Timhotel Paris

(Note: I wanted to “touch and go” regarding our accommodation in Paris, but it got longer and longer, and then I decided that it might as well be a post on its own.)

While in Paris, we stayed at Timhotel, which was ridiculously overpriced, most probably because of its location. Most of the attractions were within walking distance. The Lourve was literally across the street! Champs-Élysées was around the corner! Restaurants everywhere!

It felt like the equivalent of Central in Hong Kong, City Hall in Singapore, or Grand Central Station in New York City, so pretty much everything else was a quick metro ride away, and it was all rather convenient.

Our room, however, was a different story. I’d like to think that we’re not too picky when it comes to hotels. After all, it’s just a place to store our things, and somewhere to shower and sleep. Safety, convenience, and cleanliness aren’t too much to ask for, right?

It was a horrible experience. The light was so dim, the room was barely lit. Even then, it couldn’t disguise the fact that the furniture was old and worn, and not very clean. The bathroom was insanely small, and this is coming from someone who’s used to Hong Kong’s infamously cramped apartments!

Seriously, the sink was so tiny, there was barely any space for our toiletries. Most infuriating of all, the shower curtain refused to stay put and insisted on swaying around, which defeated its purpose entirely because then the rest of the bathroom became wet and slippery.

Several things weren’t provided, such as shampoo or bath gel, and I had to buy some from Franprix (or Monoprix, can’t remember which) after we ran out. For the price that we paid, I definitely expected more. For that amount, one could easily stay at a four-star hotel in Hong Kong or Singapore, with all the works.

Is that an unfair comparison? Maybe. Do take note, it was far more expensive than the hotels we stayed at while in Amsterdam and Rome, and they too had prime locations in their respective cities. While I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in those hotels and would definitely consider returning, Timhotel was an absolute disappointment.

On the other hand, we’ve only ever experienced one hotel in Paris, and I have absolutely no idea how other hotels in the area compare. We might take a chance and try AirBnB in the future, but honestly , that next time will be years from now, so it’s too soon to decide.

Alright, rant over. Stay tuned for the next post, which should be up later today!

Les Musées de Paris

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso

Musée de l’Orangerie

This is an art gallery of impressionist paintings, and home to the famous “Water Lilies” or “Les Nymphéas” by Claude Monet. This masterpiece alone is worth the entrance ticket. I don’t have any pictures as photography isn’t allowed in this section of the museum, but you can go to their website for a preview of sorts.

Another prominent artist featured in this gallery is Pierre-Auguste Renoir (one of my personal favourites).

It’s not as large or as crowded as some of the other museums, which makes for a much more pleasant experience. You could see it all in two or three hours. Obviously it depends on how big of a museum buff you are. Maybe you like to read everything twice, then sit down and sketch a masterpiece of your own. In that case you probably know more about art than I could possibly tell you.

Musée d’Orsay

You can purchase a combined ticket for Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay for €16. Individually, the tickets are €11 each, so it’s quite a bargain.

Musée d’Orsay holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to take pictures of the exhibits, so this is the best I’ve got.

If you still have energy left after viewing countless artefacts, make your way to the top floor, where there’s a stunning view from the clock “window”.

Also on the this level, there’s an octogonal “couch” where you can take a power nap before exploring the rest of Paris.

Blame it on the camera angle. I can assure you that I’m of fairly normal proportions in real life.

Musée du Louvre

Ah, the world-famous Lourve. One hopes to gaze into the Mona Lisa and find the secret behind that enigmatic smile…

Think again. This is as close as you’re going to get.

Fret not, there’s more to the Louvre. By the way, the audio guide doubles as a map, which is really cool.

NOTE: You should get audio guides at all the museums you’re visiting. It helps to make sense of what you’re looking at, and it’ll enhance the experience by a hundred times!

Beautiful fresco, reminiscent of what we saw in Vatican City.

Elaborately decorated hallway, reminiscent of what we saw in Versailles. (After a while, it all starts to blend together.)

