Patagonia Chocolates Queenstown

What's going for this cafe?
1. It is unique. It has a unique taste - it has a specialty. It's not just another cafe out there.
2. It is in front of the remarkable view Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. It is centrally located...Superb location is an understatement.
3. It has FREE wifi. It has Fast Wifi! Well, as long as not a lot of people are using it...
4. It has the best ice cream - another unique strength.
5. It has outdoor areas - perfect to be under the sun in any season...

This is an icon in Queenstown. They also have a shop in Arrowtown. Kudos to the owners. :)

Thank you for this superb experience in Queenstown. I will definitely go back - regularly :-)

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Banana Pizza Anyone?

Photo of the Pizza when it's on sale 2 for 1 - Every Wednesday (til further notice) about $21 each

Hamill's Restaurant and Bar in Queenstown
Located at Remarkables Shopping Center

This is absolutely one of the BEST pizzas I have had in my life!
This one has banana, chicken and blue cheese topping apart from the regular cheese and tomato.

I usually can't eat 1 whole pizza but I finished one whole pizza in one sitting!

What is great about this deal is that it was offered as a promotion - buy 1 get 1 free!
Gourmet pizza frenzy!
The other pizza I got was the seafood pizza with fresh shrimps and scallops.

Best dining experience - absolutely affordable and I CANNOT wait to go back.
The question is - if it goes back to it's $22 price ... would I order a lot again??? Potentially! But not as often :-)

*** Update Dec 30th, 2011
Here are photos of the pizza when it's not on sale at $21.95 each.
Lots more toppings, thicker crust ...

Banana Chicken Pizza with cashew, broccoli, mushrooms

Seafood pizza $21.95 each

I didn't finish 1 round for myself... Andrew ate 2 slices of my seafood pizza! :D I still feel full after 4 hours. I think it's the thicker crust this time...

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Kristy's Cafe Wanganui

Just another one of the 34 cafes in Wanganui!
Kristy's cafe is famous for it's pies and very artistic interior design.
This cafe is located in 151 London St, Wanganui.

This cafe is next to St John's hills flower garden where you can buy different varieties of flowering plants.

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Mud Ducks Cafe, Wanganui

Cafe Mocha $4.5

Chicken Apricot Sandwich $6

Rhubarb and Walnut cake $4.5

A wonderful morning in Wanganui deserves a great cafe breakfast under the hot sun and cool breeze.
Mud Ducks Cafe is located in Taupo Quay, by the river, next to Isite. It has free internet of course - as I-site is just next door. Join this facebook page for Wanganui Cafe.


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French Macarons in Wanganui

Yes this little French cafe is in Wanganui. The coffee is reasonable $4.50 approximately. The specialty french macarons are $2.50 each, a little pricey but quite nice. Not too sweet and really quite well made.
It's located in Gonville, Alma Road area. Just 30 mins walk from where we live in Castlecliff.

There are more than 30 cafes in Wanganui!

This is a blog to show you how to make french macarons.
If you want to order French Macarons, visit this page: https://www.facebook.com/merrymacarons Shipping in Philippines only.

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Cherry Season in New Zealand

Cherry season happens only in Summer in New Zealand! Cherry is very sumptuous fruit and good for everyone especially those with high blood sugar! Cherries also have a lot of anti oxidants. It contains loads of nutrients for the body! I highly recommend eating cherries! I am going to buy as much as I can this summer :-) especially when I go to NZ's cherry capital - Cromwell, Otago near Queenstown, NZ.

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I Love Rosie Slice

I think this piece of cake is $4. It's the only thing I order over and over again for Orange Cafe, in Whanganui ... It's a true taste sensation. I must probably just miss the coconut infused meals in the Philippines but this lovely cake is great with a nicely brewed coffee.

Yes I continue my love for cafes. If it's too sweet, I just make sure I drink a litre of water for the next 2 hours.

I found this blog that has a recipe for Rosie Slice.

If you ever come by Wanganui, I recommend staying at Aotea Motor Lodge, best accommodation in Whanganui, and stop by Orange cafe for this wonderful Rosie slice.


