I have read good reviews about two small restaurants in Hong Kong frequented by expats and foodie Hong Kong locals called "Yardbird" located in SOHO area and "22 Ships" located in Wan Chai.
Yardbird is known for the yakitori dishes. The restaurant does not accept reservations since it is a small restaurant so if you plan to try it make sure you go there early. They also have a policy that they only seat their guests in tables once the group is complete.
Some must try dishes at Yardbird are the cucumber salad, chicken yakitori (breast part), sweet corn tempura, Korean Fried Cauliflower and the Ox tongue with salad greens.
Cucumber salad
Sweet Corn tempura
Chicken yakitori (breast)
KFC- Korean Fired Cauliflower
Ox tongue with salad
If you like spicy food then the KFC(Korean Fried Cauliflower) is something that you should try.
The other restaurant that I tried is 22 Ships. The restaurant is bar type restaurant that offers various tapas.
The food is good and it is a popular choice of expats and foodies who work around the Wan Chai area.
Although the pork dishes are tempting, I made a decision to stick with a healthy choice and got the Cauliflower salad and the grilled King prawns.
Cauliflower salad
Grilled King Prawns
Goat cheese ice cream with honeycomb
Strawberry with toasted marshmallows
Other daily specials are listed on their blackboard
To know more about 22 ships, visit their website : 22 Ships website.
I have watched a video of Phil Hansen talking about his inspiring story on how as an artist he went from having "the shake", which was a physical limitation, to "embracing the shake" and making great artworks.
Phil shared how he was able to embrace his own limitations and how this has even help him become more creative. He mentioned that embracing his shake also made him learn more about life skills and made him think out of the box.
Below is the link to Phil Hansen's video"Embrace the shake".
Sometimes we have moments in our lives when we feel stuck or we feel that we are in a rut. By changing our perspective and attitude we can actually change our situation in life.
It is important for us to love ourselves unconditionally and seize our own limitations. At the same time, we should continue to harness our creativity by thinking of ways on how we can change our lives for the better.
Watching the video made me realize that life can be filled with challenges but it is really up to us on how we will turn these challenges to opportunities that can make us shine.
I remember during my trip to Bhutan last April, my friend and I met an artist who had cerebral palsy. He created beautiful artworks that he had carved using his feet which he sells to travelers to make a living. You would see that he is happy doing what he does and everytime he sells one of his works his smile and the glow on his face shows fulfillment and purpose.
At some point in time we can experience a dark moment in our lives but what is important is to remind ourselves that we do not have to be perfect to be happy or successful. We always have a choice to rise above our challenges and keep a positive attitude that would lead to great changes in our lives.
Life goes on so embrace your shake and make a difference!
Seeing Angelina's cafe inside Lane Crawford department store at IFC Mall in Hong Kong just made me smile as it brings lovely memories of Paris back into my mind.
I remember the time I went to Paris with my brother before and we had their most popular and signature Mont-Blanc dessert. Mont- Blanc is a combination of meringue, light whipped cream, and chestnut paste vermicelli.
To try something different, my brother and I decided to try the Choc Mont-Blanc when we had our afternoon tea break the other day. It was a combination of meringue, light whipped cream, dark chocolate laminates, and chocolate-chestnut paste vermicelli. It's good to pair it with with tea or coffee.
Choc Mont-Blanc
Angelina's also offers other desserts like eclairs, mini cakes and macarons in various flavours. Something worth trying for afternoon tea or morning snack. Their IFC mall store in Hong Kong is open from 10AM to 10PM daily.
Eclairs
Other mini cakes and Choc Mont-Blanc
Angelina's Paris cafe is definitely a cool and good stopover for a sweet treat!
Everytime I go to Hong Kong I love trying new restaurants. Eating nutritious and delicious food is important especially if your main activity for the day is to go around shopping. After all carrying all your shopping stuff is like doing weights training and the walking at the malls is a workout in itself...ha ha ha.
Since I choose to be committed to keeping myself healthy I take into consideration restaurants that serve healthy but yummy food options.
One of my recent food finds is a restaurant called "Minh & Kok".
The restaurant serves both Vietnamese and Thai dishes and has a nice and cozy ambience.
Since my brother and I wanted to eat something light for dinner we had the pomelo salad, papaya salad and the grilled beef skewers.
Pomelo salad
Papaya salad
Grilled beef skewers
MInh & Kok restaurant is located at Shop C&D, G/F, 66-72 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Food prices are quite affordable and service is quick.
Another good food option is Crystal Jade restaurant.
Crystal Jade restaurant serves "Xiao Long Bao", steamed pork dumpling dish that originated from China. The name means "small basket dumpling". Unlike the usual dumplings, it is a dumpling that has a soupy and flavourful broth inside that bursts in your mouth once you take a bite.
I paired my Xiao Long Bao with a Chinese spinach dish for light and healthy meal.
Aside from the traditional Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade also offers other Xiao Long Bao flavours such as black truffle, spicy chicken, and cheese flavours.
In case your have a stopover flight in Hong Kong, there is a Crystal Jade restaurant located at the Hong Kong International Airport that serves their famous Xiao Long Bao and other delicious dishes. Try it.
One of my favorite clothing stores now in Hong Kong is COS. The styles of their clothes are simple yet very classy and chic.
Their clothes, shoes and accessories are easy to mix and match. Aside from this, the material they use is of good quality. I hope they open a store in Manila.
To know more about COS and check store locations, you may visit their website: COS website.
My environmental consciousness was heightened when I joined a global company way back year 2005 and one of my roles included spearheading and handling Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs for the company.
