Weekend Brunch at Upper Modern Bistro (Sheung Wan, Hong Kong)

I have always wanted to have brunch alone in a beautiful/ casual restaurant for ages, and finally, I found a time to make this happen. I decided to have it at Upper Modern Bistro, located in Sheung Wan. I chose to sit in their coffee table because it is relaxing and it is suitable for single diners (like me).

I picked their Weekend Brunch menu, which costs HK$398 with Starters, Main Course, Dessert, one glass of Champagne and Tea or Coffee included. Although UMB requires a minimum of 2 persons typically to take their brunch menu, the Chef is kind enough to give me an exception and allows me to have the brunch menu. 

HOW TO GET THERE

It is in Upper Station Street (end of Hollywood road) in Sheung Wan. It is a 10-minute walk from Sheung Wan MTR station. Take note that it is required to walk upstairs the high slopes to get to the restaurant. Alternatively, you may take a taxi or grab an Uber to get there conveniently.

Making a reservation is highly recommended, especially during the weekends and festive dates.

Upper Brunch Starters

Oyster, Foie Gras Creme Brulee, Crab Meat Bruschetta, Burratina with cherry tomatoes & balsamic white dressing, Salmon Gravlax and Marinated Beef Carpaccio

Main Course

Salmon Teriyaki with beetroot puree, roasted beetroots & raspberry

Dessert

Upper Pastries Selection - Mango Mousse, Fruits (strawberries, blackberries & raspberries) and Pineapple Tart

FOOD

The starters were overwhelming in terms of the taste, portions and various food selections. From the starters, I can already say that I am already satisfied. For the main course, I have picked the Salmon Teriyaki. I would highly recommend this dish as the texture of the fish is cooked perfectly (not too soft and not too hard) and the beetroot puree fits with the salmon as well. The dessert selection is pretty lovely too, most notably the pineapple tart!

SERVICE

The service was very efficient and attentive.

AMBIENCE

The interior and concept of the restaurant are relaxing, and their coffee tables are perfect for having a lovely brunch and suitable for single diners too!

SPENDING

HK$398 (Brunch set) + 10% service charge

= HK$438 per person

Overall, my brunch experience was great and unforgettable. I would highly recommend you to have brunch at UMB as their food were delicious and the service is also exceptional. I can't wait to come back to UMB and have another excellent dining experience.

CONTACT

UPPER MODERN BISTRO

Address: 6-14 G/F Elegance Court, Upper Station Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel no: +852 2517 0977

Website: www.upper-bistro.com

Email: info@upper-bistro

Yours Truly, 

Michelle Chan

The Dining Room (Hong Kong)

The Dining Room is a Shanghai Dim Sum restaurant with a wide range of innovative menu inspired by Shanghai cuisine. It has four branches here in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Kowloon Bay).

Its main dishes are the dim sum, chicken in Shanghainese style, noodles and their Hot & Sour soup, also in Shanghainese style.

From Left: Minced Prawn, Pork and Vegetables Wontons in Sesame Dressing

From Right: Shao Lung Bao Dimsum (5 pieces)

From Left: Hot & Sour Soup in Shanghai Style

Wok Fried Spicy String Beans

Noodles with Eight Treasures

Chicken in Chili Sesame Sauce

Deep Fried Chicken with Sichuan Spices

FOOD

The food is very delicious. The prices are quite reasonable, and the portion is just right.

I would highly recommend the Hot & Sour Soup as it is delicious and the spices were incredible, the Noodles with Eight Treasures. I ordered that because I was curious about the name of the dish. It is super tasty and something unique, and lastly, their dumpling dish Shao Lung Bao, this will always be my favourite dim sum, and The Dining Room offers a delicious Shao Lung Bao. 

AMBIENCE

The restaurant looks quite relaxing with a unique interior, and the place looks lively as there are a lot of diners, which supposes a good sign.

SERVICE

The service is quite efficient. The wait staff pour us some tea from time to time and clears out the empty plates in our table. Although the service could have been a bit better by telling us what the dish is when it was served on our table.  

SPENDING

Our total spending was HK$456 (divided by three people). Total spending per person is HK$152 each.

LOCATION AND BRANCHES

1. CAUSEWAY BAY

Shop 1201, 12/F Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay

2. TSIM SHA TSUI

The One mall, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

3. MONG KOK

Shop 7, 4A/F Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok

4. KOWLOON BAY

G73, Telford Plaza, Kowloon Bay

Overall, the experience was great. I have found another good dim sum place to eat, and I will not hesitate to come back to The Dining Room for another dining experience. 

