Hong Kong McDonald's has Potato Wedge fries too!! (Announcement)

World Cup Special #1

This is to all my HK readers!! 

I know a lot of you were asking me about Potato Wedges and were excited yet disappointed that HK didn't have them but guess what? (香港麥當勞 (麥記)都有 "脆薯皇" 啊！)

HK McDonald's has Potato Wedges too!!! WOOHOO!! (They are called "脆薯皇")

This is part of their Brazil World Cup Series campaign promotion... get them while you can~

read my review on these potato wedges here: http://simplemomentblog.blogspot.ca/2014/05/mcdonalds-potato-wedge-fries-review.html

World Cup Special #2

These are my impressions on the Canadian version (I hope they are just as good in HK)

• really well seasoned
• amazing dipping sauce
• very fresh
• slightly oily
• totally worth the price

score: 9.5/10

website: http://campaign.mcdonalds.com.hk/ch/promotions/worldcup/?utm_source=ch_home&utm_medium=corp_homepage&utm_campaign=WorldCup

Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage Roll-On review

Clinique All About Eyes Serum

With insomnia kicking in on top of stress, my eyes have been slightly puffy. I was introduced to this by my Clinique beauty consultant. It is one of their popular products. After using it, I had to agree and was impressed by its results.

applicator

When I first opened the product, I was really surprised with the applicator! It seemed really useful. Just make sure that you give a few roll on (I usually do 2-3 times to make sure the product comes out properly, sometimes you need to apply some pressure to the tube for the serum to come out.

Suitable Skin Types: All

Description (by Clinique):

This instantly cooling rollerball helps massage away bags, refreshes and hydrates puffy eyes on contact. Brightens eye area immediately and over time. Combats dark circles, too. With caffeine, potent antioxidants and soothing botanicals. Oil-free, non-irritating. Ophthalmologist Tested.

Impressions

• Light weighted
• Cool feeling (applicator is cold and soothing)
• Works after a few days, you can see your eye's puffiness 'inflating"

 

product is very clear (you see the slight shimmer on my hand?)

Pros

• cooling effect (helps minimize appearance of puffiness)
• easy to use
• refreshing
• "instant results" (took me 2 days to notice a significant difference)
• your skin easily absorbs the serum

Cons:

• cannot moisturize
• does not get rid of dark circles (I was hoping it could)
• only has one function: getting rid of puffy eyes

This was the first eye serum I have used to "de-puff" my eyes, so I can't compare this with other products. That being said, I was extremely impress with the results as it only took 2 days for my eyes to appear less puffy. However, quite disappointed that it did nothing to my dark circles...

score: 8.5/10

website: http://www.clinique.com/product/3799/9423/Splash-Pages/free48delivery/All-About-Eyes-Serum-De-Puffing-Eye-Massage/index.tmpl

McDonald's Potato Wedge fries review

Wedge fries with Cajun Aioli Sauce

(update: if you are in HK you can get them too, they are called 脆薯皇, read about it here)

So, after shopping at Walmart yesterday, I went into McDonald's for a quick snack... I noticed there were ads about Potato Wedges... I didn't recall seeing these any where else... so I decided to buy some...

These are the best Potato Wedges I have ever had... they are perfect... I have tried many restaurants/fast food places/etc and none of them were good... bur these are REALLY good!!

When I got home to write this review (grin), I noticed that this item was not on McDonald's Canadian website, I think these potato wedges are an experiment... if you would like to try them, please go to the Walmart at Morningside Road and Milner. (I'm not sure where else these are available). If McDonald's read this... Please make this a regular menu item!!

(Edit: according to my friend, it is also available at the Bamburgh Circle location)

seriously a good deal! it was only $2.60!  

There are 2 sizes available: Medium and Large, I got Medium.

Impressions:

• really well seasoned
• amazing dipping sauce
• very fresh
• slightly oily
• totally worth the price

big wedges

The Potato Wedges were crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, it was very tasty. The Cajun Aioli Sauce was a perfect match for it, the sauce was slightly spicy and it added a perfect touch the already nicely seasoned wedges.

the bag we used to place the fries... it is not as greasy as we thought...

Although the wedges were not as oily as we expected, we still think it was still considered a bit oily...

The price is perfect, if you get a combo meal, you only need to pay an extra $0.30 to upgrade your fries to these potato wedges.

I really hope McDonald's consider making these Potato Wedges as a regular menu item because I will be missing these if they don't!!

score: 9.5/10 (lost 0.5 because of the slight oiliness)

website: http://www2.mcdonalds.com/food/fries/potato-wedges.mcdj

how to get rid of hiccups with pointing your finger!

photo source: www.motherearthliving.com

This is not a "review" post exactly, but a "healthy tips" post. Unless you consider this post as reviewing a method to getting rid of hiccups!


