Booked ahead for a dinner reservation for one! I was given a cute little one-seater spot, cosy enough for the two dishes I was about to order. Meedee eatery had just opened its doors in 2020, situating itself in the popular Fannie Bay area.
Specialising in Thai cuisines, Medee eatery is a favourite local restaurant and you don’t need to dress-up because it’s casual! I was recommended by an Uber driver to try their ‘chicken fried rice’, which did not disappoint. Not too oily and was priced at $15. Next, I chose their ‘roasted duck curry’ (big fan of duck) and it was not only delicious but the duck was extremely soft and blended amazingly with the lychee, fresh pineapple and Thai basil.
The dishes was on the lower to mid-range price point and with the portion, service and quality you get… I’m surprised they’re not charging more. I highly recommend Medee eatery for any occasion and do book ahead as the inside is on the cosier side.
Ebb and Flow is situated along Marina Boulevard, a gorgeous location! I pre-booked via calling them directly or you can send them a text message. The restaurant’s interior was bohemian-styled, with white chairs, a lounge area on the side reminiscent of Bali and if you choose to sit outside like I did, your view is of the beautiful Cullen Bay marina.
What is special about this restaurant is the fact that their menu boasts of plant-based dishes. I did a little research beforehand and I could see a stream of positive comments of Ebb and Flow. Price point is mid-range, casual setting and is open everyday of the week, with specific trading hours. I visited during a weekend and I think they have live music playing during weekdays. Their menu has both small and large plates, that also caters to no to low gluten diners.
I’m a fan of sweet curries, so I chose their chickpea mango curry which was delicious! The mango tasted fresh and was complimented with capsicums, chickpea, spinach, brown rice, cucumber yoghurt, papadum and yellow curry sauce. I forgot what white wine I had chosen, but it was a sauvignon blanc. I also ordered an ice-cream dessert which was topped with caramel and a biscoff biscuit.
The ambient at night was lovely and since I was dining alone it was the perfect location. Not too packed, dishes were timely delivered and waitstaff did not hover. Ebb and Flow is a great restaurant for any occasion and if you’re hesitant about vegetarian dishes, this restaurant dispels any negative assumptions.
Located outside but just across from the main shopping centre, Dumpling Social is a great place to quench your Chinese food cravings. You’ll notice their wide windows, wooden interior furnishings and the cutest Asian prints covering one side of their walls. Basically, the place was easy on the eyes and had this calm ambience, which I think is great whenever dining.
Contemporary Chinese food and drinks are served here, from small plates, 4-8 pieces of dumpling plates, dishes and rice/noodles. My favourite so far was their wagyu cheeseburger spring rolls, which were massive in size and I think the peri peri mayo was a perfect pairing to its taste. The Shandong Chicken was another absolute thumbs up, not too oily, chicken was juicy and the spiced soy sauce evenly marinated the chicken. I had forgotten the filling of the dumpling that we chose, but I do remember it tasting delicious. Paired with blueberry soju, friendly service, not crowded, value in price and spacious dining space, my experience at Dumplings Social was relaxed and overall had a good time!
Pho Phu Quoc is a family run and an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, located in the hub of Dickson where you’ll find yourself surrounded by other Asian restaurants. Open for 6 days a week, this place quickly fills up so make sure you pre-book before arriving. We arrived with no booking and found a table quickly, I think because they leave enough tables open for walk-ins.
The restaurant has ample space inside, with the signature simple tables and chairs you’d find in other Vietnamese restaurants. The ambience is laid-back and it’s great for group, single and couple bookings. We were served right away, led to a table and gave us a minute to decided before taking our orders. Their menu was not over-whelming which was great and was broken up into entrees, entree soups, house specialities, beef rice noodle soups, etc. I went vanilla and since I was craving it, ordered their crispy chicken with tomato rice. Also ordered their spring rolls, I think it was seafood or vegetable based and an avocado shake. I liked their spring rolls, the filling wasn’t dry and was nicely deep-fried. On the other hand, their crispy chicken was too oily, its skin did not have that golden colouring and so lost its crispy texture. Additionally, their avocado shake was too watered down.
Serve was prompt and friendly, during this pandemic I saw the staffs diligently making sure tables are cleaned down, people are signing in and keeping tables apart from other tables. I would like to try out their other dishes, maybe it was just a miss on this day. The prices for the dishes and drinks are in the mid to low range, which is great as you can add and try more dishes to your order.
Lazy Su held a special New Year’s Eve banquet dinner, that was priced at $99 per head. The menu was not available online, so we came into the restaurant with no expectations and came out with our tummies satisfied. Lazy Su is found along Braddon’s food lane, where people can choose to either park on the side streets or secure a parking space close by.
