Chili's @ Tanglin Mall

I used to visit Chili's quite often during my teenager years, and I still recall dropping by their outlet at Great World City for birthday celebrations and gatherings. Unfortunately, they closed their doors in during the early 2000s, if I recall correctly.

But in 2009, they re-entered Singapore, and now have four outlets at Tanglin Mall, Resorts World Sentosa, Central, and J-Cube. Paid them a visit for lunch with my gf today. 

My parents warned me that their portions are really big, so instead of our usual two main courses + one starter, we opted for just one main course and one starter. And yet, we couldn't finish it. 

Triple Dipper, $25

This seemed to be a good choice for small groups, since it gave us the option to try out three different starters. We chose their Boneless Buffalo Wings, Big Mouth Bites, and Texas Cheese Poppers. Let's review it in this order. 

The buffalo wings didn't taste like wings; they seemed to be chicken breast meat. It was also a bit dry. Big Mouth Bites are actually mini beef burgers. They tasted quite okay, though we didn't eat much of the bread (too much food!). As for the Texas Cheese Poppers, one word to describe it - urgh. That was my first impression when I took a bite. The cheese was a bit sour and had a weird taste. My gf took a bite and spat it out.

Banch Ranch Chicken Quesadilla, $22

This was good, fortunately! The filling consisted of applewood smoked bacon, cheese, and chicken, and the combination and quantity was done just right. When eaten with a bit of sour cream, it was rather satisfying.

Sarang Korean Bistro @ Orchard Central

The first Korean food addition to the Palate program - Sarang Korean Bistro. Being located at Orchard Central was probably one reason why they enlisted the help of the program to attract more diners. Paid them a visit after work on a weekday.

Chicken Terrine, $16

This was one of the more special dishes. There were bits of ginseng in the terrine, and gives you a burst of ginseng flavour whenever you bite into them. However, other than the uniqueness, it was just decent only. I would recommend ordering it once just to try, but that's all.

Pork belly, $22

The pork was too tough and chewy. When I told the staff, I was informed that it was supposed to be this chewy (which I doubt). However, it was a nice gesture from her to offer us some extra sauce and lettuce to go along with it after my feedback.

Oxtail soup, $23

I must admit that my initial expectation of this soup was more towards the Western kind. So I was quite surprised when I saw their clear version. It was a bit too bland, and the meat was tough and chewy.

This place fell way short of my expectations. Will not visit here again, even with the 50% Palate discount.

Backdating

While at the gym yesterday, I chanced upon this notice.

I didn't know you can backdate this kind of things.

Gin no Saji

Gin no Saji translates to 'Silver Spoon', and it is definitely one of the best animes I have ever watched recently. To think that I almost couldn't be bothered to watch it - after all, how interesting could a kid joining an agricultural and farming school be?

I was wrong. The first episode alone captivated me, and now the anime is under my "treasured anime list" - those that I reserve for gym sessions (good animes distract me more, which is good when I am using the elliptical trainer). I can't bear to watch it at home.

Anyway, the anime is about a boy named Hachiken. Despite getting excellent grades in school, when he graduates, he opts for Yezo Agricultural High School, a boarding school with a farm. The anime doesn't explain upfront on his decision, but as the show progresses, bits and pieces of information are released, and we slowly gain more insights into Hachiken's life. 

Hachiken learns how life as a farmer is, and how studying alone is insufficient to get us through life. And since I am personally quite interested in animals, I found the anime rather intriguing; it was also a learning experience for me as I learnt about how piglets are resigned to fate shortly after birth, the sensitive nature of horses, and more importantly, how the farmers struggle with showing love and taking care of their animals, while knowing that one day they would need to kill them with their own hands.

I haven't watched such a good 'slice of life' anime in quite a long time; the others I could call to mind are Honey and Clover and Nodame Cantabile. I am at episode 8 currently.

A horse taking a liking to Hachiken's... hair and spectacles

An egg coming out of the chicken's anus cloaca

You can't get chicken that is fresher than this.

