FOOD-FILES: Tastes, Travels and Thoughts

TASTES - Wolfgang Puck's CUT at The Marina Bay Sands

2012-02-03T10:56:00.000+08:00

Ok three times back to the same place is a lot for 9 days. We booked dinner on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year at Wolfgang Puck's CUT (at 2 Bayfront Avenue Suite B1-71, Tel: +65 66888517) www.wolfgangpuck.com as we are all beef lovers.

Friends who have been to CUT had mixed reviews like it was over priced (obvious) the music spoiled the ambience, the food was average and the beef was so-so.

All I can say was that CUT did not disappoint and it made the cut for us, literally. I can't say that I really like Beef done any other way except the American style - chargrilled and slightly carcinogenic on the outside. To me thats the way to eat beef prepared this way and seasoned with only just a dash of salt and pepper. I would say that Cut and Ruth Chris in HK (also from the US) are possibly the best Beef restaurants that we have been to. So here's a big thumbs up for the restaurant and its food.

It was a full house that evening and I can't say much about the ambience as we had a booth seat so we were sort of tucked away in the corner. I would have liked to be in the main dining room to soak in the action.

I realise its a bit hard to scrutinise but we ordered the Porter House Steak to share at S$170. We wanted to try the Mixed Plate with the 3 kinds of beef - Wagyu, Kobe and something else but it was little pricey at S$225. The sides and starters were all separate orders and we had a bottle of wine. I was expecting a bill for S$500 but it came to S$350 so I was pleasantly surprised. Not that thats not alot but then again this was one of those designer restaurants so designer prices came with the experience.

Alexis was handing me a complimentary appetiser - a cheese ball from a basket of cheeseball puffs - light, delicious and delightful! Could have had another basket all to myself!

Ok they were small!

Our first appetiser was the Blue Maine Lobster. This was like S$45 but very, very good and sort of reminded me of one of the appetisers that I had recently ordered at the Brasserie Haussman in Paris.

Along came the sauces before the beef was served by the side of our table.

The waiter working on halving the Porter House that we ordered to share. I like mine medium and Q likes his medium rare.

Ok I was playing with the exposure setting on my Canon hence the different tints to the pics.

Alexis has learnt to appreciate Creamed Spinach so we ordered that with the Beef as a side serve.

For Alexis, a lovely tower of Onion Rings - crisp to perfection

That dinner got us lots of free dessert from TWG as MBS was having a spend a certain amount and exchange them for TWG Macaroons so we happily doggy bagged these home.

After that meal, it was time to walk it all off so we proceeded to the outside area of The Shoppes to take in some air and watch the fabulous laser lights show outside. Again another breath-taking spectacle.

But before that here is a pic of the fountain at The Shoppes. Its really an unusual concept. Its a basin sink on the top that dispenses the water into the pool below.

View outside from the Top of the Basin

Outside along The Shoppes before the Laser Show ..

Below - The crowd gathering on the steps to watch the show - that started at 930pm. Its free of charge but am not sure if its screened nightly.

This was a Thursday night!

Spectacular effects!

THOUGHTS & TASTES - Marina Bay Sands Complex, Sky Park and The Lotus Flower

2012-02-03T10:34:00.000+08:00

Another family outing, this time just us exploring what acronym-loving Singaporeans now fondly call, MBS - the Marina Bay Sands Complex.

Pretty impressive Mall inside MBS with alot of the brands that you would normally see at the Venetian in Macau along with some well known local brands like Robinsons, That CD Shop, TWG and quite a good spread of restaurants. We ended up making a reservation at Wolfgang Puck's 'Cut' only because I had heard so many conflicting reviews about it.

Alexis and Q walking towards the Arts and Science Museum

(aka The Lotus Flower)

Interesting Facts

that Alexis and I gathered for her show and tell

in school next week:

The architect who originally conceived the design for this museum has the palm of the Buddha as his inspiration which is why there are 5 fingers sticking out, each an exhibition hall.

We went to both the Cartier Time Art exhibition and the Titanic Exhibition - both excellent. The Titanic Exhibition was probably the best and most interesting exhibition I have ever visited.

Not allowed to take other pics inside but the exhibition was amazing because of the over 5000 items recovered since the ship was discovered in 1985

The Titanic sank in 1912 and less than half of the passengers and crew made it - we thought giving every one a boarding pass as you entered with a passenger name was a clever idea as at the end of the exhibition you could check the log to see if you were one of the survivors.

The many who did not make it were ultimately the Captain, a large number of crew, a lot of men who had insisted that the women and children get on the life rafts and people who in general were fearful of getting onto the life boats.

There were also less than the actual number of life boats for that size of boat and sadly, some of the life boats were launched without being filled to actual capacity.

The most interesting fact of all is the Scientist predict that rust and just wear and tear will mean that the Titanic wreck will disintegrate some time within the next 40 years.

This was a very well catalogued and presented exhibition so if you want to experience it in your lifetime, a good time would be to see it now.

Because no photography was allowed, this was our only shot - a bit cheesy

(I know) considering we look nothing like Leonardo de Carprio and Kate Winslet but this photo cost us S$15 at their souvenir stand

By the way if you watched the Titanic Movie and see the actual pics of the ship's interior you will note that James Cameron truly did his research and recreated the interior on film of the cabins and main areas almost to perfection.

* * *

On another occasion, we went back for lunch at Din Dai Fung (as my mum likes it after trying out the restaurant here in Hong Kong). Din Dai Fung has a different menu in Singapore with different specialties. I have to say that I prefer the one in HK. It was my Dad's first time and he liked it too.

Before lunch, we took my parents up to the Sky Park

to take in the amazing city and harbour view - we were all amazed at how the city has changed so much in the past 5 years.

This is a Singapore that I hardly recognise.

View of the Singapore Flyer

View towards the Marina Bay Area with The Mandarin Oriental, The Pan Pacific and The Marina Mandarin Hotels.

This is the new Horticultural Museum where they will host future Flora and Fauna Shows.

Reminds me of something that Madonna wore.

A more majestic view leading out to the ocean and

the Straits Of Singapore beyond

City views below!

Alexis caught her first Dragon Dance!

What a festive start to the year of the Dragon!

I love this shot of her posing next to the Dragon head
as the performers took a break!

THOUGHTS & TASTES: Family Time In Sunny Singapore

2012-02-02T13:07:00.001+08:00

The Lunar New Year, to me has always been about spending quality time with family .. and with 9 precious days back in sunny Singapore, away from the cool of Hong Kong, we had a really good time catching up with everyone and everything..

We did alot of 'touristy' things with our godson and nephew, Chunie and niece Pichin and finally made it with my parents to visit the new (well, now 2 year old) Marina Bay Sands Complex. We even booked dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Cut which did not disappoint although the best meals we had were really the home cooked ones (look out below at the end of this post).

First up on our agenda was a cousins outing the day after we arrived in SG. The plan was to head to the Singapore Zoo, a must go for a nice day out and a really way out drive to Mandai.

Q rented a super spacious people mover for the duration of our trip

which I eventually got used to driving even though the handbrake was a footbrake! Useful when you have to bring more than 4 people out and about

With Pichin and Chun Ren in our team for the day, we felt like a big family of 5! Makes me wish that I had more kids except that I have to admit,

I don't enjoy the baby stage very much

- think midnight feeds, potty training and really heavy bags full of feed bottles and diapers wherever you go.

No visit to the zoo is complete without a slushie toast!

In Orange-Mango flaour of course - to celebrate the Year of The Dragon!

Huat Ah!

Alexis loves her cousins dearly

And the world being the small place that it is, we bumped into her ex kindergarten class mate in Hong Kong, Joyce
in Singapore at the Zoo's waterpark

The Kids at the end of their visit (after their retail therapy at the Shops)!

Chunie wanted a laser pointer but left with

a pair of Glow In The Dark Havianas instead,

Pichin wanted a Polar Bear that she named 'Poley'

and Alexis got a Cheetah that she named 'Roxy" after Roxy Mecure!

Imaginative bunch!

I have to say that in terms of entertainment and things to do with the family, Singapore is a much better place to bring up kids because of the slower paced lifestyle, greener environment and surprisingly larger and more spacious play areas, also the emergence of many new family geared activities which give it less of a hard concrete face as compared to Hong Kong which sadly only has Ocean Park, Disneyland unless you travel out to Macau, the outlying new territories, nearby islands or Shenzhen in China where there are more recreational and nature-type activities to explore.

