Travels – Page 4 – Regina Chow

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Shopping in Hong Kong: Factory Outlets for Designer Goods

September 13, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

A lesser known
fact about Hong Kong is that it is also an excellent destination in Asia for
factory outlet shopping. Designer labels can be found in an obscure, unassuming
residential estate at Ap Lei Chau, which is located about 30 minutes
away from Central.

1) Prada & Miu Miu Outlet (Formerly known as Space)

When I first saw the Prada sign as the bus whizzed by, I could hardly believe my eyes. It is situated right in the middle of the heartlands amidst apartment blocks and among the throngs of tourists who flocked here in search of great bargains were residents of the estate going about their daily chores and grocery shopping, seemingly oblivious that their estate has since become a mini tourist attraction of sorts. The dichotomy was so strange and stark, it was actually rather amusing.

That aside, the Prada outlet here looks every bit like its counterparts in the city, except that it houses past season Prada and Miu Miu bags, accessories, clothes and shoes. Sizes are limited and the selection can be a little hit and miss depending on your luck.

Nonetheless, I managed to bag two pretty shoes from Miu Miu at about 50-70% off their original price. You might have seen them on my instagram some time in June and also in my recent outfit posts. 🙂

Address:
2/F Marina Square, East Commercial Block, South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Directions:
Take a taxi from Central (about 15-20 minutes and costs about HKD$100)

Take Bus 590 from Exchange Square at Central or Bus 590A from Admiralty

Map:

Press the bell when you see these building signs! The journey takes about 30 minutes.

2) Horizon Plaza

Horizon Plaza is yet another inconspicuous building tucked away in Ap Lei Chau, but do not judge a book by its cover. Behind its nondescript facade lies a treasure trove of goodies waiting to be discovered!

Photo Credits: Discoverhongkong.com

Horizon Plaza is home to 28 floors of furniture and luxury goods. Some of the more interesting shops here include:

i) Lane Crawford Fashion Warehouse (25th Floor)
This is great for shoe lovers as you will find heavily discounted Christian Louboutins and Sergio Rossi shoes here.

ii) Bluebell Fashion Warehouse (24th Floor)

If you like Jimmy Choos, you have to make a pit stop here. 😉

iii) Maxmara Fashion Group Warehouse (27th Floor)

Look out for Juicy Couture and Stella McCartney goodies!

Address:

2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong Island

Directions:

Take Bus 590 from Exchange Square in Central. Drop off at South Horizon and walk to Lee Wing
Street.

Map:

If you’re heading to Hong Kong any time soon, you know where to go for the best deals!

Meanwhile, have a great weekend ahead!

For more on Shopping in Hong Kong, you may wish to read my previous blog posts:

1) Shopping in Hong Kong

2) Shopping in Hong Kong: Japanese Fashion Labels

3) Shopping in Sheung Wan – Vintage Fashion, Antiques, Independent Fashion Labels

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Shopping in Hong Kong: Japanese Fashion Labels

September 9, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

I wrote a post about shopping in Hong Kong way back in 2011 where I touched on some of my favourite spots for budget shopping, including Argyle Centre, Fa Yuen Street and Ladies Street. Here’s the link if you are interested to read more about it:

Shopping in Hong Kong

While I haven’t been writing very much about Hong Kong, it remains one of my favourite shopping destinations and I have been making a yearly pilgrimage to this vibrant, bustling city.

If you are a regular blog reader, you would probably know that some of my favourite Japanese brands include Liz Lisa, Rosebullet, Dip Drops, Snidel, among others. However, many of these brands, except Rosebullet and Dip Drops, cannot be found in Singapore. Fortunately, the next closest place for us to get hold of these brands is Hong Kong, which was exactly what I did on my recent trip there in June.

If you share my love for Japanese fashion labels, you may wish to keep these two malls in mind when you next visit Hong Kong:

1) Hysan Place

Photo Credits: IloveHongKong.org

Established in 2012, Hysan Place is one of the latest malls along the Causeway Bay shopping strip. It is also home to many Japanese labels, including Nine, Deicy, Collect Point, Snidel and Language.

Nine and Deicy
are popular brands among Japanese celebrities and both in brands
incorporate rock, bohemian and girlish elements in their apparel lines, adding an edgy touch to their designs.

Nine specializes mainly in Japanese streetwear (think Mode Style), while Deicy has a mix of casual and corporate apparel.

