Author Archives: faithashw

Review: Flying Fish

Posted by faithashw in Food, Review and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

To mark the end of our Foodie Adventure in Sydney, Reena and I decided to splurge and spoil ourselves by having our last meal together at the infamous Flying Fish restaurant, owned by “seafood king”, Peter Kuruvita.

Situated right by the pier at Jones Bay Wharf, it is pretty secluded and quite a ways away from anything else.  I love seafood and so ever since I learned of this restaurant I have been waiting for this day to come!  It was almost a no-go too, since it was completely out of the way from everywhere else we had already decided on going to; lucky we decided to make that special trip out in the end.

So after a pretty long walk from the tram stop, which included walking through pitch black darkness along a mostly deserted pier (the restaurant was right at the end) – we finally made it.  I remember at one point I was almost half expecting that we would have to find some secret passageway in order to get there, ala Platform 9 3/4 (sorry for the Harry reference, I couldn’t resist!).

First impression: the restaurant looks absolutely stunning.  Right by the main entrance is a full bar with a little deck area with comfy seating overlooking the water.  It was pretty dark so unfortunately there wasn’t much of a view to behold, but I can imagine how beautiful it would be during the daytime.  On a hot summer’s day, sat in one of those comfy chairs enjoying a cold cocktail…absolute heaven.  Stepping into the actual restaurant, the first thing I noticed which was a bit of a surprise to me, was that the kitchen was just, well, there.  Now we’ve all seen restaurants with kitchens that are “in the open”, that is in the same place as the dining area but separated by the counter (think Wagamama – well the one here, anyway), but this one was pretty much like an open-plan kitchen, like the sort you would see in some city apartments  – except way fancier, bigger and better equipped, of course!!  To the right there was what looked like a private dining area within this amazing wine cellar – wine bottles were perched on the walls from floor to ceiling.

We were taken into the dining area which was in the adjoining room on the left (there was also seating upstairs).  The dining area was very classy, what you would expect from a fine dining restaurant.  Floor to ceiling windows meant direct views out into the ocean – I can only imagine how incredibly stunning it must be during the day.  Shortly after sitting down at our table I looked around to take in the lovely ambiance.  Then I looked up – and gasped.  The upstairs dining area actually overlooks down to the downstairs dining area (where we were) and so basically both levels shared one very high ceiling (if that makes sense).  Hanging down from this ceiling were a whole bunch of pretty fairy lights – how magical and gorgeous!  Almost like looking into the actual sky on a starry night – and I’m sure that is the intention.  Definitely a very romantic setting, I’m sure the place is packed on Valentine’s!

I did take some photos but obviously they do not do the restaurant any justice.  The website provides a virtual tour of the place though so go check it out!

Everything on the menu sounded so delicious.  Prices are pretty steep but is to be expected considering the caliber of the restaurant and that it was seafood.  I think they did have one or two non-seafood dishes, although who would order steak at a seafood restaurant is beyond me…  The couple next to me, the guy was eating like this MASSIVE lobster – it looked really good.  In the end I decided on the prawn ravioli with poached scampi, shaved abalone, zucchini flower and tomato and coriander vinaigrette for my entree, and pan fried John Dory with king prawn, young summer vegetables, yuzu and seaweed butter for the main.

The ravioli was really good although I think what I enjoyed the most was actually that vinaigrette.  So simple but yet the flavor had so much depth and it was very refreshing too, thanks to the coriander – love coriander!  On the flipside I didn’t care for the abalone at all.  As for the main, WOW.  I’ve never had John Dory before so I was really excited at finally being able to try it after hearing about it all the time on cooking shows.  The fish is a very flat fish and really quite ugly (have a look at his ugly mug here) but boy did it taste delicious!  The fish was cooked perfectly and seasoned so well; skin was crispy and the flesh tender but still with some bite.  Now the fish was definitely the star of the dish but let me tell you, those vegetables sure gave Mr. Dory a run for his money!  I have this weird thing where I only like my vegetables soft – so really, I only eat/enjoy my veges steamed.  The veges that were on this plate were absolutely divine, they were so full of flavor and just melted in your mouth!  And that yuzu and seaweed butter was one of the best things I have ever tasted – just brought the whole dish together.