Anyway .. me looking at Singapore through a pair of new eyes as a visitor has brought new appreciation for all the 'betters' that it continually strives to be, especially given its relatively short history...

We also took the kids to Timezone and for Froyo (Alexis' and Pichin's favourite) at Kallang (once the cinema Mall) which I have to declare is truly an undiscovered gem of a place. Parking is outdoors and free. It is near the theatres, has amazing shops - Cold Storage, a Froyo store, a Jap restaurant, several eateries and a foodcourt, a mega discount store that sells a really good selection of kitchen appliances, a second hand bookstore, a party store for kids, a gymboree style playroom for kids under 6 years and a fabulously huge Timezone - I would so organise a party here for Alexis here if we lived in Singapore.

Park Time before we headed for an amazing dinner that

Q's cousin Vera cooked up.

Vera cooks as a hobby

and is an amazing private chef for hire.

As this was the 7th Day of the Lunar New Year, an auspicious family day on the Chinese Lunar Calendar,

check out what was on the menu complete with lots of fine wine:

The most delicious Beef Carpaccio with shaved cheddar, mushroom truffles drizzled with rocket and balsamic vinegar, all hand plated

Any guesses what this is?

Its called Pasta Lo Hei and it was a mix of Dou Miao, Tomatoes and Onions, Linguine and Prawns in a heavenly Ponzu reduction

This was how it was presented

Everyone gasping - too afraid to toss it as it was so pretty so Vera did it for us

A delicious Osso Bucco followed

And then a serving of three different desserts

A slice of Rhubarb Pie

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake (I think it was Valrhona)

served with a generous dollop of French Vanilla Ice Cream

And the piece de resistance - a toast to the new year

with a White Wine Jello infused with a shot of clotted cream

Cheers, Everybody!

Huat, Huat to the Year Of The Dragon!

THOUGHTS - Health, Happiness and Harmony In The Year Of The Dragon!

2012-01-18T08:03:00.002+08:00

The Lunar New Year looms ahead and it is already spiraling towards the middle of January! We are heading back to Singapore for the usual festivities. For me that is always a stressful time. So many things to do, too many people to see and so little time for myself. Which is ironically why I prefer being away in Hong Kong, away from distractions, obligations and commitments, not that these are not important or precious - its just that tendency to get lost in the midst of it all.

Wherever I am, I am constantly reminded that there is a purpose for everything and that we are here because this is where we are supposed to be for now. Which brings me to perspectives for the year (I no longer call them resolutions as mine are not often kept) ... what are yours? I was recently interviewed by HK Magazine http://hk.asia-city.com/city-living/article/new-years-resolution-challenge and whilst a lot of what I said was in the light of my Simply Fab Magazine

.. my personal hopes are simple... health, harmony and happiness .. may you embrace these too as the Year Of The Dragon fast approaches.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And am leaving you with these great pics that Alexis recently completed for her School's Chinese Art Painting programme.

年年有鱼

大古大利

身体健康

新年块乐

TASTES & THOUGHTS - Happy 2012 Everyone!

2012-01-07T17:25:00.003+08:00

We said Goodbye to 2011 and Hello to 2012 at The Watermark on Central Pier, in Hong Kong with friends, Joe and Sandy!

From theme, to music to room deco, table props and the general location and ambience, I have to say that the Watermark throws one of the best parties in Hong Kong and this was our second countdown there (the last one was in 2009!).

2011 brought a lot of good moments for us and hopefully 2012 will bring much happiness, health and harmony - the three things that I feel are important in life (much more than the 3 Cs - to a large extent).

So much for chilling out after Club Med and having a quiet Christmas and New Year! The cook-in went out of the window in favour of the countdown party!

My sweety all dressed up!

There were only two kids at this countdown party and Alexis was one of them!

She had the most fun with all the hats and evening's party favours!

No post is complete for me without drool worthy food shots but hey, I was partying and drinking so I was not about to lug my Canon EOS600D around. Instead the Canon IXUS fit perfectly into my handcarry clutch so these shots were all taken on that.

The theme was Back to the 80s which was pretty fun and there was an invitation to dress to theme and we spotted some Don Johnson's and other pretty sporting characters along with the tuxedo-ed more corporate crowd.

Here was the evening's menu and what we settled on. Alexis had her own kid's menu.

What we had:

Boston Lobster Salad

Quail Ravioli and Duck Foie Gras

Lime Sorbet and Apple Jelly

Lamb Loin with Ravioli

Prime Rib

Dessert Cheese Platter

Dessert Sweets

Definitely a YUM start to 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

TASTES: Christmas In Hong Kong - Pt 2

2012-01-06T10:17:00.000+08:00

Back to Hong Kong we settled back slowly to a lovely and lazy week before returning to the routine of school and work!

Spent Christmas Eve with Lois and Albert at the Marco Polo Prince's Bubble Bar which incidentally serves a really good value festive meal at about HK398 and is probably the only place in Kowloon that you can get a pretty last minute booking. There is nothing fancy about the place and no entertainment except a Santa (with glasses) who went around handing out gifts to the kids.

Lobster Bisque Cappucino

Lovely Raspberry Sorbet

Lobster and Angel Hair Pasta

Ham and Foie Gras with Apple Sauce

Cheese Cake and Strawberry Mouse with White Chocolate

After that we headed for our traditional annual festive walk around
Tsim Sha Tsui and took some pics of A in
one of her favourite Christmas pressies from Q's sister, Simone!
.. a lovely Burberry trench.
Thanks Simone!

The Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon

At Heritage 1881

TASTES & TRAVELS: Awesome Meals At Club Med Peisey Vallandry

2012-01-04T12:15:00.000+08:00

We spent 4 days and 3 nights at Club Med Peisey Vallandry and with all the meals and drinks included in the cost of the stay that meant that we had a total of almost 12 main meals there (not counting the tea time and snacks and trips to the open bar!)

If you have been on board a cruise ship, then note that Club Med works the same way when it comes to eats. There are two restaurants in Club Med Peisey Vallandry - one is a formal restaurant that serves a choice of set lunches and dinners (usually 3 courses and coffee and wine) and the buffet restaurant so you basically have to make up your mind at each meal where you want to dine based on the menu. I have to compliment the chefs - thhe variety each day was good and there were many pleasant surprises and quality food that I did not expect!

As a tribute to the great meals that we had there, I wanted to share some of the lovely food that we sampled.

Wonderful Cheese Buffet

BELOW: Some of the extra-ordinary main courses

on the buffet that were plated meals on their own

One of the ala carte set meals that we had together - this was a Grilled Meat Hot Plate Dish for 2 - the meat was not marinated and came with three types of sauces so we asked for some butter and sprinkled a generous amount of pepper and salt and did a DIY - I guess old habits die hard!

On the Hot Plate (below)

Finally the dessert, this one below was probably my favourite in terms of presentation, quality and taste.

Other cakes that looked very tempting!

The Chef plating the Evening Speciality Dessert at the Set Restaurant

Alexis in deep concentration as she decides which part to eat first

The piece de resistance

TASTES & TRAVELS: Club Med Peisey Vallandry, French Alps - Day 2 and 3

2012-01-03T07:25:00.001+08:00

On Day 2 after renting the equipment we signed up for Ski Lessons with an ESF Ski Instructor, Evelyn for the next two days.

Needless to say Q picked it up faster than I did. I had trouble with the snow plough to break going down slope and walking up the slopes was also tough as you have to dig the tips of your boots into the snow to climb up a slope or walk sideways (even harder as you have to bend into your skis - into the side that you want to climb). Getting up from a fall was also torturous as there is a technique to placing your skis in a certain position so that it makes it easier for you to pull yourself up.

Although this was a ski-in and ski-out resort - the relatively short walk to the lift and up the slope was already tough for us. This was Q up the metal stairs in his boots carrying his skis. My instructor had to help with mine as it was feat balancing in my boots (like walking in heels for the very first time).

My ski virgin observations:

1. Ski boots are NOT easy to wear! And because of all the leaning forward on them to move ahead, I grazed my shins. I have to say that we were very lucky - we arrived at the start of a brand new ski season so all the equipment from skis to boots were brand new and the resort changes out all their equipment after 3 consecutive seasons to keep everything in good working order.

2. You do need thick socks as parts of the boot are hard and plastic and you need to cushion your feet as you ski and lean.

3. Buy pants with velcroe and broad open bottoms as they need to go over the boots. You can't tuck them in as they will be very uncomfortable when your shins push forward on the hem of the pants tucked into the boot.