If you prefer more feminine styles, then perhaps Snidel and Language would be your cup of tea. In fact, these are my favourite stores in Hysan Place as I have a soft spot for sweet and demure designs.

The prices at these stores generally start from a couple of hundreds (S$200- S$400).

Language has a much higher price point (S$500-S$1000) but quality and workmanship are well assured. It is also possible to snag some good buys during the sale period. Case in point – I purchased a gorgeous flutter sleeve dress at a steep 70% discount!

Address:

500 Hennessy Road (Causeway Bay)

Directions:

Take MTR to Causeway Bay Station, Exit F2

Map:

2) Sogo, Causeway Bay & Tsim Sha Tsui


Photo Credits: Hongkongtripguide.com

It is probably no secret that Sogo carries a wide selection of Japanese labels too. Go up the escalator to the third floor and you’ll find Liz Lisa, Rosebullet, Dip Drops and Lowrys. As Liz Lisa is the only label that cannot be found in Singapore, I’m sure many of you would have guessed that I spent most of my time at their counter. 😉

There was a sale on the spring collection then, and I managed to bag some lovely buys at close to 50% off. In addition, customers who bought 2 or more pieces from the new summer collection were entitled to a 20% discount.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of my Liz Lisa buys (you’ll see the rest in my outfit posts):

Address:

555 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay

12 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Directions:

Sogo, Causeway Bay: Take MTR to Causeway Bay Station, Exit D2, D3 or D4

Sogo, Tsim Sha Tsui: Take MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit J3

Map:

For more on Shopping in Hong Kong, you may wish to read my previous blog posts:

1) Shopping in Hong Kong

2) Shopping in Hong Kong:Factory Outlets for Designer Goods

3) Shopping in Sheung Wan – Vintage Fashion, Antiques, Independent Fashion Labels

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Plane Awesome Experience with Scoot and Golden Village

July 27, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

Did you know that Scoot is the only low cost carrier that flies to Seoul? In fact, Scoot now flies to Seoul 3 times a week!

Thank you Scoot, for flying me to Seoul to catch the Asian Premiere of ‘The Wolverine’!

I
had a very comfortable inflight experience because the kind folks at
Scoot put us on their Super Seats on our flight to Seoul and ScootBiz on
our return flight to Singapore.

One of the key advantages of flying with Scoot is definitely the large, comfy seats and spacious leg room. Unlike typical low cost carriers with cramped seats and barely any legroom, Scoot’s Standard Economy Seats (Blue) are larger than all other carriers’ seats, including full-service carriers.

If you desire more leg room, you can also opt for their Super Seats (Yellow), like I did, nearer the front of the cabin, which give you up to 35″ of legroom.

For even more legroom, you can consider the Stretch Seats (Yellow) located at the bulkheads and by the doors, which offer at least 35″ of legroom and no seats in front of you. A small fee (less than $100) is all it takes for you to enjoy additional comfort!

Comfortable Super Seats on Scoot

I tend to get restless on flights that are longer than 4 hours as my muscles start to ache but Grace and I both agreed that the Super Seats on Scoot are extremely comfortable despite the long journey to Seoul. I for one, slept like a baby most of the time.

And nope, I didn’t get any muscle aches or neck aches at all.

Lots of legroom!! It’s amazing how spacious it is.

Everyone loves to travel in style, and with ScootBiz, you can do just that at a fraction of the cost that you’ll expect to pay on full-service carriers.

ScootBiz

I was already very satisfied with the Super Seats in Economy Class, but ScootBiz’s luxurious full leather seats with at least 38″ of legroom and 8″ of recline blew me away.

I could extend my legs fully!

Full leather seats and maximum leg room

Our return flight was a red-eye flight, and I had to return to office immediately after touchdown at 630am for meetings. If not for the comfortable plane ride, I would have succumbed to fatigue. Thumbs up for ScootBiz!

Here are the other privileges that you’ll enjoy on ScootBiz:

Preferred seat selection in an exclusive 32-seat upfront cabin, with their most experienced staff
A complimentary meal with beverages
20kg of checked baggage allowance
Up to 15kg/ two bags of carry-on baggage
Priority boarding
ScooTV in-flight entertainment streamed to your own device
Request a free access code from the crew and remember to bring your own laptop or tablet*. If you have an iPad, download the Gogo Video Plugin before your flight. On multi-sector journeys, ScooTV access codes will be given out on a per sector basis.
In-seat power
Fast-track check-in at Scoot’s dedicated ScootBiz counter
Flexibility to change name, date, time, origin and destination of
your booking up till 2 days before departure* (change fees & fare
top-ups apply).

