Amie Hu | Travelverse

Another day out and about in Dubai and of course, the world-class attraction of the Burj Khalifa cannot be missed. Strikingly tall in the cityscape of Dubai, you literally will not be able to miss it, at least from a distance away. Breathtaking as it is, we have got to go up close and personal with it. 😍

As with most tall buildings, it is super difficult to take a selfie with it.

I guess this unicorn selfie will do. 🦄

Even just sitting on the steps and admiring the pool before the building is lovely, albeit the afternoon sun sprangling diamonds from the water reflection into our eyes. The bustle of the tourist crowds hummed along, and there is always a holiday feel in the air.

Inside the Dubai Mall - also the largest shopping mall in the world - there is a huge indoor aquarium and underwater zoo! Even if you don't pay 55dirhams to explore the underwater world, you get to view quite a spectacular amount of aquatic wildlife from the acrylic panel. The fishes are super active and they just zoom round and round the huge glass tank. I was wondering how many Nemoes and Dories there are in this tank...

And then we found this cool light display somewhere, I cannot remember exactly where, somewhere near the corner escalators... #mosthelpfulblogger

At a candy shop within the mall, they are incredibly generous as well, with samples for their visitors.

We had some cakes and tea at Angelina too for the afternoon in Dubai Mall, one of the best afternoon chilling spots around. There were so many cakes and we were so spoilt for choice!

Sooo when is Shake Shack coming to Singapore? I had my first Shake Shack in Dubai then, and it has stuck with me ever since. I mean, does anyone make burgers as well as they do? It's a chain, yes, but it certainly is one of my guilty pleasures.

Thereafter we went to look at the Fountain Show outside of Dubai Mall - it was spectacular with sky-high water jets, lights and music! 😍 But it was equally packed with tourists and really hard to get a proper photo - my take on it is that, don't bother with photos, just enjoy the show 😉

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Against the backdrop of the glitzy and new skyscrapers, there's another side of Dubai that definitely deserves a good exploration. Go forth, travellers! I certainly loved the culturally rich side of the city that demonstrated their elegant trading past through the souks (markets) and Al Bastakiya. Catch the brilliant golden sunset at Jumeirah Beach to end off the day. This is certainly a day itinerary that I would recommend.

Stop at a local mosque

We started the day off by randomly stopping at one of the smaller mosques in Dubai along the way to the souks. It was quite empty and we were really random tourists floating about the grounds. As compared to the Grand Mosque, it was certainly less spectacular but it is still very charming to observe what an average mosque looks like from the inside.

Spice souk

Hidden within the gold and spice souk passageways is the bustle of Arabian marketplaces. Even though we are in the 21st century, it was easy to imagine what it was like decades ago, with shopkeepers shouting and calling out to the market-goers to try out their goods! Those selling clothing would especially try their hardest, by putting some of their hats on you if you were to stop by for a second. They can be really friendly and persistent but it will be all smiles even if you get away without buying anything.

At the spice souk, you will see shops after shops of amazingly huge and colourful bags of exotic spices that never seem to end! Not only is it a visual feast, the mix of spices in the atmosphere will jolt your senses awake as you try to make sense of everything (literally). Here you can sample fresh or sundried organic dates, bargain for some local saffron, and even stock up on your kitchen spices, candied nuts, dried fruits, and locally-blended teas here. They make for excellent souvenirs too!

Explore the souk maze as you would, but make sure you've got your map handy! It is very easy to get lost in there especially if your travel party is big.

Gold souk

The gold souk will dazzle and blind your eyes. Appearing like a scene straight out from a documentary, the gold souk is a sight to behold as you walk through the alleyway, with more gawkers than hawkers than buyers. All of these are real gold so if you're looking to snag a piece, get your money ready. There are other souks such as the Perfume Souks and Textile Souks which were more crowded at narrower alleyways, which were equally interesting to explore and simply to people-watch if you are not looking to shop for anything - though I must say this should be the best place to get souvenirs (in hindsight) in the whole of Dubai.

Abra Boat Ride on the Creeks

From the souks, navigate your way to the Creeks on foot. This is a natural seawater harbour for ships traversing in the Arabian Gulf region, with a beautiful scenery across the creek. The abra boat ride is the best way to enjoy your time on the creeks, though locals take the abra boat ride (the equivalent of a water boat taxi in Thailand and Vietnam) as a legitimate way to travel to the opposite side of the creek banks. In any case, it was also the fastest way to move onto the next part of our itinerary - the Al Bastakiya.

The boat ride costs 1 dirham (~SGD0.40), making it wonderfully affordable for all. In fact, it was so fun I wished the journey was longer.

It was hard to take a decent picture of our own boat because it was quite shaky, so here's one picture to show you another abra boat that is exactly the same as ours. Depending on which journey you take, the duration differs - ours from the Deira Old Souk Station to Dubai Old Souq Marine Transport Station lasted for about 10 minutes.

We reached the other side of the bank and walked towards Al Bastakiya.

💎 On the way I spotted this super sleek silver Ferrari!💎

Al Bastakiya

There are plenty of photo opportunities along the way, especially the lovely sandy hues of the architecture around the walls of Old Dubai.

Hijacking someone's tent to take even more photos 😂 We found ourselves at Middle Eastern restaurant Bastakiah Nights, where we had my favourite meal in Dubai! And one of the meals that I would hold dear for the rest of my life. 😋

We had drinks first, and I ordered what had became the tea I loved the most - the Moroccan mint tea. The service was really ace here, and I could still remember how the service staff still helped us take family group photos in two different angles. And the photos turned out so professional too, we were wondering if they all took photography classes. 😅

Check. All. Of. This. Out!!! Just looking at these is making me drool right now. The highly appetizing hummus pureed chick peas blended with just the right amount of garlic, lemon juice, tahina and olive oil is perfect for eating it on its own or with anything else, really. The rest of the mezzahs and kebabs were delicious and addictive, even though we ate so much and I was so so full, I wished I could stuff myself more.

Coffee Museum

Another stop-worthy location is the coffee museum, a must-see for anyone who loves coffee! It is for serious coffee enthusiasts with a wall detailing the history of coffee trading, a coffee bar with a barista to explain the different types of coffee and all the different coffee harvests around the world. It is quite enlightening and definitely for the 'serious ones'! Every corner is so Instagrammable too, and I love how the air just permeates with the fragrance of c-o-f-f-e-e! ☕

Jumeirah Beach

To wind down the evening, we headed to Jumierah Beach where the sunset has cast a brilliant glow against the sky. 🏖 There was a funfair and a lot of beach chairs for anyone to lie on to just chill out on the windy beach. But no, I can't stay still and we walked the entire stretch of the beach to check out everything! It was so beautiful.

As the car speeds back to Abu Dhabi for the night, I do some shadowplay with my camera (Fujifilm X20 for those who asked :)) These are some of the best shots that I liked. That's it for the Dubai travelogues, it has been a long time before I completed everything! The next series that is going up will be the ones on our adventure to Rub' al Khali, the largest continuous desert in the world. Stay tuned, and I'll try not to take too long 🙊

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Not only will I be sharing with you gorgeous pictures from the desert (my favourite leg of the entire UAE trip and therefore saved for the last ♥), I will also tell you what absolutely NOT to do when you are in a desert! #ClickbaitAlert #ButTrueStory

How we started our desert journey -

We arrived at Tilal Liwa Desert Resort after about 2 hours of driving from Abu Dhabi (mostly me sleeping)~ And through sleep-laden eyes, I could see it was gorgeous, in the afternoon golden glow.

It was every bit like a beach resort, except more opulent and think: it is built in the middle of a dry, expansive desert called the Empty Quarter.

I have to take a picture among it all, right? ;) We were given welcome drinks and towels which was really nice after the long car ride, and then we checked in quickly before setting off for the next part of our journey, a 40 mins ride through the Empty Quarter / Rub'Al Khali to see the Moreeb Dunes, aka the tallest dunes on Planet Earth. It is guaranteed to be a jawdropping, eye-widening experience even before we set off! It was our first time in a desert too so we were all so psyched about it!

Along the way, some pretty sights from the wilderness, floral and fauna of the desert.

There was even a small town, Liwa, mid-way (20mins of driving) where there were some desolate shops with nobody in there, so I guess it was more of a ghost town than anything.

The landscape got drier and sparser as we move along, with sporadic civilizations in the distance.

And emptier...

Before we reached the stage where we are really surrounded by miles and miles of sand and nothingness.

Other than road signs, there was literally nothing else except sand.

Occasionally, there were some camels in the distance. Spectacular as it is, it got mun-dune after a while and so the idea of sand dune bashing got into our little heads.

"Stay on the path, don't go into the sand," our resort concierge warned ominously.

But what could a little bit of sand do to the huge 4wd right?

This happened.

Tyres sunk into the sand. It doesn't really seem like it sunk deep, but considering such a heavy vehicle, it was impossible to get it out. Not to mention it was extremely scorching hot.

-So first lemme take a selfie-

And then suddenly in the far distance, there was an Arabian guy on his little four-wheel scooter, and I frantically waved at him to come over while the rest of the party tried all ways to extricate the wheels from the sand.

The Arabian guy came and started expertly digging at the sand with his bare hands, much to our amazement. He was seriously made for the desert. He went into the car, made some adjustments to the gears, and tried to start the car. The tyres riled up even more sand in the air, but it seemed to go even deeper instead.

More Arabian friends passed by on the road (thank goodness) and all of them actually stopped to attempt to save us! It was such a heartwarming moment - faith in humanity was really restored!!!

One of them had a pick-up truck of sorts, and lent us planks to put beneath the tyres and also ropes to tie their pick-up truck to our 4wd. They used their pick-up truck to attempt to pull us out by force, but they ended up getting stuck in the sand instead, too. They untied the ropes and the pick-up truck could extricate itself out of the sand. But we're still stuck.

Then, another 4wd came along and the ropes were hooked onto the new 4wd in front. With a lot of pushing and sand in the faces of our Arabian friends, they finally freed our 4wd. It was super touching to see them come forward to help!!!

The moment of freedom and relief.

And obviously I didn't do the pushing because I was busy documenting everything #LOL

After everything, they even refused our token of appreciation. Even though there was a language barrier, we could see how true and helpful their community is in Rub'Al Khali. ♥♥♥

Moral of the story, even 4wds can't handle sand-dune bashing. Stay on the road!