Following the success of the dessert platter at the Red Lantern, we decided to do the same here and go for the dessert tasting plate.  What a scrumptious ending to a fantastic meal it was – passionfruit souffle with burnt orange ice cream, toasted coconut marshmallow and pineapple, fig carpaccio with creme fraiche sorbet and carrot financier, and lime cheesecake, almond strusel, lime curd, guava sorbet and compressed kiwifruit.  My favorites were the toasted coconut marshmallow (they were like fluffy coconut-ty pillows!) and that guava sorbet – so refreshing.

Here are some photos, again please excuse the poor camera quality!  Additionally because I was trying to be discreet, most of the pictures turned out a wee bit out of focus too, unfortunately.

Overall, an excellent (fine) dining experience.  If I can ever afford to eat there again, I will go there for lunch so I can enjoy the views.  I must mention that the waitress who looked after us was top notch; very friendly, attentive and knew the menu pretty much like the back of her hand – she got a really good tip from us.

One last thing I simply HAVE to mention – as if everything about the place wasn’t already completely amazing, wait ’til you hear about the toilets!  They are magical.  I kid you not!  When you first step in, you will notice that the cubicles are see through.  The whole cubicle is just one giant translucent glass box.  So you start to panic for a moment.  Then you figure, well no one else is in here right now, I’ll just hop in, quickly do my thing and hope that I will be done before anyone walks in.  So you get in and here’s the craziest-but-most-amazing thing – the second you shut the door and lock it – WHOOSH!! – the whole glass box gets all cloudy and is no longer see through!  What is this black magic?!?!  But how cool is that!

Hands down.  Best.  Toilet.  Ever.  (and I’ve been to a lot – curse you, weak bladder!)

So yeah to sum up, if you love seafood, if you want to treat yourself and that special someone, or if there is a special occasion of some sort – consider making a night of it at Flying Fish.  When it comes to food this is my motto: life is too short and pretty crappy most of the time, so every once in awhile treat yourself to the good stuff!

Whimsical Banana rates Flying Fish: 5/5 Bananas!

Review: Red Lantern

Posted by faithashw in Food, Review and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Apologies for the delay in getting my restaurant reviews up, as had been promised in my previous blog entry – it has been a crazy past few weeks!  I have a lot of time on my hands at the moment though so I will be blogging a bit more regularly now.

To start the food-ball rolling, I will begin with Luke Nguyen’s Red Lantern Restaurant in Surrey Hills, just outside the Sydney CBD.  For those of you who watch Masterchef Australia, you will know who Luke Nguyen is and/or have heard of his restaurant.

Being Malaysian/Asian, obviously I love Asian cuisine, but being very “Western” too, I enjoy European food as well.  What’s the best of both worlds?  Asian fusion cuisine!  And that’s what Red Lantern is all about.  Vietnamese cuisine with a modern Western-esque twist to it.  As if that wasn’t already music to my ears, what scored more brownie points in my book – the restaurant’s “mantra”: ethical eating.  They are committed to leaving as light an environmental footprint as possible through using only the freshest in local sustainable and organic produce.  They dedicate a whole page on this on their website, you can check it out here.  This is something I feel quite strongly about and have been practicing in the last few years so it’s really great and inspiring to come across a restaurant that believes in the importance of being environmentally conscious.

So we hadn’t planned on going to Red Lantern that night (even though it was on my “places-I-must-eat-at-when-I’m-in-Sydney” list) but due to being behind schedule and the awful weather, among other things, it became the most convenient place to go for dinner in the end.  We hopped in to a cab and were halfway there when we realized that we hadn’t made a reservation, and it was a Saturday night.  Since we were nearly there we thought we’d just try our luck anyway, and if we couldn’t get in, we would just pick another place – the restaurant was on a street that was a bit of a “restaurant zone” so we would be spoiled for choice.

Got there, and of course, it was fully booked.  Being a Saturday night I was thinking that our chances were pretty slim.  It was still pouring down so we were all wet and cold, and by this point we were all starving too.  Luck was clearly on our side though because while they were fully booked, the hostess had some promising news for us – she was still waiting on a group of 4 who still had not arrived yet – and what do you know, there were 4 of us!

