Happy New Year!!!!

Dear lovely friends,

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

2014 was great... and 2015 will be even better!!!

HK 2015

Thank you for being with me!!! I look forward to a wonderful year filled with joy, laughter and reviews!!!

xoxo
Steph

Tony Wong Patisserie review Kowloon City Location

outside of Patisserie

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! Let's finish the year off with one of my favourite desserts!

For those who haven't heard of Tony Wong, he is one of the 甜心先生 (Mr. Sweet) on TVB's show 甜心先生 (Sweet Corner)... I have been to his Wan Chai location... and I really liked it... one of the most unfortunate things was while I was at their Wan Chai location, I was too excited that I forgot to take pictures. So, when I visited their Kowloon City location, I made sure I took a lot of pictures... maybe too many... (be warned!)...

"Street view" of shop

To be honest, it wasn't really easy to find. The store was a little hidden... and because the sidewalk and road was really narrow, it was hard to tell what the name of the store was. (not only for this store but all stores in general on this street).

"Window Display"

I think they can do a better job with their window display. It does not serve justice for the cake inside with such a messy store window.

AND HERE WE ARE!! *oops, finger on lenses.... don't worry, more images below! See how pretty the cakes are! Not to mention the variety they have. I'm sure there will be a cake for you. What is unfortunate though is, they randomly select from their various cakes, and since their cakes are made daily, the cake you want to eat might not be available. (but that's ok... since most of them taste good ;) )

This was what I got: Mango Delight and Chocolate Truffle.

Mango Delight

1. Mango Delight:

Main Ingredients:

• Mango Delight
• Mango Mousse 
• Panna Cotta 
• Mango Jelly

The name "Mango Delight" is a perfect fit for this item. It is like a nice mango party in your mouth. All layers (except for the Panna Cotta layer) had some form of authentically mango taste to it (authentic = not artificial mango). Yet they all tasted different giving you "mango delight". I highly recommend this to all mango lovers!

Chocolate Truffle

2. Chocolate Truffle
main ingredients:

• Chocolate Truffle
• Chocolate Glazing 
• Truffle Cream 
• Hazelnut crunchy Flake 
• Cocoa Sponge

I ordered this at their Wan Chai location and I couldn't resist when I saw it at their Kowloon City location... the quality is perfectly the same and the taste is perfect.

This was what I wrote:

This Chocolate Truffle was really delicious. You haven't had Chocolate Truffle till you have tried this cake. I'm serious! Besides tasting really "chocolatey", and being very creamy and literally melting in your mouth, it adds surprises as you work your way though the cake.  In the core of the cake there are Hazelnut crunchy flakes, this was definitely a surprise for my taste buds and mouth. The crunchiness made the cake so much more interesting and the rich hazelnut taste made my taste buds really happy.  The bottom of the cake is held by a cocoa sponge cake.

mmm!! lots of cakes!!

Eating There:

The patisserie's eating area was not much better than their Wan Chai location, but I was impressed that they provided plates and utensils (which their Wan Chai location did not). The eating area was very narrow (it was in a hallway). 

yum! ;) look at all these delicious cakes!

other delicious cakes!

when you are in front of the store and you look up

I highly recommend this place for all cake/dessert fans... actually... to anyone... they have one of the best tasting cakes in the world (I'm not exaggerating!)

ratings:
cakes: 10/10
shop environment: 7/10

location:
address: 74 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon (九龍城福佬村道74號)

website: http://www.patisserietonywong.com/
phone #: 2382 6639 (Kowloon City)

Merry Christmas!!

image credits: www.nintendolife.com

Merry Christmas!! I hope you are all enjoying this lovely day (off?).

Xiao Long Bao (小籠包) Shanghai Dim Sum Restaurant review (part II)

Given my positive review of this place, it was expected I would return... This time I found other gems in this restaurant... Hope you will like this review :)

Shanghai Soup Rice Cakes $10.99

Shanghai Stir fried Rice Cakes have always been one of my favourite Shanghai dish (as you can see in part I of this restaurant review), the chewiness makes eating so much fun. I have never had Shanghai Soup Rice Cakes before so it was definitely a discovery for me

Impressions:

• quantity is huge!
• Strong sesame oil taste
• Very clear broth
• delicious and fresh (鮮)

I was shocked when the server delivered this to our table... I didn't expect the bowl to be so huge. When I first wafted the smell I could smell a strong aroma of sesame oil. The broth was extremely clear but heavily flavoured with chicken stock and other ingredients.