During that time, I started becoming more eco-conscious and I started reading more books on environmental sustainability. I also started to change my lifestyle in order to have a lower carbon footprint and do my own part in helping save the environment. It changed my perspective on how our simple lifestyle choices everyday as consumers are linked to how we can contribute to saving the environment.
One of the more recent books that I have read is the book entitled "Go Green, Live Rich" by David Bach. The author is an internationally renowned financial expert and best selling author.
In the book, the author shared that it is possible to have both a life that is aligned with our green values and save money too.
It is a good book and an easy read that gives readers practical tips on how to go green and live rich. The author cites examples and shares that it is actually possible to go green, save on costs and make a difference.
Bach mentioned that "Our spending choices shape the world we live in"and that how we spend not only determines the quality of our lives - what we eat, where we live - it also contributes to the success of the businesses where you shop. Note that shopping green does not have to mean paying premium prices.
Here are some of the useful tips to go green that Bach shared in the book:
Plant trees - It provides shade at your home and can lower surrounding air temperature at your home.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
Shop green and choose environmentally friendly products and services
Buy in bulk - By buying in bulk you save on packaging materials and get more savings since usually the larger size product cost less on a per use. A good example is buying a bottle of shampoo instead of using shampoos in sachet packs.
Bring your own reusable bag when shopping
Use recycled paper products
Switch to CFL(Compact Fluorescent) bulbs
Go green at the office - Switch off the lights and your computer when work is done
Bring your own lunch to work - This helps reduce use of takeout food packaging and is a healthier alternative too.
Do things online - Pay your bills online and read news updates online
Think before your print and use recycled paper
Get outdoors - Do fun activities like hiking, running, biking, swimming, and brisk walking which can also help you get fit
Going green need not be expensive. It is a matter of making some simple choices and considering the impact it can have on the environment and on your budget.
In my own small way, I try to shop green by bringing my own reusable bag and buying my weekly food ingredients like organic fruits, vegetables and plants at a local market every Saturday and since it is so close to my home I don't need to use a car.
It is definitely a win-win situation since I get to exercise by walking to and from the market, cut my carbon footprint and get healthy organically grown produce too. Plus, my action also contributes to environmental sustainability since buying local produce equates to lower carbon emissions in sourcing goods and helps grow local businesses.
Remember we have a choice to make this world a better place to live in and each of us can contribute in our own small way by the choices that we make and actions we take.
Part of my healthy choice is to get yummy desserts and treats that are low-fat and delicious. I love ice cream before I went on my healthy lifestyle and I knew I had to have a healthy alternative. I'm glad I discovered Pinkberry.
Pinkberry at Greenbelt 5 mall
Pinkyberry offers various yoghurt flavors and toppings. You can customize your yoghurt just like the way you customize your own coffee drink at other coffee shops.
Low calorie options such as fresh fruits
Toppings such as dark chocolate, granola, etc.
Option to have 1 or 2 flavors of yoghurt
I have friends who used to not eat yoghurt but now they like yoghurt ever since they have tried Pinkberry. Their products are good and they offer variants that are not tangy tasting so you get to think you are having ice cream but you are actually having a treat with lower calories.
If you have not tried Pinkberry, go and get a swirl of this delicious and low-fat treat.
To know more about Pinkberry and find a location near you in the Philippines, just click here.
Cindy Crawford, supermodel, entrepreneur, wife and mother, shared and conversed with women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and up during an Oprah lifeclass session about the 5 important questions in life that helped her figure out who she is. Here are the 5 questions:
1) Have you found your passion in life and if so, what is it? Cindy shared how by asking this question to herself she discovered that her passion is in being a "communicator". She mentioned that she likes talking to her friends and enjoys sharing stories.
2) Where do I want to place my energy?
No matter how busy we are in life, we should make time for the things that are important to us. Thus, once we know what our passion in life is then we should spend time and energy in doing what we are passionate about.
3) Why not?
Cindy shared that there are times when we get stuck and we are afraid to take chances. Her advise is to weigh the pros and cons and ask ourself "why not?". She said that it is good to get out of our comfort zone and take a chance.
She also mentioned that in life even the failures are gifts since by having failures we get to know what we do not want and what does not work and it helps lead us closer to what we want. She cited an example related to this when she said that she tried becoming an actress before and she found out that she was not good at it.
She also mentioned that when you are connecting to your passion it is also when you can be creative. To some people they call this "flow" or when it seems that you keep on doing things continuously and well without experiencing stress in doing it.
Here's a short video clip on Cindy sharing about her experience.
4) What do I want to hear?
Cindy said it is important to ask yourself "what do you want to hear"? This helps in learning more about ourselves and what we want in life.
5) How will I feed my passion?
Once you know what your passion is you should feed it. It can be doing something big like changing your career or something small like if you know that you like being creative and being involved in doing art then you might want to volunteer in your kids' art class.
In life, the journey certainly continues and we continue to learn everyday.
Marks and Spencer Food store opened at Bonifacio High Street Central Square.
The store offers various food items from M & S such as chocolates, wines, cereals, chips, teas, pasta sauces, biscuits, pies, etc.
What's nice about this shop is that it also offers freshly baked goodies everyday such as pastries, cookies, freshly baked breads, etc. Plus, they offer coffee and tea choices which can be consumed at the store or bought for take-out.
Apple danish pastries
It's a good place for people who want to have a quick snack, coffee, tea or dessert. It's also a good stopover for buying goodies that can be brought home.
