Sassy Urbanite's Diary

Hong Kong 117 - Victoria Peak (太平山頂)

2012-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

The next stop after Man Mo Temple was the Victoria Peak. I'd been there once at night, but this was the first time I went to the Peak during the day and first time went up to the Peak using the Peak Tram (山頂纜車). Pulled by steel cables, the tram climbs 373 metres and it was so steep that the buildings we passed looked like they were leaning at a 45° angle! The Peak Tram was definitely a must try in Hong Kong. It was a misty morning when we were up there, so the view was not exactly great. Still we got a good look of the Hong Kong famoust city skyline which included the Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, towering skyscrapers and peaceful green hillsides.

Official website: http://www.thepeak.com.hk/en/1_4.asp

The Peak Tram

View From The Top of the Peak

Hong Kong 116 - Man Mo Temple (文武廟)

2012-01-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

We signed up for a half day Hong Kong Island tour with my family on our second day in Hong Kong since we never get to do the tourist thing yet. So our first stop was the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan. Built in 1847, this temple is dedicated to the gods, Man (Literature) and Mo (Martial Arts). The temple is famous for its many well-polished brass and pewter incense burners. The strong smell of the incense/joss sticks filled the temple and it irritated my nose a bit so I just made a quick tour around the temple. I did find the many hanging spiral joss sticks in the temple was quite a scene compared to other temples that I'd been to.

Address: No. 124-126 Hollywood Road, in Sheung Wan.
Opening hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm daily.

Entrance to the temple

Inside the temple

The hanging spiral joss sticks which can burn for weeks

The center piece of the temple

More of the hanging spiral joss sticks

Hong Kong 115 - Wong Tai Sin Temple (黄大仙祠)

2012-01-26T00:57:00.000-08:00

When one is in Hong Kong and wanted to look for "THE" temple for worship, Wong Tai Sin Temple is the most famous temple to try to get your prayers answered. This Taoist temple located in Kowloon is the most visited temple in Hong Kong, famous for its "What you request is what you get" (有求必應) via a practice called kau cim( 求簽, literal meaning is Request a stick or Beg a stick). I took my parents to this temple as they had been hearing the name for years in Hong Kong TV dramas/movies forever without psychically visited the place. It was my first time there too as I am not a believer, but to get to see how other people really sincerely believe that the God in this temple will be able to help them with their prayers, it was a different experience. Perhaps we all need some higher power to turn to when life is getting hard.

Address: No. 2, Chuk Yuen Village, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Transportation guide: Right next to Wong Tai Sin MTR station

Opening Hour: 7am - 5.30pm

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Tai_Sin_Temple

Official website: http://www.siksikyuen.org.hk/public/main

Worshippers is doing the Kau Cim

Front of The Temple

Hong Kong 114 - Lee Keung Kee North Point Eggette/Egg Waffle (利強記北角雞蛋仔)

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

After Macau, we took the ferry back to Hong Kong and stayed at Ibis North Point for 3 night. Somehow I still prefer to stay in the Hong Kong Island where food, shopping, and sightseeing are abundance and easy to get to. Since we were in North Point, we decided to explore some of the famous food around the corner. 1st stop was the Lee Keung Kee North Point Eggette/Egg Waffle, a.k.a Gai Daan Tsai (雞蛋仔). North Point has one of the best Eggette/Egg Waffle which is known for its freshest, fluffiest egg waffles. Lee Keung Kee North Point Eggette/Egg Waffle is famous for its crisp and flaky, soft and fluffy, delicious and addictive egg waffles for HKD15. It is quite a big portion for that price but we had no problem to finish all that because it was just too damn good!

Address: Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles (main branch), 492 King’s Road, North Point.

北角英皇道492号

Business Hour: Open daily, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. but varies between branches (more than 7 of it now I think).

We Went At Odd Hours So There Was No Queue

Eggette/Egg Waffle Making In Process

Yummy Eggette/Egg Waffle

Happy Dragon Year 2012~!

