Another one of my favorite places to eat in Hong Kong happens to be a delicious seafood place. Sure, you could go out to Lei Yu Moon and the other seafood places by the water… But since this preggo girl wanted something convenient and in a restaurant, this is always a favorite place for us to go in Hong Kong. And… I can’t believe it was walking distance from our hotel!

They have many locations but we went to the one in Wan Chai. We had dinner with my BIL and can I say we ate pretty epic? We wouldn’t have it any other way, we stuffed ourselves and guess what ended up happening afterwards? We went back to our hotel and passed out. LOL Get ready for some food pictures here… I can’t believe 3 people finished all of this. Well, actually 3.5, if you count Boram.

I love well prepared snails! If it’s overcooked, it gets rubbery and chewy, yuck. But these are always perfect and a great way to start of the meal!

Delicious fish soup that has a milky sheen. In the past, drinking milking soups has caused allergic reactions for me so I only had a small bowl. This tasted so fresh, clean and I absolutely love Cantonese soups!

This is something I usually make at home but not quite as fancy! It’s egg with white fish, fried with some scallions. The fish I use are the ones my mother in law brought from Hong Kong, dried and tiny. I have to say it’s delicious both ways but fresh is absolutely heavenly.

Baby napa cabbage with crab roe… are you drooling yet? I am.

Green bean vermicelli, satay sauce and beef. Classic dish in a hot casserole bowl, very flavorful and tasty.

And the main star: “Under Bridge Spicy Crab”! Fried garlic and scallions, extremely juicy crab meat that is sweet and a punch of flavor from all the garlic! It was messy to eat but totally worth it! YUM.

So if you find yourself in Hong Kong and want a nice place to eat dinner, especially with your family or a group of people… give this place a try!

I also apologize for the quality of these pics, the lighting was bad and I only had my iPhone with me!

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Under Bridge Spicy Crab (many locations, please look at second picture)
G/F-3/F, Ascot Mansion, 421-425 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

We were watching an episode of “How I met your mother” and they were all eating at a diner after a massive hangover. So naturally the hubs and I were in the mood for diner food. We can get a lot of foods here in Shanghai but there are a few things they haven’t done completely right. Those two things are: New York pizza (how I miss you) and diner style breakfast. 

Nothing beats Jersey diners, it’s seriously the best and sometimes… it’s exactly what you need. 

I went into massive research mode and saw that a lot of people recommended a place in Tianzifang (a little side street) called Kommune. 

Kommune seems like it’s always packed and if you are searching for a place that has AC, this isn’t the place. Though the AC is running, the doors are always opening and closing from all the people going in and out. Their menu is small and simple but their servings are HUGE. 

The decor was nice, they had a lot of wall art and framed photos. The seating is a bit crunched but not uncomfortable. We ordered the iced coffee and their standard breakfast meal. The meal overall was good but I really dislike canned mushrooms. If it were made of fresh mushrooms, I probably would have liked it better. I wonder if it was canned or fresh… if it was fresh, it was really not impressive.

Will we go there again? Eh, maybe? Not my favorite brunch spot in the city but definitely not a bad place if you happen to be in Tianzifang. 

Oh yes, we went to House of Flour again. I am such a sucker for delicious chocolate! We got the frozen hot chocolate again but decided to get something other than their famous “Death by chocolate” cake. 

We ordered the salted caramel mud pie. It was a dense, deliciously chocolate fudge like cake with a perfect caramel sauce that had hints of saltiness. My mouth is salivating from thinking about this cake! We shared it and I was actually tempted to get the death by chocolate cake but decided against it. Mostly because I was full and also I felt like I was being a little piggy that day.

If you only have time to go to HoF once… I strongly suggest their signature “death by chocolate” cake. It’s really my favorite one out of all the desserts that I tried there. And if you’re feeling really indulgent, take their truffles home… it’s truly the best truffles I’ve had in Shanghai!

Can you guys tell me what is a specialty (food wise) where you live? 

NYC is pizza and Shanghai is soup dumplings. Mmmm Yum.

