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Yesterday was my last day at work. Gave the letter in more than five weeks ago but offered to stay on until my replacement could start (on Wednesday) plus two extra weeks so I can show him the ropes. But it took less than two days for Mr Cocky to do my head in so I told the boss that I've been gracious enough with my time (I mean who in this day and age gives seven weeks' notice when leaving a job?!) and would like to leave as soon as possible since Mr Cocky seemed to think that he knows it all.So to celebrate my new lady-who-lunches status, a good mate from work and I decided to have others cook and serve us food instead.
It's been a while since I've been to Bodega for their funky take on traditional tapas but nothing has changed except for the menu (which is change that I appreciate anyway) - the music is still hip and loud, the hot young chefs/co-owners Ben and Elvis are still doing their thang in the very open kitchen, the girls on the floor are ever so efficient and knowledgeable and the colourful bull mural has not lost an ounce of bright cheeriness.We started with a glass of Spanish white each (they have compiled a very interesting list) and proceeded to order. - Stuffed Piquillo Peppers: Something I always have when I go there. I can't remember what fish it was stuffed with today but it was yummy, as usual.- Spanish Tortilla: A cross between an egg-y frittata and a cheese-y potato bake with one of my favourite cheeses, the stinky Taleggio.- Kingfish Sashimi on Toast: The boys' new take on their old sardines on toast? My new Bodega favourite.- Grilled Calamari Stuffed with Morcilla: I love my calamaris, especially when they have been on the chargrill with all the burnt cancer-causing crispy bits. Not a fan of blood sausages so I gave the stuffing to my lunch pal who promptly spread it on his bread.We had something else but my pea- (and by now wine-addled) brain just can't remember what it was. The servings were huge for tapas but being the foodies that we are, we had to order dessert, which were of quite substantial size, and not just one to share but two because both the banana and chocolate numbers sounded so good on the menu.- Banana Split: I love how the boys "deconstruct" a traditional dessert - breaking down the standard elements and presenting them in a whole new way on the plate. They've done it before and I wanted to see how they interpret this one. I'm not a big fan of the banana but I love what they've done - a finger of custard topped with a cunchy ginger wafer, a scoop of dulce de leche (condensed milk caramel) ice cream and a marshmallow-y chunk of banana. - Chocolate Mousse, Orange Sorbet, Bourbon Jelly: No surprises here but the choccy mousse is one of the velvety-iest I've ever had. And you can't go wrong with the classic "chocolate+orange+a dash of spirit" combo.So I say "yay!" to more yummy lunches like today's until I run of lunch money and have to be on the other side of the pass again.
The first time we saw Sonic Youth play was in the 90s back in Singapore. It was a BIG deal because not many cool bands would put Singapore on their itinerary then (too small a ticket-buying crowd to justify the set-up costs) - all we got was Top 40 fodder and the megastars of Canto-pop, if we were lucky. That night, from their opening song "Schizophrenia" (my all-time favourite) to sharing Tiger Beers and barbequed chicken wings with Thurston Moore's mom (who was on tour with them to babysit her grand-daughter) at Newton Hawker Centre post-gig, was a fan's dream-come-true.
Our second Sonic Youth concert was a few years ago here in Sydney. They, again, rocked.
And last night, at their sold-out concert (part of the "Don't Look Back" series), they did it again. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive going to a concert with prior knowledge of the band's set list - kind of takes the nervy anticipation and fun out of it (there wasn't much heckling from the audience for their favourite tunes) - almost like going to the opera or to a play that you are familiar with? But when they launched into "Teen Age Riot" all was forgotten! I sat back and enjoyed what I would describe as having Sonic Youth, not the stereo, play "Daydream Nation" for me in my living room - Kim Gordon resplendent in her stripey black-and-gold shift dress and shiny mary-janes, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo making my skin crawl (in a very good way) with their honed-to-perfection feedback-o-rama, and Steve Shelley thumping away, all in front of a simple backdrop of a giant projection of the album cover artwork's candle. Sigh.
If only I could take them home like I did with these from the merchandise stand:-
- A green "green" bag for me (like I need another!) and a book of Lee Ranaldo's poetry for my bestie Ben who's a bigger fan than I am.
I love my Chuck Taylors. I've gone through so many pairs since I discovered them in my teens. There would be at least five different pairs sitting in my shoe closet at any one time over the years - always low, in canvas and as plain as can be (current favourites are brown in both corduroy and canvas, white, beige and grey).As much as I appreciate what the Converse 1Hund(RED) Artists project aims to achieve, the designs that they've come up with so far have just been a tad too "complicated" for me until I came across this pair by Swedish illustrator Camilla Engman (see her initial design here and the final product here).
Aren't they just the cutest pair of Converses that you've ever seen? I think they're cute enough for me to break my rule and make them my first pair of "adorned" Chucks.
I don't know why they are available only in baby blue on the Converse website but I sure hope they are available in white in Australia as featured in the HypeDC catalogue where I first saw them. [Update] I finally got a pair - more photos and details here.
The Usame side table (with an in-built magazine/ coffee table book rack) by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell.A lovely Christmas present from our equally lovely friends Mr Reilly and Grish. They bought a red one but we thought the colour was a little too loud in the living area of our tiny apartment that's already filled with quite a few things bright orange. Clashing-but-not-in-not-a-good-way, no?So, with their blessings, we took it back to the Kartell Sydney flagship store after Christmas to swap for the browny-olive-greeny one. They didn't have it in stock and had to have one sent from their Melbourne store thus the wait (made easier with the friendly Kartell staff calling us weekly with shipping updates).We picked it up today and I'm so loving the pretty art-deco-esque floral "print" on it.Kartell Flagship SydneyLevel 5, Shop 5025Westfield Bondi Junction500 Oxford Street, Bondi JunctionPhone: +61 2 9369 3711{Beware of the many pwetty things that you'll want to take home with you, like this and this!}
It is Chinese New Year tradition to purchase new clothes (preferably in red, for luck) to usher in the new year. A great excuse, you would think, to go on a shopping spree for things in scarlet hues but I haven't practised that in years - what was such a novelty when I was a child is no longer fun when I'm all grown-up and able to buy new stuff ever so regularly for no particular reason or occasion. Besides, as much as I love the colour red, I'm not one who would dress head-to-toe in that shade (unless it's to a fancy dress party).So my touch of Chinese New Year cheer for dinner at my aunt's tonight was done in "splashes" - a Tatty Devine wood mouse brooch (it's not red but it is the Year of the Rat), a bright red clutch (to hold all the lucky red packets of money that I get given by the adults for good luck, health and prosperity) and red flocked Melissa Ultragirl peep-toes.
On the subject of rodents, my favourite at the moment is Remy, the adorable star of the film "Ratatouille". It might be an animated film aimed at kids but it is just as entertaining for us food-obssessed adults, especially those who work or have worked in a professional kitchen. Anthony Bourdain, so impressed by the tiny details right down to the faded burn scars on the chefs' wrists, called it "the best food movie ever made". Get the DVD out if you haven't already - the extra bits on the disc with Michelin-star chef Thomas Keller, the food consultant on the film, is well worth it.Gong Hei Fatt Choy!
It's been a while since I've been to Bodega for their funky take on traditional tapas but nothing has changed except for the menu (which is change that I appreciate anyway) - the music is still hip and loud, the hot young chefs/co-owners Ben and Elvis are still doing their thang in the very open kitchen, the girls on the floor are ever so efficient and knowledgeable and the colourful bull mural has not lost an ounce of bright cheeriness.