The great thing about Scoot is, you only pay for what you need for every flight that you book. Scoot bundles the most common options for you to choose from and you’ll enjoy bundle discounts too.

If you prefer to travel without check-in luggage, Fly is the best option for you.

To add on 15kg check-in luggage, opt for FlyBag, which is cheaper than what you have to pay if you were to purchase an air ticket (without baggage) and top up for baggage separately.

I always get hungry on flights and I honestly can’t survive without food for more than 3 hours. If you’re like me, then the FlyBagEat option would serve you well.

This is what a complete set meal looks like. I’m usually not a fan of airline food, but I would highly recommend the soy sauce chicken rice if you take Scoot. It was so sumptuous and flavourful that I devoured every last morsel.

Soy Sauce Chicken Rice Meal

I also got to try the Moroccan Chicken meal, which was rather yummy too.

Moroccan Chicken Meal

Like the FlyScoot Fan Page to keep up to date with the latest news and promotional deals!

**********

I’ve never been on a flight where the crew plays games or jokes with the passengers on board, so I was pretty excited when Scoot and GV Movie Club told us that they would be springing a surprise Wolverine Q&A contest on the passengers mid-way through our flight to Seoul after a quick transit at Taipei.

DJs Jean Danker and Lim Peifen took over the airwaves spontaneously and it was actually somewhat comforting to hear their soothing, familiar voices in a foreign land.

Jean Danker

Lim Peifen

By participating in the contest, passengers would stand to win the following prizes:

1) The Wolverine movie poster

2) S$50 Scoot voucher

3) Scoot Blanket

4) GV Mr Popcorn Plush Toy

The contest was held close to bed time, but check out how bright and cheery everyone looked. Everyone was fired with enthusiasm and their eyes were shining with excitement.

You can see how happy this lucky winner was when Jason handed the prizes over to him. He was literally beaming with joy. In case you were wondering, he was holding up the mascot for GV Movie Club, Mr Popcorn!

There were 5 lucky winners in total, of which 2 also won a pair of tickets to The Wolverine Fans Screening and got to meet Hugh Jackman himself.

To determine the 2 grand prize winners, a card was drawn by each of the 5 winners.

Watching movies is an activity that ranks high on the usual list of hobbies for most Singaporeans. If you like to watch movies, you should register to be part of the GV Movie Club.

Registration is absolutely free!

Here are just some of the perks that you will enjoy:

1) $6.50 movie tickets every Tuesday
2) Complimentary Gold Class Ticket/Standard movie tickets for top spenders every month
3) Invitations to Gala Premieres

Like Mr Popcorn on Facebook to be updated on GV Movie Club Giveaways and stand to win movie tickets as well as exclusive invites to Gala Premieres!

*****

**Announcement: Winner for ‘The Wolverine’ Movie Tickets Giveaway**

Thank you everyone for participating in my recent giveaway! The response was overwhelming and I received so many emails!

The winner was selected randomly using a randomizer, and the lucky reader who won a pair of ‘The Wolverine’ movie tickets is:

1) mummytang

Please contact me at regina.chow@gmail.com to collect your tickets!

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‘The Wolverine’ Asian Premiere in Seoul: Getting Up Close & Personalwith Hugh Jackman

July 24, 2013 by Regina Chow 5 Comments

Wolverine
is finally back! The Wolverine will be hitting cinemas in Singapore on
25th July (this Thursday), much to the delight of Marvel comic fans. I
have caught most, if not all the X-men films and was looking forward to
watching this on the big screen as well. My lucky stars must have been
shining on me, because I managed to catch it at the Asian Premiere of
the movie last week!

I have so much to thank Scoot and Golden Village for, because they flew me all the way to Seoul just to catch the Asian Premiere of The Wolverine. I even got up close and personal with Hugh Jackman at the press conference and on the red carpet! Alvin and Grace were the other two bloggers who were there with me, and to say that we had a ball of a time is a huge understatement.

Although we landed late at night in Seoul and had to attend the press conference at Grand Hyatt Hotel bright and early the next day, I was overwhelmed with excitement, especially at the thought of seeing Hugh Jackman live in action!

Celebrity DJs Lim Peifen from Y.E.S. 93.3FM and Jean Danker from Class 95FM were at the press conference with us too. Both of them are such affable and friendly ladies with absolutely no airs about them.