The first Arabian friend who came forward ♥ He even gave us his mobile in case we got into trouble again. This guy is just pure gold!!! But anyway we could not really communicate with him except saying 'thank you' profusely. Then, we got on our way to the Moreeb Dunes😊

This is the Moreeb Dunes. When it's not just a tourist attraction, the dunes is actually a place for organised drag races. With a 50 degree dune slipface, and a height of 300 metres, it is perfect for sand drags and competitions. It is huge and trying to climb up the dune is super tiring! I tried and got only to the quarter-way mark before I totally gave up.

Grumpy cat watching the rolling sand mountains from the car~

Stay on the road, y'all.

Gorgeous red sand in the evening reflecting the colours of the evening.

We drove back to the Tilal Liwa Desert Resort while admiring the sunset, and guess what??? On the way back, there was a couple who also decided to drive happily into the sand and they got stuck too D: We couldn't really help them as we didn't have any ropes, but we gave the mobile number of the awesome Arabian friend to one of them. Later in the evening, we saw the same couple back in the resort so I guess they got out safe.

Good night, Rub'Al Khali.

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This is the last of my UAE travel series - till the next time I'm here, that is! We woke up in the desert resort of Tiwal Liwa the next day! While admiring the great desert is awesome at the beginning, we began to realize there is nothing much to do in this part of Rub'al Khali except to enjoy their buffet breakfast, riding a camel and an ATV! These are the main desert activities to last you for half a day before you'll become really bored as a tourist here.

But we only have half a day left here, so here we go:

We had to sign an indemnity form before we start everything.

P/S: Only people with driving license could drive the ATV, the rest has to ride as pillion.

It was really exhilarating to go on the ATV and go sand dune bashing with it! You could go as far as you wanted but it got a bit scary the further we went because there literally is no one. You could turn back and not see the resort in the horizon at all, and mirages do happen. It was pretty cool.

Then the highlight of the desert trip - having some alone time with the camel! It was quite a challenge getting on it because it was perpetually 'slanted backwards', and when he got up from his knees, I had to grab onto the little handlebar on his back really tightly, otherwise I would certainly slip. We went for a little walk around the desert, not sure if the camel's walking me or the other way round... It was a bit nausea-inducing to be on the camel too due to the back and forth rocking motion, not sure how do people survive on camels for days on end!

But this little guy just accompany tourists around this small area of the desert every day, trotting about.. it reminded me of the elephant-riding in Bangkok where they abused elephants to make them follow orders. But at least I could see the staff treating the camels quite well, allowing them to stay in the shade when there are no tourists and letting them chill and drink water whenever they need. Only one human allowed on the camel at any one time, so the camels will also not be overloaded with too much weight.

Totally channelling Aladdin vibes here.

So tell me Princess, now when did you last let your heart decide... a whole new world~

😂😂😂

Going back towards the resort after the ride...

Riding on the ATV with my sister ♥

This marks the end of the whole UAE trip!

You can check out all my posts on UAE through the links below:

Travelogues in Dubai

Travelogues in Abu Dhabi

Till the next time ♥ xoxo

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T'was a night of laughter, love and friendship, in a place with incredible good vibes and seafood at Gills N Shells. The best pleasant surprise that this place brings is that it is actually in the central area of Singapore near Lavender MRT, and yet it is not stuffed to the brim like shopping malls or Orchard area. This is a hidden gem that my friend, Michelle (@michhysaurous) introduced to a group of us! I certainly would not have known by chance, and even though it was slightly difficult to find, I fell in love with the place immediately when I saw the fairy lights... :) #IAmTooEasilyBoughtOver

For those who love oysters, definitely begin the night by upping your game with some Oyster Shooters (SGD9.90)! With a fresh and plump oyster infused in vodka, these shooters are out to give you one of the most unforgettable experiences! Enjoying raw oysters this way seem to elevate the juiciness of the oyster, so if you're a fan, don't miss this one out.

Next up, a very Mexican-inspired crab nacho chips (SGD10.90) side dish to munch on while we await for the rest of the dishes, with a sprinkling of jalapenos, kidney beans, feta cheese, and even fresh crab meat! Dip into the rich and salty nacho cheese for the full enjoyment of this dish. It was such a guilty pleasure to have nacho chips during dinner, especially one with a different spin to the normal nacho chips!

We also tried the Fried Salmon Skin (SGD9.90), a savoury and appetite-whetting side dish with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to taste. Dip with the wasabi mayo - this combination is pretty delicious.

Here comes my favourite dish of the night - the Spicy Buffalo Frog Legs (SGD16.90)!!! These were really finger-lickingly delicious. Yes, they are "frog legs" - but they are so huge I thought they were chicken wings! Seriously, Gills N Shells only use buffalo frog legs from Vietnam and that's where they got such a huge, juicy ones! It had the tenderness and juiciness of chicken wings but it has a lot more meat, and not as much fats - I love how they actually refined one of the most well-loved dishes ever on the dinner table 😍

There was also this fusion dish - the Hae Bee Hiam pasta with soft shell crab (SGD18.90)! Apparently this was a customers' favourite that have grown to become one of Gills N Shells's signature dishes. This hae bee hiam pasta packed a strong spicy punch with a distinctive fragrance, and encapsulated what it was meant to be "hae bee hiam" indeed!

The highlight of the night was their spectacular - "All in One Steamed Seafood Basket" (SGD88, U.P SGD123.10)! JUST LOOK AT THAT. They have so much stuffed in the dimsum basket, including lobsters, oysters, clams, salmon, scallops, prawns and all in their naturally sweet taste! There is no way you can get away if any of it isn't fresh enough - steaming seafood is the greatest test of all. A downside is that some of the seafood is overcooked as some of the items require less time to reach optimum condition, so while this is awesome to look at - you can opt for the individual small dimsum baskets with specific seafood that you like!! I definitely choose the prawns, scallops and oysters which are my favourite from this basket :)

You can also dip in 5 different types of sauces for a change of taste as you try the whole basket: Cocktail Sauce, Thai Sweet Chilli, Garlic Mayo, Wasabi Mayo and Zesty Lim Green Chilli Sauce

Gills N Shells
500 Jalan Sultan
Hotel Boss #01-19
Singapore 199020

Walk to the back of the hotel towards the park connector canal to find Gills N Shells.

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Something is happening, something reallyyy delicious from the amazing country of perfection and sushiland - Japan! If you've been around Japanese restaurants these days in Singapore, you might have noticed that the Spring Lunch Fair is happening from 8 - 21 May 2017~ No need for a six hour flight - you can experience the true colours of Japanese cuisine as they unleashed exclusive spring flavours in their culinary creations, right here in Singapore.

Inaniwa Yosuke is one of the many Japanese restaurants in the family of Japan Food Town - If you haven't checked it out before, you should ;)

One of the many items featured for Spring Lunch Fair is the Sakura Ebi & Negi Bara-Kakiage Udon (Hot / Cold) ($11.80++) from Inaniwa Yosuke.

Much thinner and smoother than conventional ramen, the Inaniwa udon is handmade every step of the way by Japanese chefs at their open concept kitchen. The Inaniwa udon is made with techniques and ingredients passed down the Sato Yosuke family line for hundreds of years, a closely guarded recipe that was developed in 1665 and originally only served to the Imperial family! In 1860, Inaniwa udon finally became available to the public, and has since remained firmly established as one of Japan’s best udon noodles.

The combination of the sauce gives flavours from the sea, earthy flavours with the red ginger and a twinge of guilty pleasure from the tempura mix. With the udon noodles slippery and lightweight on the tongue, this is certainly one of the best I've had.

It's not the

Find out more about Inaniwa Yosuke and Japan Food Town via Jpassport!

Yomoda Soba

Wisma Atria Level 4 Japan Food Town,

435 Orchard Road

Singapore 238877

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

In a fast-paced world where everyone is chasing to reach their goals and looking at the bigger picture, I try to find comfort in small, every day things. I find great inspiration in the beauty of nature, as it helps me escape all the hustle and bustle and find m balance. I always try to soak in all its glory, and have a piece of it in my own home. Fresh flowers are without any doubt the highlight of my home. They make my day, and even when there’s no special occasion, I always grab a bouquet of flowers. It simply transforms any day into a good one.

While in Singapore, I definitely recommend you snatch yourself a bouquet from A Better Florist. In a very lush floristry scene, this is one florist that gets all my praises. This bloom crew makes beautifully handcrafted flower arrangements for every occasion. If you want to impress that one special person in your life, or simply impress yourself, like I do, you can choose from their Signature Blooms, Farmer’s Choice or any other bundle of flowers you need. Or if you really want to feast your eyes on flower creations that are Instagram-worthy to say the least, check out their social media pages. Their daily creations are mind-blowing.

What makes this my favourite online florist in Singapore is the simplicity off all their systems. They make it pretty easy to place your order, and to choose what kind of an arrangement suits you best. Their pre-set choices are always my go-to. If you’re short on time, you’re going to love their offered selection. But be prepared to discard all your ideas about what a bouquet or an arrangement looks like. There’s absolutely nothing ordinary and simple about these arrangements.

I grabbed one of these babies the last time, and it took me quite some time to stop starring at this enchanting combo of fresh blooms, with tempting roses and lilies. It’s a shame we can’t transfer smells via blogs, because you would be mesmerized by the mixture of fresh flowers.

I’ve never been in a hurry to order flowers, but their website guarantees a delivery within 90 minutes, which is actually very fast in Singapore. I never thought I’d have a florist on my speed dial, but I actually do. And once you experience their efficient service, and remarkable skills, you’ll probably want to do the same thing.

Here we go, the China itineraries! It's been more than a year already since this trip, though I must say it was a destination that I have been thinking of going for a very, very long time. At least, a trip to the main China cities and towns - Beijing, Shanghai, Hang Zhou, Su Zhou. And also the more notably known - Bei-Shang-Guang-Shen (北上广深) which I explored more of in 2017. The first stop that we made in Shanghai was Tian Zi Fang, which we managed to experience by day and by night.

Tian Zi Fang (田子坊) is essentially a maze of arthouses, shops, teahouses, galleries, furniture shops. It is pretty extensive in variety of interesting art pieces, drawings, shops to see, though it was not particularly huge in area. You can be prepared to pay a premium for most items here as they are considered more unique and higher in artistic value.

What to eat in Tian Zi Fang (田子坊)

Look out for this red-shirted auntie dishing out little sweets and small cake pastries! It is such a caricature sight that we didn't miss her both late at night and in the day. They look so cute and precious, almost like plastic food models but they taste surprisingly quite delightful!

