August Wrap-Up: Vancouver, Hamptons, New York City, Phoenix, Oxford, Geneva, Hong Kong

Summer holidays are great. For the past few years, I've had the luxury of being able to take off from typhoon-riddled Hong Kong in search of blue skies, cooler climes or even snow as I did last year.

This year, my travels took me around the world to see family and friends, as well as giving me the luxury of time to read three books cover-to-cover in three weeks -- Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, Paolo Giordano's The Solitude of Prime Numbers and Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes. Plane rides are great for reading books, and I can often remember when I read them by flipping through and finding the flight ticket stubs that I used as a bookmark (I managed to read Nocturnes on the round-trip London-Geneva flights). In fact, the books themselves are often a reminder of the places I've been. I picked up Rand's tome of a novel at a bookstore in Vancouver's Yaletown. The other two I picked up in Oxford's Blackwell's bookstore. When I wandered into the bookstore, I had no intention of buying any books. I had only wandered in to browse their rare books collection and buy a milk shake from the in-store Caffe Nero. Along the way, after two weeks of travel, I had already picked up seven books. And books are heavy! I also managed to start, but not finish, two other books: Geoff Dyer's Yoga for People Who Can't Be Bothered To Do It and Karen Armstrong's A Short History of Myth. But back in Hong Kong now, I have yet to finish either.

In between pages, I had time to enjoy wonderful weather, fun conversation and delightful places. Here are some highlights:

Vancouver -- I walked past a hot dog stand on Marinaside Crescent (across the street from Provence) and couldn't resist trying their TexMex hot dog (complete with tortilla chips stuck in the bun along with the jalapeno cheddar cheese hot dog). While waiting for my hot dog to get cooked, I learned from the owner that one cannot just set-up a hot dog stand anywhere one pleases. There's a actually a lottery and he managed to win three locations. Operating a hot dog stand is not an easy job. He's up at 6am in the morning prepping enough food for three stands and doesn't get home till midnight. He enjoys it much better than drilling for oil in Calgary though. I could see why. It was a beautiful, summer day in Vancouver and strollers, roller-bladers, pram-pushing parents would stop by either for a hot dog or an ice cream cone or sandwich and have it served up with a view of the marina in Falls Creek.

From Little Cream Life: Almost a Photo a Day

Hamptons:
1. Wifi-enabled Hamptons Jitney (even if it did mean standing on a street corner at 7:50am by myself in front of a building with signs for "Body by Berle" and "Hooters") followed by lunch at Lobster Roll in Amagansett, building a sand castle at Wainscott beach, shopping in East Hampton and practicing yoga behind Rodney Yee in Colleen Saidman Yee's 8am class at Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbour the following morning. During class, she read out a quote that sticks in my head: "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." As I write this, Edward Kennedy's funeral has just taken place and his life exemplifies this so well.

From Little Cream Life: Almost a Photo a Day

From Little Cream Life: Almost a Photo a Day

New York City:
Candle 79 -- Surprisingly tasty vegetarian restaurant. I was told that outside of August, when most New Yorkers (or at least Upper Eastsiders) are holidaying in the Hamptons, it is very difficult to get a reservation. I understand why now, because it's not easy to serve a vegetarian menu that doesn't sound or taste like you are depriving yourself of some essential joys in life.
The Standard Hotel -- Andre Balazs' new hotel in Meatpacking. Grab a drink underneath the High Line or enjoy the views of the hotel from the High Line.
The High Line -- I'm impressed that a project like this got funded. An old railway line along the Meatpacking waterfront all the way up to Penn Station got a makeover by landscape architects Field Operations and structural support from architects Diller+Scofidio. I was walking the High Line with PC, who has been asked to consult the Norman Foster team that's working on the West Kowloon Cultural District. I, of course, complained that property developers in Hong Kong don't have the combination of civic-mindedness and foresight to contribute to a city-owned project such as this. Barry Diller and his wife Diane von Furstenberg are co-chairs of the High Line Trust. The building up from The Standard Hotel is being developed by von Furstenberg and Diller's Frank Gehry-designed IAC building is just off the High Line. Contributing to the beautification and preservation of heritage in the neighborhood simply makes good business sense. Be sure to enjoy the view in the mini amphi above 10th Avenue at 16th Street.

Phoenix -- I had dinner at the Wrigley Mansion for the first time, even though I've spent many years living there. Built by Wrigley of chewing gum fame, the mansion is now owned by Hormel of Spam fame. The place is quite a museum: I was intrigued by a telephone switchboard and amused by a very kitschy bathroom with red velvet and gold print wallpaper.

From Little Cream Life: Almost a Photo a Day

Oxford -- I always imagined the hallowed halls of academia to be tranquil, almost monastic, places. But Oxford in summer is a tourist/summer student zoo. Having said that, I managed to escape the hubub by staying at Old Parsonage Hotel and going for a run along Thames Path, where I found the quiet little village of Iffley.

From Little Cream Life: Random photos

From Little Cream Life: Random photos

Geneva -- I was in-and-out of this town within 24 hours. But I left with the sense that I had spent those hours in a sort-of lalaland, a little enclave where everyone seems to live the most charming of lives.

Back in Hong Kong, I've been playing around with my little flip HD video camera. I'd bought it back in April, but only now decided to put it to use. I'm hopeless at shooting, and have no patience for editing. For practice, I took it along to some of the past Luxury Week's fashion shows, but didn't manage to shoot any good footage. I fared a little better last night at Courtney Act's performance at Sevva. Act (or Shane Jenek when not in drag) was a semi-finalist in Australian Idol in 2003.

Hopefully, I'll get the hang of telling stories with moving images and really start to have some fun with it.

24 Hours in Beijing: A Conversion Tour

Hotel Côté Cour -- A tranquil and stylish, 14-room conversion of a hutong just minutes away from the bustling Wangfujing shopping district. The room I stayed in is larger than Aman's and has a tub! And there's free wifi.

China Club -- China Club members can book one of the eight rooms (four large suites, four smaller suites) also converted from a hutong near the Forbidden City area. Outside, standing in the courtyard, the building is overshadowed by surrounding tall, modern office buildings, but inside, the interiors have been beautifully done in a style that reflects the site, its history and of course its Shanghai Tang pedigree.

Aman @ Summer Palace -- Service staff are impeccably trained (something that a friend had complained about when staying there over their soft-opening during the Olympics). The site is to die for, right next to the Summer Palace (it was where guests waiting for an audience with Empress Cixi would stay) with a direct passage into the Summer Palace grounds. The rooms, however, were a major disappointment. The design of the rooms, with its monochromatic, cream and brown colour scheme was uninspired. Rooms feel cramped (bathrooms don't even have room for a bath tub!) and suites lack the wow factor that mine do its palace connection justice. Cloistered underground are a cinema, beauty salon, gym, pilates studio, squash courts and spa. I imagine it would be more an appealing retreat to Beijingers than tourists staying at the Aman who would have plenty to experience in and around Beijing.

Legation Quarter -- A conversion of buildings that used to be the American Legation dating by to the early 1900s. This collection of western-style buildings have been converted to house swanky F&B outlets by chefs such as Daniel Boulud from NYC and Claudio Sadler from Milan. Hong Kong's own Aqua Group has 2 restaurants and 2 bars. Zen and The Meat Co. are soon to open.

798 Space -- Warehouse conversion into vibrant collection of art spaces & galleries, coffee shops and boutiques.

Phoenix/Scottsdale Faves

Some faves from my recent trip:
1. Brunch at La Grand Orange Grocery -- Great crepes, havana latte (latte using condensed milk instead of regular milk) and Tammie Coe cupcakes.
2. Sprinkles cupcakes
3. Roka Akor -- For the Asian food fix. From the same group as Roka and Zuma in Hong Kong and London. But Roka Akor to Hong Kong's Roka in Pacific Place.
4. Poolside @ W Scottsdale -- Great place for drinks
5. Hike Camelback Mountain to burn off all the food and drink

Chat with Jim Spear, co-founder of China Countryside Hotels

The Grameen Foundation field trip has been a boon in more ways than one. On the trip, I met JS and JH. JS, from Beijing, told me about her country home by the Great Wall that also gets let to visitors. I was immediately interested to find out more about the project in Mutianyu Village. As promised, when she got back to Beijing, I got an email from last week with links to China Countryside Hotels, founded by husband-and-wife team Jim Spear and Tang Liang. As for JH, we instantly hit it off when we found out our common interests in developing a social enterprise combining good design, sustainable development and luxury travel. That's how JH and I ended up on an hour-long skype conference chat at 7am this morning with Jim to learn more about his sustainable tourism projects in and around Mutianyu village in addition to setting up luxury guesthouses such The Pavilion:
The Schoolhouse, a restaurant and glass-blowing workshop in a renovated schoolhouse
The Roadhouse, a restaurant
Xiaolumian, a farmhouse restaurant serving noodles


LCL: i'm always looking out for cool places in china like mutianyu, wishing there were more
JS (Jim Spear): Actually, we're just starting out on these village enterprises though I have had a weekend home in Mutianyu (mty) for 15 years

LCL: before we start, let's do brief intros...JH?
JH: i've always been deeply interested in the field of development, and i guess part of that interest stems from having grown up all over the world, thus having this incessant traveller's itch

and the more places i experience (either as a resident or as a traveller) the more i become interested in issues of sustainable development -- preservation of the uniqueness of 'local' whilst benefitting from the advantages of the global, i guess

it was quite by chance that i got to join the grameen foundation sichuan trip, which was a very inspiring trip in many respects
LCL: JH is echoing all my sentiments
JH: and dialogues, experiences, personal reflections etc. that came out of that trip in a way articulated a lot of the ideas that were already floating around in my head, and then i read what you established with the mutianyu project, which seems to be the materialization of everything in a very real way!

two of my passions, travelling and design, that desire to do my bit for the collective, and that dilemma of trying to compromise between the luxury world and the awareness of the real world etc.

so i've always been interested in ways of bridging and bringing together sort of non-profit and for-profit businesses together

LCL: JH is speaking for me as well...and she's doing a great job at it. So Jim, your turn...
JS: we're just taking little steps -- far from perfect. but i think we're on the right track re: sustainability in the village context: local people, local companies, local food, homemade, existing footprints, sensitivity to environment. I am delighted to have the chance to chat with both of you.

i have been living here 23 years -- from the usa -- where i was a phd student at berkeley
LCL: phd in?
JS: political economy re: china/japan but i didn't finish thesis, i took a consulting job in Beijing because i wanted to be where the action was

[consulting on] early jvs in a variety of industries and high tech sales, i started my own trding company that eventually morphed into a wine importer (ASC) and later I worked for many years in the medical field for a NASDAQ company

when i was getting close to 50 and my kids were in college i had a mid-life crisis and chucked everything to move out to our weekend house in mutianyu

JH: haha
LCL: hahaha...jungha and i joke that we are in third-life crisis...hahaha
JH: i was about to say that, haha
LCL: and no regrets?
JS: yeah, haha...life is too short to spend on regrets. of course i have no regrets. i feel i am one of the luckiest people in the world. i have now designed and built 19 houses, made new friends, helped our village, time of my life

when i moved out to the village and re-did my own house a friend asked me to build him a house and the housing part started there. about the same time the mayor sat me down and said: look spear, in case you hadn't noticed, we're having a hard time, you're a rich american and you should give something back, after all we let you live in our village and you should make an investment here to help us

LCL: first Q...how did you pull off buying your first house to begin with? i assume it's not that straight-forward with deeds and stuff
JS: absolutely right. actually we lease peasant residence plots with existing houses on them. not purchase as in freehold.
JH & LCL (at the same time): how long is the lease?
JS: this is also complicated. ranging from 10 to 50 years
LCL: only 10 years??!! and then lease WITH property converts back?
JS: sure, if you don't put a lot into the house it can make sense. we use short term leases for staff housing, for example. the real houses i have done range from 100-900 sqm

market prices have increased dramatically as we have created the demand. so shorter lease costs less money. clients amortize lease improvement over life of lease. not necessarily a good financial investment. BUT that depends. and one client told me recently their mty house was their best invesment (in light of the crisis)

JH: and the range (10-50 yrs) depends on what qualification? and as a foreigner, is it still possible without a local connection somehow to still qualify for a long lease?
JS: period of lease not dependent on citizenship. actual law may limit real estate leases to 20 years. but we have a lot of lawyers who have helped us write what seem to be enforceable leases for longer periods.

LCL: being near the great wall, which is protected...are the laws stricter for such developments as well as building/renovation permits?
JS: it's very complicated and highly political. regulation -- many, many and sometimes competing authorties. this stifles creativity and leads to other issues. i am not against development, just want to help channel it in sustaianble ways that preserve real communities. LCL: were u aware of all the red tape before you started?
JS: red tape? haha. i have been doing business here for decades. my little stuff in the village every bit as complictaed as anything i ever did

LCL: what do you think of Commune?
JS: Commune is very interesting but not for me. I find the houses plopped there - starchitect syndrome. they failed as an enterprise and very poor service/business model. and then brought in kempinski. last time i stayed there was last month. great spa. poor room. they more or less copied the houses to get to 380 rooms. a walled valley. no connection to community. it makes me cry. but there is room in the market for them as well as us.

lots of our customers have been to virtually every five-star hotel and resort. they literally ache for something real

LCL: yes, absolutely...i prefer your model. so you started off helping other people find and build their dream country home by the Great Wall, and then added the F&B and craft components to the village, and now i see you are starting inns?
JS: we have 6 rental houses www.chinacountrysidehotels.com and 3 or 4 more about to come on line. inns -- we have 2 under construction

LCL: what is the cost of buying, say 50-year lease
JS: location key. in mty and nearby yingbeigou a peasant house as is for 30 years now runs about rmb 450-900k

if you go a few km away can get an existing ouse for rmb 150-200k and even less as you go more distant in the hills

LCL: wow! you've added lots of value!
JS: yes -- the peasants now sit on a previously worthless asset. they take the money to start businesses, educate their kids, provide better old age living, etc

JH: are you looking to expand the model onto other parts of china? or continue expanding this region?
JS: i am very intrerested in first expanding in other nearby villages. but i do think that in areas 1-3 hours from major cities in china and perhaps eleswhere this is replicable

remote is harder -- have you seen naked retreats 3 hours from shangai?
LCL: no! wow, i'm soo glad i'm having this conversation...keep finding out more!
JS: naked retreats took missionary houses from pre-liberation and made them into nice weekend places. issue is (to me) maybe not focused on helping community today.

LCL: just one last question...your businesses are set up as businesses, correct?
JS: yes -- for profit businesses. to me that is part of being sustainable. we have been approached by 1 person who is starting a social investment fund to loan funds or take equity in for-profit businesses that have a commitment to sustainable social development

LCL: thank you so much for your time...i'm going to chew on our conversation a little bit
JH: thanks so much for letting me in on your conversation! and you have a very inspiring life! we drool at what you have achieved!
JS: i enjoyed meeting you via this chat, have a great day!
LCL: have a great weekend in the country! ahhh...that clean, crisp air
JS: i will!

Buenos Aires Hotel 3: Home

Home gets the distinction of having the cutest breakfast spread of the places I stayed in Argentina.



And it has a lovely garden and swimming pool.


The rooms are contemporary in design, a bit simple but sufficiently comfortable. The small built-in desk reminds me of a dorm room though. In terms of location, I prefer being in Palermo Viejo for its greater concentration of shops and restaurants.


