Wok in a Box: Hillary's Boat Harbour

Ok so I got to admit, I'm not usually one for cramped up take-out and squished up food in a box. Even when it's in one of those cute and sophisticated cardboard boxes that miraculously hold liquids like a pro that I always get fascinated at.

That's not to suggest I'm some prissy food snob or anything like that, no no.
Far from that. So far from it that in fact, I had a Happy Meal tonight for my dinner. See, I loved my happiness in-a-box. Epic name choice, Maccas!

I used to survive on those. Like every other happy kid. Especially overdosed on these back when the Snoopy collection was available.
Mannn, those were the best times of my life.

So anyway, considering our eating options at the Hillarys boardwalk, Wok in a Box was surprisingly the most appealing at the time. Never thought I'd end up back at one of these stir fry to go places so soon. Too less of a break from the last visit!
Verdict? Not too bad at all!

Serving sizes

So needless to say, with my anorexic figure and all, the larger box obviously belongs to me =p It's somewhat surprising, seeing that I'm considerably smaller than my eating partner. But yeah, don't judge me by my size I guess. In fact, don't judge ANYTHING before you get to know it. So many people are taken aback by my eating capacity and think I'm absolutely insane.
I also make people jealous alot :) so I consider myself damn lucky.

This was my breakfast for the day, probably close to 1pm. A good effort on my behalf, since breakfast can be like 2 or 3pm sometimes. Terrible, I know, really need to discipline myself into getting back into a regular lifestyle and start living like a normal person again. I like being different and all, but these are one of the rare times where it's not good nor healthy to be.

The stunny vibrant redness of these cardboard boxes makes me feel like I'm diving into a box of greasy KFC. That would have been awesome, but not too awesome for my body that's missing a gall bladder. Plus these are better quality.....boxes =p
In fact, I think we may have eaten here purely because of the boxes -.-

MYO Vegetarian noodles - $7.50

There's probably 2 types of people in this world. Those who love animals, and those who don't. I absolutely ADORE animals so much that I will eat every single one of them. And then there are those who ADORE animals so much that won't eat ANY of them. See, now that just makes me look bad and cruel and really not animal-friendly.

So the meal above is the meal for the saint who doesn't know what animals even taste like and doesn't touch them. Hardly even knows what a fish looks like, apparently. Catch my drift? What a good samaritan right!

So with the vegetarian make-your-own box, it costs you $7.50 but you can choose the whole buffet of vegetables, unlimited choice. The ingredients in this I can name is as good as your own judgement from the photo, so I won't bother. So very colourful and disgustingly healthy though. This would probably be too healthy for me even if I was on a diet.
Which...I would never go on to be honest =D

Teriyaki Chicken Stirfry - $8.95

I didn't feel like greasy noodles so early in the morning, lol...so I went for the *healthier* and *lighter* option of rice. So I pretty much just substituted carbohydrates with...more carbohydrates. Hah. I would choose rice over noodles ANYDAYYY though. I lurveee my carbs :D

I opened this and was like, WOAH man so much onion! And indeed every mouthful was full of it. It's good that it was sweet and soft and caramelised with that sweet but not sickly teriyaki sauce. Combined in a stirfry with chicken cubes, broccoli and verrry limited bok choy on a bed of steamed rice made a very satisfying Asian style breakfast.

After a few long hours of hard and productive procrastination, it was time to reward myself with a treat from San Churros. I love that hard work pays off in the end. Gotta reward yourself for working so hard once in a while frequently, right?! =p

Guilt kicks in when you lie to yourself. So I decided on the Kids Churros which gives you a smaller version of the normal serving. 3 mini churros - very artistically crafted and placed too! - with a pot of melted dark couverture chocolate and another colourful pot of hundreds and thousands. Colours always make me happy, cause they remind me of the simplicity of what happiness meant, way back then.

Looks like more time and effort and strategy is spent on the kids churros. They've really got the presentation thing going on. Might start getting the kids size from now on. All those rainbow balls and all brings me a little closer to childhood again.

...

If Noodle Box and Wok in a Box were situated together, I would probably choose the latter. I'm not expert on takeaway stirfrys but I guess it's just a matter of personal preference here. Plus, red is one of my favourite colours and more symbolic of Asian culture and I know that is a ridiculous reason to make a judgement of the actual food =p

Wok in a Box ingredients tasted really fresh and its appearance looked pretty fresh too. The waiting time is also pretty damn fast so if you're starving your ass off it's probably a good choice. Everything there is on a very convenient system, all the cutlery and utensils are set out and you're good to go. By the looks of it many people dined in and chose to get wok on a plate instead of in a box and I reckon it looked much better that way. Certainly better than dining out of a box, it even looked like you get more on a plate though that's probably a misjudgement.

Another plus side of it is that it's in such a good location. In fact ALL the restaurants are in such a pretty location, right by the harbour. Everything's laid back and nice but I guess that's the effect that nature has. It's got such a relaxed breezy atmosphere when the sun is shining...the clouds are drifting...the sea is...floating... :S

...and sigh I really need to work on my visual descriptions.

Noodle Box

My life is a broken record player.
I reiterate the same story over and over, many many times and I get quite sick of writing it.
I think...I have a bad habit of not learning from mistakes. And that can be the most stupid and dangerous thing ever.

So damn it, yet again I am only at Noodle Box because another restaurant had already closed by the time I got there. And even Noodle Box was on the verge of closing, and they wouldn't even serve the poor customer who came in less than 5 minutes after I.
I feel for you, man. It's hurts to be deprived of dinner.

I'd planned to go to this Jap restaurant, for a late lunch at around 4pm. Not much of a surprise but alot of devastation, it hadn't opened yet at that hour.
Fine. I'll catch them again when they open for dinner.
A few short hours later, we stroll back to the same restaurant.
"Sorry, we're closed" WHAT?! First I'm too early, now I'm too late?! Not much devastation this time but alot of frustration. And what I'd call a hunger rageee.
It's like I emit this radar that automatically shuts restaurants down when I get into their vicinity. Spooky spooky stuff and soo not cool bro.

So anyway, by now, I didn't care what I was going to eat anymore. My stomach was doing somersaults everywhere. You know, like when you're so hungry you wanna throw up like your own intestines.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen, because I kept them in place with the following (not very attractive meals at all) - but then again, when does take out ever look attractive anyway? Eating too much of it would probably even make one look unattractive at that :(

Honey Soy Chicken Box

I think I was somewhat craving a sweet tasting thing to eat, but did not fancy a dessert for my dinner. I guess that's how I naturally chose the Honey Soy Chicken box, that consisted of thick egg noodles, chicken, baby corn, cashew nuts and Asian vegetables wok tossed in honey and soy sauce.

I'd rather eat something with a sweet tinge rather than something that's too salty. And for some, they might get sick of the sauce the more they eat of this cause the sweetness would start to build up after a while. I'm a sweet person naturally, :), so I can deal with that.

First few mouthfuls in and I was like, woah, they are REALLY generous with their chicken! It was everywhereee and initially I had thought they had piled most of the meat on top with nothing deeper into the box. For the first time ever, I was pleased to say that I was wrong. SO MUCH CHICKEN, but that's about it. The downfall of this was that I probably ate only 2 little, tiny, VERY BABY INDEED corn.

Combo Box

This was ordered as the small serve and I think by the time we switched boxes to eat, I was nearly halfway through my LARGE Honey Soy Chicken Box and this was still full. Oh, hel-lo :)

For variety, this choice is probably the way to go. A compilation of thin egg noodles, roast pork, lean beef, chicken, prawn, shrimp and vegetables wok tossed in oyster sauce gives you a little bit of a lot. You can sample an entire farm in here.

For me, this got a bit salty after a few mouthfuls, but that's just me. There was only one prawn, but decent amount of shrimp in there. And man, get towards the bottom of the box and your stir fry nearly turns into noodle soup! The amount of sauce is crazy, with about 2cm+ of liquid drenching your noodles.

Small and Regular sizes

Here's a rough idea of the difference in sizes that are available. It doesn't seem like a lot, but the large is bigger in height and also in width. Not sure if it's worth the extra $4/$5 though, you're probably just paying for more noodles. You can get out and buy 10 packets of 2 minute noodles and be very happy with that.

The small box IS quite adorable though. Mini versions of just about everything are though, right? Cause small things are always cuter :P Just not when it comes to food sizes. Upsize all the way! But good things do come in small packages ;)

With all the stuff these paper/cardboard boxes can hold, you can tell they're pretty sturdy and reliable and you need not worry about your noodles ending up on your lap rather than your stomach, unless you're a messy eater like me, and might end up with half the noodles on your face.

And in this case, looks really can be deceiving. I thought these wouldn't fill me up, and I didn't manage to finish it. And well, you know how much I eat. And if you don't, that's even better :$ I think I'm constantly expanding my stomach with all the stuff I stuff into it. Sigh. I can't even go for the small sizes anymore. (Food wise). Clothing wise, it's a miracle that I can only choose small.
I think that's something worth celebrating :)

...

Lucky Noodle Box is a fast grab-and-go take out. When you want food and you want it quick, Noodle Box is a good option to go for. Plus, the chef really packs those noodles into the box even though the box looks deceptively small. Believe me, it's not. Don't be a judger.

They've got quite a big choice on their menu to cater for tastes. They've got variations of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Malaysian influenced noodles with choices like Satay, Teriyaki, Pad Thai and Nasi Boxes. Not sure how authentic/real they would taste though. Also a range of gourmet noodle boxes for a limited time, designed by Masterchef Adam Liaw. I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE NOT WATCHED A FULL EPISODE OF MASTERCHEF!!! So. Ashamed.

Hmm, what else. Oh, service is quick but not exactly friendly. I don't know if it was because staff get crankier with customers coming in near, or at closing time. I'd worked in hospitality for ages, and shamefully I have to admit to being one of those staff. But ironically I am also one of those customers. I'm so bad.

The back of our receipt - oh, speaking of receipts, I noticed a policy they had which states that if you do not receive a receipt following your order, you are entitled to a free meal. Odd, risky and even a little unnecessary in my opinion, but meh, their loss and our benefit if it does happen :P
So anyway, the back of our receipt entitled us to a $2 side of spring rolls or dimsim with any meal order. Asked for it but was told we could only redeem it the next time we come. Which, truthfully, will probably be a decade away, or the next time a restaurant closes on me, which will probably be tomorrow.
This is the first time I've tried Noodle Box after all. But still, why couldn't I redeem it right then and there?

If you're hot, healthy and fresh...everybody wants you!
So what's your take on that statement? And yeah, that came with a picture of a young girl and a group of breakdancers. And a box of noodles underneath. I am the slowest person you'll ever meet and thus I thought this was an advertisement for recruitment for Noodle Box. Lame, I thought. And superficial.

Upon closer inspection, I realise it's promotional marketing material for Noodle Box instead. And suddenly, I thought this was genius! LOL. I think that's a pretty witty claim to make. I mean, I know I'd definitely choose something hot, healthy and fresh...food and people alike ;)
The hotter the better..................................................... cause I quite like spicy food.
HAH! I'm not superficial. =p

Jesters Pies

So anyway, it seems as if Jesters has changed their slogan from Funny name, serious about pies to Ridiculously Tasty. Hmm, I think this can be said about their freshly made to order crunchy golden chips but making the claim World's best chips takes guts and DAMN GOOD chips!

Jesters is a franchise specialising in pies and housemade sausage rolls, as well as various coffees, smoothies, cookies, slices and chips on offer, depending on each individual store.
So yeah, this was my one heck of a healthy, nutritious breakfast that got me through the day like 2 hours.

Ugly pie innards

The revolting image above is a dried up, cold, microwave-revived pie. I am aware it resembles a bulging, wrinkly, sad looking pie and how disappointing it would be to eat. But it wasn't too bad! - Just don't reheat pies in the microwave because the pastry becomes lifeless, limp and soggy.

More ugly pie innards

To the right of the pie filling is the very delicious reddish outback-dirt-style looking Hunter. The Hunter boasts fresh venison, wild smoked bacon and beef, simmered with various spices, ale and topped with redcurrant jelly. Personally I reckon the addition of the jelly is unnecessary, besides making the pie suddenly sounding all exotic. It liquifies with heat and leaks out burning everything in its way, including your fingers, mouth and tongue.

To the left, to the left is the second vegetarian choice that Jesters offers for a temporary time, called the Spanakopita but more affectionately known as The Spanky. With shredded spinach, sparsely found sundried tomatoes and isolated olive pieces and cream in a feta, parmesan and cheddar cheese sauce, this is one calorific vegetarian choice.

