Neo Of Melaka

As suggested by its name , Neo of Melaka features Malaysian cuisine . According to their corporate site , their sauces are prepared from exotic culinary herbs and spices found in Southeastern Asia , India and China to create a delicate blend for a menu rich in flavour .

6133 E. Broadway Blvd
Tucson , AZ 85711

Interior : Contemporary Designed and Dimly Lit Makes it Comfortable . 

To Start : Hot & Sour Soup

To be frank , a little disappointed . The taste is not what I'm expecting and looking for . And on top of that , the soup is simply too GLUEY ... Too much starch added in .

For Her : Chicken Curry Rice Noodle 

Curry is my LOVE of my life . Already missing it and it's only my 1st week here in Tucson . Was glad to see that they serve this dish on the menu so decided to give it a try . *Craving!* 

Verdict : I think I can cook better than this . It's not flavorful enough . The curry gravy is not thick at all ,  too watery . I like it LEMAK (Rich , creamy) ! And when it's served , it's not piping HOT . Disappointed on my first bite . Not saying that the dish is awful but it's far from good . It's alright but just not good enough for people to want to come back to want more of it .

For Him : Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts

I only took a mouthful of it . The rice is definitely not the soft and sticky kind but it's alright since it sort of 'soften' when mixed well with the gravy . Uses breast meat to cook this dish so it's healthier . It's not that bad for a simple one-dish meal .

Sushi On Oracle

Craving for some serious authentic Sushi Rolls ? Visit Sushi On Oracle today ! They do have some interesting sushi rolls on the menu .

6449 N. Oracle Road
Tucson , AZ 85704
*Close on MONDAY.

Sushi On Oracle is a small , cozy , locally owned and operated restaurant traditional Japanese Cusine . Yoshinobu Shiratori , is the chef and also the owner of the restaurant . Regulars know thus as among the better Sushi joints in town , as well as a purveyor of more than 10 kinds of Sake .

That's the Sashimi Counter .

Looks serious! when preparing food . This is what I call Professionalism  .

Edamame

Miso Soup

Edamame and Miso Soup are complementary . I don't usually eat Edamame but this ... I eat them ALL ! It tasted kinda good when eat it with the Miso Soup . Not bad at all .

For Her : Shrimp Tempura with Steamed Rice .

Eating this reminds me of Wasabi Tei (Far East Shopping , Singapore) . Nothing beats Wasabi Tei's food but this is good too . I love the rice . The texture is great . Almost asked for another serving =X

For Him : Soft-Selled Crab Sushi Roll .

Serving portion is larger than those that we had back in Singapore . (The Americans believe in "The bigger the better" anyway .) Presentation is beautiful . Lots of color and tastes great too !

Derrick's Las Vegas Roll .

He's been raving about this particular sushi roll and that it's a must order for him when he's here . He ordered this for us to share coz the portion is really big and he can't possibly finish it all by himself . Very nice of him .

It's fried sushi ! An extra step to coat it with tempura flour and fry it before they serve it . Some hot sushi they serve in this cosy little restaurant in Tucson .

Ikkyu Japanese Restaurant

Featured on Tucson Weekly , Ikkyu is a tiny Japanese fast-casual place serving home-style Japanese food that includes an assortment of Donburi Bowls , Noodles Dishes and , Sushi . And on Friday and Saturday , Hiro , shop owner , will serve hot ramen dishes (Shoyu , Miso and Tonkutsu) .

Welcome to Ikkyu !
Operating Hours : Monday - Friday ; 10 AM to 8 PM
Saturday ; 11 AM to 8 PM

Situated in a corner , Ikkyu doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves . It is almost invisible . The windows are darkened , and it's hard to tell if the place is open as you drive up . 

Ikkyu's Address

Counter 

However , things are a little different once you enter . The room is small and sleek . The shop uses wooden tables and chairs , therefore , gave its customers a nostalgic feel .

Miso Ramen - $7.40
Additional Pork - $1.50 

That's for Him .

Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - $7.40

And that's for Her .

Definitely a hidden gem located at one of the busiest northwest-side intersections ! Finding fresh , flavourful , healthy food at such amazing prices is a mighty good thing these days . And you don't have to tip ! Apparently tipping is not allowed =)

Super Sized Me @ Costco

A bunch of his colleagues decided to visit Costco to stock up their monthly 'supplies' and we tagged along . Here's what we bought from there :

Super Sized Quaker Oats

2 Packets in 1 Box

A box of Quaker Qats . We can eat that for months ... Oh man !

Super Sized Kellogg's Cornflakes !

Lots of Cornflakes for Breakfast =)

Super Sized Kellogg's Special K Bar 

The K Bar sold in US are so much cheaper than in Singapore !!! Can't resist it .

Diet Snapple

Snapple are relatively cheap too !

Drinking Water 

n Tucson , you just can't drink water from the tap . You got to buy mineral water for daily usage .

Super Sized Yoplait Yoghurt 

Good for digestive system . You need them =) 

At Costco , not only you can buy things in bulk and also at a better rate (it's so much CHEAPER) . Singaporean's mentality =P Hey ! I'm a Singaporean . Haha !

Settling Down in Tucson Part 2

The first thing we had to do this morning was to get to the Motor Vehicle Division and get our Driving Written Test over and done with . We passed on our 2nd try . Feels kinda scary after so long . It's been a couple of years since we both took our Basic & Final Theory . Haha !

The next thing is ... Driving Test . All we have to do is to perform Parallel Parking in their parking area and to drive safely outside on the road . I didn't have the confident to take it today so I passed . Shall take it soon when I'm more familiar with the traffic conditions and road signs here .