I did enjoy a late afternoon lunch at Olsen (Gorriti 5870, +54 11 47767677), which is just around the corner. Home produces its own little guide book for its guests with lots of insider tips on places to eat and see around town. I stayed in one night to watch Barack Obama give his acceptance speech at the DNC and ordered room service. The menu was somewhat limited. I ended up ordering a spinach quiche, a bowl of tortilla chips with guacamole and dulce de leche Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Not the healthiest of dinners, but I suppose it was the perfect TV dinner. At least they had room service. I remember checking into Chambers Hotel in midtown Manhattan one late afternoon and being a bit annoyed that there was no room service.

Buenos Aires Hotel 2: Faena Hotel + Universe

Faena Hotel + Universe, Puerto Madero
I have to admit, I was not keen on staying here. I've gotten a bit disenchanted with the whole Philippe-Starck-designed hotel where design trumps comfort and uppity models-in-waiting trump service. Before the trip, I had not planned on staying here at all, preferring to stay in the Palermo district. But a last-minute itinerary change meant that we had to return to Buenos Aires a day early from Bariloche, which meant an extra hotel night. Since I was planning on checking out the hotel's el Bistro for dinner, I ended up booking Faena more out of convenience than a real desire to experience it.

I was in for a pleasant surprise! For once, a Philippe Starck hotel has delivered on its promise of service. Upon confirming my reservation, I received an email from Augusto, my experience manager. At first, I thought this was just a form email, more form than substance. But when I landed at Jorge Newbury to find a taxi queue that snaked for ages and was hardly moving, Augusto came to the rescue by sending a car and driver.

On arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by a group of good-looking porters at the door. It was already past 9pm and our dinner reservation at el Bistro was for 9pm. Augusto confirmed that it would be fine to dine later in the evening at 10pm as well as confirming my tango lesson and spa appointment for the next day. I finally showed up to dinner at 10:30pm. It was too late to order the tasting menu, but the a la carte items were delicious. I was curious to try el Bistro after I learned that the chef had trained under el Bulli's Ferran Adria. I found the dishes a lot less gimmicky than I would expect of an Adria-disciple, which is not necessarily a bad thing. My favourite was the capeletti stuffed with stewed lamb with mint air (i.e. that famous foam!), mustard and pickled carrots. The berries dessert was memorable, it came presented in a berry icicle bowl.

fuzzy iPhone photo of el Bistro dining room

To be honest, though, my most memorable Faena dining experience happened at breakfast in el Mercado. It was the first place in Buenos Aires and Bariloche where someone knew what skim milk was! Finally, I managed to get a latte with skim milk. And I learned that in Spanish, skim milk is leche decremada. When I thanked the waitress for the Spanish lesson, she replied: "Whenever you like, I'm here from 8 to 5."

My first skim milk latte in Argentina @ el Mercado

I thoroughly enjoyed my tango lesson with M&F, even if I did find it a bit tough. F kept reminding me: "Tango is very easy for the woman. All she has to do is relax and feel where the man is leading her, no need to think! Even if she makes a mistake, he'll figure out how to fix it."

The gym was very well-equipped (I went for a run on the treadmill) and the spa was wonderful as well. I enjoyed a steam in the hammam after a very relaxing massage.

I pretty much cocooned myself in the Faena Universe for a whole day and it was a very pleasant experience. When I wasn't in the spa, I was working from my room where there was a very spacious desk, and the wifi was free.

There's a desk behind the bed and a bathroom (w/o bath tub) behind the lush, red curtains.

Buenos Aires Hotel 1: Legado Mitico

Legado Mitico, Palermo Viejo (also referred to as Palermo SoHo)
I love the location of this hotel. It's just steps away from the shops and restaurants of Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador etc. It's a small, intimate hotel with just 11 rooms. There are no room numbers; guests request their brass key by the name of the room (i.e. el Libertador) or the colour of the tassel cord. There are very few staff around. Most of the time, I only saw one person on the reception desk. At breakfast, there would be someone walking in and out of the Library lounge area. Occasionally, I saw a housekeeper and in the evenings, there would be a security guard on the front door, which initially made me feel a little uneasy even though I never felt unsafe walking around the area. The front door was locked at all times and I would have to wait for someone on the desk to buzz me in, which I found slightly annoying.

My room was very spacious and comfortable and the windows opened up onto Garrachuga. As with most places in the area (restaurants and bars), there was free wifi. Staff were very helpful (especially when I had to find my missing luggage.). Legado Mitico is not a fully staffed and serviced luxury hotel with all the amenities (i.e. gym, pool, spa, restaurants, etc.). It's main attraction is comfort and low-key style in an intimate setting in the midst of a trendy neighborhood.


There's lots to check-out nearby. It's great just to wander the streets. A lot of shops sell sports and streetwear. There were the usual multi-national brands such as Nike, Adidas as well as brands like Penguin.


Be sure to pick-up a copy of Time Out (although the English version only comes out once a quarter) and a series of maps Palermo maps by mapas de buenos aires seleccion (They have different ones for restaurants, fashion and homeware/gifts. Get the whole set!).

Lunch at Mott.

cool one-off handmade retro sneaks from 28 sport...

...and of course jars of dulce de leche with chocolate pieces from Tikal Chocolate (Honduras 4890)

More pictures and links from my Argentina trip can be found on the Little Cream Book group on Facebook or in this album.

Macau Update: MGM Grand

It never ceases to amaze me what a quick, easy and increasingly attractive getaway Macau has become for us Hongkies. Caught the 6pm ferry over last night and came back after breakfast this morning. I stayed at MGM Grand, which opened last December. Wynn still gets my vote for the best rooms and overall experience, but I did have a wonderful, great service moment this morning while having breakfast in MGM Grand's Rossio restaurant. I noticed that the hot plate they were using for the buttermilk pancakes station is the same used for making crepes, so I asked the guy at the station whether he could make me some crepes, thinking it was just a matter of spreading less batter on. The guy wasn't sure, but asked one of the chefs who was passing by. The chef, AG, said it was possible.

I sat down to eat. When I finished the food on my plate, I noticed the chef was wandering around the open kitchen mixing up a fresh bowl of crepe batter from scratch! He didn't even have the wooden roller that spreads out the batter evenly into a large circle. So at one point, he had to tilt the hot plate to get the batter to spread. Anyway, was very impressed by this great service moment.


The rooms at MGM Grand are comfortable, but on the small side. The bathroom and bedroom are separated by a glass wall (curtains can be drawn shut over it). The casino has comfortable and probably the best-looking chairs, with the experience aiming more for Wynn intimacy than LVS scale (i.e. Sands or Venetian). Yet, Wynn is still steps ahead of the field in Macau. Everything from its signature scent that greets you the moment you step out of the taxi at the entrance to their large, plush rooms, the hip, lounge music to its spectacularly put-together Rotunda show (every half hour for 5 minutes) contributes to a more impressive overall experience. The only area where Wynn falls short is the quality of its restaurants -- competent, but not exactly exciting.

Singapore: St. Regis

St. Regis conjures up images of grande old dames, the iconic Brooke Astor in particular. So their hotels have never been top of my list of places to stay, with the exception perhaps of St Regis in San Francisco. When EO suggested I check into the St Regis in Singapore, I protested, "but it's on the wrong end of Orchard Road!" By wrong end, I meant that it wasn't next to my usual stomping grounds -- Borders, Sky Pilates, Starbucks and a block away from Pure Yoga and Kinokuniya -- which Four Seasons happens to be. I was in for a pleasant surprise though.

St. Regis opened in Singapore at the end of December last year, so it is still in soft-opening phase. The entrance lobby is a bit sparse, even more so than Four Seasons in Hong Kong. The decor of the rooms, however, has the restrained plushness of an old world hotel given a 21st century face lift. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, but the best part is the bathroom. There's the stand-alone tub with a television built into the wall on one end (it wasn't working though) and the thoughtful detail of having anti-fog mirrors in the shower. I love anti-fog mirrors. That, along with Toto heated toilet seats and heated towel racks and floors should be mandatory features in all ski hotels. And there was plenty of counter space between the two vanities.

I didn't get a chance to check out any of the F&B outlets, but I did get to enjoy a morning poolside latté and orange juice with a copy of Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Haruki Murakami's short story collection. It was a good thing I had the book, because the pool was a disappointment. It is tiny and can barely accommodate two lap swimmers at a time. Murakami's stories, on the other hand, are very engaging. And I've always admired writers who could turn out a good short story; it takes ingenuity, skill and a discipline with words. While I never got beyond the first few pages of Kafka on the Shore, when I scanned the titles on the display table at the airport bookstore, I was the drawn to the book's cover (so it's not always bad to judge a book by its cover). I guess I was still in my Japanese mood.



St. Regis staff are competent and helpful, but they probably need a bit more time before they are at a level to deliver service that leaves an impression. I had left a scarf in the room after checking out. It is quite a regular occurrence that I leave things behind and to me it's a bit of a litmus test as to how good a hotel is. A bad hotel never finds what I left behind. A good hotel finds it when I call and can arrange to send it back to me. A superb hotel would be one that just sends it back to me before I even realize I've lost it. By that definition, I've yet to stay at a superb hotel. After a couple days of phone calls, my scarf has arrived.

NYC Hotels: Uptown (The Lowell) vs. Downtown (The Bowery)

It might be a sign of age or that I've become spoiled and attached to certain conveniences, but as the years have gone by, I've found myself gravitating more and more towards hanging out in the Upper East Side. Back when I was an intern at Barbara Gladstone Gallery in my college days, back when the gallery was still in SoHo rather than Chelsea, when SoHo wasn't overrun by chain stores and when Dean & Deluca was hardly itself a chain, I rarely ventured beyond Midtown (and that was only to stay with a friend who was living there).

Fast forward a decade and some years later, and now I can barely leave the comfy confines of the 60s. I've been spoiled by MH's hospitality, where I've not had to venture more than a few blocks for my morning yoga or Central Park run and Starbucks. If I'm feeling more Continental, I head to Le Pain Quotidien and there's also Alice's Tea Cup, which serves up more hearty breakfasts. There are at least 3 yoga studios that I know of within a 2 block radius (Some Like It Hot and Jivamukti are my favoured studios). As for shopping, there's Banana Republic, Gap and Club Monaco when I'm in need of extra T-shirts and jeans or Madison Ave for gifts and more fashionable fare. All my doctors are nearby as well. For dinner, there's Daniel (the lounge is MH's canteen), Jo Jo, Fig & Olive. I can walk to all the museums I like to visit: MoMA, Met and Guggenheim.

So this time around, I decided I would try to find a hotel in the 60s. The closest I've stayed is Four Seasons (on 57th/58th). While I love the Four Seasons for the experience within the hotel (their signature scent, the VIP treatment and the roomy rooms), I'm not so keen about stepping out the front door and being in the thick of the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhatten. MH had suggested Affinia Gardens, just off 3rd Avenue on 64th Street. But then I decided to check out The Lowell, just off Madison Avenue on 63rd Street; I thought it would be nice to be closer to the park. I had been hoping that The Lowell would be a more intimate (only 70 rooms and suites) Four Seasons in the 60s. Suffice it to say, I was disappointed. While the King-bedded room (US$550++/night) was spacious and comfortable, the hotel felt lifeless. This feeling was exasperated by the rather listless front desk staff who would barely acknowledge my presence as I walked by, dropping off or picking up my room key. The exception to this poor show of congeniality was the waiter at breakfast in the Pembroke Room and the bellman. But in general, I did not feel a warm welcome, let alone any real hospitality. Compounded with the grown-up, fussy Frenchie decor (think an abundance of silk fabrics, Louis XV-style furniture, canopied beds etc.), checking into the hotel was akin to visiting a very old family member where joy and smiles are checked at the door. This was actually one of the very, very few hotel rooms where I couldn't bear to stay in the hotel because it just felt like the life of me was being drained. And usually, I love staying in hotels.

Fortunately, my love of hotel living was restored when I checked into The Bowery Hotel. Interestingly, after my stint in Gramercy Park Hotel last summer, I had actually expected to enjoy Lowell more and not be too impressed with Bowery. But it was Bowery that made me smile this time. As expected, the staff at Bowery were better-looking than the staff at The Lowell, but they had none of the "I'm just doing this to bide time and pay the bills before my big modelling/acting/super-stardom break" air of Schrager hotel staff. They were all very sociable, friendly and helpful (when the bellman saw that there was some lighting equipment that did not belong on the rather large terrace to my room, he was very apologetic and arranged for maintenance staff to clear out the equipment despite my protests that it was not a bother since it was raining and I would not be using the terrace). The decor of the Bowery is mod-Vic, but in no way feels old. It's all done with a wink. There's some great details like the swirl of colours inside the closet and the crackle-glazed celadon tile in the bathroom. It was raining hard the next morning, and I didn't mind just hanging out in the room till check-out. It was a shame that the terrace was left unused, because it would have been great to have had breakfast on the terrace.

And I was amazed that the room, being only US$375++ per night, actually had such a sizeable terrace! Location-wise, it's not the Upper East Side. And when I asked for directions to La Esquina, I was actually told me to walk down Lafayette instead of Bowery, because the Bowery gets "a bit dodgy" in parts. Had it not been raining, I could have easily walked to SoHo. The gym in the hotel is not yet open, but there are gyms and yoga studios nearby. Granted, the walk around the neighborhood is nowhere near as gentrified as the 60's; you don't have the tree-lined, clean, wide sidewalks of the Upper East Side. There isn't anywhere I'd really want to run to. Barney's and the museums aren't within walking distance, but I suppose the amount I save in room rate can more than pay for countless taxi rides uptown and back down. More importantly, though, staying at the Bowery is actually a fun experience. But most important is that I don't feel as old as I feared I might be, that I can still enjoy life in the Bowery.

[NOTE: I did take photos of the room at The Lowell, but ironically, they all turned out too dark to post!]

Hotels Using Alternative Energy

My bedtime reading of late has mainly consisted of research reports on alternative energy investment opportunities. All that got me thinking about which hotels use alternative energy. As always, the answer was just a quick Google search away:
1. A recent Interior Design article: "Green Upscale Hotels -- No Longer an Oxymoron"
2. Environmentally Friendly Hotels website
3. Alternative Energy blog

Am sure there's a lot more hotels out there. Could be another Little Cream Book in the making.

Luang Prabang: So Chill

Here I am, sitting by the pool again; this time at Luang Prabang's La Maison Souvannaphoum. Arrived from Bangkok yesterday on a Bangkok Airways ("Asia's Boutique Airline") twin-prop plane, which least favoured form of air transport. I pretty much fell in love with Luang Prabang on landing. Maybe it's the tiny airport that makes me feel like I've landed back in time. The Canadians in our group got a bad first impression though. Of all the nationalities, they had to pay the highest visa fee -- US$42. Being American, I only paid US$35. But Chinese pay the least -- US$20.

By the time our group of 8 had checked into La Maison (hardware a tad disappointing, especially the small, single vanity, shower-only bathroom, but the staff are superb) and had our leisurely lunch, where I managed to stuff myself with spring rolls, Luang Prabang Fur (very similar to Vietnamese Pho) and a minced chicken salad, we had very little time to go temple-seeing. We breezed through two Vats and a quick hike up to a stupa before heading to La Residence Phou Vao for a cocktail and dinner at L'Elephant. La Residence is more a romantic retreat, whereas La Maison is a very convenient and comfortable base for chronic market shoppers.

