TEA ANYONE?

Looking for a place to relax while you enjoy a cup of tea? Look no further than Teakha in Sheung Wan. You will not regret it! Teakha has a great selection of teas (I highly recommend the Thai Iced Tea if it's still on the menu) and delicious homemade scones (the Roselle scone was our favorite).

They only offer one brunch special. Lucky for us, we picked the perfect day to go. We will never turn down eggs and sausage!

We are officially hooked!
 
Teakha
Shop B, 18 Tai Ping Shan Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
+852-2858-9185

MALAYSIA TRULY AISA

When I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, I watched a fair share of CNN International news. I think the only commercial that played in between news segments was the "Malaysia Truly Asia" commercial promoting Malaysia tourism. The "Malaysia Truly Asia" song that would play in the background of the commercial was so catchy that it was stuck in my head for months. I used to drive my family mad singing this song.

Fast forward 10+ years... M plans a short getaway weekend to Malaysia for some R&R. I couldn't help but sing the song all weekend long;)

Sea view from our hotel room

Awesome trees at the hotel

Malay sunset

Watermelon juice - my favorite

LIFE LATELY

Breakfast in bed

A celebratory dinner

View from the office

Failed attempt at mastering Drew's blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes

To another year!

A quiet street in Shanghai

A modern building in Beijing

My favorite flavor:)

Another Secret Ingredient success!

A beautiful evening in HK

OUR FIRST JUNK!

Back in NYC, to escape the heat we would head to the nearby beaches in the Hampton's. In Hong Kong, we go on junks! And that's exactly what M and I did last weekend...

We set sail around 10:30am. The start of our trip was little rocky. It had been raining on and off all morning and the waves were quite large. The initial goal was to head out to Snakes Bay for the day, but when people started to get sea sick we changed course and docked in nearby Discovery Bay.

We spent the day meeting new friends, swimming in the water, eating Mexican food from Mr. Taco Truck and enjoying cool margaritas and beers on the boat.  Below are some pictures.

Dad - this one's for you! We cruised past a golf course on the water

M swam out to the shark net lining. He was not on the safe swimming side... Eek!

Discovery Bay

Views of the harbour from the deck of our junk

Are you planning to charter a junk this summer? Sassy Hong Kong has a great guide to planning a junk boat trip. Check out the link below.

http://sassyhongkong.com/guide-to-planning-a-boat-trip-hk/

Happy Junk'ing!

HANGZHOU, CHINA

Last week, I visited Hangzhou for the first time, which is a 45 minute train ride from Shanghai. I had heard so many wonderful things about this getaway town, which is famous for its lake.

While I was there for a work visit, I was lucky to have the chance to walk along the lake and see the water show.

One of the things visitors do in Hangzhou is rent bikes and ride along the lake. There are also many shopping malls, which feature high-end, luxury brands.

For lunch we ate at Grandma's Kitchen, which offers delicious local food at reasonable prices.

Unfortunately, we were there on a very overcast day. Although with the beautiful gardens and lake, I can easily understand why so many people escape to Hangzhou every year. Below is a good CNN article on visiting Hangzhou.

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/visit/explore-hangzhou/5-minute-complete-guide-hangzhou-264633

Makes we want to plan a weekend getaway trip with M in the near future:)

DIM SUM IN CENTRAL

Looking for a super local dim sum experience in Central? Look no further than Lin Heung Tea House on Wellington Street. The restaurant opened in 1928 and is supposedly the oldest dim sum spot in Hong Kong.

In most dim sum restaurants throughout Hong Kong, gone are the days where you select your food from a dim sum cart. This place allows you to step back in time and to experience dim sum as it was many years ago.

Here are a couple of things you should know before you go.

• You'll have to invest time in scouting out a table with open seats, which can take some time. It's well worth it. 
• There is no English speakers at this joint, so it's best to go with a Cantonese speaking friend.
• Be prepared to share a table with other patrons and to wash your own dishes before you eat. 

Lin Heung Tea House
160 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong

+852 2544 4556

THE SOUTH SIDE

When my sister and brother in law were in town, we wanted to show them that Hong Kong is more than just a concrete jungle.  We took a quick, 20 minute cab ride from Central to the south side to visit Repulse Bay and Stanley Beach.

Both places are great spots to lay out during the summer or take a sunset stroll. In addition to the beach, Stanley has a bustling little market and many restaurant options. A meal with ocean views is the perfect way to end a lazy day.

The Longevity Bridge. It is said that your life expectancy lengthens after walking across the bridge

Kwum Yam Shrine, a Taoist Shrine

Eric with Ocean Park in the palm of his hand:)

A mosaic statue at Repulse Bay

Stanley Beach at sunset