Who can live without yum cha? They obviously haven't lived enough. In Melbourne, you will be hard-pressed to find yum cha without all that expensive frills you don't need, coupled with some contemporary twist you clearly didn't ask for and of course, my biggest pet peeve when dining in the city: too much seasoning. Andy's Yum Cha House, set in the northern suburb of Essendon, is a modestly-sized eatery that serves down-to-earth yum cha selections. Helmed by a team of Hong Kong settlers, you can be assured it is as authentic as it gets.

I probably represent a more Southeast Asian palate in saying this: in general, the yum cha selection here is very evenly-seasoned and not overly sweet or salty (a precious balance attained, as opposed to most of the rest of the highly-acclaimed restaurants). It sure feels like home. When you are here, do not miss out on the steamed pork buns which are fluffy on the outside and very generously stuffed with pork meat fillings inside. Other must-haves obviously include the har gow, scallop dumplings and xiao long baos - but of course, you order them in succession without hesitation and then feast on them like there's no tomorrow. That's how I do yum cha, eh?

Sipping on the fragrant tea with a sweet aftertaste as you dine on the indulgently fried and savoury selections from Andy's Yum Cha, is the best way to enjoy it. I don't particularly advocate too much fried stuff, but how could you resist the salt fried chicken ribs? I love the touch of spiciness that really added dimension to the dish. The flat prawn rolls is a different take to the usual fried dumplings that I've encountered, remember to dip it with the sauce provided! The fried pork dumplings is the ultimate sinfully well-loved dish ever. Proceed with caution and enjoy!

I was just telling my friend yesterday about why I love the parks in Melbourne... each of them packs a surprise for you. They are really not just trees and ponds but they have their own distinctive characteristic. Queens Park in the Moonee Ponds suburb (sadly, didn't manage to explore much of this area thereafter) had a particular niche for ducks... lots of them! They are au naturale - not planted there by anyone! This is an explainable wonderment from someone who comes from the land of manmade environment, okay? Here, pictures!

This is a 20-mins walk away from our lunch place, Andy's Yum Cha. Families were there in large gatherings. Boys playing frisbee, parents barbequing and chatting, kids chasing after ducks... the elders were strolling around the large lake/pond admiring the diamond glitters spangling off the surface of the water... perfect life, yes? I really liked the desert-themed plants there too, with uneven choreography of cacti planted around the area, with palm trees too. The sky that day was really, really blue. One of the days that I hold close to my heart. 

Shops close at five in the afternoon, and when the sky goes dark, it seems like the city falls into a deep slumber before the next day comes along. No nightlife, really?! I was very surprised to find human hot spots in Korean restaurants, with small parties of people feasting on what looks like fried chicken, spicy ramen hotpots, and seafood pancakes. It seems like if you don't indulge in some of these... you're missing out. Where to go? What to eat? Let me break it down for you:

1. Jang-gun

Caters to aspiring vampires that do not require sleep, Jang-Gun provides all that you may crave for post-dinner. It is set in the core of Melbourne's very own Korea town, with finger lickin' good sweet and spicy fried chicken that will send a certain fast food restaurant packing real fast. Their seafood dukbokki (see the top image) was an impressive arsenal of mussels, eggs, prawns, and squid. Don't forget the beer! We overestimated ourselves. Try not to commit this same mistake even though you just might. Who could resist ordering this much?

2. Changgo

In all honesty, I was never a fan of Korean food despite tons of attempts to change my impression of it. Changgo was my first Korean BBQ restaurant experience in Melbourne, and a great initiation it was. The freshness of the meats for the barbecue was unrivalled, tender yet chewy, juicy yet retains a lot of its original flavour. Sauces are passed around to dip for the meats, but they were really good on their own already. Then I met my new love in watermelon soju. I never turned back.

3. Joomak

Photo credits: Joomak Facebook

Photo credits: Joomak Facebook

Photo credits: Joomak Facebook

At this point in time, I have given up taking photos during these suppers because (1) People are often very hungry, and photography becomes very tough on a table of temptations (2) These places are very, very dimly lit, making it very difficult for food photography unless you have a ring light - and then refer to (1). I suspect that the dark lighting helps to conceal unglamorous acts of gobbling down food and ballooning tummies. To me, Joo Mak was very similar to Jang-Gun in what they offer on the menu, much to my amusement when I saw the dishes. Except that their opening hours are different, and Joo Mak is a lot bigger to accommodate large groups. Joo Mak is also the place for the younger, university crowd. It was also then I had my first makgeolli and it feels like seeing the ocean for the first time. It tasted so divine.

4. Woo-ga

Photo credits: Woo-ga Facebook

Photo credits: Woo-ga Facebook

Photo credits: Woo-ga Facebook

Image credits: epicureantravel

I haven't been to Woo Ga, but it is located next to Queen Victoria Market and somehow you know, there is so much procrastination when it comes to places near where I live. I've gone past it countless of times and it is always jam-packed with a queue outside. Reading the reviews online, it seems like it is a hot favourite in the league of Korean restaurants in Melbourne! People are simply crazy over it and now I'm regretting not going for it. It sure is going on my to-go list for my next trip to Melbourne. Tell me if you do go okay?

