Deakin Year End Ball 2007

Exam was over and it's end of the year. Me and my friends agreed to attend this year's Deakin Year End Ball, which fell on the last day of exam - 9th November. The theme was Bond 007 but no one took the initiative to dress up to match the theme. It's expensive to buy all the necessary outfit and accessories to look like one of the Bond 007 characters. A few days before the ball, everyone did some last minute shopping. It was kind of rush but everybody managed to get what they were looking for.

The guys in their best suits and looking good. From left: Hui Jen, Aaron and Sim.

The ladies were looking stunning too *Ahem~* From left: Me, Amelia and Lynn.

We took a train to go to city.

And here we are! Melbourne city. Probably it's holiday. The city was full of people of all races.

Foo: I think the nearest way to go to Melbourne Convention Centre is this way.
Sim: No no...We should go that way.

Haha! We were confused of the routes to Melbourne Convention Centre, where the ball was held.

However, we reached the destination in time.

Got the ticket? In we go!

We were greeted by the catchy jazz music played by a Live band on stage. The room was huge and dimly lit. Although it's already 5 minutes pass the start time, the hall wasn't even half filled. The wait staff had started to serve the early birds, while the Deakin students sipped over their wines and enjoyed the background music.

We were seated at Table 78. Once we were comfortably seated, a friendly waiter came to serve us drinks. We got to choose from Deakin Estate Sparkling, Deakin Estate Sauvignon Blanc-Vasey's Block Pinot Noir, Carlton Draught's Carlton Sterling Light, soft drinks and fruit juice.

Dinner rolls were placed in a basket, with soft butter ready at the side.

Half an hour passed and everyone was hungry. It's about time when the entree was served. It was Wild Mushroom Risotto served with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Grana Padano Cheese. Hui Jen said it tasted like loh mai kai, a popular dish when you have dim sum meal. The risotto was cooked to the right texture, and the mushroom and the olive oil brought out the natural flavours of the overall dish. However, the cheese was too overpowering. Otherwise, it would be a perfect entree.

Next came the main course. It was Grilled Rib Eye Steak on Spring Onion Potatoes served with Pink Peppercorn Sauce and Green Asparagus. The Romano tomatoes were juicy and slightly sweeter than the bigger ones. The asparagus were thoroughly cooked but the crunchiness still retained. I found the mashed potatoes a bit dry and not creamy enough. I like my mashed potatoes smooth and creamy, but this one had potatoes chunks in it, which I found not too bad. As for the rib eye steak, it's medium-rare done. It's so chewy that I had to chew a piece of the meat for 5 minutes before I swallowed it XD Haha! Although people said that beef is best eaten when it's medium done, some people (like me :P ) may not like it. Oh! And the sauce? It was excellent! Sweet, saltish and a tinge of peppery touch in it.

It's dessert time! My eyes were wide open when the waiter placed the plates on the table. I was transfixed by the merry colours, miniature size and fantastic presentation. We were served with Strawberry Tarts, Chocolate Brownies, Blueberry and Marshmallow Tarts...Wait! There's more!

Fresh and HUGE Strawberries, Lemon Meringue Tarts, and Toffee and Hazelnut Tarts. My favourites were the Strawberry Tarts and the Chocolate Brownies. The rest I found them too sweet XP

After meal, we made our way to the dance floor. There was a live band and they were so good that they brought the house down with their groovy music. We danced till we dropped!

Here are some of the crazy photos we took that night:

We had a hell of a time!

The night progressed and it's time to go home. Although we were tired, we would never forget the wonderful time we had that night. Boy~I'm missing everyone and everything in Melbourne. But, I'll be back! Goodbye my friends, we'll meet again ;)

I'm home!

Hey, peeps! I'm finally home! Sorry for the wait. I've been spending time with my friends back in Melbourne before coming back to Langkawi. Although it feels good to be home again, I miss the good old times in Melbourne.

Stay tune! I've got lotsa interesting stories to tell, heaps of food photos for you to feast your eyes on ;)

Cheers~

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Gold Coast, here I come!

Hello, my dear readers and friends! I'm going to Gold Coast in 4 hours' time. I'm so excited and can't wait to feel the sand between my toes.

Don't go away! I'll be back with more interesting posts. I would love to share my wonderful and fun experience in Gold Coast. So, stay tune! ;)

Cheers~

Hawker's Cafe

Hey, peeps! I'm back in action again. Sorry for the wait. So, did you guys miss me? Haha! After weeks of sleepless nights, hundreds of midnight candles had been burnt, thousands of pages turned, a bunch of hair had been pulled, I finally get to enjoy my 3-month holiday before a new semester starts. But first...Before I go on a trip to Gold Coast on 13th, I'll update my blog as much as possible...as I promised.

Some time around mid of October (I know it's like ages ago :P ), me and my friends went to Hawker's Cafe at Russell Street before going for a drink at F4. It's a small and simple Malaysian restaurant that serves South east Asian hawker food, which surprisingly is enjoyed by all races in Melbourne.

Sim ordered Boneless Fried Hainanese Chicken Rice. It came with succulent boneless chicken deep fried in a special marinade, served with Uncle Gin's fragrant chicken rice and homemade chilli sauce. The chicken was tender and it went really well with the light gravy which enhanced the flavours of the meat with a tinge of saltiness and sweetness. There's only one thing that Sim complained about was the complimentary soup, which he said was only a mix of salt and water, and it was laden with MSG XP

William went for Mee Goreng. I didn't try it but it looked kind of dry to me. And I think they served the same marinaded chicken as the chicken rice.

Lynn and Yuan opted for the Boneless Steamed Chicken Rice. Traditionally steamed chicken served with Uncle Gin's aromatic chicken rice and the homemade chilli sauce.

I decided on their Nasi Lemak Special. It arrived with chicken curry, chicken wing, fried anchovies, sambal egg, some fresh veggies, and served with fluffy and fragrant uniquely and lightly spiced coconut rice. I think it's very good and authentic, but it's not as delectable as the nasi lemak I had at Laksa King.

The guys wanted to try their Bak Kut Teh because it had been months since the last time they had one. So,William ordered one small pot to share. It's a pot of pork broth infused with herbs and spices, served with pieces of fried tofu, sliced mushrooms and fried dough. It tasted as bad as it appeared to be. A layer of oil was floating nonchalantly on the surface. I was hesitant to drink it, even though I tried my best not to scoop up too much oil. Just as I expected, it was bland and I could barely taste the herbs and spices in the diluted soup. Oh well, I guess I will just have Bak Kut Teh in Malaysia.

Overall, the food isn't too bad for such prices. However, they could do better if they could improve on the flavours and extend their menu. But if I crave for Malaysian food, I would go for Laksa King. It's so far the best restaurant that serves the most authentic and the best Malaysian food in Melbourne.

Merdeka! Opps~I mean...I'm FREE!!!

WooHoo! Exam is finally over! The moment that all students have been waiting for. However, this semester wasn't easy for everyone. The disappointed expression on my friends' faces when they came out from the exam hall showed it all.

As for me, I think all my papers were ok and I think I can pass all of them. However, I don't want to put too much hope in getting Distinctions, a Pass for each subject will be enough.

At the same time, I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm back to blogging world! Stay tune for more food and fun ;)

Ciao!