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My Fruit Salad

Trying to be healthy so I prepared fruit salad for dinner.
Ingredients are all fresh and newly sliced.
1. 4 strawberries
2. 6 to 8 pcs almonds, roasted, unsalted
3. half a banana
4. pineapple chunks
5. kiwi

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Element Cafe, Wanganui New Zealand

I love cafes and this is why I try to visit all cafes possible in every place I visit.
I got a blueberry and lemon muffin with a hot mochacino at Element cafe, Wanganui. This cafe is located at
Wanganui's mainstreet - Victoria avenue.

Total order $11. My coffee mate's order is also $11 - $5 coffee, $6 pastry, approximately.


This cafe has a beautiful setting - austere actually. The price of goodies is slightly more expensive than other cafes in town.

I have visited Element cafe several times before. However it's not my personal favorite. It doesn't have a cosy feel. I do take business clients here instead.

Wanganui, as small town as it is, has more than 25 cafe choices - each unique with their own food preparations, location, interior design.

Wanganui will surprise tourists - local or foreign. If you ever visit Wanganui, I highly recommend staying at Aotea Motor Lodge http://aoteamotorlodge.co.nz - upmarket hotel yet very affordable. Truly worth it.

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Keeping desserts healthy

I am a hopeless sweet tooth. So... my partner and I do have a stack of chocolates and a couple of ice cream flavors in the freezer... and if the sweet attack comes... We indulge. To keep it slightly healthier, I just load my ice cream with a lot of strawberries...

Ice cream in Wanganui, NZ is only NZD 4/2 liter or Php 80 per liter. I think it's cheap!!

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Asian Fusion - Re-inventing Pancit Canton

Tried the timeless pancit canton today - a popular Filipino dish.

However, since I am in New Zealand right now, not all the right ingredients are available so I had to improvise.

My ingredients, all stir-fried:
1. Egg noodles
2. Capsicum
3. 1 big carrot
4. Broccoli
5. Onions
6. Black pepper
7. Shrimps
8. Lemon
9. White vinegar
10. Soy sauce

and the secret ingredient - Sesame oil


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Salmon and Seafood Fried Rice

The usual pan-fried salmon in basmati fried rice stir fried with heaps of vegetables!
Broccoli, capsicum, onion, green peas!

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Baklava

Got this dessert today at a turkish restaurant in Wanganui. This cost me $3.50
I just wanted to see if this restaurant makes good baklava... my verdict, it's ok. I most likely won't have it again. It was very sweet and there wasn't much nuts.

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Checkout more dining options around Wanganui at http://www.wanganuionline.com

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Healthy Chicken Carbonara Pasta

Here's my healthy carbonara version.
The key is not be afraid of adding broccoli and carrots to your pasta dish.
I added a lot of onion, mushroom, as well.
I used small pieces of roasted chicken.

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Lamb and Vegetable Curry Soup

This is pan fried lamb. I used olive oil.
Then I made this curry vegetable soup with linseed bread.
Perfectly healthy soup.

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Korean Spicy Stir Fried Pork

This is probably one of the best dinners I've had in the last 2 months.

This is korean inspired meal. I shopped for asian ingredients at pak n save in Wanganui today.

Steps?
Here you go:
1. Chop half a kilo of non-fatty pork in to bit-sized pieces. Put in a stir-fry pan.
2. Add chopped capsicum, carrots, green pepper or jalapeno, ginger finely chopped, 1 piece onion, 3 cloves of garlic chopped
3. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar
4. Add 2 to 3 tbsp soy sauce
5. Add 2 tbsp sesame oil
6. Chili paste or tomato sauce
7. Shrimp sauce

Mix them all up and cook in high heat. Stir while cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until pork looks cooked.

Stop stirring for 2 minutes to allow to cook. Then stir again. Repeat 3x.

Start plating up with chopped celery leaves (fresh).

Plate up the pork then let it rest for less than a minute. Add sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil.

The aroma is amazing!
It took 20 minutes to prepare. I served it with basmati rice. I heard it would taste good with some misu soup.



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Shrimp and Vegetables

I'm now sharing my super sumptuous secret shrimp recipe - this is a very easy to make meal as well - perfect for busy people.

