Churros from Spanish Doughnuts (Melbourne, Australia)

This was the first food store I saw the moment we walked out of our hotel in Melbourne.  When I saw the photograph of Churros, I knew that this would be the first dessert we will have on our trip.  I've never been more glad to have picked where we stayed at---truly a blessing, location-wise and food-wise.

As we walked out of la citta, I almost skipped with glee with the thought that in a few minutes I will finally have a taste of Churros as I haven't eaten them in a long while.  I was that excited!

Spanish Doughnuts is a small food store along Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.  This is more of a take-away shop with only two tables on the sidewalk available for those wanting to sit down and savour their Churros while people and cars pass by.

Their window display will show you a range of their Churros:

Original Churros -  Fresh golden brown outside with a delicate, light and fluffy centre. Rolled in traditional cinnamon sugar or icing sugar.

Bombon Churros - A designer Churro encased in a delicate shell of white, milk or dark chocolate for the ultimate Chocolate Churro experience.

Savoury Churros - Churro filled with savoury cream cheese, sundried tomatoes, peanut butter or cheesybite vegemite filling

Hot Jam Churros - Churro filled with melt-in-your-mouth-fillings such as custard, chocolate, caramel, and strawberry.

You don't want a Churro?  They also have Cones with creamy fillings.

While we were there, they served a box of their savoury Churros to passersby.  It was hot and crunchy.  I liked it!

Caught on cam!  The Husband's good timing captured me getting my second piece hehe.  It was that good.  I enjoyed my free savoury Churros while I chatted with the Spanish Doughnuts staff (they were so friendly).

We ordered a 3-pack Original Churros with Milk Chocolate Dipping for and two pieces of Bombons: one was the Nuts Gourmet Bombon filled with caramel and Triple Chocolate Bombon (not sure about the name--we forgot already). 

The moment the Bombons were handed to us, the Husband started eating the Nuts Gourmet Bombon right away (no time to photograph!).  It was delicious.  With my Husband being a chocoholic, it was gone even before we went back to the hotel.  As he was about to start on the Chocolate Bombon, I told him to save it until we're back at the hotel.  The moment I took a of photo of it, it was quickly gone (such a chocolate fiend this Husband of mine! hehe).  The Bombons were a lovely dessert but could be too sweet for someone like me who doesn't like sweet stuff all the time.

The 3-pack Churros were perfect.  It was freshly-cooked when handed over to me so it was crunchy.  Their milk chocolate dip was a winner for me as well.  Not too sweet, just the right partner to their Churros. 

I would have bought their Original Churros everyday while we were there but I had to control my Churros and milk chocolate dipping intake.  I made sure though that I bought another 3-pack on our last night and savoured it to the last bite.


Spanish Doughnuts
 
Flinders Street Station
Open 24 hours a dayShop 2, Flinders Street Station
Cnr Flinders and Swanston Sts
Opposite Federation Square
Melbourne VIC 3000
 
Elizabeth Street Store
Open 7am-10pm
Elizabeth Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000Ph: (03) 9654 5577

Restaurant: la citta (Melbourne, Australia)

The newest restaurant in Degraves Street was where we had our first meal in the city of Melbourne.  Its cozy ambiance and familiar European menu (we were craving for pasta!) charmed us as we eased ourselves slowly into our short getaway.  An hour after arrival at the airport and checking in of our hotel, we wanted something friendly, relaxed and delicious for lunch.  la citta did not disappoint.

I love their chandelier--dainty, pretty and pinkish red!

As if we were fated to eat here, la citta offers lunch special everyday.  A bowl of pasta and a glass of wine for only AUD$18.50.  They had two kinds of pasta to choose from so my Husband and I tried both.

They have a whole range of wines but my Husband and I just had a glass of white.  It was a great way to celebrate being in Melbourne once again.  "Cheers to being here!", was what we said when our drinks arrived.

We had heavy breakfast that morning so we weren't really hungry yet.  We didn't order any entrees anymore as I would like some room for dessert later.

I had the Fusili in Mussels, Tomato, Garlic and Chili.  Mussels were exquisitely cooked and tasted fresh. 

The Husband had the simpler dish, Linguini in Tomato, Garlic and Chili.  This had big chunks of garlic which I like.

Both dishes were good.  The pasta were perfectly cooked and flavourful and not too hot (there was chili). I liked the portion of their serving--European indeed!--just enough to keep you full and satisfied.

A Wife's Charmed Life visited la citta as an anonymous guest on 15 September 2010.


la citta
11 Degraves St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9014 8824
Fax: (03) 9014 8825
Email: lacitta@lacitta.net.au

Up next, find out about Melbourne's most delicious Churros.

Tim Burton: The Exhibition (Melbourne, Australia)

Australian Centre for the Moving Image presents "Tim Burton: The Exhibition", an outstanding international exhibition in Australia under the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces banner.