Damn. Running low on battery. Will have to finish this post after massage and early dinner. We're getting up early tomorrow morning for the monk's procession.

BKK: Little Cream Life Moments

Every so often, there are moments that just strike me as being the perfect embodiment of the Little Cream Life. There was one such moment this morning. I rolled out of bed, got into my swim suit and headed downstairs to the pool with my laptop at 9am. By the time I had swum a few short laps in the pool, my breakfast (freshly-squeezed orange juice, a double espresso, eggs benedict with smoked salmon and a bowl of tropical fruit) was laid out beside my chaise lounge. So here I am, lounging poolside (the weather, incidentally, is also perfect, not too hot because it's slightly overcast), breakfast laid out beside me (most importantly, there's a fresh cup of double espresso waiting), and the wifi is working well so that I can blog about this moment (there's even a power socket behind one of the planters beside my chaise lounge!). This is what the Little Cream Life is all about! Was just joined by LP and BM, sounding very raspy from drinking vodka on the balcony until 3am and quickly gulfing down breakfast before heading off for his morning round of golf with the other guys.



Great service moments at The Eugenia this morning: I later asked for a big bowl of cappuccino, and got a puzzled look from the waiter. But when it arrived, it was exactly what I wanted. The waiter actually said it was his first time making such a huge cappuccino! Also, I had left my SPF60 sunscreen at the Sukhothai pool yesterday. I asked for, and got, some SPF30 sunscreen.

We girls have got spa bookings this afternoon. I'll be lounging here, working on LCB: Drives until then...

BKK: Wedding Party Easter Weekend

All of Hong Kong is in Bangkok this Easter weekend. Arrived yesterday and had lunch with friends who are staying at Sukhothai. Had lunch at the hotel's Thai restaurant, Celadon, where we met up with FL & TC, who are in town from Paris (made me wish I was in Paris so that I could have the pleasure of enjoying another one of FL's excellent home-cooked French meals!). FL has just completed filming on his upcoming movie about neglected elephants (actually, it's a much more touching story than I make it sound, but I didn't catch the whole plot line). AW was supposed to have a bit part in it, but filming finished much earlier than expected. But it turns out that AW's Thai helper's son was in the movie by chance (his shop was used in a recreation of Bangkok's Patpong); what a small world.

Checked into Eugenia around 4:30pm. Love this charming, little 12-room hotel. JM & NL are having their pre-wedding celebrations with 14 of their friends this weekend. We've booked out the whole place for our 2-night stay here in Bangkok before heading to Luang Prabang. The staff at Eugenia are all incredibly wonderful; they really make you feel at home. Because of its size, you really do feel like you're the guest at someone's very well done up home. There are quirky, individual touches everywhere.


And of course, what I love most, is their fleet of classic cars to drive you around. But best not to be in a hurry, because they are slow.


My room, a Siam Suite, is very comfortable and spacious. But, of course, what I love most is the free wifi.






We met up for a quick drink in their lounge before heading to dinner at Ruen Mallika (royal Thai cuisine served in an old Teak house), where we ordered way too much food, though all of it was delicious if a bit too spicy for my taste. There had been plans to hit the town after dinner -- Club Astra, Three-Sixty, Bacchus. In the end, we headed back to Eugenia where everyone just chilled with bottles (we had brought our own) of Champagne, whisky and vodka on the balcony.

Restaurant Updates: Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong

I've had the good fortune of having some really great clients, clients that I really hit it off with. AF is one of those gem of a clients. She got back from her trip to Oz with her family and was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to give me a detailed update over a 2-hour breakfast chat at Starbucks (even though she doesn't drink coffee). Here's her update:

Sydney
Rockpool is still great. The only other meal that ranked higher during their trip was Ezard in Melbourne. Bill's (433 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst; T: +61 2 93609631) was a great place for breakfast and Four Seasons is showing its age, although their baby amenity kit and bed-setting was a nice touch (although the mix-up in luggage was not).

Hayman Island
Service was excellent. The rooms exceeded her expectations in terms of decor and spaciousness. Food was very average and insanely expensive if ordered a la carte. Whitehaven beach was gorgeous, but the Outer Reef Experience operated by Cruise Whitsunday's was poorly operated (the so-called swimming enclosure for children was a joke).

Melbourne
As mentioned above, Ezard was super. Saville Park Suites was great value for money in a great location. The European was great for breakfast and The Press Club was inspiring with its Greek molecular cuisine.

Back in Hong Kong, I was in for a pleasant surprise when AP suggested going to Opia at JIA for dinner. I had been to Opia when it first opened (and incidentally heavily-marketed as having Ezard ties), but had not been impressed and hadn't gone back since. I should have really learnt by now, never to judge a restaurant within the first 3 months of its opening, but I can never resist trying a new restaurant. And I also know to trust in Chubby Hubby's evaluation to give Opia a second chance. The 6-course tasting menu was very good value for money at HK$695/head; it offers better food than some of the restaurants that currently receive top billing in this town. My favourite was the crisy skin Mulloway on top of a truffled potato cake with a drizzling Bhutanese honey. Absolute ambrosia!

London Update

Spent the weekend in London and the last few days in NYC.

In London, I ate mainly British food in Chelsea's Gastropubs (since I was staying at EH's just around the corner from Sloane Square) at The Ebury, Galvin for Sunday Brunch, Tom's Kitchen and breakfast at the very cool and recently-opened Napket (loved their slogan, "Snob Food", their selection of bread loaves of which I had a slice of the fig, rocket and cheddar loaf, as well as the iPod minis at the table with personal headsets so you can choose your own music). Saw the Gilbert & George Major Exhibition at Tate Modern, which was excellent, especially the audio guide with video clips of Gilbert & George discussing their art. It made a lot of sense to see this show in London, which places their artworks in the context in which they were created. I had a coffee at Sloane Square Hotel's Brasserie. If I hadn't been staying with EH, I might have checked out Sloane Square Hotel, which just opened last October and is in a fabulous location without London's fabulously high rates (online rates until the end of Feb 2007 started from GBP125). All this aside, one of the things I love most about travelling is catching up with old friends and the opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting people. In London, through AL, I met the Chairman of Farlows, an old English fishing and field sports shop, and the COO of San Francisco-based brand consultancy The 2M Group. One never know where chance meetings might lead...

24 Hours in Taipei: Les Suites Da-An, Shintori, ppaper

Was in Taipei this weekend to check out the Grand View exhibition at the National Palace Museum that just re-opened in December after a major renovation. The renovation was a bit of a disappointment (the exhibition spaces still feel cramped), but the Northern Sung dynasty calligraphy and Ju Ware bowls and vases were incredible. These pieces were some of the most valuable treasures from the Imperial collections. I was very impressed with the beauty and perfection of the Ju Wares (It actually made me lament how Chinese manufacturing's reputation has gone downhill in the last 1,000 years. Where has all that pride and appreciation for perfection and beauty gone?). Only 70-odd complete pieces left in the world and the NPM has 21 of them. It's the first time, in a long time, that these pieces have been shown. But of all the works, it was the calligraphy that really moved me. There's a lot of beauty and sophistication in Chinese characters. In the pieces on display, there was a feeling of soulfulness, and even a sense of freedom, in the calligraphy that seems rarely expressed in contemporary Chinese culture. Grand View runs until 25 March 2007. But due to the fragility of certain pieces, there will be a rotation of 12 of the 76 works on 8 February 2007.

I stayed at Les Suites Da-An, which is great value for money. I booked a Corner Suite for around USD180 inclusive a great buffet breakfast spread. The location is also very convenient, within walking distance to the 24-hour (the great thing about Taipei is that so many things are open 24 hours!) Eslite Bookshop, which has the most awesome international magazine selection I've ever seen. I found copies of Arizona Foothills (I grew up in Arizona, so there was a moment of nostagia) for sale, imagine that! Anyway, back to Les Suites. The coolest thing there was the mobile phone provided in each room. Basically, if someone calls you in your room and you're not there, the call will get forwarded to that mobile phone. The phone also has the front desk on speed dial, at no charge! So not only is it a very reasonably-priced hotel with all the in-room amenities of a 5-star hotel including in-room fax machine and separate bathtub and shower (well, at least in the Corner Suite), they also provide a convenient way to save on your mobile roaming charges.

The most complete set of working desk accessories I've seen in a boutique hotel and even many luxury 5-star hotels -- stapler, razor, ruler, paper clips, adapter etc.

The handy mobile

The gym, while very simply equipped with a rack of free weights and three cardio machines, was very comfortable and had complimentary bottled water and towels on hand.


It's these little touches (like fresh flowers and fruits in the rooms and daily weather cards on the breakfast tables) that make Les Suites a great boutique hotel. Was having lunch with EC and he suggested I check out Ambience Hotel next time, but don't think the location is as good as Da-An and on first glance, the decor tries a bit too hard.

As per PW's recommendation, I had a great Japanese dinner at Shintori (B1, No. 80, Section 1 Jian-Guo Road, Taipei; T: +886 2 25017000). Had kaiseki+shabu shabu+sushi+sashimi. The fish was incredibly fresh. They have a lot of private rooms that accommodate two to many diners. But I like being at the sushi counter; it's always fun to chat with the sushi chef.

On Sunday, had a great breakfast with Kat at N.Y. Bagels Cafe within walking distance of the hotel before heading to Museum of Tomorrow, a contemporary art project organized by ppaper (Kat is the editor of the magazine and we had just gotten a mention in issue no. 36 of the magazine). The current exhibition is an interactive installation entitled "theFLOWmarket" by Danish designer Mads Hagstrom of theFLOWinstitute. It's interactive, because visitors can buy the products that promote sustainable growth in theFLOWmarket. It's a cool concept and the Museum of Tomorrow is a great temporary exhibition space. There's a cafe and ppaper has a small shop on site (ppaper's permanent shop is at 1/F, No. 2, Lane 26, Section 2 Zhongshan N Road, Taipei 104; T: +886 2 25681779).


theFLOWmarket runs until 28 February 2007. The next exhibition, Happy Living, runs from 22 March to 17 May 2007. Entrance is free and the Museum of Tomorrow is open 24 hours.





Other shops of interest:
Booday (No. 18-1, Lane 25, Nanjing West Road, Taipei 103; T: +886 2 2552 5552) -- Shop and simple cafe opened by designers. Sells mostly funky design T-shirts and accessories, leaning more towards the girlie side.

The One (No. 30, Section 2 Zhongshan N Road, Taipei 104; T: +886 2 25363050) -- Ceramics and a nice afternoon tea spot.
Mister Donut (various locations, check website) -- This Japanese donut chain serves up a variation of donuts that are less sweet than Krispy Kreme's. Love their slightly chewy Pon De Rings!
and soon to open in March is agnes b.'s travel concept store, maison sur l'eau...

Lech: Hotel Almhof Schneider, Allmeinde Commongrounds

On my favourite run: Rufikopf from Lech to Zurs

Woke up at 3:30am and couldn't get back to sleep. Not sure if it's jetlag or the fact that I can't wait for the day to start so that I can go get a pair of Differences skis to try on my last day of skiing before I head back home tomorrow. Gerold Schneider, owner of Hotel Almhof Schneider, told me I should try them since I like zai skis, of which EN (my INSEAD section-mate) was the founding CEO. I fell in love with zai skis the first time I tried them in Verbier. Differences, Gerold told me, are produced in Vorarlberg nearby.

I met Gerold and his lovely wife Katya yesterday. Have been a fan of their establishments here in Lech for some time. In addition to the hotel, they also own Schneggarai and Klosterle in Zug (Not knowing the family connection, my friends had actually booked my b-day dinner at Klosterle last night). Recently, they converted an old barn into Allmeinde Commongrounds, an art exhibition space/office/library/artist residence. The couple are both trained as architects and they have been working on revamping the family hotel for the past 10 years and Gerold thinks he'll still be working on it for the next time years; Katya reckons five though. They've put in a mini cinema/puppet theatre, a beautiful wine tasting room/cellar, children's playroom complete with Playstation. Their ski boot room is the most beautiful I've seen yet. Each ski boot locker has two sets of boot warmers. The lockers are made from rose oak. They've also revamped the swimming pool, one of the restaurants and the rooms. Most of their 52 rooms are suites and my favourite feature is the huge changing room/closet.

But actually, I was dying to see Allmeinde Commongrounds. So I was really excited to get a call from Gerold yesterday morning (I was meaning to pop by, but he knew where I was staying at Hotel Madlochblick right behind his hotel and found out from Andrea, the hostess, that I had already arrived. That's what I love about Lech, the small town, everyone-knows-everyone, feeling). I met Gerold at the hotel and then we walked up to Allmeinde Commongrounds to meet Katya. My photos don't really do the place justice. Hopefully, I can get some better ones before I leave. The style is minimal, as though it was trying not to intrude on the beauty of the surrounding, while keeping its aesthetic essence of its former life as a barn. It's beautifully conceived and its visual simplicity belies the functional complexity of the building.


The first floor contains an office space, a library with a long table that seems to extend all the way into the snowy slope outside and a serious kitchen (for catering functions). The second floor is an exhibition space. On the right side is a wall of some thickness. I just thought it was storage space behind the wall for hanging artwork. But then, Gerold started to transform the whole rectangular block into a home. Panels opened out to reveal a mini kitchen, storage, toilet, bathroom with shower and sink, a large work desk with desktop computer and a double bed! Quite clever!



Their original idea was to have an artist-in-residence, but they have not found one yet. Currently, there is an exhibition of photographs by Margherita Spiluttini. The space is open most afternoons until 6pm or so. Katya works out of the office most of the time and welcomes visitors. Allmeinde is actually a word that refers to common land that the local community could send their animals to graze.

My Klosterle birthday cake

Monte Carlo: Columbus Hotel, Monte Carlo Travel Market

Just arrived Zurich airport after a too-short stay in beautiful Monte Carlo, where it was a warm, sunny blue-sky 15C. Was at the Grimaldi Forum as a hosted buyer for the Monte Carlo Travel Market, a small, manageable luxury travel trade show featuring luxurious hotels and resorts as well as other travel services such as private yacht and jet charters, specialty operators such as high-end heli-ski operator in Chile or safaris in Africa. Nothing really new or out of the ordinary expect the Chilean heli-ski outfit, which I am keen to try one summer.

Stayed at Columbus Hotel, which was surprisingly good value for money in this town where a 5-minute taxi ride will set you back 12Euro. Jean-Paul at Evason Hideaway in Nha Trang, who himself is from Nice, recommended Columbus. I stayed in a deluxe double, which had a lovely sea view:



The rate was 215 Euro, all inclusive; it even included my room service Continental Breakfast, which I had ordered at 4:30 in the morning, because I couldn't sleep. The rooms are comfortable; the bathroom even has double vanity, though no separate tub & shower.


My one grip is that there is no in-room wifi and the television internet system wasn't working (well, at least I couldn't get the remote keyboard to work and I never really like using these systems anyway). Also, the rooms aren't meant for reading or working, because the lighting is just too soft. Their motto is: Live Life Love Life. And along with the snacks in the minibar, you'll find a pleasure kit courtesy of Columbus. The most refreshing thing about Columbus were the extremely friendly and helpful staff, not in a stuffy way either, they actually chat with you. Everyone from the front desk staff to the concierge were very welcoming. I think I've just been disappointed one too many times by pretentious, I'm-too-cool-for-you, staff at so-called designer/boutique hotels.