There was a little minimalist/ wood-based cozy eatery opposite of Tian Zi Fang that we shuffled in after seeing all the shops close after 10PM (I landed in the evening). We ended up eating this cling wrap mummified dumpling that was made of glutinous rice, pork floss, sausage ham and omelette. From the description you can probably tell it's not a very good initiation to Shanghainese food (ha ha ha) but it warmed my heart in many ways, to have this as my first dinner in Shanghai / China in my life. (And also because I haven't seen the boy for a few days and I finally reunited with him~)

Then again, I definitely could not judge this place based on only one dumpling (there were many items sold out). This place is amazingly lovely decor which I later find is representative of modern-day Shanghai eateries, especially the more 'hipster' ones.

Tao Yuan Juan Cun (Peach Garden Village) 桃园眷村(日月光店)

徐家汇路618号日月光广场1F

(Beside Tsui Wah Restaurant)

We also tried Moomoo (Yogurt Factory) 酸奶工房 where they sold this lukewarm yogurt in a cup with blueberries, this was very overpriced for what it is. It is essentially very 'original, natural' yogurt. I was expected froyo but then again, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. In my subsequent trips to China and interactions with Chinese people / cultural products, I realized they take their yogurts very seriously, and it comes in many different forms. Food isn't really the greatest attraction at Tian Zi Fang. They generally look photogenic / are in photogenic shops but taste-wise, it's really not spectacular. Chances are, it's because they are a huge tourist attraction - and most tourists visit a place once in a lifetime.

What to do in Tian Zi Fang (田子坊)

Definitely take time to wander down the many small streets criss-crossing throughout Tian Zi Fang, you might just find an amazing shop full of treasures! Most shops have more than one entrance, and it got slightly confusing for navigation. Every lane and street in Tian Zi Fang is incredibly picturesque, it feels like a giant Universal Studios-like bubble.

Watch these sand artists perform their craft on the streets as they do so wordlessly. They know how to boast without saying a word. Scanning the QR code placed prominently on their stall will bring you to their official account, and also makes payment a cashless experience.

Get a graphic tee to get into the mood! I ended up getting a graphic tee from this shop with a chrome yellow Buddha statue called LUSHANGHAI 路上海. It turned out to be one of my favourite tee-shirts till date 😊 They have plenty of shirts - hand-drawn pieces inspired from the zodiac or other animals. It turned out to be a couple tee as well that isn't exactly the same - which gets a little too cheesy sometimes.

Find one of these shops with so many charming trinkets, including wind-chimes! I got one in the end, with a cat figurine, of course. It has been in my room ever since I got back from Shanghai. ♥

One of the other things to do in Tian Zi Fang is to visit the Scent Library, which we didn't go but there were signs everywhere pointing to it. I got distracted at the kitty here - it is so cute, I really want to pinch its cheeks!! ♥ We were really rushing for time to go onto our next stop, Yu Garden.

We hopped onto the Shanghai metro to the next stop Yuyuan Garden:

Dapuqiao 打浦桥 (Line 9) > Madang Road (Line 13) > Xintiandi (Line 13) > Yuyuan Garden (Line 10)

Will be posting on the next leg of our Shanghai trip very soon, keep a lookout! 😊

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Every blog, travel book tells you to go to 豫园 Yu Garden when in Shanghai. It is the 2nd most popular attraction on Tripadvisor after The Bund, and well, that makes it a must-visit, right? Read on to find out why this place is so appealing to tourists even though it is super packed all-the-time!

Previously: Tian Zi Fang

Yu Garden is situated within a bustling commercial area, comparable to Nanjing Road. The stream of cacophony of voices from hawkers and tourists never stops. Upon leaving the Yu Garden metro station, we were instantly drawn to the food! Tian Zi Fang didn't do us any good in the feasting department, so we were certainly famished. The stalls were only a 3 min walk away from the metro station.

We went headlong for the scallion egg pancake 葱油饼 which was drawing a small crowd, and quickly we had to decide what goes into (and what doesn't) the pancake. The pancake was the best thing we tried at Yu Garden, juicy and flavourful. It was packed with so much yumminess! I would totally get this if I ever go back. The auntie also complimented me for being pretty here which totally made my day, ha! So I might be biased.

Along the whole row of stalls, we also spotted a lot of fried items that was permeating the air with its fragrance. But I have already ceded the time when I can enjoy fried food (now it just makes me very full easily with 0 satisfaction. #age) Anyway the boy went ahead with it and it turned out to be average / okay, nothing impressive about it even though this stall was more crowded than the scallion pancakes one. We had to jostle with the crowd to get those.

Soup baos 汤包 were also sold here. Soup baos are part of the cuisine in the Shanghai/Nanjing region, so it was one of the food bucket list! First, you drink the soup via a plastic straw, and once it's finished you eat the skin of the bao. To be honest, I've had them in Singapore and I can't understand the appeal of these baos. But since I'm here I'll try it and see if there's a difference! The soup was definitely better and tastier, but it was in such a small quantity (what did I expect, it's a small bao after all). Then comes the part to eat the bao skin which was hard and logistically difficult to eat without making a mess. It isn't specifically enjoyable taste-wise but guess it'll be better to try it in a restaurant with serviettes and cutlery.

We also went into the indoor areas to find one of the restaurants to eat a random dish because we wanted window seats to the beautiful pond with ducks and swans. Call us the milennials seeking for an Instagrammable holiday, but guess who's not squeezing with the crazy crowd in the sun :> Those who seek the Instagram life enjoys the beautiful side of life, eh.

#shadeliterally (I'm so punny hahaha)

It is really pretty and comfortable to watch and take photos from the restaurant. Moreover, because it was in the afternoon, the sun was especially strong and taking a rest indoors was a great idea.

Then we were confounded - where on earth is the "Garden" part of Yu Garden? We certainly weren't here just to see a pond with ducks and swans (and stuff our faces with food, ha). A quick check shows that we haven't actually reached Yu Garden. We were merely at the surroundings of Yu Garden metro station.

There is an entrance fee to Yu Garden, luckily, because I cannot imagine how crowded it'll be if it were free. One of those times I'm glad to pay for a fee.

Yu Garden
Opening hours: 8.30am - 4.45pm
Fees: 30¥ (off peak periods - July, August, Dec to Mar)
40¥ (peak periods - Apr to Jun, Sep to Jan)

The Yu Garden is a private garden dated back in the Ming Dynasty, built in 1559. It is representative of the traditional Jiangnan architecture at that point in time. Some of the key highlights include the Lake Heart Pavilion 湖心亭, Nine Bends Bridge 九曲桥畔, Lotus Lake 荷花池...

According to the tour guides of other tours (we visited free & easy), they described how the owner had a lot of ideas to decorate the whole garden, including using window outlines to frame a "painting" of whatever that's on the outside - usually a willow tree of sorts. It was super cool to be part of a masterpiece. So much thoughts went into creating every room.

Many 'writing chambers' for the literary folks in the past. They had the necessary '4 treasures of the writing chamber' (文房四宝) in every of these rooms - paper, brush, ink, and ink stone (纸笔墨砚) laid out nicely on the table for calligraphy activities.

One of my favourite scenes in Yu Garden.

One of the many lakes... make for a very suitable backdrop for films such as Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon! Well of course I certainly wished I brought more clothes to switch out and take more photos with the gorgeous scenery. Being amidst the greenery is just a really relaxing experience. Despite the crowd outside, the gardens are quite big and there are corners where you can have for yourself, at least for a little while.

The owner also created a lot of "false" hills that are featured in many traditional Chinese drawings to mimic certain shapes. The lakes, too, function to reflect the buildings around it. It was certainly too beautiful, especially when observed together with reasons behind the inspiration.

There are many more such buildings/ manors/ mansions that we didn't fully explore because it was just amazingly huge and we ran out of time. :( They were pretty strict with the visiting hours, starting to shush people out at 4.45pm. Allocating at least 2 hours for Yu Garden (excluding the surroundings) would be wise and you'll leave no regrets then. :)

Every corner is definitely worth an OOTD, but I'm sure the cultured folks from Ming dynasty will look upon us as boorish idiots for using their painstakingly designed gardens for mere photos, ha!

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Shanghai by night is mesmerizing. No two ways about it, the glittering lights in this city can make anyone giddy with amazement on their first night here. It was also pretty chilly for the month of May, the beginning of summer days. A thin jacket would hardly suffice, but thank goodness I have my portable human jacket with me :>

Previously: Yu Garden

After a quick break back at our accommodation, we headed out again, first to the famous four-way overhead crossing.

If you watched enough Ode To Joy (or other Chinese shows based in Shanghai), you would recognize it because the characters love to walk down this path. It is very photogenic and characteristic of Shanghai. Definitely take a picture over here as it is quite representative of the city~ It leads into more high-end shopping malls reminiscent of Printemps of Paris and ION of Singapore. If you are a city dweller, nothing new.

We were very close to the Oriental Pearl Tower as well, and in fact too close to get a good shot of the full tower. It is sparkly and pretty, even more impressive up close!

Touristy pictures ~

The Oriental Pearl Tower changes colours on whim, and you can catch all kinds of different combinations if you'd stayed long enough.

For dinner, we already thought of going for some Din Tai Fung even though it is so conventional. You know when the craving hits, you can't do anything else but to answer it, ok?! Turns out to be one of the best meals in my life :> OK less so because of the food - you know DTF is always dependable when it comes to food quality, but I was just so happy to be in Shanghai and so excited to go to the Bund thereafter!! As the Bund (and our accommodation) is right on the bank of the other side of the river, we wanted to find some kind of bridge or tunnel to walk across it, and by a stroke of genius, we found this:

A magical tunnel of lights!!!

Aka. The Waitan (The Bund) Sightseeing Tunnel

It was a really delightful ride despite how pricey it is for a short distance. It was comparable to an amusement park ride, *super trippy* with the changing lights and colours. It was like being in a kaleidoscope! I am sure kids will be thrilled (Or traumatized. Depending.) with this ride!!!

Price: 50RMB (one-way), 70RMB (round trip)

You'd probably pay lesser for a cab, but in that region, it's quite difficult to get a cab without walking out at least for another 5-10 minutes.

It probably isn't in trend between 1995 - 2016, but now trippy stuff is back.

So the tunnel is cool again.

And we are finally at the Bund!! The view was just downright unbeatable. Skyscrapers lined the entire Huangpu River on the opposite bank, with gentle blinking lights of all colours of the rainbow.. The pulse of the entire city, right at the Bund.