So after a 10-15 minute wait, we finally secured a table – YAY!  Everything on the menu sounded so scrumptious, and not too ridiculously over-priced too, which was the best part!  After some debating we finally decided on the following for our meal:  Entrees: their famous roast duck and enoki mushroom spring rolls followed by char-grilled chicken skewers marinated in preserved bean curd paste, lime and garlic.  Mains to share: char-grilled pork cutlets marinated in honey, lemongrass and shallot oil, Asian mushrooms wok-tossed with tofu, lotus root, Chinese broccoli and glass noodles, and crispy skin chicken poached in master stock with ginger, shallot and oyster sauce .  And to finish, we decided we just had to sample a bit of everything so we got the dessert platter.

Here are some photos to tantalize your taste buds.  Please excuse the poor camera quality.  We were seated outside and the lighting was quite dim, didn’t help that my camera doesn’t take photos well in the dark!

The food was absolutely to die for.  I have eaten in some great places but this is definitely near the top of my list.  The duck rolls were fantastic – you get so used to eating those “regular” deep fried party spring rolls that you forget that spring rolls can be so much more than that.  The best spring rolls I’ve had have been in Vietnam itself; be it fresh or deep fried, they were always packed full of flavor with a good mix of veges, fresh herbs and meat (usually prawn).  You would think duck would be a strange kind of meat to have in a spring roll but it was a match made in heaven – well Sam would beg to differ but he doesn’t like duck so he doesn’t get a vote!  The duck meat was sliced finely, moist and seasoned perfectly, the enoki mushrooms gave a great texture and the herbs just married all the flavors together.  The chicken skewers were tender, juicy and marinated to perfection; such a simple “pedestrian dish” and like any other normal chicken skewer that you can get anywhere, but it tasted amazing, so full of flavor, and even though it was char-grilled, the meat somehow stayed tender and just melted in your mouth…while still having that nice char-grilled flavor to it.

With the mains, the crispy skin chicken was definitely the hero of the night.  You should have seen the looks on our faces when we took that first bite, it was like we were having little food-gasms!  The skin was so crispy and tasty it was like pork crackling…sounded like pork crackling too!  The meat though was so soft, and had bags of flavor in it – I would really love to know what “secret ingredient” they put in their master stock, and how long it has been there for, because that’s just magic in a pot.  I wasn’t too keen on the pork as it’s not my favorite meat but it was recommended by the hostess.  I had a taste and I was actually pleasantly surprised; there was so much going on in that one cutlet that it actually masked the pork flavor which is what I don’t like and why I don’t often eat pork.  The vegetable dish we ordered was probably the most “normal” dish out of the three, but having said that, again, it didn’t disappoint on flavor.  As we all know there is not much flavor – if at all – in tofu, and yet the tofu in this dish was silky smooth and super tasty.  I also really liked the lotus root in the dish, gave the dish texture and it definitely needed that extra bit of crunch.

Now at this point we were all pretty stuffed but who can say no to dessert?!  I’m glad we didn’t pass and I’m even gladder that we got the platter because WOW.  The platter consisted of sesame and rice flour dumplings filled with sour sop served with black sesame ice cream, black sticky rice with caramelized pumpkin, jackfruit and coconut cream, and date and tamarind pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream.  I don’t think I need to say much because I think the descriptions should speak for itself.  Simply, utterly heavenly.  My fave was the dumplings (which the hostess did wholeheartedly recommend) but it was a pretty close race!  Desserts have always been a very Western thing.  Growing up in an Asian family, all we had for dessert – and even then dessert wasn’t a regular affair – was ice cream and/or fruit.  It’s just so inspiring to see desserts like what we sampled at Red Lantern – taking inspiration from European classics but using Asian ingredients and flavors.

I am so chuffed that we managed to get that table at the Red Lantern because that was truly one of the best dining experiences I have ever had.  I left completely satisfied, not completely out of pocket, and I will definitely make a return visit the next time I’m in Sydney.  Food aside, the service was absolutely flawless – hostess was friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu, the wait staff were equally friendly and very efficient.   I felt the waiting times were spot on, it was just enough time between the courses – a top notch job considering it was a full restaurant.  Ambiance was lovely – tasteful Asian inspired decor, cozy and while it was a fancy restaurant it wasn’t too upmarket or “hoity toity”.  I liked that the small space gave the restaurant a very “exclusive” feel to it, almost like you were part of an invite-only party – and in some ways maybe it’s intentional?  It’s quite tucked away even considering it’s on a main street – it’s like, blink and you’ll miss it!