Gotta run...battery is running low on my laptop (Stupid me, forgot to bring power cord. Can someone please make buying Apple accessories such as power cords more accessible? I went to fnac at the Metropole and they told me that my best bet would be to go to Nice, but even then, no guarantees!).

Dusty Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole

Arrived in dusty Hanoi and was greeted by a familiar smell. The city and its taxis smell like China! The traffic is even more chaotic than China though -- cars constantly sounding their horns, motorcyclists weaving in-and-out of lines of cars that don't all stay in their lanes, slow-moving cyclos that glide along at their own tranquil pace seemingly oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them and the pedestrians that dart into the street as if they were protected by forcefields.

Sofitel Metropole was a welcome respite. I got a room (USD390++; I only booked it through Sofitel's website yesterday.) in the newly-refurbished opera wing. On check-in, they even give you a bouquet of cream-coloured calla lilies. While not particularly large, the room is comfortable and well-thought out, though it doesn't meet JR's standard of hotel luxury (i.e. no separate bathtub and shower). There's ample desk space and the broadband cable works (US$15/24 hours). There's supposed to be wi-fi in the public areas, but have not yet tested it.



Service in this hotel is efficient and good. The staff show initiative. I was looking for the hotel gift shop to buy magazines and newspapers to read during my lunch and the staff suggested that I could read the magazines available in the bar. The menu didn't have pho or vietnamese coffee and the waiter offered to see if it could be made (it could be). Fresh fruit was delivered to the room, followed by fresh-cut red roses for the room and bathroom. Come turn-down time, there was a platter of chocolates and the next day's weather. All a nice change having just come from Wynn Macau, where the rooms are large and well-appointed (the iHome console for your iPod was my fave), but their insistence on charging MOP60++ for use of the gym struck me as really petty and the front desk staff often seem lost and flustered rather than helpful. With new hotels tending to focus more on decor and ambience, it's nice to see that service is still important at some hotels. Granted, Sofitel Metropole's been around for a while, so the staff are much more experienced.

I visited Art Vietnam Gallery and came across a beautiful scroll painting by Nguyen Minh Thanh called Ace Diamond from his "Playing Cards" series. Unfortunately for me, at USD8,000, that painting cost more 3 times what most of his other pieces cost. I asked the woman at the gallery about the price differential and she explained that the artist usually sets the price and that painting was one of his favourites. Major bummer.

Then I headed to the Old Quarter and shopped around Nha Tho for a bit before flagging a cyclo for the obligatory tourist ride around town, which cost VND100,000 (around USD6.25 for a 30-minute ride). Am sure I paid the tourist price, but the guy deserves it. All that high-risk peddling and breathing in all the dust and fumes.

Tokyo: Shibuya Granbell Hotel, good things come in red, Tera Teppanyaki

I love Tokyo; it's one of the few cities in the world where I always feel like a lost foreigner despite the number of times I've been here. Diane von Furstenberg was in town last week for the opening of her first boutique in Japan with her whole entourage. MH, who's in town for other work, was guiding/hanging out with them and apparently it was the first time in Japan for some in DvF's group (including her son) and they absolutely loved it (especially the Loveless shop in Aoyama). The thing is, for a gaijin, or foreigner (such as myself), Tokyo will always be fresh and new, no matter how many times you visit. There'll always be that sense of excitement of the new and different, that buzz of not quite knowing what you'll stumble upon, the thrill of a mystery you'll never quite solve.

I arrived into Narita around 1400 and surprisingly the immigration queue was very short and moved quickly. Managed to get my luggage, rent my 3G phone (it's great that these days I can keep my Hong Kong number), grab some Starbucks


(Japan's stores probably have some of the best Starbucks food around and they have these really cool, Starbucks mermaid stirrers that are also stoppers for the lid that I haven't seen anywhere else in the world!) and caught the 1513 Narita Express out to Shinjuku station. It's a great thing these days to be able to get on the internet and show taxi drivers the location maps for where you want to go, because even with the English address for Shibuya Granbell Hotel, he wasn't quite sure where it was.

In terms of location, Shibuya Granbell is really great, a few minutes' walk to Shibuya station, less than 10 minutes to Parco Part One. But the best part is that it's on a quiet street, off the main strip. Downstairs, there's a nice cafe/bar that's open late called Piece of Pie. I booked a Double Room for Single Use (Y16,800, including ++!!). This is one of the very, very few hotels that offers a cheaper rate for single use of a double room. The room is very comfortable with all my necessary amenities. It has free LAN internet access and the cable's in the desk drawer. The bathroom has a tub (which is such a rarity in so-called boutique hotelrooms these days) and I had ample space to maneouver around with my bags laid out. Very good value for money. They have a great penthouse duplex suite with its own rooftop jacuzzi.


Good things come in RED! I got 2 wonderful surprises, both red. MH dropped by my hotel and produced a gift for me. It was a namecard holder from Inden-Ya. I had seen her namecard holder with a wonderful cream-dotted pattern on what she tells me is deer skin (navy blue). I had fallen in love with it and kept harrassing her to tell me where she got it. Unfortunately, it was a gift to her from her father so she didn't really know exactly where to buy it. Between her meetings here this time around, she chanced upon a shop selling Inden-Ya's wares, and got me my very own namecard holder with tan flower-shaped dots on red deer skin (red is my lucky colour). I found their website via google, so hopefully I'll have time to drop by their store.

The next wonderful surprise was that the GAP store near Parco sells their Product (RED) line! I had actually called Singapore's first GAP store, which just opened in Vivo City, but they had no idea what I was talking about. So when I saw the line here, I kind of went crazy and bought a whole bunch of inspi(red), desi(red) and hamme(red) t-shirts to give as gifts.


After a spot of shopping, SM picked us up and took us out for teppanyaki. Tera is a discrete, little teppanyaki restaurant in Nishi-Azabu that probably seats around 10 people at the counter and then another 20-25 people around tables. If you didn't know of its existence, you'd probably overlook its non-descript entrance. Once inside, you walk downstairs and there's a teppanyaki counter and behind it several screened-off tables. We sat at the counter. The first dish that came was uni on top of a small portion of grilled rice on top of crispy, grilled seaweed. It was absolutely delicious, the uni being very fresh and sweet in taste. Next came a Japanese teppanyaki version of raclette -- vegetables with cheese. We also had beef fillet and sirloin, garlic fried rice (which came with a wonderful broth), and vanilla ice-cream topped with grilled strawberries, all were wonderful! I'm so glad that I now know another good teppanyaki place aside from Seryna's Mon Cher Ton Ton.


After dinner, we went to nearby birth for a drink. I had yuzu tea. There's supposed to be a fortune-telling lady that goes around the tables, but when we saw how depressed a couple of girls looked after their readings, we opted not to take our chances.

Macau: My new infatuation

Investment strategies come a dime-a-dozen; with many worth less than a dime. I'm what you would call a simple-minded, intuitive investor. I invest in what I love, the companies that are a constant in my life each and every day -- Apple, Google and Starbucks. Following this admitedly pollyanna-ish logic, Macau is my latest new love (but my simple logic also dictates that when everyone is talking about buying flats for investments in Macau or buying small, ground floor shops for investment to lease to Circle Ks and 7-11s, everything must also be overvalued. So the trick is in finding the overlooked gems.).

Prior to this October, I had not been to Macau (despite its close proximity to Hong Kong -- an hour by TurboJet, 15 minutes by HeliExpress) in at least 5, maybe even 7 years; even the opening of Sands could not get me there. But since the opening of Wynn Macau, I have already been there twice this month. Had it not been for a conflicting engagment, I might have been at Wynn again this weekend with another group of friends. I guess this also proves the point that competition is the surest way of spurring economic development. When Stanley Ho had a monopoly on gaming, casinos in Macau were some of the most undesirable places to visit. Currently, Sands, based on rather unscientific research (i.e. cocktail and dinner table conversations) is probably more popular with serious gamblers (many Chinese customers even find Sands to be aesthetically more impressive; don't ask me why). Wynn Macau, however, has gotten me, previously a non-gambler, interested in spending my leisure time in their little fantasy world. Apparently, they pump fresh oxygen into the gambling halls, which is why I managed to stay up until 4:30am making HK$100 bets at their blackjack tables and still feeling giddy and fresh. Maybe offices should consider using similar systems and perhaps it will yield higher productivity from their employees. Apparently, in the first 13 days of its opening, Wynn Macau took in US$900 million in chip sales, but I wonder how much of that they manage to keep as gaming revenue (actually, I'm really interested in finding out how this whole gaming business works). Afterall, both times I've been there, I have walked out with more money. But then again, I always end up spending more money than my winnings in their spa or F&B outlets. Thus far, I've not made any purchases in their shops.

But retail in Macau is apparently very hot; I'd love to see the sales numbers for luxury retail stores (I was told that Louis Vuitton Macau store sales have topped Las Vegas store sales, but one never know if it's just hype or reality). Over dinner with a trio of shopping mall REIT guys in Wynn's Il Teatro, a pretty competant Italian restaurant with a reasonably-priced wine list, I got an interesting picture of Macau visitor spending habits: the big spenders are guys and spend are mainly spending on themselves. In Wynn, watches and men's apparel from Giorgio Armani is doing very well. Bags and accessories also do well. Jewellery, on the other hand, does not. Hermes is probably kicking themselves for missing the boat on a store in Wynn's first phase (apparently, the space went to Giorgio Armani). I wonder if luxury cars would do well. A high-roller might win enough to buy himself a Ferarri. For myself, I would definitely spend more on destination dining, shopping or entertainment.

By destination shopping, I mean brands or shopping experiences that are hard to come by in Hong Kong or even other major shopping cities. Actually, after my post on Edun, over a Starbucks coffee break with BL, I suggested that someone should create a goodwill shopping mall. It would be a destination bringing together all the brands that allow shoppers to do good while consuming and highlight companies that practice fair trade practices. So you'd have Edun, People Tree, GAP highlighting their (RED) clothes, G.O.D. highlighting their condom line of bed linens for AIDS Concern, Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony products benefitting breast cancer care and prevention, Marc Jacobs' Al Gore Fashion Line benfitting The Climate Project, etc.

These are exciting times in Macau. Galaxy's Star World just opened last week right next to Wynn Macau; it was packed. Sands' Venetian is expected to open summer 2007 in Macau's approximately 250-acre Cotai Strip and MGM Grand in late 2007/early 2008.

At the New, Old Mandarin Oriental: Welcome Back, Chinnery!

It was as if nothing had changed and time had stopped for the new, old Mandarin to undergo its refurbishment. I walked into the Chinnery Bar with a feeling of familiarity and comfort. It looked pretty much the same with the usual crowd of expat Central office bankers smoking and drinking (although the benches and chairs had been reupholstered, carpet changed). The menu still had what I missed: Chicken Tikka and Bread Pudding. I was having dinner with DH, who is helping me write Little Cream Book: Drives. DH ordered the Fish Pie, which came with a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your perspective) dose of mashed potatoes on top. The food tasted just as comforting as it had before, although service was not as attentive or together as it was before -- dishes weren't cleared from the table, nobody asked if we wanted coffee or tea with our desserts, it took forever me to get someone's attention to ask for the bill, then it took forever to arrive and once paid, they chased us down the stairs into the lobby because they thought they had given us the wrong table's bill (which, it turns out, they hadn't). Hopefully, with a couple months' time, the service will be back to how it was before.

It seems the staff have been trained well to welcome back old guests, to make it appear as if there's a seemless transition from old to new. When I arrived with my grandfather a few days after their opening, the doorman nodded to my grandfather, "Welcome back. Long time no see." The doorman did not look familiar, at least neither my grandfather nor I recognized him. But I'm sure he's been trained to welcome guests of a certain age with that line. And then there's MP, who got his usual pre-birthday call from the Mandarin Grill asking him, "Will you be having your birthday dinner with us again this year?" I can't wait for them to run everything in again. As I was waxing nostalgic with DH last night, I grew up with the old Mandarin. It was the meeting point for my grandfather and me on Saturday afternoons since I was six years old. He would be get off work on Saturday, walk over from his office in the then Swire Building (now Chater House). Sometimes I would meet him in the lobby. Other times, I would already be in the car and his driver would take us to Country Club for lunch and an afternoon of frolicking in the pool. And when I grew up and came back to Hong Kong to work, I would meet my friends in the lounge for afternoon tea. The scones with rose jam (Incidentally, you can't find the rose jam anywhere else in HK. I once made the mistake of asking the bar at Landmark Mandarin Oriental for rose jam and got was told in a sour kind of tone, "That's only at the old Mandarin. We have something different here.") and clotted cream are my favoured afternoon tea treats. When I recounted this to DH, he called me a sybarite, which I took as a compliment since I am in the profession of seeking out and creating experiences of pleasure and luxury for my clients.

An interesting aside that takes us to Bangkok, I came across a new cute, little hotel. With boutique and design hotels looking a bit past their due date these days, it was refreshing to be introduced by EO to The Eugenia. As its website says, "It's not a hotel; it's a home!" Well, will wait for EO's verdict (he's staying there this weekend) on that, but the website certainly looks promising.

12 Hours in Macau: Wynn, Robuchon a Galera and Sands

Had a blast in Macau yesterday for the National Day holiday. Took the 0945 Turbo Jet, and headed straight to Wynn Macau to drop off an order of Little Cream Book: Goodwill for an upcoming executive meeting as well as to meet up ES and co., who had stayed the night before. Arrived around 11am and checked out ES's room. It was a decent-sized room with two, double beds (56 sq m at HK$2,610++/night for a Grand Deluxe Lake View Room. The difference between Deluxe and Grand Deluxe is use of Wynn Club lounge and VIP check-in counter) and a view looking out over the fountain, towards Hotel Lisboa. The whole place was actually a whole lot more tasteful (such as the the Four Seasons-like floral arrangements) and well put-together than I had expected. While crowded, it was not unbearably so. I had expected throngs of people given that it was China's National Day holidays, Macau's newest casino (it just opened on 6 September, so everything still looks fresh, clean and glittery) and the sms ES had sent me on her arrival: "Too many people at Wynn. Very tiring".




Had booked 1230 lunch at Robuchon a Galera, so walked across the street after I had toured the room and took a quick spin through the casino (Again, better than I had expected. Probably the only casino in Macau with bright, yet soft, lighting). Of course, Robuchon's been open for quite a few years now (since May 2001), but I had not been enticed enough to make the hour-long trip. Maybe because I was still disappointed with L'Atelier in Paris, whereas this time around, I still have memories of my good NYC L'Atelier experience in my mind. In retrospect, it seems a bit silly, because the 3-course prix-fixe lunch (with amuse bouche, coffee and petit fours) at MOP288 (US$36) is probably the best value-for-money meal at that level of quality I've had. For starters, I chose one of the soups, a garlic bouillon with little escargot dumplings. For the main, I had quail stuffed with foie gras, which came with a small serving of the famously delicious (yet deadly on any healthy diet) mashed potatoes. I had a tough time with the dessert trolley, but ended up choosing a port wine and rosemary-poached fig, banana, caramel crumble tart along with scoops of ginger and coffee ice creams. All were absolutely delish.


