elusive photography

WE HAVE A NEW ADDRESS

2010-06-25T23:42:00.001+10:00

Hi Everyone

We have moved to a new site Lumière Photographie

What started out on the 2nd of June 2008 as a blog to post some pictures has evolved into a slightly more elegant website. We've also refreshed things a little and called it: Lumière Photographie, paying homage to my love for all things french: film, food, Airbus and my time growing up there (albeit, a short one).

[Ella would add to that list: shopping, pastries, baguettes, crepes and Louboutins and more SHOPPING]

What's in the name?
Lumière = light
Photographie = (pronounced photogra-fee) photography

Who's part of it?
The same crew that brought you "model shoot in Singapore"... yes, alot of guys have asked about that... and wondering how they can tag along to the next model shoot....ahem, you know who you are... I won't name names... "Raymond, don't hide..." oops!! In essence, different name, but same 'gadget-Nikon-Apple-food-travel' loving clowns. We also have the occasional guest shooter and hope that more opportunities will come up for us to share what we do!

What's next?
We're quite excited to be shooting yet another destination wedding. Yup, one in North Sydney. It involves crossing water... that counts right? haha. Just kidding! On a more serious note, we're going to Krabi, Thailand to shoot a wedding. Looking forward to it!!!

Our philosophy remains the same: we shoot cos we like doing what we do (this also means we can explain to our wives why we need to buy the toys we love so much ~ FOR ALL THE GUYS OUT THERE: DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SCREEN TO READ THIS otherwise your wives will know the secret)

To our families, "merci beaucoupe" [thank you] for supporting us and giving us such a rounded upbringing. (I mean this literally: who wants to see a fat and round me, put your hands up or drop me a note!)

To our friends and everyone else, thank you for adding colour to our lives.

I am trying to say something smart to end this, but all I can think of is what APU on The Simpsons would say..."Thank you, come again!"

The gentle giant is married ~ Moey's wedding

2010-05-23T09:54:00.004+10:00

By my estimation, Moey is 7ft something... heheh.... ok, maybe not that tall, but Moey's a tall guy. When I met him at Mervat's wedding, he stood head and shoulders above everyone at the reception. No one is taller than Moey... but big as he is, he's a gentle giant. soft spoken, genuine, a good all round guy! Oh, I forgot to mention, Moey's mervat's younger brother :)

Rain was forecast for the whole week leading up to Moey's wedding. I have never shot a wet wedding before. So I was counting on my luck to prevail. Sydney-siders would know that it's been bucketing down non stop for a week straight! I knew that if it rained abit the eve of Moey's wedding that we'd have some pockets of sunshine, awesome blue skies and crazy clouds! And rain it did the night before and the morning of Moey's wedding. Phew!

I was re-acquainted with Mervat's videographer... who is very hands on with what he does. I mean that literally! He would demonstrate what he needs done by pretending to the groom and using the groom as the 'prop'... hilarious! I think the group of bystanders at The Rocks had the most fun with his spontaneous grabbing of the groom and his boys. Both Mindy and I were safe... cos I am part-girl after all. The boys however... sighs, not so. The bride, Khadija couldn't escape... she had to do a sprawl-on-the-bed pose for the camera and even do a cat walk with the bridesmaids... all in good fun!

Oh, I had Mindy with me for this wedding! Mindy was very popular at this wedding... mums, grandma's.... young kids were all calling out for Mindy to help them with a picture.

Everybody, if you need handsome, well chiseled male for modelling, just give Mervat's husband a bell. This man, not only makes a suit look good (rather than the other way around), the camera loves him! Sal's, going to be my Arabic sidekick in the not too distant future :)

Enjoy.

La Rochelle ~ Shibuya (Iron Chef Sakai)

2010-05-10T00:08:00.001+10:00

Lucky last! La Rochelle was the restaurant we picked to close out our holiday to Japan for this year. Some of us who have watched Iron Chef on TV, enjoy the entertainment of the weekly 'secret ingredient', while some of us mock the english voice overs, while there are others whom I know who follow it religiously. For me, I was always amused by the theatrics that came with each episode, the costume that the Chairman Kaga puts on, the guest judges ranging from food critics to has-been TV starlets. And the iron chefs themselves: The likes of 'sakai' and 'chen'...etc, I thought, were all ficticious, despite their dramatic introductions with each episode....wow, I was wrong. Turns out those Iron Chefs did have restaurants in real life! I blame my late realisation that wrestling was all staged for my scepticism. Must thank Mally for telling me to check La Rochelle out. I don't know a bigger fan of Sakai than Mally. More of this later.

La Rochelle has 3 locations in Japan. I went to the one in Shibuya.... a location that is always a delight! The famed 'shibuya crossing' where masses of people converge at a busy pedestrian crossing with one common goal: to get to the other side of the road. Oddly enough, when Ella and I were last there, it was considerably less crowded at the crossing. Check the crowd out. Kewpie says hello too!

Before we left the hotel that morning, we made sure to get directions on how to get to the restaurant.
We made note of which subway exit to take and which building to head for... when we got to Shibuya station, that plan didn't quite pan out... but after a few short moments and finding our bearings, we got to La Rochelle right on time for our lunch reservation. Along the way, we probably picked up a dozen packets of promotional tissue. Love it!