Strolling down the Bund after dinner is one of the most romantic things to do :) On this side of the river, there are many important government functions housed in British colonial architecture, all of which fascinating to observe.

Charging Bull is a bronze sculpture that stands in the Financial District in Manhattan, New York, also prominently featured on the stretch in this financial hub. It is a symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity, meant for good luck. Can't resist but to take a picture like a typical tourist. What to do.. :D

Then right before we ended the night, we headed straight for Miniso (a couple of streets away)... and knowing that we are so near our accommodation, we went crazy with the shopping. Ha. That winds up the evening in Shanghai~ Look out for the next post! I write these posts on delayed train rides (thanks to SMRT). Therefore, expect more posts to come in quick succession. Till then, good night! xx

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I always love to plan for a high rise attraction on the last day being in the city, because I'd be more familiar with what's on the ground and it gives a more in depth perspective on the geography of the place. Depending on how I feel towards the city, paying a good twenty/thirty bucks for a high rise view of the cityscape can be worth it for the emotional rush.

Previously: Shanghai nights

Before we reached the Financial Tower Observation Deck, we had to cross over a few bridges, that meant seeing the Oriental Pearl Tower in its morning glory! I wouldn't say it's definitely worth it for see it in Shanghai in terms of the wow factor, but I do like the place enough. The morning of Shanghai is very sleepy and foggy. We chose to ascend the Shanghai Financial Tower. At the point of our visit, the tallest building in the city, the Sha was only days away from its opening. We missed it, unfortunately. Anyway, if you just want a view (would not deviate much from neighbouring towers), this is the cheapest option. Unless you managed to sneak in/ have an insider to bring you up the office buildings (lucky you)

Here we are.

Before getting the tickets we grabbed some breakfast from the takeaway store. It was most likely popular with the local office goers. We tried to use wechat pay to enjoy the discount from Da Zhong Dian Ping to no avail (we didn't have Wechat Pay and credit card doesn't work). Ha, failed attempt to masquerade as locals. We then eavesdropped on some intense office political drama talk on the neighbouring table. :o Looks like office stress is very high around here.

Financial Tower Observation Deck
Entry fee: 120RMB (94F), 180RMB (100F, 97F, 94F)

At 94F, we saw a proportional cityscape model of Shanghai, where they showed how it looks like from day to night. At night, there are 'fireworks'.

It's pretty cool to see the Huangpu River from above and another view of the Bund. And also we managed to see some residential areas which we would not have the chance to visit this time.

After descending from the tower building, we walked around the area and past a small alley full of locals huddling in low tables and chairs, and heard the clanging of kitchen utensils. Mhmm sounds like food? So by a stroke of random luck, I got home some really cheap and cute stickers in this stationery store and... some hand shredded duck 手撕鸭! It just had this irresistible delicious fragrance that we could not say no (or we were starving!)

But there was a catch: there were no seats at all in the vicinity and so we had to find our own shelter. Shredded duck is amazingly messy to eat, even though attempts were made to eat on the go, they were miserable :D

Best. Thing. Ever.

The duck is succulent and kept juicy with the sauce, and the seasoning made it really delicious, spicy with chilli flakes and pepper. The way that it is shredded also made it really bite-sized and appetizing.

So, we decided to borrow Gloria Jeans's tables and pretended shredded duck was on the menu. There was no utensils except for plastic gloves, it was one of the most satisfying yet unglamorous things ever. The thing is, it was so delicious we could hardly stop and the whole situation was just pretty ridiculous. Ultimate weirdo tourists, yes. Then we got spotted and shoo-ed away and we found ourselves heading for 7-11 instead. Apparently 7-11 staff were more accommodating (or blind) that we managed to finish it (kinda. It was a reallyy huge portion) =D

After this hilarious lunch, it was time to go onto our next destination, the Fabric Mall, the place where many people recommended to do tailored shirts. Apparently they weren't that good so not really going to recommend it.

Thereafter, we took the train to go to the Shanghai Museum to finish off the last item on our itinerary. The Shanghai Museum was really huge and difficult to appreciate even as someone with a Chinese background. The artifacts are not immediately impressive, nothing fancy or overly exquisite but rich in history and provenance. The laughter bug hit us again as we tried to decipher the words on scrolls, ending up with "慧something something something 大 something some thing". Moral of the story: our Chinese cmi even though we both come from Chinese schools. :p

That's obviously not everything there is in Shanghai, but we were in a hurry to get to the train stations to catch a train to Suzhou so guess Shanghai is left half-explored. Coming right up: Suzhou! I'm psyched to share about Suzhou which is my favourite city in China, the beautiful hotel we stayed at and everything. I just love Suzhou more than any other Chinese city and you'll soon know why. Stay tuned! xx

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《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Here we are again!!! Is it one year already? SING!CHINA is back with Season 2. There's a different spin to this season though! When the judges want to pick a student, their chairs will slide down, but when the student chooses a team, the team's flag will descend behind the student. There is a story behind each of the emblem on the flag... read more for the summary for this episode!

Jay Chou's emblem includes wings, symbolizing how he would bring his students to soar to great heights in this season. The letter "J" (Stands for Jay) in the middle is pink in color, because well, he likes pink. He is not called Princess Jay for nothing! Na Ying's on the other hand, says she likes the elements of chrysanthemum and lotus flowers and thus her emblem is in a gorgeous royal blue flower shape. Liu Huan's emblem includes HL which stands for "Huan Le" (means Joy) and also includes a leopard to emphasize the feeling of battling. Edison explains that he likes all things in balance, and he included his name's middle character in his team's emblem as well.

This time, the elimination style is also different.

Each judge will split their team into 3 small teams, and these 12 small teams will face-off each other (1 v 1) until each team is only left with 1 winner.

Eason and Na Ying start off with 天地在我心, a song by Liu Huan. It begins fairly normally, not particularly heart-wrenching. I think the two judges haven't warmed up / built much chemistry yet so probably we can expect more from this duo in future.

Liu Huan and Jay Chou goes together for a medley of 一笑而过 and 你的背包 and immediately... obviously Jay Chou had gone on to level up in his singing (even more!!!) in the past year. Or maybe I just don't have a good memory. I definitely have taken my sides this season. Liu Huan is very very good as well especially when he take on the emotional parts of the song 一笑而过.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Jay Chou and Eason sing 谢谢侬, a song by Eason! Jay Chou is totally in his element with Eason - they totally gel much better together, Eason also reaching his tip-top condition with Jay!!! OK I am two minds about Eason now, I do love his songs and him as a singer but not sure how he'd do as a judge. But he is totally stunning in this performance. FAN GIRL MODE ON.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

And then obviously, the much anticipated pair JAY CHOU AND NA YING!!! Because they have built up the most chemistry, and they are also singing one of my favourite songs (this song has been on repeat for a while now whenever I'm alone this year) 因为爱情. They both look super emo in this performance (Ha). Jay Chou changed up the lyrics (CD with 范特西 and sneakily add in a line of 一步两步看星星~) and it is AMAZING. Definitely must watch. And Na Ying's voice is used exactly for what it is meant to sing for - emo long songs. This is the best for now. Go watch this part if you don't have time for the whole thing :) Although I must emphasize I prefer the original, who can beat Eason and Wang Fei?

Liu Huan and Eason take on 菊花台 and it is Okay I guess, I think Eason can only be brought to his highest levels if he has a performance partner that suits him.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Na Ying and Liu Huan sings 过把瘾 together. They haven't partnered in this stage since Voice of China Season 2 which is four years ago. It is pretty good for the two older judges who are indeed more experienced.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

All four judges gather to finish off with 沧海一声笑 - Eason performing the Canto rendition and the rest singing the Chinese version. The guys sing the first two verses, and once Na Ying's voice began, the Queen is here, man. Hopefully with Eason's addition, students singing Canto songs will receive more recognition.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Ci Ren La Ji 次仁拉吉 a band 紫麒麟 lead singer from Tibet kicks off the whole season. She sings 穷开心, in a fun and cheerful style. Totally Eason's style of reggae, so it is no surprise he hits the button for her. She is a cross between Joanna Wang with a Beijing-like accent. Na Ying and Eason pick her, but ultimately she chose Eason! The stage explodes with 谢谢侬 ~ And Eason's flag descends.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

DJ Zhu Wen Ting from Wuhan is up next, and she sings 淘汰, a vehhh-ry famous song sung by Eason and written by Jay Chou. The first few verses begin steadily with small changes to the original song, but her voice gets people to sing with her easily with an emotional twinge. Na Ying hits the button for her. Liu Huan hits the button. Wen Ting builds her performance to a climax with a beautiful change to the original with a new interpretation for it. Eason slams the button at the last minute, and Jay Chou follows close behind. Zhu Wen Ting is the first 4-turns contestant this season. It could be anyone's choice but she chooses Jay Chou! The stage roars into life with 霍元甲 ~ And Jay Chou's flag descends.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Born into a musical family and Cantonese opera, 19-year old Ye Xuan Qing goes for a 从前慢. Her first line... totally reminds me of... Zhang Bi Huan. Tell me you think so too? But her voice seems richer, though less affective. Liu Huan and Eason hits the button for her. She even looks like Zhang Bi Huan. Na Ying hits the button at the final moment, and she immediately teared. Is that any surprise that Xuan Qing picks Na Ying in the end? No.. obviously waiting for Na Ying to hit the button for her! 春暖花开 plays in the background as Na Ying's flag descends. Actually Liu Huan would be more suitable for her, but OK. Hopefully she won't be groomed into yet another Zhang Bi Huan.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Zhang Zhe ("Mouth God", coined by Na Ying) from Beijing performs an amazing 天气那么热 by Jacky Zhang. He is a beatboxer who got 2nd in the recent international beatboxing competition. He managed to confuse the judges enough to think it was done by at least 4-5 people. But it was all done by 1 person. Eason and Liu Huan hit the button for him. He wanted Jay Chou, but Jay Chou did not hit the button. Zhang Zhe chooses Eason! No surprise in this at all, Eason is also very good with beatboxing/ hip-hop genre just like Jay Chou.

21-year old Hainanese Fu Rong Peng sings 无条件, a song by Eason. No prizes for guessing who he came for. This is also the first Cantonese song sung in this competition. Nobody turns for him even though it is quite a heart-wrenching rendition.

