@giahoi

The interior design felt like something from a 90s Hollywood action movie, where a gun shooting takes place in a shoddy fluorescent restaurant, if that makes any sense. But on this day I kind of liked that aspect about this place, because it felt comfortable and laidback. The purple/orange colour scheme would probably be absolutely shocking anywhere else =b

This place stood out to me on the bleakly lit side of the city street, as it had a surreal/dreamy/filn noir feel (which i am just hooked to).

Fresh Rice Paper Rolls with Minched Rrawn & Fresh Rice Paper Rolls with Pork & Prawns (Serving of 4) $10; Half Serve $5

The paper was too dry and the ingredients did not feel fresh, most likely because it was near closing time. The sauce did not have a tangy, sweet peanut kick which i normally expect and tasted better elsewhere.

Grilled Pork & Spring Rolls with Rice Vermicelli $10

I think I may be a little biased because I was starving when we got here, but I found the pork and spring rolls to be delicious and the amount was just right. If anything they give you too much pork, so I found myself not being able to finish it. But seriously for the price it was sooo good. I wouldn’t mind going here again.

Gia Hoi

711 George St

Haymarket 2000 NSW

Phone: (02)  9211 0221

Trading Hours

Daily 9:30am-10pm

@mammaskitchen

We again hit up another of our high school hangouts, Mamma's Kitchen. This place, along with Pizza Hut, was one of our favourites, due to the affordable price and laid back atmosphere. The food was never anything extraordinary, but really for the price, you can't complain. This restaurant is good for large groups as there is a level upstairs which can cater for such groups. Definitely has a homely feel because of our frequent visits throughout the years. Also, because there aren't many Italian restaurants around Town Hall (well not that we know of), we found ourselves here whenever we felt the need for pasta, pizza, or anything hearty.

Bruschetta 8.50

 The bruschetta was not bad, but missing a zesty kick of some sort, needed more cracked pepper and sea salt~

Italiano 19.50

Cheesy & flavoursome, but i would say for it’s price and thickness, i have had better.

Rump steak 17.50

I was having a huge craving for a big juicy steak at 9.30pm, as you do, so this was a must when we entered Mamma's. I ordered this with the mushroom sauce but wanted more of a white cream sauce, so inquired about the possibility of getting such a sauce, and I can't exactly remember what the waitress said but she came out with this, and I was extremely pleased as it was just what I was looking for. The taste was great (and I know this was just a one-off because I went there again the next week and just got the usual brown mushroom sauce), and just made the meal a whole lot better.

Mamma's Kitchen

57 Liverpool St

Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 9264 5841

Trading Hours

Breakfast: Fri-Sun 8-11:30am

Lunch: Mon-Sun 11-4:30pm

Dinner: Sun-Thu 4:30-10:30pm

Fri-Sat 4:30-11:30pm

Attention to detail

We have always thought accessories were pretty important in finishing off an outfit as they can add so much more to an otherwise plain look. Sparkly jewelry, print scarves, statement belts, sunnies, fancy hats....the options are endless! Once summer arrives we'll probably be embracing the art of accessorizing since it'll be too hot to layer up in clothes. Until then we'll be enjoying the last few weeks of colder weather by adding excessive amounts of layers in an attempt to keep warm amidst the wind and rain.

Kookai leather jacket

Marcs shirt

Marcs skirt

Miu Miu bracelet

Zu flats

Oroton vintage bag

Cue jacket

Rodney Clarke shirt

Pink sweater from Korea

Temt shorts

Therapy ankle boots

Forever New bag

I look pretty black and white here, but the skirt is actually navy/ivory. I guess the addition of so many black items made it seem more black than it actually is. Either way it’s stripey and a standout and I loveee it!

 I have to say I’m sorta in love with this bracelet as well. Went in to get the purple one because quite frankly I thought that was the only option, but after hearing it was sold out I just jumped at the next alternative, which happened to be this one….and now I just love it more :)

The weather was too fickle lately and as it just could not make up it’s mind i mounted myself in ambiguous layers of clothing. Dedicated to my dessert chamber in my happy belly, this outfit was inspired from colours from dessert, ice cream, peaches, candy & toffee.

Smart Chic

Another Shop acid washed jeans
Valleygirl blazer
BWN white blouse
Mum’s vintage boots
Oggi Domani satchel
General Pants scarf

Kookai leather jacket

Levi grey tee

French Connection skirt
Alannah Hill necklace

Vintage Oroton bag

Roberto del Carlo suede boots

I have no idea why my legs are tilting so much, it's almost as if I'm on stilts or something..

The leather jacket and grey tee actually happen to be my tenth and eleventh purchases for the year, meaning I have 14 left, but I have been too lazy to take photos and upload them.. Either way I'm pretty pleased with the jacket because I have been looking for the perfect leather jacket for about two years, and I feel as if this won't let me down. The grey tee is actually quite long, almost the length of a dress, and has a pocket on one side, which means it will be a summer staple! Haha actually I'm not quite sure how that makes it qualify for summer wear but I know I will be wearing it a lot when it gets warmer.