Yours Truly, 

Michelle Chan

Discover "No. 9" (To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong)

NO. 9 

No. 9 restaurant is in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon. It is reachable by bus or through taxi/ uber/ private cars. How did I discover this restaurant? Since I live in To Kwa Wan and one day I happen to walk by Ma Tau Kok area and saw this unique looking restaurant. It is rare to find a western cuisine around To Kwa Wan area, and this has caught my attention.

No. 9 has a relaxing vibe with modern wooden type interior style with posters on the wall. It serves western styled burgers, pasta, salads, steak, soups, lamb rack, lobster and many more others.

LOCATION

NO. 9

Shop 9, G/F Metropolitan Rise, 28 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday (12:00pm-11:00pm)

They have outdoor seating as well. This place is super relaxing!

This is their food menu, they also have burger selections (not in the picture)

From Left - Sliced Wild Scottish Smoked Salmon HK$88

From Right - Pan-fried Scallops and Porcini Risotto HK$98

Angus Rib Eye Steak (12 oz) HK$248

Fruit Beer - Wittekerke Rose HK$68

FOOD

The food is cooked very well and up to standard. It is perfect to go for an excellent burger and pasta. I would recommend the dishes, Pan Fried Scallops Risotto, Linguine Carbonara and Devil's Beef Burger.

SERVICE

The service is quite excellent. The staff are attentive.

AMBIENCE

I love the interior of this restaurant. It has a relaxing and homey vibe.

SPENDING

Approximately HK$200-HK$300 per person

Overall, the dining experience was excellent. I am so happy that this restaurant is very near to my home. I don't have to go to Hong Kong Island side to get a nice piece of burger. I will come back for more good food.

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan

Hiking - Osmeña Peak (Cebu, Philippines)

OSMEÑA PEAK

Osmeña Peak is in Dalaguete, Cebu, and it is the highest point in Cebu that consists of 1,013 MASL (Meters Above Sea Level). It is also known to be the "Little Baguio" in the Visayas region. The weather there is cool and windy. Climbing Osmeña Peak will reward you with an exhilarating view of the nearby Islands of Negros and Bohol. This mountain can get pretty cold, especially during the rainy season. It is recommended to wear something warm and a raincoat in case of rain. The climb to Osmeña Peak can be considered as a straightforward hike, but the path going up to the peak can be quite challenging as it can be slippery, muddy and windy as well especially on a rainy season. 

This blog is a compilation of our two attempts to Osmeña Peak, morning time hike (in September 2015) and night/ sunset hike (in October 2016). 

HOW TO GET THERE

BY BUS

Take a Ceres Bus Liner from South Bus Terminal in Cebu City bound to Dalaguete / Oslob / Bato and drop off at Barangay Mantalongon.

The travel time is roughly 2.5 - 3 hours and the bus fare will be around P120-P150 per person.

After that you may take a habal-habal (motorbike) ride to the wet market for about 20-30 minutes spin, and you may take another motorbike ride to get to the base camp for 20 minutes, and the drivers typically charge P200-P300 per person (roundtrip), but you may try to bargain or make a reasonable deal with the local drivers.

Motorcycle ride to the base camp of Osmeña Peak

BY CAR/ VAN

Travelling by car will save you more money as a group of people will share all travel expenses. The gas that we paid for was around P1,000 (full tank) from Cebu City.

To get to Dalaguete, you must follow the route to Mantalongon road and drive up to the wet market. You may ask the local for the direction to the base camp or follow the WAZE app for the route.

Car ride to the base camp of Osmeña Peak and flying Ryan's drone before heading up

Cliff to the Osmena Peak base camp

OSMEÑA PEAK BASE CAMP

To get to the base camp of Osmeña Peak, you must take a habal-habal (motorbike) ride for about 20 minutes. If you're travelling by car, you may drive up to the base camp, which can be quite a challenge as the roads are quite tight and only smaller cars are bound to fit. Big vehicles are a big no-no. Once you reach the base camp, you need to pay a fee of P20 per person. There is a toilet for you to use and a mini store for you to buy some snacks and water before heading up to the peak. The hike will approximately take around 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on speed).

Guide for hikers, a must read!

Top - A selfie with the love of my life

Bottom - Ryan and his cousin Mark

Heading up to Osmeña Peak where you will be greeted with plenty of vegetables

Mother nature is great!

Beautiful just beautiful

FRESH CABBAGES & COWS

While hiking up to the peak, take some time to check out the freshly planted vegetables in the field by the local farmers. For those who live in a city, well this is something you don't see in your daily life. You may also encounter some cows on your way up. Beware not to touch them as they can get pretty aggressive.