4. You DO need a balaclava (ski mask that makes you look like a bank robber and shows only your eyes) and goggles are a must as they keep the snow or draft or anything oncoming out of your eyes and face and actually help keep the exposed parts of your face from frostbite.

5. You MUST bring lots of moisturiser preferably with sun screen. I used Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser - very thick and creamy but very suitable for the -3 to -9 degree weather

That's Q coming down a slope. By the end of Day 3 he could already ski in an S shaped formation on a fairly gentle slope.

Very heavy snow fall the night before on Day 3

but we still made it for the lesson

I bumped into the Resident Reindeer on the way to the Ski Room - he was about to run out to the slopes to send off the kids in the Mini Club Med Class

Although I sucked at it - I would love to go for another ski holiday and

learn to at least move along the slopes - hopefully in the not too distant future

In the late afternoon on Day 3, we managed to wander down to the Village below the resort via the Gondola and Lift.

Getting ready to throw the snow ball

Ready, Aim, Fire

All aboard the Gondola that takes you to another more advanced slope where we board another lift to the village below

Various pictures of the view from the Gondola - this Club Med is apparently 1600 feet in the mountains above sea level:

Going over the tops of trees - in case you are wondering these pics were shot in Colour on my Canon Ixus as it was too cold to lug my Canon DSLR out.

At one of the more advanced slopes before taking another lift down to the Village below

Alexis and her 'new found' friends with their icicle bazookas

Definitely a slope for non-beginners (NOT US!)

Took another standing lift (exposed to the elements)

down to the Village

More views on the way down:

The Village below - we walk around but most of it is closed!

Or at least thats how it looks!

Village Map

We take the lift back up! Some of our new friends and kids going up the lift

that took us directly back to the resort!

TASTES & TRAVELS: Club Med Peisey Vallandry, French Alps - Day 1

2011-12-30T15:27:00.001+08:00

I have kept the best post for last - our virgin ski trip to the French Alps.

This was definitely a first ski-ing trip for us. Growing up and living mostly in sun drenched Singapore (and for the last 5 years HK) most of our holidays have been driving holidays, beach resort escapes or eating and shopping holidays and although the thought did cross our minds to book a ski holiday to Korea or Japan at some point last year, it just seemed a remote possibility till the US holiday we were planning fell through yet again for the third time this year. Apparently CX is booked through solid a year in advance from HK especially if you are planning to go to the US via a mileage redemption booking which was what we were planning to do.

So there I was at the CX counter (the CX staff here in HK are really nice, friendly, patient and helpful - at least the ones at the Tower 6 Gateway Office here in Kowloon are) with lots of Q's Asia miles to clear and no seats available to and from the US - not New York, not LA, not SF. I asked for Japan and Korea but that was booked through way in advance as well so I asked for best bets on what we could get and surprisingly the answer was Paris for 60,000 Asia miles each. Sold! We were amazed to get 3 seats there and back with no problems. I am surprised that Paris is not a more popular destination at this time of the year. Could it be because it is too far away (12 hour flight) and usually rainy and cold? Oh well .. whatever the case it was PARIS!!

A few casual emails to and fro saw us planning to meet Vera (Q's cousin and family) at Club Med's Peisey Vallandry in the French Alps. We booked a 4 Day-3 Night stay through the very helpful Club Med Singapore office without really knowing her arrival dates but fate had it that all our dates coincided. Thus began the very ambitious plan - booking rooms in Paris before and after the Club Med stay, booking train tickets to the resort which turned out to be 5 plus hours outside Paris, booking all the restaurants that we wanted to try in Paris afterwards, deciding which attractions to see ... very hard work for a 7 day holiday.

Just a bit of background info and a few tips to consider when booking a Club Med in the French Alps.

1. There are apparently 10 Club Med ski resorts in France and Winter season starts early December (mostly depending on the amount of snow). Club Meds in France only rent ski equipment, helmuts and boots so you have to buy everything else (either before you arrive or via a sports store called Decathalon in Paris which stocks mostly all your need at good prices).

2. The various resorts are at different altitudes on the alps and all outside Paris which means that you have to fly there or take a train. We took a TGV train which we booked through Rail Europe. Please book first class - the seats are incredibly comfortable, the cabin is spacious and there is a light, foldable table and power charger in the cabin that you can use. The second class is not much cheaper and tends to be better suited if your journey is short and you don't plan to sit for too long. For a 5 hour journey and the privacy of space and comfort, a first class seat is a better investment and on Rail Europe expect special last minute offers for first class tickets as well as second.

Inside of 1st class cabin - cabin bags and winter coats on top, luggage at the back and front of train

Why a table is important on a 5 hour train ride

3. Always choose a direct train and not one that you have to connect somewhere and get on another train. We booked first class on the journey there and had to change after 3 plus hours at a station called Chambery Challes. Big mistake. There we had to take a domestic bone shaker train which was over booked and Q and I had Alexis on our laps for almost an hour and the hlaf before getting to Bourg St Maurice, our destination station where the Club Med Taxi was supposed to pick us up.

Arriving at Chambery Challes Les Eaux

It was so cold that we were grateful to have these booths

with glass to block out the wind chill

This was a really remote station in the middle

of nowhere! About 3 plus hours outside Paris

4. We took the 6am train in order to try to get to the resort by 2pm or else lose a day on the slopes as it gets dark by about 5pm. However, discovered it was pointless to hurry as the Ski Room at the resort very strictly opens only at 10am to noon and 2 to 4pm and most people miss that window of opportunity to pick up their skis upon arrival anyway. Also your ski pass which you need to go on the ski lift is valid only on the morning of the 2nd day of your stay.

5. Club Med requires you to book your train tickets in advance and confirm your arrival time with the resort so that they can arrange transport to pick you up - usually a private taxi which is costly but then there are no other options (as in a tour bus) up those salted and winding roads to the resort. We had a very efficient and obviously experienced lady driver who obviously knew her way up those winding roads up the mountain slope.

Our lady taxi driver in front and us taking in the backseat view.

It was almost a 40 minute cab ride up to the Resort.

View along the winding way of the villages below the resort

The roads become more snow logged as we get higher up

Finally, the entrance to the resort drive way.

Love the log cabin feel.

6. Some of the Club Meds are better suited for pro-skiers and others for novices. We were lucky to have chosen Peisey Vallandry (as opposed to the posher and higher up La Tigne) because Peisey was newly renovated, had slopes that were more suited to beginners and intermediate skiers and offered an extremely kid-friendly programme (there was a Junior and Mini Club Med as well as a Petite Club Med for kids 2 years and up - all with day long programmes and the ski school with classes), a swimming pool, a luxe spa called NUXE for the adults and well equipped a kid's recreational and games room so it was a perfect family destination. Overall, I liked the homely and cosy atmosphere of the resort!

Love the fire place which was roaring in the evenings.

Also love the charming wood interiors and this seating area which also opens to the outside

Bar where tea is served daily and drinks in the evening after dinner - kids welcome too!

Reception area

Junior Recreation Room

Alexis spent many hours here with her cousins

7. It was lovely to arrive, tuck into a luxurious lunch buffet - more on the great food later!

There were two restaurants there - a buffet restaurant and an ala carte restaurant where we had a Cheese Fondue dinner that night

The Ala Carte Restaurant which served set meals

Cheese Fondue

Smoked Meats, Ham and Bologna

8. Rooms were great too - spacious, well equipped and Alexis had her own private corner and single sofa day bed!

Alexis room near the window balcony area

but was warm and toasty as there was a heater here as well

Our room and behind the divider, Alexis' area and private corner

Cozy balcony outside

Most of the rooms have a balcony that

overlooks the slopes or part of the resort

TRAVELS: Around Paris - Stay & Sights!

2011-12-29T12:30:00.000+08:00

After Club Med, we headed back to Paris and checked into another Mercure that I thought would be a better base as it was closer to the shopping and tourist district in the heart of downtown Paris. This was the Mercure Opera La Cusset. Big mistake as this hotel turned out to look nothing like its online pictures in reality.

Online

In reality - which actually does not look so bad in this picture but believe me, it was at least 20 years old, in dire need of a refurbishment and renovation .. had hinges on the cupboard loose and a sofa bed with covers that look mouldy and old and the sofa bed did not close properly so Q bumped and grazed his shin on it whilst passing by. The carpet and curtains looked and felt shabby and heavy with age and use. Think you get the idea... that it was far from the charm that I fell for in the first shot. So my advice to you is if you see a hotel in Europe that looks quaint and interesting, unless it says fully restored and heritage .. give it an auto skip as it translates into "old".

