Happy Easter: Egg decorating!

Happy Easter Sunday!

We've been busying ourselves yesterday decorating Easter eggs for the children to find on Easter Sunday. Here are three that I decorated, do you like them? ;)

Meet Chicky, Easter Bunny and Hula Lola...

Which is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know.

#1 - Cheeky Chicky

#2 - Easter Bunny

#3 - Hula Lola, the Hawaiian Egg

#4 - Flower Power

Quack quack, says the duck. Time to lay some pretty eggs.

#5 - Bear Hug

#6 - Chirp chirp (Birdie)

Had a fun morning hunting for the eggs with the kiddies. Have a fab Easter.

Prixe Fix Menu @ Winchester Kitchen and Bar

This post may come late after losing the photos on my own iPhone only to have it sent to me by my friend on his camera 4 months later. I celebrated my 2011 New Year's Eve Dinner at Winchester Kitchen and Bar in Toronto where we managed to make a last minute reservation via Open Table. The restaurant only offered a prixe-fix menu which we all had.

Amouse Bouche



Course #1: Duck and Mushroom Consomme

This was Sam's appetizer. The Consomme was too bland for his liking

Course #1: Raviolo

Robin and Jason had this and it wasn't very good. The Raviolo skin was way too tough and chewy

Course #1: Smoked Trout

This was my appetizer course. The Smoked Trout had a nice salty flavor that went well with the Honey Mustard Dressing and Rocket Leaves.

Course # 2: Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras Terrine

We all had the Beef Tenderloin. The Tenderloin was cooked to a perfect Medium and had a nice charred flavor. The Foie Gras Terrine gave it a richer flavor but Jason felt it should have been served hot instead of cold.


Dessert: Panna Cotta

This was my dessert. The Panna Cotta had a nice light texture and was really good.


Dessert: Chocolate Tart

Robin ordered this. The crust was very dense and tasted almost like a Frozen Store bought dessert.


Dessert: Cheese Cake

This was Sam's dessert. I did not try it because I was too full.


Food: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: N/A (I forgot what the price was)


Contact Information
Address: 51 Winchester Street, Toronto, ON M4X 1A8
Tel: (416) 323-0051
Web: www.winchesterkitchen.com
Map:

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Kim Laksa @ Nan Guang Coffee Shop, Balik Pulau, Penang

So you are at Balik Pulau because some locals swear by the laksas here. Note I use the plural, because there are actually two types of tasty laksa you will find here Asam and Siam (lemak) version. Once you get past the winding hilly roads leading to the small town, finding the laksa stalls will be a breeze since they are just along the main street and better still, opposite each other!

There are two famous stalls here, one at Kafe Chuan Heong which I posted before and Kim Laksa at Nan Guang Coffee Shop. After having tasted both sides of laksa in the same afternoon, I personally do not find a lot of difference between them.
So to be honest, I cant tell you which is better because it all boils down to your personal taste. But my preference leans towards Chuan Heongs simply because the soup is made spicier hence suits my palate better. And not to mention the coffee shop is more comfortable to eat at too.

Since the stall was first setup in the early 1970s, it has seen two changes of owners.

Unless you are a hardcore Asam/Siam laksa lover, I wouldnt really recommend coming all the way here for them. This is especially true if you are only visiting Penang for only short period of time.

Nan Guang Coffeeshop,
67 Main Road,
11000, Balik Pulau, Penang
GPS Coordinates: N 5 21.10698 E 100 14.14799
Business hours: 12:30pm 3:30pm (Closed on Wednesday)

Paratha & Co

Paratha gets the fusion treatment at this Empire Shopping Gallery kiosk, with fun results.

A remarkable range of fillings is offered, from savory selections like tuna or tom yum chicken to saccharine ones like Kinder Bueno & Kit Kat candy or kaya with peanuts. Make your pick & watch your flat bread sizzle on order.

We risked a combo of chocolate & cheese, with a splash of garlic oil (!). The sugary-salty blend worked better than expected, with a pleasantly sticky-creamy texture. Even the scent of garlic was a nice touch, leaving a somewhat smoky aftertaste.

Folded & wrapped up in a paper holder, it's a convenient snack to munch on the go. Won't take more than five minutes to make if there isn't a long line waiting.

Seeki! ng more sweets, we walked over to Bangkok Beat Bistro for dessert.

Main entry on Bangkok Beat Bistro: March 30, 2012.

Red ruby "thap thim krop" with coconut ice cream, appetizingly cold.

Banana tempura with hot caramel sauce, alluringly hot.

Fresh coconut juice & blended coconut smoothie.

Neither Paratha & Co nor Bangkok Beat Bistro serves booze, but La Bodega on this floor saves the night!

Beluga "Noble" Russian Vodka _ Classic & Gold Line.

Choc Orange Martini (Absolut Mandarin, creme de cacao, Cointreau) & Banana-Fig-Flax Seed smoothie (a little yummier than expected!).

Paratha & Co, Bangkok Beat Bistro & La Bodega,

Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang.

HP Folio13 Ultrabook, HP ENVY 14 Spectre @ the HP Consumer Product Launch 2012

It has been a busy year for the tech brands, especially with the recent wave of tablets, smartphones and ultrabooks. One tech brand after another launched their respective models, each competing for todays finicky consumers favour and dollar.
One particular tech product that I followed closely is the ultrabooks. I have an ultrabook obsession and bought almost every single ultrabook there is in the market especially if theres one offered with a media discount.

Here is moi with my Toshiba Protege Z830.

The first to launch was the Acer Aspire S3, of which I was an evangelist (was because the contract has ended since Jan) and Im still a faithful user until today.
For RM2599, I thought the Acer S3 is superb value for money; even taking into account the annoying keyboard and the lack of SSD.

I have ordered my Asus Zenbook, the limited edition Rose Gold coloured one, i7 of which Im expecting it next month. Other than the Dell ultrabook, I have fiddled with almost all ultrabook models on the market.

Last week, I finally got my grubby hands on the HP Folio 13 (which at 1.5kg, IMHO is heavy for an ultrabook). However, the build is undoubtedly solid, as with all HP products.

Below : HP Folio 13 (left) and HP ENVY 14 Spectre (right).