Budget's a little tight after all that cray-cray GSS haul, but nobody ever gets enough of retail therapy. High five. Let's give our legs a rest and do everything else on the Internet. Here is my list of under $10 online shopping guide for July 2015.

If you've got to buy shoes, might as well get some statement pieces, right? They don't have to be expensive either. These shoes instantly put a magical oomph into your outfit. Ooh, shiny. Comes in Black, Pink, and Silver. Click here to get it now (redirected to Zalora Singapore). Zalora Singapore is also having a GSS Sale of everything else at $9.

4. NABAIJI Waterpolo Ball for $3.12

All that swimmingly good fun for cheap! Even if you aren't that sporty, water(polo) balls bring so much more excitement to your usual swimming routine. Comes in Blue, Pink, Red, Yellow and 2 years of warranty - so you can whack the hell out of that ball. Click here to get it now (redirected to Decathlon Singapore).

5. Rose Flower Rhinestone Pearl Stud Earrings (Pink) for $4.48

While you cannot expect real pearls and diamonds, these pair of gorgeous earrings are still a stunner. Can you already imagine these sparkly babies paired with a chignon and a high necklined white dress? That's what they call angels. Click here to get it now (redirected to Lazada Singapore).







This post is kindly powered by Picodi.sg. Picodi Singapore is the one-stop for greater savings, with coupons and sales for all the popular online shopping websites like Lazada, ASOS, Redmart, Love Bonito, Zalora, Groupon, MUJI, Reebonz, and more.

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It was like Ramen Wonderland in here, coupled with free matcha ice-cream if you uploaded a selfie with your bowl of ramen... as if we aren't gonna do that already! Fukuryu is one of the big names when it comes to ramen-hunting in Melbourne. It has an edge over the rest of the popular joints for its the many different flavours it offers (it reminded me of the Singapore-equivalent - Suzuki Ramen Bar) and its huge restaurant space which meant zero waiting time. Been there twice and I never had to wait despite its popularity. Great for tourists who are running on a tight schedule and looking for a lunch stop at Melbourne's Chinatown!

I become so incredibly hungry every single time I look at this set of pictures, I swear it feels like my stomach eating itself. In my two visits, I managed to try the Red Dragon Ramen (extra, extra spicy!), Summer Shio Ramen, and Signature Tonkotsu Ramen. I had ordered the signature myself the first time and introduced it to my mother when I brought her there. So yes, that's a sign of approval. The Signature Tonkotsu Ramen's broth was robust and deep, clearly simmered with pork bones for hours to achieve this consistency. The nitamago is also adorably perfect - that gooey yolk that threatens to flow but holds itself - every single time, which definitely scored points on my end. The Red Dragon Ramen was crazily spicy, so if you want to challenge how much you can tolerate... go for it. The Summer Shio ramen was relatively disappointing because as a citrus-fan (I squeeze lemon in nearly everything I cook now, it's my secret ingredient!), I thought there's no way it can go wrong. But the yuzushio soup base I was expecting was quite superficial and not intense enough at all. 

MATCHA ICE-CREAM. I would just like to say... I was so thrilled after trying it, and it became hands down the best matcha ice-cream I've tried (until I went to another place weeks after, which topped this :o). It was legit matcha, very very very intense matcha flavour and I felt transported to matcha world. I cannot believe I got this for free for posting a selfie with my ramen on Instagram, I would have so gladly paid for this. Please try this. I miss this so much! Details on your table when you sit down for the How Do You Fukuryu promotion.

Please note that it can be quite tricky to find this place if you're not familiar. Either equip yourself with a good ramen hunting partner (like me) or note the following: 

I haven't had enough destiny credits to try out Aqua S in Sydney (reason to go again), but there is now a contender for this blue-and-pink(white) twisty soft serve cone on cotton candy clouds... right here on homeground in Singapore. Location: Bakery Chef at Bukit Merah.

The blue gives a jolt of sea salt and the pink (I see it as white, even in real life lighting, but pink is indeed more romantic), a swirl of faint gula melaka. A little more magic comes with caramel crunchy balls which are obviously more aesthetically exciting than for practical eating as they roll anticlimactically off the cone. This soft serve is on the creamy and rich side, but flavours weren't as intense as I would liked it to be. Still very Instagrammable. Note: Bakery Chef is more famous for their rainbow cakes.

If your traveling style is to spend more time in a single place and get to know it really well rather than do a cursory city-hop, you will most likely enjoy this list. This combination is hardly going to make it up to TripAdvisor's generic tourist lists unless you scour for them particularly. I'll still recommend it to you anyway. Footscray is a suburb that is more Vietnamese than what is commonly known to be Little Vietnam Richmond, so if you want to immerse yourself in an environment set up by the Vietnamese immigrant community in Melbourne, I recommend Footscray. Williamstown is a short bus ride away from Footscray, which makes sense to add to the day itinerary because this suburb is not big enough for you to spend more than half a day there. You can most likely squeeze Westgate Park into the deal if you are driving, but public transport can get a little tricky to do these three together (more on that). Now, into the specifics:

Williamstown Beach appears to be rather secluded and private, unbeknownst to throngs of tourists that flood to the city everyday. There is a rather deep bay which makes it look like a private lagoon. When I was there, people were even doing yoga on little floats, swimming, fishing and kayaking around. It would be lovely to do a little picnic over there and just chill with a book if you'd the luxury of time. Otherwise, take a short stroll along the beach which looks out into Port Philip Bay and by extension of which, in the direction of Tasmania.

