Noodles at Eu Yan Sang, Gardens Midvalley

Eu Yan Sang is a popular Chinese medicine shop so when I found out that they’ve opened a restaurant at Gardens Midvalley, I was eager to try. I had my chance when my family and I decided to try out this venue last week. We ordered the wantan noodles with wantan and mushrooms and found the noodles to be firm and springy. The soup for the noodle was sweet and flavourful. We also ordered one serving each of Dry fried kuey teow with beef slices and Dry fried kuey teow with seafood. The kuey teow came topped with crisp julienne salad which provided a nice bite. My seafood kuey teow came with slices of fish and squid whilst the kuey teow with beef slices had a substantial amount of beef in it. I’m not actually a great fan of kuey teow done this way but still it wasn’t too dry for me.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has always been a favorite destination for me and my family. We’ve been on shopping pilgrimages there so many times I’ve lost count, yet the discoveries and excitement never ends. Hong Kong, the vibrant, fast-paced metropolitan city, keeps reinventing itself, never remaining the same.

Some people may find Hong Kong too hectic and a little crazed but Hong Kong’s fast-paced lifestyle suited my impatient personality perfectly!

We visited the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong’s equivalent to Hollywood’s Walk of Stars. It was fun looking for handprints of our favorite HK superstars which is probably the closest we’ll ever get to Jet Li! We also caught the magnificent Symphony of Lights show against spectacular harbour views at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.

Of course, shopping is synonymous with Hong Kong. It’s a shopper’s mecca, an endless strip of shopping malls and outlets, perfect for all budgets, big or small. We love the jewellery shops where beautiful contemporary designs in 999 gold are sold.

Our hotel was located in the Mongkok area so we spent a lot of time just shopping to our hearts’ content. Most people liked the Ladies’ Market at Mongkok but I found it quite boring because every stall seems to sell the same clothes, hair clips, souvenirs. Not my kind of thing. Having said that, it is still worth a visit because although it’s not to my liking, it’s surely a shoppers’ haven.

It’s impossible to visit Hong Kong once and see it all. That is the best excuse, isn’t it? What better excuse do you need to visit Hong Kong again and again?

The Sound of Silence

I've lost my voice again. This is the 2nd time it's happened in 3 weeks. So this is how the sound of silence is like.

Steam King 2nd review

We had dinner again at Steam King last weekend.

This time round we ordered the tiger garoupa in steamed in soya sauce. The sweet firm fish flesh blends nicely with the mild soya sauce which is probably the best way to savour a good fish dish.

Next on the list was the Curry tofu which came in a layer of steamed eggs at the bottom and ladled over with curry packed with prawns, cuttlefish, vegetables and tofu puffs. I thought this was a unique dish. The layer of steamed eggs at the bottom of the dish was smooth and creamy. The curry was not spicy enough for me but I guess it's a good dish for those who are averse to too much spiciness in their food. We had the frog legs cooked “Kung Po” style this time. The frogs were large as usual and came in a thick “Kung Po” sauce. I think the frog legs were pre-fried before being cooked in the thick sauce.Stirfried Taiwan vegetables with “kei chi” (wolfberries) came next. The very fresh vegetables has a nice sheen to them and was crunchy and delicious! Our last dish for the night was Butter Prawns. Steam King’s version was good although I would preferred the egg floss to be finer. The prawns were extremely fresh and large. Tiny bird’s eye chillies are added to this dish which delivers a quick punch, especially when I accidentally ate one!At the end of our meal, we were also served complimentary red & green bean soup as a dessert.

Adventure at Tokyo DisneySea!

Tokyo DisneySea is one of the most interesting theme parks I’ve ever visited. Its many themed ports offered us a glimpse of different parts of the world, all exact life-sized replicas. It’s so incredibly beautiful!