2012-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year y'all~! It's the year of the Dragon this year and according to some Feng Shui Master this year might not be a good year for the Dog (i.e. me), but I never give too much thought about what they have to say as we all have to make our own destiny somehow. Somehow being a Chinese allows one to reflect his/her life twice (at least) in a year, first one being the Western New Year on 1st Jan and the second one being the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year. I'm a lazy person but it does hit me every 1st Jan and Chinese New Year that I have so much things in life that I could improve on. Perhaps getting older does mean that I have less room to play with with life, and I'm turning the big 30 soon this year and I would had well spent more than a third of my life already. Hence, for the sake of better future, I'd to keep reminding myself that every new year should be the beginning of something better in life, one way or another, as the clock is ticking ticking ticking..... Tik Tok Tik Tok!

Anyway, Happy Chinese New Year once again and may this new year be another auspicious year for all of you (including myself)!

Macau 108 - Restaurante Platao (九如坊)

2012-01-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

The last night we spent in Macau, we went for one last Portuguese meal in Senado Square. We picked the nice courtyard restaurant, Restaurante Platao (九如坊). The price were quite expensive as average dish was around HKD120 and the portion was quite small. We spent about HKD750 for 6 dishes. The service was okay as the dinner crowd had not arrived as early as we did. The food was the best so far in Macau despite the steep price tag. We loved the baked duck rice the most, as well as their signature dessert, Biscuit Mousse (木糠布甸). If you don't mind to splurge once a while, this restaurant is good place to get some really nice food.

Official Website: http://plataomacau.com/main.htm
Address: G/FL./ 3 Travessa Sao Domingos Macau
Tel: (853) 2833-1818
Business Hours: Tuesday-Friday & Sunday 12:00-23:00; Saturday 12:00-23:30

Grilled Portuguese Sausage (烤葡國肉腸)

Home Made Bun with Butter Complimentary On The House

Pork Chop Portuguese Style (葡式煎豬扒)

Baked Bacalhau with Mashed Potato (薯蓉焗馬介休)

Baked Duck Rice (焗鴨飯)

Broiled Chicken Steak (香煎雞扒)

Biscuit Mousse (木糠布甸)

Macau 107 - Yee Shun Milk Company (義順牛奶公司)

2012-01-15T02:46:00.000-08:00

After a long walk around Senado Square and lunch at Wong Chi Kei Noodle House, we walked to the nearby famous dessert shop, Yee Shun Milk Company for their famous steamed milk and cold milk desserts. This shop has plenty of outlets in Hong Kong, but apparently the price in Macau is cheaper than Hong Kong's outlet. I'm not a fan of hot dessert so I just stick to the cold papaya milk. The taste was alright for me, nothing fantastic though maybe I'm never a fan of Chinese desserts. Still, such taste is quite hard to find in Malaysia.

Address: 60 Avenida De Almeida Ribeiro
澳門新馬路60號

Cold Papaya Milk (木瓜鲜奶) for HKD22

The Famous Steamed Milk (双皮炖奶) for KHD20

Macau 106 - Wong Chi Kei Noodle House (黃枝記麵店)

2012-01-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

This famous canton noodle house in Macau has been around since 1959. Still using the traditional bamboo stick method to make the Canton noodle, this is quite a nice place for lunch after a long morning walking around the Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul's. There will always be a queue for table during lunch time so be patience. Service was quite poor due to the huge lunch crowd we didn't expect much so long we got our food. The famous Canton Noodle with shrimp eggs made with Bamboo Sticks (竹升打麵) is quite nice despite the fishy taste of the noodle which might put off some people. We also ordered the beef tenderloin noodle (牛腩麵) and the prawn wonton (鲜虾雲吞) which came out good too. Price from HKD20-40 for average dishes.

