2005-12: HKG-SIN-NRT – Walking Ixus

December 8, 2005August 14, 2022

Tokyo Tidbits and more Hong Kong advice

Well, this was my last day in Tokyo; just a few observations:

The Nissan Gallery in Ginza is great. Not only do you get to slam the tires and kick the doors of Nissan’s latest and greatest, there’s usually some sort of design related exhibit happening too. Today it was a small exhibit on iconography and type relating to Nissan’s logo and choice of fonts.

I asked them if they get to drive the cars to learn the product..

Tokyo is the world’s largest city. It’s public transport system WITHIN Tokyo is fantastic. You can literally get anywhere in this big sprawly city on either JR or Tokyo Metro. Trains run frequently and are clean, punctual and safe.

Ever wonder why so many people fall asleep on the train? Besides the length of the average commute (which is looong), the velour covered bench seats are heated! It’s a lot easier to fall asleep when you got a warm butt. And they still manage to wake up, Jabba the Hutt like, a minute before they get off the train. That’s a skill I don’t have yet…

This kick-ass transportation system falls apart the moment you need to get to Tokyo Narita. For a lot of travellers (and especially those of us who travel on our own thin dimes), the only way in is via rail, either by the Ne’X (for those lucky ppl with expense accounts or JR Passes) for Y3200 or the Keisei Limited Express (tokkyu) for Y1000. Here’s the annoying part: It takes OVER AN HOUR!!!

Do the words “Airport Express” come to mind? Hong Kong does it right. HKG to Central takes 23 minutes. If you choose the cheaper option, HKG to Central via A11 bus takes just about an hour. It’s cheaper (HK$40 vs. HK$100) and if you’ve got the time, take the basi. It’s a better deal. What do you get for the extra HK$60 that the Airport Express costs? Well, you get 40 odd minutes of your life back and in-town check in for your flight. That means, you go to the Airport Express station (Kowloon or Hong Kong) and check in yourself and your baggage. Get your boarding pass. That’s it. Fart around for a little bit before hopping the train to the Airport. Take a leisurely stroll around the Airport. Easy.

Anyway, Tokyo Narita could use a service like this. Actually for the amount of money people pay for the Ne’X, there ought to be a Shinkansen going out there!

One thing I do like about Tokyo Narita is that on the 5th level of the mall area, there’s an observation deck where you can go outside and watch the sun set and the planes land and take off.

Signing off from the Narita Airport observation deck.

December 4, 2005August 14, 2022

Tiger Time @ the Inn Crowd

The mugs are stored in the freezer until you order a beer

Sunday afternoon, hanging out at The inn-Crowd. This is where I stay at when I’m in Singapore. Fun place, neat people in charge. This place gets my approval as a “fun, clean, safe place to crash in SG”. And they have Tiger Beer on tap…

They also have a couple of silly cats that have the run of the place. Actually, this is what they do most of the time.

December 3, 2005August 14, 2022

The Adventures of Rojak and Laksa (with dessert at The Fullerton)

No, that’s not a new UPN show. It’s some of the traditional Singaporean food that I got reaquainted with. I met up with Dimsumdolly this evening. She and her red shoes (cuz that’s how I found her at the MRT station where we met up) took me around to some neat places.

We wound up in East Coast (apparently a tradition since my last trip out here) and wound up at some food stalls that claimed to have the “Best Laksa”. And they did, depending on the newspaper/website/TV show that was quoted. And after she ordered and we started eating, I realized I’ve never written about these. So heeere we go….

*Mmmmmm laksa! Coconut milky chilli goodness!*

The dish in the middle of the two bowls is Rojak, a interesting dish with a cool manly sounding name. Sounds Klingon, actually. “I am Rojak, son of Baggh”. OK, no more Star Trek references.

Rojak is a sort of salad, but according to DSD, its not healthy like a traditional salad. I believe that! It feels more like the main course of a meal then just a “salad”. The bowls flanking the rojak is Laksa, a rice noodle (yum) and prawn soup. The soup has coconut milk and chili paste and other spices in it along with seafood. RICH STUFF. This alone is a meal! Yum yum yum.

After that meal and a few beverages (which I kanna remember exactly what), we wound up farting around East Coast. We passed by Charlie’s (from dinner with the lovely Sara-Ann back in May) and picked up some “authentic Hong Kong dim-sum” in the form of chau siu bau for DSD who was fighting a bug. And not winning. We wandered through the Malay Village but that wasn’t too much fun because everything there was closed. Instead, we wound up at the Fullerton for dessert. Better choice. We both ordered a dessert set (coffee, dessert) for S$15 each. Wasn’t bad, considering the price of alcohol (more than the dessert set). DSD had tiramisu and I had a creme brulee with coconut ice cream and shards of coconut on top.

I think the tiramisu looks better. They both were great!

