May 2011 - StyleInk - Mother Daughter Fashion/ Lifestyle Blog

Good as GOLD!

I have always been a big fan of Harlan Goldstein and was a little disappointed when Harlan’s at IFC and Tuscany by H subsequently closed down. Good news is he had opened up a new eatery on Wyndam Street – Gold by Harlan Goldstein in November 2010. I have heard a lot of good things about Gold and have always wanted to give it a try. It was my husband’s birthday yesterday so I thought it would be nice to take him there. Both of us were so amazed with their food. It is definitely one of the best restaurants in town!

We got there a little after 7 and the restaurant was still quite empty. At first I was thinking whether it’s the food quality or if it was just a little too early. Half an hour later, the restaurant was filled with people. The decor of the restaurant is subtle yet sophisticated. The main dining room is swathed in rich hues of black and gold, leading to a beautiful alfresco terrace dolled up with a trickling waterfall. Didn’t really get a chance to check out the terrace but definitely want to have a few drinks out there sometime.

Gold’s menu extends beyond the fine-dining Italian, more NYC touches are evident. After browsing through the diverse menu several times, I decided to go for their crispy falafels with pesto dressing as appetizer and their signature dish Wagyu Beef Cheek Ravioli as my main course. Their pasta come in two sizes. The smaller version has three pieces of ravioli and the larger one has five pieces in it. The beef cheek in the ravioli simply melted in my mouth. The sauce was rich and oozing with flavor. I was lucky enough to secure the last portion for the evening!

Greek Salad Crispy Falafels

Wagyu Beef Cheek Ravioli (MUST TRY!!!)

I also had a couple bites of my husband’s 8 oz fillet. The meat was so tender and juicy. The way they prepared it was even better than a lot of the steak houses out there. Too bad we were too full and was not able to give their dessert a try. We were told by the waitress that their warm chocolate cake is really good. I shall go back in the near future to give it a try! =)

8 oz Fillet

GOLD by Harlan GoldsteinLan Kwai Fong Tower33 Wyndham St., 2/F,Hong Kong, China2869 9986

Shirley May 31, 2011

Lifestyle, Restaurants No Reply

Tosca on Mother’s Day

Each year on Mother’s Day I would always take my mom out to a fancy restaurant for a nice dinner. And this year, with the recent opening of the Ritz Carlton, I decided to take her to Tosca at the Ritz Carlton. It really wasn’t easy to get a table there. I tried making a reservation one month in advance and I had to be put on the waiting list. Luckily, my friend was able to help me secure a table.

The Ritz Carlton is truely a six star hotel. My family and I were immediatly escorted to the restaurant the moment we stepped out of the car. Located on 102nd floor with an open kitchen and floor to ceiling glass panelled wine racks on the interior, Tosca has an extensive wine list with 12,000 bottles and 800 labels. The food menu is not as long. There are about 6 – 7 choices for starters, pasta and main courses.

I gave their signature starter – Roasted Kurobuta pork white polenta and aged occhiato cheese (HK$198) – a try, but I much prefer their Italian hams, melon, figs and Parmigiano “Vacche Rosse” (HK$210). The pork was a little too fatty for my taste. It is pretty much half meat and half fat. If you are not a fan of fatty food, you may want to give something else a try instead. The portion of their parma ham is actually quite big, so if you want to be able to try a few different things, you may want to share it with someone else.

Roasted Kurobuta Pork

Parma Ham & Melon

Paccheri with Scampi

I then had their Paccheri with scampi, cannellini beans, breadcrumbs, and anchovy sauce as my main course and popped over to the chocolate bar for dessert. Despite of the great decor and service, I wasn’t too impressed with their food. However, I will be going back to give their brunch a try with my girlfriends soon, stay put for the update on that!

