Chocolate Cafe: Koko Black Chocolate (Melbourne, Australia)

The last cafe we visited in Melbourne was a chocolate cafe.  After our brunch at The European, I requested that we have dessert somewhere else.  It was an excuse to spend more time with our friends and of course to try out one more restaurant before we leave Melbourne.

Luckily, there was a Koko Black on the way back to our hotel. 

Koko Black's salon was one of the loveliest restaurants I've been to in Melbourne.  A stunning back counter display, beautiful curtains, dainty chandeliers, elegant looking furniture  and a spacious area for guests made our visit to their Collins Street branch more memorable.

Koko Black's Baby Ice Cream for the little kids and the kids-at-heart.  A single of scoop of chocolate is enough to fulfill your chocolate desire.  Other ice cream flavours they offer: vanilla bean, blood orange and lemon.

Lui ordered an iced something drink hehe.  I really don't remember but this was either an Iced Chocolate/Mocha/Coffee.  A refreshing drink of chocolate blend or espresso with vanilla ice cream and chocolate shavings on top. 

My Husband had the Belgian Hot Chocolate while I ordered the Light Hot Chocolate.  It was my first time to notice a restaurant offering a light version of their hot chocolate.  The regular Belgian Hot Chocolate tasted delicious but I liked the Light Hot Chocolate better.  It was smooth, soothing and light. 

The Husband and I shared the Belgian Spoil platter to go with our hot beverages.  My Husband loved this treat as it was everything chocolate in one platter:  chocolate cake, two Belgian chocolates, a shortbread, chocolate ice cream and chocolate mousse.

The Belgian chocolates were delightful and I love the shortbread and ice cream.  The mousse was light and smooth.  Koko Black's chocolates are not that sweet but since I don't like eating chocolates all the time, it was a bit much for me.  I generously let the Husband have the chocolate to himself.  This platter was truly meant to be shared.

The next time we visit Melbourne, we will definitely visit a Koko Black salon as I look forward to savouring a cup of their Light Hot Chocolate.

Koko Black Chocolate
52 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria
Phone: 03 9663 5567

Restaurant: The European (Melbourne, Australia)

And you thought my Melbourne posts are over.  No, not just yet.  The good thing about posting about our short getaway in my "sweet" (read: oh so slow pace) time is that I get to re-live each memory again in the midst of the "busy-ness" of my life (it's a horror that my last entry was Monday, yikes!).  Remembering the good stuff that happened from a vacation serves as an instant pick-upper for me.

On our last day in Melbourne, our friends Lui and Charmine took us for brunch at The European Restaurant. 

I noticed that in Melbourne, a lot of restaurants offer "brunch", while in Sydney several offer "breakfast all day".  Some restaurants offer brunch from 10am-2pm; 12:00-3:00pm...it really varies.  At The European Restaurant, they offer brunch from 12:00-4:00pm.

The place was busy when we arrived around 1ish, we were lucky to get a table right away.  A bit dark but cozy.  There's limited space for walking around so people with prams might find it a bit challenging.  Although they do have alfresco dining for those who need more space.

Now for some food porn.  Charmine's order: Tom Cooper Salmon with Pancakes on the side.  Underneath the Salmon were green salad.  Never had the chance to have a taste but from the looks of it, it seemed delicious.  A healthy dish too. 

Lui's order: Eggs Benedict.  I had a bite and got a bit jealous for not ordering this.  The eggs were poached perfectly and the Hollandaise sauce was so creamy. 

Chris' order:  Continental Breakfast. 

My order: Frittata of Smoked Trout and Potato with Salsa.  I commend myself for trying something different that morning.  I found this interesting when I read the menu.  This is a good dish for those wanting a lighter meal.  I like the simplicity and health factor of this dish.

We would have lingered longer but we wanted to have dessert somewhere else and a plane to catch in the evening. 

The European
161 Spring Street, Melbourne
Telephone +61 3 96540811

Ben Hur (The Stadium Spectacular)

BEN HUR is a dramatic story set in biblical times told by majestic costumed actors in a Roman Amphitheatre with a spectacular full-scale chariot race and gladiator battles.