One-winged angel.

Slayed the beast, victory is mine! But first, let me take a #selfie.

有样学样。

Plenty of Egyptian artefacts for those who are interested in Egyptology!

Shadow play.

Parting shot.

When visiting museums in any city, be sure to pace yourselves! Get in as early as possible to beat the crowds, and wear comfortable shoes! Also, bring water and something you can snack on discreetly. It’s going to be a long day… Bonne chance!

Eiffel Tower Ice-cream at Haagen-Dazs

La Tour Eiffel, c’est une… glace? Well, the folks at Haagen-Dazs have come up with a few new desserts for Le French May, all with a romantic French theme. Of all the dining offers this month, I was most excited about ice-cream, bien sûr.

Unfortunately, this was a let-down. The poached pears tasted odd, and I can’t be too sure, but I think they were canned, not fresh. The brownie was average, and the “Eiffel Tower” was made of cheap chocolate.

The only redeeming quality of the dish was the ice-cream. (It’s Haagen-Dazs, after all.) The Belgian chocolate ice-cream was a comforting favourite, while the mango sorbet was divine. I have a feeling I’ll be going back for more sorbet all summer long, and maybe even in the fall.

There was a slight mix-up, though, as the chocolate ice-cream was supposed to be sitting atop the brownie, since that would make more sense. The waitress even confirmed with us as she was taking our order. I didn’t send it back, since they might have to start afresh and I didn’t want to waste food.

Oh well, here’s hoping that the other desserts will taste better, if I get the opportunity to taste them at all. I can’t believe the month of May is coming to an end so quickly! I had hoped to blog more regularly, but life got in the way. Don’t get too excited just yet – it’s not that interesting. It’s mostly work and classes, and some nights, I can’t stay awake long enough to type a coherent sentence. Still, it’s all good, and I can’t complain.

The next post should be about our time in Paris. I’m looking forward to reliving those memories while I share them with you, so watch this space!

Haagen-Dazs
Shop 212, 2/F, Windsor House
311 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

500 Years of French Passion for Shoes

Bonjour! I really hadn’t planned on doing so many posts about food and dining, and an opportunity to blog about style and fashion is a welcome one. Bien, on y va!

“500 Years of French Passion for Shoes” is a mini exhibit currently showing in Pacific Place, as part of Le French May. Just how passionate are the French when it comes to shoes? For one, there’s la Federation Française de la Chaussure, or “French Federation of the Shoe” (I kid you not).

Stylish shoes started out as a domain of men, since women’s shoes were barely visible under their long skirts. This is literally ancient history, and so much has changed since then, for which I’m grateful. I’m glad to be living in a time and place where skirt length is a matter of personal preference. Also, it feels awesome to be able to wear pretty shoes, speaking of which…

Hello my beauties. The red Mary-Jane heels (second picture, top left) are calling out to me…

Blurry #ootd. My heels are from Charles & Keith, and they’re surprisingly comfortable!

In the middle of the exhibit is a workshop where you can make papier-mache shoes. It’s meant for children, but check out the parents trying to take over!

If you’d rather buy shoes than make them, there’s a pop-up store in another section of Pacific Place, featuring a number of French brands. While they aren’t cheap, remember that window shopping doesn’t cost a thing! But if the shoe fits…

 

http://www.frenchmay.com

Fleur de Sel

I’d like to start by sharing a bit of trivia: fleur de sel (literally “flower of salt” in French) is a hand-harvested sea salt. Due to its relative scarcity and its labor-intensive production, it’s one of the most expensive salts.

Right now, I’m ever-so-slightly obsessed with the name. It sounds so poetic and rolls off the tongue in such a satisfying way. And we’re talking about salt here. Well, that’s the French for you.

Fleur de Sel is also the name of a French restaurant located in Causeway Bay. They specialise in crêpes, both savoury and sweet. No word on whether they use their expensive namesake in the making of the crêpes.

