The Rubber Duck Is Back For The Sydney Festival 2014

The giant and oh-so-adorable Rubber Duck is back in Australia for the Sydney Festival 2014. It's currently situated at Parramatta River in Parramatta Park between Pavilion Flat and Government Farm. It will be there until 10th-19th January. Click this link for details.

Created by Netherlands artist, Florentine Hofman, the giant rubber duck's purpose is to relieve everyday tensions, as well as define them. The rubber duck is there to create a new perspective in a public place and simply amaze people.

We saw the Rubber Duck last year and yet it still charmed us when we saw it today. We knew it will be back in Australia but didn't know where. I thought it will visit a different city this year. The Hubby and I braved the heat of the Sun and went out even if we planned to stay home. It turned out to be a fun adventure.

I'm so happy to see Duckie (I made him a nickname). January's my birthmonth and I thought this morning, "He's here for my birthday!" Haha. Of course that's not true but nevertheless, it's an amusing thought.  

If you have a chance, see the Rubber Duck and be charmed by it!

Food Find: Matcha-Flavoured Kit Kat Chocolates

I've read about matcha-flavoured Kit Kat chocolates from Filipino bloggers before and it was something that I hoped I'll get to taste. The idea of green tea chocolate interests me because I love drinking green tea. 

I'm aware that there are stores in Manila that sells these matcha-flavoured Kit Kats but I never pursued to encounter them during my vacations there. I figured that maybe one day, it will come to me unexpectedly.

And it did happen in an unexpected time. While my Mom and I were hanging out at Market City in Chinatown last November, we chanced upon a little candy shop called Sweet Spells. It caught my eye because I saw chocolates from America. Plus, it was such an attractive store that we can't resist going in. 

It's a small store and yet it was filled to the brim. It had chocolates and lollies from countries such the US, UK and Japan.

As we were looked for anything we might like, I was lucky to spot the matcha-flavour Kit Kats. The store was so colourful and the counters look quite cluttered so if I didn't look closely, I would've missed it. I saw that there were two kinds of matchas available: the Uji Matcha (Green Tea) and the Sakura Matcha (Green Tea with Cherry Blossoms). I got myself a box each so we can try them both. A warning though, these didn't came cheap. Each box, which contains three small packs of Kit Kat, were priced at AUD$9.99. 

Fun part located at the back of the box: a place where you can write a note. If you are giving this as a gift, you can write your greeting at the back. I wrote a note for the Husband on the Uji Matcha on while he wrote a note for me on the Sakura Matcha.

We kept these chocolates for awhile and waited until the new year. Yesterday, we had them for dessert while sipping tea. 

The Uji Matcha (Green Tea) has a very strong matcha flavour. It had the bitterness of green tea with a hint of sweetness. The Sakura Matcha (Green Tea with Cherry Blossoms) was very milky and creamy. It was sweeter and only had a faint flavour of green tea.

Between the two flavours, I liked the Sakura Matcha better than the Uji Matcha. The next time I chance upon these matcha-flavoured Kit Kats, I will surely buy a box of the Sakura Matcha again.

Sweet Spells

R1.20A, Market City

9-13 Hay Street, Sydney

Phone: (02) 9281 1919

Ramen Burgers, The Hightlight Of Our Night Noodle Markets Adventure

I have a thousand food and travel experiences in 2013 that I'd like to share and this month, I plan to do just that. So here's what I planned to do. I will publish these 2013 experiences in real time but in a few days, I will archive the posts in its correct month. If you'd like to find a certain topic, you can always type in what you're looking for via the search engine on the top left of this blog. 

October is Good Food Month in Sydney and one of the foodie events we always visit is the Night Noodle Markets. The Husband and I saw this as an opportunity for my Mom to also experience this event. 

The highlight of our Night Noodle Markets experience is trying out the Ramen Burger. I've read about this kind of burger which came out in America (a link was sent to me by a tweetheart) and has piqued the interest of us here in Australia. A Ramen Burger is basically a burger with noodles as the bun.

I found the queue to getting the Ramen Burger at On Ramen. The line was long. And the wait longer. At one time, all of us waited in silence as the staff announced that they're not taking orders because of too much demand but we can still wait in line. So we waited. My expectations were low but since I was there and I had time to spare, I stayed in line. 

I ordered two kinds of Ramen Burger: Pork Belly Burger and Beef Burger. Both came with salad and a few slices of watermelon. Beef and pork belly were good! It was juicy and flavourful. The pork belly has a bit of spice so I immensely enjoyed it. The noodles as bun was messy and a bit oily, which was not a surprise. The Husband, my Mom and I shared these two burgers.

The beauty of food festivals is getting to try other dishes from different vendors. We usually get dimsums and spring rolls.

And then we bought Ippudo's Pork Belly Pork Buns so my Mom can try it. These pork buns are love. A must try when you encounter Ippudo.

The lanterns they set up on the entrance to Night Noodle Markets served as an attraction to everyone. Lots of people taking photos of and with the lanterns. 

The Night Noodle Markets 2013 turned out to to be one of our memorable ones because we got to share it with my Mom. 

Pure Aloe Soothing Gel BY Deoproce, Perfect For Summer Weather

Summer is here in Sydney and we've had very hot days since December, a few days of heatwave here and there. The heat in Australia is very dry while the sun rays hurt the skin even if exposure is just for a few minutes. Skin hydration and sunburn are two important concerns during these times. 

When it comes to skin care, I'm fond of oil and creams but for the Summer season, I looked for a skin hydrating product that is less sticky but will soothe, hydrate and feel cool to the skin. I'm glad that a visit to a Korean beauty store in Strathfield led me to finding Deoproce's Pure Aloe Soothing Gel. It came in a 700gram and 300ml bottles. 

The amount of soothing gel that I bought seemed a lot but the Husband and I are sharing. This is what we currently put on at night before we go to bed. We apply an ample amount unto our arms, legs and feet. It makes us feel cooler and it does help soothe, instantly moisturise and hydrate the skin after a long day of hot weather. Our skin feels smoother without the sticky feeling that creams give. The staff that sold us this item recommended that we store this inside the fridge so it'll be cooler during application.

Deoproce's Pure Aloe Soothing Gel is made up of 92% organic aloe.  It has a mild formulation as it has no parabens, mineral oils, formaldehyde, benzophenone, synthetic colourants and animal ingredients. I found this at A'HA Beauty Store (1 The Boulevard, Strathfield).