Should have stayed on at the Mecure Gare De Lyon - oh well, lesson learnt for our next stay.

Still it was fairly well located and it offered free wifi which apparently most Mercures in Europe do. I have no idea what the Roxy Mercure in Singapore (where we normally stay when we are back in SG, does not). Free wifi in a hotel should be a guest privilege in my humble opinion especially if the hotelier asks themselves - how long really would a guest stay in a hotel room with a city outside to discover?!

This was a good map to use (although not to scale) of a city map in Paris that shows you where the attractions are roughly located and also the 2 main department stores - Galleries La Fayette and Printempts for shopping.

I won't repeat the post - see: http://www.simplyfabulicious.com/3-days-in-paris-with-kids that I published earlier on in my ezine so if you have not read it, you may want to have a quick look through as it covers all the places that we visited and some of the sights that we saw.

Just some additional pictures to share from our 3 days exploring the sights.

Disneyland Park - which comprises the Walt Disney Studio and Disneyland and together is commonly called EuroDisney. Make sure you buy tickets for entry to both parks from the Concierge at your hotel as its cheaper sold at the hotels than at the Park entrance. Eg instead of EUD71 for 2 parks per person it would be EUD61 at the Hotel desk. And yes you can cover two parks in one day as the parks are SMALL, especially if this is not your first trip to Disneyland then you have probably been on some rides in other parks.

The Eiffel Tower at Twilight

Near the Tower there was a fair at Christmas where Q bought his mum two of these houses to add to her collection

Alexis in front of the River Seine (yeah not a very clear shot)

The Opera House - quite near where our Hotel was and where you get the Open Top Les Car Rouges

The Ritz Carlton Paris where Diana and Dodi shared their last drink and sped off in that limo to meet their fate!

The Fountain in the middle of the Concorde

TASTES & TRAVELS: Au Petite Riche and Brasserie Haussman

2011-12-29T12:18:00.002+08:00

We had a few very lovely dinners in Paris and one of them was at this restaurant - Au Petite Riche which the Mercure Opera La Cusset, that we stayed at recommended to us as it was in one of the small lanes across the road from them.

Au Petite Riche is definitely a hidden gem, located at the corner of Le Peletier and Rossini Street. Apparently it was born from humble origins and opened in 1854 as a meeting place for the lesser mortals - the coachmen, stage hands and employees from the Opera whose bosses, masters and Lords - the politicians, famous actors, rich and bourgeoise frequented the Cafe Riche in the same neighborhood.

In 1873, the restaurant burned down because of a major fire along that street and was rebuilt in 1880s and thus was born a warm and comfortable restaurant with a few different rooms and painted walls and ceilings with engraved windows and ornate mirrors. The menu was also revamped to include specialties from the Loire Valley, wines from different well known vine growing regions in France. Slowly businessmen, stock brokers and such began to frequent it and it became even a popular meeting place with the theatre-going crowd from the nearby Opera. The restaurant still caters to this crowd up till today and is one of the few restaurants in Paris to take their last meal order at midnight (to feed hungry theatre-goers)!

We had a fabulous meal there and I really liked the 'quaint-ness' of the whole place. It was pouring cats and dogs that night and I was surprised we made it their without an umbrella and running under the shaded awnings till we got there and walked into the warm interior.

Sorry this shot is a little blurr but I am still trying

to figure out the settings on my camera

We ended up ordering one Au Petite Riche and one Rossini to share.

Our 6 oysters and 12 pink prawns arrived.

The pink prawns were the best - fresh, sweet and juicy.

The oysters were still not up to par with the ones that we have had in Australia.

I guess our tastebuds have been spoilt for those

ultra-fresh and succulent Aussie oysters

Q's order was the Beef Cheek in Red Wine Sauce.

I was daring him to order the Calf's Head - haha which alot of the French restaurants seem to offer.

As you know, I am so NOT into exotic food!

Mine was the fish - Pike's Dumpling with Shellfish Coulis. The sauce which tasted like a Lobster bisque was good. I was not particularly impressed with the pike dumpling only because it reminded me of a large piece of 'he pia' or fish cake - not so chewy and more soft like fishball meat but still pretty much the same thing.

Then there was this HEAVENLY, HEAVENLY dessert - the best Lemon Pie I have ever tasted, fired with a bit of sugar and caramel on the top... heavenly and also big - this was easily the size of my palm and more so I shared it with Alexis (reluctantly)!

Alexis made friends with the very nice Vietnamese waiter there and we chatted with him so he quietly packed one tart for her to take away which was super nice of him!

On another evening (our last before we left Paris) we looked for Maxim's but as it was late and we were all tired and did not want to eat too far away from the Hotel.

We ended up at Brasserie Haussman, a restaurant that looked pretty interesting on the outside as it had a nice terrace seating, was large, modern and chic looking located at 12,Boulevard Haussman, connected to the rather swish Opera Millenium Hotel. The Brasserie Haussman turned out to be a great choice.

Instead of a starter, mains and dessert

we decided to order several appetisers to share

along with two shared main courses

Lovely avoacdo, crabmeat and octopus with salad and dressing

The yummiest Lobster Ravioli

We shared this mains - a Salmon pasta - moist, delicious and cooked to perfection - I have to learn to master this dish

Q and I shared this piece of Veal Chop and carrots and spinach were also beautifully sauteed in honey!

Then there was a Tuna Tempura starter that we also shared

Finally dessert was Chocolate-coated Profiterols with Vanilla Ice Cream

TASTES & TRAVELS: Fourchettes du Printemps, One Michelin Star, Paris

2011-12-27T23:02:00.003+08:00

Our one Michelin restaurant 'must-visit' this trip Fourchettes du Printemps was carefully chosen from amongst the countless number of well rated michelin star establishments in Paris.

In choosing where to go, I looked up several excellent Parisien restaurant guides especially michelin star rated ones, online and found that these two were the most useful, most comprehensive and in English.

http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com/en/

http://www.paris-best-restaurants.com/michelin-3-2-1-star-paris-restaurants.php

However I made my choice after reading this particular post: http://www.quora.com/Paris/What-are-the-best-value-Michelin-Star-restaurants-in-Paris and settled on Fourchettes du Printemp as it was rated the cheapest and best value for money in Paris having just won a michelin star rating in March 2011, opened and operated by two young chefs who have worked in several well known restaurants all over Paris.

Front Dining Room

Corridor Dining Room

Our little corner in the front dining room

Located at 30 Rue du Printemps, the restaurant is nowhere near the Printempts department store. Instead, it is about 15 minutes from the Opera area by taxi and in a quiet residential district located in the ground floor of a small shop house with a very small interior that could probably seat about 30 if the two small but cosy and unpretentious dining rooms were fully occupied. Our taxi got us there quite easily using his GPS once he keyed it in and we had asked the hotel that we were staying at to help make a lunch reservation for us ahead of our visit.

A good tip that I picked up to keep a reign on the 'eat-out' budget whilst in Paris and to accommodate the fact that you have a child in tow is to book for lunch and not dinner. Those reading this might want to note that some of the swankier michelin starred establishments do not welcome children under 12 years and a meal can cost up to EUR100 (without the wine) per person at some of the 3 star michelin rated restaurants - so if you have to contend with a grouchy child at bedtime after a long day out and about, a lunch booking makes it humbler on the pocket and palette but overall, a much better choice.

We arrived and found these three menus to choose from. No EUR26 menu in sight (obvious that the michelin star rating has also boosted prices almost 2X from its humbler beginnings) - instead the first option was a Menu Decouverte at EUR59 menu or a Menu Degustation at EUR70 and the second a choice of Entree, Mains and Dessert at EUR45. We took two of the latter to share and it was a wise choice as there was a lot to go around.

Us as our appetisers arrived

An extremely appetising start to the meal was this Pumpkin Soup with a lovely drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

For starters, Q ordered the Salmon served with a creamy sauce which was exqusitely presented

and I ordered the Foie Gras Terrine served with Orange Chutney

Our mains were a choice of Beef Cheek with Foie Gras served in something that looked like a truffle reduction the house signature dish and

And the Lamb served with what was a delicious mashed potato gratin with a layer of beef stew underneath (ok the menu was in French so I had to guess the main ingredients)

That's my carnivorous cutie below demolishing my michelin starred lamb rack which I did not get to try because she attacked it the minute it arrived

My only respite was to look on

and take a shot of her between the wine and water bottles!