From Williamstown, take bus 472 (bus route map here). Note the timetable towards Moonee Ponds from Williamstown or from Footscray towards Williamstown here. It comes every 15 minutes so there shouldn't be much to wait.

Footscray Market is the place you want to be if you are a very Asian cook. As opposed to the famous Queen Victoria Market, this market is very big and popular among locals because of its greater variety of vegetables, melons, herbs, and meats. Some vegetables, especially if they are normally not available in large quantities at QVM, are much cheaper. Here is a very auntie trick to find out what is good to get around there: um, look at the more experienced aunties and see what's in their basket (and also if they are hesitant or going straight for certain things confidently). Damn, am I evolving already? If you are staying in a hostel or a serviced apartment or Airbnb that allows you to cook on your short holiday, it can be quite a fun experience to grab some groceries and try your hand at whipping up a meal with the fresh ingredients of Australia. Eating out everyday can be quite expensive too.

Another grocery hotspot to hit up is the Little Saigon Supermarket which has this airconditioned supermarket area and a more disorganized mess right outside. Go into that confusion - fruits here are of really good quality and usually at the cheapest prices you can find across the region. Sauces within the supermarket include just about everything you can find at the super famous Asian supermart on Russell Street and more. They are also priced slightly lower (around half a dollar, but small savings go a long way). Of course, this tip is mostly for overseas students, foreign working professionals and generally people staying here for a longer period of time. 

To aspiring green thumbs and chefs, you may consider growing a herb garden in your apartment with the different varieties available on the street here. Surprisingly, not all of them are Vietnamese, some of the hawkers are actually from Hong Kong (deduced from their accents), as with most other shopkeepers in Footscray. I sure didn't feel like I was in Australia in here...

5. Slurp on Melbourne's best pho: Pho Hung Vuong

The pho from Hung Vuong remains the best pho ever in my records (strong contender from Sydney's, which I will get to very soon). You have to try it at least once. The pho is silkier than silk and the beef slices are excellently medium-rare, tender and flavourful, I couldn't stop eating the moment I started. I finished a small-bowl (which is as small as a face basin) on my own. Although getting a medium-bowl and sharing with someone is a cheaper and viable option in terms of fullness, I recommend getting a small bowl for yourself for maximum satisfaction. A tray of Vietnamese spring rolls go very well with the pho too. Such a yummilicious time that you musn't miss!

Pho Hung Vuong
128 Hopkins Street

6. Pop into one of those Vietnamese DVD shops.

No pictures for this one because somehow I didn't think of documenting it at the time of occurrence. Not like the shopkeepers will appreciate a pesky tourist poking her camera everywhere... it was still a strangely disorienting experience. Vietnamese songs were being blasted into the streets and I certainly feel like I just teleported into a different space-time-dimension.

7. Circle around that pink lake at Westgate Park.

The day I heard I was physically only five kilometres away from a naturally-occurring pink saltwater lake, you bet I set my eyes on visiting it instantly. Westgate Park (in which the pink lake is found in), is located within Port Melbourne. The only way to get there by public transport is by bus route 235 (bus route map here) and walking 15 minutes along a super deserted road lined with industrial/ factory buildings. Still, nothing will stop me from reaching that elusive pink lake. When I first saw it, it was pretty anticlimactic because it was really pink (!!!) and at the same time, surrounded by a desolate unkempt amount of wilderness. Well, a pink lake is still a pink lake. 

 Important notes for the travelers:
- Pink lakes are only pink because of some ''natural interaction of a harmless, single-cell alga and halobacterium'' and is intensified with sunlight and as little rainwater as possible. In tourist terms, plan your visit to be on a sunny day and ensure that it didn't rain the day before as well.
- Allocate about an hour to reach from Queen Victoria Market.
- Skip this if you have limited time in Melbourne.
- Best accessed by driving. If you are alone, it can be quite unnerving to walk to Westgate Park (I did walk there on my own and it turned out to be slightly scary).

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @spherepiece and Facebook page! 

What do you eat everyday? You might find it a hassle to take note of every meal to ensure you've got all the proteins, carbohydrates and fibre covered. I know that feeling, especially when the stomach starts growling, I pretty much settle for whatever that's most convenient. Health problems resulting from unrestrained eating will only surface only when your body is protesting aka. too late! La-di-da. Aren't I such a nag?!

The Bento People @ The Snack Culture makes it easier - they'll take care of the nutrition and focus on making it tasty... you just have to eat. They provide an international menu of 15 selections, from which you choose 3 dishes for your customized bento.

Building a community of good eating habits

The boss of The Bento People @ The Snack Culture, Tat Hon (or more affectionately known as Doc), is passionate in developing a conscious routine in his customers to choose a healthier lifestyle in terms of what they eat everyday. The beverages right there are all sugar-free, such as the raspberry soda. Other interesting drinks include bitter gourd teas, iced mint lemon green teas and the Virgin Mary (alcohol-free). There is a 'sugar bar' for those who needs to slowly wean off artificially sweetened drinks. I must admit, it is a little hard to accept entirely sugar-free drinks because I am already so reliant on that particular sensory kick! But surely, one step at a time... I'm heartened by the initiative to go against what's popular and how they take care of their customers like their friends.