Sorry guys, I know this post is a little late =p

The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong

International Commerce Centre

1 Austin Road West,

Kowloon,

Hong Kong

2263 2263

Shirley May 26, 2011

Lifestyle, Restaurants, Uncategorized No Reply

shopping marathon

So following last weekend’s F&B marathon in SH. This weekend I went for a shopping marathon in Seoul. Why? Cos Seoul’s got awesome ready to wear bargain. It’s a great place to shop for seasonal stuff and accessories without hurting your wallet too much. and whenever you’re tired of shopping there’s always a nearby nail salon or cafe or lounge where you can take a breather.

I spent most of my time in Myung Dong (明洞) and Jamsil district (where Lotte World Hotel is) Myung Dong has everything from high end (Avenue, Lotte department store) to mid range (Lotte young), to cheap import chain (forever 21, american apparel) to local Korean street fashion. My best shopping advice would be to stay at Westin Chosun and explore that entire neighbourhood. It’s like Shinjuku but better.

If you have time to spare, you can always venture out to Lotte World, where there’s this huge underground shopping area by the train station (pretty good for hair accessories and random stuff), plus you’ve got the beautiful lake and park there… you can also end your day in that side of the town with a drink at W walker hill. Just be sure not to eat there cos the price is simply ridiculous (and I’ve got a picture of the menu to prove it).

Anyway. Just wanna share my joy of staring at my brand new super colorful summer wardrobe. can’t wait to wear them all. muahahhaha

the park by Lotte World

Lotte World amusement park

shopping day #1!

very cute store called SSFW concept store in Myun Dong

SSFW’s first store (right next to the concept store)

SSFW accessory store

SSFW accessory store #2

VERY cute street store if you’re into colors

This is a at least 2 hours stop. Probably 3 hours on the weekend cos you’ll be standing in line for 20 min just to pay.

Lotte Young. similar to Lotte but i guess they have younger stuff and you don’t have all these 50+ year old women pushing their ways around you.

the subway exit for Myun Dong

Woobar @ the W

70,000 won for sliced fruit and 55,000 won for mixed green salad. I don’t think they want people to eat there.

Shirley May 10, 2011

Fashion 3 Replies

Goodbye Panda Eyes

I have been searching for a good makeup remover for a while. Tried the oil-based ones as well as the water-based ones and they always manage to leave me with panda eyes. But I finally found a great makeup remover! Unlike most makeup removers which will require the use of a cotton pads, you will only need your fingers and water with the Giorgio Armani Cleansing Balm. It will transform into a cleansing oil to dissolve makeup on the surface of your skin after a few seconds. All you need to do is rinse your face with water afterwards. I have been using it for about two weeks, not only does it not dry up my skin, it will leave my skin soft and shining with a healthy glow. The balm costs HKD 380, though not particularly cheap, but it’s definitely worth it! Goodbye panda eyes!

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics Hong Kong
Level 1 of the Hall Pacific Place Phase 2, 88 Queens Way     2971-3803
1, Chater Road, Central   2532-7733
Kiosk, G/F, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong     3188-1190

Shirley May 6, 2011

Fashion No Reply

Noodle King in Hangzhou

Like Tsui Wah in Hong Kong, Kuiyuanguan (奎元館) is one of those restaurants where you will find in a guide book for Hangzhou. The shop was first established in 1867 and is known as the Noodle King of South China. Their signature dishes include noodles with quick-fried eel shreds and shelled shrimps (虾爆鳝面) and Pian Er Chuan (片儿川 ), noodles made in spiced soup with lean pork, bamboo shoots and a local vegetable called Xue Cai. Too bad I did not get a chance to try them as I only found out those are their signature dishes afterwards. However, I did try their prawn noodles and I have to say it is a pretty good deal for a bowl of RMB 30 noodle. Most dishes on the menu are under RMB 30. Other than noodles, they also have a selection of appetizers.

Kui Yuan Guan, Wenhui Branch, 348 Wenhui Rd.

Kui Yuan Guan, Jiefang Branch, 154 Jiefang Rd.