After which , we proceed to his future workplace and get our Military I.D. done . Pink! took the liberty to show him (including myself) around and allowed me to take pictures . I think it's kinda confidential since it's Military (you know what I mean) . These are some of the pictures (more 'conservative' ones) I took .

Confidential Picture 1

Confidential Picture 2

Confidential Picture 3

Not so confidential after all since they allowed me to bring in my camera (DSLR) and take pictures of them ? Guess they're pretty alright with it . They sometimes open it up to the public to showcase their works too .

It's lunch time again . Pink! brought us both to Foothill Mall (it's near the bank which we've to go later) . No idea what to eat . So hubby said :"Let's try this."

Arby's

Pose ! 

For Her .

Curly Fries .

Then we went to the Bank of America . Spent at least 2 - 3 hours in there ... Waiting for our turn , trying to open an Checking Account , deposit cash and some paper work done up . It's a tiring process . Time flies ... Before you know it , it's DINNER time . Haha !

Chopstix! is where we are going to . A Restaurant that serves fine Asian Cuisine .

Thai Food - Pad Thai (Extra Spicy)

Walnut Shrimp with Steamed Rice

The food is GREAT ! Not because I'm famished or anything . The food served here is really good . Really . I'm sure I will return to this place very soon .

Settling Down in Tucson Part 1

Mission :     To ...

                   -  View Apartment
                   -  Open a Bank Account
                   -  Purchase a Bed
                   -  Take Obtain Driving License
                   -  Know your Neighbourhood and Surroundings

Tour Guide : Ms. Chong Y.P. aka Pink!

All thanks to Pink! who helped us planned our route and chauffeured us around for 3 days .

First destination : Sleep America .

Welcome to Sleep America !

Happily Choosing Bed =)

We were asked to sleep on every single bed in there ! So I really went around with a Pillow and lie on all the beds that I deemed comfortable =P LOL ! We were told not to feel 'pai seh' if at the end of the day we decide not to buy from them . Unlike in Singapore , the salesperson will sure to 'attitude' you .

Left : Pink! Right: Yip

That's our guide for these couple of days ! Right beside her is Yip (that's how she introduced herself when we first met) . Anyway , both of them will be accompanying and bringing us around most of the time till we move in to our apartment .

Serta Latex Foam Bed

This is the most comfortable bed we both tried and simply love it ! It's Latex Form . It has a layer of soft top over it . Definitely it's gonna costs us a BOMB too =P So we decided to think about it and promise to come back for it if we can't get any better deals .

Tempur-Pedic Neck Pillows

See that ! According to my hubby , he used to sell these pillows for approximately $300 each . And it's only $129 each here ! Also ... The manager actually agreed to do a 1-for-1 if we buy his mattress . Gosh ! Tempted =X

Free Ice Cold Mineral Water from Rex , Manager

We slept a couple of hours in there and before we left . Rex , the Manager , was very kind to offer us all each a bottle of ice cold mineral water .

Anyway , we did managed to get a similar one in another shop , Bedmart , at half the price ! When we came back to let the manager know ... Guess what ! He actually slashed the price so much to compete with its competitor and offer us at ONLY $999 . I told him off NICELY "Argh ! You should have told us you could do this much for us . We're truly sorry about it but we already bought and paid in full to the other shop earlier ." Just imagine how low their cost price is ! It's priced almost $2,000 (already discounted for us) and they can go as low as $999 . Grossly ... Disgustingly ... OVER priced .

Anyway , it's LUNCH time . Tucson doesn't really have much Chinese Eateries/Restaurants around but they do have a handful of Vietnamese Restaurants here .

So that's where Pink! is bringing us for today's lunch .

Thuan Kieu Vietnamese Restaurant

Menu 

Welcome to Thuan Kieu !

Cosy Interior Settings

Family Oriented 

They've Locals Dine In Too !

Smile for my Camera !

More pictures of food coming up =P 

Pink!'s Beef + Spring Rolls with Steamed Rice 

Yip's Bowl of Dried Pho .

For Her .

That's a mixed combo for me . Since it's my very first time trying out the food here , the waiter actually suggested that I try this so that I can have a taste of everything that's good on the menu . There's Spring Roll , Beef , Fish Cake , etc. 

Hmmm ... I can't remember why I forgot about his order . There's no picture of it . Guess because it doesn't look too appealing that's why =X Haha ! Anyway , after lunch Pink! got recalled back so she had to send us back to rest for the day . We shall continue with our itinerary the following day then .

Later in the evening ... Hubby's colleague , Miss C and her family , took us out for dinner that night at this place called New Town Buffet .

Welcome to New Town Buffet !

Hot & Sour Soup

Start off my meal with a nice Hot & Sour Soup . Still prefers Crystal Jade's and Ding Tai Fung's =P

Sushi Roll

Apparently , Japanese cuisine such as Sushi and Bento are one of the popular and well received choices amongst Tucson-ians .

Broccoli , Mushrooms & Pork Ribs

It's buffet so picked up some random food to try it out . The pork rib is kinda good despite its look . Haha !

Pizza

The pizza are freshly baked and served . It's not bad really . I should have one more slice if I'm still feeling somewhat hungry .

Ice Cream Sundae with Nuts & Colourful Chocolate Rice =)

I get to do my own ice cream here at New Town Buffet ! So much fun ! People who know me well enough will know that it has always been my dream to be able to scoop Ice Cream for a living =P A reason good enough for me to go for second helping but was stopped by him yet again >.<" Argh !

Panda Brand Fortune Cookie !

Most restaurants here in Tucson gives Fortune Cookies when they present the Check aka Bill . Interesting yeah ... The cookies are really nice to munch on too =P

It's getting late . Time to wash up and sleep =) Good night !