Plants versus Zombies 2 - It's About Time

When I heard that Plants vs. Zombies 2 was out, I quickly visited the App Store.... and my heart sank. Because it was free.

This may sound weird, but I have some reservations (and aversions) to free games. Because it usually means one or a combination of the following:

• The app is going to be chock-full of advertisements
• The game is not that well designed
• You will be asked to do some in-app purchases at every corner of the game
• Without the in-app purchases, there is almost no way to complete the game properly

I would rather pay an upfront amount for the app, and that's it - don't disturb me with advertisements, or give me the "incomplete" feeling that I can't enjoy the game without relying on in-app purchases. Thus, it is crucial that free games strike the right balance between the game challenge and monetisation. 

The gameplay is largely similar to its predecessor. You collect sun energy, then plant plants that attack the zombies advancing. This time, there are some new plant additions, like the bonk chye (a parody of the Chinese vegetable bok chye), lightning reed (hey, is that a plant?), stacked pea pods (can stack up to five pea shooters). There are new zombies too of course, and another welcome change is the introduction of different worlds.

Pros:

• Excellent and rich graphics
• Addictive gameplay
• New plants, zombies and worlds make the gameplay an entirely different experience

Cons:

• Unstable - the game has crashed or hanged quite a few times
• Battery drainer - the rate at which it drains battery is ridiculous
• The classic plants are all unavailable... unless you pay. A lot. Check out the screenshot below.
• Coins can be used for in-game attacks like beheading or tossing the zombies away with your fingers. It..... feels like cheating. Oh and you can win coins during the course of the game, but more coins require real cash. Of course you knew that.

Pasar Bella @ The Grandstand

While I was feeling bored and not knowing where else to visit in this tiny island, my gf suggested somewhere she knew I would love - Pasar Bella. Modelled closely after overseas markets (I thought it looked very much like those I visited in Australia), it was definitely a refreshing place in Singapore. (Bella is actually the Italian word for 'beautiful') Located at The Grandstand, Pasar Bella is huge - covering supposedly more than 30,000 square feet, and housing more than 30 stalls.

Once we entered, we were greeted by the directory of all the stalls available.

Looking at the list, I immediately struck off some stalls off my head. Notably those that I have tried or could try outside. Charly T's, out. Da Paolo, out. Salad Stop, out. Balloon Blasters? What's a balloon stall doing here? Out.

We came here at around 5pm, just before dinner time. So our plan was to walk around and try out a variety of food for dinner. Our first stop was at Keith Crackling Roast - one look at the roast pork there and I knew I had to try it. It looked (and smelled) irresistible.

Keith Crackling Roast

Roast pork, $8 per portion

Just to clarify, the picture above does not show one portion of roast pork. One portion is actually only one strip, which they will cut and chop into small pieces. Definitely quite expensive, but at least it was really good - the skin was deliciously crunchy, and the meat was tender, juicy and not too salty.

Next stop - Oceans of Seafood, one of the largest stalls in Pasar Bella.

Oceans of Seafood

The sushi here was obviously not cheap, so we decided to just try two each and move on to the next stall.

Chu-toro, Mekajiki, and Kanpachi sushi

I would love to try their oo-toro sushi (blue fin fatty tuna belly), but at $11 per piece, I found it a bit too steep and opted for their chu-toro sushi (blue fin semi fatty tuna belly) instead, which costs $6.50 each. It was delicious! I took the mekajiki sushi (swordfish) while my gf ate the kanpachi sushi (amberjack). The swordfish was the best I have ever tasted; it was deliciously oily and smooth! 

Just look at it shimmer and glisten!

More pictures of Oceans of Seafood below.

Live crabs and lobsters for sale

This really reminded me of 上引水产 in Taiwan, which I blogged about here.

The stall below, Le Patio, was definitely one of the biggest attention grabbers. Many people crowded near to take a closer look at that humongous pan and to see what they were cooking.