In between our orders there was a basket of bread. Which French restaurant does not serve bread? They live on it as a staple, the way the Chinese do rice.

The restaurant was obviously not prepared for a request of butter as a side so this generous 50g quarter slab arrived, freshly cut and unwrapped and deliciously salted. Alexis polished it off within minutes!

Before dessert arrived there was this little surprise,

a small serve of Tiramisu to taste

And then the dessert which we ordered arrived - every bit mind blowing-ly as good as the picture looks ! This was the Creme Vanilla Caramel, their highly recommended specialty

I, of course, had to have the La Noisette or Chocolate Bomb which when you cut into half had an explosion of wafer, cream, ice cream and other nutty bits tumbling elegantly out of the chocolate shell - the perfect finale to the meal. You guessed right - it did not last long on my plate!

Truly enjoyed this restaurant, recommend that you go as it is definitely a future winner to watch out closely for!

TASTES & TRAVELS: Laduree, Paris - Home of the Macaroon

2011-12-27T13:20:00.000+08:00

A visit to Paris is incomplete without a stop at Laduree's. Just take a look at their website and you will totally get it - the kind of dedication they put into making their number one best seller, the Macaroon also known as the Macaron!

We visited the Laduree at the Champs Elysee right after the having lunch at Fouquets and brought back a box of 8 macaroons for EUR12 - light, fluffy and not cloyingly sweet - these were truly the best macaroons that you could eat.

Unlike the ultra-sweet variety you get at all the French patisseries out there, Laduree's Macaroons make you want to carry on and just eat another one... and another one ... and another one. Back in Hong Kong a few nights ago, Q and I polished off 4 each. Unfortunately outside of Paris and maybe London, Laduree is not sold anywhere else in the world.

Laduree was born in 1862 when Louis Ernest Laduree, a miller from France's Southwest opened a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. The bakery became a pastry shop in 1971.

Apparently Laduree have two credits to their name. They are recognised as the inventors of the macaroon when Pierre Desfontaines of Laduree created it by filling two almond meringue discs with a layer of buttercream, jam or ganache filling.

They also made the pastries for the film Marie Antionette by Sofia Coppola and their famous macaroons are seen in the scene between Marie Antionette and Ambassador Mercy.

Apparently in 2012, Laduree will also release a makeup collection to add to its tray of confectionery, parfum and gift items that will match the colours of their macaroons.

TASTES & TRAVELS: Fouquets, Champ Elysee, Paris

2011-12-26T23:23:00.005+08:00

Lunch - our two most memorable lunches in Paris were eaten at Fouquets along the Champs Elysee and Fourchettes du Printempt, a one michelin star restaurant that I had researched and booked before the trip.

Am dedicating this post to Fouquets at 99, Avenue des Champs Elysee as this is probably the most famous French restaurant along the Champs Elysee stretch.

A little history so you know why the place was worth the visit - opened in 1899, The Fouquet's was previously a driver's bar at the corner of the Champs Elysee and the Avenue Georges V.In 1930, it became a gathering place for the actors at the time and by the 1970s it hosted gala dinners for the theatre-going set and the who's who in Parisien society. In 1990 the restaurant was officially recognised on the supplementary list of historical monuments in French culture and in 1999, Fouquet's underwent a full renovation before celebrating it's 100th birthday. Today the restaurant is the home to Parisien high society and the show business set with the famous Lido theatre right across the road from it. Our next task the next time we return to Paris - an evening at the Moulin Rouge.

We hopped on the Open Top Les Car Rouges and headed to the Champs Elysee and got off near the Arc de Triomphe and walked down to Fouquets. It was raining cats and dogs and cold but hey .. we were going to Fouquets!

It looked packed and I thought we had to wait in the rain for a seat but voila, there was one table left and we were ushered to the warmth inside. A nice touch about Fouquet's and most of the brasserie-style restaurants in France that we have been to is the warm air curtain at the door entrance. It really helps and welcomes you when you are coming out of the freeze into a warm environment.

The names of the who's who emblazoned on gold slabs on the floor as you walk into the restaurant.

Napkin rings for the restaurant's elite guests

Our precious table at Fouquets.

They were already taking last orders at 2pm

which is why we probably got a seat.

I felt a bit embarrased whipping out by Canon 600D as the restaurant was really packed and we looked like the only tourist snapping away. I opted for my more humble Canon Ixus hence the not-so-pro pics.

There was hardly a coat rack so all our outer wear had to be slung over the seats and the tables, like Hong Kong, were all too close to each other so much so that if you big, you would definitely have to walk sideways to squeeze through.

A view of one of the sections that they had closed off.

The service was excellent and the waiter's good looking and well built at least the one that served us looked positively yummy! There were a mix of tourists, a Japanese couple near us and mainly a business crowd finishing off their lunch.

Q did not like the hard bread here. I thought it was ok especially as it was nice and warm and the butter melted deliciously all over it as soon as you spread it.

For starters, I ordered a Mushroom Ravioli in Lobster Bisque which turned out to be the most delicious dish ever. I have to say this dish rivals some of the michelin star restaurants that I have been to. Ok Fouquet's is not cheap at EUR23 per starter but it was good.

Q had the Duck which he and Alexis shared

Alexis had a Fish and Chips - the chips here were extra big and beautifully crispy. I vote these the best French fries or Chips that I have ever had - almost cracker crispy that you could not stop eating them

Dessert here was a must, especially after we spotted the Dessert display case and Alexis went to choose two desserts for us to share.

Her choice - a white chocolate mousse and a chocolate eclair! Delicious!

Stepping out of Fouquet's back into the 1 degree celcius freezing cold of the Champs Elysee!

Our next stop along the Champs Elysee - Laduree's for some macaroons!

TASTES & TRAVELS: L' Europeen Gare De Lyon, Paris

2011-12-26T23:23:00.002+08:00

The last time we were in Paris was 2007 and I think Alexis must have been 2 then and we had not yet moved to Hong Kong even. It was Q's first visit to Paris and my fourth or fifth as I had been in and out during the days that I worked for The Body Shop, enroute to and from my many annual UK visits. Five years later on our second trip back, we managed to visit the places that we wanted to eat at and discovered a few more in the process. I will never tire when it comes to exploring new places to eat, especially so in Paris.

Breakfasts are my favourite meal in Paris as almost every sidewalk cafe opens early morning to offer piping hot fragrant coffee, the thickest and yummiest hot chocolate, freshly baked croissants, coffee and juice, some more elaborate than the others with eggs, ham and the works. But mostly breakfasts are all about bread, coffee and juice in Paris - strictly Continental.

Q is so not a breakfast person but even he could not resist breakfast every morning that we were there. The best breakfast that we had was probably at L'Europeen, a delightful brasserie with sidewalk seating located just opposite the Gare De Lyon train station and the hotel that we were at - the Mercure Gare De Lyon.

This is the Gare De Lyon Train Station and we stayed at the Mercure (you can see it on the right of the Clock Tower in this picture). It was a great choice and I will definitely stay there again the next time I visit Paris as it was really right next to the train station.

This Hotel was not in the heart of Paris where the shopping is but look at the rooms. They were modern, clean and had free wifi (unlike the other Mercure hotel that I will show you later looked like).

I did not take this shot - I got it from the hotel website but this actually looks like what you are checked into when you arrive. Plus we had an extra sofa bed for Alexis and complimentary drinks from the room bar and free wifi - amazing for EUR155 thereabouts.

We discovered a great restaurant across the road from the Hotel and Train station called L'Europeen

This photo was taken at about 8.30am

and the restaurant was already open for breakfast.

Was really nice and cosy inside - love the red seats

Best breakfast - but it was not cheap at about EUR14 per person.

Was mainly baguettes served with lots butter spread on them.

Also came with a serve of Eggs done sunny side up and Q ordered some sausages with fries to go along. The latte was heavenly!

A trick we learnt when ordering breakfast subsequently was to order one breakfast set order (ie. coffee, bread and jam) and a side of eggs.

Whilst we are on about breakfasts, its worth a mention that this Cafe along the Opera called Le Grand Cafe Capucines served up the MOST DELICIOUS ham, egg and cheese omelette that I have ever eaten (and I mean that with all calorie laden sincerity).

It was fluffy, loaded with bacon, ham and cheese and when you cut into it both the egg yolk and white hot and bubbling, came flowing out ... amazing!!!