Academy Award® winning actor Russell Crowe is the Narrator of this lavish production, providing the historical context, character background and the storyline links between the 10 scenes.

The rich dialogue of the actors tells the compelling story of one man’s fight for freedom, while a powerful musical soundtrack and stunning light show makes this show a major event extravaganza.

Direct from Europe, the stadium-scaled show will be the biggest theatrical event ever seen in Australia! This world tour premiere of BEN HUR in Sydney brings to life the legend made famous by the Academy Award® winning Hollywood movie ‘Ben Hur’, starring Charlton Heston.

Crafted by renowned French director Robert Hossein, BEN HUR was watched by over 300,000 people in its Paris debut. This major event theatrical presentation features a cast of hundreds, a full-scale chariot race with 24 horses, a giant Roman galleon and audience participation for young and old alike.

The monumental $15 million stadium adaptation combines the scale of the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony with the drama of the slave who dared defy the Roman Empire.  {source}





I didn't have any interest to watch Ben Hur but the Husband wanted to experience a once in a lifetime stadium spectacular so I bought us tickets as my birthday gift to him in September.  

For a theatre enthusiast like me, I'm glad we watched this play because it was really an awesome experience.  My Husband and I brought a few of our gears with us to take photos of the play.  Here's a few photos we'd like to share with you.
 

"Roman musicians" welcomed us infront of ANZ Stadium.

I looked like a tiny schoolgirl with these Roman soldiers.  Since this was an outdoor event, The Husband and I decided to be in our most casual clothes.  When we left home, we felt like we were going camping with our backpacks in tow.

ANZ gave out these seat covers made of foam to everyone watching the show.  Such a very useful giveaway.  We can use these when we go to beaches and picnics.

Where we sat.  Not a bad view.  I hated the big statues though.  It got in the way, an eyesore to our photographs.

The Roman Army paying homage to the Emperor of Tiberius.  Numbers to remember:  15,000 sqm performance area; 200 actors; 24 horses for the full scale chariot race.  One word to describe Ben Hur's production: Enormous.

The scene in the Aegean Sea where Ben Hur fought with the Romans and saved Quintus Arius, commander of the Emperor's boat, twice.

The Gladiator's combat to celebrate Quintus' return to Rome.

This was one of the best parts of the play as the audience were asked to participate by cheering for the either the Yellow Gladiators or the Red Gladiators.  When we entered the ANZ Stadium, we were given white handkerchiefs to cheer for the Gladiators in Yellow tunic.

The last two men standing.

Our Yellow Gladiator won!

Christ preaches to his disciples.  Jesus played a big role in the life of Ben Hur.

Ben Hur at the camp of Sheik Ilderim who offered Ben Hur to defend his colours at the next chariot race.

The Chariot Race, another exciting part of the play.

Messala, Ben Hur's rival, broke his axle and fell to the ground, resulting to him losing the race.  Ben Hur won!

The last scene.  Ben Hur in Jerusalem at the valley of the lepers where he found his mother and sister.  As soon as he found them, Jesus appeared carrying his cross and fell to the ground.  Ben Hur helped him and gave him water to drink.  The lepers gathered around Jesus, then suddenly thunder and lightning struck and the lepers were healed. 

Ben Hur only ran for two days at the ANZ Stadium on 22-23 October 2010.  To see our photographs in bigger resolution, just click on any of the photos and it will link you to my flickr account.

The Best Part of His Day

When you look at your mate, you're looking at a part of you. So treat her well. Speak highly of him. Nourish and cherish the love of your life.  (Love Dare Reminders)

-o0o0o-

On Monday when the Husband arrived home from work and we were wrapped up in each others arms (that's how we greet each other when one comes home--with big, tight hugs) I asked him a question that warmed my heart.

Me:  What's the best part of your day today?
Him: You!!!!
 
Awwwwwww.  I'm so kilig.  We usually ask each other that question when we have "our talk before sleep" and I don't know why I asked it randomly.  It's certainly one of those spontaneous moments.