Le Patio. The guy was preparing paella

The end product - paella, a kind of Spanish seafood rice

Naturally, we ordered a plate of paella to share. The portion was actually quite small, and at $13.50 each, it was way overpriced! 

Paella, $13.50

Not to mention, the paella was not really good either. The seafood taste was not brought out well, and the rice were not infused with the sweetness of the mussels and prawns. My mother can do it much better than them.

View of Pasar Bella from one of their second storey platforms

A bright yellow signboard 'This way to Rare Cheese' directed us to The Cheese Ark.

Free cheese tasting

The counter staff here were obviously very passionate about cheeses. They enthusiastically told us to take up one spot at the left side of the table, and introduced us some cheeses. We tried some gouda cheese (with different ageing times) and even some blue cheese, to my reluctance. The buffalo blue cheese she recommended was pleasantly not smelly, and was actually pretty good! My gf ended up buying some of it, while I bought some gouda cheese that had been aged for six years. It wasn't cheap, at around $156 per kg! Just a small 144g slice cost me around $24 (with GST).

And of course, some desserts to round up the day, at Seventh Heaven.

Variety of flavours available at The Seventh Heaven

The ice cream flavours here were definitely much more exotic than your usual strawberry-chocolate-vanilla, and they were happy to let us try out several before deciding on our choices. In the end, we went with three scoops - lychee martini, peach, and... I can't remember the last flavour. 

Pasar Bella is really a nice and quaint place, which appeals to the foodie in me who wants to try out many different things. The food here may cost a premium, but at least it provided an interesting experience. Parking at The Grandstand was also free and plentiful, so this should be welcome news to drivers.

Black pug and mooncakes

Mid-autumn festival is just around the corner, and inevitably, my family is reminded of Garfield. 

Garfield loves mooncakes. He loves it to the extent that once he hears the word "mooncake", his ears would perk up, his eyes would shine, and he would start spinning around. And with every bite, he would already be looking forward for the next bite, showing his impatience with either an anxious whine or an insistent paw.

We offered some mooncakes for Garfield just now, hoping that in the other world, he would still be able to enjoy one of his favourite foods while he was alive. 

Last night, I dreamt of Garfield again. I was at our old house, and while coming down the stairs, I saw Garfield at the base of the staircase, looking up at me expectantly. In the dream, I rushed downstairs, calling out his name in both disbelief and joy, and hugged him tight. 

My pillow was damp when I woke up.

Kavakos Plays Mendelssohn (6 Sep 2013)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Lan Shui

Violinist: Leonidas Kavakos

Programme:

Richard Wagner - Siegfried Idyll, Op.103

Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21

It seems that Richard Wagner's personal life is as interesting (or maybe even more) than his music. In a previous post, I wrote about a description of him from the concert booklet. This time, it was about his wife. 

'In a New York Times article Alan Ryan described Cosima, Richard Wagner's second wife, as "one of the 19th century's least likeable heroines, proverbial for her gawky appearance and her infinite selfishness. She was the daughter of Franz Liszt and at the age of 18 had married one of her father's pupils, the conductor Hans von Bulow, with whom she had two children. Not long into that marriage, Cosima accompanied her husband on a visit to discuss business with Wagner, and the two soon became lovers.

The affair between Cosima von Bulow and Richard Wagner was carried on in the full glare of the public, neither showing any signs of remorse. They had two daughters while Cosima was still living with von Bulow, but on 16 November 1868 Cosima left her husband (who didn't put up much of a fight, writing to his lost wife, "You have preferred to devote your life and the treasures of your mind and affection to one who is my superior and, far from blaming you, I approve your action") and, taking her four children, moved in with Wagner. Seven months later (on 11 June 1869) they had a son, and the couple married on 25 August 1870, a month after Cosima's divorce from von Bulow.'

Kavakos owns the 'Abergavenny' Stradivarius of 1724, and with it, he was able to coax a beautiful sound from the violin for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. The first movement's lyrical melody is one that sticks easily, with a very slight tinge of melancholy - somewhat different from Mendelssohn's usual youthful and exuberant style. And Kavakos, with all his years of experience and talent, played it with ease and in a very relaxed manner. The fast sections were all played accurately but yet not rushed, and the sound produced by his violin was simply magical.