For the food menu, Tat Hon emphasizes, "Eating healthy doesn't mean it has to bland, and can't be delicious," and sure enough, we tried a lot of the selections he offered and they were definitely up to standard. Most of the mouthwatering flavours came from the ingredients itself instead of seasoning.

What impressed me... the world in a bento! My top three picks:

The Bento People @ The Snack Culture has such an impressive array of whole grains, proteins, vegetables and fruits to choose from. Their Weekday Lunch Menu involves the Make Your Own Healthy Bento in which you choose three to put in your customized bento. To rescue you from a dilemma on choosing what to eat, let me pick out some dishes that I'd recommend.

The most memorable pick has got to be the velvety salmon confit with its texture-rich combination with the clever addition of Mexican pico de gallo - salad made from diced tomatoes and onions. I already love eating salmon, but I know it ain't easy to be on the other end to cook it well. Double thumbs up from me!

An unexpected attractive dish was the quinoa salad with mixed nuts, beans, grapes, drizzled over by yuzu balsamic vinegar dressing. I have to say this was a very creative and refreshing blend that is not easily found in the Singapore food scene. This Spanish grain is often misconstrued to be not as tasty as the rice we are accustomed to... but not if you do it right, as I've tried in here! I went in for seconds, and then thirds for this particular dish! To put it in local terms... it feels like a party of Chinese New Year treats.

You can also find the nonya chap chye here, which included black fungus (also: cloud ear fungus) which I have a fond liking towards. There were also lily buds and beancurd skin that added a lot of flavour and jest that excite the tastebuds. It might not be the most photogenic dish, but I've gotta say... who cares about that when it's going to disappear straight into my stomach within seconds?! Especially with that belachan mayo... just ingenious. This success of this self-created dish had led it to become one of the signatures.

Ma Sit Sso Yo: Korean cuisine fans, this one's for you.

The other customers' hot picks include the ones from the Korean range: Jjigae with sous vide chicken breast and tofu and the bulgogi beef with tofu. I don't particularly like Korean food, but I still have to admit that these dishes are well-handled by the team. Both sauces are on the lighter side and less oily than the usual ones out there, a welcomed difference for me. Tofu provides a powerful alternative source of protein as well.

A lot more for the adventurous you!

Popular choices are potentially still too mainstream for the hipster in you! I was very surprised to see something as exotic as the Greek Tzatziki Cucumber Salad to appear on the menu, I have tried something similar before and it is arguably very different from the typical Singaporean palate. This is quite a good initiation point to try something different.

The Bento People @ The Snack Culture stay true to cultural roots with in-house cookies - with different flavours like hae bee hiam and laksa, but gotta say... the hae bee hiam ones are really unique and taste like the real deal itself! If you want to grab this interesting present for someone, you know where to go! 

How excited I am to be posting about Sydney?! VERY. Without a doubt, my first piece of advice when it comes to Sydney in general: study the map and transport system in great detail. It is Australia's most representative and bustling city, but when it comes to city planning, it is quite a train wreck. Don't let that stop you from having an exciting holiday at Sydney though, there is so much to explore, experience, dine and enjoy here!

As compared to Melbourne, I am so much more an inexperienced tourist in Sydney and would not proclaim this to be anywhere near a guide, but what I can tell you is what you need to take note at these places, what's good to have, relevant background information, and whether these popular attractions are worth going! Our first stop in this city was the extremely famous Sydney Fish Market that looks out into the Blackwattle Bay. We were wondering if it was Darling Harbour - that is almost a 1-km hike away involving slopes and quite a bit of navigation.

The Sydney Fish Market is one of the largest functioning public fish markets in the whole of the Southern hemisphere, with an exciting atmosphere that you cannot miss out when you are here. We were there on the rainy Easter weekend, partly  to soak up the festivities, and coincidentally saw some media coverage there too. But other than that... the markets were bursting at its seams with tourists from all kinds of cultures... congregating for the love of seafood over that holiday weekend. Pretty universal obsession, I guess, but it's not hard to tell why! Much of the business stall owners comprise both Australians, Italians and Chinese people, so you can enjoy a lot of cooking styles as well... especially black pepper steamed crabs!

 

It was very, very crowded, and everyone was jostling to buy from the different stalls to create their lunch spread. The business owners are very efficient though, so there wasn't much to wait. The whole area isn't very large, but definitely more than sufficient to indulge in your seafood feast. The popular choices are the sashimi, live oysters, crabs, seafood combination and red wine! Even though it is cheaper than what you can get in a restaurant, to dine to an ultimate level of satisfaction, do set aside around AUD20/pax. The tables that line the Blackwattle Bay will let you have a lovely view of the yachts and boats, as well as the ubiquitous seagulls that may join you in your meal.

An eccentrically early Friday morning, the sun has barely risen. Easter Friday. It feels like the whole world hasn't woken up yet. It feels like a short distance on the map from the Central station, but man, it's quite a hike with bulky trolley suitcases rolling over cobbled pavements. It was surreal, as usual, whenever we travel distances to reach another city. We were in Sydney, drinking in every bit of that atmosphere. The sky looks like it was threatening to pour, drizzling a little as we go along. The body was yearning for coffee after an overnight train journey (note to self: you're probably not young enough, or at least, get rest before going on such a ride). Reuben Hills was right on the list that actually is highly raved, one of the rare ones that open on Easter Friday, and conveniently located somewhat near to the station.