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 Episode 1 - Blind Auditions Round 1

Next up - Singaporean representative! Joanna Dong Zi Yan, who sang 10 years of jazz as a bar singer. She is obviously much more experienced and steady when it comes to public speaking than most of the other contestants. She sings 恋曲1990. Her voice can be described as beautiful and languid, I like it. Jay Chou hits the button for her. It uplifts moods. I can imagine her voice being put to better use with other songs. Not a particular fan of this song. Eason and Liu Huan hit the button for her towards the end. I think she would do even better with a more commercial spin and less of a bar singer style - I highly anticipate her future improvements! Zi Yan chooses Jay Chou.

The first episode of SING!CHINA blind auditions end here.

To summarize, these are the judges' results up till now:

Na Ying
Ye Xuan Qing

Eason
Ci Ren La Ji
Zhang Zhe

Liu Huan

Jay Chou
Zhu Wen Ting
Joanna Dong Zi Yan

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 summary brought to you by www.amiehu.com

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Suzhou is no doubt my favourite Chinese city even till date, and therefore I cannot be more thrilled to be writing this post! I absolutely have to split even the first day into two posts because it is getting wayyy too long because every corner and street is so different and photogenic. We reached 100 photos before breakfast. How! Is! That! Possible! :o It is... just look:

Fairytale boutique hotel... this is till date, my favourite find. We combed through Agoda, Trivago, etc for a long long time before we discovered this, HOMA Garden Hotel 荷马花园酒店. I really love the whole feel of this place, very very chill and relaxing with a lot of nature elements all around. It is also quite new and therefore, sparkling clean (this was 1 year ago, but looks like reviews on Agoda are still really fantastic). The best part is that it is super close to the major attraction in Suzhou, Pinjiang street. If you're looking for a water town in China around this region, this is the place to be. I absolutely loved every minute of this place~ OK pictures ~

HOMA Garden Hotel 荷马花园酒店

姑苏区干将东路558号平江路口, 观前街商业区, 苏州, 中国 215000

Room rate: SGD50/night

Fee includes breakfast, free wifi

3-min walk to Pinjiang street (morning + early afternoon), Lion garden (late afternoon)

He just can't stop taking pictures LOL same here.

Checking in! Heh ignore my fantastic fashion sense, it was really cold that night.

Very idyllic in the garden where you can have breakfast!

At this moment I was already so sad we only planned 1 full day in Suzhou, we got to come back (I always say that but the world is so big and we can only travel till we are 80).

So pretty everywhere!

Every corner is just making me sooo happy :)

You can have your breakfast here too :)

I was really impressed by this wall when we first entered the hotel.

❤

We finally made it outside the hotel and immediately saw this adorable doggy.

Hehe obviously super happy with the doggy

Super cute ❤

Some sights along the way before we reached Pinjiang street, or rather they call it PingJiang Historical Blocks, because it is not just one whole stretch of main street but there's a lot of alleyways to explore as well, which we will bring you along this journey~

This is the map.

This is me trying to see what are the main stops to see.. *No information stored* though because we ended up just going into every single store :)

Enjoy the water town of Suzhou through the best way, along Pinjiang street.

Rustic side of the river, where actual Suzhou residents stay. The other side is just pure touristy, but they did it in a very classy way that maintains the fun but no ugly, mass-produced touristy trinkets. There are not many people too, which is great for us.

There was even a photoshoot going on, this happens when the scenery is just too picturesque...!

Wander into the alleyways, but try not to get lost.

Do you see what I see... Starbucks!

While away mornings with a game of chess... such is life here.

Scent library?

We found one in the Tian Zi Fang of Shanghai as well.

Bookshops.. the feel of the whole place is just incredibly charming. I love this place so much.

Flowers for you, maybe? :)

You can mail out postcards "to the future" which we did, later at night :)

We discovered some osmanthus cake which was so lovely and sweet, with a light fragrance.. I miss this rustic taste so much.

Shopping is a wonderful experience here, I found many things I liked but they are quite expensive :( I regret not buying quite a few items here, so if you find anything you like.. don't hesitate!

How terrible, why does this thing exist? Smelly tofu, I still don't like you.

Let's have something more appetizing~ this cheesy pastry is quite good.

These dried flowers just bring so much cheer to the street!

Let me bring you somewhere~ this blue scooter does not belong to me but it looks so pretty in the bushes~

We walked into the alleyways to search for the entrance to Lion Garden.

Locals washing their laundry by the river. Literally.

Older folks in a serious game of chess.

More locals washing clothes.

They seemed to have a lot of laundry to do.

What are these plants?!

Our adventures! In an alleyway!

Truth be told I would be completely lost without him who led the way, all the way ❤

So much feelz

What about a cooler shot, ha

I finally found someone else to take self-timer act cool shots with me now

Their mail box?! Super rudimentary but cute!

And the journey continues... there are just too many pictures in this post, so let's continue in the next one, ok? :) Till the next post ❤

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It's the middle of the year, and if you are thinking of a really quick Friday+weekend getaway destination... why not to the exceptional city of Malacca? Not only is it near enough, it is also the land of wonderful feasts and culture exploration. And certainly, it is 2017 - so here is an *updated* and new travel guide and itinerary for Malacca (aka Melaka).

Take time to meander down the narrow alleyways to admire the beautiful Peranakan houses and Dutch buildings. The architecture is a representation of Malacca's past colonial rule by the Dutch, British and Portugese, so does their food! Are you excited for Malacca yet?

Getting there to Malacca from Singapore

There is no direct flight from Singapore, most people either drive or take the bus route which is most straightforward - only a 4 hours ride away. Most buses depart from City Plaza (Paya Lebar MRT), Bugis Queen Street Bus Terminal, or Marine Parade's Katong V. You can book your bus ticket from busonlineticket.com to avoid disappointment if you were to buy it on the spot at bus terminals.

Expected bus fare: Less than SGD40

Getting around Malacca

The best way to experience Malacca is still to do a DIY walking tour around the city. Take in the sights and sounds as it is. If you are feeling tired, you can opt for the trishaw which can get pricey, not recommended unless you are with elderly or kids, which would probably be a lot more enjoyable for them.

Getting the basics of Malacca done in a jiffy in the morning

Run through your list of typical Malacca attractions in half a day - get your basics done and you'll transcend from tourist to 'traveller' quickly. Start your day by walking up St Paul's Hill to visit the Stadthuys that is featured on all of Malacca's postcards. The Stadthuys is actually the remains of a Portugese fort built sometime between 1641 and 1660. This place reminds me strongly of Macau, and if you'd like Macau, this is almost like the more pristine and refurbished version.

Beat the crowds by going earlier - before 8am. You will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the Malacca Straits and Bandar Hilir without the merciless Southeast Asian sun rays, which will be pretty amazing for photos at this famous Dutch Square. Visit the St Paul's Church while you are here, and for a touch of knowledge and learning: the Cheng Ho Gallery will do some good for the children.

Rev up your engine for a food hunt (to go Cheng Hoon Teng Temple thereafter)

Assuming you only had a light breakfast, you should be able to go for a continuous food hunt to hide from the all-year summer sun. Make your way to Jonker 88 to try out their Nyonya Assam Laksa and Chendol which will definitely get you saying sedaaap la!

Jonker 88
88 Jalan Hang Jebat
75200 Melaka

Next up, a locals favourite! Some lovely stomach-loving pork-based mee sua is probably the best way to start your morning if you can't take something as spicy as laksa. Their noodles are especially soft, silky, slippery and thin, pair it with some pork liver for the extra twinge of flavour.

Pin Pin Hiong Restaurant 品品香餐室 - Mee Sua

786 Lorong Hang Jebat

75200 Melaka

Here's something unique from Malacca / Malaysia - Chicken Rice Balls! And where should you be getting them? It is none other than the famousKedai Kopi Chung Wah for its moist and tender chicken rice balls. Word of advice - their standards are not as good as before due to the 'tourist hype' so don't get your hopes too high up just because of the queue. (Yes there is a queue)

Kedai Kopi Chung Wah
18 Jalan Hang Jebat
75200 Melaka

Alternate food hunt (to go Sam Po Keng Temple thereafter)

For one of the best beef soup noodles in town, go for Restoran Sup Lembu Tangkak Melaka where they spare no punches in making the most delectable bowl of soup with hours of broiling with beef bones and meat. You'd slurp up all the noodles non-stop!

Restoran Sup Lembu Tangkak Melaka8 Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho

Melaka 75000

A break in between food stops

You can hit up Cheng Hoon Teng Temple along Jalan Tokong. This Chinese temple practicing the Three Doctrinal Systems of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism would normally be streaming with tourists so don't expect to get a moment of "peace". For an alternative temple stop, do check out Sam Po Keng Temple instead where more local devouts go to. It was also visited by Admiral Cheng Ho before.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

25 Jalan Tokong

75200 Melaka

Sam Po Keng Temple

Jalan Puteri Hang Li Poh
Bukit Cina, 75100 Melaka

Cafe-hopping that is worthy of a trip to Malacca (again, after 10 years)

Cafes are abound in Malacca, but step into the not-so-fabulous ones and it is your afternoon wasted. Go for the hipster-nyonya, welcoming cafe, Calanthe Art Cafe that is particularly popular with young adults. I mean... they converted a TV into a fish tank. Props for creativity! Don't miss out on the Calanthe Laksa, Assam Fish, Chocolate Walnut Brownie and coffee here.

Calanthe Art Cafe
11, Jalan Hang Kasturi

75200 Melaka

Photo credits: @jh_is_roderick

Make a pilgrimage to...

Find the best Putu Piring. Also known as Tutu Kueh to Singaporeans. If you want to know the godly levels of Tutu Kueh, try this. This Putu Piring's fluffy soft shell is stuffed with fresh gula melaka (no prizes for knowing this comes from Malacca), warm and lovely in every bite. Eat it fresh.

The Putu Piring Stall
252 Jalan Tengkera

75250 Melaka

A fan of dogs and huskies? No? Well, a visit to The Huskitory will definitely make you one if you aren't already! It is a grooming shop for the huskies too, not just a cafe. Don't expect too much from the food (mostly desserts and coffee), because after all, their main draw is the huskies. This is the one and only husky cafe in Malaysia. Reservations needed with a huge advance lead time.

The Huskitory

27 Jalan Taman Asean

Taman Asean

75259 Melaka

Afternoon adventures, let's go!

Take a break from the rhythm of food hunting and let's go check out the majestic Floating Mosque offshore from the city. It certainly makes for one of the best OOTD locations in Malacca that isn't yet another brick red building. You can get your fill of the beach too when you are here at the Floating Mosque.