I was slightly dissatisfied with his body expressions though; in a concert, the musician's body also conveys something important to the audience. Kavakos was just too... calm and unmoving. I wasn't expecting him to be dramatic (like Lang Lang and Li Yundi - these two sometimes go overboard), but just a little bit of movements would definitely be welcome and help to get the audience more into the mood. Maybe I should go grab a copy of his concerto recordings...

Chikuwa Tei @ Mohammed Sultan

A close friend has been recommending Chikuwa Tei for the past two years, and was visibly miffed when she found out that I still haven't tried it yet. So this time, I paid it a visit with her for a weekend dinner.

I had called the place to make reservations, and was told that they only had two seatings - 6pm and 830pm. We took the 830pm slot, since I usually can't leave office on time.

Chirashi Sushi, $25

This was obviously their trademark dish. It consists of four different types of sashimi - salmon, mekajiki (swordfish), maguro (tuna), and tai (sea bream), and they all looked delightfully thick and generous. The sashimi were all fresh too, and the sea bream was definitely one of the best I have ever tasted. With the fish roe topping, this dish is a good way to have it all in one bowl.

Uni sashimi, $18

As it was a special occasion, I ordered some uni (sea urchin) sashimi to try. But I must admit that my standards for sea urchin are very high, after I first ordered it in Taiwan - which was so fresh and good, and yet so cheap. This one was still below Taiwan's by a few notches, but I guess I can't expect too much from Singapore.

I am definitely coming back here again. Reservations are a must, and it's a pity that it is not located near any MRT station, so you would either need to drive or be prepared to walk a longer distance. But it is definitely worth the time and trouble.

Plaza Brasserie @ ParkRoyal on Beach Road

Description directly from ParkRoyal's website:

"From 5 June to 31 August 2013, tuck into the ever-popular Black Pepper and Chilli Crab, alongside a variety of local noodle dishes, such as curry noodles, laksa and mee pok served with soft shell crab. We will also be serving chef's specialties: Nonya Curry Crab, XO Sauce Crab, Stir-fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolk and Steamed Crab with Dang Gui."

I love to eat crabs, and don't get to eat them often, so my gf and I decided to give this a try before the promotion ends. It costs $55++ per pax for a weekday buffet dinner.

We came out rather disappointed. There were so many types of crabs, but none were satisfactory. 

Baked crab

Dry and quite tasteless.

Black pepper crab

The black pepper sauce overpowered everything else. But then again, considering the low quality of their crabs, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Butter crab

Compared to the baked crab, a bit less dry and a bit more taste. But no buttery taste at all.

Chilli crab

The sauce was a bit watery and tasted a bit weird. It wasn't spicy at all too.

Crab with salted egg yolk

They seemed to use a different kind of salted egg yolk, and it tasted very different from other salted egg yolk crabs we have tried, or even other food seasoned with salted eggs. I love salted egg but this dish definitely failed to satisfy us.

Nonya crab

I fail to see where the 'Nonya' in this dish is.

Steamed crab with dang gui

The herbal soup tasted very diluted. Not surprisingly, the crab didn't taste very good either.

The underlying reason was because the quality of their crabs were not good. They don't taste very fresh, and the distinct flavour of crab meat was definitely lacking.

Since crab was the main draw of the buffet, the other dishes were fewer in variety. There were some normal local food which were average, but at least the sashimi - salmon belly, to be exact - was quite good.

We probably won't come here again.

A promise is a promise

Around five years ago, when we had just shifted to our new place, I decided to invite some of my cousins over for a barbeque downstairs. It then became a split two-generation event - the younger generation (yes, my generation) would barbeque downstairs, while my parents and other relatives would be having dinner upstairs. 

