‘speedo’-ing through sydney.

Hello from Sydney!

(and a belated Merry Christmas)

The night I completed 3 weeks of hard but fulfilling work with a truly fantastic group of giving and fun-filled individuals, I hopped onto a plane heading for Christmas in the land down-under. More specifically, this would be Christmas in Sydney for the first time in 15 years. A relaxing break like this could not have come at a better time!

The most unique part about Christmas in Sydney is the oxymoron of summer and beaches with the iconic white winter Christmas imagery we all know so well. This was really drawn to my attention when someone recently asked me whether it was odd to see ‘tank-top wearing Santas’ in Australia, to which I replied with a “Strangely, I think I may be used to it”.  So, when organising our mandatory catch up with wifey @mighteee, I of course suggested that we embrace this Sydney ‘uniqueness’ and make our way to Bondi Beach.

sydney snaps [pt 1]: nostalgia @ devon on danks.

♪♫ eyes wide – handsome ghost, whole doubts

punch.

♪♫ headlights – robin schulz ft. ilsey

hello from the other side…& RONIN.

♪♫ talk me down – troye sivan

Snapshots of Silly Season

From the build up to Christmas, to the interlude between Christmas and New Year and to the ushering in of the New Year, food and family festivities are without a doubt abundant. With Lil’ Bro flying in and out of Singapore, I enjoyed my first mother-daughter Christmas before my entire family was reunited in its full form to call in 2015.

I thought I would round up some of my festive season highlights before 2015 really takes off!

Christmas Day
The latest addition to my family was the star of Christmas Day 2014 and we spent most of our lunch fawning over ‘baby-talk and -giggles’.  I decided to undertake the role of dessert provider and spent the week prior to Christmas looking for ‘Eton Mess’ components.  My original plan to make my own meringue was short-lived due to my baking essentials being left in Sydney and I was unable to find any pre-made crispy gems on my scavenger hunt.  Luckily, Mum saved the day by deciding that we should ‘redesign’ the ‘Eton Mess’ with honeycomb crunch and cream cheese ice cream to substitute the meringue and usual mascarpone/cream component – it is just a ‘mess’ of deliciousness after all!

The Year of Change: 2014

2014 has been a year of change and growing up (as cliche as that sounds).

New people came into my life while others filtered out.

My Mum and I spent a majority of the year in different countries.

I had an epiphany about my future and study plans.

I turned 21.

I completed my first undergraduate degree.

(Now what to do with a Bachelor of Medical Science?)

I relocated to Singapore for the year of 2015.

My Little Brother moved to Singapore for National Service. For the first time I had a glimpse into the life of an only child.  But really, he underwent and experienced the greatest change of all.  Change may in fact be too modest a description as he undoubtedly has transformed into a man.   Nevertheless, I still see my baby brother underneath the mature and learned exterior.

My goals and hopes for 2015:

Find a job, which will hopefully help me figure out my ‘where to next?’.

Have fun and enjoy being 21!

Spend more quality time with the family.

Cook and bake deliciousness.

Read more.

Write more.

Capture more photographs.

Eat well.

Sleep well.

Get fit (mmm…maybe)

Thank you to the Sydney Food Bloggers and any readers out there for your support and patience in 2014.  I hope that you all have a fantastic New Year celebration!

What are you all planning for 2015?!

Until next year!

Ming xx

Final Sydney Post of 2014: Rushcutters Restaurant and Market Place

A final post on Sydney brunch for 2014…

It took me a significant amount of persuasion in order to convince my Dad to leave his study for a final Sydney brunch together.  After my first dining experience at Rushcutters for a friend’s 21st, the birthday girl herself (Hey Pip!) had me determined to revisit the cafe/restaurant/market place for brunch.

I must admit that I am susceptible to the luring decor and ambience of any dining location.  The high warehouse like ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass panels created a spacious and almost al-fresco atmosphere.

Paramount Coffee Project: Life happenings with a side of brunch

Hello desolate space…apologies for the prolonged hiatus. As per usual university ‘nerding’ was to blame. The final semester of degree was nothing short of exhausting and stressful but I can very happily say that those days are now behind me! Following my final set of exams I indulged in a glorious period of brunching with friends before the highly anticipated arrival of my mother who I have missed dearly.   A hectic week of packing ensued. ‘Why?’ You may ask.

After much thought and changes of heart I finally decided to take the leap of faith <insert that unforgettable scene in How I Met Your Mother where they leap onto the neighboring apartment roof top>

…and venture over to Singapore for one year of work.

Now that all crazy shenanigans have ended I can rekindle my love for this blog, which is in dire need of some TLC.  So hello again … but from Singapore!

Over the past year my foodie appetite was stunted due to much time devoted to study thus I was determined to tick off a number of places on my ‘wish-list’ yet to be tried. Let us start with my trip to the famously instagrammed Paramount Coffee Project in Surry Hills.

My dear friend Queen P was visiting from Thailand and for the first time in three years the stars finally aligned and we were able to embark on a chat-, food- and retail-filled day. Queen P is one of those friends that exudes a confidence and energy that is truly wonderful to be in the presence of, much like Queen B(eyonce) herself and a perfect fit for the vivacious environment of PCP. Located in the previous Paramount Film Offices in Surry Hills, the high ceilings and infiltrating sunshine generated a fantastic ambience.

Foodie Family Fun @ Five and Dime Eatery, Singapore

I have always loved these dining outings with my family, especially now when I the time I spend with Mama and Lil’ Bro is rather limited. It provides an opportunity to explore and experience new things together as well as share our stories, thoughts and amateur food critiques ;)!  The photo below only reinforces to me the joys that my family brings me every day.

To say that Singapore’s cafe scene has grown over the past few years would still be an understatement.

At present, there is no shortage of cafes to choose from when Western dishes or hearty breakfast fare is being craved; a far cry from a time where I remember McDonald’s being the only place we would visit to appease Lil’ Bro’s desire for ‘non-hawker’ food.  Singapore has what appears to be an infinite list of cafes making their mark across the island city in unique locations, however there are certainly a few which have stood out.

An animation to whet the appetite….

Five and Dime Eatery is another one of the consistently trending cafe/restaurants, which I had been meaning to try since its existence first surfaced on Instagram.  Unlike the typical brunch/lunch fare, Five and Dime adds a Japanese nuance to its menu.

A Boy to Man: Basic Military Training Graduation

For the last six months I have been travelling between Sydney and Singapore, visiting my Lil’ Bro who has undergone quite a dramatic life-change; moving to Singapore (post-HSC) for National Service.  Although there was initial worry for him, in terms of adapting to such change, Lil’ Bro took the challenge with a determined and positive attitude and recently graduated from his Basic Military Training.

The final challenge of this component of his service was a 24km route march from the Training Centre to the majestic location of the Floating Platform at Marina Bay, which is surrounded by the beautiful icons of the city.  Following this gruelling but what Lil’ Bro describes as an emotional and breathtaking march, symbolic of their 10 week intensive training, the ‘recruits’ take part in their ‘Passing Out Parade’ (shortened to POP) where they are met by their family and friends.

This event was highly anticipated by my family, however my suspicions are that I was the most eager of all.  The night before the POP, I set numerous alarms to ensure that we would be able to secure front row seats for the best photo opportunities – I was out of my bed at 4.00am.  My parents and aunt were amused by my eagerness, especially when we ended up being the first to arrive at Marina Bay although I insisted that we were already arriving very late!