NEW YORK 2013 - Residence Inn Marriott @ Holtsville Long Island

So after over 33 years of my life, I have finally gotten the opportunity to visit a city in the East Coast of USA which is New York. Well, as I landed in JFK Airport, the place which I was actually going to stay at is in a small town called Holtsville which is located on Long Island. Its slightly over an hour from Manhattan but as with all US places, its not too difficult to drive there as long as you can read sign boards or follow the GPS instructions.

I stayed at the the Residence Inn Marriott which provides a very spacious living space which is more like a studio apartment. The rooms comes with well equipped facilities such as a kitchen, living area, work & dining table, vanity area as well as a large washroom. Well, do check out the photos and I guess I find myself to be extreme lucky to find that the place was covered in white when I reached, which meant that the place had snow covering most things. A sight to behold. The post will feature mainly photos!

This is one of my favorite shot, frosted ground covers against the rising sunlight

New York Pizza in Sungai Dua, Penang

There are more and more pizza places that are coming up to rival those from the mainstream such as Pizza Hut or Domino's and New York Pizza is one such startup that seeks to give diners a higher quality pizza at a better value. New York Pizza is currently located in Sg Dua and for those that knows where Infinity Cyber Cafe is will definitely notice this pizza place located on the same row of shops.

The owner of the place seeks to make pizzas which are a step above what is commercially available and each pizza here is hand made to order and they make some pretty impressive thin crust pizzas. Besides pizza's, they are also starting to promote their charcoal bun burger which is again, self made! Do read on to find out more about them.

Kampai 99, An affordable Taiwanese dining in Penang

Well, more and more dining outlets continue to crop up in Penang and Kampai 99 is another such outlet and this time, brings a new concept where the food is priced affordably and gives diners a chance to savor many different kinds of freshly cooked meals. I was surprised to see the amount of fresh seafood on display at the front of the store, and among them were yummy looking salmons, cuts of different fishes as well as scallops and other shellfish! There were even live fish tanks and this is something that definitely will appeal to those seeking the freshest options available.
So what makes Kampai 99 different? Its definitely in their pricing scheme where most items are priced at RM9.90 which is actually pretty affordable. Well, they have now been opened for about 2 months now thus its good that things are working out well at this place.

Sing Kee Restaurant, Hong Kong 2012

Watching so many Hong Kong TVB series, one place that I notice many locals would visit to have dinner are at roadside Chu Char or Tai Pai Tong. Thus it was abit of a challenge to try to find a local restaurant at the back alleys. Well, it seems that the stall that we initially wanted to visit was not opened that night but there was another one next door. This one is actually from Sing Kee Restaurant where they just put their tables in the back alley. Kinda interesting concept, where you eat pretty far from the restaurant itself but I guess its more cosy and quiet and cooling than being cramped up in the restaurant. So do read up on this short write up. Affordable and nice tasting food Hong Kong style.

Hanging lobster shells at the restaurant. Kinda interesting decoration and its so well preserved.

Love is in the Air at Eastin Hotel Penang

As the theme goes, Love is in the Air at Eastin Hotel Penang. Well, can't believe that its less than 1 month away from Valentines Day and Eastin Hotel Penang is surely making an effort to ensure that those who plan to celebrate this lovey dovey day will have an enjoyable meal as well as great packages to go as well.

At the Swez Brasserie, Executive Sous Chef Daniel Tan and his team has come up with a pretty interesting menu for those that plan on dining here with many twists and improvements to well used recipes. This is to ensure diners will have an amazing dining experience which they will not forget!

Thus, do read on to see what they have to offer!

Valentines Day Dinner for 2 Person @ RM238++

Early birds who make a full payment via credit card by 1 Feb 2013 enjoys 5% discount!

Also, guests can opt to stay a night at Eastin Hotel at a complimentary rate of RM120++ only for 1 room on Valentines Day itself!

Do call Swez Brasserie, Eastin Hotel Penang @ 04-6121111

SOHO and Lan Kwai Fong daytime Part 2, Hong Kong 2012

So my walk continues in this posting as there is just so many photos to share. So enjoy the photos and minimalist descriptions ya.

This place reminds me of San Francisco with its steep roads on hilly terrain

SOHO and Lan Kwai Fong daytime Part 1, Hong Kong 2012

The previous time I was in Hong Kong, it was pretty rush as there were just so many places that were planned to visit. This time, there was no agenda, no plans, just plain having some time to chill and relax. So what better way than to walk around Central/Lan Kwai Fong area after a nice breakfast and just take in the sights and sound the place has to offer. I found out and realized that this place is just full of life and very homely actually. So do enjoy the pictures and short descriptions ya. Do give me your feedbacks of course.

I think this was Queens Street

Yung Kee Restaurant Hong Kong 2012

Finally got to sample another famous Hong Kong restaurant and this time it is Yung Kee Restaurant located at Central. This place is famous for their roast goose and since we were there for breakfast, we had ordered their dim sum as well. When we asked for the menu, was abit surprised that the waiter just gave a piece of paper with just a small selection of items on it. When asked, they mentioned that that is all the varieties of dim sum that they have. Oh well, I guess no complaints then,

So do check out this place, I understand it also has a Michelin star, though it seems that when you are walking around Central, many stalls also have a star or two!

This is what they are famous for, roast goose! Because we were early, we got to choose the leg portion and even which leg too!

Food and Walkabout in Hong Kong 2012

Took an afternoon train to Hong Kong while I was at Guangzhou to meet up with my good friend Li Li. Had some good food and managed to walk around the place, as well as kinda getting lost with the road signs. But  anyway, the food was good as usual. We went to Qi Kee Restaurant which I also visited before in 2011 but this was of a different location. Ordered quite a number of items and it was a filling dinner. One thing I learnt is that in Hong Kong, feel free to ask for an English menu! Yes, most places, even hawkers have an English menu if you ask for it! So do read on of my night out walking about Hong Kong. Will have more in another post!

Qi Kee Restaurant's infamous Wan Ton Mee with prawn roe. I just love the texture of the noodles which is so springy and the prawn roe really gives it an additional flavor not found with local Wan Ton Mee. 

Tsuruya Japanese Restaurant @ e-Gate Penang

For those who frequent e-Gate at Penang, one will surely have seen the Japanese restaurant there called Tsuruya. This restaurant has been there for a couple of years already and commands a steady stream of regulars. They have recently released a couple of new items to their menu and I was fortunate enough to get to sample it recently. This menu is targeted for those looking for authentic Japanese snack food which are great complements for some beer or sakae! Thus, for those who like some drinks and great Japanese snacks, this is something that you can consider to try at Tsuruya. Enjoy looking through the blog post ya.

Its right next to Old Town Kopitiam at e-Gate.