Appetite satiated, I crossed the street once again and headed for Wynn's spa for my 3pm massage. Thankfully, ES has booked in advance, because on my arrival, there was another woman practically begging for a slot. The spa has the usual sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, but doesn't measure up to the heat experiences at Hong Kong's Four Seasons or Landmark Mandarin Oriental spas. Granted, a 90-minute massage was only MOP900 + mandatory 15% (around HK$1,006) compared to HK$1,350 for only 80 minutes at LMO, with pricing at FS along similar lines. And there is a difference in the level of service and attentiveness. For example, the therapists jump straight into the massage, whereas FS/LMO have a welcome ritual. But the Wynn therapist had a great touch. ES confirmed that, likewise, her masseuse was excellent as well. So while definitely pricey by Macau standards, the Wynn spa is not unreasonable by Hong Kong standards. It helped that afterwards, I managed to win enough money at the blackjack and roulette tables to cover half the cost of my massage.

Out of curiosity, I headed over to Sands around 8pm since it's just next to the ferry terminal. Big mistake. It was like a convention center, and a grotty one at that. Am hoping that the Venetian's standards will be much higher.

I left Macau on the 2245 ferry, having spent exactly 12 hours in three hotels (didn't even get a chance to show AS any of the more picturesque parts of town or to indulge in egg tarts!).

On a different note, am dying to go have afternoon tea at the just re-opened Mandarin Oriental. Am craving their scones with rose petal jam and clotted cream. I had a look around the hotel with my grandfather (we used to always meet in the hotel lobby). Only the coffee shop (now known as café causette) and cake shop (both moved to the Mezzanine floor), Clipper Lounge, Captain's Bar and The Chinnery are open at the moment. The Grill Room and Man Wah will re-open on 11 Oct and Pierre (as in Pierre Gagnaire) on 17 Oct. The totally revamped spa re-opens on 23 Oct. I'm glad they didn't change the look and feel of the hotel too much. It still feels like the classic Mandarin Oriental (even though my grandfather thought it was too contemporary).

Tuscan Retreat: La Bandita-In-Progress

Continuing along the lines of pleasant surprises (I'm a believer in serendipity), I logged into my email inbox this morning to find a gem of an email that brought a smile a flutter of excitement amidst the usual and mundane.

It was an email from a John Voigtmann. Hmmm...rings a bell, but not quite...probably junk. Just before I check the box that would banish it to the trash, I notice the subject line: John Voigtmann @ La Bandita, Tuscany. That last word caught your eye, didn't it. It sure did mine! So I clicked in and sure enough, jogged my memory of who this John was. Turns out, I had corresponded with John before. We were introduced over email by a DJ, a friend of my good family friend JL. All three of them are/or formerly were in the music biz. DJ had left to start a wine import/export biz among other things and JV had been working with him on it. He was in HK at one point, but we never managed to meet. And so the string of email correspondences, the meet that never happened, just kind of fizzled into cyberspace. But John had mentioned that he would be opening a hotel in Tuscany soon and I noted that with interest and told him to keep me posted.

Fast forward nearly 5 months later. The email reads:

"As D may have told you, I left my job at SonyBMG last year to develop a small luxury hotel property in Tuscany. We’re still finishing renovations, but we’re starting to take reservations for next summer...so I am starting to spread the word...Just like I did when I was back in the music business!

I wanted to pass on the link to the website:

www.la-bandita.com

The site is still a work in progress until we finish the guest rooms and have them photographed, but it will give you an idea of what we’re creating here."

I am a sucker for a good "follow-your-dream" story. While it's still a work-in-progress, La Bandita seems to have the heart and soul behind it to make it a great Tuscan retreat. That's what's really missing these days from all these overly-commerical, self-proclaimed "boutique" hotels -- heart and soul. I wish John and his wife all the best with La Bandita and look forward to hearing more about its opening next summer!

Pleasant Surprises

I love surprises, especially when they come in boxes. Out of the blue, a box arrived from Pantheon (an imprint of Random House). Had the new titles I sent to SW, an editor I had met last year about Little Cream Book, bounced back? I opened the box, and inside sat copies of Joan Didion's non-fiction collection, We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live, and Feather in the Storm by Emily Wu and Larry Engelmann about Wu's childhood during the Cultural Revolution. Apparently, SW did received the new titles I sent her and had reciprocated. I can't wait to start reading them, especially the Joan Didion collection. Didion's writings were much talked about during my Bryn Mawr days, but to be honest, I didn't actually get around to reading much of them (I had actually read more Susan Sontag). Because I'm an avid reader of Vanity Fair and Dominick Dunne's (Didion's brother-in-law) column, I probably know more about her personal life than about her actual writing.

Speaking of other pleasant surprises, I came across a wonderful write-up on Little Cream Book in the current issue of Four Seasons magazine (as in the luxury hotels and resorts). It was actually written by ST, or better known as Chubby Hubby's S. It was actually an article on creative, lifestyle products coming out of China's metropolitan cities (i.e. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing), which also featured Fort Street Studio, Spin Ceramics, Suzhou Cobblers, Chang & Biorck and Mushi Fashion.

A more local surprise was a visit to a fairly new boutique hotel/serviced apartment right around the corner from my office on 133 Leighton Road. I had heard of Lanson Place mentioned by another friend earlier, but was not intrigued enough to go seek it out. Since EO had just checked-in, I decided to pay him a visit before we went to lunch. Turns out, it's very good value for money. He got upgraded to a Grand Luxe room (around 500 sq. ft.), which has a kitchenette (with microwave and burners), separate sitting area and bedroom with airy views overlooking the stadium. Bathroom is OK in size. Typical of a "boutique hotel", there is no bathtub and offers only one wash basin. At HK$1,400++ (rack rate is HK$3,200++) though, it's a pretty good deal in Causeway Bay. It does run up against competition though; as it's right behind JIA. The more intimate ambiance beats Regal Hotel next door or Excelsior on the harbour front. In Central, there's Hotel LKF, which is very convenient for those who enjoy the Lan Kwai Fong/SoHo nightlife when they're in the city.

And last, but not least, there's the season 3 opener of
Desperate Housewives, which is just out on iTunes. Just 10 more days till LOST!

Midtown NYC: Four Seasons Hotel & Per Se

After 2 nights at Gramercy Park, I moved back up near Central Park to the I.M. Pei-designed Four Seasons Hotel. The first thing I noticed was that the doormen, bellmen and other staff aren't hired from the portfolios of modelling agencies. The moment I walked into the grand lobby, I felt like I had entered a decidedly more serious, adult world; one of bankers and consultants rather than starlets and playboys. Likewise, the staff carry themselves in a more formal manner. The attitude is more "we're here to serve you and serve you well" rather than "welcome to our popular, little clique; you're lucky to be here".

I was in the lift coming back up from the gym with two other guys who had just worked out and one was raving about the little touches. In this instance, it was the refreshing menthol in the refrigerator stocking cold, water bottles (they also have water bottles at room temperature). While I was working out, gym staff were always on hand passing out bottles of water and towels. This is the Four Seasons level of service that I have grown accustomed to -- anticipating guests' needs before they realize what they need. Compare that to Gramercy Park where there was no staff on hand at the gym and when I called down to front desk with a question, they said they would send somebody up. Nobody ever showed up. A comparison between these two hotels is a bit unfair, because their approaches are so different. But I just wish somebody could come up with hotels that marry the two approaches -- something fun, hip AND serious about serving its guests.

The room at Four Seasons was a Deluxe king-bed Room with a sliver of a park view (I was given a corporate rate of US$495++ with a complimentary room upgrade). It was very spacious, a real hotel room -- practical and comfortable. Even though the decor is nothing spectacular, it is tasteful, well-executed and maintained.


The bathroom had the signature tub that fills up in under a minute, separate shower and TV.


Only complaint is that it only has one sink. The wardrobe/dressing area is roomy as well.


There's ample space to hang clothes with ample hangers as well as drawers. Likewise, the sitting area consisted with two armchairs, an ottoman, side table facing a swivel TV. While there is no wi-fi, there is high-speed ethernet connection, with the outlet by the desk. The charge is US$10/day compared to US$14.95 at Gramercy Park Hotel. I actually have an issue with hotels, especially of this calibre, charging for internet connection. If motels or run-of-the-mill hotels can offer free wi-fi, surely a 5-star hotel charging much higher room rates can afford to do the same.

At the moment, the hotel's brand new restaurant, L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon, is still in soft opening stages (since 9 August) and is not taking reservations yet, but diners are welcome to pop by and try their luck. This is the fourth installment of this particular restaurant (the first opened in Paris' Hotel Pont Royal, second in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills complex and the third in Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel). However, I made a call to check availability for dinner tonight and got seats; can't wait to try it!

In the meantime, I went to Per Se for dinner and asked for a healthy, low-fat dinner. My foodie friends thought it a bit sacrilegious to go to Per Se whilst on a low-fat diet, but the nearly 16-course menu came out very healthy (with the exception of cheese, which I skipped and dessert, of course). As always, a meal at Per Se is always very memorable. I always walk away remembering every single course I have. It goes without saying that a meal at Per Se has never been disappointing. Service is always attentive without being overbearing or overly stuffy. The staff are extremely knowlegable and accommodating to special requests. Some of my low-fat favourites were: Sevruga caviar served with cucumber sorbet (the non, low-fat diners got the signature "Oysters and Pearls", a "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Russian Sevruga Caviar); Citrus Cured Fillet of Hiramasa with "compressed" summer melons, yuzu sorbet, Molokai Black Sea Salt and "Petite" Mint; butter poached Nova Scotia lobster tail braised torpedo onion, Matsutake mushrooms, "Emince" of scallion and Matsutake broth. Everything was perfectly cooked, flavours perfectly balanced, beautifully-presented and portions were perfectly-sized -- just a taste -- so that by the end of the dinner, I did not feel like I had binged on a huge meal, though it was a 4-hour dinner. Those that indulged in foie gras and wagyu beef courses felt a bit more stuffed though. We were presented with a platter of 10 salts (5 from Hawaii, 1 from Japan, 2 from France, 1 from England, 1 from Montana) and two butters (one French, the other from California). Our table had fun tasting the various salts with the butter and bread. Our favourite was one of the salts from Hawaii, black in colour from being infused with charcoal. The best part, though, was the kitchen visit. I had previously visited the kitchen when the lunch service had been completed. Everything was already spic-and-span, squeeky clean. I could hardly believe that they had just churned out 15 tables of long menus. This time around, with the last seating at 10pm (our seating was at 7pm), I got to witness the kitchen at work. It bears no resemblence to Gordon Ramsey's drama-filled kitchen on the FOX reality show, Hell's Kitchen. It was a picture of perfect order and even calmness with Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Benno at the helm of this expertly-crewed ship. Everyone was busy at their stations, but nobody seemed to be under pressure. It was like a well-oiled machine. Stations were very clean -- no spills or even drips, no stacks of dirty pans or dishes or other equipment. The video link between the French Laundry kitchen was also up-and-running, so could watch both kitchens in action. All in all, I am happy that Per Se managed to prove the foodies wrong; that great French-styled cuisine need not necessarily mean a fatty, butter-and-cream laden meal.

NYC Wrap-Up: Shows & Restaurants

Got back to Hong Kong early Monday morning and headed straight to the office after a quick stop home to drop off bags and shower. Oddly enough, it doesn't feel like I've been away for 2 months. New releases of Little Cream Book: Architecture, Romance and Golf arrived on Tuesday and it's been crazy ever since. The last few weeks in New York, I was on the phone with the printer nearly every night. Orange, my mobile phone provider, finally called to tell me that I had exceeded my roaming quota and that I would have to pay my HK$8,000+ bill immediately to avoid suspension of my roaming privileges. Am still missing NYC though, so though I'd do a final wrap-up of all the things I missed in my previous posts.

Hotel
Mercer -- I got to check out one of the rooms at Mercer when I visited A&K. They have their own architectural practice, Naga Concepts, based out of Phuket and were in town working with Andre Balazs on his new resort/residential project in Anguilla. Interiors will be by Christian Liagre and there will be a John Pawson-designed spa. I was really excited for them, because it sounds like an awesome project to work on. And I had previously stayed at Hotel QT, and liked it very much -- it's great value for money in a very convenient Times Square location. The rooms, though not exactly spacious, are sensibly and practically thought out. And I love the bar pool (the major disappointment at Four Seasons was that it did not have a pool!). So I had high expectations when I visited Mercer, especially since I knew it was another Liagre-designed hotel. I was in for a disappointment though. While the room I saw was spacious by NYC standards, the decor looked much more bland than I had expected. The bathroom (without a tub) was standard-sized and looked like a bathroom in a medical clinic with its white tiles. All in all, not the level of luxe I was expecting, but its location in the heart of SoHo cannot be beat.

Shows
I managed to catch three shows this time around. But August is not really the best time for shows. I was so sad to read that my fave playwright, Tom Stoppard's trilogy, The Coast of Utopia, doesn't start until 17 October. I'm hoping I'll be able to schedule a trip to NYC to coincide with one of the marathon Saturdays next year so I can watch all 3 plays (Voyage, Shipwreck and Salvage) all in one go. And then there's Butley, starring Nathan Lane, which AD is designing the set for. That runs from 5 October (previews, opening on 25 October) to 14 January 2007 at the Booth Theatre, so it will definitely be hard for me to catch that one. Anyway, here's what I did get to see:
Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway -- On until 10 September 2006, this cabaret act is a riot! Kiki is absolutely outrageous: "I always thought, if you weren't molested as a child, you must not have been very attractive". It's a fun show though.
Absinthe -- On for the rest of September in the Spiegel Tent down in South Street Seaport. This is definitely one of the sexiest vaudeville acts I've seen. Make sure you see the finale! It's kind of a child-unfriendly Cirque du Soleil. Although the night I was there, there were at least 2 children in the first row. If you go, get there early, because it's free seating
The Lieutenant of Inishmore -- Ended 3 September. Could have skipped the first act, but the shocking and funny second act more than made up for the slow first act.

