Hong Kong McDonald' s chicken Pop Afternoon Tea Combo review

List of their mini afternoon tea sets!

For this review, I will be focusing on the third tea set which includes some Chicken Pops and a drink.

I got to try another one of their mini afternoon tea combos! :)

my afternoon tea set at McDonald's!

All this for $15+$5 (upgrade) the water was for free! The upgrade was for the special BlackCurrant drink I ordered (will talk about it in another post)

served with cheese sauce

Impressions:

• Served very hot
• Great snack
• Cheese added a special touch to the chicken
• Lightly seasoned

up close... are you drooling?

I was extremely thankful they had given me a cheese sauce. Without the sauce, the chicken tasted very bland... not that it is a BAD thing... but I prefer my Chicken Pops to be more flavourful.

I was quite impressed with the quality of these Chicken Pops, they made a perfect before dinner snack and the portion was sufficient (more filling than the chicken wings)

Score: 7.5/10
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.com.hk/en.html

伊呂波 Iroha Japanese BBQ review

Iroha Japanese BBQ

Before visiting this place, I did not know that Japanese BBQ existed... well... at least, not in the form of Korean BBQ style. I was intrigued. I really liked the atmosphere of this place. We had to take off our shoes and walk towards the middle of the restaurant where the seats were. The restaurant felt clean, and unlike most indoor bbq places, this place did not have unpleasant bbq odors.


Price: 500 (+ 10% service charge = $550HKD)

the mini set we got

After several minutes of decisions, my friend and I settled for this mini set. It seemed to have everything we wanted to try and the price was reasonable. As shown both in text and the picture, there is quite a lot of food.

Kimchi and Bean Sprouts

I couldn't understand why a Japanese place would give us Kimchi and Bean Sprouts. It did make me question whether this was an Authentic Japanese restaurant or if it were simply just a Korean/Chinese knockoff. But that aside, the Kimchi and Bean Sprouts were delicious.

Caesar Salad

Next up was Caesar Salad, I'm not sure what's the reason or logic behind it, but it seems that most Authentic Japanese places serve Caesar Salad now. I'm not complaining :). The veggies were fresh and the croutons were well made (they were fresh yet lightly toasted). I liked the size of the croutons, they were thin and flat (making it easy to bite into) yet the surface area was big, making it seem like we weren't eating crumbs.

meat platter for us to cook

And finally, the meat platter comes. This might not look like a lot, but by the end of it, we were so full and we struggled to finish it. My friend and I both liked the Beef Tongues the most.

yummy... waiting for food to be done!

our stove! You can see it is slightly different from the Korean BBQ stoves. I did find it hard to tell when our food was ready, we kept testing the food out to make sure it was cooked properly.

Korean Beef and Tofu Soup

Our meal came with a Korean Beef and Tofu soup. Whenever I eat bbq I tend to get very thirsty, this soup was surprisingly great to quench my thirst. It tasted quite plain though.

Tempura

I can't tell whether it was because we left them out too long or these tempura pieces were not well made... nonetheless, I felt that these were extremely oily and not crispy at all. My friend and I decided to put them on the bbq stove and let them warm up and remove excess oil. The batter was terribly made. We were quite disappointed.

Hokkaido milk pudding for dessert

I really loved this dessert, and it was a surprise to both my friend and I. This Hokkaido milk pudding was extremely tasty and smooth. We were both so excited when we took our first bite! Highly recommend it! I'm not sure if you can order it or whether this was exclusively for this Set dinner we ordered.

Score: 8.5/10
Website: http://www.iroha.com.hk/

Address: 1/F Cameron Plaza, 23 Cameron Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Phone Number: +852 2311 4700

Stroopwafels Caramel waffles review

Stroopwafels from Netherlands

One of my cousins went to Europe and when she was in Netherlands, she picked these caramel waffles in the airport and gave them to me as a souvenir! 

ingredients and nutrition info

Impressions

• Felt like it was sweet but not much sweetness
• Not crispy tasted very soft
• strong caramel taste
• very bland on the outside
• caramel layer is too sweet
• didn't expect the waffle to be so soft
• extremely filling

packaging

I expected the wafels to be much more crispy, but they are too soft, it actually kind of feels like taking a bite out of a honeycomb type of soft.

Before eating this, I was slightly scared it would be too sweet... but it wasn't... in fact, it was not sweet enough, it is a bit too bland for my taste.

