Overseas Travel – Page 3

October 24, 2010

Din Tai Fung Xintandi!

Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant chain that’s known for its xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). They’re maybe a step or two away from being perfect, depending on which location you visit.

The great thing is that they’re all over Asia so if you’re in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo,
Malaysia, Indonesia, mainland China, Australia or even Taiwan, you’re not far from xiaolongbao goodness. If you live in the USA however, you’re very far from xiaolongbao goodness as there’s only one location outside of Los Angeles and that location has mixed reviews.

Within Asia, all the locations are at an equally high standard. Some locations are more equal than others. For example, the Tsimshatsui location is considered one of the flagships because of its Michelin Star and its larger, more varied menu. Because of its location and its accolades, it’s also one of the more expensive locations. Compared to this, the Xintandi location seemed like a bargain even though it was in an expensive part of Shanghai and in spite of the inequality of the exchange rate (which will hopefully change in about a year).

The appeal of Din Tai Fung is not necessarily the special-ness of the menu (aside from the xiaolongbao, whose equal I cannot find in my half of the world) but that the menu is prepared to the highest standard and that the service in the restaurant is also top tier. That’s not saying much, if you were to mention the Tokyo or Singapore locations; service SHOULD be good. But to get that caliber of service on the mainland or even in Hong Kong is a special thing. When you visit a Din Tai Fung (in Asia), you will get xiaolongbao hand folded 23 times and it will be delivered to your table scalding hot. Remember to scoop it out with your soup spoon and nibble the side like a beaver so that the soup pours out of the dumpling into your spoon. Sip then gulp. Failure to follow these guidelines will probably lead to a burnt mouth. The beef noodle soup will be, erm, beefy and satisfying. The noodles will had that neat al dente snap. The veggies will be locally sourced and fresh. And although it won’t be a lomantic night out, it probably would qualify as a FUN night out. Lomance is handled by the alleyways and bars of Xintandi…

Hawker’s Noodle Soup, Taiwan style

Fried Pork chop over aforementioned noodles

DTF style siu mai

The classic xiaolongbao with 23 folds apiece.

We also had some soup and greens but at some point, you have to stop taking pictures and start eating because all the food is disappearing. No more photos. Just go there!

上海市卢湾
区兴业路123弄
2/F, South Block, Xintiandi Mall, Shanghai (metro: South Huangpi Lu)
+86 21
6385 8378 () ‎
http://www.dintaifung.com.cn

October 18, 2010August 9, 2022

A brief look at the Shanghai Expo

Vancouver International Airport (YVR/CYVR), Ri...

Image via Wikipedia

On a whim (back in May), I purchased some round trip tickets from San Francisco to Hong Kong via Vancouver on Air Canada. The all in price was US$600 which is a real bargain!

It’s one hell of a positioning flight but it put me within 2.5 hours of Shanghai and the Expo. I cashed in miles for a Business Class roundtrip on Dragonair. Due to a really tight schedule, I spent a total of 8 days away from my house which meant only 3 days in Shanghai, which were filled with debauchery, closing bars and getting back late late.

But more about the nightlife later. On the last full day in Shanghai, I visited the Expo. If I could take one memory back from the Expo, it would be queues. Lots and lots queues. All of them shared one thing; that they were really looooong!

So instead of showing you boring pictures of a never-ending queue, I’ll instead show you some pix of the Expo at night.

All roads in the Expo lead to the China pavilion.

It’s deceptively large. That means that you can see it from everywhere and it looks kinda big. Then when you are next to it, you realize it’s REALLY big.

This is at the perimeter fence. There’s still more walking to get to the China Pavilion.

Now we are too close. I like the detail on these beams.

The China pavilion will be one of the permanent structures of this Expo; it dominates the Expo and is located smack in the middle of the Expo site.

As you move away from the China pavilion, the rest of the regions of the world present themselves. You walk through Europe then Latin America. Here you can see the Brazil pavilion with what is supposed to be a soccer game but is actually a Windoze error message on the jumbotron. Embarrassing! For Microsoft…

Asia Pacific was represented at the Shanghai Expo.

North Korea and Iran were next door to each other (!)

Besides the exhibits, such as this replica of the Juche Tower in Pyongyang, there were vendors selling currency and stamps, which are in demand by collectors.

Australia’s looked…antiseptic and modern.

India’s pavillion looked neat. Both traditional and modern culture

Of course, if you survive the 25 minute trudge from the China pavilion, you will reach the last zone, the Americas. The Canada pavilion actually looked the best; the US pavilion looked like a big advert. Also, no VIP entrance for US passport holders. So no visit.

Since it was late when we finally got there, we got to do a quick tour through the Expo, only stopping off in countries that didn’t have a queue. All the ones above, save North Korea’s had huge queues so we couldn’t visit. The next Expo is in 10 years. Will plan better then!

