Frohe Weinachten

Headboard at the hotel I'm staying at in Vienna. It has a very cool, odd, and crazy concept. The circus-y playful feel is everywhere and whoever came up with it is just genius!

But more importantly, the reason why I'm posting from my phone --  merry christmas everyone!! :D

FOOD :: House - Retort Pouch Curry (Spicy)

I bought these a couple of months back but just tried it out today.



This is House brand Retort Pouch Curry. There are choices of Sweet, Medium Hot, and Very Hot. I bought Very Hot. (don't worry -- it is not as hot as you think)

Retort-pouch curry is quite popular in Japan and there are even some versions infused with other flavours like Strawberry or Sakura. But here, I can only get the classic kinds. :P
(I did manage to buy one with apples in it before! -- it was also from House.)

It's meant for one person but I divided it in two.



I heated the pouch for a bit (2-3mins) and poured the contents over hot jasmine rice. Mmmmm.



I drank coffee while eating the curry and I love how the contrast in flavours complements each other.:D

House curry has a a moderate amount of beef, potatoes, and some carrots.
The contents are not so bad compared to ones sold at 100yenStores/Daiso (which are very saucy with very little meat).

Preparing for my trip - Packing

Some things I'm bringing with me:



First row: money // little Pochacco coin purse I bought in Hong Kong in 1995/6/7/8..something. It was from a Gacha machine and I always bring this with me because it fits into my pocket and holds a lot of loose change. (This travelled with me all the way to Taiwan when I took a summer program there too.:D) // pouch for travel adapter (right) // travel adapter (old) // travel adapter with usb (new) // notebook with pages I made myself + erasable Pilot Frixion Pen // leopard-print earmuffs with ears //

Second row: my trusty canon sx110is (slow and drains battery but very handy and I still use it for macro shots -- and also as back-up camera) // eneloop batteries (I have yet to look for the other pairs!!T_T) // The elephant coin purse I bought from Madrid last year from an Indian vendor at Retiro Park. We have tons of local leather goods here too (I have some) but the craftsmanship is very crude (compared to this one).XD //

Third row: my trusty Mango wallet (it has a lot of pockets inside I can easily sort currencies in different sections + front pockets hold my extra memory cards and hair scrunchies) // pocket scissors I got from Jusco at HKD$10 // Lastly my Nikon D90 -- I love the grip and how it fits into my hand. And it almost always takes the shot.:3 It's heavy, yes, but so reliable.

Coffee and Matcha!! Will need it so I brought some to indulge in in the evening.:3



I mended my Terranova Knitted Grey Jacket. I bought it at a sale and didn't notice the hole. T_T I mended it using a crochet hook (to pick up the stitches) and placed the knot on the reverse side (I didn't have any yarn in this colour)



My DIY Rilakkuma bag. Sometimes there's just a need for an extra bag! XD I filled it with a bulky sweater...



...and it can be used as a pillow on the long flight.



Hehe, I couldn't resist using a purikura app to edit this photo!

Food Review :: Desserts @Damaso

My friends and I decided to stop by this place for some desserts... :3



The menu was story-book like and the names derive from various fictional characters from a book we used to study in school. XD




I'm not sure how popular this place is with desserts but they do have a wide array on display. This aside, they do serve mains (mostly local dishes) too. Mains are a little pricey but desserts were quite affordable. :3





B had the classic chocolate cake. I secretly wanted it but will be traveling in two weeks and can't risk getting a sore throat....XD



I had a bite and honestly it exceeded my expectations! I love the rich taste without it being overly sweet.:D



I had the Mango Canonigo, It was light and fluffy and so caramel-y! XD Halfway through I found it too sweet. =_= Then again, I wanted something light and this was perfect. I wish there were more mangoes though. :P



We were all photographing our food (again) -- and B couldn't wait to dig in.n_n



The Canonigo in all its glory.



..and again.



Left, A's Ensaimada con Chocolate; Right, B digging in! Lol.



I had a taste of this too and it was nice and warm (well the choc was warm)! This is comfort food.X3 The rich thick cocoa complemented well (and to me tasted most authentic! :D).



