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The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G.K. Chesterton

Monday 28 October 2013

Delightful Brunch @ Posto Pubblico, Hong Kong

I love brunching in Hong Kong, and it's so easy to find a good place for brunch here. I still regard breakfast as the most important meal of the day, especially when I am up by 6am in the morning everyday, but I am quite happy to have an early lunch because I'm usually starving for lunch around the time that many people wake up on weekends. We met up with hubby's aunt and uncle (long-time residents of HK) over brunch last Sunday, and I can't believe it's already been four months since we last saw them! We always eat well with them because they know all the good places to eat in HK, and our brunch at Posto Pubblico in Soho was no exception. This is a New York-style Italian restaurant that is all about good food, using organic produce that are sourced from local farmers.

You can look into the kitchen from the main dining room:

I like the casual atmosphere with the exposed brick walls, high ceilings, hanging chandeliers and dark wooden tables that are reminiscent of the lively bistros of NYC. The service was professional and timely, and I liked watching the hustle and bustle inside the open kitchen. On the brunch menu, breakfast items such as granola and eggs were available as well as lunch dishes like pastas, salads and sandwiches. The slices of bread served to us in the bread basket were delicious, and I believe these were made on site. The cappuccino was pretty decent too.

2 Eggs, sunny-side up with Italian toast, baked tomato and hash brown (HK$80) for the 5-year-old. He loved the herb-buttered toast (as well as the bread from the bread basket), but he ate only one of the eggs before he curled up on the couch to have a post-meal snooze. Hubby and I were only too happy to help ourselves to the rest of the food on his plate (the tomato and hash brown hidden under the eggs were delicious!):

Hubby chose to have an Omelette (HK$110), with a choice of up to three fillings (sausage, shaved ham, pancetta, tomato, onion, mushroom, spinach, provolone, mozzarella), but not the minimalist when it comes to food, he wanted five. He enjoyed his omelette a lot, and I must admit that the combination of pancetta, tomato, onion, mushroom and cheese was pretty tasty:

The Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onion, pancetta and aioli (HK$120) was one of the food items that appealed to me, and it didn't disappoint. The chicken cutlet was moist and tender, and it was simply a well-made sandwich with the right kind of bread and ingredients:

A slice of rich, dark chocolate cake - and it was the last one! The guys on our table had their eyes on this cake ever since we noticed it sitting on the counter when we walked in. It was an utterly decadent piece of cake:

We had a great brunch at Posto Pubblico with good food and fantastic company. I would love to come back and try more dishes!

Posto Pubblico
28 Elgin St
Soho, Central
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2577 7160

Saturday 26 October 2013

Dinan (Part 1): around the town and up the clock tower

After spending a night in Rennes, we continued on our vacation in France in the ancient town of Dinan. It is a pretty small town, and gorgeous in a medieval way. The hefty ramparts, cobbled streets and timbered buildings are all part of Dinan's charm. We wanted to explore this part of Brittany, and I chose Dinan as our base because I heard that it wasn't as overrun with tourists like the nearby towns are. And we really enjoyed our stay in this quaint little town. Walking is the best way to explore this town, and a lot of ground can be covered in just one day.

The road to our hotel (Hotel de la Porte Saint-Malo):

A short walk from our hotel was Porte Saint-Malo, the medieval gateway into the main part of town:

Rue de Jerzual, the steep and scenic route down to the old port by the River Rance, the birthplace of Dinan about 1000 years ago (townsfolk later retreated to the bluff behind the current fortifications). We explored this route later on (to be covered in Part 2):

A talented one-man-band busker performing in the town's centre:

An old but functioning carousel:

Inside Église Saint-Malo (Saint Malo's Church):

It is very peaceful and tranquil inside Saint Malo's Church. Even our active and noisy boy hushed when he entered the doors:

One of the stained glass windows of Saint Malo's Church:

Château de Dinan, which also houses the local museum:

Tour de L'Horloge, also known as the Clock Tower, as viewed from the streets. For a small fee, tourists can enter the tower, climb up 158 steps to get to the top and enjoy the beautiful view. Our boy really wanted to go up the clock tower (related to his obsession with the Eiffel Tower), so we did:

The old clock movement manufactered in 1498 by a German watchmaker, Hamzer, and was used until 1847:

We made it to the top, and enjoyed vast views. This is the view facing east towards Saint-Sauver's Basilica. Click on image for larger view:

The quiet streets of Dinan from above:

The view facing north-west, towards Saint Malo's Church where we were before. Click on image for larger view:

Zooming in on Saint Malo's Church:

The clock bell that rings on the hours and quarters:

What goes up must come down. Climbing back down to street level:

This post covers only part of our exploration in Dinan. Stay tuned for more!