We took the lift up to the 32F of the Shibuya Cross Tower. When the lift doors opened, we were immediately greeted by someone from La Rochelle. As we were being ushered to our tables, someone from the reception desk calls out "chotto matte..." ~ I stop and turn... at this time I think to myself, "Oh crap they are going to kick me out cos I am not dressed up to spec....instead, I am greeted by, no, not Chef Sakai, but (who turns out to be their Director of Sales and Marketing) an impeccably dressed gentleman who asks me, "Would you like a private room so that we can set everything up for you and talk you through the menu?" Confused? Well, at the time of making the reservation I informed the restaurant that I was coming from Sydney and wanted to take some pictures during my meal. My stomach has a quick word to my brain and I politely decline. I explain that I am very happy sitting with everyone else. I had also decided to leave the scary camera in the hotel and use Ella's camera for today's lunch. It didn't seem right to have them go through all that trouble and for me to whip out a little point and shoot. I was very impressed with their hospitality though.

First impressions of the restaurant: bright and 'quietly' buzzy. Fancy, elegant but no tacky. Not as 'serious' as Joel Robuchon which made me relax a little more (remember my shabby dressing?).... and a great expansive view of the city from level 32. Ooh, Hermes crockery. Nice!

We have a look at the menu and quickly decide to go with the 'Maestro' menu (yes, it's the degustation that offers the most courses) ~ 6 courses including dessert. I won't go into too much detail about the food. Suffice to say, the Japanese maintain a very high standard of french cuisine at all levels. La Rochelle is one example of making french cuisine accessible to everyone without burning a hole in your wallet.

amuse bouche - 9 kinds of small appetisers

sauteed scallop, fish, steak with foie gras and truffle sauce. it is worth mentioning that the foie gras was totally devine. yes. there is alot of chatter about the unethical way in which foie gras comes to the table, but I make no excuse of liking it.

BULL DOG MOMENT: Here's a funny story that happened during service. I have to admit, that it's hard to understand some of the verbal descriptions that come presented with the food. After all, I did mistake "LAMB" for "RUMP" at Joel Robuchon... so I resolved just to smile and nod when presented with food. I wasn't going to probe and ask if I didn't understand. Anway, we were up to the 'soup of the day'.... the waiter tells us it's "vegetable soup....with BOO DOG" ~ I look up, turn to him and repeat with eye brows raised like a curtain at a concert "BULL DOG??" And the waiter replies, "Hai, hai... bull dog! Chotto, I get pictures to show you" he says. I try very hard not to laugh right away... and as soon as he turned around, I burst out laughing... as quietly as I could... (again, you see why no one asks me out to fancy restaurants? *sighs*)

Soup of the day "vegetable with boo dog"

Dessert came in the form of a wagon which got Ella very excited. We had the choice of 1 of each if we wanted. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I opted for things which I liked: panacotta, sorbet, green tea pound cake and a lovely jelly. *Click into image to enlarge*

At some point during service, the Director of Sales and Marketing (Chiharu-san) comes over for a chat. We talk about the food and Sakai... he then comes back with a laminated A3 sheet and says to me "I hope you don't mind, this is Sakai's handwritten notes of the menu." I was like "Wow, thank you..." and I bow profusely whilst sitting in my seat (probably should have gotten up to thank him). Chiharu-san goes on to explain that Sakai's in Sydney at the time, checking on produce. He also mentions that Sakai's got a good friend, Chef Harunobo Inukai, who own Blancharu in Elizabeth Bay. We chat some more and Chiharu-san leaves me his business card and even prints out details of Blancharu! Take a guess who was the lucky recipient of Sakai's menu?

Towards the end of dessert, we get given some macarons as well. I am a big fan of them. Am just intrigued by the colours, combinations of fillings and textures that macarons come in. And so I spend the next 30mins just taking pictures of the macarons.... all this while Ella goes "can i eat them yet? can i eat them yet?"

Definitely an enjoyable dining experience! I looked at my watch and we've been here for more than 3 hours, yet it doesn't feel like it. Ella and I walk out of La Rochelle feeling very full and happy. As we descend down in the lift, we debate what we liked in each of the 3 restaurants we tried on this holiday, but we decided in the end (in a very short space of time, with the fast descend down from level 32), each was unique in itself! Doors open: shopping time!

Just for abit of fun: this was the store we visited on our last night in Tokyo! It has 11 floors of shopping. 5 for boys and 5 for girls. There's a half naked buff dude that greets people at the entrance (come on ladies, you know this place). What you see in this picture below is winding stairs from about Level 8 towards the ground.

If you know the name of this chain store... just leave a blog comment. DOE-MOE-A-REE-GER-TO

Autumn in the park with Emma

2010-05-08T21:07:00.001+10:00

I had the perfect start to the weekend. Caught up with Sam and Matt for a session with their little daughter, Emma. I love weekends... what's not to love when I get to do what I enjoy ~ taking pictures, eating, getting some sun, flying... don't get me wrong, I love weekdays too, cos it's what pays the bills. I am still undecided whether I love Thursday or Friday more ~ Thursdays cos it's one day before the weekend, and Fridays, for the obvious reason. A childhood friend once reminded me that I shouldn't countdown the days in the week, cos it's no different to wishing your life away! She said, "one day you will wish that time stood still"... she is right of cos.

And so after some weeks of planning and one aborted attempt due to Sydney's increasingly weird '4- seasons-in-one-day' weather, we finally got to take some pictures with little Emma. When I met up with Sam, she told me that Emma was a little unsettled. I replied calmly saying, "Don't worry, we'd be ok" ~ and we got thru the morning just in time before Emma decided to call it a day. Phew!

