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My Neighbour is a Chef

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It’s been a long while since I published a post and I’ve been wanting to publish a post along with this title…My Neighbour is a Chef… and today is that day. This post is dedicated to my cousin, neighbour, and chef.

What are the odds that your cousin is your neighbour and your neighbour is a chef? For me, my cousin (literally) lives next door in the same neighbourhood. And he is also a chef, a professionally practicing one. I truly am honored and blessed.

What are the odds that your cousin is your neighbour and your neighbour is a chef?

Late last night, at 10pm, a small group of friends and I were treated to a meal by him. A friend came early and waited on the promise that dinner was to be served at 9pm. Neverthless, she remained positive and said, “Next time, I’ll come at 10pm, just in time for the (good) food because I know it’ll be worth it.” Late it was, but it was worth the wait.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGmgM3bPBgu/
Beetroot Steak

He really is a MCHeroLandscape3! The stove is his AUTOIMAGES%5CNBNN0025, and the knives are his toys. He has cooked for 1, 2, 3… 20 odd people at a time. It is no easy feat as he is the only chef and lone ranger in the kitchen. He cooks a storm in the kitchen to calm the raging storm(s) outside. Stomachs are rumbling and throats are thirsty. Nevertheless, when the food arrives, the wait is over, and it was worth waiting for.

Cooking @ home gives him the freedom and flexibility to explore his creativity. As I like to quote, “There is more to food than food itself.” Food is not solely for edible purposes, it is also about the art.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“The way to a man’s stomach is through his eyes.”

Beautifully designed food brings pleasure to the eyes and salivates the tongue to crave for that juicy steak or moist chocolate cake.

After having eaten our fair share of all that’s been instagrammed. We get to learn how and what ingredient is cooked in each and every dish. Nonetheless, the names of the ingredients themselves are an alien language to me. Or was it French, Spanish, Italian

At the end of the day, everyone wins! The chef leaves with a bright smile on his face. He derives his pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment from cooking beautiful, sumptuous food for people. His customers leave with a satisfied and fulfilled stomach to their heart’s content.

I look forward to more courses, meals, and desserts my cousin, neighbour, and chef.


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Where do you sit in a restaurant?

There is a saying that what and how a person eats, speaks volume about his/her personality. Person A may like to eat spicy food but Person B may not. Likewise, Person  A likes to leave the best for the last while Person B may just mix everything (on the plate) and gobble the food.

In the same manner, the restaurant is a big place, but each spot has its meaning. Where and how a person sits in a restaurant says a lot about a person. More specifically, the situation the person is going through. Moreover, why did the person sit there and what kind of person chooses to sit there etc. 

OUTSIDE

Ground

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People who sit outside may be trying to avoid another cold environment such as the office (temperature wise). It is already freezing in the office; they need some place warm. Furthermore, the four walls of the office is no comfort; he/she needs some place open and spacious. Therefore, sitting outside of the restaurant seems a good choice. There are the sun, the breeze, and the crowd – a naturally refreshing environment.

At the same time, people who sit outside also want to feel a part of society. They like to watch life pass them by. The group of (high) school students talk and laugh loudly. The businessman in his black suit walks and talks hastily on his mobile. The old couple walk hand-in-hand down the city sidewalk. The jogger walks her pet dog. Some common stereotypes of city people. Life goes on.

Balcony

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Moving up is the balcony, another open air environment. People who sit on the balcony are deemed to be seeking solace. Its probably very hazy below. They have had a rough day. They need to be above the clouds. They need an alternative and refreshing view to the troubles of life.

Thereafter, the breeze blows away the negativity. It is gone with the wind.

INSIDE

Facing the entrance

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Now, lets move into the restaurant. People who sit facing the entrance have great expectations of whatโ€™s to come.

They are expecting something of the unknown; something magical; something dramatic to happen. Somehow, somewhat, someone will walk through the entrance.

Back facing the entrance

The opposite of facing the entrance is to sit with their backs facing the entrance. People who sit in such a way want to look away from all the distraction that is happening. They canโ€™t stand the drama that is happening.