Stir fry in this order:
1. Garlic
2. Onion
3. Carrots
4. Broccoli
5. Shrimps
6. Peas

You may decide the quantity based on your taste.
Add pepper at the end.

Secret sauce:
1. 4 to 5 tbsp of tomato sauce
2. 4 to 5 tbsp soy sauce
3. 2 tea spoon mustard
4. half lemon

Serve with basmati rice.


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Steak and Vegetables with Linseed Gourmet Bread

I prepared a hearty dinner tonight. Took 1 hour to make. Roasted some vegetables and tried linseed bread. I love it :-)

Tenderized Garlic Steak with Veggies

Linseed Soy Artisan Bread with Cheese and my home-made spread - roasted veggies

Roasted Mushroom, Green and Yellow Capsicum, Kumara (Sweet Potato), Onions

Living in New Zealand

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How do you make a healthy dessert?

This is a bit of a stretch - I know. It's not exactly healthy. But who says I have to give up some good things in life like ice cream altogether?
Justification? :) I did a 30 minute walk around the park today. So I guess that makes me deserve some ice cream :-)

Just 1 scoop of ice cream plus all sorts of fruits. For my dessert bowl, I added:
1. Half banana
2. half nectarine
3. 3 big strawberries

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Manna Sushi, Wanganui

Manna Sushi Wanganui - Tried this take away sushi place yesterday. Got a ramen and chicken teriyaki.
The price is quite affordable, around $19 for these 2 bowls.
The taste is ok. I like spicy food. My only comment is that it's not original Japanese ramen and I was really looking forward to real Japanese ramen. I like that it's very spicy though.

If you got an ethnic taste and you're looking for affordable Japanese food, you will enjoy this little treat.

Manna Sushi is located at Victoria Ave, Wanganui New Zealand.


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Cafe in Wanganui, Big Orange

Blue cheese and online muffin with a warm mochacino while reading today's paper at Wanganui's Big Orange Cafe. I keep coming back to this cafe because it's reasonably priced. $8 for a coffee and a muffin.
Believe me ... that price is already considered "reasonable" in Wanganui. That's for 1 person.

It is also so inviting to see those orange big umbrellas outside the cafe under the hot sun and cool breeze.

Here's a list of where you can eat in Wanganui.



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Warm Lovely Soup and Salmon

They said the best dishes are made with love.

So today to keep warm, I thought of cooking a simple vegetable soup with pan-fried salmon for Andrew.

This is a very simple meal on an ordinary night... but I made it for an extraordinary person. 

1. pan fried salmon, seasoned with salt and pepper
2. tomato sauce
3. lemon

Andrew loves to eat carrots so I used 2 big carrots and used less pasta.
For the soup:
1. half capsicum green, half capsicum yellow
2. 2 large carrots
3. a bit of broccoli
4. 1 whole big onion
5. a few cloves of garlic
6. some elbow pasta (half cup
7. egg
8. chowmien mix - or curry powder + pepper
9. 3 tbsp soy sauce


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Beef Dish

Andrew had 4 servings of this meal. It's a simple meal! My ingredients:
1. thinly sliced beef, marinated in soy sauce and pepper
2. lots of different vegetables - broccoli, carrot, green and yellow capsicum, garlic, onion , green peas, jalapeno (the secret ingredient to add a bit of zing)
3. tomato/pasta sauce
4. some curry powder

I served with warm basmati rice with garlic.


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Onion Rings

Fresh onions dipped in an improvised batter - 1 egg, 2 onions, 2 tsbp flour, some salt and pepper and sesame seeds!


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Bibimbap, my version

This is my first try to improvised a Korean-inspired meal.
It took me 45 minutes to make this... from chopping the vegetables the right way and frying them one set at a time so I create a proper plate design.

The ingredients:
1. boiled rice
2. Stir fried carrot sticks, onion, green and yellow capsicum, broccoli
3. Stir fried beef strips marinated in some soy sauce and pepper
4. fried egg
5. tomato sauce
6. some pepper
7. sesame seeds

I do not have spicy red sauce that make the dish Korean.  I added misu soup to make the meal a bit of Korean and get closer to my goal - bibimbap.