I was going to pass the images to Sam and Matt early next week. BUT, an idiot decided to drive his over-height truck into the M5, causing a complete shut down and ruined my pre-mother's day catch up with mum. Plan B took a very hungry and traffic-jam-weary Ella and I to Nha Tranh, to satisfy our craving for Vietnamese food (deep fried soft shell crabs....yum)... it also gave me the perfect reason to drop the pictures off early!

Here are some pictures and a quick slideshow. And to all the mother's out there, especially mine, Happy Mother's Day!

Malinda & Lan ~ their wedding

2010-05-03T23:49:00.056+10:00

I remember the night as though it was just yesterday! No, it's not when I first met Ella, but it was when Mally made the announcement. I was almost ready to go to bed... and my phone buzzes and ooh, message from Mally announcing their engagement!!! I have to admit, I was somewhat emotional when I read the text. Sad huh. And here I am bagging out masterchef contestants for being cry babies! And yes folks, these days everything is done via the mobile! I was so excited I just couldn't hit the right buttons on the phone to type a reply! On ya, Lan! Good proposal and an equally superb ring to match the occasion!

Here's something you might not know. I first met Mally when she was 21. Yeah, a long time ago it seems. She shared a birthday venue with a friend of mine (RayRay de Dog), just because they had mutual friends. Back in those days, Mally was quite funky... not that she's any less funky now of cos. Well, if you were at the wedding, Marissa would have explained it all in detail! "Fly-Girl", yup... that's Mally! It's all true, what Marissa said! Cos I was there and I have pictures to prove it. Don't you just love Mally's shoes for the day!

A quick word about Lan: who incidentally, looked almost as hot as Mally on his wedding day in his Hugo Boss suit and shoes....and that smile! Thanks for turning it on for the camera, Lan...although I do know that your electric smile comes natural to you... gotta give me lessons... cos everyone knows I can't smile to save my life and am contemplating attending night school to "Learn how to smile properly for photos". Note to all the boys that are planning their wedding: a well fitted suit makes a huge difference! And of cos, if you have the muscles to back it up, that helps too once the suit comes off...see example below :)

The reception was held at Simmer on The Bay. Mally's friend, the lovely Yu-Ching who is happens to be an amazing (professional) chef and well-known Sydney food blogger Lemonpi, deserves a special mention: she baked the wedding cake and also the cupcakes for the guests... massive effort Yu-Ching. You can read all about it here too.

So folks, some of you have waited 9 years for this day... may I present, Mally and Lan....or as I like to call them, 'SchMally & Vin Diesel'.

** link to the Photobooth pictures **

Malinda & Lan's wedding ~ a sneak peek

2010-05-03T11:02:00.004+10:00

Mally and Lan have been together for awhile now... just a tad close to 9 years AND they finally got married on the 2 May 2010!

For those who are friends with Mally, you would find phrases like "Oh my god... yeah right....as iffff...it's going off..." which Mally uses alot. And for those who know Lan, you'd prob all know him as a gentle person with a killer smile. I often describe him as the 'asian Vin Diesel'. In Mally eyes, he's the asian Ian Thorpe (more on that when I write up a full account)...funny that, Ian Thorpe announced a possible comeback this morning! I used to call Lan 'muscles'...(no prizes for guessing why). Anyway, it's not fair, cos Lan not only has the muscles, he's also very easy to shoot (as is Mally) and comes from a family where all his siblings are good looking!

Anyways, this is just a short teaser..... I should have more in the next day or so! Well done to Marissa for the co-emceeing of the wedding along with the talented Wayne (you guys should do this professionally) and also to my precious, Ella.

Congratulations again, Mally and Lan!

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Tokyo)

2010-04-26T22:47:00.005+10:00

The last time we were in Tokyo, the fanciest meal was probably sushi at the Tsujiki Fish Markets and
Gonpachi - with thanks to Carrie, who despite a crazy, fully hectic, work schedule, took time to take us out to sample some of Roppongi's many restaurants. That was quite a delightful experience. Kill Bill fans will immediately recognise the restaurant.

Fast forward some 3 years since our last trip to Japan... amongst some changes: all the kids in our family got married. In this time, I also took up new hobbies: baking, flying, candle making and did more with my passion for photography. Perhaps the most dramatic change taste wise, is that I've gone from disliking sparking water to actually enjoying it ~ it all strangely came together when we spent 4 weeks in Europe last year where I also discovered confit of duck! ooh lah lah!

OK, so this time in Tokyo, having heard so much about the quality of french cuisine in Japan, we knew we had to sample what was on offer. After Iggy's in Singapore, the natural choice was Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier ~ ranked #20 in the Miele Food Guide. Incidentally, it was Joel Robuchon's restaurant of the same name in Hong Kong that knocked Iggy's off the top spot and took top honours for 2009/2010.

So in the lead up to our trip, I made a lunch reservation via email. The staff at L'Atelier were very professional. You could already feel that the experience was going to be something special!

We decided to head to Roppongi Hills for a wander before our lunch time reservation. I love Roppongi Hills. I don't know why exactly, but I just do! 'Midtown' is a very swish mall. I won't call it a shopping centre, but that just doesn't do it justice. It was super cool 3 years ago.... and it's still cool today!

