A Happy Ibyang Day!

Without even asking, the universe had a way of gifting me with flowers on my birthday. On the way to brunch, we saw a garden full of colourful flowers in bloom. Thank you dear God. Thank you Universe. I welcome my new year of great possibilities with happy thoughts, a peaceful heart and an open mind. 

An "Ibyang Day". A phrase gifted to me by one of my dear friends Pen (thank you, love!). I've expressed my desire to family and friends to have a quiet celebration but somehow, they found a way to make me feel that my day is important. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by beautiful people who always make me feel well-loved. My family and friends are the world's greatest gifts to me!

Here are a few snippets of my more-than-a-month-long birthday celebration:

Friends gifting me with a birthday cake a month before my birthday. The Rubber Duck visiting Sydney. Meeting Liz Gilbert and listening her talk at the Sydney Opera House. The Hubby granting me my wishes (a book and a bag). Receiving greetings from family and friends from around the world via phone, twitter, FB and IG. Birthday brunch at Coco Cubano. Attending mass at St Patrick's Cathedral. Dinner with friends at Mizuya. Satur-date dinner with family on Australia Day.

To family and friends who remembered and celebrated Ibyang Day** with me, thank you very much! May you be blessed a thousand times with the positivity you wished me. 

** Ibyang Day is celebrated every 22nd of January.**

Our 6th Anniversary

A day before we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary, we were at the Sydney Opera House watching Liz Gilbert's talk (I will write about it soon) . The Husband was a bit uncomfortable when we arrived at the concert hall because the attendees were mostly female but nevertheless he enjoyed it. At the end of the talk, Liz Gilbert came out to sign book and have a photograph with us. I have always been shy to ask for a photograph with a famous person but the Husband encouraged me to have a photo with Liz because he knew that it meant a lot to me. So I did get my photo with Liz and I glowed all the more with happiness.

If there is one thing I will tell you when it comes to finding your life partner is this: I hope you find someone who will do anything to make you glow with happiness. I hope you find someone who'll willingly take a step back in order for you to shine. I hope you find someone who will see what you're capable of and encourage you to grow. I have always said that love should always bring out the best in you. I've known my Husband for a total of 11 years now and what I said then about love is still true to me. When you're loving each other the right way, you become the best person you are. 

After six years of being married, a few things have changed between the two of us, with how we view life and how we live life. But a lot of things remain unchanged: our values, our faith, the way we protect our little family, our friendship, the special people who make our married life more beautiful, the circumstances that makes us love each other more. If there are any changes in our lives, it is always a good change (if not better). We are grateful, always grateful. 

-o0o0o0o-

We had a quiet anniversary celebration in Sydney this year. Liz Gilbert's talk is not really a "romantic" kind of date but since we're out on the eve of our 6th anniversary, we made it special but having afternoon tea at Guylian Cafe. The Husband had coffee and I had a cup of hot chocolate.

We had their Salted Caramel Macarons which wasn't as good as other macarons.

And shared a cake called Caramelt which was soooo good. It's Hazelnut Mousse with caramel ganache and chocolate cacao sponge coating with caramelised Toffee. 

After the talk, we had dinner at Searock Grill. 

A refreshing glass of Mojito for me.

The Husband had Steak Frites which consisted of juicy rump steak topped with Cafe de Paris butter and sidings of salad and pomme frites.

On the other hand, I enjoyed a plate of Crispy Pork Belly drizzled in caramelised black vinegar. It came with green papaya salad and fried shallots.

We loved our dinner even if we weren't really prepared to eat out that night. The plan was to just to have a quiet dinner at home. But we changed our minds the last minute because of the party vibe in Circular Quay. The quiet and cozy ambience of Searock Grill lured us into their restaurant and we were lucky that they served good food.

The following day, the 20th January, our anniversary, was spent in church and then Yum Cha lunch right after. Another fortunate accident was being seated near the TV which played the Australian Open. We enjoyed the food and the game while talking.

After our hearty lunch, it was business as usual since it was a Sunday. We went around the shops for a bit and did grocery shopping.

Our non-fussed anniversary celebration--fun and relaxed, the way we want it to be.

Fooditude: Doing Food Photography in Restaurants

The issue of taking food photographs while dining inside a food establishment is not new to me. I’ve read an article about it in 2010 concerning some restaurant owners disliking the growing population of foodies who take photos in their restaurant. It’s 2013 now and another article has come up about some restaurants banning food photography (read article here).