Breakfast with a hot mocha and a broken omelette roll with fried shrimp and bacon jam is madly comforting and a warm welcome to Sydney, surprisingly also more than I can finish. It can get a bit cloying but in general, it is a very interesting combination with a savoury and sweet mix. Most people do head to Reuben Hills to try their coffees which involves their roasted beans which make really good gifts. I regret not getting some, but first I would need a coffee machine.

A homegrown patisserie, Le Kue, is inspired by French culinary techniques. They are dedicated in their dessert creation with a tropical, Asian spin on most of their cakes. Muslim friends will be able to enjoy their creations as well because Le Kue is consciously Halal (more details here). The crowd they garner on a weekday afternoon is almost all tourists, taking a break from the unrelenting heat. Their interior design adopts a sophisticated and elegant theme and reminds me of W Hotel Singapore... in a good way.

Admittedly, I am pretty much detached from the local food scene from my months of absence, and Instagram updates from my foodie friends really can't beat the real deal of trying them out myself. One worrying trend is the tendency for desserts and cafes to overcompensate on the Instagrammability of their food and neglecting the taste, so when I was looking at the cakes... they all look gorgeous. Would they be really good too?

For my waistline and wallet, I only tried one cake, the Strawberry Shortcake from their display. It performed quite beautifully... as you can tell after the first shot, I didn't wanted to take any more photos because I couldn't stop savouring it! Underneath its light and fluffy rouge exterior, sweet strawberries fillings was stuffed generously in it. This is what a dessert should be like. I am likely to be back for more.

How much wild is too wild for a city girl to be in? A weekend trip into the mountains sounds like the perfect digital detox plan, but a complete detox can be too extreme when you still need connection to communicate with your airport transfer staff, GPS to find your way around, finding out where is the only Carl's Junior in the whole of Surabaya, and updating Facebook/Instagram! You know, important stuff. Google has always been within reach 24/7 for whatever questions you may have. Unplugging yourself without any Plan Bs may not just be uncomfortable, but disruptive to your traveling plans. That's why I brought VisonData's pocket wifi along with me on the trip to Mount Bromo, Surabaya. If you are interested in finding out about this fuss-free method of staying connected while being overseas, read more:

I managed to keep my friends and family informed of where I was in Surabaya with the VisonData pocket wifi by posting photos on Facebook and Instagram. Even on Mount Bromo, I could refresh my Facebook newsfeed... that, I am impressed. I was after all, surrounded by mountains... The pocket wifi is also super lightweight and easy to carry around, I tucked it into my jacket pocket and it didn't feel like much weight. You can see the size of the pocket wifi with reference to my Samsung S4.

I will write a more comprehensive detailed travelogue on Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru, but till then, here are some pictures to show you the village nearest to Mount Bromo. I love how peaceful and welcoming the villagers are, especially the little children! It was a semi-challenging hike uphill considering I am the antithesis of athletic, but they really made it so much easier.

VisonData also provides rental for powerbanks at SGD2/day. It came in really handy because I forgot to bring my universal adapter and had to depend on the powerbank for three whole days to charge both my smartphone and the pocket wifi. To which... it only drained from 100% to 54% after three days. The power bank has a capacity of 8400 mAh with two outputs (1.5A/1A) and one input. It also indicates the percentage of battery left once you switch the power bank. For average devices (with battery capacity of 2000 mAh), the power bank can charge the device up to 4-5 times.

Sydney's CBD attractions are located very close to one another, within walking distance. However, to complete everything properly within a day can be rather ambitious. If you're greatly determined to save time, two days should be enough. There are no fast and hard rules on how you can do it most efficiently, so check out the map and plan accordingly. We started walking from the Sydney Fish Market towards the Australian National Maritime Museum to see Darling Harbour. 

We did not enter the Australian National Maritime Museum because it was not part of the original plan... but it does look interesting with war vessels parked right in Darling Harbour. You can only explore aboard with the admission tickets. Note that we did Sydney Fish Market for lunch, so we had the afternoon to do the rest of the attractions and most of them close at 5pm.

Important notes for the travelers:
- Entrance fees for Australian National Maritime Museum: AUD27 (adult), AUD16 (children aged 4-15), free (children under 4). For detailed admission prices, click here.

From Australian National Maritime Museum to Queen Victoria Building: 1,100m
Recommended to stop by Queen Victoria Building before going to Hyde Park

From Queen Victoria Building to Hyde Park: 450m

The next stop was Hyde Park, which we went through it a few times during our holiday in Sydney! We didn't regret it at all because it was so breathtakingly beautiful. It feels like this architectural valley of greenery amidst a concrete jungle. This must be my favourite place in the whole city that is considerably underrated.

From Hyde Park to St James Church: 10m

Intrigued by the Georgian building at one end of Hyde Park, we went over to find out it is St James Church. They were having an Easter Friday service so there was a really huge crowd going in to attend it. The attendees were all dressed to the nines.

From St James Church to Royal Botanic Gardens: 700m

The Royal Botanic Garden has a few self-guided tours within the garden grounds that provide different perspectives to your visit to Australia. We did the Aboriginal Heritage Walk (highly recommended for a historical understanding of the first people of Australia). There are also many sections within the gardens to explore, if you like gardens, you might probably take at least an hour or two to stroll to your heart's content.

