Monthly Archives: August 2010

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The One With Dim Sum Square At Sheung Wan

It is common folklore among food bloggers that the best food are often found in ma-and-pop shops at little known alleyways. With the advance of social media, such gems are now easier to be discovered, thanks to snap-happy friends who upload and comment on every other thing under the sun.

That’s how I discovered Dim Sum Square, a small, probably family-run outlet located at 88 Jervois Street. There are a couple of reasons why I love this place:

1) It is very near to my home
2) The price is insanely cheap
3) The service is usually good, depends on the time of the day
4) I always, always manage to get seats, whether on my own or with friends

Dim Sum Square, Jervois Street

Most importantly, the menu is offered in both English and Chinese! That is very important for “banana” like me; yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Ordering dim sum has always been a challenge for me wherever I go in Hong Kong. At Dim Sum Square, getting my favorite dishes is a breeze; just check the box and pass it to the passing wait staff. They will first present you with the bill (that’s rather common here) and then the dishes will start to arrive.

Here are my favorites.

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The One With The Music of Danny Katz

A quiet afternoon. Rolling waves and swaying trees. Holiday hut by the sea. Rustic front porch, wooden swing.

Shared laughter and murmured conversation. Folded knees beneath you, a glass of chilled Pinot in your hand. Sands in between your toes, the smell of the salty sea in your hair. Music in the air… just there but you almost barely notice.

Suddenly you look up when a somewhat-familiar tune came on, a favorite line belted from the speakers. You smiled, hummed along, and get back to the pleasantness that was the day.

Sounds familiar? Each of us have that favorite type of music which soothe our nerves and calm the soul. And it was exactly how I felt when I listened, in mild surprise, to the music of Danny Katz.

The Music of Danny Katz

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The One With The Sushi One @ Causeway Bay

The adventure began in the cab ride while we were on our way to South Bay for the afternoon.

“I am craving for steamboat”, I quipped.

“Oh no, Raz… not steamboat. Not in summer. Maybe sushi?”

“Okay,” I pouted. “Sushi will do fine. But I know nothing about sushi in Hong Kong unless it’s prepacked at Park ‘n Shop”.

“There is this place at Causeway Bay, which is pretty good. I think it is called… Sushi First? First Sushi?”

I snorted. “A culinary offshoot of Fitness First?”

We quibbled more, and I fired up the mobile version of Open Rice to discover the place she was referring to was actually Sushi One, located at Leighton Road nearby my office.

Making reservation was a breeze, as long as it is before 8 p.m. Knowing how fashionably late we all can be, I made the reservation for a table of six on the dot.

Dinner at Sushi One, Causeway Bay

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The One With Solo Indonesian Restaurant – Awesome Roti Prata & Gado-Gado

It was the end of a long week. My mind was focused resolutely on one thing – beer. A pint of foaming beer in a chilled glass, sipped slowly with my eyes closed.

Hmmmm….

So as I ascend to the second floor where Solo Indonesian Restaurant is located at, to join my friends for a birthday dinner, you can say my mind was a little disengaged from my surroundings.

Which happens more often than you think.

Solo Indonesian Restaurant @ Sheung Wan

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The One With 7 Reasons Why Summer Is Fabulous At Hong Kong Beaches

When I first moved to Hong Kong in mid of summer 2009, I couldn’t understand why the locals were overjoyed with the soaring temperature. What was so great with stinky armpits and sweaty foreheads? Perhaps I have lived in Singapore for too long, summer is a “year-long” season for me.

Then came winter, of which I enjoyed tremendously. Donning outfit after outfit of winter bests, seeing your own breathe fogging up right in your face were new experiences to me.

Too soon winter was over, and suddenly it is hot all over again in Hong Kong. But this time round, I start to see this season of holiday through a Hong Kong-er’s eyes, and begin to understand why summer in Hong Kong can only be described as fabulous.

It is the beaches. With over 200 outlying islands, and a long coastline full of spectacular bays and beaches, there are more than enough beautiful beaches in Hong Kong to frolic your days away at.