Nothing says breakfast better than a basket of croissants. Also from our meal at Cafe Cappucines

We made two and not just one visit to L'Europeen that day! Firstly because Q spotted oysters (his favourite) being laid out just outside the restaurant and also because we were just back from a long day at Disneyland and Alexis was tired and cold, we decided against wandering too far away from the hotel.

The set dinner looked good in terms of choice and value at about EUR35 each so we ordered that starting with a tray of oysters to share.

Q agrees that the oysters in Australia (overall) seem fresher and more succulent than the ones in Paris.

I ordered the Terrine of Fois Gras as my starter. Not the way that I usually eat Fois Gras as I like mine fried and with a side of Pear or Apple reduction (or Chutney) but this was delicious too. It most importantly did not taste like 'liver' and instead was very appetising and easy to eat.

For mains, I had the Beef and Q the Mallard or Duck! I have to agree with Q that he and I definitely like our beef cooked the good old-fashioned American way - chargrilled to a crisp on the outside and pink on the inside or pan fried for 2 mins each side on high heat with the meat marinated with just a dash of sea or garlic salt, pepper and not the French style served with a side of sauce.

I am not fond of duck but Q says this was very good.

A bottle of French wine was a must so together we polished off this bottle of red with the lovely cheese that was served with the meal

Dessert was two items and after that I was too stuffed to eat any more. First up a Meringue with Custard that tasted like baked Alaska without the icea cream baked with cherry slices and the ever famous French Brulee which was nothing short of excellent!

Sorry this shot was not so clear as I was getting sleepy.

Ready to crash on the restaurant couch after 12 hours on the plane and another 6 hours at Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney Studios.

TRAVELS: J'adore Paris!

2011-12-23T01:42:00.001+08:00

When I first started planning for a trip to Paris, I did not think that 7 days was nearly enough especially since 3 days were in Club Med's Peisey Vallandry Ski Resort and the other 3 in Paris proper but after 7 days of weather that was -3 to -11 at Club Med and then 1 to 4 degrees in Paris .. I was quite happy to return to the relatively milder Winter at 17 degrees celcius here in Hong Kong.

J'adore Paris - no matter how many times I visit it. Undoubtedly the biggest selling point about Paris is the food .. not cheap but definitely.. like Japanese food in Japan .. always good, no matter where you go to eat.

My best finds - a tiny one Michelin star restaurant called Fourchettes du Printemp which earned its first star in March this year, another very quaint Parisien Eatery called Au Petite Riche which served the most delicious pink prawns I have ever eaten and the best lemon pie ever .. and the ever famous Fouquets along the Champs Elysee which I finally got to have a meal at. The breakfasts were divine and not to mention the desserts ... oh and lest I forget to mention Laduree, is a must drop-by since they were the inventors of the macaroon. I now know why theirs are the BEST in the world.

The other thing I love is the fashion ..not every French woman that you see on the street carries a designer bag - the way that you see it here in Hong Kong but Parisiens definitely have an unspoken stylish simplicity in the way that they dress and co-ordinate their clothes that makes them look so effortlessly chic with that air of understated elegance. Quite unlike the crazy hairstyles, shimmery make up and clothes that purposely don't match that you get here in Hong Kong, Japan and through North Asia. But the world I think is definitely becoming a smaller place. When I first visited Paris years ago, I could not stop oggling at the shopping and variety and now here I was in the heart of Champs Elysee thinking to myself - everything I see here (minus a few French brands) I can get in Hong Kong or Singapore. Asia is truly evolving into the world's new fashion capital.

So with such little time on my hands and a freezing cold 6 year old in tow, I did not do any shopping this trip save for one large item, my new Chanel Jumbo Classic in calf which was my dear Q's gift (for all the occasions next year rolled into one) ... so he says ... (wink)!

The one thing in France that needs warming up is definitely the French sales people's attitudes particularly in retail (and especially at Chanel) With the desperately falling Euro and the economic crisis, they could afford to lose the attitude and learn to smile and serve more politely. Are they blind to the fact that in this economy .... ONLY the Asians, particularly the CHINESE are shopping only because they are the only ones who can actually afford to. Or maybe its because they think that the Chinese will buy anyway as they have a deal here when you look at exchange rates .. so they can get away with rude behavoir.

I met some of the most unpleasant French sales staff at Galleries Lafayette at Chanel, particularly the sales women who looked like they were the senior staff in the shop as the male staff (I am not sure if the men in suits were the security or sales people) deferred to them for enquires. Note: that I did not take the picture of the store above but this is what the store looks like from outside. Found (oops 'borrowed' this shot of the Chanel store front at Galleries on the web).

Anyway the two rude ones that I encountered looked like they were in their late 40s and 50s. One of them, a lady in dark shoulder length hair that looked like she was in her mid to late 40s, told me that I could not sit in the store whilst I was waiting 30 mins for my bag which had already been bought and paid for but was not ready because I did not want the display piece.

Then after I came back into the store after rejoining the queue outside to collect my bag, another older bitchier blond sales woman who looked like she was in her 50s complained when I ask her to repack my bag which I had taken out of the box to check. I was making sure that they new bag that they had packed for me was unscratched and the right piece but I could not put it back together into the packaging afterwards so I asked for some help with refitting the bag into the packaging. She glared and bitchily said that I should not have unpacked it as it takes her a long time to pack the bag and if I wanted to unpack to check I should have let them know first. WTF? (pardon my flawed French!) Whatever happened to customer service? This bag was a couple of thousand euros and if someone from Chanel ever reads this - pls note that the French (read Caucasian) women staff at your store in Galleries Lafayette Chanel need a lesson in manners, etiquette and customer relations .. especially the staff working on 20 December 2011 between noon and 6pm.

I truly testify with my own eyes that only the ASIANS were buying bags and jewelry in that store. The sales men (a guy called Omar who looked middle eastern) and the Asian sales lady who was serving me (who was most likely Malaysian or Singaporean as she could speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin fluently) on the other hand were extremely polite, friendly, attentive and efficient and made every effort to help me. Can't say I was impressed my experience there except for the fact that Chanel is almost 25% cheaper than it is in Paris versus anywhere else in the world.

But having said that I also met some lovely people in particular the young French men - one tall, good looker helped me carry my heavy bag through the way too narrow turnstiles at the Metro and the other (who had a very attractive Asian girlfriend) helped me carry my luggage up a flight of stairs and then he and his girlfriend googled the exact location of my hotel in the Opera to help show us in the right direction. Also there were two lovely Vietnamese male waiters that we met at different restaurants that gave us a lemon pie to take away and extra ice cream for Alexis' dessert.

Well, the world is a small place and there are good and bad everywhere... Alexis reminded me today that we had prayed for journey mercies and a happy, harmonious trip where we would meet kind and helpful people along the way which I feel in retrospect we did. It is after all not the potholes in the road but the journey that one must celebrate.... so in that spirit, I still say ... J'adore Paris!

More details here - if you want my tips on 3 days in Paris with Kids: http://www.simplyfabulicious.com/3-days-in-paris-with-kids

TASTES: Christmas in Hong Kong - Pt 1

2011-12-13T23:43:00.000+08:00

Our Christmas celebrations started early this year - actually from as early as 10 December when we got together with Debbie, Jeff, Chloe and Jack for a chilly X'mas dinner at the annual Christmas Party for Kids at the Pacific Club in Kowloon, in Harbour City where we live. That's our two families with the fantastic view of Victoria Harbour in the background. It was a 10 degree (celcius) evening so that figures for why we were all wrapped up in leather and down.

I have to say that the Club really has a great X'mas party for kids - they had an entertainer and a great kids menu and party favours and ok .. a Chinese Santa (they should have got one of the kwai lo entertainers to double up) but the kids loved it!!!! The only draw back is that you have to book early as this is the Club's most popular annual event.

Alexis and Chloe trying on and testing all the party favours

Our table on the balcony as it was a full house inside already!

The two girls with the Balloon Clown

Really funny entertainers

Paying rapt attention

Alexis and the Asian (way too young and skinny) Santa

Daddy's lap was decidedly more comfy

I thought so too!

THOUGHTS: I've Got The Music In Me!

2011-12-13T09:30:00.000+08:00

There is always that jovial, festive spirit about Christmas - maybe its the cooler weather - but its my favourite time of the year and I thought I would share the lovely musical things that Alexis has been up to in December.

First up, the real reason behind the season, the ECC X'mas Musical "Christmas in Reverse". The kids in our Sunday School performed a great little musical on 4 December in church to share the story of Christmas.. in reverse. A lot of hard work and Sundays went into the practicing before the performance but it was worth seeing it all come together so flawlessly which really reminds me that kids are amazing - they can learn anything and be anything when they put their hearts and minds to it.