Restaurants
Wajima -- 134 East 61st Street (b/w Lex and Park) 212 813 9065. I had passed by this restaurant a couple of times and thought it looked interesting. Then MH told me that her mother had been for lunch and they had great lunch specials for US$10. I decided I had to go check it out and it was definitely worth it! For US$9.80, I got one rice bowl with sashimi, one rice bowl with 3 pieces of tempura (2 of which were shrimp), a bowl of cold soba, a bowl of miso soup and an egg custard! Definitely great value for money and the food was good. At lunch time, the place was packed with Japanese.
Raku -- CS and I paid Ray a visit after seeing Kiki & Herb. It's a great pre- or post-theatre joint since it's on 47th b/w Broadway and 8th. ML, Ray's wife, had told me that their specialty is rolls, with its multiple combination of fishes, are not that popular in Hong Kong. Raku comes up with roll combinations in honour of its best clients, Morgan Stanley being one of them.
Bar Masa -- This was the fall back option after I walked all the way down to Sushi Yasuda only to find out it was closed for lunch on Saturday. I had a sushi sampler. One of the few sushi places I've been in the US that actually serves up Japanese-sized sushi. All the fish was very fresh and tasty, but because I was on the phone with a friend, I didn't get a chance to ask what each fish was before finishing them off. A bit pricey, though certainly not as pricey as Masa.
A Voce -- SP who worked with Andrew Carmellini at Le Cirque took me there the first time around. I loved it so much that I booked dinner there for friends 3 nights later. We got to try a lot of dishes. All were light (worked for my diet, i.e. not heavy with butter and cream) and fresh Italian dishes. My absolute fave was the sweet corn ravioli. I had a dish all to myself the second time around. At dinner with S&A, both chefs, I learnt that a creme brulee at Le Cirque uses 6 egg yolks, shocking!
BLT Fish -- Had some very sweet clams there. Definitely prefer the less formal shack downstairs to the more formal upstairs dining. Others had all-you-can-eat mussels, but nobody asked for more after the first bowl. Everything was served with plenty of fries, which I did not touch.
Am really bummed I did not get a chance to check out Sushi Yasuda; that's going on the top of my list of restaurants to try next time! It was a S&A recommendation. MH, seconded it, but added that she no longer patronized the restaurant on principle. Apparently, the sushi chef is a real chauvanist.
Magnolia Bakery -- 401 Bleeker Street 212 462 2572 Yes, I was on a low-fat, low-sugar diet, so cupcakes weren't exactly what I was supposed to be eating. But I got BL to buy one just so I could have a teeny, tiny bite. Absolute happy food! It would be awesome if they opened shop here, definitely beats Krispy Kreme (an outpost of which has just opened up downstairs from my office here in HK)!

NYC: Ian Schrager's New Gramercy Park Hotel

I traded proximity to Central Park, Museum Mile and Madison Avenue shopping for keys to Gramercy Park yesterday. NC, my rebounder instructor, had tipped me off to a really bad review of Ian Schrager's new Gramercy Park Hotel in The New York Sun by James Gardner. So before I checked in, it seemed that word on the street was that Gramercy was a major disappointment.

I have previously stayed in three of Schrager's properties -- Hudson, St Martin's Lane and The Clift. My favourite has been, and still remains, St Martin's Lane. Unlike the other two hotels, St Martin's Lane has a proper bathroom that doesn't get treated like the poor hillbilly cousin. For me, Schrager's hallmark is his ability to turn the lobby, restaurants and bars into one of the city's most happening scenes, while the rooms are actually secondary. If you check into a Schrager hotel, you are not so much paying for a room to sleep in, but entrance to a club to party in. Hence, the oftentimes annoying habit of requesting that hotel guests produce their room keys before allowing them entry into the hotel.

Thus, it came as no surprise when I walked into my "Loft" category room (The introductory rate until 4 September is US$340++. The rack rate is expected to more than double after that to US$805++, with special rates at US$645++) and found nothing more than what normal hotels would simply call a Deluxe room. There was no loft bed and the ceiling height is by no means lofty. However, relative to usual Schrager rooms, the "Loft" room was quite spacious. There was a seating area with sofa and leather desk (with a medieval-looking upolstered chair that was a tad too high such that you have to hunch over the keyboard of your laptop) as well as a red armchair with ottoman. There was a king bed with two nightstands and ample room to maneouver. A nice touch was a small vase of fresh flowers by the bedside.


This time Schrager did not use Philippe Starck to do the interior design for his hotel. The painter Julian Schnabel (of broken plates fame) has had a hand in the public spaces, while the bulk of the interiors is by Michael Overington and Anda Andrei. To me, it's a Jacques Garcia wannabe. It's a tarted up version of the Costes Brothers' Hotel du Bourg Tibourg in Paris' Marais (the wood-panelled bathroom really reminds me of HdBT). It's got that Adams Family feel, with a lushness, or perhaps louchness, that comes from an abundant use of richly coloured crushed velvet (robes in royal blue, sofas in olive green, armchairs in scarlet red, curtains in lobster rose, side table in goldust).


There is a very well-stocked in-room bar complete with red, cut-crystal goblets and all manner of gourmet snacks (at super gourmet prices, of course). All this is a mahogany and mirrored bar a la Las Vegas party limo. In addition to the flat screen TV and DVD/CD player, my favourite in-room accessory is the JBL iPod speaker dock (even though the sound is not so great, it's fun. Note to self: remember to unplug from dock when leaving!!).


The one-bedroom suite (Introductory rate is US$400++; rack rate will be US$875++, with special rates from US$655-705++) does not feel as spacious as a suite should. The bedroom is typically Schrager small.


In the bathroom, there is only one sink, no bathtub. The shower and toilet are separated by a door from the sink, which is exposed to the bedroom.


The sitting room is separated from the bedroom by a door. I actually prefer the layout of the Loft to the one-bedroom suite.


All in all, it's a fun hotel and its location on Gramercy Park (with guests getting keys to the private park) a plus. But there were signs everywhere that the hotel opened in haste. For example, poorly fitted door handles:


The restaurant and rooftop club are not yet open. So a simple breakfast is served in one of the meeting rooms facing the park. Main complaints include a lack of electrical outlets for guests who now need to charge phones, laptops, cameras etc. In my room, there was only one available outlet in the lamp, with the other free outlet in the bathroom (definitely not charging my laptop in there!). The windows are neither double-glazed nor sound-proofed. At night, you can hear the ruckus from the street (and there will be lots of ruckus as the bars become the next IT spot post Labour Day). In the morning, I was rudely awoken by construction racket at 8am.

At the current rates, GPH is a fun hotel (it's convenient to Union Square, Chelsea galleries, Meatpacking scene etc.). But as two ladies chatting on the treadmills in the gym commented, they would never pay the increased rates. It's just not worth it; there are too many better accommodation choices in this city. Unless, of course, you want to party on the rooftop with the IT crowd.

Here's a tip: Skip the hotel breakfast. Instead, headd to 71 Irving Place cafe (T: +1 888 710-3844) on the other side of the park. Grab your paper and a park key on your way out, get your breakfast and have it in the park.

Hamptons Weekend

"I'll be going to the country on Wednesday," said JK as we were trying to fix a day for dinner. "The country" evoked images of the Cotswolds, English manor houses and the like, but she was talking about the Hamptons, the eastern end of Long Island, consisting of Southhampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton and neighboring towns. Hampton snobs don't really consider West Hampton to be of the same standards as the other Hampton towns and there is this "south of the highway" snobbery as well (the highway in question, really a two-lane road, is Montauk Highway, Hwy 27). So my image of the Hamptons was very country clubby complete with garden parties and white dresses. When A&C extended an invitation to join that at their summer share in Wainscott with K&M, I jumped at the chance to see what all the fuss was about.

As it turns out, it is true that tout-New York is in "the country" or "by the beach" over the summer weekends (which pretty much extend from Thursday to Monday for many). However, it's less country club in feel than I expected. A 2-2.5 hour drive from Manhattan, it does really feel like New England countryside (think Cape Cod). With the exception of East Hampton, which has big brand shops such as Gucci, Tiffany & Co. etc., the rest of the villages are quite quaint and charming. On a beautiful, sunny day, driving along Hwy 27 with the top down, life is pretty sweet.

I caught a ride out with AD, who was excited that he and CS's feature in the Sunday New York Times was already out. Sunday stories actually appear online by Friday evening, so we printed copies of the article. By the time we got in the car, it was nearly 8pm. We were hoping to miss the traffic for the Friday night exodus. We got to Almond, which was packed, in Bridgehampton before 10:15pm, so traffic wasn't too bad. We met up with C, K and M for a drink before heading to their house in Wainscott. The 3-bedroom house, owned by a dentist, was simple, but comfortable. There was a pool and deck where we ended up lazing away most of the weekend -- we pretty much had all our meals there. They were all great in the kitchen, baking blueberry muffins and a killer carrot cake, making pasta salads, seafood bakes, hamburgers and hot dogs on the Weber grill etc. The only local restaurant I got to try out was Nichols in East Hampton, which served up home-style, American food in a pub atmosphere. Apparently, it's also a good spot for celebrity sightings.

I spent Saturday morning in Sag Harbour, a little town with cute shops and stunning yachts. Sunday morning, after reading the Times, we headed out to Montauk, all the way out to the lighthouse. Montauk has much more of the secluded beach feel, because it is at the most eastern tip of Long Island, which is a very long island. There were hardly any people at the beach, and unlike the other beaches in the Hamptons that require permits for parking in the beach parking lots, Montauk's lot offered free parking. It also had a very charmingly done up shack selling refreshements and snacks, which the other beaches did not seem to have. The beach was a little more cluttered with pebbles and shells, but the quiet was very soothing and it's fun watching all the boats come and go from the inlet.

Andre Balazs' Sunset Beach is out on Shelter Island (you can drive from Sag Harbour, but you need to get on a ferry). Apparently, it's quite a happening beach from which to watch the sun set on a Sunday evening. If I weren't staying with friends, I would probably stay there or The American Hotel in Sag Harbour.

San Francisco: The Clift, Matthew Barney and Postrio

Spent last weekend in cool, breezy San Francisco. I checked into The Clift, because I wanted to see if the place had lost any of the Schrager beauty & buzz since the the hotels became Morgans Hotel Group and went public. I have to say, I was most disappointed by the bathroom. I checked into a Deluxe Double (has two, double beds) at a rate of US$255++ per night. The bathroom had only one wash basin and the rest of the bathroom looked like a moderate, non-designer hotel bathroom. The shower head was one of those typical shower heads you might find in a mid-range chain hotel. The bathroom was utterly uninspiring, bordering on offensively boring. But the wi-fi worked (at US$10/day, it should work). The room was a decent size for 2 people. However, most shocking was that they charge for a sewing kit (which is free in most decent hotels) and even for the first-aid kit! Fortunately, when I did somehow cut myself, I went down to breakfast and the waitress brought me anti-septic spray, a band-aid and some tissues for free. When it came to evening, in typical club/hotel fashion, we were asked to show our hotel key when returning from dinner. It seems that the Clift's Redwood Room is still quite a scene in San Francisco. A & C, who were also staying at the hotel, recounted how they had sat down for a drink on checking-in around midnight. A young Korean sat down with them and started chatting. The young Korean guy started asking their opinion on how he should spend the US$1 million that his father had given him as a present having successfully just graduated from Stanford. Will be checking into Ian Schrager's new Gramery Park Hotel on 23 August, wonder what characters I'll run into on the rooftop.




A must-see at the SF MoMA until 17 September 2006, is the Matthew Barney show. In fact, they are doing daily (except Wednesdays) free screenings at 2pm of his Drawing Restraint 9, the film he stars in with Björk. I first came into contact with Barney's work back in 1992 when I was interning at Barbara Gladstone Gallery. Gladstone had just signed him on, and he was doing exercise-equipment inspired sculptures in petroleum jelly. He was coming from his experience has a footballer (American football, not the World Cup kind) and wrestling; athletic bodies are created and built by working muscles to the point where the fibres breakdown. His Drawing Restraint series were often about how exploring the creative process that comes out of physical restraint. I find Barney's work very relevant and inspiring, because his work really speaks to what we all deal with day-to-day in life; we all strive to create something out of a certain set of constraints and we are always trying to explore the limits and even break beyond those limits, whether they are physical, social, mental, cultural, economic etc. In Drawing Restraint 14, a work Barney created at SFMOMA, he crossed the skylight's bridge by hooking himself to carabeners. He then drew on the wall at the other end of the bridge. I didn't manage to catch the Drawing Restraint 9 screening (I got there half an hour late and they weren't letting people in after 2:15pm), but from the stills and the trailer (can be viewed online), it's a visually stunning film (a bit reminiscent of Peter Greenaway). Though at 145 minutes long, it may require a bit of patience. It's set on a huge Japanese whaling ship with beautiful images of Japanese pageantry, tea ceremonies, Shinto wedding costumes etc.



Had a great dinner at Postrio. CS had tried to book Town Hall, but it was full, so ended up going to Postrio. I have to admit that I didn't hold high expectations for Postrio since Wolfgang Puck Expresses are popping up in places like Denver Airport. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think it would be a bad meal, but I didn't think it would be exceptionally good either. We were all very pleasantly surprised. I ended up ordering three appetizers -- Chioggia Beet Salad, Duck Confit Raviolo and one of their market specials (it was a fish prepared two ways -- seared and sashimi). I also "tasted" nearly half of L's Hamachi Carpaccio. My favourite was the beet salad, but they were all delicious. AD raved about his plate of chacuterie. Likewise, dessert was a difficult choice was all. I opted for the Chocolate Espresso Roulade. My one major disappointment is the decor, which looks like it hasn't been touched since it opened. Fortunately, I heard from DN at Kimpton Hotels that Postrio will get an interiors update soon.

I was having dinner with CT and gang and a very interesting conversation came up about Burning Man. Previously, Peter Guy, the editor of ESCAPE, had mentioned this festival in the hot, Nevada desert, where people camp for a week. At the time, it did not sound very appealing. But KS and KC were raving about it. KC will be going for the 6th time and KS for the second this year. Imagine, a whole city (nearly 40,000 people go now), Black Rock City, gets built and destroyed, without a trace left (not even a speck of glitter), within a span of a week! What I found most fascinating and intriguing about the event though, was the lengths to which people go to create interesting camp concepts and installations, especially given that the event is entirely non-commercial, everything operates on the gift/barter system and that everything has to be destroyed by the time the week ends. KC recounted how one installation was a gigantic chandelier (at least a couple storeys tall) from heaven that had fallen to earth and came complete with a piece of the ceiling/sky. Imagine bringing all that out to the desert knowing that you have to dispose of every last piece! Anyway, I can't wait to hear all about their experiences this year!

Vancouver: Yaletown

My 3 weeks in Vancouver came and went with the bat of an eye. It was a life of absolute bliss, even though I was working in my second office (4/F, Vancouver Public Library) every day. My days were simple. I would get up around 7:30am and head for a walk along the seawall.


The seawall is incredibly well-designed and user-friendly. I love the fact that it has separate lanes for pedestrians and those who travel faster, whether it be by rollerblades, skateboards or bikes. This is how all city-planning should be -- putting the user's interests first and anticipating their needs.


An hour later, I would pick-up a copy of the New York Times and then head to cito espresso for my usual medio skim latte and toasted multi-grain bagel with cream cheese. It got to the point where the servers new my order and I knew the exact change to bring along: C$6.05. Then, I'd head to work around 10am (that's when the library opens). The fourth floor is where you get the best wifi signal, and early in the morning, it's easy to get a desk with an outlet.

On some days, I'd take a lunch break and head to Jimmy's Taphouse (they're really accommodating here) across the street or back towards Yaletown where Yaletown Brewery is a favourite. Their hand-pulled pork sandwich is mouth-wateringly good! While I was there, the Canada Line (a new rail line running from the Airport to the Waterfront and Richmond, scheduled to be operational in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics) construction had parts of Davie closed to traffic, but it didn't cause too much inconveniece, especially since I was a pedestrian. But for those who may be thinking of staying at Opus Hotel, best to stay away until the beginning of next year when the construction moves down towards Marinaside Crescent.

Some days, my lunch break would entail a pilates lesson with Marta Hernandez at The Space. She has a great studio here with a separate sections for yoga and the equipment-based pilates and gyrotonic. Very convenient too, just 2 blocks from the library, in Yaletown. On Wednesday mornings, Marta actually hosts a pilates show on TV.