However if you half the Stroopwafel and just eat the insides, the caramel is too sweet. I don't understand why they took so much effort to mask the sweetness.

big serving

how it looks when you half it

Despite all this, this is sort of addictive, something about the softness of the Stroopwafels makes your teeth have the urge to bite into it. I liked that it is virtually impossible to overeat this snack as it can be quite filling. One was more than enough for me to be full.

score: 6.5/10
website: no website

Mary Kay' s oil-free hydrating gel review

Mary Kay's Oil-free Hydrating gel

Price: $25-30 USD
Quantity: 1.8 oz

I have never been a big fan of Mary Kay products (will do reviews on those products later) as they are not "compatible" with my skin. When used more than once a week, I find that my skin's condition worsens, with acne, bumps and oiliness.

This Mary Kay product was one of the first products I was introduced to and I could say that out of all the products I used, it helped my skin compared to the others.

How to use this product:

• apply it after your emulsion or moisturizer
• it is the final step of skin care (best applied at night)

What Mary Kay claims:

This nongreasy gel absorbs quickly, leaving skin feeling cool and refreshed while hydrating it for up to 10 hours.

• Clinically tested for skin irritancy and allergy.
• Suitable for sensitive skin.
• Oil- and fragrance-free.
• Non-comedognic (will not clog pores).
• Hypoallergenic.

consistency and product (I lost the spoon)

impressions:

• nice soft scent (lotion type of scent)
• absorbed slowly
• not watery (thick consistency)
• need quite a lot of product
• leaves hands/fingers feeling sticky
• a bit pricey

I find this product quite pricey. I like the soft scent it leaves and matte look I get after applying this gel. Surprisingly, unlike most gels, this gel is quite "firm" it does not drip at all making it easier to smooth onto your skin. Unfortunately, the benefits they "provide" only last up to 3 hours.

pros:

• smells nice
• does not leave face shiny
• skin absorbs
• includes scoop making it much more hygienic

cons:

• does not quench/hydrate skin
• not strong (suitable for humid climates, read: not suitable for places like Toronto)
• leaves fingers feeling sticky
• Pricey

Verdict:

I find this product quite pricey, and it is definitely not worth it. While it does work with your moisturizer to provide additional protection and a bit of moisturizing, it does not do "enough". The effects only last for 3 hours (not the 10 hours they claim) and your skin will feel dry again. 

Unless the price is significantly lowered, I do not think I will be purchasing this product again. I prefer Skin79's Sue Hydrating Gel much more (in regards to price/quality/quantity)

Score: 6/10

Website: http://www.marykay.com/en-US/Skin-Care/Mary-Kay-Oil-Free-Hydrating-Gel/180207.partId?eCatId=10026

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

Hong Kong McDonald' s chicken Wing Afternoon Tea Combo review

List of their mini afternoon tea sets!

For this review, I will be focusing on the first tea set which includes 2 chicken wings and a drink.

my afternoon snack

This is perfect sized if you want a quick snack.

Impressions

• A bit surprised that the chicken wings were spicy
• Filled partial hunger
• Perfect snack
• not very oily

sorry for the blurriness

This came with a cheese sauce, the same cheese sauce they have been using for most of their fried products lately. 

I actually liked the cheese sauce as it has enhanced the flavour and made the chicken wing slightly less spicy. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't tell us in advance the wings would be so spicy. I think the price and portions are just right if you want a small snack before dinner.

Score: 8.5/10 (who can give fried chicken wings a low score? :P)

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.com.hk/en.html

Toronto McDonald' s 2015 Mclobster review

2 mcLobster Meal

It has been a year since I have had the chance to try McLobster and it is back! I'm so glad it is back! And it seems they have made huge improvements. The meal costed $9.95+tax. You can check out my first review here. 

close up of McLobster

McLobster was first introduced in the Atlantic side of Canada and has made their way to different parts of Canada last year (2014). Last year I was very excited but had slight disappointments due to the price and taste.

Impressions:

• Lots more lobster 
• improvements to recipe

The filling or inside of the Mclobster is made from a mixture of different ingredients including mayonnaise, celery, green onions and shredded lettuce. Last year, I complained that the celery and green onions were too strong and stole the taste of the lobster. THIS year, I found improvements, they eased up on the celery and onions; this made the delicious taste of fresh lobster stand out much more. 

I also like how they have provided a combo for the Mclobster making it slightly more affordable than it was last year.

Overall, I was very happy with their improvements, it is clear that McDonald's had listened (or read, in my case) our voices. I am still anticipating that they will have a warm/hot version.

Score: 8.5/10

Website: http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ (no page for Mclobster)

翠華茶餐廳 Tsui Wah Cafe Restaurant Review

To most Hong Kongers and tourists in Hong Kong, Tsui Wah (翠華茶餐廳)is a well known Cha Chang Teng (茶餐廳). In Hong Kong, you can find at least one Tsui Wah near you.

