The Shanghai Urban Planning Museum

June 29, 2012 by thehungryegghead

This was my first time at an urban planning anything so I have no baseline to compare The Shanghai Urban Planning Museum with. But I am told that it is one of the world’s largest showcases of urban development!

Shanghai’s iconic skyscrapers all grouped together. Hard to believe that some of the new ones are not built up to par. Hubby’s cousin told us that some of the glass windows of the newly built Shanghai IFC shattered in May 2011 and destroyed 40 cars in the IFC parking lot. Luckily nobody was injured. This conversation occurred was while she was treating us to lunch inside Ritz Carleton Pudong which is connected the Shanghai IFC! I was scared to walk outside afterwards. In case you think I am being paranoid, check out this article on The Shanghaiist which details the “glass bombing” incidents in Shanghai.

The entire 3rd floor consisted of one huge model of the city of Shanghai. It alternates from daytime view to nighttime view. Impressive.

The Pudong area of Shanghai all lit up during the nighttime view. I read somewhere that due to the weight of those skycrapers that Pudong is slowly sinking. Additionally, there are cracks on the pavement near the tallest skyscrapers such as The Shanghai World Financial Center(the building shaped like a bottle opener) and Jin Mao(pagoda like). Not sure how true this is. Does anyone know about this?

This model of The Bund area of Shanghai does not do it justice. Perhaps it is not worth it to the museum to replicate in detail of the various Beaux-Arts and Art Deco buildings in the Bund area.

Overall: It is a nice break from commercial Shanghai. Worth a look as it is not too crowded. We spent about 90 minutes in the museum.

The Shanghai Urban Planning museum is located at People’s Square close to the Shanghai Museum. Cost: $5USD

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The House of Dancing Water at The City of Dreams Macau

June 27, 2012 by thehungryegghead

Franco Dragone’s The House of Dancing Water is created with the Asian audience in mind. Asians generally love flash but does not care as much for story. The House of Dancing Water is certainly a feast for the eyes, but none for the mind. 85 minutes without intermission is too long to sit and appreciate the scenery without a plot. There is a reason why fireworks show never last more than 30 minutes. Beauty alone is not enough.

There are four categories of tickets available, VIP, A, B, and C. I purchased 4 category A tickets which was around $115USD per ticket and was seated to the right of the VIP section in the same row. Several reviews on Tripadvisor will claim that you must be seated in A class. I disagree, B is good enough and C would have been fine.

The House of Dancing Water started off very promising. The pirate ship was the highlight of the show.

This scene was probably the prettiest in the whole show. But I fail to see what pirates and swans have in common.

People will be performing acrobatics in midair often, therefore the best seats are the ones at the top if you do not want to get a stiff neck.

I was drifting off towards the end of the show when the sound of motorcycles snapped me out of my haze. So we have pirates, swans, people flying in the air all the time, and now motorcycles. How does this all connect? I certainly have no idea, even after reading the plot on the show’s website.

I understand that Dragone intent is to creat a visual theater, but must reiterate that visuals alone are not enough. I started yawning 30 minutes into the show. Please give us a storyline next time.

I can only recommend this to people who have not seen O, Ka, or La Reve in Las Vegas. The House of Dancing Water is much better than Mainland China’s impression Liu San Jie (complete waste of money), Impression Lijiang(not bad, different), and Shanghai’s ERA.

Things of Note: (1) Dragone also produced La Reve which is very similar to The House of Dancing Water. But La Reve is better in terms of visuals as the theater is much larger, perhaps 3X the size of the City of Dreams Theater. Storyline is still weak but not as weak as The House of Dancing Water. I would watch La Reve again but not The House of Dancing Water. (2) Asian parents will most likely enjoy the show. My parents did but my aunt only found the first 30 minutes interesting.

Four Seasons Macau Hotel Review

June 26, 2012 by thehungryegghead

When my parents and aunt told me they wanted to visit Macau during their Hong Kong trip, I immediately started searching for hotel rooms. Macau is too hectic to go just for one day with the long immigration queues. I found a bed & breakfast deal on the Four Seasons website which for $400USDper night includes a breakfast for two. Considering that the Four Seasons Hong Kong charges upwards of $700USD a night, Four Seasons Macau is a relative bargain. I went ahead and booked a room for my parents, and another for my aunt and I.

Four Seasons Macau went for a classical look since it was located inside the Venetian Complex. The hotel directly connects to Venetian’s Forum restaurants, shops, and casinos. There is also a casino located right in the Four Seasons Complex as well.

Our room was decorated typical Four Seasons style, understated elegance. Note that all rooms in Four Seasons Macau are king beds only. Max occupancy is 3 to a room.