However I don’t think Luke Nguyen is worried that he will lose any customers because his restaurant is located rather obscurely.  He has definitely made a name for himself in Australia; this lil’ gem of a restaurant may not have a physically imposing presence but it certainly is a culinary force to be reckoned with, make no mistake about that!!  What I found really fascinating was that when I was in the local department stores in Sydney, I soon realized that Luke Nguyen was somewhat of the Australian version of Jamie Oliver!  He has his own range of utensils and cookware (down to cute lil’ dipping bowls!), and his book is pretty pricey considering he’s a “local chef”.  I was pretty tempted to get those dipping bowls or something in his range but considering I already had 2 cook books to lug back to NZ, I thought better not!  Maybe next time…

In conclusion, if you love Asian fusion cuisine, you love food that has complexity of flavors and packs a punch, then you HAVE to pay Red Lantern a visit!  Any Aussies reading this, get your butt down to Surrey Hills.  Everyone else, if you plan on visiting Sydney, make sure you put this on your places-I-must-eat-at list!

Whimsical Banana rates Red Lantern: 5/5 bananas!

Next Up: I review seafood legend Peter Kuruvita’s Flying Fish!

Foodie Adventure, Destination: Sydney

Posted by faithashw in Food, Review and tagged with , ,

So it’s been a week since I returned from my short holiday in Sydney. I meant to write about my time there earlier but I’ve actually been really exhausted since returning to Auckland; partly from being out and about for 5 days straight but also because I jumped straight back to work like barely a day after I touched down!! This week that I’ve been back, apart from work, I’ve really just been catching up on some zzz’s, I think I’m finally back into the swing of things though!

Sydney was awesome. There were a few hiccups but all in all I had an absolute ball of a time. 😀 I was pretty proud of myself that I managed to navigate around the city fairly well, especially considering how bad my sense of directions are and also considering that on trips, I always rely on someone else to figure out where to go and how to get there!

It was great catching up with some old mates, of course, but what I enjoyed most about the trip was just being in a different country (albeit a very similar one to NZ!), exploring unfamiliar grounds, taking in the sights and just enjoying being in a bigger and livelier city. It’s amazing how much more life there is just across the ditch, so many shops and all open ’til much later which is probably what annoys me most about living here! Although I have to say I’m no longer used to the crowds, having lived in Auckland for so long. As much as I do love hustle-and-bustle, it was a tad too “busy” for my liking all the same…I swear Sydney has grown in population in the last couple of years!

I’d been to Sydney before, about 2 years back, but what was interesting about this 2nd trip was this time I was going as a recent-self-professed foodie. You see the place differently, you know? I have taken quite an interest in and passion for food in the last few months and I’ve had this mental list of restaurants that I simply had to visit should I make it to Sydney again. Of course I didn’t get to all of them, but I managed a few so I was/am happy 🙂 Thankfully the friend I was with is a fellow foodie too so it all worked out!

In the coming week(s) I will blog about the restaurants individually in separate posts as I want to give each one the undivided praise it deserves. I also want to add photos, of course!  I had the most amazing meals in my time in Sydney, some of the BEST food I have ever eaten. I really need to find out how to become a food critic, or a professional food blogger!

I want to start researching on good food/good restaurants/famous chefs in Auckland/NZ though. It’s ironic that I know so much of the who’s and what’s of the food industry in Australia but next to nothing of the industry in NZ.  Peter Gordon can’t be our only claim to fame, surely? If anyone out there knows of any good restaurants I should try in Auckland, please let me know!

BTW, Happy Easter everyone!  The rain hasn’t been great but hope everyone’s had their fair share of chocolate 🙂

Review: The King’s Speech

Posted by faithashw in Review and tagged with , , , , , , ,

I have been wanting to see this film for a looong time.  Even moreso after the Oscars.   Unfortunately I have gotten WAY behind on my movies, which is ironic really, as you’d think I’d have seen everything considering I work at the cinemas…which used to be the case, but sadly not anymore.  I’ve been feeling like I’m at work all the time these past few months and so when I do eventually get my two days off I stay well away from the place!!  I try to catch a film occassionally after work but similarly, once I’m done at work I tend to just wanna get the hell outta there!!