Ella with some cherry blossoms

Midtown ~ they have a dude that adjust the frequency of the droplets every morning before opening hours

One of the fancy supermarkets in Midtown: Y$85 to A$1 (today's rates)

Melon: A$82

Cherries: A$176

Mango: A$70

more of Midtown

Where's Wally?

Lunch beckons... 2 stops to Ebisu from Roppongi

After a short scenic walk from Ebisu station towards Yebisu Gardens:

The entrance to Joel Robuchon's castle is not up front. I told Ella she needs to say "open sesame"... that didn't work. In the end, we found the entrance and was greeted by someone from the restaurant in typical japanese politeness and ushered to the foyer of the 'castle'. L'Atelier is located on the 2nd level of the castle and a short flight of stairs later reveals the restaurant.

As we are seated, I note that everyone is impeccably dressed, as is Ella for the occasion (note, I was in my usual, ie, looking like a bum in Japan). When we made the reservation I did make a purposeful mention that I would be taking photographs of our meals, just so they could put me where the 'light' is. However, once we were seated (Ella's bag got a little velvet chair to 'sit on' and my camera too got a little chair), amongst the grandeur of our surroundings, I quickly summised that the dining patrons wouldn't appreciate the shutter of my camera going off. Bugger, I didn't really want to use the point and shoot.

And here it goes. We order the lunch degustation. There were a couple of options, but we chose the one with the most food (hey, don't judge me...I was a fat kid growing up). Apologies for the photos, as it turns out, my point and shoot was flashing "RECHARGE"....oops...I swear it had full bars when I checked in the morning. Ella reminds me at this time that between waking up and getting to L'Atelier that I did my usual... happy snapping!

amuse bouche ~ grapefruit, champagne, mint jelly

ENTREE

seiche de printempts confite aux aromates avec une salade de haricots vert aux amandes et "espuma" de poivron rouge ~ baby squid marinated with rosemary (ella)

foie gras de canard en duo de boudin noir avec un fondant de abricot (dexter)

SOUP

laitue en fin veloute sur un flan trembolant a l'oignon doux ~ cream of lettuce (dexter)

radis noir en bouillon au gingembre, crabe et champignon ~ ginger broth, crab, mushroom, radish (ella)

Funny story: the waiter was trying to explain that for mains we had a choice of fish and meat. After opting for our choice of fish, he went on to explain. For meat: we have "rum" or "beef" - makes sense! For some reason, Ella couldn't make out what the waiter was saying.... I just repeated, "rump, Ella... you know... beef..." OR SO WE THOUGHT! As it turns out, it was lamb, not rump.... Ella and I burst out laughing.... wait till you hear about what went down at Iron Chef Sakai's La Rochelle.

MAINS ~ FISH

daurade servie avec une creme et huile de citronnelle et des poireaux etuves ~ sea bream with lemongrass (ella). Point and Shoot on last legs. I muster the courage to whip out, a proper camera.

"akaisaki" au bambou et avec une puree de pomme de terre citronnee ~ japanese fish

MAINS ~ MEAT

agneau en cannelloni fondant d'aubergine epice ~ lamb wrapped with eggplant

DESSERT

Pre dessert ~ sorbet to cleanse the palatte

fruits exotiques en gelee de citronnelle et vervine avec une creme vanillee et graines de basillic ~ this is really cool! see the ball that Ella has on her spoon? it's a tiny film of jelly with really intense fruit flavours inside

pomme en fine tarte tiede avec un sorbet au gout d'une tatin ~ mine is not so cool....but still really good

selection of cheese ~ this was Ella's pick

Pre tea / coffee dessert ~ pistachio 'something'...very good!

Inside L'Atelier: sugar, the window, the table setting

the dining room

As we rise from our seats to leave the restaurant, we are escorted from the restaurant, directed to the lift (I wanted to take the stairs, but didn't know how to tell the dude). Our friendly waiter/host person rides the lift with us and as the lift door shuts, the maitre'd bows in thanks and appreciation... very nice! Did you know that in Japan, when a plane starts to taxi off from the parking bay, the ground handlers actually stand together, bow and wave 'goodbye' to the departing plane? We could use some of that friendliness around the world!

Anyway, we find ourselves back in the foyer area. I collect my 'designer' hoodie. Ahem.... and are handed a goodie bag. We are too polite to look inside, but bow and thank our host.

au revoir, merci beaucoup Joel Robuchon...even though you are never in Tokyo...

It was a lovely experience. Ella and I enjoyed every minute of the 3 hour experience. From the castle, to the service, to the interior decor, the choice of bread (sorry, I didn't do it justice), the cheese wagon and of cos, the various courses that we had.

The stand out has to be Ella's soup, my fish and Ella's dessert ~ those were my all time favourites. Everything else was top notch! I felt more relaxed eating at L'Atelier compared to Iggy's even though the decor was way more formal here than in Iggy's. Service was first class and the food, amazing.

Finn and little Kaia

2010-04-24T17:26:00.010+10:00

It's been about a week since returning from Japan. When we got home I told Ella that I won't be baking for at least 2 weeks. I tried my darnest, but caved in on Day 3. I probably also said somewhere that I would take a break from photography having just come back from hols. Well.... no need to guess what happened there! Today's weather was too good a day to pass up!

