HCM City (2/5)

What was interesting in District 1? Korean cafe TOURS Les JOURS was just around the corner of our hotel. Perfectly quiet place for delicious breakfast (with a light fusion of local items such as Bánh mì & Vietnamese coffee).

 
Another unexpected good place to hangout in the morning was Thư viện Khoa học Tổng hợp (The General Sciences Library) with plenty of big trees and public seats.

 
The bright mustard yellow Saigon General Post Office and vintage public buses made a Playmobil-like world. The beautiful and authentic European details around us (Saigon Opera House, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica) were all mesmerising too. 


 

 
  

  
Golden Dragon Water Puppet Show – Sold out for the day :-( (best to get your hotel to book for you in advance). So we sent window shopping instead :-) PARKSON! Proudly Malaysian (one of the best department stores in District 1).

HCM City (1/5)

Perfect Flight Timings
11:15am from Changi Airport >> 12:45pm Tan Son Nhat Airport (1hr 45min via Jetstar Pacific)


Messy Taxis
Remember to only trust 2 taxi companies – Mai Linh & Vinasun. It only costs approx. 200,000 VND (less than 10USD) from airport to District 1. Anything more means you've gotten a dishonest cab driver!


Liberty Central Saigon Citypoint Hotel 
Amidst the crazy hustle and bustle, this 4-star hotel in District 1 was a wonderful retreat! Beautiful reception hall with great friendly staffs. 
Address: 59-61 Pasteur Street, District 1



Meals, Meals, Meals
Shrimp & pork rice rolls / Clams, peanuts & crispy noodles with rice noodles @Nam Giao
Barbecued eggplants, Coconut juice prawns @Temple Club

Apple Wantan

Ingredients:

2 small red apples; 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon powder, sugar, lemon juice; 1 table spoon of raisins; wantan skin, 1 egg (beaten); oil

1. Remove skin and core of apples. Cut into thin strips.

2. Mix cinnamon powder, sugar, lemon juice & raisins into the apple strips.

3. Wrap mixing into wanton skin. Seal each dumpling with egg.

4. Fry wantans with hot oil till golden brown. Serve hot.

Recipe from: 吾淑吾食(蘋果雲吞)

My Xmas Book Shopping

I supported Kinokuniya tis Christmas :-)

Oliver Jeffers set for triple smiley faces. Mixels comics for the limited edition toy. Vietnam guide for my upcoming trip. Decoration & Symbolism for my curiosity in Singapore Chinese architecture. Looking forward to mid-week.

Dry Curry Chicken

 

Yummy curry chicken using the magic sauce from a Bakuteh shop in Puchong.
Raw okras are great! :-)

Exploding Oranges

Wishing for these

Tangible Penang 2

Rainy noon & Murakami @Purrfect

Tangible Penang 1

Reasons to like Georgetown:-

Relaxing airport

Beautiful courtyard @ 7 Terraces

Sexy bathroom @ 7 Terraces

Orr-jien

Unexpected graffiti

Mr Cheong Fatt Tze's story

Indochine (1993)

Blue Mansion conservation project

Cardboard cafe

Moontree 47

Alice?

Sydney #7

Due to mechanical issues, our flight was delayed from 2:55pm to 8:00pm and then to 9:30pm. Qantas provided us 2 rounds of A$20 vouchers each throughout the long wait.

* * *
If there's a second trip to Sydney, I would like to do the following things:
• Catch a show at Sydney Opera House
• Australian Museum
• Taronga Zoo
• Bondi Beach
• Manly Beach

Sydney #6

 
 
St Mary's Cathedral at St Marys Road / Archibald Fountain at Hyde Park
Janus Italian Sydney at Westfield, Level 6 (Must try the Garlic Prawns!)



Lindt Chocolate Café at 53 Martin Place / Jamie's Italian at 107 Pitt Street