Ciyou Temple after Raohe Street Night Market

After strolling through the Raohe Street Night Market, we stumbled upon 

Ciyou Temple 慈佑宮. It's a magnificent and beautiful temple and definitely worth the time to take a closer look at the pillars, walls, roof, ceiling, and the amazing detail in its infrastructure.

Food Tripping @ Raohe Street Night Market, Taipei

Raohe Street Night Market  is one of the famous tourist night markets in Taipei. It is located on Raohe Street, near Shongshan Railway Station. There is a decorated-archway in front of the entrance welcoming the visitors.

The Ultimate Xiao Long Bao in Din Tai Fung (Taipei 101 Branch)

Din Tai Fung (Taipei 101 branch)
Address: B1, No. 45, Shifu Rd., Taipei City (Taipei 101 Mall)
Telephone: +886-2-8101-7799
Website: http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/index.asp


Din Tai Fung is known world wide for its quality food, exceptional services, and of course, the Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumplings). It has come a long way since 1958 and has branched out in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, USA, and many other countries. Since it's originally from Taiwan, Din Tai Fung was definitely a must for me, especially since I absolutely love dim sum.

Beautiful Stay at Beauty Hotels Taipei: Roumei Boutique

Beauty Hotels Taipei, Roumei Boutique

Address:No.9, Lane 64, Section 2, Jianguo North Rd, Jhongshan District Taipei City, 104
Phone:(02)25031133
Fax:(02)25067973
http://www.beautyhotels.com.tw/en-us/roumei_boutique.asp

Lobby of hotel

This boutique hotel is quite a find. The room is tastefully done with modern amenities. The bed was very comfy. They even offered free snacks, 2 bottles of mineral water, and free tea in the ref aside from the free tea and coffee facilities. 

Good Deal for Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila

Address: Ortigas Avenue Corner Asian Development Bank Avenue, Quezon City 1100 

Telephone: (632) 633.7222

Website: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/quezon-city/mnlcp/hoteldetail

This post is long overdue. We actually stayed here in Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila last July 2011. We normally do not stay in hotels which are in the same city of our residence but when we saw Deal Grocer's offer for a night's stay at Crowne Plaza with buffet breakfast for 2 for only PHP3500, my hubby grabbed it. And it was a really good deal!

Maxim's: One of My All Time Favorites for Hong Kong Cuisine

Maxim's Chinese Restaurant in Hong Kong International Airport

Departures Check-in Hall Mezzanine

Non-restricted Area

Operating Hours: 06:30 - 23:30

Telephone: 2186 6068

 http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/shopping/dining/all/chine/maxc.html

It was finally time to bid farewell to Hong Kong. We arrived at the airport way too early and decided to have lunch after checking in. We originally planned to just eat a sandwich but then my dad saw the Maxim's on the 2nd floor of the airport (Tip: Before entering immigration area) and it was perfect because we weren't able to eat at Maxim's in Hong Kong this time around. I was not even aware that the HK airport had a fine dining Maxim's Chinese Restaurant but I'm so glad we stumbled upon it because it's one of my all time favorites.

A Sushi and Sashimi Feast Thanks to Sogo Supermarket Hong Kong

After a whole day of shopping and walking, our legs started to buckle and so we caved in and decided to buy sushi and sashimi from Sogo Supermarket in Causeway Bay and go back to the hotel. Even if it was just takeout from the grocery, I must praise Sogo for their food presentation and the freshness of the fish. It's actually even better than some Japanese restaurants back in the Philippines. And after going overboard, we spent a little more than we bargained for (around HKD$600!). I guess not a little but more like majorly carried away! But it was still worth it because we gave our aching feet a break and we ate really good food in the comforts of our room. =)

MORTON'S The Steakhouse Hong Kong: A Wonderful Dining Experience BUT at a Hefty Price

 Address:    Sheraton Hotel, Fourth Level, 20 Nathan Road, Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui Area) 
                    彌敦道20號
Telephone:  852 2732 2343 

Website:      http://www.mortons.com/hongkong/ 

Morton's The Steakhouse is a very well known restaurant that specializes, of course, in steak and has opened branches worldwide. It originally started in Chicago and has found its way all across the seas. When my dad learned that there was a Morton's in Hong Kong, we immediately made a reservation online. 