Say hello to Finn and Little Kaia. Finn is nearly 2 years old, the last time I saw him he was just little bub, no bigger than his little sister, Kaia. How he has grown! FJ, Simon and I actually work for the same company but in separate areas... but together, we keep the company going and our shareholders happy... haha... no shame for self praise! We've also been trying to do this since the end of 2009, but there was a season of heavy rain, then things got busy... but am glad we finally got to do this with FJ and Simon. Incidentally, Finn is also one-half of 'Holly Loves Finn' - so drop FJ a line if there's something which tickles your fancy.

wanna guess what happens next?

oh. back to simon's "leap frog"....oops...

And a quick clip

An afternoon interlude with Amber

2010-04-18T11:03:00.012+10:00

The second week of our trip saw us spending some time in Tokyo. We got the chance to catch up with Carrie and her husband. Carrie used to live in Sydney, but moved to Japan with her husband, Tom. One thing the 4 adults all share in common is a love for food. So each time I've caught up with Carrie, whether it's in Sydney or Japan, there is always alot of food and good food too! Anyway, I'll skip the food pics for this one and just include some pictures taken during the afternoon.

Mind you, Carrie's been married for nearly 6 years now and I've only just met Tom.... *sighs*.... it was only until I promised Carrie that I won't touch Tom inappropriately that she finally relented.

Oh, one final thing... Carrie has a sidekick in Sydney and between the both of them, whenever they see me, they will never fail to either pinch or punch me... or worse still, pinch+punch me.... have they not seen the ad on TV about violence against men? "Australia says nooooo...."

Slideshow:

p.s. If anyone needs any recommendations on where to go for food in Tokyo, just ask Carrie... Just email me for her direct contact details.....(ok, I am sensing a virtual kick from Carrie coming my way....)

Iggy's (Singapore)

2010-04-15T13:14:00.014+10:00

And so the long awaited holiday kicked off with an early morning departure: first stop, Singapore. This 2 night transit is purely so that Ella can indulge in all the south east asian food that she craves. Don't be mistaken, she's not deprived of it, thanks to the combined efforts of mum and myself...but she just adores her food.

For those who have flown into Sydney, you'd all know how embarrassing the airport is. It has nothing to give, yet it takes so much... your time (to get out of), your energy (baggage clearance is a test of one's patience) and your cash (a 5min ride home costs A$20) . And for those who don't know, Dexter love, love loves aeroplanes and was very excited to stumble across the an OBSERVATION DECK! But I guess I always knew it was there, but like so many things, you just ignore or miss it. So after collecting our boarding passes, I dragged a bleary eyed Ella up some stairs and down some ~ it says "LIFT", but I knew we had to get a headstart on burning some calories.

Just as we got to the observation area, a Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo breaks through the clouds and oh-so-quietly floats itself towards the ground... in its full glory, flaps down, nose pointed slightly above the horizon. At this time, my brain and heart get into a micro-mini debate: "To snap or not to snap"... ARGGGHHHHH...it was a no brainer. In a matter of a couple of seconds or less, I had my camera bag on the ground, unzipped, camera freed with lens cap off and subject acquired! "CLICK". We hung around for abit more, dishing out scores on landings.... Ella and I felt like judges at a gymnastics meet...all the while I could hear my dad saying "there is no such thing as a good landing..."

Oddly enough, we end up departing for Singapore on an A380... bonus!

Anyway, this post was meant to be about Iggy's. So who the heck is Iggy's? I first heard about it through a fellow foodie, Senri. He professed that it was better than Tetsuya here in Sydney. Big call for all those who have tried Tets. I had to check it out. Oh, here's a secret: Ella and I are probably one of the few food loving people who have not sampled Tetsuya's degustation. Ella's tried many a time... but for some reason I have resisted going to Tet's. Back to Iggy's: The restaurant itself is located in the Regent Hotel, in Singapore. You can read about it from the Miele site. It lost its coveted #1 position to Joel Robuchon (HK).

So here it goes. I am no Matt Preston or AA Gill. So there will be no attempt to be clever with words, humourous or overly descriptive with flavours (partly because I have only had 20mins sleep in the 38hours that have gone by).

Presenting the GASTRONOMIC MENU for March 2010

bread + olive oil

amouche bouche: something to amuse your mouth

white asparagus with duck, truffle

hirame (japanese fish) with micro tomatoes

Oyster from Brittany

Lobster with a Grand Marnier reduction

you can tell I liked this alot... who doesn't like lobster?

Wagyu ~ slow cooked for 40hrs

Egg, slow cooked with white truffle powder

Dessert ~ came in 2 lots: the one below is a play on sweet and sour

this one, they named "SOIL" (banana, walnut, coffee, kalamansi)

And something to go with coffee & tea

A grumpy chef - something I observed. Our 'host' made an effort to change a dessert item on the menu. One of the chefs didn't like it and kinda told off the 'host' in a less than discreet manner. I mean, if I knew what was going on, other patrons did too. FAIL. It does remind me of my time in hospitality.

Patrons are sat around a working island. kinda like a sushi bar. There are also proper dining tables, but this allows the host to explain each dish as it comes out from the kitchen. Personally, am not a fan of this set up... but it's something different to the norm.

And so, that was Gastronomic Menu for March at Iggy's. Am sure you're also wondering what Ella and I thought of the food and the dining experience. For someone that inhales his food, I had to be very restrained with how I ate. I have to make every morsel and crumb count.

