Eves Pantry finger food review - spinach feta muffin, sausage rolls, choclocate brownies,...

Pigged out...

There were at least 10 boxes Eves Pantry's snacks at the office 

- Michele and I went to grab some of the goodies for the rest of our team and she suggested,"Great! Let's cut these up into "bite sizes"

 Mini spinach feta roll - yummiest Eve Catering finger food. The rest of the stuff are mediocre...
But the spinach roll is a must-have!:) The crunchy cheddar cheese on top of the pastry is simply heavenly :)))))))) *thumbs up*

My jaw almost dropped when I heard that. I mean, those 2" x 2" x 1" tapas-like thingy were already "bite sizes". I could eat the entire thing! - ...or so I thought.

Before I managed to respond, she cut the mini brownies, muffins into four each

 

Mini fruit tart

Well, it turned out that Michele's idea was absolutely brilliant because I had greatly overestimated my stomach capacity. After my 4th piece of the cut-up candy-size morsels, I felt so stuffed that I could hardly walk

 Savoury ham muffin -"underbaked", dry & too salty. It's like...eating polystyrene dipped in oil & brine;p But I shouldn't be complaining, eh? After all, it's free ;)

I wonder why my appetite always seem a bit uncooperative when there's plenty of food available

(or maybe I was just greedy) 

but I'm inclined to blame my appetite shrinkage on that good cup of hot chocolate from Gravity's that I had earlier

 

Sausage roll.

Eww... that thingy tasted like minced dog food & SPAM wrapped in soggy puff pastry. Don't touch it!

If you're still in the mood to try Eves Pantry's finger food, here's the address:-

Cnr Elliott & Darby Sts
Auckland Central City
Phone: 09 354 4528
Email: elliotstreet@eves-pantry.co.nz This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fax: 09 354 4593

Monday to Friday: 7.00am - 5.00pm
Saturday: 10.30am - 4.00pm
Closed Sunday

Almost killed by a 10-day-old Home Choice fan heater

My beloved Home Choice fan heater malfunctioned and turned into a fiery "bread toaster" within 10 days of use :((

I switched on the heater, about to leave my room for a quicke shower...but was fortunate enough to notice a strong odour of burnt plastic emitting from my heater.

I was aghast when I saw the usually fine filaments swelled and turned bright red in colour. If I had not checked the fan heater before leaving for a shower, my room would have caught fire!

I'm extremely lucky to have avery sensitive nose.
Can't bear to imagine the consequences if this were to happen to someone else - especially the elderly & the young kids!

Istanbul Kebab & Pizza, Queen Street, Auckland City

 I had to hold my bowel throughout my very first experience trying a "middle eastern pizza" ... *gulp*

because there's "NO TOILET" at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza

(Yeah right... I'm sure there's a toilet somewhere in the shop. You just don't want me to use it! :( *sulk* that's so mean )
Anyway,... the temporary torture's worth it :)... for no where else in Auckland is there a kebab shop that sells "middle eastern" pizza 

Being a good cook, the woodfire pizzas are probably something that I can easily make at home, but I have a soft spot for good food presentation. The pizzas, baklava, falafel + other food items at Istanbul Kebab & Pizza are just too appealing that I couldn't resist the temptation to try them :)

The only item that I wouldn't buy is the Turkish Delight candies, which have way too much carbs + sugar. Bad, bad, bad for your waistline!

(Errm... since when did "Wedges, Sour Cream & Hot Chips" became dessert items?)

What I like most is the busy atmosphere of that little kebab shop on Queen St. You can go there anytime (it's open 24 hours) and the staff will still greet you with a cheerful smile
.