DO you get frustrated with Hiccups? My friend taught me this trick... seriously... it works... I don't know why, but who cares... at least I got my hiccups out of the way! :P (prior to this method I have tried: drinking water quickly, breathing in and out slowly, eating a piece of candy... nothing worked... )

1. Point your Index Finger (Your pointing finger) and bend forward, you do not have to touch the floor just be close enough to "almost" be touching it (1-2 inches away is good)
2. Spin around 3 times
3. Go back to standing position, a burst of air would come out of your trachea and you will burp

Hiccups gone!! *yeah!!!

Feel free to share this method with your friends and family members who are suffering from hiccips!

My Official Facebook Page!

Hey sweetest readers,

just want to let you know that I finally created my facebook page!! Please like it and interact with me :) https://www.facebook.com/simplemomentblog

Please excuse the messyness and disorganize look and appearance of the page as I am still renovating and figuring everything out ;)

Dr. Young Anti Pore - Pore Eraser Balm Review

Due to the appearance of my blackheads and pores on my nose, my cousin went and got me this product. It minimizes the appearance of pores and if you use this in a very long run (e.g. 2-3 months) it will slightly minimize the appearance of your pores permanently. I find that it is a great primer because it makes your skin feel flawless and soft (ready for make up). You can wear this for hours (the ingredients will help keep your skin soft and moist).


Main Ingredients:
Swiss Alpine Herb Extract, Marine Collagen, Witch Hazel Extract & Vitamin B5

They claim that the Swiss Alpine Herb Extract and Witch Hazel Extract controls the sebum and tighten your pores making your skin feel soft and moist.

Some Info about this product: (from the  official website)
1 To make your skin looks flawless
Its multi-cross structure silicone will help to fill up pores and rough skin and make skin appear flawless.

2. To remain your skin feels light and fresh throughout the day With its porous sebum control powder absorbs excess sebum on surface of skin and then silicon elastomer gel absorbs sebum placed deep in pores, it helps to make your skin feel light.

3. To make your pores tightened and elastic.
Swiss Alpine Herb Extracts and Witch Hazel Extract will control sebum and tighten pores to keep your skin soft and moist throughout the day. Furthermore, its Marine Collagen Extract provides elasticity to pores to make a deal with fundamental problem of pores.

4. Long lasting make-up effect
Perfectly natural, all-day coverage with a soft-matte finish.

5. Completely covers pores and perfectly fills up rough skin
With its yellow pale colored soft balm type texture, it fills up pores and rough skin and covers pores completely. It makes your complexion appear flawless without make-up.


Impressions:

• to be used after basic skincare and before applying make up
• can be used as a primer
• no scent

Dr. Young Anti Pore product

what it feels like:
a greasy dry powdery substance

The grease melts into your pores and the powdery substance covers up your oily skin and pores. It is a great product if you want to minimize the appearance of your pores immediately.



Pros:

• only takes minutes to cover up all your pores
• literally blends into your skin (this process will take approximately 10 mins)
• clean
• very easy to apply

Cons:

• does not get rid of the appearance of pores permanently (not a skin care product, of course, over time it will... but if you use it only a few times, it is not meant to be a skincare product)

It does what it claims and it is an amazing product! My skin didn't feel burdened by this product, (in fact, I almost forgot I had it on). I wished they would also include ingredients to help minimize the large pores and oily parts. Overall, I think this is a good product.

score: 9.5/10

website: http://dr-young.asia/engpporebalm.htm

Question: Should I Reuse Daily Disposable Contact Lenses?

Quick Answer: NO!

photo source: theathleticscholarship.blogspot.com

I know there are many articles out there which claim you can and should... but that is not true. I was always tempted to try using my dailies for more than one day, so I did some research and asked around... after learning about the consequences and risks, I decided that reusing lenses is definitely not an option ... AT ALL! ... Here I want to share with you my findings and hope you will also decide not to put your eyes are risk.

Here are a few reasons why:

• material is too thin (easy to break/tear)
• a part of the lenses will literally dissolve if you put it in cleaning solution
• not designed to be used for more than 1 day
• cleaning solution cannot clean the lenses (this is due to the material of the lenses)

photo credits: www.barrhavenoptometric.com 

What happens...
If you over wear them (wearing them more than one time) there is a chance that it will stick to your Cornea, you will need professional help to get them out.

