Thai Yim, glen waverley

Sheryl and Cathy, two of my friends from work mentioned this great thai restaurant in glen waverley, Thai Yim. Sheryl said they even home deliver if you live within a certain radius if their shop!

Today i finally got around to checking it out.

In the morning, happened to catch a bit of masterchef UK on tv, and one of the contestants had made some delicious looking duck curry with chips and rice (half and half, a speciality from wales apparently! Interesting!)

That surely influenced my decision to check out the thai restaurant. Upon entering it, i immediately ordered the red duck curry!

Looked and smelled good! Thats some coconut rice with it :)

And it tasted as good as it looked! It was delicious!! I was in food heaven. It was a very enjoyable lunch. When i finished there was not a spot of it left in the bowl or plate. Now that is good food!

Thai Yim is at 249 Springvale Rd (near the glen shopping centre)

Highly recommended! :)

When i had asked cathy so whats good on the menu? What do you nornally get there? She said "its all good!" :) i think i have to agree! :)

Baked chicken on fried rice. First time ive had chinese food with thusmuch cheese :)

I go see movies almost once a week, and we pretty much always go to dinner beforehand. Its a part of the outing i really look forward to. Today we decided to try somewhere new, and Peter suggested Shophouse kitchen in QV, opposite pappa rich. I really liked it! The food was cheap (about $11 a meal?), the food came out quickly (i love that!) and it was yummy! And there was a whole menu of options to explore. With pictures!

I decided to try something id never tried before, i think it was called Baked chicken on fried rice.

It was delicious! Id never eaten chinese food with so much melted cheese in it before! Reminded me a little of mac n cheese :)

The chicken was tender and delicious. The fried rice was moist, cheesy, creamy and yum. I cleaned it up good :) cant wait to go back again and continue exploring the menu :)

The crepes at Piatella cafe are amazing :)

My workmate cathy recommended this cafe to me called Piatella. I had stopped by one lunchtime a few weeks ago. Their vanilla slice was delicious! I told her about it next time i saw her and she said their crepes are to die for. She said they only serve it at dinner time cos theres only one guy who makes them there and he only works in the evenings. So since then, ive been curious about it. But in my head, i was thinking, how good could crepes on a plate be? To be honest i love crepe places where i get to eat them in my hands folded in quarters. Yum. Takes me back to the crepe i had near the Notre Dame in Paris :)

Well, today i was catching up with my friend Lisa Choy. And we happened to go to Glen Waverley, and i said lets try these crepes in Piatella! She had seen this place and never gotten a chance to go in yet. It is SO much fun going to eat food with a fellow person who loves food.

Once inside, we could smell the crepes! I was excited. I ordered the nutella and banana crepe and Lisa got the white chocolate cookies and cream crepe. Plus we got a vanilla slice to share.

And...... It was divine!!!

The crepes looked absolutely amazing as soon as they were in front of me. They won me over! And i already knew that the vanilla slice would be good, that was a sure thing :)

That 'enjoy' written on the plate... That was such a nice touch. Really the icing on the cake! Or the jam on the plate haha..

Well, after taking photos, i was almost sad to cut into the crepe, cos it looked so good. But one bite and i got over that quickly enough. It was..... Delicious. So so good.

What can i say? I was in heaven eating it. Some foods make you happy and this was one. And i was sad when it ended. But luckily i had half a delicious vanilla slice to help me get over that feeling!

Yes, these crepes are amazing. Bravo Piatella! :)

Nostaligic food.. It really happens! Nutrigrain breakfast cereal!

When i was a kid, i ate lots of breakfast cereals for breakfast. Sustain, fruit loops, coco pops, corn flakes... Basically all of them! One of them was nutrigrain (iron man food haha!). It was one of my favourites. So yum.

But for some reason or another, we havent bought nutrigrain for yeeeeeears! Im talking over a decade maybe? Im not even sure why.

But today i got up for breakfast and realised one of the two breakfast cereal boxes in the cupboard was running low, so thats always an exciting time, cos then i means i get to go out the back where my mum and dad store the reserve boxes of breakfast cereal, the ones next in line to be eaten. And since i love breakfast cereal so much, i always take it upon myself to choose the next cereal. I love variety!