Today I made a special trip out to Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket to catch this film as it has finished its run at Queen Street (where I work, for those of you who do not know).  I am SO GLAD I made the trip.  The King’s Speech is absolutely brilliant.  I have watched many films and because I have a very eclectic and “mainstream” taste in films, I am easy to please and tend to enjoy most films I see.

I can safely say though that The King’s Speech is not only a film I am deeming one of the best films I have ever seen (in a long time), but also one I am unlikely to forget.  As I mentioned just before, I rarely ever dislike any movie I see, but very few actually truly captivate and move me.  The King’s Speech did just that.  It held my attention from start to finish.  It is certainly deserved of the four Oscars it won – every single cateogry – and I think this film could very well go down in British film history, in my VERY humble opinion.

For those of you who do not know the premise, in a nutshell: English period drama set a few years before World War II.  King George VI (played brilliantly by Colin Firth) struggles from a crippling speech impediment but has to learn how to overcome it when he is suddenly made King following the death of his father, and following his older brother turning his back on the throne.  He seeks help from Lionel Logue, an unorthodox Australian speech therapist (played comically by Geoffrey Rush).

Director Tom Hooper does a remarkable job at telling this story.  Very impressed especially considering he has done only mostly TV directing prior to this.  The sets and locations used are amazing – you really get that sense of history and place, and the attention to detail really gave the film depth; in that two hours I was completely immersed in that world of the past, I really felt like I had gone back in time.  Casting was absolutely spot on – I have to mention that I was mighty pleased that there were 3 Harry Potter actors in the film!  Colin Firth embodied the character of King George VI perfectly; simply stunning performance, he definitely deserved that Oscar!  I was completely convinced that his stammering was for real – AMAZING.  Geoffrey Rush’s character provided just enough comic relief and I liked that Firth’s character’s sarcastic sense of humor played off very nicely against Rush’s playful jibes.  Although I can’t say much for his Aussie accent – and he’s actually Aussie!

Perhaps the most fantastic thing about the film was how the director used certain shots/camera angles and also the sets to portray King George’s sense of constriction when he stammered.  Of course this was conveyed excellently through Firth’s facial expressions and body language (vulnerable posture, fear-stricken eyes, throat constricting – it’s ridiculous how real it all looked – Colin Firth, you are a master at your art!) which Hooper further heightened through many close up shots of Firth from the shoulder up.  Eyes are really a window to a person’s soul and I felt that these close ups of Firth really helped the audience connect with the character.  This “invasion of personal space” by being so up close – which ironically you cannot do to a King, as Rush’s character points out when they first meet –  really allows you to feel his fear and experience his struggles firsthand.

Majority of the film was shot indoors, most of it noticeably being of long corridors and rooms that were small spaces.  Visually this effectively accentuated that feeling of entrapment and also I felt was intended to mirror the King’s tightness of his throat whenever he tried to speak.  Additionally I also noticed that many of the scenes were long and drawn out, taking awhile to reveal its point to the audience – this could also reflect the King and the time he takes to get a sentence out.  But this could be just me reading a wee bit too much into it – can’t help it, having studied film it’s almost second nature for me to always take note of the cinematography in a film and want to dissect it and pull any “hidden meaning” from it.

The writing was impeccable – yet another deserved win at the Oscars.  As I mentioned earlier the humor is witty and just the right amount, and most importantly, perfectly placed.  Being a drama obviously you want to tread carefully if wanting to insert any form of comedy or humor.  I felt that the humor used in this film was not so much because the director intended to give the audience a few laughs, but to give more depth and humanity to the characters, especially to King George.  Any person of royal blood – and no less British royalty – is often stereotyped as boring, stuffy and very “mechanical”.  Portraying a King that stammers, is fearful and gets angry shows that royalty are still human, however I believe showing the audience that he has a sense of humor has a greater impact as it reveals more character.

I could go on some more about this film but I think I will stop here!   In short, this film – again, in my humble opinion – is GREAT on so many levels and is definitely a must-see for anyone who appreciates a good film.

Whimsical Banana rates The King’s Speech: 5/5 bananas!