One of my favourite Sunday activities (aside from reading the Sunday NYTimes) is walking (but it's easy to bike it as well, just rent a bike from the Reckless bike shop on Marinaside Crescent, next to cito espresso)


along the seawall, past English Bay and all around the 9km Stanley Park Seawall. A great stop for a pre-walk brunch or a post-walk drink while you watch the sunset is the Sequoia Grill.


Another great dinner stop along the seawall, back towards Yaletown, is C restaurant. They're a great contemporary French-style, seafood-focused restaurant.

Two restaurants that I regret not taking time out to go to are Lumiere and Villa del Lupo. Both were on TB's list of must-go restaurants, but the laid-back life of Yaletown got the better of me, and I spent most days shopping for dinner from Urban Fare, just across the street. I practically shopped there once a day!

Of course, there's a lot more to Vancouver to Yaletown. But I managed for 3 weeks not to venture beyond Yaletown and I was perfectly happy!

Wyoming: Brooks Lake Lodge, Yellowstone, Old Faithful Inn & Amangani

12-14 July 2006

"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see 'em bloom, for me and for you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white
Bright blessed days, dark sacred nights
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin' how do you do
They're really sayin', "I love you".

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world!"
~ Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World

"A picture says a thousand words," goes the saying. But sometimes, even a picture fails to accurately describe the emotional power of nature's beauty. In those instances, a song may work.

Singer Ray Callaway was performing cowboy and western songs throughout our dinner at Brooks Lake Lodge (BLL). All the other 11 guests seemed to know the songs, but I was hearing most of them for the first time. None of the songs seemed to move the group as much as when Ray did his rendition of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World". It made quite a few people teary-eyed around the dinner table. It was probably so moving, because it touched on what we were all feeling at that moment or had been experiencing since we arrived.

My four days in and around Jackson, including Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Dubois was perfectly rendered by the song. And all the people I met were wonderful -- There were the two couples from Michigan (one couple were the grandparents of Adam, one of the few full-time, year-round staff at BLL), a couple from Phoenix who also spend considerable time in Atlanta because the husband is trying to retire from a coaching the Atlanta Falcons, a scrabble-loving family from Alabama and a couple from Dallas. Everyone had been to BLL more than once.

Having just come back from the overnight pack trip, I could understand why BLL engenders such loyalty among its guests. The setting is stunning, the service superb in a familial (rather than formal) way and there's just so much to do (ride, hike, fish, boat, spa, etc.) within such the vast playground of Shoshone National Park. And despite being in the wilderness, you don't feel lacking of any comforts or conveniences. Sure, there was no mobile phone reception and no phone in my room, but I didn't feel the urge to take or make calls (of course, there is a house phone for those that do). There was free wi-fi in the lounge area. My laundry was done within hours. I stayed in one of the lodge rooms for US$330++/night, definitely a great value since it includes all three meals and afternoon tea as well as activities such as trail rides, fishing, guided hikes etc. (spa treatments, of course, are extra). There's no air-conditioning, but there's no real need for it either.




I was reluctant to leave BLL, but they were full and I had to move on to Yellowstone. I had had a fabulous time and everyone there (guests and staff) are such wonderful people. I hadn't actually made a reservation for where I was to stay next, but on a whim, I called up Old Faithful Inn (recommended by my uncle for its architectural and historical significance as well as it convenient location). They only had one of their bathroom-less rooms in the old wing, but at least I'd have somewhere to stay within the park.

It was 11am by the time I finally got myself to leave BLL. I arrived at Old Faithful Inn seven hours later, having driven around most of Yellowstone's southern loop. I made a few photo stops along the way. At one, a couple motor-bikers, who had ridden from Chicago, asked me to take their photo and asked after my marital status. I found it quite amazing that people drive from all parts of the country to Yellowstone, a good number of them in RVs (recreational vehicles, a bit like mobile motel rooms). Low prices at the gasoline pump really do contribute to the American way of life. My favourite photo-op was when a silly-looking bison caused a traffic jam in the opposite lane.


Everywhere, the ravages of the great fire of 1988 were evident, but also nature's regenerative power.


At Old Faithful Inn, my room had no bathroom, just a sink. I found it charming though; I was staying in the original part of the inn. Out of my window, I even had a view of Old Faithful (which goes off like clockwork every 90 minutes or so). To experience a piece of history with front row views of Old Faithful, US$90.10/night seemed pretty reasonable.


The historic inn has survived a lot since it was built in 1903. Obviously, it has undergone renovations and modernization, but much has been kept according to the original, including the materials used to fill in the gap between logs -- mud and grass!


The lobby, at seven stories high, is impressive.


The next morning, I went on a beautiful and inspiring walk to Mystic Falls, passing by a lot of hot springs, geysers and other hydrothermal features. It's a leisurely and pleasant walk, probably about 6 miles back-and-forth. Along the way, I happened upon a group being led by a Ranger Bach, so I joined in to listen to his fascinating explanations of what we were seeing along the way to the falls. Getting a ranger to guide you around the park is highly recommended!


I had a wonderful dinner at Amangani on my way back to Jackson. Amangani has a great location, set high up on a hill, overlooking the valley where you can see lots of wildlife roaming. You get this view from each of the rooms, pool, lobby...basically, from everywhere you look. I had dinner with Guy Heywood, the manager there, and got a hint of what is to come in terms of future Amans (In Asia, Beijing and Delhi are already slated to open soon. In the Americas, they're looking at Lake Powell, Utah and Baja, Mexico!). As always, Aman's level of service never ceases to amaze me. I had only made an arrangement to have dinner with Guy (not stay there as a guest), but the staff still addressed me by my name! I asked Guy how he manages to train staff to know. But of course, he didn't really let me in on their secret. Suffice it to say, it's a lot of training and briefing! Dining tip: Try their homemade ice creams! I had scoops of goat's cheese, port wine and graham cracker; all absoutely delish. And if you're staying there, make sure you have a nice romantic private dinner in their really, cool tee-pee, from which you can sip Kir Royals and watch the sun set over the valley below where the animals graze.


My one big disappointment on this trip: Lots of elk, but no bear!

Jackson: Alpine House & Grand Teton National Park

10 and 11 July 2006 -- Arrived into Jackson Airport around 9:30pm. Rented a car and headed into town. It was dark out, but I could still feel the tranquility of the vast landscape -- towering mountain ranges on either side and plains in between with an elk refuge. And oddly, I did feel like I had arrived in the land depicted in My Own Private Idaho, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, A River Runs Through It, and most recently, Brokeback Mountain. Just a great expanse of wide open nature as far as the eye can see.

It wasn't difficult to find Alpine House, Jackson is a small town with just a few main streets. I walked into Alpine House and found an envelope with my name on it at the front desk. Inside were the key to my room and a note : "Sorry we missed you...please don't lock the front door.". Welcome to small town Jackson. All was quiet in the house, but as I started up the stairs to my room, I noticed a Japanese guy diligently working away on his laptop (I found out the next morning at breakfast that his colleagues/clients in London obviously didn't know he was on holiday in Jackson). Big town meets small town.


Alpine House is a great little B&B. I love the decor: quaint, country inn with a touch of Alpine.


Inside the room, everything foldable (tissue box, toilet paper, face towel) was folded in a fan shape (maybe Mandarin Oriental should consider using this little touch to tie in with their "I'm a fan" ad campaigns).


My room was comfortable enough for an overnight stay, a steal at US$165++/night. The best thing for me was the in-room wi-fi. After a brief chat with VH on msn messenger about Jackson area real estate, I went to bed excited about driving through Grand Teton on my way to Brooks Lake the next day for an overnight pack trip.



I woke up a bit later than usual (7am, which would have been 9am ET) and headed down for breakfast. The breakfast room was full so I wandered around the house and took a few pics. By the time I finished, I managed to find a table. I had a great breakfast of toasted english muffins with cream cheese and smoked salmon, grapefruit and coffee. I skipped the french toast and omelette because I wanted to grab a bit at Jenny Lake Lodge along the way.



I checked out and headed into Grand Teton National Park (it only costs US$25 for a 7-day pass to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks) towards Jenny Lake. The drive was amazing, so relaxing and the views absolutely mesmerizing.


By the time I got to Jenny Lake Lodge, breakfast was done (served until 9:30am) and I was too early for lunch. The woman at the front desk suggested I head to Signal Mountain Lodge since it's on the way to Brooks Lake, so I did. I stopped off at a viewing point for Jenny Lake. I was mesmerized by how clear the water was.


Once at Signal Mountian Lodge, I got side-tracked taking photos and stocking up on essentials for my pack trip (binoculars, sunscreen and insect repellent), that I realized I wouldn't have time to sit down for a bite. So I started driving once again.


Tip to drivers looking for Brooks Lake Road turnoff, it's the gravel road immediately after the turnoff. I missed it and probably ended up driving an extra 45 minutes. It's 5 miles of gravel road with pine trees for as far as the eye can see before you reach Brooks Lake Lodge, but its worth it. On approach, the view opens up and you see Brooks Lake to the right and the lodge set next to it with horses in the paddocks in the foreground. That instant, I knew my pack trip was going to be awesome...

Brooks Lake Lodge lobby wi-fi: Free.

NYC: Chambers Hotel, Bouchon Bakery

Arrived in NYC this afternoon. Checked into Chambers Hotel on W 56th and 5th; great location. The room I checked into is a decent size (has enough room for a closet and luggage shelf in the hallway, queen bed, desk, side table, reading chair, reading lamp, television and minibar). The desk is set-up like a draughtsman's table, tracing paper unrolls from one side with sharpened pencils and coloured pencils ready for doodles; nice touch. The bathroom failed the JR Luxury Hotel rule (i.e. no separate shower & tub. In fact, no tub at all.). But I kind of expected that of a "design hotel" and at US$295++ per night in midtown Manhattan. I could pay nearly US$400++ at Hotel on Rivington in the Lower East Side and still not get a tub (but you do get a view that makes you smile when you wake up if you get a corner room and despite what people might think about the foam mattresses, they do make for a great sleep). The one grip I do have about Chambers is the lack of service, and I suppose this is the gripe I have at most design hotels. I checked in hungry a bit before 3pm. Between 2:30-5:30pm, neither TOWN, the restaurant, is open nor do they have room service. I asked the front desk where I could print out a confidential document and they asked me to email to their reception email address. And now, as I write, I am calling down to TOWN for room service and nobody is answering (The menu says it runs till 1am, it's only 12:30am right now. Front desk just informed me that room service does not run until 1am on a Sunday, but they'll send up a menu from a nearby deli). But I suppose these things are easily solved by its convenient location.





For my late lunch, I walked over to Time Warner Center for a bit at Bouchon Bakery (where they sell freshly-baked gourmet doggie biscuits!). On the way there, I noticed the LV shop has the exact same window display (currently, it's a collage of vintage hotel luggage stickers set against a blue background) as the shops in Hong Kong! I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I didn't realize window displays were determined internationally. I think the building that the shop is in, but is it just me or does the LV facade look a bit like an obscene hand gesture??



Be careful when you order a bottle of water by yourself, because you will get a 1-litre bottle. The bread here is really great. I had the Rillettes aux Deux Saumons. It was delicious; as I cleaned up the jar with every last remaining crust of bread. Not good for my diet though, as its quite heavy on the butter and I ended up ordering a nice glass of Pinot Noir (can't remember if it was from Sonoma or Oregon) to wash it down. As I was enjoying my late lunch, I could hear people cheering from the Samsung showroom. The World Cup Final between France and Italy was on. When I finished at Bouchon Bakery, I walked over to watch the penalty kicks. I stood next to some French people. I'm not much into World Cup. I totally lost interest when the US team lost to Ghana. But if I had to choose a team to root for, I was rooting for France. The year I was in France, they won the World Cup. Unfortunately, we all know that France lost to Italy by 1 kick. I really felt for the French, they looked utterly dejected. I headed downstairs to pick up a couple National Geographic Trail Maps for Yellostone and Grand Teton National Park. I only have a morning to drive around Grand Teton before I start my pack trip, but I've been told by my uncle WW, that I have to stop by Jenny Lake Lodge.

Can't wait...next stop, Jackson, Wyoming! The Wild West!!

Chambers Hotel ADSL: Free

Cambridge, MA: JFK's Words to Reflect Upon

I arrived at the college town of ivy-covered brick buildings on Friday night. I checked into Cambridge's Charles Hotel just in time for rehearsal dinner. Charles Hotel is very conveniently located by Harvard Square and right next to the JFK School of Government (in fact, I kept picking up on their wi-fi signal rather than the hotel's). The hotel is well-equiped (has got a great gym with swimming pool), and while its rooms are rather non-descript, they are quite large (mine had two queen beds, a desk, TV cabinet, bathroom with bathtub and shower, not separate though) and do not lack in anything. Comfort and convenience at US$219++ per night.

The great thing about flying to the US is that jet lag causes me to wake up early in the morning. So on Saturday morning, I was out jogging by Charles River by 6am. It's great to be up early. I always wish that I am a morning person. There's a stillness all around at that hour of the day. It was so soothing watching the devoted rowers out on the Charles River, it's the beauty of the smooth, gliding stroke over the calm, almost still, waters of the Charles.



On my way back (It took a while because I got lost looking for a Starbucks. In the end, I went for Peet's), I paused by the gate to the JFK Memorial Park, which is right by the Charles Pavilion and the entrance to the hotel. In the solitude of the early morning, I reflected on John F. Kennedy's inspiring and visionary words:

"And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal"



"What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave, I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living...not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women -- not merely peace in our time but peace for all time." -- Both quotes from his Commencement Address at American University in Washington D.C., 10 June 1963.



Powerful words, moving words, and so relevant to our time now. I wish our current POTUS would study JFK's words of wisdom (especially this quote: "Let us once again awaken our American revolution until it guides the struggles of people everywhere -- not with an imperialism of force or fear but the rule of courage and freedom and hope for the future of man."); the world and this country (USA) would be much better for it. I ended up walking to the two other gates of the park just to read the four other equally inspiring quotes, all worthy of reflection. All of course, made me think of JFK's most famous quote: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the word: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man". -- Inaugural Address, 21 January 1961. JFK's words still strike a chord today. Circumstances may have changed, but we still desire and need a world of peace as well as freedom and dignity for all of humanity. And the responsibility for achieving these goals rests with every single individual, especially those privileged enough to already live such a life. Because, "freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free".

Charles Hotel Wi-Fi: US$10.95/24 hours

Huka in the Winelands; and Armenia as the next Hot Spot?

Above 2 images © Grande Provence Estate

When I got a call from CH asking me if I wanted to meet with the Manager of Huka Lodge, I have to admit I wasn't too keen. Afterall, I was (and still am) swamped trying to meet the month end deadline of putting all 3 upcoming Little Cream Books to bed. I had just visited Huka Lodge last year, I explained to CH, I didn't think that I needed another presentation. "Just 10 minutes," CH insisted. Begrudgingly, I acquiesced. Of course, surprises always come up. I found out that Huka has a new addition to their stable of ultra-luxe properties (Huka's Owner's Lodge caters to the set that travels with security detail, nannies etc.). Grande Provence is located in Franschhoek, South Africa's Winelands. The Owner's Cottage can accommodate up to five couples. On the estates are the wineries that produce Angels Tears and Grande Provence wines, a restaurant, gallery and private function venue. The size of Grande Provence makes it the perfect venue for a small, intimate family vacation or celebration.