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Seafood on the beach @ Teba Mega Cafe, Jimbaran (Bali)

When we were in Bali a few weeks ago for a wedding, one of the things I wanted us to do was enjoy a good seafood dinner and the sunset on Jimbaran Beach. The owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed at recommended Teba Mega Cafe, and we met a friend and her family for dinner there. It's a straightforward set-up: pick out your order by choosing the freshest-looking fish and seafood at the entrance facing the parking lot (prices are not displayed, so ask for the price which is based on weight), proceed to the beachside tables, order a drink and then wait for the food to come out.

Seafood in tanks and fish on ice:

The beachside entrance:

The view from our table:

A young coconut drink:

Our seafood feast. Rice, stirfried leafy greens and condiments were included with our dinner:

Grilled King Prawns - a popular item with the other little 2-year-old boy at the table:

Grilled Squid - popular with our not-so-little boy:

We also enjoyed two whole Grilled Red Snappers, deboned but with heads attached at my request:

We all enjoyed the food, the company and the setting very much. All the seafood and (non-alcoholic) drinks cost less than 400,000IDR to feed four adults and two kids. Teba Mega Cafe is highly recommended by me!

Teba Mega Cafe
Jalan Four Seasons Resort,
Muaya Beach
Jimbaran, Kuta
Bali, Indonesia
Tel. +62 (0361) 708 676

Saturday 19 October 2013

5 Years Old!

Where did the time go? It's a little hard to believe that it has already been five years since our lives were completely changed. Back then, I had no idea that the little baby we held would grow up to have such a strong personality, a goofy nature and a sweet compassionate soul. We know he'll be a good big brother to his little sibling to be born next month. Despite being 8 months pregnant (with work commitments), I decided to go ahead with the plans to celebrate our boy's birthday, because I am not sure if I'd be able to do it for him next year or the one after. To make our lives easier, we used the same format as previously, and kept the gathering small. Putting on a barbecue party for an additional six kids and their parents was quite manageable, and the kids were entertained for hours with the ride-on toys and a bouncy castle that I'd hired from a toy rental company. The weather couldn't have been more perfect (October is one of two months when it's good to be outdoors in Hong Kong), and our boy had a great time.

Cozy gathering in our residence's barbecue court:

The kids having a ball:

Some of the barbecued food we enjoyed:

A space shuttle cake, which was perfect for our son who has a strong interest in all things astronomy. I did a similar cake for his 3rd birthday, but he is able to appreciate it more now. And making and decorating the cake is easier and quicker the second time round:

The family tradition for our boy's birthday is to go to Disneyland! He'd been looking forward to going to Disneyland for most of this year, and he could barely contain his excitement when his birthday finally arrived! I didn't take much photos as this was our fourth visit in the past three years, but if you're interested to look at more photos of Hong Kong Disneyland, click here, here and here. The boy's birthday fell on a weekday during his school's term break, so we didn't have to battle the weekend or holiday crowds, nor did he have to miss out on school (and hubby was more than happy to take a day off work to celebrate his son's birthday). Seeing my son so happy more than makes up for the sad fact that I was not allowed on all the fun rides (and honestly I was glad for the chance to rest while the boys enjoyed the rides).

A Mickey Mouse-shaped waffle for morning tea while we waited for the park to open:

With his favourite character - he even brought along his Buzz Lightyear toy which was a gift from last Christmas. (We'd told him it was too large and heavy to bring along, but he insisted that he would carry it himself - and he did!):

We caught part of the parade:

We stayed late to watch the fireworks, and saw the spooky Halloween-themed decorations come to life:

I was utterly exhausted by the time we got home after 9pm, but we had a successful birthday outing at Disneyland!