The room is large around 650sq. Very clean with high quality fixtures. However there is a slight smell of smoke despite booking a non-smoking room. My parent’s room had the same problem. When I brought up the issue with management, they apologized and said that they try their best to enforce the no smoking policy, but the majority of their clientele are smokers who flaunt the rules. Four Seasons Macau should be more diligent in enforcing the non smoking policy for the non smoking rooms at least.

We had a pretty good view of the Cotai Strip. Our room overlooked the Venetian Plaza and The City of Dreams.

Bathroom was spacious with dual vanities with separate shower and tub. I never understood the need for a TV in the bathroom, but all the high-end hotels seems to have installed them.

What I like best about the Four Seasons chain is that they all have vitality pools which are great for soaking away the muscle stress and tensions before a good night’s sleep.

Likes: (1) Check-in was quick and painless compared with the huge check in lines at the Venetian Macau. (2) Very quiet for a casino hotel. (3) Friendly staff.

Dislikes: (1) The smell of smoke in our non-smoking rooms.

Worth it? The Venetian Macau charges around $330 a night, so $400 for the Four Seasons Macau is in line, especially it includes two breakfast buffets worth $25USD a person.

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya Hong Kong

June 25, 2012 by thehungryegghead

CoCo Ichibanya makes a very authentic Japanese curry. Japanese style curry is thicker in consistency and generally milder than Indian curry. While it does not possess the complex spices or varied undertones of Indian curries, it is very enjoyable still.

What I like most about CoCo Ichibanya is that you can completely customize your meal. From the spiciness of the curry, to the ingredients, to the weight of you rice, it can all be tailored according to your preferences.

My mom ordered one of their preset curry choices: a mild curry egg omelet with asparagus and cherry tomatoes. She enjoyed this very much.

I was not particularly hungry so I ordered my own combination of eggplant and calamari curry, medium spicy with a regular serving of rice. It was delicious but I should have ordered more ingredients as I did not expect them to be so stingy with the eggplant and calamari. Lots of curry sauce which was delicious with the Japanese pickles that was on very table. Those sweet and sour pickles were a perfect complement to the heavy curry.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal and would not hesitate to go back. It does not make my monthly rotation as curry for me goes hand in hand with garlic naan. But if you have never had Japanese curry before, I would not hesitate to recommend CoCo Ichibanya for the taste and reasonable pricing. Around $15USD per person including nonalcoholic drinks.

Other things of note: (1) Coco Ichibanya is a chain that mostly operates within Asia but has two branches in the USA located in Los Angeles and Hawaii. (2) Very clean and pleasant atmosphere. Servers are polite and efficient. (3) Try to time your visit outside of primetime lunch and dinner hours, it gets very crowded.

The branch I visited is located at: Shop 302, 3/F, Silvercord Tower, 30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 3572-0460

For Kee – HK’s Best Pork Chop over rice

June 24, 2012 by thehungryegghead

In Hong Kong, every restaurant you go to will have some version of pork chop rice. Ever since I discovered For Kee’s pork chop over rice, I never ordered one elsewhere. Why mess with perfection?

This is For Kee’s basic pork chop over rice, marinated and pan-fried. Simple yet delicious. The pork has a nice char but is not burnt. Fully cooked, yet incredibly tender and flavorful. No MSG, no fillers, just incredibly fresh pork chop. It may not be the most visually appealing, but in this cause you cannot judge the food by its looks.

My usual order is the pork chop with vegetables over rice along with a daily soup that is MSG free as well. Runs about $65HKD($8USD). Hubby’s favorite is the pork chop with fresh tomatoes and onions over rice.

The store front looks like a typical HK Style Tea Cafe. Inside everything is worn but clean. Staff is not the friendliest but very efficient. Chinese only menus and Cantonese. One of the waiters does speak broken English and broken Mandarin. =) The patrons are mostly local Hong Kongers and foodies. This is one restaurant where I do not mind sitting on stools. The food is worth it. Of course the food would taste even better if I did not have to hunch over a shared table.

Just how good is For Kee’s pork chop over rice? It sells out by 2pm most days. If you place your order after 12:30, there is a good 30 minute wait for your food.

Tucked in a hidden corner it is located at Shop J-K,200 Hollywood Road, SOHO, Sheung Wan. Open from 8am-4pm Mon-Sat. 2546 8947

For my NYC readers: This place is better than 66′s and Wah Mei’s pork chop over rice. No joke.

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

June 19, 2012 by thehungryegghead

My detailed review of the best places for afternoon tea in Hong Kong.

One of the things that is a must do when visiting Hong Kong is afternoon tea. The question would be where as all the high-end hotels offers it as well as restaurants, sweet shops, etc. And then you have your choice of Eastern or Western afternoon teas. When Cindy and Wenting were in town, I suggested that they try out the afternoon tea at The Ritz-Carlton ICC for their view. It is an excellent alternative to paying the 150HKD($20 USD) for the SKY 100 observation deck on top of the ICC.

The entrance to The Lounge & Bar of The Ritz-Carlton was thoroughly modern and very flashy.

Located on the 102nd floor, it offered a bird’s-eye view of Hong Kong. If you want to sit by the window, reservations need to be made a month in advance. Or you could just walk up to the window and admire the view as we did. I do not like being up so high, makes me queasy.

Cindy & Wenting went for the afternoon tea set for two but I just ordered a carrot juice. I am not a fan of afternoon teas as I do not eat much sweets. I only go when visitors are in town or with hubby.

Food was very pretty, but tasted average at best. I did not try any, but Cindy & Wenting are not as picky eaters as me and there were at least 5 pieces left. And none of us wanted to bring it home. My carrot juice on the other hand was pretty good. =)

The three of us had a great time despite the food. It is a nice place to relax on a rainy day. Atmosphere is slightly hectic and very loud. Many little kids were running around without parental supervision while we had afternoon tea. Perhaps management should do something about it as one little kid tripped and fell down twice during his many circles running around the restaurant.

If you are looking to experience afternoon tea, my top pick is The Lobby Lounge at The Four Seasons for the best atmosphere and the best scones in Hong Kong. I also recommend The Clipper Lounge at The Mandarin Oriental for their sandwiches and cakes, Peninsula for the colonial atmosphere (be prepared for the 1-hour wait unless you are staying at the hotel, and ask to be seated on the orchestra side), Intercontinental & Cafe Grey Deluxe for the view, and Sevva for the decor.

A Heavenly Massage at Landmark Mandarin Oriental

June 18, 2012 by thehungryegghead

One of the best “bargains” in Hong Kong are luxury massages.

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong charges $122USD for a 60 minute massage + 10% service charge. The Mandarin Oriental New York charges $220USD for a 50 min massage + 20% service charge + 4.5% tax. That is a savings of over 50% not counting the fact that you get an extra 10 minutes of massage in Hong Kong!

With that said, it is hard for me not to indulge. A great massage is heavenly.

The locker room is very clean, much cleaner than the Four Seasons Spa. I loved the soft terry robe. It stopped at my knees so that I did not have to worry about tripping over it while walking.

The hydrotherapy pool was very small. Not nearly as nice as Four Seasons Hong Kong or Four Seasons Macau.

Nice amethyst steam room but I prefer the eucalyptus scented steam room @ Encore Las Vegas.

I do not like how dim the waiting room was. The plus was that the snacks was very tasty. Blueberries, raspberries, banana chips were very fresh. I had seconds of every portion. =P

The massage room is very small compared to the 800sq massage room at the Mandarin Oriental next door. Landmark Mandarin Oriental is the hip sister to the older Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Overall: My aromatherapy massage was excellent. Pure bliss during the massage and relaxed the day after. However based on the size of the massage room, I prefer the Mandarin Oriental. =)

Highly recommended if you are in need of a treat or pick-me-up. With massages in Hong Kong, you get what you pay for. A $60USD massage at Dragon Fly Hong Kong is perhaps 30% of the quality as the Landmarc, it was neither painful nor pleasant during the massage but I woke up hurting the next day. A $30USD massage at Halite hurt like crazy during my massage and it hurt the next day as well.

Happy Fathers Day!

June 17, 2012 by thehungryegghead

My hero is my dad.

Growing up, I often argued with him. Blow out matches over things I cannot remember. One argument in particular occurred in college where I was screaming at him over the phone for a good hour. My tantrum was so spectacular that my then roommate still remembers it to this day.

As I matured, my arguments with my dad lessened in frequency and intensity. Then one day out of the blue he took me aside and apologized to me about all the mistakes he made as a father. That was the turning point of our relationship. I now recognize his good qualities in addition to his flaws.

Out of all the lessons he tried to teach me only three things stuck: (1) A person must have integrity (2) A person must strive to continue learning (3) Nothing is that hard if you just face it. The three lessons stuck because my dad talked the talk and walked the walk. As a parent that may be the best way to teach your kids.

So here is to you Dad. I love you and will always be your little girl. The picture below is my first Christmas in NYC taken at Rockerfeller Center.

Chong Qing Chicken Pot 重慶雞煲

June 16, 2012 by thehungryegghead

Chong Qing Chicken Pot is chicken cooked with onions and spices in a claypot. It comes fully cooked ready and to eat with rice/noodles and other dishes. But because the chicken pot has so much flavor, after the chicken is eaten, broth is added to turn it into a hotpot(steamboat, shabu shabu).