Let me know so I can drool over my computer screen while I look at your comments.

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Kommune 
No. 7, Lane 210 Taikang Lu (Tianzifang) 

House of Flour
Chocolate cafe/Boutique: 30 Sinan Lu
To pick up truffles: Shanghai Center next to Element Fresh

Yesterday, I wrote about the beginning of the birthday day. My goodness, we ate all the time and the guys STILL wanted to eat! We all went home to get a quick shower and change for the evening. The eight of us got foot massage from Oasis Club Massage, it was a nice pamper session for all of us. I highly recommend Oasis if you’re into strong massages and the people there are super kind. 

After our delectable massages (which were around $15 for 70 mins), we went right next door (but oddly the same street number) to Wara Wara. This restaurant is one of our favorites because it’s all you can eat and drink. They have a wide variety of Japanese food: sushi, grilled meats, crab legs, okonomiyaki and so forth. It’s an amazing deal and we ate for about two hours! The guys got beer and sake and the girls had tea. Not too shabby, if you ask me!

Alice (Rennie’s girlfriend) had asked me to get a birthday cake for Rennie. Since she’s all the way in Hong Kong, it was difficult for her to do that so I happily did some research. Alice told me that Rennie likes cakes that are crispy, crunchy and along the lines of a Napoleon cake. 

I desperately looked online for Napoleon cakes and the like. I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find one that was decent quality. I felt a bit defeated and frustrated because most cakes are moist and fluffy here in Shanghai. (Which are also delicious) I asked my local friend, Alina, for help. She did some research in Chinese (thank goodness for her!) and she read hundreds of reviews about Miss One Cake. They are raved as the best Napoleon cake in Shanghai, so we had to order it!

It’s a 2 pound cake (for 8 people) for 280 kuai. At first the hubs and I thought it would be too big but it was perfect and JUST enough for all 8 of us. The pastry layers are crispy, the cream was slightly sweet and the whole execution of the cake was beyond perfection. I strongly suggest having it delivered (it’s FREE!) very close to the time of your party. The pastry can get soggy if kept around for a long while… So make sure you keep that in mind. 

They included birthday candles, plates, forks and a knife. It’s a party in a box! The cake itself was stunning, especially with the candles and I have to say that everyone was impressed. I will definitely be ordering from Miss One again. I really want to try out their other cakes… maybe for the hubby’s birthday in September? 

Rennie told us he wanted to go to the Waldorf Astoria‘s Long Bar after dinner for their live jazz. The hubs made reservations and we made it just in time! They only wait for 10 minutes and then they give your seats away. The lobby of the Waldorf Astoria is beautiful and elegant. I’ve been to the Long Bar during the day but it was my first time listening to their jazz with our Hong Kong friends. 

The boys had their cigars and whiskey and the girls had their cocktails. Ok… I had whiskey, haha. The jazz was nice in the background and a lot more chill compared to The Peace Hotel’s crazy (awesome) jazz. If you’re looking for a great place to chill and listening to some nice music, give the Waldorf a try. 

We all went back home after our full day of adventure. Rennie was so happy and we all had a great time. It was fun hosting, the hubs was saying how it’s a lot easier for us to eat out and try new things with a group. I think we’re all going to Taiwan together at the end of this month/September for the hub’s birthday! Yay!  

I made the decorations for Rennie’s dinner out of tissue paper, scrapbook paper and used glue and string to hold everything together. I used tape to hold it up on the wall and since I couldn’t find helium anywhere in Shanghai, I just blew them up myself and tied them to the bottom of the garlands that I made.

Pretty cute right? Alice told me that Rennie’s favorite color is blue. Lucky for me, I had all these things at home already! 

What do you think? Did we do a good job hosting?

I have a friend visiting us in mid September and I’m excited to make another schedule of delicious food and sights. The hubs and I are still on a high from our friends visiting, we love our friends and miss them. So it’s really nice when they come to visit!