Is it nice? Well my partner said "It's not the same..." But he said it's nice :-)
I think it's because it's healthy!

How can I improve next time?
1. I will pre-cut the veggies so the rest of the ingredient wouldn't be too cold while waiting for the other ingredients to cook.
2. I will make sure I put enough oil on the pan when frying the egg.
3. I'll cook the meat longer to make it more tender.

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Parnells Cafe, Wanganui, New Zealand

I had a great experience at Parnells Cafe today. Parnells is located along Wanganui's main street, Victoria Avenue, near several boutique Wanganui hotels like Aotea Motor Lodge.

I ordered a curry kumara pie at $5.50 and medium mochacino at $4.20. My partner had sultana cake at $4.00 and $4.80 mochacino.  So at around $19, we had a reasonable meal.

This cafe has wifi internet which I think is 'paid' unlike Orange cafe in the Wanganui town center which offers free internet.

The place is unique because behind the cafe is a funky garden with different art work.

The place has a cosy feel. It has several art works for sale within the premises. It offers really good food options and I guess that's part of what we have to pay for.

I think the place and food are all carefully thought of.

Would I go back? Yes sure.

To be fair with other nice cafes in town, Parnell's cafe is 15% to 20% more expensive on the average.

Orange cafe mochacino (small-medium) is $3.80 vs the $4.20 at Parnells cafe and the serving is about 5% bigger than Parnells.


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Hae Song Japanese Restaurant Makati Philippines

Tofu Salad around 300 php

Fried Veggies free

Spicy Chicken around 300 php

Bulgogi Beef around 300 php

Tempura Udon around 300 php

Seafood Udon 300 php

This is an old Japanese restaurant. The manager/owner seems Korean though and she is a nice lady.
Unfortunately, the seats have stains... and makes the place unpleasant for me.

They gave us free desert and free fresh salad for appetizer. This is not a cheap meal for middle class Filipinos but would be considered a cheap meal for foreigners.

The seafood udon is plently but I didn't like the taste. I was rooting for Ramen...

The tofu salad is a little overpriced because it's simple but I guess I had to pay premium for the sesame oil dressing and the style.

The bulgogi was nice but I think other restaurants serving bulgogi are comparable taste-wise.
I didn't taste the chicken, I heard it's good but for me it looks a little fatty.

I heard the tempura udon was nice but I am really not a fan of that udon noodles.

The toilet is clean but there's no 'hard drier'.

Would I come back? No not really... But it's not a bad experience.

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Gloria Jean's Wellington, NZ

Wellington has been named as New Zealand's "coolest" little city. I can understand why.
It looks like a miniature mix of Melbourne and Sydney with it's old Victorian style buildings converted into cafes and boutique shops.

The city is very small and I was able to walk around it within 2 hours... well at least the part that looks like a 'city'.

The city center has FREE wifi. When you try to login for some free internet connection, open your browser and you need to authenticate first by choosing a 'sponsor'. I figured out however that I can have many different sponsors so the 30 mins free wifi per sponsor could turn into 2 hours free use. Pretty convenient and I hope Wellington keeps that for the sake of tourists.

I visited Gloria Jean's cafe not because I love it. I chose Gloria Jeans strategically! It is a well-known franchise and likely the staff won't mind if I stay 2 hours in the cafe while working on important files.  Other boutique cafes which I would have preferred would be stricter.

The coffee at Gloria Jeans is $4.5 per cup - around the average price really.

Did I enjoy it? Well it is a practical choice as I said. :-)

However, next time when I am less busy, I'll try something more boutiquey :)


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Pork and Apple

Pork and apple - classic dish, though I added a bit of zest.

My recipe?
1. Pork, thinly sized, boiled for 30 mins to make it tender
2. mix of broccoli, carrots, onion, red capsicum, garlic
3. apple and nectarine

Method:
1. Stir fry garlic and onion until golden (2 minutes)
2. Add carrots and broccoli (3 minutes)
3. Add the boiled pork (boiled 30 minutes)
4. Add capsicum
5. Add apple and nectarine (cook for 3 minutes)
6. Add pepper to season

Serve with plain basmati rice.

I ate a lot!


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