October 6, 2010August 9, 2022

Roaming in China? Maybe…

Image by warrenski via Flickr

Staying in touch is more important than ever in this fast fast go go world. And for that, the luxe flashpacker uses local prepaid SIM cards. In most countries, it’s pretty easy to purchase a local SIM. Walk into 7-11, walk out with a new local number that’s a bargain to make calls and even more so to send SMS on. Some of these SIM cards even allow you to roam, making and receiving calls and SMS, albeit at a really expensive rate.

Sometimes it’s not necessarily worth the bother to purchase a local SIM for a 3 day trip; that roaming will be fine since all that will be sent is SMS. That’s what I thought on my recent trip to Shanghai via Hong Kong. I have maintained a New World Mobility prepaid roaming SIM for a few years now. I can receive and make calls/SMS in the US and Singapore with it. Considering that mainland China is 40 minutes away via KCR, it should work there too, right?

Nope. As soon as I landed PVG, I turned on my phone and tried to call my friend who was to meet us at the airport. I manually selected China Unicom and CMCC (China Mobile) and registered on their networks respectively and tried to make a call. China Unicom said my call was “Barred” and China Mobile asked me to pay my bill. No roaming this trip. SMS went through fine both ways. No calls. So what to do? After having to make a call desperately, I fired up my AT&T Sim locked iPhone and made a 1 minute $4.00 phone call. No more!

When I returned to Hong Kong, I picked up a new prepaid from Peoples (AKA China Mobile HK). They have a prepaid that has China roaming, slightly cheaper prices for aforementioned roaming and most interestingly, a Guangzhou phone number in addition to the HK number. Since it’s part of China Mobile, it should work over there. And we will see in December…

May 17, 2010

Ding Dong the Arse is gone

That’s the British spelling of course. Because now that Gordon Brown is gone, my vow not to visit the UK is over.
I took this vow a few years back when shortly after taking office, Brown imposed an £80 airport tax for people who fly in “premium” cabins and a £40 tax for those in economy. Either way, it’s an outrageous tax that was supposed to be “for the environment”. Except after the first year of the tax, forensic accountants found out that the money collected went to the general fund, instead of the “environment”. As a result, I vowed not to visit the UK until Brown was tossed out.
Except now we have Cameron, allegedly a Tory that sounds more like a limousine liberal. If he’s truly a Conservative, how about repealing all those airport taxes imposed during his predecessor’s regime?
If he doesn’t pan out, maybe they can draft Jeremy Clarkson for PM? It’s not like if it hasn’t been tried before. His manifesto reads a bit libertarian to me…

April 10, 2010

Guangzhou impressions

Canton (Guangzhou) has a lot of history. The treaty ports were here. The Opium Wars were fought here. The sparks that led to the 1911 Revolution were, erm, sparked here. Many of the first generation Chinese-Americans from back in the day migrated from here.

One of the few colonial-esque buildings left on the Pearl River. This ain’t the Bund…
Despite being a pivotal part of modern Chinese history, modern Guangzhou is, like the rest of urban China, a construction zone with new high rises and an aspiring populace. I’m currently staying at the Grand Hyatt in the Tianhe new town. This area eventually will be the new CBD and looks like they’re building on the Pudong model.
Two pleasant surprises greeted me when I did my 6 mile walk last night; the Guangzhou Metro is surprisingly clean and quick (the downside is that it begins to shut down at 2230!) and Shamian Island, which despite also being a construction zone, still oozes historical charm due to the colonial buildings still there, warmly lit treelined streets and lots of couples meandering about. Almost like the opposite of what modern China is and a welcome respite.
But that’s the past. Let’s look at the present, which is my stunningly modern room at the Grand Hyatt.

The layout of the room is different; you enter the room through the bathroom with the glass walled shower being directly behind the head of the bed with a couch at one side and the desk/TV on the other. Mounted on the wall is an iPod dock that is hooked up to the TV so you can listen through its sound system. I like!

The afforementioned shower/bath is directly behind the bed and is a wet design. You walk inside, close the door and fire up the shower, getting everything wet. I like too! It also has a square shaped tub which if you were to decide to have a soak, you’d have to sit cross legged. Not a fan of that.

The side room that has the bog has a square shaped very kawaii sink so you can wash up in there. Neat. And inbetween the shower and the closet wall is an island with a sink and mirror. Think of it as a kitchen island except you brush your teeth, gargle and shave here. Very nice! Think I will stay here again on my next visit here.

Grand Hyatt Guangzhou
12 Zhujiang West Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District,
Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China 510623
http://guangzhou.grand.hyatt.com/

January 1, 2010December 30, 2022

It’s not always bad on the lower floors

Often, travelers will groan when they check into a hotel and they get a lower floor. Usually, higher floors are reserved for elite guests (much like upgrades and E+ are usually for elite flyers). In some cities, like New York or Hong Kong, a higher floor is a must because you get a feel for the city. Hong Kong and New York are defined by their skylines so it’s best to able to see them.

