Ibyang Sanchez, Author at Ibyang

Little Japan in Market City

6 March 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Great Finds for the Home

On days when I have to meet the Husband after work, one of the places I usually spend my “Me” time is Chinatown, particularly in Market City and Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets. Both are housed in one building. The lower ground is where you’ll find Paddy’s Markets and then once you go up the escalator, that’s where you’ll find Market City. I can get lost for an hour or two in these areas. Other than shopping, food chains are abundant so if I get tired from walking I sit down with a drink and rest.

Last week, I was at Market City again killing time before I met up with the Husband. I went to Level 3 to have my Chatime fix (I haven’t had one in ages). Afterwhich, I explored the floor and found a dollar store named Dollar King. I thought it was just a normal dollar store but noticed that it was split into two. The other half of the store is Dollar King, while the other half was called “Little Japan“, a 100-Yen store similar to Daiso.

Like Daiso, every item in LITTE JAPAN is priced at AUD$2.80.

It wasn’t a big space but four aisles full of products from Japan such as home storage solutions, dining ware, utensils, cometics, etc. is sufficient.

My favourite space would have to be the dining ware and chopsticks area. As much as the little plates and bowls were attractively tempting, I didn’t buy any. I always say a home can never have enough dining ware–that is so true in my case. Other than food blogging and photography, we like using appropriate dining ware in the home. Maybe next time.

Lots of chopsticks in different sizes and colours. They have chopsticks with cases. And there are chopsticks for cooking too.

Our love for Asian cuisine has made our home very chopsticks-friendly. We have a sufficient amount of chopsticks at home now, most of them came from our travels. I bought a pair of chopsticks with case which I now keep in the office and two pairs of long chopsticks which I can use for cooking.

Whenever I’m at 100-Yen shops, I also look out for chopsticks rests. I’m glad Little Japan had a few when I visited and luckily, I found a four-leaf clover chopsticks rest. Isn’t it adorable?

If you are too far away to visit Daiso in Chatswood, Little Japan in Market City is a good option for you.

LITTLE JAPAN
Level 3, Market City
9-13 Hay Street
Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Open Everyday 10am – 7pm. Thursdays until 8pm

Discovered Inspirations: No Shortcuts

5 March 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Uncategorized

Life is so much sweeter when you are able

to go thru life

without shortcuts.

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Wishing you a great and productive week!

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Dessert Train at Adriano Zumbo (The Star, Sydney)

28 February 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 7 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

After 483 years (exaggeration! hehe), I finally got to share with you my Dessert Train experience at Adriano Zumbo‘s newest venture at The Star.

Say what? Dessert train? Did I read that right? Is that what I think it is?

Yes, yes, yes!

Newly-renovated The Star (formerly known as Star City, Sydney’s premiere Casino) now has new fancy shops and restaurants and Sydney rejoiced that Adriano Zumbo was part of the addition. Opened on the 4th quarter of 2011, the Adriano Zumbo at The Star looked the part of a glittery signage of a theatre, the concept very apt for a casino place.

Dessert Train at Adriano Zumbo (The Star, Sydney)

The store that looked fun and whimsy inside was divided into two: the Patisserie and the Dessert Train. The Patisserie is merely for take-aways. You get to choose desserts and macaron flavours of your choice displayed in playful cabinets.

Inside the “In Case of Emergency Break Glass” cabinet are macarons!!!! Brilliant!

On our second visit, we made sure that the Dessert Train was fully-operational. While the Patisserie is open everyday from 11am onwards, the Dessert Train is only open from Tuesday to Sunday, afternoon onwards (please check their website before visiting).

We lined up for the Dessert Train at about a quarter to six in the evening and we were third on queue already. Good thing we were early as the line was getting longer by the time they opened the Dessert Train area.

And just like kids, the Husband and I oohhed and aahhed as the desserts came out. We felt like kids in a Willy Wonka movie! Haha.

And to add to that childlike ambience, they had little anime figures on the side of the conveyor.

Just like the concept of a Sushi Train, each dessert plate was coloured and equivalent to a cost. They also have ice cream for AUD$3.50/bowl.

The Husband grabbed a plate of this rich chocolate cake covered in smooth chocolate cream.

I was being boring that day so I grabbed a pink plate that had my Zumbo favourite, The XIWT.

Crunchy pastry that housed gooey innards of caramel and chocolate.

Once a few plates of macarons were out, we couldn’t resist getting at least one even if we were already full. We got the orange-milo-salted caramel combo and it turned to be a good finale to our dessert rendezvous.