The ballroom was packed by the time we made our way in and everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Hugh Jackman.

I have never seen so many cameras in my life! One of the photographers was eyeing me suspiciously when I took this picture, but I don’t blame him. As much as he loves to take photographs, he probably isn’t used to being photographed.

Finally, the star of the show appears on stage!

Angst ridden yet romantic, animalistic yet humane, Wolverine is dangerously charming. In fact, the actor himself opined during the interview that aside from the claws and superhero traits, it is Wolverine’s human side that makes the character interesting.I have to agree.I love the X-men film series, but among the entire pack of mutants, Wolverine stands out the most because of the depth of his character.

Playing the role of Wolverine was probably the most definitive moment in Hugh Jackman’s career, and the actor’s dedication to the role is highly commendable. He recalled during the press conference that he used to injure himself very often when he first put on his incredibly sharp claws, but it didn’t take him long to get accustomed to his deadly claws, which have now become second skin.In fact, he shared that he got so used to having his claws around that there was once when he forgot to place them in his check-in luggage on one of his trips and was promptly stopped by the authorities (who had no idea who Wolverine was) for a round of interrogation. LOL.

For those of you who are familiar with the story of Wolverine, you would remember that he has a love interest Jean Gray, which means that love scenes would inevitably have to be incorporated into the movie. It was funny how Hugh Jackman shared very candidly that he would choose not to tell his wife when he has to shoot love scenes until they were over to save her from having to deal with pangs of jealousy. Haha!

I have read and heard so much about Hugh Jackman’s approachable and friendly personality, but I was still surprised at how down to earth he is in real life. His wit and humour never fails to put a smile on your face, but it is his punctuality and affability that takes the icing on the cake for me.We never had to wait at length for his arrival at the press conference or the red carpet and he was very accommodating to his fans whenever they stopped him for pictures. He also stopped to chat with his fans along the way and from what I observed, I could sense that he was genuinely interested in interacting with everyone.

He was so busy talking to everyone that it took him quite a while to reach the front, where we were waiting in anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally walked over! Can you see how close we were to him?

When he finally stopped in front of me, I asked if he could autograph my poster and take a picture with me. He agreed very readily and even signed his name twice on my poster.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Facebook would have seen this blurry picture of us. I wish the picture turned out sharper, but it made my day nevertheless. I was starstruck! He looks exactly the same as he does on screen!

And so, yes the actor is suave and charming, but the golden question for the day remains.

What did I think of the movie, ‘The Wolverine’?

The movie started at 9pm after the red carpet, but despite my slight headache due to a lack of sleep, I was sitting at the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. Sleeping was definitely not an option. There were riveting fight scenes and adrenalin pumping action intertwined with a dose of humour and romance, basically everything that you could ask for in an X-men film. It was an exhilarating experience.

That said, my fellow travel companions and I concurred that there is no need to watch it in 3D because the difference is so negligible that it doesn’t affect your cinematic experience at all. Throughout the movie, I was expecting someone to come flying into my face (they did fly in all other directions though), but that never happened. Hence, I would recommend that you save your money and forget about watching it in 3D.

The film starts off with a brooding Wolverine, jaded by his inner struggle with immortality. I loved how the film delved into an unexplored dimension of Wolverine as it gave me a holistic understanding of his character as well as deeper insights into his vulnerable side beneath that hotheaded, beastly exterior. Wolverine may have healing powers, but those powers certainly do not extend to his emotional well-being.

The movie is largely shot in Japan, where yakuzas and ninjas roam, and the first action scene is unleashed only about half an hour into the movie, but trust me, it is as refreshing as it is gratifying. One of my favourite action scenes is the bullet train chase, but I shall not elaborate any further lest I spoil the fun. 😉

To pique your interest further, I will leave you with the official trailer of The Wolverine.

Go catch it soon!

Tickets are probably selling out fast for this blockbuster movie so remember to book your tickets early.

Alternatively, maybe I can offer you a pair of complimentary ‘The Wolverine’ movie tickets? 😉

**Giveaway**

Yes, I’m giving away a pair of ‘The Wolverine’ movie tickets!!

All you have to do is drop me an e-mail at regina.chow@gmail.com or leave a comment here to win!

Deadline: 26 July (this Friday!)