*From the sixth floor, overlooking Roppongi Keyakizaka Dori. Happy New Year!*

Having a lower floor at the Grand Hyatt Roppongi, for example, isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it gives you a sense of having bearings since there’s not really an outstanding icon of Tokyo to focus on. No million dollar skyline or Art Deco canyons here. What Tokyo has is street life. It’s the best city to explore on foot (provided you’ve not twisted your ankle before the trip) and its full of neat things you won’t find riding on the Hato Bus. The hotel is part of the Roppongi Hills complex and it serves (along with Tokyo Midtown) as an oasis from the silliness that Roppongi is known for.

*Hallway from the room to the front door. Nice!*

*The rest of the room, including a wet bathroom and a properly firm bed!*

The question will arise; how could I stay here on my usual low budget? My stay here was an award night from Hyatt’s Faster Free Nights promotion. During my last stay in LA, I stayed at two Hyatts, thus earning me a free night anywhere there was availability. What’s important is that the service was sublime, the room was comfortable and I had a place to fall flat faced after the 10 hour flight from SFO. Despite being on a “lower floor”.

Grand Hyatt Tokyo
6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku,
Tokyo, Japan 106-0032
Tel: +81 3 4333 1234 Fax: +81 3 4333 8123

July 8, 2009

Let’s visit Singapore!

This is a great price from Tokyo!

Watching this always makes me want to go somewhere. As long as it’s on ANA!

May 21, 2009

MU A346

Or in English, a China Eastern Airbus A340-600 taken from one of the best planespotting spots at LAX; the Hertz Rent-a-Car lot!

Whooooosh! Coming in for a landing…

May 7, 2009

Interesting UA flight in new C!

Not to be outdone by ANA’s Pokemon jet, UA now issues their 747s window shades so the dashboards wont be dried out by the sun when the plane is parked.

Do you suppose the headrests have doilies and there’s a keychain alarm?
This was the plane that flew me back to SFO from HKG. My SWU finally cleared when I landed HKG from SIN. Too much excitement for an upgrade…
Speaking of excitement, there was a passenger who decided to give the HKG based crew grief BEFORE TAKEOFF. Apparently he did not approve of the contents of the kosher meal he special ordered. AFAIK, on UA, you get to order the type of special meal, not the contents. This ain’t SQ and you can’t Book the Cook with any other airline but. Anyway, he kept name dropping “Global Services” every 15 seconds and threatened to get off the plane (which he should have done). The captain had to come out of the cockpit to read the riot act to this bozo, who because of his shenagans, prevented the cabin crew from locking down the plane for takeoff. The bozo (which shall be his name now) tried the “Global Services” namedrop but the captain simply said, “I don’t know and I don’t care about what Global Services is, my job is to fly this plane which is now late for take off. Do you want to get off the plane?”
After seeing that namedropping Global Services meant nothing to the captain, bozo shut up and takeoff resumed. Apparently, bozo lived in San Francisco. He was full of smug and was heading home (how appropriate!). I found it interesting he gave far less grief to the non-HK based crew on the plane. Typical. When we landed, I made it a point to shake the captain’s hand and to extend my support for his actions. He and the cockpit crew appreciated the gesture.
My good deed of the week…

April 13, 2009

The infamous ANA Pokemon Jet…

Last week, I wound up at Tokyo Haneda (HND) Airport for a short hop to Sapporo via New Chitose Airport (CTS) for a few days. Besides reveling at the fact that HND is a MUCH nicer airport than NRT and that their observation deck has a snack bar, I found this travesty at the gates.

Yes, it’s THAT jet…the ANA Pokemon Jet.
I shouldn’t have said anything because that jet became MY jet for the 1.5 hour flight to CTS. Here’s the obligatory close up of one of the most silliest liveries to grace a Boeing 747-400.

It shows that ANA has a sense of fun, since there is one other Pokemon jet in the fleet as well as a flying panda and a couple of Snoopy based jets as well. You want Kitty-Chan? You’ll have to fly EVA for that one!
Inside, the head rests were covered by Pokemon covers but otherwise, it was standard ANA in the rest of the cabin. No cabin attendants dressed up as Pikachu. Service was pretty good for a short hop. Apparently, the HND/NRT-CTS route is one of the busiest in the world and the loads are so high that they regularly fly jumbos on this route. They also fly itty bitty CRJs on this route as well, which was my return flight into NRT. There’s something not very nice about a plane where you can’t even stand up straight in the aisle!
This route is also hella expensive unless you get the mega discount 8 weeks ahead fare and then it’s close to 30000 yen. I got a round trip with two weeks advance for 22000 yen and got UA MP EQM for the flights on top of it. How? I purchased the ANA Skypass before I left the US. Info here (why should I type it when I can link it)?