I had a good exchange of ideas with tweetmates this morning when I asked "When taking food photographs in restaurants, do you ask staff/owner if you can take photos of their food and establishments?". My answer is at the end of this entry. In the meantime, here are a few thoughts I tweeted which I'd also like to share here:

On restaurants prohibiting food photography:
A food establishment has the right to prohibit taking photos and we cannot argue with them because it is their way of service. However, it is very important that guests know this information before they dine at the restaurant. A sign on their door, informing guests via phone when they make reservations and a note on their website would be good ways to let people know that taking photographs are now allowed. It's important that guests are well-informed as it is their choice whether to eat at the restaurant or not.

I understand why a few restaurants have taken to their hands the prohibition of food photography. Some guests tend to overdo it and forget that the reason why they are at the restaurant is to eat and not fuss about photos and their gadgets. Restaurant owners are also concerned for other guests who deserve some quiet while enjoying food. 

As a consumer:
Food establishments have to understand that nowadays part of the food experience is to immortalize what guests eat in their restaurant.  

While it is our right as consumers to take photos of what we ordered, we need to be ethical and discreet about it.

I don’t mind dining at a restaurant that prohibits taking food photographs. While I love taking photographs of what I eat, it's something that I do even before I had a blog, I value my love for good food more than the photographs I could take. Sure, photos are good reminders but experiencing something special is so much better.

I’ve been crafting this article for at least a year but never get to finish it. But with the article that came out yesterday, I’ve pushed myself to finish this once and for all. I’m sharing a few tips on how the Husband and I discreetly take photos whenever we’re dining at a restaurant:

We take photos as quick as we can. Just a minute will do, no more than that. It’s a fortunate circumstance that the Husband and I are skilled in photography. It’s very convenient to have him around as he helps me take shots. Sometimes I am only capable of taking a shot at a certain angle due to where I’m seated. In just a few seconds, we are able to produce photographs of a dish taken at different angles with different perspectives. Other than angles, it pays to have a quick mind when it comes to shooting food. The minute you see your dish, you must quickly know how you want to photograph it and what you want to show in your photograph. You know why else you need to be quick? Because you don’t want your food to be cold when it’s supposed to be warm; you don’t want the ice cream on your Belgian waffle melting when you eat it.

We don’t take photos in the middle of eating our meal. When our order arrives, we give ourselves a moment to take a shot and then we keep our phones and cameras out of sight.

We choose the best seat where natural light (or at least good lighting) is available. We prefer tables near the window if possible. If we’re not given a seat we don’t prefer, we politely ask to be moved. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The point is, it doesn’t hurt to politely ask. 

We avoid using flash because we care about other guests inside the restaurant who deserves to eat in peace. Also, using flash photography makes food look bad anyway. It’s very rare that we use flash and it occurs only when we’re desperate, if we know that we are allowed to do so and we have a friendly relationship with the staff/owner.

Even if we are allowed to take photos of our food, we do it as discreetly as possible. We're try to be as quiet and non-intrusive. It helps that we have a micro-four thirds camera (Lumix GF1) which we use most of the time instead of a DSLR which is conspicuous.

When dining with family or friends and they allow me to take a photograph of their food, I take a shot at their food first before mine. Sometimes I just take a "group photo" of all the food in our table to save time.

We ask the restaurant owner/staff if we are allowed to take photos. This is a case-to-case basis as some establishments have that casual vibe where you can easily take out your camera and shoot away. However, in a restaurant that has an ambiance of exclusivity and privacy, we are careful not to offend so we ask.


So there. A few thoughts and a few tips that may be helpful to you. 

Care to share any thoughts on foodies that photograph in restaurants or restaurant owners that ban food photography? Any tips you'd like to share?

Beauty Stash: Moisturising's My Skin Care Advocacy

If there is one thing that I'd be an advocate of when it comes to skin care, it would be on the importance of moisturising.

There's always a story behind everyone's advocacy and here's mine:

I grew up in a tropical country and have always had oily skin. When I was in my early 20's I thought that I won't ever need to use moisturisers on my face. I only wear sunblock when I go to the beach. I put lotion on days when I feel like it. I gave more importance to cleansing and keeping oil controlled and pimples at bay. 

I moved here when I turned 28 and I had to change my skincare routine as my skin is  exposed to four seasons in a year. On the first year I experienced winter, I saw a skincare specialist because my skin was so dry. I learned a lot of things from the skincare specialist I met: 
(1) That even if I had oily skin, moisturising and using sunblock is as important as cleansing.
(2) People with oily skin can find suitable moisturisers (i.e. water-based moisturisers).
(3) You can use oil to moisturise and it won't clog your pores and add oiliness to your skin. 
(4) Different seasons calls for different moisturisers. I was advised to have a richer moisturiser during cold season and a lighter one during warm season.
(5) The earlier you start putting moisturisers, the better. 
(6) Drink lots of water. 