The soup tasted extremely delicious and 鮮 (I can't find an appropriate English word for this). It was 鮮味 (but NOT MSG).

小籠包 Pork Soup Filled Buns $5.99

What else would you get at a restaurant called Xiao Long Bao (小籠包), their signature dish of course! These Pork Soup Filled buns were absolutely delicious. They were properly marinated and the bun was extremely thin (be careful if you pick these up... your chopsticks could puncture the bun and all of that delicious soup will fall out).

impressions:

• very thin bun "crust"
• soup is right temperature
• nicely oily (comfort food)

inside of the pork soup filled bun

As you can see, look how much meat is inside! It is a perfectly made Xiao Long Bao!

Despite how great this is, my favourite will be their Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao.... if you want something that is striking and not allergic to crabs, I highly recommend their crab pork soup filled buns.

Sheng Jian Bao (上海生煎包) $5.99

If you are going to a Shanghai restaurant, these Sheng Jian Bao are a must get... These are Pan-fried bao filled with pork, melted gelatin and chopped green onions.

Impressions:

Marinated with rice wine
very tasty
cooked to perfection (bottom is nicely golden brown)

inside of 生煎包

This is how the inside of the bao looks like. Be careful, the warm/hot gelatin can burn your mouth, so when you are eating these... be careful. 

score: 9/10
website: no website
phone number: (416) 291-0123

Yokozuna Ramen review

The Chinese name is: 橫綱日本拉麵店

For those who are wondering, this place is located near (two shops south) Destiny's at Silver Star... I have not been introduced to this place... I find it quite difficult to find despite being beside Destiny's... so I guess that's why it is not very popular.

I like the atmosphere, it is very casual and quiet... only the sound of the TV can be heard (the TV is always showing a Japanese cook show called "Dotch Cooking"). The benefit of watching the show and eating is that you are having Japanese food while watching a Japanese cooking show.

Service is fair, the waiters and waitresses are ok friendly and food is delivered within reasonable time.

Pork Bone Soup Ramen $10.95

Pork Bone Soup Ramen - $10.95

This Ramen is one of the most expensive Ramen on their menu... being a big fan of pork bone soups I had to give it a try.

Impressions:

• Oily
• Very rich
• Ramen cooked to a perfect texture
• Reminds me of homemade soup
• Cha Siu is too lean
• Red ginger adds a nice tough to the flavour

The soup/broth was very different from other ramen broths... due to the soup bones, the soup was extremely oily and quite thick... it tastes nothing like ramen broth... instead it taste like Asian home made soup... it tasted very porky and boney but definitely not a ramen broth... you will either like it or hate it... if you like soups like me, you will like it (because it is a really good soup)... but if you are looking for ramen soup... I suggest you skip this item.

I didn't like the Cha Siu... it was so lean and not marinated... 

I liked how they added shredded pieces of red ginger to make the flavour palette more flavourful. 

Kyuushu Ramen $6.99

Kyushu Ramen - $6.99

I have never had Kyushu ramen so I can't say whether this is authentic or not... I felt that this broth was quite salty. And similar to the Pork Bone soup Ramen, the broth did not taste like your usual "ramen broth".

Impressions:

• Salty miso flavour
• strong miso flavour
• Marinated salty sweet bamboo shoots
• Very clear broth

I didn't really like this Ramen because it was slightly salty for my own taste palette. I did enjoy the marinated sweet salty spiced bamboo shoots. Serving size is quite big... I found it difficult to finish this bowl of ramen.

Cheesy Seafood Maki $9.95

Cheesy seafood Maki - $9.95

List of Ingredients:

• Avocado
• Cream cheese
• Deep fried fish strip
• Masago
• Cucumber
• Sesame
• Grilled cheddar cheese
• Red pepper powder and dry green onion bits

Due to the cold weather, I have found myself savouring any food that contains cheese... so, while browsing through their menu, this sushi caught my attention. This sushi is slightly on the expensive side compared to other places (approx. $1.XX per piece).

impressions:

• nice marriage of the ingredients
• would be better if they didn't use single slice cheddar cheese
• very filling

I am a huge fan of cheesy foods... I really liked the idea... although... as much as I like Single Slice Cheddar cheese, I would prefer and much appreciate it, if they had chosen a Cheddar Cheese that was less "processed"... I found it a bit difficult to tell that the Cream Cheese was there... the cheddar cheese's taste was too overbearing. Besides the cream cheese, the other ingredients made their presence known and made this sushi extremely flavourful and "fun" to eat, the different textures added an intriguing blend to the experience.

