Bear & Bunny Weekend

21 Feb 2014 - Watched my first Giselle performance by La Scala Ballet and cheering to a glass of Moet right after work on Friday.  I was eagerly waiting all week long and it was one of the most beautiful performance that I have ever seen. :) Although I wished I could watch Svetlana Zakharova perform the lead role, I guess I'll need to keep on waiting because we can't have it all right? Act II just took my breath away with the female supernatural spirits floating effortlessly against the moonlit backdrop.  During the romantic era of the 19th century, poets, novelists and artists became infatuated by the supernatural or spirits/ghosts who control the hearts of mortal men. Its this same era that gave rise to the classical 'ballerina' with the development of pointe work and idea of weightlessness.  So aww-some!

Grabbing a light snack on Sunday afternoon and looking up at the pretty orange flowers on this tree with the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences and Argenta appartments right behind it.

Having a cup of cappuccino and sharing Cafe Deadend's B.E.L.T. sandwich made with bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato on homemade buns from Po's Atelier (sister company next door).  I've been wanting to try this place for some time and I'm pretty happy that we got to spend such a relaxing afternoon here. We roamed around  the Po Hing Fong and Tai Ping Shan neighborhood for a good few hours checking out the stores and trendy cafes.  Next time I'll definitely try to come earlier and try their scones (freshly baked around 10am) and their apple tarts which ran out around 3pm.. Or enjoy Teakha's freshly brewed teas and cakes ^^ 

After walking around some more, it was time to grab an early dinner and beat the crowds. So off we went to Chôm Chôm for some much missed Vietnamese flavors.  I haven't had pho in a while, kinda missing Nha Trang that closed down near Hopewell area..

Spicy tuna roll with fish sauce+XO dipping sauce. Really small portioned but I love the herbs rolled inside.

The closest thing we got to classic Vietnamese noodles was the pho rolls with grilled beef, pickled daikon, light sprinkling of baby garlic, chopped peanuts, onions and chilis.  Looks ordinary but makes me salivate for more.  Not pictured was the Kafir lime chicken cabbage salad fried to crispy perfection. If I get a chance to come back I'll definitely order the VFC (Vietnamese Fried chicken) and BBQ Ribs :D


Shaking beef with beef tenderloin, watercress, garlic, cherry tomatoes, peanuts cooked up beside a bowl al dente jasmine rice (just the way I like it).  Finished approximately 70% full which means just enough room for dessert later on.

Love you not at all WAFFFLE!  Looked promising with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and graham crumbs but the waffle itself was totally undercooked one inch in and looked like some kindergarten's few months old yellow/greenish play-dough.  It was warmed up pathetically on the grill and was far far away from being light n' crispy. Belgium waffles do not taste like this so don't waste your calories or money. Blehh  

Anyways going over to another extreme, counting down to my first ever juice detox! ;) Couple of my friends have tried with pretty good feedback so I'm looking forward to giving this a go while J is away in Chicago next week.  Genie Concept will deliver my first 2 days of juice on Saturday night and then starting first thing Sunday morning hehe. Let's see how I feel cutting out on processed sugars and carbs (Byebye bolobaos, muffins, croissants or any munchies at work).  Easing out the snacks this week by eating more fruits/veggies :) Wish me luck..

A Kaleidoscope Star

Unlike the previous years where we ordered in and stayed away from the crowds of people carrying expensive bouquets and set dinners during Valentine's day, this year we were invited to J's parents V-day dinner gathering. :) Given that we had no plans or dinner reservations we decided this might be a good idea and it was a really fun night with close friends.  After eating, we sat together and shared the happy memories of how we knew he/she was the one, or as we call it the moment.  For many people it may have been a series of events that developed the relationship over time, maybe it was love at first sight, perhaps a rational decision or there was a moment/epiphany where everything lined up perfectly clear and you just knew.  When you realize how much this person really means to you, always be thankful for what you have together and remind each other how you got to this present day. <3

Paula brought balloons! Wee :)

Ghormeh sabzi pictured here is a popular Persian stew and some might even say that it's the Iranian national dish. Ghormeh means stewed and sabzi pretty much means green herbs. Its made up of parsley, coriander, various herbs and spices like turmeric & dill, onions, kidney beans, beef and dried Persian lime. This aromatic dish is super comforting with a tangy savory first bite.  