These are my favourite pair of boots, they are really comfy and go with just about every outfit you can think of =D. They are that much more special to me because I have grown up with them from adolescence, to what i believe now to be adulthood.

Juicy

Brightly coloured food always seem to excite the tastebuds because visually they're already delicious in our minds. These cocktails were no exception and we were eager to have a sip as soon as they hit the table. These pretty, harmless looking drinks are actually stronger than they look, and the glass holds a lot more than we expected. All in all, they started a desire to try the rest of the cocktails on the menu!

Illusion $13; vodka, orange liquer, midori

 DELICIOUS! An easy way to explain the taste is that it tastes like the ice block Splice. If you like that, you're bound to like this. I don't like anything with an overwhelming taste of alcohol, and this is perfect in that respect because the other flavours really work well together. I could do with some Splice right about now yummm.

Sex on the beach $13; vodka, peach schnapps, pineapple, cranberry

 One of my favourite cocktails, it does not fail to induce an image of a tropical island getaway into my head. I thought it normally had a salty aftertaste to imitate sand but today’s one seemed to lack it. Still pleasant though =) 

Bruschetta $6; tomatoes, red onion, basil and balsamic

I was quite disappointed because i was expecting that zesty peppery olive oil flavour which was absent. Just felt like diced tomatoes on top of plain bread. 



Assorted dips served with turkish bread $11



 Hmmm....all I can think of to say about this was that the bread was nice.... I think maybe the mains would be a safer choice here because the sides/entrees weren't all that great. The dips reminded me of the ones from the Tramcar Restaurant in Melbourne when we went there last November. Even then we had our favourite and would only eat the one dip, and again the same thing happened here with the yellow one being our fav (forgot what it was, the brownish red one is olive although at first we thought it was going to be liver flavoured).

Palate

World Square
Upper Ground Level, Shop 17-18

123 Liverpool Street 

Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 9264 3661

Sushi galore

I looooooove sushi so it's difficult for me to say anything bad about sushi train style restaurants. Sushi Hotaru is no exception, the food and atmosphere is really good, and you’re bound to enjoy the visit. The service is quick, especially the orders made through the touch screen right next to our table. They literally come out within 30 seconds of ordering! The other plus side is that all the dishes (except sashimi of course) are $3, which means…..I ate to my heart’s content.

I was quite fond of the futuristic decor as it definitely matched the efficiency of it’s service.

Scallops

Grilled salmon is my ABSOLUTE favourite wherever I go, so I was pleased to see it there and I think I ended up having about 3 plates of it!

Salmon & Avocado Roll

A little twist to the grilled salmon… spicy grilled salmon! It’s not too different to the original, but there is an added kick in the after taste. I’m a creature of habit so I have to say I prefer the original as it captures the classic flavour of salmon hehe :)

Fan of cheese? Despite being initially anxious to fuse sushi with what i normally consumed on pizza or sandwiches, IT WORKED =) for me anyway. It will vary for everyone, but i thought the cheese added a cream taste, complimenting the salmon and the cucumber definitely ensured it didn’t get too greasy.

This was quite interesting..I think it was half grilled salmon & half grilled scallop. But ultimately as they are both grilled, it just tastes like the grilled salmon dish. Haha I feel like i’ve just been mentioning grilled salmon in every sentence. Just shows that’s how much I love it!

Teriyaki chicken & Avocado Roll

Lovely balance of tender and crispness. Quite a clever marketing ploy with the crispy thing on top, which i still do not have any idea what it is, but it sure added an enjoyable texture. 

Salmon

Fried prawn

Blueberry yoghurt

Okay so dessert should be a no go zone in this place if it’s going to be from the wheel, it tasted too sour & warm. It appeared to me that it was purely there just for the sake of a dessert option on the menu. 

Sushi Hotaru

Shop RP1/ 500 George Street
Sydney, 2000

Phone: (02) 9262 9917

Spots//Stripes

Marcs coat
Marcs dress
Kookai cardigan
Sportsgirl brooch
Forever New tights
Mimco bag
Mimco scarf

Red beret from ebay
Mum’s stripey blouse
Vintage cardigan
Old ripped tee
Skirt from Korea
French boots from ebay
Escada suede handbag 

Wow I didn't even realise I was wearing so much red. I think it has to do with my subconscious, because I don't knowingly put together outfits consisting mainly of red.

An alarming amount of my outfits consist of red, white and blue. I think i subconsciously want to go back to school because i keep dressing like a little girl lately..missing my youth although i am still young!

My little sailor brooch! I always add it to an otherwise plain outfit so that there's an extra touch if there are no colours or patterns...which is probably also the reason for the polka dot tights.