Elysian Coffee

VANCOUVERRR! This is one of the long-lost posts that are "supposed" to be posted this summer. This summer I got to go to a lot of different cafes that I've always to try, or actually I should say I will like to try any cafes that have wifi. Why? Because one of my summer vacay habits was to bring my laptop wherever I go. Aha, good memories, good memories ;)

So here it is, Elysian Coffee. It will definitely be one of my favourite cafes so far.

Hong Kong-Loshan Snow Garden Restaurant

As I've mentioned in the last post, we actually finished celebrating my mom's dinner before heading off to Macau. There is always a "Restaurant List for Celebration" in our family, Snow Garden is one of them; we will have dinner here at least once every year for birthdays, festivals, etc. So, here's my last post on my Hong Kong trip this summer. Enjoy! :)

(photo taken by my sister)

Macau-Restaurante Platao

Before posting my mom's birthday dinner, let me start a new post on our short trip to Macau. Talk about the food, there isn't a Macau-nese or Macau cuisine. Most restaurants in Macau are actually Portuguese/Portuguese fusion because it used to be a colony of Portugal before.

We will normally go to the same restaurants when we go to Macau; in other words, we seldom explore ourselves to new restaurants even though we know they have similar foods. My sister, however, brought us to a new Portuguese restaurant this time...

(Picture from backpackers)

Hong Kong-Lock Cha Tea House

My sister is a good party-planner. No matter its my birthday or her friends' birthday, she just knows how to give them an unforgettable birthday. Because of this reason, my dad and I decided to give not all, but most, responsibility to design a memorable birthday for my mom.

Well, the first surprise she gave my mom was flawless. She secretly booked a restaurant for lunch without telling my mom (and me) the location. Then in a sunny Saturday afternoon, she brought us to the...Hong Kong Park. What? A Park? Yes indeed, that was exactly my reaction. We would have our lunch in a park......with a restaurant hidden inside ;)

(photo from Openrice)

Hong Kong-Yung Kee Restaurant

August is a "big month" in my family, probably because it's the last month of my summer holiday so I need to play hard, but the main reason is because there are a lot of celebrations this month. For example, my sister and mom's birthdays; my sister's is on the 20th and my mom is on the 21st. How nice isn't it?
Okay, so here comes the downside. I need time to digest all the stuff I had in my sister birthday dinner before having another feast for my mom's birthday!

For my sister's birthday, we went to a well-known restaurant in Central (near Lan Kwai Fong)...ready to have another feast in August.

(photo taken by my sister, with her new camera)

Japan trip-星岡茶寮

I remember this was the last day of our Japan trip. My dad decided to end the trip with a wonderful, perfect, filling meal.

We did not really plan for the last day, so my mom (and ahem, my sister) chose to make a last minute shopping at Isetan. We, well at least I, were totally exhausted after spending the entire day walking and walking around Shinjuku. My dad and I were too tired to bother finding a fancy restaurant for our last meal. At last, we went to Isetan for dinner again (To see the first dinner I had at Isetan, please read here), and we saw this Japanese restaurant that was hidden inside an alley.

Japan trip-うまい鮨勘(Umai Sushi Kan)

A sashimi lover, one of the must-go tourist spots is the Tsukiji Market. We went there in the afternoon and were planning to have lunch there. However, when we arrived, almost all the restaurants we saw were already packed with people! Disappointed enough, we then decided to go to somewhere else for lunch. While we were planning to leave, a small but quiet restaurant appeared in a aisle that nobody had noticed yet.

Without thinking, we entered this small restaurant and could not wait to try some fresh fish! (Sorry dad!) :P

(Picture from gourmet.livedoor.com)