Hehe If you love tartness foods, then this is for you - barberries and rice (zereshk polo). So cute, popped upside down looking like a chunk of cheese. 

Devouring Ms B's Ruby Valentines Day Cake. Strawberry sweetness with pomegranates scattered on top with a layering of red velvet and vanilla chiffon.

 Giving myself some slack on Vday and nibbling on J's triple chocolate cupcake from Sift. Hmm detox can start in March :P

Remembering when we made a wish one early morning and planted a seed for new beginnings~

P i n k . F a i r y . D u s t

Kung Hei Fat Choi! And wishing everyone a fabulous, happy and healthy year of the horse! Whatever adventures and challenges come our way in the coming months I hope that we can adapt to these transformations and thrive on the exciting new journey.  It's always the tough or the difficult times that we look back on and say to ourselves we really concurred that hurdle and and made it through as a more confident person. That's what I hope to accomplish this year, to be stronger mentally and physically and bring forward an air of determination. naha I truly believe that if we have a plan and vision, work hard enough for something we want then we can get there eventually. - Cheers and some recent photos over chinese new year festivities.. :)

Pre-CNY pot luck feast at Mama & Yeye's place.  After maxing our bellies with the yummy pot luck dishes that every brought to the table, we were presented in front of our already bulging eyes more sweets.  Cheesecake, ice cream, at least 6 or 7 different kinds of fruits and tong yuen..  Dinners are treated elaborately around here.

Looking back at older photos from January's birthday dinner. Ever since we got our own Epson photo printer, we've been printing a lot of photos ourselves rather than going to Fotomax to hand pick the ones I want. Its roughly the same price and it's definitely less of a hassle.  Strongly recommend it for those who like taking photos.

Some nice relaxation time surrounded by warm tones, soft lighting and pure silence.

For those who know me, Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines and I can't believe that this the only second time that I've ever tried Dosa!  Truly wish more Indian restaurants in Hong Kong served this because its such a simple comfort food. Perhaps it's very time consuming to make but I wished it wasn't so expensive because these crispy bad boys are made up of two ingredients: fermented urad dal and idli rice.

Yeah, time to go on a detox right about now. Complimentary dessert platter from Sevva! What a feast for the eyes starting with three layers of sponge cake with lychee cream, crusty chocolate pie with strawberry cake, banana split with strawberry banana chocolate mousse, two different flavored panna cotta puddings with fairy dust, chocolate + ganache and the center, all time favorite thee original crunch cake with soft vanilla chiffon sponge and with homemade caramel toffee crunch.

Always makes you feel like a world apart without moving more than 15 minutes from home.  Wonderful lunch with mom and J at the Fish Bar in my t-shirt and jeans on a sunny January weekend.

And of course, the huge crab cakes accompanied by a light drizzle of lemon and tartare sauce. Have I mentioned that they're massive? :P

heh J playing with the Phantom drone on a super windy day. Pretty fun to see how far this thing can go.

Day before CNY. Window shopping at Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau and lunch at the Tree. I'm going to miss this weather once summer rolls around. 

Always wondered how the florist time the flowers perfectly so that they bloom and open just in time for the new year.

Black sesame and peanut tong yuen one of my favs.  J loved the homemade almond birds nest dessert (not pictured). Dinner with parents followed by a movie afterwards.

hehe Afternoon tea bai lean at our place ^^.  I bought ham and cheese baguette sandwiches from Robuchon in the morning, got some crackers, pork, smoked salmon and crispy cereal treats from Marks and Spencer.

Strolling around HK Park area before the sun sets. Getting away to admire the simple things. :)