Before they came, I was busy preparing the food. Garfield, as usual, was walking around and poking his nose into everyone's business. I squatted down and told him that later we would be having guests over, and I would bring him downstairs too to join in the fun.

After they came, I got so busy running up and down that I decided to leave Garfield upstairs with the relatives. Being such a busybody dog, he should be sufficiently entertained with the big group upstairs, I thought. 

An hour or so into the barbeque, my mother called me. 

"Are you downstairs? Why didn't you bring Garfield? Did you know that he was so down and upset that even though everyone was around, he is now sulking alone in your room?"

I was taken aback. Garfield never fails to be around when we have guests, because he was just so... kaypoh. In fact, if we isolate him away from the guests, he would even get angry. But more importantly, did he really understand my promise to him? 

So I rushed upstairs to bring him down. True enough, I found him alone in my room, with the lights off. He was lying on his bed but he wasn't sleeping. Gosh, he was really upset and sulking!

I called out to him, and I could literally see his eyes brighten up. He rushed over in delight, and once he was downstairs, he was his usual self again, walking and sniffing around, but always near our group.

I felt quite guilty over the whole incident. I know I made a promise to Garfield, but for a dog to understand it so well... 

Jobs

Source: jobsmovie2013.com

Some disclaimers first - prior to watching the movie, I didn't read any movie reviews. And I have already read the autobiography on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Now on the movie. For one thing, I do think that Ashton Kutcher did a pretty good impersonation of Steve Jobs, especially his hunched posture and bouncy walk. And behaviours aside, his appearance does look like Steve Jobs, perhaps around 80%? The hairstyle, facial hair, clothes - all of them helped to make Kutcher look very much like the real Jobs.

If you have read the book, you would probably agree that we can sum Steve Jobs up in three aspects - the entrepreneur, the boss, and the human. The movie glossed over the first one, focused on the second one, and almost entirely skipped the third one. It thus shows a very incomplete side of the man, whom to understand better, you would need to look at the whole package.

The first part of the movie consists of fleeting scenes with little connections to each other; the average viewer would probably be a bit lost, especially if he hasn't read the autobiography. As the movie progressed, it also started to come apart - there were so many important events and conversations that were crucial to the movie, and yet were missing. Just to name a few omissions - Wozniak gave some employees his own stock before Apple's IPO to reward them for their early help (Jobs refused to acknowledge them), Jobs getting married to Laurene Powell and having three kids, how he came to terms with his illegitimate daughter Lisa, how he led Pixar to success, and so on.

Let's sum this up. To understand the movie, you would probably need to read the book first. But after reading it, you don't have to watch the movie anymore. It's a good thing the movie was only released after Steve Jobs' death. I think he would have gotten into a fit if he saw this shit and sent it back to the producer again.

Let's Go to The Movies

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Jason Lai

Violinist: Alexander Souptel

Clarinetist: Ma Yue

Programme:

Main Title from Star Wars

Theme from Jurassic Park

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Suite for Orchestra

     - Hedwig's Theme

     - Nimbus 2000

     - Harry's Wondrous World

Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

"Hymn to the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan

Theme from Schindler's List (for solo violin & orchestra)

"Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Star Wars

"Viktor's Tale" from The Terminal (for solo clarinet & orchestra)

The Shark Theme from Jaws

Superman March from Superman

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Suite for Orchestra

     - Fawkes the Phoenix

     - Dobby the House Elf

     - The Chamber of Secrets

Tango (Por Una Cabeza) (arranged for solo violin & orchestra by John Williams)

"Throne Room" & End Title from Star Wars

One of the few "non-classical" music concerts that I have attended recently. But a concert featuring John Williams' works was simply irresistible. If you were born in the 70s or 80s, it is practically impossible for you not to be familiar with the music from Star Wars, Superman, and Indiana Jones.

The movies covered during this concert spanned across multiple genres - comedy, science-fiction, horror, and war. And this made John Williams even more amazing, with his versatile ability to compose such thematic music. His talent is apparent with the number of nominations he has received - 48 Academy Award nominations. And he has won 5 Academy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards, 7 British Academy Film Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards.