A little disappointed that they didn’t offer coffee or tea. I thought they did and was actually looking forward to having a cuppa as we savour our dessert. I thought maybe they didn’t want people to stay for long. Seating was limited to about 20 (just my estimate) and customer turnaround was quite fast since one can’t really handle that much dessert (not unless that was your dinner).

The Husband and I had a cake each and a plate of macarons (which we shared), plus a bottles of orange juice and water to cleanse our palate from all the sugar. We thought of getting a bowl of ice cream but passed…maybe next time.

Some days, I say ‘No to desserts’ as I have a bit of aversion to sweets (especially in big amounts). But who would say “No” to experiencing a Dessert Train? Not me. It was sugar overload (at least for me) but I loved the foodie experience.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star
Shop 1, Cafe Court
The Star
80 Pyrmont St., Pyrmont, NSW 2009
Entry Via Edward St

Patisserie Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday, 11am till 11pm
Friday & Saturday, 11am till Midnight
Sunday, 11am till 10pm

Dessert Train Opening Hours:
Monday, CLOSED
Tuesday to Thursday, 6pm till 10.30pm
Friday & Saturday, 6pm till 11.30pm
Sunday, 12pm till 5pm

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Hooked on “AVATAR: The Last Airbender”

28 February 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Entertainment, Things I Love

…the anime version, that is, and not the film.

After the watching the film “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and feeling the anxiety to know what happened during the characters’ journey to saving the world, we decided to get a copy of the anime version. We initially started Book 2 and realized that the film left out a lot of pieces in the story that made sense. So we got Book 1 and started all over again. And I swear, it was amazingly addicting. The anime version is so much better than the film (which really sucked pala). In just two weeks, we finished Books 1-3 and we’re watching it all over again. Yes, it’s THAT good.

In the anime version of “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, you will get to know each of the character better:

Aang – the only Airbender and Avatar tasked to save the world.

Katara – the only Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe who believed that the Avatar can put the war to an end.

Sokka – he doesn’t have bending abilities but he turned out to be a great warrior and leader of Team Avatar.

Toph – a blind Earthbender who became Aang’s earthbending teacher.

Zuko – banished prince of the Fire Nation. He started out as someone who wanted to capture the Avatar but in the end his destiny was to be Aang’s firebending teacher.

If you liked the film version, I highly recommend that you watch the anime version and I’m sure you will love it!

A spin-off from this series is coming out this year, “The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra“, and we can’t wait to see it.

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Discovered Inspirations: Even Crazy Dreams Come True

27 February 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Discovered Inspirations, Entertainment

Since Chuck ended, the Husband and I have been on the lookout for a new TV series worth watching. This weekend, we were happy to discover SMASH, a TV series about what goes on in producing a theatre show in New York.

As theatre enthusiasts, we got interested with the storyline when we read about it online. We got ourselves a copy of the first episode and towards the end, we were hooked. We finished three episodes of the Season 1 in one day and we can’t wait to see how the story will unfold. At this early too, we are already loving the songs featured in the series.

If you like Glee and if you are a theatre enthusiast, I suggest you have a go at watching the first episode and see if you’d like SMASH too.

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At the end of the third episode, one of the lead characters named Ivy Lynn (portrayed by Megan Hilty) sang an inspiring song that calls out to dreamers like me. Read the lyrics below and if you have time, please play the video to hear the song.

Crazy Dreams

(originally by Carrie Underwood)

Sung by Megan Hilty in SMASH

Hello you long-shots, you dark horse runners,

Hair brush singers, dash-board drummers,

Hello you wild magnolias, just waiting to bloom.

There’s a little bit of all that inside of me and you,

Thank God even crazy dreams come true.

I’ve stood at the bottom of some walls I thought I couldn’t climb.

I felt like Cinderella at the ball, just running out of time.

So I know how it feels to be afraid, and think that it’s all gonna slip away

Hold on, Hold on.

Here’s to you free souls, you fire-fly chasers.

Tree climbers, porch swingers, air guitar players.

Here’s to you fearless dancers, shaking walls in your bedrooms

There’s a lot of wonder left inside of me and you,

Thank God even crazy dreams come true

Never let a bad day be enough, to go and talk you into giving up.

Sometimes everybody feels like you, oh, feels like you, just like you, yeah.

I’ve met some go-getters, some difference makers.

Small town heros, and big chance takers.

I’ve met some young hearts with something to prove.

Oh yeah.

Here’s to you long-shots, you dark horse runners

Hair brush singers, dash-board drummers

Here’s to you wild magnolias, just waiting to bloom.

There’s a little bit of all that inside of me and you.

Thank God even crazy dreams come true.

Thank God even crazy dreams come true, yeah.

Have a great week and may we all be inspired to dream the crazy dreams!

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