The sun is harsh these days that it leads to premature wrinkles and sunspots and worse, skin cancer, hence, I have realised the importance of wearing sunblock too.

I've seen men and women who look too wrinkly and "sun-spotty" for their age who love the outdoors and bask in the glory of the sun without wearing moisturisers with sunblock. It's not about vanity really but more about taking care of the only skin we have. It is inevitable for all of us to have wrinkles and sunspots--all of us will have them as we grow older.  However, seeing people who take care of their skin well, a part of how they take care of their well-being, is always admirable.

Since I've met a skincare specialist, I've given more attention to keeping my skin hydrated. Below are a few items I trust which works well for me:

Petroleum Jelly. I use this for moisturising the lips at nightime. I also use this to moisturise the hands and feet during winter time (after putting on hands and feet, wear gloves and socks overnight).

Carmex Lip Balm. They're the best thing that ever happened to my lips! I hoard them when they go on sale. I love that they have a variant that has SPF.

Tip when moisturising lips at night: Moisturise the edge of your lips as this will help prevent pre-wrinkles.

Daytime Moisturising with Sunblock:

BB Cream. This serves as a foundation, moisturiser and sunblock. I use them when I go out. If you want to know about BB Creams, please read my article here. I'm currently using Skinfood's Good Afternoon Peach Green Tea and once I'm finished with this tube, I'll be using Missha's M Signature Real Complete BB Cream.

Sunscreen Lotion. I use this during the day to protect the other parts of my body, particularly the arms and legs. I look for a sunscreen that moisturises, doesn't feel sticky and cause blemishes. 

Night Time Moisturising:

Sorbolene Cream. Other than moisturising with oil after bath, this works in keeping my skin hydrated during cold season.

J&J Bedtime Lotion. I prefer this during warm season as it's light and mild. Smells great too.

Paw Paw Balm. After putting lotion on my hands, I follow it up with a little Paw Paw Balm to soothe it some more. I take particular care of my hands as it's the most used part of my body (cooking, washing dishes etc).

Eye Moisturiser. Since it's summer time now, I use Garnier's Eye Roll On as it's lighter but during winter, I prefer using Clinique's All About Eyes.

Rosehip Oil. I used this to moisturise my face. Three drops of this and it goes a long way. If you want to know more about my Top 5 favourite oils, please click here.

As we grow older, our skin loses the ability to retain water as it once did so a little help from moisturisers and sunblocks will be beneficial to us. And please, always drink lots of water as it hydrates from the inside and has other health benefits too.

Happy Friday!

Chez Dre (Melbourne, Australia)

AWCL visited Chez Dre on 21 January 2012.

Here's one the cafes our friend took us to when we were in Melbourne last year. We had dessert at Chez Dre after we had lunch at Dahon Tea Lounge. 

Chez Dre is not only a dessert place as they also serve hot meals. Their cafe seemed like the perfect place to have brunch. 

Our group ordered cakes. Pretty and delicious cakes that melt in our mouths and more than satisfied our love for dessert. Below are photo of what we devoured that afternoon. 

They also offer indulgent macarons. So, so decadent.

Chez Dre

Rear of 285-287 Coventry Street

South Melbourne 3205

Phone: 03 9690 2688

Email: info@chezdre.com.au

Dahon Gourmet Tea Lounge (Melbourne, Australia)

AWCL visited Dahon Tea Lounge on 21 January 2012.

The Husband and I always have this conversation where we'd wish there'd be a nice, classy Filipino restaurant in Sydney that serves delicious Filipino dishes. We've been wishing for years and it hasn't happened yet. That's why last year, we felt envious of Melbournians because they have Dahon Gourmet Tea Lounge. 

Dahon Gourmet Tea Lounge (DGTL) is the brainchild of Filipino brother-sister tandem Cherrie and Ed who grew up in Melbourne. They owned and managed a franchise of an Australian restaurant before but they decided to make their dream come true which is to build a Filipino restaurant.

I met Cherrie online via our food blogs and then later on we became tweetmates. When we visited Melbourne last year, we made sure to have a meal at DGTL. The Husband and I brought our Melbournian friends to share in the discovery of this cozy and zen-like restaurant.

From the interiors of restaurant to the way they serve food, Dahon Gourmet Tea Lounge took a very refreshing approach to Filipino dining. The food satisfied our love for Filipino food as were all delicious plus we get that homely feel while savouring the dishes we ordered.

Pancit Palabok

Pancit Bihon

Pork Barbeque with Rice

Lumpiang Prito

It was like being home again thru great friends and delicious food.