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @spherepiece and Facebook page!

Fantastic news for the office population around City Hall, Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut region... Go60 gives you a chance to inject a different rhythm in your life. Go60 is a lifestyle spa that provides premium facial, massage and slimming treatments. Young urban professionals can relax with a 60-minute luxurious treatment priced at 60-dollars nett, an unrivaled price point in the beauty market in Singapore. There are no prepaid packages, no pushy sales, only pay-as-you-use treatments! They have several treatments available, depending on your needs and preferences:

Facials, slimming therapies, massages for the 365-days of different moods and occasions. All the names are so cute, such as Go Bye Bye Panda Eyes, Go Bye Bye Jelly Arms and Go Cat Walk! 

Go60 launched their latest facial treatment as part of their MU Essential Treatment Series: 

Most Advanced Hydrating Facial Treatment!

The MU Essential Treatment Series follows this routine:

• Essential Cleanse
• Enzyme Peel
• Essential Toning Lotion Spray
• Essential Serum
• 7-Step Spanish Manual Lymphatic Draining (MLD) Technique
• Customized Mask
• Essential Moisturizer and UV Defence Mist Spray

The professional and super friendly staff showing us how the 7-Step Spanish Manual Lymphatic Draining (MLD) Technique works. The MLD massage is a non-invasive way of removing toxins and keeping the cells healthy through the lymphatic system. This massage will promote the lymphatic system to deliver nutrients to cells and to remove cellular waste, bacteria and toxins. The massage also aims to reduce facial puffiness, alleviates fatigue, reduces swelling from surgery to injury recovery. Finally, the massage invigorates the skin, tissues and nerves to unveil an ageless appearance. 

Before starting the treatment...

I'm about to try out the Go60 Most Advanced Hydrating Facial Treatment!

The whole process was done with a professional and skilled beautician and she made me feel extremely at ease. They pride themselves on maintaining a relaxed mood during treatments because that will also affect their customers' emotions. The beautician has such warm hands and it created a very calming effect throughout the process. During the cooling mask process, I totally fell asleep in the environment that made me feel so safe, secured and comfortable.

So refreshing after the facial! I would not imagine to see results immediately after the facial, but all the previous puffiness is instantly gone. Even though I just woke up, I felt very awake and my skin felt smoother and softer (due to the lymphatic massage and cooling mask). It's also very enjoyable to talk to the beauticians because they are all so approachable and friendly, you can simply ask them anything if you don't understand any part about the treatment too. 

The treatments are available not only for ladies, but men as well. Recharge yourselves during your lunch break or right after you knock off with these reasonably priced treatments at Go60. Disclaimer: They sponsored for the facial, but this is not a paid post.

The shortcut to knowing all the best places to go is to find someone who has been around for some time! I found this 'semi-local' in my junior college friend and he strongly recommended Devon Cafe, which turned out to be a incredible choice. Devon Cafe is located within the dynamic cultural hub of Surry Hills, home to eateries, bars and cafes. 

Devon Cafe is unsurprisingly... stuffed to its brim with cafe-goers. There are three main sections in the cafe (difficult to picture without jabbing my elbow in someone's face): one, at the front of house; two, semi-alfresco area with sunlight streaming in; three, a cavern-like backroom. I'll definitely recommend the semi-alfresco area because... sunlight is your best friend for food photography. Really, three-quarters of the battle is won. The remaining quarter... gorgeous plating, of course.

This Little Lost Bread (AUD17)... oh boy would I bring it home with me. I rarely describe anything to be ingenious, but this combination is such a happy party together: brioche French toast, fresh and freeze-dried strawberries, balsamic and strawberry gastrique, strawberry cheesecake ice-cream, and Arnott's biscuit crumble. The sweet and sour overtones from all the different elements make it such a wonderful brunch choice. The strawberry cheesecake ice-cream has this very velvety and hit the right notes of what it should be. Definitely recommended! You can add bacon for AUD4 but I can't imagine how that would fit in this equation... (okay okay, bacon fits everywhere)

Breakfast with the Sakuma's  (AUD25) makes me want to kidnap the Sakuma's family to make brekkie for me. There's a generous slab of miso-grilled king salmon, accompanied with a smoked eel croquette, sixty-three degree egg, radish petit salad and kewpie mayonnaise. It was really delicious, and I tried very hard not to hijack this from my friend's plate. Table manners and gluttony habits are just so difficult to balance. 

Go to Devon Cafe. Don't even think twice about it!

Exhibiting what it means by breathing life into different songs with their own different styles, the judges launched the season with an amazing transition from song to song. You don't have to see the visuals to know who is singing what, everything is beautifully choreographed. This effectual impact sets really high expectations for the season to come!

Jay Chou has so many songs, some are undeniably more memorable than others. 双截棍, one of the rap songs released in 2011, is typical of his unclear mumbling rapping style... perhaps only his fans would have the patience to read the lyrics! Contestant Chen Zi Tong - also known as Queen T, who is raised in an environment surrounded by military influences decided to perform this song, with her own interpretation (watch it here). It feels slightly too 'slippery' and not powerful enough because she got quite breathless halfway. She still received affirmation from all four judges. In addition, Chen Zi Tong is being nurtured by Korean entertainment media company CJE&M and Beijing Century Media as a new singer. Don't you see a striking parallel with Season 3's winner... Zhang Bi Chen? Food for thought.