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Oasis Club Massage
30 Donghu Lu, by Huaihai Zhong Lu 

Wara Wara (笑笑) Japanese
30 Donghu Lu, by Huaihai Zhong Lu 

Miss One Cake
www.missonecake.com

Waldorf Astoria Long Bar/Jazz 
2号 Zhongshan East 1st Road 

Hello, my dear friends!

First of all, I am so excited to be back blogging and thank you all for giving me such a welcome back! One of my favorites things to do is share what is going on in my life and hearing from all of you. I love that my real life loved ones know what’s going on with us and some new friends that I’m making through this blog! I find the internet so amazing.

This past weekend, we had 6 friends visiting from Hong Kong. The hubs have been friends with these boys for the past 25 years and they have remained close. Our friend Rennie is turning 33 and he wanted to celebrate in Shanghai! 

We asked him what he wants to do. It was simple….. 

FOOD.

So the hubs and I made a whole detailed schedule with food stops EVERYWHERE. We went to Yang’s Dumplings first and since I’ve blogged about it before… It’s not really worth posting more pics of the same things. But it was DELICIOUS, cheap and they all liked it! 

Afterwards we went to a restaurant that is a favorite among local Shanghainese. Fu Chun Xiao Long is a Shanghainese restaurant that has both takeaway and seated (upstairs/for a little more expensive). We heard that this place is super popular (there’s always lines and lines of people… but LOCALS) and I believe it’s going to be a touristy one day. Mostly because, anything that is great, usually turns into a tourist destination.

The food was met with a lot of “oooooh”s and “ahhhhhh”s. It even fit the pallet of some of our picky, foodie friends. So incredibly happy to try this place out and it was the hubs/my first time too. It’s always nice to go in groups because you can try more!

Afterwards, we went to Tianzifang. I’ve blogged about Tianzifang a couple of times… (here and here) and this is one of my favorite places to go. Sure, it’s touristy and busy but it’s so charming. There are so many little stores with so many things to look at, eat and buy. It was really hot that day so we went to a place that has Shanghainese popsicle, soooo refreshing. 

A lot of the Hong Kong crew bought things to take back and I also bought a few things myself. We ended up seeking refuge in a cafe because we were all so hot! Summers are no joke in Shanghai, it is not only hot but HUMID. 

Since we were all a little tired from all the food and shopping, we went back to our home (and their hotel) to change for foot massages and dinner. I can’t wait to show you guys what we ate for dinner and the amazing birthday cake we bought for Rennie. I’ll be sure to post that in the next blog.

This weekend has been so fun for us. I had so many conversations with each of the boys and their wife/gf. I *almost* cried (I’m a total sap and softie) when two guys (individually) told me the same thing:

“We are all waiting for you both to have a baby. We can’t wait to spoil them rotten and know you both will be the best parents.”

Seriously, so….. awesome. It makes me SO happy to hear that and gives me such positive vibes. 

I’ll post more about the rest of our eating adventures in the next few blog posts. Because… we ate every two hours. NO JOKE. I am unable to breathe normally right now.  

How was everyone’s weekend? 

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Fu Chun Xiao Long
650 Yu Yuan Rd  (Puxi)

Tianzifang
 

I’m feeling better today, I just took my last dose of antibiotics and I’m so glad that is DONE. My face and neck have cleared up but left scar marks, I wonder if those will go away on their own. I knew I shouldn’t have scratched them. But anyway, I’m back to myself today and all it took was a good night’s rest. And now… onto some delicious eats!

The first night that our friends were here we ate at Shook!. Wendy emailed us prior to coming and asked if we would like to eat there. I immediately replied that it’s one of my favorites. This was the first time we ate there at dinner, we usually go for brunch. Dinner was nice, we got the set for two and got to choose from a list of dishes and dessert. We tried everything since Wendy and Mike ordered the opposite of what we did. We were stuffed!

We had the rack of lamb and it was moist and tender. Before Shanghai, I didn’t like lamb at all. I can’t tell if my taste buds have changed or if it’s not gamey here. Either way, yum! It’s located near the bund and I suggested (no matter what time you’re there) to walk along the bund. Take pictures, take in the beauty of Shanghai.