Address: No.17 Largo do Senado, Macau, China

Tel: +853-28331313

Fresh Prawn Wonton

Famous Canton Noodle made with Bamboo Sticks (HKD37)

Beef Tenderloin Noodle

Macau 105 - Sightseeing Around Central Macau

2012-01-08T04:36:00.000-08:00

For 1st timer to Macau, the following sightseeing sites in downtown Macau is definitely on the to-go list. We started from Senado Square (议事亭前地) and walked towards Ruins of St. Paul's (大三巴牌坊). Along the way there were many other heritage sites, shopping and food stalls. But overall we only spent about half a day there in the morning and went back there again at night for dinner.

More information on sightseeing in Macau from Macau Official Tourism Website: http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/en/discovering/sightseeing_detail.php?catid=54

Senado Square Macau

Holy House of Mercy since 1569

St. Dominic's Church a.k.a. Rosary Church since 1587

Inside St. Dominic's Church a.k.a. Rosary Church

Road to Ruins of St. Paul's

Ruins of St. Paul's since 1602-1640, destroyed by fire in 1835

Back of Ruins of St. Paul's

View from top of Ruins of St. Paul's

Bye Bye 2011 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

It's almost a week into the new year now and I just managed to take some time off to reflect on the past 1 year.
2011 had been a really interesting year. It was the the first time I relocated back to KL after my 2 years stint in China. Lots had changed in this city where I call home. Kinda missed the feeling of being an expat but never I regretted the decision to return home for a better quality and balanced life. Well I'd learned that money can't be the only thing in life, so does work!
So here goes my list...

The Goods:

I moved back to my apartment and did a complete makeover of my place. It looks brand new now!
Travel Travel Travel! Lots of traveling. I flew back from Tianjin in Feb, went to Macau and Hong Kong with my parents and sister in May, went to Bali with my friends in Sept, went to Singapore for a pleasantly surprised unplanned getaway in Dec, went to Siem Reap to see the great old city of Angkor just before the year ended.
Settled into a new job environment and made a bunch of cool friends at work.
Work is more exciting than in China.
Bought a really nice camera and trying to make the best out of it! I love Sony NEX 5N!
iPhone 4s rocks!
My social and dating life turns interesting! Well at least way better than in China...
I started blogging again after being 2 years being blocked by China's Great Firewall!

The Bad:

I still think I'm way under paid after they took away all the expat allowances.
Wallet suffered a heavy blow after spending on house makeover and few unfortunate accidents. (Won't complain about spending on traveling though)
I actually missed having winter and snow!

The Ugly:

Was picked pocketed, robbed, and accidentally smashed my car to a pickup truck!

Having said all that, 2011 was still a good year for me. I'm the type of person who tends to forget lots of the bad and ugly stuff and cherish the good things in life. Call me a hopeless optimist but that's how I take on life. Also 2011 will always be the year that I lived as the last 20s of my life before I embraced the big 30! Gosh I'm feeling old already! ^o^

2012 will mark a new chapter of my life as I always believe that the best has yet to come. As for my new year's resolution, I hope to stay healthy and fit, continue to travel and explore new places, and perhaps actually to be able to build an exhilarating life with a special someone!
So help me God!

Amen!

Christmas Decorations Around Kuala Lumpur

2011-12-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas without snow in Kuala Lumpur makes it feel less than the colder countries.Still the shopping malls around town did not save on the decorations despite the uncertain economy outlook. So I took some of the Christmas trees, decorations pictures from some of the shopping malls in KL. Personally I think Midvalley and The Curve has the better decorations, 1 Utama totally bombed this year's decoration with some ugly underwater theme (so I didn't bother to upload the pictures of 1 Utama).

Still not forgetting, Merry Christmas ya'll~!

