Starbucks Coffee songs: I won't dance - by Frank Sinatra

Came across another song that I like while at Starbucks Coffee

Coffee with cousin & May- at May's wedding

Coffee-time music...

My current fav song - "Madness" by Muse

Coffee time in Roosevelt Island

Cute baby chicks at a poultry farm:)

For the next two weeks, I'll probably have to eat more seafood, lamb, etc (anything but chicken)
After falling in love with these cute baby chicks while touring Lee's Poultry Farm up on the North Shore (Kumeu, Auckland, New Zealand), I can't possibly eat chicken without having a terrible nightmare

 

They're just so cute...

They're meant to be cuddled - not for the dinner table

Can you imagine that these tiny little chicks will grow 20 times their current size in 30 days from now?

Poultry farming entails huge responsibilities
You need a lot of patience, perseverance and dedication
... making sure that the temperature is always ideal

 

Regular checking of all machineries...

These are to ensure that all 57,000 birds per hatch will be of the same size - not an easy task!

Istanbul Kebab & Pizza, Queen Street, Auckland City (New Zealand)

"NO TOILET" at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza? *gulp*

(Yeah right... I'm sure there's a toilet somewhere in the shop. You just don't want me to use it! :( *sulk* that's so mean )
Anyway,... the temporary torture's worth it :)... for no where else in Auckland is there a kebab shop that sells "middle eastern" pizza 

Being a good cook, the woodfire pizzas are probably something that I can easily make at home, but I have a soft spot for good food presentation. The pizzas, baklava, falafel + other food items at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza are just too appealing that I couldn't resist the temptation to try them :)

The only item that I wouldn't try is the Turkish Delight candies, which have way too much carbs + sugar. Bad, bad, bad for your!

(Errm... since when did "Wedges, Sour Cream & Hot Chips" became dessert items?)

What I like most is the busy atmosphere of that little kebab shop on Queen St. You can go there anytime (it's open 24 hours) and the staff will still greet you with a cheerful smile
.

Even when you're waiting for your "pizza", there's enough entertainment to keep you amused.
The little kebab shop has its very own photo library!
While waiting for my pizza, I had to try hard not to giggle at the photo of a fat semi nude man sitting on a motorbike, wearing nothing else but a pair of sunglasses (see pic above)
(I didn't want to be seen as rude,...just in case it could be a pic of the shop owner, you see ;p lol. I was also worried that if I were to giggle, it'll increase my urge to urinate, which would have been disastrous since they claimed that there are no toilets in the shop)

The sight of woodfire oven is very comforting:)

(No Carbo meals?? You must be kidding! Falafil or falafel & Turkish bread have loads of carbo, my dear)

 While munching on the mayonnaise-free, MSG-free but oily middle eastern pizza upstairs I was entertained by the amusing sight of the staff giving each other a good massage. Ah... how caring!:)

I will go back to Istanbul Kebab & Pizza to try every single item on the menu...and after that I probably will never return again. The items are slightly overprices compared to other kebab shops, and the meat quality aren't half as good as Noora's Mediterranean Kitchen at SkyCity Metro (Noora's probably the most authentic middle eastern place in Auckland City)

Istanbul Kebab and Pizza

96 Queen Street, Auckland Central, Auckland City

Tel. (09) 337 0518

Sahaa: best African restaurant in Aus & NZ:)

Tucked inconspicuously in a line-up of ethnic eateries near the busy intersection of Khyber Pass and Broadway (Auckland, New Zealand) , this superb little restaurant is a real off-the-beaten-track, local haunt.

You don’t often come across quality Algerian, Morrocan and Tunisian flavours in New Zealand.

In fact, Sahaa is the only one of its kind on the whole North Island, something that makes its menu shine even brighter.

Naturally, tagines are the specialty here and the setting is positively North African exotic with a private, traditional low-seating area, a family dining room complete with Moroccan fountain, colourful pottery on the walls and dainty glass cups from which to sip your mint tea.

Chef-owner Makhlouf (Marco) Benyettou cooks dishes from his native Algeria as well as Morocco and as well as Morocco and Tunisia.

Benyettou’s wife Dianna undertook the waiting duties by herself; ranging around providing efficient and knowledgeable service in a low-key dining room with lemon-yellow walls, Moorish pendant lamps and a smattering of rugs.

Tagine dishes symbolise North African cuisine, and here at Sahaa they are brought to the table piping hot and placed on a decorative tile in front of you. The conical lid is then removed so you can eat from the cooking platter.

The lamb, apple and prune stew ($26) - the large dices of lamb were very tender, and the fruit contributed a heady sweet-savoury character.

This dish was what good restaurant food should be: sublime in its simplicity, yet the sort of thing that would be difficult to recreate at home.

Sahaa's wine list was small, made up of good value Australian and New Zealand whites and reds, selected to match the food.

However, an evening at Sahaa does not require spectacular flourishes. The low-key service, calm atmosphere and satisfying food invite you to relax and enjoy your food, wine and company.

More info: http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/restaurants/sahaa-review-57866.html

Prices: Entrées $10 - $24, mains $20 - $26.

Contact:
475 Khyber Pass Road,
Newmarket,
Auckland
Tel: 09-523-4578
Fax: 09-523-4578
Email: sahaarestaurant@hotmail.com

World's best SEAFOOD @ Balkan Restaurant, Sydney

The Original Balkan Restaurant grill in Darlinghurst was established in 1964 and has been praised for over 45 years for its great atmosphere, excellent European style dishes and large servings.

Seafood platter

Famous for its authentic European style food which is prepared right at the window on the street-front grills, allowing everyone to have a look at chefs preparing ones favourite dishes.

The street-front grills...

My favourite dish:)

Grilled king prawns with chilli & olive oil dressing

Some of the special dishes that have come to hold the pride of place as the specialties of this restaurant are spicy sausages, pork on skewers, poached Tasmanian mussels, and whole Barramundi.

Seafool pasta - with abalone, king prawns , mussels, scallops, etc

Abalones :)))) *yum*

succulent prawns :))

"Balkan Grill Platter"

- juicy king prawns, sole, squid...

Balkan Restaurant's simple, stylish menu also offers freshly prepared salad of cabbage and potato which is served with the meats and seafoods barbecued on the "Balkan Grill".

A quck glimpse of the entree and dessert selections :)
Apple strudel

Croation sweets

Tiramisu :)

  Soft homemade bread

Crunchy & aromatic garlic bread with fresh herbs:)

I like the coat hangers on the wall :) very handy

Location:-

217 Oxford St,
Darlinghurst 2010 NSW

Business hours:
Mon- Thur 6pm to 11pm

Fri-Sat 12pm to 12am
Sun 12pm to 11pm

Cute "panda kamasutra /sex positions" coffee mug:D

A very cute coffee mug! :D
For the past 3 years I had been searching everywhere (Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, Google/Yahoo shopping) for this "panda kamasutra" coffee mug but haven't found it :/
  

Chinatown Pavillion Restaurant (now closed :( )

I miss Chinatown Pavillion (near Broadway-Lafayette in NYC) :( too bad it's no longer in business. It was one of the best restaurants for chinese food, better than a lot of other places in Flushing & Chinatown (Manhattan). Went there back in 2011 when they had the Restaurant Week prix-fixe dinner, and we had lobster & scallops stir-fry & appetizers and dessert