Above 2 images © Grande Provence Estate

So now, with La Residence and Le Quartier Francais also nearby, visitors to Franschhoek are spoilt for choice.

Another interesting meeting today was with an Italian journalist from Milan and her accompanying photographer. Sometimes, you meet people you just click with. And recently, that has been the case. A couple weeks ago, when I met CR, a freelance writer who has just spent the past 6 months travelling throughout Asia to research and write Condé Nast Traveler's 2006 Hot List, it was a meeting of travel minds. We spent hours swapping travel addresses over 2 Starbucks-laced meetings. Likewise, I immediately clicked with Chiara, especially when we got on the topic of skiing in Cortina. Turns out, she grew up skiing Cortina. She was in town on the invitation of Hong Kong Tourism Board checking out the city's spas (including the brand-new, totally revamped Peninsula Spa. I have yet to check it out, but Chiara loved it and placed it above Four Seasons' spa) and had chanced upon our books in G.O.D. But the most fascinating thing about the meeting had nothing to do with our conversation about Little Cream Book or my travel planning company WANLILU Play, but had to do with where she was heading next. When she mentioned Armenia (and when she mentioned that the best coffee outside Italy was to be found in Beirut), my interest immediately piqued. I hadn't really even thought of Armenia as a travel destination, but when she mentioned Armenian architecture (her father is an expert in this field), with its intriguing blend of Roman, Persian and Arab influences, I began to think it would be a fascinating place to visit. So now I'm eagerly awaiting her Armenian travel addresses. But being impatient, I did some research myself and found: Tufenkian Heritage Hotels (with Avan Villa in Yerevan and three other properties in Lake Sevan and Lori in Georgia). As soon as I saw the photo of the Lori property though, I realized that I had just seen a picture of the property in last weekend's FT How to Spend It Special Travel Edition ("A growing tribe of wealthy travellers are signing up for tailor-made trips to 'difficult' parts of the world," reports Sophy Roberts in her article, feeling a bit risky?)! In fact, DY had just sent me a copy of the magazine yesterday and it was sitting at the top of my as-yet unread travel magazines and articles. While I hadn't had time to read through it thoroughly, I did skim all the attractive photos and captions and had some recall. Check it out: the first photo below is of Avan Villa in Yerevan and the second is Avan Dzoraget in Lori.

Above 2 images © Tufenkian Heritage Hotels

Now, are you interested in Armenia?

Singapore 2: Scarlet Hotel

27 April -- Scarlet Hotel is on Erskine Road (a road that not too many taxi drivers are familiar with, but it's the next street over from the more widely-known Ann Siang Hill), within walking distance of New Majestic. Scarlet's design inspiration is lush bordello and makes me think of Jacques Garcia's hotels such as Hotel Costes and Hotel Bourg Tibourg. However, although the public areas are a bold scarlet, black, gold and crystal colour scheme, the rooms are a rich neutral tone.



Scarlet has been open for a while now. Service was as one would expect. It has 84 rooms and I booked online for a Executive double room at SGD200+++ (US$127/per night). The room was compact, but comfortable with desk, bed, tv, dvd player. The bathroom didn't meet the JR luxury hotel test though -- no bathtub. While there was no in-room wifi (there is wifi in the lobby and public areas), they did have free, in-room high-speed broadband access and supplied a cable long enough to allow you to move the laptop around the room.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay at Scarlet. It was comfortable and efficient -- speedy delivery of broadband cable, internet (no problems whatsoever connecting), laundry -- and drama-free. It's location is very convenient for shopping (there are a few nice shops just downstairs), eating and late-night drinks. Ann Siang Hill (a really cool shop is Asylum, which sells lots of art and design books and other knick-knacks) is the street behind, which leads to Club Street.

Singapore 1: New Majestic Hotel

26 April -- Arrived Singapore early morning after an overnight flight from Delhi, which is always a great respite from the chaos and madness that is Delhi airport. Got to New Majestic Hotel at around 8am. New Majestic's grand opening party is scheduled for next Friday, but they have been soft opened for at least 2 months now. It is the more luxe property for the owners of 1929.

The new hotel is located in Chinatown, within walking distance of lots of happening shops, restaurants and clubs along Tanjong Pagar, Club Street and Ann Siang Hill. It has been totally gutted and revamped the site of the old Majestic Hotel, and the only reference to the old hotel (aside from the name) is the exposed lobby ceiling. The rest of the lobby is a pristine white, which showcases a well-curated collection of 20th century chairs designed by modern masters as well as a pair of more quirky dentist chairs by the front desk. Also in the lobby is one of Cai Zhisong's Ode to the Motherland copperplate scultures (it is a male nude kneeling on one knee), which sold at this month's Sotheby's Chinese Contemporary Art in Hong Kong for HK$900,000. There is another piece by Cai in the hotel's contemporary Cantonese restaurant. All the rooms in the hotel have been designed by a selection of artists. The art consultant for the project was Asian Art Options. I had met Audrey Phng, one of the directors of AAO at a dinner last time I was in Singapore and met her again in Hong Kong when she was in town for the Sotheby's auctions. She is incredibly fun to be with and has a great eye in addition to being extremely knowledgable about art (not just Asian art). It was while looking through her site that I came across Justin Lee's work and was drawn to his works' strong graphic statement and kitschy sense of humour. So when she told me that Justin Lee is one of the 9 artists that worked on the rooms at New Majestic Hotel, I made sure to request his rooms for my one-night stay.

I booked my room by email to the hotel. Three categories of Justin Lee rooms were available. I opted for the Premier Garden for S$250+++(US$160/night). When I arrived, the front desk told me it was too early to check in and my room was not ready yet. However, they had a Justin Lee suite (normally S$500+++/US$316/night) that I could use until my rooms was ready, but would have to charge me an extra half day based on my current room rate. The loft suite (room 403) was beautifully done by Justin. There were two main paintings on the wall. Both use the paper-cut, double happiness motif-- one is of the Singapore flag with the Singapore skyline worked in and another is of a Samsui Woman decked in barrister robe and traditional headgear again using the double happiness motif. The two paintings face each other. Directly in front of the Samsui Woman are two bathtubs in the bathroom area, which opens into the living area (the two areas are separated by a plasma TV on a swivel stand). Directly in front of the flag painting in the desk and the sitting area with a barber chair. The bed is in the loft just above the sitting area.





The Premier Garden room (room 201), while much smaller, was still very comfortable. There was a desk hidden behind closet doors so as not to clutter the look of the room. The highlight, however, was the outdoor tub, a real luxury in any city hotel!



All the facilities and room of New Majestic have been well designed and executed. Everything is very high quality from the ploh featherbeds to Bose stereos and free in-room wifi access. There is a pool (not exactly a lap pool though, but still a nice feature) and the gym was being completed. My only complaint, and hopefully this will iron itself out in a couple months, is that the service level is a bit rough at the moment. For example, on returning from dinner, there were no staff at the front desk or in the lobby. The lobby was shuttered and it was difficult to find the entrance, so a staff on hand would have been helpful. It took 20 minutes and an additional phone call to get a requested pair of scissors and the staff don't address guests by their names either when picking up the phone or in person (in a 30-room hotel, there is no excuse for this).

Once the service improves, New Majestic will be a well-priced hotel offering one of the best and most unique hotel experiences in Singapore as well as other majore cities around the world. A lot of heart and soul has gone into the concept and design of the hotel, the service staff just needs to translate more of that passion into their service.

New Delhi 2: Three saga continues, The Manor, more shopping

Got a call from Three again this morning. They only got the cover sheet of my authorization letter fax, so have to re-fax. Finally got a call shortly thereafter from them telling me what the DHL airway bill no. for my sim card is. ETA in Singapore is Monday, in time for my Wednesday morning arrival. I will have to call them to activate it though.

Decided to walk around Janpath Market. On the way, I was approached by a young guy. "Watch out," he yelled, as I tried to cross the street. While we were waiting for cars to pass, he adds, "I'm a university student, just want to practice my English. Where are you going?" To check out Janpath market. "Oh, don't go there, you'll get lots of people hassling you. Why don't you go to Central." Sure, I'll check it out. Though, in the back of my mind, I thought it would be a time waster. I got into a tuk tuk and Mannu the driver asks, "Where are you from?" They all ask that. "Are you married?", "Do you have a boyfriend?". I get to Central and the shop is very well put-together and a pleasant shopping environment. However, I know it will be a total time waster. They sell carpets, pashmina shawls, jewellery and knick knacks, nothing that I'm looking for. A good-looking guy by the name of Sofi greets me and takes me down to the carpet room. "Have a seat," he says, motioning towards the leather sofa. He starts pulling out carpets. "I'll look, but I'm not interested in buying," I tell him. It's OK, he tells me and asks if I want anything to drink and offers Kashmir tea. The tea arrives and it's good, hints of cardamom and honey, "like you," he adds. What a salesman. He gives his pitch on how carpets are made, how long it takes, the craftsmanship etc., and it's a good pitch. But unfortunately, I'm not in the market for a carpet. He looks disappointed and then takes me up to look at pashminas. Still not interested. "It's my birthday. I can give you a special discount." Nope, thanks, but no thanks. As I'm about to get back into the tuk tuk, he runs out and says, "The card I gave you has my mobile number. My name is Sofi. Call me if you want to celebrate my birthday with me tonight." Thanks. But again, no thanks. Back in the tuk tuk, Mannu asks me what I'm doing tonight. Work, I tell him. "I'll be working."

I head back to Janpath Market, and I do get hassled by everyone -- shoes shiners (I was wearing sandals), people selling pipes, mother with child...I find what I need from several stalls and head back to the hotel. Next on the list was Salon de Ravi Bajaj (women's line) in Defence Colony. I found it in the ground floor of a residential compound. The designs highlighted beadwork and embroidery, but not in an OTT way. Good for more formal, glittery occasions, but not what I was looking for. Decided to look for this shop called Kaaya, an emporium of Indian designer fashions, in South Extension I, but the shop had moved. Was going to check out Haus Khas Village, but was getting a bit hungry by 2pm so headed to The Manor, a boutique hotel in residential Friend's Colony. The 10-suite hotel is Aman's Delhi outpost for guests who want/need to stopover until they get their own property up-and-running. It was very quiet when I arrived. There was a group of people in the private dining room in the restaurant, 77, but nobody else. Didn't see any guests in the lobby or lawn. The feel reminds me of Amansara -- very few rooms in a residential compound. The Manor is great if you don't want to be anywhere near the hustle and bustle of Delhi. The surroundings are peaceful and orderly. Decor is a bit Conran modern -- clean, simple, not likely to offend, but then again, not likely to excite either. Having said that, The Manor is the only hotel of this type in Delhi, which is interesting.

Wifi connection used: Imperial Hotel, IRp900/24 hours (Around US$20)

New Delhi 1: Three saga continues with some redemption, Imperial Hotel, Shopping

I woke up the next morning and first thing I did was to get a brand new phone. The concierge had a driver take me to a nearby tuck shop-like store, where I picked up a Nokia 1100, a super basic phone with an IRp1,000+ sim. I had to get my photo taken and give them a passport copy for the service application. They had me sit on a stool in the middle of the shop, which is just an aisle really, while a guy held a red sheet behind me and another guy took my polaroid. It only took 15 minutes to sort out and one of the guys in the shop dropped me back at the hotel.


Imperial Hotel bills itself as "India's Museum Hotel", because it was in the hotel that Jawaharlal Nehru and others discussed the founding of modern India. The hotel has the feel of a Raffles in Singapore, Peninsula in Hong Kong and Claridges in London, that old, British colonial feel. I'm staying in a Heritage Room (published rate is US$400/night, but online you can get rates as low as US$220 depending on availability) and its nice and spacious with king bed, sitting area, desk with wifi, large-screen plasma TV, dressing room and bathroom. My only complaint is that it doesn't meet the JR rule of luxury hotels -- separate walk-in shower and tub and double sink. Decor is simple colonial, a few prints of India in colonial times. Otherwise, not very inspiring. They have an interesting pillow menu, but I have yet to test it. I like the public spaces and there's a signature Imperial scent which is very welcoming and uplifting after a dusty day around Delhi's markets. It's a comfortable hotel and service is as one would expect of a historic, five-star property -- friendly staff, willing to accommodate, but not quite at the level of anticipating need.


Back to my Three saga. I called Three to have them forward my HK no. to the new Indian no since I couldn't do it online (the online forwarding is only for HK no.s). Of course, the woman had to put me on hold to check whether it could be done. Eventually, she got it done. I im-ed a friend to test it out. It worked and I was happy once again. The Nokia 1100, while basic, has a nice feel to it. It's been a while since I've had such a small and light phone with a monochrome display and does little else aside from make/receive calls and smses. I set the clock to local time (to avoid having to reset my watch), so I guess that's another useful function.

Since my HK no. was forwarded, I didn't really wasn't in urgent need of my HK sim card, so I decided not to bother FY with having to pick it up and sending it to me. Just as I thought all was sorted, another Three customer service rep called me. Mr Wong, handles Supreme accounts and he was very friendly and tried hard to please. He was calling to follow-up on my situation and asked if everything was taken care of. I told him I had gotten my HK no. forwarded and he was surprised that was the case. He told me they don't usually do that after a card has been lost and that it involved a HK$11.50/minute charge. He asked whether I was going to have my friend pick up my sim card. I told him I wasn't, because I didn't really want to bother a friend when not absolutely necessary and emphasised again that I thought it should be their job to take care of something like this. Well, after a few more phone calls over the course of the morning, Mr Wong told me that they would DHL my new sim to Singapore. I would need to send me my HKID copy with an authorization letter authorizing them to forward my HK no. to an Indian no. and acknowledging the charges as well as authorizing my friend EO in Singapore to take delivery of my sim. Fine, whatever. I was in a rush to meet Sanjay from Reebok who was going to supply the guy's cricket gear.

In the afternoon, I headed out for some shopping. First stop was Santushti Shopping Complex, lots of cute, little high-end boutiques (frequented by well-heeled Delhites and expat wives) run by Air Force Wives in a nice garden setting. Next, the taxi driver insisted that I should check out Padma Arts & Crafts, which was a total dud of a tourist trap. So I decided that I would dictate the next stop, which would be FabIndia in N Block Market, Greater Kailash I. But as soon as I got out of the cab, I headed into Ravi Bajaj, a rather chic menswear shop. I must admit, it was the "Le Cafe Terrace" sign that attracted me. And the illy cappucino I got while waiting for the my purchases of men's kurtas to be rung up proved to be a welcome respite from the watery coffee at breakfast. The guy's kurta's were not cheap, but very stylish. The Kasa Gelato kiosk across the street also served up a tempting array of flavours. I opted for coffee.

Würzburg Address Book

Congratulations to the newlyweds! The wedding day came and went in this historic, little town on the Romantic route without a hitch.

In between all the activity, I had a chance to walk around and came across some fun little places along the way:

Eva Maisch & Schmuck is a chic, little jewellery shop representing several German designers.
Café Balthazar on martinstraße 3 (T: +49 931 404 4447) is a trendy café/lounge bar and was packed at mid-day.
Schloß Steinburg is a charming castle hotel perched up on the hill with views of Würzburg in the distance. Decor is a bit Rococo, but the restaurant serves up good food. Pictured is the indoor pool with views of the Marienberg.