(There are even claims that it is best not to wear Dailies for more than 8 hours)

During this process (even with professional help: e.g. optometrist) your Cornea will likely tear (more accurate term is Corneal Abrasion), it will be painful to see... (I had a friend who had torn her Cornea, she said it was so painful to see), it is NOT worth it at all! It will take approximately 2-3 weeks to grow back. Think about the pain during those 2-3 weeks.

How a Corneal Abrasion (tear in Cornea feels)

• Feeling like you have sand or grit in your eye
• Eye pain, especially when opening or closing your eye
• Tearing and redness
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision or loss of vision

(source: WebMD)

Also think about if bacteria got in, you are at risk of an eye infection on top of a torn Cornea. I wouldn't let you in on the details, you can imagine how that would be like.

photo source: www.dailytech.com

Soaking in Solution will not help
You may say, well, I can wash dailies (contact lenses) with solutions and store them in solutions... that sounds logical right? WRONG! The reason why Daily Contact Lenses are so much more comfortable and a bit pricier than bi-weeklies, monthlies, etc is because they are made out of a different material and are much thinner.

Solutions you use on bi-weeklies, monthlies, etc will not only damage the lenses (removing the protection coating from the lenses) but even if you claim you are gentle enough, they cannot even clean the lenses (the comparison I would like to think of is using a white board eraser to wipe off chalk from a chalkboard... if you tried it, you know it doesn't work).

Verdict:
I know it is extremely tempting and many articles and bloggers claim it is less expensive and it is possible, but you are putting your eyes and sight at risk... is it really worth it?

After:
Alas, please read this article, I think everyone who wears Contact Lenses should read this article! I had questions (and I was afraid to ask) and this article does a great job covering most FAQs which are important to know and a little embarrassing to ask:
--> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/26/contact-lens-hygiene-questions-answers-eye-health_n_3950593.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false


also... if you are interested, please check out my personal blog and follow me around Tokyo :)

NIWATEI ～丹羽亭～Ramen ラーメン @ JTown review

nice waiting space

Niwatei was introduced to me by a friend. It is located inside JTown. This is the ramen place which used to be located in the "back", currently they have moved in with 2 other restaurant/shop.

Nice environment

The environment is quite nice, reminds me of those cafeterias in Japan. It is clean, simple and quiet.

impressions:

• food is authentic
• environment 
• service is quite good

My friend and I decided to settle for their Tonkotsu Ramen + side + dessert set.

We each got different sides to share.

Mini Curry Rice

Curry

very authentic Japanese curry, (and like most authentic Japanese curry, this was very sweet). It was reasonably sized and quite tasty.

Steam Rice with Mixed Vegetable

This was very interesting and the name does not do it justice, it is not only steam rice and vegetables, it was nicely seasoned. It was very filling! I'm so glad my friend was there to eat this with me :)

Pork (Tonkotsu) Ramen

if you just want to try the ramen you can order it: Pork(Tonkotsu) Ramen とんこつ塩ラーメン $8.80

Yum! This ramen was good! It wasn't too salty and the egg was made right. This was a pork bone based noodle soup was very creamy. The soup base is very simple yet flavourful. Each bowl contains seaweed, 2 Japanese fish cakes, half runny eggs, several pieces of pork, sided with corn and onions.

The combination is perfect and very authentic.

strawberry shortcake

I chose Strawberry Shortcake (as it was their "dessert of the day") It was a very Authentic Japanese Strawberry Shortcake. The cake was very spongy and light. The whipped cream was very tasty, you can tell it was made from real cream, no substitutes.

House Special Dessert

My friend kept talking about it, he said that this was REALLY good, and yes, it was very good! 

This is a vanilla ice cream coated in a special citrus sauce. The sauce was bitter and sweet. It was very special, if you ever go to Niwatei, ask them if they have it!

website: http://niwatei.com/

keep in mind that JTown does not open on Mondays, so if you are planning to give this place a visit, please remember their store hours below:

Business Hours

	LUNCH	DINNER
Monday	Closed	Closed
Tuesday	12:00～14:30	17:00～21:00
Wednesday	12:00～14:30	17:00～21:00
Thursday	12:00～14:30	17:00～21:00
Friday	12:00～14:30	17:00～22:00
Saturday	12:00～	22:00
Sunday	12:00～	21:00

M & M Poutine review

M&M's Poutine

Canadian Pride! Poutine is one of the very meal/snack (whichever you prefer to call it) that makes us proud of Canadian cuisine! 

