Korean Fried Chicken at Gallus Gallus (Chatswood, NSW)

From discovering a cafe, we discovered where we to eat delicious Korean Fried Chicken in Chatswood. 

After falling in love with Korean cuisine, the immersion won't be complete without having a taste of their Fried Chicken.  Korean Fried Chicken is prepared in such a way that the chicken skin becomes thin and very crunchy, then usually bathe in spicy sauce or garlic soy. 

We've found some Korean take away shops in Sydney that sells Korean Fried Chicken which I sometimes buy if I'm too lazy to cook.  I also learned how to cook them at home (will share recipe later).

We've heard about a Korean restaurant named Hello! Kyochon before but haven't had the time to visit until it closed and was bought by another Korean businessman who named the restaurant Gallus Gallus (scientific term for Chicken). 

A short chitchat with the staff of Gallus Gallus confirmed that they still cook the same Korean Fried Chicken they served when the restaurant was named Hello! Kyochon.  There was a slight change in the menu as some Korean dishes were eliminated but their friend chicken remains their best dish.

It was rainy and cold when we dined at Gallus Gallus so we ordered their Seafood Soup to keeps us warm.  Not very flavourful but abundant with fishballs, tofu and mussels.

Other than soup, we only ordered chicken, as in!  They offer regular chicken, chicken in garlic and soy and chicken in chili sauce in half and whole sizes.  Since the Husband wanted the garlic & soy chicken and I wanted the spicy chicken, we ordered half a chicken for each flavour.  I had to ask the staff if we're allowed to take home leftovers (not all restaurants allow customers to bring home leftovers) and when they agreed, we ordered a whole chicken.

The smell of freshly cooked fried chicken was enticing.  We smelled the chicken even before we saw the staff carrying the plate full of chicken to our table.

The chicken skin was amazingly thin but crunchy.  The flavour of the chicken can be tasted thru the innards of the chicken.  I enjoyed the spicy chicken as it really slowly burns the mouth while the garlic & soy has become my favourite as it had great fusion of salty and sweet flavours.

The leftover chicken we brought home tasted delicious still.  I just chucked them inside the over and heated them up and they tasted great!

Nowadays, KFC has a different meaning as it can also mean Korean Fried Chicken.

 

Gallus Gallus

Shop 3, 76A Archer Street

Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: 02 9411 8766

Freshly "French Pressed" Coffee at Home

Although I'm glad that the Christmas Blend is now available in Starbucks via Ready Brew range, I still love my  freshly brewed coffee at home.

We usually buy grounded coffee but we recently bought a very cheap coffee grinder to complete our "coffee ensemble".  

The reasons why we now buy coffee beans: 

(1) the beans last longer on shelf compared to grounded coffee

(2) the freedom to control how many beans we will grind on a certain time

(3) control over how coarse or fine we want our grounded coffee

If you want to have good coffee at home, the cheapest and best way is to have a coffee grinder and French Press (a.k.a. coffee press).  Using a coffee press results to stronger and better tasting coffee compared to coffee made by machines. 

Fresh Coffee Beans + French Press = extra full-bodied coffee flavour.

I just love the smell of coffee beans

French Press-ing our Coffee

Our fresh cups of coffee

It may seem very manual and time-consuming but it works for us.  We don't mind doing "manual labour" since it has resulted to better-tasting coffee. Oh and I love the romance that goes with the grinding and French pressing of coffee. And if only for that, we know that the ritual of grinding and pressing coffee is always worth it.

Online Medicine Shopping

From shoes, clothes, appliances and travel, everything can be conveniently bought online these days.  Isn't that amazing?  The world wide web is such a powerful tool for everyone to connect to loved ones and shop without having to leave the comfort of our homes.

These days, it is very important too for a pharmacy to deliver medicines via online.  I found this website called Canadian Pharmacy Meds which is a Canadian Pharmacy that delivers medicines all over the world.  They don't just sell Canada Drugs or deliver to Canada Pharmacy, but their company can ship orders internationally.  All their medicines are affordable and customers can ask for assistance in filling in their prescriptions. 

Their website is also very user-friendly.  On top of the website, you can easily navigate to making or filling in an order, signing in to your account and whether to go to the Prescriptions or Over the Counter tabs.

Visit Canadian Pharmacy Meds and pay for medicines at affordable prices.

Beauty Stash: The Face Shop in Sydney

I first saw The Face Shop when I vacationed in Manila but it was only when I traveled to Seoul that I found interest to shop there because in Seoul, they give away a few freebies and samples.  When we passed by one of their branches near our hotel, they were giving free gifts if you purchase a certain amount.  I decided to try their lipstick and blush and they turned out to be good products for me.  In return, they gave me a bottle of Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover and lots of sample sachets from their moisturizing line.

