Cold Rock Ice Creamery

As much as I'm eager to start writing about my Bangkok trip (I gave a prelude in the previous entry :D) I need to finish up my posts on the Perth ones first! And there's just so much to write! Well having a really pain in the ass internet connection doesn't help to speed things up, I've been frantically trying to upload as much pictures into my flickr because God knows, come weekdays the connection gets busted again and/or I'm too tired to write.



On the very same day I was at Fremantle, the weather was really hot. But the heat doesn't make you sweat, so it's kinda bearable unlike the heat in Bangkok which totally exhaust you out. I literally had to wipe my sweat off with a tissue and believe me, I could squeeze every drop of my sweat out of the tissue! To counter the heat, Fang and Hua brought me to Cold Rock for their favourite ice cream.



Unlike the usual ice cream parlours which only makes/serves conventional ice creams, Cold Rock offers a unique twist to the traditional ice cream.

There are 4 simple steps to enjoying a Cold Rock ice cream:

1. Choose it.
2. Mix it.
3. Smash it.
4. Try it.



For the first step, there are ice creams and sorbets to choose from. Then there's a mix-it counter (picture above) with different selection of chocolates and lollies, biscuits, fruits, nuts and fudge. Choose what you like to go with your ice cream and the staff will proceed to...



... SMASH IT. I had the chocolate mint (my fav ice cream flavour!!) with tim tam. It was quite an entertaining watch, since I've never seen anything like this back in Malaysia. The ice creams are scooped off from the chiller and put on a cold teppanyaki. If you've read and seen how they make teppanyaki ice creams, you'll understand the process. The metal surface is cold instead of hot so that the ice cream doesn't melt or helps get it frozen while being mixed. The tim tams are then crushed, mixed and blended in with the ice cream and the outcome is a cup of chocolate mint with tim tam!



I love this! Choc mint with tim tam!



Fang and Hua had the Rum Raisin with Oreo and it was done in the same process in a jifty too! We had the kiddies cup at $4.80. Prices can escalate to $6.40 for regular, $7.90 for large, $9.90 for take home pack and $14.90 for large take home pack. Although it is not cheap, it is definitely worth the money especially on a hot sunny day.



I love this too. It's obvious to say I love Cold Rock ice creams since then but it's a pity they're not outside Australia yet. Maybe Berjaya should start franchising it :)

Besides ice creams, Cold Rock also sells ready-to-go and personalised ice cream cakes, a variety of smoothies, shakes and chillers, and desserts such as sundaes and banana splits.


Cold Rock Ice Creamery
Available all over Australia
www.coldrock.com.au/

The Most Awesomest 100% Orange Juice

The answer to the question in the previous post is.... as above :)

The first encounter with this drink was when we were at Chaktuchak Market, after walking around for hours under the scorching heat. This precious gem of a stall was found just when we were about to exit the market and was craving for some Bangkok street food. It's quite surprising that I've never seen this mentioned in any blogs while satay babi, fried bugs, and other skewered grill items are mentioned everywhere.

Now this really deserves a mention and the limelight.



The orange is squeezed fresh and just like what it claims to be- 100% Orange Juice with no preservative or sugar water or ice added. What makes orange juice here extra special is the type of orange used, instead of the western Sunkist oranges or the usual ones you see in the supermarkets, Thai orange juice is squeezed from tangerines, which is another variety in the citrus family. It taste somewhat similar to the mandarin oranges we have on CNY and the little mini mandarins that comes in a big bag.

The taste is absolutely good, I really love the Thai version of Orange Juice. I had 4 bottles after all! It was at 50 Baht (about RM5) for the big bottle and 30 Baht (about RM3) for the small bottle.



While I was too engrossed with my orange juice, Eiling was at the next stall picking out some absolutely tempting sausages. There were quite a few selections of different sausages, and I think it's in a variety of pork and chicken.