And today was great! There were about five boxes, each one different, so i got to choose which one i wanted. The third box i picked up was nutrigrain! It was an instant win :D i did look at the last two boxes, but it was a mere formality. It would have to be the rarest, yummiest cereal in the history of the world to beat nutrigrain this day. Unless it was like some american cereal ive never had before, but heard about, like captain crunch or something like that.

Well i took the nutrigrain and excitedly prepared my cereal. Poured in the milk and was about to eat it, when i looked down and... involuntarily paused and just looked at it. Just the sight of the nutrigrain, with its unique shape.

I was transported back to my childhood, no joke. Like a direct connection between childhood me, and present me. The pixar movie Ratatouille is one of my favourite movies, and one of my favourite scenes is when the food critic bites into the ratatouille and gets instantly transported to his childhood. I love that scene and it made an impression on me.

And now i experienced it. It was great.

And here is the sight that brought back my childhood memories :)

And guess what? It tasted delicious too. So satisfying and just what i wanted that morning. Although i must say the nutrigrain seems less brown than i remember. But still it was so good. Im looking forward to breakfast tomorrow :)

Bun from Pappa Roti

Wow.... So delicious. My workmate Ha told me about these yesterday. She said there were these delicious buns from this place called Pappa Roti near Gloria Jeans in Springvale. Always one to note a food recommendation, i made a made a mental note to check it out next time i had the opportunity. And today i did! The weather aas cold, dreary and rainy, but its worth it to check out yummy food right?

I bought one.

It looked like a normal bread bun. Looked good.

Felt good. The anticipation!

I took a bite... And was won over instantly. It is sublime! I cant even describe the taste. It isnt sweet. Its just... Divine!

This a pic after a few bites.

And then a nice surprise!

Theres something inside!

Its buttery in flavour and so yum!

Well, these buns are so yummy. I was only planning on buying one... But i really feel like getting another one since in here :)

The store is at 29B Buckingham ave, Springvale (near gloria jeans), although i think its a chain, so there might be other stores around :)

Vietnamese Pork Rolls :)

One of my favourite things to eat for lunch in Springvale is Pork rolls. They are amazing! Many bakerys sell them here and around certain suburbs in melbourne (central bakery in parkmore in keysborough is good!). In springvale, some of my favs to get it from are bunbun, kingsvale bakery and the one near woolworths supermarket entrance :) my friend vu recommended me one that is inside springvale central shopping center, anloi deli and marinades.

Ive had it from here before as well. Its yummmmm. Very popular at this store! :)

So it doesnt matter where you get it from, just try different places and find your favourite.

But oh man, do vietnamese pork rollshit the spot! And so cheap generally too! These days about $3.50 to $4.50 in springvale. The combination of delicious bread, PATE!!, carrots, spring onion, green stuff and cold pork! (Or grilled pork or chicken if you prefer)... Its so yummm. I love it :D

This is what they look like:

So come to springvale, or richmond, or footscray, or wherever! And try them if you havent had them before :)

Revel in the pate..... Om nom nom nom!

Wagon wheel from Daylesford bakery (Modern Day Bakery)

While waiting a few hours for my bus from Daylesford that would begin my journey back to Melbourne, i came across Daylesford bakery. It looked promising so i read up a little about it on urban spoon and one person said the big  wagon wheels were good. I went inside to take a look. They indeed looked big.

I walked back outside and continued my exploration of Daylesford, seeing this and that and noting what i wanted to eat when i got hungry. The time came and my stomach made its decision! Go back to Daylesford bakery and try one of their chunky meat pies! Also grab a wagon wheel!

Unfortunately i had left it too late, and all the pies were sold by the time i had gotten there. Nevertheless, i continued on with the plan, keeping my chin up and a stiff upper lip.

I bought a wagon wheel and sat down. It felt good in my hands. A good size and feeling fairly substantial. I took a picture

Then a bite :)

And it was glorious! Oh i had never eaten a wagon wheel like this before :) it was delicious... And i devoured it until all that was left was crumbs! And i ate those too :)

Yes... Very tasty!

