Hong Kong 2013

Hello!

It's sorta unusual for me(or any student) to be going to Hong Kong at a time like August where exams and everyone's pretty much in a rush to finish their requirements for the preliminaries.

Awkward Face: On.

On our way to get a cab

I love their system. They make it easy to understand and convenient for the people.

For example, you're planning to take a cab to go somewhere. You just need to refer to the board for the taxis on whether which color of cab you should take ( Blue, Red, Green). The color-coded cars make it sooo much easier for everyone living there or even just first time visitors. If you're not sure, there's always an info person waiting there willing to help you.

We took the red cabs which goes to Causeway Bay.

A line so you won't have to fight for one. See so orderly.:))

My attempt to take pictures of infrastructures LOL I really don't care about the building.

Not so bad for an iPhone camera plus taken on a moving taxi! :D

Ever so present Sasa. I wish they would open Sasa stores in the Philippines.

Eeeeep! Our(siblings) weakness, Haagen Dazs Green Tea Sandwich. No matter what the weather would be like:HOT OR COLD. We'd still buy everytime we go to any convenience store. (Proven when we went to Korea earlier this year when it was around -12C) Why can't we have these selections here?

When you're in East asian countries, expect to have a lot of green tea (Matcha) flavored whatever. But don't buy this pocky green tea mousse, it's not good.

MY FAVORITE! I especially love the butter flavor.. No such luck finding one here:(

And so after leaving our things with the concierge, we head out to ifc mall :D

Ifc Mall

View on the inside. The previous photo with the ifc sign outside actually looks like this on the inside. ^-^

I was actually semi-running already at this point. LOL IT WAS SOOOO HOTTTT and I didn't put enough sunblock on my body and by enough I mean a whole bottle of it :))
No exaggeration. It was like Philippine summer weather, I don't even walk outside when I'm in Manila so really it was too hot for me. I was laughed at by my sister for hiding and running from one shade to another. -_-

We had a late lunch. I don't mind as long as it's in Tim Ho Hwan. MUST TRY.
Directions: When you get to ifc mall's ground floor go one floor down via escalator and turn right to a small walkway then you'll see subway and elevators, right across you'll see this:

One might wonder why it's still full of people when I clearly said "Late lunch" (around 3pm already) \. Well after you've tried eating their BBQ pork buns, you won't wonder why anymore.

Seriously, anytime ANYTIME. There will always be a long line. 

Baked Asado Buns. *I died*

Ordered 3 orders for 2 people. hehe 18HKD$ for each order. Cheap or not?!

Sorry. I'm not a born food photographer. For one, I can never let the food wait for me to take its picture. --> I was already itching to eat haha (Snap photo! EAT!)

Oh the usual.

Their version of soy sauce. 

Sorry again. LOL 

Hi Krizia:D Every seat regardless of strangers or not will be occupied so this woman(with camera) alone had to sit with us.  Awkwwaaaarrrrd.

C!ty Super! (happy face)

Take away ready made soups

(Salivate)

Variety, Variety, Variety. It's unfair.

Oh yeah. Found the wide selection of pasta amusing and cool:)

coool

The bitten Apple

 Apple Store

I DO NOT GET THIS!!!! WHY ARE THERE SO MUCH PEOPLE HANGING OUT HERE?!

HIHI Came back for this :D

.

Street shopping right outside out hotel, Parklane Hotel.

Time square. So busy. It felt like Christmas (weird scrunched up face here) with the volume of people there.

Lane Crawford display

*Sigh*

Cafe de coral 

Day 2: Prada outlet $_$

It's located in

So Just go to Hysan Place (Hennessy Road) and ride the 592 Bus. It costs around 5HKD$ per person. 

Hysan Place. Where you wait for you bus.

Hennessy Road

Bus Stop. 592 Bus.

Picture of the Day:)

Cute and clean bus 

Marina Square

If you see this place, you have to go back a few blocks. lol our mistake

Add caption

FINALLY

A long line but relatively short time to wait.:D

Now to return to where we came from.
Turn right when you get out of Prada store and you'll see the street signage:

Take the 590 Bus to Central

590 Bus

From Central you'll know where to go.

Harbour City

Must try:)

Another blurred food photo. You know why;))

Radish pastry.

Timho hwan's bbq pork bun is still better.

Eh. Not good. Taro cubes

OOH! along Haiphong street you'll see a street on the right with the big advertisement of nabe one. Near Body shop store.

So cheap. Surprisingly cheap I mean. You should try it! I'm a fan of sukiyaki so ^_^

Day 3: Windsor mall, Causeway bay

Since it was our last day, we decided to tour the stores near our hotel. This one is just right across The Parklane Hotel.