This stall was making quite a brisk business as everyone loves sausages! They're like comfort food to me, besides potatoes and eggs. Are you tempted too?



Eiling had a pick of few types of sausages and it only cost 50 Baht (aboutRM5) for the handsome selection. I think the sign says the sausages are Grade A.



Smothered with some tomato sauce, these little cocktail bite sized sausages provided such comfort to our stomach after a long and tiring round of shopping. And as you can see, it's unlike the streetside sausages we get back home (ie. pasar malam). These are good grade sausages that are fat, meaty, juicy and succulent.



Now a gulp of this, and a bite of that........

Shiok!!!

Updates!

Pls forgive me for the lack of updates. The internet connection at home is being a bitch that I can't even upload a SINGLE photo to my flickr, hence no photos how to write anything??!

I wanted to show you guys the most awesomest drink in Bangkok........ it's nothing alcoholic (surprisingly hehe!) but it's so damn good I had something like 4 bottles there and brought 2 bottles back home. To keep you peeps in suspense, go on and guess what it is!!

Winner gets 5 Baht! :D

Oh on a relatively related note, I was saying about the very awesome Smirnoff Double Black Ice with premixers I had in Perth in this post. Guess what! I found it in Bangkok at The Big C supermarket (The Big C = Carrefour in Malaysia). I grabbed a pack of 4 bottles at only 199 Baht (about RM19.90) and thought this is the best damn thing that I discovered (besides the most awesomest drink as mentioned above), but you know what!!

Damn potong stim ok... I was about to put in the trolley when the staff told me we couldn't buy it!!!!!! I was like "WHAT!! WHY!!" Then she said that no alcohol can be purchased before 5pm!! Read the signs. WTFFFFFF! I couldn't believe what I heard. You should have asked Eiling how my expression was. Totally in disbelief that such a rule can apply in Bangkok where I found my favourite drink on earth (besides Perth and US maybe).

Then I read the notice carefully. It said that alcohol can only be purchased from 11-2pm and from 5pm to maybe 8pm or something. The clock shows 2.30pm. We were late by half an hour and early by 2 and half hours.

Needless to say, I could have gone back to Malaysia a super happy tourist but now I'm just a tourist without the super and happy part.

Little Caesars Pizzeria

Hi guys, by the time you read this entry, I should be already in a shopping frenzy at Chaktuchak Market, Bangkok! But you know, I am trying to finish up my posts on Perth (although there's still quite a few entries to go... I haven't wrote about the awesome parks) so that I can start writing about Bangkok after I get back from there.



Little Caesars Pizzeria is considerably well known in Perth for the awesome one-of-a-kind toppings they put on their pizza dough. Their pizza selection is pretty comprehensive, from vegetarian to seafood to meat to gourmet dessert. They also have a selection of pasta and side orders such as the usual garlic bread and salads.



They even have awards for pizzas from the International Pizza Expo! Wow, I would like to attend such expos one day... pizza overload!



It was so awesome, we had to travel over an hour to reach the town of Mundaring (pronounced as Mu-na-ring). It was so awesome that I asked whether they have any other outlets nearer to Riverton or at least around Perth City and the answer came back as, "No. Only one outlet at Mundaring." Take it or leave it. But I can very well say, the journey was well worth it.



We did our ordering through phone and came to pick them up. Yi Fang got a new surname, from Law to Lew. Whatever Lew means heheh. We got 4 small pizzas and one large. Small pizzas (10") are priced at $14 while large ones (13") are at $17.50 but prices differ on the flavours. Dessert pizzas come only in small sizes at $14.


Janes Addiction- $13.50 (small)
Marinated prawns, prosciutto (Italian bacon), garlic cream sauce, wild rocket pesto, mozarella cheese

The prawns are tangy and anything with bacon on it spells Y-U-M!