We decided to be indulgent (it’s date night after all!) and each had a cider. I had the cidre doux (sweet cider) while Edwin had the cidre de poire (pear cider). Both tasted great, but to be honest, I felt a little cheated by the quantity. We’ll get a bottle next time!

Undaunted by last week’s snail disaster, we went with escargots for our starter again. Thankfully, it paid off this time! The garden critters were doused in herbs and butter, and there were folded crêpes in place of the usual bread (a cute little touch) to soak up all that deliciousness!

Foie gras poêlé, chutney d’oignons aux pommes // Pan-seared foie gras, apple and onion chutney. Of all the ways to savour this delicacy, this has got to be my all-time favourite. My only gripe? C’est trop petit. Definitely not enough for two to share!

Edwin’s main – “La Paysanne” – with chicken, cheese, and spiced tomatoes.

I had the “Galette of the Week”, which featured Emmental cheese, egg, bacon and onions.

These were two of the best crêpes we’ve had so far. Don’t get too excited though, we haven’t tried that many to begin with. Towards the end, however, we had our fill of crêpes and decided to go elsewhere for dessert. I’m definitely planning to return to try their dessert crêpes!

Hong Kong-style egg yolk custard bun-flavoured nitrogen ice-cream from Lab Made. Whew that’s quite a mouthful! It was interesting to say the least. There were bits of egg yolk, and it tasted rather savoury, not like a dessert at all. Maybe I’ll try the other flavours next time.

At this point, I’m getting quite excited because ice-cream season is upon us! Hey, maybe June could be all about frozen treats. 😉

Fleur de Sel
Flat 2J, Po Foo Building, 1 Foo Ming Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: 2805 6678

Lab Made Cafe

Shop B, G/F, Soundview Plaza 2 – Midtown, 1-29 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Our Three Best Meals in Paris

Dining in Paris – where does one begin? It’s the City of Love – love for good food, that is!

Like in Rome, there are tourist traps galore, particularly around the major attractions. And the best way to counter that is research, research, research. Sites like Tripadvisor.com are fairly useful, though I’ll take the reviews with a pinch of salt, and maybe some pepper too.

As for myself, I love French food (like I do most other foods), such as croissants, pain au chocolat, macarons, escargots, foie gras, crêpes, onion soup… just to name a few! Before I get carried away, here are the three most memorable meals we had in Paris, and definitely three of the best meals we’ve had in our lifetime so far! Bon appetit!

 

Comptoir de la Gastronomie

If you like foie gras, you’ll love this place.

We came here for dinner, and the moment we told them “sans réservations“, the response was that the wait would be anything from five minutes to an hour(!). Luckily, we didn’t have to wait for more than 1o minutes.

Soupe à l’oignon. We had this a couple of times in Paris, and I really liked the one here.

French cheese is an acquired taste, so if all you’ve known is cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan, don’t order a platter of les fromages français “for the experience”. What you will get is an expensive learning experience, like we did.

Le poisson. This was monkfish (if I remember correctly) with bacon, on a bed of beans.

And now for the pièce de résistance…

Escalope de foie gras de canard poêlée sur son pain d’épices et mesclun (pan-seared duck foie gras on gingerbread with mesclun). A-ma-zing!

Santé!

Comptoir de la Gastronomie
34 Rue Montmartre, 75001 Paris, France

 

Le Procope

We were more relaxed about the Paris portion of the trip (as compared to Rome), and hence I didn’t plan as much. We ended up dining at a few touristy spots, and this was one of them. The overall dining experience was great, and hence this place deserves a mention.

We each had a half dozen escargots. I’ve always liked escargots, but after having these, I was hooked. For the next few days I’d order escargots everywhere we went, but they couldn’t quite measure up. I must have wiped out an entire garden.

Seabass fillet and a roasted tomato “tart”.

Beef and vegetable stew. I know it doesn’t look like much, but it was so good… The meat was perfectly tender, and a hot stew was just the thing for a cold night!

