by joanna on September 2, 2010
Hong Kong is my favourite city for boutique fashion shopping in Asia
Shopping in Asia is legendary and nowhere more so than in Hong Kong, where Asians and expats alike make pilgrimages to the wonderous twice annual sale periods to stock up on designer fashion. Hong Kong is packed to the gills with epic shopping malls like IFC, Pacific Place, The Landmark and more… But what I enjoy most, and also what is hardest to find in other Asian cities, is the fashion boutiques in the areas of Soho and Central, Hong Kong. While a department store presents known brands in expected array of colours and sizes, boutique shopping is a bit more adventurous and idiosyncratic. This is because you have the owner’s perspective on what is cool and interesting to him / her and this could easily be a mix of known designer brands as well as quirky new local and foreign designers with fresh points of view. Coming from New York where boutique shopping in places like Intermix and Scoop is the norm, I have adjusted to the idea that in Asia, the shopping mall is ubiquitous and therefore king. But for me boutique shopping, especially when in Hong Kong, is always soooo much more interesting. [keep reading…]
by joanna on August 29, 2010
Don’t miss the Prada Outlet in the Aberdeen area of Hong Kong
I’ll keep this short and sweet. There is a SPACE outlet by the Prada company…gasp…in Hong Kong. [keep reading…]
by joanna on July 25, 2010
If you want to go where the locals go for weekend dim sum, read on…
(photos by Joanna)
I have a special affinity for Hong Kong. Between the city’s relentless energy, vibrant nightlife, limitless shopping and local cultural scene, what’s not to love? But perhaps more than anything I love Cantonese food – in particular the weekend tradition of dim sum. Nothing says Sunday to me like an indulgent dim sum lunch with friends. And on my latest trip I asked around to find out where the locals go to enjoy their Sunday dim sum ritual. The answer? Super Seafood Dim Sum. [keep reading…]
by Paul on April 15, 2010
Any chef that can have me actually dreaming of eating crocodile again is a chef of note in my book. Hong Kong Chef Liu Ching Hai of Summer Palace in the Regent Hotel is that chef. You might remember our recent review of Summer Palace. We were treated to a special Sunday lunch of traditional Asian dishes and ones with a more modern twist… every dish as tasty as the next. After the meal we were gifted another treat – a chance to sit down and talk (via translator) to Chef Liu about his life & approach to food… and we even got a signature recipe!
[keep reading…]
by joanna on March 15, 2010
We got on a plane and flew to get our ass kicked military style. Was it worth it? You bet!
I used to do a bootcamp workout when I lived in Bangkok through Fit Corp Asia. A friend at work told me about it…in retrospect I am not even sure why I was interested….she told me “sometimes people work so hard they puke” and “you will be seriously challenged, I doubt you can keep up.” While these words should have scared me, they did the opposite and intrigued me. I think it was because I was in my mid-30’s and simply just wanted to see what my body could still do. And so bootcamps became part of my fitness regime when living in Bangkok and I loved it. It was hard at first but with each session I saw my fitness level increase and after a short time I was in amazing shape. Not skinny, but a strong healthy body I was proud of. And not only was I more fit, but also even when I wasn’t working out, my energy level was sky high.
However, I will confess since Paul and I moved to Singapore last year, my workouts have been, in a word, erratic. When I did my taxes recently I discovered why…I had been out of the country and traveling more in 2009 then I had actually been at home in Singapore. That’s more nights in hotels than in my own bed! As such, you can imagine my workout schedule, and thus my fitness level, has been seriously impacted. When traveling, I had replaced after work training sessions with drinks and dinners with colleagues. When I actually find myself in Singapore, I have a trainer through UFit who I have been really happy with – but it is not his fault I cannot maintain a regular schedule. So when my former Bangkok trainer Daniel told me he and 2 other trainers from Hong Kong and Singapore were putting together Asia’s Biggest Bootcamp in Phuket, Thailand, we had to go and check it out. I envisioned a bootcamp weekend to be just the kick start I needed to get back on track. [keep reading…]
Hey all,
A trip to Hong Kong without Dim Sum is like going to Texas and not getting a steak, Japan and sushi, New York and a bagel/hot dog, and… well you get my point. We knew we needed to find and cover dim sum on our last Hong Kong trip, but which place would be best? After studying various options we settled on City Hall or Maxim’s Place on the 2nd floor of City Hall, Central. [keep reading…]
A simple Italian restaurant in a quiet alleyway saves the night! [keep reading…]
by joanna on June 5, 2009
For power lunching executives, ladies who lunch…and the rest of us…
When I go to Hong Kong it is usually on business and the area I typically find myself in is Central on Queens Road. More often than not, lunch is catered sandwiches around a conference table….blah… But when the schedule is a bit more relaxed and we can find the time, the lunch decision is unanimous – let’s go to Gaia Ristorante!
(All pictures from Gaia website)
[keep reading…]
by joanna on June 3, 2009
A sumptuous art-deco Northern Chinese restaurant with panoramic city views
I get annoyed with those restaurants with stunning city views and mediocre food. We all know places like this in every major city…the kind of place you always take out of town guests to, scoff at the exorbitant bill in relation to the quality and remember why you never go there otherwise. Hutong is decidedly NOT this sort of place – it is the inventive Northern Chinese food that keeps me coming back again and again. [keep reading…]
by joanna on June 2, 2009
A must do! (and coincidentally, maybe the best value in Hong Kong)
There is simply no more fun and easy way to see Hong Kong’s dual skylines than to take the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. No matter if I am staying in Tsim Sha Tsui or in Central, I make it a point to do this on every single trip. [keep reading…]
