During my Korea trip couple weeks ago I stopped by Dongdaemun and Myongdon, both are main shopping areas in Seoul . Although there are a lot more shops in Dongdaemun and despite spending more time in the area, I didn’t pick up as many goodies as I did at SSFW (stands for Spring Summer Fall Winter) in Myongdon. If you are looking to pick up some budget trendy cloths and accessories, SSFW would be the place to go, especially if you are short in time. It is literally a one-stop shop where you can pick up your entire outfit, tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, bags, hats, glasses, you name it. The shop was opened in Nov 2008 and an online shop was launched in March 2010. If you only want to pick up accessories, you can just stop by their accessory store, ACCESSORY BY SSFW.
With roughly 3,500 restaurants, more per capita than any other major city in the United States, San Francisco is a city where people live to eat. During my two week vacation there, I tried to savour as many cuisines as possible, and will be sharing my culinary experience in two parts – Cheap Eats vs NOT So Cheap Eats. A few of the shops I have been to are some of the most reviewed must eat restaurants on Yelp.
Ike’s Place This is the most reviewed must eat restaurant in San Francisco on Yelp. If you want to try a gourmet sandwich, this is the place to go! Despite the premium you pay for the sandwich, the wait, and having to eat in the car (yes, it’s a take-out joint), it was well worth it! It was definitely one of the most satisfying meals I had in San Francisco. A must go place!
Speaking of over-priced sandwiches, there are a lot of them in Hong Kong. A tiny sandwich could easily cost you 50 hkd, you can easily find a handful of them in IFC. At Ike’s Place, a sandwich set that comes with a small bag of chips and a drink will set you back around USD 10 – 20. You will then have to wait at least another 20 minutes for your order as there is always a LONG line, yes even at 4pm. Don’t expect to be able to find a place to sit and eat as there are only a few chairs by the counter. You would probably be better off eating in your car just like what we did.
The Damon Bruce
I had my Damon Bruce on a Dutch Crunch (a crunchy bread coated with a wash of rice flour, butter, sugar, and yeast). The crispiness of the bread and the tenderness of the beef was a great combination. The warm rib eye was so juicy and tender everything just simply melted in my mouth. I almost didn’t taste the beer battered onion rings. This is the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. It was just so satisfying.
Spiffy Tiffy
They had at least 20 different sandwiches to choose from and I wanted to try every single one of them. My husband and I decided to split our sandwiches so we could both try each others’. He had the Spiffy Tiffy on a sourdough. It was also very good, but it wasn’t like “wow”. If you want something a little lighter, you can give this a try.
The line outside Ike’s Place at 4pm on a weekday
Tartine Bakery & Cafe
We also went to the second most reviewed must eat restaurant for a late lunch one day, tried their ham & cheese croissant as well as their chicken pesto sandwich. Both looked really good but was incomparable with sandwiches from Ike’s Place. We were a little disappointed. Their sweet selection looked really good too so we brought a few home for later.
Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Ham & Cheese Croissant
Buttered Scone
Their sweet selection was definitely better than their sandwiches. Scones tend to turn soggy after a day but their scone was still so crunchy and fresh after two days. What is even better is that the paper bag that was containing the scone was not soaked with butter.
Huge Oven
TOGO’S
Although Togo’s is another submarine sandwich place like Subway, I would definitely vote for Togo’s anytime. They are known for their hot pastrami sandwiches and that is what I had. The pile of meat was very tender, great sandwich for what you pay for.
Pastrami Sandwich
In-N-Out Burger
Although this is a fast food burger joint, the burgers are grilled to order and topped with fresh ingredients, not frozen. Some say they serve the best burger, but I am still a big Johnny Rockets fan. The buns were very spongy but the meat patty was a little too dry. Nonetheless, it is still a lot better than McDonalds. Also, if you like soggy fries, this would be a place for you.
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.
If you live in Hong Kong, you know you can find just about any big name brand known to man (or woman). So why shop at these places when you travel to other parts of Asia? Personally, I always prefer going to small independent shops where you often stumble upon hidden treasures. I just spent a few days in Hangzhou and Shanghai over the break in what turned out to be a very successful shopping trip! I found an amazing shop on No. 119 Changle Road（长乐路）in Shanghai. The shop does not have a name but according to the shop owner, they have been in business for 8 years and even have a sister shop down the street.
This shop is owned by a couple, and the wife who is the shopkeeper, is quite a character. Although she may not look the part, she knows what she is talking about when it comes to fashion. Where most sales would tell you look great no matter how you look, she would tell it like it is, hurt feelings be damned. Although I was lucky enough to be spared from her wrath, I felt bad for this somewhat chubby girl (yes, I’m trying to be polite here). When she walked in and wanted to try on a dress, the owner was so reluctant to let her try it on because she didn’t think the girl would look good in it, that she bluntly told her point blank, “you are too fat for the dress”. Although this didn’t sound very nice, I did appreciate her honesty. Will have to give her props for that! I wouldn’t want to walk around in a dress thinking I look great when I’m not. That being said, I may feel differently had the comment been directed my way.
Before I walked into the store, I wasn’t expecting much. Lo and behold, an hour and a half later I walked out with several bags in hand and a huge grin on my face. I managed to dig out a few blazers, jackets and dresses. The cut and the fit were amazing, it does a very good job in highlighting the curve of your body. I mean, see it for yourself. Can’t really ask for more for a RMB300-400 jacket right?
A beautiful establishment. Love their I “W” Taipei tshirts, love the sound track they have playing in the background, love the “whatever” signage they have. The service was pretty decent as well….
BUT. This is a big BUT. They need to put some mosquito repellent around… until that happens I’m not going back there… Well may be I’ll just wear mosquito repellent myself cos the hotel is so beautiful that I really want to go back. arrgh i’m torn.
Happy New Year everyone! Just came back from a friend’s wedding in Taipei and am already missing the Taiwanese style beef noodles. Beef Noodle is one of the most famous dish in Taiwan and its notability matches with Japanese Ramen. Its origin may be traced back to Gangshan Village in Kaohsiung County. Most beef noodle soup in Taiwan is of the Sichuan variety. Its meat is braised in soy sauce, and served in a spicy dark red soup.
There are tonnes of beef noodle restaurants in Taipei and one of the most famous establishment is called Yungkang Beef Noodles (永康牛肉麵), located at 17 Chinshan South Road, Section 2, Lane 31.
The beef was very tender and juicy while the noodles are very chewy. If you like spicy food, this can be a pretty good dish for hangovers haha…a bowl of sichuan style beef noodle is only NT$200. On a side note, I also found out they serve pretty good beef noodles at the Cathy Pacific business class lounge!
Aside from the sichuan style beef noodles, there are also tonnes of cold dishes (appetizers) you can choose from. We only managed to try two dishes. Each dish ranges from NT$40 – NT$120).
Mother Daughter Fashion/ Lifestyle Journal 
Aside from the sichuan style beef noodles, there are also tonnes of cold dishes (appetizers) you can choose from. We only managed to try two dishes. Each dish ranges from NT$40 – NT$120).