What we liked:
Creativity, balance of flavours, dedication to slow cooking, good wine list (tip: try the in house wine ~ you'd be surprised)

What could have been better:
Service: be genuine. Am not saying service was fake, it just lacked warmth. I felt a stronger sense of hospitality from a Japanese Rail train conductor. Explanation of dishes and ingredients: I don't just want to know what or where they come from, I want to understand the background to why they were picked. Maybe I am asking for too much? I also didn't like the seating arrangements.

All in all, I'd say it is a good experience... good play of intense flavours, nothing too overpowering. When the first course came out, I whipered to Ella "Newton Circus".... which is where you'd find all the local 'street/hawker' food... but by the time SOIL was served, I knew we had to park that for another day.

Stay tuned for "How ella goobled up half of singapore for less than A$10"... and Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier in Yebisu Gardens in Tokyo and also a visit to Iron Chef Sakai's La Rochelle in Shibuya.

Here's a Singapore's latest shopping monster, erm, I mean mall. There's lots of good food in the food court. You can't miss this if you are in Singapore!

When 2 people fall in love { nelson & mandy }

2010-03-28T01:41:00.017+11:00

Work place romances ~ love them or hate them, I have to fess up, that's how I met Ella. My parents also met when they were at work, my sister too... and countless of our other friends. I mean, the average person spends 8hrs or more at work per day.... some people see their work mates more than their own family (although some choose to do so to avoid going home..haha).

Well, today "we" (I'll get to this part later) got to witness a really touching wedding ceremony between Nelson and Mandy. Nelson first came to know Mandy when he landed in Canberra and was doing a 'thing' in the neurosurgical ward. Fresh from Nu Zeeland, it wasn't long before Nelson fell for Mandy.... ok, we've seen it all... on countless dramas: ER, Chicago Hope, Greys Anatomy, Scrubs and closer to home, All Saints: these work place romances between medico professionals never work out right? Well, not these 2! The love that Nelson has for Mandy is just amazing... the way he gazes at her, the way he gushes over her... it's electric!

Congratulations Nel + Mandy... what a day and night on the harbour...I can't stop bobbing from side to side.... argghhh....

Oh, I promised to elaborate about "we".

My sister in law, Carol was part of the bridal party.... "so what, you say?" well, as it turns out, Carol's a buddy of Nelson and so in true spirit, Nelson asked Carol to be part of the groomsmen. Got your attention yet? That's right... a female amongst the groomsmen.... I think they call them grooms-maid or grooms-woman. It was a first for me... but Carol did really well. Part 'bro', part 'sista'.... well done, Carol! You must share some of the pictures from the buck's night.

Alright, enough of me...here are some highlights.... got to also thank Ella for driving Carol and I around...fresh from her 5 day work conference (hmmm...we know what they're all about).

If you're wondering, Nelson's offering mate's rates on plastic surgery... just mention promo code "nelson-HEARTS-mandy"! I'm booked in for some butt implants....oh wait, can I say "butt" here?

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GUTEN TAG: Zoe & Sienna

2010-03-22T22:01:00.008+11:00

Early starts to my days seem to the the theme of my life. My work days begin when my body clock rouses me out of bed at 0640...Ella and I then spend more than an 1hr travelling to work and from work ~ that's about 2.5hrs each day for 5 days a week.

And on weekends, I rarely ever sleep in. Once I open my eyes, I am just eager to jump out and do something (that doesn't involve sports)...more than likely I'd be in the kitchen cooking breakfast for Ella or going thru some recipes and organising an early morning bake. I've often wondered what my neighbours think of my early morning / late night bakes....

This weekend was no different. I woke up at 0530. Packed my little red enviro bag with essentials for school and went flying. And by 1030, I was in lovely Rushcutters Bay...due for a catch up with Judy and Todd...and their 2 little girls: "Guten Tag, Zoe and Sienna". What's cool about Judy and Todd is that mum is German and Todd's American. Zoe's not yet 4 years old and she's fluent in German...it's so lovely listening to a little Aussie born and bred child speaking German! I told Judy that I was going to park our kids with her...

Tabitha lives here

2010-03-22T21:57:00.012+11:00

Alot of people search and crave for a work life balance. Some play sport to chillax, others have the occasional night out with friends. I'm fortunate that I have a hobby that keeps me entertained... if not for photography, I would not have an inch of a reason or excuse to own a MAC...for that same matter, if I didn't bake, I'd probably also not have any reason to buy a Kitchenaid...if I didn't fly, I'd have no reason for a parachute. But I digress! On this lovely toasty Sunday morning, we got to catch up with JP and Paul and their newborn, Tabitha Esme.

For those that know me for abit, you'd know I love a cool loft / warehouse apartment... and JP and Paul do infact live in one.

Ella and I also got to meet the 'alpha-cat', Saturday (who alternates between being really affectionate and imitating a tiger *ouch*...she bites). "Why Saturday?" I asked Paul.... who calmly replies in his bellowing Canadian accent "cos everyone loves Saturday..." That makes sense!

Here are some highlights from meeting little Tabitha Esme and a short clip as well.

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Ahlam's engagement

2009-12-20T22:20:00.005+11:00

A week ago I had the opportunity to take some pics for Ahlam at her engagement party. Ahlam was initially quite overwhelmed by having a larger than normal camera pointed at her. Not before long, she was up to her usual self (so her friends tell me), the portrait below says it all.

Folks, if you want to take smiling lessons, Ahlam will show you how it's done... I'm at the head of that line...

