Found At The MD Ranking Store: Goodies From Japan

As I was walking along George Street in Sydney, I chanced upon a little store called "MD Ranking" (infront of World Square Building). The place sells numerous products from Japan such as food, cosmetics and toiletries. I was able to snap photos of Royce (they sell only limited stocks), Tokyo Banana (they come in different flavours) and Hello Kitty lollies. They have a lot more brands in the store so check it out if you want to find some goodies from Japan.

I bought us a box of Royce Popcorn Chocolate and a small bag of Calpis Marshmallows to try out.

At $15.00 a box, the Royce Popcorn Chocolate wasn't as delicious as we hoped it to be. The popcorn didn't have that crunchy texture and there was no hint of butter taste (maybe that was their aim). The chocolate coating was still good though.

I think this was my first time to try marshmallows made in Japan, or at least these kind of marshmallows that were super soft, silky and fluffy--it's like eating clouds (not that I've eaten clouds before hehe). Quite different from the runny-textured marshmallows that I'm used to (which I love). The Calpis Marshmallows had a citrus filling (we think it's Orange) that adds a little zing to the sweet taste of the marshmallows. I liked these marmallows and wouldn't mind snacking on them once in a while. 

It's great that there are more Asian shops opening up in Sydney and ones that have specialties like MD Ranking. It's a great chance for all of us to try what other countries have to offer without have to travel far.

Dinner at Won Jo (Strathfield, NSW)

I've caught the busy bug at work. My load at the office has developed into a slow avalanche that it's been quite a challenge to balance my time between home duties, work, blogging and time for myself. I don't mind busy times though. I've always welcomed challenges that keep me in my toes and problem solving situations that keep my mind active.

Sometimes I don't mind long days at work too as long as it ends up with dinner out with the Husband. Last Thursday, the Husband took me to dinner at Won Jo, our favourite Korean restaurant in Koreatown (Strathfield). We just had dinner in Koreatown the previous week but our attempt at dining at Won Jo failed then, we craved to go back.

A colouful Banchan. Won Jo serves several Banchan dishes and it's refillable too.

We ordered our comfort Korean food that night.

We started off with Seafood Pancake. Won Jo's seafood pancake has lots of seafood and little batter (just enough to hold the seafood in). Korean pancakes are usually eaten as appetizers but this particular Seafood Pancake has generous seafood in it that you can actually eat it with rice. It's huge as well. We only ate one-fourth of this pancake and took the rest home.

The Husband got himself a huge bowl of Pork Bibimbap. The pork was a bit spicy and flavourful. Perfect for the huge portions of vegetables and rice.

Since it was a cold night, I had a bowl of still boiling Spicy Beef Stew. So comforting to eat with rice with it's hot soup. 

With tummies full, we decided to walk around Koreatown. We found a liquor shop with Soju and Korean wines; a grocery store that sells Korean ice cream and a chemist that sells Korean cosmetics.

These were our loots that night: Makgolli (Korean rice wine), Binggrae Melona Ice Waffle and Binggrae Summer Crush. 

I was also fortunate to find a pencil lip colour on sale. It was a MISSHA Soft Crayon Lip Rouge and it even came with a sharpener. Can't wait to try it.

If we're going to end long days at work with dinner and a bit of shopping, I wouldn't mind. But of course, we can't do this everyday. But I'm glad for nights like this to occur in order to give us a break from our busy work.

Won Jo Korean BBQ Restaurant
33a The Boulevarde, Strathfield NSW
Phone: 9746 7041

Cute Alert: LEGO School Supplies

Something I found at Officeworks a few months ago. 

It's a school supply set of LEGO pencils, erasers and a pencil sharpener.

The other side of the pencil sharpener shows a grumpy looking LEGO head...but he still looks cute!

The set costs not more than AUD$10.00. 

Useful, cute and reminds me of my childhood.

Daiso and Yogurberry, Now Open in Blacktown

Two new places opened in Blacktown that will add to one's dining and shopping experience.