Edwin had the dessert du moment, which was a chocolate mousse of sorts with lots of cream.

I had the tiramisu “recette maison” (house recipe). They brought out a huge bowl of the stuff, and scooped it out in front of us. It may not be pretty, but BEST TIRAMISU EVER.

Who knew that after my tiramisu hunt in Rome, I’d end up finding it in Paris? Go figure.

Le Procope
13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France

 

Le P’tit Troquet

Un petit restaurant not far from the Eiffel Tower, but it’s tucked away on a quieter street and will require some navigation. Unless you’ve got some natural GPS going on, I’d suggest getting really acquainted with Google Maps beforehand.

We each had a 3-course set dinner. This was Edwin’s starter of salmon with dill. Sorry, I can’t remember its full name, but I do remember that it was delicious!

My starter, risotto wrapped in parma ham and topped with asparagus, was also lovely.

Edwin’s main course: pan-seared duck fillet with roasted potatoes.

My main course: steak topped with a massive slab of foie gras, served with more awesome potatoes.

Pour le dessert, Edwin had the poached spiced pear with vanilla ice-cream, and he couldn’t stop raving about it. This is a big deal because he doesn’t care much for food. (What am I doing with him? I guess opposites do attract.) Which I suppose makes it a must-try, especially if you’re into fruity desserts.

Moi, je préfère le chocolat. La tarte au chocolat avec une glace vanille, c’est très délicieux aussi!

The staff were some of the most polite we’ve ever met, not just in Paris, and the service was excellent. This was our first proper meal in France and for better or worse, it set the bar for the rest of the trip. If you’re in Paris for just one night, you should definitely dine here!

Le P’tit Troquet
28 Rue de l’Exposition, 75007 Paris, France

You can make online reservations for all three restaurants, and you should, especially for Le P’tit Troquet. I heard that it’s almost always full, and while we were there, we saw so many people get turned away at the door. For larger restaurants, you could walk in and maybe wait 30 to 40 minutes for a table, but why would you want to spend precious vacation time doing that?

Paris has a lot more to offer than just good food. Out there is where the magic happens.

Le French May at PMQ

Salut tout le monde!

Le French May kicked off what’s to be a month of festivities, starting with a French market at PMQ. We’d never been to PMQ before, so it was two birds with one stone!

Throwing said stone wasn’t easy though. It was a steep uphill climb from Sheung Wan! This must be how hipsters stay fit.

Et voila! Nous sommes arrivés!

The market was smaller than expected, but there was a good range nonetheless. There were sandwiches, pastries, wines, juices, jams, and things in jars which I couldn’t identify.

The most interesting stall was probably the one offering various cheeses. Check out that raclette! It’s a wheel of cheese placed under a heater, and the melted top is scraped onto a platter with cold cuts, potatoes, and gherkins. Melted cheese? Oui, s’il vous plaît!

The potatoes were lovingly smothered by a golden blanket of oozy cheese. Très délicieux!

PMQ is also home to artsy stores featuring local designers, and a number of cafés. Because you’ve got to have cafés, especially those that serve Instagram-worthy cakes and such. I went in. They didn’t serve chocolate-based desserts. I left.

Anyway, in keeping with the theme, I thought I’d blog about all things French this month, from food to fashion. And the Paris trip from last year, which I’ve put off for too long.

Mais maintenant, je vais me coucher. Bonne nuit!

http://www.frenchmay.com
http://www.frenchgourmay.com
http://www.pmq.org.hk

An American Mouse in Paris

My love for Disney is no secret. Our Disneymoon (way back in 2012) is still the best trip we’ve ever had. I loved every moment spent in Disney World, and I have to go back someday, maybe with the little ones in tow! And in case you’re interested, here’s the six-part series:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

When we planned our Europe trip last September, there was no way I was going to miss Disneyland Paris. So with a little fairy dust (and mostly lots of clickety-click), we found ourselves in a Disney park once more!