Hours:

Mon: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm Wed - Sun: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Verdict:
I will definitely be visiting this place again... will probably get the pork bone soup ramen again, but will perhaps skip the other ramen available.

score: 7/10
website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yokozuna-Ramen-%E6%A9%AB%E7%B6%B1%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%8B%89%E9%BA%B5%E5%BA%97/269986869697845

Missha Super Aqua D-tox Peeling Gel review

Product and Packaging

Hey everyone!!

Christmas is coming soon!! I can't believe 2014 is ending in a matter of weeks :O... time to complete your resolutions from 2014 and think of new ones!

I remember mine's was to have better skin... (feels skin) I think my skin has definitely gotten softer and smoother than last year's.... (yeah). I still have some time to think about my 2015 resolution...

Enough said! Let's talk about Missha Super Aqua D-tox Peeling Gel... I have always liked Missha skin care products because they are very affordable and work really well! ... while shopping at a local Korean grocery store, I found this and immediately knew I had to get this... the name is a little deceiving as I thought it was similar to Freeman's Peel Off Mask where you let the mask dry and "peel it off"... the directions told me otherwise... the word "peeling" is more like rub and let the product peel and exfoliate all the waste and dead skin cells from your skin.

image source: http://missha.ca/

Description:

Excellent Visible Peeling Effect!

Pamper yourself with this luxurious peeling gel. Made from fruit extracts, this gel works by scrubbing the skin with tiny beads revealing clearer, cleaner, and healthier looking skin. Milk extracts give the skin a natural glow while caffeine and green tea extracts rejuvenate and refresh tired, dull looking skin.

look of the 

Directions:

1. After washing the face, place an adequate amount onto the palm and apply all over the face, avoiding the lip and eye areas
2. Softly massage until dead skin cells and wastes come out and thoroughly rinse off with lukewarm water

a little is all you need

impressions:

• contain's Super Aqua's signature reminisce smell of the ocean
• easy to use
• messy
• the peeling gel will get less and less messy with each use

what you get after rubbing your face... it is... dead skin cells and "waste" :O

I actually expect there would be much more "waste" and dead skill cells... (I looked at other beauty guru's pictures and they had a lot more white stuff)... I consider that a good thing... there isn't a lot of "waste" on my face (win!). The amount of "waste" and dead skill cells will be less with each use... so this gel is  actually doing it's job....your skin just gets cleaner and cleaner.

pros:

• easy to use
• makes skin feel so soft
• does not irritate skin
• smells nice
• affordable

cons:

• messy

I really like this Peeling Gel... it makes a perfect cleanser for my skin... I would recommend using this twice a week... it made my skin feel so soft... but be aware... the "waste" and dead skin cell white pieces can cause a huge and unpleasant mess.

score: 9.5/10
website: http://www.misshaus.com/super-aqua-peeling-gel.html

Biore Foaming Facial Wash Cleanser review

Biore Foaming Facial Wash Cleanser

Hey dearest friends!

As the harsh winter dry air comes... we need to be prepared and pamper our skin so it can feel nice and soft... after all... our skin is one of the biggest organs... why wouldn't we want to take good care of it?

Biore's facial cleansers have always been one of my favourite cleansers because they do a wonderful job cleaning my skin without irritating it.. when I found that they have developed a Foaming facial wash, I was excited to give this a try!

info on the back

impressions:

• feels like a light mouse,
• has a light relaxing Biore scent
• good for mild cleaning
• does not irritate skin
• you only need one pump

The consistency is very light and watery... if you held the "foam" longer, it will disappear in a matter of seconds... you can leave it on for a few more seconds and it will not irritate your skin. This cleanser is extremely mild. I also like the smell (Biore's signature scent)... the scent makes me feel so relaxed.

foam up close

Pros:

• lightly scented
• does not irritate skin
• product lasts a long time (a little goes a long way)
• easy to wash off
• affordable

Cons:

• very light cleanser
• does not clean tough oils

Verdict:

I think this foaming cleanser is not strong enough... it is able to clean away skin that is in good condition... but if you have oil or looking for a cleanser that cleans more thoroughly this would not be a good cleanser for you. I would either opt for Juju Aquamoist's Foam Cleanser (for mild cleansing)or Biore's regular Facial Cleanser.