Snacks from Aldi. I love them!! Aldi rocks :)

I never thought to shop at Aldi supermarket chain until recently one opened just 5mins walk from my house. I was pleasantly surprised when i first browsed the shelves to see that they had all different snacks, chips, biscuits, etc! (different to what im used to seeing in other supermarkets). I experimented and each time i needed to buy a snack for something, ive been trying different things from there. And each time, the snack has been really delicious! And so much cheaper than the usual supermarket too. I always get a shock when i get to the cash register and they tell me the price and i thought that i heard wrong, cos it sounds too low :)

There are are so many snacks im yet to try there... But i am having a blast trying them out. These pink 100 and 1000s cookies.. Oh man... Yum-o :)

Oh and the pic on the ipad of the aldi is and actual pic of the aldi near my house in springvale :D i actually ran down there to take a pic of the aldi, thats how enthusiastic i an about Aldi!

Yes, i am a fan of a supermarket!! Hehe

What is it about a mocha? This mocha? :)

I dont usually drink coffee at all. But sometimes i grab one just before a movie, because more than a few times, ive been sleepy, and slept through more than three quarters of the movie! And its no knock against the movie i fall asleep in either! Its a strange feeling, watching a movie and drifting in and out, catching a bit here and there.. And then it gets to the end and you dont know what happened during the movie at all! And your friends are discussing it afterwards, saying it was  good.. And you have nothing to say because you didnt see most of it! :) well i have protection against that happening now... A coffee before the movie!

I sometimes get a cappucino (i love the froth and sometimes i get a mocha, i love chocolate hehe). Its a tough choice :)

Today i am about to see Star Trek into darkness, for the second time. This time at imax! I dont want to fall asleep (cue aerosmith arnageddon song!). So i bought a mocha from imax cinema candy bar. Maybe its cos barely anyone else was around. It was quiet and calm. The girl serving me was really nice and had a warm demeanour. As i stood there waiting as she made it, and heard the coffee machine churning and spurting or whatever it does, i felt good. She didnt seem to be stressed or rushed. She took her time putting on the chocolate sprinkled (at least i get that impression). I thanked her when i received it. Then i took it away to a nearby table. Took a sip. And it was delicious! Really exactly what i needed.

Which prompted me to write this post. Does a coffee taste better when the person makes it ... I dont know how to explain.. But makes it with feeling? Not rushed. I dont know the answer. Maybe its just that i love chocolate :)

Im enjoying drinking this mocha. Better get back to it before it gets cold :)

Haigh's chocolate

Ive walked past Haigh's chocolate stores many times, and never had the inkling to go inside. Last week, i was walking through the city with my friend Amanda and she said she really likes Haighs chocolate and stopped in to get some. This sounded like a great idea to me, since i like checking out new places! Once inside, i just had to try some of their chocolate. I got a milk chocolate frog, some wafer chocolate thing, and some praline thing. Plus they gave me a taste of some samples too. I love free samples of food hehe!

When i ate it, it was so delicious! Now maybe all chocolate tastes good but, for some reason, these chocolates really did it for me!

I went back today to get a few more, so i could let my sister try them, and today the girl at the counter recommended the vanilla fudge.. Because i had no idea where to begin!

It is so satisfying to eat :)

Yum. It does feel a bit expensive for chocolate, but at the same time i guess thats good for me because i end up buying less. Each thing ive eaten from there really hits the spot :)

I will finish typing this blog now and finish eating this delicious vanilla fudge chocolate. Every bite is heaven hehe

Vanilla Slice from Piatella

One of my workmates recommended this cafe to me and said the cakes were delicious! Id been meaning to try it for a while but never had the chance to until today. Outside the cafe is a sign that says 'still the greatest vanilla slice'.

When i saw that, i just knew i had to try it. So today i bought a vanilla slice from Piatella. Before that though, i had to choose between vanilla slice with icing sugar or vanilla slice with fondant!

First world problems are hard! :) in the end i asked the lovely lady serving me. She said both were very popular, and she personally liked the one with icing sugar. So i went with that one. I had it in a take away box, and went back to my car, so i could devour it.