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Hunter Valley Gardens

May 27, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

We woke up to a splendid morning with azure blue skies and a blanket of huge, fluffy clouds. The clouds looked deceivingly 3-dimensional, and for just a split second, I actually contemplated reaching out my arms to touch them.

The plan for the day was to visit Hunter Valley Gardens, home to 10 feature gardens spanning over 25 acres. We love taking long walks in the park and admiring the glorious blooms while taking in the alluring scents and captivating sights. Flowers are natural mood lifters and we felt instantly refreshed.

One garden that I particularly liked was the Formal Garden. Infused with French and English influences, this magnificent garden features beautifully manicured hedges and lawns. It brought back fond memories of our travels in Europe, where we used to spend at least a month out of the entire year in our favourite continent.

Wanderlust is an incurable addiction, and as I am penning this post, I am reminiscing about Versailles in Paris, Eagle’s Nest in Austria, Sagrada Familia in Spain and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic. There are many parts of Europe left unexplored, and I hope to return soon to visit Switzerland and Greece.

Daydreams aside, I remember it was an absolute joy to be surrounded by abundant flowers, shrubs and trees. The picturesque gardens make spectacular photography backdrops, but nothing beats being there in real life.

This trail of poppies was a hot favourite among avid photographers, who stood there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to perfect each and every shot. As you can tell, I was more interested in using the lovely poppies as my backdrop haha.

The Rose Garden was probably where I belonged that day. My outfit was completely unplanned and coincidentally, the rose on my sleeve is just as huge as the real roses in the garden!

Cherry Blossoms are a familiar sight in Australia in Spring too. I remember the road leading up to my apartment was lined with glorious cherry blossoms from September all the way till about early November. Ah, the perks of living in a country with four seasons.

I am infatuated with dandelions too. I know they are pests, but I would marvel at these fuzzy, cottony plants with childlike wonder without fail, every time. I love blowing on them, seeing the little seeds take flight and parachute to the ground.

Before I entered Hunter Valley Gardens, I heard about its Storybook Garden, where you’ll find characters from Alice in Wonderland and other fairytales as well as nursery rhymes. That piqued my curiosity and the long walk through the other feature gardens only served to build up my excitement as I waited eagerly in anticipation for the storybook characters to be unveiled.

A huge storybook stood with its pages open, marking the entrance of the garden.

On the other end
of the entrance sat a pile of equally ginormous books stacked carelessly
in a haphazard fashion, one on top of the other. Cuteness overload!

The childlike spirit in us manifested as we hopped from one nursery rhyme display to another, with silly smiles plastered on our faces, completely oblivious to our surroundings.

Humpty Dumpty was the most popular display and it was perpetually surrounded with children attempting to climb on top of its egg of a head. LOL.

I loved the Jack and Jill display as I thought it captured the essence of the nursery rhyme. The expressions on the statues’ faces are priceless!

Hey diddle diddle,
The Cat and the fiddle,
The Cow jumped over the moon,
The little Dog laughed to see such sport,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.

JW really looks like he’s running away with the dish and the spoon! Can you see the spoon looking at him with adoring eyes? Haha

Finally, here’s the Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s Tea Party that I was so looking forward to!

Can you spot me?

There we were, playing the fool and pretending to bite into the rock hard chocolate cake! It was quite a surreal experience to be a guest at this fairytale tea party. 😉

Words can’t express how much I love the set, so if you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland (like me!), remember to visit this garden when you’re Hunter Valley!

Top from MDS

Jeans from Mango

Shoes from Rubi

Bag from Louis Vuitton

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Hunter Valley – An Unforgettable Stay

May 26, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

Time flies. Within the blink of an eye, JW and I have been back in Singapore for quite a while now. We’ve been so caught up with work and family commitments that it took a while for us to realize that we’ve left Australia for 6 months. It’s strange though, because it feels like we were just there yesterday.

Looking back at the photos taken in Australia inevitably brings back lovely memories and a sense of longing for the relaxed, idyllic lifestyle which we once enjoyed. If you would like to read more about what I did last year in Australia, click here.

We had several short getaways while we were in Australia, but our stay at Hunter Valley was by far the most unforgettable.

We stayed at the Leisure Inn Polkobin, which was enshrouded in lush greenery and serenity. I absolutely loved waking up to this beautiful view everyday.

The cozy decor of our one bedroom house made us feel right at home. I can’t quite explain it, but there was something about the sense of tranquility here that made us feel unbridled and carefree.