So I don my new swimming trunk (thanks Dennis!) and slap on luxurious amount of sun block, and off to the beaches I went to explore.

Lazy Afternoon at South Bay Beach

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The One With Guidelines For The Novice Food Blogger

Dinner at Sushi One, Causeway Bay

If you are a social media junkie like yours truly and live in this part of the world, chances are you would have heard of the food blogging ethic fiasco that involves renowned Singapore food blogger Lady Iron Chef and Hungry Epicurean, and one chi chi dining establishment at Joo Chiat Road, Private Affairs. If you don’t, I have compiled a list of resources as foot note to this blog post that will give you all the information you need.

That’s me, the ever helpful and resourceful novice food blogger.

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The One With 7 Lessons Learnt From The Manila Hostage Tragedy

(Photo by CNN.com)

#1 – If I am ever in a country where disaster strikes, the first thing I’ll do is to call my family and post updates on all my social networks to tell everyone that I am okay. Unless I am one of those unfortunate few stuck in the said crisis

#2 – I will never hold my grudges towards anyone (tryanic bosses, psychotic wife etc) against the innocent public. The dead hostages did nothing wrong. Vent against the ones who actually wronged you.

#3 – Never use a sledgehammer against bus windows. Especially when I have better weapons like an axe or a jackhammer, or when there are international news crew watching

#4 – On a similar note; never use ropes to pull apart doors. Some heavy duty chains will do nicely. Ditto the truck

#5 – Should I ever need to speak in representation of my organisation, I will make sure I use proper, understandable English. If not, I shall keep my mouth shut and get someone else who can do a better job instead

#6 – I will remember to listen carefully to questions asked (the reporters are trained to get facts everyone wants to hear), answer as truthfully as possible and avoid jargon designed to protect my ass. Like we didn’t know the injured were being rushed to the hospitals

#7 – If I ever get to name a police squad, I will avoid using the name SWAT on a group of men who didn’t even wear rain-repelling goggles while operating under a thunderstorm.

On that note, my condolences to those affected by the hostage situation in Manila. You can also do a little more for the victims by “Like”-ing the Facebook page.

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The One With The Lost Key Chain

Over the weekend, something terrible happened to me. I dropped my bunch of keys.

The fact that I lost some keys is not that bad. I could get them replaced.

The fact that I got stranded in the middle of the night is not that bad. I could go to my friend’s place to bunk for the night.

What was terrible is the keychain which I have lost. That keychain was my very first purchase when I moved to Singapore back in 1999. I was at Orchard Road, I needed a keychain for my hostel keys, so I bought a nice one, all bronze and leather with my initial R.

Why was it significant? At S$10, it was almost RM25, which was a luxury to me as a student back then. The purchase was a splurge. But I loved the keychain. I have lost it several times over the years, but every time it got returned to me.

But not this time. I wasn’t so lucky. And the worst thing was that I don’t even have a photo of it to put up a “lost and found” notice. The closest I could find was this photo on Flickr.

It was like the lost of a long time friend. The keychain has been with me for more than ten years. Now it is gone.

Perhaps it was a sign… for me to get a similar symbolic item for my (somewhat) new life in Hong Kong.

Maybe I shall get a Tiffany. But I’ll do that only when I have grieved enough about its lost.

Good bye, my keychain. You are sorely missed.

The One With A Triple O Deluxe – Finger Licking Good

Before your imagination starts to run wild, a Triple O is not, you know, the sexual advantage a woman has over a man.

If you really want to me to explicit… to quote Ross on how a woman triumphs over a man: “Multiple orgasms!”

Alright, my point is, Triple O is nothing of the sexual connation sort. But rather, it is a little known burger chain located all over Hong Kong.

Roast Beef Deluxe Combo at Triple O, Pacific Place

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The One With Step Up 3D The Movie (And Why It Rocked My World)

You know how certain movies have the magic of entertaining you, uplifting your spirit and make you feel good about life? That happened to me recently with Step Up 3D, a movie about a tight-knit group of New York City street dancers and their trials leading up the Olympic of street dance, the World Jam.

Rick Malambri & Sharni Vinson in Step Up 3D

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