Fantastic view of the Hong Kong Harbor. According to our server, you will have an excellent view of Hong Kong's "A Symphony of Lights" and one of the best seats to witness Hong Kong's famed and spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks show.

Sweet Dynasty Hong Kong: A SWEET Treat for Foodies

The Sweet Dynasty 糖朝
Address: Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon 尖沙咀廣東道100號
Telephone: 21997788 / 21997799


Sweet Dynasty has come a looooooong way since my first visit there. It used to be extremely small but has grown into a very big restaurant (2 floors) and has even opened branches in other countries. And despite the expansion, it's still jam packed during the peak hours. It's centrally located in one of Hong Kong's busiest areas, Tsim Sha Tsui and just a few minutes away from the famous Harbor City. Many have come to know that Sweet Dynasty offers some of the best Chinese dessert, but it also serves a good variety of dim sum, congee, noodles, and other Cantonese dishes. I always make it a point to visit Sweet Dynasty when I travel to Hong Kong because of the total package: yummy dim sum, lots of Cantonese dishes, the sweet desserts, and the ambiance.

Front of the restaurant located along Hong Kong's famous Canton Rd.

Great Location at The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers Hong Kong

We stayed at Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers this time around. It's located in the very bustling and vibrant Tsim Sha Tsui, which is in Kowloon side. We always choose this area because it's closer to everything. Harbor City, Silvercord, DFS, Nathan Road, and Canton Road are accessible by foot from the hotel. Mongkok is only 2 or 3 stops away on the MTR. It's also closer to the airport as opposed to Hong Kong side. And the free Airport Express shuttle-bus service  stops at this hotel (Take K2, it's the last stop).

Entrance of hotel on Canton Road.

Next Stop: Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific Airlines

I'm always bubbling with excitement when I know that Hong Kong is my next destination. I look forward to the food, the shopping, and the city itself. To make things better, I knew that we would be taking Cathay Pacific. I always assumed that Cathay Pacific was one of the better airlines in terms of online entertainment, comfortable seats, and on board meals. I was right about the first two but wrong about the latter part.

Our on board meal (Economy class)

TIM HO WAN: Hong Kong's Very Cheap Michelin-Starred Dim Sum Restaurant

Tim Ho Wan in Chinese: 添好運點心專門店

Address: 9-11 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

                   深水埗福榮街9-11號地下

Telephone: 27881266

Whenever I set foot in Hong Kong, eating Dim Sum is always a MUST DO because Hong Kong is known to have the best dim sum in the whole world. The restaurant on the top of my "Places to Eat List" in HK is Tim Ho Wan.  There are actually 2 branches. The first branch that opened is located in Mongkok. Because of it's popularity among locals and tourists, waiting time can take as long as 2 hours. Since we were already famished and pressed for time, we opted to try the other branch located in Sham Shui Po.We arrived at 11:30am and got the last free table.

Front of Tim Ho Wan in Sham Shui Po

Talabong Mangrove Park

Another must see area in Bais, which is a 45 minute drive from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental is the Talabong Mangrove Park. It's accessible via a boat trip and the boat men suggested that we visit this place. It's definitely different from the usual white sandy beaches and turned out to be a very unique and educational trip for everyone. Apparently, the Talabong Mangove Park is a 400 hectare protected mangrove forest and home to many different kinds of species. Lots of picture opportunities here for those camera enthusiasts.

The Talabong Mangrove Park is accessible through this platform.

The Beautiful Manjuyod White Sandbar in Bais

The Manjuyod White Sandbar is a beautiful stretch of white sand that appears during low tide in Bais, Negros Oriental. There are cottages that you can rent if you would like to stay for a couple of hours or even for the night (according to the boatmen).