Known for its distinctive Japanese and other Asian cuisines, such as sashimi, wontons, spring rolls and dumplings to name a few. Looking at their simple yet deliciously-looking general menu, I can see that they have at least one Asian-influenced cuisine under their small-bites section, baos, vegetable dishes, dessert and in their larger plates.
We opted for their ‘regular banquet’ that came with a free sparking wine, 9 dishes and an identical dessert each. The highlights for me was the wagyu cheesesteak spring-roll and the tea smoked duck pancakes. The key lime unfortunately had a super tough base, which I gave up after trying to dig a piece. The cocktails were great, I especially enjoyed their Japanese spritz. Their drinks menu was a delight to look through, from various Asian beers, dins, wines, teas and cocktails.
The atmosphere was great with attentive waiters, who were amazing in explaining each of the dishes that came out. As it was a festive night, music was turned up, but it did not deter people from trying to speak to each other. I would definitely come back on another day, to try out the rest of the dishes in their menu.
Another visit to Natural Nine located within Canberra Casino, but this time I visited for dinner on Christmas Day. Natural Nine mixes Chinese cuisine with modern Australian, but just a touch. The menu will not overwhelm you with a list of options, 12 options for appetisers, 10 house specials, 3 sides and 3 options for dessert.
We went ahead and chose to do their $55 per person ‘9 dish roulette banquet’, which was a great option and great value! I particularly liked the sichuan garlic pork belly, as the belly evenly soaked the sichuan sauce and was perfectly tender. Special mention to their white chocolate chilli pudding, that was topped with vanilla ice-cream and milk crumb. They took special care to not add too much chilli to the pudding, which I enjoyed as I could slightly taste the chilli but it was smoothly combined with the rest of the ingredients.
There are two levels within the restaurant and I recommend booking a table next to the windows. If you do dine during lunch or before sunset, the natural sunlight flows nicely into the space. Service was lovely, as the waiter and waitress took their time to explain whatever dish came out and removed dishes that were empty efficiently. The price placed against their dishes and drinks were moderately priced and you do get a good portion out of each dish. I recommend going with the banquet option and if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, ask to keep it a surprise.
I had to purchase a dock cover as well as a cute switch case for my new Nintendo Switch. I stumbled across MandLHandcraft on Etsy and fell in love with their designs… plus they’re all Aussie made!
There is a variety of designs to choose from and I purchased the Japanese inspired dragon motif. The detail is pretty amazing, I believe the main colour is black but it also seems like a very dark blue. The Switch case comes with a sturdy and detachable handle, if you decide to wear it out. Much more convenient than bringing a chunky electronic case. The case and the dock cover, provides solid padding protection against scratches and light bumps. The material and lining used are cotton, which is perfect as the whole design looks and feels seamless. There are two snaps on the case, which securely holds the console and I haven’t had any problems with the overall functionality with the case.
Similarly, the dock cover provides an scratch protection for both the dock and the docked console. The tiny confusion with the dock cover is that when placed entirely in, the Switch cannot be docked properly. However, with a little patience and bringing up the dock cover a tad bit, the console is able to sit comfortably.
I’m not able to find the dragon design in their shop anymore, but there are other beautiful designs to choose from. I think these cases would make a lovely gift for Switch fans and the tracked delivery was surprisingly quick! These covers adds a decorative touch to the Switch console and dock, as well another layer of protection.
A well-known gem among Filipinos living in the bush capital and I knew I had to dine in. The Filipino restaurant is located in Watson, north from Canberra city. We booked ahead because of the current environment and we sure didn’t want to show up and be disappointed.
Immediately show to our table and I noticed the clearly set out menu. Usually when dining at Filipino restaurants, their menus are filled to the brim with numerous Filipino dishes. I loved the fact that Lola and Lola’s menu was simple and showcased the some of the most traditional Filipino cuisines. The menu is a great introduction to Filipino dishes and it was varied enough, as the menu included soups, meat, fish and rice dishes.
I am a massive fan of sinigang na baboy, just because the sourness of the soup immediately warms you up. The pork of this dish was excitingly soft and had the right amount of fat, which compliments the sour taste of the soup. Lolo and Lola did not disappoint, the sinigang was not overly sour and it was surprisingly clean tasting. The other cuisines that were ordered that night, were the bulalo, sisig and halo-halo. I had a taste of the other dishes and they were great, the flavours were prominent and I’m impressed with the serving sizes. The halo-halo was good, although it would have been great if more ice shavings were added to balance the condense milk. For the price you pay, you get a full dish, which were tended to be shared… but we each ordered our own dishes, no regrets! I also got myself a calamansi juice, a staple when eating Filipino food and it hit the freshness and sweetness spot for me.