What is your favorite place or meal to eat?

My favorite has to be simple NYC pizza. Thin crust and gooey cheese. That is all I want to eat when I go back home!

Hey everyone! I’m guest blogging over at Married Up With Wine, so please swing by and say hello! Mandy is a good friend, we met through Weddingbee where we both blogged about our wedding. She is also an Expat and is currently living in Spain with her husband and two adorable dogs. We have shared many IMs, video chats and emails about how our lives differ from when we lived in America. She has amazing reviews of restaurants, her travels, her life in Spain and who doesn’t love a girl who loves wine?

I previously blogged about Nanjing West Road’s pedestrian Street. Oh, honey! I was mistaken, the proper name is Wujiang Road Leisure Street. As I blogged before, it is located off the Line 2 subway stop Nanjing West Road, exit 3. Once you get out of exit 3, you are in the middle of the pedestrian street!

Remember that ramen place I ate at with my in-laws there? My husband and I decided to check it out again this past weekend and he loved it!

Once you get out of the subway, you’ll see Ramen Play. Their service is so-so but their deals are amazing. The food was tasty, I had a hot and sour ramen soup, hubs had black sesame fried rice. We shared two appetizers (cheese and pork fritters and lobster salad) and got drinks. It was only 138 RMB for the both of us and we were plenty full. If you’re looking for cheap eats and happen to love Japanese food (ramen, fried rice, omurice and so forth) then Ramen Play might be for you!

This was the set menu they had for 1, 2, and 4 people. It’s definitely a better deal than getting it separately but there are a lot of things on the regular menu that isn’t on the set. So have a look and see what you fancies your taste buds.

After you’ve finished, walk around! There are tons of other food places like the desserts I mentioned in my previous post, Happy Lemon, Krispy Kreme, Korean food and there’s a decent amount of shopping. Make sure you check out some shopping at Hot Wind (they are kind of like a Forever 21, cool accessories, clothes and shoes) and the mall that is attached to it. They have quite a few Korean shops, which surprised me and made me feel instantly at home. I miss being able to communicate easily, seeing Korean words made me feel a lot better!

We’re going to go back this week and give this Korean place a try. It looks like typical Korean snack food, I hope it’s good! I really miss authentic Korean food and I know we should venture out to Honqiao (which isn’t too far from where we live by cab) but I’ve been too lazy to go there. I’m also looking for a bookstore that sells Korean books (children and adult) to keep up with my Korean and to give books to my nieces since they are half Korean! 

Isn’t the window absolutely adorable? It made me smile and it was wonderfully sunny that day. I think I found my new hangout area!

What are your favorite hangout places? I usually like places with tea, a small snack and free wifi.

The hubs was talking to a friend about where to eat while we visited Suzhou with his parents. His friend suggested Song He Lou, which is famous for Suzhou cuisine. To be honest, it reminded me of a lot of what we ate in Hangzhou and Shanghai. I suppose it should be similar, since all three cities are so close to one another.

Song He Lou was amazing! It’s located off a pedestrian street, there’s a lot to look at and buy. You can find a lot of snack stalls and stores selling lots of different kind of foods to take home.

The restaurant itself was really nice and the food was prepared really well. Every single thing we had was tasty and I hope to go back again. The noodles we had reminded me of what it symbolizes in Chinese. As mentioned in a previous blog post, noodles symbolize longevity. I smiled while eating the noodles, I love little fun facts like that. We also had this crazy fatty pork that melted in your mouth. (Drools) The soup was delicious, which tasted like an extra light egg drop soup but with egg whites only. We also had a whole fried fish with sweet sauce, egg with a dark soy sauce and another fish dish that was served cold. If you happen to go and try something different, please take a picture and share with me! I love food pics.

Song He Lou
平江区太监弄72号(近玄妙观)

My Suzhou related posts.

I did some research to take my in-laws to as many different Shanghainese restaurants as possible.