Since we got there during high tide, we were unable to see the stretch of white sand but nevertheless, we enjoyed it just the same and went swimming and grabbed the opportunity to take scenic pictures.

Try calling the Bais Tourism Office to inquire about renting the cottage for a couple hours or for the night. According to the locals, the cottage has a water tank that they fill up whenever someone stays there.

Bais City Tourism Office: 63 (35) 402-6629 and 63 (35) 541-5161

Dolphin Watching in Bais, Negros Oriental

Bais City is 45 minutes drive away from Dumaguete, the capital city of Negros Oriental province, and dolphin watching is one of the top tourist attractions, aside from whale watching. For the locals, they even say that Bais is the home of dolphin watching in the Philippines. Naturally, since I'm a sucker for animals and since we were in Bais during the dolphin watching season, it was the first thing on our to do list. Despite the 2 hour boat ride to get to the dolphins and waiting for them to appear, it was definitely worth the wait. They even swam right beside our beat! Nothing beats witnessing these wonderful and magnificent sea mammals in their natural habitat.

Atmosphere Resort in Dauin, Dumaguete

My family and I stayed in Atmosphere Resort last May of this year. We were a group of 9 people, 6 adults and 3 kids. It was a much needed break for everyone and at the same time, we were celebrating since my sister was visiting from the States. We drove to the resort from Bacolod. Since we had grandparents and kids with us, it took us around 5 hours to drive to Dumaguete with short breaks in between. Looking for the resort can be quite tricky since the signage is so small but my father knew how to get there since he travels to Dumaguete frequently.


When we entered the vicinity of the resort, I heard alot of "ohhhs" and "ahhhs" from my family. The garden and landscape of Atmosphere is very nice and well maintained. Much to the delight of my kids and niece, they even discovered birds nests in the trees of the resort.

This is the view from the entrance of the resort. Rooms are to the right while the spa, souvenir  shop, diving preparation area, reception area, and dining are to the left. This was the only picture taken from the entrance so please don't mind me and my sis =)

Chelsea Market & Cafe: Gourmet Comfort Food

One thing that I love about Chelsea is the ambiance. My husband said that it reminds him of Dean and Deluca in New York but I can't vouch for him since I have not been to New York in years. It's like a deli / restaurant with shelves of imported merchandise not found in our local supermarkets ranging from various herbs and spices to German beers. And beside these shelves are the tables for the guests. It is quite cramped but that did not stop me from going since I've heard good things about Chelsea.

Apartment 1B by Night

Because of it's casual yet chic ambiance, excellent service, and of course, the delicious food, we keep coming back to Apartment 1B. This time around, however, we decided to have dinner there and try something rather than breakfast food.

Smoked Salmon and Leeks Quiche with Mixed Green Salads @ PHP 320.00 - I absolutely love egg. It's always been one of my comfort foods so when I saw this on the menu, I had to order it. Presentation was really nice and the egg was light and fluffy but it did not leave any impression on me. It was just alright.

Tao Yuan - Best Singaporean Cuisine in Manila

We had the opportunity to dine in Tao Yuan in Malate in January 2011. Since then, we have been to Tao Yuan more than 5 times in their Malate and Resorts World Branch. We just can't enough of it and I can truly and honestly say that they have the absolute, best Char Kway Teow and Laksa.

Char Kway Teow at its finest. It's even better than some of the char kway teows that I have tasted in Singapore.

Camp John Hay: A Home Away From Home

Last weekend, we decided to take a long drive to Baguio to have a breathe of fresh air and to basically just get away from it all. And with the SCLEX, it made Baguio all the more accessible. It only took us 4 and a half hours but left Q.C. area at 430am so that probably explains why there was not as much traffic. So after a long drive, we finally made it and we knew we made the right choice when we arrived at our destination.

The front of the forest cabin