FRESH CABBAGES !!!

Vegetables everywhere in the field

COW !! MOO!! MOO!! MOO!!

MUDDY & SLIPPERY TERRAIN

The downside of Osmeña Peak is that it can get very slippery, especially during the rainy season. The chances of falling are quite high, especially when you step on a pile of wet mud. Both of our two attempts hike are both windy and a bit of shower. However, our second hike was not super slippery as most of the mud has been dried up. A little heads up to the beginner hikers, remember to wear proper shoes or trekking sandals to protect yourself from any possible injuries. Although we have seen some people wearing converse and flip flops over there, only because they are used to it or they are good at balancing but it's always good to stay safe to avoid any possible obstacles.

It is muddy and slippery especially when it rains

OSMEÑA PEAK

Finally, we reached the peak! Our first attempt was in the morning time in September 2015. It was very foggy and windy. However, the fogs did not stay for a long time; it comes and goes. So we still got the chance to take a glimpse of the view. On our second attempt, it was night time (sunset) in October 2016. We reached the peak at 6:05 pm, just in time for sunset. However, we barely see any view as it is already dark. The best time to hike up to Osmeña Peak is during the afternoon time, where you can have a breathtaking and proper view. Despite the fogs and windy weather, we still manage to see the view, but we're not able to capture them on our camera as we were overjoyed with the view and was too late to capture the moment, well we did capture some of it on time though. On the other side of the mountain, you will see some camping tents. That area is where the campers stay overnight.

We're here! Osmeña Peak!

Foggy but yet it's still a fun hike

This is where hikers camps and stay overnight at Osmeña Peak

Top - Osmeña Peak during morning time

Bottom - Osmeña Peak during sunset around 6:05pm

WIndy!!! WOOOHOOOO!

The windy look of me!

Overall, the experience was great. Although we didn't get to see the evident beauty of Osmeña Peak after our two attempts, we're glad that we get to experience the sunset in the peak. Hopefully our 3rd attempt would be less windy, but instead, it will be a bit sunny, and we probably will stay overnight at their camping site. I can't wait for my next visit to Cebu!

WHAT TO BRING

• Water for hydration

• Snacks (energy bars, bread, biscuits, chocolates, chips)

• Towel for cleaning after the hike (It will be muddy)

• Extra shoes/ slippers

• Extra clothing (optional)

• Sunblock cream

• Raincoat (in case of rain)

• Camera for photo taking

• Sunglasses

• Toiletries such as tissue, wet tissue and hand gel

• Flashlights or headlamp (when hiking at night time or till sunset)

 

WHAT TO WEAR

• Warm clothes such as sweater or long sleeves and sports leggings or jogging pants

• Trekking shoes or trekking sandals (rubber shoes are not highly recommended as it can be really muddy and slippery)

• Jacket

BUDGET (by private car)

Car gas (roundtrip, full tank) - P1,000 (divided by 4 people - P250 each)

Snacks (Siopao and bread) - P10

Osmeña Peak entrance - P20

Total spending: P280

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan

Step Back in Time - A Trip To Las Casas (Bataan, Philippines)

Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar is in Bataan. My friends and I have decided to visit this place because of its history and heritage casas that were moved pieces of pieces to its original form. Since I am a history lover, this trip for me is something spontaneous. 

SIDE TRIP - MT. SAMAT

Before heading to Las Casas, we visited Mt. Samat first. There is a P30 entrance fee charge per person. What's fascinating about this mountain is that it used to be a war zone during the battle of Bataan. Mt. Samat has a tall cross on top of the hill. There is an elevator to get to the top to see more exhibition and exhilarating view. However, the lift is close under maintenance.

The view on top of the mountain. It is a monument for the memorial of the Battle of Bataan

The giant and tall cross and a selfie with Mt. Samat

LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is at Barangay Ibaba, Bagac, Bataan. Mr Jerry Acuzar owned it. Las Casas is fantastic because it brings you back to the old times. They moved the heritage and historical casas all around the Philippines to Las Casas by carefully disassemble all parts and reassemble it pieces by pieces according to its original form while some of the casas are recreated as replicas. Las Casas is also a resort, and you may rent out rooms or the whole casas for a night to experience living the old and traditional houses. However, high rates should be expected as it is after all a heritage resort.