I’ve also decided that I want to go to Disneyland Paris again (more on that later), and stay at the gorgeous Disneyland Hotel next time.

Token #selfie onboard the Autopia.

I saw Wall-E and Eve from afar and ran towards them like a madwoman even though they’re not going anywhere. I couldn’t help my excitement. “Wall-E” was the very first movie that Edwin and I watched together, and so it holds a special place in my heart.

Now and always.

Waiting in line at “Star Tours”, which turned out to be incredibly boring. The one in Disney World was much, much better. (I might be doing lots of comparisons, please bear with me!)

“Space Mountain: Mission 2”, on the other hand, had some scary space madness going on.

Edwin and I were screaming our faces off, but the dudes behind us seemed pretty chill.

We had lunch at Cafe Hyperion, and you can see that I was thrilled with having a Magnum Mini for dessert.

The dining area also had this auditorium-like space and there were screenings of Disney-Pixar short films, some I knew and some new to me. My favourite is “Day & Night”.

“Le Pays des Contes de Fées” (The Land of Fairy Tales), a voyage through beautifully detailed miniature storybook lands.

The cottage of the seven dwarves, and Rapunzel’s tower in the background.

Belle’s village, from “Beauty and the Beast”. Simply stunning.

“We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!”

Looking more like a happy jail-bird than the Queen of Hearts, but oh well. By the way, “Alice’s Curious Labyrinth” is not just for kids! Several adults, including ourselves, got lost within the maze too!

“Peter Pan’s Flight” was one of my favourite rides in Magic Kingdom, so I had high hopes for this one. But alas, it was another disappointment. The poor lighting, awkward arrangement of the set, and less-than-smooth ride made for one very confusing experience. 😦

Somewhere in every Disney park, it’s Christmas all year round.

Do you want to buy a snowman?

So… Anna and Elsa have been relegated to being store displays. #letitgo

“Beautiful” is an understatement.

Can’t go home without a Disney castle #selfie!

With my prince. 🙂

“Phantom Manor”, which is the Parisian equivalent of “Haunted Mansion”. It’s just as spooky, made all the more chilling by the Cast Members who were really into it. I’m quite the chicken when it comes to such rides, and one of the Cast Members made me almost scream out loud.

As dusk fell upon us, we gathered in front of the castle in anticipation of the fireworks show. So far, I was having mixed feelings about Disneyland Paris. About a third of the attractions were closed for refurbishment, and half the dining spots were closed too. In some areas of the park, it was as though we had walked into a ghost town.

On the bright side, with so few guests in the park, there were hardly any queues. The longest we waited in line was maybe ten minutes, and there was absolutely no need for FASTPASS.

Anyway, I was beginning to feel like Disneyland Paris was a bit of a disappointment, and maybe not worth a second visit. Then the fireworks show commenced.

And it was PERFECT.

Some of the songs were in French, and others were in English. It didn’t matter. These beloved Disney songs were woven together into a medley that told a story of its own, interspersed with the most breathtaking effects. The arrangement was flawless and surpassed even Magic Kingdom, which I didn’t think was possible.

Needless to say, pictures don’t do it justice. But you have to at least see a little of what I’m raving about.

Ah… It was beautiful, touching and magical, and now I just want to go there again. Brilliant.

And guess what? I am! Well, not to Paris, but Hong Kong Disneyland is certainly good enough. We’ll be going next week, and I can’t wait! Can’t even begin to describe how awesome it is to live in a city that’s home to a Disney park.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to blog again soon. Until then, have faith, trust, and a good dose of pixie dust!

Versailles Palace and Gardens Walking Tour with Viator

One of my favourite movies is “Marie Antoinette”. Beautiful people in beautiful costumes, what’s not to love?

The film won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, so Hollywood agrees.