Floating Mosque

Garden City 8-Storey Apartment

Jalan Merdeka, Taman Pulau

75000 Melaka

If you're game for a off the beaten track route: I'd recommend Padang Pasir Klebang. Essentially "White Desert of Malacca", this is a place full of mini sand dunes where you can play with... sand. It is just a 15 mins drive away, so yeah. Enjoy😊

If those aren't your kind of thing, the Submarine Museum will certainly be eye opening. It is one of the coolest thing to do in Malacca. Built in the 1970s, this submarine was bought by Malaysia in 2000s, and then decommissioned in 2011). When you enter the submarine, you would be greeted with the familiar smell of diesel - before you come to realize, submarines are really pretty rare creatures.

Submarine Museum
Jalan Klebang

Melaka 75200

Photo credits: @julliexiao

Do not say... "anything~" for dinner in Malacca

What in the world is... Cheese Crab Bee Hoon??? It is basically something you absolutely have to try for dinner at 東昇園海鮮家Restoran Tong Sheng, sworn by everybody who has ever tasted it. This restaurant only opens for dinner, but be prepared to stand alongside everybody else who has come here for a pilgrimage to find the legendary, life-changing cheese crab beehoon. Either come very early (4.30pm) or very late (9.30pm). Other menu items available here such as milk crabs, salted egg tofu and tamarind fish are recommended as well.

東昇園海鮮家 Restoran Tong Sheng

378 Jalan Melaka Raya 6

Melaka 75000

Closed on Mondays

For a special occasion, consider going for Wa Zen Japanese Restaurant who will exceed your expectations (and budget). With a really classy environment, fail-proof sashimi and interesting inventions (avocado sushi), you can definitely score a perfect date night here at Wa Zen. Reservations are necessary to ensure a wonderful evening for you and your dining companion(s).

Wa Zen Japanese Restaurant

40 & 41 Jalan Melaka Raya 15

Taman Melaka Raya

Melaka 75000

Jonker Street Night Market is probably the choice most in tune with your go-with-the-flow mood, where you can find a medley blend of hipster food like: coconut shakes, talad drinks, matcha ice-cream, or good 'ol Malaysian truly food like: clams / bbq squid, oyster omelette, sausages, fishball noodles, chendol, fruit juice and more! It is certainly a fantastic feeling to stay the night here at Jonker Street Night Market.

When in Malaysia, use the local app Traveloka to get the latest information and bookings! Discover more about other travellers' opinions when it comes to high-rating hotels such as their experience in booking Hotel Seri Malaysia Melaka online!

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Here we are at Episode 2 already, and I know many of us have issues finding the whole episode to watch... but I swear this episode is worth it to watch (more than episode 1) - not just because there is an eye candy. In this article, find the link & how to watch SING!CHINA from Singapore and also a full summary of the episode.

Watch full episode here + Hola VPN (Google Extension) to China:

IQIYI Link to SING!CHINA S2 Episode 2
You know I love you :)

The first contestant of this 2nd episode - Zhang Mei Yi sings 想和你吹吹风 in a more creative, new-era method. I do like the new choreography, but she obviously doesn't have enough lung power to bring the choreography to life. The lowest and highest tones are shaky. She is gorgeous and certain has a 'celebrity face'. There is little surprise when none of the judges hit the button for her.

A girl duo Le Xiang and Fei Lin sing 告白气球 mixing Now You See Me! I can imagine everybody singing along to this ;) It is definitely one of the most popular songs among the 90s kids! Are they from Taiwan? (Nope they are not) They have quite a sweet, comfortable Taiwanese feel. But nothing that could impress any of the judges either. During the resolution, the judges decided that they should be more strict indeed to find the voice that they really need.

Next, a cross-racial duo (omg, I thought they were a couple. Spoiler: they are not.), Ju Hong Chuan from Xinjiang, China and Tang Bo Hu from US, takes the stage and they sing 我要你. And it's so beautiful in a very futuristic/ progressive way... Hong Chuan sings the first line, and his voice is so low, sincere and touching. I really like it, even if he is singing solo. Bo Hu joins in, and the picture is complete.. her voice reaches the highest tones easily. It is just so beautiful as they look into each other's eyes throughout the performance and sing. Liu Huan hits the button. They are super cute and ambiguous ;) Can totally see Hong Chuan is in love with Bo Hu from the way he looks at her! I hope they get together by the end of the competition, really. Liu Huan allow them to join without question.

23-year old Hu Si Mo sings 三月 and immediately: SODA GREEN! SODA GREEN! SODA GREEN! Important things must say thrice, OK? I instantly like this voice, really melodic. I don't like the choice of song, but I can imagine his voice being put to better use. This song is like a lullaby. All the judges struggle. Eason and Liu Huan both slam the button at the very, very last minute. Na Ying and Jay Chou clap with a really perturbing facial expression. Hu Si Mo trains in his own room everyday, following that Eason and Na Ying imitate him. Eason challenges him to sing 因为爱情 at a high F note, and Hu Si Mo says he should be able to do it. Jay comments that although he is confident, he doesn't have to go under the wing of an extremely confident teacher (ha). And so Hu Si Mo didn't - he chose Liu Huan in the end! Good choice, I must say.

A nurse and a cat-lover Ye Xiao Yue with green fingers... you cannot imagine a girl like her, is a rapper! Her swag is a bit awkward, but let's watch her performance - 闷 a song by Wang Fei! As you probably already know, I am a huge fan of Wang Fei so I am naturally protective of her songs. Did Ye Xiao Ye destroy this song? Hmmm I am two minds about it. I feel that I can feel her passion for rapping, but honestly I like her 'ultra-lazy, arrogant style' singing portion much which is super Matrix-sque, more than the rapping itself (even though it does contribute to giving the performance texture). Eason and Na Ying press the button. Jay jokes that nurse (护士) has to pair with doctor (医生=Eason). Seems like Jay Chou is the most witty out of all the judges this season! Courage and freedom is her life motto. Ye Xiao Yue chooses Eason in the end. Another appropriate choice (Y)

A Maths, Calculus and Physics teacher in a Tibetian school at the foot of Mount Everest, 30-year old Zha Xi Ping Cuo takes on 一面湖水, singing a string of Tibetian lines. It is mysterious and otherworldly. Liu Huan's camp is most suitable for him, I think. He reminds me of the younger version of Qi Qin. Very, very comfortable to listen to him sing this. I would love to hear him sing more "commercial" songs. Oh-em-gee, my jaw dropped when I hear him rap Tibetian lines!!! Am I watching Talent of China or what?! Freakin' cool. Jay Chou, Liu Huan, Na Ying slam their buttons in quick succession. Zha Xi Ping Cuo chooses Liu Huan. Perfect choice. I think only Liu Huan is able to shape him appropriately in their similar genres.

A member of the acapella team where Wang Chen Rui (lead singer of the acapella team, top of Na Ying's team in SING!CHINA Season 1) came from, Yu Ci Bei sings 模特. Finally someone singing Joker Xue's songs. From my karoke experiences, I know Joker Xue's songs are immensely difficult to sing even in terms of tone and rhythm. What more to sing it well. But Yu Ci Bei definitely nailed it. Her rendition is one that I would replay on lonely nights, channelling the same languid emotions when watching golden street lamps speed past on a taxi. She is definitely my favourite up till now. After some contemplation, Eason hits the button. Towards the end, Na Ying hits the button. Eason death stares Na Ying, who is now in the running with him. Yu Ci Bei chooses Eason! Amazing choice. I am glad she didn't follow after Wang Chen Rui's footsteps.

Zi Zi from Vancouver, Canada is a full-time singer that has got everyone impressed with her English songs. She sings a classic, Careless Whispers by Wham! George Michael. Her voice is really rich and reminds me of Sarah Connor x Mariah Carey. Liu Huan and Na Ying slams the button together. Zi Zi definitely has a lot of flair for stage presence, with immense lung power and a thick voice. Her last line does bring a tear to my eye as she quietens down. Wham! is one of the first bands that entered China when they started adopting their open door policy and it has a special bond for the Chinese. She chooses Liu Huan! Wow, Liu Huan is raking in students like free today.

Finally! Let me guess, Na Ying's ovaries will explode for this cutie. Wang Zhen Nuo, a dog-lover and advertising model (for coffee) from Taiwan sings 别说没爱过 by Wei Li An. Even before he starts singing, I feel incredibly excited already. I like his voice... very clean, slightly rough and metallic, but also similar to Wei Li An in the first few verses. When he challenges the higher tones, I think I take a stronger liking to his voice - a very controlled yet not overly strained version of Wu Ke Qun. Indeed, Na Ying is the first one that can't resist him. Liu Huan hits the button at the last minute, and Na Ying is so sad she can't have him uncontested. Na Ying says "how touching" at the end of the performance, but I think she wants to say "how handsome". Haaaa. In the end, he chooses Na Ying! She rushes towards him and finally says what is on her mind all the time "so handsome!!!". She is such an open book, she totally cannot hide her glee as she hugs Liu Huan too. Wang Zhen Nuo's level of attractiveness can seriously rival Wallace Huo. Yeah. So, if you are reading this without watching the music videos in full - yes, this is a sign for you to watch it!

And with that, we wrap up Episode 2 for this season.

To summarize, these are the judges' results up till now:

Na Ying
Ye Xuan Qing
Wang Zhen Nuo

Eason
Ci Ren La Ji
Zhang Zhe
Ye Xiao Yue
Yu Ci Bei

Liu Huan
Ju Hong Chuan & Tang Bo Hu
Hu Si Mo
Zha Xi Ping Cuo
Zi Zi

Jay Chou
Zhu Wen Ting
Joanna Dong Zi Yan

《中国新歌声2》SING!CHINA S2 summary brought to you by www.amiehu.com

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The long weekend calls for an update, right? 😊 Let's go on from where we left off: Suzhou, the beautiful water town that I am still dreaming of from time to time. (The man knows to convince me, he just have to tell me somewhere is like the Suzhou of XX). This post will bring you through the historic and classical garden museums in Suzhou. The gardens are a major highlight here in this quaint town and are certainly not 'just gardens'. The architectural meanings behind these gardens are incredibly refined and interesting.

Right from where we left off, you can reach Couple's Retreat Garden (耦园) easily from Pingjiang Street. By location, it is most convenient to start off here. Its entrance is pretty secluded and quiet, given that the long stretch leading up to it was lined by residential homes and the waterway.