Until October 2010, ACMI hosts a unique exhibition direct from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.  An Australian exclusive, Tim Burton: The Exhibition is a landmark exhibition charting Tim Burton's creative vision and process from his earliest work to the spectacular Alice in Wonderland. {source}

The exhibition is currently being held at Federation Square, Melbourne.  Open daily from 10am-6pm with special late night viewing on Thursdays until 10pm. 


Outside Federation Square...

Near the entrance (inside Federation Square), you'll see the Bat Mobile from the movie "Batman".

There are no taking of photographs inside the exhibition venue, the staff are very strict and roam around to make sure that no one is taking photographs.

The exhibition was fascinating.  I learned so many things about Tim Burton and his work, plus I got to somehow see his "human side" as they showed some of his letters written to friends and people he's worked with.  For example, I saw a letter he wrote to Johnny Depp asking if a certain dialogue for "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" is appropriate enough to be added to the movie's script. 

Tim Burton is a gifted artist.  He draws, paints, photographs.  He is a story teller and a poet.  He is a writer and a director.  His creations are uncanny, unique and creatively captivating.  This exhibition showed how Tim Burton started out in his career, how he develops a story, the story behind the films he's made and his unpublished works.

He also created maquettes from his film and non-film projects.

One of my favorite films was of his, Edward Scissorhands.  When we entered the exhibition, we heard the magical music from the film and saw the costume of Edward Scissorhands.  I swear, I almost brought out my camera to take a photo of it.  *sigh*  It felt surreal to see it.

His latest film, "Alice in Wonderland" was a fabulous part of the exhibition as we saw the costumes used by the lead characters of the movie.  The three dresses worn by Alice in the movie were all there.  I wanted to feel the fabric of all Alice's dresses but touching the exhibits weren't allowed too.  I'm truly fascinated seeing the costumes from his movies. 

Each film he made was featured in the exhibition, even the old ones like Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Batman, Batman Returns, Planet of the Apes, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

One of his creations I love the most were his poems: funny, straightforward, easy to read and sometimes poignant. 

Viewing and being engrossed with his collection took us more than an hour and a half.  If you were to visit, I suggest you allot at least two hours to truly appreciate his work.   We left at nearly closing time spending about 15 minutes at the ACMI Store (can be found inside Federation Square) where you can buy a range of Burton Merchandise.

My Husband and I bought the the Tim Burton The Exhibition Catalogue (AUD$24.95) and a few pieces of his artworks produced in postcards.

Featuring over 70 pages of informative essays, glorious full-colour images and a chronology of Burton's career, this publication was the perfect complement to our exhibition experience. 

If you're ever in Melbourne, catch this very special exhibition.  I highly recommend this to art and film enthusiasts and to anyone who loves his films.

Tim Burton: The Exhibition
Federation Square
Thursday 24 June - Sunday 10 October 2010 
Open daily 10am-6pm. 
Special late night Thursdays until 10pm
Open until midnight on 7-9 October!
 
Full $19 Concession $14 ACMI Members $13
Child $10 (5-15 years) Family $55 (2 adults, 3 children)

 

You Know You're Busy When _______ .

My life's been crazy hectic these past few weeks, I miss being online and being able to blog regularly.  Work is the major culprit, however, I was assured by the boss that there is "light at the end of the tunnel".  I'm going with the flow and letting things fall into place.  I love what I do at work and take pride that I make a difference in people's lives everyday.  But I do miss my normal life where my time is more managed and I'm able to easily balance my family life, personal interests and career (take note: 3rd priority na lang ang career ngayon!).    "This too shall pass" is what I always believe that's why I cherish every moment, whether happy or challenging.  In the meantime, I came up with a list called "You know you're busy when...",  here goes.

You know you're busy when....

you call your friends as early as 7am just to catch up.

you print out blog entries so you can catch up on you blog reading (I don’t have a hi-tech phone or a 

netbook/laptop so I print blog entries and read them while I’m inside the train or bus--yes, that's what I do nowadays in order to catch up with blog friends, I just can't comment on their blog entries though).

you bring work home---even on a weekend! (this is big no-no for me BUT special times cause special actions)

you sometimes have late night dinners between 9:00pm to 10:00pm.

usual weekly coffee dates with the husband happens at midnight.

you cook brunch so the next big meal that you prepare for later is dinner (less meals to cook, less time to prepare, less time for cleaning up in the kitchen).

that even in your personal life, you have "pendings"! (LOL---funny but very true).

the only reason why you check twitter and Facebook is because you need to reply to messages (I can't even do it everyday now which results to being late in replying).

you can't even turn on the computer when you arrive home. 

you return phone calls when inside the train or bus.

you meet up with friends for coffee and they find you waiting at the cafe working on a report for work.

you only get to update your blog on weekends (like right now!).