Even when you're queuing up or waiting for your meal to be prepared, there's enough entertainment to keep you amused.
The little kebab shop has its very own photo library!
While waiting for my pizza, I had to try hard not to giggle at the photo of a fat semi nude man sitting on a motorbike, wearing nothing else but a pair of sunglasses (see pic above)
(I didn't want to be seen as rude,...just in case it could be a pic of the shop owner, you see ;p lol. I was also worried that if I were to giggle, it'll increase my urge to urinate, which would have been disastrous since they claimed that there are no toilets in the shop)

The sight of woodfire oven is very comforting:)

(No Carbo meals?? You must be kidding! Falafil or falafel & Turkish bread have loads of carbo, my dear)

 While munching on the mayonnaise-free, MSG-free but oily middle eastern pizza upstairs I was entertained by the amusing sight of the staff giving each other a good massage. Ah... how caring!:)

I will go back to Istanbul Kebab & Pizza to try every single item on the menu...and after that I probably will never return again. The items are slightly overprices compared to other kebab shops, and the meat quality aren't half as good as Noora's Mediterranean Kitchen at SkyCity Metro (Noora's probably the most authentic middle eastern place in Auckland City)

Istanbul Kebab and Pizza

96 Queen Street, Auckland Central, Auckland City

Tel. (09) 337 0518 

Comments by other reviewers:

by André Taber

(Source: http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/review_3127.html)

3 out of 5

Turkish pop music blaring, Brylcreemed man in a bold soccer jersey behind the till; from the Queen-Street footpath Istanbul Kebab & Pizza can, depending on your preferences, look either like a riotous good time or an intimidating ethnic experience.

Don’t worry about either of those scenarios, and taste the food instead.

What lifts Istanbul a notch or three above any other kebab house in Auckland is its bread.
Shaped at the counter continuously throughout the day and night, and baked in a wood-burning oven till the crust has a few burnt spots here and there, it’s fluffy and oh-so-tasty.

This bread saves what, in any other wrapping, would be very average fillings. For example, a small portion of dull meat and salad in the lamb doner kebab ($7.50):

The guy in the soccer jersey waved for his assistant to start making the kebab before I even finished ordering it and then made a genuine attempt at small talk to fill the minute or two before it was bagged and I was out the door.

The Turkish pizzas ($7) are faultless: a single-serve size, made with that same bread dough which is stretched to a lozenge shape and then topped with a restrained portion of lamb mince, chicken, mushroom, cheese or spinach.

If you want to eat in, there are two small tables on the footpath, or if you want to retreat from the madding crowd, head past the bread oven, up the rickety stairs to a small, yet oddly comfortable, mezzanine.

Weber Bros Circus

Have you ever seen a "Chinese clown" before? ;)

I was still very impressed with the refreshing novelty of "Chinese clowns" despite being a 25-going-on-26 adult - & having seen many good Chinese acrobatic acts throughout my life.
So, if you have young kids at home who are 10-20 years my junior, I bet they'll just love the goofy "Chinese clowns" at the Weber Bros' Chinese-theme circus! :) :) :)
The audience interaction is very good!
Members of the crowd are given a hands on Tai Chi & Wushu lesson :)

& of course... there are the usual gravity-defying stunts by very well-trained Chinese acrobats

 

There weren't any mattress, trampolines... *gulp*

I probably have mellowed a lot over the years. I used to watch scarier stuff on television & while visiting China with my parents, but didn't bat an eyelid.

Yet, I found the acrobatic stunts at Weber Bros Circus (which are apparently mediocre by Chinese standards) to be too much for my weak heart - & I was praying hard that the girl wouldn't fall.

In one of the dance acts, the beautiful girls dressed in elegant red colour Ching Dynasty palace silk costumes, along with elaborate flower adorned headgears and 5-inch high wooden clogs, carrying red Chinese lanterns. Took a snapshot of my favourite girl

The "Fairy Dance" is my favourite :)
Girl danced in white, soothing music in the background...

 

I was quite amused with the stage deco:) - which reminds me of the fictional singer Cora Corman (a parody of Britney Spears and Madonna) in the film Music & Lyrics

 

The show lasts for 2 hours, with a plenty of entertainment throughout the 1/2 hour mid-show break

  

Bumper car

  

Game stalls:)

  

The Chinese acrobats interacted with the crowd at the food stall - serving popcorns, ice creams, drinks and hotdog

  

  Tea cups!:)

 

For more information on booking information : http://www.weberbroscircus.co.nz

Vodafone gives out 2,000 sausages to each user per month??? *puzzled*

Yes, while it makes you wonder why Vodafone would be giving out 2,000 sausages per month to each user, it's probably even more puzzling why users would be eating the 2,000 sausages every month (that's probably 75 sausages per day!)