Here's one of the owners, Cherrie. Thanks for saying hello to us and please bring DGTL to Sydney too? :) 

If you're in Melbourne and want great tasting Filipino food, visit Dahon GourmetTea Lounge at Shop 5, 111 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, Victoria. Check out their facebook page for more details.

Mamasita (Melbourne, Australia)

Note: AWCL visited Mamasita on 20 January 2012.

From the best Spanish restaurant for lunch, our next meal was at Mamasita, considered one of the best Mexican places in Melbourne.

Thanks to a good friend's tip, we mentioned this to our Melbournian friend as a place for dinner and meet-up  and luckily, she also wanted to Mexican food with us.

We arrived at Mamasita early as we've been warned that the queue gets really long during peak hours. And true enough, we arrived around 5:30pm and there was a line. The place was packed!

We got ourselves a good table nonetheless, thanks to the accommodating wait staff.

The place is dark after sundown that it was difficult to take food photos. Thank God for a camera that had high ISO settings plus the use of Curves in Photoshop, I share with you a number of decent photos.

I'm unable to specifically tell you how each dish tasted like but I assure you that each dish served to us that night tasted perfectly. The Husband and I left Mamasita with a full tummy and a wish that they'd open a branch in Sydney.

A rundown of what we had that night:

Tecate Cerveza which I had a few sips just to know what it tasted like. 

Totopos (Tortilla Chips) with a siding of guacamole and salsa.

Tacos de Pollo filled with chargrilled chicken, avocado, chipotle mayo and queso fresco.

Quesadillas de Cordero stuffed with braised lamb, queso criollo, mint and jalapeno herb sauce.

Tostaditas de Carnitas. This is our favourite! Slow braised pork shoulder, encurtidos, pickled jalapeno and chicarron.

We made room for dessert that night.

Helado de Maiz. Sweet corn ice cream with caramel popcorn. This is another favourite of ours. A must eat when at Mamasita.

Pastel de Chocolate. Flourless chocolate cake with tequila white chocolate sauce.

Mamasita
Level 1, #11 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria
Phone: (03) 9650 3821

Movida Aqui (Melbourne, Australia)

It's Australian Open season and a part of me wishes that I'm watching the games in Melbourne right now. We are taking a break from travelling to Melbourne this year as I want a quiet birthday month. Last year was truly a blast--a month-long celebration with family and friends plus having the extraordinary holiday in Melbourne during Australian Open. This year, the Husband and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary and my birthday here in our city with little flair but still (expecting) lots of food and fun.

Since I've got Melbourne on my mind, I'll start sharing our gastronomic adventures during last year's Melbourne holiday from today til next week.

If there's one thing I'm grateful for was that all the places we ate at last year were superb. It's always lovely to enjoy good food on special occasions, isn't it? All the more when you are travelling as it makes the event more memorable. And as always, Melbourne doesn't disappoint being the food, chocolate and coffee capital of Australia.

Our first Melbourne meal upon arrival was at Movida Aqui which was a dream come true. We've always loved Spanish cuisine (and still do) and we're heard/read very good feedbacks about Movida. We tried getting a table in 2010 but failed. If you're sure about eating here, call in and make a reservation, which we did for our 2012 holiday. 

Started off with a cool and refreshing jug of Sangria which we enjoyed with complimentary bread. 

We decided to have a light lunch so we only opted a few Tapas, one Raciones and one Arroces. The service was fast so should the need for more food arises, it was easy to order again.

Although our orders seemed not enough to make us both full, it actually did. We were surprised that even with just a few Tapas and Raciones our tummies felt full already. The Arroces sealed it all that we decided to forego dessert.

Bocadillo de Calamares. Calamari sandwich with Basque guindilla and mayonnaise.

Bomba. Catalan potato bomb filled with chorizo. This is a favourite of ours.

Butifarra. House-made Catalan pork and pepper sausage with chickpeas and morcilla.

Arroz Caldoso. Wet bomba rice with salt bush lamb ribs and peas.

All these dishes looked and tasted exquisitely. Beautiful balance of flavours and surprisingly filling. If you're in Melbourne, a meal at Movida Aqui is highly recommended.

The good news to Sydneysiders is that Movida has a opened a restaurant in Surry Hills (50 Holt St,Surry Hills, Phone +61 2 8964 7642)  so no need to fly to Melbourne to have a taste of great Spanish food.

Movida Aqui

Lvl 1, 500 Bourke St,
NAB building, (via Lt Bourke St)
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9663 3038

Note: "A Wife's Charmed Life" visited Movida Aqui (Melbourne) on 20 January 2012.