Today we are celebrating our 45th (wedding) monthsary and he surprised me with a chocolate mousse cake.  And even if he's done tons of surprises to me,  he never gets tired.  His simple gestures make me fall inlove with him over and over.  Everyday, HE makes me fall inlove with him...even after 45 months of being married.

P.S.  This month, we realized that our wedding anniversary next year will be doubly special as we will also celebrate 10 years of knowing each other.   Who would have thought that the man I met on January 2001 will turn out to be my partner and best friend? 

Stationery on Sale at Borders

Saturday coffee date with the Husband was spent at Borders.  Borders is my favorite bookstore here.  We hung out at the Parramatta branch because that's where I watched "Eat Pray Love" with my girl friends (more on that later).

On Level 2, the CDs, DVDs, stationery and Gloria Jean's Coffees can be found.  The Husband wanted to look for some DVDs so we went upstairs.

Then I noticed this sign...

Borders has cute items from Paperchase like magazine bags, cards, gift wrapping paper, notebooks, travel paraphernalia and other stuff for the young and young at heart. 

I've been lusting over their mag bags for sometime now but have never bought one.  When I saw that some of the mag bags were on sale, I took a few designs I liked.  I only needed one but oh how I wanted to buy all these...

Took me ages to choose.  Even had to ask the Husband take a photo of me with one of the bags.  I wanted to know how it looked in photos haha. I know, vain!  I initially chose this aqua mag bag. 

But I went around some more and found a more neutral design.  So I bought this one instead also because the cloth of the bag is of much better quality.

I went around some more and found some cool travel bag tags.  Just what we need!  The Husband picked the gray ones while I picked the black ones with flowers and cartoonish design. 

If ever you're near a Borders bookstore, it's worth checking out if their stationery section is currently running a sale.  You'll really find a lot of cool stuff that you can buy for yourself or you can buy in preparation for the Christmas season.

Night Noodle Market and Art & About 2010

We have somehow made a silent vow to always join in the fun of the Night Noodle Markets every year. For us, this is the most convenient food festivals to go because it happens for two weeks and starts at 5:00pm.  My Husband and I usually go here on the first week, either on a Thursday or Friday, after work.

We arrived at 6 o'clock on Thursday and it appeared to be busy already.  Tables were mostly taken and some people have already sat down on the grass for a picnic.

Re-usable bags were being handed out when we arrived.

While looking around for food, we saw this hand wash system in the middle of the park.  Creative, isn't it?

No need for water, just simply lather on your hands and voila, clean hands!

Long queue for food.  There were lots of food stalls but there were lots of people too.  Must be patient.  My Husband and I usually split and go to the respective stalls we like to save time.

The Husband's food find:  Noodles with grilled Shrimp and Beef skewers. 

My food find:  Roast Duck in pancakes.   I also ordered a bowl of fried rice to go with the roast duck and skewers.  The roast duck was lovely.  It was a bit oily but the skin was amazingly crunchy.

For the first time that we've attended this event, we found a table.  Lucky us!  For the past years, we've always sat on the grass.  We don't mind having a picnic on the grass but it had been raining in Sydney these past few days, the park was actually wet and muddy in some parts.

After dinner, it was time to explore.  There was a belly dancing show and we hung out here for a while.  I'm so entertained by their show.  They even went down the stage and asked the audience to dance too. 

Then there was the dragon dance. 

Also happening at Hyde Park was the Art & About Sydney Life Exhibition.

This year's stunning Sydney Life exhibition shows the many sides of the city through the eyes of some of our most exciting photographers.  Their striking large-scale images are on display in the beautiful leafy central walkway of Hyde Park.

One of its major sponsors, Sony, had a booth for photography enthusiasts wanting to try out their new camera, Sony NEX-5.

And when they say large scale images, this was how massive the photographs were.

The Husband and I hung out for a bit more in one of the walkways at Hyde Park, enjoyed the lights and sounds of the festivity, aroma of food and the happy vibe around us.   It was a lovely night and we look forward to next year's festival again.

Night Noodle Markets will be held at Hyde Park til 22 October 2010, Monday to Friday from 5:00-9:30pm.  Free entry to all.