Thursday 17 October 2013

Scrumptious galettes and crepes @ La Ville d'Ys, Rennes (France)

When we decided to go to the Brittany region as part of our trip to France, the first thing that came to mind were the galettes and boozy apple cidre. Our first (and only other) exposure to the Breton galette and the alcoholic cidre was at a crêperie in Tokyo, and we were keen to try the real deal in its home region. During our very short time in Rennes, we enjoyed lunch at a tiny crêperie called La Ville d'Ys. This place had gotten great reviews online, and I heard that this popular crêperie fills up quickly, so I made sure that we turned up just before 12 to beat the lunch crowd.

La Ville d'Ys, a great little crêperie in Rennes:

We were seated at one of the outdoor tables, and we enjoyed our meal with the lovely weather. I saw only two cooks in the kitchen and only one waitress serving the floor, but the service was great and the food came out in good time. The menu was in French and my studies in French paid off, but the waitress spoke excellent English and answered any questions we had about the food.

Delicious boozy apple cider:

For the boy, we ordered the Galette Complète (5.40 euros), which came with ham, Emmental and egg - a great combo for kids:

Hubby and I decided to be a bit adventurous, and shared the Galette Guémenoise (9 euros), which our waitress told us was an acquired taste. It had andouille de Guémene, a pork sausage made with the small intestines of the pig. Having grown up eating all kinds of food that others would consider 'interesting', this sausage was quite ordinary! (For the record, I liked eating the pig's intestines my mum cooked when I was a young girl.) The crunchy texture was similar to beef tripe that you can get at yum cha, and the andouille didn't have any funky or weird taste. This galette was pretty good combined with the mushrooms, onions and mustard:

We also shared the Galette Armen (8.80 euros), which had a potato filling with smoked salmon, lemon, crème fraîche and chives - good, fail-safe combination of ingredients:

For one of our something-sweets, we ordered a traditional crêpe with lemon juice (3.40 euros), one of hubby's favourite ways to eat pancakes at home. Simple but good:

We also enjoyed one of the house specialties, a chocolate and coconut crêpe (4.60 euros), which are perfect toppings for a sweet crêpe:

The savoury galettes and sweet crêpes were all fantastic, and we had a really enjoyable lunch. La Ville d'Ys comes highly recommended by me! Make reservations if you're visiting during the weekend, holiday or peak meal periods.

La Ville d'Ys
5 Rue Saint-Georges
35000 Rennes
France
Tel. +33 2 99 36 70 28

Saturday 12 October 2013

In Rennes: the capital of Brittany

I haven't been able to put up more posts this week because it has been quite a busy week for me. I got called to teach all week but could only accept three days as I had already committed to going on my son's first field trip on Thursday, and I needed Friday to make all the preparations for my son's birthday BBQ today. This birthday do almost didn't happen because I knew that it would be tough to pull it off when 8 months pregnant, but I felt bad knowing that this may be the last opportunity for my son to have a birthday party for the following few years. Well, the birthday party is done, the kids had loads of fun, and I didn't do too badly on only 4 hours of sleep last night. I will write up a post on that later. For now, here are some shots I took when we spent a day in Rennes. I actually wanted us to go straight from Paris to our destination in Brittany, but the timing of the train wasn't practical (we would have had to catch a 6am train), so we decided to do an overnight in the capital of Brittany as a stopover. Rennes is a nice little town, and in fact I was glad to have a break in the long train ride.

The high speed train we took from Paris to Rennes:

Street shot during our exploratory walk around Rennes:

Saint George Palace, which now houses the city's fire services and other civil administrative offices:

View of the palace garden:

A couple of bright-coloured bugs doing what I assume to be the "horizontal tango":

Rue Saint-Georges, a quaint little street with restaurants and crêperies:

The facade of the palace of the Parliament of Brittany:

Parc du Thabor, a large formal French garden:

Tranquility at Parc du Thabor:

There is even an aviary at Thabor Park: