My first time....

On Saturday, we drove by a shop and I squeaked "Hobhob!". AR's immediate reaction was to turn into the nearest carpark, parked and escorted me into the shop straight away. It's rare to get a parking slot immediately so we thought it was meant to be. ;p

What shop is it?

It's a place where there are many pretty dresses.

Got it? =)

Hobnob -one of the most promoted bridal shops in Perth. Why wouldn't they? I stepped in and was amazed at their range of bridal gowns straight away. My plan initially was to just have a look at the gowns and if I find anything I like, I would book a proper appointment with them. Amazingly, Val (she looked like the manager) told me that they can arrange something for me straight away should I would like to try them on now. Five minutes later, my own personal consultant, Cara arrived. When I say personal-it's really personal! After asking about our budget, she immediately brought forward a few gowns for me to have a look at. To my surprise, she commented that my style is more of a "classic". How the world she knows by chatting with me for 10 minutes and me saying "no" to a few gowns was beyond me.

So into the changing room I went. I did say "personal" right? Yup, she literally dressed me. Seriously. I suppose I do need her to be there. Most of the gowns are 4-5 sizes larger than what I'm wearing and she needed to pin it tight so I get to see how well it fitted. The first one was a fitted floor length gown. Very simple but beaded throughout. Very very elegant with a small train. The 2nd one? Well, I said no straight away when I put it on.

The 3rd one has a A-line flare to it. The name of the beauty is "June". Wonderful beaded bodice, a slight flare skirt, laced up back with a train. Simply gorgeous. The bonus is that that gown has just arrived and I'm the first person to chose it and wore it! ;p Nothing too over the top but yet so classic. I'm also very surprised by the price. Definitely cheaper than expected (way less than 1K). I should also clarify that the gowns are either ordered and make to measure so you keep them. Not rental.

The 4th one "Natasha".... Cara suggested this one. Since it was my first attempt trying on gowns and I wanted to keep an open mind to see what styles suit me I thought "why not". It's a lovely beaded gown, slight flare with a organza cover from low waist down to the train. Again, not over the top but the details on this one is just amazing. Just putting it on and seeing myself on the mirror surprised me. In terms of cutting of the gown, this one was the best fit (probably highlighting Cara's experience in choosing gowns based on my body type). When I walked out of the change room and into the front of the house-to let AR see. My own personal fashion show. His eyes..gosh, I cannot describe the way he looked at what I wore but I knew that this gown simply made me feel special. The best thing was that the gown+veil+hoop all together would be within budget.

My logical mind took over after 10 minutes. I didn't order it but simply requested for details of the dress. I wasn't allowed to take photos (pretty obvious I guess!). AR later told me that he wanted so much to just place an order straight away. I know we are making the right choice by waiting. Afterall there are so many other bridal stores around Perth and it's always best to shop around before making a decision. One good thing about Cara is that she did not push or use any sales girl techniques. She simply gave me advice, fitted me and when I told her that I would like my bridesmaid to come around and will not be making the decision now, she just wrote down the details of the gowns I tried on and that was it.

What surprised me was that all gowns take approximately 6-8 weeks before they arrive. I did ask if they made those gowns in China and apparently no.. they are made in US, Spain or Italy. That seriously surprises me.

I can still feel the excitement when trying on "June" and "Natasha". These 2 dresses are probably slightly more elaborate (given the beading and the lace) that what I initially thought I would like but if that is one day in my life that I get to dress up and feel special... well, then I'm open to that! (within budget of course!).

Ladies! Share with me how you felt when you tried on your wedding dress (if you have)! I'm keen to hear about your experiences!

Ok ok! back to the cooking. I must be boring you with all these wedding prep talk! haha.And I don't think I can stop till the wedding day! oops.. haha..


I usually start my Mondays blogging about baking. The next cookie review isn't going to be fantastic and I didn't want to start the week with a slight negative mode so I chose this instead.

Omelet with pickled radish


Growing up, this was a popular dish my grandma made. Just thinking about it brought me back childhood memories. Me and grandma having white rice, omelet and some canned fried dace fish. Cheap and good we called it. It was so satisfying.

I had this impulse to make this dish couple of weeks ago. Just felt like it. Thankfully, the oriental store did carry pickled radish. The smell of frying raddish over the pan was wonderful.

We had this with basmati rice and stir fried mixed veges. I paired the omelet with some chicken mince to make it more substantial. The dish was simple, quick and yummy. Easy too. You can't fail with this.. unless you don't like pickled radish! ;p

Omelet with pickled radish (serves 4)
4 eggs
2 tablespoon of milk
3 teaspoons of pickled radish
100grams of lean chicken mince
1 tsp of light soya sauce
pepper
sesame oil

Marinate chicken mince with soya, generous dashes of pepper and sesame oil. Lightly beat 4 eggs with milk.

In a hot nonstick pan, cook chicken mince with radish till done. Pour egg mixture over it. Once the egg is set, sectioned it and flip it over (I found that easier). Cook to your liking and serve.

As you can see, I like my eggs slightly wet and not dry.