Built in the early Qing dynasty, the Couple's Retreat Garden is divided into eastern and western parts in the compound (thus giving rise to its name "Couple's Retreat"). The eastern part of the compound is made of mostly 'study rooms', furnished with the four treasure items always seen in study rooms: brush, ink, paper and ink stone.

Every detail in the study room is specially choreographed: even the number of sides of the lamp, the framing of windows, and the scenery outside the window.

Looking at the grandeur of the gardens now, nobody could have guessed that the Couple's Retreat Garden has fallen into ruins and got partially destroyed by fire before.

A couple picture in Couple's Retreat :)

#CheesyAttack

Photos I take of him vs Photos he takes of me

Every nook and cranny here makes for really good photography opportunities!

The next garden: Lion's Grove Garden 狮子林园! This entire place is certainly a tourist's cultural playground! They are prominently noticeable for their labyrinthine of grotto rocks (假山) of all kinds of shapes throughout the whole garden. One of the grotto rocks is shaped like a lion, and hence the name of the grove garden. Unlike the Couple's Retreat Garden, the Lion's Grove Garden was built as a temple garden and not a privately owned garden.

The core of these gardens lie not only in the grotto rocks, but also the water and ponds that accompany them. In the middle of the garden, there is a huge pond, with a few pavilions scattered around.

Running about excitedly around the gardens to explore every corner.

There's something different at every turn, which makes the Lion's Grove Garden really interesting to explore and look around. Time passes really quickly when we are in here too!

There is even a 'boathouse' in the middle but it never moves. It is actually just shaped like a boat but it is rooted to the ground.

There are many fables related to Lion Grove Garden which we eavesdropped from the tour guides roaming around the garden, which deeply enriched our time there. If there were no explanation, it would seemed like a simple garden but it certainly is not.

And... that's it for our gardens exploration! There are actually many more that comprise Suzhou's major gardens, but I think that's more than enough for one day.

Off to find food, super hungry... and we found

THE BEST DUMPLINGS I EVER HAD.

Yes, even up till now, I haven't had anything that tops this. I eat dumplings / gyozas very frequently and certainly this is still the very very best. Do not miss this when you are in Suzhou, it is worth travelling down for. The location is very convenient too, right outside the Humble Administrator's Garden, so you should not face any problem roping this place into your itinerary.

陈扬蟹黄汤包馆

Chen Yang Crab Meat Dumplings House

*Cries tears of happiness* I swear I didn't want to share any of these. It is super tasty, juicy and fresh-tasting, and the skin of each dumpling is neither too thick nor too thin. Every single one of them is made to perfection and never broke. All the dumplings were made in view of all the visitors, as the chefs dedicatedly kneaded, wrapped and steamed them all. I would deeply contemplate to go back to Suzhou just to eat these.

As compared, I forgot what this was.

I think it was beef glass noodles.

Heaven of crab dumplings.

If I could choose my last meal, this would be one of my top choices.

We went back to Suzhou Railway Train Station to buy tickets for tomorrow's trip to Wuxi and Hangzhou. I really dislike railway stations in China because of the rowdiness and the mix of characters there, but at the same time, it gives me the rare skip of a heartbeat of travelling.

We were greeted by the loveliest sunset right outside the station, and we made our way to Shan Tang district where we could catch a glimpse of what water towns at night would look like.

Limitlessly charming. The soft golden glow from the bridges and shops cast a really beautiful soft glow on the river, and I was squealing internally in excitement (or maybe, I was really squealing IRL). It was such a pretty sight!

It is no surprise why the beautiful realism / impressionist paintings came from Suzhou. Why, this looked like it was straight out from a watercolor piece.

In reality, the streets were really bustling with people.

In certain streets, it looked like this. The tour groups were in swarms, but if you walked ahead of them into the smaller streets, you can resume inner peace and serenity again.

Slightly less crowded, but you can explore further and deeper.

It was really cold in Suzhou at night even though it was supposed to be early summer in May, so I had to steal the jacket from my boyfriend. The coldest temperatures can dip to 16 degrees!

Traditional shadow performances can be seen in the streets.

Some of the shops are really quaint and cozy for souvenir shopping. From magnets to quirky T-shirts, you can shop for all your friends and family here.

Dark and crowded, but not too noisy.

My heart is full for Suzhou.

Then we met a real cute kitty in a shop we have been eyeing since morning - the shop that promises to send out postcards to the future. Technically, they just withhold it until the date that you want them to send out and they'll send it on your behalf. But, we fell for the romantic notion of it all, and we wrote postcards for each other for our first anniversary date.

Finally, we chanced upon this riverside bar that plays really good music with more postcards hung around its windows. Somehow I got tipsy really fast (the alcohol here kicks ass) and we headed back to HOMA Suzhou quickly to turn in for the night. What a perfect ending. I really love Suzhou and I really hope you get a chance to visit it as well.

And the journey continues... Wait for the next one, ok? :) Till the next post ❤

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

From where we left off - we were in Suzhou and we headed on a train to Wuxi for a day trip the next day. We were certainly trying to cover more ground rather than depth per city. It isn't exactly a very 'traveller' thing to do, but I guess that's what you do when we weren't coming back to the region any time soon. Wuxi is a fast developing city that was recently promoted to a first-tier Chinese city in 2016, and it is marked by the tall skyscrapers lining its cityscape. What struck deep was that it lacks its own personality and there was this dulling hum of non-inspiration across the non-touristy areas in Wuxi. Nevertheless, I am certain Wuxi will be great one day with the amount of investments and tourism efforts poured into it.

At Suzhou station, we deposited our main luggages in a dingy little baggage deposit place that we were half convinced it'll disappear with our luggages by the time we got back. You know, "China". (Spoiler: it didn't). We took an early train and landed ourselves in Wuxi's main station.

We hopped onto a cab for our first stop: Ling Mountain (灵山大佛) where the Big Buddha resides.

Apparently this place is hugely popular with local tourists, and they were flooding everywhere. Not exactly the sexiest of situations, but it was actually quite okay because the whole place is huge. Huge is an understatement. For a young person like me, my legs were burning by the time we finished the whole place.

First things first - tickets into Ling Mountain! It is not cheap, and I regret not doing enough research before visiting Wuxi (lessons, lessons). In fact, the less well-known the city, the more expensive their attraction tickets will be. It was 260 RMB per adult, which comes up to above 50SGD. I was about to go and explore its city-area instead but well, we are possibly not coming back in our lifetimes anymore so heck it, just go.

Since we are here, might as well explore it hard and well!

There are multiple gates like this, and it is actually quite reminiscent of the Forbidden City, except this is about 10x bigger (like seriously). I was amazed how the elderly could trudge on to see the Big Buddha with so much earnest.

After multiple gates, we finally catch a glimpse of the Buddha omg!

Fun fact, this 88m Buddha which weighs 725 tonnes can actually withstand a Category 14 typhoon or a 8.0 earthquake. The mountains surrounding the entire area lends an amazing sight for the visitors, especially with a grand Buddha in the middle of it all. For comparison, it is about the height of a 30-storey HDB block.

The "Nine Dragons Bathing" spectacular statue performance occurs 5 times a day: 1000, 1130, 1300, 1445, 1645. This is the biggest bronze statue performance in China, depicting the birth of Siddhāttha Gotama (释迦摩尼). Along with melodious music, the bronze flower statue will slowly split open into multiple petals. It is said that Siddhāttha Gotama is able to talk and walk from birth, and with every step he took, there was a lotus flower blooming from his feet, thus the lotus flower symbol. At this moment, he pointed at the skies where dragons appeared to 'bathe' him with water they sprout, thus the fountains splashing water onto the Siddhāttha Gotama in the middle. The water is holy in nature, and there were so many people trying to drink from it or collect it in bottles after the performance. I guess they believed that it'll bless them a lot to drink it.

Some places were really crowded...

And some corners were very quiet, that would make for an awesome OOTD background. I am not sure if Buddha will be pleased.

Meanwhile, I decide that forcing a deer to kiss me is a good idea.

Is China a superstitious country?

Here begins the crazy ascent to the Buddha. I swear this was more tiring than Great Wall of China.

How it looks like from the top! The people at the bottom looks like tiny ants.

And this is the highest point that we could climb to! You can even go 'up' the Buddha, but the queues were too crazy and so we decided not to do that.

Due to a lack of time and even more exorbitant ticket prices, we gave Lake Tai a miss.. it is the second largest freshwater lake in China. Unfortunately, from Wuxi, the only way you can enjoy Lake Tai is through the entrance of the Lake Tai Central Park, which was even more expensive than Ling Mountain's entry price (I forgot exactly how much). It was just way too ridiculous so we didn't go in the end, I guess the best way is to buy tickets on Ctrip which are heavily discounted.

Even the surrounding areas are quite beautiful.

Super tired from waking up so so early! #eyebags

In the end, two hangry souls went to Huishan Cultural Street to find some food.

The whole street was quiet and whenever there was things being sold, it was very touristy and uninteresting to buy.

A "filial piety" museum that says - a hundred kind deeds begin with filial piety. #TeamChineseValues

There was illustrations on the wall to describe the different types of famous filial piety acts in Chinese history.

OK enough of those, I was really hungry and although these xiaolongbaos were quite nice, I was fairly disappointed it wasn't as spectacular as the ones I had in Suzhou. Those were da bomb!

We took a bus to Wuxi station to catch our train back to Suzhou, as we were preparing to head to Hangzhou that night. Cheap bus fares!

Last glimpses of Wuxi.. goodbye, I hope you'll be better the next time I visit (if I ever do so again). I would not shy away from saying Wuxi isn't my favourite, but certainly with a lot of potential, and I foresee it rising really, really fast. I am sure it'll be unrecognizable to me in another few years' time.

And the journey continues... We'll see you in Hangzhou :) Till the next post ❤

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

Hello back on this China travel series! If you are still here, it's been an amazing journey (reading and travelling) thus far, squeezing a packed itinerary for only one week. From where we left off, we were still in Wuxi, a Chinese city that was recently promoted to first-tier city, but as we planned for it to be only a day trip, we went back to Suzhou station to head for Hangzhou, our final leg of the trip together.

This was the place in where we left our luggage at Suzhou station, it looks really dodgy and dark, but it turned out to be fine, all fears were indeed unfounded! Things like these made me believe that 99% of the people in the world are good people, and even the 1% of the bad people aren't bad all the time. So yaaaas, trust in humanity, travel with no fear. :>

Here we are in Hangzhou!! Somehow, the moment we arrived, it felt less "safe" than when we were in Suzhou, certainly because it is a bigger city where the crowd is rowdier and the station itself is also humongous. Walking from one end to the other felt like eternity, but in the end we hopped onto the train and walked to reach our accommodation, a 3-star hotel, Bokai Westlake Hotel (effort points for finding it!!) No pictures from this hotel as it really ain't fancy, but it was already considered one of the better ones for its "not so low" price point.