Then there was the Singapore International School X'mas Concert and Fun Fair last weekend on 10 December. Alexis performed wushu with her class and joined the Percussion Team in playing jingle bells on the drums.

She is learning to play the drums. Ok she is no where near a rock chick but hey as size does not permit me to store a piano in the house and her hands are too small for a guitar - this will do. This way we figure .. at least she learns how to read some music and basic rhythm.

Then we visited her class room. This big baby still wants her Daddy to carry her. This is her Primary 1 classroom and the school has a pretty good all-rounded view of education that is not purely academic and results driven. I like the fact that they learn a third language French, Drama, Music and Swimming as part of the class curriculum. Something that will cost you extra and that you can only take outside of school in the regular Singapore school system.

With Nina - they have been in the same class for the last two years

We had a great time the rest of the afternoon, pelting the older Secondary School boys with wet sponges at the annual SIS fun fair, getting her nails done and just fooling around.

Always time for a manicure

Watch out guys

SPLAT!!!

Can't wait to get on the plane tonight to Paris. Club Med and the French Alps here we come!

TASTES - Gingerbread: Its beginning to smell like X'mas!!

2011-12-09T11:58:00.001+08:00

Its beginning to smell like X'mas! Especially after Alexis and her friends joined The Pacific Club's Gingerbread House Making workshop and took home a lovely gingerbread log cabin which has made the apartment smell delicious.

But that's the funny thing with smells, your nose gets accustomed to it - and shortly after your olafactories tend to take a good thing for granted.

Think Christmas Pine Trees .. smells great in the lobby of our serviced apartment and after that you don't remember smelling it the next time you come in. That however is not the case with a bad smell but thats another tale to tell .. best left for another day.

Still, the gingerbread house looks great and I feel all Christmassy especially since we are headed ski-ing in Paris and Club Med next week. I can't wait although I know I am going to suck at ski-ing.

Hard at work

I love it when my little girl wears a sunny disposition!

Finishing touches!

Alexis with all her 6 year old besties,

Audrey (front), Chloe on her right and Sabine

My Kizoa Creation

TASTES - Home-made Curry Puffs

2011-11-29T08:20:00.001+08:00

Curry Puffs are the one thing that I dearly miss in Singapore and OLD CHANG KEE bless them should open here as they would have a thriving business!

I have yet to find a decent Curry Puff in Hong Kong so when Mum visited recently, I asked her to fry up some filling and make some puffs using Borgs ready made puff pastry sheets.

The results were amazing and because I bothered to capture them on my Canon 600D I have decided to share them. The filling was essentially just curry powder, chicken, potatoes, onions, salt and pepper.

I am lazy when it comes to curry puffs. Like my sausage rolls (aka Pigs In A Blanket), I roll them shut or use a mould to close them but Mum bothers to pinch them and rather than use a round bowl or cutter to make the sides round (which she says wastes a lot of dough if you are using pre-made square sheets) - she has a novel method to just cut the sheets into squares from each sheet of pastry and then pinch the sides closed using her fingers and a little bit of water to seal them shut. So here goes - her deft technique and the results in photos.

Place filling on square sheet

Add a piece of hard boiled egg

Bring two opposite ends together

Press down to seal the flap and fold down as you go along

Your fold down should look like this where you fold down each piece of

dough by flapping it over to seal the gap

Bake on a non-stick baking sheet and then glaze lightly with a beaten egg to make sure that they turn golden brown

The results - VOILA!!!

Pre-heat oven for 10 mins at 350 F or 180 deg celcius and then put in the puffs for about 15 mins.

TASTES - Double Coated Cornflake Chicken

2011-11-27T10:38:00.001+08:00

Alexis tries her hand at cooking. She's done some cookies and cupcakes before but not actual meat so we had left over cornflakes and the recipe on the Kellogs box so we decided to be adventurous.

Made the dipping batter from scratch and I have to say that the box recipe is very accurate although I would moderate the baking time to 45 mins if you want the chicken to be juicy and tender. The 1 hour they recommended dries the meat up a bit too much. We used chicken fillet pieces. A great dish with a side salad and lots of Shiracha and Tobasco (Love!)

TASTES AND TRAVELS - Saikung's Chuen Kee Seafood & Kite Flying @ Sharp Island

2011-11-22T22:25:00.001+08:00

Each time we head to Sai Kung, we notice these local boat operators touting trips out to sea in sampans all parked alongside the pier. This time with Mum visiting, I decided to do some research to read up on what there was to do in Saikung besides oogle at the sea food on display in tanks and eat.

The boat jetty in Sai Kung next to the Pier

Through several of the expat websites and just by googling 'boat tours from Sai Kung' I found that these local operators charge about HK$20 to $30 (S$3 to 5) to take you to the neighbouring islands where you can bring your own rod and fish, get off and on, fly a kite, eat at a local restaurant there or simply just snorkle and swim. Of course the party savvy younger lot of 'kwai-los' and such know that the best outing here is possibly one that involves wine and booze, a beach side barbecue and lots of bikinied babes on a yacht. That however was not our adventure this time around.

Instead, we decided to check out a nearby island called Sharp Island with an interesting tombolo that people could walk across. How did we decide which boat operator to get on board with- well, we went with the guy that could speak a smattering of English and whose posters at least had English words so that I was sure that we were being taken to the right place.

Whoops that silhouette is just of Alexis taking the shot and below her snaps of Sharp Island and its photo highlights

Before heading to Sharp Island, we have a quick lunch at Chuen Kee Seafood. It seemed pretty decent from outside and there were michelin star posters outside the restaurant recommending it but when you go up to read them up close you realise that the restaurant has not won any michelin stars but has been mentioned in the guide. Still the food was reasonably priced and well-prepared.

Like the collage? I found a free collage maker on the web and used it. Ask me (drop me an email) if you want to know which and where.

Regular Steamed Prawns

La La Clams!

My absolute favourite - Bamboo Clams!

Crab Steamed in Egg White (I Like!)

Amusing picture of this guy next to us with his dog.

Check out the man's hair - he is definitely a dawg lover!

This was when he realised that I was snapping

so I pretended to snap something else! Anyway if I had to explain I would have said "I like the man's best friend thing that you have going on!"

Mum (holding the kite that we brought along) and

Alexis along the Pier before we take the boat

Mango Ice Cream dessert - perfect for a hot Summer's Day

Below - pictures of the pier side vendors and their boats touting their wares from dried fish and scallops to corals and shells.

We pick an operator and get on board the Sampan Boat.

Whilst I can't read Cantonese, the script in traditional Mandarin is about the same so I figure out that the ticket admits one and tells you that this is a RETURN ticket (to and from the island) and to look out for a return boat with the RED FLAG on it after you disembark as there are many operators with different boats and flags plying the different islands.
There is also an emergency number to call if you lose your way.

We are the first passengers on board this one and it eventually fills up and leaves for Sharp Island

At the helm!

Sitting outside on Daddy's lap gets you the best view

Daddy points out the sights

Smile - these are Q's new photo ray glasses!

View towards Sharp Island

The Dock

Mum and behind her, the atoll where people are walking out
towards as the tide is low

I bring along Alexis' 3 year old kite which she got from her friend Olaf's birthday party and never used. I saved it till now and this was the perfect day for Q to teach her to fly it.

Here's how you launch and tug

My turn!

Its all about the angle!

Houston! We have lift off!

Kite Flying with Daddy

Mum picks shells whilst we fly the kite (Alexis is behind mum, flying solo)

Rock formations

Scaling the rocky Tombolo

Alexis throwing stones out to sea before we leave the island

Boat ride back

Goodbye Sharp Island!

TASTES - HK Wine and Dine Festival 2011

2011-11-22T21:41:00.001+08:00

For some unknown reason, we completely missed the Marco Polo Hong Kong's Oktoberfest this year - our favourite place in October after Halloween for a good evening out! We had a good time there last year, great weather, good food and live bands.

Anyway this is that time of the year where it's all about food and drinks and we amply made up for it by heading out on the last weekend of October to the usually empty field outside Kowloon Station (opposite The Elements Mall where we used to live two years ago) together with our friends Debbie and Jeff (leaving the kids with their helper), we checked ourselves into the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival which is apparently also an annual affair.

Its funny - we have been here in Hong Kong for 4 years and it has only been this year that I (or we) have 'gotten' (if there is even such a word) into the swing of local events and things happening around us.