In fact, JW loved this place so much, he kept telling me he wanted to buy it. LOL

We decided to take it slow on our first day at Hunter Valley, and having a leisurely lunch at highly acclaimed restaurant, Amanda’s on the Edge, was the perfect way to start the day.

Amanda’s on the Edge is a quaint fine dining restaurant perched atop a hill overlooking sprawling vineyards and a luscious green garden. Just look at the surroundings! I couldn’t resist taking some outfit shots here.

We were the first to arrive that day and had the whole restaurant to ourselves!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don’t know what the Romans do these days, but when in Hunter Valley, you have to order wine. 😉 Moscato for me, and red wine for JW.

I had prawn linguine, which was cooked to perfection with fresh herbs and juicy, succulent prawns. A squeeze of lemon was all it took to complete the dish.

JW had the eye fillet steak topped with a generous cube of creamy herb-infused butter. Tender and oozing with juicy goodness, it was nothing short of wonderful.

Besides a smorgasbord of appetizers and main courses that will certainly tantalize your taste buds, Amanda’s on the Edge also offers a delectable selection of the finest desserts, so be sure to leave some room for them!

We went with the Hot Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Tiramisu ice-cream, which was highly recommended by the server. We loved the rich, dark chocolate flavour of the brownie, coupled with its delightfully crunchy texture. The tiramisu ice-cream complemented the brownie very well and lent an interesting dimension to the dessert.

Both of us have a soft spot for creme brulee, so whenever we chance upon it on a dessert menu, we have to order it. We are hopelessly drawn to the gorgeous, caramelized sugar crust, just like bees are to honey.

It is hard to go wrong with creme brulee, and I love breaking the tortoiseshell sugar disc on top to reveal the rich, smooth cream that’s waiting to ooze into my spoon. Yummy!

At the end of the meal, JW was almost drunk. He has a terribly low tolerance for alcohol and almost always ends up talking at the top of his voice after drinking a glass of wine. Yes, one glass is all it takes.

To save us from embarrassment, we politely asked for the bill and left. LOL

After a short nap, it was time to indulge in a cheese platter with drinks while we catch the glorious sunset and wind down for the day.

No prizes for guessing who had coffee this time. 😉

Isn’t it beautiful? Bliss is being able to enjoy these quiet moments at sunset with your loved one. 🙂

More on Hunter Valley Gardens, cheese factory tours and wine tours in a bit!

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Shopping in Taipei

May 17, 2013 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

As promised, the focus of my final post on Taipei is on shopping. Taipei has such a thriving and vibrant shopping scene, it’s impossible to miss!

Today, I will be sharing my top 4 spots for shopping in Taipei as well as pictures of my hauls.

1) Stay Real at Ximending

Stay Real is a popular Taiwanese streetwear brand established by Ashin from Mayday. The brand has a history of collaborating with famous Japanese designers including Jun Watanabe and also Japanese characters like Hello Kitty, hence it is little wonder that it decided to set up shop in Tokyo too.

I really hope this brand will arrive on our shores one day. Their designs are unique and the workmanship is excellent. In case you were wondering about the price points for this brand, the Hello Kitty t-shirt here cost me about S$60, the shirt was over S$100 and the cap was about S$40.

2) Wu Fen Pu Wholesale Market

I am sure this wholesale market needs no introduction. Like any self-respecting Singaporean who loves shopping, I spent practically one entire day here scouring through alleys after alleys of clothes, shoes and accessories.

The shops here
now boast an endless selection of Korean apparel, accessories and shoes
at affordable prices, which make them the perfect alternatives to the
traditional stores in shopping malls. I personally think it is a good
idea to pop by here first before you head down to the malls, because you
just might be able to bag something that you’ve been looking for at a
much lower price.

Don’t get me wrong though, the Korean merchandise here are certainly nowhere near dirt cheap, but from my observation, they are likely to cost up to 50% less than what the malls offer.

I’ve been on the lookout for wedged sneakers for a while now, and I was absolutely over the moon when I located three pairs in the exact styles that I wanted! These cost me about S$80 per pair.

I bought a couple of dresses here too but what really caught my eye was this baroque dress adorned with intricate lace sleeves and gold trimmings.

This lace jumpsuit is another one of my favourites. The lace top is sheer but the tailored cut ensures that you reveal just a hint of skin without compromising on elegance. I loved it so much that I wore it to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup recently. My Korean diamonte accessories were from Wu Fen Pu wholesale market as well.