Mamak has FINALLY arrived in NZ!!

Posted by faithashw in Food, Review and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

In Malaysia, the term “mamak” refers to the Tamil Muslims of Malaysian nationality.  Mamak stalls are popular among Malaysians as hang out spots, serving Malaysian street food and beverages. [taken from the menu at Mamak @ Chancery]

When I first heard that someone had finally been crazy smart brave enough to open up Auckland’s very first mamak, I was surprised (at first) but this was quickly replaced by elation and excitement.  About bloody time!

Simply named “Mamak“, this quaint little eatery is tucked away at a corner in the very chic Chancery courtyard just off High Street.  My first thought was that this was an interesting, slightly strange location to choose to open a mamak.  Definitely worlds away from where most, if not all, mamaks are located back home!

The pretty fairy lights, bright and inviting ambiance, along with the friendly beckoning staff all create a very welcoming atmosphere and definitely great first impression.  The writing on the walls which bear typical “mamak speak” (in Malay, with accompanying English translation) instantly makes any Malaysian feel at home, but at the same time give non-Malaysians a glimpse into Malaysian culture, or at least the mamak culture.

The excitement and expectations were definitely mounting and considering how many various Malaysian cafes/restaurants/eateries I have eaten in in the 8 years that I have been living here, I was really curious to see how this “newbie” will stack up, and stand out.

The hosts/staff were incredibly hospitable and warm – they greeted us immediately on arrival and they seemed genuinely happy to have us; it felt more like being welcomed at a friend’s house, which I liked.  Anyone who frequents Asian eating places knows that this does not happen often!

The menu boasts a good variety of tasty, well-known Malaysian delicacies – all mamak-influenced, of course.  What I thought was pretty cool was the menu was divided into two – Mamak tapas and Mains.  It’s interesting that tapas as we all know originates from Spain but these days every other cuisine has its own localized version of tapas.  I thought having the menu worded in this “Western-friendly” format was a good move for the non-Malaysian customers.

Back to the food – there was just so much to choose from!  There were the usual “goodies” on offer – nasi lemak, mee goreng, nasi goreng, beef rendang – but then there were also SEVEN types of roti available – all homemade – including roti pisang and roti tissue!!  Plus murtabak (onion omelette), which I’ve never seen served anywhere else.  And satay…yum!  After salivating for a bit, I finally decided on sticking to the basics and went for the nasi lemak.  And to wash it all down – teh tarik…again, YUM!  I have an unofficial rule of thumb when it comes to ordering for the first time at a new restaurant, specifically a Malaysian one; I believe that the mark of a good Malaysian restaurant (overseas) is if they can get the “classics” right.  Dad decided to try the original roti canai, and Mum picked mee goreng.  So we had a good variety to taste test!

While we waited for our food to arrive, the host entertained us with talk about what they had planned for the restaurant, namely what new dishes were going to be rolled out in the coming weeks.  Very ambitious and very optimistic considering it’s still early days but I say good on him!  As the chatter progressed to discussing ways to generate more business/traffic to his door and then unavoidably to which part of Malaysia we were from before we came to Auckland, the wonderful aroma of our dinner came wafting through the kitchen, dining area, and to where we were sitting (we were outside).  If the smells were anything to go by, this was gonna be one satisfying meal!

Food arrived in under 20 minutes which is pretty decent timing (not too long in that you’re getting impatient, and not too quick so much so that you suspect food is just being microwaved and not cooked fresh).

VERDICT: AMAZING!!!  My nasi lemak was excellent – chicken curry was cooked to perfection and the rice had just the right amount of coconut in it.  Sambal was a wee bit on the spicy side, but then I like spicy!  Roti canai could have been crispier but considering it’s homemade – hats off to the chef!  The accompanying fish curry and dahl to dip the roti in was delicious – very authentic!  Loved that they served it in those silver tin trays, just like at the real mamaks back home.  Mee goreng was also top notch – just the right amount of spice and ‘tomato-ey-ness’.  Mee goreng is one of my all-time favorite Malaysian dishes and so I order it the most often when dining at a Malaysian restaurant.  I have never had a bad mee goreng, all Malaysian restaurants seem to know how to get it right, but this one is definitely one of the better ones I’ve tasted.