Anyway it was a really good one and despite the IMMENSE crowds (as it was a Saturday) we bought ourselves 4 Classic Wine Passes and worked our way into the fair grounds at about 3pm. It was already packed to the brim by the time we got there. Have a look at the pictures that will give you an idea of the crowd that day.

The food was good (see below) and there were some pretty interesting things cooking and for sale so we decided to make an early dinner out of it that evening. The grilled meats were great but it was way too crowded for me to even get close enough to whip out my camera so this was all I managed to snap. Our only regret that evening was the weather - Hong Kong is way too hot at this time of the year - we were in 28 degree heat.

Q got us Creme Brulee - YUM!

Jeff (wine glass in hand) and Q about to go for a refill

Almost every single wine or liquor distributor was there from the old familiars (Aussie Margaret Rivers) to the new 'distilled in China' vineyard owners. Well unfortunately or fortunately (I can't decide which) it was not a free-for-all 'try-all' as there would have been pandemonium and chaos.

Our wine passes entitled us to a book of coupons to collect some freebies, a wine glass each with a wine glass holder and the chance to visit 10 stores to get tastings which amounted to about a half glass each time. Needless to say, we chose carefully and well - not wanting to rejoin the queues once again for another book of tickets.

VIP Area

These folks were living it up in the VIP area!

Outdoors on the lawn

There were essentially three main areas where exhibitors set up stalls and then a main VIP tent that was airconditioned and I suspect had a free flow of food and wine and then a large outdoor performance stage where there was a concert playing and 'live' wine auctions where you could bid for a case of wine. Definitely lots of activity and alot of wine collectors out in full force.

Great convivial atmosphere too!

So whoever said that Hong Kong had a lot of 'ah pek' VSOP hard liquor lovers has not seen the scene changing. This was a crowd of 30 somethings to fifty somethings - all educated, informed and monied - what I term as Generation X and Y 'yum-sengers'!!

Some funky bottles that I spotted

We ended up buying some wines (a few reds, a few moscatos and some ice wine) from a vineyard called Palinda which had the most promise that evening, Even Jeff got some and then we regretted hauling it out as it was a long walk out to the train station from the field with wine in our bags! Grumble, grumble!

The most surprising part of the evening was Q's comment "Hey do you notice something? No one is drunk!" And that was a surprise - well behaved drinkers all walking in an orderly manner out to catch the train home - I guess 10 tasting glasses was the right limit after all?!

TASTES - The Chairman Restaurant in Central

2011-11-12T22:39:00.001+08:00

Our friends, Tomi and Connie were in Hong Kong last week so we took the opportunity to go try out some new restaurants. One in particular called The Chairman (www.thechairmangroup.com) at 18 Kau U Fong in Central turned out to be a pretty good find that served Chinese food with a well executed and presented fusion feel.

The restaurant was located just behind Lin Heung (which I recently wrote about for old fashioned Hong Kong Dim Sum on trolleys) and Hotel Lan Kwai Fong (not to be mixed up with the LKF Hotel) and just above from a very interesting street called Gough Street that I discovered from walking around, after lunch at The Chairman.

This was the What Apps address that Connie sent me.

The ground floor front entrance to The Chairman which does not seem particularly inviting or interesting considering that it has someone's residence and their laundry hanging out to dry upstairs but looks are deceiving and just like Tim's Kitchen, the food was surprisingly good.

Check out the Laundry hanging out to dry and the home on the top floor!

A sampling of the menu with 3 courses at HK$158 and 4 courses at HK$178 per person. This was not including the 10% service charge and was for lunch only.

The restaurant interior - modern square instead of round tables (unusual for a chinese restaurant) with a Western rather than Asian feel. Reminded me of the some of the restaurants that I have dined at - at Xin Tian Di in Shanghai. The Chairman would fit right in - in Shanghai.

A lovely bitter gourd fried in salty egg yoke

- this combination of salty and bitter was nothing short of delightful and surprising on the palette

A very excellent dish of Steamed Flower Crab cooked in a thick and hearty broth (which turned out to be a mix of fragrant chicken oil and shao xing wine)

served with a type of rice flour noodle (kway teow)

Not a super sharp shot but this was the Spare Ribs served with an interesting crispy side like the crackly stuff that they sprinkle on your yusheng to represent the wealth or wishes for 'Gold".

Braised Layered Beancurd with Morels and Chinese Mushrooms

La La Clams with a tomato based sauce that tasted a tad too Western for a Chinese restaurant.

I was stuffed after lunch and whilst Tomi and Connie headed off, I decided to explore Gough Street just below from the lane that The Chairman is located in.

This interesting street was filled with interesting homewear and furnishings stores and little eateries that looked like they were worth a return visit.

Coffee, Snacks and Home accessories at this store

Kids store selling French labels

Definitely will schedule a return!

THOUGHTS - Halloween Happenings

2011-11-06T15:15:00.000+08:00

Halloween was a busy affair this year. For us its not a scare fest. I look at it as the only chance in a year where the kids get to enjoy a full day of candy and to dress up so here in HK where Halloween is party time for kids and adults alike, we had our ample share of activities.

Alexis had quite a number of hand me down costumes this year so she ended up going to different events and then lent some of her costumes to Chloe (fairy, nurse) and Audrey (Hawaiin hula girl).

The Disneyland HK Halloween Parade

Alexis had great fun with her girlfriends Zara and Jaimie. First up we headed to Disneyland on the last few days of the October school break where Disney has the usual Parade.

She is supposed to be a Black Cat (inherited from cousin Elle) but the hood was too big for her and the weather in October has been too warm for an extra layer. It was also too warm for her to put on the claws hanging off her hands.

The three girls before venturing into the Haunted Hotel which I kind of regretted taking Alexis into not because it was scary (hardly) just dark and I had to carry her all the way through which almost broke my back

Jaimie and Alexis in the masks that Disneyland gave out for the evening

Was slightly disappointed by the parade as we have gone for at least 4 Halloween parades since moving to HK and they have always been the same music, same floats and no variety!

Still it seems that the kids did not mind so ... ! The fireworks were spectacular as always!

Toys R Us Sunday Activity

The most disappointing activity that we attended was probably the weekend activities that Toys R Us Hong Kong touted on their website. We headed down and Alexis dressed in her Halloween Cat outfit to go collect candy as the ad on their website said that there would be instore activities and kids were encouraged to go down dressed up and that there would be candy given out.

We got to the store at Harbour City and not only was there nothing on that weekend but also the staff were the only ones dressed up and although a few said that candy was supposed to be handed out - not a single staff could find the candy stash and we were told to wait by several staff till we got tired of waiting around. So beware of misleading advertising from Toys R Us kids - we wasted a trip down and we are lucky that it was only to the mall that we live in.

Halloween Party at The Pacific Club

On the weekend before Halloween, she attended the Pacific Club's Halloween's kids party with Chloe.

My SIA Girl rushes off to the Pacific Club with loot bag in hand.

This is the costume that my sister's SQ friend Amelia bought for my niece Elle so many years ago. Alexis went as an SQ girl and Chloe a fairy.

Don't you love the SQ girl blue eye shadow?

Full length Pierre Balmain for kids. Original costume perfect except that I had no time for the red nails.

Chocolate Mousse and Jello Eyeballs and other creepy food

Chocolate Mice and Bloody Berry's with Raspberry Couli Sauce

The Halloween Party

at The Arch Club House

Round two that evening after the Club Party saw a change of clothes for Chloe who borrows Alexis nurse costume and then the two attend the Halloween party at Chloe's Clubhouse at The Arch where they win the best dressed award on the catwalk

In ECC Sunday School

Even in Sunday School - the Kids dressed up but not to celebrate the darkness but the light!

On Halloween Evening

off to The Avenue Of The Stars

On the actual day Alexis met up with Audrey and Sabine for a Halloween impromptu trick and treat and walkabout through Harbour City Mall to the Avenue of the Stars.

Before we set out in the lobby of our apartment (with Anne and Sabine and Jennifer and Audrey)

Alexis in her witches costume with cape and broom and hat (hey where's that winning smile?)

Audrey (Ms Hula Girl), Alexis and Sabine the two lovely witches - scamming candy from the staff at The Pacific Club Bowling Alley

Love this shot of the two witches and the Hawaiin girl walking through the mall

Along the Avenue Of The Stars in Kowloon

Love this shot of them holding on their hats before they get blown away

With the Aqua Luna in the background

Fairy lights along the Victoria Harbour