Looks good doesnt it! :) i initially tried to use the supplied plastic knife and fork, but it just wasnt working for me. There are somethings that just taste better to me when i use my hands to eat them (like nutella crepes! Or any crepes! :))

So i put away the knife and fork and picked it up with my fingers. And chomped into it.

And it was divine! So delicious and satisfying. It sure is one of those foods that sends you to a happy place when you eat it.

One of the best vanilla slices ive had.  I can see why they proudly proclaim its greatness on the chalkboard. It really is great!

Piatella is at 88 Kingsway in Glen Waverley. Next to the entrance to the cinema part. There were other cakes there that looked amazing also, and there were macarons that looked so good too! Im looking forward to trying some other things here in the future :)

Andrews Hamburgers!

My sister recommended this place to me a while back and i finally got a chance to check it out yesterday! I had planned to hang out with my friend cameron today, and when we were thinking of what things we should do, he said it should feature food! And i was trying to think where we could go for dinner and andrews hamburgers in albert park popped into my head! Finally id have a reason to go that little bit out of the cbd to check it out! Once that was decided, my stomach was excited for this the entire week haha!

When cam and i met up on the friday at flinders st, it was dark! And raining! The easy option would have been to just grab something simple in the city. But no, i had promised my stomach andrews burgers, and andrews burgers it was gonna get! I try to keep my promises! :P it felt like a quest, or pilgrimage to me. A journey to find this hallowed burger! I am not even quite sure what hallowed means!

So we hopped on the number 1 tram, and thanks to my trusty gps on my iphone, jumped off when we got close to the location, 144 bridport rd albert park (bridport totally seems like its missing a g and an e to me :P)

And the cool thing was, the tram stop we got off plunked us right near andrews! On that dark, rainy night, seeing the glowing lights of that shop was like spotting an oasis in the desert :) and the wonderful smell got better as we approached. I was so excited when we got there. The place was packed! Which is always encouraging.

I read on another blog that the way the staff move and coordinate themselves as they take orders and cook the burgers is like a wonderful dance. And it really was. I spoke to the man serving us and said ive heard such great things about this place! He said if you came back here 60 years ago, the burger would taste exactly the same. Nothing has changed. Just a good traditional old school burger. Sounds good to me. As a fan of 80s movies and cartoons, i love old school! :)

Well i took my sisters advice and ordered a beef burger with the lot and a small serving of chips.

And it was glorious.

It tasted so good and was so satisfying! The patty was delicious, the bacon was delicious. Im a big fan of eggs and the egg was perfectly done! Not runny, but moist! I loved it. The chips were also great. It really hit the burger spot. Totally worth the trip down on the tram. And interestingly, its kinda made me a fan of burgers with the lot now! I never normally order them... But now i seem to be a fan and feel inclined to order them at other places, especially fish and chip shops to see how they compare :)

Love Andrews hamburgers!! :)

Bonjour de France (french bakery in blackburn)

I was recommended this place by christiane at work and also van. Christiane is from paris and also used to own a bakery! They both highly recommended this place. I finally felt the urge and also had time in the afternoon to go check it out, so go check it out i did!

I ordered a croissant and an eclair. They were delicious!! And i love that they werent too big, so i was able to get the taste without being stuffed!

So yummy and good prices too! And its just across the road from the blackburn library which i like to go to sometimes :)

First post :)

For the longest time ive been uploading pictures of food and drinks i really like onto facebook. I really enjoy doing it. I love noting food recommendations by friends and almost always they have been great and helped me to discover new yummy things to eat around town. I also love how on facebook sometimes i am able to spread the news about something yummy to my other friends, or even just have discussions about them in the comments! I decided it might be fun to do a blog, doing the same thing, so more people can hopefully have access, rather than just my facebook friends :)

So my plan is just to keep doing the sane thing mainly. Keep seeking out yummy foods.. Take pictures and post them!

I named the blog 'mostly food adventures' to give me some flexibility. Maybe one day i might broaden the things i post about to interesting things around town that i hear about then go check out! Im inspired by one of my favourite podcasts 'warcraft less travelled', which talks about interesting and hidden locations in the world of warcraft. I love listening to that!

And thats that! On with the show! ( cue bugs bunny music! :P)