Yogurberry, the Korean frozen yogurt shop is currently aggressive in making Sydney the frozen yogurt capital of Australia. They've been opening new branches in different suburbs in Sydney Metropolitan. Their newly-opened branch in Blacktown is located near the train station, going towards Westpoint. The well-lit dining area can accommodate about 20-25 people and has a small TV that plays KPop video. I notice a lot of people coming in for take away yogurt. 

My Watermelon and Taro Yogurt with sprinkles of almonds, kiwi fruits and Maltesers

DAISO has finally reached Blacktown! A lot of people from Metro West are relieved that they don't have to go far now for their AUD$2.80 knick knacks from this Japanese store. We liked this store in Blacktown because they're spacious enough, well-lit and seem to offer more products. We hope it stays that way.

DAISO is located on the 2nd level of Westpoint Blacktown (near JB Hi-Fi). 

Uniqlo's HEATTECH Shirts

After travelling to Asia in a span of two years, most of my winter clothing these days seem to come from three brands: Uniqlo, Muji and H&M.  In 2011, I did massive shopping at H&M and Muji but this year, Uniqlo was where I found a lot of clothing pieces I liked as they have good quality material at reasonable prices. I'm especially thankful to discover their HEATTECH clothing which generates heat and provides insulation too. Their HEATTECH range includes shirts, leggings, socks, cardigans, beannies and scarves.

I chose the long sleeve shirts for my first HEATTECH purchases. These are base layer shirts perfect for layering during cold season. The clothing material is soft, comforting and fits nicely on the body. 

I used them when we travelled in Seoul where we experienced 4-11 degree Celsius temperatures. Where I would normally have four layers of clothing, I survived the cold with just three layers and even had to ditch the scarf at times.

The next time I come across Uniqlo's HEATTECH range, I will try their other pieces such as the cardigans and scarves.

By the way, Uniqlo will soon open their first branch in Australia by end of this year. I'm happy that we will finally have one here down under, however, it will be in Melbourne which is a state away from where I am (and no we're not flying to Melbourne just so we can shop for Uniqlo stuff). But we'll never know, right? We might have one here in Sydney too in the future.

Aussie Boxing Day Sales

Boxing Day (26th December) is the favourite day of shoppers in Australia where all retail shops offer great sales to buyers. The sales range from 20%-70% off on all or selected items. The Husband and I look forward to Boxing Day because we really wait out for the prices to go down before we buy anything. When shopping in Australia, the tip is not to buy full price--just wait for the item to go on sale because it will.  

Every year, the Husband and I make a list of things we need, both personal and for the home. From Boxing Day onwards, we have a look at the shops for the prices. If we get good deals, we buy them.

It is always better to have a list. During sales, it's tempting to buy one thing after another because it's on sale. Having a list serves as a guide and reminder that we only buy the things we need. In case we find some thing on sale which was not on the list, we think about it first before buying.

This recent Boxing Day sales our goal was to find a new suitcase for me (my old one is slowly dying with every travel), a set of Corelle plates, Nespresso coffee pod dispenser, work clothes for the Husband, gift wrappers for the next Christmas season and cosmetics for me. 

Since the biggest item on our list was the the suitcase, we went to the Travel Section of Myer first thing in the morning. Before Christmas, we already looked at options and prices so we knew what we were looking for when we got there. I chose a red Antler 72cm suitcase, on sale at 40% off, which cut me back $111.00 (big discount!).

We got what we needed and more! The Nespresso coffee pods dispenser and Corelle dining set at 20% off; Christmas gift wrappers at 50% off.   Maxwell Williams Flower Power Collection, set of 4 mugs, at 50% off (will give to my Parents).

Boxing Day sales extend til the first few weeks of January. We don't buy everything in one go. During one of our lunch dates with friends last week, we had a chance to check out Westfield Parramatta. That's where the Husband found a few shirts at 40%-50% discount.

As for me, I was able to buy a few cosmetics and nail polishes. I usually buy my supply of beauty products at the end of the year and use them for the next 6-12 months (depending on expiry). I do this because it's easier for me to track their validity. Plus, I don't want to bother myself buying them from time to time. The only exception would be when we travel because I shop for cosmetics when overseas. 

I got Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara for $10 and Sally Hansen nail polishes, 3 pieces all for only $10 (A Sally Hansen nail polish cost about $7 each).

We were at Strathfield last weekend and we found a store that has Missha products on sale. I had no plans of buying BB Cream at this time but it was such a great deal. Also, I've one BB Cream tube that's nearly empty so I took this chance to buy a new tube. It was also an opportunity to try a different Missha BB Cream. 

I visited kikki.K, a stationery and gift shop. Their products has this sweet and dainty designs that women love. I found a book called "Happy" which compiles inspiring quotes and beautiful artworks on happiness. They were on sale at 30% off. The minute I saw them, I instantly thought of my dear friends in Manila so I got them a copy each and bought one for myself too.

Boxing day sales shopping, sorted! The Husband and I are very happy with our discounted purchases. 

Fresh Rice POP (Westfield Parramatta)

I saw this stall in Megamall (Ortigas, Pasig City, Philippines) last year because it caught my attention when I heard popping sounds from where it was. My Mom told me it was rice pops, the ones we saw in Korean dramas. The store gave me a piece so I can try them and it's liked to fish crackers only it's made out of rice.

Last Friday, I heard the familiar popping sounds again at Westfield Parramatta and when I looked, a new store called Fresh Rice POP is now open selling different kinds and flavours of rice pops.

Some flavours where salty and sweet. Some rice pops were made from wholemeal rice. There were so many kinds to choose from, it was overwhelming.

The more bags you buy, the more discount you'll get.

We bought four bags: Multi-grain Rice Pops, Rice Pops in Chicken Salt, Rice Pops in Chocolate and Honey.  

The Honey-flavoured rice pops is the same as the Philippines' Ampao which reminded us of our childhood.

The Multi-grain Rice Pops is a good alternative to fish crackers or pork crackling. I dip them into spicy vinegar and voila, instant healthy snack.

Fresh Rice POP

Level 1, Westfield Parramatta

159-175 Church Street

Parramatta NSW

Japan City (Ryde, NSW)

We missed going to Japan City. They used to have a branch at The Galeries (near Townhall Train Station) where we used to go but they closed. A visit to Top Ryde City Shopping Centre filled our Japan City craving. 

Japan City is Australia’s largest Japanese concept store, offering a wide variety of specialty gifts and homewares inspired by the tranquility and traditional elegance of the Japanese culture.

With humble beginnings as a small gift shop in NSW, Japan City has cultivated unique brand image for the best quality Japanese products, modernized it’s systems and designs and expanded its retail operations with great success to become the largest retail Japanese concept store of its kind in Australia.

Below are some of the photos I took. As always they sell pretty and well-designed products that attract the eyes.

Consistently, we like Chopsticks with Sakura and odd shape designs so we bought these three pairs.

The Blue Sakura Chopsticks came with a holder and it was on sale. The other two were chosen by the Husband to add to our growing number of chopsticks at home. 

Japan City

Level 1, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

Corner Devlin Street and Blaxland Road

Ryde NSW

Phone: (02) 9809 3001

Now Open in Chinatown: DAISO Japan (Haymarket, Sydney)

I can't believe it's been almost a month since Daiso opened a branch in the heart of Sydney and I haven't blogged about it. I'm sorry Sydneysiders for the lateness of this post. 

Daiso Japan opened in Chinatown Sydney (Level 1, 727 George Street, Haymarket) on the first week of September. On the second day it opened, my friend and I rushed to the store as soon as we clocked out of the office. We were that excited!

The Daiso branch in Chinatown has a smaller space compared to the Chatswood branch however, I feel like I'm able to see more items that I never noticed in Chatswood. I don't know why this is the case for me.

Two of the sections that I enjoy are the Bento and Food section.