Had such a lovely day~ :3




***
Desserts - @Damaso

Overall:
Food 8/10
Service 9/10
Presentation 8/10

Food Review :: Cibo

I met my friends for lunch today. The first one to arrive was Hachi, we met at the bookstore like we always do and walked around in circles looking for a place to eat! XD We're both breakfast skippers and we were so hungry by about 1 in the afternoon!

Finally we decided on CIBO.



The ambience was nice, well-lit, filled with people but not too crowded, and Italian, which we both love. (and it was perfect for lunch!)



We placed our orders,



and I took some photos while we wait.



Here was Hachi's 1/2 Roast Chicken, it had a fancy italian name but I couldn't quite remember.XD



The portion was incredibly huge. I tried it and it tasted nice and herby -- however I doubt I could finish it. :O

Subsequenttly my pasta came 'round.



I was craving for a light tossed pasta with only the herbs' intense flavours. This was it.

At first it tasted too bland and without any meat-- But NO, this had Olives and Shrimps in it in the bottom!-- it gets tastier after each bite and I actually wanted another plate of it. *w*



That's Hachi 'gramming her food in the back!

A few minutes into digging into our food, Chi arrived and she ordered the Porkchop.



The porkchop was so thick and huge -- and cooked just right (said Chi).
Eating out, I tend to avoid porkchops because I hate gnawing at tough meat.
My friend said it was a little tough but flavor-wise very good.



When my friend and I came to eat it was right during lunch time, and this being in the CBD (Central Business District), a lot of gaijins were dining there as well (One sitting next to our table was ordering plate after plate of food and we were talking among ourselves how much that person was spending...and consuming!)

By the time we were about to leave, there were more locals who came to eat.



It seems to be almost always full-house at peak times we were lucky to get a table.XD





***
CIBO @Greenbelt

Overall:
Food 9/10
Service 8/10*
Presentation 9/10

* (Food took forever to be served but service was otherwise good.)

ABC+K

Met with my friends from univ. today and luckily the train wasn't so crowded like it usually is.:3

First met with A at the bookstore and went to Cibo for lunch.XD A while later K arrived and we had yummy food! XD

When we were almost finished B arrived and we headed out for some quick photos.XD



[L] A 'grammin her food.XD [R] K and B in the middle of a serious+funny conversation.



[L] Modern bonding = 'gramming; Looks like A got a considerable amount of likes! XD [R] Exchanging photos. Haha.

-

The mall looking quite empty.



Taking photos by these steps.



The following photos taken with K's cherry... who would've thought it could actually take decent photos!! X3



A asked someone to take our photo and she took it so nicely.



Bluetooth-ing. Doesn't however work with apple (A's iphone)...=_= So I don't have some of the other photos we took.:/



That is K's cherry (phone) in the photo above (left).
Looks and feels like a Samsung!


I was playing around with my phone and did this. =_=



K had to go home early that day so the rest of us spent the afternoon having some sweets at one of the stores nearby. ;D


It's been way too long since my friends and I last got together like this and we spent the rest of the afternoon looking back to our univ days and talking about grown-up stuff. Lol, how much our preferences have changed. One said - one with a broader mind; Another - weird and scary; Me - the truth is I couldn't say.. because I haven't given it much thought... BUT, it got me thinking, and now I have a few things in mind - (1) one who respects me and will not turn back on me. (2) weird in ways only we can comprehend. (3) a common interest and a few different ones so we can learn from each other. (4) someone who will not put me down because they think they're smarter than me. (5) Someone who can let me be selfish sometimes. (6) And one who will put me first before anything else. :3

Finding someone like this is near impossible. :P (Others' and my experience(s) tell me so). Omi-ai's are full of false pretenses and it's such a waste of time. My friends share the same sentiment.

But wait, why am I talking about this? XD

(Sorry this has gotten so off-topic! I wrote some of these captions 2014/01/14)

Outfit - 20131204

Meeting my friends tomorrow,

Here's what I'll be wearing: Cache-Cache top and jeans from a Local brand.♥



I haven't seen them in ages and miss them terribly! ♥ ♥