3) Shih Lin Night Market

The shopping in Shih Lin Night Market caters to the masses and tend to be very reasonably priced. If you’re on a tight budget, this is probably the place to be as the likelihood of burning a hole in your pocket is relatively lower.

I found a shop here that sells both made-in-Korea apparel as well as designed-in-Korea apparel. What does the latter mean? It basically means that the clothes are designed in Korea, but manufactured in China. The lower cost of production also translates to consumer savings, hence such apparel tend to be priced lower than their true blue Korean counterparts. Based on personal experience however, the made-in-Korea apparel are definitely better made.

I bought a couple of designed-in-Korea tops at about S$20-S$30 each.

4) Chung Shan North Road

My main objective for heading down to Chung Shan North Road was to visit the Chrome Hearts store, but the cold and unprofessional service provided by the sales assistants turned me off big time. I literally did a U-turn and zipped out of the store with nothing in hand although I went there with the full intention of buying some new accessories.

Well, as the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. By a stroke of luck, we stumbled upon some shops in the vicinity where we were greeted with exceptional service and quality Korean apparel. This striped jacket with neon pink cuffs and lining is my favourite buy. It fits amazingly well and I love how the pink lining that peeks out at the sides adds an element of surprise.

I also bought the lace pants that I was wearing in this picture from the same shop. It is very comfortable and fits me to a T.

Shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo // Phantom Bag from Celine // Jeweled tank top from Shanghai

I hope you enjoyed this shopping post!

What about you? Do you shop at these places when you head to Taipei too? 🙂

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Taipei – The City that Never Stops Eating (Part 2)

April 25, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

I just got back from Jakarta (thanks to Bata for the sponsored trip!) and I have, very unfortunately, fallen ill. I am now coughing very badly and I am close to losing my voice. I don’t cough as much in the day as I do at night, hence my sleeping cycle is now somewhat reversed.

Anyhow, let’s go back to Taipei for now. This post is filled with pictures of food, so if you feel hungry after reading this, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 😉

We had a sumptuous Japanese meal for lunch at a random Japanese joint. The sashimi was fresh and every cod roe was bursting with flavour. Yummy!

One of our friends introduced us to a roadside stall serving seafood noodles made famous by Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao because he used to live in this particular district and patronized this stall very frequently.

I love the dimly lit alleys against the backdrop of the darkening sky at dusk.

After a few turns, we finally arrived at the famous seafood noodles stall which was situated in the middle of an obscure street among a mass of other make-shift stalls. This is perhaps the Taiwanese version of our hawker centre.

Unfortunately, we were so ravenous the moment the food arrived, we forgot to take photos of the food and the stall.It is quite unmistakable once you find your way here though, as there are many photos of Jam and his fans plastered all over the stall. 😉 The servings are huge, with generous portions of fresh seafood, all at a ridiculously low price of just S$3!

After filling our tummies, we made our way to W Hotel near Taipei 101.

The building with purple lights is Esquire bookstore, which has outlets all over Taipei. The main branch here has a total of 5 levels, which amazes me especially in an era where books are gradually being replaced with e-books and brick and mortar bookstores are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Taipei 101 looks majestic but from what I remember of my last trip here, the view from the top of the tower is quite disappointing.

Finally, we arrived at W Hotel! I love the elevator ceiling, which is a visual spectacle in its own right.

We sat there, had drinks and chatted for what seemed like eternity before we finally got back on our feet and left for more food.

As you can see, the place was pretty dark, hence not many photos were taken.

Everyone raves about the street food in Taipei and honestly, it is not difficult to understand why. There is a huge variety of choices even if you are not into their signature fried food (e.g. fried chicken, mushrooms and the likes).

Baked potato drenched in cheese, topped with sliced ham.

Snow Ice

Salt and Pepper Squid

Smelly Tofu

Xiao Long Bao

This reminds me of crepes, but this is known as 蛋饼 in Taiwan. There’s a wide selection of fillings to choose from but what really completes the meal is the dark sauce drizzled on top.

Are you hungry yet? I haven’t had much appetite lately due to the bout of illness but these pictures are enough to work up an appetite for me!

Finally, I’m ending this post with some of my outfit shots in Taipei:

I bought this pair of Korean black wedged sneakers at WuFenPu for about S$80 and they are surprisingly very comfortable. I loved it so much that I brought it along with me to Jakarta too and I pretty much wore it everyday. 😉

Given the amount of shopping I did, the focus of my next and final Taipei post will be on my shopping buys!

