Fukada Kyoko

If you have watched any Japanese films or drama, you may have seen this actress Kyoko Fukada.  She is about the same age as me (or older) and I’ve seen many of her dramas/films while in Japan.  Although some says bad things about her, I kind of like her.  She is cute, and I like her hair style and make-up

It was really a coincidence, but I was at Yuko‘s place to get hair cut today, and I saw a photo of Kyoko on the cover page of a Japanese fashion magazine.   Now she has short hair!

According to the magazine, this is the shortest hair that Kyoko has been with.  My image for her always had been “long hair” “brown, light color” “cute”, but now she looks like a lady.  I really love her current new looks.   Unfortunately I have no guts to cut my hair this short, but my hair is now short too.  It’s not because I saw her hair style on the magazine, I had been thinking to cut my hair to medium bob since few weeks ago.  

I love my hair style now, it’s nice and short, and easy to shampoo  I colored hair brown with few low-lights.  It’s summer!   

By the way Kyoko’s skin is so beautiful…  what does she use??

Quick Risotto

Risotto was a dish that my host family made for me on the first night I came to Perth.  It was a tomato risotto, and she cooked it in the oven.  I was amazed to find how easy it is to make risotto, just place risotto rice and chicken stock in an oven dish with other ingredients and bake in the oven.  It turned out delicious.  

The other day I felt like risotto, so I made chicken, mushroom and spinach risotto –  a very typical flavor.  

Personally I prefer not to use too much cream, (even though it tastes nice, I worry about its high calories) so I add cheese right after cooking and mix it through.  It gives richer flavor.

<Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Risotto> for two

•  1/2 Chicken breast
• 4~5 mushroom
• 1/2 cup risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• spinach leaves
• 1 garlic, chopped
• 1/8 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbs white wine
• 1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese 
• 50 ml cream (optional)
• olive oil

Quick tips:  You can pre-cook risotto rice!  Cook rice with chicken stock first.  Saute onion, garlic, chicken and mushroom and stir in white wine.  Add cooked rice and pour chicken stock (water).  Simmer, then season.  Stir in cheese and cream.

Chat and Eat and Watch

On Saturday my friends came over to my house for a small gathering. (bounen-kai ?)  We brought up some foods and drinks to share.  I knew we weren’t gonna eat much, we’d rather talk what we are up to, so I just made a platter of sandwiches and baked tomato pasta.

Friends brought some drinks, cajun crusted prawn salad, and salmon carpaccio.  The dressing for the salmon carpaccio was Japanese style.  Here is the recipe

• Slice white onion very thin, and place in a bowl of cold water.  Drain.
• On a serving plate, arrange thin slices of salmon on a bed of onion.  Drizzle virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  Drop capers, and season with salt and black pepper.
• For a dressing (dipping sauce), mix 2 tbs of mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp wasabi paste and few drops of soy sauce.

You can adjust the amount of wasabi and soy sauce for your taste!

I prepared some desserts as well because I knew girls need something sweet after a meal.

As I thought, we were so busy talking… We talked about jobs, boyfriends, traveling, etc…   It’s so nice to have this type of gathering to catch up with friends.

After awhile we started to watch a film, “The Mist” by Stephen King.  I don’t know why, but every time we have a gathering at my house we watch some movies.  Last time we watched “Blindness“, and the time before we watched “When A Stranger Calls“.

Oh yes, on the same day my new fridge came to the house!  I really needed a fridge for myself…  I have lots of stuff for Bagelier.

I’m buying some household stuff little by little so that I don’t need to spend a lot at once when I move into a new house in the future.  I hope it’s gonna happen soon

Roxby Thai Cafe Restaurant

On Friday night my family and I went to Roxby Thai Cafe Restaurant in O’connor for sister-in-law’s birthday dinner

I knew this place since it opened its door just one or two years ago, but I’d never actually been there…  The atmosphere of the restaurant seemed to be something that I wouldn’t like: drinking and noisy place.  But, when I went to this restaurant I realized that it was all wrong -  the place wasn’t bad at all.

We started with Green Papaya Salad (one of my favorite food) and Stuffed Chicken Wings.  The salad was nice and spicy

We shared main meals: Hot Seafood Plate, Thai Style Fish, Grilled Tangy Prawn, Green Curry and Pad Thai Noodle.  Eating noodle in their birthday is Indonesian thing?  Chinese thing?  This family always eat noodle on someone’s birthday.   Anyway, out of those 5 dishes my favorite was Thai style fish.  Sweet and sour, plus spicy.

The food was great, seafood was nicely cooked and seasoned.  The service was friendly as well.  Plus, the place wasn’t noisy at all.  There’s a bar where you can relax and hung out after having dinner.  They also serve steaks and ribs.  I will definitely come back here sometimes.

<O’connor>

398 South St, O’connor  (08) 9314 2444

<Willetton>

1 Yampi Way, Willetton  (08) 9457 0072

Seoul Mart Korean Grocery Shop

The second largest Korean grocery shop, after Hi Mart, in Perth is Seoul Mart, I think.  Seoul Mart started its original shop in Perth few years ago, and now there is one in Myaree, and one in Southlands shopping centre.

I’ve been to all of them, but I didn’t like the Perth shop.  When I went there the staffs were very rude!  On the other hand, Myaree and Southlands shop staffs are very polite and friendly.  I’m not sure if those 3 shops are owned by a same owner, or different, but I really don’t feel like going back to the Perth shop.  (but Perth shop does monthly special sale and things are cheap!)

The owner (I think) at Myaree shop is a very very nice guy.  He serves customer with smile and try to answer any questions customer may have- most of the items are written in Korean, so non-Korean customers need some assistance !  At Myaree shop, they do vcd/dvd rental service of Korean drama / film as well.

Out of those three, I think Southland Seoul Mart is the biggest one.  They sell not only food but also some household stuff such as rice cooker, grilling plate (for Korean BBQ) and stationery.  The staff at Southland are friendly too.  The shop is next to Reject Shop in Southland Shopping Centre.

Seoul Mart City (open 7 days)

Shop 4-5, 544 Hay St (on Pier St) (08) 9221 0322

Seoul Mart Myaree

Shop7, North Lake shopping Centre, 67 North Lake Road Myaree WA

Seoul Mart Southlands

Shop76, Southlands Shopping Centre Willetton WA