But we don't have a choice!
We either choose to take the sausages - or we get nothing at all!

You see, I just purchased a 2,000 text-messages-per-month package which cost $10, but I can only send those texts to Vodafone numbers.
So, that's almost like being fed 75 sausages per day!
How sad...
Vodafone, do you seriously think that I can send 75 sausages texts per day? Or are you giving us the free texts because you know we won't be using all of them, anyway?
Do you really think that other loyal Vodafone users will appreciate your... ermm... "generosity"?
Or do you not care at all?

Perhaps Vodafone really doesn't care about me at all :( *sob sob*
He probably has more than 2.5 million girlfriends (and boyfriends) in New Zealand alone - and more in the UK, Australia, and other parts of the world.

Vodafone darling, it is appalling when a huge MNC like you neglect corporate social responsibility. Do you know the extent of your decisions to consumers out there?
There's 4.3 million population in New Zealand. What if we get arthritis from the constant texting?

So, why don't you consider offering side drinks and salad together with the sausages? - eg, lower call rates + free calls to Vodafone numbers + 500, sausages texts per month
Use common sense, darling
Give your gf something that she needs
- don't just give for the sake of showing that you are 'trying to give' 
That's so not gentleman. You're worse than Wilson Parking!

Vodafone, we've been together for 6 weeks now. If you don't start showing that you love me, I'll have to start seeing Telecom

(Vodafone probably thinks, "Who cares? If you go to Telecom, you won't even be getting any sausages!)
*sob sob*
Why are they so mean?

Organic Impostor: "Simply Squeezed" berry smoothie

With a brand name like "Simply Squeezed", one would imagine that the fruit juice does not contain any additives and preservatives.
I thought that they're just...you know, 'simply squeezed' - as the name seems to suggest

"Simply Squeezed" Berry-Fruit Smoothie was my favourite berry drink... until I read the ingredients section at the back of the label - I almost had a seizure

Ugh...it contains gum, colouring and flavouring & god knows what else

Hello, can you please rename your brand?

Like,... Berry Bliss or Cherry Chick - but don't call it "Simply Squeezed" because it gives the false impression that the stuff is organic

If you use the brand "Simply Squeezed" for dairy products, I probably wouldn't be complaining. organic or nor, you'd have to squeeze the cows, anyway

That's not me!!! 

I haven't suddenly developed a fetish for "simply squeezing" cows. I just happened to have found the pic via Google Image Search when I typed "cow teats"

(Image source: http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/News+Pictures+Week+2007+February+15+005tMoKpuHyl.jpg)

Actually, my favourite berry products contain even more chemicals than "Simply Squeezed":)
hehe
but, my fav ones are mainly berry yogurt - which normally contain Acidophilus & Bifidus bacterias
I have no complaints about yogurt because I am inclined to believe that the bacterias seem to love eating food colouring
I suppose that's why my intestines haven't turned colourful yet
- Yoplait Very Berry Yogurt

- Yoplait Blueberry Creme Yogurt

- Fresh n Fruity Boysenberry and Cream 

- Meadow Fresh Mixed Berries (Best yogurt!:) Least artificial colouring) 

 

I bought these for only NZD$2.99-4.50. Do you know that a decent tub of yogurt costs around NZD$10-11 (MYR20-22) in Malaysia? 

"Hollywoodism" spoilt Salvador Dali film - Little Ashes

When I first saw the film poster of Little Ashes, I thought it's a case of terrible make-up.
Hollywood, by now we are quite used to you tweaking stories for a mass appeal...

and I wasn't very surprised that you're also tempted to tweak Salvador Dali's moustache too.

But Hollywood, you can do a better job than that!
That moustache looks like a painted-on tattoo!
If you're able to make Rob Pattinson fly around in the forest like a butterfly, surely you can make a more "3D" moustache?

By the way Hollywood, you've gone to the extreme with your 'personal touch' again.
Dali's more well-known for his aesthetic talents rather than homosexualism
There's so much of focus on Dali personal life that you've quite succeeded in turning a legend into a Hollywood bimbo

Dali's not just a brilliant surrealist painter. He's also a film director.
Luis Bunuel and Dali were better known for their controversial short film Un Chien Andalou (The Andalusian Dog) rather than their sexual romps.