Ikano Power Center

Fahrenheit 88

The Curve

Mid Valley Megamall

Pavilion KL

Berjaya Times Square

* All pictures taken with my Sony NEX5N

Macau 104 - Margaret's Cafe e Nata (玛嘉烈蛋挞)

2011-12-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

This cafe is rated as one of the must try places in Macau, famous for its egg tarts.For HKD8 per egg tart, one easily could finish at least 2 or 3 egg tarts at one go. We went on a weekday around 10am, the queue wasn't as long as expected and we quickly got our hands to the famous egg tarts. It was delicious and tasty, but egg tarts are never my thing so I won't be dreaming about it after that. It was located quite near to the Grand Lisboa Casino and quite easy to find.

Address: Gum Loi Building, Rua Almirante Costa Cabral

Address (Chinese): 马统领围66号地下

Phone: +853 28710032

Business Hour: 6.30am – 20.00pm (close on Wednesday)

Macau 103 - Casinos In Macau

2011-12-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

Macau being the "Monte Carlo of the Orient" is all about casinos. With 33 casinos to choose from, one will find lots of entertainment within this city that never sleeps. My family and I had some fun playing slots at some of the casinos here but luck was not with us as we didn't walk away with the jackpot. Perhaps better luck next time. ^o^

Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling_in_Macau

Grand Lisboa

Galaxy Starworld

Wynn Macau

Inside Wynn Macau

Music Fountain at Wynn Macau

Old Casino Lisboa

Macau 102 - Estabelecimento de Comida Portuguesa "Porto Exterior'' (新口岸葡国餐厅)

2011-12-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

This Portuguese Restaurant apparently is quite famous in Macau, so our first meal in Macau definitely had to be a good authentic Portuguese meal. Luckily we were not disappointed by the food served, for about HKD300 (average dish costs HKD70-80), we filled our stomach with 4 lovely Portuguese dishes. Service was alright as we were there early and the dinner crowd had not swamped the place. Most importantly, this place is good value for money and won't break the bank for a decent Portuguese meal.

Address:

Alameda Dr. Carlos D Assumpcao, Ed. Chong Yu, No.606 H - No.606G R/C, Macau, China

新口岸宋玉生廣場中裕大廈606H-606

Tel:
+853-28703276/+853-28703898
Business Hour:
1200 - 0000

Official Website:
http://www.portoext.com.mo/

Portuguese Seafood Stew

Portuguese Bloody Duck Rice

Portuguese Styled Stewed Bacalhau

Macau 101 - Hotel Sintra (澳门新丽华酒店)

2011-12-14T05:08:00.000-08:00

Last May my family and I took a short trip to Macau and Hong Kong. It was the 1st time my sister and I actually traveled with my parents to overseas. As my parents had aged so much over the year, my sister and I decided to make this trip a more relaxing one, mainly free and easy and some sightseeing.

We flew to Hong Kong then took the ferry from the airport to Macau. The ferry trip was a lil choppy but still bearable for me. Once we reached Macau, we quickly checked into the hotel that I booked for 2 nights, Hotel Sintra. For USD368.68/RM1,172 (including tax and fees), we got 2 standard rooms for 2 nights.

Hotel Sintra is located at the popular commercial and shopping hub of Macau surrounded by numerous major business and tourist attractions. It is merely minutes walk away from the 24-hour Lisboa Casino which I thought was extremely convenient.

The room was clean and comfortable, bigger than we expected (definitely bigger than most Hong Kong hotel rooms), though the layout and design were a lil old to my taste.

Overall, the location of the hotel was extremely central and convenient, good value for money. suitable for family holiday.

Official website: http://www.hotelsintra.com/home
Tripadvisor review: http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotel_Review-g664891-d306244-Reviews-Hotel_Sintra-Macau.html

Singapore 107 - Clarke Quay

2011-12-11T04:47:00.001-08:00

Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, by the Singapore River. Today it is home to many restaurants and pubs, also the the G-MAX reverse bungee by the river. MRT, river cruises and river taxis on the Singapore River can be accessed from Clarke Quay. Quite a nice place to hang out and chill by the river side at night I would say, and the choices are much more diversified than KL.