Found this cute. Saw a filipino word:))

Random Sushi place

Hmmm Salted Tuna. 

Fatty Tuna. 

Foie Gras with gold shavings? good!

second yo mama:))

EMODA!

For cutesy office supplies fanatics/artsy fartsy people= Go crazy. I had to wait 30 mins for my sister here!!!!! -_-

Free street instax photo by Calbee!:)

-Kuinzirinrii!

Macaron review (Hong Kong)

So last week, My sister and I went to Hong Kong on our own. So I was asked what I plan to do there and so I said, "I have 3 goals: To eat good dim sum, Go back to city super (I'm a fan of groceries haha go figure) and to eat a LOT of macarons as well as discover new ones! I guess if you set goals for yourself (even if its just something shallow like this), you can accomplish what you set out to do! It was a check check check for me :D

 PS: Please forgive the Quality of the picture, I was only using an iPhone in taking these pictures. ( did not bother to bring a camera) :D

What do macarons remind you of whenever you see some on display?

Oh how money flies when you spend money on macarons. I love hoarding macarons hahaha I am a hoarder, no doubt so when I see something I like I tend to buy a LOT. Definition of a hoarder I think? Hahaha!

Macarons the oh so famous food fad, I can vividly remember my first encounter with these cute babies. It was back in 2003 when my parents went to Paris and brought home macarons, not knowing what it was my dad urged me to try it even tried to shove it down my throat when I was very skeptical and was very reluctant  to try so when my dad successfully got some of it into my mouth it was like a wide eyed moment for me lol like what the hell is this it's so good kind of moment! Then the rest was history, I would always compare macarons to that standard. 

Le Goûter Bernardaud 

How do I say this.. 

It's a must try! Their cheese macaron is to die for!
Maybe it's because I'm a fan of cheese?

We pay for their packaging too-_-

Overall rate: 8/10. ^-^

Pierre Hermes 

Eehhh not so good. PRETTY but not so good. The flavors were not so enticing and the taste of their macarons won't have me craving for more.

I do however give credit to their macaron shell. It was the right amount of shininess and ease of chewing was there. Crispy on the outside soft chewy on the inside just like how a french macaron should be like.

PS I only got a few pictures well, two to be exact cause the store does not allow picture taking. (which, BTW I don't get hello? it's free advertisement=more customers=more money)

Overall rate: 6.5/10



Paul Lafayet

This one we saw inside the City super store. So naturally we bought some and tried.

Macaron display along with other dessert options.

Curious? It's creme brûlée!

They really do trick you with nice packaging. Yeah?

Overall rate: 5/10


Laduree

At last, the mother of all macarons. HAHA nah I'm just saying that cause nowadays if you say macarons people will go automatic "Laduree is the best!" when in fact it is not. Laduree is very much overrated sure, the nothing beats the packaging but what really matters is the macaron itself.

The sad truth is that even though Laduree is way overrated, I still spend money on it not because its tastes good but because its SO PRETTY. Every detail of the store and packaging will make you go crazy and make you want to buy the whole store then you'll wake up right after you taste their macarons cause its nothing so special. So one might say the girly girl in me got crazy with the whole interior of the store. Cause it is the epitome of what a macaron store should look like or rather French macaron store should look like. A time and place wherein you could just imagine Marie Antoinette would be drinking her tea and eating her crumpets, that sort of place.

Here, I took a LOT of pictures. I couldn't help it!:D

Every girl's dream room:))

Sorry, I'm not sure if you can clearly see the photo or written flavour of the macaron.

outside display

If were to have a birthday cake, this would be my ideal one. Macaron tower. So hint hint people planning to give me cakes for occasions lol 

You get to choose from their many packaging designs as well as the designated ribbon colour. 

The different sizes and design you can choose from.

Overall rate: 7/10


Fauchon

This we saw inside a grocery similar to city super.

They have other varieties as well. Ideal for gift giving.

The Macaron was sorta in the normal side. Very so-so. The sort I won'y crave for or look for either.

Overall rating: 6/10

So hopefully, The next time I go back to HK I'll get to try more.

This was a DFS challenge wherein you would have to count the number of macarons used to make the macaron tower. The prize = HKD$ 10,000. I started counting already when I realized that I won't be in HK long enough to know if I've won or not, so I stopped and left. LOL

My one regret is that I didn't get to try my favorite macaron store, Jean Paul Hèvin in IFC mall. I was already there.:( Oh well more reason to go back.:)

At present, I'm planning on making my own macarons. Preferably cheddar cheese macarons. I haven't found any almond meal at our local groceries or healthy options so if you know where to buy some, please do let me know!:)

So for now, I satisfy my cravings with Fairmont Macaron cafe's Cheddar cheese and Quezo de bola macarons.

-Kuinzirinrii