I see myself coming back to Lolo and Lola, from the easy booking, prompt serving of the dishes, quality and price of the dishes, I felt right at home. A special mention of the staffs, they were fabulous and friendly. They made sure to check up on us and I can tell, delivering a high level of service is of importance to them. Make sure to either dine in or takeaway, to get your Filipino fix.
Dani, a young, ambitious yet haunted-by-her-past au pair is hired by an English family at the Bly estate. The au pair is welcomed by the estate’s residents and her assigned children. Little does she know, other dwellers have also called Bly Manor as their home.
Episodes: 9 | Release: 2020
A lot of expectations surrounding the second haunting series was definitely unavoidable. The bar was set high after watching The Haunting of Hill House, which I plan to write about in a future review post. To be frank, I found Bly Manor to be alright to say the least, let me tell you why…
The series starts off being hopeful, where audiences are mysteriously taken to the present, a rehearsal dinner to be exact for a couple that is about to be married the next day. The story is told by a mysterious lady, in front of a fireplace and surrounded by guests with their wines. You have this feeling that you’re going to be told a personal, nostalgic story but really it’s a ghost story. When she tells her story, which she claims isn’t hers, we are taken back to presumedly the 80s.
The world and character building of the main star, Dani is introduced. The pace quite right, where you get to know her future ambitions, personality and immediately off-the-bat that she is being haunted. There’s this creepy ghost with glasses that shows a reflection, like he’s being constantly high-beamed. I didn’t like this to be honest, Dani’s ghost was freaky at first but he was shown too many times and not in the most memorable ways. So by the time his story was revealed, it didn’t feel like a surprise and I honestly didn’t feel any emotions to the backstory. You know when Dani’s ghost disappeared, that was also anticlimactic.
I found the actor who plays Owen, to be the most memorable. Along with Ms. Grose, there was a tiny bit more character development with Owen and Ms. Grose. Episode 5, which was solely dedicated to Hannah Grose, was interesting, you get this sense of her slowly fading away via the repeated interactions, loss of memory and cut scenes of her day-to-days. The reveal at the end can maybe persuade you to watch it a second time, as you have this knowledge, which may make your second viewing a little more interesting.
The acting was good overall by all the actors, but I just couldn’t connect emotionally with the characters. I have my assumptions why, it might have been due to the many elements being thrown in that it felt predictable and sometimes too busy. By the time we watch the finale, the ending either raised still many questions and a little disjointed. The pacing and bigger reveals starts from about episode 7 onwards.
Although, I do like the central themes to Bly Manor. The theme of being haunted, pulled back by memories, human grief and love. The gravity well of despair is such a haunting illustration of depression and grief. That feeling of not being able to accept the loss of one’s meaning of happiness, mentally and physically cripples your ability to move on peacefully. There’s this sense of sadness that comes with despair, that not only affects you but also those around you. The ghosts in Bly Manor as well as the living, are found to not being able to move on and so are doomed to repeat what they thought are real-time happy memories. But, truly this memory of theirs have already past. This can drive both the living and dead, mad really. I think the main message of Bly Manor, is that the scariest thing are not ghosts, but the loss of a love one, one’s identity and memory. That even the mundane such as memory, can have a traumatic effect on one’s willingness to move on. Because really, your memories is what defines you and without it an identity loss occurs.
Another thing that is highlighted, is how ghost and love stories are really just different sides of the same coin. I found this to be interesting. That ghosts carry a sense of sadness and because of this doomed result, sadness also befalls the living. Ghosts also carry memories of love and the loss of this would have resulted in their saddness. You can say, these themes in Bly Manor were highly relatable. The ending I must say, was not bitter sweet. I wouldn’t be surprised if you pulled out some tissues.
I have to say this quote (below) was just beautiful ⇣
“To truly love another person is to accept the work of loving them is worth the pain of losing them.”
Situated along Broke Road, near the main attractions of what Hunter Valley has to offer, this rustic cafe is a lovely spot for breakfast and lunch. I recommend making a reservation, especially during these times, so you won’t be disappointed. There are both indoor and outdoor seatings; if you do sit outside, you might be greeted with a swarm of flies… depending on the table you choose.
Cafe Enzo is located within the Peppers Creek village; inspired by Tuscan ambience and life. Their menu boasts of handmade and locally produced meals, ranging from continental breakfasts, bowls, delicious/fresh sides, salads, seafood, desserts and much more. We ordered their veg breakfast board and I forget the name of mine, but it had two slices of sourdough, lemon, salmon, cream cheese (?) and it might have been their tomato chutney (?). Everything tasted fresh and lovely, not too heavy for the first meal of the day!
Staffs were lovely, who made sure to check on their guests and gave us enough time to check out their menu. Prices are what you expect, to be mid-ranged and what I liked is stripped down content of their menu. There is plenty of parking in the village itself. Just across and down from the cafe, there is a little green area to stretch out after a satisfying meal.
Purple Curiosity 