[London] Cafeand

Categories london
[London] Cafeand

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Cafeand

Add: 77 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DJ
Tel: 020 3487 0980
Hours: [Wed-Sun] 10:30am~6pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
Website: www.cafeand.co.uk
Price: [pies and tarts] approx. £5
Visited on: Jan 2013

Stumbling upon Cafeand was pure serendipity. I was wandering in Shoreditch on my last day in London, and this small concept store with a glass-to-ceiling shopfront attracted my attention. Upon entering, I was delighted to find a clean little cafe serving freshly-made, healthy, and delicious-looking pies and tarts. Good for the body, good for the soul.

Continue Reading "[London] Cafeand" →

[London] Daylesford Organic

Categories london
[London] Daylesford Organic

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Daylesford Organic

Add: 208-212 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, London W11 2RH
Tel: 020 7313 8050
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 8am~7pm [Sun] 10am~4pm
Website: www.daylesfordorganic.com
Price: [bakery] £2.50~5.50 [main courses] £10~15
Visited on: Jan 2013

What it is: a grocery with heaps of shining produce and artisanal cheeses, a deli/bakery with freshly tossed salads and baked goods, and a sit-down restaurant that serves simple meals throughout the day. The idea of Daylesford Organic is simple – to provide fresh, organic food directly from farm to city. Why yes, what a lovely concept.

Continue Reading "[London] Daylesford Organic" →

[London] The Wolseley

Categories london
[London] The Wolseley

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

The Wolseley

Add: 160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB
Tel: 020 7499 6996
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 7am~12am [Sat] 8am~12am [Sun] 8am~11pm
Website: www.thewolseley.com
Price: [breakfast] £15~20
Visited on: Jan 2013

Breakfast at The Wolseley is an institution. There’s even a book dedicated to it, literally titled “Breakfast at The Wolesley”, written by British restaurant critic A.A. Gill – and this could very well be a marketing gimmick, but I did find breakfast here to be an enjoyable experience. Grandiose decor, lively atmosphere, and pleasant if not especially memorable food. A must do in London? Not really, but if you have the spare time, why not?

Beautiful interior.

Busy bees in and outside the kitchen.

Freshly baked viennoiseries.

Continue Reading "[London] The Wolseley" →

[Sydney] Park Hyatt Afternoon Tea + Hotel Tour

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Park Hyatt Afternoon Tea + Hotel Tour

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Park Hyatt Sydney

Add: 7 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Tel: +61 2 9256 1234
Website: sydney.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-sydney-park
Visited on: 2012-04

After 11 months of closing and a multimillion-dollar renovation, Park Hyatt reopened in March 2012 – just in time for my visit ;). The exterior remained unchanged, but everything inside has been torn down and rebuilt in a contemporary yet relaxing style. Think natural colors, sandstone walls, raw materials, and wooden sculptures. Location? The tip of Sydney Cove, with the Harbour Bridge on one side, the Opera House in front, and The Rocks on the other – the best in Sydney, hands down. Well then, let’s take a tour!

We first dropped by The Living Room, a residential lounge employing natural fabrics, timber flooring, sunlit-drenched lounges, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and – of course – a view of the glittering harbor.

Continue Reading "[Sydney] Park Hyatt Afternoon Tea + Hotel Tour" →

[Sydney] Quay

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Quay

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Quay

Add: Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney 2000
Tel: (61 2) 9251 5600
Hours: [lunch] Tue-Fri 12~2:30pm [dinner] Mon-Sun 6~10pm
Website: www.quay.com.au
Price: [lunch] 125~220 AUD/set [dinner] 165~220 AUD/set
Visited on: 2012-04

I was so mesmerized by the dishes at Quay that at the end of our three-hour lunch, all I wanted was to have the whole thing start over again. Peter Gilmore has the enviable ability to coax the elegance and beauty out of the best ingredients, then orchestrate them on the plate to form a harmonious balance – so ethereal that everything seem held together by not much more than a wish!

The restaurant is set so close to Sydney Opera House that I could almost grab it with my hand. Unfortunately the weather was not shining for us that day, and we could only enjoy the view through heavy curtains of rain. On a sunny day, the pearlescent white of the Opera House against the blue of the sky and ocean would be a most stunning backdrop.

We started with a glass of 2010 Krinklewood Chardonnay from Hunter Valley (17 AUD) and a 2011 Thistle Hill Riesling from Mudgee (18 AUD).

Continue Reading "[Sydney] Quay" →

[Sydney] Ariel Books

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Ariel Books

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Ariel Books

Add: 42 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW, Australia
Tel: (02)9332 4581
Hours: 9am~11pm
Website: www.arielbooks.com.au

Sydney continued to pour on our third day in the city.  With all the shops closed after 5pm, what was there to do in this crazy rain? We decided to visit to Ariel, a literature and art bookstore that opens till late.

The interior, warm and inviting like a cozy library.

Love this ‘Ariel Recommends’ shelf. Each staff member chooses a book that they recently enjoyed, then handwrites a review of why they recommend this particular book.

Continue Reading "[Sydney] Ariel Books" →

[Sydney] Museum of Contemporary Art

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Museum of Contemporary Art

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

Museum of Contemporary Art

Add: 40 George Street  Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: (02) 9245 2400
Hours: 9am~5pm (Thu till 9pm)
Website: www.mca.com.au
Price: free

It was still pouring as we walked out of our three-hour lunch at Quay (amazing, by the way), so we slid right in to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is conveniently located right on Circular Quay. The exhibition turned out to be very interesting, and the cherry on top? Free entrance ;)

Continue Reading "[Sydney] Museum of Contemporary Art" →

[Sydney] Opera House Tour + Concert

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Opera House Tour + Concert

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博!

For those with an appreciation for architecture and music, getting a tour of the Sydney Opera House is a must. I went on the one-hour Essential Tour (29.75~35 AUD), and was so in awe with the history, design, and acoustics of the structure that I immediately bought a concert ticket for the next day so I could experience first-hand what the tour guide was talking about. Best decision ever!

Continue Reading "[Sydney] Opera House Tour + Concert" →

[Sydney] Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

Categories sydney
[Sydney] Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE or follow me on TWITTER / 微博! Harry’s Cafe de Wheels Add: Corner Cowper Wharf Roadway & Brougham Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 Tel: (02) 9357 3074 Hours: 9am~2am Website: www.harryscafedewheels.com.au Price: 3.7~4 AUD/pie I knew Harry’s Cafe de Wheels would probably be a tourist trap, but I went anyway because it’s such an iconic pie cart. How was the food? Well, it…Continue Reading “[Sydney] Harry’s Cafe de Wheels” →