A plethora of extremely 'classic' voices are presented in the first episode, including (1) Tan Xuan Yuan's Still Loving You, (2) the return of Season 3's contestant, Zhu Qiang's performance of Faye Wong's vintage song 但愿人长久, and (3) Thai-contestant Lang-ga-la-mu's performance of Teresa Teng's 千言万语. Tan's voice was described to be even better than Season 1 super wide vocal range singer Zhang Wei... I must say.. that reserves to be proven right but not with this song. 16-year old Lang-ga-la-mu's performance is too similar to the original singer, one of the common reasons for the judges not to turn for contestants. At least she got to sing with Jay Chou! I love her voice, to be honest, she reminds me of the lovely voices from Thai rom-com theme songs.

Leon Li An (same name as director Ang Lee)'s singing managed to convince the judges to turn for him purely based on his voice. While Na Ying thought that he must be 'very handsome' based on his really good voice, she was evidently surprised to find him to fall below her expectations... time to calm your hormones down, woman. Bei Bei from Wuhan sang a powerful song that has become trademarked by Season 1's winner - 花火. A dangerous move, but it seems like the judges still dig that explosive, shouting sort of singing style. She sure reminds me of rocker-style 毕夏 from second season... but less polished...

404 error: no surprise found! The hype for this season is single-handedly built around Jay Chou's involvement in the judging. Many of the contestants came straight for Jay, with little deviation from their initial intentions. There are some who changed their minds on stage though, so keep a lookout for the contestants' choices. A little episode: Don't miss out on Jay Chou's bitter scoop on how he got snubbed by Harlem before he got famous too. Here, some moving gifs of your favourite judge.

Credits: @周杰伦官方歌迷资讯 weibo

Credits: @周杰伦官方歌迷资讯 weibo

Credits: @周杰伦官方歌迷资讯 weibo

Credits: @周杰伦官方歌迷资讯 weibo

Obviously a personal favourite - 姐姐 by Jeannie Hsieh performed by music editor, Xu Lin... If you haven't sung this song in karaoke yet, DO IT (*flashing fierce eyes*). It is such an enjoyable performance and slightly strange... because it is sung by a guy. I say, this is my favourite performance of tonight's episode, though I'm hoping and thinking that there should be someone out there, ready to wow us. The best is yet to be!

Essential is my go-to brand for hair products, including their groundbreaking innovative product sleeping hair mask and leave-on serum which I am still using to date. I would strongly recommend because they give that quick transformation and revival to lifeless hair. This time, I am trying out their range of Light Finish Volumizing & Deep Cleansing Care Shampoo & Conditioner, I am totally excited to see if that similar transition can be created with these products we have to use everyday.

Oily roots and dry ends is an extremely common problem in this humid tropical climate, regardless among women and men. It can be very uncomfortable, sticky and greasy when you run your fingers through your hair. This can be fixed from a simple solution by changing the type of shampoo once you finished your current one, a shampoo and conditioner combination that is suitable for your hair type.

One of the little secrets that many girls with awesome hair is to regularly change the types of shampoos. This is because everyone's hairs have multiple needs, and often, shampoos can't tackle all at once. It is actually not any less economical to have two shampoos to use alternately, since you need to use these everyday and they won't expire either.

Essential Light Finish Volumizing (yellow) and Deep Cleansing Care (blue) variants brings the best of both worlds to you. With the optimum combination of Smart Cuticle Care & Sebum Cleansing Technology, you can now achieve moisturized hair ends while maintaining a refreshed breathable scalp.

Another not-so-secretive tip is to be hardworking when it comes to conditioning. No two questions about it. 

Okay the deal is this: you know how to use shampoos and conditioners. Use them as per usual. And then just enjoy, this, difference. I recently switched over to this set of Essential shampoos and conditioners after I finished by previous bottle of another brand, and look at the difference! I did brush my hair when I took the 'before' photo, I conducted as fair a pictorial representation as I could. It was just in this dismal condition before I washed my hair. Remarkable difference, eh? My hair became so soft and fluttery, it feels like I just did a haircut! I knew Essential will perform again for their hair products.

Essential and Samplestore also sent me some scalp massage shampoo brushes in gorgeous colours, hot pink and mint green. Depending on the thoroughness of scalp massage during shampooing, the scalp build-up may not be thoroughly washed off, further causing the scalp to feel oily in a shorter time, so these brushes really come in very handy. Their bristles are gentle yet firm on the scalp. This gives my scalp a comfortable massage that aids in blood circulation and promotes relaxation. For girls with nice manicures, you can prevent your nail designs from getting damage during your hair washing.

Essential Light Finish Volumizing & Deep Cleansing Care Shampoo + Conditioner is available at 750ml with the shampoo brushes, retails for $19.60 for the whole set. Available at all leading supermarkets.

Sydney was awashed with rain that very wet weekend. We decided to do a relatively 'indoor route', but if it were a clear day, I'd think it's more ideal to prep your feet for another intensive day of walking to maximize the number of attractions cleared in a day. (Check back on the next self-guided day tour article) This indoor route is suitable for wet weather plans for an afternoon in Sydney. Please note that walking from point to point still requires ponchos and umbrellas as there are no covered walkways.