 Where's the moustache gone?

Bunuel: The wind's so strong that it blew away my moustache
Dali: You jump, I jump.
Your moustache goes missing, I'll give up mine too... if it'll make you happier, darling

Hollywood, what's with the gaunt vampire make-up?
You're filming Little Ashes, not Twilight
Do you also have to turn Bunuel into another vampire?
Dear me,.. I was expecting an Art film, not a Twilight spoof

*cringe*
(I have a high regard for Dali's artwork. Watching the hugely exaggerated portrayal of Dali in Little Ashes was a nightmare)
The kissing scene's too "romantic" that it seems a bit unrealistic.
Mushy - like teen flicks
C'mon, if you put two gay guys together, do you think they'll just be playing with water and gazing coyly at each other? - and then kiss gingerly?
Of course not!

Un Chien Andalou, Part I

A gruesome short film that begins with a scene whereby a woman's eyeball's cut using a razor blade

Hollywood, sometimes too much of creativity is just not appropriate. You are highly encouraged to be a bit more creative in your sci-fi films.
But when you're doing a biography, please stick to the facts.
By continuously omitting and reattaching the moustache of those two guys, you're somewhat implying that Salvador Dali's moustache was fake.

Also, Salvador Dali didn't have that weird moustache when he's in his 20s

Salvador Dali

(Image source: Wikipedia)

When he's in his 20s-40s, his moustache looked more like Sir Laurence Olivier's

The funny looking moustache only became a trademark in the latter part of his life

I first came across Dali's painting when I was 5. Was browsing through some encyclopedias that my Dad bought. Didn't know who Dali was until 15 years later when I did Cinema Studies in Uni, but the image of his paintings stuck with me through all those years

"The Persistence of Memory", one of Dali's best known work

(Image source: Wikipedia)

The painting has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1934.
It is rumored that the painting was sprinkled with red wine shortly after it was complete, as was the Mona Lisa.

About Dali:
(Source: Wikipedia)

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989) was a Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres.
Dalí (pronounced 'da-LEE') was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters.

Ending note:

Okay... :) A confession.
Little Ashes is not a Hollywood production.
But the producers tried to hard to embrace Hollywoodism that they spoilt what could have become a critically-acclaimed Art film

Gengis Khan Mongolian BBQ, Auckland City

I wasn't expecting to be impressed by Asian restaurants in Auckland, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good quality shrimps at the Gengis Khan Mongolian BBQ Buffet Restaurant.

You see, buffet meals don't normally fare high on quality, unless you're prepared to spend enough to buy every single quiche available at Fat Dog Cafe. 
Otherwise, you'd be eating "dog food-quality" grub.

Woof! woof! :) Good stuff

I had my very own customised plates of stir-fried prawns and fresh vege - lots of onions, capsicums, vege, chilli sauce, chopped ginger & juicy, crunchy prawns

Served piping hot:) - you can even see the steam!

(Oh, they're so yum!!!)

The chicken, lamb, beef and mussels looked pretty good too, but the prawns were so fresh that I had two plates of them and didn't even bother to touch other types of meat

20 types of oil/sauce to choose from. Oh, isn't that lover-ly?? :)

The appetizers section look pretty good too, - good dinner rolls, garlic bread & soup... but when you're at Gengis Khan, you probably won't even bother to look at them

I like the fact that they have an open kitchen - very hygienic!

+ you get to see the ethnic Mongolian chefs in action :))

It was almost like watching a Kung Fu show! hehe

It was such an entertaining dinner that I felt like a happy kid in a circus

The ice creams were good too - not too sweet or greasy

The pancakes were - but too bad, I didn't get try them because I was way too full

The chefs will make the pancakes only when you order them

5 types of syrups to go with the pancakes
Probably taste good, but geez... do we really need that much carb? 

Try the salad instead;)

 

Gengis Khan is an award winning restaurant:)

Address:

3001 Great North Road

New Lynn

Auckland

Tel: 09 827 0055