Ibyang Sanchez, Author at Ibyang

Morning Glory with Mom

16 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Shopping Finds, Travel

When my Mom (or any of our family/friends) visit Sydney, shopping at Chinatown is always a must. This is where she gets stuff for souvenir items for her friends in Manila. After shopping at Market City and Paddy’s Market, we took her to our favourite Korean gift shop, Morning Glory.

It was Autumn when we visited so most of the fashion items on sale were for cold season. I was so happy to find a wall full of colourful gloves! These gloves with strings were the ones I usually see in Kdramas and I wanted one for the longest time.

They came in different colours, some had ribbons while some had cute characters like rabbits or pigs. They even had an Angry Birds design. I only needed one so it took me awhile to decide on what to get. I grabbed a black and grey dotted pair, tried it on and never let it go. Haha!

A pair of gloves with strings are a way for someone to avoid losing their gloves. I usually wear them at home so when I need to do something, I just take them off and they stay with me, the strings placed from the back of my neck.

It’s always fun to hang out at Morning Glory as you’ll find colourful knick knacks, cute stuff with cartoon characters on them and functional items you can use in everyday living. My Mom enjoyed it too, she especially loved the funky and dainty umbrellas they sell.

Pororo! A famous cartoon character in Korea

Morning Glory

603/ 68 Dixon St
Haymarket New South Wales 2000

K.F.C. at Arisun (Haymarket, Sydney)

15 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

When my Mum was here for a visit In Autumn, it was an opportunity for her to see how we’ve adapted a few Korean things into our lifestyle. The most evident would be our love for Korean food. Our menu at home became more diverse when I learned how to cook a few Korean dishes. Kimchi has become one of our staple food inside the fridge, either that we buy a bucket from the Asian store or I make them myself.

We took her to Koreatowns while she was here and we had meals at a few Korean restaurants, one of which was Arisun, so she can have a taste of Korean Fried Chicken (KFC). It was our first time to try Arisun’s KFC and I’m so glad it did not disappoint. We dined in during lunch time and it wasn’t crowded.

We ordered the Black Bean Noodles (Jajangmyun), one of Korea’s popular noodle dishes. My Mom sees this in Kdramas that she’s watched and was very interested to try it. This is by far the best Jajangmyun I’ve tried in the metro. Oozing with thick sauce with lots of pork and vegetables. Very filling and tasty.

Then came the beautifully deep fried KFC. Since my Mom doesn’t like spicy food, we opted for Sun’s Original Fried Chicken. A whole bowl of crispy and juicy KFC costs AUD$30. We are definitely coming back for more of these! Perfect for Soju or Beer!

Arisun

1 Dixon Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
(near Liverpool Street)
Tel: +61 (02) 9264 1588
Open 7 days 10:30am til late

Saturday’s Sunset

13 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Photography

Although I’m getting tired of winter already, I have to admit that, for me, this year’s winter is not that bad. We’ve been experiencing lots of sunshines and blue skies this season and it’s wonderful.

When you have good weather during the day, it may mean a great sunset at the end of the day. Saturday did not fail us. For a few minutes, the sky showed a spectacular ray of pink and blue hues. It was a beautiful way to end my productive but relaxing day.

Cheap Authentic Eats at Ton Ton Takeaway (Sydney,NSW)

11 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

The good thing about eating out in Sydney is that we have a lot of options for cheap authentic eats. The Husband and I eat out at least once a week, usually on a Thursday or Friday, because we need a break from cooking and washing dishes at home. We frequent small joints which serve reasonably priced and freshly-cooked dishes. Ton Ton Takeaway is one of those places in the city where we have a quick dinner before jumping on the train home. They are primarily a Japanese takeaway restaurant but they have a few chairs and tables for patrons who would like to dine in alfresco. They serve classic dishes such as bento boxes, ramen, soba and udon noodles. They also sell bottled sake and beers imported from Japan.

On Thursday night, the Husband had a go with their Mabo Don, soft tofu and mince pork with an almost soupy sauce of mild chili.

I ordered a hot and comforting bowl of Kara-age Ramen. The kara-age (chicken) was so crispy and lightly-salted, I almost can’t get enough of it.

Both were perfect dishes for a cold winter’s night. It came in generous servings good enough to share. These two dishes cost us less than AUD$20.00

A water dispenser is available for patrons who don’t want to order soda or alcoholic drinks.

Ton Ton Takeaway
Ground Floor, 501 George St
Sydney 2000
Ph: 02 9267 1313
Fax: 02 9267 9995

Thursday “Me” Time at My Sweet Memory

11 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Food, Restaurants

It’s been awhile since I’ve had coffee at My Sweet Memory (MSM) so after work yesterday, I hung out in the city with a Korean flair. I started my little adventure at Morning Glory where I enjoyed looking at cute stuff and luckily I was able to buy the most comfortable fleece pajamas ever–on sale too! Then I went to a video/music store that sells Korean DVDs/CDs so I can see the latest Kpop albums in the market. My final stop was at MSM for coffee and vanilla cupcake in a dotted cup. I took this time to do a bit of writing while I enjoy a late afternoon tea.

I see dots and cream.

Design+Function = Art

After an hour, the Husband joined me. He got off work early but when he arrived, he opened his laptop to work haha. Oh well, at least we were already together. We both had a long day at work and to be seated next to each other while we hear the tapping of keyboards was of great comfort to us.

My Sweet Memory
95 Bathurst Street
Sydney, NSW