Score: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.kao.co.jp/biore/lineup/s_whip.html

Santouka Ramen part 2 review

So, I decided to give Santouka a second try because I refused to believe that everyone likes their ramen so much and yet, I found it average.... Please read Part I here.

Something worth mentioning: Service was excellent!

Miso Ramen with Salmon Rice

Salmon rice

It was paired with seaweed 

I was impressed with how fresh and well cooked the salmon was although the I wished it would be better if the salmon was more raw.... is it just me or do you also prefer salmon that is more raw... rare...? (which is correct here?)

Miso Ramen

The Ramen was definitely less salty/savoury... but still wasn't tasty... I do not like the ramen they serve at this place... they feel dry and the soup is too oily. I like the ingredients... they were all very fresh. I didn't like how the egg was too well cooked... I prefer the watery half cooked eggs provided by other ramen shops.

Kara Miso Ramen with Pork Rice

Pork rice

The pork bits were a little salty 

They were layered with some fresh green onions and were drenched In some broth... I liked the broth.

Kara Miso Ramen

It was my first time trying Spicy Ramen... I find the taste quite interesting... it definitely added a intriguing taste to it... but despite that... I still found the ramen to be dry and oily (similar to the regular Miso). I did enjoy the fresh bamboo shoots though.

Verdict:

After this visit, I am convinced that I am not a fan of their ramen... I know that a lot of people love their ramen... but I am not a fan at all... I find that their ramen are quite pricey compared to most places but do not like the quality... I was quite impressed with their rice which came with the combos. Service was excellent!

Ramen: 7/10

Rice: 8.5/10

Service: 10/10

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Address: 91 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5B 1E1
Phone: (647) 748 – 1717
Website: http://www.santouka.co.jp/en/

Winter Frost Inspired Nails Tutorial

end result

Hey my sweetest readers,

As some of you might probably know... I am currently stuck with writing some reviews... that doesn't mean the posts have to stop this week.

I have decided to do a nail tutorial for all of you instead. Pink has always been one of my favourite nail colours because not only is girly, it very subtle and versatile... it works with virtually every outfit and look.

Inspiration:

While I was looking at the frost built up on my lawn this morning, I was inspired to create this look... pink has always been girly... but it seems to be a Spring/Summer look... so what can be done to make it look seasonal and wintery? glitter. Glitter adds a perfect touch the pink giving it a cold and shimmery look matching the snow and frost of winter.

products and materials needed:

• dark pink nail polish
• glitter based nail polish
• top coat
• base coat

Keep it mind it is super important to wear base coat before you apply any nail polish, this protects your nails from the harmful chemicals in nail polishes and staining. Use top coat to seal up the design and prevent chipping (it takes time for your nail polish to dry... why waste that effort?).

For this design you do not need to use exactly what I used (I only found these nail polish colours lying around) you can feel free to play with different colours. I think green, blue and purple are good for this look.

*also make sure that the "nail polish" colour is darker than the "glitter nail polish" to give it that frosted look

Nail Fantasy #29

I found this nail polish in Bonjour (in Hong Kong) and absolutely love this colour... I do not know where I can find this brand other than Bonjour. I like the vivid, bold and solidness of this pink....

My thumb with Nail Fantasy #29

 I usually wear this colour on my nails during Spring and Summer because it matches the lovely colours of Spring and Summer and it blends and accents most looks (formal to casual looks) I try.

Missha's Crystal Nail Polish - SHOCKING POP NO.2/PINK

You can read my review on this nail polish here. I was always quite frustrated in using this nail polish because of the transparency of the nail polish (it can almost be considered clear)... but luckily, I found a solution... use it as a "top" the transparency makes it a perfect frost coating.

finished look (added Missha Crystal Nail Polish on top

The glitter and transparency gives off a perfect accent to the nail.

Don't forget to add top coat to seal everything together! For those Sailor Moon fans out there... I felt a little bit like Sailor Moon (when she transforms) when I removed my gloves :P that is how glittery they look!

Hope you like this simple nail tutorial! See you all very soon!

(p.s. please ignore any typos or grammatical errors >.< wrote this in a rush without proofreading)

stuck

dear lovely friends and readers,

I currently have writer's block (or would the term "reviewer's block" be more appropriate?)... so there aren't reviews for Tuesday... sorry >.<

Steph