Official website: http://www.clarkequay.com.sg/index.htm

G-MAX Reverse Bungee

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 106 - Raffles Place

2011-12-11T01:00:00.001-08:00

Raffles Place is located at south of the mouth of the Singapore River, and it is currently the financial heart of Singapore with some tallest building in Singapore located here, like the UOB Plaza. It was a short walk to the Merlion Park so while I was there I continued to play with my new camera to capture some of the beautiful skyline of Singapore.

UOB Plaza

The Fullerton Hotel

UOB Plaza

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 105 - Merlion Park @ Marina Bay

2011-12-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

I took my new Sony NEX5N to play with at the Merlion Park at Marina Bay. It was a really hot afternoon with clear blue sky. I was quite happy shooting around the Merlion Park trying to play with the different settings in my new camera.

Merlion Park at Marina Bay with the skyline of Raffles Place

ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands Resort

Marina Bay with the Esplanade Theaters

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 104 - Overeasy @ One Fullerton

2011-12-10T09:10:00.001-08:00

After taking enough Merlion pictures at the Marina Bay, I decided to hang around the CBD area for a while while waiting for my friend. It was almost 1.30pm when I felt hungry so I chose the closest place to have lunch which was the One Fullerton Place. Overeasy seemed a safe choice with a view of the Marina Bay. Set lunch was from SGD23++ with a choice of Soup/Salad, Main Course and Coffee/Tea. I chose the Signature burger, "To Die For" Burger with additional SGD5 top up to go with my Mixed Greens Salad. The salad was absolutely fantastic with the hint of blue cheese and crispy bacon, left me craving for more. The burger was alright with the home made buns and fresh thick patty, not entirely to die for type for me. It was a quiet Tuesday lunch in the restaurant so the service was attentive. Overall it was a pleasant lunch with free WIFI for me to play with my Facebook while waiting for my food.

Official Website: http://www.overeast.com.sg/
Address: 1 Fullerton Road #01-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6423 0701

Inside the restaurant

Mixed Greens With Pear, Blue Cheese, Crispy Bacon and Balsamic Vinaigrette

The "To Die For" Burger

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 103 - Christmas Trees & Decorations

2011-12-10T03:35:00.001-08:00

Here are some of this year's Christmas decorations around Singapore when I was there this week.

Christmas Tree at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore

Christmas Tree at Harbour Front Center Singapore

Christmas Tree at ION Orchard Singapore

Christmas Tree at Ngee Ann City Singapore

Christmas Treee at Tangs Orchard Road Singapore

Christmas Tree at The Central, Clarke Quay Singapore

Christmas Bazaar at Vivo City Singapore

Christmas Decor at ION Orchard Singapore

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 102 - Bar CoCoon of The Forbidden City by IndoChine @ Clarke Quay

2011-12-09T08:36:00.001-08:00

As we were hanging out at Clarke Quay at night after dinner, we decided to have a drink at this bar by the Singapore River drawn by its Terracotta displays. I ordered one of their signature cocktails, TLC cause it looked much alike to my favourite cocktail of all times, the Cosmopolitan. It was a quiet Monday night as the place was pretty empty. That also might explained why the service was quite attentive. The cocktail tasted alright with a hint of champagne martini, but really nothing special about this so-called signature cocktails. Still it was a great night out as my company was more than lovely.

Address: The Forbidden City, Clarke Quay, 3A Merchants Court, River Valley Road #01-02, Singapore. Reservations: +65. 6557 6268
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 3:00pm – 03:00am
Friday, Saturday and Public Holiday 3:00pm – 06:00am

Official Website: http://www.indochine-group.com/home/locsingapore-fcbarcocoon.php

At night

One of the Signature Cocktails - TLC (SGD18 if I'm not mistaken)
A champagne martini of pineapple and cranberry, infused with French peach.