The latest map of Las Casas Filipinas (as of October 2016)

Photo credit: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar

The entrance and reception of Las Casas

Service tram to bring you around Las Casas

HOW TO GO THERE

There are two different ways on how to get to Las Casas, either by car/van or by public buses. We paid a total of P600 for the gas (roundtrip) and P100 each tip for the driver. Manila - Bataan is approximately a 2 hours ride (no traffic).

Map and transportation info for Las Casas

Photo credit: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar

PRICE & PACKAGE

There are three different packages for Las Casas. We picked the Package no. 3 (P999). It includes full access to all heritage houses, fees, 1-hour heritage tour, a welcome drink, a cold towel and a heritage map. You may walk in for buying the tickets, and they accept both cash and credit cards.

Packages for Las Casas entrance

Photo credit: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar

THE CASAS

THE BINONDO BRIDGE & RIVER

According to our tour guide Maricon, they have tried their best to rebuild the Binondo bridge just the same as how it initially looks like as they are not able to disassemble the original bridge.

The Binondo Bridge

CASA STA RITA 

Casa Sta Rita is now establishing as a restaurant "Cafe Del Rio" in Las Casas. The restaurant is very relaxing, in a garden setting with old folk songs. It makes you feel like you are living the ancient time.

Casa Sta Rita (Cafe Del Rio)

We had our lunch at Casa Sta Rita (Cafe Del Rio)

CASA LEMERY, CASA GAPAN & CASA IROSIN

Casa Lemery is originally in Batangas.

Casa Gapan is originally in Nueva Ecija. This house got a very heartbreaking past story about a father and his beloved daughter. The daughter met an American soldier, and his father was furious about it. So one day they decided to elope and get married. The father was so angry that he couldn't accept what his daughter has done. He was so drunk that he wanted to burn down his house. Thankfully his brother in law was there to stop him. The father has accepted and forgave his daughter and his son-in-law after several years later and finally meet his four grandchildren.

Casa Irosin is in Sorsogon, Bicol. This area is use for wedding ceremony & reception in Las Casas.

From Top Left - Casa Lemery and Casa Gapan

From Bottom Left - Casa Irosin

PLAZA MARCELINO

Plaza Marcelino has unique and beautiful floor tiles. In the middle, there is a fountain for you to enjoy the view and take some pictures.

Top - Bridge overlooking Plaza Marcelino and the casas

Bottom - Plaza Marcelino

Jump shot with the girls

LA RIBERA

La Ribera is surrounded with houses along with a long river. This river somehow reminds me of Venice. You may also rent a boat to tour around the river, but it is quite expensive, which cost around P880 per person.

La Ribera and me hugging the lamp post like a happy kid

More selfies

CASA LA ESQUINA, CASA LADRILLO, HOTEL DE ORIENTE & SANTUARIO DE SAN JOSE

From Top Left - Casa La Esquina and Casa Ladrillo

From Bottom Left - Hotel De Oriente and Santuario De San Jose

Group picture at Casa Ladrillo

CASA HAGONOY

Casa Hagonoy is probably one of my most favourite casas on the site. I find the casa very intriguing, and according to our tour guide Maricon, Casa Hagonoy used to be owned by a wealthy family. For them to maintain their wealthy profile, they have purchased plenty of expensive types of furniture, pieces of jewellery and clothing over the years. Until one day they became weak and eventually, they died still very poor.

Casa Hagonoy

CASA LUBAO

Casa Lubao was built in 1920, and the Arastia and Vitug families own it. It was served as a storage for rice and sugar. It has also become a Japanese garrison during World War II. The mansion was supposed to be burned down by the Japanese, but the former family's driver, who happens to be a Japanese colonel stopped the men from burning the house in gratitude for the kindness that the Arastia family have shown him.

Casa Lubao

CASA BINAN

Casa Binan is a replica of the house of Lorenzo Alonzo and Teodora Alonzo, the grandfather and mother of the Filipino national hero, Dr Jose Rizal. They used the original wooden door, stairs and a few planks when the house was recreated. Don Jose Alberto Alonzo, the brother of Teodora Alonzo, was often away for a trip. His wife, Teodora Formosa, feels very lonely and has developed an affair with another man. Don Lorenzo found out about the affair, he then locked her up in her room, and Teodora Alonzo brings her meal to her room during that time. Teodora Formosa secretly snuggled a letter through one of the windows in her room stating that Teodora Alonzo has been poisoning her. Teodora Alonzo was forced to exile the town by walking from Binan to Calamba on her barefoot, while Don Lorenzo was imprisoned. 

Casa Binan was also used for the filming of "Heneral Luna" movie.

