Nathan Road, Hong Kong 2013

If you choose to live in Tsim Sha Tsui or Mongkok during your stay in Hong Kong, you are definitely going to walking up and down Nathan Road in your daily rambles. Nathan Road starts from Tsim Sha Tsui and ends at Sham Shui Po (about 6 MTR stations or 3.6km).

After stuffing our faces at Tim Ho Wan and Cafe Bistro The Alchemist, we decided we needed to walk off those calories and decided to embark on The Great Nathan Road Hike to get back to our corner of Tsim Sha Tsui. We started at Sham Shui Po and ended at Dundas Street in Mongkok before we decided we had enough exercise and needed more drinks.

Café Bistro The Alchemist, Hong Kong 2013

When we were planning for Hong Kong, we organised what we wanted to see by area, planning to spend every day in a new area, slowly discovering them and more. After the dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, we walked a few steps to Cafe Bistro The Alchemist. And by a few steps, I meant we took the train from Sham Shui Po to Prince Edward, walked to the cafe only to realise it was only about 100m from Tim Ho Wan.

A cafe for travellers, C and I immediately felt welcomed into this space. We also felt that there was a very Taiwanese feel to the decor. Loved the mis-matched chairs, cement wall and fixtures, travel books and inspirational Mandarin quotes on the wall.

Still stuffed from Tim Ho Wan, we went for some coffee and desserts. Our waffles were awesome, why did no one else think to combine green tea ice cream, chocolate fudge and strawberries? And f the horde of people that descended on the cafe for lunch are anything to go by, the rest of the food must be pretty good too!

Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong 2013

The reason we were in Sham Shui Po was to try the dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant! The original outlet that was awarded the Michelin star was originally located in Mongkok but sky-rocketing rents have caused that outlet to close down. We headed to the Sham Shui Po outlet because it was convenient to Tsim Sha Tsui (where we stayed). And I glad we did that. The Sham Shui Po outlet feels like it's been there for years and has a down-home atmosphere as compared to the mall outlets. We arrived at about 11am and were surprised to be seated almost immediately, there are so many horror stories of one-hour long queues that I was quite prepared to wait!

Tim Ho Wan has also made its way to Singapore but the queue never dwindled below one hour and reviews were inconsistent, never tempting me to join in. So I kept my expectations in check, not sure what to expect. Well, rest assured Tim Ho Wan is worthy of its Michelin star. The food was excellent! The BBQ Pork Buns were amazing, the crust was sugary crisp and the pork fillings, so smooth and creamy! Another stand-out were the spring rolls, I don't usually like spring rolls, but I am making an exception for this one!

Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong 2013

We stepped into the neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po on the way for our breakfast dim sum (post coming up!). Home to many industrial and wholesale stores, it's definitely off the beaten track for travellers and that's exactly what we wanted to see, life in Hong Kong as it is.

Hanoi Randoms, Hanoi 2013

It's easy to see why Hanoi is such a popular destination for tourists all over the world. Good food, good people, good places. You really can't go wrong with this bustling neighbourhood of a city. I already can't wait to go back.

Right now, I am preparing to jump on another flight. This time to Hong Kong! I have been to Hong Kong before but the last time was only for a two-day layover and the time before that, I was seven years old! I am so excited to finally explore this city properly! I will be travelling with C, my partner-in-crime at Coffee Table People. You can be sure we will be hitting up cafes everyday, a cup of coffee or tea perpetually in our hands. Follow along with us on Instagram, we are @coffeetablepeople!

P/S: I had drafted this post before I left for Hong Kong. I actually just got back this morning! I am currently unpacking and sorting out my films, can't wait to see how they turn out!

French Dinner & Egg Coffee, Hanoi 2013

Arriving back in the Old Quarter after our rainy adventure to the Perfume Pagoda, we headed out to DC Bistro Boutique, a French bistro recommended by a friend of mine. Why a French bistro when there are so many other Vietnamese food to try? Because they had a three-course set meal for only 7USD!

I selected the pate rillete for starters, seafood gratin for mains and the best chocolate mousse in the world for desserts. I admit I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I said I would have the rillete and I had to look it up later. I was rather relieved to find out it was just pork pate. Not pictured was the freshly baked bread and home-made butter, because it disappeared rather quickly between the two of us.

After dinner, we headed back to the Old Quarter, soaking up the lights and sounds. We were also intent on finding a cafe to try the infamous Vietnamese Egg Coffee or Ca Phe Trung. I had no idea what to expect with this variant of coffee, in my mind I expected a raw egg whisked in with black coffee. What we got was a creamy, sweet drink with no discernible traces of raw egg. Research later told me that preparations for Vietnamese Egg Coffee begin with the egg yolk being whisked with condensed milk and a little filtered coffee. The fluffy mixture is then poured on top of the coffee. If you are in Hanoi, make sure you give it a try!

Perfume Pagoda, Hanoi 2013

When we first read about the Perfume Pagoda in guidebooks, we immediately knew we wanted to go there. We booked a day trip on our first day in Hanoi for the next day. We booked through our hotel but travel agencies are everywhere in the Old Quarter. We were picked up early in the morning by our tour guide at our hotel, joining a small group of three other travellers for the trip. 

We drove for about 2 hours from Hanoi to a jetty on the Day River. From the bus, we transferred to a narrow metal rowboat, powered by one woman! Our new travel friends were all shocked at the size of the boat, one lady kept laughing in disbelief the first 10 minutes we were on it. I was a little more prepared because I had googled photographs of the trip but was still extremely skeptical how we could all fit. The ride was about 40 minutes to the temple, it was really peaceful watching the beautiful scenery go by and listening to the rhythm of the rowing. Since it was the off-season, there was only one or two other boats on the water the same time as us. It drizzled throughout the day, making it a rather damp and humid trip. We were lucky that the heavy rains only came down at the end of the day just as we boarded our bus back to Hanoi.

Alighting from the boat, we first encountered the Den Trinh (or Presentation Shrine) and Thien Tru Pagoda (Heaven Kitchen Pagoda). These two buildings were located at the foot of the hills and accessible by walking. We ate a simple lunch at the only restaurant in the complex. You can't go wrong with hot, freshly-cooked food.

After lunch, we made our way to Huong Tich, the sacred centre of the Perfume Pagoda complex, where thousands of Vietnamese flock every year for their annual pilgrimage. Most Vietnamese prefer to hike from Thien Tru Pagoda to pay their respects at other temples along the way but there is also a cable car to the top. Be warned that even with the cable car ride, there is still a lot of walking up stone-tiled slopes (not fun when the weather was so wet). 

The final descent to Huong Tich is 120-steps of rough hewn stones. From the top, the grotto looks like the inside of a dragon's mouth (Vietnamese revere the dragon!), and incense smoke perfumes the air. Within the grotto, there are many ancient carvings and stone formations that resemble Buddhist symbols. It was incredible! We made our way further inwards to pay our respects, giving thanks for our safe journey and praying for the future.