It was only in Sydney that I got to use the Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover they gave me and I love it!  My skin loves it too.  Other than removing make-up, it moisturizes my skin, keeps it soft and doesn't cause me any break-outs.  I don't even have to wash and moisturize my face anymore after I've used it at night. 

I believe there is a branch of The Face Shop somewhere in Sydney but since I work in the city, I couldn't be bothered looking for it.  Thank goodness for online shopping, I get to buy my Korean make-up and cleansers online.

A few weeks back, as I was running late to meet up with the Husband in the city, he called me and said, "Guess what?  They've opened a branch of The Face Shop in Townhall".  What joy!  And what a relief to have a branch so accessible to one of the train stations we frequent.

The endorsers of The Face Shop:
Kim Hyung Joong (from the KDrama Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss)
Park Min Young (from the KDrama City Hunter)

Now that I have access to The Face Shop, I can try out their other products which I find reasonably cheaper than other brands. 

Customers are welcome to bring home posters of Kim Hyung Joong so I got a few to give to my mum and whoever may like him.  See how massive the poster is (below)...spell HUGE hehe.

Speaking of trying something new from their store, I bought the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam last night.  I figured since I'm already using the make-up remover, why not try the cleansing foam too.  I love it as well.  I easily felt that my skin is simultaneously being cleansed and moisturized while I use it.  It doesn't make my skin oily too.

If you would like to visit The Face Shop, it is located at The Galleries Victoria (500 George Street, Sydney).

Style Musings: Jelly Sandals and Rainboots from Holster (Updated)

Sydney doesn't used to have as many rainy days as before and it is becoming worse. Now, it goes on and on for days.  It's not that I hate the rain, I do love rain.  But if it rains from morning til night, the whole week, it can be a hassle for everyone.

For quite sometime, I've been on the lookout for a pair of rainboots on sale.  I do a lot of walking everyday and it seems practical to just wear rainboots when it rains.


This week, I tweeted about my need for a pair of rainboots because it's been raining the whole week.  Two days ago, my dear friend Rache messaged me about pairs of wellies on sale and sent me a link to a website called Holster Australia. 


Went to the website and found a simple but stylish pair of rainboots for only AUD$25.00!  They were on sale!  Ordered them online and arrived this morning--that was quick. :)

BEJEWELLED WELLIE

Fleece lined natural rubber and a removable jewel belt

It's the kind of rainboots that I've been looking for for the longest time.  While I find printed colourful rainboots really cute, I feel that I need something more of a neutral shade so I can easily pair them up with my wardrobe.  Plus, I wanted a pair that doesn't look too rugged or too "rubber" in appearance.  The pair I got from Holster doesn't looked like rainboots.  It actually looks like a normal pair of boots with blings. 

And yes, the blings!!! Oh how I love that they give a little "oomph" to these pair of rainboots.  If you don't want blings on your rainboots, you can easily detach them.

Another good thing about these rainboots is that it has a fleece lining so you don't really feel like you are wearing rainboots.  It's very comfortable and keeps your feet and legs warm.  It's perfect for Winter too!

Edited (26/11/11, 1:39PM): Since it was raining the whole day on Friday and it so happened that we're going to our relatives' place for dinner, I wore my rainboots for the occassion.

I looked at other Holster products and found a pair of Jelly Sandals on sale too.  Now when I see Jelly Sandals, I think it's something I could wear during summer at the beach or at the park.

JEWEL GLADIATOR

The Jewel Gladiator jelly shoes has blings as well.  With the right wardrobe, these pair can also be worn in casual affairs.

Check out Holster Australia for more rainboots and jelly sandals at http://www.holsterfashion.com/ . Good news:  free shipping for Australia Wide orders.  They also ship internationally so check out where they deliver.

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Coogee Beach (NSW, Australia)

We just had our first Christmas get-together with friends last weekend.  So it is with the life of Filipinos abroad.  Our Christmas get-together with all our group of friends are celebrated in advanced as some will be going home to the Philippines for Christmas.  And by the time the Christmas holiday sets in, that's when we spend it with family and relatives. 

On Saturday morning we had a Christmas brekkie party at the beach with our Tweethearts barkada (friends).  We were lucky that it turned out to be a sunny day---perfect beach weather--at Coogee Beach.

Coogee Beach is known as Sydney's Seaside Village.  It is located just minutes away from Sydney's CBD and the Sydney International Airport.  The place is easily accessible via train and bus.  You can take the train going to Central Station then get on bus numbers 370, 372, 373 or 374.  Any of these buses will drop you right on the beach.

Coogee is a family-friendly beach with lots of space for walking, doing sports activities and having picnics.  You'll find shops, restaurants and cafe nearby. 

First time at Coogee Beach

Pine trees are abundant and keeps the place attractively green.

The beach is popular for swimming as the waves here are not as big as the waves in other beaches.

One side of the beach was all sunny and bright, while on the other side, we saw mist (which I found out from my workmates on Monday was quite unusual) surrounding the area.

The view was beautiful though.  A good backdrop for photographs.

Although the sun was out on Saturday morning, the breeze was cool and refreshing.  We were there early so it wasn't as hot yet so the Husband bought us a cuppa.

A beautiful beach. Lovely weather. Fun time with great friends.  Sharing good coffee with the Husband.  One perfect moment and I couldn't ask for more.

Cafe: Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe (Chatswood, NSW)

What do you do when the person you're supposed to meet up is running late?

I'm not really patient by nature and I used to get annoyed when schedules run late but life has taught me that delays can be an opportunity for some unexpected "Me" times and discovering places I never thought existed. 

Last week's Thursday meet-up with the Husband at Chatswood was supposed to be at a Korean place that serves Korean fried chicken.  And as I arrived at our meeting place on time, the Husband called to say that something came up at the office and he will be late for our dinner date. 

I immediately went on "wanderlust" mode and walked around Chatswood and looked at shops and restaurants in the area.  There was a Night Market at that time too but I had to go inside Westfield after a few minutes because it rained.

Since my legs were also needing rest from all the walking and I was craving for coffee, I went inside Westfield.  Tucked in the corner of the 2nd level, I saw a cozy-looking cafe called Oliver Brown.

Oliver Brown is a Belgian Chocolate Cafe that serves great tasting chocolate and coffee.  The cafe looks attractive with its contemporary design and iconic patterned tiling. 

I just love it when restaurant owners are consistent with branding the little details inside their restaurant--like the cups and serviettes.  It makes the service more personal.  And yes, I always take note of these little things when I dine out.

I ordered a Cafe Latte and it was creamy and beautiful.

I love that they served a few bits of their Belgian Chocolate with their coffee.  Their chocolates were delicious so I decided to buy some truffles for the Husband when he arrived.

I bought two dark chocolate truffles, two white ones and a nutty truffle.  The truffles were not as expensive as the ones made by famous chocolatiers but they were good chocolate.

Another great cafe find during my unexpected "Me" time.

 
Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe
Level 2, Store 212
Westfield Chatswood
Phone: 9410 3774

Malaysian & Singaporean Restaurant: Temasek (Parramatta, NSW)

I've been wishing to eat Hainanese Chicken in Sydney and I'm so grateful to one of my dearest friends for bringing us to Temasek Restaurant in Parramatta.  On the Friday night we dined at Temasek, I discovered a love for Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine that I thought I never had.  Why?  Because Temasek made me a believer.

We made reservations for 6PM as we opted to meet up straight from work and to avoid the crowd.  With the recommendations of our foodie friends, we ordered our preferred dishes in one go and in less than 15 minutes, our table was laden with delicious-smelling and mouthwatering dishes.

Sambal Prawns.  Hot and spicy, this one surely throws a punch.  Prawns were perfectly cooked and the sauce thick, flavourful and smooth.

Kecap Manis Sotong (AUD$19.80).  Lightly-fried Calamari in sweet soy and a hint of spice. This dish is addictive with or without the rice.

Sambang Balacaan Kangkong (AUD$16.++).  Likened to the Filipino version of Kangkong with Bagoong (Shrimp Paste).  A mountain of Kangkong mixed with fermented shrimp.  A harmony of salty, sweet and spicy flavours all in one mouthful.  A perfect partner to almost all the meat dishes in the menu. 

Nasi Goreng (AUD$14.80).  Packed with flavour and all the components that make this fried rice irresistible. 

Chicken Curry (AUD$17.80).  This is the only curry that I love because it does not overwhelm the palate and my sense of smell.  An uncomplicated dish that gives you a kick of spice.

Hainanese Chicken (Half Boneless at $18.50).  I think the reason why I love this dish is because of its simplicity.  Served cold in its unpretentious "whiteness" with the thick soy sauce and chili sauce on the side to help in enhancing the chicken's flavour.  The chicken was tender and juicy. 

We ate here two weeks ago and I can't wait to try out all their other dishes next time.

Temasek Singapore and Malaysian Cuisine
The Roxy Arcade, 71 George St, Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9633 9926

Open Tuesday to Sundays (closed on Mondays and public holidays)
Lunch 11.30am - 2.30pm
Dinner 5.30pm - 10.00pm (last orders 9.30pm)