Or you could do what I do, which is to turn it into a hotpot immediately. First as soon as the chicken pot arrives at the table, I pick out all the chicken pieces and have the wait staff add soup stock to it. While the soup is boiling, I order hot pot like items to be cooked into the chicken pot. I prefer veggies such as wintermelon, corn, fried tofu, napa cabbage, because they absorb all the flavors of the broth and spices.

Be patient and let the soup simmer for 3-5 minutes to get the full flavor of the soup before dumping any of the raw items in. Check out the chicken pieces I stashed on the left hand side of the picture.

This is what the pot looks like with all the ingredients dunked in. I generally order just veggies to put into the hotpot but you can also order beef/pork/lamb/fishballs etc. Cook them to your desired firmness for vegetables. Most meat and seafood only takes a minute or two to cook in the pot when the pot is boiling. As for the chicken, I dip my chicken into the pot to warm it up before I eat it. It has a different flavor from all the other items in the pot which is why I like. I order my chicken pot medium spicy. Do not order the spicy if you are a first-timer!

I always have to drag hubby there since he is not a fan of spicy food or hot pot. I really enjoy this and try to have it once a month. Be sure to give this a try if you like spicy foods and if you like to try new cuisines.

In Hong Kong you can or the Chong Ching chicken pot at: 來來重慶雞煲, 11/F, Kyoto Plaza, 491-499 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay. 2891-9017. Opens at 6pm-2am daily. Reservations are highly recommended especially in winter. There is no English name of the restaurant as it is highly local. There are other locations scattered around Hong Kong, but the Causeway Bay location is the easiest to find. It is right across the street of the Causeway Bay MTR, SOGO exit.

Other points of note: (1) The restaurant has English menus, which is weird as it does not have an English name. (2) Quite clean as well.

A Fun Filled Day @ Ocean Park Hong Kong

June 14, 2012 by thehungryegghead

Ocean Park’s biggest attraction: Pandas!

I never knew what the big deal about Pandas were until I saw them in person. Adorable does not begin to describe these big cuddly wuddly bears. They seem so docile and tame which makes you forget the fact that they can easily kill you. Keep in mind that the panda exhibit is not always open, so check the Ocean Park Website prior to your visit so you will not be disappointed.

Besides the pandas. Ocean Park’s next biggest attraction are the cable cars(famous for the ocean views).

Maybe it is the age of the cable cars but my friends and I were very scared riding during the ride. We were scared to move around and was scared when it stopped for a couple of minutes. The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Ride on Lantau Island is much smoother. In fact I love the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Ride! I have ridden that a total of 5 times and I am still not tired of the views.

The view from inside the cable car. The three of us were so scared at this point we were clutching onto the pole for dear life. Not that it helps in reality, but I guess it soothed us mentally.

Finally reached the top and admired the view overlooking Repulse Bay. Notice how happy we look. We did not take the cable car down and opted for the train. =P I will not be riding this cable car ride in the future unless they upgrade to better cable cars.

I love how Ocean Park has a section dedicated to Hong Kong’s past. It was full of old buildings, props, a replica of the tram, old movie posters. It is classic 1960′s Hong Kong straight from the movies/TV Series.

My favorite picture of the day. Cindy pretending to be a rickshaw driver. She was supposed to lift me up but I was too heavy for her and she failed after trying numerous times and laughed harder after each failure. Meanwhile I was cracking up. What was even funnier was that a minute later a man lifted his wife quite easily. And then Cindy was like she was not meant to perform hard labor. =P

In front the newly built aquarium. I did not find this to be impressive. Many better aquariums in the US. The aqurium was also very crowded, be prepared to fight to look at the fishes. It is highly rated in the local magazines, so perhaps it is the best in Asia?

The dolphin and sea lion show was just okay. If you have been to Sea World in the US, you will know what I mean. The dophin and the killer whale show at Sea World was AMAZING. I would not waste my time with a show at Ocean Park unless I wanted to rest my feet.

Last photo we took that night with the monkey king. We were all smiling ear-to-ear. We all loved Ocean Park. There was also a light show at the end of the day which was interesting. But nothing spectacular. Hong Kong Disney’s fireworks are much better.

Overall: Ocean Park is a must visit if you love pandas and nice scenery. We went on a total of 1 ride and 1 trampoline jump and yet we had lots of fun just exploring the park, despite how crowded it was on a weekday.

Not recommended for people with mobility problems or small kids in strollers. Ocean Park is divided into many different levels and across several different hills, so it will be a very tiring day of walking especially if it is hot.

Transportation is easy, there is a direct bus from the Admiralty MTR station where you can also purchase your tickets as well. Or you can just cab it from Central Hong Kong for about $10USD.

the hungry egghead

Adventures of an aspiring author living in New York

Monthly Archives: June 2012