through the speakers.
The menu is just, if not more inventive than the decor, and the imaginative concepts and twists in classic favourites are enough to whet any foodie’s appetite.
Eggs 5 Ways
Black Pudding Sandwich
Brussel Sprout Caesar
We ordered the Black Pudding Sandwich, Eggs 5 Ways and a Brussel Sprout Caesar to share. The Brussel Sprout Caesar was a surprise favourite: with pickled radish, crispy sopressata, and a soft quail egg on shaved brussel sprouts. I’ve never been a fan of the traditional, watery Caesar, and this has convinced me that I never want to have it the traditional way ever again. The brussel sprouts, as owner Adam explains, are sturdier than cos lettuce, holding its own against the dressing to provide lasting crunch and freshness into the very last bite. A genius way to refresh a classic with winter greens.
The Eggs 5 Ways, while visually impressive, didnt give quite the same oomph as the Caesar. A soft boiled duck and quail egg flank a beetroot pickled hens egg, on a smear of ‘red eye aioli’ – an homage to red eye gravy that features espresso as one of the defining ingredients. Fish roe tops off the egg fest, and it all looks like something that could only come out of a Tim Burton film (I’m a massive fan, if you didnt know already). The concept for this egg on egg orgy is strong, but as perfectly cooked as all the eggs were – there was no tell-tale grey ring around the yolk of the hen’s egg. I checked! – it wasn’t as ground breaking as the rest of the experience was for me.
The Black Pudding Sandwich was more than made up for it though, with its tangy sauce and generous serving of rich sausage between soft buns. Moreish and just downright delicious, this sandwich/burger is like a gateway dish to blood sausage for the queasy.
And of course, with lunch then comes dessert!
Coco Pop 8 ball doughnut
Sugared 8 ball doughnut
Fruit Loop 8 ball doughnut
8 ball doughnuts – so named because they’re the size and shape of the 8-ball at the pool table – come in three options: plain sugared, coco pop, and fruit loop. The cereal options are really just that – cereal-infused milk gets reduced to a syrup, then decadently poured over doughnuts. Feeling the diabetes yet? The Fruit Loop was my favourite, mostly because I have a weakness for milk frostings. And they’re just so gosh darned cute! The doughnuts themselves could be just a touch lighter and less cakey, but that’s something I think will evolve as the cafe matures.
Owner Adam still fronts this fairly new cafe, and greets customers and busses the tables himself. Having worked in the hospitality business for many years, including a stint in the U.S., he’s brought his imagination and sense of humour to the table when it comes to designing a menu that will put a smile on people’s faces. Working with a head chef to execute his ideas, it feels there still are some minor executionary details that are going to get worked out as the cafe matures.
Personally, even though the food wasn’t technically perfect, I still thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and admire the passion and focus that fuel such a strong conceptually led cafe. A must-return, even if it’s just to sate my curiousity (and appetite!) about the other things on the menu.
I’ve recently been very inspired by all things ornate and flowery. Maybe it’s my late blooming entry into traditional feminity, or maybe these are just so gosh darned pretty. Either way, it’s resulted in an increasing obesession in birdcages.
It’s such a strange thing, because by definition, birdcages were meant to restrain, to trap, and yet they hold so much beauty – both in their designs, and the birds that they hold.