Gourmet BBQ- $14 (small)
Roasted chicken, smoked ham, pepper steak, marinated lamb, onions, smokey bbq sauce, mozarella cheese

This is very yummy too! All the meat you can think of together on a pizza. Just look at the chunk of BBQ meat!! Awesomeness! And did I tell you I love BBQ everything and anything flavour???


Chicken Fettucine- $17 (large)
Sundried tomatoes, fettucine pasta, cream sauce, parmesan cheese, mozarella cheese, chicken, bacon

Pasta on a pizza??? Yes you read that right! That's fettucine pasta on a pizza. It doesn't quite have any taste on it's own, just some crispy sensation to go with the chicken and bacon. This combination is pretty interesting and I read that they have entered this pizza for competition too. Will we be seeing spaghetti meatballs on a pizza soon?


Eskimo Joe- $14 (small)
Malt choc chic cookie base, icing sugar, vanilla ice cream, raspberry fruit sauce

This comes highly recommended by both my hosts. They claimed it as a MUST HAVE for chocolate lovers. The dessert pizza tasted rather extraordinary, chocolate and raspberry... because we had it take away, there isn't any vanilla ice cream on top.


Tea Party- $14 (small)
French cinammon tea cake, icing sugar, caramelized apples and pears, maple syrup

This is another winner IMHO on the gourmet dessert pizza menu. I also like how the dessert pizzas have sprinkled icing sugar on top to make them look 'icy'... The Tea Party pizza taste a little a bit like having apple crumble and fruit pastry. The combinations of the gourmet dessert menu are just great and they make really good substitutes and complements for savoury based pizzas.



And there we have a pizza partaaaay at home!


Little Caesars Pizzeria
Shop 7, 7125 Great Eastern Highway
Mundaring WA 6073,
Perth, Australia.
Tel: 9295 6611
Open 6 days a week, 4pm till late
http://littlecaesarspizzeria.com.au

Shopping Trip!

Guess who's going to.......



Tonight!!! I'll be doing my bit to stimulate the Thai economy through its retail industry ;) Be back on Tuesday, have a great weekend folks! Cheers :)

The Crepe Cafe

During my trip to Perth, I managed to meet up with Ee Juen and her bf. Ee Juen was my first friend in school when I moved to the Subang school, old times indeed. The last I met her was in January. EJ was one of the earliest ones who left for Perth right after finishing her Pre-U in Malaysia and to date, has been in Perth for almost 4 years now.



I texted EJ when I was in Perth and it was such a coincidence that she lives nearby Yi Fang's place. Her bf, Wai Onn who is pure Australian (but born Chinese with family heritage from Penang) came to pick me up and we headed to, in EJ's text message verbatim, the biggest mall in Perth.

Which I later realized was a sarcastic remark.



We went to Westfields Carousel Shopping Center which was also coincidently where Yi Fang, her mom and her youngest sis works part time at a news agency. EJ and Wai Onn brought me to the food court for breakfast and recommended The Crepe Cafe.


Hawaiian Crepe

EJ and Wai Onn had a Hawaian Crepe to share, what lovebirds do. Light and soft, the crepe envelops a big slice of ham, pineapples and (I think) mayo. Taste pretty good too, not too heavy to kickstart the morning.


Breakfast set

I had the heavier item which is the breakfast set. The breakfast set consists of a crepe which contains mushrooms, and loads of mushrooms! There's a sunshine egg on top with some grilled tomatoes and a serving of baked beans. Finishing up the whole plate of goodies was quite a feat but the crepe was really good, so it only does justice that I finish it! The breakfast set was priced at $13 something if I'm not mistaken and comes with a cup of tea/coffee.

Thanks to EJ and Wai Onn for their hospitality of showing me around Westfields and Harbourtown and driving me right to Corica's doorstep to buy their famous Apple Strudels too!

Sorry, can't write much today as I'm too tired.



The Crepe Cafe
Westfields Carousel Shopping Centre
1382 Albany Highway
Perth, WA 6107
Australia.