To be honest, I don't think the pieces were really difficult. A good composition does not necessarily have to be difficult, so this concert was more of a populist one - easy to perform but yet could generate much excitement and enjoyment. But the orchestra still executed the pieces well, and the solo pieces - Theme from Schindler's List and "Viktor's Tale" - were performed very well. I was quite amused when the clarinetist dressed up as Viktor, in his hat and suit - particularly because before that, I was half-expecting the conductor to dress up as Darth Vader and conduct the first piece after the intermission (The Imperial March) with a lightsabre.  

The audience had fun tonight. In fact, there was so much applause and cries for encores that the conductor had to shoo everyone home.

Hurry up

Chanced upon this article today.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up_b_3624798.html

It struck a note with me, because of so many eerie similarities between me and the author. (I don't have a kid, though!) Some quotes that can be applied fully to me currently:

"When you are living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there's never enough time in a day to ever catch up."

"When you live life distracted, you have tunnel vision -- only looking ahead to what's next on the agenda. And anything that cannot be checked off the list is a waste of time."

Maybe I should learn to take a break and enjoy life more. I could totally imagine myself rushing my kid (if I have one) every day, several times a day. "Hurry up and <fill in task here>".

Or maybe I should just not have a kid. That's even easier.

Unexpected Discovery

While doing my weekly stair climbing, on the 23rd floor, I chanced upon something very unexpected. It was the skin of a snake.

Snake skin

It was a pity that the skin was broken when I found it. I found the skin extremely beautiful, actually. The snake was probably only a metre long.

Look at the skin of the head - and more importantly, over the snake's eyes

It was a marvel to look at, especially the eye portion. If you look carefully, you will notice that the skin also covers the snake's eyes! What an interesting discovery.

Which led me to think next:

1) Did the snake climb all the way to the 23rd storey?

2) If so, after shedding its skin, where did it go? Could it have entered the corridor of one floor or even someone's house by accident?

3) If it didn't climb here by itself, did someone discard the skin here? (But why would someone discard the skin here and not just down the rubbish chute?)

I couldn't bear to discard it, so I put it in a ziploc bag and kept it in my room. :)

Hong Kong (Aug 2013)

Day 1

Another trip to Hong Kong for toy-shopping. I took Jetstar, just like last time, but I booked the ticket rather late and it cost almost S$360, which was quite expensive for a budget airline flight to Hong Kong. But fortunately I had free accommodation, because I was staying with a colleague who was there for work. The Mira was located around 4 minutes' walk from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station, so it was quite convenient (though I still prefer The Cityview, which was not as luxurious but so much closer to the toy haunts!) 

First time I saw a safe packed in a drawer, facing upwards

Free smartphone usage!

This was a really nice touch. A smartphone was provided for the room, and usage is free - even for overseas calls! And of course, most importantly, data was free too, so we used its tethering function to enable our own phones to surf the net.

I reached the hotel at around noon, so I grabbed a quick lunch, took a short nap, then set off to shop for toys before meeting my friend for dinner.

Dinner was at one of those 大排档s recommended by a Hong Konger, called 强记小厨. The food was pretty cheap and good, and one dish was worth a special mention here.

金稻穗香牛柳粒, HKD88 (S$14.43)

It consisted of beef cubes that were stir fried just nice such that the insides were still a bit rare, and mixed with eggplant, mushroom cubes (I think!), spring onion, and bits of crispy rice. It was damn good! 

The place is quite popular and can get packed even on weekday nights, so it is recommended to make a reservation.

Location: 旺角甘霖街31-33号地铺
Nearest MTR: Mong Kok, around 5 to 7 minutes' walk
Tel: 2899-0820


Day 2

My colleague went to office in the morning, and I went to McDonald's for breakfast. It was quite enjoyable to have breakfast in solitude, only with the company of my Kindle. Their sausage muffin patties were made of pork, so they tasted better than Singapore's. I sat there sipping my coffee and read... until the person from the next table let out a loud fart. I then decided it was time to go.