All in all, it was a super tasty dinner and a great dining experience – I will definitely be returning!  If you are Malaysian, or if you are not a Malaysian but love Malaysian food, then Mamak at Chancery is a must visit!  They are located at Unit 21, Chancery Court –  just off High Street in the courtyard where Invito and Mecca Cafe are.  I truly hope this very unique Malaysian eatery – Auckland’s first mamak, no less – will have a long and prosperous life!

Whimsical Banana rates Mamak @ Chancery: 4/5 Bananas!

Excellent and authentic Malaysian mamak food, warm and efficient service, inviting and cozy ambiance.  It loses 1 banana for being slightly over-priced (most mains are about $12) but that’s understandable considering the location.  Another downside is there aren’t any desserts!  What can I say, I’m a sucker for something sweet at the end of a meal.  Bring on the cendol and ais kacang! *hint hint*

Review: My Wedding & Other Secrets

Posted by faithashw in Review and tagged with , , , , ,

From the first time I heard about this film, I knew I would enjoy it and I just couldn’t wait to see it.  For those of you who may not know, this film is based on the documentary Banana In A Nutshell, in which the same director, Roseanne Liang, directs and stars in.  It follows the life/love story of Liang herself.  I watched it a few years back and really enjoyed it.  Obviously this is a topic that is close to her heart as six years later, the film adaptation is born.

Liang paints a very candid picture of what it is like being an Asian living in a Western country and the struggles of balancing between feeling like you relate more to the “Western ways” and feeling that you need to stay true to your roots too.  Being a self-proclaimed banana, I can definitely relate.  People usually laugh or are pretty amused when they find out I’m a banana and I do feel it is one of my “quirks” that make me, me but in all seriousness sometimes it is a struggle – I always never quite know where I belong.

The two stars that play Liang and her now-husband Stephen are perfectly embodied by Michelle Ang and Matt Whelan.  The natural chemistry between them make their performance believable and certainly if you are in a relationship like theirs (very common in Auckland), no doubt you will relate to the cultural issues that they face!

Some bits really hit home for me and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Brought back some good memories too which is always nice!

I loved how Liang seamlessly translated her story from being told as a documentary to unfolding as a full feature film.  The story arc had good pacing and nice character development, especially with the family members.  Interesting use of camera angles and the music perfectly complemented the action on screen – these are two aspects of film-making I always look out for when I watch a film, that’s what you get for studying film for two years!

What makes the film brilliant is how strongly and accurately stemmed in reality it is – she does play with some known Asian stereotypes but she does it in a non-stereotypical way, if that makes any sense!!   For example, it is pretty common knowledge that Asians have an “unconventional” food palate, in that Asians will eat anything!  This is often cast in a negative light – “those crazy Asians, how could they eat monkey brain” – but in this film, the “crazy food” brings the family together for a meal, and is a sign of affection and “giving the best” to a loved one.

My favorite part was when the couple were making fun of each other’s choice of breakfasts – that is so spot on and I have to say that I have had that “discussion” before!

Sadly I feel this film will not do as well as it definitely deserves, most likely because many people will just fob it off as “just another boring cheap Kiwi film”.  My Wedding & Other Secrets couldn’t be furthest from that description!  Yes, it is a Kiwi film but it is one with a lot of heart, humor and bite.  It really looks very intimately into what I consider to be quite a common phenomenon here in NZ.  If you are Asian and going out with a “kwai lo” – or vice versa – then you definitely have to watch it because it will speak to you and give you a good laugh!  And if you are not, then still go see it anyway – at the very least it will be educational and hopefully insightful!

The Whimsical Banana rates My Wedding & Other Secrets: 4/5 Bananas

10 signs you know you’ve become more of a gamer-geek than a movie-geek

Posted by faithashw in Games and tagged with , , , ,

1. You are more in the know of what games are releasing/being made vs what movies are coming soon

2. Friends want to borrow games from you and not your movies (I still do have a lot more movies than I do games though!!)

3. Friends ask you what games you are currently playing, not what films you have seen lately

4. Friends recommend you games you need to play, not films you should watch

5. You head to the Games section first in JB Hi-Fi whereas before it used to be Movies

6. You don’t feel so much like a “fish out of water” anymore when you go in to EB Games

7. You can spend hours playing The Sims, not only creating many “families” and building the ultimate dream homes, but mapping out the entire neighborhood!!