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Taipei – The City that Never Stops Eating (Part 1)

April 16, 2013 by Regina Chow 1 Comment

Although the bulk of this trip was spent shopping (well, it was hard not to shop, especially when we set foot on Wu Fen Pu), we made sure that we had ample time for Taiwan snacks and delicacies too. After all, Taipei is the city that never stops eating.

One of my favourite stalls in Taiwan is Ah Zong Mian Xian, located at Ximending. Ah Zong Mian Xian’s noodles come with generous servings of pig intestines, which is great if you’re a fan of innards. I generally tend to stay away from all innards, so I was there just for the noodles. I absolutely love the texture of the noodles and the flavourful gravy!

Ah Zong Mian Xian

Address: No.8-1, Emei St., Wanhua District, Taipei City (台北市峨嵋街8號之1)
Walking Directions: 5 minutes walk from Ximen MRT station, exit 6

Being an ardent fan of Jay Chou’s music, I was adamant on visiting Deja Vu, a themed restaurant set up by Jay Chou and famous magician Liu Qian.

The restaurant
is decorated with antique chairs, tables and artifacts which belong to
Jay Chou, alongside props that Liu Qian used in his magic shows.

I love the baroque and gothic interior design elements, which came together beautifully to create an interesting environment for patrons to dine in. There is so much character here and the ornaments on display are a feast for the eyes as well.

The most outstanding item on display at the restaurant is probably Jay’s Batmobile, which doubles up as a bait for all photography enthusiasts.

My favourite item, however, is this intricately carved antique grand piano. It has been a while since I last played the piano and I have been contemplating about buying one for my current home. Maybe it’s about time!

Decor aside, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the food is reasonably priced and pretty delicious too. Here’s a word of caution though, the portions here are ridiculously huge so it is best to share to prevent food wastage.

Besides pizza, we ordered the mentaiko pasta here at the recommendation of my friend, and I’m happy to report that both were good! This is one restaurant that I would recommend for both ambience and food.

Parting outfit shot:

Blouse from Forever21

Jacket from Zara

Jeans from Topshop

Wedge Sneakers from Korea

Bag from Prada

Deja Vu

Address: Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914) , Center Four Hall (中四館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)

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Purple Highlights in Taipei

April 15, 2013 by Regina Chow No Comments

I
just returned from a work trip to China and am in the midst of
unpacking my luggage, finishing up some work and also sorting out all
the photos from my Taipei trip (erm I still have photos from Australia
and New Zealand too!) as well as from several blogger events/reviews.

To start the ball rolling, I thought I’ll just share some photos of my new hairstyle. 😉

I wanted to get highlights done in Taipei and my friend recommended that I try out Crazy Cut Salon located across Rainbow Hotel at Ximending. Her regular stylist, Angel, suggested I go with either dark purple highlights or greenish ash highlights. I thought it would be an interesting change to have purple highlights, since ash is way too similar to my base colour.

My only reservation was that I was afraid the purple highlights would turn out too bold and inappropriate for work, but Angel assured me that it would blend in very well with my existing base colour.

These photos were taken indoors and they have not been edited in any way. Isn’t it amazing how subtle the purple highlights are?

This is what it looks like under sunlight, 2 weeks after my colour job (photo taken from Instagram @reginachow_sg)

The colour is definitely more obvious under sunlight, but it is still somewhat subtle and not too in-your-face.

I took the opportunity to touch up my roots at the salon as well and the entire process took a little over 3 hours. The service was wonderful and I was really happy with the end result! The best part was, the total cost was extremely affordable compared to prices in Singapore. I had my roots touched up, highlights and also treatment done at about S$180! I would highly recommend Angel at Crazy Cut Salon if you’re thinking of getting your hair done in Taipei. 🙂

Alright, enough of my hair for now. I will be sharing more about Taipei in a bit, but meanwhile, have a great week ahead!

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Shopping in Hong Kong: Factory Outlets for Designer Goods

Shopping in Hong Kong: Japanese Fashion Labels

Plane Awesome Experience with Scoot and Golden Village

‘The Wolverine’ Asian Premiere in Seoul: Getting Up Close & Personalwith Hugh Jackman

Hunter Valley Gardens

Hunter Valley – An Unforgettable Stay

Shopping in Taipei

Taipei – The City that Never Stops Eating (Part 2)

Taipei – The City that Never Stops Eating (Part 1)

Purple Highlights in Taipei

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