Burswood Theatre Under the Stars

On my third day in Perth (sorry I know my posts are not in chronological order), Fang and her family organized a movie outing for me. This movie, however is not your ordinary cinema with popcorn movie. It's a romantic outdoor under the stars movie organized by Movies by Burswood.

The 'cinema' is at Burswood where it is also the center of Perth's entertainment area- known as Burswood Entertainment Complex. Within the same compound is the Burswood Casino, seven restaurants, eight bars, two hotels, a club and an auditorium. The whole area is also surrounded by parks and lush greens.



We arrived quite early to 'book' places but there were people much earlier than us. The movie was scheduled at 8pm but we were there about 7.30pm. As you can see, the sun does not set very early in Perth.



Upon admission to the 'cinema', there was an area where people who did not bring anything can rent a beanie sofa. It was $6 but if you return it after the movie ends, you get a refund of $2, which is quite worth it because it's so comfy!





It's quite a nice sight to see people bringing mats, rugs, picnic blankets, foldable chairs etc and making themselves comfortable for the movie. Most of them also brought food, which is quite nice as the authorities don't restrict you from bringing outside food and drinks and cameras as well.



Movie of the night was Bridewars starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. The movie was alright but the most awesome part was when the sky got dark and the stars appeared... the weather was cooling (actually quite cold) and snuggling under the blanket/sweater. It was such a wonderful experience!

I know we do have an outdoor cinema some years back called Nokia Starlights Cinema at Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club. I have never been to the Starlights cinema, but the experience here in Perth is totally different as you can hardly spot any stars in KL due to too much lights and it's so hot here.



After the movie, we headed home and I suggested to Fang that we should lie at the lawn and watch stars! I never had the chance to do this back home. It was such a nice feeling, to be able to travel 2586 miles to meet your best friend, watch the stars together and have the longest chat ever. To end the night on a sweet note, we even saw 3 shooting stars which we've never seen before!

Corica Apple Strudels

I didn't give this much thought but it just struck me that all the famous eateries in Perth starts with a 'C'- Cicerello's (Fish & Chips), Conca's (Chilli Mussels), Cold Rock (Yummy Ice Cream), and Corica (Apple Strudels). Is this a Coincidence or what?

Anyway, I met Ee Juen, my high school friend who was also my first sitting partner when I moved to Subang Jaya school, and Wai Onn, her Australian born Chinese bf during my short stint in Perth. It wasn't coincidental, but rather a planned affair. We didn't get to hang out much as EJ had to leave for work after meeting up with me, but EJ being herself, ever so hospitable and nice got Wai Onn to bring me around shopping around Harbourtown and even drove me to Corica to get the superawesomefamous Apple Strudels!



Corica's Apple Strudels is really famous in Perth. It garners the same responses and effects when you mention the name Cicerello's or Conca's or Cold Rock. It's not surprising why.

Look at the picture above.

What do you see? What do you feel? Do you want to eat it? Are you salivating already?



The pastry is crispy, light and fluffy. It is lightly glazed and has two layers of cream and custard. There are also slices of caramelized apples in the filling of the custard and cream. The sweetness level is just right, not too sweet and not too bland either. It is most perfect for tea time or after-meal desserts.

Priced at $15.50 if you pre-order and $17.50 if you're a walk-in customer. It's worth every dollar spent, even after all the conversion cos it's just too good to be true! When I was boarding the plane home, I saw a lady with a huge box bearing the Corica's name! She had ta pau'ed what I think to be at least 4 loaves back to Malaysia! The best part is, Corica has even customized the box so that customers or tourists can bring a piece of Corica's back to their homecountry to share without breaking the apple strudels into pieces.

Corica also has an outlet in South East Asia but sadly it's not in Malaysia. It's at Jakarta :( Someone fly to Jakarta and get me a loaf of Corica Apple Strudels pleaseeeeee!