While all of the thing listed here are true, these are all in good humor.  Most of the time, I just laugh it off because I used to be a very busy careerwoman when I was single.  I don't mind having a hectic workload once in a while but now that I'm married, I appreciate having a more steady work pace.

Anything you'd like to add to my list?  Share them please???

Melbourne Spring Getaway

Two months ago, I asked the Husband, "Where do you want to celebrate your birthday?  Beach or city?"  And he answered, "City."  So I booked a trip to Melbourne as this was one of our favorite cities.  We celebrated my birthday in Melbourne last year so I thought of giving the favor back to the Husband. 

We didn't have any concrete plans when we arrived in Melbourne.  Our friends who lived there asked us what we planned to see or do and we replied, "Nada."  But even with no plans, we saw a couple of places and exhibitions, discovered gastronomic indulgences and hung out with friends.  It was one of the Husband's happiest birthday celebration and one of the most memorable getaways we've experienced.

I've got tons of food and travel experiences to share from our recently concluded Melbourne trip but for now, I'm going to share the highlights of our Spring getaway.


Our first meal on Wednesday was lunch at La Citta,  a cozy Italian restaurant in  Degraves Street.  The Husband and I each had a bowl of pasta and a glass of white to celebrate our arrival in Melbourne.

For dessert, we walked along Elizabeth Street and found this little store called Spanish Doughnuts.  They sell the most delicious Churros I've ever tasted.  Really, their Churros are something to die for.

After lunch and dessert, we went back to our hotel to rest for a while and unpack our stuff.  We arrived with champagne waiting inside our room.  I had to call the front desk to make sure they didn't make a mistake as we didn't order anything nor we were VIPs.  But they assured us it was a welcome gift.  How sweet!

Re-charged from a short power nap, we went out to meet up with our friend Lui.  Our first ride was the City Circle Tram provided by the city for free.

Wednesday evening was spent at Costco.  The first ever Costco in Australia is in Melbourne and we took the chance to see it with Lui.  It was a fun, massive shopping experience.  Almost everything inside that store is big, it was amusing!  We can't wait for Sydney to open its own Costco store.  We shopped for a couple of items (mostly Hershey's chocolates) and had dinner in the Costco food court which also serve massive food servings. 

Thursday morning, we had late coffee at Sensory Lab.  It's a cafe with a concept of a laboratory--the servers wear labcoats!  And being inside their cafe is like being inside a science laboratory.  We tried their Tanzania brewed by syphon method

It was our first time to try syphoned coffee.  A different gastronomical experience to the normal brewed coffee we usually drink.

Thursday morning photowalk.  Took lots of photos of their cute, lovable trams.

Morning snack of hand-cut fries at Lord of the Fries.

Spent most of the day at Water City and Harbour Town Shopping Centre at Docklands.  Water City is like their version of Darling Harbour.   We took lots of photos at Water City and shopped at Harbour Town.  There were a few factory outlets here.

Very late lunch (around 3pm) at Le Cirque.

Steak night at Margo's (Crown Entertainment Complex) for dinner.

And the biggest highlight of all was our reunion with one of our friends from the Philippines, Dith.  The Husband and I were so delighted to be able to spend time with her, catch up and reminisce of the good old days. 

We found some Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream at Le Cirque so we bought a three mini-tubs and had them for late night dessert.

The Husband's birthday breakfast at Cafe Andiamo where I had Eggs Benedict and he had the Il Grande Breakfast.  One of the cafes in Degraves Street that I like.

Walked along the streets for photography enthusiasts and found a store called Michaels Camera where they had a camera exhibition on Level 2.

Husband's birthday lunch at Maze Grill by Gordon Ramsay.  Love love love it!  A gastronomic experience we will always remember.

Took the tram and found ourselves at Carlton Gardens.  The weather in Melbourne is still very much Winter even if it's already Spring.  It was still cold.  We found the Melbourne Museum nearby and saw their featured exhibition: Titanic.  We tried to get in but tickets were gone for the day. 

The Tim Burton Exhibition, an exhibit of his artworks, poems and movies.  It was a lovely exhibition that we enjoyed immensely.  After this, we went to the DFO South Wharf and shopped for a bit.

Breakfast on our last day was at Aix Cafe Creperie Salon, thought to be the place that serve the best crepe in Melbourne.

The Titanic Exhibition at Melbourne Museum.  Went back to the Melbourne Museum to see this exhibition and it was worth coming back to.

Met up with Lui and had brunch at the European Restaurant.  Their brunch is from 12:00-4:00pm.  Cozy lovely place, good food. 

Koko Black before we went home.  Dessert of Hot Belgian Chocolate drinks, Belgian chocolates, chocolate ice cream & mousse and shortbread.  A sweet way to end our Melbourne getaway.

More Melbourne stories in the coming days, this time, I will share with you details of each place or restaurant we went to.




All photos taken by the iPhone 4 using the Hipstamatic Application.