And there’s going to be a new Marie Antoinette movie starring Diane Kruger! The new film will probably shed yet another light on the life of the queen, and I’m eager to see how it differs from the 2006 version. The one constant (aside from gorgeous dresses) is the setting – the equally stunning Château de Versailles.

I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to witness firsthand the opulence of the palace, and with a little clickety-click, it’s yet another tour with Viator! Our guide was the lovely Sarah, who hails from Texas but loves all things French. She’s warm, funny, and animated, and this was the most fun we ever had on a tour.

As usual, one of the best parts of a Viator tour is not having to queue.

We started with a tour of the gardens, which were massive! There’s no way to cover all that ground in a single day. We wanted to rent a buggy later in the day, but they were all out. 😦 Le Petit Trianon will have to wait for another time!

Within the gardens were “rooms”, and each had a distinct design and theme. Sarah (in the red jacket) would give us a brief history of these spots, and their significance in the lives of the French kings, namely Louis XIV, the one who made it all happen.

要是没花朵，怎能叫花园呢? (If there aren’t any flowers, how can we call it a garden?)

No shortage of fountains. It’s quite impressive how all this was achieved in the seventeenth century!

After the tour of the gardens, Sarah bid us adieu and left us to explore the interiors of the palace with our audio guides. Needless to say, it was far more crowded inside.

The infamous queen herself. I wonder if she ever knew of the stories she would inspire?

Well, until then, let me eat cake.

Lunch at Angelina Paris

Merry Christmas! Wherever you are in the world, I wish you peace, hope, love, and joy. And a warm cup of cocoa, or whatever tickles your fancy.

Angelina is a Parisian tea salon famous for their chocolat chaud. Popular among locals and tourists alike, it’s perpetually crowded, and one must be prepared to wait in line. Long queues aren’t my thing while on vacation (too many things to see and do!), so we had an early taste of Paris while in the Dubai Mall when we saw that there was a branch there. (Read about it here.)

Recently, I found out that there’s an Angelina right in the heart of Hong Kong. What with this, Fortnum & Mason, and Venchi gelataria, it seems like a little bit of Europe has come back with us!

Yesterday afternoon, I thought I’d treat myself to lunch at Angelina, since it’s Christmas Eve and all. They have a two-course set lunch available at HKD280, about S$46.

I had the starter of crab cakes with mango and green apple, served atop wasabi mayonnaise. These were delectable. I only wished they were bigger. But then again, to paraphrase Mireille Guiliano, author of “French Women Don’t Get Fat”, three bites is all it takes to enjoy a dish. Three bites looks about right. I had to remember dining etiquette and savour these as daintily as I could.

For my main course, I had the grilled seabream with parsnip mousseline and Jerusalem artichokes, served with hollandaise sauce. Again, I loved it. If I had to nitpick, the fish was a teensy bit dry on its own, but paired with the sauce, it was amazing. This time, I didn’t bother with table manners and just scraped out every last bit of sauce using my knife. The way I see it, it would have been far more impolite not to finish everything on my plate (and in the jug).

To digress a little, I once watched something on TLC where the host dubbed hollandaise sauce “liquid sunshine”. I couldn’t agree more. Previously, I’ve only ever had it with eggs benedict, and now that I’ve been made aware of the possibilities… Excuse me while I hunt down my whisk. And mixing bowl. And…

Ahem. So yes, that was the two-course set lunch. But you didn’t think I was going to walk away without having dessert, did you?

I didn’t get the hot chocolate this time, and settled on a dark chocolate éclair instead. The pastry was a little tough, but I haven’t had many éclairs in this lifetime (believe it or not), so maybe it was supposed to be that way? Nonetheless, it was rich and chocolate-y and just lovely, really.

So there you go, another delightful dining experience in Hong Kong. Once again, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to one and all!

Angelina
Shop 3031-3070/ 3025-3026, IFC, 1 Harbour View Street, Central
中環港景街1號國際金融中心商場連卡佛3樓3025-3026 / 3031-3070號舖
Tel: 3188 0842