This time in Hong Kong was no different, I went into a Tsui Wah

Tsui Wah's signature fish ball soup

Tsui Wah's Signature Fish Ball Soup with Fish Balls and Fish Cakes $38 HKD (approx. $4.90 USD) 

According to their website:

TW Special in Fish Broth

翠華招牌魚湯

Ingredients (to choose... we can choose 2): Dace Fish, Shrimps, Fish Balls & Fish Paste

(鯪魚球, 魚蛋, 蝦, 魚腐)

I chose Fish Balls & Fish Paste/cake.

Impressions 

• Very rich soup/broth base
• Fresh and nice texture
• fish balls were "bouncy"
• fish cakes were not oily and was soaked in fish broth

The broth was made from fresh fish, and you can tell immediately because of the richness and flavourfulness of the soup. I highly recommend this soup... it is healthy (fish soup is healthy) and it satisfies your hunger. The fish balls and fish cakes were incredibly tasty. I liked how the fish cakes were drenched in the broth, so it added to the tastiness of it. The fish balls on the other hand was very chewy or "bouncy".

Iced Lemon Tea

Iced Lemon Tea $21 HKD (approx. $2.50 USD)

Impressions

• Quenches thirst
• Made from strong tea blend
• Sugar and lemons were right amount

I liked the uniqueness of the tea blend and they added the right amount of sugar/sweetener to enhance the taste of this drink.

Hot Almond Milk with Egg white drink

Hot Almond Milk drink $22 HKD (approx. $2.80 USD)

This is a very traditional Hong Kong drink. And this particular drink (from Tsui Wah) was recommended to us by one of our family friends. They said that they loved the strong taste of Almond.

Impressions:

• Very hot
• Takes 30 mins to cool
• Strong egg white and almond flavour

First, as a precaution, please let this drink cool down slightly... it is HOT!... after testing for approximately 30 mins, I was finally able to drink this without a spoon!

I loved the rich almond flavour... it was so delicious! The egg white was surprisingly not as overcooked as I thought it would be (still hard but not rough). 

Verdict:

I was quite impressed with the quality and prices for Tsui Wah Cafe. However, like most Cha Chang Teng cafes in Hong Kong, you wouldn't expect there to be much service. On the other hand... you can pay with an Octopus card! Extremely convenient!

score: 8/10
website: http://www.cafetsuiwah.com/fish-broth-39770282713199521015.html

Tonymoly Intense Care Galactomyces Lite Essence 96.5% review

packaging and product

Hello everyone!!!

How are you all enjoying the super nice summer weather? I sure am!! I know it has been quite a while since I have written a review on a skincare product... but here it is!

Made in South Korea

Volume: 120 ml

What it is: Serum/Essence

How to use

Dispense an appropriate amount onto a cotton ball, apply it to the skin, and gently pat to enhance absorption.

impressions:

• looks exactly like water
• my skin absorbed the product really well
• Improved my skin condition
• Hard to apply

Feature

1. The boosting essence revitalizes skin as it absorbs quickly into the skin.
2. Galactomyces ferment filtrate 96.5%
3. No added 10 substances. 4 kinds of effective ingredients.
4. A dermatological test on the safety of Galactomyces ferment filtrate has been completed.
5. This essential essence vitalizes and smoothes skin by helping to care its foundation.
6. The ingredient of 100% pure Galactomyces Fermented Filtrate obtained through.
7. lowtemperature fermentation processing makes rough, dull skin smooth and vitalized as it absorbs quickly into the skin.
8. This essential boosting essence works effectively on all skin types and makes skin healthier.

Pros:

• made skin very soft and smooth
• watery, easy to absorb
• no scent

Cons:

• made skin very sensitive (drench and protect your face with moisturizer and gel!)
• hard to apply

The instructions call for using a cotton pad to apply, I feel that is such a waste and not environmentally friendly, so I spread the substance on the palm of my hands and gently pat and rub on my face. This was effective enough... I felt my skin drinking up the essence.

Score: 8/10
Website:

4-7-8 Sleep Method review

image credits: Sattvik

I recently read an article and gathered information on how to cure insomnia... The method is called 4-7-8

instructions:
breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds.

The author claims that it was extremely effective for her, before she counted the full 8 seconds, she already fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, she forgot she did tried this method... And felt absolutely refreshed.

effectiveness:

Since I have been having sleep problems lately, I tried it.... And it didn't work... Is there something wrong with me?!?! I had such high hopes but after trying it consecutively for 5 times, I gave up out of disappointment...

Try it and let me know whether it worked for you...