Corica
106 Aberdeen Street,
Northbridge,
Perth, Western Australia 6000.
Tel: +61 89 328 8196
Business hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am -5.30pm, Sat 8.00am-12.30pm

Nero's Italian Restaurant

On the day before I left Perth, Yi Hua and Denise took me to Nero's, an Italian Restaurant located alongside Albany Highway at Gosnells after finding out that I hadn't had my Chilli Mussels and Fish & Chips experience yet.



The setting at Nero's is a simple one, nothing fancy schmanzy like the Nero Vivo or Neroteca in KL, don't misunderstand though, these Neros are not related... though I'm just curious what does Nero means?? Anyway, as you can see from the picture above, the table setting is pretty simple too. There is a sheet of white paper that lines every table for patrons to...



... Draw! Scribble! Write! Color crayons are available. And as you can see, that's Denise's and Yi Hua's scribbles.



One of the things I noticed here is that the restaurants or eateries provide tables with a bottle of iced water and it comes refillable rather than having a waiter/waitress refilling glass by glass, table by table. The bottles are rather pretty too. I quite like the refillable water concept here, I shall do the same if I happen to open my own restaurant in the future!


Chilli Mussels- $11.95 (appetizer) or $18.95 (main)
Local mussels steamed in white wine, cooked in napoletana sauce with a hint of chilli

They say you haven't been to Perth if you have not taste the Chilli Mussels! Luckily I had the opportunity to have 'em before I leave or else I might have been accused of not been to Perth at all! The mussels look pretty big but opened to reveal an average size mussel. The sauce is excellent, alittle spicy and one can really taste the white wine. The mussels are fresh too. An excellent appetizer to open up one's appetite!


Venezia- $11.50 (entree) or $13.50 (main)
Ham, cabanossi, cheese, olives, mushrooms and green peppers

We had a Venezia pizza to share but unfortunately I was too stuffed that there wasn't any space left to fit in a slice of pizza. However, there were unrecorded testimonials from the other two ladies that the pizza was good. We even had leftovers which was subsequently ta pau'ed for Yi Fang and her mom and they too said it was good. So, yeah the pizza should be good.


Rump (350gm)- $22.95
Prime quality rump steak chargrilled to your liking with a choice of pepper or mushroom sauce. Served with golden chips and a side salad.

The affable Denise had the Rump Steak but I think she did a mistake by calling it for medium well. The steak came out... well. It was dry and a little bit stiff. I think steaks should be done medium rare to have that pinkish inside but brown chargrilled outside, like the one I had in Outback Steakhouse.


Fettucine Alla Carbonara- $10.95 (entree) or $13.95 (main)
Creamy bacon and mushroom sauce served with fettucine.

Yi Hua had the carbonara in entree size. The good thing about ordering in Nero's is the flexibility of allowing their patrons to choose whether they want their meals in entree size or main to allow for more variety of food for sharing or if you can't have a huge serving on your own although the price difference is only by about $2 to $3. The carbonara didn't receive a good response from Yi Hua as she said it tasted 'funny'. Hmmmm..... two misses and two hits so far.


Pesce E Patatine Fritte- $19.95
Freshly battered fish, lightly fried. Served with golden chips and a salad.

Don't let this less than English name of this dish fool you. It's actually only fish and chips lah. I'm a huge fan of fish & chips so I MUST HAVE IT after hearing from an ex-supplier that the seafood in Perth is really fresh and good. The Pesce E Patatine Fritte fish & chips came in 2 big pieces and was really fresh. The flesh was easily detachable.


Tiramisu

Though we were already very full, there was still room for dessert! Tiramisu was our choice that day. The Tiramisu was quite good, spongy and fluffy with an adequate taste of coffee. Pair it with the whipped cream and it was Buon Apetito!



Look at the amount of food we had to feed 3 girls!


Nero's
2328 Albany Highway Gosnells,
Perth, Western Australia.
Tel: 08-9398 2011
Business hours: Open 7 days a week, 11.30am till late
www.neros.com.au