Went to Jenny Bakery, a place that sells cookies. Our HK colleagues had brought some over to Singapore several times before, and the cookies were definitely the best I have ever had, without a doubt. It tasted homemade and the "freshly-baked" taste - something which was sorely lacking in those Danish cookies you can get in supermarkets. 

Jenny Bakery had two outlets, one at Tsim Sha Tsui and the other at Sheung Wan, so I went to the former, which was just several minutes' walk from my hotel. 

Jenny Bakery, Tsim Sha Tsui outlet

I have heard stories about the long queues there, so I thought I was quite early, being there at around 1030am (it opens at 10am). I saw a queue of about ten people in front and thought "that's not too bad" - and proceeded to join the queue. Someone came out from the shop and started spewing Cantonese harshly (I don't understand Cantonese), with gestures towards another direction. I then realised that this was just part of the queue - the rest was outside the building. And there were definitely more than 60 people in front of me.

So I queued for a total of 1 hour and 11 minutes (yes I was measuring the time taken) under the rain. Thank goodness for my Kindle, which kept me entertained throughout!

When it was finally my turn, the lady asked me brusquely what I wanted while rummaging through some receipts and order lists on the table. When I said I wanted eight, she stopped her work and stared at me. "Where are you from?" she asked in a slightly unfriendly and suspicious manner. I told her I was from Singapore. She paused for a while, then nodded and collected my money. 

My friend told me later that they are quite wary of people buying their cookies in big quantities, because there have been quite a few incidents of people re-selling the cookies. People from the mainland supposedly made up most of the culprits, so once I said I was from Singapore, they didn't pursue further.

The cookies were not cheap - a large box of 4-mix cookies cost HKD120 (S$19.67), so eight of them cost close to S$160. More importantly, they weighed more than 6kg in total!

Location: 54-64 Nathan Road, Mirador Mansion, Shop 24 Ground Floor

Nearest MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui (Exit D2), around 3 minutes' walk

Tel: 2813-8568

Opening hours: 10am to 8pm

I went back to the hotel room to offload the cookies and hit the gym before walking to Australian Dairy Co. for lunch. Since it wasn't breakfast timing and I was alone, I went in almost without having to queue. This is really a must-visit place for me, the scrambled eggs are really the best ever.

Following that, I went down the streets of Mong Kok for the usual toy shopping, starting from In's Point to Sino Centre and finally Richmond Centre. My spoils listed below:

Richmond Centre:

- Chogokin Archer from Fate Zero, HKD588 (S$96.39)

- G.E.M Souko Okita from Gintama, HKD520 (S$85.25)

- Revoltech Fraulein 020 Makinami Mari Illustrious old-type plugsuit version, HKD190 (S$31.15)

- Figma 079 Makinami Mari Illustrious, HKD230 (S$37.70)

In's Point:

- Figma 032 Haruhi Suzumiya, HKD255 (S$41.80)

- Figma 033 Mikuru, HKD255 (S$41.80)

- Figma 100 Mitsune Haku, HKD425 (S$69.67)

- Figma 117 Index, HKD255 (S$41.80)

Day 3

It was a Saturday, so my friend could finally join me. We went to the Tim Ho Wan outlet at their CBD area, hoping to avoid the crowd as much as possible. The place opened at 9am and we arrived at around 845am, and managed to get in once they opened.

Short queue outside Tim Ho Wan 15 minutes before it opening

煎腊味罗白糕, HKD14 (S$2.30)

This was pretty good - I could taste the fresh turnip inside. The taste wasn't as strong compared to the normal ones I tried before in Singapore, but this actually allowed the turnip flavour to have more emphasis.

美味鲍汁凤爪, HKD26 (S$4.26)

This was significantly different from the ones I am used to. The flesh was much firmer, for one thing - and the chicken feet were also much bigger. I actually find this better as there is more bite and chew to it, and the seasoning was also good.