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Eloise and Liam

2009-12-11T08:12:00.002+11:00

There was something very different and unique about Eloise and Liam's wedding. For one, it was out of Sydney...that in itself was exciting! We hit the road really early cos we were forewarned about the unpredictable traffic. We got to Blackheath with plenty of time to spare and in true Ella style, within 5 minutes of hoping off the car, she found something to buy. Yes, Ella is one reason for Sydney's inflation figures...

The weather was perfect. Blue skies and a sunny spring day. The reception marquee was very elegant. Thank you for a lovely day, guys...we had lots of fun out there...

Shanti-shanti.

Baby Athletic

2009-12-11T07:44:00.002+11:00

A couple of weekends ago we hung out with some tiny bubs (well, not really that tiny as it turns out)... summer was almost here and you could feel the heat poking thru just to let us know summer was just going to be round the corner.

Incidentally, one of the mum's designed all the outfits (Baby Athletic). If anyone wants to find out more about them, just drop me a line.

My sister got married!

2009-12-06T21:50:00.003+11:00

Oh wow, the day finally arrived. It's quite funny how it all just crept up. We've been counting down to this date for awhile now. Jokes about dieting and all... and it hit me the day before that my sister was actually getting married. I felt an immense amount of excitement and also nervousness (good kind of nervousness) for her and Bob. Well, for those that know her very well, you'd know my sister is very particular about the details...the invites, the dress, the food, the flowers, her hair, her makeup, her dress, the material of her dress.... errr...wait, I think that's called being a "bridezilla". I even wanted to get her a Godzilla suit for her entrance into her reception...I wish I did! I still remember it was only yesterday she brought back samples of her invite. I made comments like "looks like a Westpac ad.... this one's too Thai Airways..." I can't seem to shake my day job.

The day went thru without a hitch. We were blessed with great weather (Ella's been checking the weather weeks leading up to the wedding), peonies were in season and we were all certainly excited to be part of this special day, as were our many international guests. It was a colourful event with lots of speeches, well wishes from those who couldn't make it (gotta love technology), dancing and of cos, FOOD.

Congratulations Bob, Shrek is all yours.... remember what Dom said at the reception: Safety first! Get yourself a safety helmut!

As they say in Swahili, P O N G U E Z I!

My sister is almost married

2009-12-02T21:11:00.002+11:00

7 days before her big day, we took my sister and uncle BOB for a photo shoot. There was no short of enthusiasm from the couple...erm, maybe just frm Shrek.

My favourite moment is asking uncle BOB for "big eyes".

Almost there, Shrek.... come this weekend I get to convert your bedroom into my very own walk-in-wardrobe.

Agnes and Clifford ~ The wedding

2009-11-24T22:06:00.006+11:00

A week ago, Agnes and Clifford were kind enough to meet me for a early morning, ahem, 6am shoot on the last day of Sculptures by The Sea at the lovely Tamarama.

A week later, on their wedding day, Mother Nature decided that it too, wanted to test the resolve of the couple and wound up the temperature for the weekend, with temperatures on Saturday peaking at the mid to high 30s! Nonetheless, Clifford stayed cool in his 3-piece suit. With 8 'brothers' in tow, he had nothing to worry about...except: (1) making sure he shouted loud enough from the ground floor, 11 floors up, "Agnes I LOVE YOU", (2) passing the 'touch test' and (3) mastering and choreographing the macarena dance with the 'bros'... all while making sure his set of to-die-for angle wings and devil horns were in place.

Agnes, great taste in flowers! Am a big fan of peonies! And oh, good pick on your man too...

Congrats on your wedding, guys...and Clifford, I think you need to get Louis a new pair of socks.

Mervat and Sal

2009-11-24T18:46:00.003+11:00

I've known Mervat for quite some time now. If I think about it, it's prob close to 10 years, beginning with the time we first worked in Balmain followed by a couple more years in North Sydney.

Mervat's been planning the perfect wedding for the longest time! The perfect dress, the perfect cake and the perfect man! All these elements came together on like a perfectly made macaron on Sunday! For Sal, the 42 deg heat was literally a walk in the park! One day Sal, I might be lucky enough to visit Oman!

So folks, here's a little slideshow of highlights for the oh-so-hot couple! Oh, for those that are wondering, the lovely dress Merve chose for her special day is a Pronovias.

As they say in Arabic, "M A B R O U K"

agnes & clifford ~ a 6am start

2009-11-15T19:05:00.002+11:00

My day actually began at 4.45am this morning having spent the day before at 3,500ft by 9am, coming home to do some DIY and being covered in paint speckles and finishing off with a wedding reception in Liverpool.

Caught up with our friends, Agnes and Clifford who are getting married this weekend. We thought to catch the last day of Sculptures by the Sea 2009...bright and oh-so-early (too early for some!)

Some highlights:

Juicy Fitness

2009-10-19T11:44:00.008+11:00

A friend of ours, Lil has started a personal training business, Juicy Fitness. We caught up with her on the weekend to do some fun shots for her website http://www.juicyfitness.com.au/

The last time I went to the gym, I nearly died, but Lil sure knows how to make it fun. Lil trains in and around Sydney. Get in touch with her if you want to get fit, stay fit the fun way.

Enjoy the highlights and also the short reel below.