Casa Binan

This is the famous scene that was used for the massacre of Heneral Luna in the film

The giant green door just outside Casa Binan

CASA QUIAPO (ESCUELA DE BELLAS ARTES FILIPINAS)

Casa Quiapo was the first campus of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1908. Sadly, the university eventually has to undergo many repairs, and it was then used for other purposes such as bowling alleys, dormitories, live sex shows and abortion.

Casa Quiapo

CASA MEYCAUAYAN, CASA TONDO, CASA CANDABA & CASA MEXICO

Casa Meycauayan was built in 1913 by the Escota family. It was initially built in the city of San Fernando in Pampanga.

Casa Tondo is a very simple casa yet beautiful.

Casa Candaba was built in 1780 owned by the Reyes family in Pampanga. National Artist Gerry De Leon used it as a setting for his film adaptation of Noli Me Tangere.

Casa Mexico was salvaged from a junk shop and was reconstructed by using an old photograph. However, they only had the front side of the picture and none for the back side of the house. The builders have tried their best to recreate the back side to make it look similar.

From Top Left - Casa Meycauayan and Casa Tondo

From ottom Left - Casa Candaba and Casa Mexico

CASA BINONDO III (BYZANTINA)

Casa Byzantina was built in 1890. It was influenced by the Renaissance, Baroque, Byzantine and Romanesque style. After World War II, the building was leased to various tenants. There were at least 50 informal settlers before it was demolished in 2009.

Casa Binondo III (Byzantina)

CASA MARANAO, CASA SAN MIGUEL & CASA JAEN II

Casa Maranao is the homes of the Datu and the Maranaos in Mindanao during the ancient time. It is the only casa that has come from Mindanao to Las Casas.

From Top Left - Sanctuario De San Jose and Casa Maranao

From Bottom Left - Casa San Miguel and Casa Jaen II

CASA LUNA

Casa Luna was built in 1850, owned by the Novicio family in La Union. The mansion was later renamed to honour the heroes and brothers Juan and Antonio Luna. This mansion was also used by the US Armed Forces to plan for the capture of General Yamashita. 

Casa Luna

From Top Right - Some very old typewriter

From Bottom Left - The tools used to put the cigars

From Bottom Right - Who could ever imagine that this tool was used for ironing clothes? Yes you heard that right! They uses both of their feet by standing and balancing on the wooden tool on top to iron clothes. How i wish this still exist, It can be use for exercise as well.

Found these flags on the ground floor of Casa Luna

PASEO DE ESCOLTA

Paseo De Escolta uses old and new materials to recreate the commercial buildings in the early 1900s in Manila. The big mansion consists of 17 rooms for resort guests. The ground floor was used for shops where you can find souvenir shops, photo studio shop and even a bread shop.

Paseo De Escolta

CASA SAN LUIS, CASA BALANGA, CASA UNISAN & CASA CAGAYAN

Casa Unisan was built in 1839 in Unisan, Quezon. This house probably carries the darkest past in Las Casas. , and only one of the youngest daughters have survived. She was hidden in a clothes hamper by her nanny. 

Casa Cagayan is a collection of four wooden houses. These houses are considered as houses for the poor people in Cagayan during the early 1900s.

From Top Left - Casa San Luis and Casa Balanga

From Bottom Left - Casa Unisan and Casa Cagayan

OTHER ACTIVITES

There are plenty of activities to do aside from the heritage tour in Las Casas. You can swim at the beach or the resort pool, water sports activities (banana boat, jet ski, flying fish and wakeboarding), ride a kalesa around the heritage, play volleyball, picnic at the beach, watch the sunset and sunbathing at the beach.

Beach area at Las Casas

Overall, the whole experience is unforgettable. Since I'm a history lover, I do appreciate and enjoy this kind of activity. I have learned a lot about the story of each casas, and it is impressive how they have recreated the casas pieces by pieces according to the original form. I hope to be back here in the near future, and maybe at that time, I can stay overnight in one of the casas. It sounds spooky, but I'm definitely in for the adventure!

CONTACT

Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar

Address: Barangay Ibaba, Bagac, Bataan

Landline no. (02) 5469123  

Mobile no. 09178729371

Email: reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com

Website: www.lascasasfilipinas.com

BUDGETING

Mt. Samat Entrance Fee - P30

Las Casas Entrance Fee - P999

Lunch (Cafe Del Rio) - P350

Transportation (Gas) - P600 (divide by 6 people - P100 each)

Driver's tip - P100 each

Parking Fee - P120 (divide by 6 people - P20 each)

Total spending: P1,599 each

Yours Truly,

Michelle Chan