In the day as I walked passed Clarke Quay again

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Singapore 101 - Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

2011-12-09T06:08:00.001-08:00

This week I made a short trip to Singapore and stayed at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel for 2 nights. The location of the hotel is right by the Singapore river, but not close to any MRT station. I like the short walk to Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay from the hotel, but there's really not much amenities around the hotel. The room was a little old to my taste, but still functional enough for business travelers as I was with one. Also their TV channels were limited in choices and boring. Overall, the room was okay but I won't personally choose this hotel if I'm the one paying. ^o^

Official Website: www.millenniumhotels.com.sg
Tripadvisor Review: http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotel_Review-g294265-d301679-Reviews-Grand_Copthorne_Waterfront_Hotel-Singapore.html

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore by the Singapore River

Simple Bed

Big bathroom but small tub

Wardrobe with Safe

iPod Dock & Speaker which I used more than the TV

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N

Hotel Ibis Singapore On Bencoolen (September 2010)

2011-12-01T07:20:00.001-08:00

After my stay at Westin KL, I went over to Singapore for 3 days to 'lepak' with my friends. For 2 nights I stayed at then fairly new Hotel Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, which is lcoated quite strategically near Bugis. Ibis had never let me down so far in some of the other cities of the word that I'd been, this is no exception as well. The room was pleasant and clean, simple yet functional as expected. The location of the hotel is quite central, easily accessible to the city center via short trip of taxi or Bugis Station MRT. Room rater per night ranging from SGD210 onwards.

Official Website: http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-6657-ibis-singapore-on-bencoolen/index.shtml
Tripadvisor Review: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294265-d1229624-Reviews-Ibis_Singapore_on_Bencoolen-Singapore.html

Comfy Bed

Small & Simple Bathroom

The Westin Kuala Lumpur (September 2010)

2011-12-01T05:59:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Starwood's SPG card, I got myself two night stay at Westin KL with just 2,800 Starpoints + USD45 per night last year when I came back to KL for a few days. Room was extremely comfortable as expected and the Westin's Heavenly Bed is still my favourite bed. Wish I could buy one myself one day... ^o^

Official website: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1443
Tripadvisor review: http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotel_Review-g298570-d304498-Reviews-The_Westin_Kuala_Lumpur-Kuala_Lumpur_Wilayah_Persekutuan.html

Westin's Heavenly Bed

View From The Room - KL Paviilion

View From The Room - KL City

View From The Room - KL Pavilion

Food For Thought 167 - Maiu Japanese Restaurant

2011-11-29T04:11:00.000-08:00

The old Umaiya is gone now from the place they started in Damansara Perdana, now being replaced by Maiu, the new Japanese restaurant. The restaurant now is offering All You Can Eat Ala-carte Japanese Buffet for RM38.80+ (RM42.50 Nett) per person for lunch and dinner. The selection are not that great (no unagi and limited choices of sashimi), but for that price it's definitely worth to give this place a run for your money. We ordered way too many sashimi and maki sushi for 4 person. I particularly loved the softshell crab maki cause it was so crunchy. Hopefully this buffet will last for a little longer for me to try a few more times.

Maiu

The Place, Damansara Perdana

(Another branch available in Sri Petaling)

Tel: 03-7729-0015

http://maiu2u.com/

Maiu Japanese Restaurant, Damansara Perdana Branch

Chef preparing sashimi

Inside the restaurant

Age Dashi Toufu

Edamame

Itako Kyuli - Baby Octopus

Chuka Kurage - Japanese Jellyfish

Shishamo

Softshell Crab Age

Salmon, Tuna, White Tuna Sashimi

Assorted Maki

Softshell Crabs Maki

Salmon, Tuna, White Tuna Sashimi

Prawn and Vegetable Tempura

Chicken Teriyaki

Fried Softshell Crabs

Green Tea, Chocolate and Wasabi Ice Creams (Wasabi Ice Cream was a bad idea, tasted so weird)

* All pictures were taken with my Sony NEX5N