Budget travellers, you can be assured we scoured through Agoda and Tripadvisor to find a hotel that is willing to take in non-locals, with a reasonable price point (less than SGD50/pax/night), good location and decent reviews. Ultimately, the stay was enjoyable enough even though the walls aren't that soundproof... (leave it up to your imagination on what we heard ◔_◔).

博凯西湖酒店
32 青年路
商城区杭州市
浙江省中国 310001

Bokai Westlake Hotel
32 Qingnian Road
Hangzhou City
Zhejiang Province, China 310001

We were starving so we went straight for this Haidilao that is opened 24/7. China is just awesome. We literally googled Haidilao and thankfully there was one within walking distance, ha! Albeit it being at a slightly difficult to locate, a fifth floor on a building near the West Lake.

This is also my virgin experience at Haidilao, and it is authentically in China. ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º

海底捞 - 西湖店

135 延安路

涌金广场5楼

上城区杭州市

浙江省中国 310001

Haidilao - West Lake (Available everywhere, actually)

135 Yan An Road

Level 5 Yong Jin Square

Hangzhou City
Zhejiang Province, China 310001

We walked past a really lovely florist on the street we were on, and my boyfriend got me a rose... :) though with past experiences, flowers that we buy on holidays have a very tough life (Spoiler: we left said rose in the hotel in the end :( Hopefully someone adopted her)

The Bottom of the Sea Dig Dig Dig feast for two!! It was so comforting to drink the delicious soup because Hangzhou was quite cold at night, and I wasn't really prepared for it. I was introduced to prawn paste for the first time in my life and oh gawd it was g double O D J-O-B.

Forcing the man to take picture like he is advertising Haidilao even though he is starving #toughlife

Noodley-dance and feeling super amused with it. Also, half waiting for it to accidentally touch the floor so maybe we can point it out and get an additional serving of it. Hee.

And then we were fed and we went for a walk after dinner 😊 How many times can we get a romantic stroll after awesome Haidilao dinner around West Lake, one of the most romantic locations in the world? An "itinerary" I would do over and over again for sure. Found a cat in the midst of it all~

Tired from travelling the whole day (including climbing 99,999 stairs to see Buddhas) but happy to end the day with a warm hand in mine and twinkling lights.

Twinkling lights from nearby cafes and bars, but we were stuffed with the goodies from under the sea~ under the sea~ so we just admired them from afar and walk past these shops.

One of the famous bridges around West Lake. It is super quiet at night... I was glad we managed to enjoy moments of calm at night, because in the morning, it is just crazy crowded to the point it is impossible to see it as it is in drawings. Isn't it lovely? It is really breathtaking, with a mirror reflection that looks exactly how it would be in traditional watercolour paintings.

More fairylights :)

And then we strolled slowly back to our hotel, ending one of my favourite nights ever :)

Will be back for more Hangzhou updates very, very soon - including a full day of attraction-hopping, a mis-escapade, and going solo :( Till the next post ❤

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

I know I haven't done any makeup / skincare posts in a while, that's because I haven't exactly found any that wow-ed me and also I am by no means a beauty guru... just a girl who loves putting on makeup on a daily basis :) Of course, all that rage right now in makeup and skincare is still Korean makeup and skincare, and I just have to share a quick update on this new MISSHA The Original Tension Pact Tone Up Glow SPF30/PA ++ that was introduced to me by this Korean cosmetics online store, Q Depot!

This is me with makeup done on the right side, and none on the left side. For my base, I only used the MISSHA The Original Tension Pact Tone Up Glow SPF30/PA ++ which gave a light to medium coverage, resulting in a 'flawless' look that maintain a natural finish. I love how it is light on the skin and allows my other makeup products (eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, etc) to 'stick' on it all day.

By the way, I am using shade no.13. I am quite fair so you can adjust accordingly.

Want to know what type of Korean cosmetics or skincare brands / products that fellow girls love?

Going straight for holy grail products will be your best shortcut to achieving a flawless makeup look and even maintaining healthy, beautiful and glowing skin. Introducing Q Depot, where you can shop to your heart's content. They have already curated products that people love to buy.

Fuss-free to use and easy, Q Depot sends products straight to your doorstep with individually packaged products (not like some major retailer *eh-hem*). Because for your products, it's worth it to protect them individually to make sure they reach your hands safely.

Never miss a post again!

I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

Starting out the day in Hangzhou with a gloomy and grey weather, there's just this tranquil buzz in the air that you can't miss. People milling about their way in their day to day lives, while we just troop around, observing them.. anyway cooler mornings call for a breakfast & coffee break: as we stop at Phils & Alice's Cafe (啡艾咖啡) just on the same street as our accomm. How convenient :3 Look how pretty the space is:

Just sipping on a piping hot rose latte with floral petals floating about, and a book in hand, and of course awesome conversations with my best travel partner.. I couldn't ask for a better morning. I just love the cafes around Hangzhou, because they are so unassuming on the outside, but it's just so quaint and cozy on the inside. Except that we saw some mafia looking guys smoking downstairs of the cafe, which added some sort of menacing feel to an otherwise innocent place.

Said breakfast in a Halal breakfast place. Surprisingly there are a lot of Halal dining areas around Hangzhou, and they were really delicious too! Thereafter, we hopped onto a cab, with a driver that insisted to drive us somewhere else that's not our intended destination (Longjing)... so we went with another one who took us there grudgingly as well. Apparently many cab drivers will get commission for re-directing tourists to places that they are related to, especially with regards to tea-destinations.

Here we are at the National Tea Museum in Hangzhou!

National Tea Museum

Opening hours: 0900 - 1630
Closed on Mondays

There was a lovely pond right in front of the museum,

with the mountains right behind as a majestic backdrop.

Tried his hand at pounding the tea leaves..

And then it's my turn. This thing is so heavy!

We walked around the museum which was very extensive in explaining the history and development of tea in China, the types of tea, and how they process the tea leaves to reach its final form. It is a whole art form in itself that takes years to understand, but the museum provides a very good starting point. Entry is free - so that's a plus point too. :)

Befitting for the location, the Sage of Tea's statue can be found here,

amidst a sea of pretty purple flowers.

Here we are at the rolling tea plantations!

There was a tea appreciation session but it was quite expensive and it was getting late as well, so we went off soon after. But I guess to complete the experience of being at the tea plantation you can try that.

We were at the Leifeng Pagoda next!! Leifeng Pagoda is a five-storey tower with eight sides, one of the prominent sights from West Lake and in Hangzhou, popularized by the Legend of the White Snake. The pagoda has suffered from several mishaps before, including a fire and a collapse before being rebuilt into what we see today.

Inside the Pagoda, it is really very high-tech, you probably wouldn't expect such a huge lift in there:

And a 'wishing well' for people to throw money into.

$___$

West Lake is slightly underwhelming in a gloomy / foggy weather, but I think it is normal (if you google for West Lake Hangzhou). It is supposed to give you the traditional Chinese watercolor painting feelz instead of gorgeous vivid sunsets I guess.

The Pagoda lights up brilliantly at night, which I think looks prettier than in the day time.

See what I mean by the chillz feelz in Hangzhou

We walked for a long way down the roads to find a dinner place...

And we found this hotpot restaurant 澳门豆捞火锅店 (LOL hotpot again)! It was very quiet but turned out surprisingly very nice. Meat! Tofu! Prawn paste balls! ❤❤❤

That quickly brought our night to an end because my wisdom tooth was aching quite a bit so I couldn't really eat, even though I did eat cuz it was so delicious.

The next day, we woke up to challenge ourselves to the spiciest thing ever (and I'm not going to do it again). Ha!! Here we are at Chuan Wei Guan, a place famous for Sichuan hot pot!

As innocent as it sounds - Water Cooked Fish (水煮鱼) - is totally not innocent at all! It really brings out the true meaning of mala. It is numbing, and so freaking spicy!!! Just look at the amount of chilli and pepper just soaking inside the soup. Actually it was really tasty as well, it's just that it's totally above my threshold. Lol the funniest thing is - we actually packed the remainder back, not knowing what to do with it, and I ate it all by myself back in the hotel (not all of it, of course).

Each of us had a soup as well, which totally saved my tongue from self-extinction.

More food.. #gluttons

And drinks, which we guzzled down quickly too 😂

After dropping the dapao food (the decisions we make. ._o) at our accomm, we made our way to Lingyin Tourist Zone. Lingyin Temple is one of the many attractions within the zone, and the entry fee for the zone + the temple is 75RMB in total (bought and paid separately).

Yes there are many people here with us too! It is the one place where a little bit of rain makes it look even prettier.

As it was a chilly day, we got a hot cuppa from Starbucks with us as we strolled through the gardens:

This is my favourite scene in the whole of Lingyin Temple.

I love how the water reflection is so still, with the fog creating a really romantic feel.

500 "Luohan" Hall - the world's largest indoor bronze display, with life-size statues of the luohans all around the hall. It was really impressive and impossible to get everyone in one single shot because the place was shaped in a 卍.

Walk through the luohans sitting around to see each of the intricate detail - all of them are different!

There are numerous halls for prayers in here, all of them in a different sort of grandeur.

Prayers being recited by the public and monks together.

Here we are at the Lingyin Temple itself! Here you can make some prayers and offer 3 joss sticks to the Buddha.

We continued making our way up the mountain, which was quite a strenuous climb to be honest.. but the views just keep changing with bamboo forests coming into view, so it was encouraging enough to keep going. The whole place has a rich historic vibe to it, and you can tell a long passage of time came through it, but every of the structure still stood strong. As opposed to the Leifeng Pagoda which was rebuilt and a bit too modern for my taste, I definitely preferred visiting the Lingyin Temple.

We reached the Daoguang Temple and Yongfu Temple at the top where many people were making pilgrimages to this place.

And we saw this cute cat, that was seriously unimpressed with us because many people come and pat her everyday. But she's still cute anyway :)

The view right at the top.

That concludes the end of the day as the boyfriend was making his way back to Singapore while I continued the trip by myself... :( The next travelogue you'll see me wandering about on my own for a while before I met up with Lexi in the last leg of my grad trip in Beijing!

Till the next post ❤

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amie.hu and Facebook page!

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