The previous self-guided tour ended at the Royal Botanic Gardens, and if you have any spare time and energy from that day, you can continue on to the Art Gallery which isn't too faraway from it. The Art Gallery houses a large collection of Australian, European and Asian paintings and exhibitions. If you are not particularly fond of museums, it is likely that you will be bored to tears because this is a typical 'do-not-touch' museum without any new-age interactive displays. I did manage to pick out a few paintings that I really liked though! Photography is allowed in here, no flashes, but I tried not to take too many photos based on my principle on museums and photo-taking... just the few that I liked as shown above.

The State Library of New South Wales is interesting in its own way, with a more vintage wing and a very modern wing of the library. I prefer the vintage side - it feels like tumbling back along an imaginary timeline! It is extremely simple, just a gigantic rectangular room where everyone can see everything all at once. You'd see another side of Sydney that's different from its glitzy opera houses and bridges, slightly closer to what some of the city locals do on a regular day.

Please note that the Government House closes at 3pm on Fri - Sun, and 4pm on Mon - Thu. Plan your route accordingly so that you won't miss the Government House like we did. It looks pretty spectacular from the outside.

Where is the best ramen in every land?! Due to time constraints (like any other holiday), we went straight for what is known to be the best ramen in the region - Gumshara. It was definitely an astonishing experience to find out this is very similar to the 'authentic ramen' in Japan (quote, unquote from our Japanese travelling buddy). It's strange to find this in a faraway land of Australia, but well, globalization.

It was such a conundrum to find out where on earth this place is. We searched for it high and low along the entire Dixon Street (aka. Chinatown), entering a dodgy gambling den to ask for directions. We had the misconception thinking that it must have a conspicuous shopfront with the words GUMSHARA plastered somewhere, but to no avail. Gumshara is actually a food stall located in Eating World, a food court within Harbour Plaza (entry from Factory Street). Apparently Google wasn't very helpful even as we were trying to search for clues online.

Gumshara uses 120kg of pork bones for a day's worth of ramen broth, and they are slow-simmered for seven days to achieve that exceptionally salty and thick broth. That amount of dedication... unless you are used to that crazy thickness, remember to tell the service staff you want a less thick broth.

It was extremely tasty, the fat springy ramen noodles were coated deliciously with the silky tonkotsu base but at the same time, I feel like my arteries are being clogged simultaneously. Lean slices of pork were not particularly melt-in-the-mouth sort of consistency but were pretty good as well, and the ajitsuke tamago (top-up required) was uneventfully done right. I could see why this is considered the best ramen - my Japanese friend actually finished nearly three bowls of this - but it could take some getting used to for those who prefer milder flavours. 

This is the third of the Sydney self-guided day tours series (first & second here), and if you're driving, you can squeeze everything within two days if you'd wish. Pick and choose those that will interest you because it is impossible to complete everything proper under two days (envisioned to be so, pre-journey). Good things always deserve more time to browse over. In this first part of the day tour, we went to shuffle our way around The Rocks, Circular Quay area.

Upon arriving by train at Circular Quay, what we saw was Sydney Cove and the Opera House glittering with drop-dead gorgeousness. Allocate some time for dropped jaws to recover, photo-taking, and general basking in the atmosphere. It was a typically good sunny day in Sydney when we were there.

It's a bit of a regret that we didn't manage to go to The Museum of Contemporary Art (next time, eh). It opens at 10am and is along the route to The Rocks. It is free entry for everyone, so go if you think you will be interested!

The Rocks Food Market only happens on weekends. They still have the usual hipster markets selling artisan products on weekdays, but it turns out that the markets weren't much to shout about - you can easily breeze past it... unless you're looking for some shopping to do! Or maybe we were just hungry and looking for breakfast:

Staying in budget doesn't mean having to stay in shape. Everything else was on hyper-overpriced mode - what do you expect, sitting right across the Sydney Opera House? The 'famous breakfast place' is Pancakes on the Rocks, but it has since received mixed reviews - mostly negative nowadays - so... maayyybe not. Playfair Cafe is considerably a place that is extremely value-for-money, delicious and huge sandwiches don't go over AUD10, and big breakfasts going at AUD14.50. Their mocha was expectedly good. Some people swear by the brownies.

Getting to Sydney Harbour Bridge isn't too difficult, just follow the signs... and the throngs of crowd! There are absolutely no escalators or elevators to speak of. It was a completely different kinda leg-day after walking the grounds for the past few days, climbing flight after flight of stairs to reach the top.. somewhat. The view up there is spectacular, with the occasional breeze and clear visibility that stretches out into the horizon. Sydney is really beautiful.

We ascended a few more stories up to the Pylon Lookout for an even more elevated view of the Sydney Cove, and also an educational tour of the Bridge. We learnt fun facts such as how on a hot day, the steel of the harbour bridge can actually expand and grow up to 180mm, and that the pylon was 89 metres above sea-level! A lot of people also died while building the bridge because there were no safety harnesses during that time, but when it was finally completed, it was the pride of the country.

We made our way back to the Circular Quay station after we were done with walking on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the second-part of the day. In Sydney, it constantly feels like there weren't enough time for everything.