The Chinatown branch is conveniently located not too far away from where I work so it's possible for me to drop by anytime I want to. However, after visiting three times in two weeks, I had to stay away because Daiso is such a wasteland haven and a hoarder's nightmare. Eventhough each item is only AUD2.80, it can become expensive later on when you add all your purchases up. So everytime I walk in the store, I get what I need and check-out the counter. No need to dilly dally because I can always swing by anytime.

Here are a few items I was able to get:
Storage solutions. A jug I can use for storing Lemon and Cucumber Water. A small glass container for storing left-over Kimchi.  Plastic boxes for storing shoes.

Bento accessories and sushi molders. I would love to learn a few ways to brighten up our lunch boxes and make sushi at home so I bought a few items to help me start off. Also, the sushi molders can be used for molding sausages (I think of Longganisa).

Fragrance Oil. I only bought one scent for now and if we like it, we'll buy some more.

Food. It's the first time I bought food items from Daiso and so far, they've all been good. I got us some biscuits for snacks and some noodles and soup stocks for cooking (see latest my latest recipe: Japanese Tinola)

DAISO Japan
Level 1, 727 George Street
Haymarket, Sydney 2000
Phone: (02) 9212 6888
Open 7 days a week from 9:00am-9:00pm

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Style Musings: My Winter Essentials

It's the last day of Winter and there's a sigh of relief at the thought that it is ending. While this year is probably one of the perfect Winters I've had in Sydney, just a few days that we had rain and lots of sunshiny days, my "tropical body" is nothing short of excited to welcome the warm season ahead.

As my way of saying goodbye to Winter, I've prepared a list of items that helped me get thru each and every cold day. For those in Australia, these might give you an idea on what to look out for in winter sales (currently on-going!) and for countries about to experience cold weather, this list might give you an idea on winter essentials to buy.

Puff Jacket. I've got trench coats for different levels of winter coldness but there comes a point when I would only wear my puff jackets because they're the only ones who can keep me warm during negative degree temperatures. The one I'm wearing below gives me maximum warmth as this jacket's insulation is made of furry material ("Carpeted itong jacket na ito!" is what I always tell the Husband). Although puff jackets make me feel like I'm a walking marshmallow and make me look shapeless, I don't care. Once it's hugging my body, I'm able to face any coldness the winter brings. My tip in finding a puff jacket: try it on and see how the insulation feels on your body and how thick the insulation is ( "is it keeping your body warm enough?").

Scarves. Like the puff jacket, I have different kinds of scarves to cater to different levels of coldness. Scarves are your neck and chest's bestfriend as it adds warm and protection to your body.  The knitted scarf is the one that ultimately keeps me warm on very cold days.

Knitted Beannies. On very cold and windy days, wearing a beannie is a must. It keeps your head covered and hair in placed. 

Knitted Gloves. All the gloves I wear during winter are knitted as I love the cozy feel of them. 

These two pairs below is gadget-friendly.  The brown pair has the finger part cut up but if you're not using your hands for tapping gadgets, you can wear the top part to cover your fingers. 

This fuchsia pair has grey tips on the thumb, pointing and middle fingers so when you wear this pair, your fingers are able to tap gadgets. You can wear this pair of glove without taking it off in order to tap your phone or tablet. Very clever!

Knee-high socks and toe socks. Although I wear tights on some days, I have a lot of days when I only need to wear socks as my legs doesn't feel cold much compared to my upper body. However, these knee-high socks are helpful when I'm wearing high boots.  The toe socks on the other hand are helpful when I'm at home as it keeps my toes warm during bedtime.

Winter Boots for the Home. I found this cute winter boots at Target on sale and got it so I can use it at home.

Laced-up Boots in Canvas. Another great find for me as it was on sale. I use this when I'm tired of wearing heavy leather boots. They keep the feet warm and so comfortable. Since it's canvas, this can be worn during Spring and Autumn. 

Tomorrow Spring will officially start but it will still be a fair bit cold on the first two-three weeks. I'm no plans of putting these pieces that kept me warm this season as yet but the thought of wearing lighter clothes excites me.

Hope Winter was kind to you this year!