酥皮焗叉烧包, HKD18 (S$2.95)

Tim Ho Wan's trademark dish. This was superb. The crust was warm and slightly crispy, and once you sink your teeth in, the taste of the delicious char siew fills up your mouth immediately. Definitely a must-order here.

The inside of the bun

黄沙猪润肠, HKD20 (S$3.28)

This looked nice - the skin was shimmering and seemed to promise an even better filling inside. Unfortunately, it failed to satisfy. The skin was too thick, and I felt that the pig liver filling didn't seem to go well with it.

鲜虾鸭胸金刚, HKD24 (S$3.93)

 I couldn't taste the duck inside at all. Don't order this.

鼓汁蒸排骨, HKD26 (S$4.26)

 Nothing special, and it had too much fat too.

鲜虾烧卖皇, HKD24 (S$3.93)

This was honestly quite lousy. I think it wouldn't be difficult to find better versions in Singapore. It was dry and didn't have the taste of fresh prawn inside.

晶莹鲜虾饺, HKD24 (S$3.93)

 Similar to the dish above, this was quite disappointing.

香滑马拉糕, HKD14 (S$2.30)

This was quite highly recommended, so I ordered it despite not fancying such cakes. I was quite impressed; the cake was extremely light, fluffy, and went down very smoothly. 

Location: Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central

Nearest MTR: Hong Kong, around 10 minutes' walk

Opening hours: 9am to 9pm

After Tim Ho Wan, we went to Wan Chai to check out a toy shop which we saw from a toy magazine. The shops in that area turned out to be more expensive than those in Mong Kok, so we didn't spend much time there. We then proceeded to 长洲 to visit a colleague. 

长洲 (an island) was located around half an hour from Central via ferry. The weather was scorching hot, and the colleague's home was located on top of mountain. By the time we reached his place, which was around ten minutes, we were both hot and sweaty.

The island reminded me very strongly of 淡水 in Taiwan. The buildings were old, and the most modern-looking thing there was a McDonald's outlet.

View from my colleague's home, on top of a mountain

It was toy shopping again at the usual place after this.

Richmond Centre:

- Figma SP002 Lelouch + Figma SP003 Suzaku, HKD$980 (S$160.66)

- Figma SP034 Takanashi Yomi, HKD168 (S$27.54)

- Super Robot Chogokin God Reideen, HKD280 (S$45.90)

Figma Lelouch and Suzaku (from Code Geass) were both quite difficult to find, so I had to fork out quite a bit to buy them. The Katsura and Elizabeth from Gintama that I saw yesterday were gone today, damn it! Oh well, they were really expensive (HKD$1,500 - around S$245.90 for both) so maybe it's not such a bad thing after all...

In's Point:

- Super Robot Chogokin Gold Solar Aquarion, HKD480 (S$78.69)

- Revoltech 134 EVA Unit 08,  HKD280 (S$45.90)

My spoils from Hong Kong

Day 4

The initial plan for today was to have roast goose for an early lunch, but only at the last moment did I realise that I had mixed up my flight timing. So I had to forgo the roast goose lunch (sigh), buy some 老婆饼 from 恒香 (requested from my mother to give some relatives and friends), and back to the hotel to pack. 

Packing was challenging, as I had 14 boxes of toys, 8 boxes of cookies, and 5 boxes of wife biscuits. It took me almost an hour to pack everything, and in the end I had one backpack, two check-in luggage, and two hand-carry bags. The total weight wasn't too heavy, but the sheer bulkiness of everything made it very difficult to carry. I intended to take the Airport Express to the airport, but after carrying my stuff from my hotel room to the lift - I decided to take a cab instead. It cost me HKD235.50 (S$38.61) but I knew there was totally no way I could manage all these by myself! 

Five bags

Lessons learnt from this trip:

1) Bring more cash to Hong Kong next time. I brought around HKD5,000 and it was totally insufficient - I had to borrow quite a bit from my friend.

2) I really need to bring a bigger luggage bag next time.