They had an eyesore. Theyโ€™ve seen too much, heard too much, and said too much. They want to un-see what they have seen. So they turn away. 

At the corner

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The table in the corner is usually where the quiet, lonely, and focused people sit. They have important tasks to complete. They prefer to be left alone and undisturbed.

They donโ€™t want to draw too much attention to themselves. This is so that they can quietly sneak in and out of the restaurant without being noticed.

In the middle

People who sit in the middle are presumably attention seekers. When a person sits in the middle of the restaurant, all eyes would immediately turn to him. People seated on his right would turn to their left. People seated on his left would turn to their right. People seated in front of him would look up. People walking into the restaurant would notice him sitting in the middle of the restaurant.

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That person is me. Sitting in the middle, I had a 360 degree view of all that was going around me. I saw how and where people sat in the restaurant. And that is how this post was conjured.


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15.01.2015: Too Oooh Want Five

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Today is the 15th day of 2015. We are 15 days into 2015. No, itโ€™s not Chinese New Year, but soon it will be.

We have done our count downs. We have cheered, screamed, kissed and hugged in front of the fireworks. We have made our resolutions. Yet, Iโ€™ll like to take this time to reflect on the past. Letโ€™s go back 1 year. No, 2 years ago to 2013.

Travelling

If I were to describe my 2013 in 1 word, it would be โ€œtravellingโ€. It was the year I ventured into the unknown and expanded my boundaries.

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Inasmuch travelling was the main activity, a lot of eating was involved. I tasted authentic Australian coffee and barbecue, Italian pizza and pasta, Korean kimchi, and Japanese ramen. With all the good instas and filters of food throughout the year, the idea of FoodyFans was born.

I even explored the outbacks of beautiful Australia – Fremantle, Swan Valley, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Lancelin, and Rottnest Island. It was nature time!

Writing

Fast forward to 2014, the rate of uploading Facebook albums (monthly) and posting Instagram (thrice weekly) have dwindled. It was the year I ventured into something untested and unproven for me – writing.

Christmas is a time…
Meet GJ My GF
Ramen Udon Soba
Sushi Sale: Sold out on Sushi
Pizza Planet

I have always wanted to blog but procrastinated at the thought of it. But today, Iโ€™m proud at where it is today with the support of family, friends and the WordPress community. This blog is growing day-by-day at a steady pace.

2015

This blog was setup as an extension of my instagram account: @foofyfans. If you have not seen it, go check it out. There, youโ€™ll find awesome, delicious, mouth-watering filtered & heavily edited instas of food.

Once again, I wish you all a happy, blessed and prosperous 2015.

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The past is a present for the future.


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Sushi Sale: Sold out on Sushi

Sushi. Sashimi. Raw food. Bento set. Green tea. Sushi King. Sushi Tei. Pasta Zanmai. Sushi Zanmai. Hokkaido Sushi.

All things Sushi mah…

Growing up, this was the equation for Japanese food:

Japanese = sushi

When we go into a Japanese restaurant, we go for the table; not the set. Conveyor belt sushi or sushi train, I mean. It’s fun to see the food coming to you. But it is not fun when its always, ALWAYS the same food choice: salmon sushi, egg mayo sushi, prawn sushi, and tuna sushi.

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Similar yet Different

Anyway, after countless plates of sushi, this is the end result.

Achievement Unlocked
Achievement Unlocked

Eat first and count last is what we normally do. It gets even interesting when we compare the different coloured plates at the end. We would count and see how many pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple plates we ate.

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All that changed in 2014 when I went to Perth. I had a food shock. If you think culture shock was worse? Wait till you experience the food shock. There was no conveyor belt, no sushi train, no rotation sushi, and no sushi-go-round. Then, what Japanese food did people eat?

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Bento Sets

People mainly ordered bento sets. They were value for money. The reason being was that sushi on conveyor belts were expensive.

Nevertheless, I discovered a variety of unique bento sets: Teriyaki chicken/fish/beef set, Tempura fish/chicken/prawn set, Unagi set, etc.

If discovering and exploring bento sets were not enough, there is more to come…

Up Next…

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