Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Melbourne, Victoria

For SiewPoh's birthday this year, we shared a meal at a flash new Chinese eatery with Versace looking plates. The whole establishment had matching Versace looking furniture too...

To start off dinner, shredded duck soup - there wasn't much duck in there

hot and sour soup - SiewPoh and Gary both enjoyed this

prawn, eggplant, chinese donut in claypot - tasted like it was stir fried in sweet chilli sauce but spicier

duck with glutinous rice - i though of Je when i had this since she likes glutinous rice

beef with black pepper sauce - cooked to a bloody medium and served with four asparagus stalks

as per chinese tradition, birthday noodles need to be had and it came with pippies and dried crab egg roe - the pippies were real tough, we had to leave most of 'em uneaten and the crab egg roe gave SiewPoh who was allergic to it an itchy mouth as it wasn't identified until after consumption

mixed vegetables and vermicelli in claypot - some greens for our fibre requirements

free ice cream - this was plonked down on our table without introduction nor explanation, so we just dug in and gave the dessert menu a miss. i think they did this to hurry us along as we were the last ones in the restaurant by then. -mi!

Sunday Home Cooked Brekky

i stocked up on these ingredients at woolies the night before, including the milk for scrambled eggs

Kransky sausage, scrambled eggs, hash brown, toasted turkish bread, cherry tomatoes and spinach

would be nicer if i could've cooked up these without having to deal with the dirty pans and dishes after. -mi!

Shake Shack, New York

Busy lunch time crowd but we managed to snag a seat. effortless compared to the two hour queue at the first madison park joint we stood in before this brand new one on 86th street opened in the upper east side.

Shackburger - Lightly toasted sweet soft chewy potato bun, nicely done black angus beef pattie, melted american cheese, tomato and lettuce. Great burger and oh sooo goood cheese fries. Wash down with fresh squeezed lemonade. i luv it. -mi!

Norma's, New York

My second time in Norma's at Le Parker Meridien - as we had to wait two hours for a table, this meal was preceded by a quick bite at the famed burger joint next door.

Hot Chestnut Pancakes Topped with Candied Chestnuts and Brown Sugar Sauce

Mango-Papaya Brown Butter Cinnamon Crêpes

Waz-Za Waffle – Fruit Inside Fruit Outside, Crackly Brûlée Top. oooooooh sweet beginnings to the day.

this was the calm before the blizzarding snow storm that came down on nyc 24 hours later. -mi!

Burger Joint, New York

Spot the neon light in the posh hotel lobby of Le Parker Meridien in midtown manhattan

Menu above compact kitchen tells you "if you don't see it, we don't have it"

Cheeseburger with the lot and brown paper bag of french fries. Soft fluffy bun, chargrilled cooked-to-order-medium beef pattie, fries were hot, fresh and big enough to go round. All for around $12. -mi!

Per Se, New York

i've been longing/trying/hankering/aching to dine at Thomas Keller's since 2009. Thank you to Je and Amex Concierge for securing a table for us! On today's menu;

warm light airy foie gras puffs

Florida Cobia Pastrami - Marinated potatoes, pickled red onion, garden dill and mustard seed vierge
Tartare of Australian Hiramasa - Smoked tofu, watermelon radishes, ponzu gelee and cilantro

Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras Sherbet - Compressed Gros Michel banana, walnut marmalade, red ribbon sorrel and black winter truffle puree

freshly baked warm bread selection
Sauteed fillet of Chatham Bay Cod - Ragout of flageolet beans, purple top turnips, romaine lettuce, sweet carrots and horseradish gastrique
Santa Barbara Sea Urchin - per se soppressata, globe artichokes, pickled garlic, roquette leaves and spanish saffron
Medallion of Marcho Farms' Veal En Persillade - "Ris de Veau," Glazed Salsify, Broccoli Florettes, Watercress and toasted almond jus

view of Columbus Circle and central park from our seat

"M&M's" - Pretzel Chips, Candied peanuts, Madagascar vanilla mousse, Mast Brothers' chocolate ice cream

"Mignardises" - they truly spoiled us with the range of tiny bite-sized sweets that kept coming and coming
we got to pick from a tray of milk and dark chocolate pieces which includes cardamon spiced, rum, hazelnut

macarons, truffles, white chocolate ice cream balls, caramels, lollies, fluffy chewy donuts, cappuccino mousse

take home dark chocolate cookies to extend the meal a little further. -mi!

two bodies

i'd just like to share one of my favourite pictures with you. two together even in death, it looks like they were holding on to each other as they perished, wishing for eternity together. nope, not morbid at all if you look past the dusty bones and recognise their amazing love. or was it just fear that made them cling on to each other? -mi!