THREE CHEESES IN ONE PIE!, is that fat or is that obese?! Surprisingly it tastes so much like a regular pizza. Pizza in a pie, TWO JUNK FOODS together! But with much more sparsely populated ingredients compared to a pizza.
This is how Jesters has healthy pies - they just don't give you anything to eat. :(

Chip box & Aioli dip

They've got this fresh, new makeover with their packaging going on. It's all a bit weird and stuff but who cares, the awesome chips aren't compromised. Freshly deep fried, piping hot and crunchy loaded with a heap of chicken salt, these really are the best chips evaaaaaaarrr.
After voraciously downing the chips, it may leave you feeling a bit dry mouthed and dying for water. But just remember the good times you just had a moment ago and all is forgiven.

To keep up with their World's Best Chips claim, quality is maintained by making the chips fresh only when you order, not like the sad waiting chips you get at fast food chains that put themselves to shame.
And the aioli is good schtuff.
And they are not only good for chips!...

S for _____

Seeing this scrumptious little pie makes me so excited and jittery.
S is definitely for salivateeeee
My face is going to end up like a pie soon enough.

Aioli Steak

Like I said, aioli is good for so many things, and is one of those magical things that have the ability to make everything taste better. A dollop of this on that and that becomes magic. Soo the usual Stockmans (chunky steak in a rich onion gravy) gets a little makeover with some whitening cream and the end result is DELICIOUSSS!

Satay chicken

Within the same pie is also the Nutty Chook filling, comprising of a mix of lean breast meat chicken, potato and capsicum in a creamy satay sauce. It's good, but the chicken fillings that go into pies tend to contain less meaty chunks compared to their beef counterparts.
But sauce is abundant and meat is sparse.
If you're lucky you might even get meat in your pie! :P

Fererro Gelato

The swirly pattern of layering the gelato creates a work of art you don't want to ruin. But once you ruin it you can't stop ruining it because it tastes so good. And it's 93% fat free supposedly, so you can eat it without worrying it ends up on your thighs! ;)
A chocolatey and refreshing treat that rapidly transforms into ice cream soup.

Crushed topping

Complete with a flattering smashed fererro rocher chocolate ball on top to reiterate the flavour of the gelato. Doesn't really add much to the overall flavour, would be better if nuts were distributed throughout the rest of the cascading ripples of ice cream, mmm.

Caramel slice

Looks wise, if you are a shallow person when it comes to food, you would probably pick this slice over the others. With 3 decadent layers all equally as sweet, you may find yourself in sugar high afterwards.
A thick slab of caramel sandwiched with a shortbread crust and a topping layer of a solid block of chocolate are the compilations to this hefty slice, with the sticky, sweet, ooey gooey caramel being the star of the show.

3 different textures intertwining together with 3 different degrees of sweetness - may result in 3 reactions: mmm - toooo sweeeeet - ugh!

Honey Macadamia Slice

I go nuts for this. Every time. Without fail. Har har har.
Its a nutter's dream to see a myriade of almonds, pecans and macadamias all tightly bound together with a coat of syrupy honey latticed with shredded coconut strips. With a oats biscuit crust base as the only not-hard thing about this slice, be prepared to chip your teeth.

Lime Brulee

I have yet to be able to triumphantly claim that I am able to finish one of these. The whole slab becomes so sickly sweet that it could send you into a sweet coma if you're not a hero at challenging your sweet tooth.
You definitely need a whole row of sweet teeth to gobble this slice up! They get stuck everywhere, like adhesive tape to your teeth, gums, roof of your mouth, your smile!

Nevertheless, it does have a rich tangy flavour, although not reminiscent of lemon. But it does melt in your mouth after it has fun exploring and disintegrating all over the place!

Chocolate brownie

The classic brownie stays classic and delicious. It's just the right amount of sweetness and has a texture somewhat like a moist chocolate cake infused with, it seems, crushed macadamias and dusted with icing sugar.
The softness of the slice coupled with the faint crunch of the crushed nuts throughout makes for perfect dessert and leaves the priceless chocolate-stained smile.

...

Jesters offers a large variety of unusual but creative and imaginative creations of pies that differentiate themselves to the normal average standard pie. To emphasise the dynamic nature of the business there's an ongoing, ever changing, rotational "pie of the month" on offer every few weeks to keep the spark alive.

Fun and quirky yet sometimes uninspirational pie names complement the daring and unconventional approach to putting different ingredients in pies - how about some mango chutney or hollandaise sauce in your pie? :O

$4.70 probably won't fill you up, cause it definitely doesn't do it for me. I don't even think $9.40 would satisfy my insatiable appetite.
When it comes down to the bottom line, go for the chips.
You won't regret it.
But you will regret not getting it.