I stumbled upon xiao shao xing restaurant after searching online for authentic Shanghai food. This place was known for their boiled chicken and house sauce. The chicken is tender and super flavorful. We ordered other dishes that were specialities in the restaurant but in all honesty the chicken was the best.

Instead of eating at the restaurant upstairs, go to the ground level stalls. The chicken is far cheaper and you can get a soup noodle to share. It’s set up like a cafeteria so you can get your food and find a seat or get take away. After we ate upstairs we ordered two chickens to take home so the hubs could have some after work. It’s SO WORTH IT. (And take away was cheap!)

It’s very easy to get to by subway at the Dashijie stop.

Xiao Shao xing Restaurant 小绍兴
118 South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District

If I knew how to type the business card out, I totally would. But since I only know about 4 of the characters, I won’t even try. But if you want to try traditional Shanghainese noodles for cheap (at lunch) give this place a try. It’s in a hole in the wall place that isn’t the prettiest of places but our friend took us here and it was amazing.

Their specialty is Shanghai Noodles. They have a few different kinds and our favorite was definitely the fish soup with noodles. I am usually not a huge fish soup fan since it normally tastes… well, kind of fishy! But this was a nice broth, rich in flavor with an almost milk soup. The other noodles we tried were also delicious but I have to say that the fish soup was my favorite. Sadly, I am a bit of an allergy to milky fish soups. I remember a few years ago, I had the most delicious milky fish soup (Cantonese style) and then my throat closed up and I couldn’t breathe. I ended up in the emergency room but then after an hour or so it went away. Um.. I completely forgot about that when we ate it last night and my throat closed up a bit but after a few minutes it went away. Ok, scary… and sad.

This Shanghainese place has delicious fried pork chops. It’s really crispy and the meat is tender. Pork is my favorite meat, I may be a little biased since I’m always eating it. (Especially tonkatsu! YUM) They also have Worstechire sauce on the table if you prefer to dip it in that.

Unfortunately since this is a very local place in Hongqiao… They don’t have a menu in English. But I promise that it is SO WORTH IT. If you happen to have internet access, I’m sure you could come to my blog and point to the pictures. Or at least have a translation app that can say that you want this and that. Picture might be easier.

Lunch is a lot cheaper than dinner. Dinner is about 40RMB per bowl, which isn’t expensive but lunch is the same portion but way cheaper. I hope you give this place a try, make sure you print or show your taxi driver the picture of the business card since the address and cross streets are on it! And it’s quite easy to find since it’s right across from a Coco Tea vendor in bright orange. I suggest you get your teas and go to the restaurant!

Kin and Alina were kind enough to take my in laws and myself out to Sichuan food. My FIL’s favorite food (other than Cantonese food) is Sichuan. K&A took us here a few times before and the hubs and I really loved the food. It was scary at first since I’m not a huge spicy fan but don’t let the bright red foods scare you. Each dish (that was spicy) was a different kind of spicy: some spicy hot, numbing, tangy… and so on. It was delicious and I wish I could name everything we ate for you but I don’t know Chinese so I guess I’ll tell you starting from the top row L-R.

Row 1: Noodles in a peanut sauce with cucumbers, Veggie in peanut sauce
Row 2: Fish in spicy oil, thinly sliced beef, skewers (tripe and mushrooms… I think other things too, I forgot!)
Row 3: Potatoes, lotus roots + veggies with frog legs,  I think quail eggs? (They were delicious!)
Row 4: Fuzzy melon stuffed with something delicious, tofu with pork belly

If you’re a fan of spicy food, I strongly suggest you go here. It’s located in Infinity Mall (Which is across the street from Time Square Mall). It’s served family style so gather your friends and go together so you can try more dishes. The price is quite affordable and it’s a nice place. Then you can go shopping afterwards if you want… which, I didn’t because I was too full to walk around. 

Larsho Restaurant 
Infinity Mall: 138 Huai Hai Middle Road, 4th Floor 

[揽香川菜馆(无限度店)]淮海中路138号无限度广场4楼(近普安路) Ph: 63756771