Wound up chatting about all sorts of stuff before we and the MRT began turning into pumpkins (translation: it got late). Fun evening.

December 3, 2005

Xiao Long Bao and Retail Therapy

Met up with a couple of frens for some window shopping and lunch at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Scotts Road. Yeah, I know it’s a chain, but who cares? It was good chow!

Yum yum yum, now THAT’s a good beginning!
Look at those dumplings! That was our starter. Mmmmmm. The xiaolongbao were really good too!

Good xiaolongbao u dun have to go to Shanghai 2 have, cuz it’s cold there!
Usually xiaolongbao outside of Shanghai is pretty pathetic, especially in the US, but these were excellent! Just soupy enough inside but not that soupy so that it was soggy. If you eat xiaolongbao, you understand what I’m trying to describe. We had some fried eel and some other dishes.

It’s easy to take pictures of food. Not so easy to take pix of people. For one thing, food cooperates!
Since it was my fren’s day off, we partook in that peculiar Singapore sport, retail therapy. I mean, it IS the Xmas season, so I guess it was the thing to do…
We wound up going to Tang’s where we looked at dehydrators (huh?) and “sampled” expresso from fancy schmancy expresso machines (yeaaah!). Actually, they were making cups when you listened to their presentation. So we made like we were dense so the guy would make us expresso.
Then to Takashimiya for more of the same. Sounds pretty domestic lah! Of course, back home we have Williams-Sonoma to do this kind of shopping in. Did I just say too much about myself?
Then…
The shopping day ended when those two decided to head to Tiffany’s.
Guys are there for two reasons: either to look at the men’s stuff (watches, various accessories) which takes all of five minutes because there’s so little of it OR they are there to get baubles for their girlfriends/wives/mistresses/SOs. Big expensive baubles in a baby blue box.
My self preservation instinct kicked in and I made myself scarce until they were done. My fren’s husband didn’t come out with us today, claiming illness. I wonder if he knew this was in store…
Smart guy! =P

December 2, 2005

Art at the Twin Durians

With copious apologies to Mel Brooks and the late Cleavon Little:

Hey, where all the Azians at??

Well, we ARE in Singapore, just look at the sign! =)

December 1, 2005August 14, 2022

Mmmmm Mak’s Noodle! And Yum Cha, and Daan Taat

I’ve broken one of my HK traditions, sorta. I arrived on Wednesday PM late, ate a LOT on Thursday and will bug out to Republik Singapura on Friday AM. Then I’m returning to HKG on Monday PM and bugging out AGAIN to NRT the following AM. Yes, this trip is panning out to be the “fastest Asia trip ever”. And my trips are usually anything BUT speedy.

I met up with a friend here in HKG that happened to be on holiday from the land of tax, I mean the United States. He was able to help me gather information about Hoiping and how to get there. After we got all that info, we were kickin8 for most of the day. Which meant a little bit of shopping, meeting his frens and doing a LOT of eating.

So back to the breaking of tradition. No Tsim Chai Kee this trip. Even though they got spiffy new digs right next door to their former location. Gotta go there when I return next March!

Spiffy new digs! Old shop next door on the right

Instead, we went to Mak’s Noodle.

It’s right across the street and it’s HK$25 a bowl, probably the most expensive in HKG. But the noodles were springy, with just the right amount of give, the wontons were stuffed, but not too stuffed and the gai-lon was cooked just so, not too much or not enough.

They put the wontons in first then plop the noodles on top.

In short, it was a nice balanced HK supper. And was worth the premium. I like!

Before that it was a late (1400) yum cha in Mong Kok. Imagine a typical HK scene. Three people at the table yapping away. Then 6 steamers came to the table, stacked one atop of the other. In unison we went, “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!” I think I was the loudest one. And the tables around us looked at us with happy amusement. Yes, yum cha is a joyful thing.

My friend expressing his approval of our late lunch

Then the rattling of chopsticks and the business of eating began.

Which one is the tea and which one is the soy sauce? Or are they bot? Or neither?

But even BEFORE that, we began this “day of eating” at Tai Cheong Bakery in Mong Kok. MK? Yup. And in a mall, no less. See, after I queued up at their old location in Central back in May and they closed, they opened a new location in Mong Kok in July. Then they reopened in Central up the block in September. So Hong Kongers didn’t have to go cold turkey without their daan-taat fix.

Roof of mouth burning hot outta the oven

Funny thing was that my friend finally realized that these were the daan-taats that his mum would bring home when he was little and living in Hong Kong. And I think he would agree that these ARE a big deal.

The night ended late with yet another meal at a HK steak place. Then it’s off to Singapore via heaven, I mean Singapore Airlines! Am looking forward to real service and food, especially having been subjected to UAL and it’s AFA “flight attendants” for 14 hours.