Food: The Search For Great Curry -- Part 5 @ Wine and Deli by m.a.x. concepts

Image from Locky's English Playground

Wine and Deli by m.a.x. concepts at Cityplaza has been around for quite some time, but it was really my first visit last week. Located right besides the ice-skating rink, the cafe had an entrance that resembles a Paris cafe on the road side. 

Green-looking cafe
Image from Locky's English Playground

Or, to be more precise, the entrance is like the junction of a pedestrian walk which leads you to even more eateries, when in fact, it is one restaurant as a whole.

Lighting is fantastic!
Image from Locky's English Playground

A restaurant that is semi-food court-like, where diners queue up to buy their food and then collect a number stand to wait for your food to be delivered to your table.

Frozen Yoghurt counter
Image from Locky's English Playground

As a restaurant, no surprise to see that they sell froyo there,

Hong Kong-style tea sets
Image from Locky's English Playground

What is surprising is that the restaurant actually offers food of a Cha Chaan Teng -- a Hong Kong local cafe.

Curry Beef Rice
Image from Locky's English Playground

A glance through the menu on the wall unveiled several curry dishes. As always, a chance as such cannot be forgone, so I ordered the classic curry beef rice, which cost HK$56.

Image from Locky's English Playground

The look was actually quite average, but the lightning made it looked way better than it deserved, so I give 4 star for the clever use of lighting.

The taste was really quite good. The temperature was at its optimal making the curry taste sweet and rich enough while keeping the spicy tone at a touch-and-go level. The beef portion was "really generous" at first glance but consisting the price paid I had to downgrade it to "reasonable". Marinating was slightly over for my taste causing a minute loss of beefiness, still, it is way better than all so many Cha Chaan Teng around.

Smell-wise, it was barely noticeable at nose tip, with the addition of fried onion bits, it smelled like a Singaporean curry with much less coconut milk. It's not bad, but not as good as I would have expected.

Overall, it is still a decent curry rice with a stomach-fulfilling amount of beef (and potatoes). If you are looking for a high-class Cha Chaan Teng with nice curry, this may be the one for you!


Scores:

Look:            ★★★★☆ 4/5

Taste:            ★★★★☆ 4/5

Smell:            ★★☆☆☆ 3/5

Textures:       ★★★★☆ 4/5

Temperature: ★★★★★ 5/5

Overall:         ★★★★☆ 20/25

Resources:
m.a.x. concepts
http://www.maxconcepts.com.hk/tc/deli_n_wine.asp

Food: The Search For Great Curry -- Part 4 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/07/food-search-for-great-curry-part-4.html

Food: The Search For Great Curry -- Part 3 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/04/food-search-for-great-curry-part-3.html

Food: The Search For Great Curry -- Part 2 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/04/food-search-for-great-curry-part-2.html

Food: The Search For Great Curry -- Part 1 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/food-search-for-great-curry-part-1.html

Auto & Science: How To Cut Fuel Consumption When Driving?

Volkswagen XL1 has a drag coefficient of 0.189, the lowest in all production cars to date
Image from NewCarShow.com

Before we go into how to cut fuel consumption, I would like to find out,

1. exactly how far can a supercar go with just one gallon of fuel, and 
2. just how much does driving style affect fuel consumption? 

Jeremy Clarkson of Topgear has the demonstration for us.

After watching the whole video, you'll know that driving style does play a key role in fuel consumption. Even a BMW M3 can be more efficient than a Toyota Prius!

But exactly what makes a good driving style? What's more, do other factors also play a part in fuel consumption? We have the answer below!

Here's the summary

1. Shape --> Aerodynamics --> Air resistance --> Drag --> Drag coefficient
2. Weight --> Light material 
3. Less cargo and fewer baggage
4. Tire pressure
5. Slower Drive

The more streamlined the car is, the better the aerodynamics is, which leads to lower air resistance and thus lower drag and drag coefficient. The lighter the car is, the more fuel efficient. Properly inflated tires minimise contact with the ground and thus friction with the road. Finally, the optimal fuel efficient driving speed is 55 mph (88kph).

Drag Coefficient of production cars ranked by Cd
Image from Wikipedia

Talking about aerodynamics and drag coefficient, my dream car the Tesla Model S has a .24 drag coefficient  (see Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review ) -- the lowest of all production cars in 2012 until Mercedes-Benz CLA and Volkswagen came along in 2013.

Tesla Model S has a drag coefficient of 0.24
Image from Autoblog

Just how do auto companies test their drag coefficient? They make use of something called a wind tunnel. Volvo has a nice detail video which shows us how this is done.

Hope you have learnt how to save money on the road and understood after the science behind it. Let's start driving wisely for the weekends!