8. You own game memorabilia – I have a beanie with a Sims plumbob on it, a replica gun from Bayonetta, and several guide books

9. You SO want a Playstation Move even if it’s just for one game (for now, at least!!)

10. You start getting obsessed with collecting trophies

11. Instead of drooling over Hollywood hotties, you think Nathan Drake is pretty damn cute ^_^

***

Okay so that was 11 signs, I lied 😛  Oh how I have changed in the last few years…  In all seriousness though, even though I started playing games from a very young age – back in the days of the infamous clone console, Micro Genius, only known to those who grew up in Asia hehehe – it was only as an alternative mode of entertainment, nothing more.

I’m glad that my world now includes games because it truly is a remarkable entertainment medium.  I’ve always believed – and I still do – that film is an incredible medium because (a good film) has the ability to suck you in to an alternate universe for a good (on average) 90-120 minutes.  Good ol’ escapism and all that!!  The thing with games is it can do just that too, and so much more. Because the beauty about games is that it is largely interactive; the gameplay actively and often directly engages with you.  Yes in a good scary film you feel scared, if the character is played by a good actor you feel what they feel and you root for them to survive, etc etc.  But in a game, you often are that character.  So not only are you made to immerse directly in that game’s world, but if done well, you can completely embody and be that character.  And if a game succeeds in doing that, it is an amazing experience.  Heavy Rain did this very well, in my VERY humble opinion.  It’s definitely one of my favorite games but admittedly it did have it’s share of flaws, however I felt it succeeded in what it set out to do which was to be an “interactive film which involves moral choices” essentially.

With technology constantly improving – sorry I don’t know all the actual gaming engine names/tools/programs/jargon!! – what I’m really starting to love about games is that they can be made to look exactly like movies.  And to me, still having a passion for movies, this is the perfect mix, the best of both worlds!!  The Uncharted series is a perfect example.  Because I am completely hopeless at shooter games, I actually have never played the games myself.  But I was able to still enjoy and completely immerse myself in the world of Uncharted, relate to and invest in the characters, because it plays out like a movie.  The choice of camera angles, realism of the characters (not only physical look but also their personalities), the pacing and unfolding of the plot, as well as the accompanying soundtrack are simply incredible.

Some more serious gamers criticize games like this because they believe that games and movies are different mediums and so games should not try to be like movies – to an extent I do agree because I believe games have the potential to really push boundaries and go places that movies can’t and so they should take full advantage of that.   But at the same time I also feel that if they have the means and resources and it is the gamemaker’s intention to produce it to look like a movie – then why the hell not?  To each their own, I always say.

Uncharted 3 is looking really awesome so far – can’t wait ’til November!!  I’m considering actually attempting to play Uncharted – on VERY EASY MODE, of course!! – in the hopes that by the time November rolls along maybe I would have had enough target practice (literally) to be able to play the new installment.  Still toying with the idea…

Wow I can’t believe I just wrote a whole post on games.  I guess I just made my 12th sign 😛

Hello WWW, I am back.

Posted by faithashw in Uncategorized and tagged with ,

After many, MANY attempts at blogging, or rather, maintaining a blog, hopefully this one will stand the test of time!!

In all my previous blogs I had it like an “online diary” of sorts – the problem with that was, unfortunately, I don’t have much of a life so I never really had much interesting things to tell and so eventually the blog died a natural death.

This time, I plan on doing things a little bit differently.  Instead of treating this blog as a narcissistic platform where I talk endlessly about myself and my daily escapades (which as has been established is few and far in between), I intend to use this blog as a means to talk about the things that I like, love, enjoy doing – essentially things that I have some form of interest in or am passionate about.

On the flipside, from time to time, I’m sure I’ll also be in the mood to whinge and rant about things that I don’t like, that get on my nerves, or that makes me want to scream bloody murder!!

I will try to keep this updated as regularly as possible but let’s face it – that’s probably an empty promise.  Let’s just take it one post at a time shall we 🙂

If you like what I have to say – I’d like to think I’m mildly interesting – please do subscribe to this blog.  And if not, please do leave a comment as it will be good to know that I am not just talking to myself 😛