August 1, 2009
Located in the heart of central Suhkumvit, Rossini is the kind of Italian place you take your clients and close friends to. With great food, warm and prompt service and the charming decor inspired by cozy Tuscan villas will keep you coming back.
Whenever I am in Bangkok with a craving for Italian food in a grander setting, Rossini’s is where I head. I recently had dinner there again and I have to say that I left feeling satisfied, full and very pleased.
The fruit and vegetable salad is chock full of freshness and sweetness from the fruits. The acidity of the balsamic dress contrasts with the sweetness of the fresh fruits and vegetables to give a burst of fresh …
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July 27, 2009
Located just right beside the Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel (in the same compound), the Angsana Spa provides a good getaway to relax and refresh yourself for a few hours. Which was what I did when I stayed at Maison Suvannaphoum.
The individually covered huts with warm white interiors will put you at ease easily. The lush greenery surrounding the huts where the treatment takes place will lull you in. It’s not a big spa but they make full use of the space available.
I was given a light massage before my body scrub to help prepare me for the bliss of having someone else scrub me down. I had the Oatmeal Honey Lime Aglow scrub and the therapist manually scrubbed my …
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July 15, 2009
Laotian food is about texture and meshing various flavors into a dish. It’s not spicy because they believe everyone’s spice tolerance is different (which I didn’t know initially and was wondering about the lack of spice because I love spicy food – the spicier, the better).
Housed in a two-story colonial villa, this charming restaurant in Luang Prabang has local food that will delight and satisfy.
The Mok Pa Lao (steamed fish) dish was light with a hint of coconut. Wrapped individually in banana leaves, this is a good starter as it’s not too overpowering and those who do not like coconut in their food (like me) would also enjoy this. Tastes best with cut chili and fish sauce.
The …
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July 10, 2009
When I travel, I make sure I have the local cuisine of the particular country I am visiting. I like going native when it comes to food. So I spent some Summer time in Laos and Park Houay Mixay was one of the highlights of going local culinary-wise.
Located conveniently on Sothikhoummane Road, this wooden house-restaurant features outdoor and indoor seating. Their specialty is traditional Luang Prabang cuisine and their menu boasts a wide selection of ethnic dishes.
The spicy shrimp paste with steamed vegetables was a surprise but a good surprise. I wanted some greens and I got a whole plateful of it. With sticks of different vegetables and a bowl of shrimp paste as a dip, this slighty …
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July 6, 2009
One of my favorite spots in Hong Kong is SoHo, with its myriad restaurant options and the very cool mid-level escalators, you will be spoiled for choice. That said, I was roaming about SoHo a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled upon this restaurant.
I was first drawn to its traditional doors and exterior which stood out among the sea of sports bars, Italian restaurants and Mexican restaurants. And it was packed with locals which is always a good sign.
Turns out – it was a good sign. The food at Yi Jiang Nan was delicious and tasty. Like a home cooked meal prepared by your Asian grandparents. The fried sliced beef with chili was tender and perfectly cooked. …
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June 27, 2009
I love traveling and flying in general and that said, I have always wanted to ride on a helicopter but I never got the chance until 2 weekends ago when I was in Hong Kong. I forgot about my desire to ride on a helicopter until my sister who lives in Bali mentioned that one could get a helicopter shuttle from the airport to the Aman Resort where David and Victoria Beckham once vacationed.
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June 20, 2009
Located centrally at the bustling Lan Kwai Fong area, Union J is a chic establishment with a focus on New American cusine. What exactly is New American cusine? It’s basically taking staples of American cuisine – like steak, chicken breast, sour dough bread and giving it all a little modern spin.
The open space concept gives an airy but yet rather intimate vibe. You see people walking and hear them talking but it’s done in a way that won’t distract you from your dinner guests.
I was taken to Union J on a Saturday night and aside from the great location, it was also a good start to the long night of partying. There were 4 of us and we …
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December 7, 2008
I popped into the Remede Spa at the St Regis 2 days ago on a whim because it’s been a rough couple of weeks (with my PC crashing twice, losing data, barely sleeping because I am in desperate need of a new mattress and have yet to find the time to go source for one etc).
Their decadent foot ritual came highly recommended and I signed up for that along with the use of the steam room, sauna and jacuzzi. The first thing you notice is how clean, sleek, minimalistic the layout is. The interior is lined with smooth, cold granite and marble and despite the space being smaller than I expected; it still is private while maintaining its open layout.
The jacuzzi is right in the middle of the …
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November 5, 2008
I was invited to this 7 course dinner at St Pierre’s to commemorate the launch of the new Bond movie. I was looking forward it; here it was, a French restaurant tackling dishes and different champagne associated with past and present Bond movies.
My first vodka martini greeted me 10 minutes after I arrived and that was all that came my way during the reception. According to the invite and the brochure, I was supposed to 4 appetizers before dinner (low temperature poaches quail egg with oscertra cavier, mini conch chowder with dashi stock, little neck clams with chardonnay and miso with french chicken croquette maryland and organic green asparagus with yuzu scented hollandaise sauce with scottish lamb sutlet crusted with nori viennoise) but they never came my way …
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October 22, 2008
Villa Sasoon located in the heart of Candi Dasa, is a 90 minute ride from the main airport of Denpasar Bali. It boasts 4 private villas, all with its own private pool and 2 separate sleeping quarters.
The villa is surrounded by palm, bamboo trees and high walls, so you can be assured of privacy while you skinny dip in your own private pool. The pool is cleaned as soon as the previous guest checks out of the villa so if you check in right after someone checks out, you might not be able to use the pool till the next till day (it’s for the best – let chlorine do its job).
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September 27, 2008
Xuan Mai is this small hole-in-the-wall place located at the end of Sukumvit Soi 13 in Bangkok. It is also my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Thailand – hands down. This quaint little establishment was set up by Meyung Robson who was the first Vietnamese individual to work as an FBI Special Agent. So yes, she can cook up a storm AND kick your ass.
She came to Bangkok on assignment, fell in love with the city and decided to call it home. If you speak to her, you’ll know her love for cooking and that was how Xuan Mai came about.
The restaurant itself has about 6-7 tables and that’s the way I like it. Service, usually by Ms Robson or her son is personable, friendly, warm and everything …
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September 10, 2008
I’ve always loved big cats and today was a first of many – a first time I played with tiger cubs like I play with my dog (well, maybe not so literally but it was close), a first time I got to pet a tiger (many times!) and the first time I sat so close to a tribe of these great cats!
Located near the Thai-Burmese border, the Tiger Temple Thailand is a 2.5 hour drive from the city of Bangkok. I got a driver, a good car and off we went. Since the whole journey takes about 5 or so hours back and forth, it is quite important that you get a decent ride.
With volunteers of many different nationalities (most of whom are college …
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