As you would expect a recipe containing Fries, Gravy and Cheese Curds, it would not be very healthy.

nutrition information

29 grams of Fat per tray!!! Be careful what you eat!

impressions:

• very dry, tastes like prefrozen fries
• needs more gravy
• sauce not evenly spread
• does not taste like poutine
• easy to make (you just need a microwave)

instructions

2 1/2 - 3 minutes in the microwave, not recommended to be cooked/heated with a Oven.

ingredients

ingredients, that does not look very healthy

how it looks, remember to remove the film

This is how it looks once you take it out of the box. Remember to remove the film from the container before microwaving this.

cooked, straight out of the microwave

This is how it looks once it is cooked... I don't even want to show you what the picture looks like on its official website, you will be very disappointed.

my attempt to transfering and evening out the gravy and  melted cheese

This was my attempt spread the gravy and melted cheese (I don't think these were cheese curds). You can see how I have totally failed in trying to "mix" everything up

half finished poutine

This is how the bottom of the tray looked... you can see why I tried to mix the gravy and cheese curds better...

I have always loved M&M Meat Shop's food, quality is good... but for this Poutine, I am very disappointed.

rating: 6.5/10

website: https://www.mmmeatshops.com/en/products/product.asp?productID=897&catID=7

Okonomi House Restaurant review

It's actually a year since I have ate at this place, I was planning to do a review but somehow, I managed to lose the pictures... (sigh), I didn't want to create a post with no pictures, so just a few weeks ago, I found them, and here's the review! 

Okonomi (or "Pancake") House has opened since 1978. They claim that they serve good and cheap Japanese dishes.

One of the reasons why I was fascinated was because they seem to serve authentic Japanese dishes that are hard to find in Toronto.

bar table

The restaurant was quite small and casual. There were about 8 tables and 1 long bar table. The seating was a bit uncomfortable as we were trying our best to avoid invading the space of the surrounding tables. The atmosphere was nothing fancy, it was a very normal "casual dining" place.

Chicken Okonomiyaki

We ordered Chicken Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) are Japanese savoury pancakes which contain a variety of ingredients (usually cabbage strips). The name means "your preference grilled". This means you get to choose what you want and they will grill it for you.

The Chicken Okonomiyaki was a little disappointing. They had all the proper basic ingredients including the sauce on top. The pancake was sticky and too greasy, as compared to "usual" pizza like texture and "dryness". Besides that, the taste was quite decent.

Yakiniku Bento

We were a party of 2 and we wanted to try other things other than Okonomiyaki. There was not a lot to choose from so we settled for a bento box. We ordered Yakiniku bento (Grilled Meat Bento). The Beef was not "traditionally" cooked. The beef was cooked very dry. We had to use the Soy Sauce to moisten and marinate the beef.

The food was a bit on the pricey. The total came to be about $30 (tax and tips included) for these 2 dishes.

Score: 5.5/10

(no website)

Skotidakis Greek Yogurt review

box of Skotidakis Greek Yogurt

impressions:

• too sour tasting
• does NOT taste like Greek Yogurt at all!
• bad usability design (user Experience fail!)
• texture is too rough
• not creamy at all

inside

I am wondering how will I ever finish these... 

containers

summary of the flavours:

• honey is too sweet
• berries is not sweet enough

I was really excited to see a new feature, by separating the syrup/favouring from the yogurt

The User Experience:

how it looks before pouring the syrup out

(sorry to sound so technical) but it is true. At first, I was excited because it did seem very innovative, you can add as much as you like.

it seemed like a good design...

BUT, once you start, because of the thickness of the syrup, it is so hard to pour out. I had to scoop it all up.

frustration

 I was so disappointed in the end, when I found it extremely difficult to take all of the "syrup" flavoring out. You cannot scoop it, you cannot take most of it out at all... (the picture does not show HOW much there was left... it looks like there's only a little, but there's almost half a spoonful left)

how the yogurt looks after mixing in the syrup 

how the yogurt looks once you mix it in with the syrup... it tastes as it looks, not very tasteful. (While the Honey version, I made the mistake of thinking that all syrups were the same... WRONG... it was so sweet it tasted disgusting). 

The problem is the Greek yogurt's base...  tastes so sour, you need all the syrup to make it tasty... but because you cannot take out ALL of the syrup out, the yogurt tastes bad. I tried to "play chef" and make it more tasteful but it was hopeless... 

I didn't like this yogurt, it tasted too sour, it was not creamy, and it had little chunks of "yogurt". I didn't not like the texture at all

Do not buy this product if you like creamy, smooth yogurt

Buy it if you like : sour, rough yogurt...

score: 2.5/10

website: http://www.skotidakis.com/en/products/