DisneySea is divided into 7 themed ports of call such as American Waterfront where we were transported back to the fishing village of Cape Cod at the turn of the century with a huge liner docked at the port. The Mediterranean Harbour is a charming Venetian village where we rode a gondola through the canals of Venice. This is the most romantic part of the theme park! Our first roller-coaster ride was at the Lost River Delta where we rode the mining cart for Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull adventure! The ride was set within the confines of a Mayan pyramid and was one of the most exhilarating rides I’ve ever been on. Just perfect for my own little Indiana Jones adventure. The only bummer was Indiana Jones speaking in Japanese so we had no idea what he was saying! Next up was the Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth at the Mysterious Island. We rode a lift that took us into the center of the earth before getting onto our roller-coaster ride. The ride took us around the center of the earth where there are volcanoes, electric birds, plants … just like the recently released movie of the same name. For little girls with mermaid fantasies, The Mermaid Lagoon is a dream come true. My little girl was ecstatic that she is finally inside King Triton's kingdom under the sea. The rides here catered mostly for children and there is a very nice live show with Ariel the mermaid. The exotic Arabian Coast is where we found the enchanting world of 1001 Arabian Nights. The double storey Aladdin carousel is a favourite of kids and adults alike. Port Discovery is the marina of the future where the Center for Weather Control is located.

HK Disneyland's Magic in the Sky

The most magical moment of all, in any Disneyland, is the fireworks display at the end of the night.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you - Disney’s Magic in the Sky fireworks display.

The Cinderella castle served as a backdrop for the firework display. The castle was swathed in different colored lights along with music from Disney's much loved cartoons.

It's unforgettable moments such as these that I seek from my travels. Moments that are etched in my mind from watching a childhood dream come true.

Home-made somtam (Thai young papaya salad)

I made somtam for dinner yesterday. Ok, it was an excuse to use the brand new somtam pounder but it was a good excuse nevertheless.

I love colour in my food so somtam is perfect for me. First I added the young papayas, green beans and bird’s eye chillies and pound them together.
Then I added palm sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and roasted peanuts.

And garnish with coriander leaves. It doesn’t look as good as the ones in Thailand, no doubt but it tastes just as good! Next time I should use the red bird’s eye chillies to add a little more color to the dish.

Memories of Hong Kong Disneyland

Disneyland. It really needs no introduction. The very mention of Disneyland conjures up such happy memories for me. It’s no wonder it’s called the happiest place on earth. I doubt anyone, young or old, would feel any emotion other than happiness in Disneyland.

Compared to the more established Tokyo Disneyland, the one in Hong Kong is much smaller and has less attractions. However, that does not in any way mean that it’s any less better.

Our journey to Hong Kong Disneyland began at the MTR station where we boarded Mickey’s train!
It’s so cute, it even has Mickey handrails! It was almost Christmas when we arrived and we got to experience our first Disney Christmas. HK Disneyland was nicely decorated with Christmas decorations and a huge Christmas tree in the middle of Main Street USA.

Due to the small crowd on the day (it was a Wednesday) we were able to ride on all the attractions without having to queue! One of our favourites is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

We also enjoyed Mickey’s Philharmagic which was in 3-D. Our daughter had an amazing time trying to grasp the many goodies that floated in front of her!

The Festival of the Lion King show at the Adventure park was amazing with its energetic dancers and colourful sets.

Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters will please Toy Story fans, young and old! A friend of mine went through the ride many times with his son! Cinderella’s castle at Fantasyland is where every little girl’s princess dreams come true.

There’s a daily Disney on Parade in front of Cinderella’s castle everyday that should not be missed. The floats are beautiful as are the dancers and Disney characters.

Part of the HK Disneyland’s Christmas celebration is the lighting of the Christmas tree on Main Street USA every night. It’s a really fun celebration where Santa Claus arrives on his sleigh with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy & Pluto along with dancers and their very own Christmas band.

We had an amazing time at Hong Kong Disneyland. It's the closest we ever got to snow on Christmas! Yet, the best is yet to come!