ValentineSingles Awareness Day

I may be in a relationship but for some reason I would rather call Feb 14th 'Singles Awareness Day'.  I'm not really a sappy girly girl when it comes to Valentines Day.  I told my boyfriend before we started dating that I don't ever want flowers, and I don't really eat chocolate.  All I want on Valentines Day is a card.  I'm not even fussed on homemade cards; store-bought will do me provided he doesn't just scribble "To Kay.  Love Tom" in it.

He always gets me good cards.  It's in his blood - everyone in his family gets good cards.  Apparently he went to 3 newsagencies before he found a card he was happy with.  It's so cute and very fitting for us because we share a love for coffee.  It sort of made up for the fact that he worked til 8pm on Thursday :S  Which was fine because we had already made plans for Valentines Dinner on Friday but it still sucks to be home alone til 9pm on Valentines Day :(

I spent something like 4 hours making him this card.  Only because I saw a picture of what I wanted to create but no instructions so trying to plan and execute it with no instructions is harder than you would think when you're cutting card with a blade.  Also because I'm a perfectionist which makes me slow.  Also because I was watching Real Housewives of Atlanta when I was doing it.

My Dad abandoned my Mum on Valentines Day.  Ok that sounds awful.  He had to travel interstate for a funeral.  But nonetheless my Mum had no Valentine on Valentines Day and my Valentine was at work so I had a romantic date with my Mum and youngest sister.  We went to New Shanghai in Chatswood for some fantabulous dumprings.  Oh I love dumprings, especially the ones with the soupy bit inside.  Lovelovelove.

So we had our Valentines Dinner last night.  Tom requested I sexy it up because I've become lazy/complacent/'dressing as casually as I can get away with' recently.  I brought out this dress that I haven't worn in 5 years and ACTUALLY PUT LIP GLOSS ON.  Woo for me.

We went to The Deck at Milsons Point and the view was breathtaking.  It makes you realise how privileged you are when you are sitting at dinner and you have a direct view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

I hope everyone had a great ValentineSingles Awareness Day, whether attached or not!

Din Tai Fung vs New Shanghai

I love dumprings.  I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese food (ironic much?) but I luuurve dumprings.

I've frequented New Shanghai a few times now because I live on the north shore, but tonight I visited Din Tai Fung for the first time.  I must say service was impeccable.  I don't expect much from Chinese restaurants but the staff at Din Tai Fung seated me and my friend D immediately and were very warm and welcoming.  They even brought a little stool/bag thing to put our handbags in.

I was a little disappointed with the menu - I was expecting a LOT more dumpling options than they had.  My biggest gripe was NO PAN-FRIED DUMPRINGS.  They are my favourite.  I settled on steamed crab and pork dumplings with the soupy thing inside.  D got the prawn fried rice but refused to eat the prawns because one of them still had a bit of a poo line :S  We each got a vegetable and pork bun which was the biggest disappointment of the meal.  We both wondered whether they had accidentally given us vegetarian only as we struggled to find the pork.  The bun 'pastry' was also really thick and not soft and fluffy.  The filling was 99% vegetable and really bland.  I didn't even finish mine.  The dumplings were good but overly salty.  Too much of a contrast with the pork buns.

New Shanghai on the other hand - service is certainly not as attentive as Din Tai Fung but it's still reasonable, it's not poor by any means.  BUT they have steamed AND pan-fried dumplings.  Heaven.  And more dumpling flavours.  They're not as excessly salty either.