Catherine & Kevin

2009-10-11T19:36:00.007+11:00

Elaine & Raymond's wedding day

2009-09-28T21:28:00.008+10:00

I've known Raymond since high school. I remember the first day we met, at Woodwork class. We were assigned a project to build a coffee table each. We chose our wood, I picked mine and Raymond quietly pinched my wood for his project. Being the new guy in school, I didn't want to pick a fight. No matter, I topped the class ...and the year (sorry, i know, NERD) fast forward many years, I introduced Raymond's now wife to him... along with many other things.... "thanks Raymond, I'd be expecting that big fat thank you cheque in the mail!"

It was nice to attend a wedding a guest for a change.

Elaine & Raymond

2009-09-21T21:57:00.004+10:00

10 cities, 28 days. An amazing trip.

2009-05-10T12:08:00.005+10:00

Gone fishing .....

2009-04-08T18:35:00.003+10:00

[e.p] will be out of town for the next month or so .... one half of [e.p] is on holidays whilst the other half is working out of Sydney.

Hopefully there'll be some photos to post from our adventures ...

Happy Easter everyone and take care ....

Ginny & Michael

2009-03-23T09:12:00.003+11:00

natasharoesli.com launch

2009-03-22T22:36:00.004+11:00

Today we gathered at Blues Point, Sydney to have a sneak preview launch of natasharoesli.com. Natasha is joined by Yu and Pem to create an excellent team who are available to cater for your parties, weddings, or just a quiet get together.

They are dedicated to provide a unique experience where food and ambience comes together innovative approach to culinary excelence. Give natasha and her team a buzz the next time you need catering, tell em we sent ya =)

http://natasharoesli.com/

M & M

2009-03-16T22:30:00.003+11:00

Gareth & Jo

2009-03-02T10:19:00.002+11:00

A & J

2009-02-11T20:36:00.001+11:00

H & D

2009-01-05T21:27:00.002+11:00

Port Macquarie Jetty in the evening

2008-12-28T03:41:00.000+11:00

Nelson & Amanda

2008-12-28T03:38:00.001+11:00

We went up to Port Macquarie to spend the Xmas season with our good friends, Nelson and Amanda, who recently got engaged too .... CONGRATS guys!!!! can't wait for your wedding to rock around ... thanks for looking after us up in Tele point ... here are some shots taken whilst up on the beautiful central coast.

the little ones

2008-12-03T20:03:00.000+11:00

Nick & Tash

2008-11-17T14:34:00.004+11:00

Sarah's and Tony's wedding

2008-11-12T22:37:00.003+11:00

Deb's wedding

2008-11-10T15:14:00.004+11:00

Singapore F1 Night Race 2008

2008-10-27T15:13:00.001+11:00

Diane got the marrieddddd

2008-09-30T15:44:00.004+10:00

7th June 2008 - II

2008-08-19T15:52:00.002+10:00

7th June 2008

2008-08-19T15:49:00.001+10:00

EP celebrated something special

2008-08-19T15:47:00.002+10:00

Hands

2008-08-19T15:31:00.001+10:00

Contemplation

2008-08-19T15:26:00.002+10:00

Winter

2008-08-19T15:21:00.001+10:00

Wide spaces II

2008-05-25T14:48:00.001+10:00

Spatial

2008-05-12T22:18:00.002+10:00

Wide spaces

2008-05-12T22:16:00.001+10:00

Something different

2008-05-04T10:21:00.001+10:00

The scent of fresia...amongst lilies

2008-05-04T10:18:00.002+10:00

Watch them go by

2008-05-04T10:01:00.002+10:00

Chemistry

2008-04-27T10:15:00.001+10:00

Watch them go by

2008-04-27T09:49:00.001+10:00

Autumn

2008-04-06T12:12:00.001+10:00

Details II

2008-04-03T20:11:00.001+11:00

Details

2008-03-25T21:27:00.001+11:00

smile everyone ... it's easter.

2008-03-24T17:41:00.001+11:00

Behind the screen

2008-03-16T15:01:00.002+11:00

Why we love a good bouquet

2008-03-16T14:56:00.001+11:00

O L I V E R

2008-03-05T22:38:00.002+11:00

Shooting at Carriageworks

2008-02-17T21:38:00.002+11:00

The 2 DCs went out to improve their 'sniping' skills.

KUDOS to the very beautiful Victoria ... thanks!! =)

food, glorious food ...

2008-02-17T19:11:00.001+11:00

Went over to SLFC (SenLek Food Central) today for yummy lunch. As usual I left with a filled tummy with not much room left at all, no room that I had to skip dinner!!
I was treated to 2 courses of some awesome food!! check the SLFC link right here for more info about these 2 food lovers. Here are some pics from today ...

1st course & 2nd course

Sen about to chow down & Mocha wanting some ...

Light

2008-02-10T22:15:00.002+11:00

Why light makes a difference

2008-02-10T22:12:00.002+11:00

Casino190

2008-02-09T22:24:00.001+11:00

I went over to 190 to for casino night which is in tradition of gambling and making LOTS of noise during Chinese New Year. Had an awesome time but came away with no more silver bling and lost for the first time(for a LONG while) in pingpong ... Grrrrrr

Crazy hand of cards ... he actually split 3 Aces and got blackjack on all of em!!

Late night refreshments

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-07T20:48:00.002+11:00

2008-02-06T21:43:00.001+11:00

It has been an incredible finish to 2007 where I shot 5 weddings in the space of 8 weeks ...

I've created a slideshow showcasing the best of "so far"...

2008-02-06T20:32:00.001+11:00

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