Resources:

2012 Tesla Model S [w/video] First Drive - Autoblog @ Tesla
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/11/2012-tesla-model-s-first-drive-review-video/

Automobile Drag Coefficient @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient#Typical_drag_coefficients

Top Gear : Supercars: The One Gallon Fuel Crisis Race - Top Gear - BBC @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/JmxUsGiGp3w

4 Ways To Cut Gas Costs @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLv_KyZM-ag

Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review  @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/technology-opinions-my-tesla-model-s.html-

World: Fun Facts We All Should Know -- Part 2 (Viewer Discretion Is Advised) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/world-fun-facts-we-all-should-know-part_29.html

New Volvo Wind Tunnel @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/TtLh2P56LvY

Auto: Mercedez Benz C180 Kompressor Review

My sister's C180K in Stanley
Image from Locky's English Playground

Mercedes Benz C180K isn't a new car at all, this particular one that my sister owns was produced in 2006 and it's a 4th-hander, but that doesn't mean this car is a terrible. In fact, it is easier to drive than most of the latest vehicles around.

Image from Locky's English Playground

Though this 1,794cc 16V I4 supercharged petrol engine may not be youthful enough to deliver the 143 PS (105 kW; 141 hp)@5200 rpm, 220 N·m (162 lb·ft)@2500–4200 rpm any more, this vehicle is still a very good fuel saver with superb reliability after spending an extra HK$30k on sensors and wheel s upgrade, making it a fantastic on-the-go car for daily use and a family car for the weekend. 

I say that it is fuel saving because the car is not too heavy to draw too much petrol to move and thus I can make use of the momentum most of the time instead of stepping on the brake to burn fuel. That said, "momentum driving" is just my style, which is why Tesla Model S' regenerative braking suits me.

Image from Locky's English Playground

The exterior has been maintained amazingly well for a 7-year-old, hardly a scratch due to weathering.

Image from Locky's English Playground

The rear trunk is not especially large, but it has the capacity for 1 to 2 large luggage cases for business trips. 

Image from Locky's English Playground

The interior is the classic layout you would expect from a classic model, nothing too fancy about it might be a weakness, but for some who prefer simplicity with practicality like me, a clean and tidy panel is much preferred than buttons galore. 

Image from Locky's English Playground

Sadly, a car as lasting as this does not match the taste of modern girls and so it is now put up for sale. To an extend that my sister has already purchased a BMW 520i before she can find a buyer for the predecessor. There has been a couple of people asking for driving tests, and I am sure the next buyer will be a happy one.

Since I can drive her BMW 520i, I will also be writing a review on that. Let's hope that it is what you would anticipate.

Resources:
Mercedes-Benz_C-Class#C-series_engines @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C-Class#C-series_engines

Message: Goodbye To "Loanwords" & "Spices"! Hello to "Auto"!

Tesla Model S
Image from Locky's English Playground

Hello my friends!

This is just a quick update on the modification of Locky's English Playground tags and the menu list of the Android app.

Since the post on "Loanwords" and "Spices" have not been a lot, I have decided to remove them and add a new list named "Auto", which will of course be talking about automobiles, including my test drives and car reviews.

Previously I have already reviewed my dream car, the Tesla Model S, but that will not stop me from testing others.

For those of you who love to learn more about cars from my perspective, do come to visit the English Playground often!


The Android app update will arrive at your Android phones in about 2 hours' time.


Locky
CEO of Locky's English Playground

Food & Dining: Beef Bibimbap @ Maxim's MX

Beef Bibimbap at Maxim's MX
Image from Locky's English Playground

Listed as World's 50 best foods: Readers' picks by CNN Travel, the Bibimbap 비빔밥, Korean pronunciation: [pibimp͈ap̚]) is one of the my very personal favourites Korean dish. I have always ordered bibimbap whenever I can, because it has enough carbohydrates for me to get by and it is hardly ever disappointing even if it is from the worst restaurant.

This Wednesday, I found myself suddenly drawn to a Maxim's MX in Mongkok by its Beef bibimbap poster, and the next moment, I was already holding a number 333 waiting ticket.

The bibimbap, kimchi, honey grapefruit tea and chili sauce (bedhind it)
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was written on the poster that it will at least take 15-20 minutes of waiting but I waited 3 minutes 33 seconds before I asked the manager where my dinner was. Then after another 5 minutes or so, my ticket number finally appeared, and I went to collect my meal.

From another angle
Image from Locky's English Playground

I have already forgotten the price but I'm sure it was less than $50 for the entire set, and looking at the portion of the food, I will say there is enough food for 2 ladies or 1 very hungry Locky.

The appearance was fantastic, it was colourful with carrots, turnips, wood ears and green veg nicely laid out on the rice, the rice was cooked with the right hardness/softness and each of the grains was defined even against one another. The beef was no-kiddingly thick! While the first bite was really tough, further chewing revealed the juiciness and beefineess which you'll expect from looking at the poster, and tenderness came as a big delightful surprise with the rest of the pieces.

Kimchi all dumped into the bowl and mixed
Image from Locky's English Playground

To enjoy a really awesome bowl of bibimbap, I like to dump all kimchi (cabbage and beansprouts) into the bowl then stir the mixture thoroughly with a generous supply of Korean chili sauce. Usually it will look messy after the mix but as you can see from the photo above, this particular bibimbap still looked gorgeous!

Sweet hot drink for the post-rice stomach
Image from Locky's English Playground

At less than $50-a-set at Maxim's MX as compared to the easily above $60-a-bowl anywhere else, I must say this has to be the best deal in Hong Kong if you want the food to taste and look as good as the poster!!!

My only complaint was that the rice was already not hot when I started eating, it was even colder than "warm". Had there not been a miss in my food order, could this have been so much better?

I would love to think so, and that said, I will return for a confirmation soon.


Vocabulary:
Bibimbap --

Resources:
World's 50 best foods: Readers' picks @ CNN Travel
http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/readers-choice-worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-012321

Bibimbap @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap#cite_note-4

Message: Letter To My Lovely Baby Girl!!!

My Daughter -- Muse Law
Image from Locky's English Playground

Locky's English Playground has been a bit lazy all week because I have been busying with the arrival of my lovely daughter, Muse! She was born yesterday on 18th November 2013 after midnight. From the start of the contraction at 9pm on the 16th through the amniotomy at 7am on the 17th till Muse was born at 1am on the 18th, in that 28 hours of labour, her mummy had to be administered almost every form of pain relief possible including a morphine shot, epidural analgesia, then epidural anaesthesia in an attempt to have a natural-cum-induced labour before finally undergoing a Caesarean section.

"What does milk taste like?"
Image from Locky's English Playground

Muse, do you know? Your mummy was being cut opened, pulled, squashed and pumped severely in the tummy like a Scale 8 earthquake by 3 surgeons for a whole 10 minutes before getting you out? The anaesthetic was so strong that your mummy's body shuddered violently even when my hands were pressing her shoulders down hard, yet she was shouting through her gritted teeth with every clobber.

"I'm also called BB Chu and I am adorable!"
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was traumatising to watch your mummy in pain as such, gave me bad dreams every night since your birth. You had better be really really good to your mummy once you know who she is.

"You can't see me~ You can't see me~mummy!"
and mummy is just in the background
Image from Locky's English Playground

That's not all! When the doctors urgently called for nurses to "come up to rescue the B", I acted calm in front of your mum and kept telling her that everything will be okay, but I feared real badly that we were going to lose you. I think you mum did not hear what the doctors said due to the anaesthetic in her body so she was still asking me why you were not crying. Luckily, soon enough, I heard you giggling and told your mummy that you were born a happy girl. Then after another couple of minutes or so, we finally heard you crying.

You were brought to us and your mummy immediately gave you a kiss on the face while she was still shaking. Obstetric forceps were used and your head had a cut, but to me, those forceps pulled you and your mummy out from death.

"Muse maybe the youngest Facebook holder, " says Aunt Winnie Li
Muse owns a Facebook account in less than 1-day-old
Image from Locky's English Playground

We are both very proud of you as you have already fought so many battles even before you were born, and we wish that you will continue to be strong in face of danger, illness, sadness and pressure. Daddy and mummy will do our best to give you a delightful childhood, and you can almost guarantee that you will not be forced to take many interest classes and subjects because we are not monster parents and we'll never be. We will assist you in finding your dreams and guide you to achieving them should you need our help. As for now, let's not worry too much and just enjoy every moment with your families and friends.

Daddy and mummy loves you the most, and so do all your relatives and friends. You are very lucky to have come to this part of the world where food and basic needs are not a concern, and you are especially lucky to have 6 grandparents to love you.

So please!
Don't forget, be healthy and be a good girl!
Don't forget, nothing comes easy in this world, so never take anything for granted.
Don't forget, to love the world, all animals and plants, because they will help you grow,
and lastly,
Don't forget, you must always love you mummy, Muse, because she loves you the most!


With Immense Love,
Daddy Locky & Mummy Ceci

(00:41am, 20th Nov 2013)

Vocabulary:
amniotomy -- (n)[U]
morphine -- (n)[U]
epidural analgesia -- (n)[U]
epidural anaesthesia -- (n)[U]
induced labour -- (n)[U]
Caesarean section -- (n)[C]
anaesthetic -- (n)[C] 
shudder -- (vb)[I] When something shudders, it shakes violently and quickly:
grit (your) teeth -- (idiom)  to press your top and bottom teeth together, often in anger:
clobber -- (vb) informal to hit someone or something hard and repeatedly:
traumatise -- (vb)  [T usually passive] (UK usually traumatise)  to shock and upset someone severely and for a long time:
Obstetric forceps -- (n)[C] 


Resources:
Muse Law @ Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/muse.law.16

Hello World My Baby Girl! Muse Law @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExJqD9St4Wc

Amniotomy @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniotomy

Using Narcotics for Pain Relief During Childbirth @ APA on Narcotics
http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/narcotics.html

Epidural @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidural

Induced Labour @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_labour

Caesarean section @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesarean_section

Anaesthetic @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaesthetic

Obstetric Forceps @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetric_forceps

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/anaesthetic?q=anaesthetic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/shudder_1?q=shudder+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/grit-your-teeth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/clobber_1?q=Clobber
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/traumatize?q=traumatise+